If You Build It, They Will Come...

"If you build it, they will come." That saying originally applied to a baseball field built in a corn field. We have reversed the order as the quick growth of house churches among the Roma has ushered in the challenge of providing adequate facilities for these groups to worship in. We were blest in late April through a volunteer team from FBC-Greenville, SC, that helped renovate a property in Kekcse, to give that congregation a more secure and more practical meeting place. The church would like to stucco the exterior of the building this summer and then they will have an outstanding worship center. There is a group of Hungarian Baptist men who have volunteered to do the labor for free. This is a great opportunity to build relationships between Hungarian and Gypsy believers.

We have decided to build an addition to the home of the leader in the village of Szatmarcseke. This May a group of Gypsy men traveled there to help build the extension that will allow some 30-40 people to gather and worship. It is rewarding to see fellow believers who have construction skills come together to provide this building ministry.

God is bringing healing out of tragedy in the village of Olaszliszke. Last November a Hungarian school teacher was driving his daughter through this village when he collided with a young Gypsy child playing in the street. It turned out that the child received a glancing blow and in shock veered off into safety. Nearby Gypsy adults assumed the worst when they heard the screams of the other children and rushed to street, dragged the hapless driver from the car and beat him to death. Many have been arrested and are awaiting trial. The Gypsy community stood condemned and in shock from the mob mentality. Jozsi Olah, a Gypsy evangelist, sensed their great grief and quickly went to offer consolation and the assurance of God's forgiveness. A house church sprang up and has grown to 40 in a few short months. A cross was erected at the scene of the accident while residents of the house there have offered to sell the house to the church. We are currently in the process of securing this property in the hopes that a church there will help to bring healing to this hurting community.

Property has been purchased in Retkozberencs ('Berencs) that includes two buildings. Although in bad shape the larger building can be renovated into a suitable worship center. Some roofing repair will need to be done, an exterior wall or two torn down and extensive plastering and painting on both exterior and interior walls. This property lies on the main street of the village in easy walking distance of the Gypsy residents. Funds for purchasing the property and renovation materials have been provided by FBC-Greenville and other individuals.
We are looking for property to purchase in the village of Ujleta. A congregation of 25 is in need of a small house suitable for holding that size group. Please pray that we will be able to locate an affordable piece of property in a good location to help this house church continue to grow.

We are also partnering with Hungarian Baptist Aid to help as we can with renovating a building in the Ukraine into a worship center/community service center for the Roma of the area.

God is working among the Roma in Hungary as they grow in their faith and share the Good News with their fellow Romany. He is answering their prayers and helping them to have places of refuge from what the world. We are grateful to Him and to those who partner with us to provide these safe havens.

My latest project is creating picture collages for the Roma churches. The Roma believers, like most of us, enjoy looking at pictures of themselves. So I have made several collages of important events in the church lives. It is fun for both of us. Who would have thought when I hauled all that scrapbooking stuff across the ocean that I would end up using it in ministry??

When is a Brick More Than a Brick? (FBC, Greenville, SC partnership)

A partnership is about more than bricks and mortar. Thirteen men from FBC-Greenville traveled to Kekcse, Hungary the last week of April and put aside their trowels, shovels and wheelbarrows whenever approached by curious Gypsy kids or adults wishing to communicate. The result of the week was not only a new fence surrounding the church, a new concrete pad for outdoor activities, new guttering, a new outdoor toilet and new roofing but new and personal relationships with Roma church members as well as community residents. Every team member took with them faces and names that they will long remember and for whom they will often say prayers.

Having previously provided the funding to buy a used house, FBC-Greenville sent a skilled team to renovate the church property. The Roma folks willingly joined in the labor with women and girls carrying buckets of water for the cement mixer, kids hammering nails into the new WC, young men shoveling the gravel and cement mix into the mixer. Ladies prepared typical Roma meals for lunch for the hungry crew and the leftovers provided meals for nearby residents who were struggling to buy food at the end of the month.

The team also led worship in four Roma churches with testimonies, preaching and blue-grass music including guitars, a banjo and a dobro. One highlight among many was the presentation of a communion table, hand-crafted by team member Danny Butcher. Clapping and shrieks of joy accompanied the unveiling! This table had been dedicated the previous Sunday in the worship service at FBC-Greenville. There were many fingerprints and smudges following that dedication in Greenville as members prayed over the table but Danny chose not to wipe them off – deciding instead to let the Kekcse Roma know how much love and prayer accompanied the gift.

The bags of team members were lighter on the return flight what with having giving away hats, work gloves and tool belts. There were some scraped knuckles, sore muscles and sunburned arms. Most of all there was a sense of joy at having joined with Roma Christians from Kekcse and local CBF field personnel to strengthen the witness of God’s love in a remote village in eastern Hungary. That’s partnership!

Building Together - Prayer

The Roma congregation in Kekcse have needed a building of their own for a long time. They had outgrown the house rooms there were meeting in. FBC Greenville, SC has partnered with them to purchase a house to renovate into a place of worship and refuge for the Roma community. Last October a team from FBC joined their Roma brothers and sisters in dedicating the building to the glory of God. The partnership did not stop there....

Friday, April 20th, a team of men from FBC arrive to help with the renovations. Among the tasks are putting a fence around the property, pouring concrete pads, building a new outhouse, and many little tasks. The FBC men will work side by side with the Kekcse men. Their evenings will be spent in fellowship, worship, and listening to a blue grass band comprised of men from FBC. (Roma greatly enjoy toe-tapping music and we're sure this will be a big hit.) The FBC men head back to Greenville on April 29.

Please pray for this project. Ask God to bless this work. Pray for safety for the men traveling from the US, to the site, while working, and traveling back. Pray that much can be accomplished and the weather will be good. Pray for the worship services, asking God to speak to the hearts of those present.

Hunting Eggs in Csobanka!

Easter Sunday was a beautiful, warm, sunny day. The kids at Csobanka were excited because they knew Tammy neni (neni is a term of respect given to women. It literally means 'aunt') was bringing a surprise. They could barely sit still during the service!

Three adults accompanied Tammy to a church member's yard where they hid the 5 dozen brightly colored eggs. Ralph pacified the kids with cupcakes and soda but only temporarily. Soon they were racing to the yard, grabbing their bags, and looking for eggs. After we had searched high and low, still not finding 6 of the eggs, each child was given a big chocolate bunny. They all felt like winners. (We teased the "grandpa" who helped hide the eggs that he hid them well so he could go back for breakfast!)

We went back to the church building where the adults were eager to hear what happened and take a peek in the bags. They quickly agreed on families with children not present that they could give the extra chocolate bunnies to. Everyone was smiling and enjoying the fellowship of each other. It was a wonderful way to celebrate new life in the resurrection of our Lord.

Ministry Possibilities in the Ukraine

Hungary shares a border with the Ukraine. Because of this there are many villages where Hungarian is widely spoken. Ralph recently visited there to research possible ministry projects. The Roma of the Ukraine live in absolute poverty as illustrated in the pictures.

As Ralph gazed across an empty lot strewn with trash he noticed a group of boys playing a game. Upon observation it resembled “roller bat” (a game the Stocks boys used to play!). The usual equipment is a baseball bat and a baseball. These boys were using a broken plank for the bat and a short stick for a ball! Ralph can’t wait to return to offer the real thing!

Hungarian Baptist Aid has helped to purchase a sizeable building to be renovated into a church for the Roma community in Mankacs. The building (pictured) was built as a telephone communications center 20 years ago. Under communism there was a good bit of eavesdropping going on from this building. Imagine how with lots of renovation the future sounds emanating from there will be praise songs and conversations with God! The building is in complete disrepair but the vision is for this to serve the Roma community not only as a church but as a kindergarten, bathing and washing center, and a clinic.

Please pray that necessary funds might be found to begin this huge work. There will be many volunteer opportunities associated with this property. “Borst” anyone? There are many needs in this area and we seek to be creative as we attempt to meet those needs and to share the Good News of a God that loves this poverty stricken village. Please pray for God to show the way.

Szatmarcseke Roma Baptized

It is always a time of great celebration when new Roma (Gypsy) believers are baptized. Other Roma Christians come from miles, or in our case kilometers, around to be present and participate in the service. They bring a word of encouragement, offer special music or a scripture verse, and rejoice in the new lives of the candidates.

During the summer we always hold our Roma baptisms in the river but over the winter we ask local HBU churches for use of their facility. Last Saturday Ralph went to Nagyvarsany for an afternoon baptismal service of seven Roma from Szatmarcseke. It was the first time for this church to host a Roma group in their church. There are zero Roma living in this particular village dating back two decades to a time of conflict. During that time the local mayor threatened the Roma community and demanded that they leave. Since then due to prejudice and discrimination no Roma are living there. The local pastor and his congregation are not supportive of Roma mission work even outside of their village.

Against this backdrop we held the baptismal service. All went well for a while. The candidates gave testimonies, there was lots of Roma music, each candidate received a Bible and was prayed for by local leaders. Then came time for greetings. This is a tradition and very meaningful as local leaders and churches give encouragement to the new believers. Instead of encouraging the group the local pastor pointed out sin that was still evident in the lives of the new believers (smoking!). Then two of his elders got up and continued to harangue the candidates. Our new believers were stunned by their vehemence but gracefully remained silent.

To his credit, Jozsi Csuhai (Roma Missions Coordinator for Hungarian Baptists) stood and spoke of the prodigal son who returned to his father, filthy and stinking from work with pigs. The father accepted him in his condition and rejoiced that his son had come home. Following the service several of us encouraged our Roma brothers and sisters. Gradually the spirit of celebration returned as they rejoiced that seven more of their brethren had found the Lord!