Mission to Montenegro newsletter

Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him 
       the name that is above every name,  so that at the name of Jesus 
every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 
       and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, 
            to the glory of God the Father.  Phil. 2:9-11

Hallelujah!  For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns!

• This has been a good month for getting back into the regular rhythms of church life.  Stan  continues to preach through the Gospel of Luke and the Letter to the Phillipians, with the men participating in the In-House Preaching seminars occasionally taking the pulpit as well and continuing to preach through these texts consecutively.  This has been very good for the church:  continuity plus a variety of communication styles.  Our mid-week sermon discussions/prayer meetings have been lively and fruitful.  

•  We are blessed with a good number of godly men in our fellowship which is a direct answer to our/your prayers over the years.  Unlike many congregations in the Balkans, our makeup of males/females is 70/30% which is a huge change from the days when Stan and the boys were the only males.  However, we long to see God add to the church: men, women, children, entire families. 

• It is exciting that some of the students first met at the end of spring semester are back and eager to learn more about God from the Bible.  Along with the usual contact via Student Bible Study and Conversation Club, we are hosting a semi-regular Friday Lunch as well as encouraging some one-on-one times to allow for deeper and more personal questions and discussions.

• Next month's newsletter will be written while we are Stateside!  We are in the final throes of putting all in order here for our absence as well as looking ahead to our time there.  We are especially grateful for Peter G. who will be staying in our house and keeping the cats company.

To God be the glory for the great things He has done here in Nikšić and Montenegro.  However, we know and are extremely grateful for all that you have done in His name to help make this happen:  your faithful prayers, faithful giving, faithful encouragements. 

Stan and Vicki Surbatovich
Mission to Montenegro

Prayer and Praise Bullet Points:

• Praise the Lord for the freedom we have to openly meet and proclaim His truths, and for those able to teach and preach them.  Pray for those who will be filling the pulpit while we are gone:  Peter S., Danijel, Nemanja, and Rade--for grace, peace, wisdom, and unity as they study the Word and work together leading the believers here in Nikšić.
• Praise the Lord for answering our prayers to "Raise up men!" which was a continuous prayer request a number of years ago.  Pray now for multitudes to come to faith.  But pray especially for the unbelieving wives of the married believing men; many are not against the gospel per se but are bound and weighted by the duties and prejudices of local culture.  And pray that we as a church can reach them with the love and hope of Christ.
• Praise the Lord that some of the students we were first introduced to during the Michael Ots/UCCF outreach last spring are back and wanting to pick up the relationships that we had just started.  Please pray for this group of young people who are interested in spiritual matters but have a swirling eddy of conflicting, competing thoughts gleaned from diverse readings.  Pray that Biblical truths will illuminate and free them to follow God whole-heartedly.
• Praise the Lord that we are able to visit Stateside and leave the church without needing to call "an outsider" to lead while we are gone.  This is a first!  We have a lot to do once on US soil and are trusting God to help orchestrate many things, including varying housing needs, transportation, visitations, holidays, healthcare appointments, and more.  Please pray for us to make the best use of our limited time and to get a bit of rest and relaxation, too!

• Reminder: We are planning to take a short furlough this coming November to mid-January.  Our desire is to be in California to celebrate Thanksgiving with all the family, and reconnect with friends and supporters the rest of the time.   If you would like us to visit, please contact Stan ASAP.