Humanitarian Aid
To Bulgaria
p
lease
click on the link above for a printable pdf version
Bulgarian update
June, 2015
We
want to thank all those who contributed to the flour and oil distribution in
Bulgaria. It was a great blessing to everyone involved. This year the US
dollar was very strong against the Euro and we were able to feed over 2,000
needy church families. Each family received one hundred pounds of flour and
over a gallon of oil. These are saved, baptized church members who attend our
church meeting in Bulgaria. They thank God for the brethren in America who
gave toward helping them in their time of need. Your generosity has redounded
to the glory of God.
In Christ,
Rev. Mike Nixon - Director of Charity
Baptist Mission
Coats for
Kids - Update from Bulgaria
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Friends, 1-4-13
It was another good day working in the
coats. Actually, it has been a good three
days. On New Year's Eve, Larry and I went to
Varna to the second-hand shop that has
worked with us for the past few years. Once
again, we bought them out. Brother Robert
Shrader drove a full car load of coats back
to our house and we put nearly that many in
our car and went on to buy the socks to
match. Then yesterday our family sorted and
bagged all the coats, readying them for
distribution.
This morning we began in our village. We
needed to start early because we had a lot
of villages to get to while the weather is
good. Once finished here, we ran home
to reload our car and to load up Brother
William LeFevre's car. Together we began the
trip up the mountain to villages I'd never
before visited.
It was foggy
and Larry was visibly concerned about the
mountain drive. I became concerned myself
when I saw Brother William's car slide
across the ice and nearly miss an oncoming
car. I prayed the sun would come out. I even
asked the sun pretty please to shine and
burn off the fog. The fog got worse before
it got better, but it wasn't long before the
sun peeked through the haze and made the
journey a lot easier.
At the second
village of the day, kids came a runnin'.
Pastor Alish, who was riding with Brother
William, called ahead to let the church
folks know we were coming. They were so
excited to see us. It was wild and crazy and
fast, but in no time flat, nearly 50 coats
were given out.
On up the mountain... the ice was still
thick in patches, with walls of snow on both
sides of the road in some places. Larry
couldn't safely take his eye off the road,
but I was able to take in the beauty of the
ice, amidst the danger of it. In one place,
the sun had melted a mound of snow atop a
mountain peak, and then it refroze in the
shape of a waterfall. I wish I had a picture
to share because it was really something!
The trip to
the third village was a long one. When we
arrived, kids quickly gathered. But, before
I could be of much help, I needed to use the
restroom -- the outhouse was out back behind
the house. Larry went with me in case there
were dogs. I don't normally write about
outhouses, but I am now because this one was
particularly interesting. First, it was only
about five feet tall. I'm 5'7". Second, the
floor was mud. And third, there was no door.
The "toilet" is just a hole in the floor. If
you use your imagination, I'm sure you will
be amused also. Or, maybe I'm just easily
amused by such things.
Back in the house... we walked through an
enclosure of sorts, used as an entryway. It
had wood framing and plastic sheeting for
walls. Inside the actual house, it was basic
and small, but fairly comfortable. Here
there were many, many children and it took
all four of us (Larry, Brother William,
Pastor Alish, and myself) to keep control
and fit the children. And it was here that
one little child pulled at my heart in such
a way that I may never forget her...
She had short
curly hair. She wore a light jacket that was
just a tad too big. But what really stood
out were her feet -- she wore tiny old
sandals and no socks. I have attached a
picture of her standing outside on the ice.
It was taken with my cell phone, so it is
not great quality, but it lets you see her
pretty little face. We didn't plan it, but
she ended up being the first to be fitted in
that village and I got to not only put a
warm coat on her, I also got to warm her
feet with my hands and put a pair of socks
on her icy cold feet. I wanted to hold her
and warm her up, but there were many
children waiting. We worked quickly and
before we knew it, around another 50
children were warmed.
On to the
next place... from here on out, we stopped
at the homes of a few church families and
fitted their kids at the car. One group of
kids was giggly and so happy with anything
we gave them and everything we said. They
made me smile with their happy countenances.
All in all, we stopped at five villages
today and gave out well over 100 coats and
socks. Brother William has the remainder of
coats needed for the villages he has been
going to, and this concludes the second
stage of distribution. We praise the Lord
that things have gone so smoothly and for
the short break in the weather so we could
get to the mountain churches of this region.
And we thank you all for your prayers.
Stay tuned for more Coats for Kids news...
Writing on behalf of Larry and myself,
Carrie Leach - Bulgaria
Please click here to
read about the "Coats for
Kids distribution 2012"
Bulgarian 2012 food distribution:
Several weeks ago our missionaries finished the flour and oil distribution for 2012.
Over 190,000 lbs of flour have been given out to many of our village
churches. It has been
a harsh winter for them this year which has delayed the distribution process,
but
the believers are very thankful for what you have given them.
Bulgarian feeding update 2012
Food Request
December 2011
Greetings fellow labours, We would like to inform you of an upcoming need and
request your help in supplying for this work. Through your help last year, we
were able to feed over 2,000 Bulgarian church families during the harsh winter.
We would like to do the same this year.
A 110 lb. sack of flour and 5 liters of oil currently costs $36.25.
With $145, you can feed four families throughout the winter.
Because of the decline of the US dollar, it will now cost $60,000 to feed about 1,600
families for the winter, but we would like to feed more. Please pray with us
about these matters and believe God to supply the need. Whatever the Lord lays
on your heart to do, we’ll be grateful.
The Lord has abundantly blessed us this year. With
great joy we would like to give you a brief update of the work in Bulgaria and
Romania:
•
Over 100 churches have been established in Bulgaria and Romania since 1991.
During the past few years the churches have grown from around 1,500 families to
about 2,000.
•
In 2011 many adults professed faith in Christ and were baptized.
•
Many have been saved and encouraged through our preaching and singing DVD’s and
CD’s, one of our main evangelistic tools. Wherever our Turks travel they take
the DVD’s and CD’s with them.
•
20 church feeding centers have been established in Romania and 18 in Bulgaria,
where children and adults get one good meal per day.
•
In 2002 Casa Julia Children’s home was established in Romania. They are raising
11 abandoned children, giving them a safe, loving, Christian home.
•
During the winter we assist our church members with food. We also help those in
need with firewood. A cord of firewood costs about $180.
•
“Coats for Kids” was started in 2009 by the Leach family. They distributed 1,000
winter coats, 1,000 pairs of socks and 25 pairs of shoes to the neediest
children in his Bulgarian village churches.
• 8 Missionary families minister in 3 languages: Turkish, Romanian,
and Bulgarian. 17 National pastors help us oversee this work. About $1,000 a
month extra is needed to support these men.
We try to help each pastor offset the costs of their food and fuel
(fuel is presently $7.50 a gallon). Our men look after 5-10 churches and
several even more than that!
The Lord is
good. He has met our needs consistently, and we are careful to give Him the
praise for His loving provision, and for your obedience to His moving in your
hearts.
To God be the
Glory! In Christ, Rev. Mike Nixon Director of Charity Baptist Mission
In February of 1998, the
first container containing 20,000 pair of socks, 3,607 pair of shoes, 972
articles of clothing, and 180 sweaters left Bristol, Tennessee, home of the
Charity Baptist Mission, Inc., and headed to Bulgaria. Due to
the very poor living conditions and the overall poverty of the villages
where we are ministering in, we felt led to send this container.
This burden was first brought
to our attention when a mission trip was planned from America. On this
visit, Rev. John Geouge, Rev. Landon Rice, Rev. Ricky Bolick and Rev. Danny
Black, made up the team visiting the mission work there. After a
couple of days Rev. Potter contacted Rev. Geouge and asked him what he
thought about the work and if they needed anything. At this time, Bro.
Geouge told him that they desperately needed socks and shoes because the
people were walking around shoeless and with no socks with snow on the
ground. This was also in frigid temperatures. He then spoke with
Bro. Landon and he was tore up because he saw a little girl bare foot in the
cold weather eating a cabbage head she had picked up from the ground.
This was really the beginning
of our new mission to start sending humanitarian aid to Bulgaria.
Since then, we have sent three containers to this country. It is a
blessing because our missionaries on the field receive the shipments and
they see that those in need get these supplies.
The second containers
contents were as follows: 90 boxes of Duck Head shoes, 64 boxes containing
new men's, women's and children's shoes, 88 boxes of men's women's and
children's socks, 19 boxes of assorted socks, 30 boxes containing winter
clothing, 34 boxes of new bed linens, and 101 boxes of new clothes.
This container totaled in value $150, 926.
Our last container sent just
this January 2001, contained 180 ski caps, 1,349 sweaters and 7,820
blankets. This container totaled 22, 600 lbs. in weight. Altogether,
with the help from surrounding churches, businesses and individuals, we have
sent over 25 tons of humanitarian aid to those hurting in Bulgaria.
This has been one of the greatest blessings aside from the fact that they
are first receiving the precious Word of God. The ministering of the
Gospel is our first priority but what a joy it is to see these receive some
physical help as well as spiritual.
If you would like to help fill the next
container or know someone who owns or is affiliated with a shoe company,
sock or blanket factory, and clothing store we would greatly appreciate your
help. All donations
are tax exempt. NOTE: Due to the customs regulations and restrictions, all material must
be NEW. Nothing old, worn or used can be sent due to Bulgarian law.
You can contact us at:
Charity Baptist Mission, Inc. P.O. Box 888
Bristol, Tennessee 37621
Tel. (423) 878-8131 - Fax. (423) 878-7161 E-mail: cbmission@juno.com
Additional Information From The Mission Field
27 homes in
which over 1,200 children are fed daily - 19 in Bulgaria and 8 in Romania.
The cost to operate each of these homes is $200 to $400 a month, depending
upon the number of children. In the near future, we hope to expand several
of these homes to feed and shelter children who have no one to care for
them.
We have recently purchased land
in Romania where we will build a home in which we will take in unwanted
babies and raise them from birth.
20,000
loaves of bread are given out each month in Romania to the poor at a cost of
$3,000.
80 tons of food are
distributed twice each winter to over 3,000 needy families.
This costs approximately $20,000 each time.
What we
can do for $1,000 a month in Bulgaria:
Support a national pastor and his family, to care for the church in his
house and
five other house churches in nearby
villages $300
Feed 80 - 100 hungry children daily $400
Feed and shelter up to 20 children $300
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