Urban Vision Team: A New Partnership in Ministry

With the arrival of warmer days our ministry began to “heat up” again. The scope and intensity of activities rose, which we were glad for, however that left little time for the cost of regular reporting and updating you. Here, I’d like to tell you about the activities we did at the beginning of June, during the visit of our new friends and co-workers in Gospel, Missione Urban Vision from Turin, Italy. While some of the things we did resemble some of the recent activities, this time we were able to take things further, largely thanks to the Urban Vision team itself. With great diligence and commitment, the Urban Vision team has made sure that they prepare numerous program features that were both very appealing (especially for the youths) and filled with Biblical messages. 

Another very important thing is that this time we were able to re-activate ministry activities in RAE settlements on the coast - more concretely Budva and Tivat - where we were unable to go for almost 3 years. It was great to reconnect with some old and get to meet some new “men of peace” and discover new ministry opportunities. Please keep that in your prayers - the harvest could really be plentiful in these places, but to get there we need committed, sacrificial workers that will continue to sow the Seed and do other “field work”.


A visit to the RAE settlement close to Budva, with a particular name “Palestine” was very special. This is the place where, in the past, we were initially welcomed only to be gently, but firmly pushed away by a former leader of that community whose ties with Islamic groups were too strong. After his passing away last year, a new leader was made who seems to be more open and friendly. It was also “Palestine” where several young people were very open and engaged in a long, passionate-but-friendly conversation with us after the program was finished. The testimony that one of our church members shared about the freedom in Christ that he’d experienced left a very strong impression on them, which only confirms that true freedom and change of heart from within one cannot be found in Islam. 


On the other hand, it also illustrates that among the Muslims there are so many honest seekers who simply seek in a wrong place. Please pray that each one of these is able to find what they are actually looking for beyond all the half-truths, self-made and self-earned “righteousness”, rituals, indoctrination, political, racial and cultural divide. Pray that the walls of isolation and division that are locally reinforced by complex historical, ethnic and political factors are torn down by Spirit inspired preaching and selfless acts of love and compassion.

Many thanks to Missione Urban Vision, their sacrificial and tireless efforts. Glory to God for this new partnership in Gospel, a new opportunity to reach for Christ those who would otherwise be very hard to reach. Thanks God who provides what we need, when we actually need it. We pray for showers of blessings over them, countless new ministry opportunities and God’s favor and provision in all places, times and situations.

                                                                                       
                                                                             
                                                                                                                                   

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

WORSHIP NIGHTS

Originally posted on our ministry Facebook group's wall on March 7th, 2023​ Here’s another little something I’d like to share with you. It is about an initiative made by Frederick and Abigail, a missionary couple from Barbados, whom felt really strongly that God wanted them to start off with “open house” worship sessions every last Sunday in the month. Practically, it means that sessions are open to all Christians regardless of their church background, as well as whoever friends they want to bring with them. Ideally, but not necessarily, each one of these “worship nights” should be hosted by a different local church.  Every start is a difficult one (at least around here) and one has to walk in (blind) faith if they want to reach success. We also started slow, praying and hoping that the initiative will win the hearts of local believers as we do it. I say we, because the two of them invited me to join the worship band, with another two - an American and Chilean - being a part of i
Read more

NAME CHANGE: The New Vision

One of the most known and so frequently quotes parts of the Bible are the verses from Galatians 3:28 where apostle Paul says that “there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus”. I am happy to say that, in the last several months, these words have come to life in our church.  From the moment it started, back in 2008, and with the first church meetings being initiated in September 2010, our ministry has been conformed to the culture and overall, the reality of the Roma and Ashkali/Egyptians to the best of our knowledge and capacities. The examples of that were and still are numerous:  from taking our shoes off when entering the place of worship (the place of worship should be physically clean on the top of being spiritually pure) seating in a rectangle shape and/or on the floor intensive time of worship and prayer during every service in (at least) three languages and, somet
Read more

“Job Creation” Training, HUB, Serbia, April 27-29

Image
​ Everyone,  Just a quick update on something that happened at the end of last month. On April 27-29, our church took part in the 2nd ”Job Creation” conference that was held in the historical Belgrade Christian Association. The event was organized by Roma Networks - a network of Roma churches and ministries from all over Europe (and it becomes global!) that we’ve been a part of since 2014.  This event was a follow up of the last year’s event on the similar topic, as job creation, poverty alleviation, partial/full sustainability has become an important conversation among the Roma churches and ministries all over Eastern Europe. The awareness of necessity for Roma churches/ministries to become less dependent on the support from e.g. the USA and/or Western Europe is becoming greater and so there are many independent initiatives popping up from different corners of “Roma ministries universe”. Some of you may remember that we are being active in this field for a couple of years now. Unfortu
Read more