A letter from Nadia Ayoub in Ukraine
April 2013
Dear Friends and Family,
Now I would remind you, brothers and sisters, of the Good News . . . that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures [Isaiah 53:5-12], and was buried . . . and was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and Christ appeared to . . . (1 Corinthians 15:1, 3-5).
The Hungarian Bible-reading Guide talks about the death word. It is unusual to say death is good news, but it is possible only because it was fulfillment of the Scripture and God’s promises to save and heal us all through Christ's sacrifice.
I greet you all. Remember Christ has risen and won the victory over death on our behalf and gave us eternal life with God.
Good news from Roma people in Peterfolvo area, Karpatalja, Ukraine: We trust that winter has gone, but we still have snow every night until the morning, then it melts by the afternoon and there is lots of rain. Thank God the children are healthy and they come to the program, which is still running among them. Some young families who came for the wintertime left again to work in Russia during the summer. We celebrated Easter with about 77 children in both settlements. The children continue to hear and learn many Bible stories and teachings and many Christian songs. We visit the children four days a week. But we have very good news: thank God for another part-time American worker who has come for a short time to do English-language camps, With his encouragement and couching, about 30 high school students from the Reformed High School agreed to visit the children and teach them more on the weekends. The Roma children and families do not stop talking about their joy in meeting with the students. Some of these students are neighbors and have never been among the Roma camps before. This is a hope that has come true—the Hungarian children meeting with the Roma in their homes. Pray that God will continue to make peaceful relationships grow between the two ethnic groups.
Csilla, the main helper, continues to amaze me with the way she prepares and presents a lesson. I am sorry—I had very good photos of her and the children, but by mistake I deleted them from the camera without saving them to my computer, I will take more and send them to you.
A house for a Roma mission center news: We give thanks to God because we found a house on the main street, and I am making visits to the house and the neighbors in a kind of an agreement to have the Roma people project there. We do not have the ownership transfer yet. New regulations are in effect in the whole country—they require ownership of the house and privatizing the land too. Many had this with the previous three or four different governments but that is not accepted with the Ukrainian government and people have to pay again for all these documents. Since the house needs a lot of renovation, I was thinking maybe we can start moving and celebrate Easter in the yard, but this plan was stopped by God because of much snow and rain and also by the regulation for transferring the ownership. We need to wait for the appraisal person to see the house and estimate the taxes, and wait for the new registration.
The strange weather we have cost problems for small businesses. The first two weeks of March we had frost and people who work with flowers were sad about their little plants. Also it is time for chicken production, but because of the cold wet weather commercial buyers did not buy the chickens, and it is costly for the small businesses to feed the chickens for an extra period. People are concerned about the loss.
The church for a long time was sustained partly by gifts and humanitarian aids from other countries, but this year the law was passed to forbid receiving any help from outside. Many containers and packages were not allowed, and they had to be sent back. That is very costly for the church, and the poor people, mainly Roma, who were depending on this help do not know what to do.
Prayers of thanksgiving:
• Thanks to God because the children are healthy and that they are able to learn that Jesus loves them.
• Thank God because we continue to be able to spend time with the children in their homes, and we feel welcomed and appreciated.
• Thank God for the new things he is doing with the non-Roma youth who are encouraged to serve God among the Roma people, and also that the Roma children are happy to receive them.
Prayers requests:
• Please continue to pray God’s provision for the registration and renovation of the Mission Roma Center House so that soon we will have a place to be able to teach the children reading and writing.
• Please pray for the church that God will provide and sustain their needs and the needs of the poor people.
• Please pray God's blessings for the small businesses and that they will be able to make up for their loss.
I thank you so much for your prayers and support. I pray God will bless you and you will have a very blessed Easter.
Serving the Living God with you,
Nadia Ayoub
Address for regular mail:
Nadia Ayoub
c/o The Reformed Church in Karpatalja
The Bishop Office
83 Munkacs Street
Beregszasz, 90202
UKRAINE
The 2013 Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 293
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