Taking a Step of Faith...

October 10, 2016

Dear Friends,

It is with a mixture of sadness and anticipation that we announce our resignation from CBF.  We will continue to serve in Romania until December 15, 2016.  At that time, we will transition to NC to begin six months of OFA, culminating in the 2017 CBF General Assembly. 

The US Government says we are too young to retire so we will be looking for employment that honors God and makes use of our talents and experiences.  We look toward that future with anticipation and ask for your prayers that God will lead us in that process.

Our resignation comes due to several factors with the most compelling being the cumulative separation from family over the near 22 years of service with CBF.  Our parents have experienced aging and health issues and the distance has prevented us from assisting our siblings in their care.  We have a grandson who turned two in August and we want to be a part of his young life.  We will settle in the Triad area of NC (Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point).

Our sadness comes from leaving several things dear to us:

1.    The Romany people to whom we dedicated these past 22 years. 

2.    Project Ruth – the Ruth School students and Staff, the Gypsy Smith School students and diverse faculty and the Naomi Center with the women Tammy has come to love.

3.    Our Romanian and Hungarian friends who welcomed us into their families and their churches and their countries.

We wish to express deep appreciation for our families, friends, and the many individuals and groups and churches that have supported us through these many years.  Your prayers have been felt, your gifts to CBF’s Offering for Global Missions and our projects have impacted our ministries and your love for us has sustained us throughout.  We are deeply grateful for all of you!  Please continue to support Global Missions!

Our passion for missions and specifically Project Ruth, continues into the future.  We encourage you to continue to impact the ongoing ministry here through student scholarships, special gifts, sending and participating in teams.  We will certainly do so!

We pray God’s richest blessings upon you!

With much fondness for each of you,

Ralph and Tammy

Going to the Chapel...

 Our friend, Gabi, got married twice in the same week.  How does that happen?  In Romania couples go to the government center of their sector of the city for the civil, legal ceremony. This is a happy occasion with flowers and well wishes.  Next many couples will have a ceremony at church where they say their vows before God and many of their friends.  Then there is usually a multi course dinner of celebration with games, entertainment, lots of food, and pictures.  It is fun and an occasion not to be missed.  We enjoyed every minute.

Living cross culturally, meaning we live in a cultural that is different from one in which we were raised, has been something we've enjoyed.  And certainly one we have felt called to do.  It has had it challenges too.  We realized early in our time in Europe the best way to learn about a new culture was by being present.  Living day in and day out among the people we want to know.  We need to be there life events - their births, deaths, weddings, birthdays, graduations.  We have been blessed to be present for many of these occasions.  We are grateful to those that support CBF's Offering for Global Missions which enables us to be here.  And Gabi & Iulian we wish you many, many happy days and years ahead!

Other Duties as Assigned...

Friends, Cadance Tyler and Katrina Brooks,
sent by Virginia Baptists, help in the kitchen

CBF Heartland coordinator emeritus,
Harold Phillips, washing bowls.

 "Sister, sister, I know you!"  I heard these words this summer as we served with a team in a small village in northeast Romania.  The young man was waving at me from the driver's seat of a van.  He said, "Yes, I do know you.  You're the dishwasher at the Ruth School."  It took a moment for me to understand.  Me? Dishwasher?  What?  Then recognition came as I realized this young church leader attends our Gypsy Smith Leadership School (GSS).  Three times a year these young leaders come for a week of classes.  While at the school we house them and feed them.  It's a busy time in the kitchen as they cook lunch for 200 Ruth School students,  provide three meals a day for 25 GSS students, make sandwiches for 30 afterschool kids, and fix snack bags for the 50 sports program participants.  During these weeks I help out by washing dishes.  Gladly, I, along with others at Project Ruth, rework our days to do what has to be done to serve the community. 
    At the bottom of any good job description one usually finds a sentence similar to "And other duties as assigned."  As CBF field personnel ministering in Romania it's a regular occurrence to do the unexpected, unanticipated, or unplanned.  Wonderful interruptions in ministry that allow us opportunities to serve God in unusual ways.  So when the young man said, "You're the dishwasher..."  My reply? "That's me!"

Traditions at the Ruth School

This time of year there are many traditions to help celebrate the season from Thanksgiving to New Year's.  The Ruth School is no exception with traditions that the students look forward to participating in.  The first is our annual Thanksgiving tree.  We don't officially celebrate the holiday in Romania but that doesn't keep us from being thankful.  During our chapel time students from each class read what they have written on their leaves and then place them on the tree.  We leave the tree displayed in the chapel area to serve as a reminder of the many things we have to be thankful for.  This year the students shared they are thankful for their families, friends, teachers, our school, hot meals served every day, God's love, and so many other things.  It was a delightful time.






The other tradition is the honor of our older students to decorate the Christmas tree in the lunch room.  They do this after school as a surprise for the younger grades.  After the tree is decked out we celebrate with pizza and cupcakes.  It's an enjoyable time and we hope helps the older students develop their sense of leadership in the school.

Quilting, A New Skill...

Binding, batting, feed dogs, half-square triangle... the vocabulary of quilting sounded strange to the ladies of the Naomi Center.  A team of master quilters from CBF Heartland had arrived to teach a week long workshop of quilting fundamentals.  Children ran in and out of the room as the air conditioner struggled to perform in the 97 degree heat. This did not deter the Naomi ladies who proved to be quick learners and eagerly embraced measuring, cutting, and piecing together the materials for a quilted table runner.  They learned how to put colors and prints together to coordinate a pieced top.  The week was more than quilting it was a

sharing of community as the day began with a devotion, moved to learning the basics of quilting, and sharing lunch together.  Also daily an American woman shared her faith journey through a talk show interview entitled "The Naomi Show" with the theme, "We Are Women, God Loves Us!"  Each Naomi woman was celebrated as their vibrant colored table runners were finished and a new project was started.  Some of the master seamstresses took the basic quilting skills and quickly adapted them to expand their projects into small blankets with fancy stitching.  This week was an opportunity for women from two different

cultures to bond in the togetherness women so enjoy. It has helped the Naomi women to expand their skill levels to aid in their abilities to support their families.  It was jokingly said, "The Naomi Center can become the go-to place for quilted products in Romania."  While that can be a goal for the future, the present day goal of helping women to know God loves them for who they are was certainly fulfilled. 

Now, who needs a quilted table runner?  We have some beautiful ones!

Everybody Needs a Break...


The ladies of our Naomi Center are hard working.  They sew, cook, clean, take care of children, perhaps work another job, shop daily for bread and milk and so the list goes on.  Like many women their days are filled with caring for their families.  The hours are long and the stress is great.  Recently we took the women to the mountains of Romania for some rest and relaxation.  It was a chance to forget about daily life and to enjoy themselves.  We had lunch sitting on a patio with the majestic mountains in view.  Afterwards we spread blankets on the ground underneath the trees of the forest and Dana, the Naomi coordinator, shared a few words about taking time for ourselves.  Then we spent the rest of afternoon napping, hiking through the forest, eating snacks, talking, and taking lots of fun pictures.  As we boarded the bus for the ride back to the concrete of Bucharest we all agreed it was a Sabbath day filled with no worries and the fellowship of good friends.  Everybody needs a break...

Ode to Kids' Club Dr Suess Style

The youth from FBC, Kernersville, NC spent a week in Romania doing Kids' Clubs - better known as Vacation Bible School in the USA.  As we arrived at each location it was always a surprise to see the venue.  Where would Club be held this time?

Could you, would you do Kids’ Club this week?
It really, really would be quite a treat.

Yes, yes we could do that task

We’re pretty sure it would be a blast.

Could you, would you at the Ruth school?

Of course that would be really cool!

How about in a park? Or under a tree?

Happily with shouts of glee!

To the Roma kids we’ll teach a Bible story of old

And crafts from paper, treated like gold.

Could you, would you on stage?

Why yes, and our music will be all the rage!

How about the local Roma church?
With water balloons for play, we’ll not leave you in the lurch

At the school, in the street

We’re ready for any feat.

At the church, in the park
God’s call is not a lark.
 

At the bandstand, under the tree
Seeds planted we will see.

Children will laugh and play

And God’s love will win the day.

New New New

We have neglected our blog as we got busy with ministry and new leadership responsibilities.  Where did the time go? Forgive us.  We are starting anew today with a new look, new pictures, and new stories.  Please put us back on your blog roll and check in often for updates. 
Grace and Peace, Tammy

Multumim! (Thank you) Student.Go!

There are many choices for how one can spend their summer break from college.  Spending July in Romania? Well, it's not on everyone's list.  However, Ellie, Keyonta, and Katie followed their passions and served at Project Ruth in Bucharest this summer.  They provided "Club" for children at the Ruth School and in three different villages.  Club is like Vacation Bible School with lots of glitter and construction paper.  Children in the Ferentari community and in the Roma churches of the villages we visited have very little to occupy their summer days.  Bringing Club to them is a highlight and one they will remember for a long time.  It wasn't just the Bible story plays, the crafts, or the game time, it was giving the children attention.  It was being the presence of Christ with glue and scissors.

Thank you Student.Go for providing a program for college and seminary students to serve.  Thank you Ellie, Keyonta, and Katie for giving us July.

Don't Run With Scissors...

Have you ever thought about learning to use scissors? Most of us learned in early childhood how to take those blunt-ended slivers of silver with bright plastic handles, and a piece of construction paper, to craft a work of art. We would proudly take this master piece home to our moms to be displayed in a prominent place, probably the refrigerator.  It's a childhood activity we take for granted.

This week while doing Club (VBS style activities) I helped two young girls who had no idea how to use scissors.  The sisters, about 7 and 10 years old, just sat and stared at the construction paper, crayons, and scissors they had been given.  They quickly looked at what the other kids were doing and drew something similar on their papers.  The next step was cutting and both girls were puzzled.  "Can you help me?"  With a little coaching and practice the girls soon got the hang of it.  They happily began cutting multiple scraps of paper and speaking rapidly to each other about their new found skill - using scissors.

This scenario underscores why the need for education among the Roma is so important.  These girls live in the poor section of town where the local school is known to be sub-par.  More than likely their parents do not support them in their education because they see no need for it or because they are consumed with the daily struggle of providing for their family.  The exact reasons for these girls' lack of education is unknown but what is known is that there are many more like them. 

Here Comes the Bride...

Little girls dream of their wedding days and our girls at the Ruth School are no different.  One afternoon at Summer Club we made tissue paper flowers. The girls began asking each other to get married and then "walked down the aisle" with their flowers.  While it was a fun time I was reminded that many of these little girls will marry in their teens and begin having their own children before they are barely out of their own childhoods. The cycle is repeated over and over.  At Project Ruth we encourage education especially with the girls. Through our Afterschool program, Parents' Academy, and Transitional Program we foster a positive environment of dreaming of the future and building the skills to make it happen.

Summer Club Begins

What is your first thought when looking at this picture?  Probably not the story of the friends lowering their lame friend through the roof of the house so he could see Jesus, but that's what it is.

Summer Club has begun at the Ruth School.  Monday through Thursday the students can come for a story, craft, play time, and a snack.  It's a simple formula for teaching the neighborhood children about God's love.  And we're grateful to the Student.GO team through CBF spending the month of July helping us do that.

International Roma Day - Celebrate & Pray

Interested? Click this link and find out more...

http://cbfblog.com/2014/04/08/cbf-romany-ministries-team-celebrates-international-roma-day/

Gypsy Smith School Class of March, 2014

They came from various places across the country of Romania to study.  They have different roles in their churches as pastors, deacons, youth leaders, and elders but they share the desire to learn more about God's Word and how to be better leaders.  This is our largest class yet - 30!  Thanks Larry DeLand from OK and Ken Myers from NC for teaching this week.  Pray for them as this week unfolds.

Gypsy Smith School - March 2014

Being a pastor is a rewarding vocation but it's not an easy one.  The Roma pastors and lay leaders that attend the Gypsy Smith School (GSS) are also bi-vocational and many lack a formal education. However this doesn't slow their desire to learn and grow as pastors.  The Gypsy Smith Leadership Training School was designed to fulfill this need.  Four times a year the leaders travel to Bucharest to attend a week long session on Bible studies, practical church leadership training, worship planning, and other topics.  The March session is being held this week.  Will you pray for a fruitful study of God's Word for these leaders?

Dreams Do Come True

We called him "Little Laci" when he first started his studies several years ago at the Gandhi High School in Pecs, Hungary.  He was eager to learn English and wanted to practice often.  While at the school with a population of mostly Roma students, Laci was encouraged by one of his teachers to follow his dreams.  He'll tell you that up until this time he had never dreamed he could actually pursue being a graphic artist.  It just seemed impossible for a Roma boy from a small village.  But dreams do come true...

Laci studied hard and was accepted into an international studies school in Italy where he blossomed among the multi cultural students.  Still believing in the seeds planted by his Gandhi teacher he applied to an art school in the US.  Thanks to the love and support of former Gandhi School volunteers from the US, Laci, you can see from the picture we had to drop the "Little", is a freshman at a college in FL.  It's evident that he loves it as he animatedly talks about a class on the various size, shapes, and styles of fonts!  When we recently crossed paths with him he excitedly told us about living his dream and how so many had helped it to come true.

We are thankful God placed us in the right place, at the right time to be a part of helping Laci's dreams come true.  What about you?  How can you help someone's dream come true today?

Celebrating Love at the Ruth School

Valentine's Day is not a big holiday in Romania.  However, it's a great excuse to talk about love, the different kinds of love, and most importantly God's love for us.  The walls of the lunch room were decorated with red hearts and streamers.  Lunch is usually a small bowl of hearty, warm food and a couple of slices of bread.  On this special day beside each shiny silver bowl was a cupcake with red sprinkles!  An extra special treat!  The students were asked, "What do you love about the Ruth School?"  The answers varied from food to chapel to my friends. They laughed and gobbled down the cake full of the knowledge that they are loved.  Thank you for supporting the Ruth School.

Making New Friends

This is my new friend, Joke (JO-ka).  We bonded while washing hundreds of silver bowls, sorting clothes, and various other things at the Ruth School.  Joka is from The Netherlands and came with her husband, Pier, while he was teaching at the Gypsy Smith School.  She had asked us to use her in any way possible while he taught and we did!  Joka has a servant's heart and I'm glad we got to spend the week together.  Meeting wonderful people like Joka is one of the great perks of my job and I love it!
"Make New Friends But Keep the Old
One is Silver and the Other's Gold."

"Sail On... Lessons Learned"

“Cast up your sails
And let the wind blow
Jesus will never
Let your ship lose control

Sail on…”

(Imperials, 1977)

Building miniature sail boats turned into a week of learning life lessons for the 8^th grade class at the Ruth School recently.  Led by master sailor and builder, Fred Clifford, member of a team from Knollwood Baptist Church in Winston Salem, NC, the students learned the basic parts of boats, how to use a compass, and why boats float.  They also heard the story of Jesus calming the storm and calling Peter to walk on water.  They learned to start a project, finish it, and feel good about their work.  They learned to work together and the joy of being rewarded for a job well done.  The week of lessons culminated in a lunch trip for cheeseburgers and an afternoon of sailing their boats on the lake at the local park.  The students basked in the special attention and heard the message, through the building of sailboats, you are loved.  “Sail on…”

"They are not Thieves, They are Men"

This is a re-share from the CBF Romany Ministry Blog.  A 'must' read to help understand Romany ministry...

A story about Shane and Dianne McNary was recently published on the Fuller Seminary website.  It's a moving and very informative article about poverty, weddings, and the "G-word."  Go to www.fuller.edu or click the image below for the direct link to the article: