Tuesday, June 5, 2007

Snapshot of Roma Life

Ralph and our ministry partner, Tivadar, traveled to northeast Hungary recently to visit a few of the Roma families and missions. The purpose was to encourage them and plan for the future.

Natasha and Tibi graciously offered for Ralph and Tivadar to stay with them. We have found that the Roma culture has a strong sense of hospitality and they readily open their homes to friends. You may remember a story we told not long ago about Natasha and Tibi's wedding. They chose to show their faith to others in their village by legally becoming husband and wife even though a loop hole in the Hungarian tax law makes it more advantageous financially to simply live together. It was a big step.

When supper time approached there was no offer of food for the guests or for the family. The next day again, very little was offered. Natasha and Tibi are struggling to provide for their family. Neither is able to find work and their government assistance has been cut back due to their legally married status. This means they often run out of money by the end of the month. As soon as this information was discovered, Tivadar and Ralph were in the car speeding off to the nearest grocery. They filled the cart with nutritious food and a few treats. It was an answer to prayer for Natasha and Tibi who literally live without knowing from day to day how they will feed their children.

Thank you CBF supporters! It is through your donations that money is available to provide for emergency needs. It is through you that prayers are answered.

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