Mission Trip to Albania
Please read below if you wish for us to keep your full donation*
At the age of 13, I went to my first (and so far, only) mission trip. I traveled to Bolivia where I helped serve orphaned boys who at some point suffered from drug addiction. We were high up in the mountains, working in the heat on several construction jobs. I remember singing songs with the children, eating our meals with them, and walking through the jungle to find families we could pray with and invite them to our worship services. It was such a wonderful and memorable experience and now, at 30 years old, God has presented me with another great opportunity to share His love.
In March of 2014, my husband (Manuel), sister (Sarah), and I will be traveling to Albania! We will be sharing Jesus with the Roma (gypsy) people living within the capital city, Tirana. Through Sarah's background in Social Work and Religious studies, she will be able to assist in a variety of areas such as teaching basic value and life skills and VBS. Manuel, being an EMT and having previously worked in construction, will be able to volunteer in the health clinic and/or construction site (this will be his first mission trip ever!). Through my background in Health Promotion and Education, I will be able to serve in public health efforts on health and hygiene. I will also be working on a photographic series.
In order to go on this mission trip, each of us must raise $1800 each. A deposit of $250 from each member is needed by Dec. 31, 2013. This has all unfolded so fast!
An amount of $25 would be a great blessing to us, but if you are able to give more or less, we would appreciate it! Either way, we hope you will pray for us in this endeavor; that God will help us obtain the necessary means to serve His people in Albania.
*Disclaimer: "GoFundMe" will keep a percentage from each donation. If you wish for us to receive your full amount, you can send a payment through PayPal by entering my email address. Please contact me and I will send it to you. For a tax deductible receipt, please let me know you wish to receive one and I will get one to you. We also wish to take toiletries with us to hand out. Any extra funds will be used for such items. If you wish to donate small toiletries, they are most welcome!
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To read more about the trip and the organization that we would go with, please read a letter from the organization:
To Whom It May Concern:
We are a non-profit, self-supporting ministry; established to plan and conduct mission trips to third world countries every year. This is a way to show our gratefulness and share our blessings with others less fortunate.
In March of 2014 we are going to Albania, a country with an estimated population of 3.5 million. Albania is considered one of the poorest countries of Europe. Our main target on this mission trip is the Roma (Gypsies) community. Around 80 percent of the Roma community lives below the poverty line due to socio-economic exclusion and discrimination.
A 2006 study on the social vulnerability of Roma reveals that 55 percent of this group - aged 15 years and younger - are illiterate, compared to only two percent of the non-Roma population. Many of Roma households reside in slum areas. These people are living in inadequate shelters or huts with no access to potable water or sewers.
Prejudice against the Roma means they are turned away from clinics and hospitals. Most Roma children have never seen a doctor and many die of easily preventable illnesses before the age of 5. New Experience Ministry will be bringing a team of doctors, nurses and dentists to the Roma communities, to conduct public health efforts to help remove and control underlying causes of poor health. We will hold public classes to teach sanitation and proper nutrition. New Experience Ministry will complete a building for ADRA while we are on the mission trip so they will be able to continue our work with the Roma children once we leave Albania.
Donations made to this mission trip will provide medical care, hygiene training and hospital assistance to these children and their families. Aside from the medical aspect of the trip, New Experience will be be running a week long program that will teach the children basic values and skills for life while also providing classes for Roma adults on parenting, health and hygiene.
Over 40 volunteer health care workers and support staff are planning to fly many miles across the globe with their own money to help assist the Roma community in Tirana, Albania. Should you or your company be able to help our ministry, you will have contributed with more than just money - you will be a major partner in helping improve the lives of many Roma people and especially the Roma children.
With your donation and our services combined, the local folks in this area will learn and be able to experience a healthier lifestyle.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this letter, and please do not hesitate to contact me with any comments, concerns or questions at [phone redacted] or [email redacted] with any questions about this request. You may also visit our website to find more information about our ministry, make a donation, read about past trips and see photos and videos of the work we have done in the past. The website is: www.nxministry.weebly.com. Any help you can provide will be greatly appreciated! We are a 501c3 organization and your donations will be tax deductible.
Hoping for your partnership,
Sergio Romero
President
New Experience Ministry
Short Term Missions
265 W Central Ave Suite 118
Murray, Utah 84107
