Can’t they help themselves?
Consider the following.
Honestly put yourself in the position of the person being described.
"You can put someone in the situation that is so dire that there's virtually no escape from it. I've seen people in my clinical practice for whom things around them have collapsed so badly there’s just no fixing it. You fix one thing and two other things break, you fix those and three other things break there’s just no bottom. And those are often families that have had multi-generational problems, deeply rooted, the whole community is pathologized, the entire family structure is demolished, these are people who don’t have any marketable skills and a haven’t for generations, the whole situation is complicated by drug and alcohol abuse, and heavily biologically influenced insanity of one form or another and usually conjoint with relatively low cognitive ability. It’s just hell no matter which way you turn.” Jordan Peterson from Jocko Podcast #112
This aptly describes the Roma in Slovakia and throughout Europe.
What if this was your starting point and at the age of 17 you lost one of your legs?
This was Roman’s starting point. This was the deep pit from which Christ pulled Roman and gave him a new life. And not just Roman, his whole family as well.
Each week Roman’s wife, Maruška, opens her home for Sunday school and after school tutoring.
For the past several years Roman has been leading worship in his settlement and working in a welding shop. Trained by another pastor, Roman is moving into a new phase of ministry.
This September Roman started an official training to become an elder and one day a pastor. He will be working as a welder 3 days a week, studying theology 1 day, and serving in his community as a lay pastor 1 day. And leading worship on Sundays. This new phase will be overseen by 2 pastors.
Pray for Roman. Ask our Father in Heaven to give Roman skill in his welding, wisdom in his study of scripture, and favor with those he serves.
Pray for the Roma brothers and sisters whom we serve alongside Roman.
Pray for their growth in Christ and new life among their neighbors.
Serving Him,
Dan and Rebecca, Isabel, Ezra, Rosie, Eliza, Mazzy, Hosanna, Zoya, and Linzi