Annual Report 2004

Yanukovych or Yushchenko—who will finally be the new president of Ukraine? An important question which concerns and affects many people, even people in other countries. The political situation in Ukraine is tense, and once again the media are focusing on that country. There is hardly any reporting, on the other hand, of the all-pervasive poverty of the population. For example, there is the fact that in the county- seat Beregszász/Berehovo, entire apartment houses must live without electricity, water or heat. Or the fact that in Transcarpathia in recent days, again and again “fake” medications are in circulation—medications which look like the original, are packaged and labeled the same, even cost the same, but have no effective ingredients. Nobody knows where they come from, and even pharmacists can’t spot the difference. It is both discouraging and sad, when poor, old, sick people often scrape together their last amount of money to buy medicine which turns out to be ineffective.

Let's try to contrast this news with some building blocks of hope and exuberant lights in the darkness, as well as examples of far-reaching and invaluable help in everyday life, by reporting to you a little about the work of our Society in the year 2004.

Relief Transports

Twelve relief shipments containing various items departed the Vogtland region of Germany for Transcarpathia. Among many other things were the following: the first component of equipment for a barber-shop, a cement mixer and a motorized saw, a wagon to haul wooden pallets, a brand-name high pressure washer, horseshoes, good-as-new knit goods, shoes from a store closeout, candles, eyeglasses, glucometers, overhead projectors, and paint sets for children’s crafts. The music school in Vári is delighted to have musical scores for beginning violinists.

News about our Staff

After completing his studies at the Falkenberg Bible School (see our news release of June 2004) and an internship lasting several weeks at the Saxon youth organization “Christian Endeavor Union” (CEU) Péter Szeghljánik has been the first full-time youth pastor of his church since the beginning of October. In this function he is jointly responsible for the activities of KRISZ, the Reformed youth organization in Transcarpathia. Therefore he and his family have moved to Beregszász/Berehovo.

Conditions on Location

The general situation of the population can rather be described as depressing, as was previously the case. Prices for food and used goods have risen dramatically since neighboring Hungary’s entry into the European Union. Almost everything has become more expensive. Even the cost of diesel fuel, as an example, is at record levels never seen before. Moreover during the runup to the presidential election, none can be found at filling stations. Political power struggles are waged on the backs of the little people…

Drinking water dispenser in the school in Vári

No one can say at this time how the people’s daily lives will change under a new president. Still there is squabbling over every little bureaucratic office from the capital city to the smallest village. The people hope that there won’t be any violent confrontations before or after the results of the election. On 5 December 2004, the opposition party in Hungary sponsored a referendum to determine whether ethnic Hungarians living in other countries should be allowed to seek dual citizenship. Although most of the votes cast were in favor of the proposal, there was not enough voter participation to qualify for a required majority. An eloquent testimony to the impoverishment of EU newcomer Hungary!

Working with Youth and Contact with Youth

The partner relationship between the Saxon CEU (Christian Endeavor Union) and the Transcarpathian Reformed youth organization KRISZ have continued on a good footing. Sadly, the planned CEU outing for teenagers and young adults in Transcarpathia this year had to be cancelled. For 2005 another event is planned however. Information on this can be obtained from the Saxon CEU or by asking us at the Society.

The CEU program “Bible Sponsor” is about to be concluded. In this program, German sponsors give Hungarian Bibles in a good, current translation to young people in Transcarpathia. Almost 5000 Bibles have been given to KRISZ thus far.

At the present time the Evangelical young people in Saxony are collecting their annual young people’s thank-you offerings. The special purpose this year is to establish a youth center with a soup kitchen in Beregszász/Berehovo, Transcarpathia. Our friends at the youth organization KRISZ are delighted to be able to bring about this important project.

Public Relations

It was quite surprising for us to see the Transcarpathia Benefit Society named in a reader poll by the newspaper “Freie Presse” in the Vogtland region of Germany late last year along with various success stories within economical and cultural areas. It was nominated for the top success story and in the end received second place honors with 27.3 percent of the votes cast. This was a great outcome which certainly shows the recognition held by local people for our work.

As of October there is also an English-language version of our website online. It can be reached via our familiar address www.hvu-online.de as well as via the address: www.helptranscarpathia.org We especially thank Mr. Gary Deckant from the USA, the translator. Without his help the English version would not have been possible. On these pages you can also donate on-line to the work of the Benefit Society.

Christmas Package Drive

Children are happy about the gifts

We are extremely pleased and grateful that at this time the amount of donations for the charity drive ”Christmas Joy” have equaled those of last year. The results were wonderful and make us speechless year after year. The uninterrupted generosity of many people in the Vogtland region and other areas has made it possible that, for Christmas, more than 2,500 children in various villages in Transcarpathia, as well as at the children’s foster home in Keresztúr, will be surprised with a Christmas present. It was wonderful that the Dresden singer and entertainer Gunther Emmerlich, and the winner of several junior world champions in Nordic combination skiing Björn Kircheisen of Johanngeorgenstadt, have continued to offer their support to our program “Christmas Joy.”

We would be delighted to hear your ideas on how you can publicize and support our Christmas package drive in 2005 for the children in Transcarpathia. The very fact that we in Germany collect the funds and then buy the gifts in Ukraine enables us to give presents to three times as many children, compared with taking pre-packaged gifts from Germany to Transcarpathia.

Projects und Support for Our Work

Pastor Sándor Zán helps with putting on winter shoes at the foster home in Ilonca.

Last spring we began collecting donations to buy shoes for the children in the state-run children's foster home in Ilonca. We continued to receive donations for this purpose until the fall. It is wonderful and encouraging to see our challenge be met with such great response. After consulting with Pastor Sándor Zán, we decided to buy for each child at the Ilonca foster home an additional pair of house-slippers, and also a pair of shoes for every child at the foster-home in Keresztúr. Unfortunately, due to last-minute problems in acquiring the shoes, it was not possible to deliver all 300 pairs of shoes to the recipients. By working together with those who are in charge at the site, we hope to conclude this program by Christmas as well.

new playground equipment at the Halábor Kindergarten

The playground equipment for the kindergarten in Halábor was installed in August, being built according to plans designed by a member of our Society in Transcarpathia and paid for with donations from the Vogtland area of Germany. The children are thrilled of course, and are excited to make use of these wonderful new playground devices. The playground at the kindergarten of the Reformed church of Feketepatak is also supposed to be ready by Christmas.

Thanks to additional donations toward the purchase of a mini-van for the work of Pastor Sándor Zán, the final loan could be paid off on time.

Again and again we receive specific requests for assistance. Among recipients of our help was a poor family in Nevetlen which has several blind children. The soup kitchen in the village of Vári was delighted to receive our help. The Society could pay most of the costs to link them to the newly run natural gas line, and donated the funds to enable all those who are fed at the soup kitchen to receive an extra helping of meat and a piece of pastry at Christmas.

This year we likewise took part again in the tuition costs for a young girl from Transcarpathia to attend a German-Hungarian college prep school in Bavaria. She is doing very well there.

Many things could be added here. A great deal happens with little fanfare and in small steps. But we of the Benefit Society could do nothing without the loyal and dependable help of our members, friends and supporters. We experience that again and again, every year and with every program.

And there are many donations, some of which are anonymous, that come about through original and unusual ideas for helping out. Last year a family agreed to forgo Christmas gifts to immediate relatives, and used the money to pay for the playground equipment in Halábor. A young newlywed couple sent a donation just a few days after their wedding, although they surely had many other things to attend to. Another family sends donations on a regular basis, although they are presently building a house at the same time. Two of our members decided to forgo birthday gifts and instead collected donations for the Benefit Society. Those are examples, which from our perspective, might well be imitated by others.

"Please say thank you to everyone who made this assistance possible !" I hear sentences like this again and again whenever I submit donations turned over in Transcarpathia. I am happy to pass this on to you.

We sincerely thank you for your support, of whatever kind, for your interest, your prayers, and your donations, particularly at the end of this year 2004.

There are many who have given both large and small donations for years, who faithfully stand with the Benefit Society as well as the people of Transcarpathia. This shows your gratitude and love for those who continue to be of service. Thanks a lot, and we sincerely say "May God repay you!"

We especially wish to thank also Dr. Claus Hipp, Gunther Emmerlich and Björn Kircheisen for supporting our work.

We are delighted and grateful that despite the ever-deteriorating economic situation in Germany, we have fortunately experienced no serious decline in donations this year. Of course we notice this in different areas, and hope that, as in the past, more donations will arrive as the year comes to an end. That would at any rate be a good basis to start projects from in the coming year.

We perceive this as a tangible miracle of God and are very thankful for all donations still en route. The fact that this is not an automatic thing is shown by an event in September, when a small truck carrying relief items driven by Péter Szeghljánik on the freeway in Hungary, at a speed of 120 km/h [72 miles per hour], blew one of the rear tires. Thank God he reacted accordingly, although it was not a lot of fun for him to change a tire on a fully-loaded truck.

We will need you and your help also in 2005 and sincerely ask for your support. And please make the work of the Transcarpathia Benefit Soc. known among your relatives, friends and acquaintances, your co-workers and fellow students, in your parishes, clubs and sports teams, for the benefit of the people of Transcarpathia.