Hope and pain on the streets of Chisinau – Vasile’s Story It is -17 degrees celcius in the city of Chisinau Moldova, one of Europe’s poorest cities. The streets are impassable and covered in snow. This is the most vulnerable time of year for the homeless, who, as well as surviving the bitter cold, each day have to overcome hunger, depression, rejection, addiction and the many dangers of life on the streets. You will find many men, and some women and children, on winter days like this, wandering the streets completely alone. Their heads are bowed low and there is bleakness in their eyes as they collect items they find useful, before disappearing to find shelter in abandoned basements or doorways before night falls.
I feel insecure all the time.
Their lives are filled with hopelessness, but for one homeless man, Vasile, there is a familiar but different story. “There are many dangers in a homeless life,” Vasile says, “you feel insecure and in pain all the time.” From a young age, Vasile says he was on the streets and living a life of crime which saw him end up in prison for 15 years. While inside he was given a Bible to read and it changed his life. Despite finding faith, when he was released, he had lost everything and ended up on the streets again. “Last year, when I was at my lowest, I was ‘adopted’ by the church. ” he says, “They gave me warm food five days a week and found me odd jobs here and there for a little money.” The Street Mercy project delivers hot meals, 5 days a week to homeless people living on the streets. Besides nutrition, beneficiaries are assisted with medical care, clothes and shoes. They also receive Christian Outreach, Bible readings, prayers and personal counseling. What they value above all is the friendly attitude toward them shown by everyone involved in this ministry.
I am forgiven!
“I am thankful for what I have, especially for the warm boots that I got from the church. I consider myself a happy man, despite all my failures in life. But mostly I am happy because I have Jesus and that after all I have done – I am forgiven.” Despite the hope of Vasile’s story, his experiences are sadly the exception rather than the rule in Chisinau, and hundreds of homeless men, women and children are out there right now in these temperatures, desperately in need of your support. Images – Vasile considers himself happy and blessed with his hot meal and warm blanket. Pictured left - trying to keep warm in his home, enjoying a hot meal provided by the MWB Street Mercy team.
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Stories from the
Streets – Chisinau, Moldova Among one bleak tower block you can find three homeless men sheltering in a basement where there are no doors, no windows, no light and no source of heating. Bending down through the low basement door, you find yourself in a large dim room with mouldy walls and old coverlets hanging on them. A candle burns weakly in a cup and two small icons can be spotted in the darkness - the only other faint light comes through a hole in the ceiling. The only belongings that look clean and happy are the blankets provided by MWB, and the only time the men who live in the basement emerge in to the freezing temperatures is to go to the church. Here they receive a hot meal, boots, warm clothes, and are loved and welcomed no matter what. (Pictured above and below)
According to statistics from 2016, there are currently 3,000 - 5,000 homeless people living in Chisinau.
The Street Mercy project in Chisinau supports 45 homeless men, women and children in partnership with the local Baptist Church each week, providing daily hot meals, warm clothing, blankets, shoes and Christian Outreach.
Share your food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help. Isaiah 58:7 “Winter is the biggest enemy for rough sleepers. Recently, the snow was so bad you could not see in front of you. This is when those we serve need us most. When we reach them, their hands are trembling, not only from the bitter cold – but from hunger.” MWB Street Mercy Team
Help Us Share God’s Love
$20 can provide 5 hot meals (1 week) $100 can provide 25 hot meals(1 month) $500 can provide a family of 5 a hot meal each day for 6 months!
Going the extra mile on the streets of Sofia, Bulgaria – Anna, their Hero. “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.” (Proverbs 31:8-9) The homeless people living on the streets of Sofia, Bulgaria’s capital city, are just as invisible here as they are anywhere. As outsiders, they are unable to participate in those things that make up an ordinary life: keeping clean and warm, accessing healthcare, finding employment and going home to rest and be safe. They see the people of Sofia hurry past towards their homes and loved ones, while they remain outside in sub-zero temperatures, battling hunger, frostbite, hopelessness and despair. But in Sofia, they are seen and known by somebody who models Christ’s love to them: Anna Atanasova, their champion. Anna is the Street Mercy Coordinator for Mission Without Borders (MWB) in the city. Through her, many of the homeless community are seeing for themselves the sacrificial love that Jesus has for them. Anna passionately models the love of a God who seeks and saves the lost and who gives up everything to bring them home.
Alexander’s story 51-year old Alexander is one homeless person who desperately needed a doctor. One night early this year, the temperatures plummeted to 20 degrees below zero. Alexander was sleeping out in the snow and in the morning, the fingers of both his hands were frostbitten. He tried to go to a hospital in the city but no one would help him without medical insurance. With Anna’s help, he was admitted into another hospital where, after doing their best to save his fingers, doctors had to operate to amputate them. Alexander said, “If it had not been for Anna and her connections, I would have died.” Now Anna is helping Alexander with the paperwork he needs to apply for a pension on grounds of his disability. This pension, though small, will help him receive regular finances each month and rent a small place, helping him to leave the streets.
Maria’s story Maria is a single mother with three children. Her husband left them and she found herself on the street. After joining the Street Mercy project, she showed interest in Christianity and joined one of the partnering churches. Anna advocated for Maria and her children to government agencies, that she might be granted municipality housing. Finally, at the beginning of July 2017, Maria and her children moved into a new home. Maria’s youngest child has been accepted into kindergarten, and now that Maria has a home, she will be able to find work. She said, “Our flat is very nice and well furnished. There is enough space for all our belongings and a separate bed for each child. I am very thankful to MWB and Anna for all her efforts, but mainly to God who helped my problem to be solved.” So much of what Anna does is far beyond her official duties as Street Mercy Coordinator. She said, “God’s love for me is the main motivation. I do all that voluntarily because of our God who has called us to show care for the poor, the orphan, the widow and He gives us strength to continue to do it. When I witness how God provides the needs of these people, I feel encouraged. Blessed be the name of the Living God who opens doors and cares for the underprivileged.”
Yulia and Vanyo’s Story “If I start thinking about what I once was, I am finished,” Yulia, 63, says with an empty, sad look in her eyes. “But on days like today, I do think of how many diplomas I have given to so many children, and yet here I am now, old, with no job and living on the street. But I cannot give up, I just have to find a way to survive.” It is -22 degrees in Sofia, Bulgaria’s capital city, but with the swirling bitter wind it feels much colder. In this bleak and deadly scene, we meet Yulia and her husband Vanyo who have been sleeping rough for the past six years. Married for 37 years, their happy life together was changed forever when their son was attacked and beaten on the street, leaving him mentally damaged and in need of regular medical help. Living in an isolated area of Bulgaria, they had no choice but to sell their flat and move to the capital to get the medical treatment he needed. Before their son fell ill, Yulia had a degree in biology and chemistry from a prestigious Bulgarian university and had worked as a Teacher and School Principal, while 66-year-old Vanyo, was a Chemical Engineer and was studying nuclear physics. Arriving in Sofia, things did not go well, they couldn’t get work, their savings melted away and they were forced to become homeless. Today, instead of working in the classroom, enjoying a well-earned retirement or caring for their son, you will find Yulia and Vanyo, huddled together and holding hands near an evergreen bush next to a railway station in the city. Despite the freezing temperatures, they are trying to find straight twigs to make into bouquets to sell. “I sell them to make a little money, but the price depends on the generosity of the giver,” Yulia says, “For me there is no shameful work now, but everything is so uncertain - that is the only certain thing.” Vanyo helps his wife as much as he can, but he has serious health problems and cannot afford the treatment he needs. “I would like to thank God for opening your eyes so that you can see people like us where others just walk past,” he says. “The government gives us nothing and everywhere we go we are neglected. But the staff from Mission Without Borders (MWB) are different. You offer us a warm lunch, which is the only meal I will have for days. You also offer us kind words, a warm welcome and you give us your friendship. On days like today, I do not know what I would do without the warm clothes, socks, shoes and blankets that you have given us.”
Yulia and Vanyo are desperate for winter to end. By giving to MWB Street Mercy appeal, you can help them make it through. MISSIONWITHOUTBORDERS Phone 02 9647 2022 Email australia@mwbi.org
PO Box 7533 Silverwater NSW 1811 | 10 Stubbs Street Auburn NSW 2144 Website mwb.org.au facebook.com/MissionWithoutBordersAustralia