This is the last post for CBF Romany Ministries.

From now on, please go to 

Reflections by Keith and Mary

To read about CBF's work with (not for or to) Romany, look in the archives of this blog.

Below is a brief overview of who served on the team and where.

The CBF Romany Team began in 1992 with the appointment of pioneers "T" and Cathie Thomas. They grew the team to include first Ralph & Tammy Stocks (1995, Hungary & Romany), then Frank & Cindy Dawson (former USSR), Robbi & James Frankovich (focusing on Banjara in India), Keith Holmes & Mary Van Rheenen (resource coordinators, living in the Netherlands), and Amy & Jon Derrick (Slovakia and Czech Republic). Eddie & Macarena Aldape joined the Frankovich's in India. Allen and VerrDean Williams, CBF field personnel who had served in another capacity in Europe, shifted to focus on Domari-speakers.  The Thomases joined them. Earl and Jane Martin, CBF's first emeritus field personnel, served the team as volunteer prayer coordinators.

After the Derricks shifted to assignments back in the U.S.A., Rachel Stephen  joined the team. She served in the Czech Republic where she met and married her husband. The Brunclikova family continues to live in Czechia. Shane and Dianne McNary then focused on Slovakia & the Czech Republic. They were joined there by Jon & Tanya Parks. 

When the Thomases retired from the field, Sandy & Kevin Holmes worked with the Williams. The Holmeses were seconded from another sending agency. Mary Helen Brandon contributed to the Domari work through the two-year Global Service Corps.

Ralph & Tammy Stocks hosted a number of Global Service Corps volunteers. These included English teachers at the Gandhi School for Romany high school students in Pez, Hungary:  Mark Knowles, Penny Mann, and lastly Doug & Clista Adkins, who actually served for 3 years. Doug Adkins created and led the Gandhi School choir. Additionally, Cheri Hornbach taught English for two years at a Hungarian teachers' training college. 

The Stocks moved from Hungary to Bucharest, Romania. Four Global Service Corps volunteers served there. Wes & Cindy Craig (Gypsy Smith School; Ruth School) and Skyler & Ronella Daniel (Ruth School, children with special needs; chapel services + teaching). 
Global Service Corps member Elaine Childs who worked in Croatia also affiliated with the team. 

Since 1992, each of these team members have either transitioned to other roles within CBF, retired, or moved on to serve in other ways. The goal of the team has always been to work ourselves out of a job. We praise God for the many local partners who have made that possible. The Spirit continues to work through Romany Christians across Europe . . . and across the Globe.

Good Friday

Prayer:  Roma and Dom in the "holy lands."

Jerusalem--the scene of the drama of Good Friday, the triumph of Easter Sunday, the birth of the Church on Pentecost, and the first persecution of believers. Christians still live in Jerusalem. Jewish Christians, Palestinian Christians, traditional Christians, new converts, Dom Christians. Thousands, perhaps millions, of Dom and their distant Roma "cousins" live through out the Middle East. Want to learn more? Or become involved? Contact the Dom Research Center.

Living Stones . . . to build up the Kingdom

Prayer:  Romany Christians leaders.

Sergio, right, building church building

Radj, right, inspecting church building

These Romany believers are building the church in their village. The photos date from a couple of years ago when the church building was being completed. Two of these believers recently returned home to their Romany village in Moldova. They had been working abroad for several months as many Romany and as many Moldovans do and came back filled with enthusiasm. They wanted to start prayer meetings and Bible studies. Almost daily. Their pastor encourages them. This church building has been finished (see below), but the church is always under construction.

Why Didn't You Tell Me Sooner?

Prayer request:  Bearing witness to Jesus Christ with Romany neighbors.

From the McNary Ministry Blog:

"Every time we bridge racial, ethnic, gender and socioeconomic divides, we become prophetic witnesses to the reality of the kingdom of God" writes Brenda Salter McNeil in Roadmap to Reconciliation.  When sharing at a church where a friend is pastor here in Slovakia, I recognized that I was in the presence of a fellowship trying to navigate their way forward as prophetic witnesses.

The church in Nesvady celebrated the baptism and union of a Roma woman into the church and were curious about what steps to take together next.  How do we integrate this woman and her family into their congregation?  What is the best way to reach out to them?  I have heard that some of them refuse to say "Amen," why is that?  These and similar questions followed the presentation on Roma history and what Scripture says about the ministry they were beginning.
It was after the presentation that I had a chance to talk with the catalyst at the root of these recent events.  He is a stern looking older gentleman who carried a cane that looked more like a weapon than an aid.  He was unsure how well I was following his Slovak even though I assured him that I was understanding everything.

He told me that after his wife passed away he began bearing witness to Jesus Christ as best he could with the Roma family next door.  Using every tool he could - from Christian videos to Scriptures and personal conversation - he began to share Christ.  Along the way, the two households began a transformative relationship.  People who lived next door to each other for decades slowly became neighbors.  And that is when, and how, his attempts at bearing witness bore fruit.

Like adding pieces to a puzzle,
when all are represented, we get the fuller picture.

If someone wrote a one-size-fits-all How To book about bearing witness to Jesus Christ with the Romani peoples, it would be an unfortunate waste of paper.  The Romani community is very diverse - even from village to village. The key to sharing Jesus with them is, in the words of a Roma pastor friend, "You must live with them."  The essence of bearing witness to Jesus Christ across any divide is when we move from seeing the other as a target of evangelistic efforts to seeing them as a friend ... someone we know by name.

Concluding his story of how wonderful it was to see his neighbor become part of the church, he held back tears.  "After she was baptized," he looked across the congregation at his neighbor and called her by name, "she asked me 'Why didn't you tell me sooner?'"  He shrugged a little and smiled.  Being a prophetic witness is hard work.  These two neighbors know it is worth it.

Living in the Kingdom

Prayer Request:  Romany--and the rest of us--will honor our King by taking care of the creation He has placed us in.


Jon & Tanya Parks, Slovakia, write:

Recently at the Roma church we had a discussion group with some church members about what it means to live in God’s kingdom.  The lesson and the above illustration came from a lesson in CHE (Community Health Evangelism, see these posts for more information) and encourages participants to think about the parts of any kingdom – the King (top), the citizens (bottom left) and the territory (bottom right).  In the case of God’s kingdom, the King is of course God, the citizens are God’s people, and the territory is all of creation.
We learn that life in God’s kingdom is not just about worshiping God – it’s also about our care for one another and for God’s creation, and about making God’s reign a reality through living according to his desires.
We weren’t sure which direction the Spirit might lead the discussion, so we opened the floor for thoughts and questions.  It turns out that, for those present, the most challenging part of this teaching was our responsibility to care for creation.
“How many times have I walked by a messy place and just thrown my trash down with all the rest?” one person wondered aloud.  “I’ve never thought about the fact that as a Christian, it’s my job to help take care of the world around me.  I can’t control how much pollution the big factories put into the air… but I can take care of my own areas the best I can!”
What about you – have you ever thought of earth-care as a spiritual issue?

Offering more than just a cup of cold water

Prayer Request: Equal rights for Romany Public well, Roma village, Moldova The European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC) released a report - Thirsting for Justice: Europe’s Roma Denied Access to Clean Water & Sanitation, highlighting the shocking disparities between Roma and non-Roma in their access to water. The report summarises research carried out by the ERRC, between 2014 – 2016, covering 93 Romani neighbourhoods and settlements in Albania, France, Hungary, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, and Slovakia. In more than half of the places we visited (52.69%), the nearest water source was more than 150 m away. We found only 12% of Roma that had a functioning mechanical toilet, with over 75% using outdoor pit latrines. Frequently the only water source or dry toilet is shared with tens of other people at best. In the absence of a public water supply, Roma often have no other choice but to rely on untreated and unprotected water sources like self-made wells, natural springs, and rivers.  In some cases even when public water is accessible to Roma, it is still unaffordable for many. “In many of these countries, there are often Roma living in the exactly the same legal conditions as non Roma, yet they still do not have access to clean water. This is nothing less than direct discrimination against my people. There can be no dispute that many European states are badly failing to meet their long-established international commitments to ‘ensure freedom from inhuman or degrading treatment, and to guarantee equality and non-discrimination.’ To be forced to live without running water and toilet today in Europe is inhumane and degrading. States must adopt laws that explicitly recognise the human right to water and sanitation, and ensure that everyone enjoys equal access to water.” said Đorđe Jovanović, ERRC president.  The full report, including our recommendations for State authorities and the European Commission is available here. (ERRC press release condensed.)

A Pile of Mismatched Scraps

In late January, the 29th to be exact, I (Dianne) did something I had never done before.  I stood on the Arkansas state capitol steps and participated in a political rally.  It was a protest against the President's executive order banning travel from seven predominantly Muslim countries.  I was there to show support and to hear stories from those affected by the order.  One statement stood out to me in particular, "I know what it is like to wake up every day in a country that does not want you, that despises you."

Joyce Elliott, an Arkansas state Senator was describing her experience as an African-American in the United States, in the south.  But she could also be describing the experience of the Roma peoples we work with in Slovakia and the Czech Republic, or the Syrian refugee, or the US-born Hispanic child or the Iranian-born doctor with a green card.  These people who are looked at with suspicion, distrust, and contempt because they look or sound different.  The "Others" among us.

I can never imagine how this feels because my birthright brings me a certain amount of privilege.  So I use my privilege to call attention to the injustice turned on these bearers of the Image of God - dark or light skin; bi, straight, trans; Atheist, Christian, Muslim; rich or poor.  The distinctions we humans make don't matter to God.  We are all created in God's Image and reflect the Image, marred as it is, to one another.  When we limit who we know and interact with, we limit our knowledge of the Creator reflected through them.  Our diversity is beautiful to God and through our diversity we learn more about God.

I visited my Aunt recently and she showed me a quilt she is working on.  The top was pieced by her mother/my grandmother over forty years ago from bits and pieces of fabric from old clothes.  To most of us, we would have seen a pile of mismatched scraps not worth much.  My grandma saw something beautiful and useful. Our world is much like that pile of mismatched scraps.  But when we look at one another through God's lens, we might catch a glimpse of a beautiful quilt.  A quilt whose pieced-together fabric is warm, useful, and full of love.

You have provoked me today...

   The Baptist Church in Nesvady had a dilemma.  One of the church members, a cantankerous old man who, following his wife’s passing a couple of years ago has only become more a pain the pastor’s side, began inviting his Roma neighbors to church.  He would go and visit with them often, taken them Bible-themed movies and copies of several translations of Scripture (Romanes, Hungarian, Slovak) in an attempt to help them study Scripture together.  Well, all of his relationship-building paid off.  The matriarch of the family accepted Christ, came to church, and wanted to be baptized.  On the day she was Baptized, twenty-something of her relatives attended the service, sending the church into full-blown panic mode!  What if these people start attending church?  What if they want to join too?  How do we minister to them?
   Because I have known the pastor since our first week in Slovakia and have come to know many of the members including the elders of the church, they decided to invite Dianne and me to come and lead them in a discussion about ministry with Roma.  Their three main questions:  Roma history and culture?  What does the Bible say about ministry with minorities?  What are some practical things we should do?
   The first two topics are able to be done in a weekend conference setting.  The last question, much to their disappointment, cannot be answered from a distance but must be discovered through genuine relationships rooted in their context.  While we will continue to walk with them as they discover their practical ways of ministering in their community, the comment from one of their elders as he left church Sunday morning provides a bit of hope.
   “You have provoked me today,” he said.
   “Well, Marian, I think that is a good thing.  How did I provoke you?” I asked.
   “I have never considered Roma to be created in the image of God.  I will have to keep thinking over what that means.”  He said with a nod that the journey his church is undertaking is likely to be more provocative then they ever expected.

ROMANI IS A FIRST-CLASS LANGUAGE

Keith first met Stano and these other Romany brothers in 2014 when they helped record the New Testament in their Eastern Slovak Romani language. Now Stano & co. are helping to translate the Old Testament. (Excerpt below taken from:  https://seedcompany.exposure.co/unlikely-calling.)  

THE VALUE OF HEART-LANGUAGE SCRIPTURE goes even deeper. Several people have told Stano what it felt like to hold their New Testament for the first time. At first they felt shame in seeing God’s Word in what they saw as their second-class language. But soon the shame was eclipsed by joy.

“I believe that they’re not ashamed of their language anymore,” Stano says as he looks up a word in the dictionary. “They have tasted of something, like myself, that we have God’s Word in our language. That’s something wonderful.”
Pavol looks up from his screen.
“For our nation, for our people, this is something that is very precious.”

A Word for Translation

   At a board meeting of Word for the World-Slovakia, the Slovak organization that holds the copyright for the Eastern Slovak dialect of Romani language Scriptures, I was able to hear the testimony of some of the translators.  So far, the New Testament is completed and available.  Currently the Old Testament is being translated.  What these three men shared was an incredible testimony of the power of the Scriptures to touch the heart through one’s heart-language.

   “The more I work on this, the more I realize what a beautiful language we have and how God’s word is understood in our language.  I can experience God’s word deeper in my own language.  It is a blessing.” Translator 1.

   Translator 2 added, “I learned more about my own language in this process, in the reading of God’s word.  Even non-Christians are asking and waiting on when the translation will be done.  For my family, to be active in God’s word every day is having a big influence on my faith and on my family.”

   “When I read to Roma in Romanes, you can see how God’s touch falls on them.  (This translation) speaks to them deeper.  Once they learn a new word, you can see how much more of God’s word than they knew (from when the translation is) in Slovak.”  Translator 3

   “When I read (the Bible) in Romanes, the Slovak I grew up with suddenly was not only more understandable, it was not sufficient.” Translator 1

   It was encouraging to hear the testimony of these three men as they reflected on the incredible work they are doing. 

   Pray for these three as they continue the translation process.  Also pray for a project being done by the Slovak Bible Society which will offer a parallel translation of Slovak and East Slovak Romani New Testament.

What The Offering Makes Possible

This post originally appeared on CBF's Blog in a series highlighting ministries supported by the Offering for Global Missions.

Support from the CBF Offering for Global Missions enables us to concentrate on nurturing long-term relationships in local communities. These relationships are not built on promises of long-term funding. We receive no ministry funds from the Offering. What we do receive is funding for our presence – which includes not only living in Slovakia but also provides for us to be able to travel when needed to visit with our local partners.

Dianne McNary (far left) and Danka, Viera and Mina – women from the Jekh Drom nonprofit in Vazec, Slovakia.

Sometimes we have to visit often and over many months or years. Joining in ministry and learning to deal with one another’s cultural baggage takes time and patience. The Offering provides us with the hallowed space to engage with partners in a community at the pace of our host culture. This is an immeasurable gift.

Long-term sustainability is enabled by a long-term presence. 

Should one of the predictions of the imminent end of the world prove true – Jesus’ return, if thatperson is elected president, World War III, or One Direction’s Reunion Tour – we know that we will be safe, living happily in Slovakia for another twenty years. They say that’s how far behind the times we are here. Without testing the end times’ theory, it is true that time here moves at a different pace.

In 2013, we set a goal to assist one local partner establish a preschool for Roma children.  As we formed a plan to coordinate our work together, it was clear that the only way forward in the future would be for the Slovak organization to have a building. Within just a few months of beginning the project with them, we had generous sponsors from across the Fellowship who agreed with the vision of the Slovak group and wanted to support them in either purchasing or building a new building.

Because the CBF Offering for Global Missions provided us with time to study language and culture, because the Offering provided for our stable presence in Slovakia and because of the faithfulness of individuals and churches who generously gave more than their support for the Offering into a project to buy the building we were ready to keep up our part of the partnership agreement with the local Slovak organization. The Americans responded relatively quickly and sacrificially. Then we entered Slovak time.

Believe me, we would have preferred to move the process along more quickly!  Culturally and missiologically, however, we knew this would be a mistake. If the building was to be theirs, they had to decide what was appropriate. We had to wait, though not always patiently, for them to act.

Thankfully, the American donors were willing to stay in relationship with the Slovaks throughout this process. Almost three years after we began the project and two years since we had the funds available, we were able to celebrate with our local partners when they purchased a suitable building!

Engaging in long-term cross-cultural missions is an investment in the Reign of God where the results may never be fully known. We have been blessed to have hosted many short-term ministry teams in the twelve years we have been fully funded by the Offering.

We remind teams that God’s story has been unfolding in Slovakia for at least 1,200 years (to hear the rest of the story, you have to join a team!). A short-term team or even our long-term presence does not introduce God to this place. Lest we be tempted to speak of amazing numbers of conversion stories and Reign of God breakthroughs, we do not seek quick decisions or quick-fix solutions. Instead, the Offering allows us to live in the sacred now, building community-honoring, healthy relationships, and seeing how God moves through different cultures to achieve God’s ends. This is, indeed, an immeasurable gift and an amazing opportunity.

Finding ministry opportunities

   A few weeks ago Shane and I traveled to Chisinau, Moldova to attend the annual Gypsy Lore Society meeting. It was interesting to hear papers and discussions about work among Roma from a completely different perspective. It was good to look at the situation of Roma with new eyes and be reminded that we always need to be open and willing to learn. You never know when you might meet a new co-­worker.


   Potential collaborators can appear when and where you least expect them, like in a conversation with an atheist researcher who studies Roma public health issues in Slovakia or with a young Spanish woman studying medicine as an exchange student. You might make a connection with an embassy worker or even the ambassador himself at a meet and greet which will later open the doors when you need to push for the repair of the roof at a local Roma school. Volunteering your time at a local school or library and sharing your story can put you in position to receive and share gently ­used clothes, books or furniture items. Attending a training or conference can open new doors to share ministry ideas over a dinner of pancakes and tea.


   Ministry comes in all shapes, sizes and forms. We just have to watch for opportunities through the right lenses.

Old Friends, New Friends

My old friend Tammy Stocks invited me to join her, 12 Romanian women (many Romany), and 5 American women for a quilt workshop. The workshop is held at the Naomi Center in Bucharest, Romania. This is an off-shoot of the Ruth School/Providence Foundation there. Children in the local neighborhood can attend the Ruth School. Women can sew, learn, and support each other at the Naomi Center.
And that's just what we've been doing so far this week. The American women have been leading a quilting workshop. The local women have been helping each other and befriending us. In fact, tomorrow one of my new friends is going to teach me how to make mayonnaise. She herself puts butter on her sandwiches because, she says, it's healthier and better for her children. Would you agree?

P.S. The name Naomi means "pleasant." Very apt choice for this women's center!
P.P.S. Guess who's birthday we celebrated today (September 1).

First Day of School

T successfully passed his entrance exams and is preparing to leave home in a couple of weeks to attend school.  He will move a couple of hours away from his family to begin his studies as a healthcare worker.  To help him gather everything needed, we took a trip to a nearby town so he could get photos made for his identification card that will be his pass to the dormitory.  As we were getting ready to head back to the village, I asked if there was anything else he needed to get ready to move.

"I do not have a suitcase." he said after carefully thinking through the long list of things he needs to bring.

It never occurred to me that among his limited possessions, that he would not have a single bag - a backpack or satchel or gym bag - he could use.  Of course we stopped into a store and picked him up a new travel bag.

T moves into the dorm on 1 September and school begins on the 2nd.  Dianne and I talked about how we both felt a little anxious and also a sense of pride that we were able to assist T.  Thanks to the financial support of faithful donors, we are able to provide T with a scholarship that will pay for his room and board as well as travel expenses.  We will also buy shoes, clothes, and toiletries to go along with that suitcase.

When we were having lunch, T and I spoke about how miserably I fail at taking pictures of the things we do so that other people can see for themselves.  He smiled and said he understood.  Perhaps then he will understand when I ask to take his "first day of school" photo in a couple of weeks.

Speed Teaching in Slovakia

In various communities in Slovakia this year, short-term ministry teams have invested in the lives of students by assisting them in learning English.  Supplementing the excellent work of local teachers, these teams encourage and challenge eager students.

A favorite activity for teaching is akin to speed dating!  The students are put into small groups and the native speakers sit with them for ten minutes.  During that time they ask simple questions, go through their introductions or colors, and get to know each other just a little.  Then it is time to switch groups!

Laughter and fun fill the room.  Being the presence of Christ by helping with English literacy has proved a meaningful ministry strategy.

Day 7 - "Giving Thanks"

Join us in giving God thanks for these answers to prayer from last year's prayer guide!

We prayed for Danka and her family that they will be encouraged to continue their work in the Roma community (McNary):

• Danka and family have had a busy year.  A granddaughter was born in the fall, and Danka has completed training to work as a health assistant in the Roma community. 

We prayed for the prison chaplains in the Czech Republic; this is a new concept here and the funding and other support they receive is minimal (Brunclikova):

• Give thanks that the chaplains in the Czech prison system continue to receive funding and support for their work.  Praise God for the impact they have on the lives of Roma living in the Czech prisons.  

We prayed for Jekh Drom (One Way) as they explore options for a community center near a Roma settlement in Slovakia (McNary):

• Jekh Drom, after several disappointments, is still looking for the right building to purchase. 

We prayed for Romany Christians to mature in faith and, like Anna, disciple other Romany (Mary van Rheenen):

• Praise God for Anna and for the Godly influence she and other mature believers have on their family, friends, and neighbors.

We prayed for Peter and the impulse toward hope he represents (McNary):

• Peter was involved in a very serious car accident in the fall.  Praise the Lord that he was able to completely recover from the concussion he received in the accident.  

We prayed for teams from the US who would be serving in Vazec, Slovakia in the spring and summer (McNary):

• Praise for a good year of teams in 2014 and a busy team schedule in Vazec in 2015.

We prayed for wisdom and insight for all Romany (and personnel like Wycliffe) involved in Scripture translation (Holmes):

• Praise God for the publication of the New Testament in Eastern Slovak Romani and the distribution of an audio version of this NT. Praise God for beginning a translation project into the Romany language most widely used in Poland. Thank God for the recent publication of the entire Bible in Baltic Romani.

We prayed for the people in Lomnicka, Slovakia, and for the servants of the church who serve, often at great personal sacrifice, in order to show God's love (McNary):

• The needs in Lomnicka continue and those who serve there continue to need our prayers.

We prayed for more openness and dialogue between different religious groups who may serve side-by-side in a community yet rarely seek ways of serving together (McNary):

• Pray that more concrete ways of ecumenical cooperation can give testimony to the One Hope, Jesus Christ, we hold in common.
  

Day 6 - "Forming a New Kind of Future" (Daniel)

Mihaela Cornilescu is raising her 8 children in a tiny apartment in the poorest area of Bucharest, Romania. At night, their sleeping bodies cover nearly every square foot of the home's floor.  The building is a concrete shell, sporadically laced with drugs, alcohol, crime, and despair.  In this small cell of a room in the belly of a grafittied and littered ghetto, she struggles to raise the children and make ends meet while her husband works all day, 6 days a week.

She and her husband are working to form a better future for these eight children. They could have sent their children to the local public school. Instead, they chose to send them to the Ruth School, a free Christian school in their own neighborhood. They made this choice because people at the school care for their children almost as much as they do. In addition to receiving school supplies and a hot lunch, the school also provides medical care, clothing, counseling, tutoring . . . even chapel each Wednesday morning.

Mihaela and her husband are pleased that the children are getting more than just a formal education. The children are also excited by this learning environment. Last year, her eldest daughter did not miss a single day of school.

Mihaela cannot read or write. Her husband works at a dead-end, low-paying job. They want their children’s minds transformed and empowered to understand their world more broadly, to journey out into it more bravely, to take care of it more shrewdly, and to love it and the God who made it more excellently.  In this way, the redemption that Ruth School brings to these Roma children is a redemption offered to us all.

Prayer Requests:

• For the Cornilescu family, that each of their children will reach their fullest potential in life, and come to know Christ as Lord and Savior.
• For Ruth School to successfully begin a Special Education program, in order to maximize the potential for many of their struggling students, including some of the Cornilescu children.
• For Project Ruth, that it will thrive in its ministry of educating and empowering the Romany people for the glory of God.

 Skyler and Ronella Daniel, Romania

Day 5 - "Overcoming Challenges" (Parks)

Each morning Daniel rises early so he can make the 7-kilometer trip into town.  He attends classes at a high school for Roma students in Kezmarok, Slovakia – one of only two such schools in the country.  If he has money for a ticket he rides the bus. Other times he catches a ride with a teacher or friend.  He often has to walk part or all of the way . . . but still he comes.

When you come into the classroom full of students, you’ll most likely notice Daniel because he’s one of the few who sit still and quiet.  Hunger and poor living conditions among the Roma make many of these teenagers restless and rowdy at school.  By contrast, Daniel’s shy smile and respectful nature put you at ease.  He doesn’t have the best grades, and he speaks quietly and hesitantly.  But he works hard, and his calmness and determination sometimes inspire his classmates to work harder, too.  He attends church in the settlement, and his faith is helping to shape his life.

Believe it or not, transportation is among the least of the challenges Daniel faces as he learns.  His family’s apartment is tiny, and he often doesn’t get the sleep and food that a growing teenage boy needs.  He has no real place to study, and when he struggles in school he gets little support from his community.  In Slovakia, only a handful of Roma make it past primary school.

For decades the Roma in Slovakia had only a bleak future, with most of them trapped in cycles of poverty. But slowly they are forming a new future, and students like Daniel have a big part to play in that future.  Pray for this generation of young Roma men and women like Daniel, who are poised to make a lasting difference for the Roma of Slovakia!

Thanksgiving and Prayer Requests:

• Join us in thanking God for young students like Daniel, and for the teachers who are willing to invest time and energy into their future!
• Join us in praying for Daniel and his classmates.  Pray also for the teachers and administrators of this and other Roma schools in Slovakia, that face constant pressure from local and national governments that seek to hinder or shut down these schools.

Jon & Tanya Parks, Slovakia

Day 4 - "Together, We Will Try" (McNary)

T, a sixteen year old Roma boy from Slovakia, spent most of his life in a state-run orphanage.  Despite his pleas and the recommendations from counselors and teachers, T was returned to the custody of his parents.  Though he had to leave the relative comfort of the orphanage to live in the one-room, dirt-floor shanty with his family, T continues to stand out among the other Roma in his village.  He tries to dress, speak, and act differently than his peers.  T’s quiet presence and ability to connect with others makes him a favorite with the members of the short-term ministry teams who have come and served in his village.

T shared that he wanted to go to vocational school because he liked to study and wanted to get a job. The realization that he would not be able to do so because of lack of funding threatened to steal the hope from his simple plans.  That is when I knew that forming a coalition of support to ensure T’s future opportunities was required.  I went to his school so his teacher and principal knew that the promise of help was real.  They are going to do their part.  “But his parents must support this as well,” they said.  So I visited his parents at their home. 

“T’s teacher will do her part.  I will do my part.  There is an organization who will handle the finances for him.  T will have to try and be responsible to study.  And I am here to ask you to do your part and allow him to go to school.”  So many parts.  So many pieces depending upon the other in order for this plan to work.  So many people forming a coalition to lay claim to T’s hope for a brighter future through education.  Together, we will try.

Prayer Requests and Thanksgiving:

• Pray for T as he completes his studies this spring and transfers to vocational school in the fall.
• Give thanks for the many participants in this coalition who are forming together a solid team of support – teachers, parents, friends, and donors - for T’s education.

Shane & Dianne McNary, Slovakia and Czech Republic

Day 3 - "Empowered to Learn the Word" (Holmes/van Rheenen)

Romany parents teach their children many things:  how to talk (frequently in their own version of Romani); how to socialize in their interwoven networks of family and friends.; how to survive in a frequently hostile social (and physical) environment; how to remember and pass on information--orally. Romany have a listening-and-talking culture rather than a writing-and-reading one.

Romany girl shows little brother how to write

Marleen Schönthaler, a talented preschool educator here in the Netherlands, realized that many Romany struggled with literacy because no one had taught them the skills needed in order to learn to read. She began to think up fun activities which anyone could do with children--or adults. Davar:  Bridging to Literacy, was begun. The name comes from the Hebrew for "word." The activities use readily-found items. They only take 10-20 minutes. They can be linked to Bible lessons or done independently. Leaders do not need special training to do the activities.

At the request of a Christian worker in Romania, Marleen has also begun to develop Bible lessons with similar activities for Romany mothers and children to do together. Romany mothers will learn how to teach their own children, in their own language. It is our dream that more and more Romany children will not only be ready to able to learn to read and write, but that learning this key skill can be done in their mother tongue, with the help and encouragement of their own parents. 

Prayer requests:

• For more Romany to hear and embrace the Word of God;
• For the translation and use of Davar  in Romany communities(click here to link to Davar website).

Keith Holmes & Mary van Rheenen, Resource Coordinators