APRIL 2018
SOWING THE SEEDS By the time you receive this newsletter, the first official day of spring will have passed, and hopefully where you are there are signs of spring. I think we are all ready to put winter behind us and move on! So too in Eastern Europe, which experiences winter very similar to Canada’s. And like us, those in Eastern Europe look forward to warmer days, to new life, and fresh possibilities …
FROM ATTEMPTED SUICIDE TO HOPE: Resmija’s story When Resmija’s husband left to find work in northern Albania, she began to suffer from depression. Left behind to look after her children, alone in deep poverty, everything became uncertain and there was no hope to be found. Her attempt at suicide failed, but she was in deep misery and pain. “My children often went to bed hungry,” she says. “I could not provide more than one meal a day. I felt like I was in shock, and death was the only escape. But then the Mission came and we received food, clothes and other household items. Things began to change, and I remember your coordinator sharing a verse from Psalm 40, of how Jesus Christ could be the rock in my life.” As our relationship began to develop with this family, and their financial burdens decreased, their dignity increased. Mission Without Borders began to look at the potential for the family to provide for themselves. “With your help we started working and planting our land,” Resmija said. “The children began to go to school more and we went to church, which was new for us as we are Muslim. We were welcomed and supported. We realized we could not have done any of this on our own.”
“Life in rural Albania is very difficult,” Arjana S. — our MWB coordinator in this area — says, “it is very isolated and if you are new here it is hard to integrate, to feel part of a community. Being involved in such a project gave this family the chance to succeed and their crops were abundant.” Resmija added, “This past summer, we produced not just for ourselves but we could sell a part of them and make some money. I used them to purchase a cow [pictured left] and firewood for the winter. Can you believe it? I’m really happy.”
I AM A FIGHTER: Andreea’s story
PROVIDING FOR YOUR NEIGHBOR: Sergiu’s story
Andreea lives in central Romania, where 80% of the population lives below the poverty line and life is a desperate struggle every day. She was just 17 when she gave birth to her first child. The father was unemployed, and with a newborn to feed, took part in a robbery but was caught, and sent to prison.
Agriculture is the backbone of Moldova’s economy, with some 57% of Moldovans living in rural areas, and 80% of the land a fertile black soil, ideal for producing fruit and vegetables. The greatest tragedy is that thousands of children and families are struggling to get enough food to survive or to live a life of hope.
“I was left alone, I had nothing,” Andreea said. “Everybody told me to leave him, but I would not.”
“There were times when our family didn’t have enough money for bread,” Sergiu says. “I needed to provide for my family, but it was impossible to get a job. With help from the Mission, we renovated a greenhouse and we now provide for ourselves.”
“The past few years have been a big trial for us as a family,” she says, “but our love became stronger through struggle. I am a fighter, I had to fight. All I want for the future is for us to stay together and for my children to have more chances than us.”
In a town where just 1 out of 7 residents are employed, it is hard enough to get a job, let alone for an ex-convict. Upon his release from prison, life was even harder for the family. Mission Without Borders works in partnership with a local church in their area, and with the assistance of generous Canadian donors, the church launched a greenhouse project in 2016. This provides struggling families with a plot of land to develop, as they learn new skills on how to provide for themselves. Andreea and her partner were the first couple to be enrolled in the greenhouse project.
“The greenhouses allow us to be together as a family and I don’t have to go abroad for work,” Sergiu says. “We now have our own mini-business, and through it I want my children to take responsibility and to learn new skills so that they can provide for themselves in the future.” Through your
support, MWB could provide any of the following …
The plan is, as well as covering for their needs, what they produce will also help to feed and inspire other local families. “It makes us happy and glad,” Nadejda, Sergiu’s wife says, “that we can help other vulnerable families from our neighborhood.”
A Starter-Pack of Seeds, to grow vegetables
Our monthly newsletters are primarily one of our fund-raising tools, but also a report to you—the donor—on what we are doing in Eastern Europe.
approx. value $50
Today, you will find Andreea and her eldest son walking home daily from the greenhouse, with a bag of fresh vegetables from their plot of land. Despite the poverty surrounding the one-room hut where the family lives, there is a positive feel of love and the place is clean and in immaculate order. “The mentality of hopelessness is our biggest obstacle here,” Pastor Timotei of the church says. “Every family in a difficult situation believes the solution is to leave and go elsewhere. There are no guarantees that they will find a better life away from here. We encourage parents to pull themselves together and to work hard to change their situation. This project provides them with the start and opportunity they need.”
A Flock of Chickens, to start a farm approx. value $75
A Bee-Keeping Course, to start a honey business
MISSION WITHOUT BORDERS CANADA OFFICE LOCATION #4-30465 Progressive Way, Abbotsford EMAIL mwbcanada@mwbi.org | www.mwbca.org All donations are used to effectively deliver programs.
approx. value $100
Your support enables MWB to continue the construction of greenhouses and the preparation of fields, provide seeds to be sown, and give training and tools in order for people to grow abundant crops in order to feed themselves and help their neighbors. Your gift allows us to do all these projects, and so many more, as we work to change lives and help to banish poverty and bring hope to the people of Eastern Europe. Wishing you and yours a wonderful, blessed Easter season and thank you for your continued interest in Mission Without Borders!
Sincerely, Bonnie Borowetz SPONSORSHIP COORDINATOR MISSION WITHOUT BORDERS CANADA
TOLL FREE 1-800-494-4454 | LOCAL (ABBOTSFORD) 604-855-9126 MAILING ADDRESS Box 2007, Abbotsford, BC V2T 3T8 Follow us on Facebook at “Mission Without Borders Canada”