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.