Granny Slobodanka by Antonija, homeless ministry team in Novi Sad, Serbia
Granny Slobodanka, for whom we have been providing care, has recently passed away. It is almost a year ago since Branko found this dear lady living in horrible conditions. Her home was an abandoned house without electricity or heating. She had no food, no warm clothes and was unwell with diabetes. We wrote a post on our social media about this elderly lady and many people responded. It was an incredible month when I personally was convinced that there are still so many empathetic, good, caring, loving people who were willing to help. Within a few days we gathered enough money for several months’ rent and found a suitable place for Slobodanka to stay. It completely changed her life. Granny Slobodanka was a goodnatured woman with great sense of humour and always laughing. We always brought her breakfast and gave her something sweet. She was as happy as a child. However, early one morning when I went in with her breakfast, I saw her crying. She suffered deeply for her family which had abandoned her. Another team member, Georgina would come every Saturday and spend time with Slobodanka, give her a bath and then they would talk and pray for hours. That was very important to Slobodanka. As time went by and as a result of her illness, she would lose track of time and become forgetful, even of us. Dementia began to take its toll.
Eventually, Slobodanka was placed by social workers into a residential care facility. She lasted just two more months. Her heart stopped and she slipped into eternity. We are comforted by the thought we did all we could and will always cherish the beautiful memories of time spent with our dear Granny Slobodanka. Please pray for the homeless ministry team in Novi Sad, Serbia. 11
