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Resourcing . . . Brazil?

There are thousands, perhaps millions of Romany (Gypsies) in Latin America. This past week, a Wycliffe Bible Translator in Brazil contacted us. They were thinking of beginning a translation project in Calon, the variety of Romani that was spoken in Spain and Portugal. The language has reportedly died out on the Iberian pennisula, though the Romany there are still very much in evidence, dancing flamingo and being Romany. We were able to link the translator with a Romany pastor in Argentina who helped translate the New Testament into a version of Kalderash Romani there. The Argentinian is aquainted with a Calo Romany priest in Brazil who had begun translating the New Testament some years ago. Hopefully all of these connections will bear fruit. “Resource coordinator” is our job title; this is how it sometimes plays out . . . in ways which we will not directly see, through contacts we have never personally met, via networking which has occurred over the last decade and a half. God bless the Romany in Brazil!

Obed Hunts Eggs

"Where are the eggs?"

"Look what we found!"

"What's an egg hunt?" Hunting Easter eggs is not a tradition in Romania so it was a new experience for the kids of the Obed Day Center at Project Ruth. They eagerly decorated their bags and listened to the instructions of the activity. The weather did not cooperate so the eggs were cleverly hidden in a classroom next door under toys, in boots, inside cups, and on the windowsills. The children burst into the room and scurried around until each had found seven eggs. They excitedly asked if the eggs were theirs to keep and one can imagine they were anticipating eating them for lunch or surprising their families with this gift. The bags were searched for the two prize eggs - a purple one and one with a smiley face. These lucky children received a chocolate rabbit. And so no one would feel left out, all the students received chocolate bunnies as a treat. It was an enjoyable activity and a wonderful way to begin the Easter break from school. Thank you God for providing fun times.

Greater Is He--Week of Prayer, Day 6

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them,
because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
I John 4:4, NIV

Join us in praising God for this truth and for the ways He is at work for and among the Romany.

The Roma Education Fund provides support to talented Roma university students across Hungary—and helps shatter stereotypes.

The January session of the Gypsy Smith School was a huge success--20 were expected but 24 attended. The Gypsy Smith School is a leadership training for Roma church leaders held four times a year in Bucharest, Romania.

A hundred years ago one of the greatest evangelists in Britain was Romany—Gypsy (Rodney) Smith.

The two women working with Romany in Italy use most of their financial resources to feed and clothe children who live in make shift houses under bridges and overpasses. When the police chase them away, these Christians search until they find them again.

This past Christmas the International School in Kosice, Slovakia had a food drive to emphasize the importance of concern for others and provided food for at least 10 Roma families.

This year Project Ruth took a new step in their quest to break the cycles of poverty through education by beginning a preschool class in a Roma neighborhood in Bucharest, Romania.

Through her hobby of making and selling cards, a Dutch woman is providing tuition for a Romany student to attend the Moldovan Bible College.

Bethlehem Baptist Church in Moldova tried for more than 6 years to get electricity. The fee was $300--a month's wages for some people. The whole church dedicated themselves to two days of prayer and fasting. The whole sum was provided.

Laszlo, a retired Hungarian business-man, supports the Roma Baptist Church in Csobanka Sunday after Sunday, despite member-ship ups and downs, weather conditions, often the lack of a musician, through teaching, preaching, praying, and serving as treasurer.

Greater Is He--Week of Prayer, Day 7

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them,

because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

I John 4:4, NIV

Join us in praising God for this truth and for the ways He is at work for and among the Romany.

The Roma Education Fund provides support to talented Roma university students across Hungary—and helps shatter stereotypes.

The January session of the Gypsy Smith School was a huge success--20 were expected but 24 attended. The Gypsy Smith School is a leadership training for Roma church leaders held four times a year in Bucharest, Romania.

A hundred years ago one of the greatest evangelists in Britain was Romany—Gypsy (Rodney) Smith.

The two women working with Romany in Italy use most of their financial resources to feed and clothe children who live in make shift houses under bridges and overpasses. When the police chase them away, these Christians search until they find them again.

This past Christmas the International School in Kosice, Slovakia, had a food drive to emphasize the importance of concern for others and provided food for at least 10 Roma families.

This year Project Ruth took a new step in their quest to break the cycles of poverty through education by beginning a preschool class in a Roma neighborhood in Bucharest, Romania.

Through her hobby of making and selling cards, a Dutch woman is providing tuition for a Romany student to attend the Moldovan Bible College.

Bethlehem Baptist Church in Moldova tried for more than 6 years to get electricity. The fee was $300--a month's wages for some people. The whole church dedicated themselves to two days of prayer and fasting. The whole sum was provided.

Laszlo, a retired Hungarian business-man, supports the Roma Baptist Church in Csobanka Sunday after Sunday, despite member-ship ups and downs, weather conditions, often the lack of a musician, through teaching, preaching, praying, and serving as treasurer.

Greater Is He--Week of Prayer, Day 6

This past summer I attended my first baptism of Roma believers. All five of them had come to know Christ through the efforts of the OASIS Ministry of the BETHEL House of Christian Help in Litomerice, Czech Republic. We drove through Terezin, where one of the Nazi concentration camps was located, on the way to the baptism.

The sun was shining; it was warm and the perfect day for baptism in a river. As I walked down the old stone steps to the river, I remember thinking that it was an interesting choice of location for the event. It wasn’t until we were leaving that the true significance of the site became clear to me. Although Terezin was not considered one of the death camps, it was complete with gas chambers and cremation ovens and over 30,000 people lost their lives there.

Reading the memorial statue by the river, I realized that this beautiful place was where the Nazis dumped the ashes from the cremation ovens. What had once been a place of death and darkness was now a place of rebirth and light. God truly is greater than even the darkest moments in history.

--Pray that the new Roma believers in Litomerice will continue to grow in their faith and witness.

--Pray for the new cooking class outreach to Roma girls in Litomerice.

Greater Is He--Week of Prayer, Day 5

Following a failed marriage for each of them Tibi and Natasha fell in love. At about the same time Natasha, a believer, led Tibi to the Lord. With Natasha’s help Tibi learned to read for the first time and the Bible became his book of choice. He matured rapidly in his faith and his reading ability.

However, they faced a dilemma. Unemployment amongst Roma in Hungary hovers between 80-90% and they struggled in a depressed area of the country. Each could secure seasonal work for three months at a time but nothing was guaranteed year-round. In a strange quirk the social welfare system allows two single adults, even living together, to draw more in benefits than a married couple living together. Even with these meager benefits survival was a daily struggle.

A greater struggle ensued as they came to understand God’s design for marriage and family stability. With a new conviction of their maturing faith they were married. Even though they faced more severe hardships economically they knew they were doing the right thing. Their example of sacrifice to follow God’s will has impacted other Roma couples in the same circumstances.

--Pray that Christian marriages will withstand the economic pressures placed upon them by an uncaring social welfare policy.
--Pray that Roma will find work year-round so that they can provide for their families through honest work and live morally.

--Pray that Tibi and Natasha will experience God’s blessings for their obedience to his teachings.

Greater Is He--Week of Prayer, Day 4

Sister Luise (Louisa)* began an outreach to Sinti children in her native Germany. One Sinti father became very angry with her because his child subsequently refused to lie for him. He found a way to have Sister Luise declared “unclean.” She had filled in briefly for someone at a hospital reception desk, and in Sinti culture blood (and by extension hospital work) makes one unclean.

Since Sister Luise could no longer have direct contact with Sinti, she began making and sending cards with Scripture verses in German, then Bible story booklets, then Bible story booklets with Sinti text pasted over the German . . . which eventually led to establishing Romanes Arbeit Marburg, a German organization that supports Wycliffe Bible Translators working in Sinti . . . which eventually led to:

3 published books of the Bible;

3 Scripture audio-recordings;

6 Christian DVDs dubbed into the Sinti language;

7 segments of Bible stories available on YouTube;

2 children’s Scripture coloring books.

As of today, the entire New Testament with Psalms is available in print and recording of the audio version is 50% completed. Truly, greater is He that was in Sister Luise than he that is in the world.

--Praise for Sinti believers who have helped make and distribute culturally-appropriate Christian media;

--Prayer for the use and distribution of the New Testament to evangelize and disciple Sinti Romany.

*Sister Luise was a diaconess, a sort of Protestant nun. The diaconess movement has started hospitals, engaged in social work, and is active in missions.

Greater Is He--Week of Prayer, Day 3

Though he grew up in a children’s home, Pavel is excited to return to Roma settlements to share the restoring hope of Christ. There he met Richard who told about the emotional, spiritual and even physical burdens he bears because of his work in a very poor Roma community.

“I don’t know how I could work in these places without faith, without Jesus’ power,” Pavel responded to Richard. “You can’t continue in this type of work without Jesus.” This conversation took place between two very different Roma men who are both involved in meeting the needs of Roma in north-central Slovakia.

In a later conversation, Richard shared how his son giggles that after all these years his strong, retired military father has started going to church to pray. Richard has found a place to restore himself through prayer and to experience the hope of Jesus.

--Pray for Pavel who was baptized in early 2011 as he continues to grow in the faith and as he discovers God’s will for his life.
--Pray for Richard and that God would continue to reveal Himself as a source of hope and restoration.
--Pray for the Roma of Slovakia and for all those who bring the Light to their dark world.

Greater Is He--Week of Prayer, Day 2

No matter where they live in Europe the Roma people hear the taunts, insults and ridicule. “You are dirty, worthless and lazy. You will never amount to anything.” They face discrimination from nationals in education, employment, housing and medical care.

And yet the God who loves them collectively and individually has touched the hearts of Romanian Baptists and has overcome the harsh rhetoric and treatment normally experienced by Roma children. Last year the 8th grade class of the Ruth School graduated all 12 of its Roma students and each one successfully re-entered public education at the secondary level.

The message those kids received was, “You are a child of God and worthy of love!” The God who touches people’s hearts and moves them to overpower discrimination is greater than the one who fosters hate (I John. 4:4).

--Pray that graduates of the Ruth School who re-enter Romanian public education will experience success and will have enough self-esteem to overcome discrimination from fellow students.
--Pray that teachers at the Ruth School will instill in their Roma students a strong sense of God’s love for them and exhibit good cross-cultural skills in teaching them.

Greater Is He That Is in Us--Week of Prayer, Day 1

The position of the 6-11 million Romany (Gypsies) living around the world is not be particularly encouraging. The Romany originated in northwestern India centuries ago and have since spread to every inhabitable continent on earth. While their number includes university professors, preachers, journalists, successful artists, and governmental leaders, it also includes villages with practically 100% unemployment. News snippets like these remain depressingly common:

Systemic segregation of Romani children in education continues. . .

A 2010 US State Department report discusses the overrepresentation of Roma as victims of trafficking . . . .

“Standards Do Not Apply: Inadequate Housing in Romani Communities”

“. . . anti-Romani violence has remained a serious and even an increasing problem . . .”

We (CBF's Romany Team) invite you to pray with us this week and see, as we have, that “greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world."

--Thank God for the hope offered through Jesus Christ, the son, and the transforming power provided through the Holy Spirit.
--Pray for the Romany—and other Christians near them—to view their lives from God’s perspective, and not the world’s.

Note: Romany, Romani, and Roma are all common terms for the same group.