Restoring Hope this Christmas
"Can you believe it, I really am happy!." Resmije's story

Living in rural Albania, with little opportunity or work, life
for Resmije was very difficult and isolating. After her husband,
Baftjar moved to northern Albania in the hopes that he would find a
way to end his family's poverty, Resmije was left to raise her four
children alone. But, Baftjar's employer hasn't paid him in months -
he continues to work in the hope that one day he will be paid.
When this struggling mother of four was gifted with a Seeds of
Hope box, her life completely changed. Before Resmije joined MWB's
seeds project, she struggled with depression and hopelessness as
the poverty she faced was so desperate. Resmije said, "My children
often went to bed hungry as I could not provide more than one meal
per day. I felt like I was in shock and that death was the only
escape for me. But then MWB came and things started to change. I
still remember when the MWB Coordinator shared a verse with me,
from Psalm 40 and told me how Jesus Christ could be the rock in my
life." The gift of seeds gave Resmije so much more than food on the
table. It gave her the gift of knowing Jesus and set her family on
a path towards a life free from poverty.
Resmije continued, "The gift of seeds is helping our family to
change everything and build a new life. Before MWB, we did not have
enough food to feed ourselves. It was hard for me watching my
children begin to understand our situation. But this summer, our
crops were plentiful, and we had enough food to feed the family as
well as sell the extra produce to make some money. We made enough
money to purchase a cow and firewood for winter!"
In Albania, as winter falls over the villages and the -20 degree
temperatures set in, a pile of firewood is a welcomed sight and
relief to these families. For Resmije, her newly purchased pile of
firewood was a sign of how life had changed for her family. She no
longer needed to fear for their future.
Resmije exclaimed, "Can you believe it? I am really
happy!"
Throughout Eastern Europe, there are thousands of families who
are living in severe poverty and many people leave their country in
search of work. Gezim Spahija, the Pastor of the local Evangelical
Church that partners with MWB, said, "The opportunities for poor
families to integrate into their community are few - and this
causes them to feel isolated. Helping people find work is also a
challenge - most of them feel hopeless without a job. Remije's
family is a good example of the positive change we are having here.
Their financial situation is improving, and their children have
become good students."
The support that you give through a gift such as a box of seeds
is indispensable. Your support is allowing families to stay
together - working their land and putting food on their table -
empowering them to work towards a better future.
Through a gift of seeds and the support of MWB, Resmije was able
to overcome unbearable hardship, depression and hopelessness. Just
imagine how your gift of school backpacks, hot meals, Bibles or
warm clothing and firewood could change someone's life this
Christmas.
Help give back Hope this Christmas, whether it is $5 or
$500 your gift really could make the difference!
If you haven't finishd your
Christmas Gift shopping,
consider giving a life-changing
Gift! 