OCTOBER 2018
Operation Christmas Love
Love Never Fails Christmas: a time of celebration, feasting, presents, visitors and fun. Afterwards, the left-overs are stacked in the fridge and the wrapping paper fills several rubbish bags.
In deep winter in rural Romania, however, Christmas is not a time of feasting and gift-giving, but of struggle within a continued cycle of hopelessness. Among Romania’s Roma community, four out of every five people live below the poverty line, and many families cannot afford to celebrate – most of them simply unaware that a celebration is taking place.
Mariuca* is a young girl living in an isolated Roma village at the foot of the mountains in Romania. Despite being surrounded by natural beauty, villagers struggle with virtually no employment and much poverty. Survival is a day-to-day struggle.
Poorly built shacks alongside a river, strewn with bits of rubbish, do an ineffective job of shielding inhabitants from the cold – in this part of Romania, temperatures are below freezing throughout winter and can drop to -15C. Instead of plaster walls and tiled roofs, sheets of plywood and corrugated iron are all that protects Mariuca and her family from the bitter cold.
Many Roma do seasonal work to earn an income – but there is little of that in winter. People in Mariuca’s village survive through the toughest season by borrowing money and gathering firewood to warm their homes. Mariuca’s aunt said, “We go to the woods and get firewood illegally, stick by stick. We can only take a small amount at a time, and it’s only enough for a couple of days - then we do it all over again.”
The community here is close-knit and people find happiness in the smallest of things. Mariuca and her friends play a game where they tie a piece of elastic and jump through it. The game’s rules have been passed through the generations.
Recollecting Christmas day, Mariuca said, “My parents had to borrow money so we could have food on our table, but they did everything they could to make us happy.” Instead of fun and feasting, Christmas for Mariuca’s family is another reminder of their poverty, of their ongoing struggle to meet their basic needs.
This Christmas, Mission Without Borders (MWB) wants struggling families, such as Mariuca’s, to have the chance to celebrate the birth of Christ – and to find out about God’s abundant love and provision. Through Operation Christmas Love (OCL), we provide 7,000 families living in poverty in Romania with a parcel containing food supplies, treats and Christian literature. It lifts the burden off struggling families in the midst of winter when living costs are high – and brings the message of salvation into their lives on one of the most special days of the year. 30,000 OCL parcels will be packed and delivered throughout our 6 Field Countries.
Mariuca said, “I like the tea and my little sister loves the chocolate we got. It makes us so happy!” Marius Anescu, MWB’s Coordinator in the area, said, “This is one of the toughest areas we work in, especially during winter. People here are so poor they do not have time to think about anything else but food and shelter. Christmas is the perfect time to show them hope and that Christ’s love never fails.”
Mariuca’s village needs the transformation that only the Gospel can bring – and as MWB works in this community, it is our hope that mindsets will change, so children will receive educational and emotional support and girls like Mariuca will reach their full potential.
In the meantime, we want to see Mariuca and her family have a Christmas full of blessings - one where they go to bed with full bellies, knowing they are not forgotten by the world outside their village.
Become part of Operation Christmas Love and give joy to children like Mariuca this Christmas. *Maricua’s name has been changed
Just $50 will bring the Christmas message of God’s love to the needy this year. Partner with us this Christmas to share hope in Jesus by giving an Operation Christmas Love Parcel.
Love Never Fails “Until the age of four, my son Vladyslav was a lively, joyful boy, the apple of my eye, our firstborn. Suddenly he endured brain inflammation and since then, he has been paralysed, unable to see or talk. He can hear and sometimes communicate with movement,” said Vitaliy, a father living in a small village in the Sarny region, western Ukraine.
Christmas time in the Gamza family is one of those rare moments when the whole family is together. It is a precious time for Vitaliy’s wife and children to see him, as he works as a builder in the city 400km away.
Vitaliy said, “It is difficult to return home to find that your children have grown taller and to realize how small your input and influence is on them. I wish I could work here. There is total unemployment here. There are no roads, no manufacturing, no business. We live in an unfinished building and do not receive any government benefits.”
The children’s grandmother has devoted herself to the care of her grandson, Vladyslav, now 13, who has severe cerebral palsy, although she does not live with them. She holds him tenderly on her lap. The two seem to be so close that his pain is her pain too.
She said, “We tried different doctors and clinics. His disease is so severe that he has little chance of improvement. The only relief for him is rehabilitation therapy, but in our desolate village with no hospital we cannot provide it. I give him massages.”
The mother, Lyudmyla, is so thankful for such a helper. She takes care of her other boy, Valentyn, 10, and two girls, Valentyna, eight, and seven-year-old Vladyslava, as well as doing the housework and farm work.
She said, “When I was younger, I dreamt of an exciting and carefree life. Poverty, daily difficulties, desolate living conditions and the disability of my son changed my reality somewhat. Still, I would not trade it for anything else. I need to give all I have everyday, but I receive so much love from my family in return. It gives meaning to each day.”
Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails… 1 Corinthians 13:7-8
The absence of stability and economic potential is common to most of the families here. Parents hope for a better future for their children; the situation in the country continues to worsen, and it leads to further frustration. Vitaliy said, “Many men and some women in my village abuse alcohol. They give up trying for a better life.” Mission Without Borders (MWB) is working with families in the region of Sarny, providing them with support and helping them to overcome poverty. “The support of MWB helps me to believe that I can do it,” said Vitaliy.
“We have the regular provision of food, clothing, footwear and hygiene items from MWB, and it allows me to spend money on building the house. Emotional support is also very important for us. And although we are not very religious, communication with people such as the workers of MWB helped us to see many things in a different light. Christmas became more meaningful for us. Our holiday supper was made with food we received in the OCL parcel. It was very symbolic. We feel loved, and it helps us to love each other more.”
Send a personal Christmas Card with Every OCL parcel you donate! This year we are again giving you the opportunity to send a personally signed gift card with each OCL box you donate. There is one enclosed in the package sent with this newsletter, which you can sign and return with your donation.
If you give more than one OCL box, you can request on the donation coupon, that we send you more cards. We will post these to you for you to sign and return to us. Alternatively if you are happy for us to do so, we can sign additional cards on your behalf – just let us know!
Over 1500 personalised cards were sent from Australia directly to families in Romania last year. We are hoping to bless even more in 2018! All cards sent from Australia will be packed into boxes going to needy families in Romania.
We can’t wait to do this again!
This is a great opportunity for you to personally bless our beneficiaries this Christmas. We are all about showing love and what better way to do it, than personalising a Christmas card to go in the OCL boxes that you give. It’s our way of showing families in Eastern Europe that they are not forgotten, that each one of them matters and that there is a family on the other side of the world who loves and cares for them very much.
Important things to remember: Please just sign your name. There will be no time for our field workers to translate any further messages written on the cards. Please also do not include your address or location. Send your signed card back with your donation and we will do the rest. All cards must be returned to us by for us to get them to the Romanian warehouse in time for packing and distribution.
18th October 2018 in order