From Siberia to the North Sea

About 10 years ago we were asked to do a women's program in Bethlehem Baptist Church, Moldova. More men than women attended.  Volunteers from America and from the Netherlands worked with local believers to hold a once-a-year celebration just for women. Slowly, more women came to church. More women asked to be baptized. 

About two years ago the pastor's wife Olesea (far left) started a weekly Bible study. A handful of the women came regularly. Some had never prayed out loud before. Olesea could see growth. Then Covid hit. Bethlehem Baptist, like so many churches around the world, moved to online meetings.

The women went online, too. It was a good move for them. Like many Moldovans, people from this village go abroad to work. Some of the women are picking tomatoes and cucumbers in the greenhouses of north Holland. Others work as nannies as far east in Russia as the Chinese border or have gone to work in France or Germany. They continue to meet weekly, to study the Bible, pray, and sing together. It is no longer the pastor's wife who invites them. The women themselves recruit additional members. 

Some of the women in this group have gone a long way. All of them have come a long way. Praise be to God!

Progressing Pilgrims

Pilgrim's Progress, in Sinti Romani. The same version is available on YouTube in English. Pilgrim's Progress, film by Ken Andersen.

There are newer versions of Paul Bunyan's classic tale, including a musical and a fully animated one (official trailer here). 

Wycliffe Bible translators and Sinti believers worked together to translate and record a whole range of video materials, including 30-minute animated children's stories from the Old Testament, the Jesus video (based on Luke), and a video of the entire book of Acts. 

Keith would often travel with the Wycliffe translator to record people in their homes. This photo is from one of those recording sessions. 

These materials are still available through the Romanes Arbeit Marburg. Many Sinti feel strongly about keeping their language for themselves. We are respecting that by not publicly posting the link to those materials here. 

How Many People Does It Take . . .

How many people does it take to show a Scripture video?

1. Vasilita in Moldova, who started the children's Bible club.

2. Nella in Romania, who helps Vasilita with ideas and spotted this Scripture video. It had Romanian subtitles, but knew that it would be better for Vasilita's group if someone read the subtitles out loud.

3. Darius, a friend of Nella's in Romania, who made an audio recording of the subtitles.

4. Keith in the Netherlands, who put the recording with the video.

5. Petru in Moldova, who showed the video to the children's Bible club.

May God bless the message of salvation that was seen AND heard!

A Walk in the Woods

 A friend of mine recently went for a walk in the woods (Cheile Nerei, in Banatin, Romania). 

It restored her soul. 

What restores your soul?