2000 Archives – Per un Mondo Migliore

January-February 2000:

Bringing the Joy of Christmas to Others

We’d like to share with you a bit about our work this Christmas season. We were able to perform in over 15 different schools and institutions, both in Croatia and Italy. Our puppet show characters Bunny and Peepers sang a song about Jesus and the stable. Then they told a story about a little star that was chosen by God to lead the three wise men to Jesus. The clowns danced, and played games, and made everyone laugh. Then we all sang Happy Birthday to Jesus, and decided to give our hearts as our Christmas present to Him.

Autistic Centre- Rijeka. Jeffrey (7) with our friends in Rovereto, Italy.

Deaf centre ‘Slava Raskaj’ in Rijeka. Our show in a school, Rovinj, Croatia.

We’d never performed for deaf children before, and weren’t quite sure how much they would understand, but, as Malik, their teacher, put it,The kids felt the joy and love and the happy spirit, and it was really good for them. It was so wonderful to see them happy. The same was true of the autistic center we visited– the kids laughed and danced and brought joy to us and to their teachers.

One thing was obvious during this season a lot of families had forgotten the real meaning of Christmas. We went to people’s houses, both in Croatia and in Italy, and sang Christmas songs for them. A lot of people thanked us for doing something nobody does any more. Like the old Italian song goes, “The real meaning of Christmas is the love we give to others.”

The old folks’ in Rovereto (Italy) have a friendship with our co-workers from ‘Koraci’ (an organization for refugees designed to give meaning to people’s free time, to get them to help others in need). Visiting the Rovereto old folks’ home on behalf of our Croatian friends (from ‘Koraci’) was encouraging for us. We were able to inspire the old people to think about helping others instead of themselves.

Another old folks’ home in Italy housed people who had been missionaries, or volunteer workers all of their lives. We visited them, and performed a Christmas program for them. It wasn’t just to remind them of what they used to do for others when they were younger, but to encourage them that we, young people, are following their example and trying to change our part of the world.

Carolling to the elderly in Croatia. Old folk’s home for ex-priests, Negrar, Italy.

‘The Club’ in Rijeka. Teaching English in Vojnic.

Two very important projects with youth were fully underway this past couple of months. First of all, our ‘Youth Club’ in Rijeka, started last November has been one of our major projects here. We have invited several youth off of the street to come to our weekly meetings on Saturdays, where we sing songs, perform meaningful skits and give classes on various subjects. This has caused great changes in their lives. We have also been visiting with and counselling some of their parents, who are very concerned about the growing drug problem here in Rijeka.

The second project is giving english classes to the refugee children of Vojnic. We have a small group of about 22, ranging from 8 to 15 years. In our classes, we are able to give them encouragement, as many of them have had traumatic experiences during the war. We also re teaching them meaningful songs, and short meaningful stories to help the in their daily lives, and to overcome their past. Thanks to ‘CRIED’ Canada who is sponsoring this particular project!

March-April 2000:

The Garden

“Get Up and Put On a Happy Smile!” was the opening song of our new program. Then we all found ourselves in a garden, working, and learning how to tend it and take care of the plants. The song and dance “Learn a new thing” ingrained in ours and the children’s minds the importance of learning, and how fun it can be.

We were still in the garden – but this time something had changed: the flowers and trees looked sad, because each one wished they were somebody else. The oak wished he were a pine, the pine wished he were a vine… only the little daisy was content that the Gardener had made her what she was. She wanted to just be the best little daisy – and with her smile and cheerfulness, she convinced everyone that this was the way to be happy.

Then the puppets, Bunny and Peepers, sang and illustrated the famous fable of the two ducks and the frog, and its lesson: pride will always come before a fall. After the puppet show, we danced and acted out the song “Stay Sweet” – an admonition of not arguing and getting angry, but rather being kind and loving with one another. Then it was time to be happy, and to sing, and dance, and play all together.

A ‘captivated Audience’ during our new show —– and their response!

During these two months, we performed in a home for the elderly, “Dom “Turnic”, a Center for Autistic Children, and a kindergarden – “Podmurvice“.

The people in Dom Turnic were so happy that somebody cared enough to visit them and do a program for them. They hoped that this would only be the beginning of our visits and friendship.

In the Autistic Center, this was our third performance. Tanja, one of the teachers, said about one of the boys in the center, whose name is Sandro: “After you first came, he kept talking to his parents only about you, the happy clowns. We’ve had many programs and groups come to our center, but you and your love is what stayed with him.” This time the children were much more outgoing than before, and participated in the games and dances. Another student, Hari, had never been able to come out of his shell, and always got scared when one of us would try to approach him. This time, though, to the surprise of all, he changed completely – he danced with everybody, and smiled at us as he watched us leave. “If we can pull one of these children out of their little world, every time you visit, we’ll soon come very close to reaching our goal.”, said Vlado, the director of the center.

Vojnic – changing the world one heart at a time!

(Five of the eight children of Franjo and Dragica–refugee family in Vojnic) — Minefields: past and present… (tape indicates mined area)

The people now living in Vojnic (Northern Croatia) were forced out of their homes in Serbian Bosnia five years ago – with no hope of ever going back. And, you guessed, they were in despair, having lost their former lives, and with no perspective for the future.

We visited the area for the first time in 1998 with our friend Natasa Crugnale (humanitarian organization CRIED – Canada). Our intention was to help distribute humanitarian aid, and to encourage the families to go on with joy in spite of their difficulties. Since then we have visited more than ten times, have performed for the whole town three times, and, recently, started a course of English teaching for the younger ones. What’s amazing is that now, two years later, one who’s known the people of Vojnic from before, can see a change in their life and outlook.

We’ve worked on the principle of “changing one heart at a time” – like the story of the old shepherd who lived in a deserted area of France. He had determined to plant trees in his province, and to bring back the life that had once been so abundant there.

The old shepherd sorted seeds every evening. Then, every day while he was out grazing his sheep, he would walk a few meters, and plant a seed in the ground, walk a few more – and plant another one. A guest came over to the shepherd’s house and said, “You’re crazy! You’ll never even see these trees grow!” The shepherd went on anyways, planting seed by seed, day by day; and the days turned into months and years. Twenty years later a young forest emerged and the area began to come back to life again.

The old shepherd believed that he could change his part of the world – and he did, planting one seed at a time….

…We started with one or two people, then a few families – counselling, encouraging, playing music with a message, giving inspiring and motivating reading material. Now we teach a class of thirty students of English (ages 8-15, and a couple of older ones), and although our goal is to teach them English, our main objective is to teach those children how to love one another, and how to be happy helping others in need.

You can’t change the World? Oh yes, you can! You are changing it, if you’re sharing love with those around you.

May-June 2000:

We plan trips to Bosnia and Hercegovina regularly – so far we have been there at least three times every year – and though the surroundings are often familiar, each trip is special in its way. So here are some

IMPRESSIONS FROM OUR LAST TRIP TO BOSNIA

The children

The children shouted for joy when they saw us coming. They quoted lines from the shows we had done there last year – a proof that the good messages in our skits and songs stay in their hearts and help form their characters.

In a camp in Capljina, after seeing part of our performance, a young Irish tourist asked us:

“But what about your future? Don’t you care about money?” And then answered his own questions: “But of course you don’t. If you could just bring a smile to these children’s faces, that’s all that counts, isn’t it? I would love to do something like this myself.”

Then a young man living in the refugee camp in Jablanica exclaimed: “Thank you so much for coming! Please come as often as you can – the children are so much happier when you’re able to visit!”

Pacifist Mural in Mostar

Bosnian hospitality

On our way back from the refugee camp Capljina we dropped by to see a family, whom Paolo had met one time a year ago. The mother was so happy we had come, that she didn’t let us go until she had served us everything she had. And she kept apologizing that she hadn’t prepared a special meal, not knowing that we were coming. Every family seemed so happy to be visited – and so happy to share of what little they had.

The landlord’s story

We have a dear friend in Mostar, who offers us hospitality every time we go there. His old house, where his family lived before the war, doesn’t amount to much: the walls are stained with bullet-holes, two of the four rooms are unusable, and two of the walls have been torn down from a granade explosion. He doesn’t ever want to return and live there. If you wonder why, listen to his story: Ibro’s a policeman in the police force of the Bosnian federation. He fought during the war, and was badly wounded. He left to Split(in Croatia) partly because he needed medical help, and partly because he wanted to escape the shooting. He also took his wife and two children, who had so far miraculously survived granade explosions and gunfire. And there, in Split, after two years of peaceful life, his wife got run over on a city street. She died in the accident, and when Ibro returned to Mostar, he never wanted to live with his old memories again. Instead, he shares a 3 room apartment in the center of town with his parents and two sons.

It seems like this tragedy should have only solidified his views on life, and made him immune to emotion. Yet it’s only to served to give him more love and understanding, and as many other Bosnians who’ve lived through hell, he has a soft heart for people who are suffering.

Family visitations

Though war according to the news is over, many Bosnian people still live with their war memories – as one of them put it, “How can we forget?” The need for material help is great, but the hunger for hope and a positive outlook is even greater. Their hearts are still in prison. Their minds keep reliving the tortures of war. Our task, since we started coming to this country, has been to free people’s hearts and minds from this bondage of despair, and bring them hope and love. We visited dozens of families(some we knew from before, and others we didn’t), and by listening, talking, singing and praying for them, we tried to help them find the love of God, which alone can relieve their pain.

Mostar — the ‘ex-frontlines’ both inside and out

Conclusion

Our show troupe performed altogether 10 times. We visited 3 schools, 4 refugee camps, and dozens of individual families. The last night of our stay we performed a show for the people of our neighborhood. All this to say, we can hardly wait to go back and continue the work we have started. We hope to be able to fulfill our promise to both children and grown-ups, to come back as soon as possible!

The Best Medicine!

A lawyer from Istria lost his wife two years ago. So great was the pain he felt over the loss, that he sank into deep depression, and had to be taken for treatment to the psychiatric hospital on the island Rab, where he spent the following couple of years.

“Thank you so much for organizing this event”, he told our friend Dragica (the social worker in the hospital on the island), after he attended our show in the hospital on April 18^th this year. “It brought tears to my eyes, and made me smile – for the first time in two years.”

Dragica gave him one of our posters – “What everybody needs is love”, and he asked for one more, for his son.

“After your show his condition suddenly improved, and he’ll be returning to normal life in a few days”, said Dragica.

“The people who got up on stage to sing and dance with you were some of the most introverted – “, she continued, “completely closed up in themselves. The doctors weren’t sure what the patients’ reaction would be, whether your program would deteriorate their ailment, or help them improve and come out of themselves – but they felt your love and responded so well, that even the doctors and nurses were left astounded. You did a great deed, and were a very good influence on the patients and their souls.”

Patients and caretakers asked us to come again, as soon as we can. They’d found out the truth that governs our lives – that love is the answer to all of the world’s problems, and the key to each heart.

Vojnic- The story continues!

When we visited Franjo and Dragica’s family we were troubled by the sight of their living quarters: The old broken-down house that had been a home to them and their 8 children for 5 years, had no water supply. They had to carry buckets of water back and forth from a well 2 km away. They cooked(if there was any food left to cook) on a wood stove inside one of their two rooms, where the only warm place in the house was during the winter. Work was hard to find, if not impossible – and the 25-year-old, eldest son was forced to stay home with all the rest, and patiently wait for help to come from somewhere. And, one more worry to add to the list, their landlord was soon to return and expell them from his house.

There are over 120 refugee families in the area of Vojnic, just on the border of Bosnia, who live in similar conditions since the war. Almost a third of them are also faced with the struggle of caring for their handicapped children.

Our group has visited this area time and again, and helped out in cooperation with other humanitarian organizations. Yet there is always room for more help – sharing of both material goods and of love, hope and encouragement.

Towards the middle of may, 2000 our team of five (Michael, Maggie, Andrea, Jonathan,16,cameraman, and Yela – our faithful guide to houses away from civilization) managed to visit 120 families and personally distribute two truckloads of humanitarian aid, mainly food and household necessities.*

Maggie holding Bosnian Refugee Child — Andrea distributing Aid

We spent a few days traveling from house to house. The people we visited were eager to stop what they were doing and have a talk with us – to tell us how their lives were going, what befell them during the war, and what it was that kept them through these dark years of life. We gave each family a package of supplies, and a beautiful poster with a message of encouragement. We sang songs of love and joy, and reassured them that God still loves them and cares for them. What our efforts were worth, we won’t find out until we get to Heaven, except through the words of graditude expressed by these people:

“Thank you so much for coming to visit us. The world has forgotten us – there are so few people who care.”

“Please don’t forget to come again, even if you don’t have anything to bring to us.”

“Just come and talk to us, and share some of your joy with us. Now we know that God is the only one we can trust, and that He’ll always care!”

According to average standards, these people live under conditions that are not fit for living. We believe in the precious words of King David in the Bible, “I have been young, and now am old, yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor His seed begging bread”. And we trust that in His wisdom God has a reason to allow their plight. Yet, maybe the reason lies in this, that it will serve to awaken each of us, the more “fortunate” in our own eyes, to do our best to help our neighbor and make life seem fair to all.

A life for a meal and a pack of cigarettes

(Editor’s note: Dana is a good friend of ours, a Croat who lived in Prijedor, Northern Bosnia, most of her life. Nowadays she and her family are refugees in Vojnic, Croatia, her house is occupied by Serbs, and the area where she used to live is entirely populated by Serbs. Following is her account of an experience she had during the war:)

Serbian police was walking our street, house to house, killing or imprisoning all Croat and Moslem men. I saw my husband’s chin shaking as they walked into our house: black masks on their faces and gloves covering their hands.

“Do you have any weapons?” – one of them grumbled.

“No, we don’t keep such things.” – I answered. True, we didn’t.

“Ah, you know how to hide them” – with these words he headed for my daughter’s room and ripped open her covers and blankets.

I waited until he had finished, and then simply asked:

“Are you boys hungry? You want something to eat or drink?” – I wasn’t trying to gain their favor. As a restaurant manager, I was used to taking care of people in this way.

“We’re both hungry and thirsty, but our job in your house is not food and drink” – the policeman didn’t seem to have softened any. He looked around the room one more time in suspicion – only to see my collection of whiskey and liquor in the bar on the wall. Just a part of my profession, but it was also my hobby to collect drinks with brand names.

As the man looked at the bar, his tone of voice fluttered:

“Where do you work?”

“The restaurant in the center of town, I’m in charge.”

“Yes! You were the one who once gave me a pack of cigarettes when I didn’t have money! And you gave me a meal once when I was hungry but couldn’t pay. Hey, boys, let’s go, leave this house alone!”

There is a God in Heaven, I thought, and He cares for us.

And He might add,“He that gives only a cup of cold water…will in no wise lose his reward.”

Unloading the truck in Vojnic — Andrea with Lina (right) Italian who married a Bosnian: now a refugee herself and widow.

July-August 2000:

Dear friends,
Another summer has passed. It’s been a busy season for us, though a period of holidays for some, and with this issue we’d like to let you in on some of our summer adventures and accomplishments.

We dedicate a lot of our time and efforts to helping young people in a turbulent age – adolescence. Although exciting and innovative, this age brings with it questions and worries for the parents, as well as for the adolescents themselves.
I am a mother of six, and just recently became a grandmother. I must say I have learned much over the years; and at the same time, never enough. I often exchange views with other parents, and benefit from the counsel of others’ experiences in working with teenagers. After all, if teenagers are our future, this subject should interest us all, don’t you think? Happy reading!

Yours sincerely,

Anna

In the month of August, we held a youth camp in Rijeka, where we invited some of the young people who helped us at the ‘Festa della Luna.’ During a two-week period we organized activities for them, studied and discussed various topics, and involved them in our humanitarian projects in Croatia. Let’s hear their response:

September-October 2000:

One night a stranger phoned home. “I’m so depressed,” he said, “And nobody can help me. I asked the priest of my town for advice, and he told me to come to you.” So we invited him to our house for a visit.

Vittorio wasn’t a teenager, nor a troubled young person. He was a man of respectable age (in his fifties), and was suffering from depression; his troubles loomed dark in the night, and often kept him from sleep.

While staying with us he helped with some of our projects. He came with us to the refugee camp in Karlovac, where he stayed for a few days. We also visited refugee families in Vojnic together. He met a family who had just lost their house in a fire, and others with similar past and not a very bright present. He slept on the floor of a poorly furnished room in the camp, and found out he hadn’t slept so well for months. He hadn’t felt a real peace of mind either. It was when he reached out and tried to understand and help others, that his own troubles vanished.

They finally made it!

Our friends from the Senior Citizens’ home of Rovereto, Italy, finally arrived in Croatia via ‘special seniors’ expedition’, opening the door for future exchange visits.

The Rovereto Home has developed a friendship and partnership with the refugee center Koraci in Rijeka. For three years our group “Per un mondo migliore” has been the bridge between Rovereto and Koraci. Our frequent trips between Italy and Croatia made it possible for them to exchange letters, photos, souvenirs and gifts. On September 13 their friendship took a step further: Feruccio Andreatta, director of the Home in Rovereto, accompanied by Sister Fernanda, Father Samuele and Gabriella, arrived in Rijeka.

The refugee women from Koraci were anxiously awaiting this spontaneous but simple encounter. Leaving aside the formalities, the women immediately gave gifts, made by their own hands in the center’s art workshop; they introduced themselves, and talked about their escape and their life as refugees. The problems of refugees abandoned to their own fate were no longer only a part of the news report they were brought to life in the minds of all present.

The encounter was alive and warm, with alternating moments of sadness and pain, and of laughter and happiness.

Feruccio Andreatta and his companions left a generous donation for the center in Rijeka – a gift from the hearts of all the seniors in the Rovereto Home. They talked of organizing a reverse ‘expedition’: transporting the senior refugees from Rijeka to Rovereto, so they could finally meet with many dear friends.

We are convinced that with prayer and good will, this dream will become a reality.

“We’ll meet you in Rovereto!”

Together with our friend Natasha Crugnale from Canada, we once again brought aid to Vojnic–clothes and school supplies. Her organization sponsored again the children’s lunches for this school year. We also visited and ‘adopted’ a new school nearby, in Krjnak. There are 170 students, consisting of Bosnian Croat refugees and Serb returnees, who fled during the war to Bosnian Serbia. All of the families are very poor and needy. We will be performing next month for this school.

On Octobre 4, Sean and Lara left for the mission field of Nigeria! They will be working on a project in Lagos for at least one year.

As Nigeria is a difficult mission field, they will need a lot of prayer. They have pledged to send us news and fotos of their activities in Africa, so keep logging on over the next months! (Above foto: Lara after a show in the Senior Citizen’s home in Labin, Croatia)

Please keep them in your prayers!

Christmas Greetings 2000!

Dear friends,
We pray that you and your families will enjoy a beautiful Christmas season, and that you will be able to bring joy and happiness to others during this time of sharing.

Our group here in Rijeka will be extremely busy all throughout the month of December. Every day, from the beginning of the month till its end, we’ll be performing in schools, orphanages, kinder gartens, handicapped centers, old folks homes and hospitals in Rijeka and other areas of Croatia, as well as in Italy. We’ll be travelling around seeking to bring the spirit of Christmas to those who have no joy in their lives. And yes, we’ll be reminding all we meet of the real meaning of Christmas, so that the love of Jesus will live with them throughout the year, and years to come.

Towards the Eve of Christmas, while the rest of our group is in Italy, a team of 4 will stay in Rijeka and distribute over 100 packages- Christmas presents to needy children in handicapped centers and orphanages. They will also perform to cheer up these children, and assure them that the love of Jesus will always be in their hearts.

Please pray that our activities this Christmas season will bring happiness to many! Your support and prayers make you an integral part of all we do! Love, all from “Per un mondo migliore”

November-December 2000:

These two months were dedicated to shows– the preparation of which led to 27 performances both in Croatia and Italy. So here you have some insight into what goes on behind the scenes, plus some shots from the various shows. Have fun!

Behind the Scenes Preparation

Pictures 1-5

1.- Sewing Costumes. 2.-Painting the background for the puppet show. 3.-Translating the Christmas Message to you! 4.-Booking shows. 5.-Dance Practise. (NOTE: As you can see, most of this took place in our living room!)

The Results–27 Performances!