My name is Dana and I started to volunteer in Magdala on 9th February. I’m from Slovakia but I’ve been living in the UK for the last 10 and half years. In October last year I turned 30. Although I had a great job and comfortable life in the UK, I slowly started to lose my purpose of being there. I felt the pressure of settling down from people around me as well as myself. I had a very busy lifestyle. Suddenly I wanted to escape but didn’t know where to go next. There was one thing I knew for sure – that I’m a woman, slightly crazy (or very crazy some might say) who wants to find total satisfaction in God and serve him as best I can.

As I said I’m originally from Slovakia but the Holy Land has been my second home in the last decade. During my visit in August 2016 I came to Magdala with my mum for the first time. Celine gave us a tour and explained to us the vision of this place. I immediately fell in love with the synagogue and the beautiful Duc In Altum. The importance of the role that women played in the Old and New Testament began to be close to my heart. Celine told me about the volunteer program, we exchanged phone numbers and I decided to stay in touch.

Since 2016 I have been thinking of volunteering, but there was always something in the way. However, God’s timing is different than ours and the right time has come… just before my 30 birthday I applied to become a volunteer. 

Being a woman who has “7 demons” within like Mary Magdalene, a woman who isn’t Jewish but is devoted to His roots like our mother Ruth, I knew Magdala was the right place for me. 

I only arrived on the site a little while ago, and I already know that serving pilgrims and humbling myself in these simple living conditions will give me a different perspective in life. 

I’m looking forward to the worship that I will be able to give to God with this whole community as well as my personal time with Jesus in Galilee in the places He lived and walked. I’m planning to volunteer for a year so I shall share with you more of my experiences here next month…