 |
| Iosef helping with camp in another village. |
Iosef is the worship leader at the church in Nusfalau. You rarely see Iosef without a smile, although it may at times be a bit mischievous. He was always teasing me and making me laugh. He liked to practice his English with me even if it was just a few words. His honest heart when he led worship was a blessing each Sunday, even if I didn’t understand all the words of the songs. It was also incredible to see him participate in reaching out to another village with the truth and love of Christ.
 |
| Maria and Anthony (Anthony is wearing bracelets made by the children at Westview!) |
Maria is a beautiful woman whose love for her family has no bounds. Maria always greeted me with an eager hug and a cheerful smile. Even through the language barrier I was able to have little conversations through my broken Romanian with Maria. Each Sunday I looked forward to spending a little time with Maria after church. She blessed me in ways I cannot describe and made me feel welcome and loved.
 |
| Little Iosef playing the Jimbay for worship. |
Little Iosef with his bright eyes always pierced my heart with great hope. This boy who is blessed to have parents who both love Jesus has a bright future. Already Iosef plays the jimbay (drum) during church and sometimes sings with his father. It’s not difficult to imagine Iosef becoming a leader of the church as he grows in stature and in faith. Iosef took to calling me Sister Allyssa (as many of the people in the church did), but it always seemed special from Iosef. He loved practicing his English and learning new words. He would ask me about my brothers at home and laugh at my broken Romanian. I have hope that God will use Iosef in mighty ways to bring the Roma people closer to Christ and hopefully to take the truth and love of Christ out to people beyond their village or maybe even country.
 |
| Marius :) |
Marius is quieter than his brother, but no less energetic. He was always a bit shy around me. Yet, he is one determined little boy. He’s always trying to keep up with his big brother, whether it’s playing soccer or racing to the end of the block. He isn’t one to give up easily. My prayer is that he would continue to choose positive role models & grow in the love of his family and Christ.
Little Anthony is the spitting image of his father and smiles just as often. I made quick friends with this little man the first Bible study I went to with Kelly. While I was there Anthony got sick and had to go to the hospital. It was always a bit vague and confusing to talk to people about medical terms, even those fluent in Romanian had trouble understanding what was truly going on. From all reports though, Anthony was very sick and even unconscious for a day or two. We prayed and prayed for that little boy to be blessed with the healing hand of God. God did heal little Anthony and he was soon home recovering. Before long Anthony was as good as new. By the time I left he was walking and gabbing all over the place! His smile will forever be imbedded in my mind.
This is just one family that has been blessed with the saving knowledge of Christ as Lord. My hope is that there would be more and more Roma families just like them who choose to live for Christ & let Christ live in them.
 |
| Little Iosef and I being silly |
