Hope promised, hope received

Poverty at Christmas

“Mami, do you believe that if I dream of something I really want for Christmas, it will come true?” Delia, 11, asks her mum. Together with her siblings, Antonia and Antonio, Delia lives with their parents, Cristian and Braita, in Romania.

While other children have the promise of a gift to unwrap and a feast to enjoy, for families like Delia's living in poverty, Christmas does not always hold the promise of hope.

Delia’s parents have felt poverty since they were young. When Cristian was 9, the same age his son is now, he began working. He never had the opportunity to go to school, and instead dealt with years of cold and labour. By 11, he had already lost one of his kidneys. Like Cristian, Braita also never went to school.

Although they are no longer children, they now carry the strain of poverty as parents, at 35 and 39. Both Cristian and Braita support their family by working as day labourers in agriculture, but when winter comes, work disappears, and they barely have enough state allowance to survive on.

Together, their family lives in a single room, and every corner tells the story of hardship. The stove hardly works, there is no running water inside their home, they gather firewood from the forest to keep warm, and electricity is shared with neighbours. At night, the girls walk together into the dark fields because they do not have a bathroom at home.

Dreaming of a different future

In this corner of Romania, forgotten by many, they share the dream of a different future. Young Antonia dreams of driving a car one day. Delia and Antonio want to become police officers. Cristian and Braita’s dreams are for their children.

“My greatest wish is to improve my family’s living conditions, especially to have a proper bathroom, so the kids no longer have to go out into the fields, especially at night,” says Cristian.

Braita added, “My deepest desire is for my children to be healthy and to have a brighter future, one filled with opportunities I myself never had.”

Andrei, MWB coordinator, first encountered the family’s children at the Christian Outreach activities he was leading at a local church. Now, he regularly visits their family.

“I’ve only recently come to know them, but I can see their longing for a better life, and it’s an honour for me to walk alongside them in this journey.”

From the small dreams of a child, to the big hopes of parents, every one matters. Poverty casts these dreams aside, but everyone deserves to be reached with the hope of Christ.

“At present, the Mission are the only people in this community offering Christmas Food Boxes, and the impact is huge. For families who struggle every single day, food is not just a necessity, it is hope, dignity, and relief,” says Andrei.

Food on the table

“To receive a food package at Christmas is more than a gift; it is a moment of joy, a reminder that they’re not forgotten, and a chance to gather around a table with something to share.”

Cristian and Braita’s family holds tightly to Romanian food traditions, including stuffed cabbage rolls, beef salad, and sweet bread. When families like theirs receive a Christmas Food Box, it is filled with essential food like tinned meat, pate, beans, oil, rice, pasta, flour, sugar, and treats. Although they are still on the road to everything they dream of, they now have the promise of a bright Christmas.

“I am so grateful to those who have helped and I hope that the future will bring them peace and joy,” Braita said. “I also treasure the possibility of having the items to cook good food – food that our children enjoy and which for us as Romanians is especially important at Christmas, but are usually expensive and we can’t afford.”

The true message of Christmas is not one of empty wishes, but hope promised, and hope received. When food arrives at their doorstep, hope finally becomes a word that has weight.

“Our hope is that the Lord Jesus will enter their homes, bringing light and transformation, for when His presence fills a household, everything begins to change.”

Your gift could be the choice that shows children and parents Christmas’ true meaning – that Christ came with a promise of hope, and that hope is for everyone.