Moldova (MNN) — Moldova is one of Europe's poorest
nations. With an 80 percent unemployment rate and workers getting paid in
liquor, hopelessness and hunger abounds.
"You can walk into one of the villages when
people have been paid and, even in the morning, everyone is drunk including the
children," says Lars Dunberg of Global Action. "It's just a horrible
situation. People will starve to death this winter."
To help thousands of unemployed and starving
families, Global Action's Moldova Feeding Program presents not only a solid
meal, but the Bread of Life.
"It's a very, very meaningful program; it saves
lives for 78,000 people this coming winter," Dunberg states. "Every
meal time also has singing and people sharing the Gospel in various ways, whether through personal testimony or sharing Scripture with these
people, telling them why they're doing this."
One story particularly sticks out in Dunberg's mind.
It's the tale of an elderly woman who used to be an "ardent
Communist" until she found love in Jesus Christ.
"Communism never cared for me. These people
care for me. I was never gong talk to them about their Jesus, but when I saw
their love in action to me, I had to accept His love."
Dunberg says many testimonies resemble this one.
Global Action works with partnering organizations to operate seven soup
kitchens throughout Moldova. For those who cannot come to the kitchens, food
packages and the Gospel are hand-delivered.
This report comes in light of a global summit which was held
in Rome last week to address the issue of world hunger. One of every six people
worldwide suffers from chronic hunger, and the UN World Food Program says over
a billion people don't get enough food to be healthy. Critics say the three-day
summit produced no concrete actions to resolve this looming hunger crisis –this
despite a promise made over ten years ago to "halve the number of hungry
people by 2015."
Dunberg says action is key to helping end world
hunger.
"We are Global Action, we are not global
thinking. We want to go beyond all the levels of bureaucracy that can stop
something like this and just do it."
Global Action
also works with the next generation in Moldova, providing food, materials and
mentoring for young people.
"We take them and work with them, counsel
them, help them with their schoolwork and try to put them into a meaningful
future without drinking, without drugs, without sex," he states. Dunberg
adds: Global Action is "trying to work with them in an abstinence way so
they can really grow and mature and be able to get the jobs there in a better
way."
Dunberg requests your prayers for this beneficial
feeding program in Moldova. He says funding is desperately needed.
"As you sit down at the Christmas
table, think of those who have nothing; for 75 cents, you can impact
someone's life. Why not ten, why not hundreds, why not thousands?"
