Giving Lessons

This lady on the left lives in a Romany village in Moldova. She recently chose to follow Jesus Christ. She is busy learning what that means.

She and her daughter invited the volunteer team members who were staying in her village over for tea one evening. We sat outside. In the course of the evening, it grew increasing cooler. She asked me several times if I was warm enough. Finally, she brought out a brand new sweater, pulled the tags off of it, and gave it to me.  Then she got concerned about the other two women who were wearing sandals with no socks. She brought out brand new pairs of socks for all three of us. Next she asked if we ever wore scarves. She brought out a new skirt (which Els took home for her teenaged daughter) and a scarf to match each of our outfits. Finally, she gave a man's polo shirt to Zoltan, the Wycliffe/SIL team member who had been translating from Romanian to English for us all evening.

She is busy learning. She might also be teaching?

Inspired Development

Development does not have to cost a lot. Sometimes, we don't even have to plan it. For example, Erika likes to fix things. Last year when we visited the Roma village of Vulcanesti, she fixed Nina's sewing machine. (This was Erika's 5th visit to the village; she and Nina have become fast friends as well as sisters in faith.)

This year, when we visited the village, a steady stream of villagers came to Nina's house. One had a pair of jeans that needed to be shortened. Another had a different alteration. And some had ordered items to be sewn, like this traditional-styled apron made from a colorful scarf.

Nina's husband passed away this last year. She needs the extra income and delights in the extra company. And sometimes she takes the opportunity to read from the Bible with her visitors or to pray. Did I say this development wasn't planned? Well, it wasn't planned by Erika and it wasn't planned by me, but . . . .

Cooperative Fellowship in Moldova

See these three women standing up in front of these Moldovan girls? One was born in a Romany village; her first language is Ursari Romani. One was a refugee from East Germany; her first language is German. One has two diplomas from Moldova; her first language is Romanian. What power could bring them together on one team?

See these four guys? One is the son of a hard-working couple from Kansas; first language English. One is the son of a hard-working Moldovan couple; first language Ursari Romani. One was born in Transylvania; first language Hungarian. One has family in Ukraine; first language Romanian. How on earth can they commune together?

See these two women? One is the daughter of solid, church-going Dutch farmers. The other grew up in a Moldovan orphanage. What basis do they have to cooperate so contentedly?

(If you do not already know the answer in your heart, you can see it in the right hand corner of this photo.)

Photos from Children's Program & Girls' Camp, Bethlehem Baptist Church, Romany village in Moldova, June 24-July 7.

Speed Teaching in Slovakia

In various communities in Slovakia this year, short-term ministry teams have invested in the lives of students by assisting them in learning English.  Supplementing the excellent work of local teachers, these teams encourage and challenge eager students.

A favorite activity for teaching is akin to speed dating!  The students are put into small groups and the native speakers sit with them for ten minutes.  During that time they ask simple questions, go through their introductions or colors, and get to know each other just a little.  Then it is time to switch groups!

Laughter and fun fill the room.  Being the presence of Christ by helping with English literacy has proved a meaningful ministry strategy.

Alien Images

 As you can see from these old passport photos of ours, identity photos usually look like one a) has just beamed down from an alien planet; b) was recently in a line-up and really ought to be confined; c) is having a bad hair life, rather than just a bad hair day.
The identity photos we had taken this week were no better. We don't have copies of those, though. We are in the process of renewing our residents' visas. The new mug shots were part of that process and are still with the Dutch immigration service. As part of that process we also met a number of fellow foreigners. Some of them had very interesting--well, almost foreign--ideas about Americans.
For instance, why would we need to learn Dutch? We could do all our business in English, couldn't we? (Except read and write notes to school, send in a repair request to the landlord, sell something on line, fill out a form at the doctor's office or the bank or . . . ).
And why do we need visas? Americans can go anywhere they want. (Except the CBF couple who couldn't get into Canada or the other CBF couple who had to switch from Greece to Spain or the folks who were deported from a North African country or . . . . Our own team members in Slovakia  have to jump through serious hoops to renew their residents' visas or . . . .)
Perhaps the best one came from a very well-educated woman from Kazakhstan. She and her daughter wanted to visit the United States. But they were concerned about the danger. Everyone there walks around with weapons, right?
My image of Kazakhstan is probably as misinformed as her image of my country.  Thank God the image on my identity photo doesn't accurately reflect the real me, either. (Does it??)

Is this your language?

1 O Petre hai o Ioan gianas ko Templo ko ciaso le rughimasko, kăl trin pala ăl deșudui. 2 Ăk manuș, ologo dă kana kerdilos, sas andino. Sas muklo andă fiosavo ghes pașai poarta le Temploski savi buciolas e Poarta Șukar, kaște manghel katar kola kai întrinas ando Templo. 3 Kadava manuș, kana dikhleas le Petres hai le Ioanos, kă kamen te întrin ando Templo, manglea lenghe love.

Life . . . it's irrepressible

Signs of life spring up everywhere, even in the center of a cogwheel train line in Switzerland.