Nomenjanahary, Erica Tahiriniaina
Erica Tahiriniaina Nomenjanahary is an international Global Mission Fellow with the United Methodist General Board of Global Ministries, engaged in a two-year term of service.
The Global Mission Fellows program takes young adults ages 20-30 out of their home environments and places them in new contexts for mission experience and service. The program has a strong emphasis on faith and justice. Global Mission Fellows become active parts of their new local communities. They connect the church in mission across cultural and geographical boundaries. They grow in personal and social holiness and become strong young leaders working to build just communities in a peaceful world.
A lay member of the Ambodifasika United Methodist Church, Antananarivo, part of the Madagascar Mission Field, Erica teaches Sunday school and is vice president of the youth group. She earned a diploma/certificate in education.
Erica describes her spiritual growth as a rewarding journey that evolves day by day. “My faith,” she said, “grows through the teachings I regularly receive at church, where the word of God is a source of inspiration and transformation in my life. These teachings help me better understand God’s will and apply God’s principles in my daily life.
“Regularly reading the Bible, both alone and in groups, plays a crucial role in my spiritual maturity. Meditating on the Scriptures strengthens me and guides my path. Prayer is also a fundamental pillar in my relationship with God. Through it, I find comfort, guidance and strength to overcome life’s challenges.”
Erica finds profound joy in serving God. “I experience a deep sense of peace and fulfillment beyond any earthly satisfaction,” she said. “My desire to serve is particularly motivated by the calling I feel in my heart: to help those in need, wherever they may be in the world.”
This conviction drives Erica to engage in mission work. She believes that her commitment is a response to God’s calling.
“I am ready to embrace a new chapter of my faith journey by joining a different community to fulfill the work of God,” she said. “I firmly believe that this experience will not only be an act of obedience to God’s call but also an essential preparation for my future in God’s service.”
Erica realizes that becoming a Global Mission Fellow means temporarily letting go of her family, her familiar environment and the people she loves. “It is a renunciation of all that has shaped my daily life to open myself to the unknown,” she said. “But in this renunciation lies a powerful declaration of faith and love: I choose to respond to God’s call by placing my trust in God and God’s plan for my life. I know that this path, though it may be filled with challenges, is rich with divine promises.”
She added, “It is a way to testify to God’s love that transcends borders, languages and cultures. By devoting myself to a new community, I want to embody this love, which is patient, kind and selfless. Every action taken in this new environment will be a manifestation of the divine love that unites us all, regardless of our differences.”
Erica believes in the power of faith that is not limited to what we can see or understand today. “God has plans for my life, plans that I cannot always fully comprehend at the moment,” she said. “But I know that through faith, every step I take in obedience paves the way for achievements far greater than I could ever imagine.”
Erica is convinced that Global Mission Fellows also represents a beginning – “the start of a new adventure in faith, a springboard toward a future marked by service and God’s work,” she said. “I have faith that God will guide me, strengthen me and bring forth spiritual fruits from this experience that will benefit not only my life, but also those I am called to serve. It is in this spirit of humility, love and faith that I fully commit myself to this new mission.”
In every church gathering, whether worship services, Bible studies, community outreach or prayer meetings, Erica wants her life to be an example of what it means to follow Christ. “This involves loving my neighbor, being patient in trials, showing kindness to those in need and being available to serve where there is a need,” she explained. “By putting these principles into practice, I want to inspire others to walk the same path of faith and develop their own Christian commitment.”