Raising a family is challenging enough – but doing so with children and in poverty, constantly worrying about how to afford basic necessities like groceries and bills, is tough beyond measure.
Many parents continue to struggle on, troubled by stress and fear, unaware of the strength and comfort that is available to them in Christ.
Cristina Fita, 43, lives in Romania and has battled poverty most of her life. When she struggled with her faith, full of questions and doubts, she had no one to turn to. "I committed my life to God two decades ago, but as time went on, I found myself drifting away from him, and life became difficult," she said.
She and her husband Achim, 46, lived with their children in a one-room house that was hardly more than four walls held together by patched-up pieces of wood, bricks, and dirt, standing alone in a field.
Cristina said, "We've had our fair share of challenges. Not having enough and experiencing times of poor health have been a part of our lives."
When Cristina's family joined Mission Without Borders' family sponsorship program, they didn't just need material assistance. Cristina also felt a great need for spiritual support to help her resolve her confusion and unanswered questions.
"No one in my immediate family has ever been a born-again Christian, so I didn't have anyone to confide in about my feelings or questions, especially because talking about feelings wasn't really encouraged in our family or even in our culture in general. I yearned for someone to talk to," she said.
Every family in MWB's family sponsorship program receives regular visits from a family worker, and in Christina's case, this was staff member Nicu, a committed Christian who was happy to share his faith.
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