woensdag 30 november 2011

No mom and now also without dad...

While I was working this week in the office, a very sad but real story passed by. It is about a boy called Nicolae. He received some new winterclothes last week. Nicolae is 6 years old and lives in a village called Chipesca. Nicolae's mom died last year in an accident and his father is an alcoholic. His father does not take care of Nicolae and his brother. The money father receives from the social services to take care of his children, he does not bring it home, but uses it to buy more alcohol. When some OM-ers visited this family, it was really cold but they found the boys playing outside in thin summer clothes. Nicolae never smiled and even when he got dressed with new clothes, he did not show any sign of happiness. Nicolae probably does not know what happiness and love is. The house the boys live in is not heated and the windows do not have glass in it and also the door cant be closed so the door stays open the whole time. A very sad situation without any hope for the future. Just a few days later, we received the news that the father died and Nicolae and his brother are now orphans. Please pray with us that God will take care of these boys and that they will get a place to stay where there will be warmth and love.

zaterdag 26 november 2011

Nieuwe schoenen / New shoes!

Corina (5 years old) is excited when we pick her up from the kindergarten. We have told her that we will go by car to her house and that we have a gift for her. I am not sure what she is more excited about- the car drive or the gift!

When we arrive at her house, she calls her mom Andriana outside and then it is time for the present: a new pair of warm winter shoes! She tries them on and likes them a lot. She has a big smile on her face and her mum is also happy and thankful! The old shoes were getting too small but Corina’s parents couldn’t afford to buy a new pair. Corina’s father Nicolai doesn’t have a job; he occasionally finds work for a day or two cutting wood, digging the garden, harvesting the fields, taking care of the cows, and so on. For a full day of work he only earns around 50 or 60 lei (4 euro)… this is barely enough to provide food for his family. Corina’s mum stays at home and takes care of the house and of Corina and her little baby brother, who is only one month old. 

Life is difficult for the young couple. They would like to take good care of their children but both of the parents aren’t from the village where they live now, they don’t know anybody, and they don’t have a stable income. This family really could use some help. A lady in the local church pays for Corina to go to the kindergarden because her parents do not have the money.
Corina and her mom thank us with a big smile and in their eyes there is happiness. This winter Corina can go to the kindergarten with new warm winter shoes!

dinsdag 15 november 2011

Locked up in her own house

Last week I went to visit the Day Center and Elderly Care project in the village Crasnaseni and together with one of the sisters from the chucrh we went to visit Vera. Visiting Vera, who is 85 years old, is not so simple. She doesn’t see very well and in the past people have often come to her house and stolen things from her, so now she keeps the house locked from the inside and nobody can come in. She doesn’t trust anybody anymore. Only after you have knocked on the window and shouted who you are and why you have come to visit, she might get out of bed and open the door.
As we come to visit this old lady, we are lucky to bring Angela with us, the sister from the local church who daily brings food to six elderly in the village. Four more elderly come to the local church and eat the meal there but these six aren’t able to come to the church anymore so they get the food delivered to their homes.
After Vera has recognized the voice of Angela, she unlocks the house and we enter. The first three things we notice are the smell, the cold and the fact that it is dark in the house. Already for years the electricity has been cut off and so Vera doesn’t have light. Her heating system also broke down and because Vera can’t make a fire in her house anymore, she lives in the cold every day. The absence of any source of heat in her house also means she doesn’t have the possibility to heat any water, so washing clothes or taking a bath is not possible either. Life is very hard and lonely for Vera.
When we ask her what she is doing during the day, Vera tells us that for the last few days she has just been lying in bed, trying to keep warm. She has nowhere else to go. Her children are grown up and have left her by herself. Her son lives in the same village but never comes to see her and as she can’t walk so far anymore, it is not possible for her to go and visit him. Angela tells us that the son is not healthy mentally and therefore can’t take care of his mother. The daughters are working abroad and haven’t been in Moldova for years.
Vera shares that she doesn’t know how to survive, now that winter is coming, but that she prays to God and to Mother Mary to help her. When we say goodbye, Angela promises to bring some bottles with hot water later in the afternoon, so Vera can more easily stay warm in her bed. Of course she will bring some warm food, too. As we leave the house, Vera immediately puts the lock back on the door and returns to bed. I was touched to see how this lady lives and I realized how blessed I am. I pray that God will send somebody who help this lady.