Slovakian countryside

After the staff conference, I went back to Kosice with the Roberts family and the other Anna to spend a day there seeing some other things. We ended up going out to see the ministry of another IM coworker. She works with a group of Roma ladies out in a village(there's more info. on the Roma people group below), teaching them how to make things(earrings, purses, notecards). She pays them according to their work and then sells the items in different locations. This teaches them a skill and gives them a sense of accomplishment, as well as letting them contribute financially to their families.

On the way out to the Roma village we stopped in another small town and had tea with the young English speaking mayor(and his wife), who are Christian friends of our coworker. They had baby sheep and goats in the backyard, so we got to go back and play with them for a little while.

At the mayor's house

Did you know that baby goats like to snuggle? So cute!!

Driving through the Roma village

Roma are a subgroup of the Romani people (also known as Gypsies) with origins in India, who live primarily in Central and Eastern Europe, as well as in the Balkans and Western Anatolia.
Roma live often in depressed squatter communities with very high unemployment, while only some are fully integrated in the society.

Many former Eastern bloc countries have substantial populations of Roma. The level of integration of Roma into society remains limited. In these countries, they usually remain on the margins of society, living in isolated ghetto-like settlements. Only a small fraction of Roma children graduate from secondary school. Many Roma have faced discrimination and prejudice from both private groups and national Governments. source: Wikipedia

Roma women at work

A church in the countryside