Ruth School - Preschool Class Begins

Project Ruth was founded to serve the needs of the Roma neighborhood called Ferentari in Bucharest, Romania. This year they took a new step in their quest to break the cycles of poverty through education by beginning a preschool class. Tuesday morning 11 shiny, newly scrubbed faces made their way to the original Ruth School building to be in the first class. They were accompanied by mothers and younger siblings eager to meet the teacher and see the classroom. After words of welcome, snacks of cookies, a look at their brand new coloring books, and picture taking, the little students walked home with smiles in anticipation of what the next day would bring.

This class is designed to prepare these 5-6 year old children for 1st grade. Please pray for their teacher as she prepares and teaches. Pray for the students to have open minds and be eager to learn. Pray for the needed funds to have the preschool as a continual program - to purchase supplies, food, and provide for the teacher. Pray for the safety of the children. Pray for the mission of Project Ruth, making a difference in the lives of Roma children. Pray that through education the cycles of poverty can be broken and that Christ will be seen.

Roma in the News

The deportation of Roma from France has been making the news headlines around the world. Roma rights groups are speaking out against it. Protests have been organized. The European Union has asked France to reconsider the solution. Opinions are being voiced on both sides by many. While this is international news, there are many other similar situations that are not making the headlines.

In Hungary the Jobbik (far-right political party) won 17% of the vote in April's general election. One of the campaign promises was to stamp out "Gypsy crime". They have proposed strict jail sentences for those ignoring this problem - 3-5 years. They have also recommended legislation that repeat Gypsy offenders be placed in internment camps and stripped of their Hungarian citizenship. So far these are just proposals. Please pray that the discrimination and prejudice will decrease. Pray for wisdom and guidance for those of seeking to help with reconciliation.

The faces of Summer

The weather has turned cold.  And though it is supposed to be sunny tomorrow in Kosice, the temperatures will be a mere reminder of the warmer days of summer.

Summer was a busy time of ministry in Slovakia and the Czech Republic.  Earlier blogs mentioned the student.go group, TeamTAG who served along with the Stocks and us for six weeks.  The final camp of the summer was in late August when Shane encouraged forty Roma from six different communities in Slovakia to make a decision to follow Christ.  The theme of the camp was on Making Good Decisions.  Of course there is no better decision a person can make than to become a Christ-follower. 

We celebrate what God has done this summer!

Cards for Moldova

A typical hobby for Dutch women is making greeting cards. A friend who attends the same church as we do has been selling hers for several years, with the profit going towards this or that church-related ministry. This year, she is focusing on the outreach to Roma in Moldova. She estimates that card sales would be enough to pay one student to attend the Moldovan Bible College for one year + assist with an outreach for Romany women. If you want to take a look at her work, go to http://www.joyce-kaartengalerij.nl/. If you want to order any, ask me for a translation!