Learning with Roma in Ukraine

Sermon preached on August 13 at GPMC

2006-08-14T00:26:00.000+02:00

Bread took on new meaning in my life over the past year. Almost without exception, bread was a part of every meal that I ate and I developed a new understanding of the meaning of sharing and breaking bread among a Christian community. So as I stand before you today to reflect on my past year of service as a Young Adult Volunteer in Ukraine, it seems very fitting to discuss Jesus’ proclamation, “I am the bread of life”.

In chapter 6 of the gospel of John, this passage closely follows Jesus’ miraculous feeding of the five thousand, when out of five loaves of bread and two fish, Jesus and the disciples fed an enormous crowd. Naturally people were amazed by Jesus’ miracle and followed him, even as he attempted to retreat to a mountain by himself. In verse 26, Jesus told these people that he did not believe that they were searching for him because of the miracle that they had witnessed, but rather because of the bread that they had received. It seems that the crowd that followed Jesus was hoping or expecting that Jesus would provide for them in the way that Moses provided manna for the Israelites in the desert. What they didn’t understand was that the type of bread that they could now receive was far greater than the manna which spoiled after only one day. The manna enabled the Israelites to survive, but Jesus, the living bread enables eternal life. They were hoping for bread from heaven and Jesus stated that HE is that bread, saying, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.” In the feeding of the five thousand, Jesus did provide for the physical needs of the people by distributing bread for their immediate nourishment. Then Jesus teaches that this bread is not enough to satisfy the hunger that their spiritual needs require. The food that enables eternal life is belief in the one sent by God, Jesus, the “bread of life”.

Mission work, in the many forms that it exists in the church, could be greatly informed by this aspect of Jesus’ teachings. Mission service is about sharing bread to meet material needs of other children of God and passing on the “bread of life” to nourish spiritual needs and sharing the love and good news of Jesus Christ. This year I had the opportunity to learn about sharing physical bread AND this Living Bread through mission. I spent the year as a Young Adult Volunteer through the Presbyterian Church (USA) Mission Service program sponsored by this congregation, Presbyterian Women, a few Rotary clubs in the area, and personal contributions. My assignment was to live and work among Roma people (also known as gypsies) in an ethnically-Hungarian village in Western Ukraine. Simply put, I was sent to serve among a minority within a minority that lives a segregated life and experiences severe poverty and significant social challenges. The Roma people that I worked among were Hungarian-speaking Roma living in Ukraine who are obviously separated from both the majority populations, Hungarian and Ukrainian. Roma people have lived in this region for seven centuries. Modern Roma lifestyle bares very little resemblance to gypsy folktales that are commonly known. There are Roma people living in countries around the world, but with particularly high concentration in Central and Eastern Europe. In this region, the Roma minority generally live on a much lower standard of living when compared with the majority population, they are often much less educated, their rights are generally underrepresented, and they are socially isolated.

The segregation of the Roma is apparent on all levels: economic, social, religious, political, and so on. In the village where I served, the most visible sign of this segregation is the Roma housing situation. The Roma people in the village where I served, as in most of Central Europe, live in a “camp” which is an area of land on the outskirts of the village where small mud-brick houses are scattered, but these houses generally lack the basic infrastructure that is available in other parts of the village. The description of the homes in the community where I worked, one room with a dirt floor, often more than 10 people living inside, one well of water for fifty people, could conjure up images of poverty stricken Africa or Central America. But shock sets in when one hears that this community is in Europe. Walking among the homes of the Roma, I often forgot that I was living and working less than 5 miles from the European Union border.

The greatest challenges faced in the Roma community where I served are unemployment, illiteracy, hunger, and isolation. In the region of Ukraine where the village is situated, the economy is struggling and stable employment is quite rare. Five people in the one-hundred fifty member community have stable jobs, working at the train station. So most Roma people survive on small amounts of government aid, international aid, some seasonal labor, and money they can gather by selling reusable trash. For many years the Roma children did not go to school due to discrimination faced at schools and lack of perspective of long-term benefits of education, among other factors. The Roma camp generally consists of large families with little money to support them and little hope for future income. Since Ukrainian independence in 1991, the situation in the Roma camp seemed to be becoming steadily worse, but Christian missionaries from the Reformed Church began to reach out among this community teaching about God and offering new signs of hope. The most apparent beacon of hope is a two-story white building in the center of the Roma camp that serves as a separate school for Roma children, a community center, and home to the Reformed congregation in the camp. This building is a clear example of mission that provides for material needs and serves to spread faith in Jesus Christ, the living bread. The ministries that I was active in were made possible by this facility. Working along side a Hungarian volunteer, my main activities were co-teaching a classroom of 11-15 year olds that have just begun their formal education, running an afternoon preschool, teaching English, organizing a women’s sewing circle, planning community programs, and attending all Bible studies, worship services, or other Christian gatherings in the community.

From the time that I began to consider this mission opportunity, I genuinely have felt that God called me to serve among the Roma in this village in Ukraine. As I was going there, I was thinking about how I could use my studies of development economics to work among the Roma, perhaps starting cooperatives or teaching financial management. I had big ideas for what to do in addition to my teaching. I arrived to find out that God had some other ideas. Much to my surprise in many of my activities, I was serving in areas that I would have considered my ‘weak points’.

One of the greatest ministries that we were able to offer was forming a preschool group to begin education from the age of three rather than thirteen. I had no training, understanding, or previous experience about how to teach children at this age level. We had no financial support or materials to support our program. But God’s hands were at work and results were delivered. All sixteen preschool-aged children from the camp attended our preschool. Through simple activities, songs, games, and sharing a meal together, we gave the children and the parents a positive experience with school in hopes that this increases the likelihood that these children will have greater opportunities for education in the future. The children learned how to go up and down stairs, how to raise their hands, their colors, how to use a flushing toilet and a sink, and more- in hopes that they will be better prepared for school. Despite our lack of pedagogical training, God enabled small miracles to occur with each of our sixteen preschoolers.

Another so-called weak point of my ability to minister was my language skills since I had to operate in Hungarian, a language that I was still learning. In my work with 11-15 year olds, this actually became an incredible blessing since it enabled my students to also be teachers (my language teachers) and taught them great patience in the process! They developed my language skills to the point where our conversations could be on a much deeper level. But the fact that I was still in the learning process also improved my listening skills. One of my girls, Agica, would confide her troubles about love and relationships and her fear of becoming a teenage mother, like so many other Roma young women. One of my boys confessed to me the times that he had shoplifted from the store and asked forgiveness. Another student, Erika, knew that when the situation was rough at home, she could come and cry with me, knowing that I would not force her to talk. My imperfect Hungarian at times even enabled my ministry.

While teaching English, I noticed that the children learned the most new words through songs. It must be said that God did not bless me with a beautiful singing voice. But in an effort to teach more effectively I was forced to put all embarrassment aside in order to teach the kids praise songs in English, albeit perhaps out of tune. In a repeat-after-me style, the children learned songs like ‘Open the eyes of my heart Lord’ and a favorite from my days in TUXIS, ‘Sanctuary’. I knew that God was present in my ministry when one of my girls told me, Teacher you have the most beautiful singing voice- Perhaps such a statement could only be made on that day and according to her ears. These songs were very important on stressful days when I knew something difficult had occurred in the camp. We would sing Sanctuary over and over again as a form of prayer. This brought a sense of safety and peace into the classroom. The children seemed just glad to have someone with whom they could to sing and words with which they could approach God.

So in many aspects of my ministry this year, God was indeed working through my weaknesses rather than my strengths! Personally the greatest lesson from the year was that God does not call the qualified; God qualifies the called. God does not call the qualified; God qualifies the called.

Need is all around us, which means we can always find a way to serve, especially since qualifications are not necessary ONLY a sense of calling is. It’s too easy to see the immense poverty in the world and just say that it is hopeless. I firmly believe that it is not. Situations can improve. Perhaps the changes will seem slow or insignificant, but we cannot know the effects of our work. I challenge you, as individuals and as a congregation to search in the community around you and in the international community for an on-going mission that you can devote yourself to in the name of Christ. By living and working in mission on a continuous basis, God’s work in the world becomes more and more apparent.

Thinking back to the life that I just left behind last week, I remember the buttered bread that we gave to our preschoolers, the clothes donations that assisted those families through a long, tough winter, but even more so I remember the moments when I could feel that Holy Spirit joined us in Christian community or challenged and taught us. During this year of service, I had the opportunity to break bread in Christian community and despite many challenges and frustrations often could see God’s amazing work in the process, just at the feeding of the five thousand. But more importantly I could see how indeed Christ is the Living bread.

Our call to serve is stronger than our weaknesses or our disagreements. As followers of Christ, we are called to mission in the name of Christ- to give bread to our brothers and sisters and to spread the word about and show the love of Jesus Christ, our living bread. In response to the unconditional love that we receive from God, the greatest commandment calls us to pass that love on to others. In the same way, as a response to the bread that we receive from God, both the material bread and the living bread, we are called to live in mission and share that bread with others.

I would like to close with a prayer that guided me and gave me strength throughout the year. This is the prayer of Oscar Romero, a former archbishop from El Salvador. It helps put our personal call to service into perspective relative to GOD’S work in the world. It reminds us that as the world hungers for bread and the bread of life, we must be active in a mission that is much larger than our own work. Listen for your call to mission. Let us pray.

It helps now and then to step back and take a long view. The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts, it is even beyond our vision.
We accomplish in our lifetime only a small fraction of the magnificent enterprise that is God’s work. Nothing we do is complete, which is another way of saying that the kingdom always lies beyond us.
No statement says all that could be said. No prayer fully expresses our faith. No confession brings perfection. No pastoral visit brings wholeness. No program accomplishes the Church’s mission. No set of goals and objectives includes everything.
This is what we are about: We plant the seeds that will one day grow. We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise. We lay foundations that will need further development. We provide yeast that produces effects far beyond our capabilities.
We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that. This enables us to do something, and to do it well. It may be incomplete but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an opportunity for the Lord’s grace to enter and do the rest.
We may never see the end results, but that is the difference between the master builder and the worker. We are workers, not master builders; ministers, not messiahs.
We are prophets of a future not our own. AMEN.

Small miracles take place every day at camp!

2006-08-05T20:29:00.000+02:00

We have just finished the summer camps for the year. Our kids were camping here and there and I was traveling around Hungary and Ukraine with different kids and at two different camps, but looking back now I can see that there really is meaning to taking our kids camping... though the days were sometimes long and tiring, small miracles happened each day!

The first camp that I was at was two weeks long and took place in Debrecen, Hungary with our kids from Szürte, Ukraine. Our school was invited as a group by a Dutch organization to give the Roma children an opportunity to see a different country and have lots of new experiences. Our kids who hardly travel beyond the boundries of the Roma camp in the village "went out into the big world". The significance of the experience can even be seen in simple examples. At home, the Roma mostly only eat with a spoon and our kids have never learned to eat with fork and knife. During the two weeks of camp, they ate all three meals with knife and fork (they even tried to eat lunch meat and bread this way). Most of our kids had never been swimming before and each day we were in the water and even went to one of Hungary's largest water parks! They learned lessons of perseverance in learning to swim and experienced great excitement in the small victories in this process. Our youngest girl, who hardly said a word in school all year-- stood up to perform a song AND dance at the closing camp fire. Most of all the kids saw an example of what it means to live in Christian community with lots of adults surrounding them with love.

The second camp that I was at was in a village in Ukraine at the Roma Mission Center for the Hungarian Reformed Church of Transcarpathia (Check out their new website at: http://ref-romamission.blogspot.com). This camp welcomes children from all over the region of Transcarpathia, Ukraine for a week of camp. The accomadations, food, and program are simple compared to most other camps in the area, but it's significance is GREAT! The children come from deep poverty and situations of oppression and have the chance to be in Christian community for a week. For those of you that responded to my request for funding, it was for THIS camp. First of all, THANK YOU THANK YOU! The money came through and helped to make the summer extraordinary. A more detailed report will follow, but you can check out some pictures in advance at the website above.

After an exhaustingly meaningful summer, the camps have come to an end, but that's not the only end...

On July 31, my year of service among Roma in Szürte came to an end. On Monday, I will fly back to Detroit to reunite with my family and my home congregation. Processing this experience has just begun. More will follow...

Going camping... but we need your help!

2006-05-24T20:45:00.000+02:00

For the last few years, the Hungarian Reformed Church of Carpathia (the local church that sponsors hosts the volunteers here) has held a camp for Roma kids in the summer. This is a chance for them to get away from home, get to know other Roma kids from throughout the region, and to learn about God. The kids have been talking about the camp ALL YEAR, which demonstrates that it is a very important ministry. The Roma kids from Szürte (35 in all and us volunteers as well) will spend two weeks there this summer. During six weeks in June and July, this ministry will reach out to almost 400 Roma children from this area. For many of the kids, this is where they meet their role models among other Roma children or counselors. Many of the children first go to camp... and then start attending school. So the benefits of this ministry extend beyond the week of camp.

For the kids to come for the week, they have to pay a minimal fee (approximately the cost of three loaves of bread). The low level of this fee is incredibly important so that we are able to include all the children, even those coming from the poorest of families. Although the camps are sponsored by the local Reformed Church, they are usually financed from outside the region. This year somehow the funding has not arrived. The faithful leaders of the camp, Attila and Olivia Tomes, are planning the camp with great enthusiasm, but they have not received any of the money that they were promised. They are prayerfully planning this summer and asked all involved to pray as well.

I asked Attila and Olivia what the cost of the camp is. They told me that for one child to be there for the week, the entire cost is 22 dollars. I was shocked by this figure knowing how easy it would be to spend that money on something less meaningful. So I thought of my home communities and home churches and decided to try to help fundraise to make these camps a reality. Unfortunately they do not have an American bank account and so it is quite difficult for the funds to be transfered officially. But I do have an American bank account and wonderful parents who will take care of the administrative tasks.

So if anyone would be interested in supporting this ministry, checks can be sent to my home address. My parents will deposit the money and tell me precisely how much was donated. I can take out that much money from the ATM here and get it to the leaders of the camp to support their ministry with Roma children. In order to be more informed about the ministry, for every 22 dollars donated you can sponsor a child's week at camp. After the camp is over, you will receive an email with the picture of the child and a little about their history and experience at camp. Checks unfortunately can only be made out in my name (though for next year I will try to find a better way) "Kristin Nickel" with "Roma camp" in the memo line and sent to:
Kristin Nickel
746 Bedford Road
Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan
48230

Thank you for your support in this ministry!

Newsletter: The benefits of being together

2006-05-16T20:58:00.000+02:00

Being a volunteer among a community means that, in some small way, I experience parts of the community’s joy and its sorrow, its celebrations and its pains. In the past month, I have been present at two major community gatherings. At the first, the community gathered to celebrate and the room was filled with joy. At the second gathering, the community came together to grieve and the camp was filled with sorrow. In both cases, the days were made brighter by the fact that family, friends, and neighbors were gathered together in community.

Ustiben- International Roma Day, April 8th

Roma, commonly known as gypsies, are an ethnic group that is not represented by a single government. Rather Roma have settles in countries around the world, with the most significant number in Central and Eastern Europe. The Roma have integrated in some regards into the majority society around them. For example, many no longer speak a Romani language, but communicate only in the language of the majority society. But in many other aspects of life, they are clearly segregated from the majority population. They usually live in camps separated from the rest of the town. Within the camp, poverty and unemployment are generally high, while the standard of living and the education levels are generally low. These divisions mean that Roma often do not identify with the majority culture and have a greater need to unite with other Roma because of this. But there are few occasions or reasons to celebrate their Roma identity.

April 8th has been designated as International Roma Day. Until this year, April 8th was just like any other day in the Roma camp in Szürte. This year, my fellow volunteer and I organized a celebration in which most of the community took part. The children sang and danced. The Roma congregations sang. The preschoolers put on a play. The school kids recited poems. The day ended with the whole community dancing together- grandmothers with grandsons, neighbors together, and of course the preschoolers and school children as well.

Although the Roma community is divided on many lines, on April 8th this didn’t seem to matter. Although many Roma stated that there was no reason to celebrate their Roma identity, the Roma community gathered together with great joy to celebrate their common identity. The celebration was richer because of the participation of Roma from all different corners of the community and the joy was multiplied by the fact that they were celebrating together.

Horvath László’s funeral- May 12th, 2006

About a month later, the community gathered together again, but this time on a much more somber note- to grieve the loss of one of its members, László. He had been physically and mentally ill for more than two years. Some say that his illness was the result of being badly beaten by the police. Others say that is was caused by a bicycle accident. Due to his illness, he moved down the street- from living with his wife and two small children to living with his mother and brother. It has been two difficult years for him and his family that took care of him. His death and the grieving that followed was a true testimony that every member of a community is precious.

The community gathered together for his funeral to say goodbye and to bear the pain of the loss together. From one day before the funeral until the burial, his mother and wife wailed loudly and painfully, a Roma ritual for saying goodbye to those that you love. The funeral was held in the courtyard of his home and then ceremoniously the community walked together to the cemetary for the burial. The Roma section of the cementary can be identified as most of the graves have simple wooden crosses rather than elaborate stones. The path was all too familiar for the Roma. As we entered this section of the cemetary, I saw mothers looking painfully at the graves of the children that they lost prematurely and I saw a three year old girl touch the grave of the father that she lost just months ago.

Here they gathered again. As his body was lowered into the ground, the wailing of his mother and his wife saturated the air. My eyes were fixed on Nikoletta and Norbi, two of our preschoolers, the children of László. They never really knew their father- they were too young when he became ill. Nevertheless, their faces were filled with fear as they listened to their family and the community cry and grieve the loss of their father. During the course of the funeral, burial, and the days that followed, the children clung closely to their mother and many other members of the community. This is the community that watched their father grow up, this is the community that was there when they lost their father, and this is the community that will raise them as they grow up without him. The importance of this community was clear as they stood in a circle around the grave site. The women held each other close. The men together filled the grave with dirt. They have their divisions and disagreements, but they gathered together again to strengthen one another in the face of suffering. By sharing the pain that they all understand too well, the burden seemed to be lighter.

This community, with all its problems and divisions, has demostrated to me that both joy and sorrow are made better when shared with those around you. My experience in this community makes me think of the communities back home that I left behind and the importance that their unity has had in my life. It is all too easy to allow the challenges and frustrations of living and working together to close us off from community. But isolation from community makes our challenges ever more difficult, as the Roma community knows very well. Through thick and thin, this Roma community faces everything together and I think that they are better off because of that.

Many blessings to you and the communities around you.

Article in the New York Times about Roma

2006-05-08T00:43:00.001+02:00

Click here

Reminders of the Managua City Dump...

2006-04-26T21:33:00.000+02:00

In many ways, the journey that I am currently on began in the Spring of 2001 when I traveled to Nicaragua with a group from Davidson College coordinated by the Chaplain's office. We traveled on a "reverse mission trip" to learn, see, and converse with people to better understand the situation of Nicaraguans and the challenges that many of them face. This week-long trip shifted my direction, focus, and outlook. It was one of the turning points that in hindsight I can see was a part of leading me where I am today. The part of the trip that hand the strongest effect on me was our trip into the Managua city dump, where over 1,000 people make their livelihood by digging through and living among the trash. The images of children standing bare feet in trash are inescapably imprinted in my mind and reminders seem to repeatedly come back.

Last year when I accepted the role as a Rotary Amabassador Scholar to Budapest, Hungary, I attended a meeting at the Grosse Pointe Rotary Club where there was a presentation about the District's international mission project: supporting a program working with the children of the Managua city dump. Even as I was preparing to leave for a year studying the transition from socialism to market-based economy, the reminders came back. I wasn't able to forget that extreme injustices exist in the world. Which led me to pursue opportunities in mission related work through the church.

This year, working among Roma, I have had many reminders of that week in Nicaragua. The housing and environment in the Roma camp reminds me of the poor neighborhood where we stayed in Managua. The hopelessness of finding work reminds me of the rural village where we stayed. But the strongest reminder came this part week when I went out for a run.

I ran on the back dirt roads of the village and discovered the place where people from the village throw their trash (I always wondered where it went since I have never seen a garbage truck). It was a open field covered in garbage. As I ran by I noticed a few Roma women digging through the trash collecting metal. Then I noticed a Roma father and son approaching pulling a wagon behind them. By the time I ran back I could see the boy digging through the trash as well. The image of this boy and the smell rising from the trash sitting under the mid-day sun brought me straight back to the Managua city dump. It was a vivid connection between what I saw then and where I am now.

I have often wondered if I somehow got off the "right" path, if I should really be working to end the injustice in the Managua city dump that I witnessed five years ago.

But it is true: God works in mysterious ways.

When I saw Roma digging among the trash, I realized that it's a part of the same mission. I can pray that somehow someone will go to rescue the children among the trash in the Managua city dump. But for now I feel my place is here, among the Roma that dig through the trash and among those that need support in some other way. After all in some way or another we all must be rescued and there are always need that surround us. Perhaps there are no massive dumps surrounding you with thosounds of people that must be rescued. But need is there if our eyes are opened to see it.

The incredible Irénke

2006-04-19T21:51:00.000+02:00

Sometimes miracles happen. But sometimes amazing results are produced by hard work, determination, and perseverance.

Irénke's learning curve is an example of the latter.

Irénke is 11 years old and the youngest student in my class. She sits in the front row. In the Fall, she wasn't exceptional in any of her school subjects. She could get the homework done and read slowly, but was certainly not one of our top students. The sentence that she repeated most often was "Nem tudom"-"I don't know" either because she did not know or as a result of her complete lack of confidence. She was quiet and did not stand out distinctly from her peers.

Now I must introduce someone quite different. Irénke has risen to the top of the class. She eagerly raises her hand. Now offering correct answers. She has moved from one of the slowest readers in the class to one of the quickest. She is learning English and Ukrainian at lightning speed. She helps her classmates complete their homework.

It's an amazing transition. So what's the secret?

Consistency. Determination. Persistence.

Irénke is in school every day. She is prepared every day. She will not give up. When there is a reading exam, the night before she practices reading the assigned story over and over again. I wouldn't be surprised if she read for hours. When the students must memorize Ukrainian words or an English text, she repeats it over and over again.

Over the course of the year she has developed in amazing ways. The greatest aspect of this transition is that I can now see her confidence building as well. She still sits in the front row of the classroom, but she no longer just blends in. Her hand is raised enthusiastically and she is setting the tone for the classroom. As a teacher, I feel blessed that she is there. I believe that she may be the first Roma student to make the transition back to the state school. Her example demostrates once again that a little hard work and determination CAN produce amazing results.

Happy International Roma Day!

2006-04-17T20:29:00.000+02:00

April 8 has been designated as international Roma day,when Roma around the world celebrate their nationality. In Szürte this has never been celebrated and in fact no one had heard of it. We decide to plan a celebration and allow anyone from the Roma community to get up to dance, sing, recite poetry, talk about their lives, etc. For weeks the kids were preparing... On the day, most of the Roma community came out! The greatest part of it was it was just for them. They are used to celebrations when the foreigners come bringing aid, but not just for them. With great pride, the children danced Roma folk dances and recited poetry by Roma authors. From morning to evening, the building was alive and the community was out with nothing to celebrate but themselves!

As we held an intermission with sandwiches and cakes, I encouraged one of the women to help herself to some sandwiches. Her response was, "only after the foreign guests". When I told her that there were no foreign guests she marched right in and enjoyed sandwiches with her friends and neighbors.

The day ended with Roma music being played and everyone dancing! Grandmothers danced with their grandsons, neighbor with neighbor, I was lucky enough to end up dancing with three of our preschoolers. In the end the day was about community-- something that it not celebrated often enough.

Even in the process of planning the day, we ran into some challenges and conflicts within the community. For example, two long time enemies did not want to share the same stage. In the end, everyone decided to put their grudges down and let the community thrive at least for one day. It was a good one.

Several women helped make sandwiches for the reception

The first grade class sings "This is the day" in English and Hungarian

Jozsi-bacsi, the leader of the Roma congregation gives a short devotional

Our young Dianna has a voice that charmed the whole audience

Even our preschoolers got into the music

The kids practiced for weeks and danced their hearts out

Szidi, my roommate and fellow volunteer, and me after a busy and successful day

More pictures from the preschool

2006-03-29T18:54:00.000+02:00

Building a Lego train

Story time

Zolika focuses on building a tower, his favorite activity!

Lajcsika enjoys the afternoon meal at preschool, while campaigning for Yuschenko's political party for the elections that took place on March 26

Nikoletta, one of our preschoolers who is excited about starting school next year

Getting dressed up for "school"!

2006-03-28T00:58:00.000+02:00

Almost any time that you go on the streets of the Roma camp is Szürte, you are guaranteed to find children between the ages of 3 and 6 out on the streets just playing. They wander out from their homes and often without adult supervision and improperly dressed for the weather, they run up and down the street inventing games as they go. Seeing a need to organize some activities for these chilren and to prepare them for school, my fellow volunteer (Szidi) and I began a preschool two afternoons a week. With very little experience to use to run a preschool, this was one of our most challenging activities, but it has become very rewarding.

The children came to us faithfully. All we had to do was holler "óvoda!!" ("preschool") on the street and they came running. Their parents were also enthusiastic about the kids having a place to go. We are pleased that with only one exception every family decided to send their kids to us! When our 15 preschoolers gathered for the first time, we were surprised to find that they didn't know such basic things as their colors and that they had no experience being in a group or organized activity. This project became much more challenging than expected and I admit that there were moments when there were 15 preschoolers running around in circle with the two of us trying to catch them. Considering this, I can say without a doubt that the children have learned a lot.

As preschool begins, they line up at the bottom of the stairs and walk up the stairs by themselves (we used to have to almost carry them up). Then they are told to "walk like a big preschooler" to the carpet where we have story and play time. They strut proudly to the carpet but never run anymore. As soon as we sit down in the circle, they greet us in unison "Jó napot kívanok tanitó nenik"= "Good afternoon teachers". We then have an activity- reading a story, drawing, playing with playdough, etc. After that they wash their hands and we sit down to eat. Most often we give them buttered bread (which they love), but we have found that God has provided us with food for these children in ways we couldn't plan. The first day that they ate at preschool, they stuffed their mouths and then asked for more, saying "give me more!". Now they enthusiastically eat their bread, but only when their mouths are empty they ask "May I please have more?" Their hands and faces are still always covered in butter, which reminds us that they are still kids and it always brings a smile to our faces.

When we walk down the street of the Roma camp, the children are still playing on the streets most of the time and usually they are improperly dressed, wearing skirts or sandals in winter, for example. But now every time that we walk by the kids ask, "do we need to come to preschool today?" The four hours that we meet each week are certainly the focus of their week and it shows. Most of the parents dress the kids in their finest clothes, comb their hair, wash them up, and send them off to preschool. It gives the children a feeling of pride and they constantly express excitement about when they will get to go to school.

It's a simple program, but an important one. And the results are visible in the images of Násztya, one of our preschoolers displayed below. The pictures are taken on the same day and I think that they speak for themselves.

Násztya before preschool

Násztya at preschool

Pictures of Szürte!!!

2006-03-11T10:53:00.000+01:00

The main road and the Hungarian Reformed Church (I live in a guest house right behind it)

Szürte train station

The road leading to the camp

The kids in front of the Roma school

The afterschool program with my class

CAUTION: Cigarettes may be a source of life, not death

2006-03-10T19:05:00.000+01:00

No, I am certainly not advocating smoking. Rather I would like to share with you a reality of life in this small village in the corner of Ukraine.

Unemployment is prevalent in Transcarpathia, the region of Ukraine close to the Hungarian, Slovakian, and Romanian borders. For many people, the possibility of a stable, official job is even beyond hope. Most work is on the black market or part of the unofficial economy. (As a side note, some estimates say that 60% of the Ukrainian economy is "unofficial"-- so this term has a different meaning in Ukraine than in other countries.) Apart from a few state jobs at the train station, the Roma living in the camp were are I work are all unemployed.

They live on support that comes from international NGOs, the state, seasonal work (primarily on a cucumber farm). There are also a few men that travel to Hungary to work in construction for a few months at a time. They return home with a salary (hopefully!) at the end of their work. But in reality these sources of income can't provide very much to live on. So many people have found a way to live off of cigarettes.

Szürte is right near the Hungarian-Ukrainian border. Among many other differences between Hungary and Ukraine, cigarettes are much more expensive in Hungary. Any good market economist would see an incredible opportunity to make income here. So do many Roma, Hungarians and Ukrainians. Taking cigarettes across the border by train (as referred to as smuggling in many contexts) is becoming increasingly more common among any Roma who have enough money to pay the expenses for getting a passport.

The cigarettes are bought in Ukraine and then the cigarettes are stuffed in bags, up sleeves, in shoes, into the walls of the train, etc in order to cross the border. Once across the border, the cigarettes are sold onto the Hungarian market. The whole process takes about four hours.

The price difference between Hungary and Ukraine is maintained as there are "strict" restrictions on the transfer of cigarettes across this border. So often the cigarettes are confiscated by the Hungarian customs agents or perhaps one would have to pay a bribe to get the cigarettes across the border. It is certainly not a risk-free way of making some income, but given the poverty present in the community, many people are willing to take these risks.

One of the girls is my class "goes to Hungary" (as they call this activity) with her mom at least three times a week. This involves waking up around 3am, a half hour walk to the train station (which is not so pleasant in the bitterly cold Transcarpathia winter), a half hour train ride to the city nearest to the Hungarian border, up to an hour going through Ukrainian customs and passport control, a ten minute train ride across the border, ?? minutes going through Hungarian customs and passport control, a quick trip to the market to sell the cigarettes, then the same trip in return-- just now without the cigarettes. If all goes well, they are back home just after 8am, which allows her to show up to school (she's usually a few minutes late, but we let her in) to study from 8am to 3pm. As you can imagine, her eyelids look pretty heavy by the time the school day is approaching its end.

This is by no means a desirable lifestyle, much less a desirable childhood. But the reality is that based on the standards in the Roma camp, this girl's family lives at a much higher level. For them, cigarettes are the source of life, whether they light up or not.

The perils of aid

2006-03-01T20:32:00.000+01:00

During the Women's sewing circle last week, quite naturally the topic of conversation was the division in the community that I wrote about in my last entry. One comment in particular stayed with me. One of the women who regularly attends the congregation (which has been the main recipient of aid) reflected on the "good old days" before any help came from abroad. Her reasoning was that back then one knew that the people that were attending the congregation were doing so in order to grow closer to God-- no alterior motives. Now many who attend the congregation are accused of attending JUST so that they will receive their share of the next truckload that comes from abroad.

Unfortunately this accusation may be true in some cases... This raises the question: how should aid be given? Should aid be targeted to those with the greatest need? Should aid be given as a reward (i.e. for attending school or church)? Should aid be given to everyone regardless of need and without any strings attached? There are benefits and drawbacks to each. But once again considering the relationships within the community where the aid is sent is VITAL.

Isn't it ironic to hear those with tremendous material needs reflecting on the "good old days" when no help came from outside but then people within the community were more likely to help one another?!?

Finding the unity in community

2006-02-22T22:26:00.000+01:00

Community development seems to be the solution proposed to a lot of problems related to poverty and social exclusion. The concept on "community development" is based on the idea of grassroots development starting with relationships on a local level. Microfinance banks offer group loans to people without assets relying on accountability between members of the group to ensure that the loan is repaid. Foundations offer grants only if the money goes to support local initiatives supported by the community. This perspective on development is directly trying to fight the top down approach where those in power TELL the local community what to do, but this approach also assumes some unity in the the community.

Among the Roma community is Szürte, there are many examples where the community worked together to accomplish great things. The school grew from a community initiative of gathering in homes teaching children to read. This initiative attracted financial support to fund the construction and upkeep of the school from the Netherlands and Germany. This support brings a lot of hope to the community and has the potential to create many great outcomes, but it also has the potential to be destructive in the very community that it was trying to help. With the resources that come from outside the community, there is the challenge of how to distribute them fairly and justly, in a way that builids up the community rather than dividing it.

The current situation of the Roma community in Szürte is an example when community development can destroy unity in the community.

Donations of clothing come in frequently from abroad. For some families, this clothing is the only way to stay warm in the winter. So the support is certainly filling a need. However, as anyone from the camp about clothes and you will be sure to get a laundry list of complaints about who got what and the story will end with the comment "but I have NEVER gotten anything useful" even while wearing the boots and coat that came from the donations. Perhaps complaining about the past is a way of requesting more for the future. Perhaps complaining is rather a result of comparing the donations that the neighbors got with the ones that arrived on the doorstep. Perhaps the grass is always greener on the other side. Now neighbor has turned against neighbor, Christian against Christian, because of the clothes that cames from loving sisters and brothers in Western Europe. Maybe it would have been better for unity in the community if the clothes never came...

A Dutch organization built an extremely pratical and well-designed school builiding-- and even thought to include two rooms with showers around the back. Showering is a luxury that was largely unknown to this community before the building was built. Now a conflict has broken out because members were given unequal access to the water and showers based upno the frequency of their attendence at the worship services of the congregation that meets in the builiding. The congregation feels entitled to certain rights associated with their church building, which they contend is a holy place. The people who do not attend the congregation SHOUT on the streets that it's a school NOT a church. Shouts of hypocrisy are directed towards the congregation. It's hard to expect the numbers of the congregation to grow with these circumstances. So the showers were a blessing to the community, but is the price a division between the church and the community that it is a part of?

The students who attend the school receive a free lunch from the state everyday. Everyday there is food left over. We decided that it could be put to good use by giving it the children that attend out afternoon preschool. Then it came out that the leftovers were being eaten by the congregation leaders and their families-- and they were the ones that were not very suppotive of the idea to give the food to the preschool kids. So the decision had to be made: do we feed the kids or keep the leaders happy? The kids will eat tomorrow at preschool.

The truth is that in the community where I work there is great need. It's a blessing that support comes from outside, but the moment the support arrives the divisions in the community seem to grow larger. There are a lot of people working to prevent this, but I am learning everyday that there is often a tradeoff between meeting immediate needs and helping the community. When clothes, water, and food are actually tearing the community apart, how can community development be combined with reducing poverty??

Jesus' message was simple: feed the hungry, clothe the naked, help the ill. But He never said that it would be easy.

Do you trust in me???

2006-01-03T14:30:00.000+01:00

In the first month, whenever we showed up at the school the kids were excited. They would run up to us and want to be the first to talk to the new teachers. After three months, the novelty of us teaching there has worn off... now when we walk into the school the kids greet us with the traditional greeting (in unison with monotone voices), "Jó reggelt kívánok tanitonenik" or "Good morning teachers". Perhaps the decrease in enthusiasm seems only natural. Teaching kids day in and day out can be frustrating on the one hand and incredibly rewarding on the other. It is easy to not notice how much the kids care that teachers are there and how much our opinion of them matters.

One of my boys, in fact my best reader, often seems indifferent in school. When I ask him to do something, he seems to lack enthusiasm. Perhaps this has to do with the fact that he is a 13 year old boy, the fact that the activities are sometimes boring for him due to his more advanced level... or perhaps, judging by his home life, he's not used to people being interested in him. For whatever reason, I would not have counted him among the students with whom I felt that I had built a strong relationship.

One Sunday in December I was walking home from the Roma church and I stopped in the store to buy some bread. As I was walked into the store one of my boys (the one that I have the hardest time with) was running out. The shopkeeper was yelling at him. I asked what the problem was. She told me that he was stealing chocolate from the store. Knowing the prejudices that the majority population have towards Roma and the stereotype that Roma steal, I guessed that the storekeeper was making a false accusation. I told the boy, "Please show her that you are not stealing." He proceeded to pull three chocolate bars out of his pants' pockets. He gave them back to the shopkeeper and then ran off. Thinking that was the end of it, I went into the store to find another one of my boys (my best reader that I described earlier). The shopkeeper informed me that he was also stealing. I repeated the same line, "Please show her that you are not stealing" and genuinely believed that this boy would not steal. Then he pulled chocolate bars out of his pocket as well. I was disappointed and he knew it. I asked him, "how can they trust in you now when you come in the store when they know that you tried to steal?" He left the store and the shopkeeper thanked me for my help. Her stereotype of Roma was confirmed; my heart was heavy for the rest of the day.

I arrived in school the next morning disappointed that neither of the two boys came to school. Around 10 am, the second boy showed up in class and asked my permission to come to school late. We went into the classroom where we could talk in privacy. As I shut the door behind me, he said "I didn't want to steal yesturday. I don't normally steal. I'm a good boy." Then came the question that stayed with me, "Do you still trust in me?" Without even thinking, my answer came out, "Yes, but I was disappointed." He assured me that it would not happen again. Perhaps, I'm naive but I think that I believe him.

Later that day I received a note written in broken Hungarian. The message was along the lines of the following: "Why did I have to steal? And why, when I did, did the teacher have to come into the store so that I had to be ashamed of myself?"

From that day on our relationship changed. He knows that I do believe in him and I know that my opinion of him matters to him. This way, we can respect one another and learn from one another. I pray that he may grow up and live up to his own standards, that he will grow up and prove wrong all the stereotypes that people hold about Roma... I think that this is a start.

What does it mean to be Roma anyway?

2005-12-28T14:05:00.000+01:00

I've been using the word Roma to describe the community that I am working with, but I never really defined it. Partly that's because defining it is not an easy task. First, a disclaimer, I am not familiar with what it means to be Roma in general and cannot attempt to define that, my discussion is mostly based on what I have learned from limited reading and a community of 350 Roma in rural Ukraine. Clearly, this may not be representative of Roma around the world, but the following conveys my understanding of the word. Roma is the politically-correct or culturally-sensitive word for gypsy. But in reality it actually means "man" in Romani language. So among the Roma communities that I have encountered very few Roma would call themselves "Roma". Instead, in Hungarian the word used is "cigány" (plural: cigányok). So I will use that word for the time being, simply because that is the word used in the community where I work.

So now the new question: what does it mean to be cigány? Perhaps you are familiar with folktales or stories involving gypsies who were nomadic traveling from village to village, perhaps stealing and living off what they can find in their travels. Unfortunately this image continues to be the most prevalent image of cigányok that exists even today (despite the fact that most of the cigányok do not live this lifestyle). Indeed when I told people about the work that I would be doing this year (both in Hungary and in the United States), I received warnings to watch out because gypsies lie, cheat, and steal. These warnings came from people 4000 miles away from the cigány community where I would be working from people who had very little understanding of the situation. The fact that such a strong negative image exists of cigányok even among those so far removed shows the tremendous power of prejudice.

The cigányok that I know do not fit this image.

Physically, four times out of five I can tell you whether a person in the community in cigány or not. But that means that every fifth time, I would be wrong. But there are other ways that make it easier to guess. For example, where the person lives. The cigányok live quite separate lives from the majority Hungarian and Ukrainian populations. Many of them live in neighborhoods referred to as "cigány tabor" (gypsy camp). The living conditions of most cigány camps are significantly worse that the other neighborhoods and often on the level of what would exist in a developing country. Szurte's cigány tabor has about 165 people living in 20 small houses. If you do the math, that means an average of 8-9 people per house. That makes life a little more challenging... but do note taht the 'gypsies' that I know live in houses, not caravans and many families have lived in the same village for many generations (which if we compare with American lifestyle of moving place to place, that would make US the nomadic ones).

Another stereotype about cigányok is that they are uneducated or even that they hate the idea of education. I guess if you picture Roma as people traveling around in caravans, it would be hard to get a solid education. But since that is not true, I would say neither is the stereotype about education. It is true that the parents of most of my students are illiterate and that to this day there are many cigány children that do not regularly attend school. It is also important to point out that the Roma children that did attend school regularly were often ignored, put in the back row, harassed by other students and teachers, and neglected by the education system. And once they fell behind, it was very difficult to catch back up. This is the reason that in Szürte there is a SEPARATE Roma school. Two years ago, our 42 students either did not attend school or attended the state school (in the case of one of my girls, for 8 years-- she still cannot read). So the needs of cigány children proved to be unique. Given that their parents often cannot or, in some cases, do not support their education and given that the children were left behind, now they have a separate school where the teaching is of high quality and the teachers task is to help these children so they won't be left behind. Perhaps in practice one would observe chronic undereducation in Roma communities, but the question is WHY? From my experience, I would say it is not due to a hatred of education... our children come to school with a curiousity to learn that I think is lacking in many other schools around the world.

There is a language (Romani) associated with the Roma nationality, but in Szürte this language only survives in a few songs that the children know. They largely lost their native language already... but I think that in other Roma communities around the world the language still exists.

Among the children and the Roma in the community, I see a pride in their nationality. In some ways they have integrated into the majority society (particularly in the case of language and citizenship), but in many ways they exist separate from their neighbors. Being cigány defines an important part of their identity, both in how they view themselves and how others view them. When we were doing family visits to the cigány families in Szürte we came across a family where the mother is cigány and the father is Hungarian. Their 9 year old daughter explained this to us, but they proudly said "De cigány vagyok"- "But I am cigány". Despite what the rest of the world says that it means to be cigány-- I think that this young girl clearly understood that it was something that she could be proud of.

Merry Christmas!!!

2005-12-26T23:18:00.000+01:00

Wishing you blessed holidays and a joyful new year!!

Leading up to the Christmas season in Szurte our lives were very busy...

On the Thursday before Christmas eve, the children from ages 3 to 16 put on a play and recited poems for parents and others in the Roma community. We spent the last couple weeks preparing the children for this. They proudly sang, said their lines, and recited their poems. The highlight of the evening was when Attila one of our 3 year old preschoolers recited an endearing poem to close the evening. We had instructed the kids to speak loudly... and Attila listened. He shouted his poem with pride-- so that all who attended (and perhaps the rest of the neighborhood as well) heard his Christmas greetings. All the children involved recieved a Christmas present, which included school supplies, toiletries, a pair of pants, and a pair of winter shoes. The greatest part of the evening was seeing the community gathered together. It was a celebration of the birth of Christ--- the children knew that and with great joy showed the community what that meant.

Another pre-Christmas activity in Szurte was the clothes distribution project. Every Roma person (a total of around 350) received a package of winter clothes. This project began in October when we began visiting each family in the village and counting how many leave in each household and measuring the children. This work was a real blessing in that it enabled us to become much more familiar with the Roma community and what it means to be Roma, which I will reflect on in the next entry. After visiting every family, we picked out clothes personally for each Roma and then finally delivered them to the families in the week before Christmas.

Additionally, school activities kept me quite busy in the last few weeks. My working partner was confined to bed with pneumonia. So I was on my own in many of our activites. The afterschool program continued as usual with my classroom, but we also run a preschool two afternoons a week. With the help from members of the community, the preschool continued with our 15 three to six year olds.

So things have been surprisingly hectic the last few weeks-- not what I was expecting when I was heading for the slow life in rural Ukraine. But I am thankful that I am loving my work and daily finding new reasons why God has brought me where I am this year.

I'm alive...

2005-12-14T22:09:00.000+01:00

Well, for those of us who are used to daily access to internet, my last month has been internet free for two reasons:
(1) our internet source is Szurte was no longer available
(2) we have been keeping so busy with our work that there was no time for a trip to the nearest city with an internet cafe.

Even now my time is limited and I must run, but just a few sentences to say that I am alive and well and that our work is going very well. With each week, I feel that we are making more meaningful relationships with the people in the Roma community. Additionally the kids and I are understanding one another better each week. On a daily basis I am with my 15 second graders (ages 11-15). After lunch they now sit down and immediately start there homework, after that we have fifteen minutes of quiet reading, and then an hour of enrichment activities or group games. Their favorite is BINGO. I write multiplication problems on the board they have to solve them and fill in their BINGO cards. Sounds of 'BINGO tanitoneni' fill the Roma school in Szurte. Until next time... peace to you and greetings from Szurte where life is busier than usual as we prepare for the holiday season!

Finding time for God...

2005-11-12T18:55:00.000+01:00

Apart from teaching in the Roma school, part of the volunteers role as a part of the program that I am involved in is to interact with the congregations of the community. The largest congregation in Szürte is the Hungarian Reformed Church. The smallest is the Roma congregation that meets in the multipurpose school-church-community building. We are active in both communities. This means that during the course of a week, I attend two worship services, three Bible studies, daily devotions at the school, in addition to many theological discussions with the pastor of the community (our mentor) and the young people that live in the guesthouse where we live. This adds up to a lot of time to reflect on my faith and time to think about God.

Naturally all of the Bible studies, worship services, and discussions are in Hungarian. So I only partially understand what is being discussed. It's strange therefore that the Christian community that I am living is so meaningful to me. I think that theologically I may have significant disagreements with my peers and the leaders of the religious community it Szurte, BUT that's not what matters. We are part of the same body of Christ and the fact that we sit around the same circle and discuss God and read the Bible together demonstrates a commitment to a Christian community and a commitment to living with God. I have never had so much time devoted to reflection and discussion... and I never realized how much I need it.

Everyday at school, the teachers sit around the same table at lunch. This is a great support and an opportunity to talk about our day. Lunch begins by singing grace with the children, then the teachers sit down and have a moment of silence when we pray. The sense of community between us can be felt when we look up from our prayers and wish each other 'Jo etvagyat' (Enjoy your meal)! There's something more significant between this community because we not only share a common work, but also a common faith.

If I learn nothing else this year, I am learning the importance of silence, the importance of time for reflection, the importance of a strong faith community. I hope that even once the business of life returns these lessons will stay with me. And for those of you now living very busy lives, I wish you moments of silence and moments of reflection. It may be the best way to give meaning to the business...

THE KIDS CAME BACK!!

2005-11-11T19:55:00.000+01:00

As hoped, the children have returned. My class returned... bringing their numbers up from 3-5 students to 8-12 students. It's good to have them back... but this week reminded me of one of the greatest challenges of the Roma School-- irregular attendence. How is it possible to properly teach a class when half of the students have not attended for the last two weeks and the other half have? One of the students (who attends regularly) can say her 8 times tables. One of the students in the same classroom struggles with simple addition. When the students come, when they are ready to learn, only then can they be taught. But we go everyday, hoping that someone is ready to learn.

My experience thus far tells me that the 'breakthroughs' with the students must happen one at a time. Artur was the first student that I really connected with... but slowly I'm building relationships one at a time. The novelty of me being there has worn off for the students. At first when I came the students would stare at me or run and hug me or appear very excited about my arrivel. Now I'm a regular at the school. When I enter I am greeted with the monotone 'Jo napot kivanok tanitoneni' that each of the teachers receive. In fact the students don't always want to stay for my class.

At first this transition was difficult. I was used to being the NEW and SPECIAL teacher. But I was told to be strict with the children and I was. Consequently I became just another teacher. This week was the first week when that feeling became a positive one. The students and I realize that we have the whole year together-- and that is a blessing. In that year, there is a time to play and a time to study, a time to laugh and a time to keep silence, a time for joy and a time for frustration.

On Thursday during the napkozi (afterschool) program, first we had a half hour of reading time. Many students misbehaved-- many couldn't stay quiet. I raised my voice at the not-so-obedient students. Many asked to go home. Afterwards we played hangman (this was there first time playing) and we had slightly more fun. When the work was over, I took out my frisbee and we went out into the courtyard and celebrated that the day of studying came to an end. As I walked home on Thursday, the day felt balanced. I hope for many days like this...

What is a school without children?

2005-11-03T22:11:00.000+01:00

This week has been pretty quiet. Last week was Fall break and there was no school. Perhaps someone forgot to tell the children that it was only for one week-- because most of them did not come back this week. The question remains: where did the children go?

It's just another reminder that the children that we are teaching are coming from different situations-- this isn't just your average school. The teachers have been brainstorming together to figure out why the children didn't come. Is it a protest? Did we do something wrong? Did the children realize that they prefer to sit at home? What happened?

Today for example in the classroom where there are 15 students (on paper), there were four children. I must admit-- it was quieter and calmer than usual, but still it doesn't feel quiet right with a classroom so empty. But just as in the Bible, where two or more are gathered, God is there also. And in a school where there are two or more (hopefully at least one teacher and one student!), school must go on. So we continue to teach, hoping that the others return. And it seems that slowly they will. In their own time...

Waiting... for what may come...

2005-10-27T16:31:00.000+02:00

Waiting is an important part of life in Szurte... For example, if you were to ask "when does the bus come?" the answer would be "At least every two hours. Just go to the bus station and wait." So you go to the bus station and stand there... and wait. What amazes me the most is that other people do not look impatient.

Another major feature of each house in Szurte is the bench outside of the gate. Everyone has one... at first I wondered what purpose all these benches could serve. I learned very quickly that these are the place where the elderly people of Szurte sit. When I walk to school, they are sitting on the bench and I greet them. When I return from work, once again (or perhaps still) they are sitting there. They seem to be waiting-- but for what??? Szurte lies on the main highway leading from Hungary to Kiev. So sitting on the bench, one could watch endless numbers of trucks go by carrying goods to the cities. Sitting on the same bench, one could see a horse-drawn carriage go by and then a minute later an elderly man on a bike with his wife sitting on the bike rack. So as it turns out maybe there is a lot of to see from a bench in Szurte.

When I'm at home, I would only sit if I were waiting for something. It seems that things work differently in Szurte... so I am learning the art of sitting, the art of waiting, the art of being still...

The inspirational Artur

2005-10-20T17:51:00.000+02:00

The best way to describe how I am spending my time is to tell you about the people that I am with each day. It's quite obvious who should be the first student that I talk about-- and that's Artur. From other people in the community, I learned that Artur had a very challenging childhood. Although most gypsy families have settled in this area for generations, Artur's situation more closely fits the stereotypical (but not accurate) gypsy lifestyle. He spent many of his formative years traveling by train all over the region. He would ride from place to place, living day by day. I'm not sure who he was with... but I'm certain that he was often alone. So what brought him to Szurte, to settle in the gypsy camp and begin attending the gypsy school? I am not sure, but I am sure glad that he did.

Artur is unique as a twelve year old determined to succeed without too much concern for what his peers think. He comes to school everyday (which is not true of many of our students) and is certainly the most eager and polite student in my classroom. My main activity with the children is teaching an "afterschool" program where we do their homework and I have time to identify individual challenges in reading or math, for example. So the children all stay in the beginning to complete their homework and those that do so well can go home earlier. Most of the students eagerly wait to hear me say "Haza mehetsz" ("you may go home"), but not Artur. His response is usually "Do I have to?".

Today we learned two digit subtraction (ie borrowing from the tens column). I saw that most of the students understood the concept after several examples. Much to his dismay, I could see that Artur did not understand. So when it came time for the afterschool program, the other children finished their homework more quickly and went home. Artur willingly stayed. One-on-one we went through countless examples... and finally a light went on in his head! With pride he continued to ask for more and more practice problems. And when we finally finished with math, he asked if he could read to me (he often asks to do this). He read for a while and then left for home promising that tomorrow he would remember how to subtract. And I think that he will.

The lessons that I am learning from Artur is that progress so often has much more to do with desire than with ability. It's quite possible that Artur is the slowest learner in the class, but he is by far the most determined. As a result, he learns slowly but surely. And throughout the year, I will smile when I hear the question, "Teacher, can I read you one more story?". I don't know where his eagerness to learn to read, to do subtraction, or to learn the Bible stories will take him. But it's good to see that he is already on a better road... a road that in the end he chooses to be on.

School report

2005-10-19T22:01:00.000+02:00

Here is a report about the beginning of the year at the Roma school in Szurte that was sent to those who support the school:
"Yes, yes, yes! The Szurte Gypsy School reopened its gates and the bells chimed once again calling the Gypsy children back to the school. On September 1, 2005, many Gypsies from the communiity gathered in the school’s courtyard curious to meet the new teacher, or teachers? Well, yes, during the summer vacation news spread that at Kurja út 36, our Dutch brothers and sisters built a beautiful, fully-equipped school for the Gypsy community. The parents dropped off their children, trusting that their learning would occur automatically. But who is this tall, handsome young man???
Ah indeed, it is the new teacher Andras Ardanhazi.

Andras Ardanhazi was born in 1983 in Transcarpathia, in a village called Forgolany. He completed primary school at the Fogolanyi Atalanos Iskola, then continued on to secondary education at the Tivadari Reformatus Liceum, finally he completed his university diploma at Ungvari Nemzeti Egyetem, with a degree in Hungarian language and literature. After he received his diploma, many schools offered him a teaching position, including a school in his home village. Nevertheless, he decided to come to the Szurte Gypsy school. As a part of his plan, he wants to form a football team as soon as possible due to his love of the sport. Consequently, the boys from the school genuinely enjoy his presence because surely any person who loves football cannot be a bad person. In addition, the girls welcomed him very warmly and Andras had to explain that they were not simply at the school for „smiling class,” but they came to learn much more.

There have been substantial changes among the Gypsy parents, as illustrated by the mothers of the six-year-old children that drop off their children without any concern, saying: „here is their place, here is their chance to learn.” The teachers are still amazed by the sudden growth in the number of students from 31 last year to an astounding 42 students. Among the students are those who are just 10 years old and other Gypsy children who transferred from the Szurte secondary state school to the Gypsy school.

There is no doubt in my mind who will be the first student that I would like to present from the first grade. He is Csaba Haga, a short, six-year-old boy with chubby cheeks. He loves to draw on the blackboard and whenever the teacher enters the room while he is drawing on the blackboard, he stands tall and looks straight into the teacher’s eyes, and says „it wasn’t me!” During the reading class, his favorite activity is continuously turning the pages, but we are working that someday he will also be able to read from those pages. He is very excited about having his own reading book. Sure enough sometimes he drops his book in the hallway and has to pick up all the pages. Whenever this happens, the other children grasp their books even tighter.

On September 22, two new volunteers arrived at the Gypsy school: Szidonia Kinda from Transylvania and Kristin Nickel from the United States. Szidonia studied at Babes-Bolyai University in Kolozsvar, in the department of social work, and brings a unique perspective to social issues in the Gypsy community. Kristin studied mathematics and economics at Davidson College, before spending a year studying international political economy at Central European University in Budapest and is interested in development work. They are currently teaching in the afterschool program, which thanks to God, began this year. The religious education class is taught by Erzsebet Jakab from Szurte, which brings the number of teachers up to five.
In closing this email, warm greetings from: Szidonia, Kristin, Andras, Erzsike, Aniko!

We thank you for taking on the responsibility of supporting the education of these 42 Gypsy students and for the financial support given to the entire school.
I ask for your prayers for the new teacher, as he unforunately has been hospitalized with pneumonia.
Email written by: Aniko Lorinc
Translated from Hungarian to English by: Szidonia Kinda and Kristin Nickel"

What time is it?

2005-10-10T21:02:00.000+02:00

Carpathia, the region in Ukraine where I am living, has survived many transitions. Many say that an elderly person living in Carpathia could have lived in five countries in their lifetime without ever moving from their home. This explains why I am here in Ukraine as a volunteer under the Hungarian Reformed Church. Szurte is roughly 60% Hungarian, 35% Ukrainian, and 5% Roma. The Ukrainian time zone is one hour ahead of Hungary, but in Szurte, there are two time zones. One is Ukrainian time. All state schools, state-run trains, and the post office operate on this time zone. The HUNGARIAN on the otherhand operate the majority of their life on Hungarian time. So when an ethnic Hungarian in Szurte suggests a time to meet, you can be sure that they are referring to Hungarian time.

Last week I began teaching some English lessons at the state school (the non-Roma school, yes the schools are completely separate... more on this later). The teacher told me to show up at 9:45. My watch is, of course, set on Hungarian time, but when I woke up I realized that I should be on Ukrainian time because it's a STATE school. But I should have thought twice because I arranged the time with a Hungarian! Of course, she already translated into Hungarian time. This does not seem to be confusing to anyone else. I guess that I will learn to live in two time zones. But I still question what it means to be a citizen of Ukraine (as the Hungarians living in Szurte are) and to completely reject that you live in Ukraine. In this region, ethnicity and citizenship are very different issues... and this has the potential to create great tension beyond simple questions of "what time is it?".

Where in the world?

2005-10-06T19:25:00.000+02:00

On my first day teaching English at the Roma school, I introduced myself to the children and told them that I was from the United States. I then proceeded to ask them what language people spoke in the United States. The first guess: Romanian. Then: Dutch. Then: German. Then: American. Close enough. Finally I told them that in the United States, people speak English and that they were going to study English. They got excited about the opportunity. It gave me some perspective that the size of the world is all relative. At some times it seems so small, but for these children the United States could not be further away.

Finally-- greetings from Szurte, Ukraine!!!

2005-10-05T10:33:00.000+02:00

Well, as expected it took a few weeks to find the nearest internet, but from now on it seems like my access will be more regular!

My coworker, Szidi, and I have settled into life in Szurte. Our primary task is teaching at the Roma school in Szurte. I am teaching English on Mondays and Fridays and then teaching every afternoon, while they have reading time and do their homework. The first day of school I looked out at my class of fifteen Roma students between the ages of 11 and 15 and saw many challenges that are before us. The first is language. I can feel my Hungarian improving daily, but it is certainly difficult to conduct a class and discipline students in a language that I don't yet speak fluently. Our first English lesson included the words: "stand up", "sit down", and "listen"! Already in my second week I can feel progress in my relationships with the students and they are much more responsive. And I'm beginning to get used to responding to "tanitoneni" (translation: "teacher lady"), which is how the students were told to address us.

Apart from school we go to three Bible studies and two worship services a week-- so we are getting to know both the Roma and the Hungarian communities. There are many young people in the village that have been very welcoming as well.

All and all things are off to a good start and I'm beginning to feel settled. More details to follow...

Greetings from Monoszlo, Hungary!

2005-09-17T21:31:00.000+02:00

After an exciting last week (involving many goodbyes and a passport lost in the mail), I have arrived in Hungary. Currently, I am in Monoszlo, Hungary-- a small village north of Lake Balaton. Together with the other volunteers in the program, we have a week of orientation to prepare for our year of service in different sites around Hungary and Ukraine. Volunteers come from Hungary, Ukraine, Romania, Germany, Kenya, the Netherlands, Sweden, the United States, ... We have lectures about Hungarian history and about our role next year.

I have met my co-worker and roommate for the next year, who is an ethnic Hungarian from Romania. On Thursday we will leave for Szurte together, which is when the real adventure begins... until then, take care and God bless!

Preparing to leave

2005-09-07T03:48:00.000+02:00

Well, I am just over a week before my departure to Hungary. Once I arrive in Budapest, I'll have a week of orientation with other young adults in the Roma-Gadje dialogue program (Gadje is the Roma word for non-Roma people). So I am two weeks away from arrival in the village that will be home for the next year. This year, which has been an abstract idea for months will soon become a reality. However, first I have some things to do at home, most importantly spend time with the family and friends that I will not see for a year.

Overall, I look forward with excitement and anticipation. My bags are packed-- and only time will tell if I am ready for what awaits me!

In each of my adventures I have found that I packed too much and prepared too little. Consequently my bags have gotten smaller and lighter, but the importance of quality time with the people who form my sense of home has increased. So these are my priorities for the next ten days... Sophie, my almost three year old sister, is beginning to understand that I am leaving soon. When I told her that I had to go teach other kids in Ukraine, she told me "... just stay home and teach me..."-- her comment is significant, not merely cute. She is touching on my greatest struggle as I leave-- the tradeoff between staying home/finding a home-- or continuing on to new adventures. So I continue on... for now... I am preparing to leave for another adventure- almost completely unsure where it will lead me, but excited to find out.

Orientation in Chicago

2005-08-30T07:30:00.000+02:00

I have just returned from a week long orientation for all Young Adult Volunteers (both Presbyterian and Lutheran) that are outbound to international placements. It was an opportunity to build a community with a group of young adults that are internationally aware and concerned about issues of social justice in the world. The highlight were the presentations and discussions presented by Rick Ufford-Chase (see http://what-i-see.blogspot.com/) who conducted a two-hour easy-to-understand introduction to THE GLOBAL ECONOMY and called for a unique type of mission service in our world. Most importantly, Rick is an example to be followed. For me the week was an opportunity to begin to prepare for where I am heading. I needed the time to step back and think. All in all, I'm excited to begin life in Szurte. Only two more weeks at home, one week of orientation near Budapest, and I'll be settling in by the end of September. The reality of life next year is not so far away.

Overview

2005-08-22T05:59:00.000+02:00

Next year I will be living and working in Szurte, Ukraine, a small ethnically Hungarian village near the Carpathian mountains. My work will mostly involve teaching at the Roma (gypsy) school in the village-- hopefully I will also teach English at the high school and work with a community development non-governmental organization that has its headquarters in Szurte. I am sponsored by the Presbyterian Church USA Mission Service program, as a participant in their Young Adult Volunteer Program. I am fundraising to support my own costs. For more information on supporting my work, please contact me. My access to internet will be limited by I hope to update this blog every other week if possible. Thanks for your interest!