Do not Let This Dream Die

Jeremiah 29: 11

“ For I know the plans I have for you, “declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Hello everyone, my name is Romany Moussa,

I stand here today not just with a dream, but with a testimony. I am writing this not just to ask for help, but to share a story that only God could have written. This is written with a humble heart, full of faith and holding onto a dream that I know God placed inside of me.

I am an international student and a first generation college graduate in my family and someone whose journey began far from where I stand today.

At the age of 10 years old, while most children were playing, I was working to filing heavy bags of charcoal after school to support my family. I grew up as the oldest of 5 children in a rural village in Egypt. That work was exhausting, but still I learned responsibility and perseverance and more importantly, I learned to hope. I believed that God had a better future ahead. Then, one year, I experienced something that would change my life forever. I developed a severed dental abscess, and I went to a dentist in my small village. He extracted my tooth, and the pain simply disappeared while that moment implanted a seed in my heart.

I realized dentistry was not just about teeth, but it was about relief and dignity and restoring someone’s ability to smile again. As I grew older, I watched my father slowly lose almost all of his teeth. He suffered silently and hid his smile because of shame and pain. I remember wishing I could do something for him, but we could not afford the treatment. Seeing my dad’s struggle broke my heart and gave me a deep compassion for people who suffer quietly.

That is when my dream became clear: I want to be a dentist, not just to treat people, but to restore confidence and hope. And as my journey continued, God kept confirming my calling. He changed the plan in mind of going to Egyptian secondary school to Nile Union Academy where my life changed 180 degrees, and where I learned to speak English and later became a Valedictorian. But I had no way to complete my degree in Egypt due to lack of accreditation to my high school. God opened a door for me to be sponsored to go to Middle East University in Lebanon, yet I had the same problem: “Lack of Accreditation". I had to either stay in Lebanon, but get an unaccredited degree, or go to Egypt where there is a high chance of serving in the military for 3 years.

Still miracles exist. Making it to Southern Adventist University was incredibly impossible, but so much so that I almost gave up, but yes nothing is impossible with God who sent me more people in my life where they were willing to sponsor me to come to SAU. And I had a miracle of getting a visa in one week (that is impossible).

As my journey continued, God kept confirming my call. Through school, service and mission trips to Brazil, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Costa Rica and East Timor, I witnessed something I will never forget, people travelling for hours just to receive basic dental care, and children smiling for the first time after learning how to brush their teeth. Those experiences were confirmations from God to my call.

But the journey has never been easy. I faced financial struggle, visa challenges, and uncertainty about my future. Still, every time things seemed impossible, God made a way through people who chose to help. And by his amazing grace, I graduated with a degree in Biochemistry from SAU and became the first to achieve this milestone.

And now, I stand at the most important moment of my life: I have been accepted into my dream school, Loma Linda School of Dentistry.

This is not just an opportunity; it is the continuation of a calling that began in a small village with a child in pain and a dream placed by God. But today, I am facing a barrier that I cannot overcome alone.

As an international student, I do not qualify for federal loans or any financial aid options. The only private loan options available to me require a qualified U.S co-signer which is something I do not have. Without a co-signer, I am unable to secure any loans at all.

In addition to this, Loma Linda University requires international students by law to demonstrate the ability to pay for their first year of education upfront. This means I must provide a large financial deposit before I can even begin my studies which is beyond my ability or anyone else to afford without taking a loan.

From Loma’s website: International Students

Students applying for or holding F–1 U.S. Student Visas are required by U.S. immigration regulation to secure sufficient funds for their first year’s tuition and fees and provide documentary evidence of sufficient funds for their second year.

I have worked hard. I have sacrificed and have done everything in my power to make it this far in life. Now, I am stepping forward in faith. Because my story has never been about what I can do, but it has always been about what God can do through people.

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to share my journey during convocation at SAU. If you would be interested in seeing more of my story and what God has done in my life, a link is provided below, it means so much to share that video with you. There is so much more behind this journey that I would be honoured to tell.

If you feel led to support me, please understand that you are not just helping a student, but you are helping a child who once filled charcoal bags become a dentist. You are helping restore smiles to people who have no access to care. You are investing in a life dedicated to serving others with compassion and the love of Christ.

Every donation matters. Every share matter and every prayer matters. I truly believe that God touches hearts so that together, we can become part of each other’s miracles.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story. Thank you for your generosity and faith. And thank you for allowing God to work through you!

I believe with all my heart that God did not bring me this far to leave me here.

Ephesians 3:20:

“ Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.”

With deep Gratitude,

Romany

Feel free to reach out and above are some pictures from my mission trips.

Use the following link for watching my personal story in convocation at SAU:

https://www.southern.edu/events/convocation.html

Open the link

Scroll down all the way to “Student week of Worship, January 29,2026”