Taken to be a Wife
BY: DANIELA ENCHEVA, BULGARIA
“Why haven’t you continued your studies
past ninth grade?
I think you are a talented girl,”
I questioned a young mother
with a baby in her arms.
We were at the church building in a Bulgarian slum village, and it was full of children. Mission Possible has been working with the church in this village for many years, operating a soup kitchen and handing out clothes for the children.
The village’s youth are no longer dirty and shabby as before. Nearly everyone has completed at least four years of school. Since the regular activities and aid through the church began, the impact has been wonderful.
We had a BabyBox with us for the new babies in the village.
Tears welled up in the young woman's eyes
as she answered my question:
"I was forced here to be a wife!"
Snezha is originally from another village that has a large and active church. She was a diligent student in school and regularly attended the church services. She was happy and cheerful, surrounded by good people who loved and served God.
But everything changed in an instant when one day Snezha was taken to be a wife in another village! (Unfortunately this tradition still exists in the Roma communities in Bulgaria. The young women are sometimes not asked for their consent to marriage.) She ended up in a home where Jesus was not welcome. Snezha missed her family, friends, and church.
After surviving the shock of her situation,
Snezha found believers in the village
and began to regularly attend
its small church.
Gradually her faith and way of life began to change her husband and his relatives.
When I asked her to show me where she lived, she took me to her husband’s sister’s home. There had recently been a tragic incident. Her sister-in-law’s husband had been killed, and the widow was in shock and broken with grief. Snezha moved in for some time to help and comfort her.
Snezha's faith, which she has had
since she was a child,
has been a blessing and a light
to the people in this new place.
The adorable baby girl brings Snezha joy and comfort. We were glad to give her a BabyBox and to pray for her and her family.
PICTURE: Daniela hands Snezha a BabyBox.
Snezha didn't remain bitter
for the things she had experienced;
Instead, she chose to love and bless
the people to whom she hd been taken.
Your help enables our teams to reach out to families in need. Thank you for your help!
