Easter 1996
As we look forward to spring, we are reminded of the first verse in Ecclesiastes 3 - "To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven." We know that God is working His purpose out among the Gypsies all over the world and that we must not become discouraged and tire of doing good because the the season will come when we shall reap the harvest. This Easter let us join in praise to God who is great in creation and mighty in transformation!
December 30th 1995 saw Gypsies For Christ featured in the Christian Herald. The article generated a lot of interest and the office was busy answering queries and sending out packets of 'The Drom' for distribution. Some elderly folk wrote in to share their recollections of Gypsy Smith and these were extremely touching. Letters also came from people who felt a leading towards the work and others already engaged in it. We are hoping to meet with Rev Richard Trumayne who works in Scotland and the north of England. We would appreciate your prayers for this meeting and its outcome.
Recently we have been helping and encouraging the CMERI pastors who have come from France to establish a Romanese speaking church in London. They have found a home at Lindsay Park Baptist Church in Kingsbury and have a congregation of some 70 families. We can now take our Romanian Gypsy friends to services in their own language, and we are hoping to introduce our Polish contacts to this fellowship. We have had tapes of Christian Gypsy songs from France, Finland and Czechoslovakia made for the church and if you are interested in these we have some copies for sale at £2.50 each (including p&p.)
The GFC Project for this year was the transfer of our two old films'10,000 Gypsies' and 'Gypsies on the Way to Heaven' - to video. We can now report that this has now been done and we are using the videos when we go to speak at meetings as they provide valuable footage of the early days of revival in France and Gypsy customs and culture. They are available from the office at £10.00 each (including p&p - payment with orders please!) Thank you Philip and Peter for your assistance in getting the tapes and videos completed so quickly and efficiently!
In February we had a visit from Rev C F Thomas. 'T' is always a great source of encouragement and this time he brought news and photographs from his recent trip to Pakistan. He told us about one of the evengelists who works with our representative, Basharat Ureem. He went to a Gypsy village to preach and laid hands on the a sick child. After he left the little one recovered and the people turned to the Lord. They continued to recount the gospel, as they remembered it, to their friends and neighbours. When the team returned, the villagers had built a simple church and were keen to be established in the faith. Praise the Lord! We are delighted that Bash and his colleagues are doing such a wonderful job in differcult circumstances, travelling many miles to reach the snake charmers and Gypsy tribes living in the villages around Hyderabad. Please pray for Bash, his wife, Sheba, and the team in Pakistan.
We have just visited 2 churches in the Manchester area where there are three Gypsy sites. We are encouraged to see some families coming to these fellowships and we hope to go back later in the year to work on the sites with the church folk and the Christian Gypsies. Prison work continues and we get requests for 'The Drom' from Gypsy lads inside. They need our prayers and support. Sonnie speaks at many FGBMFI dinners and breakfasts where we are able to tell people about GFC and get valuable prayer support. Our next trip abroad should be to Bratislava, Slovakia in April - please remember us then. We are very grateful to our pastor, Simon Smith, and all at The Way-In Christian Fellowship, South Woodford, for their support and the recent opportunity to share with them about the work that we do.
NEWS FROM THE WEST COUNTRY - Martin and Michele Gillmore write, "We have enjoyed many answers to prayers since we began work in the south west region. Contacts made at Priddy Fair have led to weekly Bible studies with groups of Romani Christians near Cinderford in the Forest of Dean and at Rooksbridge near Burnham-on-Sea. A local vicar, Rev Alan Hogarth, has requested our help to reach Gypsies on a site near Frome, where at present, there are no Christians. Please pray for this adventure. It is being assisted by the Gideons who are also supporting other aspects of the work of GFC in the south-west."
Martin and Michele are looking to the Lord to supply a sturdy vehicle for all their many journeys, increased fiancial support and a church to adopt the needs of the Romanis as their concern. Please pray with them.
NEWS FROM BUCKINGHAMSHIRE - Terry Hursts writes: "I visit Southall Market most Wednesdays - it is an old Gypsy market and the atmosphere is electric. I am now known as a Gypsy preacher! I have met up with lost relatives and some Christian Gypsies. My own family is turning to the Lord. I have become quite fluent in Romani, recalling how we used to talk when I was a chavvi (child)."
Terry has finished his exams as a Lay Preacher and hopes to go on to do some translation work. Please pray for him and his family.
VALDEMAR KALININ continues his liason work with Gypsy families and the schools and in his spare time he works on his Scripture translation for the UBS. Christina has settled down well at school and is making good prgress. They are living with the Belarus community in north London where they are very comfortable, but they still need our prayers.
The GFC team, Sonnie & Rosemary, Martin and Michele, Terry and Valdemar send you their love and greetings for Easter.
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