What's in it for me?

We are trying to move our Roma friends on from "what's in it for me?" thinking, to "how can I bless others" thinking.  It's taken me a life time to begin to understand the difference.  For those who have received very little blessing in their lives, and a whole lot of rejection, I guess its an even longer journey to make than it was for me.

On Saturday we cleaned 40 cars outside our church free of charge.  People were amazed as they came back from their shopping to find their cars sparkling.

Our church team had 3 Roma women and 4 Roma lads helping.  This is the first time we've invited the Roma to do something expecting nothing in return.  At lunch the 3 Roma women were handed a card on which was written "the Lord is close to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit" Psalm 34:18    I read it to them: "O Baro Del si pasha kudala kai si lengo ilo shindo, ai skipil kudalen kai si lengo duxo pelo tele."  I felt my heart being healed as I cleaned the cars.  I don't know how it affected the Roma.  Did they feel exploited? For hundreds of years their ancestors had been slaves in Romania.

Prayer times

Last night 10 of us squeezed into the front room of the home in which we meet to pray every Wednesday.  A new family has moved in so our numbers tripled.  I read the parable of the wise man who builds his house on rock from the Maximov translation.  Some words seemed alien to them but we found a way through that.  One of our team drew the story on a white board as it unfolded.  There wasn't quite space to try and act it out.  This lead to a couple of testimonies, some tears and prayers. The new Roma mother sang "Tu san amaro dad, Hallelujah!"  (you are our Father, Hallelujah) and others joined in.  It's interesting that when they prayer the Lord's Prayer they recite it in Romanian; as yet they don't know it in their own Kalderash Romani.  It's a massive privilege to then read it to them in their mother tongue.  That same night a couple of other Roma families new to Luton moved into rented property which we had found and secured within a day.

Give a man a fishing rod...

"Give a man a fishing rod..."

Give a man a fish and you disempower him.  Give him a fishing rod, teach him to fish, and you've given him a job for life.  One of our team provided some of the Roma women with sewing machines which our church folk were pleased to pass on.  Dresses have been made and sold.  But the latest marketing opportunity is a Zimmer Frame Bag.  We are not aware of anyone else having created such a bag. Over the last few days 3 have been sold at £10 each. We're praying this may be an idea from Heaven.

Meanwhile, the two bikes which we had in our shed were passed on to two Roma lads who are now cycling to school. This could save potentially £300 a year in bus fares. The lads were in their element setting the bikes up... who knows, maybe this'll lead to something.

The same day, the school called a crisis meeting. The Roma kids attendance is around 80%.  This is nothing short of a miracle.  But it's below the legal requirement.  The riot act was read, and we hope attendance will pick up.

Chaplain to Gypsies, Travellers and Roma

Today, the Bishop of St Alban's appointed me as Chaplain to the Gypsies, Travellers and Roma for our Diocese.  This is a kind of official approval of the work I've been doing with these people over the last two years.  Perhaps a good note on which to launch this blog.

The Luton Roma Church is a tiny mustard seed right now - just me and a few others meeting to pray in one Roma home. Tiny beginnings.  But there's something stirring.  Mum's decided to go for full immersion baptism on Easter Sunday.  "Me kamav te bokuima!" "I want to be born again!"  This is her way of thanking God for healing her son who a year ago had been seriously ill. At the time she saw a vision of the risen Jesus.  The prayer meetings are important to her: she's turned down work that clashed with the time we meet, not least because it meant cleaning in a very dubious place in town.  She's sacrificed income rather than compromise her faith. God will honour this!