Dearest Friends,
I asked Hadia what she thought about what she had just seen. I then asked the same question of our French puppet director, Anna. Both had the same response. “I have no words” was their reply. What did they see that left them so speechless?
This afternoon we visited 2 Gypsy homes in downtown Kosice. To get there, we passed lovely shops, nicely dressed, and many beautiful flowers. A large fountain was enjoyed by the people having lunch under big tents set up in the main street to celebrate Kosice days. The air smelled delicious, as the aromas of many good restaurants filled the street. People smiled and hurried to appointments.
Then, we walked through a large double door where everything smelled very different. It was another world. One hundred people crowded into a decaying building. Among them were dozens of children who were very hungry. They received the fruit, bread, milk, butter, and other basics that we brought with great joy. In minutes, everything had disappeared. I wanted to cry when I saw how much they enjoyed and apple or a banana. You would have thought it was much more.
Nothing smelled good. All of the children had lice. No one had anywhere to go because everyone was unemployed. There was no running water, no bathroom or kitchen. Four and five people slept in what passed for a bed. The roof had fallen in and the family continued to live there because they had nowhere else to go.
These people are Maria’s friends. For 12 years, she had given herself to their children, meeting every week for a Bible club. For 10 years, she had run a summer camp for them. Under her direction, we bought the groceries. All of us, and Maria as well, understand that the adults bear much responsibility for their problems, but the suffering of the children overwhelmed the all. Pray that they will come to the clubs. Pray that no matter what happens, they will trust Jesus. He is their only Hope!
By God’s grace, we kept our eyes on Jesus, smiled, and loved them. I know that none of us were bothered personally, but we ached for the children. All of us understood that there is nothing good in us. More, these children have experienced abuse of every kind. They are Gypsies and hated the color of their skin. They grow up never seeing a normal family. Maria takes children to her home all the time so that they can taste another life.
How do we spend our free time? This question would not leave my thoughts. We pray that when God asks us this question, we will be able to answer that we invested our lives in eternity. What will you answer?
Stay on your knees! God is pouring His spirit on these shows. Tomorrow we have 4 shows scheduled. Please pray for strength!
In Jesus,
Linda for Jonlyn, Hadia, Anna, and Sam