5193 infocus feb2015 street mercy (f) lowres

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In three cities in Bulgaria, Moldova and Romania, Mission Without Borders and local volunteers provide a daily hot meal to homeless men, women and families. We call this “StreetMercy”, showing God’s love to some of the most vulnerable people. As well as feeding the hungry, we look out for those seeking permanent change for the better. Here is the story of one person we met in Sofia, capital of Bulgaria.

The middle-aged man standing among the group of homeless people in Sofia, Bulgaria, looked

out of place as they waited for the StreetMercy bus to make its daily delivery of hot soup and bread. “You could tell he didn’t belong there – that’s what made me approach him,” said Yana Konova, co-ordinator of the StreetMercy project. “Then I recognised him, it was Ivo Y., a former StreetMercy beneficiary.”

Ivo, 50, a professional painter and iconographer, used to live in Varna – a beautiful Black Sea resort. He mortgaged his flat to help his brother-in-law’s business, but when things went wrong, the bank took the flat and Ivo lost his home.

February 2015

MISSIONWITHOUTBORDERS

LEFT: Ivo as we found him; RIGHT: A completely different Ivo returns to visit us.

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Ivo moved to Sofia, the capital city hoping to find a job. But with the loss of his home and the stress he became seriously ill with nowhere to go for help and no shelter. Then someone showed him a building where he could sleep. The building is just opposite where the StreetMercy bus delivers food daily to people in need. It was in there that Yana and Nina, a StreetMercy volunteer first discovered Ivo.

“I often wondered how a place like this could exist in the centre of the city. It looked alright on the outside but part of the building was worse than a rubbish tip. The smell was unbearable; the floor was covered with piles of plastics bottles, decaying food scraps and excrement. It is used by the homeless for shelter. That is where Ivo ended up - he had no choice. Like so many in that situation, he had no job, no relatives. The sores on his legs were so bad that he could not walk. Because of his dirty and torn clothes and lack of proper hygiene, people avoided him,” Yana told us.

Nina and Yana bought bandages and hygiene items for Ivo and every day Nina would gently clean and dress Ivo’s wounds. “Ivo was ashamed of his situation, often repeating that he was not a bad man and that one day he would get on his feet

again,” Yana recalls. “He was also so grateful for the care and kindness shown to him. “God sent you to me” he kept saying.”

A year later Ivo said to Yana “I can’t believe that I lived in that building and I will tell you something I haven’t told anyone – I had planned to commit suicide. If it had not been for you...” He pauses

before continuing, “I spent three months in that building I will never forget the day when you and Nina appeared. I survived, thanks to you, Nina and her ointment. You gave me hope and helped me to know about God. It is sad how these people live (he points to the homeless) – like animals. Nobody cares about them, or wants to know how they feel etc. Only

knowing God and his Word brings stability and a security which the world cannot give.”

Ivo talked excitedly with some of his former friends about what had happened to him through the StreetMercy project. It has not only saved his life and helped him to return to a normal life, but more importantly it has helped him discover God’s great love for him. There is not a trace of his former self: he has confidence and dignity. Currently he is living in his birthplace, a small town in the mountains, and is earning his own living. ♦

“God sent you to me…I had planned to

commit suicide”

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2 StreetMercy in FOCUS | FEBRUARY 2015

FAR LEFT: Nina helping serve mealsTOP: Queuing to survive the cold, Sofia BOTTOM LEFT: Yana the StreetMercy Coordinator

3StreetMercy in FOCUS | FEBRUARY 2015

W e s e n d out Annual Donations

Summaries in April. If you are not on our list already and need one, please get in touch. If you would like to “re-invest” your refund in our work (fantastic!), you can nominate Mission Without Borders and our bank account when you fill out the IR520 form.

UPDATE: WINTER RESCUE

We are grateful to the many who have supported our efforts to keep families, the elderly and disabled warm, fed and encouraged during the first part of winter. It is usually in February that the coldest temperatures are experienced, although for those with inadequate homes or none at all, even the relatively “warm” temperatures in January of minus 2 to plus 5 degrees Celsius are severe enough. We remain aware also of the needs of those in the East of Ukraine, especially those that suffered damage to their homes or lost them completely as a result of the ongoing conflict between the Russian-speaking separatists and the Ukrainian military. Many have had to leave their region.

You are still able to support our “Winter Rescue” project with a financial gift, if you would like to help.

NEW AMBASSADORSWe have two new MWB Ambassadors, who like our others around the country, are passionate about our work and can talk to your group about our Mission and life in some of the countries. They are Judy Osborne from Hamilton and Lynley Hansen from Christchurch. Phone us at the office if you would like us to put you in touch with Judy or Lynley, or another of our Ambassadors.

UPDATE: CHRISTMAS OUTREACHESAt the end of December, MWB Ukraine staff helped a local church put on a special Christmas outreach event, with music and a Christmas message, for the local community of Berdychiv, a town in mid-west Ukraine. About 150 people attended.

Our staff gave out Christmas Love parcels, first to the widows

and the families of army personnel, who took part in defending the country, then to refugees from the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, and finally to the local, underprivileged families. All were very grateful for the concern and care shown them as they are now in a time of great need.

Our Ukraine staff wish to thank all the supporters like you who have helped their Christmas outreaches both in Berdychiv and various areas across their country.

2015 FACES OF EASTERN EUROPE CALENDARSWe have about 40 left which are now half price $5 plus postage & handling each. MISSIONWITHOUTBORDERS

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

1 2 3 GOOD FRIDAY 4

5 DAYLIGHT

SAVING ENDS

6 EASTER MONDAY

7 SOUTHLAND

ANNIVERSARY

(Observed)

8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15 16 17 18

19 20 21 22 23 24 25 ANZAC DAY

26 27 ANZAC DAY

HOLIDAY

(Observed)

28 29 30

APRIL

MISSIONWITHOUTBORDERS

Judy with Vula who attends a MWB after-school programme in Moldova

Lynley visiting her sponsored child Dorina

A Ukraine serviceman and his family attended the Christmas event.

Winter warmth comes in many forms –some Moldovan youth group members receive knitted items from Operation Cover Up.

We plan to offer a tour to two of our field countries in September-October 2015. Details will be notified on our website, Facebook page and in newsletters. If you haven’t contacted us yet but are interested in going, please let us know.

SUPPORTERS’ TOUR 2015

REPORT FROM AN MWB MOLDOVA COORDINATOR

Nicolae Cozlovschi, MWB Coordinator responsible for StreetMercy, Straşeni, Moldova reports:

“We have had the StreetMercy project in Straşeni for about two years now. It is a short period of time, but enough to help 40 to 50 homeless or people without any means of existence. We have seen how much joy a hot meal and a cup of tea can bring, especially on a cold winter’s day. Otherwise these folk only drink hot water in the summer time, when the water is heated by the sun. My greatest joy is when these ones in the park are treated with love (the place where they receive their warm food from Monday to Friday). And then they come looking for this love at the local church on Sunday morning. I want to thank all the sponsors who remember that there are very poor people living among us – thank you from the bottom of my heart for standing with us in this task.”

MORE THAN BREAD ALONE

Andrei was walking by the park when he saw some people gathered around and someone was playing the guitar. He approached them and was impressed by the song. When Andrei saw people like him there and good food and nice singing, he felt relaxed. When he was invited to a special church service, he decided to go and see. He really liked the church, the people, and especially the sermon. It was a special baptismal service – 12 people were waiting to be baptised. He approached the pastor, Nicolai (who is also the MWB Coordinator) and asked if he could also be baptised. After a discussion with the pastor and prayer, Andrei was also baptised. He told us:

“I am so glad that I found God! I go to church each Sunday. I like to listen each time to the new things and good things about life and about God. I am happy to come in the park and eat this hot food each day – from Monday to Friday, but also to chat with these people here.”

STREETMERCY IN MOLDOVA

44 Helping to Change Lives in Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Moldova, Romania and Ukraine

MISSIONWITHOUTBORDERS (NZ) PO Box 56264, Dominion Road, Auckland 1446 Phone 09 309 6969 0800 469 269 Email [email protected] Website mwb.org.nz Reg. Charity No. CC37218 facebook.com/MissionWithoutBordersNZ

Direct Credit Payments: Our bank account is 06-0185-0122206-12 If you would like us to issue a receipt for tax rebate purposes, please include or email us your name, supporter number (if you have one) and a reference code: SM: StreetMercy WMN: Where most needed For Bibles, please use account 06-0185-0122206-25 but please note that gifts for Bibles do not qualify for tax rebates.

LOCATIONS Sofia (Bulgaria) at three points; Chişinau and Straşeni (Moldova); Craiova (Romania)

NUMBERS REGULARLY HELPEDaround 700-800 people, with over 600 in Craiova

MEALS GIVEN OUTover 51,000 in total in one year

Hot meals shared in the cold of a Moldovan winter, Straşeni. Andrei (right) and another regular guest for the meals in the park.

FACTS