Dear Friends:
On August 29, 2002, Madalin Voicu, one of the most well-known Romani politicians in Romania and one of two Romani representatives in the Romanian parliament, made the following statement:
Our Gypsies are stupid. They could at least be crafty, but they aren’t. They are just primitives and they manage to irritate the entire society which is already watching them closely. … They run through the country and Europe barefoot, slimy and dirty, wearing clothes which are more likely to disgust you than make you feel sorry for them. … Begging, soliciting and being disorganized will never bring them any advantages.
This quote graphically illustrates that Romanian society harbors one of the worst cases of social stigma in Europe. And this attitude prevails today as the Roma population has grown immensely, far surpassing the growth rate of the general population of Romania.
A letter from Lynn and Sharon Kandel serving in South Sudan
November 2015 – Cautious Hope
Life can get so busy or intense at times that you need to step back and be reminded of the important things. Getting away is a good thing. We went to Kenya for a week, and it was a good time of relaxing, enjoying cooler temperatures, and talking. Oh, yes, and having chocolate milkshakes! Back in Juba, things have been tense with an increase in crime all over the city. While this is not unusual leading up to Christmas, it has started earlier this year and has seemed more violent, according to our South Sudanese friends. I realize that this must seem odd since Christmas is supposed to be a happy family time celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior. For the people of South Sudan this time of year is hard because money is scarce. The consequence is theft as people try to get money to buy things for their children. It is easy to focus on the bad and negative, so we find that our trips to Kenya help us to step back and get a better perspective.
