1. Yet more changes and for the better
Because of the terrible political upheaval in the Ukraine, our former distribution partners World Jewish Relief (WJR) have ceased their humanitarian clothing operation totally. For a short time we were without a free outlet for your clothing into Eastern Europe, but in the interim we were pleased to help distressed brethren and sisters by sending a large consignment of clothing to Sierra Leone.
The situation was then relieved very quickly (providentially some of us believe) when we were introduced to a Dutch transportation specialist who is a committed Christian, but not a Jew. He believes that his faith is urging him to help other groups, such as ourselves, who are trying to help distressed Jews in getting humanitarian aid to their assistance. The remarkable thing is that he is in a position through his organisation (NMV) to transport the clothing you have donated not only to the impoverished Jews in Eastern Europe but also into Israel where there is a growing need for this type of help. He can and is willing to do this by collecting clothing donations from Christadelphians and friends from all over the World and at no cost to ourselves. This together with our long standing partner MFS (for transportation within the UK), helps us feel truly blessed.
So far NMV has arranged to take 2 consignments from the UK and 1 from the USA.The route from the UK is via his company warehouse in Amsterdam. The donations are then divided between trucks going into Eastern Europe and ships going to Israel. Already this year his organisation has transported for us well over 10,000 items of clothing, bedding etc. from the U.K. donated by you.
In the Transatlantic case, several hundred handmade fleece blankets donated by our brethren and sisters in New York and other ecclesias were shipped from Albany U.S.A. to Ashdod in Israel by an organisation called Jezreel International who specialise in transporting humanitarian aid to Israel from the American continent, again without cost to ourselves..
We are so grateful to our Heavenly Father that this new way of helping the Children of Abraham has been opened up to us.