Cao friends!
We thank you so much for your prayers so far for this trip! It is so encouraging to know we have so many people praying for our mission and the people of Serbia! Your comments mean so much to us!
The morning started out with prayer as usual. Our group then split and some went to teach the children while others stayed to teach the leaders with the Multiply material.
The Multiply teaching has truly been amazing. God is doing such great things with the leaders of Marijan’s church! God has taught us so much, and the leaders of the church have grown spiritually so much! The Multiply material is split into five sections: discipleship, the church, studying the Bible, the Old Testament, and the New Testament. Today we taught the Old Testament, focusing on Creation and the Fall of Man. The leaders (Pera, David, Niki, and Rade) are so encouraged by this material. They say that it is simple and easy to understand, it can be personalized to their lives, and they can use it to teach in each of their home churches in the villages.
This was the third day for the children’s club. Today I taught about how God called Samuel while he was sleeping and how God uses even children to be His servants. The children really enjoyed this story! It is pretty funny how Samuel kept waking up and after the 3rd time, realized it was God. We sang children’s worship songs and played a relay game. After the club, the children practiced their skits and songs for the Evangelism we will have on Thursday night.
Marijan says he has heard from many children in the street how much they love the children’s club. They are so excited when we come because during the summer, they normally have nothing to do and this is so fun to them!
After the Multiply and children’s club, we ate lunch at the usual place. We had fish, mushroom soup, Serbian salad, and some kind of potatoes that were so good!
After lunch we had a small rest and then our group split. Some went to Dubovo on a home church visit, and some went to Pera’s house.
At Pera’s house, we had a great visit. Pera’s mother, sister and bother in law, aunt, cousin, and Rade was there to visit. We gave him the tablet and he was speechless. The tablet will be such a great tool for ministry because it has biblical resources and teachings, and he can use this for his home church. He will have quicker internet access for encouragement, and can also be used to help him in school. Robert, his brother in law, is now the youth pastor at Selim’s church ( in Leskovac) and shared how he has prayed for this opportunity and is so excited for God to use him in this role.
Dubovo was also a great visit! We visited with Miki and his wife, Vesna, and their 15 year old adopted son, Milos. Chuck shared his testimony and William shared scripture ( Romans 8). Vesna’s sister, Lidija, and oldest daughter also came. We had prayer and worship songs with each other. We then went to Vesna’s sister’s house. She told us about her goat (which is from the Teach-a-Man-to-Fish project). Her goat is pregnant and due soon. They really need about 8 goats to be profitable. Lidija has four children and her husband living in such a small house. They are currently adding on to their house. Everyone mentioned here attends Miki’s home church.
Right after these visits, the women had a meeting, while the men passed out invitations to the Evangelism meeting we will have on Thursday. At the women’s meeting, I taught about Biblical Womanhood and Manhood, and how our relationships are a picture of Christ’s relationship with the church. We work alongside each other to share the gospel and to disciple those around us. Many more women came than I thought would and it was such an honor and blessing to teach them!
Some prayer concerns:
Miki’s family has recently moved and started over. They are in need of household belongings. Because of the move, they missed cherry picking and that is a main source of income. Miki’s son, Milos, will soon need to move in town to complete high school, and if they do not have enough money, Milos will not be able to go.
The young men (David, Niki, Pera, and Rade) have been taught (and will still be taught) so much material with Multiply. Pray for this spiritual wisdom, and how it can be used in their home churches.
Pray for the Evangelism meeting. We will have it in a meeting room because rain is predicted. so many can hear and will be attracted. Please pray that many hear and are reached with the gospel.
Upcoming, we will also have another home visit in Zitni Potak and Pirot, as well as a baptism in a lake. Pray for these families and church members there!
Pray for Pera’s family because many family members are involved with ministry whether it is here in Prokuplje or in Lescovac. Pray for blessings for this family.
Please leave us a comment and let us know you are following along and holding us up in prayer. It is really encouraging to us!
