Miracles Are Experienced During Quarantine in Tbilisi
Distributing supplies brings women face-to-face with many people in need.
Euro-Asia Division (ESD)
[Tbilisi, Georgia] The pastor of Seventh-day Adventist Tbilisi Church, in the country of Georgia, created a fund “A Kind Heart” with a goal of helping needy people. Women of the Tbilisi church began ministry work fulfilling the needs of their pastor’s fund and other volunteer women (and men) who were not members of the church joined the work.
During the tough time of the epidemic, the needs became greater and the women did everything they could to assist the people in greatest need in Georgia.
News of the work spread quickly through social networking as specific needs were announced and pictures were uploaded showing the volunteers in action and the accomplishments made with monies in the “A Kind Heart” fund.
Soon not only citizens of Georgia, but people around the world, began donating to the fund to satisfy the needs volunteers continued facing. “A Kind Heart” fund now collaborates with many other funds and organizations.
“We are doing our best to buy food and personal supplies as well as masks and gloves and to pass them on to needy people who are lonely, retired, disabled, or homeless,” volunteers involved are reporting. More than 150 families have already received social assistance.
Some experiences are noteworthy, modern-day miracles.
Receiving Transportation
During quarantine when personal transportation for travel was prohibited in Tbilisi, the volunteers couldn’t find a way to distribute supplies and food to people needing assistance. But at this time when many people needed assistance, the Lord didn’t forsake the women’s work. God touched the heart of a representative of an embassy in this capital city of Georgia, who loaned his personal vehicle with diplomatic plates for use with distributions.
Connecting a Homeless Man to His Family
While sharing food, volunteers met a kindly educated man who had been homeless for some time. The volunteers helped him return to his overjoyed family who had given up finding him after many years and now assumed he was no longer alive.
The volunteers discovered later that the homeless man, whom they knew to have a great sense humor, had been a professional working in 2014 with refugees and their emotional, legal, and financial issues, helping them adapt to new life in Georgia. Praise the Lord this man rejoined his family.
Revitalizing a Young Girl's Life
Volunteers became acquainted with a woman who is raising Sabina, a young girl without parents. In the beginning the two only requested help with food. When the volunteers came to deliver food, they discovered the terrible living conditions of pair.
The volunteer women immediately began exploring possible ways for assisting with repairs in the apartment. The need was posted on social media with “A Kind Heart” fund, although our skeptical women didn’t think people would respond to the great need this way. And they were so wrong.
Many people saw the request and helped by donating money, food, cloth, and construction material. Construction workers proposed they do the renovations for free.
A local blogger made two video movies about Sabina and the renovation project. It is posted on YouTube with before pictures in Movie #1 and some English captioning in Movie #2, although Sabina’s excitement and gratefulness are clearly visible in any language in both videos.
The woman and Sabina received new clothes (Sabina’s shopping expedition is chronicled in Movie #1), and a cell phone and computer for Sabina. They experienced a complete renovation of the leaking rooftop, “terrifying” bathroom, and kitchen, and received new furniture. Before and After pictures can be seen in Movie #2.
The Lord makes miracles. May the Lord be praised for His great blessings!
Contributed by Raisa Ostrovskaya, director for Women's Ministries in Euro-Asia Division
Published in Mosaic newsletter, 2020 Q3, summer issue
