Purifying Love

Nicole with one of her ponies

   In a small village in west-central Slovakia, a transformation of lives is taking place.  Dreams are becoming reality.  The change began several years ago when Anna began to spend her free time helping out at a center for special-needs children.  Through relationships Anna made, she became aware of the number of Roma children who are never adopted from the state-run orphanages in Slovakia.  Anna had dreamed about having a child of her own.  That's when she met Nicole.

   Nicole's birth mother left her when she was just a few hours old at a baby-receiving center in the Czech Republic.  Though Nicole had no family, it was determined that she was Slovak and she was shipped off to an orphanage in Slovakia.  Anna fell in love with the then two-month-old Nicole and in time decided to adopt her.  A caring mother plus a child in need of a family.  It was a dream come true.
 
   But the decision to love and adopt Nicole was costly for Anna.  Nicole is Roma, minority Slovak; Anna is majority Slovak.  Anna spoke honestly about how her closest friend - a friend for whom Anna had been the witness at her wedding, godmother to her children, life-long pals - cursed her for adopting a "gyspy" child.  Convinced that a relationship with Anna would some how contaminate her own life because of the darker-skinned infant, she cut off all contact and refuses to acknowledge her former friend.

As Anna shared this heart breaking story, she looked over at Nicole and said, "What could a small child do to change my life?  She changed everything.  I am richer now than before . . . she has purified my life."  Love has a way of doing that.

Anna and Nicole now live on a farm with lots of ponies, miniature horses, cows, and goats.  They occasionally host days where other ethnically-mixed adoptive families or families with special-needs children can come and enjoy a day on a magical farm.  "What kid does not love a pony?" Anna asked as we strolled across the pasture to where the horses were pinned.  Their dream of a permanent playground and a magical farm is still only a dream . . . a dream which one day may come true.

(Nicole and Anna are not their real names, but the story and the farm is real.  We'll keep in touch with them and see what doors God may open.)

Lots of Fruit in Moldova

By their fruits, you will know them, Jesus said, and once again real life proves His words to be true. One of the Dutch volunteers who went on the recent two-week trip to Moldova bore almost immediate fruit. About 10 years ago she and her husband returned from missionary work in a country which was so challenging that it should not be named here. About 6 weeks before going to Moldova, she and her husband began learning a bit of Romanian online. When they arrived at the airport in Chisinau, they were able to carry on a rudimentary conversation with the Roma man who’d come to pick them up (aided, admittedly, by the French which every Dutch person is required to study; French and Romanian are related languages).  The same sort of thing happened in the Roma village, where she was quickly carrying babies and making friends with a little Roma girl who climbed up onto her lap during the worship service. When we went to visit another Roma village for the first time, in less than 5 minutes two little old Roma ladies sitting on the main street invited her to sit down between them. After a while, she, her husband, and the volunteer who spoke fluent Romanian went on down the street to explore further. They ended up being invited in for a cup of coffee with a couple of  Roma women who turned out to be the key believers in that village.

This woman is not a flamboyant extrovert. She is petite, quiet, shuns the limelight, and just lets Christ live through her. She bears a lot of fruit.

Mary in Moldova

Thank you for your prayers. I am feeling better. So are Els and Berta. No one else has become ill. For this we are truly grateful.

I am switching bedrooms tonight. I am tired of the nightly hound choir supplemented in the early morning with the daily rooster competition. It's quieter on the other side of the building.

We've started the program for teenaged girls. The children's program seems to have gone well. The best day of the children’s program was the day I was unable to come. Don't know if that was it or if it was because we persuaded a local Roma church member to translate the main points into Usari.

This evening during the regular worship service the children will sing, share their memory verse, and at least one skit. We are praying that many parents will come with them to hear I John 3:1a, “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!”

We have many possible things to do this week:  visit another Roma village; repair a couple of roofs on shacks in this village; work with boys; visit women. We are praying for God's leading in the best ways to spend our time.

Here are our prayer requests,

--wisdom in choosing how to spend our time;

--girls' camp;

--adequate translator support;

--good health;

--good team work

Thank you again for the power you send through your prayers.

Yours in Christ,

Mary

Team Work in Moldova

Ever worked with a team of four different nationalities, all of them different from your own?A couple of years ago we did a children's week-long Bible club in a Romany village in the Republic of Moldova + a women's outreach. Our team consisted of a Romanian (the only blond), a lot of local Romany believers (with Moldovan passports), some local Romanian-speaking Moldovan believers, me (the U.S. citizen), and a German woman from our Dutch Baptist Church (pictured below). 

In a few weeks, we're going to do a reprise of this international, inter-ethnic team work. Seven or eight people from the Dutch Baptist Churches here in Arnhem (including the woman pictured left), the same Romanian (who will NOT be the only blond), lots of local Romany believers, and some local Romanian-speaking Moldovan believers. We will be there for two weeks--plenty of time to do a three-day children's program, a day camp for teenaged and pre-teen girls, possibly something similar for boys, + a women's outreach. Oh, yes, and once again I will be the only American and the only native English-speaker. Unless, of course, some of you choose to join the team as prayer support--wherever you are and in whatever language you use to talk with God.






Trip: June 24-July 8. To join us as prayer support, write to me at holmes(at)thefellowship.info  (If you have not seen emails listed in this form before, it is to cut down on spam.  Replace (at) with @ and email Mary.)

Team from Howard Payne University serves in Slovakia

Dr. Melody Maxwell along with five students from the International Missions Practicum class from Howard Payne University in Brownwood, Texas, spent a week ministering and learning in Važec, Slovakia.  Their days began by teaching English in the local school.  We shared with the team beforehand that this was the first time we had offered something like this in Važec and were concerned about how it would go.  The HPU group were so well prepared and taught so well, the school opened doors to us for future ministry teams to serve the community in this way.  Excellent job, guys!

Each afternoon the team conducted a children's club with Roma children from the settlement in Važec.  Activities were followed by a Bible Story with the theme of the lesson reinforced with a handmade craft.  It got more than just a little loud in the room when we had more than twenty children show up on day one!  The children were so excited to spend time together with the HPU team that a few began to show up more than an hour early.  Because of really bad weather, we had to cancel a cookout planned for Thursday.  Instead, we enjoyed the hot dogs and s'mores indoors.

On Friday we were all treated to a special dinner at the home of Danka Šeďova.  She made a fantastic pot of goulash and homemade dessert.  But that wasn't all that was homemade.  As is common, a salty snack was put on the table after the sweet dessert.  Danka's husband Daniel had made korbačiky, little whips made of cheese, from the milk of their cow!  After dinner we had a blessed time of worship and games with the youth/young adult group at the Evangelical (Lutheran) Church.

The team relocated to Krakow, Poland after saying all our goodbyes and stopping by a very foggy Štrbske Pleso.  In Krakow, we visited the Schindler Museum as well as Auschwitz-Birkenau.  It is difficult to process everything you experience after witnessing these places and realizing what took place.  However, the memories will stay with the team for a while as they have opportunity to think about everything they saw.

Not Far From Easter

The Sunday after Easter, I had the opportunity to speak in our Dutch church's Missions Sunday. There could be no more fitting time to talk about sharing the good news that Jesus is alive. The women who came, sad and disheartened, to the tomb were the first ones to pass on this message. They didn't have far to go--just a quick walk or a hurried run to where the unbelieving apostles sat, shocked and scared, behind locked doors.

 

When was the last time you took similar steps to bring hope and new life? More recently, probably, than you realize, and often without even leaving your own home. Every intercessory prayer brings the Good News closer to those who need to hear it. This includes each of you who pray for us and our work regularly, especially for the media prayer team who prayed daily during Keith's recent recording project.

 

Just last week Keith finished the audio recording of the New Testament in Eastern Slovak Romani. They did the audio recording before printing this new translation because they knew they would find corrections in the text as they recorded. And they did. The audio recording should be available via Faith Comes by Hearing (look under "Romani") within the next few months. For people like most Roma who would rather listen than read, it is especially fine to have the New Testament in both written and on CD/MP3/audio format.

 

Why was Keith able to trek over to Slovakia to do this recording? Because a number of you gave to the Offering for Global Missions. Our team member Shane McNary has written more extensively on what the Offering makes possible (see below).

 

When Keith drove back to Slovakia two weeks before Easter, Ellen and I went with him. From there, we two women drove about 4 hours south to visit our friend and ministry partner Alina Ivan in Romania. Alina has a keen interest in Romany education. But she was very discouraged and about burnt out. She needed prayer, but she also needed personal encouragement. A number of you have often given us a much-needed doses of encouragement by e-mail, regular post, or actual visit.

 

Two weeks after that, Alina came here for a time of rest and reflection. She not only received prayer and encouragement, but some brothers and sisters in Christ also gave her practical help and advise from their area of expertise. Several of you have helped us in similar ways--ranging from drawing illustrations to consulting on small business development to sending our daughters care packages to serving on CBF's member care team. Practical help does not always involve travelling a long way and bringing a toolbox along.

 

Though some of you have also been called to share the Good News by taking a trip considerably longer than the one those women took on the first Easter Sunday. People have done childcare at team meetings or gone with us to Moldova. People have even joined the Romany Team briefly (one semester to one year) or longer term (3+++ years). In fact, we are currently praying for someone to coordinate economic development projects (long term). An 8-person team from our local Dutch church (+ Alina) is also currently planning to go to Moldova for two weeks to do ministry with a Romany church there.

 

Going that far to bring news of hope and new life is made possible by a lot of other people who don't stray that far from home--people like yourselves who pray, who encourage, who share of your time and talents and material gifts in countless ways.

 

He is risen!

Mary van Rheenen

What The Offering makes possible

Several months ago I was enjoying coffee with a few friends at a gas station on the way back from a meeting in Prague.  Included in this auspicious group was Ksenija and her husband Toma.  Toma is pastor in Croatia and former president of the European Baptist Federation.  He told me about the incredible ministry being done in Serbia among several Roma communities.  I was invited to visit and witness for myself what God was doing among these people.  This weekend I was able to go.

The Friday drive from Košice, Slovakia to Osijek, Croatia was without incident.  Well, except Budapest which is always a nightmare to drive through, around, or near.  Once you cross the event horizon near Budapest, time stands still.  Anything gained by leaving early disappears into the darkness of the potholes which are waiting to greet you in Budapest.  But I digress.

Shrapnel scars on the river walk along the Drava river in Osijek - a reminder of the Serb/Croat war.

On Saturday, Toma and I left early because we were headed to Vršac which is on the other side of Serbia.  Toma continued to speak about going to the end of the world and entering the Twilight Zone as we made our way along the 250 kilometers towards Romania.  After Friday's drive through Budapest, every road in Serbia was a walk in the park.  The countryside was beautiful.  Hard to believe that less than twenty-five years ago war tore this area apart as neighbor turned against neighbor in an effort to find independence and exert control.  When we passed through Lazarevo, Toma pointed out that this was the town where Ratko Mladić was captured.  Mladić is the Serb military leader currently on trial for war crimes in The Hague.

Don't let that smile fool you . . . Mrs Magda can stare you into submission in a heartbeat! (Mrs Magda, me, Toma's brother)

We arrived in Vršac in time for lunch with Toma's mom and brother.  The pastor of the local Baptist Church, Avram, came for lunch as well.  I confess that I was a glutton . . . and it was not only because Toma's mother forced me to continue eating.  What an incredible cook she is!  After lunch Avram, Toma and I headed south to the village of Parta.

In Parta I met Jovan and Radica along with Nenad, who goes by Tosa.  These three have given so much in service to the Reign of God in this region by reaching out with the Good News and giving of themselves sacrificially in order to help others know the joy of Christ.  Their charisma was evident; their faith was vibrant.   Tosa, having never left Serbia, speaks almost perfect English! They spoke about the successes of their outreach activities in neighboring communities - how one fellowship quadrupled in attendance when they were able to devote their energies to the work on a regular basis.  The lack of dependable transportation is one barrier to their ministry.

(L-R) Avram, Jovan, Tosa, and me standing in front of Baptist Church in Parta

We visited the Baptist Church in Parta where these three regularly serve.  The beautiful sanctuary was built in the 1980's when, so I was told, the loud worship music caused the walls to start giving way in their old mud-brick building.  God has been faithful in providing for their needs and they have shown faithfulness in using their meager resources for God's glory.  The opportunity to impact the five or six communities on either side of Parta is restricted, however.  Without different transportation and a long-term commitment to partner with this congregation, to encourage and pray for them - and yes, to financially support them - they are unable to grow the ministry any further.

As I asked about the situation of Baptist work in Serbia, it was disturbing to hear how laws which recognize only the majority Serbian Orthodox church make life very difficult for Baptists.  Unable to own property or even open a bank account, local churches are tightly connected to the Serbian Baptist Union which was grandfathered in as a religious group.  All properties are owned by the Union and arrangements for church bank accounts must be made by the Union as well.  Years ago, automobiles to be used in the Parta ministry were confiscated by customs police because they refused to recognize the legitimacy of the local church.  The punitive laws about recognized faith groups in Serbia represent a religious liberty issue of great concern to Serbian Baptists.

Christian Baptist Church - Parta

Toma and I returned to Osijek, arriving about 20:30.  We picked up Ksenija who had been at an ecumenical meeting for women in town with representatives from Croatian and Serbian churches.  With Toma's excellent translating, I preached on Sunday morning at the Osijek Baptist Church.  I did do a very brief introduction in Slovak since the church was founded by ethnic Slovaks who lived in the community - a few of them came up to me after the service and identified themselves as Slovak.  Several women who were in town for the ecumenical meeting visited the church that morning.  It was a beautiful worship service.  After lunch with the Magdas I returned home to Kosice.

I usually don't write about my trips in a format like this.  But I did so in order to share how this trip was made possible.  Not only was it through contacts with local friends and churches, it was made possible because you gave to support the Offering for Global Missions.  The Offering makes it possible for us to connect with others and provide a way for you to connect with them with confidence that your prayers, encouragement, and financial support are targeted in such a way to honor what God is already doing among our brothers and sisters in Serbia.  Supporting The Offering enables us to do the "due diligence" on the ground to ensure effective partnerships.

If you have not given yet to The Offering this year, you can make your contribution online immediately.  If God is speaking to you about meeting the needs in Parta which I have shared here, then write to me at smcnary(at)thefellowship.info  (If you have not seen emails listed in this form before, it is to cut down on spam.  Replace (at) with @ and email me!)