Click here to view this newsletter as a PDF.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the ZZ team and Čizmanski family!
The Čizmanskis wish you a blessed times with the Lord in the coming days.
As the new year is here, ZZ is making new plans for 2026. This year, I am going to the European Leadership Forum in Wisla, Poland. It is one of the places where I can get knowledge and mentors for different topics and improvement for the ministry. I am going to hear more about how to lead a Christian organization and about trauma, two topics that are very close to my heart and that are a need for the ZZ and Serbian/Roma people.
December Women’s Meeting
For many years, until Covid time, ZZ would organize a women’s meeting once a month. We would talk about different topics, sharing lives and personal experience with each other.
We started these meetings again in a very nice period of the year – Christmas time.
Marija did a craft coloring with the coffee.
Emil helped with taking care of the kids while we were sharing a story and did some coloring.
Every second month, we are planning to have a women’s meeting (February is our next month).
Christmas Camp
This year we had a friend and a helper coming from the USA, Lori decided to join us this year. She brought some presents from the USA (like a Christmas tree made of felt material with ornaments, figures that represent people from the Christmas story . . .) so our camp could be visual and easy for the children to follow.
Lori sharing with figures representing the Christmas story.
We also had three new volunteers, which is a great joy for the ZZ team, and my husband helped this year a lot as well. They shared stories, did Christmas crafts, and one of them was a Santa Clause. The children were able to play, hear a story of Jesus coming to Earth, sing songs, and receive presents.
This year, my church blessed us with some sweets and snacks for the children. As we have been working in this village for seven to eight years now, I have decided to give them individual presents for the first time. In the past, we shared how important is to give and receive, but also not to take from others.
Also, my friend from childhood that I haven’t seen for many years came to Christ and today is an ex-drug addict. He feels privilege to be able to serve people in need.
Sad Story True for So Many Roma Women
When a woman among Roma people doesn’t have a man (as they would say it – or husband), there is nobody who is going to take care of her.
In my previous November newsletter, I shared one sad story about a family that tragically lost their father and husband. Since then, his wife decided to go back to prostitution and earn quick money for their family and the kids. She decided to leave Donji Petrovci, as there are other family members who are trying to make decisions for her and her kids, and that is a hard life. Last thing I heard about her and her kids is that she has a new husband, who is now taking care of her and kids.
Please pray that she and kids give a seed for the Lord one day in their lives and all of them (her and the three kids) ask Christ to be their Lord and Saviour.
And finally, my daughter Martina is getting married March 28.
We are celebrating them, helping them to organize everything, and looking forward to that day.
Family time with our dear friend Lori from the USA.
Much love from ZZ and Čizmanski family!