Friday, June 17, 2011

Last night, we drove to Marjan’s house in Kumanovo, Macedonia, Marjan’s hometown. It took some hours. Along the way we stopped for some ice cream and snacks a couple times. Throughout the drive, Marjan and I spoke extensively about ministry opportunities, about businesses that would have great potential in the Balkans. There were some that dealt with farming and livestock, others pertained to energy and fuel, still more involved vacationers and tourism. I think some of these ideas have great potential, and Marjan has been a good businessman for years, and so his knowledge of what would work and what wouldn’t is grounded in experience. Upon arriving, we met his family (Marjan has built floors and rooms onto his parent’s house so that it’s much, much larger now – he has a knack for good construction), and had a light meal. Then to bed we went. This morning I woke and heard the boys downstairs and so I saw them for a moment and then came back to my room and did some of my Bible reading and had a little time for prayer. Afterward, we had family prayer. Then Zoya made breakfast for us, which included Macedonian cheeses, yogurt (like Airayn drink), this special fried bread with spices, onions, and meat (like Samosas), and fresh garden tomatoes. After breakfast we headed out to the city center. Emmanuel went to play basketball and David stayed with the grandparents, climbing trees and playing in the garden. We first went to a bank and Marjan and I went to grab coffee and waters at a local outdoor café. There is at least 40% unemployment here. The mentality among the youth is that everyone wants to be the “cool boss” who has a few workers and does no work himself all day. Instead, he just hangs out, drinks coffee, checks out the girls, and has enough to buy some nice things. The culture is pervasive with sexual immorality. Apparently a lot of the men go to work in Iraq and Afghanistan for American companies. They send back money to their wives so they can buy fancy things and sleep with young men for $50/hr while they’re away. This isn’t hidden adultery. It’s encouraged by their own husbands?! Before we crossed the border in the middle of the night, Marjan and Zoya told me about the spiritual darkness throughout the country. Marjan thinks that the Lord has left this country to its own ways, and that this generation has had its opportunity and that the Lord may be merciful in some years from now. He suggested that if there be any older couple (50s+ who desire to do work here and are competent in the Scriptures and have a life of ministry experience), that in 5+ years he would be willing to help them establish a strong ministry and help them with housing and all that. Consider this. It’s a workday and the city center is packed with people just “hanging out” – very fashionably of course. We walked around a little once Zoya rejoined us from the bank, and found a shoe shop. Shoes are fairly inexpensive here. I saw a pair of Nike Air max (with off-brand name, but with the full air pocket under the shoe) which cost about $150-$170 in the U.S. for $31. But, I don’t need any quite yet, and so I didn’t purchase them. After the shoe store, we went for me to exchange some dollars, and it has been a good week for the dollar, and so my exchange was favorable. Again, there is rampant sexual immorality, evidenced in the pictures of naked women all over male-run stores. We returned to the car after my exchange and went to a place along the city’s river where natural spring water is pumped out of fountains. We refreshed ourselves and then came back to the house where we rested and talked. An hour or so later we went out again with Emmanuel and went back to the city center and had some late lunch. I had a massive hamburger, like a 1lb or more Angus burger stuffed with your normal toppings and condiments and a side of French fries (in the burger) for under $3. It was much better than anything you could find at a fast food joint and is more comparable to sandwich at a casual dining restaurant. Then we went to another place for some ice cream and I picked up a Macedonian SIM card for a couple dollars. Before returning home we went to the meat market and grabbed some food for dinner and finally made our way to the house. Marjan knows many people here and so we’re always stopping to talk with someone. At home I lied down for a few minutes and took some time to pray and then started up my computer to recap the day. We’ll head back to Sofia tonight without the boys who will stay here for a week (at least Emmanuel I know for sure). I’ll stay with Marjan’s family for another night as the BL office is full with people staying for the Joyce Meyer’s conference in the city. My things were moved for me to Nicky’s office, and so I’ll just move them back tomorrow at some point – I think. God be with you all. Please keep me in prayer. The Lord is definitely protecting me, but I have had two dreams this week of me falling astray of the faith in making bad decision. Dreams are not all from the Lord – I have been eating many new foods. But, I do know that with such a strategic purpose in being here and the work I’m to do that I need consistent protection and endurance in the faith. Marjan and I spoke at length about sanctification this morning. He had a dream last night about the end of the ends times. He has had two of these dreams in recent months. The urgency is a reality, my friends. Jesus is coming back, and many people will perish in eternal torment. They needn’t if they would be repent, and they will not turn until they hear the good news that they have wronged God and He is bringing justice with him to punish those who do evil and not good. If they only heard that Jesus died in their place so that this debt wouldn’t be held again them…but many of them will not listen unless you befriend them, and we cannot befriend them until we love them more than the temporary comforts of this world. Choose and be satisfied with the fruit of your choice.