Sharing An Important Opportunity to Give
I hope this Labor Day finds you blessed. I wanted to take the opportunity to share this very worthy cause with you today.
When Taya and I became missionaries to Bulgaria in 2005, the first thing we did was to attend a winter Bible conference in Brasov, Romania. One of the first smiling faces we met there was Ionutz (Pronounced Yo-NOOTS, this is the Romanian transliteration of the name John). He was a vibrant young disciple from Bucharest, married to Monica Sandru. They were an amazing couple that we instantly connected with, and would later become pioneer pastors in Bucharest.
This couple profoundly impacted our lives and we count them as dear friends to this day. In 2008, we invited Pastor Ionutz to preach in our church in Bulgaria and he brought his young family with him, only about a two-hour drive from Bucharest. The weekend revival was helpful to us, Pastor Ionut preached with It was on the late car ride home from that revival in which Ionut, Monica, and three-year-old Eric were involved in a tragic car accident. Ionut was badly injured and had bleeding in his brain that caused severe damage. Thankfully, he survived the trauma but was in a coma for nearly a whole year. When he finally did come out, he did recover his awareness of his surroundings and his memories but wasn't able to walk or talk the same as before. Monica had to step up and become a full-time caregiver, as well as working to support the family. For twelve years now, they have learned to adjust their lives to this new reality. This family is a precious gift to the Kingdom of God and an example of unshakable faith in the midst of tragedy.
The last time we met them during an impact team in 2012, we saw the same warm, generous smiles that greeted us years before. We love them more than words can express. Now, twelve years later, we decided to host this fundraiser because this couple needs to purchase a wheelchair van to transport them outside of their home. You cannot imagine the difficulty they have getting him in and out of their current vehicle. I would deeply appreciate it if you would consider donating towards this goal and help us reach the expected cost of $20,000. We have already received $886 in the last few days from generous people like you. We hope you can pitch in as well. Even a $10 or $20 donation would help them immensely. Thank you!
When you click the button below, you will see our fundraiser page on our church’s website, vbph.org.
If you can’t give at this time, please help us by forwarding this message to people who may be able to help or sharing on your social media. Thank you so much for your consideration!
