When Winter Comes, Hope Arrives
As winter tightens its grip on a young family in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mission Without Borders brings firewood, friendship, and the reassurance that they are not facing the cold alone.3rd January 2026
As the temperatures fall, Esmerelda’s fear grows. For her and her husband, Eldin, winter brings overwhelming challenges, especially as parents of four young children.
When the cold sets in, heating costs rise, work becomes scarce, and every coin must be carefully stretched just to keep food on the table. Eldin works whenever he can, but firewood, their only source of heat, is often out of reach financially.
Together, Esmerelda and Eldin spend long days searching for scraps of wood to burn. They hang blankets over the windows in a desperate attempt to keep the icy air outside.
“The family live in a very small house that’s in poor condition,” explains Sandra, who works with Mission Without Borders in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. “As soon as winter arrives, they feel the freezing cold immediately.”
“And with the cold comes illness,” she adds. “Coughs and flu spread quickly, and with four children, the family struggles through sickness for much of the winter.”
This winter, Esmerelda longs for just one thing: a warm, safe home where her children can sleep without fear of the cold.
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Sandra, who is Bosnian herself, understands all too well the daily struggles Esmerelda and Eldin face.
“Some people have to fight every day just to survive,” she says. “That is certainly true for this young family.”
When Sandra arrived with enough firewood from Mission Without Borders to last the winter, Esmerelda was overwhelmed with emotion. For her, the firewood meant far more than warmth, it meant safety.
Alongside the practical help, Sandra’s ongoing presence has brought encouragement and friendship.
“When I first met Esmerelda, she was very shy and spoke very little,” Sandra recalls. “But over time she has opened up. We’ve built a strong relationship, and now we’re able to have deeper, more meaningful conversations.”
As a family coordinator, Sandra visits Esmerelda and Eldin and their children regularly — delivering food and essential supplies, but also staying to talk, listen, and spend time together.
“Sandra is a gift sent directly from God,” Esmerelda says.
“I love it when Sandra comes. She always has time for us and plays with us.” (Isko, age eight)
While the firewood offers the promise of a warmer winter, Sandra’s care brings something even more powerful: the reassurance that this family is loved and not alone.
Thanks to Mission Without Borders, Esmerelda and Eldin now face the future with renewed hope; believing that brighter, warmer days lie ahead, and trusting that God sees them and cares for them.
