What a day! I have no words, but will try to find words to share the overflow of my heart! I woke early on Sunday morning. Ed & I had slept with the door open to our room. It looks out on a small courtyard of sorts, where a flock of pigeons have their cages. All through the night, we could hear the murmur of their sounds — from their cooing to the rustle of their wings. They are so close to us that I could toss feed into their cages, if I had any to toss!
I managed to go back to sleep, and ended up catching up on sleep lost traveling. Then it was time for lunch. We had our first civapcici, and of course a first course of chicken soup, and then Serbian salad (tomatoes, cucumbers, and cabbage in a bit of vinegar, grated with fantastic soft, mild feta cheese) and bread. We walked to lunch, then to Marijan and Slavica’s flat, where the team went over the Linking Partners objectives as they relate to our trip, and then talked about Marijan and Slavica’s ministries — the joys and the challenges. What a great time to share as a team and strategize ways to meet the challenges!
NEED: The church in Prokuplje is all about being Christ to the community. In our eyes, that includes the seeing to their physical and educational well-being. To that end, they tutor Roma children two evenings a week, to help them excel in school. This program has been evaluated by an NGO, Bread of Life, in Belgrade. Over a year ago, they gave us a report, including this excerpt:
“If the Roma church in Prokuplje would receive a financial support for the work with children there would be better conditions created for the church to start work on support in education of other children who live in the Roma settlement near the church. Work with children could be organized in the premises of the church. For a start it would be 2 times a week tutoring classes in Serbian language and mathematics.
Material support: Children should be provided with books, school supplies, shoes, classroom, desks, chairs, heating stove, heating fuel, and possibly one meal a day for the children depending on the time when classes are. In the winter time it is the most needed to provide fuel for heating in the church room.”
They are doing this, even without special support! But Houston, we have a problem. There are more children coming than there is space or chairs in which to seat them. Marijan had to tell one little boy that he was too good in math to come on the math tutoring day because other children needed to learn what he already knew. He showed up the next time, anyway. Marijan reminded him what he had been told, but the boy pleaded to stay. He promised to be quiet and not take up learning time, but he wanted to be with Marijan and Slavica!
Now, back to tonight in the church. The Children’s Choir sang, the youth led worship as they always do — fabulous, then William Jaques from the FBC Sherwood team preached on “Where is God When Times Are Hard?”
It was truly standing room only. Many in the room had someone else sitting in their lap. I had two teenagers in my lap!! The door was closed against the noise of the street, and it was warm in the room, but everyone listened, responded, sang, worshipped, and if you have never felt the spirit of God truly in a place, PLEASE let me bring you to Prokuplje to worship with these precious ones! There were 60+ people in a space meant for 30, and no one complained, no one dozed, no one seemed bored! And afterward, no one wanted to leave. We spilled out onto the sidewalk and in the street, people visited in smaller groups in the church, American and Roma, Serb and Roma, Serb and American, we spoke each other’s language or we didn’t, but we communicated somehow anyway. Our hearts were all full — like at the best family reunion ever, where you’ve waited a year to see one another again!
While we were all visiting, the youth were organizing themselves to deliver invitations in the Roma communities in Prokuplje to Children’s Club this week. They split into two groups, with Caitlin from FBC Sherwood in one group, and Bethany in the other. Before we knew it, they were out with the other teens, getting the job done! We headed back to the flat, and the FBC girls joined the rest of the young people then met us there. In the photos, you can see a picture of the invitations that were passed out. We are having the Children’s Club in the elementary school — a first!! We are so pleased and blessed to be able to use this building. Marijan and Slavica’s hard work with the Roma children has not gone unnoticed or unappreciated here in Prokuplje.
After church, back to Marijan and Slavica’s for the world famous stuffed peppers. I won’t post a tally of how many we each ate … but it was a lot! Slavica is such a gracious hostess and fantastic cook! More fellowship, now off to bed!
