CEE Pray for Open New Doors
Crossing cultural bridges leads Roma to Christ
Women possess interesting roles among the Romany population of Poland. They are the workers and often the abused, but surprisingly, they are also the bosses in the family.
Brenda Goss is an International Mission Board (IMB) missionary who has been working among Polish Roma for three years with her husband, Jerry. During this time Brenda has observed a largely matriarchal society. Though some villages have “kings,” it is the grandmas who have the last word. Brenda relates how this has affected her family’s ministry.
“When we first had an outreach in Nowa Huta we had to go to the elderly woman in the village to get permission to invite her people,” she said. “Initially she approved and many Roma came to the ministry center. But when she found out that we were not just playing, but also sharing the Word of God, she said, ‘No, you cannot go.’ The people listened to her and the Roma didn’t come back.”
The fact that a woman has this type of influence has given Brenda a bridge of respect into the Romany community. As she has gotten to know Romany women, Brenda has been burdened with their multitude of needs. She is looking for ways to meet their needs and introduce these women to Jesus.
One of the biggest challenges is the amount of work the women have to do. They are mothers of several children—often six or more. Their living conditions are hard, sometimes with no running water or plumbing. In some villages they bathe and wash clothes in a nearby stream. Brenda says just “getting by” takes an enormous amount of time.
Though Brenda’s heart is broken for these women, ministry to them is challenging. Their homes are very small, so visiting and getting to know them is difficult. They do not own cars and using public transportation is difficult with many children, so mothers are unable to attend ministry events. With duties of motherhood and household chores, most women are busy and distracted. Brenda’s desire has been to get them into her home, one-on-one, and get to know them and their hearts.
“I have wanted to invite them to our home and I finally got the chance,” she said. “Three women came and their husbands stayed home and watched the kids. We had a wonderful time studying God’s Word and praying together. Their husbands told Jerry later what a blessing it had been for them. Our plan now is to meet every week.”
Brenda and her husband have seen 42 Roma come to faith in Christ in the last year-and-a-half, many of these being women. As a mother of five, Brenda serves as a role model and mentor to these spiritual babies in Christ. As Jerry teaches the men biblical principles about being good husbands, fathers and providers, families are being transformed.
Please pray for the Romany women to put their faith in Christ and to raise families that bring glory to God.