Meet Petrisor – The Romanian Driver Who Sleeps 3 Hours a Night

When our team arrived in Suceava, the team was greeted at the airport by a young man named Petrisor (Peter).  Maybe some of us thought it was his job to pick us up, that he possibly worked for the non-profit we were partnering with and was paid to be a driver.  But as we got to know Peter, we learned that he already had a business, and a farm, and a wife… and him greeting us at midnight and throughout the day was just some of what made Peter so special.

Peter has been sleeping 2-3 hours a night since the war started, going to the border and picking up refugees and going to the airport and picking up volunteers, amongst a host of other ways he was serving.  I asked him about getting more sleep and he said, “It’s okay, someone has to do it. … I love God and He loves me and I love to help people.”  

Peter grew up in Suceava, the oldest of 8, 5 brothers and 2 sisters. 

He started volunteering with Emaus Center where he had some friends involved from the same village.   One day, he met Ben from Vital Solutions who asked if he’d drive a van for them.  In typical Peter fashion, “I said, yeah I’m here, no problem.  Let’s go!  And now I just keep going. Day and night. Doing it for God.”

“There is a woman, I brought her from the border. When she got to the Emaus Center, she found out her husband had died in the war. She just cried and cried. And there’s so many kids. It’s just hard.  I’m just here all the time, I just want to help people. I’m blessed to work with Vital Solutions team.”

So how does someone keep going like Peter?  He has a secret, maybe 2.  “Because God gives me energy.  And I drink around 8-9 cappuccino’s a day.”  I’m not sure if that’s entirely sustainable for life, but the need is urgent.   “I’m here, I want to help!,” Peter says, “Keep going!”

“I lost my parents when I was young. I know what jt means when you lose someone and need help.” 

My wife asked me, “Why do you go to help?”  And I responded, “I know how people feel when they get help because I feel the same when I get help. My wife is happy because I’m doing good things and she prays for me.”

“The important thing for those interested in coming to serve in Romania & Ukraine is that we need translators and we need food and medicine to be brought from here into Ukraine.  Those who donate money, we are able to use that for food and get food into Ukraine.” 

“If you come for yourself, you’re going to get in the way of the help others are offering.  Come with a work ethic, not to take pictures or go on a vacation. If you can come and come to serve, we need you, we can use you.”

“When refugees cross the border, they say, “Where can I go?”  Any refugees we get, everyone gets a bed, gets food, and gets somewhere to go.  We get them a plane or train tickets if they need.  We really love them.  We should help people regardless but if my God said, let’s go, well, then, let’s go!”