JANUARY 2018
Desperate for Winter to End “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) In 2017 the StreetMercy team in Sofia, Bulgaria celebrated its 5th anniversary. Established in 2012 in partnership with a local church, it has one simple aim – reach the most vulnerable with Christian love. The project is essentially a mobile soup kitchen that currently provides for up to 120 beneficiaries in two locations in the city with food, clothing, and bedding as well as medical, emotional & spiritual support. In five years the team estimate they have reached 4,000 people in need in Sofia. Those who come to StreetMercy include children from boarding school situations, young people from broken homes, the homeless who have come to the city from other parts of the country in search of work, those who are caught up in addiction, the mentally & physically disabled, and the elderly with no one to care for them. There are 500,000 homeless people throughout Bulgaria, reports Caritas Bulgaria, a non-profit organization. Bulgaria’s capacity of just 755 beds for the homeless in its temporary accommodation centers and poorhouses is nowhere near sufficient to meet the need. And homelessness is especially painful in Bulgaria, where there is heavy snow in winter and temperatures can drop to below -15 C degrees. COORDINATOR ANNA IN BULGARIA WITH A STREETMERCY BENEFICIARY
ELDERLY COUPLE VANYO & YULIA DEPEND ON STREETMERCY TO SURVIVE
Yulia and her husband Vanyo 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 brain-damaged and in need of regular medical help. They had no choice but to sell their flat and move to the capital to get the medical treatment 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,
$25 can bring HOPE at the beginning of a new year “Winter is the biggest enemy of rough sleepers,” says Anna, a local MWB coordinator. “Last winter, the snow was so bad you could not see in front of you. It is then when those we serve need us most. When we reach them, their hands are trembling, not only from the bitter cold – but from hunger.”
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 them 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,” Yulia, 63, says. “For me there is no shameful work now; everything is so uncertain, that is the only certain thing.” “If I start thinking about what I once was, I am finished,” she continues, with a sad look in her eyes. “I think of how many diplomas I gave to so many children, and yet here I am now … old with no job and living on the street, trying to survive.”
“The state gives us nothing and everywhere we go we are neglected – dogs are treated better than us. But Mission Without Borders is different … “
“I thank God for opening your eyes so that you can see people like us where others just walk past,” Vanyo added. “The state gives us nothing and everywhere we go we are neglected – dogs are treated better than us. But Mission Without Borders is different … you offer us a warm lunch, which is the only meal I will have today. You also offer kind words, a warm welcome and your friendship. I do not know what I would do without the warm clothes, socks, shoes and blankets that you gave us.” Mission Without Borders runs similar StreetMercy projects in all of the countries where we work. There is no shortage of disadvantaged people in the poorest countries of Eastern Europe – people who are unable to participate in what would make up an “ordinary” life. Things like keeping clean & warm, accessing healthcare, finding employment, and having a home where they can find rest & safety. Our StreetMercy projects seek to provide the homeless with hot meals and immediate crisis assistance – but once the food has been distributed, our workers talk with them, and discover their other needs. We try to offer emotional, spiritual, material, administrative and medical support. The challenges they face are numerous, so we try to reduce the immediate burden as much as possible. Healthcare in particular is one area which coordinator Anna in Bulgaria loves to help rough sleepers with – and this is only possible because of StreetMercy’s good relationship with several hospitals in Sofia. She said, “As a rule, no medical institution wants to help such people as they are not medically insured. But when I take them to these hospitals on behalf of Mission Without Borders, we find all doors open and we witness miracles.” Will you help us to provide many more miracles? A donation in any amount will go far as we extend our StreetMercy assistance to as many people as possible. Funds raised from this month’s campaign will go towards providing soup and food, clothing and footwear, bedding, hygiene parcels, and medical support for the lost and forgotten on the streets of Eastern Europe this winter. We are so very grateful for your continued support, and trust that the new year will bring you all the blessings of our Heavenly Father! Sincerely, Bonnie Borowetz SPONSORSHIP COORDINATOR MISSION WITHOUT BORDERS CANADA
MISSION WITHOUT BORDERS CANADA OFFICE LOCATION #4-30465 Progressive Way, Abbotsford EMAIL mwbcanada@mwbi.org | www.mwbca.org
$50 can bring the miracle of food, warm clothing & bedding to a StreetMercy beneficiary
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”
Donations and Sponsorships will be used where most needed to effectively help individuals, families and communities.