During the last year, there have been challenges, threats and blessings for those for whom we care in the name of our Lord through Helping Hands Bulgaria. Several months ago we became a non-profit corporation. In order to accommodate our outreach to Greeks and others in Eastern Europe, our new name is Helping Hands Eastern European Ministries. We’ll still use our same website address since the main thrust of our work is geared toward Bulgarians (www.helpinghandsbulgaria.net). We have had a Greek website for 15 months now (www.GoodNewsForGreeks.wordpress.com). We are a 501c3 registered with the IRS.
A year ago we were struggling financially, and it seemed as if we had to consider closing. The ladies that work with the babies and toddlers at Vidin orphanage and those working at the daycare program for disabled children were laid off for several months. A couple that has supported us from the very start and even traveled to Bulgaria two years ago to see all of the sites where we work, made a contribution that allowed the ladies to restart their important work.
Blessed Savior Lutheran Church in New Berlin has given us three evangelism grants during the last three years. An anonymous donor from Blessed Savior also helped us continue our labor of love. A number of other members from Blessed Saviour have helped as well. Being a small organization all gifts make a big difference and are greatly appreciated.
Another way we’ve been able to grow is to provide care packages to the families of children with disabilities in the Vidin area. This program, attached to the Vidin orphanage, provides care for children with Down’s syndrome, cerebral palsy, and other disabilities that require considerable care. They stay at the orphanage during the day and then their parents bring them home for the evening. This allows the parents to work, something essential to survival in Bulgaria. These families still have a lot of expenses with no government help available. Included in the care packages are food staples such as rice. A Christmas sermon, written by Pastor Hunsicker, was included in the packages for Christmas, and a Children’s Bible (all in Bulgarian), were included in the Easter packages. The families were surprised they received these gifts and were very, very grateful.
Monthly care packages with food staples, as well as sermons by Pastor Hunsicker, are provided to the 35 retirees, disabled, and families with severe hardships in the Radomir area, southwest of Sofia. When the car that delivers the contents of these packages arrives in Radomir, many of the recipients are usually waiting outside the apartment of Rene, the nurse that delivers the packages. Rene also visits and helps those very grateful people.
Pro-life work continues to be done, but we haven’t the funds to do much more than periodic presentations at a high school and at an orphanage for teenagers that we assist. I’m trying to type out the scripts of several pro-life DVDs and videos. This is very labor intensive. Unfortunately, time is often as lacking as funding, but I’ll persist and eventually finish that.
Transworld Radio is also working on a proposal for us to enable us to broadcast weekly into western Bulgaria. If this isn’t too expensive, we would like to broadcast a short devotion once a week, for five to fifteen minutes. This would be a wonderful way to reach so many more Bulgarians, especially the elderly who do not have internet connection. Many of these “pensioners,” as they are called in Bulgaria, have very little money and very little connection to the outside world. But radio is still utilized by most. As I learned while living in Bulgaria, this group is very grateful for the chance to learn about God. Back in the 90’s, when we delivered small care packages with Bibles in them to such pensioners, we received many beautiful notes of thanks from them.
Another area of growth is in our aid to nursing homes. Thanks to the donations received this last year, we’ve been able to start assisting two more nursing homes. Although it is a pleasure to help with food and medical supplies, the best help is with donations of Bibles, devotions and other spiritual food for these dear souls. Our Administrator in Bulgaria brought Rene along to one of these homes, so that she could tell the people how we helped them at the nursing home she once ran.
The husband of our Administrator heads a software company in Bulgaria. He and some of his staff at Interconsult Bulgaria paid for the renovation of some of the bathrooms at the Novo Selo orphanage and at the Vidin orphanage, brought some of the teenagers from Novo Selo to an outing including a movie, and donated computers to Novo Selo orphanage. Computer lessons were also provided at the Novo Selo orphanage and some of the Interconsult Bulgaria staff have stayed in contact with the teens they’ve mentored. Such loving care and donations to help those who have such great needs is a beautiful thing to behold! The love of Christ is witnessed by all whom we help.
6/28/2016