The Nazarevych family of Ukraine has been enrolled in the MWB Family to Family (F2F) program for just over a year. They now have four amazing sponsors from Australia and last year received their first ever Operation Christmas Love (OCL) parcel.

Life at 27 for many young adults is usually a time of excitement and joy. Life is just beginning – the promise of a great future, a family, and a beautiful home to share with them. Tetyana also had these dreams as a child. Sadly, her childhood was cut short when she fell pregnant at the age of 15 and was married as soon as she turned 16. Within 3 years, they had 3 children, even though they were still children themselves. Now Tetyana, at 27, finds herself abandoned, a victim of domestic violence, raising three, small children alone.

They live in a small one roomed house, without gas or electricity. The toilet has collapsed and there is no bathroom. They survive on a Government allowance that just covers the family’s basic needs.

Christmas time has always been the hardest struggle. With three young children, her heart aches at not even being able to celebrate with a nice meal. They had no plans for Christmas, there was just no money for anything.

LOVE IN A BOX - BRINGS HOPE FOR THEIR FUTURE

OPERATION CHRISTMAS

L O V E

Mission Without Borders was able to bless the Nazarevych Family with an OCL parcel last Christmas. A box of love to give them a small amount of hope and joy for their future. Upon receiving it, they were overwhelmed by what was inside. For many of us, they are simple items we always have on hand in our pantries, but for Tetyana and her children, it was literally like all their Christmas’ had come at once!

OCL parcels contain basic ingredients such as oil, grains, buckwheat, rice, pasta, canned fish and meat, tea, coffee and sweets – (content and variety may vary depending on the Field Country). For many families just like them, this really is Christmas Love in a box. Tetyana was very moved by the generosity of the people abroad who wanted to bless her family at Christmas and wrote a heartfelt letter in response to receiving their Operation Christmas Love Parcel:

PROOF THAT HUMAN KINDNESS HAS NO BORDERS

I am so happy! I will prepare a traditional Ukrainian meal for us all and we will share it with my mother on Christmas Day.

Thank you dear friends. You are doing such important work- helping poor people! It is such a miracle that human kindness and generosity indeed has no borders!

Your support means so much to us, as we are experiencing really hard times. I struggle everyday trying to raise my three children on my own. The war in our country has increased prices on everything and we find it very hard to survive.

I praise the Lord that he inspired you to help us, you have done so much more than you could ever know.

May God bless you and I pray for you all to have wonderful and healthy lives. Thank you for continuing to help those who need your assistance.

All my love, Tetyana.

PLEASE HELP US CONTINUE TO BRING THE JOY OF CHRISTMAS LOVE TO MANY MORE FAMILIES JUST LIKE TETYANA'S

We would like to say, “Amen” to Tetyana’s words and thank all our donors who contribute annually to the Operation Christmas Love Project.

JUST LIKE JESUS, OPERATION CHRISTMAS LOVE SEEKS THE LOST...

The Evangelical Baptist Church in the town of Gotse, Bulgaria, has the opportunity each year to deliver the OCL parcels on behalf of Mission Without Borders to needy families in the community.

Pastor Yosifa, recounts the experience and emotions of his visit to the Ylievi family when he delivered an OCL parcel last year.

“This family of four live in a rented two room house. It’s sparsely furnished and I noticed there was no fridge or stove. The beds don’t even have mattresses, just a blanket to cover the springs. Both the parents are unemployed and the family somehow survive doing seasonal work picking vegetables and labouring for a local builder. The money they have hardly covers the basics – bread, potatoes, lentils and margarine. The rest needs to be set aside to buy firewood for the cold winter months. “

Despite their difficult life, all four of them are happy to be together as a family and have a great bond. Preserving their marriage is one of the things they cherish. Meagre financial resources may darken their days but they hold on to each other with the hope that one day their lives will improve - they will have a house of their own with room for their youngest to play.

When Pastor Yosifa brought them the OCL parcel and they saw all the wonderful contents, they were overjoyed. They rejoiced over the sugar and flour and immediately decided what to do with them – it would be made into a pie! The eldest brother Ognian, said he

could not remember the last time he had eaten a fresh piece of bread with butter, while five year old David went straight for the chocolate!

“I was greatly impressed by the way they reacted and their joy from receiving a box of essential food items. They just couldn’t believe the amount of consideration that was shown to them, which they thought as such an honour. Afterwards I shared with them the Good News about Jesus Christ who, being God came to the earth as a small baby to save us from our sins. They asked me to pray for them. The words moved Nelly (the mother) and she started weeping. I couldn’t maintain my composure either, my soul was deeply touched.”

Nelly asked Pastor Yosifa if he could come back and visit and pray with them again, saying “Your visit is not by chance, God takes care of people like us, and He sent you.”

Pastor Yosifa had these final words to say, “I felt happy that we brought joy in the grey life of just one family. I would like to thank Mission Without Borders and the supporters who donated to the OCL project and made this and many other visits possible. May God bless all who have contributed to such a noble act, and making the name of our Lord glorified! Please pray for this family that the Holy Spirit will touch their souls and that Christ would be born in their hearts. Jesus said in Luke 19:10 ‘For the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost.’ Operation Christmas Love seeks the lost just like Jesus did.

OPERATION CHRISTMAS LOVE REACHES OUT TO FAMILIES AND THE ELDERLY AT A TIME WHEN THEY NEED TO KNOW GOD'S LOVE MOST.

PLEASE GIVE LOVE TODAY

MISSIONWITHOUTBORDERSAUSTRALIA PO 7533 Silverwater NSW 1811 | 10 Stubbs Street Auburn NSW 2144Phone 02 9647 2022 Email australia@mwbi.org Website mwb.org.au facebook.com/MissionWithoutBordersAustralia

OPERATION CHRISTMAS LOVE 2014MANY THANKS TO THOSE WHO GAVE!

We aim to give over 30,000 OCL parcels this year, containing essential food and Christian literature to

the needy in Eastern Europe.

Partner with us this Christmas to share God’s Love through OCL.

MWB gives Operation Christmas Love boxes as practical expressions of love, joy and hope at Christmas.Just $50 will bring the Christmas message of

God’s love to the needy this year.