Putting the Personal Back into Interpersonal

I made a choice on this go-around of my newsletter to send it out one person or family at a time. Let me rephrase that: I am still in the process of sending it one address at a time, because this is no small task with an e-mail list of 300 addresses. This isn't always going to be possible (or maybe it will be...I haven't formed a firm opinion yet). But it has been a big blessing. Sending it slowly gave me time to pray for people more personally. It reminded me of the huge number of people praying for me. And it brought more responses back than any e-mail I've ever sent out. I heard from many friends I don't hear from often. I got caught up with some of you and heard the news of your lives. And I learned better how to pray for people whom I love. Bulk mail, whether postal or electronic, serves an important purpose, and a general newsletter helps me get more information out faster, but nothing is quite as good as one-to-one for remembering our interconnectedness in the body of Christ. So many of the people I send that newsletter to are hundreds of miles away from me. Some I haven't seen in months or even years now. But then an e-mail comes (some with pictures....joy!) and the time peels away, and I remember how much I love my brothers and sisters. That is a roundabout way of saying: Keep in touch. I am so thankful for the friends, old and new, God has placed in my life and in this work!

Welcome!

Finally, finally...welcome to my blog!

The purpose of this blog is to keep friends and supporters up-to-date on the ups and downs, ins and outs of the work the Lord is leading me to. Thus the title. "Christ for the Romani" is a call God put in my heart...wow, ten years ago now. Finally, I'm counting the time till my entry into that work fulltime in weeks, not months or years.

The Romani are a people who live all over the world, though the vast majority are in Europe. They have a rich culture and a sad history, and continue to face prejudice in many venues--even churches. Many Romani communities continue to suffer deep poverty, high teen pregnancy rates, high incarceration rates, significantly lower life expectancies, and the ravages of addictions. And in the midst of these heartbreaking circumstances, I have watched the power of the Kingdom of God transforming broken families and desperate individuals. Scripture says to first look for God's righteousness, and then trust God's provision of the rest (my interpretation of Matthew 6:31). That's the goal of this work: seeking the Kingdom of God and God's righteousness to reach into the lives of Romani people, and being part of the outpouring of God's provision of the needs of hurting people.

Please check back often for updates, musings, and all the to-do...especially as departure draws near. I'm new to this whole blogging thing, so as I play with this and get up to speed, you can watch a daily transformation of this site! I will continue to produce my bimonthly newsletter, Patrin, and send prayer updates to those interested. Please drop me an e-mail if you would like to receive those little gems.