Both Mary and I have had some doctor-ordered down time for the month of February. Mary had pneumonia and I had a bronchial infection. We were instructed to stay home and rest. Having such a restriction does have its upside. It gave us time to think.
So, over the past few weeks we have looked back at these almost 9 years and have marveled at how our mission, our work, and our very lives, have been sustained by a Continue reading
What? Me? Come to Serbia?
Yes. You come to Serbia. Really. It would be great.
Think of it….you get to see what Propel is doing, love on people, experience the culture, enjoy the food, and make some memories that could change your life and those with whom you engage.
Oh, you want more information? OK. Continue reading
These past few months have been a whirlwind of activity..
Against the odds and the skeptics’ doubts…it is working!!
Just one and half years ago we signed some documents, paid some fees, and in Serbia, Propel became a reality. It was now official! It’s alive!!!! Now what?
We set out to work with this nation’s most under-valued, despised, and mistrusted people…The Roma (gypsies). It is bad enough that the Roma are looked down upon by almost every other facet of society, but they don’t even trust one another.
So, who were we to think we could make any connection? Who were we to try to bridge the gap? What were we thinking? Continue reading
Elvira: Why would we sponsor a university student? How did she turn the taunts and jeers of her friends into her Fight Song?
Growing up in most Roma communities is a strike against any kid. Oh, you’re a girl”? Strike two. Strike three could be a choice of any number of factors; parental apathy, lack of funds, death of your father. Take your pick. Continue reading
Ordinary has gotten a bad rap. Sure it means; the usual, the expected. In today’s language calling something ordinary is almost derogatory. In this day and age of over-used, misused, and over-hyped adjectives, ordinary is considered just plain dull. Ordinary isn’t shared. Ordinary doesn’t get “likes”. Who retweets ordinary?
Greetings from somewhat chilly Novi Sad Serbia. With the Holidays and our recent Magical Mystery Tour all behind us, life here is back to “normal”.
Excuse me? How does normal look, you ask? It looks like this>> Continue reading
For the past 11 weeks we have been on the road. Visiting almost every US state east of the Mississippi River, and even taking a trek into Canada. In between driving over 12,000 miles we visited friends, family, supporters, prospects, advocates, and a number of restaurants and petrol stations. The visits cannot be numbered, nor the hugs, laughs, or tears. We loved every connection and were saddened by every goodbye.
Funny thing, there was a strange constant in many, many conversations. People who have known us for decades, friends who have been following our adventure since the early days, even folks who have been supporting this work for close to ten years, all seemed to have the same question: What do you do? Continue reading
One Mission Accomplished
Our first ever Roma Kids Camp was an amazing success! Twenty-five boys and girls from two of Novi Sad’s poorest neighbourhoods had five days and four nights of games, activities, lessons, sleep deprivation, and love. For a group of kids who rarely have this kind of opportunity, it was a blast. Follow-up conversations with their parents tell us that the kids are still talking about how much fun they had at Camp. To all that made it possible (and it was truly a global effort), Thank You!!! Continue reading
Greetings from Paul and Mary.
Wow…it has been 5 months since we’ve relocated to Serbia.
What’s been happening? A virtual cornucopia of love, grace, big steps forward, some steps back, admin stuff, and a growing sense that it was the right thing to do. In no particular order it looks like this: Continue reading
