As MBC’s Ukraine appeal passes £5,000 here’s a message from Cluj

We have received this newsletter from Rei Abrudan who is pastor of VIA church in Cluj, Romania and also has links with a charity in the US. We have known Rei for many years including when he was youth pastor at Manastur church in Cluj. This gives some more news of the situation with the refugees in Romania and how VIA church is responding.

After three weeks of visiting some of our friends and partners in the US, we are back in Romania, trying to catch up on things and adjusting to a somehow different reality and the consequences of the war in Ukraine. Some of the first things we noticed is the large number of cars, registered in Ukraine and the voices that speak russian or ukrainian on the streets, restaurants. etc. No one is talking about COVID anymore… as if it never even existed. But as you talk to Romanians, younger or older, many of them express their fears openly. Fear of poverty, war, death, fear for their children and for the future in general. 

We want to give you a short overview of the current situation and then we’ll share a short testimony of one of the leaders involved in this work.

Since February 24th, when the war started, over 400.000 refugees came to Romania. More than 100.000 remained here for unlimited time. The rest of them travelled further, to the western part of Europe. Each day, there are more and more people arriving in Cluj-Napoca, our city: either by train, by bus or personal vehicles.

The people’s reaction to this crisis is incredible. Everyone wants to give a helping hand…individuals, companies, NGO’s…and the Church is absolutely amazing. It really works like a body, in which every part takes responsibility & action for what’s needed. 

Some IT companies here in Cluj were built or were renovated during the pandemic, but due to the work from home policies, they are still not used by the employees. Our church was offered the possibility of renting an entire floor (pictures in the attachment) where we can host up to 50 people (mothers and children) for a few nights (up to one week). We are also providing them 3 meals/day.

Seeing how things develop, we think that this is just the beginning of a very difficult period for our neighbours. It breaks your heart to see so many families that had to separate…many mothers with small children, kids of 10-14 years who were sent alone as their parents remained in Ukraine, hoping that things will eventually get better, etc. In Ukraine, things are geting worse each day: the stores are empty, they have less food every day; due to the bombing, they have electricity and water supply issues. If you want to send supplies in Ukraine, but you don’t have a strong connection at the border, or you don’t operate through a well-known and politically approved organisation, the chances are that at the border, they will promise to deliver the supplies, but eventually they will redirect them to the Army.

Even if we came back to a different reality, it’s so obvious that God is in control! There are many people who are scared and emotionally consumed by this situation, but we have the certainty that God is working through all of this. We receive so much encouragement from people who were accommodated here and are now in Spain, Germany, Italy, etc. One of the moms sent this message just the other day: “We are so grateful that you exist! Your prayers are so effective; our border crossing was unexpectedly smooth and protected. We fell in love with you, Romanians and Romania became for us our second home country!” Considering the long history of disagreements and hostility between our countries, this is such a powerful and redeeming statement!

We’ll let Marta, our dedicated team lead of volunteers, share her perspective and some of the stories on the field:

“Today I met with another family from Ukraine. I don’t know for sure how many I’ve met with so far, but this could have very well been the thirtieth family. Or the fortieth. Or the fiftieth.

The emotion is always the same.

Every time there are tears and hugs; it is hard. Even so, each meeting made me even more determined to continue to meet them. To continue giving more of myself so that, maybe, just maybe, I can help make their journey just a little easier. A journey they never wished to go on and that they took with a torn heart and broken plans. A journey they don’t know when they’re going to return on to what is left of “home”. A journey that makes them leaves everything and everyone they loved behind. A journey that tells life stories, written by war. 

Two grandmothers, three women and four grandchildren, on a day like any other, start hearing bombings and shootings. Before they could realize what was going on, the house windows are shattered by bullets. It’s a wonder no one is hurt. As they were, they get into a car and drive away as far as the eye can see. The parents of one of the kids and other members of the family are left behind and are now trying to escape the country. Right before we met with them, they had heard from their spouses that a bomb exploded in a bus station. Nine people have lost their lives. Shaken, they left for France. They have an acquaintance there, but they have no idea what are they going to. Or for how long. There’s no telling how tomorrow will look like for them, or for the rest of the family that was left behind.

A young family with three kids loves sleeping in. They are woken up by bombings. The spouse quickly finds his way to the flower shop they own and takes all the money he has on hand and pays every employee’s salary for the month. He returns home, takes his wife, kids and pack a few things and head to Europe. Maybe Germany. Or Great Britain. It doesn’t much matter where, as they don’t know anyone outside of their country. They’ll decide on the way.

A mom and her ten-year-old son arrive in Cluj after a five day journey. On the morning their city was bombed, the dad sent them away from home in haste. A military man, he knew quite well what was next. What he didn’t imagine was how dangerous the journey he’d sent them on was: minutes after crossing it, the bridge was blown up to prevent enemy tanks from reaching the city. Roads were blocked for days. They would travel 1km per hour and, on good days 5km per hour. Their blood ran cold when they saw, on the other way, hundreds of trucks loaded with military weapons. It took them five days, instead of just a few hours, to get to Cluj. They are now eager to go to Poland where an older son and brother studies abroad. They’re sure they’re going to be able to sleep on a twin mattress that can be fitted in the small dorm room.

Every day, there are new stories. Some I try to remember and some I wish I had never heard. They are overwhelming. But the war is ongoing and keeps writing avidly, moment after moment, life stories that will never be the same because of it.”