ROM Refugee Response Photo Album September

Take a moment to visit our selection of photos featuring the RCRR – ROM Community Refugee Response action in Serbia in September 2015.

How I Lost My Scarf

Photo: Liviu Bocaniala 
in the middle between Mateja and Marko Stupar.

Author: Liviu Bocaniala

I am no hero.

I am just a poet, a bare foot one, most of times.

The words are my very best friends, and in some instances, my worst enemies.  This is one of those instances – how and where do you start to describe, or explain, or make one blind observer of the whole situation understand what is really going on? 

And what is really going on?

So I thought to myself to simply describe how I met my new friends from Syria.

I do not know how to recognize a terrorist (unless it is bloody obvious!).  So I am not really sure if there were any amongst the people we met.  All I could tell you is that when we reached the border between Serbia and Hungary on our first day there, we saw simple people of flesh and blood and sweat and tears; and dreams and hopes.  In the middle of those piles of litter the miracle of a smile made more sense than ever.  The smile of a child running around careless, the smile of a mother exercising her role with holy cadences, the smile of a dusty dark men…  the more one would smile at us, the more tears I could feel filling up my chest. 

They soon started rolling down my cheeks, while I offered a bag with some food and some water to a woman holding a three months old baby in her arms.  What a way to enter the world!  It didn’t make any sense.  “What an incredible mess!”, I turned around and told Tihomir and then I run and hid behind the van ashamed of my tears.

Out of that crowd, two young men approached us; again, smiling; and we started talking to them.  They were both studying English literature back in Syria.  They told us their story of the last two months’ trip until the Hungarian border.  They didn’t want any food, or water.  “There are others who need it more”, they told us, and they actually helped us deliver some packages.

As we were talking, they asked me, “Do you have any coffee?  We didn’t have any coffee for the last twenty days…”.  Knowing my addiction to excellent coffee, I did understand them.  And while we were preparing to leave, hugging and taking pictures with them, I went to a tent where I’ve noticed that a charity from Romania was offering tea and asked them if they had any coffee in their supplies.  After a minute, one of the Romanians came out and handed me the only jar of soluble coffee that somehow was hiding in their luggage.  I asked my friends to hold the van for a minute and run towards the actual border where I saw our new friends walking after we said our goodbyes.  I spotted them in the middle of a large group, sitting quietly on the ground, surrounded by groups of journalists, just in front of the barriers – their way of protesting to the whole messy situation.  I handed them the jar of cheap coffee, apologising for God knows what, as if their lack of coffee was my fault.  And run back to the van.

Syrian refugees stuck at the Hungarian border

Two days after this, and about a thousand and more people later, to whom we offered water and some supplies to help them continue the trip, in the middle of a field of corn just around the corner from the Serbian/Croatian border, two large surprised smiles of our two new friends greeted us from the crowd.  We welcomed them as if they were old friends.  It was a short encounter this time.  They were rushing towards the Croatian border.  We said goodbye, again, setting our hopes higher this time and promising each other to have coffee together in a free world, in a pub in Norway.  We gave them more coffee and I wrapped my scarf around the neck of one of them…

I thank God for this story of newborn friendship in the middle of all that panic and terror and hopelessness.  I do not know if I will ever meet those two Syrians ever again.  I do not know where they are.  I do not know if they were saints or something else? I still know next to nothing about them.

But I do know that, if I will ever find myself walking the streets of any free city in any free country, anywhere in a free world, and I will recognize my friends, it will be my honour to treat them to a cup of excellent coffee.  And take time and listen to their story again.

And don’t worry, I will know them by the scarf…

Author: Liviu Bocaniala

Refugees are not Terrorists

This was the first update I sent to a group of friends and partners immediately following the three days of humanitarian action for the Syrian and other refugees in Serbia, organized by the ROM Community Refugee Response team, in partnership with EUS Serbia (IFES Serbia) one week ago. At the time of writing of this update, which was written in one breath, I was flying from Belgrade back to Houston. This was on Tuesday, Sept 22, 2015.

Dear Friends,

For us who came to Serbia to serve the refugees those were three days charged with emotions and dedication. Initially we planned only one day of action, but we had enough material and funds to keep on serving the refugees for three days, first at the Hungarian border and than close the Croatian border near Šid. The later was more powerful because we were serving the incoming rivers of hungry refugees, who were arriving in waves, in one bus after another from the Hungarian border and even more from the Macedonian border. As the buses would arrive the refugees would immediately start walking towards the Croatian border, with only a short stop to pick up whatever they needed to continue on.

My current and rough estimate tells me that in three days we were able to help, one way or another, between 1500 to 2000 refugees. We even used our cars to take up to 100 children and their mothers, and some people who had serious difficulties walking or serious medical problems, and help them with the final two kilometers leading to the very border with Croatia. For all of us in the group this was powerful, moving and overwhelming experience, and we were all filled with inner satisfaction that we were at that time there where we were needed the most.

Soon following the opening of the Croatian border for the refugees, media announced that Croatia closed its border for any incoming traffic from Serbia. While this was true for the official border crossings for a few days, the factual truth is that the border has never become closed for the refugees. Thousands upon thousands of refugees have been streaming across the border from Serbia into Croatia since last Tuesday, without stopping.

At the Hungarian Border near Horgos

The other thing about media is that they tend to focus on the negative side of any unveiling story. The stereotype is that the refugees look like a wild crowd of people who do not respect their surrounding, throw garbage everywhere, often cause problems, and are ready to riot when not let further. Often media are deliberate in presenting them as a nuisance, a future trouble for Europe; even future terrorists.

But what we experienced was something different. The refugees are mostly young people and young families, or early middle-aged families. There are many children among them, and many babies. Many refugees are well educated and they speak good English. We spoke with many of them. They always show gratitude for what is being done for them. They do not mind talking to you and answering your questions. Some even said that it is moving for them to see that Christians love them, while their own people do not want to help them. Many of them are hurting from walking. Many are weak from the days and weeks spent walking and slowly moving forward. Some have been on the road for the past two months. Often we heard them saying: “You are good people, thank you very much”. And giving them a handshake or even a hug was something many appreciated. They certainly do not look as if they are future terrorists sent to terrorize Europe .

Our conclusion is that those people are genuine refugees who left their countries because there was nothing good awaiting them there any more, except certain death, kidnapping and unwanted conscription. Some of them said: "Some people judge because they see us with smart phones in our hands. But what people do not understand is that at home our lives amount to nothing. It is not only ISIS. We have multiple enemies there. If one group does not kill you today, another one will come into your village tomorrow and treat you just as wickedly. And if those do not kill you a week later another group may come and kill you just the same. And they are all equally evil." Those people are emptying Syria and Iraq because they want to find a home in a place where they and their children would be safe. Most of them are from Syria, but there are also the refugees coming out of Iraq, as well as Afghanistan. There are many Kurds among them too, and some Christians too.

The current refugee crisis has placed the enormous amount of pressure on Serbian and Croatian, two countries that to date have given the best example of how the refugees ought be treated. A the same time Serbia and Croatia fear that too many refugees might get stuck in their countries as the winter months are fast approaching, and at the time when some other European countries are refusing to open their doors to the refugees.

Serving the refugees moved us deeply

We need to pray that all the European countries will understand that they have a part to play in accepting the refugees. USA, Canada and Australia need to be generous too. EU should develop a clear policy about it and release the burden of the Serbian and Croatian shoulders, and share the burden in a balanced manner. No country should act arrogantly and determine that the refugees are not their problem. Those refugees are the real people, real men and women, families and children, and we all need to embrace them.

What now? Our action moves on. The refugee crisis in Serbia and Croatia is here to stay at least for a while. At this time we are developing a follow-up strategy. In Serbia we will continue to partner with EUS (IFES) Serbia. In Croatia our partnership will be clearly defined in the next several days. We desire to move on because this is the time when ROM Community needs to lead with their example. Our action in Serbia, and actions that will follow represent well what ROM and our organization Forum for Leadership and Reconciliation stand for: to teach the young leaders that serving the most vulnerable is the best demonstration of leadership. When we are doing that we are serving Jesus, we are being little Jesus' to them.

Thank you friends for your amazing support provided in many ways. It was thanks to you that instead of serving the refugees in Serbia only for a day, as originally planned, we were able to bless them by serving and loving them for three full days.

Tihomir Kukolja, Forum for Leadership and Reconciliation Executive Director

AMONG THE REFUGEES

The Author: Bianca Bortoneanu

At first I did not want to talk about this experience. But now I believe it is quite important to share what I've lived through, together with my ROM team for a few days in Serbia as we were helping the refugees at the Hungarian and Serbian borders.

I am not quite sure yet if it was empathy or something else, but from the first moment I was invited to join the group I felt in my heart that I have to be there, with the refugees, to truly understand the truth about the refugee crisis in Europe. 

I am not a person who talks a lot. And I still do not have much to say because so much happened in those three days that cannot be expressed with words. Simply, you must be there, feel everything, see their eyes, and get involved to begin to understand.

None of us in the ROM Community Refugee Response (RCRR) team and EUS (IFES Serbia) team could sleep well any of the nights throughout the duration of our action. Guess why? Because all these people, all those children, all the despair in their eyes, and all their stories of hardship – all of those and more kills you slowly and touches your heart deeply inside. In our team there was not a single soul that did not cry at times.

Let me give you some examples. Many among the refugees are mothers and children, little kids walking with big bags in their hands. We saw many people with hurting feet, supported by crutches and wheelchairs; people who were tired, exhausted, sick.

Someone told me that they decided to finally escape after their neighborhoods were bombed and family members killed. Families walked for miles through the night to avoid being caught by soldiers who would kidnap their young men and force them to fight. So they had no other choice but run away as far as they could. Those people have left behind literally everything, their memories and their whole lives.

I remember someone telling us that the neighboring countries, those who share the same or similar culture with them did not want to help them. “And yet you are Christians and you love us!”, they said.

And what was truly amazing in all of this was to see a sense of unite shared between all of us who came to serve the refugees. At any given time several different groups would come at the same to help with food, water, and other things that the refugees needed. Quickly we would all become as if it were one team, standing side by side in the spirit of Jesus.

On this occasion I would like to make appeal to those who are critical of the whole refugee movement in Europe and of us who are trying to make their journey a little bit easier. Stop judging people and their actions! Stop create barriers between us, and try to put yourselves, for a moment, in their position!  Nobody leaves his or her entire life behind in a land thousands of kilometers away and risks everything to reach a safe country for no reason!

Try to think what would you do if you were one of them walking through the dusty cornfields in a faraway and strange land?

Bianca Bortoneanu, Bucharest, Romania

We Will Keep you Informed

Refugees at the Serbian - Hungarian Border. Photo: Milos Nikolic

At this time we would direct your attention to the following pages that will focus on trying to give you daily updates about the progress of the ROM Community Refugee Response initiative pursued in partnership with EUS, Serbia (IFES Serbia). These are: Ambassadors for a BetterWorld with the focus on community and quick information; Forum for Leadership andReconciliation web/blog with the focus on informing; and ROM Response Prayer Group with the focus on prayer.

ROM Community Response Appeal Follow-up

Refugees at the Serbian - Hungarian border. Photo: Milos Nikolic

Dear Friends,

It is in a good way overwhelming and exciting to watch how this initiative that was born just over a week ago is growing fast and strong. The words of Jesus: "When I was hungry you gave me something to eat..." (Matthew 25:35) are becoming fulfilled through your actions of kindness and generosity. Many of you have at this time put aside a number of other important things to focus for a while on our action "ROM Community Refugee Response".

Since our first ROM Refugee Day of Action in Belgrade, Serbia is only one week away - Friday, 18th September, and since we are addressing the global community of our friends, and since time is of the essence, allow me to follow up on our appeal by sharing a few more hints that might be helpful as you are at this time planning to give or/and get involved:

1. For our friends in Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro, and UK:

Please, check the names and contact details of your national coordinators, and contact them immediately to see how to pass on your donation to them. It is important that we complete the collection of funds and items in your countries by Tuesday afternoon, 15th September so that the timely transfer of donations may be organized. If you are planning to give a monetary donation remember that no amount is too small or too big. Give what you are able to give. I like the comments of some of you who told me: "ROM has given so much to me and now is the time for me to give something back".

Also, should we need to have a vehicle available to take a group of people or/and donated items from your country to Belgrade, let us and your country coordinators know as soon as possible if you can make your car and yourself available.

2. For our Friends in Other Countries:

The time was too short to organize national coordinators in your countries. We would like you to send your donation immediately, and no later than Tuesday, 15th September, directly to any of the accounts presented at the end of the appeal letter. Please mark it as "Golden Rule Project". If you would like to use some other method of sending us your donation please consult Mihaela Kovacs, Bojan Ruvarac or me first. It is important that the monetary donation you intend to give will reach us in Belgrade by Thursday, 17th September the latest.

3. Four our Friends in the US:

We are impressed and encouraged that since we launched our appeal yesterday among our friends in the US we have already been notified about the first group of donations. Please continue sending your donations by checks or electronically to The Antioch Partners as specified at the end of the appeal letter. Your checks need to be noted as "Forum - Project Golden Rule". Since time is of the essence please send us your donation immediately, or by Tuesday, September 15 the latest. Please also, notify any of our US coordinators by an independent email as soon as you have submitted your donation. 

4. For Those Planning to Come to Belgrade and Serve the Refugees on Friday, 18th September:

We are looking for a dedicated group of friends who are passionate about helping the refugees. If you are planning to come we would need to know you are coming by Monday night, 14th September, in order to organize an accommodation for you in timely manner. We are not able to receive the last minute registrations. If you are coming we are expecting you to arrive to Belgrade on Thursday afternoon, 17th September. As soon as we know who is coming and the exact number we will send you all other arrival and accommodation information.

5. Praying for the ROM Community Refugee Response action and the Day of Action in Belgrade:

Let us also give through prayer, and thus become a big prayer team. This is an important action and our contribution to the softening of the current refugee crisis in Europe that seems to be growing by each new day. Let us pray for a bigger picture too, that the Lord may move the hearts and minds of people of the European governments to find a suitable and humane solution for the hundreds of thousands unfortunate people who are seeking a safe place where they could build their new homes. Let us pray also that the witness of Jesus may shine through our action, however modest it might be if compared with the magnitude of the challenge. And, indeed let us pray for everyone who will come to Belgrade to serve, as well as for those who are already on the streets and in the fields of Serbia, Macedonia and Hungary helping the refugees in many ways.

May I also take this opportunity to thank EUS (IFES) Serbia; Samuil Petrovski, EUS Director, and ADRA Serbia for letting us do this action if partnership with them.

Finally, join our FB ROM Response Prayer Group and see our regular updates about the refugee situations in Serbia.

Love you all. May the Lord bless you abundantly.

Tihomir Kukolja

Renewing our Minds, Director

Forum for Leadership and Reconciliation, Executive Director

+1-281-515-3707

PS: Please visit often the following pages for timely updates too:

http://forumforleadership.blogspot.com/

https://www.facebook.com/forumforleadership

https://www.facebook.com/ambassadorsforbetterworld

European Refugee Crisis – Call to Action

Dear Family of Friends,

The refugee crisis in Europe, not witnessed on the European continent since the years of the Second World War, has moved the ROM (Renewing our Minds) community worldwide to action of empathy and compassion. Many have been asking the question “What shall we do to help and thus demonstrate the true spirit of ROM, which is the spirit of Jesus of Nazareth?” Many have been saying over the past few days: “Give us a direction what to do and you can count on us!”

In response to a great need at this time, and being aware that time is of the essence at this moment, Forum for Leadership and Reconciliation (Forum) is now inviting all friends of ROM and friends of EDI (Economic Diplomacy and Integrity Forum) to join us in the 2015 ROM Community Refugee Response (RCRR) action. We are calling you to the urgent and generous sacrifice of love, compassion, giving, time and prayer as we are planning our first ROM Refugee Day of Action, in Belgrade, Serbia on Friday, 18^th September, 2015, in partnership with EUS Serbia (IFES – International Fellowship of Evangelical Students Serbia) and ADRA (Adventist Development and Relief Agency) Serbia.

This is what we would like you to do urgently, over the next several days leading to the ROM Refugee Day of Action:

Monetary Donations:

1. We would prefer monetary donations. We would use your monetary donation to purchase in Serbia the most essential items that would be of help to the refugees. In cooperation with ADRA Serbia and EUS we are putting together the list of items that are at this time essential for the survival of the refugees who are arriving by thousands each new day to Serbia. Please, send your donation immediately to one of the three bank accounts presented at the end of this letter (more might be added soon).

2. If you would prefer giving a cash donation, please consider giving your cash donation in the next few days to the RCRR Coordinator nearest to you. The list of our RCRR coordinators in different countries, and their essential contact details are presented at the end of this appeal.

3. You are welcome to invite your family members, friends and church communities to give. All cash donations need to be given to the RCRR coordinator nearest to you.

Donations of Items (Europe Only):

4. If you would like to donate an item we would encourage you to donate either a pair or more of walking shoes, or a sleeping bag. Do not donate any food or other perishable items. Those will be purchased in Belgrade a day before the ROM Refugee Day of Action. Please give your gifts of walking shoes and sleeping bags to the RCRR coordinator nearest to you by Wednesday, 16^th September 2015. If you are able to join our action but you are able to give other kinds of donations for the refugee action, please contact us first for further consultations.

Join us in Belgrade if You Can

5. The focus of our first refugee response is Belgrade, Serbia, since Serbia is witnessing the heaviest load of refugees at this time. On Friday, 18^th September our coordinators will get together in Belgrade for a day of action. Alongside our partnering organizations we will be involved in the distribution of collected and purchased donations, and make ourselves available to the refuges in the service of love and kindness.

Let us know if you are able to do any of the following: Make your car or a van available to bring the collected and donated items to Belgrade, or/and join us in Belgrade for the day of action. Please, indicate your availability to our refugee project director, Mihaela Kovacs; or Bojan Ruvarac, our key logistics coordinator; and to the coordinators nearest to you. We need this information as soon as possible in order to be able to organize your stay in Belgrade in cooperation with EUS Serbia.

Calendar

This is the calendar we will follow:

Wednesday, 9^th September: ROM Community Refugee Response (RCRR) starts.

Wednesday afternoon, 16^th September: All collections will be completed.

Thursday, 17^th September: Arrival to Belgrade.

Friday, 18^th September: Day of Action. Might also include Saturday if necessary.

Please, feel free to contact us with further questions. We are also welcoming your suggestions.

Also contact the following links for regular updates about this action: http://forumforleadership.blogspot.com and https://www.facebook.com/ambassadorsforbetterworld

“Who knows whether you have not come to this place for such a time as this”, are very well known words of the Bible. This is the time when ROM community and our friends are called to respond with loving hearts and swiftness to a great need.

Will you join us? We count on you! We are available to you to hear from you today, tomorrow and in the days immediately ahead of us. Please, consider the important contact and banking information at the end of this appeal.

Thank you and may God bless you.

Tihomir Kukolja

Renewing Our Minds, Director, tihomir07@msn.com

Mihaela Kovacs

RCRR Project Director, kmihaela_as@yahoo.com

Bojan Ruvarac

RCRR Logistics Coordinator, ruvarac@gmail.com

Justin Kagin

Economic Diplomacy and Integrity Forum,  Director, justin.kagin@gmail.com

_______________________________

International Coordinators Contact Details:

Albania:

Edlira Cepani, edliracepani@yahoo.com

Zefjan Nikolla, zefjan@gmail.com

Bosnia-Herzegovina:

Nera Cosic, nera.cosic@gmail.com

Adi Tanovic, adi.tanovic@gmail.com

Minela Pervanovic, minela.pervanovic@gmail.com

Croatia:

Tena Zganec, tena.zganec8@gmail.com

Margareta Mihalic, margareta_mihalic@yahoo.com

Romania:

Mihaela Kovacs, kmihaela_as@yahoo.com

Aurora Martin, maurora.osaka@gmail.com

Adrian Moldovan, adrian_agro@yahoo.com

Serbia and Montenegro:

Samuil Petrovski, samuil.petrovski@gmail.com

Bojan Ruvarac, ruvarac@gmail.com

Marko Stupar, markostupar88@gmail.com, 

Stefan Nikolic, nstefn91@gmail.com

UK:

Heather Nicola Staff, h_n_staff@yahoo.co.uk

Ali Ussery, ussery@onetel.com

US:

Tihomir Kukolja, tihomir07@msn.com

Matt Rejmaniak, mrejmaniak@aim.com

Martha S. Weiss, ms_weiss@hotmail.com

More coordinators might be added soon. 

Telephone numbers and bank details available upon request.