
Children in families – online conference
This year, the Children in families conference organized by World without Orphans Europe was supposed to be held in Crikvenica on March 24-26, 2020. However, due to the sudden situation of COVID-19 that affected Croatia, Europe and the whole world, the meeting in Crikvenica was cancelled. However, the organizing team decided to use all the possibilities of modern technology and with the technical assistance of the CBN office in Great Britain and the ZOOM application, the conference was held on time, but each participant participated from their own home.
Foster parents, adoptive parents, people from different organizations in Europe that deal with children presented their personal experience, shared with those present the situation in their country regarding children without adequate parental care, but also the attitude of the state and the church towards them. Every day through smaller discussion groups, everyone could present the challenges they face, but also get help from people who share the same love for children who don’t have their own families.
Vanja Bule, regional representative of CBN SEE, shared with those present an encouraging message about Hope, which in the age of corona and after the earthquake raised the eyes of those present from the circumstances to the One who holds everything in His control.
Jodi Tucker and Barbara Ruegger spoke in more detail about Orphans Sunday, which is celebrated every year on the first Sunday of November to encourage the church and community to remember how much God loves orphans and widows and how much we are called to serve them.
The online conference was a blessing to many and we are grateful to Richard Procter, the main coordinator of WWO Europe, and the entire organizational team for not giving up but finding a solution so that people who love and live for children who have been abandoned by their parents can be found in one place. often forgotten by the system. Many found the encouragement and support they needed to move forward in the uncertain and difficult time of COVID-19.