We captured the tail end of this wedding celebration out the window of our apartment. Take a look and a listen!
Saturday, November 21, 2015
Saturday, October 31, 2015
Refugee Ministry
We had the opportunity recently to take part in the relief effort with the local church we attend here in Skopje. Here is what our day looked like:
We arrived at the makeshift village close to the Serbian border at about 11 am on a rainy, cool Tuesday morning. As we backed several cars up close to the train tracks, people of all ages, mostly from Syria and Afghanistan, flocked the vehicles for bananas, bottled water, and rain ponchos. Many of the migrants had already begun the short walk north toward the border, where they would be picked up and carried further.
After everyone received what they wanted, we proceeded to a tent where we could set up our official distribution area. Before long, another busload came through. The people seemed to have almost nothing -- many of them only had the clothes on their backs. We saw many mothers with little children, teens, and young men. Despite having traveled hundreds of miles and paying what little money they had on transportation, they still managed to smile and say "thank you" as they were given, clothes, toys, and care packages with food.
I noticed several backpacks with Samaritan's Purse printed on them, and remembered that even on a cold and soggy day, the love of Christ was still shining on these people.
Pray that these people can find places where they can live in peace. But even more critically, pray for opportunities for the gospel to be presented to these people in a clear way!
Matka
This is from a boat ride on the Treska River going through the Matka Canyon. It is about 40 minutes from our doorstep...
Sunday, October 18, 2015
Worship in Macedonian
Prayer Partners,
Many of you no doubt are curious about what the worship service is like here in Skopje. Turns out it is not entirely different from how we do things back home :) Here is brief video from our church "God's Voice." You might recognize the tune!
Many of you no doubt are curious about what the worship service is like here in Skopje. Turns out it is not entirely different from how we do things back home :) Here is brief video from our church "God's Voice." You might recognize the tune!
Tuesday, September 8, 2015
Greetings from Skopje!
Hello Prayer Supporters,
Just a quick update that we have made it to Skopje and are getting settled in, and we officially start language learning next week.
Our initial impressions are very positive! Skopje has a large variety of cultures and ethnic groups, including Slavic as well as Greek Orthodox and Albanian Muslims. This will be both a challenge and a blessing as we seek to push back the darkness and saturate the gospel in an area with so much lostness.
Although most people here know "survival English," and even in some cases Russian, we are going to need to press in and strive to learn Macedonian to have the deep gospel conversations that we really want.
As always, we must have your prayers to be successful, and we hope that you will remember us frequently before the Father. Some things to pray for right now:
1) That we quickly learn Macedonian
2) That we will find the strategies that yield the most fruit and produce the biggest gospel impact
3) That God would lead us to those He has already prepared for salvation
Thank you, and we look forward to posting more updates soon!
D and C
Just a quick update that we have made it to Skopje and are getting settled in, and we officially start language learning next week.
Our initial impressions are very positive! Skopje has a large variety of cultures and ethnic groups, including Slavic as well as Greek Orthodox and Albanian Muslims. This will be both a challenge and a blessing as we seek to push back the darkness and saturate the gospel in an area with so much lostness.
Although most people here know "survival English," and even in some cases Russian, we are going to need to press in and strive to learn Macedonian to have the deep gospel conversations that we really want.
As always, we must have your prayers to be successful, and we hope that you will remember us frequently before the Father. Some things to pray for right now:
1) That we quickly learn Macedonian
2) That we will find the strategies that yield the most fruit and produce the biggest gospel impact
3) That God would lead us to those He has already prepared for salvation
Thank you, and we look forward to posting more updates soon!
D and C
Sunday, June 21, 2015
Great News!
Hello Blog Readers,
As many of you already know, we are in the process of applying for visas to Macedonia! We are excited and blessed to be able to continue our missions journey to a place where less than 1 percent of the population has a saving relationship with Christ.
As we contemplated this decision, we were drawn to Acts 16:6-10, and how the apostle Paul was blocked from Asia, but received a call in the form of a vision of a man from Macedonia. Could it be the same for us to have been blocked from Asia, only to have a received a call to this place with so much significance in Paul's ministry?
Thank you for your prayers, and we look forward to communicating more as we move forward!
As many of you already know, we are in the process of applying for visas to Macedonia! We are excited and blessed to be able to continue our missions journey to a place where less than 1 percent of the population has a saving relationship with Christ.
As we contemplated this decision, we were drawn to Acts 16:6-10, and how the apostle Paul was blocked from Asia, but received a call in the form of a vision of a man from Macedonia. Could it be the same for us to have been blocked from Asia, only to have a received a call to this place with so much significance in Paul's ministry?
Thank you for your prayers, and we look forward to communicating more as we move forward!
Monday, February 23, 2015
Stateside Update
Prayer partners,
We are still in the states and are finishing a busy few weeks. Here are a few of the things we have been involved in since we returned in November:
-- presented in approximately 10 different venues (including churches, retired missionary gatherings, and more).
-- reconnected with family and friends.
-- received medical clearance to return to the field.
Recently we did experience a sad event, as the missionary with whom we were deported from Russia, Alvin Conyers, went home to be with the Lord. He passed away the day before we got on a plane to fly to Atlanta (his hometown). We were planning to spend time with Alvin, but instead we knew the Lord wanted us to be there to be with his family and friends as well as to celebrate his life. Our lives were profoundly touched by this remarkable human being, who was a Christlike example of kindness and humility even in the midst of such a difficult situation as deportation.
We have also just finished participating in a mission weekend here in north Texas, and we expect our schedule to slow down some going into March, so if we have not met with you please notify us and we will do everything we can to make it to you.
We do not yet have a future place of service but hope to have more direction on that in the coming weeks.
May God richly bless all of you who lift us up to the Lord, as we know your prayers "availeth much!"
Thanks and look for more updates soon!
We are still in the states and are finishing a busy few weeks. Here are a few of the things we have been involved in since we returned in November:
-- presented in approximately 10 different venues (including churches, retired missionary gatherings, and more).
-- reconnected with family and friends.
-- received medical clearance to return to the field.
Recently we did experience a sad event, as the missionary with whom we were deported from Russia, Alvin Conyers, went home to be with the Lord. He passed away the day before we got on a plane to fly to Atlanta (his hometown). We were planning to spend time with Alvin, but instead we knew the Lord wanted us to be there to be with his family and friends as well as to celebrate his life. Our lives were profoundly touched by this remarkable human being, who was a Christlike example of kindness and humility even in the midst of such a difficult situation as deportation.
We have also just finished participating in a mission weekend here in north Texas, and we expect our schedule to slow down some going into March, so if we have not met with you please notify us and we will do everything we can to make it to you.
We do not yet have a future place of service but hope to have more direction on that in the coming weeks.
May God richly bless all of you who lift us up to the Lord, as we know your prayers "availeth much!"
Thanks and look for more updates soon!
Saturday, February 21, 2015
More to come soon!
Dear blog readers,
I apologize for the long delay between posts! We have recently concluded our first term of service and are currently on stateside assignment in Texas. We are awaiting God's direction on a new assignment, and we should know more about this in the coming weeks. Stay tuned for more updates . . .
I apologize for the long delay between posts! We have recently concluded our first term of service and are currently on stateside assignment in Texas. We are awaiting God's direction on a new assignment, and we should know more about this in the coming weeks. Stay tuned for more updates . . .
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