Mission to Montenegro newsletter

Blog entry for 20 November 2023


November 2023 Mission to Montenegro Newsletter

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Let them thank the Lord for His steadfast love,
for His wondrous works to the children of man! For He satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul He fills with good things.

Ps. 107: 8&9


 Grace and peace to you in the name of God our Father!

Join us in giving thanks for all that God has done, is doing, and will do!


On Sunday morning,  Stan preached from John 17 regarding Jesus's prayer for His disciples (and us):  that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.   How marvelous that the sweetness of our unity brings great glory to God and is a powerful witness to the world. 

In our evening service, Stan covered Rev. 11:4-14-- a challenging text with its apocalyptic picture language but illuminating as Stan connected OT and NT imagery to aid in our understanding of the two witnesses, God’s power, the church, and the world.

Please pray for God's Word to reach many and that His church would be built upon sound doctrine and love.


 

While there is no national Thanksgiving holiday here in Montenegro, we took inspiration from other nations *where the churches* take a day to give thanks to God.  Peter Stonelake  (fellow elder) spearheaded this special day, organizing a food pantry collection and preaching on the need and privilege we have to give thanks to Almighty God—foremost for the forgiveness of sins and enduring fellowship, but also for His mercy, love, and abundant provision.


Collection for our Food Pantry

Please pray for us to be a generous, grateful people.  Please pray that the food bank, as humble as it is, would be a means to practically demonstrate the love of Christ to those in need, spiritually as well as physically.
 


 

Please join us in giving thanks to God that in His good providence we’ve begun (both Stan and Vicki) one-on-one bible-reading, discipleship times with others who desire to grow in their Christian walk.  Please pray that our time spent in the Word be unto mutual edification and sanctification as well as a means to make further disciples.  Soli Deo gloria!
 



Jelena and Vicki by Lake Geneva

We give thanks for the smooth travels and blessed time for Jelena and Vicki at the TGC Women’s training conference held at the end of October. The plenary sessions on digging deeper into the Bible were good and the breakout workshop sessions helpful, but there was also great joy and excitement from meeting new faces, making new friends, sharing and hearing from other women in similar(ish) life callings.  Please pray because for all that we are about the Word here in Nikšić, we have definite areas to grow in!



Reformation Wall in Geneva, Ladies represent 9 Countries
Reformers:  Farel, Calvin, Beza, Knox

 


 


Stan and Matthias (European Evangelical Alliance)

We give God thanks for our good visit with Matthias B, a representative of the European Evangelical Alliance.  He was able to spend a Lord's Day morning in Nikšić, sharing from the Word, and then in the evening, Peter Stonelake was able to take him to Podgorica (the capital city) to meet up and speak with other evangelical pastors who were already gathered together for an earlier event.  God's timing was impeccable!

Please pray for the continued unity of God's leaders in the churches to work together with one voice to be that witness to the world for God's glory.


Matthias meeting seven pastors in Podgorica 



Rejoice with us!  After Stan spent a month-plus of learning what's available, prices, options, having questions asked and answered, we finally decided on a vehicle that came from Norway! It was our first time ever buying a car online, but it was from a reputable dealer who is specializing in selling cars to non-EU countries.  Even so, it was a bit scary to send $$$ via bank transfer to a foreign country to get a car we hadn't actually seen in person, only via pics and videos.  We couldn't help but wonder a bit if we'd be a news item:  Complex Scam Targets Used Car Buyers.  


New-to-us car!  Reliable transportation again!

With its arrival, Stan has been watching YouTube videos (beginning with: How to Start Your Car)  because the manual is (surprise! surprise!) written in Norwegian!  We find there's been a lot of enhancements to cars over the years-way beyond what our old minivan had, so we have lots to learn to maximize best use.   YouTube is definitely our friend here.

Many thanks for your prayers and support.  We feel blessed to have this vehicle which meets our needs so well.  It is our desire to use it to be a blessing to others.





With so many of our supporters celebrating Thanksgiving Day this week, we join you in giving thanks to God for what He is doing here, but we also give thanks to God for each of YOU:  churches, individuals, long-time friends, newer acquaintances.

We so appreciate your faithful prayers, your sacrificial support, your quick notes and cards, and the blessing of working together for God's name to be exalted here in Montenegro.  


One with you in Christ,

Stan and Vicki Surbatovich



Vicki's Snapshot:  Lord willing, we will resume next month.


 

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