9MarApr07BuryMeStanding

“BURY ME STANDING”

REACHING THE GYPSIES OF ROMANIA WITH THE COMPASSION OF CHRIST STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY JEFF C. STEVENSON

“Bury me standing, for all my life I’ve been on my knees.”

Gypsy proverb

which hosts the largest population of Gypsy people in the world at more than 2 million.

Data on the health and social well-being of the Gypsy people are scarce, but according to the March 2000 Romania Country Strategy Paper prepared by the Department for International Development, almost half of all Gypsy children do not go to school; 45 percent of the men and 60 percent of the women cannot read or write; and more than 60 percent of Gypsies live below subsistence levels. In addition, poorto-nonexistent sanitation and overcrowded living conditions

Worldwide, it’s estimated that there are anywhere from 8 to 10 million Roma or “Gypsies,” most of whom reside in Europe. Because many governments do not record Roma in their census figures, it is impossible to estimate the total population with accuracy, and many Gypsies conceal their ethnic origin out of fear of discrimination. But if any country can be considered “home” for Gypsies, it would be Romania,

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make the Gypsy communities predisposed to communicable diseases such as hepatitis and tuberculosis and skin diseases such as eczema, not to mention head and body lice.

It was into this almost Calcutta-like environment that two missionaries from Berlin were called.

popular ’80s TV series that symbolized luxurious living. Pata Rat exists where it does because of the old real estate maxim: location, location, location. In this case, because Pata Rat is built on and around the city dump, the gypsies “work” the items that are discarded, looking through the waste and trash for things they can salvage, clean up, and resell. Obviously, the health conditions where they live and work are appalling.

It was in this bleak and harsh environment that FAF first made its presence known in 1995. They started by providing transportation for those who desired to attend the Faith Family Church in Cluj-Napoca, the congregation the Whynots had started. The Gypsies responded, and over the years, the demand was great enough that today the Gypsies have their own congregation in Pata Rat, initially meeting in a large hut FAF purchased from one of the Gypsy leaders.

“WHY NOT” GUATEMALA, BERLIN, AND ROMANIA?

In 1995, Rufus and Dee Whynot (the names have not been changed) already had more than 10 years’ experience in the mission field, beginning in 1984 with Living Water Teaching in Guatemala, where Rufus served as chief pilot and later as director of outreach. Four years later they moved to Berlin, where they started the El Shaddai Bible Church.

In January 1990, Rufus made his first trip from Berlin to Romania, just 10 days after the communist dictator Ceaucesceau was executed. Over the next five years, he made 14 more trips to Romania, and in January 1995, once God confirmed that he was leading them to a new country, Rufus and Dee moved to Cluj-Napoca, the capital of Transylvania. Almost immediately, the Whynots encountered the Gypsy populace.

“Right away, you see that their lifestyles do not fit in with the ‘accepted norm’ and therefore, sad to say, they are not just seen as the lower class, but usually as outcasts,” Dee Whynot says, recalling her first encounter with the Roma. “Before we could begin to ‘legally’ assist the people of Romania, we had to create and register a foundation, so we formed the Family Aid Foundation (FAF), which authorized us to assist the people of Romania.”

The Whynots’ time in Berlin had given them experience in establishing a government-approved foundation. “Even though the level of bureaucracy in Germany is quite developed,” Rufus says, “if you correctly complete all 13 steps, when you are finished you do usually receive the official ‘stamp of approval.’ But in Romania, I quickly learned that it is a totally different story. The 13 steps are not always printed out for you to follow, so you have to discover them yourself at the expense of your time and finances. Then, when you have diligently completed the whole process, you shouldn’t be surprised to be told, ‘Oh, sorry, steps two and seven—maybe also step nine—have changed! You’ll have to start over!’”

Once FAF was authorized by the government, they began working in Pata Rat, the largest local Gypsy community.Those who live in the camp sarcastically refer to it as “Dallas,” after the

LIVING IN—BUT FAR ABOVE— THE CONFINES OF PATA RAT

Although the Gypsies attended the church services for various motives, one woman in particular showed up and had a dramatic and life-changing encounter with God that went on to impact the entire Gypsy community.

“One of the first ladies to come to our church meetings was Virginia,” Dee recalls. “She had such a negative opinion of herself that she never smiled or looked you directly in the face. She always had her head hanging down and looked only at the dirt. She had two children, and her husband (or the man she lived with at times) did not provide for her or the children. She was in a terrible state of mind and spirit.”

Virginia became a faithful member of the church, and the growing staff of FAF helped her to learn to read, utilizing the Frank Laubach “Each One Teach One” literacy program.

“We taught her how to read using the Bible,” Rufus says.

Opposite: Two Gypsy boys watch with wonder as new houses are erected at Pata Rat. Right: This family of nine was living in a one-room shack made from refuse until FAF built a new home for them.

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Left: Rufus Whynot visits with Virginia, who has found her voice and her purpose since meeting Christ.

Opposite: An FAF-built house contrasts sharply with the Gypsies’ drafty, makeshift shacks.

“That story still amazes me!” Rufus says, shaking his head.

“I mean, consider that here is a person with no discernable source of income, someone who had been so beaten down she never used to look up. And now, here she is, boldly proclaiming the goodness of God and actually turning down money. God had totally transformed her life!”

CHANGED LANDSCAPES, CHANGED LIVES

For pastors Rufus and Dee, the spiritual ministry to the people is always the priority. FAF is only a small part of what the Whynots are involved with in Romania. Their main calling is ministering as pastors at two congregations: Faith Family Church in Cluj-Napoca and a home church two hours away in the village of Reghin. Both are growing and vibrant congregations, but in Romania the needs within the church are no match for those outside in the community.

To meet the many socioeconomic demands of Romania, the Whynots have a ministry called Yielded Vessels (YV).

The combined staff of YV and FAF numbers about 30 people, and under the leadership of the Whynots a state-approved children’s home for orphans, numerous outreaches to adults and children in five surrounding villages, and a prison outreach have all been established.The common thread to each of these outreaches is the Gypsy population, and because most of the Gypsies are from Pata Rat, their concerns become the concerns of FAF and YV, with housing at the top of the list.

The Gypsies’ small, overcrowded shacks are made of cardboard, scrap, cloth, and virtually anything that can be found in the garbage dump.The floors are dirt, or sometimes a rotted carpet covers the ground. Spring and summer are characterized by an overwhelming stench and ubiquitous flies. In winter, temperatures drop below 25 degrees, and the shacks provide little relief from the cold and wind.

FAF has now built 23 homes in the camp and has the construction process down to a fast-moving science. After the foundations of the homes are set, they can be constructed in two ways, either as a pre-fabricated unit or framed and built on site. When finished, the total expense per home is about $2,700.This cost includes the purchase, treatment, and transportation of the lumber, while volunteer groups usually supply the labor.

In 2005, eight homes were built by FAF, one of which was for Virginia. In August 2006, FAF built two homes with the help of free labor supplied by a church group from Holland. One of the two homes was given to a family of nine, including a newborn, which had previously been living in one of the single-room, Gypsy-built shacks.

The actual building of the homes is the easy part. Getting the approval and cooperation from the Romanian government requires the tools of patience and fortitude.

“I’ve learned over the years that ignorance—natural or spiritual—keeps people in bondage, and our desire is always to help people grow in all areas of their lives.”

“So when Virginia learned to read and understood the gospel, she became a Christian and her whole countenance changed!” Dee says. “Soon she was seen as a Christian leader in the community, and, though she still lives in Pata Rat today, it’s clear to everyone who sees and knows her that she is living far above the confines of that camp.”

Virginia not only influenced the other residents of the camp by her conversion and transformation, she also took her testimony outside the confines of Pata Rat. “Her grandson was born with a defective stomach lining and some internal stomach problems,” explains Dee.“Because she had no money or health insurance, we took Virginia and her grandson to the hospital to make certain he was cared for.

The doctor said they could do nothing for the boy and that he would probably die.Virginia stayed with her grandson and prayed continually for God to do a miracle in the child.Three days later the doctors checked the child and were surprised at his condition. They said he was much improved and they could now help treat him medically. It was wonderful!”

“That was a tremendous, faith-building experience for all of us,” affirms Rufus, “but the story only got better!”

Dee explains that another woman, staying with her own granddaughter in the same wardroom as Virginia, witnessed what had happened with Virginia’s grandson. The woman pleaded with Virginia to pray for her grandchild as well, asking how much she would charge for such a service. It is common in Romania for people to pay priests to pray for them, so it was perfectly natural for the woman in the hospital to ask such a question.

But according to Dee, Virginia’s response was not at all what anyone would have expected.Virginia said to the woman, “The price has already been paid; I am happy to pray for your grandchild, and God will do a miracle for your family just as he did for mine.”

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“My first experience with the local authorities was in 1997 when I offered to provide metal sheeting for roofs on all the Gypsy huts,” Rufus recalls. “An official representative of the city told me, ‘Don’t bother! Next year we’re going to tear down all the houses and move the Roma elsewhere, so don’t waste your time.’ Each year we heard the same reason for not helping the people, and finally in 2003 I decided that no matter what was being said, we would assist the Gypsies in a tangible way. The supporters of FAF offered to fund the project—to build small wooden houses for some of the residents—and we had work teams ready, so we took this offer to the city council.”

What happened next was yet another lesson in “Romanian bureaucracy.” As Dee tells it, “The mayor was at that meeting and accepted our offer, but only on the condition that the homes be built for the new community of Gypsies who lived about half a mile from Pata Rat.” FAF went ahead and built the eight homes at the location dictated by the local authorities. “They were gracious to allow us to help their citizens,” Rufus says dryly, “but everything was done according to their plan, not necessarily what we had in mind.”

“But we finally did get our way in 2004 and 2005,” Dee reminds him. “We were able to build the homes we wanted for the Gypsies, and most were built in Pata Rat.”

remains tenuous, and they always remind us of that fact by saying, ‘We’re going to remove the camp, we are going to move the people.’ ” In addition to the fear of imminent displacement, the lack of education—the only real escape for the Gypsies—is another concern. “The Gypsy children do have access and permission to attend a special school,” Dee says, “but not many go. It is a long, long walk, across a set of railroad tracks and then along a main road leading into the city. And sometimes the children are threatened by non-Gypsies, so they are reluctant to go.”

“And the parents seldom encourage their children to continue to attend school if they ever start,” Rufus adds. “If they are big enough to go to school, the adults think they can be put to better use scrounging in the dump to help make a living. Or they keep the kids at home to take care of their smaller siblings.”

In the years that FAF and YV have worked in the Pata Rat camp, the level of violence and need for police intervention have decreased dramatically and are now lower than in any similar Gypsy camp in Romania. “This is a direct result of the consistent presentation of the Word of God and praying and caring for people,” Rufus says. “God’s peace has made a major change in the lives of hundreds in this camp, and it shows.” ■

A LONG, LONG WALK

(To learn more about the Whynots’ ministry in Romania, visit ffc.org.ro or yv.org.ro.)

FAF has worked—or tried to—with the local city and county administrations to improve the conditions in the Gypsy camp.

Although it is home to more than 400 adults and children of all ages, and circumstances are improving, Pata Rat is still an unhealthy place to live.

The outlook for employment or opportunity remains bleak for the Gypsy population. Although the government has many job-training programs on paper, the only ones that seem to actually assist the Gypsies are the ones run by the non-government organizations. In years past, the Gypsies hired themselves out as tradespeople, using a variety of skills such as knife-sharpening, basket-making, or pipe-installing in new homes. And while some of those skills are still used today, most of the people of Romania do not trust the Gypsies enough to hire them and are prejudiced against a culture they don’t understand. If they hire the Gypsies, it’s for only the most menial and short-term tasks, and they pay the Gypsies very little money.

“There is no denying that most of these people are squatting on land owned either by the government or by private individuals,” Rufus admits. “And solving the ‘problem’ presented by the Gypsies here and elsewhere in the nation isn’t easy. The official answer concerning the future of Pata Rat

Based in New York City, Jeff C. Stevenson (jcsnyc@hotmail.com) founded Well Done Productions in 1993. Utilizing a whatever-youcan-afford policy, WDP assists churches, Christian ministries, and missionaries in focusing, clarifying, and promoting their messages.

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