Celibration of Baptism at a Local Gypsy Church

We had a great opportunity to join in the celebration of baptism in a local Gypsy church.

Feri - Great man of God, Pastor of Zsámbok Evangelical Church (mainly Gypsies)


Gabi (man) and Bori (woman) Both recently saved out of troubled lives. They both gave inspiring testimony of how Jesus saved them and both will be baptized today


Very vibrant heartfelt worship. Some were "normal" hyms and others were very gypsy style.


Bori coming up out of the water, celibrating with joy!


Gabi Being baptized, praise the Lord! They do not have a church building but they have a baptismal in the pastors back yard. Now that's keeping your priorities straight!


They played a metal water jug as part of their percussion section.


A few instruments: tambourine, flute, and metal water jug.



A few of the lovely Gypsy ladies and girls.





The pigs in the yard joined in on the whole experience with squeaks and squeals.


MORE INFORMATION ABOUT HUNGARIAN GYPSIES
Gypsy are a large subculture in Hungary. They make up between 3% - 7% of the population. They are Known as Roma which is more politically correct since the Hungarian word for Gypsy, Cigany, has a derogatory connotation of unclean or untouchable. Possibly from India's class system the lowest of which are the untouchable class. It is believed that many people may have migrated out of India 1000 years ago for a better life and have been roaming around Europe ever since. Most Gypsies live in homes but many still roam or travel around Europe.
They have their own Gypsy language with its root in India. Gypsies divide themselves into three groups each with their own dialect: artists: musicians, painters etc; thieves: pickpockets, beggars; and those with trades: carpentry, bricklayers. Each of the three groups looks down on others and all are looked down on and discriminated against by Europeans. They are treated like blacks in U.S. in 1940s and 1950s.
Most live for today and do not worry about tomorrow. That's why only 1 in 10 work. Most live in unkempt homes, trash in yards, farm animals and young children roaming free. They don't greet you on the streets (unless they think they can get something from you)
Christian Gypsies, though, are changed people. Friendly, loving and kind, full of joy and hope. They love to worship (as evidenced by this blog post) and they are hard workers.

Market Day - Good place to witness and shop

Market Day



Some of the local villages (not ours) have open air farmers markets twice a week, Thursday and Saturday. Last week a team went to the Jászberény market (pronounced - yaz bare rain, you roll the “r”s with your tongue) to witness. People responded much better to evangelism at the village market than at the city squares. They take the time to listen and talk with us in the village as apposed to the city where where many more brushed by without even looking up. There were many wonderful spiritual conversations with a few first time commitments to Jesus! Below are some sites from the Nagykata market.

Kerékpár, (Bikes) (pronounced - care ick par) parked out front marked the entrance.


Virág, (Flowers) grow everywhere and many leave the market with some in their market baskets.


Hentes, (Butcher) (pronounced – hen tesh)– We do not recognize many of the meats on the wall, counter, or in the case.


Fresh fruit and veggies are available seasonally


Konyhaedények (pots and pans) for sale at the market


Hungary is famous for paprika (peppers) of every kind.


Market basket full of goods of the day


Templom (church) in the village. I believe it is Eastern Orthodox.

The First Week In Hungary

Daniel, Natalie, Dan, and Hannah Roth

Our first week has been amazing! The entire family went witnessing with a team in Budapest - 12 persons accepted Christ, Dan got to go to Serbia, we did service projects at Elet Szava, set up our home, explored our village (Toalmas), and met people from 10 countries - all around the world. We were able to join in the very end of 8 weeks of Summer Camp at Elet Szava. They are English and German language camps for Hungarian and Serbian children where over 260 youth made a first time profession of faith this summer.



Dan and Danny evangelizing and praying with men in Moszkva tér (Moscow Square).



Natalie witnessing through an interpreter in Budapest.



Dan had an amazing opportunity to go to SERBIA for a day. There are fewer Christians in Serbia than in Iraq. He visited with a Serbian Pastor, Darko, and his wife, Elizabeth, visited Zenta, a small Serbian village, and Novi Sad, the second largest Serbian city. We visited the largest Baptist church in Serbia with only 200 people in attendance.The words on the wall behind Pastor Darko and Elizabeth are in Serbian and Hungarian since they are near the Hungarian border. It is Isaiah 56:7 ...my house will be called a house of prayer...


Serbian village roof tops viewed from an old castle fortress.



The Kastely. This is where we will be doing our schooling and is our ministry center. In Hungarian Kastely means Castle and they call these very large mansions, Castles. This is the beautiful Elet Szava (WOL) property. We will tell how Elet Szava aquired this property from the government, in the future. It is too long to tell here and now.



Our home! It is more modern than most houses. Built in 1990, it has three bedrooms and two baths. Other houses have more of an old world look.


This is a normal house in Toalmas. Most are well kept with fences, tile roofs, and this old world style.


View of roof tops in Toalmas from our upstairs window.


Most houses have very neatly kept gardens in their yard. They take up most if not all the yard and are packed - onions, carrots, lettuce, tomatoes, cabbage, paprica peppers, watermellons, potatoes, corn...


Wishing well - Most houses here have these quaint old style wells in their yard, with a roof and crank and a bucket for drawing water. They are seldom used since a public water system has recently been installed.



Plumbs grow along all the streets here. Do not eat them! They belong to the owner of the house.


Danny and his two Hungarian neighbor boys, Christov and Gary. They speak no English but they are helping us learn Hungarian. They are standing on our street, a dirt road.