March 28 - Jesus Loves the Roma

People in the church, many times,

don't understand what I am talking about.

This is the biggest challenge for me.

How I can be part of the world as salt,
as Jesus said we should be salt,

and also be close with God.

This is the challenge
for me and for my family.

To be very close with God

and to be close with the people outside.

Mostly, I am working
with non-Christian people.

Pastor Jan lives in Košice, Slovakia.

His passion is working with people

who don't know about Jesus' love for them,

especially the Roma community.

Many people will not
associate with the Roma

and find ways to keep their distance.

Years of cultural differences
have created a barrier

between the ethnic groups in the region,

but Jan feels called to reach out anyway.

He often organizes activities
with the Pathfinder Club

and outings for underprivileged
children and youth.

If you are working with children,
you can touch a parent's heart.

If I am good for the children,
the parents are happy as well.

Pastor Jan works
in the outskirts of Košice,

among the Roma community.

With each visit, he brings gifts.

These simple presents open the doors

and show them that he cares about them.

The Roma have challenging lives.

In this house,
seven families live together.

One of the mothers
is a Seventh-day Adventist,

and she teaches the children
stories from the Bible.

Pastor Jan stops here to greet his friends

and bring a word of encouragement.

Before leaving, the group
takes a picture together

to remember this special moment.

Meet Monika.

From a young age,

she really wanted to participate
in activities with the Pathfinders.

But she faced a lot
of challenges with her family

because they believed the Adventists

would not be a good influence in her life.

Pastor Jan taught Monika
important truths from the Bible.

He also helped her
find strength to succeed,

despite her family's opposition

and the scare opportunities
in her community.

Today, Monika is an example
to others in her village.

She is well educated,
having graduated from University,

and serves as an educational coordinator
at her town's community center.

Monika was a very special person.

She was like a miracle.

She wanted to know everything about Jesus.

She wanted to read the Bible properly,

and then she started
to teach others the Bible.

I love to see the children coming
with joy in their eyes.

They can see that I've changed
because of Jesus.

I am so happy when they say
they want to be closer to Jesus

and have a story like mine.

Monika and her husband

now lead three groups
of youth and children

at the local Adventist church.

They hope to disciple
others in the community

and mend broken relationships
so God's church can grow.

Please pray for Pastor Jan's
and Monika's outreach ministries.

This quarter, your 13th Sabbath offering
will support this work

among vulnerable children
in Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

It will also build a church
with a children center in Bulgaria

and assist Adventist education
in Spain and Germany.

Thank you for your support
of the 13th Sabbath offering.