Roma guys drawn in...

Week by week we ferry in Roma families from their homes to the service.  Although the Roma guys have cars in some cases, they never seem available.  This week as we were being led in worship by Stevo and his London team, a whole group of Roma guys suddenly came in and sat down.  It seemed they had come along to make fun of the whole thing.  After a few minutes they left.  One Roma guy who was there for the right reason followed them out. I joined him and together we managed to persuade the guys to come back in.  They listened very seriously now.  A powerful message was coming from the front.  We become acceptable to God not through what we do or what we abstain from, but alone by the blood of Jesus. Some time later the altar call brought forward several guys as well as all the women and children.  About 55 showed up this week - many drifting in and out.  This week we had Rennie and John from York with us. They have been praying fervently for LRC since we started.  Their presence was a huge encouragement as they got stuck in helping in ways practical and spiritual.

Meanwhile, we've decided to take the English teaching back into homes and to start the Wednesday evening later.  Many Roma families are glued to an Indian soup up till 6.30pm.  I was so slow to spot this!   Another thing we leant this week was that Indian food is simply too spicy for the Roma.  The local Pakistani man who did the cooking was briefed this time, but it was still too hot!  Only the English guests couldn't get it hot enough!

Last Saturday I was involved at the launch in Luton of "Healing on the Streets" - over 60 of us had been trained to carry out this ministry.  I met and prayed for two Roma guys who had been busking on violins in the street.  One came along to my Sunday church.  Sadly many Roma seem more suspicious of other Roma than they do of the gadgios.  It will take a move at the level of the Spirit to break down these walls of isolation and fear. But the first fruits are just visible of the Roma telling each other that they have their own church here in Luton now.