Nelia was stunned; Her husband had died without warning. He had been carried to the hospital, where Nelia and their children learned the dreadful news: He had blood cancer. Just a few days later, Nelia was a widow.
Widow Fears for Her Children’s Future
Nelia’s husband had been the only breadwinner for the family, going out every day to work. After his passing, Nelia shouldered the responsibility to provide for her children. Thankfully, relatives helped for a time, providing what supplies they could—but they could only do so much.
When her relatives were no longer able to help, Nelia’s eldest son began working in a motorbike shop. But the money he made barely fed them; their home fell into disrepair and Nelia’s daughter had to stop going to school—the fees were too expensive. Nelia wondered if her youngest son would be able to finish his education; it didn’t seem likely.
The looming threat of abject poverty grew larger and larger. What was to become of them? Would they even have a future? Nelia’s fears for her and her children’s future intensified—but they would not last.
A Pastor’s Intervention
A couple of years after her husband’s death, Nelia received an invitation from Gospel for Asia (GFA) pastor Vaclav to a gift distribution. Pastor Vaclav had visited with the family in the past; after Nelia’s husband’s death, he had consoled and comforted them.
Now, Pastor Vaclav aimed to bless widows and their families in the community with income-generating gifts, and Nelia was on the list of recipients. She and the other widows bore the same burden of being the only one responsible for their families; all feared the poverty that could consume them and their loved ones.
To her joy, Nelia received provisions to start a small shop. She could now sell grocery items that otherwise would have been difficult for Nelia’s fellow villagers to purchase—a beneficial gift for all. On the first day of the shop’s opening, Nelia made enough money to buy more items she could sell—a sign that things were turning around.
A year later, Nelia’s business had grown to the point where she could earn a stable income that enabled her to fix her home, send her younger son through school and feed all her children. The shadow of poverty that had darkened her household had lifted, thanks to Pastor Vaclav’s timely intervention.
“We shall never forget the aid provided to us,” the family said. “We are grateful to the church.”
