Bread of Life News

Bread of Life Prayer Bulletin from Belgrad

No. 20 - 17. October 2000

From this day on
I struck all the work of your hands with blight, mildew and hail, yet you did not turn to me, declares the Lord. From this day on, from this twenty-fourth day of the ninth month give careful thought to the day when the foundation of the Lord's temple was laid. Give careful thought: Is there yet any seed left in the barn? Until now, the vine and fig tree, the pomegranate and the olive tree have not borne fruit. "From this day on I will bless you."
Haggai 2:18-19

On the 5th of October 2000, Yugoslavia was politically overthrown. Key events took place within a time frame of just under three hours. There were more than half a million citizens on the streets of Belgrade with minimal aggression at the conclusion.

God has shown mercy toward Belgrade, Serbia and all of Yugoslavia! The time has now come to acknowledge and to give glory to God. As Evangelical Christians we are already sincerely doing this.

We pray that one result will be a change in our thinking, both mental and spiritual. A transformation among the Christians as well as others who believe that everything is finished and we have now "arrived" with these political changes.

The new politicians here are facing a dilemma: whether to give in to the temptation to establish a state church (previously known for intolerance) or to opt for immediate change along the lines of civilized Europe. For Evangelical Christians there is no question. Our present concern is whether authority can be established quickly enough as we desire to see this happen without major unrest and disturbance. Our people need peace, a chance to rebuild their lives honestly, better opportunities for work and spiritual awakening and revival.

For the moment it is calm here, yet we consider our present condition fragile. We hope that you, our friends, will join us in prayer for the efforts of our new government and the people of Yugoslavia.

Bread of Life's Challenge
The remarkable events of this year have brought Bread of Life to a crossroads. At the start of Democracy the new government here has nothing to draw from but an empty storage room. Many are expecting and hoping for a dramatic change in the condition of every day life for the average citizen. Yet in practicality these expectations are impossible because of the stripped reserves left by the former administration. The expected or hoped for international help will not be arriving anytime soon as nothing can move forward until the new government is fully in place and functioning. The departments who serve the interests of the people covering food reserves, health and medical, schools, the elderly and orphans etc. cannot produce help out of thin air. This leaves Yugoslavia in an extremely acute and vulnerable situation with hundreds of thousands of people in great need and the Winter approaching!

We believe the people of Serbia will soon become disillusioned and desperate. As Christians we find ourselves facing a strategic task this Winter to help fill in the "basic needs" gap that is widening with every minute. This is not only crucial because of immense needs but also because it will be a brief opportunity to grasp the disheartened and present them with Christ's love.

Until September of this year "Bread of Life" has helped 15,000 families monthly and we have already seen many hoping we will again help them with basic needs. We are particularly concerned for the elderly, children and sick. As the end of this October approaches our humanitarian organization is apprehensive while planning this Winter's aid with only a couple of offers for assistance to our operation! We are Putting our trust in God and find ourselves continuing as written in Haggai, in "giving careful thought" about our past and future.

Bread of Life's Optimistic Winter Plan

1. Beneficiaries
15000 families plus internally displaced persons from Kosovo refugees from Bosnia and Croatia indigent local persons special emphasis on elderly, children, and persons with special needs

2. Distribution schedule and items to be distributed
A. Monthly distributions- food and hygiene for 15000 families plus
B. One time aid:

stoves and firewood
shoes and socks
clothing
underwear
jackets
blankets and bed linens
minor renovations of living accommodations e.g. windows and doors

3. Special ongoing programs in which new beneficiaries are being identified

A special program for children to provide one time food and hygiene aid and ongoing psycho-social programs for children. Bread of Life is facilitating the work of 50 persons in 30 workshops for children and in 20 schools. Twenty children are included in each workshop and school.
Home Care Ministry - provides care through home visits to indigent persons with special needs, especially health and psychological needs

4. On going self-reliance program which is ready for expansion This program is run alongside of emergency aid to provide foundation and development for their future.

5. Rehabilitation-recreational Center to provide organized aid for social interaction of the elderly, single parents, refugees, children of refugees.

Your Challenge
We cannot do this without you. Consider making a donation of funds or material goods to assist us in achieving Bread of Life's goal to step in the gap and relieve suffering while offering hope in ways that promote the integration of our people and demonstrate God's love and mercy from this day on... . .
[oben]

No. 19 -1. August 2000

Hope in the Midst of Uncertainty
Once, when the Children of Israel were in captivity and discouraged the prophet Isaiah gave them a huge challenge. He told them to act in hope, to "enlarge the place of your tents... lengthen your cords, and strengthen your stakes" (Is. 54:2), right in the middle of the difficult and uncertain times they were experiencing. Here at Bread of Life, we continue to live in uncertain times, but we are committed to living in hope, and to "extending our tent" in response to the work God places in front of us, and to the needs of so many people around us.

Bread of Life carries a lot of weight. In fact, in the first six months of this year, we have handled 1.816 tons of humanitarian aid, or approximately one third of all the materials we have handled since we began our work eight years ago. This is the equivalent of having each worker at Bread of Life carry around 200 kg each day, or having each of the workers in our warehouse carry (loading/ unloading) 2.1 tons each day. Through various programs in distribution centers, schools, preschools, hospitals and various institutions from January to June of 2000 we have helped 72,000 beneficiaries directly. This is one expression of our hope.

It reflects God's goodness in continuing to provide as we meet the many needs of people all around us.
It reflects the continued commitment of Christians around the world who faithfully share in our work.
It reflects the blessing we have of a committed staff, which work hard to implement the various Bread of Life programs.
This is a very uncertain time in Yugoslavia. The economic and political situation continues to cause much distress and uncertainty. Statistics show continuing inflation, while wages decline. Hospitals are working without the most basic supplies. Families must provide food for patients. Schools and kindergartens do not have adequate food for children nor needed supplies. From many parts of the city and surrounding communities, workers' unions and other groups are coming to us requesting assistance, since they are unable to provide food and clothing for their families. During this growing season we are experiencing a severe drought, which will further jeopardize food supplies for the coming winter. Many people are expressing their discouragement, unable to see how things will get better. In spite of these uncertain times, we believe that we are called to act in hope, and to seize opportunities to expand our activities to meet the growing needs, which come to us on a regular basis.
Highlights of activities in the past three months
We have been very busy as can be seen from the large volume of material aid, which we handled. Here are some of the highlights of our activities.
Distribution of Emergency Food and Clothing
Emergency assistance continues to be needed by refugee families, as well as an ever-increasing number of local people who do not have adequate income to provide the basics of food and clothing. We have been blessed with a regular supply of food packages, which have enabled us to distribute more than 10,000 parcels per month for the past six months in Belgrade and over 50 different locations throughout Serbia. That program is now completed, so we are actively exploring new sources of food supplies, in order to continue to meet the needs.
Self-Support Program (that keeps on giving)
For many months we have been working to build for the future in addition to meeting emergency needs. In these months we have implemented a Self-Support program in which families have been given assistance in the form of animals (260). Tool kits (80), green houses (20) or minor renovations to their homes (80) will be accomplished by September this year. Families have been selected on basis of need, as well as their capacity for making effective use of the resources. The focus has been on providing a quality resource that actually provides a substantial opportunity. These families not only are appreciative of having a source of milk or eggs, or tools for earning a livelihood, but also speak of the renewal of their hope because of these resources, which allow them to better provide for their own needs. Already families are fulfilling the requirement to pass on some of the benefit they have received, to other families who have need.
Medical Supplies
As we have been making contacts in the community, the severe shortages in our hospitals have become obvious to us. Patients have had to wait for treatment because they were not able to provide their own gauze, sutures, and other basics. We have been grateful for a donor who has enabled us to purchase a supply of medical supplies, which we will be distributing to a number of hospitals. While it is wonderful to be able to share these materials, we are aware that what we have received is only a one month supply, if spread out carefully, and we think of the need, which will be ongoing
Sewing workshop
We have recently been able to purchase fabric for sewing bed sets, and towels, to be produced in our sewing workshop. Once again the women enjoy fellowship with each other, as they work together. These items are being distributed in local hospitals and social service institutions. The current project will produce 1,500 bed-sets and 1,500 towels.
Home Care Ministries
Making follow-up visits with those who come to our distributions centers has been an important part of our work. These contacts help us to understand the needs and problems in many areas of our community and social institutions. We not only build better relationships with those families who come to us for help, but we learn of the needs of those who due to illness, age, or disability need assistance to be brought to them. We are actively expanding our Home Care Ministries, to be better able to respond to this great need.
We Praise God
That we have been able to find a way to continue our work even when regulations are not clear, or change, requiring extra work.
That we have been able to move such a large amount of material safely in and out of our warehouse, with only one minor accident in which no one was injured.
For a period of refreshment and rest for staff.
Prayer requests
As we look ahead to the coming months, we are asking you to pray for answers to these four questions:
1. What new economic and political developments will our people face?
2. What will be the impact of the winter season?
3. How will families provide for heat, clothing and food?
4. Where will we find sources of emergency supplies of food and clothing to enable us to continue our work?
In these uncertain times we put our trust in the hands of our Lord who knows the answers to these questions. We invite you to continue to pray with us about these needs, and to respond, as you are lead by God, to contribute to meeting the needs here in Yugoslavia.

No. 18 - 6. April 2000

BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS AND LAYING FOUNDATIONS
In the first three months of this new year, we have again experienced many opportunities for new relationships, as more and more requests for assistance have come to us. We have also enjoyed a growing number of relationships with Christians from all around the world who are joining in the support of the work of Bread of Life. It is our privilege to be the connection between the relationships we have with our supporters, and the relationships we have with those here, whom we are able to serve in their time of need. This clearly is a time of growing need for so many people in our society. This is also a time of uncertainty and risk, when it is impossible to predict what will happen economically and politically. Yet we rejoice that within these relationships which we are given, we are able to begin laying the foundations on which the future can be built. We claim the word of the Lord as given by the prophet Isaiah,
"See I am doing a new thing...I am making a way in the desert, and streams in the wasteland".

The need for emergency supplies, of food and clothing continues, and is perhaps greater than at any time before. It is estimated that now there are approximately 2,000,000 people across Serbia who are living below the poverty line or 33% of population (information from OCHA Humanitarian Risk Analysis, FRY). This includes refugees and Internally Displaced People (700,000), as well as local people who are in need. Currently the cost for a family to meet the most basic food needs is 2.2 times the average salary. Many people are in fact not receiving their small pensions and salaries regularly, which further intensifies their need. Through relationships with Christians from many places, we continue to respond to these needs. In relationship with one donor, we are implementing a program to distribute more than 10,000 food packets per month, which will continue throughout the coming year. Through this program, we have an opportunity to build relationships with churches from all over the country, as we work cooperatively to meet the needs within their churches, as well as among the people in their communities. As an additional benefit, Christians are having the opportunity to learn to know and trust brothers and sisters from different churches more deeply. The distribution of these materials also allows us to build relationships in many other parts of our society, since requests for assistance come from various municipalities, from factories where workers are not receiving salaries, from hospitals, and from pre-schools and schools.

As this spring season arrives, through a relationship with a donor, we are also building relationships with individual families to help them lay a foundation for the future of their family. Through this program 275 families will be the direct beneficiaries, in receiving an animal "kit" of chickens, pigs, sheep, goats, or a cow. Other families will receive a seed kit (500), greenhouses (20), a tool kit (80), assistance in setting up a small workshop, or minor renovation to their homes (70) . In turn, for each family that is a direct beneficiary, three additional families will be secondary beneficiaries, through receiving products of what the first families received, e.g. eggs, pigs from the first litter, a calf, services, or employment in a workshop, etc.. Thus, through what one family has received, relationships will be built as families share with other families around them.

CURRENT ACTIVITIES

We have assisted 40,000 families with food parcels so far this year. To do this we have expanded our regular distributions to five locations in different municipalities in Belgrade. This also includes regularly distributing food parcels to churches in 13 towns across Serbia, who conduct distributions in their own communities. This means that from January to March we have distributed approximately 600 tons of food, hygiene and clothing. This compares to approximately 950 tons during the entire year of 1999.
Our self-sufficiency program is in operation, with our field workers cooperating with two veterinarians who are consulting in this program. Each family is visited, to maintain the relationship, and to assist in making the project a success for them.
While we give assistance without any requirement that people accept faith or listen to the Gospel, we do take the opportunity to share the Good News directly when it is appropriate. In addition to sharing our faith through the way we live our lives, and do our work, we recently had two special occasions. At Christmas time, Christmas gift shoe boxes were distributed following an original drama of the story of Jesus birth, produced by the young people of our churches. There were 8 performances before full audiences. As a group of families reached the end of the six month period during which they had been receiving assistance, we invited them to a showing of the Jesus film. The film was shown 4 times, with 2,500 people attending
PRAISE GOD
We are richly blessed by having more than 40 active donors who have contributed material resources and funds for our work, We are also blessed to have more than 570 contacts who support us faithfully in praying for the work we are doing here. We believe that this is a significant coming together of Christians from many places around the world, to share in the work of building God's Kingdom here in Serbia.
We thank God that in these uncertain times in our nation, we have been protected and kept safe.
With 60 plus people working intensely together on our staff, we continuously need God's grace to work together effectively. We thank God for the positive relationships of trust that are among us.
We seek to do our work in a way that strengthens and encourages the churches. We are grateful for ways that there is growing understanding and cooperation among the churches.
PRAY
Please join us in prayer for the thousands of families who are touched by the assistance we are able to provide, since this is a unique opportunity for their lives to be impacted by the Gospel.
Pray that God's hand will be on our nation, and on the entire Balkan region, so that healing can happen for individuals, for families, and for nations.
In this time of challenges and opportunities, we praise God for the relationships which support us, and within which we are able to carry out our work, as we lay foundations for the future that lies before us. We pray that God's mercy will be shown to our nation and to our people. As Jonah said,
" ...you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity!"

No. 17 - 13. December 1999

BUILDING ROADS AND BRIDGES
At the end of this year, and at the end of this century, we are amazed by the opportunities which have been sent to us, for building roads through difficult situations here in Serbia, and for building bridges to people around us. As the prophet Isaiah said, "Make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God....and the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it". We have been protected through war. We have had times when it was very unclear whether Bread of Life would be able to continue its work. Regulations on importing material aid were changing rapidly, and seemed impossibly restrictive. Yet we have seen that God has asked us to prepare roads by which the needs of people will be met, and to build bridges which help people to connect with each other, and to see the glory of our Lord. In all this, He has shown us His mercy, and has blessed our work beyond what we could have imagined.
At the beginning of the year we could not have seen ahead to what we would be experiencing. The distributions and programs we had in place were severely disrupted from March through the middle of June, due to the NATO bombing. That was a period of finding ways to survive, while continuing to distribute what we could, to meet the needs of people around us. We were very aware of God's protection, and of the responsibility to spread the preserving salt of his mercy to those around us. There was one month during which we received no transports. During September we faced a review by government financial authorities. In spite of all this, we have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of concern and assistance which has come from our Christian brothers and sisters from all around the world. Our work has reached new volumes which we would not have thought we were capable of doing. As of early December, we have received 1,700 metric tons of material aid this year. Transports scheduled for December will greatly increase that amount before the end of the year. Our opportunities for distributing assistance are growing, as the needs continue to increase, and more and more people learn of our work. We are assisting people through municipal organizations and social institutions, but our priority remains to build a network through the churches throughout our country.
We have been working to meet the needs of refugees from Bosnia and Croatia for the past years. Now we are also focusing on those Internally Displaced Persons who have fled their homes in Kosovo. In addition, due to economic conditions, we are responding to the growing needs of local people who are in need of food and clothing. Our commitment is to respond in a balanced way to needs on all sides.
We thank God for the brothers and sisters of the churches here who are supporting our work in so many ways. We continue to look for ways to insure that the work of Bread of Life is under the leadership of the church. We are blessed to have a committed group of people who work very hard on a daily basis to carry out this important work. We often have people telling us about the good treatment they have received and how nice the people were who helped them. We praise God that his light is revealed through us in this way and pray for strength to continue his work during these difficult times. The concerns shared and the support we receive from Christians around the world encourage us to be faithful to our mission.

CURRENT ACTIVITIES
Currently we are completing distributions in our winterization program. We have given stoves to 310 families, and firewood for 600 families. 3,240 pairs of shoes have been distributed, and 2600 families have received winter underwear. 300 winter jackets have been distributed, in addition to the large amount of clothing which we distribute through our usual channels, and to those who come asking.
Our regular distributions are serving 3000 families with food and hygiene packets. An additional 1,000 families have received one time assistance. We are beginning a program which will provide monthly food parcels for 8,500 families all over the country throughout the coming year. Another program is a one time distribution of 4,000 food and hygiene packets for children between ages two and six. We expect that we will distribute 15,000 food parcels in the month of December.
We have also received more than 15,000 hygiene kits packed in plastic buckets, most of which have already been distributed to individual families, as well as through schools, hospitals, and other institutions. One donor is sending 40,000 shoe box Christmas packages for children, which we will be sending to many different parts of the country.

PRAISE GOD

that we are able to receive an outpouring of God's love in the form of material aid from Christians all around the world.
that after an investigation, financial authorities reported that Bread of Life is doing good work, and should continue doing so.
for friends in Germany who organized a period of prayer and fasting on behalf of the situation in Serbia.
for the increasing opportunities to demonstrate God's love, and to be the salt of the earth.
PRAY
for the people of this region as they face winter, especially those who do not have adequate shelter.
for the local churches as they continue to find ways to be involved in the work and direction of Bread of Life.
for the ability to respond to the changing regulations which govern our work.
for the strength and wisdom for staff to meet the demands of the work that is put before us.
for the effective planning and preparation for new programs to be implemented in the coming months.
We have been richly blessed by the opportunity to stand between the needs of people all around us, and the Supplier of all good things. It is a special blessing to experience the care, support and prayers of so many of God's people from so many different places. It is our prayer that you will join with us in building roads and bridges, so that the glory of our Lord will be revealed, and all mankind will see it, here in Serbia, and in your community as well. As this year comes to a close, we are deeply grateful to all of our donors and prayer partners for your consistent care and support, through material resources, but even more importantly, through the support of your prayers on our behalf. We wish for each of you , and for your families, the blessing of a
Very Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year.

No. 16 - 30. September 1999

PRAISE God that so much aid has been donated and distributed in this area. Through 7 September 1999 we distributed 418.7 metric tons of aid; 40.5 tons were distributed prior to 23 March and the start of the bombing, 122.2 tons during the bombing between 24 March and 10 June, and 256 tons since the bombing ended through 7 September.

PRAY for us that the light which shines through Bread of Life will not go out, and that the door will remain open to continue this ministry. Pray also for the people of the Balkans as they face wintertime, and for Bread of Life as we attempt to meet the needs of refugees from Croatia and the Serb Republic, Identified Displaced Persons from Kosovo and indigent residents for heat and warm clothing. Pray also that we might be sensitive to the changing needs of the people we serve.

We at Bread of Life realize that the eyes of the media have largely turned away from this region to focus on other, more recent catastrophes and disasters elsewhere. The needs in the Balkans go on, however, and keep calling us to fulfill our mission to be a light to the world. It means so much for us at Bread of Life to receive news from our friends all over the world, and to know that all of you are supporting us with your prayers.

The refugee situation remains critical. Finding shelter or a place to live when the refugees arrive in the Belgrade area is one of the first of many problems. Many join friends or families they know and then discover there are too many people living in the space. Some people seek out unused spaces (such as abandoned barracks which formerly had been used for the housing of construction workers, but which have been deteriorating for years) in order to have a bit of shelter against the oncoming winter. We have begun to register refugees from Kosovo, and to distribute food to them.

We are distributing food and material aid to refugee families from Croatia and Bosnia, to permanently displaced people from Kosovo, to the elderly, to institutions for the deaf and blind, and to local indigenous people. This was done through our weekly distribution points (Baptist and Pentecostal churches) as well as in the areas of Pancevo and Rakovica. Through another municipality in Belgrade we are making arrangements to distribute food parcels to some families who were damaged during the bombing by losing their employment and/or damage to their housing. Two sisters from the church are identifying elderly and ill people in Zvezdara, visiting and helping them in other ways. They have identified some of the most vulnerable families in their area, families who need homecare. We have also begun a program with nuns from the Catholic convent St. Vincent in Zemun. Six sisters from the convent are identifying elderly and ill people in Zemun. They have identified some of the most vulnerable families in their area, families who need homecare. We sent them food parcels last month, and will be supporting them through giving them more parcels for the families they are helping. Our Bread of Life branch in Prijedor, Serb Republic, is also distributing food parcels and hygiene packets to old residents, big families, and repatriates to the Serb Republic.

Although most of the aid is distributed through our own distribution points, we are also sending aid through hospitals, the Red Cross, and a Roma association. We also get calls from time to time from other agencies asking for help with refugees; for example, an UNHCR worker called recently to report they had discovered 17 people, four families, living in one apartment without adequate provisions, and asked whether we would provide food and other material aid for these families.

We see our work with hospitals as crucial. Hospital personnel are in a very tenuous position, as they need basic food, bed linens, medicines, and hygiene supplies in order to do their work successfully. We decided to help the patients in the hospital as well as the most vulnerable people working in hospitals; these people, who take care of the most vulnerable people, receive an average salary of ca US$ 36 per month. We are thus helping those who are most critically ill as well as those who are taking care of them. We are implementing this program at City Hospital in Belgrade, Clinical Hospital in Belgrade, and at an institution for the handicapped (mental and physical) of 400 patients.

We recently completed the distribution of 15,000 School Kits to children from families who cannot afford these basic items required for their children to enter school. Through our network we first identified a list of qualified recipients for these items, then put together the items from bulk supplies and placed them in a sack (to be used later as a gym bag) which was sewn by the ladies in our Sewing Workshop.

Bread of Life also assisted in the renovation of four schools in Belgrade which were damaged in the bombing. The children are now back in school after a break which began in March 1999 because of the bombing. On the opening day at one school a balloon was floated with the name of the school on one side of the balloon and the message "No More War" on the other.

Our winterization project is a most crucial one as we near the onset of cold weather. We are in the process of purchasing simple, good quality wood stoves to distribute to 250 families. We have also received inquiries from many families about the availability of firewood for heating this winter. We are also in the process of purchasing enough firewood to supply 500 families this winter.

In all of these projects we have attempted to provide employment as necessary for people who are the most vulnerable because of their economic status, and to provide them with long-term skills if that is possible.

In doing these things we are attempting to fulfill Christ's command to be the salt of the earth while taking care of our fellowmen in need.

Contact:
Bread of Life
41 Prote Mateja
11000 Belgrade, Yugoslavia
Fon: +381 (0)11 444-35-40; Fax: +381 (0)11 438-122
eMail: jjtosic@Eunet.yu

[oben]