Slovakia (MNN) ― Operation Mobilization's Greater Europe team shares exciting news from eastern Slovakia.
OM partners in Kosice, Slovakia, Brad and Karla say they obtained permission to rent a new facility and moved to a centrally-located new building where they can launch a new wood workshop for the Roma.
The Roma are an ethnic group struggling to eke out a living in many communities all over the world. They are still associated with the popular culture version of wandering nomads, uneducated and associated with pick-pocketing, stealing, begging, and scams.
They are the outcasts of Europe, looked down upon nearly everywhere they go. That societal distrust makes education difficult for the young people and perpetuates the poverty that surrounds the Roma community.
A different message can provide a stark contrast. And if that message includes the love of Christ and a place in God's kingdom, it creates a powerful response from a people who are often oppressed.
That's why an outreach like OM's Greater Europe Slovakia's makes a huge inroad. The team is teaching this people group not only a vocational skill to help them out of poverty, but also bringing about a living example of the body of Christ.
The response has been encouraging. The most recent carpentry class began last month and trains between 8 to 10 students. The good news is that half the students are from the local church; the rest are from the community. One Slovak man is helping the team produce kitchen and other furniture to support the ministry and the Roma community.
Greater Europe wants to support this ministry by raising funds for a gluing machine that's still needed for the new workshop. Because OM is working to strengthen and help plant churches, especially among the unreached in this region, they also need prayer support and hands to nurture the outreach growth. Click here if you can help .
