Our SARA trip to Serbia with pastor Atilla Szemesi and his friends from another church can definitely be described as one of the highlights of last year for us. The money collected by our church and SARA was distributed to many important outreach, community based organizations.

We visited orphanages, hospitals and clinics, charity organizations and churches. It was wonderful to be a part of the support our church and others give to these places of hope and aid.

Children surround Dr. Matthew Schaeffer at the "Bangladesh" Roma settlement.
Drs. Matt and Cristal Schaeffer, together with Medical Ministries International, SARA and the EHO (Ecumenical Humanitarian Organization), are planning to set up a free clinic at this and other locations sometime in 2008.

Because of Atilla’s connections within Serbian communities, we also had an opportunity to really get to know some of the people there. Everyone we met welcomed us with open arms and warm hearts and was very thankful for our time and donations.

It was a blessing to us to have the opportunity to meet such wonderful people and to have such an experience to look back on and be thankful for.

Conditions at the "Otthon" mental hospital in Stara Moravica, Serbia are very difficult.
With your SARA support, we are making a difference. Thank you!

We have been on many mission trips to less fortunate countries, and each time we are reminded of what is truly important. We receive warmth and smiles from the most impoverished people, and we remember that it is not the material things in our life that matter but family, friends, and most of all faith.

Each time, we go on these "missions" with the intent of giving to others, and in many respects we do, but the experience gives us more than we ever expected.

Dr. Cristal Schaeffer is shown here with Beres Karoly,
Director of the Ecumenical Humanitarian Organization.