Renewing a home, renewing hope

It all started in January when OM Montenegro was distributing food aid to Bar’s six poorest families. “In one particular family, the need was so great,” recalls team leader Tom. “The mother Zlatka* was dying of cancer, there were four kids at home between 9 and 16, and the alcoholic father Ivan* was often absent. So much depended on Mira*, the elderly grandmother who lived there too, holding everything and everyone together.”

The relationship between OM and the family flourished, to the extent that the team was with Zlatka when she died in March, having given her life to Jesus two days earlier.

“We wanted to do more to ease this family’s burden, as Mira the granny and the kids were really struggling to cope.” says Tom. “Their small shack was filthy and needed many repairs. So when a youth team from my home church in Germany visited later that month, we knew just what to do!”

Together the OMers and young Germans spent a week transforming the shack – after endless cleaning, they  plastered walls and tiled the kitchen and toilet. Next - repairing windows, and painting throughout. And then a visiting Canadian family laid a laminated floor! “Ivan the dad was actually at home and he helped all the time, a very pleasant surprise,” Tom comments. “We praise God for a real ongoing friendship with this family and the chance to help them, and of course we’re praying they will know Jesus too, just as Zlatka did.”

*names changed to protect privacy

OM’s role in the Church is to mobilise people to share the knowledge of Jesus and His love with every generation in every nation. OM pioneers and leads initiatives to redeem lives, rebuild communities and restore hope in over 110 countries.