February 27th, 2015 by Zac

(Click HERE if you missed PART 2 and HERE for PART 1)

Part 3 is not very hopeful or encouraging. The family we have been working with most closely has been broken apart again. The father has now, after only one year, been sent back to prison for aggravated robbery. And according to the local 3 strikes law, his sentence is likely to be for life this time. Now the mother and daughter are left to survive alone again.

Looking back, it seems clear, that the father really wanted to change his life and habits and live together as a godly family. But his old habits and patterns proved too strong to overcome. After some time, they stopped attending church and stopped walking with God all together, it seems.

I can’t say that our church family did everything we should have done however. And no doubt we have proved that it takes more than a minimum effort to restore such situations.

But, I’m still encouraged that we are “in the current”at this Gypsy village. We have our hands in the community weekly and are constantly building a more complete understanding of what is needed for progress – progress in our mentality and posture toward the poor and oppressed and how to help in the future.

Cover us with prayer, please, as we plan and conduct kids clubs each week and keep walking with this broken family.