I’ve been having a lot of dreams myself recently. Saturday night’s dreams were about being sent out. After waking and cleaning up for the day, I prayed and sang a little and then had some breakfast with Marjan and Zoya before church. We visited the same church I had last time I’d visited for the BCPN conference. Pastor Steve, a missionary from the Bible Baptist Fellowship who planted the church didn’t recognize me immediately with short hair, and so he started speaking to me in Bulgarian, and then because I was with Marjan, asked if I was Macedonian. Then I spoke in English and he had the epiphany. Hah! A young man from Pr. Steve’s sending church who plans himself to be a missionary in Ecuador was visiting and shared the Word with us on Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, particularly about being the light of the world. This message would prove helpful later. After church, we greeted the brothers and sisters for a little while and then went to Zoya’s parents’ house. David had been staying there the previous night, and so we picked him up and took him home with us after a short visit. At home we relaxed and had some ice cream for lunch and then took time to rest before the home group arrived in the evening – generally those who don’t believe or are very young in their faith. While everyone else rested I spoke with my parents on Skype and worked on some updates and e-mails. Then, as it was nearing time for people to begin arriving, we did a little to clean up the apartment. Some of the children who came from the neighborhood have seen me around the past few days, and we’ve had fun talking and me showing them how to do some breakdancing. I mime for them a little too. Two of the girls who came for the first time had such a great time that their mother – whose a family friend of Marjan and Zoya – called to say they will be coming back from now on because they enjoyed it so much. The kids play games and color and hear a good message while the adults sing and also hear a good word. Pastor Steve came and told me about the results from the last time I preached at his church. He said that a man repented and came to faith along with the other man who was convicted to be baptized as a believer. Pastor Steve said that he has seen more people come to faith in the past month or so since around the time I preached than in the previous decade of his work in Bulgaria. Whoa! Another couple from the church that came to the meeting is a newer missionary couple with IMF who desire to work among the Gypsies in the country. Since around that same time I last came, the church has had an influx of Gypsies and the church is holding a VBS specifically for the Gypsy children this coming week. Pray for them. We spoke with this brother and sister, holding them over for coffee after our house service had ended and everyone else departed. We spoke about their calling, their desire for ministry, their past experiences in ministry and prior to missionary service, and humorous personality stories. After dropping them and their two boys off at their place, Marjan, Zoya, David, and I headed for the Gypsy community in the Valley to take them the clothes and shoes and other items. When we arrived to deliver the clothes they were burning tires for heating up metal for salvage and sale. The entire community was present. It was especially dirty because of the burning of rubber. Kids were covered in black soot and dirt because of the fire. Some were at play, rolling in dirt and trash. I was able to speak with one young man and an older woman who spoke Spanish – apparently some of them have joined this group from Spain…he was somewhat versed in the knowledge of Jesus, but he had some very strange ideas and was into drug use for visions and such. He wouldn’t share this knowledge of Jesus, distrusting others. I shared about the light and fire, based on our morning’s message about letting your light shine before men, utilizing the blazing rubber fires in the darkness as my illustration. They all seemed to catch this understanding. I don’t know his name, by you should pray that God gives him understanding through capable teachers. These communities need teachers. Too much demonic activity prevails among them because these people lack knowledge and they are carried away in deception and myths. As we left we saw Loudon (the brother who is a kind of Christian leader to them, especially the children) on the way out. Marjan spent time talking with him because of the poor conditions that are so dangerous to the kids, and Loudon’s scavenging for food is a bad example even if it provides something. Eating expired eggs and half-eaten sandwiches cannot be accepted. Because he was willing to listen, Marjan stayed and he and I said farewell, and Zoya and little David and I headed to the BL office to drop me off. After they left, I grabbed my things and started doing some laundry and packing. It’s late now, and I’m going to bed.
Please pray that:
o My travel to Macedonia is safe and time well spent (perhaps in rest or valuable conversation)
o My time in MK is filled with joy and hope by the Holy Spirit and much fruit is born through my meeting and working with the brothers on business plans and strategies for stronger financial positions with their ministries
o For humility in working with, listening to, and potentially advising brothers who have been faithful servants for years, and being attentive to the kind of anxiety which changes involving money and new habits can create
o For powerful times of prayer and praise and that God would be my refuge always against the troubles, trials, and wiles of the flesh, world, and evil one
o For grace and wisdom in conduct, and a strong mind for evaluating the environments where I live and loving my keepers
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