welcome to the 2019 giving catalog
Merry Christmas!
It was December 1989, and there was no silent night on the streets of Bucharest, Romania. The capital was in tumult, as Romanians—inspired by rapidly-unfolding events in East Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Hungary—had begun to demand freedom.
Images courtesy of the National History Museum of Romania
Unlike other Communist governments, Romania’s dictator, Nicolae Ceauşescu, wasn’t going quietly. His secret police opened fire in the streets, killing scores of Romanians. Finally the army joined the fray, siding with the people. Ceauşescu fled the capital. Apprehended days later, he and his wife were tried by a hastily-summoned tribunal and summarily executed. The date was December 25th.
Ceauşescu’s atheist regime had never permitted the celebration of Christmas. Now, in a gruesome irony, Christmas had had the last word.
The dictator left behind a wrecked nation, wrecked families, wrecked children. It’s a devastation we’re still working to rebuild 30 years later. But because God loved enough to send His Son to live among us, we know there is hope. We trust that once again, Christmas will have the last word.
To help us rebuild lives this Christmas, start reading at the links below.
catalog contents:
Introduction / Remembering the Revolution
Adoption Gifts / Gideon’s Story
Foster Sponsorships / Daniel, Ethan & Carter’s Story
Advocacy Gifts / Allison’s Story