Bună seara. Or as you would say in English, good evening. My name is Feka Bu Gergi <sp?>, but you can call me Ghitsa. I’m from Romania. I was born and raised in Romania amongst the Gypsies in Tinka. We were really poor people under Communism; and the Gypsies could not get work, they could not find how to supply the needs for their family. So many times we had to resort to stealing and begging to supply basic needs.
The Gypsies are great musicians, they love to play instrument(s) and they love to sing and some of the greatest musicians in all the world were gypsies. And I was a little boy, and I wanted to play the accordion like my uncles and my grand fathers. But I had no accordion . And it was my birthday coming up, and my mother give me choice. She said you can have accordion or you could have new clothes for school. It was difficult. Because I had very bad clothes. Dirty; clothes with holes in them. And I was ashamed to go to school in my clothes. But I wanted the accordion so bad. And I said, Mom - it’s up to you. What you want to give for me for my birthday you get.
I went to school that way in my old ragged clothes and was embarrassed once again, but was hoping that I would come home and find an accordion. When I got home, Mama said to me, “Ghitsa. Go into the closet and see what I bought you for your birthday.” And when I opened the door, there was new suit of clothes. I was happy; it was very nice that Mama sacrifice to be able to give me a new suit of clothes.
But then she said to me, “Ghitsa, go look in the other closet over there.” And when I opened the closet, was accordion . I was so happy. And I began to play accordion , became professional musician playing it at weddings in Romania and sometimes the weddings would go two, three nights in the row. Sad to say that many times I would get drunk and just fight and play music and that was my life, to get drunk and to play music and then I began to gamble. And as I became an adult man, my life was very confused.
I met Gypsy woman, beautiful girl - her name Monika <sp?>. And we fell in love and got married. But I am ashamed to say, I was not good husband. All the money I made playing the accordion at weddings and special occasions I would spend on alcohol. Then I would come home and argue with Monika because there was no food to eat. It was my fault, I spent the money. And Monika got very discouraged, very unhappy.
And then something happen to her, one day she came home very religious. Praying all the time, reading the Bible, and she told me “Ghitsa, I became Christian and changed my life.” And she said, “Ghitsa, you need to be Christian.” And I laughed inside. And my wife was a turmoil<? Inaudible 3:25> And one day my oldest son, Ghitsa Shore<sp?> ,it means Ghitsa Junior. And Ghitsa Shore said to me, Papa - if you don’t become Christian and don’t help to heal our family, I want you to leave us. We can’t take anymore of the arguing and the fighting and you abusing mama and the family. And then I began to search. I had little job at post office as a security watchman. And late at night, I would stay there at Post Office and I would pray, drink. There was a man who worked there who’s Christian. And I think on purpose he would leave Bible open, and I’d read, I’d read wherever he had the Bible open. God began to speak to my heart. But I had so many problems in my life, I was such an evil man, I didn’t think that God could really forgive me. And then one day, to satisfy my wife so that we wouldn’t fight anymore - she said - “Come to prayer meeting”. I said, “What you want me to do at prayer meeting?” She said, “Whatever we do you do.” So to keep peace, I went with Monika. We came to little house, this house was a place where the gypsies used to go to prayer. Nobody lived in this house. It was only a place to pray.
So we got down on our knees in the circle. One person prayed and another person prayed, and God began to work in my heart in that prayer time. And I began to cry out to God in my prayer; and I said - “God, I’m very confused; one person says if you eat pork you can’t go to heaven. Another person says if you don’t go to the church on Saturday, you can’t go to heaven. I’m very confused. Please send me someone to tell me the truth of the gospel ‘cuz I’m confused.” He sent me men. I got up and opened my eyes. And before me was this man, two men. They speak to me in gypsy language. And they speak to me about Jesus in my own language, I never heard anybody tell me about God in my own language. I didn’t know that God could speak Gypsy. They told me they were Americans, they were missionaries. They were Baptist. They told me how I could be saved and be forgiven of my sins. And there in that room, I knelt down and I prayed. And I asked Jesus to come into my heart to change me. And God changed me. He made me a new man. My life is wonderful in the Lord and my marriage is strong.
And I wouldn’t leave that man who came. He stayed with us about two weeks. And wherever he went, I went with him. He stayed in broken down boarding house, very terrible dirty place. He had this salami or something that he brought from America. And he would cut the pieces of the salami, [and] give me this soup that he made in some kind of a little stove. I don’t know what it was. We would have that soup and eat the salami and we’d take off our shoes. And all night we would talk about Jesus; I didn’t want to leave that man. He became like my father in the Lord Jesus and I wouldn’t leave him. My wife and I were supposed to go to Hungary and work, we find big jobs in Hungary. But we didn’t go. We wanted to be with that missionary and it was in those days I remember and God began to work in my heart and he called me to be preacher.
I think you know the man who talked to me about Jesus; now he lives with us. He helps us people; and together we tell other gypsies about Jesus. We have a church; it’s called Manna Baptist Church and I’m Pastor over there now. And I give God all the glory.
But I want to say one more thing. I never had opportunity to come to America before; we tried to come but couldn’t get the visa to come. And the reason I want to come is I want to stand in Baptist church in America, I want to say - Thank you America, for sending missionary to me. Thank you for giving your money, making the sacrifice and praying for the missionary. Because of you, this gypsy man hears the gospel. I pray for you every day and ask God to bless your churches and make your country strong in Jesus. And I hear that the churches are strong, and it gives me great encouragement. I have one word for you. Continue, keep on for Jesus. God Bless you. Bună seara.
The Gypsies are great musicians, they love to play instrument(s) and they love to sing and some of the greatest musicians in all the world were gypsies. And I was a little boy, and I wanted to play the accordion like my uncles and my grand fathers. But I had no accordion . And it was my birthday coming up, and my mother give me choice. She said you can have accordion or you could have new clothes for school. It was difficult. Because I had very bad clothes. Dirty; clothes with holes in them. And I was ashamed to go to school in my clothes. But I wanted the accordion so bad. And I said, Mom - it’s up to you. What you want to give for me for my birthday you get.
I went to school that way in my old ragged clothes and was embarrassed once again, but was hoping that I would come home and find an accordion. When I got home, Mama said to me, “Ghitsa. Go into the closet and see what I bought you for your birthday.” And when I opened the door, there was new suit of clothes. I was happy; it was very nice that Mama sacrifice to be able to give me a new suit of clothes.
But then she said to me, “Ghitsa, go look in the other closet over there.” And when I opened the closet, was accordion . I was so happy. And I began to play accordion , became professional musician playing it at weddings in Romania and sometimes the weddings would go two, three nights in the row. Sad to say that many times I would get drunk and just fight and play music and that was my life, to get drunk and to play music and then I began to gamble. And as I became an adult man, my life was very confused.
I met Gypsy woman, beautiful girl - her name Monika <sp?>. And we fell in love and got married. But I am ashamed to say, I was not good husband. All the money I made playing the accordion at weddings and special occasions I would spend on alcohol. Then I would come home and argue with Monika because there was no food to eat. It was my fault, I spent the money. And Monika got very discouraged, very unhappy.
And then something happen to her, one day she came home very religious. Praying all the time, reading the Bible, and she told me “Ghitsa, I became Christian and changed my life.” And she said, “Ghitsa, you need to be Christian.” And I laughed inside. And my wife was a turmoil<? Inaudible 3:25> And one day my oldest son, Ghitsa Shore<sp?> ,it means Ghitsa Junior. And Ghitsa Shore said to me, Papa - if you don’t become Christian and don’t help to heal our family, I want you to leave us. We can’t take anymore of the arguing and the fighting and you abusing mama and the family. And then I began to search. I had little job at post office as a security watchman. And late at night, I would stay there at Post Office and I would pray, drink. There was a man who worked there who’s Christian. And I think on purpose he would leave Bible open, and I’d read, I’d read wherever he had the Bible open. God began to speak to my heart. But I had so many problems in my life, I was such an evil man, I didn’t think that God could really forgive me. And then one day, to satisfy my wife so that we wouldn’t fight anymore - she said - “Come to prayer meeting”. I said, “What you want me to do at prayer meeting?” She said, “Whatever we do you do.” So to keep peace, I went with Monika. We came to little house, this house was a place where the gypsies used to go to prayer. Nobody lived in this house. It was only a place to pray.
So we got down on our knees in the circle. One person prayed and another person prayed, and God began to work in my heart in that prayer time. And I began to cry out to God in my prayer; and I said - “God, I’m very confused; one person says if you eat pork you can’t go to heaven. Another person says if you don’t go to the church on Saturday, you can’t go to heaven. I’m very confused. Please send me someone to tell me the truth of the gospel ‘cuz I’m confused.” He sent me men. I got up and opened my eyes. And before me was this man, two men. They speak to me in gypsy language. And they speak to me about Jesus in my own language, I never heard anybody tell me about God in my own language. I didn’t know that God could speak Gypsy. They told me they were Americans, they were missionaries. They were Baptist. They told me how I could be saved and be forgiven of my sins. And there in that room, I knelt down and I prayed. And I asked Jesus to come into my heart to change me. And God changed me. He made me a new man. My life is wonderful in the Lord and my marriage is strong.
And I wouldn’t leave that man who came. He stayed with us about two weeks. And wherever he went, I went with him. He stayed in broken down boarding house, very terrible dirty place. He had this salami or something that he brought from America. And he would cut the pieces of the salami, [and] give me this soup that he made in some kind of a little stove. I don’t know what it was. We would have that soup and eat the salami and we’d take off our shoes. And all night we would talk about Jesus; I didn’t want to leave that man. He became like my father in the Lord Jesus and I wouldn’t leave him. My wife and I were supposed to go to Hungary and work, we find big jobs in Hungary. But we didn’t go. We wanted to be with that missionary and it was in those days I remember and God began to work in my heart and he called me to be preacher.
I think you know the man who talked to me about Jesus; now he lives with us. He helps us people; and together we tell other gypsies about Jesus. We have a church; it’s called Manna Baptist Church and I’m Pastor over there now. And I give God all the glory.
But I want to say one more thing. I never had opportunity to come to America before; we tried to come but couldn’t get the visa to come. And the reason I want to come is I want to stand in Baptist church in America, I want to say - Thank you America, for sending missionary to me. Thank you for giving your money, making the sacrifice and praying for the missionary. Because of you, this gypsy man hears the gospel. I pray for you every day and ask God to bless your churches and make your country strong in Jesus. And I hear that the churches are strong, and it gives me great encouragement. I have one word for you. Continue, keep on for Jesus. God Bless you. Bună seara.