Disastrously heavy rains in south-western Moldova cause flooding and devastation for many rural families.
In recent weeks 3,000 people have been evacuated as the Prut River burst its banks after days of heavy rain. In one week alone, over 60 communities across 14 districts were flooded.
The worst affected district is Hincesti, where three villages are currently under water. Over 2,000 people from Nemteni, Cotul Morii and Obileni villages have now been evacuated from their flooded homes, including 417 children. All are now sheltering in local sports halls, kindergartens and schools in neighbouring villages. Reports also state the loss of one life, and one person who has disappeared.
According to local authorities, the flooding has damaged almost 2,000 hectares of farmland and orchards. Villages in the southern area of Moldova are still at risk. Crops, animals, poultry and whole livelihoods are lost – causing devastation for many families.
What MWB is doing Teams from MWB Moldova have visited villagers to bring emergency aid. They have delivered mattresses, clothes, shoes, blankets and food. In spite of the shock of losing everything, the flood-victims were grateful for such basic goods. In addition, MWB-Moldova staff are voluntarily donating a day’s salary to support the flooded families, while the Moldovan Government has promised to build for the disaster victims 400 new homes before winter. It is a huge task.
What you can do
Pray for the flood victims – for emergency aid to reach them and for their re-settlement.
Pray for the Moldovan Government – for God to enable them to handle the disaster situation effectively.
Donate – your cash donation is the best way to get help to victims of the Moldovan floods:
£20 could help us distribute blankets
£30 could help us distribute clothes and shoes
£50 could help provide food parcels
£100 could help provide mattresses and other household goods.
Three schools have donated a stunning £755.59 to support the work of Mission Without Borders.
These primary schools, from different parts of the UK, all set up fun fundraising activities to raise fantastic amounts of money. At Dersingham St George’s Junior School, Kings Lynn, pupils made £101 through their non-uniform day. While at Fleetville Junior School, in St Albans, a core group of seven food-focused pupils organised a cake sale that raised a fabulous £113.11. Last but by no means least, Manby Lodge Infant School, in Weybridge, held a variety of sponsored events over the past year to raise £642.48. Pupils were involved in everything from being silent (in an infants school?) to book-reading challenges to wear-your-own-clothes-to-school days.
Do you have contact with your local school? Are you a school governor? If so, recommend Mission Without Borders as a charity for your school to support.
Are you a teacher? Then the answer to choosing your charity fundraising activities may be here:
follow the examples of these schools
contact us for more fun fundaising ideas that will work in school.
And if you lead assemblies, or teach Religious Education, use Mission Without Borders to help your pupils:
learn from Christianity
find out how Christians put their faith into action in another part of the world.
Contact Anne Montefiore on 020 7940 1373, or contact us for more information.
This year’s summer camps in Ukraine have already benefited over 700 children. And there are still more than 200 waiting their turn.
‘It’s the best time of the year for me!’ is the cry from children both in Child Rescue homes and Family programmes. For ten days, Ukranian children like Vadim make new friends, eat well, enjoy the countryside and grow in knowing the love of Jesus.
But Vadim has never been to Summer Camp before. His mother doesn’t have enough money to pay for him to join a camp. Nor even take him, with his two sisters, to the seaside. Instead, Vadim and his friends hang out by the river or on the streets.
He doesn’t remember his father – who left the family when Vadim was small. Yet today Vadim is a brave and lively 12-year old. He loves to play sports, especially volleyball. And he has a quieter side too. He likes reading and cross-stitching.
PRAY
for more children like Vadim to be able to join a camp
Over 1,000 Bibles have now been distributed across Albania through Mission Without Borders.
Generous supporters have donated to MWB’s 50th anniversary celebration plans to send million Bibles to Eastern Europe. As a result, Europe’s poorest country is now spiritually richer with over 1,000 people reading new Bibles – many for the first time. Albania is suffering a daily depreciation of the domestic currency with increasing prices. This threatens family life and could put even greater demands on MWB’s Albania social care programmes, particularly as we move into winter. What better time, then, to reach many people with the life-nourishing word of God? People like Jani Gerco. He now has his own Bible, which he reads to his brother. ‘I have learnt a lot from the Bible’, he said. ‘I have learnt a lot about Jesus Christ, who fed poor people and healed the sick. Sometimes I read in the evening before I go to sleep. I like reading the Bible.’
And what a time to be giving hope to people like Ballkize. She lives with her children in a small house. ‘I read the Bible with my children. I have never heard about God before and it is very encouraging for my children and me. It gives us the strength to face our daily problems. So I read it when I go to the fields to graze the cow, or my eldest child reads it to me in the evenings. I am very happy to have my own Bible now. Thank you’.
PRAY:
for the Lord to open doors for the efficient distribution of Bibles
for more people to receive a Bible and learn about God.
The excitement is already starting as young people in Eastern Europe begin to anticipate a trip to Summer Camp this year. Here is one young lady in Ukraine to tell you what she is looking forward to this summer!
In 2007, we delivered an Operation Christmas Love parcel to Elena, 25, and her daughter Diana, 6. Elena was too sick to work. She was very dependent, passive and unstable. The Child Protection Department was about to take Diana away.
We invited Elena and Diana to the Community Centre run by MWB and local churches. They received a daily hot meal, material help and encouragement.
The change has been dramatic.
They attend Church. Elena passed the Computer training at the Centre with excellent marks. Elena is physically and emotionally stronger and has just started a job. Diana is confident and doing well at school.
The local MWB Co-ordinator, Plamena Valkova, said,” The Elena that I met at the end of 2007 is very different from the Elena I know now – a responsible, determined and loving mother. I believe that God is able to heal her completely”.
These Seeds of Hope are beginning to bear fruit.
Heavy rains have flooded out a considerable part of Albania, blocking roads, leaving many families homeless and damaging the crops and lands. Durres, Lezhe, Kruje and Kurbin are the most overly-flooded areas.
The Municipality of Durres sheltered some of the families at three hotels in town till the water will draw back. The national road from Lac to Shkodra, north of the capital Tirana, was blocked for many hours, creating long lines of cars. Several local roads were equally impassable. The Interior Ministry and the Emergency Staffs in the areas are gathered to take immediate measures to relieve the situation.
During October month, MWB’s MD Christian Input(CI) staff organized two 5 Days Clubs for the children in Calaras Home and in a special home for deaf children in Hirbovet. In both Homes, the children and the teachers enjoyed attending the 5 Days Clubs very much. While the CI staff presented the lessons, the children sang with great pleasure and befriended the 5 Days Club team. The kids also listened to spiritual-educational stories which were presented through dramas and puppetry. The Christian Input staff taught the lessons’ message in very simple words in order to be comprehensible to the children.
The goal of the 5 Days Clubs is to strengthen the relationships between the children, the Home Administration and 5 Days Club team. Through these relationships of collaboration and friendship, the CI staff was able to teach the children the spiritual, emotional and educational principles for good behavior in society. Every day, the 180 children, together with their educators and teachers attended and participated in the 5 Days Clubs’ activities. The lessons covered the following topics:
Never Give Up – David and Goliath
People’s Submission to God – Daniel in the Lions’ Den
Obedience to Parents, Teachers and God – Jonah
Humbleness and Choosing Friends – Samson
People’s Salvation and Love for Neighbors – Cain and Abel.
The following goals were set while choosing the themes:
to enhance child’s self-esteem
to present the Almighty and Loving God to children and teachers
to promote respect, patience and love towards their neighbours in the children
The themes that were taught were very relevant and interesting because the children and teachers were very receptive, responded to questions and participated in the discussions. Also the children, in their turn, displayed great interest in the 5 Days Clubs’ activities by asking questions, being active and eagerly waiting for further information. On the last day of the 5 Day Club, the children were happy to receive Christian literature, biscuits and juice.
The seed was sown in the children’s hearts. We leave them in God’s hands. May God bless them and help them to know His love towards them.
Dear Everyone,
The flu epidemic in Ukraine deepens and broadens its geographical scale. After 4 days of quarantine in Ukraine, there have been 64 deaths from the ‘flu A/H1N1. Quarantine has been declared for 3 weeks in all the educational establishments of Ukraine. It is forbidden to move from one region to another region of Western Ukraine; this brings difficulties to our activities with the CRI Homes.
In November, we will not be able to have sponsors to Ukraine. Seven persons from our staff are at home, sick with the common flu.
The government and President of Ukraine appealed for help to other countries with a request for medical commodities (vaccines, medications, mittens) and also to charity organizations to multiply their delivery of humanitarian help.
We don’t yet know the real situation in our country, but if I have any more information, I will inform you. Please, pray for Ukraine!
Disastrously heavy rains in south-western Moldova cause flooding and devastation for many rural families.
Albania is suffering a daily depreciation of the domestic currency with increasing prices. This threatens family life and could put even greater demands on MWB’s Albania social care programmes, particularly as we move into winter.
