Slovakia
(MNN) — Operation Mobilization's Greater Europe team shares exciting news from
eastern Slovakia.
OM partners in Kosice,
Slovakia, Brad
and Karla say they obtained permission to rent a new facility and moved to a
centrally-located new building where they can launch a new wood workshop for
the Roma.
The Roma are an ethnic group struggling to eke out a living
in many communities all over the world. They are still associated with the popular
culture version of wandering nomads, uneducated and associated with
pick-pocketing, stealing, begging, and scams.
They are the outcasts of Europe,
looked down upon nearly everywhere they go. That societal distrust makes
education difficult for the young people and perpetuates the poverty that
surrounds the Roma community.
A different message can provide a stark contrast. And if
that message includes the love of Christ and a place in God's kingdom, it creates a powerful response from a people who are often oppressed.
That's why an outreach like OM's
Greater Europe Slovakia's makes a huge inroad. The team is teaching this people group not only a vocational skill to
help them out of poverty, but also bringing about a living example of the body
of Christ.
The response has been encouraging. The most recent carpentry class began last
month and trains between 8 to 10 students. The good news is that half the
students are from the local church; the rest are from the community. One Slovak
man is helping the team produce kitchen and other furniture to support the
ministry and the Roma community.
Greater Europe wants to support this ministry by raising
funds for a gluing machine that's still needed for the new workshop. Because OM
is working to strengthen and help plant churches, especially among the
unreached in this region, they also need prayer support and hands to nurture
the outreach growth. Click here if you
can help .
