The Town of Victoria …
“Just as the hands of a painter are colored with the paint he works with, the same way, the soul of a person is filled the colour of the social environment he lives in” (E. Stanley Jones). The town of Victoria is situated 28 kilometers from the main city Lasi, near the Moldovan border. It has a primary school for grades 1-8 and a school for tailoring and carpentry training. Most of the inhabitants are affiliated to one of the two churches in the town; one being traditional the other evangelical. The first contact with this community was made through Mission Without Borders’ Operation Winter Rescue and Operation Christmas Love programmes. At that time, MWB field employees, as well as some visiting sponsors, were touched by the shocking conditions under which the inhabitants were living.
The village has an electricity connection, and recently it was provided with a water connection, however, these are not yet functional as they require additional funding for completion. The only source of heating this community therefore is wood … which is also used for cooking. Sewage is not available to all families, for the simple reason that they can not afford the installation costs, nor could they afford the monthly costs. Many of the inhabitants have serious material, educational and emotional problems clearly seen through a lack of interest in education, family abandonment, alcoholism, unemployment and lack of respect for generally accepted morals. Although all the inhabitants struggle with basic daily needs, there is a great majority whose only income is the children’s allowances of 40 lei per child … less than R140.00 pm. Agriculture and gardening is a source of living for a few of them. With the rudimentary tools they have, they work on the patches of garden around their houses, but the vegetables they pick, mostly potatoes, are in such small quantities that they are not sufficient for proper family sustenance. Aside from the lack of modern technology affecting their lives, agriculture is made more difficult by the scorching hot summers and cold winters accompanied by heavy snow. The local church and authorities are eager to have MWB present in Victoria. The local Evangelical church is open to having evangelism projects, children activities, etc. and the pastor is more than happy to work with folk from other denominations. Also, the mayor of
The following plan of action in response to the pleas of the church and municipal leaders has therefore been mooted: Spiritual: Evangelisation campaigns working together with the local church, including door to door visits and meetings for different target groups - children, women, elderly etc Educational: Special Projects that enhance the education process - shoes and clothing for children who have to walk up to 10 kilometers to get to school; school bags and books; after school lessons and scholarships. Emotional: Teaching adults the importance of accepting and respecting moral values; creating prayer support groups for families experiencing domestic violence; giving attention to single mothers whose husbands have deserted the families etc. Material: Home renovations to improve the shacks many are living in, furnishing with decent furniture and providing domestic animals, agricultural tools and firewood. Would you please pray for our possible involvement in this town, much will depend on additional finance to get the project off the ground!
