Christmas has come early for Lena

Lena is aged 80 and has lived her entire life in the remote village of Dude, a hour's journey from Arad. She is one of the 33 old people that we help to support on the Widow's Mite project. Her husband died from a blood clot in 1980 and tragically she also lost her only child 13 years ago due to a heart attack. She said the grief of losing her son was so hard to bear and she could not have endured it without God at her side.

The little land she owned was sold to try and survive. She retained a vegetable garden with fruit trees and still keeps chickens. Every time we visit we come away with either eggs, fruit or walnuts. Here is a picture of Lena with her supply of home made preserves for the winter. She no longer has pigs to slaughter which is common practice in the villages. I recall an occasion when Lena gave Pastor Jackie and I a rooster, who was not behaving in the yard. We tied together 2 plastic food baskets and transported him back to Arad in the back of the truck. I believe he ended up on Jackie's dinner table!!

Lena is illiterate and has multiple health problems. She recently broke her arm after falling in the yard - however she never complains. Note Len'a new winter shoes - a kind gift from one of our Church Members in Wales.