“It was like prison,” he said, “absolutely terrible.”
After being separated from two of his three siblings, Ivan was placed in an orphanage at the age of seven. His father was dead and his mother – who has been diagnosed schizophrenic – was in prison for murder. As a young boy Ivan bounced around from orphanage to orphanage, usually sharing one room with ten other boys and rarely communicating with his family.
As I sat and listened, I tried to understand. I tried to put myself in his shoes, but as Ivan shared his testimony with us, I realized he has lived and endured a life that many of us cannot even comprehend.
Three years ago, Ivan’s life changed drastically once again; he stepped into a relationship of sonship. Ivan decided to start following the Lord and received the love of a Heavenly Father.
Now, at the age of 33, Ivan works for a program assisting people with disabilities, volunteers at his local church, organizes community volleyball events, and is a friend to many.
For the past two weeks, my team and I have spent significant time with Ivan. He cares for the man we are ministering to this month and attends the local church we are partnering with. In two short weeks, Ivan has taught me about selfless love.
Wherever we go and regardless of what we do, Ivan is the first to help. For example, he has carried our water jugs home for us, he leaves 30 minutes early for volleyball to set up the net, he carried bibles to the elderly home we visited, he is the pastor’s right hand man and never misses an opportunity to serve others.
Unfortunately, about a year ago Ivan was having some serious tooth pain and went for a routine check-up with a local dentist. Long story short, his visit to the local dentist was very traumatic. Instead of treating Ivan’s teeth properly, the dentist knocked out Ivan’s front teeth leaving him in excruciating pain. Ivan can no longer eat solid foods because the pain has gotten so bad. He is in dire need of proper dental care.
The church Ivan attends – and the church we are partnering with this month – has helped him raise some funds for the dental reconstruction but they have come up short. With much prayer and consideration, our team has decided to help Ivan in this process. I’ve never felt the call to raise money for something specific in other countries, but I did here in Vidin. I had even shared it with my team and when this opportunity came up, we knew this was our chance to get involved.
I wish you could meet Ivan to see his acts of selfless love and the eagerness he has to serve the Lord. He really is an incredible dude.
My team and I are asking you to consider being a part of Ivan’s journey. The good news is that the reconstruction has already started and Ivan is on his way to being pain free! The not-so-good news is that if Ivan’s reconstruction does not happen within the next 12 months, he will never be able to eat solid food.
Would you consider joining our team in helping Ivan out?
Thanks in advance for your generosity and faithfulness to be the hands and feet.
Also, a few prayer requests for Ivan:
- Job. Ivan is currently working for free. He is waiting for the government to re-approve his paperwork and has been without wages since February.
- Family. Since Ivan was seven he has only talked to his mom “maybe once or twice.” He also has very little communication with two of his siblings. I have no idea what it would be like to grow up without my family, but I know the years Ivan spent in an orphanage had a significant impact on his life.
- Confidence. Confidence in his identity and in who Christ has created him to be.
The link to the fundraising page we have set up for Ivan is listed below.
www.gofundme.com/helpvidinivan
