A letter from Nadia Ayoub in Ukraine
December 2012
“How will this be?” Mary asked the angel . . . The angel answered, ". . . For nothing is impossible for God.”
Dear Friends and Families,
I greet you all with the peace of Jesus the Christ, and I trust you have had a blessed time celebrating the birth of our Savior and will have a joyful and peaceful New Year 2013.
I thank God greatly for his steadfast love for us all. Yes, many are his wonderful works here with me and the Roma people. I am very mindful of that, which is only possible because of your partnership with prayers and financial support of me and the PC(USA) World Mission and our local partner, the Reformed Church in Karpatalja.
When the weather started to be cold it came to my attention that one of the rooms that we work in has a cement floor and the kids usually sit on the floor to do their writing and coloring work using the individual boards. I asked the church to help put in a wooden floor, and I thank God and appreciate their quick act of putting in a wooden floor and carpets and linoleum for the entrance where the kids leave their shoes. That was very helpful and a benefit for the children and owner of the house too.
We tried for long time to buy a nearby place for the Roma Mission Center, but we had lots of problems with the neighbors—they did not want to have anything to do with the Roma people near their homes. Every time either they say it is clear or they tell me that the house is already sold. Even the mayor of Peterfolvo city gave some options that in the end will result in more segregation of the Roma children from the community. But as many of you continued to pray and we here too prayed for God’s provision for his good plan and place, the Lord found his person, an elder from the church, a doctor of a Christian family polyclinic, who has a house and wanted to sell it and told his plan to Pastor Seres Janos, with whom I work. I saw the house on the main street, about 1.5 km from both camps. It is a good size property, and we were happy to find it. And because he is a respected person in the community he was able to persuade the neighbor to agree. When we came to finalize the purchase there was one document missing for the ownership of the land. When I asked my local friends about this, they explained that there was a big new law, and without it I will not be able to register the house for the new buyer. It was a sad week, but then I was told that the document was found and all in order to buy—glory be to God!
I trust this next month we will be able to finish the buying and re-registering the house to the local partner church, and then I trust God will raise up a team of helpers and builders to make the necessary renovations. Already in the house are electricity and gas lines and that is very good because now permission to new lines is so difficult to obtain. We have a well, but we need a pump and water pipes to bring the water to the house—and I pray that the water is good to use. We also need to put in new siding for most of the walls and ceilings. The floor needs some work too. And we need to put in a kitchen and inside bathroom. It sounds like so much, but I trust all is possible for our great God.
My two helpers and one volunteer and the local Reformed church helped in celebrating Christmas in both camps. We had a gathering in both camps of about 35 children and around 10 adults. One day the church prepared the children’s favorite sandwich, butter and kielbasa, and an apple, and the second day we had a birthday cake to celebrate Jesus' birthday. The Hungarian pastor came and preached, and the question was, Now where is Jesus? Some of the children said he is in heaven, but then all said he is in our hearts. Lord willing, next week we celebrate the New Year too. I am sending few recent photos and a description for each and I trust the photos will tell more than I can explain. Again I appreciate your prayers and help. I pray God has blessed you and given you a wonderful Christmas and will give you a blessed New Year—for to God be the glory in all.
In Christ,
Nadia
https://www.presbyterianmission.org/ministries/missionconnections/ayoub-nadia/ and http://www.pcusa.org/news/2012/10/23/school-daze/
The 2013 Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 293
Write to Nadia Ayoub
Give to Nadia Ayoub's sending and support
Address for big packages
POTOR IMRE
BEREGSZASZI ut. 1,
4800 VASAROS NAMENY
HUNGARY
ATT: Nadia Ayoub
Address for regular mail
Nadia Ayoub
c/o The Reformed Church in Karpatalja
The Bishop Office
83 Munkacs Street
Beregszasz, 90202
UKRAINE
