Mission to Montenegro newsletter
Blog entry for 16 January 2019
January 2019 Mission to Montenegro Newsletter
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. Is. 9:7
Grace and Peace to you in the name of God our Father!
As we reflect on the year past and anticipate the new, what a joy and comfort to know that inherent in all the blessings and challenges, and our failures even, the Lord of Hosts, our zealous and jealous God, reigns supreme. Hallelujah!
- Stan wrapped up his Advent Series with Simeon's Song for our Christmas service on January 7th with a focus on Jesus, newborn babe and yet the Consolation of Israel and Savior of all peoples. With many away for the holidays or because of ill health, we enjoyed having 3 new visitors with us that day.
- We thank God (and all the volunteers) for yet another successful Samaritan's Purse outreach. At the end of December over the course of several days, we held programs in several outlying villages as well as here in Nikšić which consisted of an interactive narrative highlighting Jesus's life, followed by a gospel song, and concluded with the distribution of the shoeboxes. It is a joy to see the happy, thankful faces. We pray that as the children and their families enjoy the goodies and read the included booklet The Greatest Gift, they will seek to learn more of Him.
- In God's providential timing, with the start of the new year, Stan has begun new preaching series in both services. He will be covering Exodus in the morning and the book of James in the evening, a complementary mix of seeing God's saving of His people and instructions on faithfully living the life God saved us for.
Upcoming Ministry and Prayer Requests:
- Please pray for our steadfastness in loving and serving the Lord without distraction, whether of our own making or ill health or outside circumstances, that we might fulfill our daily services, ministries, and callings.
- We are anticipating a busy season of teams and outreaches over the next few months, beginning in February with a YWAM team from the Ukraine, followed in March by the Danish Bible school, and wrapping up in April with a possible church group from Georgia (USA). Each group has its own unique focus and goals; please pray for good fruit--for the teams coming, for our church, for the lost.
- The Season of Teams will be followed by a number of special events: The All-MNE Believer's Meeting (date as yet unknown), Easter (celebrated here April 28th), a wedding in May, the first conference of the Southeast Europe Gospel Coalition (held in Albania) at the beginning of June, followed by our daughter's wedding in July. So many good things the Lord is bringing to pass!
- Please pray that God would touch the hearts of the unsaved: unsaved family members, neighbors, co-workers, and friends, because as Jesus said: With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible. Amen!
With great love and appreciation for your ongoing prayers and support,
Stan and Vicki Surbatovich
Mission to Montenegro
