Easter 2001 - Newsletter 22
"Remember this! He led His people out singing for joy; His chosen people marched, singing their hearts out! He made them a gift of the country they entered, helped them seize the wealth of the nations so they could do everything He told them - could follow His instructions to the letter. Hallelujah!"
Psalm 105: 43 - 45 in The Message
As we look back over the years when Gypsies For Christ began there is much to praise the Lord for and we can follow His leading into the third millennium with joyful praise. He has given us an inheritance in the countries where we have worked and He has made resources available so that we have been able to obey His instructions. The future looks exciting and we are grateful to all that pray for and give to the ministry. "We are partners working together for God." (1 Corinthians 3:9) and your contribution has enabled the work to grow and expand.
WELCOME!
We are happy to welcome Nigel Joda from the Woodford Christian Life Church and Kumar Swami who has visited Slovakia on several occasions as the new Trustees of GFC and look forward to their help and advice in the future. We also welcome Liz Peake and Steve Jones from Birmingham who will be part of the team travelling out to Eastern Europe this summer. Both of them have worked in Romania previously and have lots to offer. We believe that Nigel, Kumar, Liz and Steve are God's gift to the ministry - please pray for these new members of the GFC Team.
JOURNEYS
"....turn and take your journey, and go...."
This year the Lord has encouraged us from passages in Deuteronomy chapter 1 and 11. Sonnie and Rosemary will be setting out for Slovakia on May 3rd, 2001 where they will be joined by Kumar who has been working among the Gypsies in Handlova, about 50 kilometres from Partizanske. They hope to establish a Gypsy church there and to arrange oversight for it and to visit contacts in Pezinok who have started a Bible school and churches in some of the nearby villages. One of these is Plavecky Strvtok which Sonnie and Rosemary have visited twice before. The new programmes for Partizanske - Dorcas Handicrafts for Gypsy women and the Evangelistic English classes - should start this summer. David Allaire from Jersey will be paying a short visit to Partizanske to observe the work. Later Steve will join the team and they will travel to Hungary together to visit the Gypsy churches in the north-east before going on to Tirgu Mures in Romania to deliver medical supplies to Dr. Eugen Dudas in San Paul and visit Chirileu and other villages. They will then go on to Craiova where Steve has contacts and Liz will join them. There are a number of villages in this part of Romania and one of these, Gingova, has been visited previously by all the members of the team. From there Sonnie and Rosemary will make their way back to Slovakia and Steve and Liz will fly home. This will be a long journey during the hottest part of the year so please uphold the team and all the Gypsies they will be ministering to in your prayers. On their return Sonnie and Rosemary will be going to Jersey for their annual working holiday. News of all these journeys will be in the Summer Update which will only be available to read on the GFC web site so watch this space!
CHANGES
This summer the office will be closed from May 1st to October 15th 2001 so please send all correspondence and gifts directly to the Treasurer, Derek Cartwright, 12 Fosters Close, South Woodford, London E18 1DQ. Anything sent to the office will not be dealt with until the Autumn but important correspondence may be sent to:
GFC
Strojarenska 198/15
Partizanske 95801
Slovakia
In future we will be sending out only two Newsletters during the year - at Easter and Christmas. Our Summer Newsletter will only be available to read on the web site. More time will be spent at the base in Partizanske developing work in Eastern Europe. Other engagements will be fitted in while Sonnie and Rosemary are at home. Your prayers and patience during the period of re-adjustment would be greatly appreciated.
USTIBEN (Rising or Awakening) 2001
April 8th 2001 was designated ROMA NATION DAY and there were rallies and celebrations in many countries. The 'March of 100,000' took place in leading cities around the world in support of the recommendation adopted at the UN Human Rights Commission last November calling for recognition of the Roma, "a nation without a territory." There were also commemorations for the Roma victims of the Holocaust and the recent ethnic cleansing of the entire community in Kosovo. In London the Gypsy Council for Education, Culture, Welfare and Civil Rights organised the programme which included music and the singing of 'Gelem, Gelem' ( We Travelled On ) the Romani anthem and ended with flowers being cast into the River Thames in memory of all those who have died. GFC was represented at this event and Sonnie gave the final blessing. Let us all pray for righteous and just solutions to the many problems experienced by the Gypsy people wherever they are and for their continuing response to the gospel,
THANK YOU
Everyone who helps GFC in any way is part of our mission to reach Gypsies for Christ and we thank you for standing with us. We appreciate all the items given for the Medical Project and the Dorcas Programme. We are grateful to WCLC for enabling us to send out (by post) our Newsletters regulary and encouraging us in so many ways. God bless you!
EASTER GREETINGS
Easter greetings from the GFC Team. The Lord is risen indeed. Hallelujah !
" In His name the message about forgiveness of sins must be preached to all nations. "
( Luke 24:47)
