The Light Still Shines . . . Additional Reflections

For the third installment on dealing with the winter blues, I am once again going to share what helps me. This isn't a step-by-step path to sunny spirits. What helps me might help you--or might bring to mind things that would help you.

Singing. I have a hymnal on my night stand . . . as well as a Bible, a journal, a book of sudoku puzzles . . .. It helps me to pull out that hymnal and sing. Songs of praise seem particularly helpful. Here I'm singing with our friend Monika in Poland, 2022. Which reminds me of . . . 

Setting times to see friends/talk with family. Even though I'm a pretty strong introvert, it can be refreshing to connect with another human being. Perhaps especially because I'm a pretty strongly introverted, I sometimes make it a point to make an appointment to connect. 

Remembering my own sacred history.  When Keith and I were first married, we lived in a small town.  I had dreaded meeting someone from my past, though I knew the eventual encounter was probably inevitable since  this person had grown up in that town. Out of the blue, I dreamt about this person. In my dream, we had a brief but positive meeting. About a week later, I ran into this person on the street. They were back in town for a few days, and clearly nervous to see me. However, we did have a brief but positive interaction. To this day, I believe God used the dream to prepare me. And to this day, I remember how Keith reacted after I told him this story. Amazement at God's care, yes, followed by "and two weeks from now we'll wonder whether God loves us." 

After Joshua led the Israelites through the Jordan River, the Lord told them to stack up 12 stones, one for each tribe (Joshua 3 & 4). This would remind them of what God had done for them. And when future generations asked what that stack of stones was for, they could be told again about God's care for them. Jacob and Samuel did similar things (Genesis 28:18; 1 Samuel 7:13-14). I don't stack stones, but I do need to remember. 

The "thankful chain" our family makes each year is one way to do that. I'd be interested in hearing how you remember your own sacred history and how you share that with the next generation. But most of all, it would really be encouraging if you'd share one of your stories with me. 

Focusing on the Truth,

Mary 

 

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

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. 

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. 

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.
  
  

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

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 Star, Texas 76471

USA

DomResearchCenter
@gmail.com

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

Luton Roma Church
https://www.youtube.com/user/LutonRomaChurch/playlists?shelf_id=0&view=1&sort=dd 
18 stories in English and Romanes

Jesus film

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=jesus+film+romani 

Building within the Body of Christ

This is Natasha. She lives in a Roma village in Moldova. She and her family needed a new home. 

There was no place in the village that she could afford.

The Baptist Church of Arnhem-Centrum, American believers, and Germany charity (led by a Sinti Romany) donated funds to purchase the land.

Local believers donated funds to do the paperwork.

A Christian organization in America agreed to build the house.

They have finished the foundation and the outer shell.

They will come back later to do the rest of the construction.

And the Sinti-led charity is planning to help finish and furnish it.

It takes a village to raise a child? Sometimes it takes the world-wide body of Christ to build a home. 
Thank you for praying with us!

Passing the Torch

Thirty years ago this German deaconess (Sister Luisa Sator) started an organization for the translation and distribution of Scripture in Romany languages, beginning with Sinti Romany. She wanted the work to be taken over by Sinti themselves as soon as possible. 

This has been happening gradually for many years. This past Saturday, the Germans in the organization formally handed it over to the Sinti, specifically Pastor Kennedy and Otta Laubing. 

Romanes Arbeit Marburg (Romany Work Marburg) is now in Koblentz. This photo shows former director Jens Döhling handing the organization over to Otta Laubing. He does this symbolically by giving her the files for the entire Bible in her heart language.

Keith and I have worked closely with Otta, Kennedy, and others at this organization for over 20 years. Every dubbed and recorded item on display last Saturday had been recorded by Keith. Otta and Kennedy now hope to record the Old Testament. Keith is willing to train some Sinti to do this themselves. 

It was wonderful to be part of this celebration, to see old colleagues and make new connections. (Armin & Ursula Peter, left, receiving gifts in acknowledgement of their work as translation coordinators. Keith took many a recording road trip with Armin.)

Mostly it was incredibly encouraging to see God at work, changing lives and empowering people. 

Thank You for this amazing experience and this amazing day. 

(And the cake, made by one of the Sinti, was amazing, too! 

 O Debleskro Drom, on this cover of the entire Sinti Bible,  roughly translates as God's Way.
Talk about being fed from the Word of God . . . .  )

New location for Romanes Arbeit . . .

Pastor Kennedy Laubing also shared a word with us all. 

And then we headed back home, filled with more than just cake.

How do you mail a letter? The easiest way, where I come from, was to either have the stamped addressed letter sticking out of the mail slot in your front door or to put it in your mail box and put the flag up. In either case, the mail carrier would pick it up. 

So naturally, when we moved to the Netherlands, I did this. 

The mail carrier kept pushing it back in the front door with the rest of the mail. 

I kept putting it back in the front door mail slot.

After several days of mutual frustration, I asked a friendly Dutch person how to mail a letter. It was quite simple. Bring it to the post office or drop it in one of these orange Dutch mail boxes. Easy, once you know the system. Baffling and frustrating if you do not.

I, the stranger, am deeply grateful for the locals who were (and are) willing to help me cope in this strange land. Consider being a helpful local when you see a stranger in your own land.  

Matthew 25:35 " . . . I was a stranger, and you welcomed me . . ."

Giving

 At a recent meeting, the discussion leader asked us each to share the most memorable gift we'd given or received in the past 6-12 months. The responses ranged from touching to humorous. What made each memorable was not the cost of the gift but the personal relationship connected to the gift. 

Our friend Zoltan recently led a children's Bible lesson about a very special gift. He used CEF material + the 4 Word approach. The 4 concrete words from the story help remember the story. They also offer a chance to do an (educational) activity connected to the story. In fact, the 4 Words can be used in a "little preschool" for older children who still need to learn and practice pre-reading, pre-writing, pre-math skills. Interested in learning more or seeing more examples? Contact us!

Acts 3:1-16 Peter & John meet a lame man by the Temple

Four words

1. Gate
2. Carried
3. Look at us
4. Walking/leaping

Gate: 

 Make up a game where two children face each other & make a closed gate by holding hands or wrists. The other children stand in a line and come, one-by-one, up to the gate. The "gate" raises their hands to become a doorway.

 

Carried:

1.  Math Game 17 Caterpillar multiplication.
2. Needed:  strong cloth or blanket. 4 children take hold of each corner and carry a 5th child from here to there. Then the 5^th child jumps and walks back.
3. Piggy-back relay race (might be dangerous).

 

Look at us

1. Start Game B4 See the difference.
2. Discussion:  what is polite (in your culture)? Is it polite to look at someone when they talk to you?

• Is it hard to look at someone when they talk to you?
  (people on the autism spectrum find this difficult)
• What might you do if someone wants you to look at them?
  (look at their forehead or their neck instead of their eyes)

 Walking & Leaping

1. Simon says. Simon says "walk", "leap/jump", "sit on the ground", "stand"; all the things the lame man did.
2. Red light/green light, but just with walking and leaping (jumping) instead of stop and go.
3.  Discussion:  pretend you are really happy. Act like you are really happy. What does that look like? What do you do? Do you ever "jump for joy"?

Prayer time:

Have the children act out the story as you (or one of them) retells it.

Actors:  Peter & John; man & friends who carry him; 2 people as "gate" or "door"; everyone else as amazed people who come running once Peter, John, & the other man walk through the gate. Point out that now the man can walk through the gate into the temple, like everyone else. Jesus heals us. He wants us close to Him.

Teach the children a song about the lame man walking and leaping and praising God.

Moldovan Pancakes

Whenever we visit Moldova, people invite us to eat with them. This is a flexible recipe that can be sweet or hearty. I've eaten these in old, wood-heated houses and in bright, modern homes.

 Thank you to all our Moldovan brothers and sisters, Roma and non-Roma, Romanian-speaking and Russian-speaking, who have extended warm hospitality to us!

Mix together:

• 2 eggs
• 200 ml milk (1 cup)
• 1 pinch salt
• 2 teaspoons sugar (more or less, to taste)
• 2 teaspoons butter (melted)

Heat skillet or griddle. 

Put in spoonful of butter.

Pour a soup ladle of batter in the pan--enough to cover the bottom.

Brown on both sides.

Roll up with filling inside: 

• dry curd cottage cheese with salt or sugar to taste (might beat egg into the cheese)
• jam
• mushrooms, sautéed

Can pour sweet cream over the stack of pancakes or garnish with powdered sugar, depending on the filling and your own taste.

 

A New View

For a different view of the so-familiar-Gospels, consider viewing the LUMO project videos. 

https://live.bible.is/bible/ENGESV/mat/1

https://live.bible.is/bible/ENGESV/LUK/1?audio_type=audio_drama

These videos are word-for-word from Scripture. They are available in a wide range of languages. 

Languages Keith has recorded include: Portuguese, Polish, Latvian, Papiamentu, East Slovak Romani, and Sinti Romani.  

Consider sharing one of these stories with your friends or neighbors in their heart language, whatever that language might be.

Recording the New Testament in East Slovak Romani 
Pierre van Vuuren, translator, in foreground

As part of my work, I serve on the board of the Dom Research Center. The Dom are a minority group in the Middle East/North Africa with strong ties to the Rom (Romany) in Europe. For the past 19 years the Dom Research Center (DRC) has been involved with Dom Christians to establish churches in Dom communities in the Middle East. Churches have been established on the Palestinian West Bank, Gaza, and in Jerusalem, as well as in other neighboring countries. These churches operate under their own leadership and direction. (Photo: Mary with Dom leader during her 2023 visit to the Netherlands)

In recent months, the DRC has partnered with these churches to deliver and distribute food, water, tents for shelter, and many other life-giving supplies to the Dom in Gaza. Our brothers and sisters in Gaza have had to move many times to escape the armed conflict there. Tents provide movable shelter. The Dom have used two to set up their own (mobile) school. 

These gifts have been of immense encouragement to the Dom. They know that their brothers and sisters elsewhere in the world are praying for and caring for them. 

If you feel led to contribute financially, any amount would be appreciated. Concretely:  $250 will purchase a tent; $100 will purchase a box of food and water (see sample, left). 

Financial gifts can be sent to:

Dom Research Center

23100 CR 428

Rising Star, TX 76801

Every cent received will be used to provide relief. 

Gifts of prayer are needed even more. Please consider strengthening our fellow believers with a prayer for safety, perseverance, and most of all peace.

New Friends, New Images

Marina & Vasilita exchange insights

This past month our friend Marina drove with me up to North Holland to visit our friend Vasilita and her daughters. Marina is originally from Romania. Vasilita and her daughters are from Moldova. They and many others from the Roma village of Vulcanesti are working in the green houses in the northern tip of the province of North Holland.

On the way up, she talked about some of the attitudes many Romanians have towards Romany. When we arrived and met Vasilita's daughters, both in their early 20s and both working in greenhouses picking tomatoes, Marina privately wondered what kind of a future that was. Didn't those two want more out of life? 

Mary & Marina share a snack on the way home

On the way back, Marina talked about what a big heart Vasilita had and how concerned she was for other people. Marina noted how Vasilita and her two daughters were working for their entire family and also, in a way, to benefit their entire village. 

New friends, new perspectives, new points of reference. 

What Does the Angel Say?

"That doesn't sound right," the priest said. We had come to Belgium to record his voice. He was going to be the voice talent for the angel Gabriel in the Flemish-language version of the Magdalena Project.

"No, that isn't right," Ria agreed. Ria is a native Flemish-speaker. She was being the native-language "proof-listener" or checker for the recording. 

The two looked over the lines again. They consulted a modern translation of Luke into Dutch (approved by both the Flemish Bible Society and the Bible Society of the Netherlands). 

"This is it!" they agreed after reading Luke out loud. "That's the way it is in the Christmas liturgy, too." 

And so they rewrote those few lines. After trying this and that intonation and phrasing, everyone was satisfied with the recording. Soon you can hear it for yourself here:
www.jesusfilm.org/watch/magdalena.html. 

Original:  De Heer is met u, u die de gunst van de Heer geniet!

Changed to:  Wees gegroet, gij beganadigde, de Heer is met u.

Original:  Wees niet bang, Maria. God heeft het goed met u

Changed to:  Wees niet bevreesd, Maria, want gij hebt genade gevonden bij God.

Romeo & Juliet . . . the sensible version

 We're all familiar with the story. Boy falls in love with girl. Girl's family objects. Conflict ensues. In this case, the girl & boy are both part of a Romany church in a village somewhere east of here. Also in this case (as often happens in small villages) they are technically too closely related to marry by law. (Unlike this couple, who had been together for years.)

Note that this did not used to be such a point. Louisa May Alcott had the heroine of Eight Cousins marry one of those first cousins in Rose in Bloom. And Keith, who is a genealogy buff, has found several sets of married first cousins back down the family tree. The boy & girl in this story were far more distantly related than that. Maybe kissing cousins?

Be that as it may, conflict ensued. The families drug the local pastor into the thick of it. He suffered sleepless nights. Many people prayed. Boy and girl decided it wasn't worth all the commotion and split up. 

A sensible Romeo & Juliet make for a calm, wise conclusion rather than a tumultuously tragic one. Now if only the rest of the girl's family would go ahead and choose to wisely conclude their end of the conflict . . . 

More prayer is needed! 

A Tale of Two Houses and Prayer (Partially) Answered

Natasha (right) was raised by her aunt Maria (left) in a Romany village in Moldova.

 

Eventually Natasha had two sons.  

Maria also had a son who was about the same age as Natasha’s. Maria let Natasha’s family live in one half of her house.

It was hard to make ends meet, but these two single moms managed—together.

Children grow. In 2020 Maria AND Natasha’s oldest son asked to be baptized.

 A year later Maria’s son (we’ll call him Ion) was also baptized, along with a young woman he subsequently married. He and his new wife moved in with his wife’s parents.

Three families now share the small house of Ion’s in-laws. Maria passed away from cancer, and Ion inherited the house. Of course, he and his wife (and their small child + the baby on the way) want to move into their own house. But then where would Natasha and her two sons live? Natasha cannot afford any other housing in the village.

The situation has created conflict:  between Ion and Natasha’s family; between Ion and his wife (she really wants to move!); between people in the church (two church members are involved); between people in the whole community.

The local church has been praying for a solution. We asked for prayer for a solution. This is what God has done so far.

There’s a plot of ground available in the village for about €4000 ($4350).
Baptist Church of Arnhem-Centrum, where we attend, has raised 1000+ Euros.
A German NGO headed by a Sinti Romany pastor has pledged at least 1000 Euros.
So far, American Christians have donated $300, which brings the total so far to around $2500 (€2300).
Fellow church members in Moldova would also like to help with funds and with building a two-room house once the plot is purchased.

You can help, too.

Pray with us for a solution.

And if you feel so led, contribute to the house fund via www.classy.org/campaign/mary-vanrheenen; please leave a comment “for Natasha’s house” in the comment section.

Prayer for the Backside

This is Bethlehem Baptist Church, a body of believers in a Romany village in Moldova. 

This is the building where the church usually meets. (It was full for the  baptismal service pictured above.)

This next picture shows the backside of that building while it was under construction. 

There's now a fence more or less right in front of the man talking on the cell phone. The fence (not pictured) separates the church yard from the house and yard behind it. 

Interestingly enough, a recent survey of property lines showed that the church does not actually own this small strip of land behind the church building. 

Even though the church's outhouse (also not pictured) has stood on the far right corner of it for over 15 years.

Pray with us that this bureaucratic headache can be satisfactorily sorted out. Sooner, perhaps, rather than later. 

(Perhaps it aids the "sorting out" that there's been an outhouse on this strip of land--in active use--for 15 years??)