Strawberry Fields . . . for a few weeks

Photo by Massimiliano Martini on Unsplash

Strawberries are in season! We love them! Ever wonder--if you didn't pick them yourself--who did? 

Here in Europe, the answer is like to be Romany from, say Romania. Our friend Zoltan Barabas leads a children's Bible club in a Romany neighborhood in Transylvania. This past week the day of the club fell on Children's Day in Romania. But Zoltan didn't think the parents would be doing much with the children. Most of the parents had gone to Germany to pick strawberries.

A group of adults there get contracts from the same farmers year after year. First they pick strawberries. Then they pick raspberries. Then, after a month or two, they come back home. 

Grandmother and child

And what about the children? Romany have an extended family structure. On any given day, a child is as likely to eat at the home of an aunt or a grandparent as they are with their own parents. If mom and dad have both gone to work, someone else looks after the kids. 

How does that work out for the children? Sometimes pretty well. Sometimes pretty poorly. You might say a prayer for them . . . and their parents . . . the next time you enjoy some strawberries.