Thursday, January 8, 2026

The Light Still Shines . . . even through the winter blues . . .

Acknowledge emotions but focus on truth--one of the truths we've just celebrated is that the Word became flesh. Jesus was actually born and walked around in the flesh, present physically as well as emotionally and spiritually. We humans are an interconnected bundle of all those different aspects. And sometimes the physical part of us has a direct effect on the emotional. 

Going outside, for example, almost always boosts my mood and clears my head. Ideally for at least 15 minutes (in the morning), since that also helps with getting enough vitamin D and keeping the biological clock on the right time. This can be coupled with . . . 

Exercise. Yes, I'm as lazy as the next person, but going outside for a 15-minute walk helps me. It also gives additional . . .

Light therapy. Just to make sure to get enough, a couple of years ago I invested in one of these special winter lights. Keith is not a fan. Instead, his approach to light therapy is going South. Next week he'll be spending time with our team mates Eddie & Macarena Aldape. The Aldapes live on the sunny coast of southern Spain.  Though Keith does also take . . .

Suppliments like vitamin D. Our teammate Mina Podgaisky who has served in Ukraine and now with Ukrainians from her new home in Poland, takes as much vitamin D as she can. She, like Macarena, was born in Mexico. Her beautiful skin tone just does not absorb as much vitamin D as her much paler husband Gennady. Her dosage was prescribed by her . . . 

Medical professional.  One January a couple of years ago our adult daughter's doctor discovered that a severe vitamin deficiency was the cause of our daughter's lack of energy. She actually needed a series of injections, rather than just a couple of pills from the drugstore shelf. Sometimes we need professional advice. It's worth checking out.

Closing with another truth:  our Creator knows our frame. We honor the Creator and the creation when we acknowledge and care for that frame as well. Psalm 103:14

Tuesday, January 6, 2026

The Light Shines . . .

 A colleague recently wrote that they were feeling tired and blue. Does that sound familiar to you? It does to me. This is begins a series of what helps me. Everyone's different. What helps me might help you . . . and it might not. 

Acknowledging emotions but focusing on truth.

For example, the Light does still shine in the darkness. 

Specifically:  A young Roma guy from the church in Vulcanesti, Moldova, only has 6 months left in his two-year pastor's training course. He and his wife had trouble making ends meet, and shortly before Christmas he thought he might need to break up his study to go work abroad. We prayed with our Moldovan partner Pastor Petru Ciochina about this. God reminded me of someone who had asked us to let her know if we ever had a specific need. We sent her an email the next day. She wrote back: 

Thank you so much for letting me know of this need.  I prayed to God that he would lay something in my heart to help someone in this season and then there is your email!  HE is an amazing God and reaches across the oceans. I will mail a check today . . . .

The check covers the rent for the rest of this young man's study time.


*Learned from my wise friend Crista Smidt. Crista has an MSW and 30+ years' experience as a guidance counselor in a Christian school system. She also has 50+ years' experience focusing on the truth of God's grace and Jesus' love. 


Wednesday, November 26, 2025

Several years ago Keith recorded the New Testament in the East Slovak Romani language with Faith Comes By Hearing. 

Pierre van Vuuren, the coordinator of the translation project, is seated next to Keith.


 Hi Keith


See how our media person is using the videos you made:

https://www.facebook.com/100007797197789/posts/2898034363799775/?sfnsn=mo 

Pierre

Keith later made these videos, where the words are highlighted as they are spoken. This is an aid in reading while listening. 




Friday, October 31, 2025

Old and New Friends

Alina and Silvika in Vulcanesti, 2011
Two old friends from Vulcanesti recently arranged an online meeting with Erika, Els, and Mary with Alina translating. It was wonderful to catch up with Silvika (now living with her husband and daughter in Berlin) and Catea (still in Vulcanesti). 

They invited us to join their weekly Wednesday night Bible study. This past week Marina and I were able to join them. There were 30 on the Zoom call; some of those thirty (like me & Marina) stood for multiple people. 

Marina is a friend from our Dutch Baptist Church who was born in Romania. A couple of months ago she went with me to visited some of the Roma women who are working in the greenhouses in North Holland. 

Marina & Mary, returning from
visit to North Holland
This renewed contact with the women inspired Marina. We've talked again about going with an elder from our church who also speaks Romanian . . . and hold a communion service with the brothers and sisters in North Holland. 

Marina also offered to come again next week so that she & I could listen to the Bible study online, microphone off, while she translates Romanian to English (or Romanian to Dutch) for me. 

Pray 

  • for Marina, who has such a good heart
  • for Alina, who leads the Bible study part of these meetings
  • for the women who meet every week to learn, pray, sing, and grow together
  • for the Roma who are scattered across Europe in search of work; God finds them wherever they go.


Monday, September 29, 2025

Evangelistic meeting led by Roma in a Roma village in Moldova. 
We pray that the Spirit continues to move!



Wednesday, September 3, 2025

As part of my on-going work, I serve on the board of the Dom Research Center. Dom are a group in the Middle East/North Africa closely related to the Romany of Europe. 

A number of Dom live in Gaza. As you can imagine, this community has been hard hit. Just last month, 28 children in the community died. Help keep our brothers and sisters in Gaza alive. Give to the charity of your choice. Or give through the Dom Research Center. Aid is regularly sent through Dom pastors and churches in the area. 

Dom Research Center, Inc

PO Box 
Rising StarTexas 76471
USA

Friday, August 22, 2025

On-Going

Keith recently gave away all of his recording equipment. (He's practically deaf in one ear and can no
longer do the quality recordings he did in the past.) 

However, most of the things he recorded, created, or dubbed are now online. They continue to share the Word of God. Here are three links to some examples. Pray with us that the people who need to hear/see these will continue to find and use them. 


https://www.youtube.com/user/Sikepaskro/videos?shelf_id=0&view=0&sort=dd 
Joseph and His Brothers, The Good Samaritan, The Lost Son


Jesus film