Imagine having no identity. No birth certificate. No government ID. No way of acquiring health care or social services. Being unable to go to school or get a job. That is how gypsies live.
Now if you’re like me when you think of Gypsy you think of a person, typically a woman, with long flowing hair, big hoop earrings, flowing long dresses, and lots of gold jewelry and head wraps; kind of like Esmerelda from the Hunchback of Notre Dame. But that is not what gypsies actually look like. For the most part they look like pretty much like you and me. The three more typical signs are slightly darker skin, having kids at a young age, and riding around in a horse and cart.
Gypsies are looked down upon here and across Europe. They are seen as untrustworthy, lazy, and uncontributing to society. This stems from the problem that they are unable to get jobs and thereby make money since they do not have ID cards.
I can’t imagine not having an identity. To not be known. It is a reminder of how blessed I am to come from a place where I don’t have to worry about such things (yet in the same breath I can’t help but think about the faceless and nameless missing and murdered aboriginal women we have back home). I am also thankful that not only do I have an identity in my country but I also have an identity in God; the knowledge that I was created for a purpose and regardless of the mistakes I make or the number of times I make them I am forgiven and God is waiting with open arms for me to return to him.
While having no identity may seem bad enough there is the possibility of something even uglier lurking here in Bulgaria. Human trafficking is a huge, but hidden, problem here. This country is one of the biggest places for luring and trapping young girls and selling them into human trafficking. Unfortunately, children can be seen as a way to make money and after recently watching the documentary Nefarious on this topic it has come to my realization that some mothers actually sell their children to traffickers as a way of making money. The idea that someone would do that just breaks my heart and makes me wonder how little you yourself must have been cared for if you have no regard for even your own child’s life.
Now to leave you with the good. I have had the privilege of meeting some gypsies at our church here and I can tell you they are no different from anyone else. They are kind hearted, shy but welcoming people. They are no different from you or I they were just dealt a tough hand in lift and are trying to make the best of it as we all are. I hope you can join me in praying for the gypsy (Roma) people in Europe. Roger and Gail, our ministry hosts for the month, have partnered with the mayor’s office to help build a playground in the local gypsy village so that they will gain an invitation to the opening and be able to meet and hopefully gain contacts and build relationships with the people of the village.
