Working with Hope Church in Craiova, Romania has been absolutely incredible. We’ve gotten to help with their youth program, refugee housing, and evangelism. One of the most impactful ministries for me was getting to visit one of the many Roma communities in the city.
Most of you probably know the Roma by another name, Gypsies. They’re quite a large people group here in Romania yet are faced with prejudice, racism, and mistrust every day. They have no place in society and are therefore forced to live on the outskirts, doing what they must to survive. Generation after generation is sucked into cyclical poverty while most other Romanian citizens turn up their noses and refuse to offer any kind of aid. Hope Church Romania is one of the main exceptions. Several days a week, Hope Church visits the many communities to deliver food and interact with the children. Thankfully, they’ve been able to continue this practice despite all the additional work they are doing with Ukrainian refugees.
I got to visit one of the communities last week with two of my teammates, Sav and Claire, as well as with Ana, Pastor Raul’s wife, and Raluca, who translated for us. On our way there, Raluca and Ana tried to prepare us for what we were walking into. They explained that the government offers the Roma a monthly stipend per child which means that most families pop out as many kids as possible and then toss them out on the street just so they can get the money without having to care for the kids. The kids have no choice but to steal to survive and get stuck in the same generational poverty as their parents. “They just want to be loved,” Raluca stated firmly.
As soon as we got out of the car, we were swarmed by tiny bodies with big smiles, desperate for hugs. Kids in tattered clothes with dirt-smudged faces and tangled hair wrapped their little arms around our waists and beamed up at us. Each one of us had a small hoard of kiddos holding on, grappling for our attention. I was taken aback by how incredibly stunning and joyful they all were. The tiny faces had the most beautiful, piercing eyes; they melted my heart with a single look. They chattered away in Romanian while I laughed and held them and rubbed backs and kissed foreheads. Just like that, they stole my heart. I looked by at Raluca who smiled back and repeated, “They just want to be loved.”
We untangled ourselves from the little arms and started a sing-along. We sang a few short songs with motions and the kids immediately got involved, determined to learn each motion perfectly. Next, we performed a skit about Jesus healing the paralyzed man by the pool. The second I was done talking, the little arms were wrapped around me once again. I could have stood there all day, looking down on them, holding them, letting them steal my heart piece by piece.
Finally, we handed out the food, which was beyond chaotic, and took some photos together. After that, it was time to leave and head off to the next thing. We were only there for around an hour, but a few minutes was all I needed to fall in love with these precious kiddos. As we drove away, I felt my heart break over and over and over. I desperately wanted to scoop them all up and tuck them away somewhere safe. I wanted to take them all with me and give them a chance – a chance to go to school and dream of what they want to be one day, a chance to not call a donated chocolate bar their lunch, a chance to take a hot bath with big soapy bubbles, a chance to be seen and loved as they deserve to be. Raluca caught my eye in the rearview mirror and thanked us for diving right in and not being afraid to touch the kids. “They just want to be loved,” she said with a nod.
Those six little words buried their way into my heart. I probably won’t ever see these kids again or even get the opportunity to visit a Roma community again. But I did what I could with the hour I was given. And I can guarantee that these kiddos will stay in my prayers for a long, long time.
Often, we overcomplicate missions and discipleship. We get these huge expectations in our minds and set unrealistic standards. We think that we need to have these super deep, groundbreaking conversations with everyone we meet. We think that we need to provide them with everything they need and be the one that leads them to Jesus and have it be this huge thing. Sometimes we get to be part of these miraculously huge moments, but sometimes it really is so simple – they just want to be loved.
I want to challenge all of you to start approaching your day with this in mind. Who is around you and just wants to be loved? How can you love them in little ways? It doesn’t need to be a big event; sometimes a smile is all they need. How can you love the family members that you see every day? How can you love the stranger that you run into while grocery shopping? How can you remind people that they are seen, important, and loved? Remember, sometimes it really is that simple. Sometimes they just want to be loved.
“Do everything in love” – 1 Corinthians 16:14
These kids will remember you guys forever! You can’t even imagine the difference this makes in their lives.
I’ll definitely remember them!
We are definitely quick to overcomplicate things. I’m so thankful for the way Raluca and the kids brought me back to the core of Christianity.
I haven’t been to the Roma community, but their sweet little faces! I already love them. Thanks for sharing, thanks for the reminder to keep it simple 🙂 Thanks for loving little kids all around the world
Oh goodness you would absolutely thrive! I hope you get to go at one point!
Wow. This is so good. I think you’re absolutely right – we overcomplicate things when our deepest need and desire is to simply be LOVED. Thank you for so graciously and generously demonstrating the love of God to those in Romania!!
Such a simple, yet powerful message! That’s what we all want…and so often don’t get…and God said, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” And that’s what you’ve been busy doing!