AN APPEAL TO MBC TO HELP UKRAINIAN REFUGEES ARRIVING IN ROMANIA – THERE’S NO TARGET FIGURE, PLEASE JUST GIVE AS MUCH OR AS LITTLE AS YOU CAN.
We have all been shocked by events over the last week in Ukraine. We have received the newsletter below from Florin Fodor who is in full time Christian work with Campus Crusade ministry to university students and is an elder at Manastur Baptist Church in Cluj. We have also heard that in the Hungarian speaking village of Cserefalva a guest house is being prepared to house refugees.
There will no doubt be opportunities over the coming weeks / months for us to provide help to refugees from Ukraine, not least when people start arriving in the UK. However with our longstanding partnership with churches in Romania which is in the ‘front line’ for receiving the refugees, we thought that we at MBC should send some money to help them provide assistance.
If you would like to make a contribution please put a donation – cash or cheque made payable to Moortown Baptist Church in an envelope marked “Ukraine Refugees” and leave it at church by Monday morning 14th March.
Thank you
If you would like to gift aid your donation (which means that if you are a tax payer HMRC adds 25%) please provide your full name, the date you are making it, the amount and your postcode. Or, alternately if you already have a BACS arrangement set up for your giving you can always make a donation that way. However, again to make certain we know exactly where you want it go please use the reference Ukraine refugees. _____________________________________________
Dear friends and supporters,
We cannot believe what has happened in Eastern Europe in the past week. Russia’s attacks on Ukraine resulted in thousands dead people, hundreds of thousands refugees and international turmoil. Some of us are afraid other countries such as Moldova may be the next target for Putin. Romania, as a NATO country does not worry for now, but you never know what tomorrow will bring.
In the last week, more than 100,000 Ukrainian refugees have crossed the border to Romania. Many more others are expected to arrive, as the development of the military situation gets worse each day. Some will remain here; others will go further to the West.
Honestly, we were amazed seeing the generous reaction of the Romanians towards the refugees. The borders are full with people eager to help with food, drinks, translation, transportation and other needed resources.
Our local church (First Baptist in Cluj) already received a first group of mothers and children. Church members are hosting them, feeding them, providing care for them. Our family is part of the support team. In the next 2 weeks, we expect to take care of at least 150 more people.
Also, Campus Crusade is in close contact with our staff in Ukraine and Moldova and offered to help as many refugees as needed. Several rooms at our national office in Bucharest were set available for hosting these desperate mothers and children.
Refugees need food, medicines, toiletries, clothes, transportation, money, emotional support etc. In cooperation with other people and organizations, we are doing our best to help.
Dear friends, if you are turning your TVs and you are only getting bad news and reports from this part of the world, please also be aware that God is using His children to show compassion to their neighbour. We do not know why He allowed this to happen and neither do we know the future, but we are committed to live faithfully to His calling today.
So, please join us in prayer for:
– Peace in Ukraine. No more bloodshed. Wisdom for political leaders involved. No war extension in other countries.
– Protection of the Ukrainian refugees. Many families are separated, as the fathers are mobilized to fight.
– Hearts of the people from Ukraine, Russia, Romania, Moldova to be opened to receive the Gospel. In times like this, people turn their eyes to God.
– Raising necessary resources, to be able to help as much as we can the refugees.
Apart from prayer, if you are in a position to give, please consider supporting our efforts for the Ukrainian refugees.
Thank you very much.
Florin and Dana Fodor