Calling to witness Christ among Eastern European migrants
As I got involved deeper into mission studies I knew that this is just the beginning of our journey. When Vidas made peace with God I prayed that his heart would be open to God’s mission.
After three years at Redcliffe College [www.redcliffe.org] I had a chance to work alongside Darrell Jackson, Director of Nova research centre [www.novaresearch.eu]. We were asked to research Polish migration in the UK in order to help local churches and mission agencies to reach out to growing Polish community. MA studies provided an opportunity to do my own investigation on Polish migrants and what difficulties they face and how receiving country response to such a huge influx of migrants. My interest remained in local churches response to growing Eastern European communities (Czechs, Polish, Slovaks, Slovenians, Lithuanians, Latvians, Estonians, Hungarians, Romanians, Bulgarians, Ukrainians, Russians). I discovered that churches struggled to find ways of engaging with Eastern Europeans. There are churches that organise English language classes, but lack in making deeper connection with people. It seems that there is a cultural clash: Eastern Europeans come from community focused society ( it is slowly changing), while English are individualists. Our observations led us to an obvious mission field. Eastern Europeans have been neglected by mission agencies. People keep coming, settling down and establishing new communities. While churches seems still not sure about the concept ‘mission at the door step’ or do not know how to witness Christ to their fellow neighbours. God had opened an opportunity for us to be people in between the cultures where transformation of lives is inevitable.
Tips for integration:
Many times we have been asked how did we manage to adapt to English lifestyle. We followed several rules that we thought were important living abroad: learn language, observe, learn their way of speaking ( thank you, please and sorry are the key words), listen and ask questions (still do), do not criticise, read local newspapers, watch TV programs and make friends with neighbours, learn customs and traditions, participate in local elections (show interest and knowledge in politics and sport), invite English friends for a wonderfully cooked English meal, go to local church and pubs (local ales connect people:)).
We hope that our experiences will help in our ministry and will encourage local churches to join us in this journey. There is nothing more exiting to share your faith with others. Faith is infectious! We desire to see people living Hope in their communities and beyond.
Polish friends
Ivona, Robert and their children Maria and Oliver lived next door for a year. Their English was very poor and we had to rely on our knowledge of Russian that helped us to make first connection. Ivona and Robert (their English improved) for the sake of their children decided to stay in the UK and are eager to learn English, but find it difficult, because they have no connections with locals and surrounded by Polish friends.
We learnt that they go to St. Peters Catholic Church. The Roman Catholic Church is the mainline church in Poland, therefore most of the migrants make friends through Polish Catholic Church. Maria (8 years old) attends Saturday Polish school where she studies Polish history and language. Oliver (3 years old) will start creche at St. Peters Catholic Primary school. Rugile and Maria are best friends and spend a lot of time together.
We had a chance to talk about church and God. They are both open to talk about God, but have doubts if God is really a living God and can help them.
We also shared our desire to help them with English language. Ivona and Robert both have university degrees and sometimes struggle with not being able to use their qualifications.
We did not have a chance to host them as their schedule always planned around their family. We would like to ask you to remember them in your prayers:
Pray that we would be able to find a way to invite them to our home and that their busy schedule would not be an obstacle to our growing friendship.
Year One: 2010-2011
What are we going to do this year?
Polish language lessons on Tuesdays;
informing local churches about our ministry and invite them to be part of it;
raising support;
occasional preaching;
working alongside St. James and Brunswick Baptist church: forming prayer groups;
making contacts with Polish people.
Please, pray with us:
We would like you to be part of this ministry. You should know that without your support we won’t be able to move forward. This is not our mission, but God’s and we are all partners in His mission.
Vidas will continue to work this year. This year we will be raising support. We need to raise £13.000 per year. Please, pray that the Lord would bring people alongside us who would like to be part of this ministry and see mission at home equally important as mission overseas.
We agreed with European Christian Mission that Vidas will begin his studies from September, 2011. Please, pray that this year Vidas will be able to choose a course that he would like to enroll from next year.
Many churches still think that mission is about going overseas. Pray, for churches to be open to mission at home.
Pray for our meetings with local churches. We will be establishing prayer and support groups. We hope that one group will be a mixture of people from our sending church and churches that will be involved in our ministry.
Pray, for Polish lessons. Our teacher is a Polish lady, who agreed to teach me (Vidas won’t be able to take lessons, but we agreed that I will pass on my knowledge to him until next year::)).
Pray for our contacts with Polish people.
Thank for:
The Lord has been at work! We were concerned about raising support, but God has brought to us people, who joined us on this journey by supporting us financially. We are very encouraged!
St. James and Brunswick Baptist churches are very positive about working among EE migrants and it gives us great joy to such enthusiasm.
We would like to receive your letters and prayer requests. Please, write us!!!
Our address is: Vidas, Rita and Rugile Rimkai, 8 Casey Close, Gloucester, GL1 3QP, UK.
Email: rita.rimkiene@ecmi.org, vidas.rimkus@ecmi.org
If you would like to support us financially, please contact us or:
European Christian Mission, Freepost NH-4573, 50 Billing Road, Northampton, NN1 5BR, UK
www.ecmbritain.org
Peace and love to you all! Rimkai.
No comments:
Post a Comment