HGMI has been receiving and caring for the Hungarian-speaking Roma people fleeing from the Subcarpathian region of Ukraine since the beginning of the Russo-Ukrainian war.
For our colleagues it was not a question since the first day of the war that we needed to act, to go and help. Hungarian Gypsy Missions had no separate budget nor separate source for financing the accommodation, feeding and taking care of the refugees coming from the Subcarpathians. Yet, we did it, we have been doing it since the first day of the war.
During the last four months, we have accommodated more than 400 people at our community centers and church buildings around the country, and we have been taking care of them. Besides the accommodation, food, and medicine we provide social services to them, including helping them to obtain and get their official documents, and ID cards. We have accepted several pregnant ladies whom we helped to access pregnancy care. We escort them personally to the medical check, and we do whatever we can to help the babies grow and be born healthy, including providing essential vitamins for the fetus and the mother as well.
Besides the government financial subsidies provided for taking care of the war refugees, by the support from the international mission organization Samaritan’s Purse Canada we were able to expand the areas of our helping actions. On 1st June 2022 we started our program named “Holistic Crisis Management of the Ukrainian Refugee Crisis by the Hungarian Gypsy Missions International of the Hungarian Pentecostal Church (HGMI HPC)”, and within its framework, we can provide complex care and development to the refugee children and adults as well. We react to physical, psychical, and mental crises. Besides us providing them accommodation and food, family care coordinators help the adults to find jobs, and to have access to healthcare and social care. Within a planned, coordinated program a group of lifestyle and mental health counselors helps adults plan their life paths at nine locations. The purpose of this program is to get an idea of how the refugees actually see themselves, their situation and opportunities, and furthermore how and with what tools the Mission could help them to achieve their plans.
Another important task of the group of specialists is to deal with the refugee children who come to us. During the sessions, our development and special education teachers, teachers and therapists assess and develop the children’s knowledge and skill level to promote their integration into kindergarten and school and their success in life.
It is an important part of our ministry to proclaim the saving Good News of Christ to the people under our care and to accept them into our local church communities. An essential part of the program mentioned above is that we not only create personal development plans but those plans must be based on biblical principles.
We are grateful for all support and opportunities when we can represent Christ through His love and mercy, and by our act of help we can touch their hearts, and we can take care of their physical and spiritual wounds. We are glad to see that the refugees are more open to the presence of God. We are witnessing such changes in their lives that can bring more hope to the future. People repent to God, they want to walk their paths with Him, they want to study and work, and they are ready for a permanent change in life.
“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat; I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink; I was a stranger and you took me in; I was naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you took care of me; I was in prison and you visited me.” (Mathew 25:35–36)
For HGMI to be able to provide all this help we need your support as well. If you would like to join us in the aid work you can do it mostly by praying for the refugees and our mission workers, and by sending donations to our following accounts:
| Account holder: | MPE OCM |
| Address: | 56 Petofi street, Bekes H-5630, Hungary |
| Bank name: | OTP Bank Nyrt. |
| Bank address: | 16 Nador street, Budapest, H-1051, Hungary |
| IBAN (EUR): | HU39 1176 3330 3316 8881 0000 0000 |
| IBAN (USD): | HU97 1176 3330 3316 9019 0000 0000 |
| SWIFT (BIC) code: | OTPVHUHB |
| Note: | Ukraine (+ include your email address) |
