Mission to Montenegro newsletter
Blog entry for 20 October 2015
October 2015 Mission to Montenegro Newsletter
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us
in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those
who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we
ourselves are comforted by God.
2 Cor. 1:3,4
Grace and Peace to you in the name of God our Father!
Highlights of the past month include:
- In the morning service, Stan is preaching from the gospel of Luke, Ch. 8, with an in-depth look at what it means to Take heed how you hear! (v. 18). In the evening, Stan is covering Ruth 2 and the role of the kinsman-redeemer who points to the ultimate Kinsman-Redeemer, our Lord Jesus Christ.
- We hosted the first-ever board meeting of EUS-Montenegro (a branch of IFES, the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students). The main purpose of this first meeting was to outline the steps needed to have EUS-Mne recognized as an NGO by the local Montenegrin government. Please pray that the entire process will be finished quickly and smoothly, to the glory of God.
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| Rejoicing in the good things God is doing! |
- There will be NO Samaritan's Purse/OCC Christmas Shoebox Outreach this year. For a number of reasons, including the fact that despite many pockets of need, Montenegro's economic standing in the world has risen over the last decade, there will be no delivery of shoeboxes to any of the churches here in MNE. In many ways, this relieves a lot of pressure and time commitments on the churches here, but it is our prayer and desire that we would use this freedom and find new and perhaps better ways of sharing Christ's love during the Christmas season.
Upcoming Ministry and Prayer Requests
- As a fellowship, we are meeting and working together this weekend to revamp our rented meeting facilities to better meet the needs of families with young children. Please pray that our time and energy will lead to a much improved nursery-like facility and Sunday School classroom. Of course, please continue to join us in prayer and material support for a dedicated church building for our growing congregation.
- Pray for Stan as he prepares to preach every Sunday and to lead the congregation to grow in favor with God and man: for wisdom, stamina, and health. Pray also for all of us, that as we share our faith and lives, whether through leading formal bible studies, informal mentoring, or just everyday living, that we might take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that (our) progress will be evident to all. (1Tim. 4:15)
With great love and appreciation for your ongoing prayers and support in this great work of God,
Stan and Vicki Surbatovich
Mission to Montenegro
Prayer and Praise Bulletin Points:
- Praise for the continued freedom to preach, teach, and freely share our faith in this beautiful land. Pray that we would be busy about the Father's work. Pray, too, for the proposed religion law discussed in previous newsletters. Comments (including ours) are being reviewed before the next draft is published. This process will take awhile, but we need to continue to pray!
- Praise for the growing student work here in Montenegro. Thank God for those willing and gifted who are working with the university students and pray that many more would be raised up. Nationwide there are nearly a dozen universities, yet only one (Nikšić) has an active EUS community.
- Praise God for the Samaritan's Purse/OCC outreaches that we have had over the years and for the slow economic improvement. Pray that we would establish a fruitful outreach this coming holiday season.
- Praise God for our many, many blessings and pray that we would rise above and beyond our enjoyable lives to reach out and be the hands and feet of our Lord. The Refugee Crisis has not yet directly touched Montenegro, but we have opportunity to help our brethren in Serbia. May we be as Job: I was a father to the needy; I took up the case of the stranger (Job. 29:16) and heed the admonitions of Jehovah-Jireh: You shall not oppress a stranger: for you know the heart of a stranger, seeing you were strangers in the land of Egypt. (Ex. 23:9) But the stranger that dwells with you shall be to you as one born among you, and you shall love him as yourself... I am the LORD your God. (Lev. 19:34)
Special Note: For those concerned about the recent protests held in Podgorica which made international news, thank you for your thoughts and prayers. We are happy to report that the news headlines were sensational rather than accurate. The protests have been underway for several weeks and have been generally peaceful and orderly.