In the Middle East, there is
an area known as the biblical Shechem. Abraham traveled through Shechem on his way to Canaan. After the conquest of Canaan, Joshua assembled the Israelites in
Shechem to encourage them to follow God’s laws. It was here that Abimelech became king during the time of Judges. Shechem is believed to contain the site of
Jacob’s Well. Jacob’s Well is also believed to have been the well where Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman. Biblical Shechem was destroyed in the 8th century
B.C. by the Assyrians. In 72 A.D., very near the site of the former city of Shechem, the Romans established a new town. The town exists today and is home to
approximately 50,000 people, including seventy (70) Dom Gypsy families.
This Dom Gypsy community gets help and hope as a result of CBF’s involvement in the area. The community was formerly referred to as the “cemetery people” as for
some time a cemetery was their place of residence. Located outside the city, they struggled for survival. Devastating flash floods, limited water, makeshift
housing, few employment opportunities, and non-existent medical care were constant features of their precarious lives.
Continuing efforts by CBF and its contacts in the region have been successful in securing land in the city in which the Dom Gypsy community could relocate.
Filtered water (though not running water) has been made available to the community, as have basic toilet facilities. In conjunction with other contributors,
CBF has provided funding that made available medical care and medicines for the community. Additional support has provided sewing machines and other equipment
to enable families to become self-supporting.
Now there is excitement among the seventy (70) Dom families about the opportunity to move from their shantytown homes into permanent apartments. A $300 fee
is necessary for each family to register. Once registered, they will be eligible for local housing opportunities. Their apartments will be constructed on the
land where the community currently lives.
For this community, the opportunity to live in decent housing like other people is a miracle. Only a few short years ago, they would have thought this impossible.
But with God, nothing is impossible. So today, please give thanks to God that life for this Dom community has improved so that it provides more of the basic
necessities of life, and that, God willing, will continue to do so. Please pray that God will bless efforts to help the Dom Gypsy community raise enough funds
that all 70 families will be able to pay the required fee to register with their local governmental authority and become eligible for greatly needed housing.
Pray that the Dom Gypsies will continue to respond to the message of the Gospel.
From Wes and Susan Craig ~ Romania
The Ioan family, made up of Doina and her three children Gigi (15), Valentin (9), and Georgiana (8), reside
in the Ferentari neighborhood of Bucharest, Romania. All three of Doina’s children attend the Ruth School, which provides improved life chances through education for poor
children living in Ferentari who are primarily Roma. Together with two other families, the Ioan family lives in a four bedroom house owned by Doina’s father. It is in one
of these rooms that the Ioan family must eat and sleep. It is also in this one room that Gigi, Valentin, and Georgiana must do their homework while their siblings either
watch television or play on the computer.
Over the past 15 years, Doina has taken care of her children on her own. The children’s father neither cares nor helps them in any way. Since all
children entered school, Doina has worked as a maid part-time in an electronic store with a meager salary. Even with government assistance, making
it financially is difficult. It is because of this reality that Doina works as hard as she can to provide for her children. As much as she does,
Doina says, “I wish I could do more for them.” Doina, and even Gigi, realize the necessity of an education for them to have a better future. This
is the reason she hopes all her children will one day move on to high school and then to university.
Doina sends her children to the Ruth School because the children are not required to pay school dues or pay for school supplies and materials. All
is provided, even a daily meal. “If it weren’t for this, I wouldn’t be able to send all three of my children to school. I couldn’t afford it,” says
Doina. It’s not everyday that you meet parents and children in Ferentari who
desire an education and work hard to achieve a better life through it.
Thanks to the Ruth School, Gigi, Valentin, and Georgiana have the opportunity to receive an education even if they can’t afford it.
*Gifts to the CBF Offering for Global Missions support Gypsy Ministries*
From Mary van Rheenen and Keith Holmes ~ The Netherlands
The Kingdom of God is truly
universal. A few months ago a Dutch businessman who had moved to the Czech Republic contacted us. He and his family had developed strong relationships with their
Romany neighbors. At his request, we sent him several copies of the Jesus DVD with 5 different Romani languages on it. His Romany friends were enthralled. "It
was real nice to shut up and let Jesus do the talking," the man reported. "They asked me for a copy of the DVD, because they want to see the film a few times again
and show it to others. They will have my box, so I need access to more DVD's in this language family. In fact I will always need a minimum of 5 pieces 'on the shelf'
in order to never disappoint people." Praise the Lord for the continuing use of this DVD. Pray also for this man, his family, and their outreach to their Romany
neighbors.
Bethlehem Baptist, the first Romany church in Moldova, began renovating a building for worship in 2000. For most of that time the bare building blocks and warped
door was a mute testimony to the believers' poverty and the poor planning of earlier leaders. When I left Moldova on Tuesday morning, May 27, 2008, three-fourths
of the outside was finished. By the end of this summer, the building will be dedicated as a house of prayer. A big thank-you and an even bigger "Praise the Lord!"
goes to Virginia Baptists, CBF-Louisiana, and many others who contributed to this tangible witness to the Kingdom of God. Please continue to pray for completion of
the building and the work of the Spirit in the community of faith in Vulcanesti.
(To help fund finishing details like making the roof leak-proof, the music group has made a CD of their own Christian songs in Romani (Gypsy) and Romanian.
Copies, $5.00 + shipping, can be purchased through www.cbflouisiana@gmail.com.)
"I remember when Keith first came to visit Moldova. I thought he looked like a giant!" a young Roma woman told me. We laughed together. She has grown
from that impressionable child into a strong believer who serves the Lord through her music and testimony. Part of that growth is due to the Bible
study for Kalderash Romany in the capital of Chisinau. The Bible study for young people is currently led by two students from the Moldovan Bible
College, Tanya Potinga and Yurii Sider. Tanya has focused her social work research on Romany children. Five out of ten are illiterate. She and Yurii
(who are engaged) dream of starting a Project Ruth outreach in one of the Roma villages. This was another "Praise the Lord!" Please pray with them for
the Lord's leading in choosing the right location and in gathering a team to lead this outreach. Do you or your church group feel led to be part of this
team? Contact us for details on prayer and financial support, holmesvr at wanadoo.nl.
"Will you send someone to play games and do handcrafts with us again this summer?" a little girl at the Vulcanesti school asked during my visit. I could not,
but God had already planned to. Dave Nonnemacher is the baseball coach at Northwestern, the Christian liberal arts college in Iowa where Keith and I taught
sociology and anthropology. He had already planned to bring members of the baseball team to do a sports/Bible camp in a nearby town for a week in August-during
the mornings. He had offered to help do something in Vulcanesti during the afternoon. The little girl’s request had been answered before she even made it.
Please pray for the Romany children and teachers at this second-rate school. Pray also for volunteers who have made and who continue to make such a profound
impact on these children's lives.
From Dianne and Shane McNary ~ Slovakia
Our partnership with Devleskero
Kher (God’s House) ministries in Slovakia has opened many doors of service.
Shane was invited to preach at the worship service in Turna nad Bodvou. Shane and Stefan,
leader of Devleskero Kher ministries, arrived in Turna early enough to visit with the church members as they arrived. After worship
and preaching, several people gathered at the home of some of the believers from the church. In addition to preaching and
fellowshipping together, our partnership includes supporting a Bible training school for ministers of the association of churches.
In May, sixty ministers from around Slovakia gathered for three days of training. Because of your gifts and our partnership with
Devleskero Kher, more workers were able to attend than otherwise could.
Praise God for co-laborers in ministry!
In May a group of friends from CBF of Arkansas came to Slovakia and the Czech Republic on a vision trip to see how they could partner with us in ministry to
the Roma. After praise and prayer time, Ray Higgins, CBF of Arkansas director, led in Bible Study. Koinonia is a special word in the Bible which is most
often translated “fellowship.” On several occasions, the old King James Version translates this word as “communion.”
It means a deep sharing between believers or churches. By exercising the gift of being the presence of Christ to one another,
a group of Slovak Roma believers and believers from Arkansas
experienced koinonia in its richest sense. Praise God for the connections we share in Christ and for the ongoing koinonia between Arkansas and Slovak Roma.
*Please pray for:*
- Shane as he travels to the US for the General Assembly
- Megan, who is serving along side of us in Kosice for the summer
- Dianne and Shane as they attend the BWA Meeting in Prague in July
- Taylor and Allie as they travel around the country for baseball and softball games
- Catherine, who is preparing to come to Kosice this fall with Student.go
Bruce and Linda Salmon, 1950 Mitchellville Road, Bowie, MD 20716
Visit www.cbfonline.org! It is very user friendly – complete with search engine and
shortcuts. You will be charmed by its attractive format and
pleased with the breadth of information and help. There are quick
links to “Global Missions,” “News and Views,” “Church
Life,” and such. It is augmented by our own Gypsy Ministries
website, which you may continue to access as before at:
www.GypsyMinistries.com
We hope you will enjoy exploring
this website through its user-friendly menu!
Frequent visits will offer updated news and features. On
the homepage there are photos representing Gypsies of the three
areas: India–Banjara, Middle East and North Africa–Dom, and
Europe/Russia–Romany. The photos at first appear in
black-and-white, representing the three sub-sites. Clicking on any
one of the photos changes to color as it proceeds to access the
sub-site. Otherwise, you may access a particular sub-site directly
by simply typing:
http://Banjara.GypsyMinistries.com
http://Dom.GypsyMinistries.com
http://RomanyMinistries.com
Newsletter complied and sent by: Bruce and Linda Salmon, Gypsy Ministries Advocates. Please share this newsletter with others.
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End of Summer 2008 Gypsy Newsletter