Welcome to another update from Friends of the Gypsy Roma! Our mission is intent upon reaching out to the Roma with compassion and the love of Jesus, giving them the respect and dignity that they deserve, for they are precious in the sight of the Lord.

UPDATE FOR SUMMER BIBLE CAMPS

But Jesus said, Let the little children come unto Me, and forbid them not, for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven. Matthew 19:14 The Kids Summer Bible Day Camps took place again this year in several Roma villages and were well received by the pastors, the parents but most of all, the children. The camps are very similar to our summer vacation Bible schools here in the United States.

Praise the Lord we were able to conduct camps in 7 villages again this year and reached over 300 children with the Gospel message. Friends of the Gypsy Roma is growing and Roma village leaders and pastors are giving glowing reports about the children's work that we are doing. 

It is very unusual to find a Roma church with a Sunday School or with Bible classes. Our summer children's work is growing to fill that void so that these kids have the wonderful opportunity of hearing the Gospel and coming to know Jesus. The Lord is preparing these Roma children to be the future Christian witnesses in Romania and to the "uttermost parts of the world"! May the name of the Lord Jesus be praised through the dedication of our missionary and the Christian leaders and laymen who help.

BIBLE TRAINING SCHOOLS

We have been conducting Blble training classes in four villages; Oshand, Ciumeghiu, Sinnicolau Romand and Shugatag. We are using the textbook “Conversion and Calling" which is published by World Outreach. This program is called Capstone and has been translated into Romanian.  The schools are uniquely designed to allow students to be in close proximity to their families and jobs because family is very important in the Gypsy culture. The cost of the classes is minimal, however there are requirements that must be met by the students, including a recommendation from a pastor regarding the student's spiritual life and suitability for the program. They must also do a practicum in hospitals, nursing homes or villages. The Apostle Paul charged Timothy saying, "Timothy, my dear son, be strong through the grace that God gives you in Christ Jesus. You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others." ( II Timothy 2:2) We have accepted Paul's charge and today are teaching Roma pastors and laypeople so they can pass the Gospel on to others.

Oshand Roma Church Oshand (inside)

Pastor Nastase and Claudia Serving in the Ciumeghiu Roma Church

Ciumeghiu Roma Chruch Kids Camps and Bible Training

NEWS FROM TITUS

"I finally have a good car that won't break down and leave me sitting by the road! My new car is a Volkes Wagon and will last for a long time! There have been times in the past that I have had to hitch hike, take a bus, and then a train to get to the village where I am teaching a Bible class. The area where I work is in the northwestern part of Romania near Ukraine and the weather is hot in the summer and can by extremely cold in the winter. I am praising the Lord and grateful to every one who helped to buy this car for my work in serving the Lord!

PAUL BARKEY'S MESSAGE

I want to thank you for your prayer support during our mission trip to Romania in October. I was joined by Mark Watkins from one of our supporting churches in Weatherford, Texas who was an instructor in installation and maintenance of heating and air conditioning. He was a wonderful help in installing heating and air conditioning units in two of the Roma churches. We were immeasurably encouraged by the witness of the Gypsy churches, the growth in the lives of the Bible training students, and the open doors that the Lord has created for us. We are humbled to have been used by the Lord and touched by our Roma brothers and sisters in the Lord. Paul Barkey

GYPSY ROMA PRAYER

PRAISE Safety in travel Spiritual growth in the lives of the men participating in the TUMI schools for pastors and church leaders Completion of the Audio Bible New Testament in the Roma language Titus now has reliable transportation

PETITIONS Finding the right lady to lead women's Bible study at Tileagd The right instrument for making the Audio Gypsy New Testament available to all throughout the world. Protection from spiritual oppression for those in the TUMI classes Continued blessings upon the radio program Direction as Titus goes to a gathering of Christian Roma to record testimonies.

COMPASSION FUND

As our Compassion Fund grows we are able to meet the needs of more people who do not have the financial means to see doctors, buy necessary medications or go to the hospital. There are serious medical needs in these villages and the health care system in Romania is not adequate.  When donating to the Compassion Fund, please note it on the memo line of your check and send to the address at the bottom of the email .

Friends of the Gypsy Roma is an interdenominational ministry and is incorporated in the state of Kansas and registered as a non-profit by the IRS. We have made it a practice to return fully 95% of donations back into the ministry!

Please send donations to: Friends of the Gypsy Roma P.O. Box 351 Manhattan, Kansas 6650 yahoo.com

‌ ‌ ‌