The first signs of
spring in Romania are little white flowers that spring up after
the snow melts, appropriately called snowdrops. They are an
integral part of the first of March celebration called Martisoare.
As part of this tradition all women and girls are given little
amulets and small bunches of snowdrops. Each is tied with braided
red-and-white thread.
Small groups of orphans with whom mission co-worker Mary Ferris
ministers made Martisoare gifts for the women in a retirement
center in Tulcea. The women were overjoyed. When one of the
residents learned that a young girl had come from the orphanage
to wish her a good Martisoare, the woman teared up and said,
“We are both orphans.” The two embraced and the
child began to cry. They will not forget this day for a long
time.
Slovakia
According to the WARC Update, the Slovak church has 110,000
members of whom 60,000 are active. About 90 percent of church
members are Hungarian-speaking people. Bishop Géza Erdélyi
of the Reformed Christian Church in Slovakia wrote in the Update,
“We must be aware that communism has had the greatest
impact on the generation that is today in its middle age. They
are the ones who normally should have taken over responsibility
in church work by now, but they are the generation that is the
hardest to contact and convince. Therefore, we center our efforts
on working with these people. We look with hope into the future.” |
