Just a little update with some pictures

I just wanted to do a quick update before leaving for the States... in less than 48 hours I'll be on my way. I have a lot to do today and tomorrow. I'm not sure where all my time went. I had guests from Thursday until yesterday, and then yesterday - Monday- I took a day trip to Varazdin to visit the Hitchings and to see some more of the town, and to experience a little bit of the gypsy ministry. We were only at the village 15-20 minutes, but it surely is something I won't soon forget. I don't think I could even begin to describe it... I think what struck me most were all the toddlers and babies... there are 31 children at the village and most are under the age of 4. They were either naked or in winter clothes - and it's been HOT the last few days - and all of them were barefoot walking in the mud and broken glass. Most were sniffling and all were quite dirty. The 'village' only consists of 6-7 buildings, I can't remember the exact count, and there is one water pipe for everyone. No plumbing, electricity, sanitation... just a mud pit.

I'd love for you to go to this website - Roma Diary - and see pictures of where I was yesterday. Start at the bottom and scroll up. Many of the girls start having babies at age 14-15. By their early twenties, many have 4-5 babies. Alcoholism and abuse are huge problems. Do be praying for the Bayash people, and for the people working with them, especially for those working on the Bible translation project.

On a lighter note, I saw the coolest thing on the way out to the village - stork nests and baby storks - it was so cool. I have never seen such huge nests, and i'm pretty sure I've never seen storks before, well except when they dropped my brother and sister off at our house many years ago... but anyways - it was very very cool.

Below are some pictures I promised a while ago... read the captions, drop me a comment, and I'll see many of you in just a few days... blessings


Skoobi loving that Happy Meal... talk about spoiled rotten



I love that dog way too much...

Skoobi and I went to Ljubica's house for a fish dinner.. it was so good. We're going over again today for lunch in just a bit. Ljubica really likes Skoobi and always brings her treats to the park in the morning.


Ljubica came to my house a week or so ago and I made her biscuits and gravy for breakfast. She really liked it and ate them right up. She wanted the recipe, and so had to fess up it was bisquick and a mix for the gravy... oh well, she still liked them and I'll pick her up a couple packages while I'm in the States. And of course, there is Skoobi doing her classic 'but i'm hungry and my mommy never feeds me - give me food give me food' begging face...