Wedding Fund for 'dream new home'

During the summer of 2007 we visited Kosova with a team of people from TCF. Two of those people were Jon & Emma, a young couple engaged to be married later that year. During our visit Jon and Emma met a family living in the most basic accomodation with their young family, a caravan with a small wooden shack extension!

Later that year, in December, Jon and Emma were married and, as part of the fantastic day we shared, they showed a DVD of the trip to Kosova. Their request at their wedding was that, instead of the traditional shower of gifts on the bride and groom, people contribute to a special 'Wedding Fund' that would be used in Kosova in some way to help give other people a better quality of life.

In April 2008 we returned to Kosova, again with Jon and Emma as part of the team. One of their aims for the trip was to identify where their 'Wedding Fund' could be most effectively used. Again, they visited the family that lived in the caravan, and this time discovered some really sad news. When we visited in August 07 we knew that the family had lost a child the previous winter due to the cold, but then had a lovely new baby. Now in April 08 we discover that the new baby died this winter, again simply due to the cold weather, and the living conditions you would expect in a caravan!

That was it - this was where they could best spend their 'Wedding Fund'; in providing a new brick built home that would give proper shelter for this family. We talked through some ideas and left a small amount of money so that plans could be drawn up and builders secured for the work.

In September, on the weekend of the 13th & 14th, I returned to Kosova and handed over the remaining £1900 of the wedding fund. Today is the 9th October, just 3 and a half weeks since I handed over the money, and I received these pictures from Faton. He is a church leader we work with, and the one overseeing this work for us. Just take a look and see for yourself what a difference such a small amount of money can make to a needy family in Kosova! 

Also last month, September 2008, we had an additional offering at TCF to release enough finance to complete this house building project. We needed another £2000 to complete the build, ensuring it is all finished before winter. We are pleased to say the offering raised enough money to complete this project.

So, if you are one of those people who contributed to Jon & Emma's 'Wedding Fund', or to the offering at TCF thank you so much for your generosity, and just enjoy seeing exactly what your giving has achieved.

If you would like to contribute further to this work, or would like further information or the opportunity to join us on one of the trips to Kosova, please contact us on tcfadmin@thurrockcf.org.uk.

Many thanks & God bless you,

R Godward

Below are photograph's of work carried out up to beginning of October 2008

Below are a set of photograph's received on Tuesday 2nd December 2008 showing the completion of this new house. This was as a result of the money we left with Faton Berisha on the 8th November 2008.