Nothing whatever is deducted from your gifts for administrative expenses Operated and administered entirely by volunteers Using a network of ROPEHOLDERS, who are often local pastors, missionaries or Christian social workers, we seek out the poorest of the poor We give essential aid to widows and refugees, provide regular financial support for orphans and street children, and rescue girls in danger of prostitution By operating a carefully controlled interest-free revolving loans scheme we enable people to set up family businesses, giving them the dignity of work and self-sufficiency                   Before (below) and after above, the happy smiling face of a man who has been through the Shower-Haircut-New Clothes process and has regained some self respect.     This lady stayed up all night wrapping Christmas presents for the homeless.

The news behind the news..... CROATIA   [03/02] [12/01] From Croatia a report reads: For a family of six who are unemployed and receive symbolic government aid, we bought a she-goat to provide milk and later, we hope a small goat to sell or eat. And a second goat was purchased for a sick, unemployed and very poor widow (50 years old). To a family unemployed, sick, homeless and very poor we paid for tier wood for winter heating. For a sick and very poor widow (cancer) (57 old) we paid her bills and bought two cooking gas bottles. For three old, sick and very poor widows we paid for special diet foods. Petrol was also bought for a church Van to enable it to be used by many very poor folk in their daily lives. It was used for the transport of furniture, mobiles, potatoes and so on. The very poor church members were otherwise not able to pay for transport. [09/01] We helped very poor two groups: children and adults: 10 childrens and 8 adults for their staying in Christian camps in Orahovica. Purpose of this camps was: evangelization, education, spiritual renewal, encouragement and pastoral help. They stayed there one week. Both groups returned to Vukovar very blessed and happy. They were not able to pay for these camps so we paid for them. We helped one very poor sister in Christ M M with money so that she could buy different kinds of food and things for living. Our poor brother in Christ D had to move with his family from Zagreb to Åupanja (300 Km far) and he could not pay for the transport of his things. We brought by van his mobiles and other things and with the same van we transported our sister Negoslavka M from Vukovar to Zagreb and back. She went to our president Mes concerning request to get a family house from government. Her family (husband and two daughters) is very poor, sick, unemployed and homeless since their house was destroyed in the war. We spent for the trip 300 Km. To the very poor family S whom we helped last time, we paid for colour paint and locks for the doors. The rest of money we spent for the petrol so that we can bring four very poor people to Hungary. There they bought cheaper food and goods for the living in Orahovica! Thank you very much for your faithful and constant helping our poor people in Vukovar! [06/01] Again we are glad that we might help poor family S, previously described and recommended for your help. There is matter of father Goran (37 old), mother Mira (38 old), son Dalibor (12 old) and little girl Jelena (6 years old). This family lost all things in the war and already 15 times was forced to remove. One moth ago, they received government’s permission to use temporary one old house, which was inside totally devastated and damaged. Its roof is still now with many holes. Father Goran didn't’t receive monthly salary for many moths, because his concern is in bankrupt and in the last month he was without job. His wife is unemployed too. For your information 90 % of people in our city is unemployed. Our economy is destroyed. Both father and mother are suffering from sicknesses as war consequences. Their children are suffering war consequences too! Approximate whole amount of £485 we used for the their house reparations and restorations. We bought glasses for windows, gravel, sand, cement, lime, gypsum, tinges, carpets, gas bottle for the kitchen and 20 alive chickens for feeding and eating. With the rest of the money we paid poor Zlatko Vujièiæ and one another worker who worked in house reparations, and for the materials transport. This family still now need much money and many things for the house and their living, but we helped them initially to may start from zero in their life. It is good to say that On the end many greetings to you and again big thank to you for your faithful helping our people who are in disparate condition. Yours in Christ with recommendation for the next help! Be peace with you! [04/01] We have urgent need to help one very poor family who was already described in report of the last year. Husband 35 (years) was as Croat prisoner in Serbia and torch and also was forced to dig trenchers for the army, and in the same time to be a live wall between Croat and Serb army. He suffered very much and is now sick. His wife Mira (35 years) suffered very much in the war, because they lost all things. She is psychologically wounded and crushed. They have two small children. They are very nice children, but you can see by their receiving the negative consequences of war. That family removed fifteen times because they are homeless. Now they illegally occupied government old damaged house, but with a big chance to get permission to live there. The house is empty, without nothing and they are without nothing because of the big misery of their life. There is need for beds, tables, kitchen equipment, restoration, reparations and so on. We will buy them the most necessary things. [1/01] Nine families and individuals have been helped in this quarter. One was a widow who has been bought a ticket to Italy to hep her survive. Another widow's sewing machine must be repaired to help her survive while another we helped to buy heating fuel for the coldest weather. [09/00] We read that a number of families are being helped including a family where, during the war, the husband was captured by the Serbs and badly tortured and is now sick. His wife has been psychologically broken and they have 2 children, we read that "on the children are the visible consequences of war". Unloading wood for winter fuel. Two other single parent families are extremely poor and the writer says "they are in danger to survive". Another family were refugees and have now returned but are unemployed and "their existence is in danger". Wood and coal have been bought to help with this winters heating for these and other families and we have also provided various other basic necessities. [06/00] 13 people have been helped with differing needs. A very old and sick widow was helped with bills and expenses and another was helped with the cost of medicines. The others were helped with glasses, food, children's bus tickets, shoes, clothes medical examination and treatment, hospital expenses for a daughter etc. [05/00] We read that spring is slowly arriving in Croatia. Amongst the ruins and destroyed houses life still continues. Grass is beginning to grow and bushes and trees are turning green and starting to cover the signs of destruction. God is working in many people's lives too and filling them with new life. One lady thanked God in prayer that although she had lost 8 members of her family in the war she feels no hatred to anyone. Young and old alike are touched. In the region our ROPEHOLDER reports that there are 162 people working but about 6000 unemployed! Many people have not received any income for months from any source and they are trying to help in every way possible. [03/00] Hundreds of people are coming to the local church in Croatia for refuge and aid but the money had run out and the heating had to be turned off. ROPE paid the heating bill so that the people would be warm. Other very poor people have been helped. [12/99] Several poor people who are new contacts have been helped. [10/99] One lady, her husband and small daughter lost everything in the war and are living as refugees in Vukovar. They have moved into a ruined house which was in such a poor state of repair that no-one else dared to live there. The lady is now pregnant. Her family has been helped with food parcels. Needy widows are also being given help with food and money to cover essential bills and care home fees. (see also Yugoslavia below) MORE News!   Some printing and materials used in the printed publication 'News from ROPE' is kindly donated by: Maygray Graphics Ltd Graphics House Arundel Road Uxbridge Middx UB8 2JX UK tel: (44) 0 1895 812 525