Today in Prokuplje we started off reading and studying. Chuck walked around town before breakfast and saw the town waking up, going to work and moving about. He made it to the river where he saw some men fishing (not catching), it seems some things in life are universal!
Of course, if you know me, we went from here to our favorite place for coffee before we met at the church for prayer and praise. Along the way Caitlin took us to a currency exchange office that will pay you the same amount whether your bills are nice and crisp or a little rumpled. 
We had prayer, praise and worship before one group went to start children’s Bible study and we in the other group stayed to teach about disciples making disciples. It was great to sing “How Great is Our God” together, them in Serbian and us in English. I think Chris Tomlin himself would have liked to hear their rendition of it! It is so moving to sing and worship with the church here. I think every Roma person I have ever met is a gifted musician.
At the church, during discipleship training, LaJuana started off with The Command to Make Disciples and William came along after with The Heart of a Disciple Maker. They both spoke of personal experiences, negative and positive, to help explain the concepts. The rest of us have a big goal to meet when we teach……they were able to elicit discussion. We want so much for the leaders here to feel open to us, to feel comfortable speaking and questioning us and to know we are encouragers and part of their family.
After the morning sessions we went to have coffee before lunch. We walked through a really busy farmer’s market across from the church. I only saw a few items I didn’t readily recognize. The Serbs and Roma love peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, watermelons and canteloupes, sounds good doesn’t it? William bought peaches and I bought nectarines, delish!
After coffee and some lively discussion solving many of the world’s problems we had Serbian barbecue which is grilled chicken, sausages and pork chops and some really great soft cheese and bread that is incredible. We were joined at lunch by a Roma NGO leader who LaJuana was open and forthright with about our mission being directed through Jesus and His commission to us.
Now we have rested and are about to attend church in the only evangelical church in Prokuplje, a town of 30,000, with a part of my Roma Christian family that I do dearly love!
