Introducing Virginia Prodan, 2023 WCS Gala Speaker

By Dr. Roger Erdvig

“I should be dead. Buried under an unmarked grave in Romania.
Obviously, I am not. God had other plans.”

 These two poignant lines open Virginia Prodan’s 2016 book, Saving My Assassin.
 
In the 15 chapters that follow this sobering claim, Virginia tells her amazing story. From being an outcast child growing up under an oppressive communist regime led by the brutal dictator, Nicolae Ceausescu, to becoming an international human rights attorney, Virginia’s story will encourage you to live with conviction, no matter the cost.
 
Listen to how she describes her life...

Listen to how she describes her life in Romania prior to the fall of the Soviet Union. She calls it a “land of lies.”
 Simply put, Ceausescu turned my native country into a prison land. Not only were we not free to confront the lies of the despotic regime, but we lived in a constant state of anxiety and mistrust, as anyone could easily and often arbitrarily denounce a neighbor, classmate, or family member for making “antigovernment” statements. The best way to avoid punishment, I learned early on, was to remain silent and blend in. Unfortunately, I did not blend in. And for that, I was punished.
As a young adult and freshly-minted attorney, Virginia worked hard to represent individuals in the lopsided Romanian court system. However, in her personal life, she was on a quest to find the truth and acceptance that alluded her through her life. One day, a client invited her to church—an invitation that could cost her life and her livelihood. She accepted the invitation and found that Christ was the answer to her deepest yearnings. From that day on, she became a target as she boldly began working with defendants who were accused of defying the communist regime.
After submitting her life to Christ, Virginia endured threats against her children, keeping her always looking over her shoulder at who might be following her and her girls. She was falsely accused of the most heinous and treasonous crimes. Every knock on the door of her apartment and every loud noise sent shivers up and down her spine. Virginia lived in constant danger, but a supernatural peace carried her through harassment, assault, and unimaginable peril.
One day, as her workday was about to end, Virginia was visited in her quiet office by a hulking, 6’ 10” man in an overcoat. Her petite frame was dwarfed by this giant of a man. Knowing she was the only one in the office area, she prayed a silent prayer, and nervously invited him in. He had been sent by government operatives to assassinate her.

“You have failed to heed the warnings you’ve been given,” he said, pointing a gun at Virginia. “I’ve come here to finish the matter once and for all.”
But, even though Nicolae Ceausescu was finished with her, the God who Rules the Universe was not.

Virginia was emboldened by the Holy Spirit to confront her assassin with the Gospel. In measured words, Virginia began to ask him questions that pointed to his need for Christ. As his countenance softened, she walked him through the entire Gospel. He had orders to walk out of her office having murdered Virginia. Instead, he walked out a new creature in Christ, his Savior. And Virginia went on to emigrate to the US and to represent religious freedom cases around the world.
 
We need to hear Virginia’s story as we live in a time that no longer considers the truth precious and as opposition to the Gospel intensifies. She is a humble and faithful example of how to walk with holy boldness as threats and perils increase.
 
Saving My Assassin is available online wherever books are sold. Virginia will be our special guest speaker at our annual Gala on Friday, March 24, 2023.