Since 2022
Leah Harper, a Columbus Ohio native, first felt the call to missions when she was a child. After spending most of her growing up years unsure of what that meant, she was introduced to Romania for the first time her senior year of high school. Leah quickly fell in love with the culture, the people, and the work being done with the Methodist church in the heart of Transylvania after a short two week mission trip with her church. After discussion with the pastors from Romania, and her parents, Leah decided to study social work in order to return to Romania someday. After five years in the states with only one three month visit to Romania, Leah moved to Cluj-Napoca Romania for full time missions as a social worker in September of 2021.
Her work in Cluj and the surrounding area is with an association called Phoneo, which includes social support at several community centers in Cluj, Comsesti, and Sibiu. This involves helping to run after school and personal development programs for children and youth, pariticpating in weekly worship services through playing guitar and leading worship as well as preaching or leading a Sunday school lesson at times. Leah also works alongside organizations that serve youths in the orphanages in Romania. She works with a private orphanage in SIbiu, as well as volunteering with an organization called Alfa, that provides many services to the public orphanages in the Cluj area. Leah lives at the community center in Cluj, alongside three other girls, several of whom have aged out of the orphanage system and are now in a transitional program called RAZA, which provides support for the girls for two years as they transition to independant living.
Leah, alongside of taking part in full time ministry, spends her free time in Cluj going out with friends, crocheting, baking, and hiking. She enjoys exploring the city through regular walks, and finding small shops and restaurants to try. Leah also has had the opportunity to join and play on the Cluj Ultimate Frisbee team. She enjoys practicing weekly with them, as well as training for frisbee. She is able to participate in regular tournaments that occur in Romania and the surrounding Eastern European countries.
