A Visit With the International King of the Gypsies

Warm Hospitality

I must admit to being a bit overwhelmed when I first walked into the palace of the “International King of the Gypsies” in Sibiu, Romania.  The contrast between the poverty in the Gypsy villages where I had been the last 3 days and the wealth of this palace was quite stark. We walked into the communal living area where there was a living room with a TV and a long banquet table.  The aquarium stocked with exotic fish was topped with what looked like a brass crown.  But the family’s warm welcome and abundant hospitality, along with their energetic story-telling and genuine care for the Roma people won me over quickly. We met his wife, his sister, his children, and saw one of the twin grand-children.  Adults, teenagers, and children constantly passed through the room, some stopping to say hi, some just heading upstairs.  Conversation at the table covered a wide range of topics.  Dorin told about a bet that he had made with a local TV newscaster that he could lose a certain amount of weight.  If he won, he would get to be the announcer on TV for one broadcast!  Luminata shared a commonly believed legend that the Roma are a “lost tribe of Israel”.  Dorin’s wife brought out a wonderful dessert (after a gourmet, 4-course meal) and stayed to talk with us.    Very early in the visit I sensed that this was a family that God wanted me and others to pray for.

How It Started

It all started a week earlier at the International Roma Consultation in Budapest, Hungary.  Luminita Cioaba, sister of the King and a well-known poet/author, was one of the participants. Her family’s standing in the Roma and Romanian community allow them to minister in a unique way and influence many Roma Christians. Because her church does many projects to help the Roma people she was invited to the conference.  Stops at her church and supper with the King were added to our adventurous mission trip agenda.  That day, we had already met several Roma pastors and been in very poor Roma villages.  Arriving 2 hours late (part of the adventure) for a worship service, we found out that the believers had stayed the whole time waiting for us.  We were warmly welcomed by Dorin and Luminita and the rest of the congregation.  Even two hours late, they still wanted us to speak and sing and then join them for supper.  

People of Influence

Our visit to the household started in Dorin’s office where we found out just how much influence he has.  There we learned that he is the the president of the International Romani Union. We also saw the courtroom where he presides as judge in local Roma matters. Dorin is a lawyer by profession.  (I would actually meet a Roma pastor later who, earlier in life, had stood before Dorin and received community service instead of jailtime.  He said that Dorin was a fair judge.) In his role Dorin has fought for inclusion of Roma in EU countries and been a loud voice of accountability in use of EU funds which he says have not been used wisely in many countries. 

A Call To Prayer

After supper, we had the opportunity to pray together and it was one of the most meaningful times of the trip for me.  I was able to share a word of encouragement with Dorin and his wife that seemed to resonate with something they had been praying about for a long time.  I left the house with a lot to process and a nagging question of how cooperative work could look like.  There were some theological differences that would be worth talking about and the kind of projects they were involved in were just a little different than I had imagined.  But one thing was sure.  I left convinced that this was a family of great influence among the people with whom I was called to love and work.  So I committed to praying for them regularly.

God is moving among the Roma in Europe.  ReachGlobal has city teams in Madrid, Sofia, Prague, Stockholm, and Bucharest that are working among the Roma.  Click here for OPPORTUNITIES TO SERVE or WRITE ME.