Mission to Montenegro newsletter
Blog entry for 17 September 2015
September 2015 Mission to Montenegro Newsletter
The Lord reigns; Let the earth rejoice;
Let the multitude of isles be glad!
Clouds and darkness surround Him;
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.
Ps. 97:1,2
Grace and Peace to you in the name of God our Father!
While we enjoy the last of warm weather and garden produce and look forward to settling into fall rhythms and routines, this end-of-the-summer month was full of special happenings.
- Nemanja and Jelena Poluga welcomed their much prayed over little girl, Iva Sara, at the beginning of September. Mom and baby are doing very well. Iva Sara is the first baby to be born to a current member who "grew up" in this church; we've known Jelena since she was a child. What a joy to see God grow His Church in this manner!
- Stan has begun a new evening series preaching through the book of Ruth; we look forward to seeing how God turns the bad beginning (Ch.1) into blessing. In the morning, Stan is continuing with Luke 7, looking at Christ, the friend of sinners.
- Stan did meet with a government official regarding the proposed law on religion as well as attend the town-hall meeting this past Monday. On behalf of the Nikšić Fellowship, he was able to submit a statement outlining our concerns with the draft law. For comparison, his statement ran 6-7 typed pages, the group one (signed by all the Protestant pastors) was about 4 pages, and the Serbian Orthodox church's statement was approx. 80 pages.
- We continue to feel the strain of the unsuitableness of our current meeting facilities due to the growing number of families with small babies and children. Please pray and consider your part in providing both material and prayer support for a church building that the work may be furthered here in Nikšić for God's glory.
- Regarding the draft law on religion, next steps are for the government to rework the proposal based on submitted comments and concerns, followed with a review by the European Commission for Democracy through Law. Details and timeline have not yet been made available. Pray that God will allow regulations that best suit the growth of His Kingdom here in Montenegro.
- This month, fall routines kick in with weekly visitations, one-on-one mentoring, student outreaches, bible studies, Conversation Club, and more all starting up again. Please pray for those preparing and ministering as well as for the hearts of those who will be hearing the gospel for the first time and for those seeking to live by the Word.
With great love and appreciation for your ongoing prayers and support in this great work of God,
Stan and Vicki Surbatovich
Mission to Montenegro
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| Enjoying the beautiful Krka Waterfalls |
- Praise for the safe arrival of Iva P. and her continued well-being. Pray for her and the other babies and children in our fellowship, that they may know the love of Christ from a young age and desire to love and serve Him all their days. Pray, too, for a full-time, gifted individual to oversee a children's ministry here in Nikšić.
- Praise for the body of believers that God has put together here and is slowly growing. We've recently had two men begin attending regularly; they came to faith while at a Christian rehab center and have just recently returned to Nikšić. Please pray for their integration into the normal life of the church as well as into society.
- Praise God for the freedom to proclaim His Word here. Please pray for Stan, Danijel, and others who prepare sermons and bible studies, that they might handle the Word faithfully and proclaim it by the power of the Holy Spirit. Pray, too, for the new season of ministry to university students, that many would hunger for truth and not be swayed by popular culture and superstitions.
- Praise God for His sovereignty, that even as nations wax and wane, His purposes continue steadfastly. Pray for the lawmakers and overseers that the next draft of the religious law will preserve our freedom to go into the world and make disciples of Jesus Christ.
- Praise God for our delightful vacation at the end of August; Vicki had recovered sufficiently that we were able to enjoy our time away and come back refreshed. Please continue to pray for Vicki as she is still troubled by ongoing discomfort from her bout with shingles.