“You did not forget us"

Grigore and his four children live in an unfinished house along a muddy, unmade road in a small village in Moldova. The cement floor is covered with rugs to keep it warm, and the bare walls are cement grey. This Christmas, two family members will be absent: Grigore's wife died just a month after the death of their baby boy.

Victorita, his eldest, is only 12, but she has become like a mother to them all. "Victorita has had a hard time dealing with it," says Grigore, "but she gets them dressed and ready for kindergarten as well as herself."

When the children's mother was still alive, she oversaw the home, allowing Grigore to find better-paid jobs in Chisinau, the capital of Moldova. Now he is a single parent and wants to work locally. "I can't go anywhere now," he says, "The children are too little; they need me. At the moment, I'm working on construction in the village."

Last year Grigore didn't feel like celebrating Christmas, but as he says:

Everything I do is for the children, so I went and got the Christmas tree out. You should've seen their happy faces as they helped put it together.

And real festive joy was added when MWB came to the house with an Operation Christmas Love box filled with food, Christmas treats and Christian Literature. The children's eyes shone with excitement and joy as they carefully took out the presents in the box and arranged them under the tree. "We'll be able to think of something special to cook for Christmas now that we have this food," says Grigore.

Many people MWB work with are facing an ongoing struggle finding employment following the pandemic. The ongoing war in eastern Ukraine has caused great pain, with families losing loved ones and children going hungry and suffering from PTSD.

With the gift of an Operation Christmas Love parcel, families like Grigore’s can experience a joyous Christmas once again, with good food and joyful memories, a celebration of being together.

This year, we hope to deliver 42 000 OCL parcels to families, individuals, and the elderly during the Christmas season. With your support, we can bring joy and peace to many families. Each box, weighing 12kg, contains much-needed food staples, some festive treats, and literature sharing the true meaning of Christmas. These parcels are so much more than a valuable gift – it conveys a message of hope and love – a tangible reminder that someone, somewhere, cares.

42 000

Operation Christmas Love boxes are planned for distribution to families, individuals and the elderly across our six field countries, including 3 000 to those in conflict-stricken Eastern Ukraine.

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