Partnering with Royal Charis Academy

Written by Jeremy Leaman and Gerry Blitz

Six years ago, in May of 2014, God spoke to Corina in her spirit, “You haven’t prayed for the educational system of Romania lately.”  Corina was surprised; the voice was real but the thoughts weren’t hers. In fact, the idea of praying for one more thing was almost an imposition. Corina and Doru had two young boys and their youngest child, Yanna, was recently diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy. How could she be expected to pray for something as immovable as the education system? With so many things already on her prayer list, she almost set it aside, yet she found her prayer journal and wrote a prayer, believing she had satisfied the requirement. Days later the same voice reminded her, “I told you to pray for the educational system of Romania.” She took her prayer journal again and wrote a shorter prayer, then continued with her routine thinking she has accomplished her mission. However, a few more days went by and she heard the voice again, this time with a stern tone, saying, “Haven’t I told you to pray for the educational system of Romania?” This time God had her attention. After sharing all of this with Doru, the message was clear, as a family they needed to pray for the redemption of Romania’s education system.

That fall, the Christian preschool (ages 3-6) that their younger son, Joshua, attended faced a crisis. The director was fired and the building owner where the school met took over the school. The parents were furious but were left with no recourse. This happened right after the school year had already started so it was too late to even enroll in another school besides the fact that there were only two Christian schools in Cluj-Napoca to begin with. After much prayer, one parent suggested that Corina take over and manage the school under a ministry she was already leading, Way of Truth Ministries. She agreed to do this for one year only. In November, the preschool opened at a church, which had provided two rooms for the children.

God carried them through, and at the end of the first year, the parents asked her to continue as director. She felt led by God to continue, and as it was turning out, the training she had received from American missionaries a few years prior, was proving instrumental to her success.  Corina had been equipped with the very tools she now was using to lead the preschool including many values and leadership principles she would not have learned otherwise.

Since the start of this journey, the school, now named Royal Charis Academy (RCA), has distinguished itself as providing an excellent spiritual and academic foundation for the children.  RCA currently has 40 children, ages 2-6, enrolled in its creative, life-transforming program.  These children come from a variety of backgrounds, but each one consistently receives instruction about manners and behavior that is based on the Bible.  The teachers remind the children daily that “we love each other, we share our toys, we listen when someone is talking, and we always speak the truth.” Corina shared, “We don’t teach religion.  We simply include Biblical truths in every subject or theme we are teaching.”

Corina, the team of teachers, and Doru, who works behind the scenes in legal, accounting, and other administrative responsibilities, seek to be true to their name, Royal Charis Academy, as they serve the children.  This name establishes identity. Royal, because as Christians, we are children of the King of Kings. Charis is the New Testament Greek word for “grace.”  Academy embodies the highest standard of learning. Corina explained, “The call is larger than what we are doing right now but we need to focus on what we can do right now.”

Right now, of course, involves dealing with the challenges of Covid 19, which have been significant for RCA.  They have kept their doors open though, instructing the young children through Zoom, and have embraced a number of creative teaching methods that the children have responded to with enthusiasm.  One of these was an audio recording of a book which involved all the teachers, Corina and her son Haris, and even an elderly aunt!  The team of readers enthusiastically threw themselves into their roles, reading and recording their parts.  After compiling and editing, the finished product was huge hit with the kids, as they recognized the voices of their teachers, and teared up listening to the story.  Some parents communicated with Corina that their child goes to sleep listening to the story.  Other parents communicated that they are so grateful that RCA’s educational work is continuing during the shutdown.  Eventually, RCA’s story about their proactive work during the lockdown including the audio book was aired on two radio stations.  Praise God!

As Doru and Corina and their team move into the summer months, they are encouraged by God’s faithfulness as He has carried them through some tough times.  RCA still has a number of challenges ahead of them including the lost income due to the lockdown and finding and moving into a new facility.  When asked about how we can stand with them in prayer, Corina responded, “We need to find a new building with spacious rooms and a generous courtyard to give stability to our ministry.  We also need wisdom and knowledge as to how to adjust to all the changes that this global crisis may bring about.  Obviously, the grace of God and His protection upon us is greatly needed!”

If you would like to partner with Royal Charis Academy and Corina, Doru, and their team of teachers, as prayer or financial partners, please reach out to Jeremy at jeremyl@tenmillionforchrist.org.  You can learn more about RCA’s story on facebook.  Thank you for your interest!

“Lord Jesus, prosper Royal Charis Academy, Doru & Corina, their team of teachers, and all the children and their families.  May they see you move mightily on their behalf this summer!  And may their vision to grow into a primary school, impacting the lives of many children with your truth, become a reality in the very near future!”