SUCEAVA, ROMANIA— Most of the Ukrainian refugees are entering Romania through Siret Custom from Suceava County. The last days were critical for everybody because of the low temperatures in the zone.

Nelu Prodan – Director Natanel Center Suceava:

The last three weeks were critical, as you know, there were many refugees waves in many points of the Romanian frontiers, many of them entered through our Custom here in Siret, Suceava. Their situation is very critical , if I can say that. We have teams that are going daily in the Siret Custom and especially in this period of time when it’s extremely cold outside here in Suceava, we had temperatures of minus 10, minus 12 Celsius degrees, and these days were critical for them. At the borderline, there were huge queues and people were entering our country – very difficult.

Also, from Siret Custom, a lot of loaded trucks are leaving with helping materials for the ones who decided to stay in Ukraine.

Nelu Prodan:

As you can see, today we are leaving again, this is our convoy with the accompanying car. And we are happy we can serve them like this. The first car, David, Philip, may God bless you! The second car, we are happy to see them, our cars are organized! Jonathan, God be with you also! Here it comes Bogdan Rusnac, to God be the glory! Other cars… We are happy to see the mobilization of our brothers and their big heart that is in this ministry! Condrea brothers, God bless you! Here we have other cars, the brothers from Iași. Brother Mișoancă, Brother Nelu, God be with us! This car is a little bit too loaded. Bravo, bravo!

The love of the Christians from Suceava it is shown now through the way they are helping the refugees, not only physically, but also spiritually.

Nelu Prodan:

First of all, we are preoccupied to give them what they need, to fulfill their basic needs. If we don’t give those that are hungry food first of all, or to the ones who arrive in Romania cold and frozen – we have to give them shelter first, and clothing. We can talk on and on about God, but I believe that first of all we have to cover these physical needs, and in this period of time while we are in direct contact with them, of course we want also to help them spiritually, we want them to know God.

We have literature in Ukrainian, New Testaments, there is a problem with the Bibles in Ukrainian which are hard to find now, but we have New Testaments. And to everyone that we meet, we want them to have the Gospel, and we are glad that some of them, because of their difficult situation, are more sensible now to the Word of God, more open to hear about God and to understand what is means to take refuge in God.

The ones that are helping the refugees need financial support for the teams that are at work day and night, but also for the Ukrainian families that are now staying in Romanian families.

Nelu Prodan:

There is a need for financial support for our teams, because we have people for whom, no matter if it’s day or night, they are staying at the Customs. We have many costs with the gas for all our cars involved in transportation of refugees and food, and also the families that are taking in and giving accommodation the Ukrainian refugees, need support. Like you already know, the prices have gone up in Romania, and now we have this problem with the families that want to help, have a big heart, they are hospitable, but don’t have enough money to support them on a long term basis. Concerning the clothes, food, medicines, we have enough for now in our deposits, but the needs are increasing each and every day. We hope we will cover all the urgent needs in the next days, but first of all, there is need for a lot of prayer for these people involved in the ministry at the border, also the people that are helping here with the refugees.

Nelu Prodan doesn’t believe that Romanians should fear that the war will come to their country, but he believes that now is the time to show what Christians can do, and that is to give a helping hand to those who need it, but also to pray for Ukraine and for Romania, so that God may have mercy on all of us.

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