Three more months till spring. You’re shivering, even under three layers of blankets. You can see your own breath rise in the frigid air of your house. The woodstove lies cold and empty.
This sounds extreme. For some people, it’s a normal winter morning.
It’s November, and some people still don’t have what they need to stay warm this winter. Hundreds of people have come to our staff and contacts asking for help with winter heating. Many people don’t own land with trees, so their only option is to buy wood, coal, or natural gas. But they hardly have enough money for food, clothes, and housing during the summer. How will they ever afford it?
People in Uzbekistan need firewood so badly that one woman thought it was a waste to use only the tree trunk and branches. When she cut down several trees in her yard, she dug around the base and used the stump and roots for firewood as well! A contact in Tajikistan says that many people are adding paper, cardboard, and trash to their wood to increase the heat in their woodstove. It’s common for people in these countries to heat only one room of the house to make the warmth last as long as possible. Often they will keep the room just warm enough to be comfortable while wearing a coat.
Many people needing help this winter are older people and large families in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Most of the people we assist are believers, although sometimes aid is used to witness to non-believers in need.
Comfort and joy
People rejoice and often praise God when they learn that He answered their prayers for heat this winter. “We needed wood so badly,” said one elderly woman from Ukraine. “You and God heard our prayers, our request, and our desire, and sent us wood. Thank you, thank you!”
Recipients are touched that believers in North America donate their hard-earned money to provide help for their brothers and sisters in faraway lands. We receive many letters of appreciation from them. Here are a few excerpts:
“As a father, I strive to provide daily bread for my whole family. There are nine of us in total, and all the children are school students. My income, with today’s prices, is meager. It is far from enough to cover all our needs. . . . We see the great mercy of the Lord—that for this winter we already have 5 tons of coal! For us, this is a huge help! It means the family will be warm through the winter.” –Ukraine
“Glory to God for His care! We were worried how and where to get money for the winter because heating is expensive. We prayed about this. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your help in meeting our needs!” –Uzbekistan
“Glory to the Lord for the care and warmth both in our homes and in your hearts.” –Kazakhstan
Many people requested firewood or funds to heat their homes this winter. Your donation will warm many homes and hearts. God bless you!
Your support helps provide firewood, coal, stoves, and heating utilities for needy people in various countries. Please click Donate to give a gift.
