Macedonia 2019: Day 2

Isaiah 55:8-12… “So my word goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”

Our Eastminster team met with the Shift Center team to begin the morning with a devotion lead by Pastor Stan who read from Isaiah 55. He encouraged the team here in Macedonia by reminding them how God clearly affirmed Eastminster’s call to help plant a church among the Albanian speaking people of Macedonia. At the time, Eastminster had no idea how this would be accomplished, but God knew. God called the team—Gregor and Kela then Fredy and Dajana, who eventually designed and built the Shift Center.

Wednesday evening we hosted game night. About 35-40 Muslim teens and adults filled the Shift Center. We began by sharing about our team, lives and home state of Kansas then we sang and played games. It was an engaged and fun evening full of meaningful conversations.

That same evening, Pastor Stan met with a few leaders from the local Rotary Club. It was a great opportunity to build relationships. After the meeting, Gregor ended up spending an additional hour and a half speaking with one of the leaders about Christianity.

God is blessing the team at the Shift Center and their faithfulness to seek after the Albanian people of Macedonia, but reaching an unreached city is challenging and lonely. It’s hard for Americans who have a church on nearly every street corner to imagine, but the only church in Tetovo consists of the Shift Center’s team of four. There are no other believers to gather with for fellowship, praise and worship. Gregor, Kela, Fredy and Dajana are here answering God’s call, but they are not surrounded by believers.

Providing encouragement, fellowship and support to the local team is one of the main reasons we believe God called us from Wichita to Tetovo. Please join us in lifting up the Shift Center team in prayer.
– Pray that God would help lift the burdens and concerns the team carries, financially and otherwise
– Pray for administrative support to help deal with the heavy paperwork and red tape
– Pray for joy. As Gregor said, “the people around us must see the joy of the Lord, not our worry or burdens.”