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An Interview with Ruslan Yankovsky
Introduction
 It is not always known amongst Christians that remarkable spiritual events are happening in the midst of the Gypsy or, as they are nowadays called, the Roma people. Gypsies have often been stereotyped in a negative way with much prejudice and even persecution against them, especially in the European nations where they have settled. The testimonies of many Gypsy believers tell similar stories of lives and characters being totally turned around when they met the Lord and became followers of Jesus.
In this interview we tell the story of one young man who is today an active evangelist amongst his Roma people.
Ruslan you are a Gypsy; tell us a little more about where you come from
Yes, I was born in the Gypsy camp in Mukatchevo in Western Ukraine 27 years ago. The Gypsies used to be a people who travelled all over in caravans or wagons, especially in Europe, without too much concern for international borders. Some decades ago different governments forced our people to settle in permanent locations. The result was that special Gypsy camps or ghettoes were established in many areas. Just in my part of the Ukraine alone there were a few hundred of them. The standard of housing was very low and conditions were often harsh. My mother worked as a cleaner in an office to take care of me and my sister, as we grew up without our father, who was from Turkmenistan.
Like most of the Gypsies in the camp we were poor. Sometimes in the winter there was nothing with which to warm the small dwelling, and even inside the house we had to live in sub-zero temperatures.
Conditions inside the camp were not good. Violence was common. And the Ukrainian police would also single out the Gypsies for hard treatment and often false accusations.
Today you are a committed Christian. What happened ?
When I was six years old a young man came to our camp with a mission from God. He was not a Gypsy but a Ukrainian with a deep burden for the Gypsy people. He could easily have been attacked, but fearlessly and boldly he made contact with some in the camp, giving them New Testaments and getting their permission to return and preach the Gospel. My mother was one of the first to be saved and at a young age I also repented and decided to follow Jesus. Soon a viable church was established and the Holy Spirit added many souls whose lives had been completely changed. Today there are many churches in the region – all the fruit of that young man’s obedience to the Lord.
Your character manifests all the fruit of the Spirit and you have an amazing maturity in the Lord. Tell us something more of your testimony
From a young age I was privileged to receive solid teaching in the church and to enjoy the fellowship of other committed believers. Although we lived in the Ukraine our language at home was Hungarian, being in an area bordering Hungary. This enabled me to attend Bible courses in Hungary. In the Ukraine schools we also had to learn Ukrainian and Russian, however. Today, the fact that I can speak these languages is very helpful in my ministry of evangelism.
An important help in my life as a young believer was when I attended the Youth With A Mission DTS (Discipleship Training School) in Ternopil, Ukraine. Here I learned the importance of biblical values and of a close personal relationship with the Lord, but also how to speak good English.
You have a lovely family. Is your wife also a believer?
Yes and we are privileged to have three little girls. My wife was also in my church and at a young age she became a committed believer. She attended the YWAM Discipleship School two years after me. Although the children keep her busy she is very supportive of my ministry in encouragement and prayer.
Ruslan share with us different things you are involved in in your ministry
I like to regard myself as an evangelist. From a young age I had a desire to be a missionary. We have a Gypsy worship team called “Amaro Del “ meaning “Our God” in the Gypsy language.
We travel to different camps and even neighbouring countries to play worship music, share testimonies and preach the Gospel. In order to help support my family I also have a tentmaking ministry. At the moment I oversee the building of a shower facility for Gypsies in the camp as many Gypsy homes have no bathroom. We are also setting up a cafeteria where visitors can hear about Christianity.
I do this work on behalf of a mission organization called Eastern Europe Mission, which sponsors these facilities for the Gypsy people. I am a co-worker in this organization and I am responsible for co-ordinating different projects for the Gypsies, such as establishing schools and programmes to feed the children and even grown-ups. We also distribute other kinds of aid.
I stay active in the church helping to organize conferences, seminars and often acting as an interpreter for visiting speakers.
Are you excited about a growing revival amongst the Gypsy people? In the years I have been a follower of Jesus I have witnessed many miracles of God changing people, dramatically intervening in the lives of men and women who before were deep in sin and even led criminal lives. Alcoholics and people who were in the occult repented and became on fire for the Lord. Some of them became preachers, teachers, pastors or worship leaders. I believe that what I have observed thus far is only the beginning of a mighty revival amongst my people. We will see an explosion of the work of the Holy Spirit in the time that lies ahead.
What are the most important requirements for nurturing this revival?
It is important that new believers get strong roots and the right teaching. Gypsies who for many generations have been involved in the occult can easily get excited about spiritual things, but at the same time be influenced by wrong teaching and cultic pressures. So being involved in the right fellowship and receiving solid Bible teaching, as well as having pastoral leaders who can correctly channel them, are very important for sustaining a healthy revival.
One problem is that there are not enough believers who are qualified to be teachers and pastors. Many Gypsy young people would like to be trained as leaders, but for that we will need more Bible schools as well as the funds to enable them to be educated and trained for responsibilties in the churches.
A wonderful feature of the Gypsy awakening is the enthusiasm of the children. In my church in Mukatchevo for example, there are hundreds of children who participate in the youth programmes. One of my close friends, Carlos, is a youth leader and he does wonderful things with the children like teaching them by involving them in Biblical dramas and using visual aids. There are youth worship and dancing teams as the kids just love to worship with their whole beings. Of course the youth is the future, so for the Gypsy revival to be sustained we have to keep the youth involved and protect them from the modern onslaught of a secular culture by rooting them firmly in the Word of God and having fellowship with believers.
Ruslan what is your view of Israel and the Jewish people?
I truly believe that the restoration of the Jewish people back to their own land is a dramatic fulfillment of prophecy and a wonderful proof of the faithfulness of the Lord. It is important for us who are not Jewish by birth, but yet members of spiritual Israel, to support them firmly and to take a strong stand against anti-Semitism which sadly enough is raising its ugly head again.
We Gypsy believers have a natural love for the Jewish people. There are of course many characteristics and historical developments we have in common with them, for example we were also a wandering people, spread over many borders. Even the rhythm in our music is reminiscent of the music of Israel. An important difference though is that the Gypsy people have no land of their own, but this makes it even more important for us to identify with Israel and God's promises to those who will bless the seed of Abraham.
Lately I am becoming more aware of how Jewish the Christian faith is and the importance of recognizing that our Bible came to us through the revelation given to Israel. During the recent Tabernacles Celebration in my home town I learned more of the richness of the Jewish feasts and the important spiritual significance they have in New Testament terms.
It is my dream to visit Israel one day.
What is your dream concerning the Gypsy or Roma people, Ruslan?
My people need the Lord. For generations they have wandered around without having a real sense of belonging. They were guilty of many of the things they were accused of. They justified some of their actions as if they had a divine right to it: for example there is the myth amongst the Gypsies that a Gypsy stole one of the nails from the cross of Christ and therefore God gave them permission to keep on stealing. They have paid a heavy price for a lifestyle far removed from the true will of God; but praise the Lord, there is hope.
I see many more of my people coming to the Lord in true repentance and finding rest and peace in a living relationship with the Lord Jesus. The potential is vast. They are hungry for the truth and the Word of God in their lives. There is much work to be done though. Not everyone is yet ready to have their lives radically transformed, but the witness of those who have is there for everyone to see and to be made hungry to have that joy as well.
I dream of seeing a team of young people raised up who could go to the different camps and communities to preach, worship and challenge them. They can also follow up with those who have already become believers. Sadly enough there are groups of believers who are so isolated, mostly because of poverty, that there is little growth in their spiritual lives. They need to be visited and given a renewed vision for moving forward with the Lord.
Gypsy believers can set a great example to the Jewish people. I believe many Jewish people will indeed become jealous if they see how God is bringing new life to my people.
I am excited about the future. God’s time for the Gypsy people has truly come. I believe this with my whole heart.
This interview was conducted with Ruslan in February 2006. Our next interview will be with Peter Murri about the fishing and transportation of Jewish people on their way home to Israel. |
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