From the Margins to the Mission

I grew up in a small Gypsy colony on the edge of town — a place the world rarely noticed. Life was simple yet filled with silent pain; people saw us as outcasts, unworthy of belonging. Our families followed old traditions, worshipping idols and animals, hoping they would bring us peace. Deep down, I longed to know if there was something — someone — real beyond all this.

But one summer, when I was just a little girl, a group of Christians came with Esther and her dad. They ran an IBCM camp at our colony. They didn’t look down on us — they smiled, sang songs, played with our children, and told us stories from a book I had never heard of before — the Bible.

That week changed everything. For the first time, I felt genuine, unconditional love. I learned that Jesus, the Son of God, came for everyone, even for a girl like me.

Now that I am 18, I’ve decided to dedicate my life to serving others in the same way I was once served. Next year, I’ll return to that same camp — not as a camper, but as a counsellor, to tell other children that they are loved, chosen, and never forgotten.

“We love because He first loved us.” — 1 John 4:19