From Orphan to Hope: A Man's Christmas Mission

Rejected at Birth, Embraced by Mission Without Borders: A Volunteer’s Story

Donate

Abandoned to an orphanage at birth

“I first heard about God while in the orphanage, when Mission Without Borders started visiting us.” 

Born with disabilities, Adi was abandoned by his parents as soon as he was born. He grew up in a series of Romanian orphanages under Communism.

“I don’t remember exactly when I got to meet my parents for the first time. I just remember I cried,” Adi said. 

His parents kept their distance, however, despite Adi’s efforts to get to know them. 

“I would bring flowers to my mother’s house, feeling hopeful each time,” he said. “She would open the window, take the flowers, but never invite me in, always sending me away without a word."                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Please continue reading below...

A new family in Mission Without Borders

Fortunately, Adi found another kind of family, among the friends he grew up with, and later, with Mission Without Borders staff, who began visiting the orphanage where he lived.

I remember how Mission Without Borders used to bring us lots of goodies and how much I loved spending time with the staff and volunteers," he said. Those moments were filled with joy, laughter, and a sense of belonging that we hadn't felt before. "Their presence, faith and love for God made a lasting impact on my life. I now know Jesus and I am grateful."

 

Adi is now 46, and thanks to the Mission Without Borders scholarship programme, he has worked for many years at a local bakery. 

He is also a much-loved volunteer at the MWB warehouse, where he helps organize and load donated goods every day after work. “After all these years, I feel like I have a family here,” Adi said. 

Cornel, chief of the warehouse, said, “It’s become a tradition for Adi to take a full week off from work and dedicate it to helping pack the Operation Christmas Love parcels. It’s very important for him to help spread the joy to families who might otherwise struggle to celebrate.”

Operation Christmas Love sees 8,000 boxes distributed in Romania to help families living in poverty, and a total of 38,000 given out in Eastern Europe. Without the help of incredible volunteers like Adi, this crucial campaign would not be possible.

Join Adi in his generosity towards others - and donate to Operation Christmas Love today.

Donate a Christmas Gift

EXPLORE OUR STORIES

Follow us and spread the word

Join thousands of Kiwis and stay in touch with us. Hear about our news, appeals and updates.

Help transform lives and bring hope for the future

To donate via internet banking, our ANZ account number is 06-0185-0122206-12 or call us on 0800 469 269, THANK YOU!