This month, meet my new team: TEAM DECISION!
I love Team Teléo. I always will. I will devote an entire blog to them another day. But that’s not what this one is all about!
This blog is about something called Unsung Heroes.
This month is “Manistry/Womanistry Month”— gender month— so our original teams split up. I’ve been on an All-Girl Team the whole Race (which I LOVE! I’m a girls’ girl), but a lot of our original teams were co-ed. The World Race likes to let everyone have at least one month of a same-gender team— to develop ourselves as women and men of the Lord. We love our L Squad men SO MUCH, and they’re all bro-mancing in Albania.
At debrief, we talked about RISK. Stepping out of our comfort zones even more. So when I got this team of crazies, I was psyched… especially because we would not be in Albania like the rest of L Squad.
We were going to MACEDONIA!!
We are here to discover “Unsung Heroes.” This means we are looking for ministries in Macedonia with Kingdom-focused work that could benefit from a month-long team of Racers. It’s cool to see ourselves as a piece in God’s much bigger puzzle.
It also means we don’t have a contact in Macedonia; we figure out our own lodging, food, travel, schedule, and ministry. Our Ultimate Team Leader is the Holy Spirit.
So how has God shown up already this month…?
- We found a hostel in the capital city of Skopje with a kitchen, warm beds, in a safe and convenient location. They normally charge double, but after praying specifically for them to agree to our small budget— they said YES!!
- In Ohrid, a coastal city that is usually more expensive, we found a Christian family who is letting us stay in their very expensive and nice apartment… for $5/day. After tons of research and calling places, God just gave us this place.
- When we prayed if we should stay or leave the city, God allowed us to stay and take day trips to other cities in the area. (Most places in Macedonia are only 2 hours away from Skopje.)
- We’ve met and befriended a number of people on the streets here in Skopje, simply by the Holy Spirit’s leading…?a man who was badly burned years ago;?a German man who loves Jesus, misses his family, and is stuck in a homeless life without work;?a sweet old lady who sits outside a church across the Stone Bridge and talks to us at length (…in Macedonian);?Oliver who gets us WiFi codes and chicken salads at a cheap-ish Irish Pub;?and the hostel staff that translates for us when we can’t even call a taxi by ourselves.??
- We got a couple free rides around the city by God’s grace.
Team Decision is starting to form deep connections as a team as we share testimonies and jump into the “great unknown.”
Downtown Skopje
God’s also showing up in BIG things….
On our off day, we went to the Millenium Cross — the biggest cross in the world— on Orthodox Easter weekend!
?It was gorgeous.
?We had a perfect day of adventure, relaxation, and worship.
While walking around looking for dinner, a young lady came up to us with a flyer. She said, “Do you guys want to pray for healing?” It turns out they were from a small Bible college in Holland.
God had placed these girls at the right place at the right time to connect us. At first, they had tried to give the flyer to a young Muslim girl. She gave it back. They had only one more flyer. So they approached us.
As it turns out, the leader of their program had been here in Macedonia all week— getting information & contacts for future mission trips. Basically exactly what Unsung Heroes is all about! The Bible school leader gave us his entire list of contacts. This saved us hours and even days of walking around, frantically e-mailing potential contacts, and travelling around the country.
He said, “If you guys had met me a few days ago, I wouldn’t have been able to give you this information. Also, this weekend there is a pastors’ conference. You should speak at it and see who would be interested.”
WHAT?!? So many opportunities from this one chance meeting.
God’s timing is perfect. He set it all up for us to be able to make the right connections at the right time.
We had also been looking for the House of Prayer in Skopje but couldn’t find it. The building the Dutch students were at is called Agape— the House of Prayer! They invited us to the worship service.
How cool is God?
The Albanian/Muslim side of the city.
A little about Agape…
Nick (Romanian missionary), his wife, and an American named Wesley are doing outreach to Albanians in Macedonia. There is a large group of Albanians within Macedonia with their own culture, foods, language, Muslim mosques, holidays, and traditions.
And they are seriously unreached.
Because of war in the past, Macedonians and Albanians don’t get along well. The divide between cultures has only grown, despite the massive numbers of Albanians living in Macedonia. So while many missionaries are reaching Albanians in Albania and Macedonians in Macedonia, the Albanian sub-culture in this country goes unreached. So God gave Nick a vision for this group. He and Wesley understand the people and are committed to pursuing them for the Kingdom.
It’s not easy.
Many have grown up Muslim. Most have trouble trusting others. There’s a language barrier. It takes time and consistency to get the gospel across and to build relationships. Many are poor and struggling. And a church for Albanians in Macedonia simply doesn’t exist.
Until now!
Agape gives out Bibles, reading materials, and builds relationships with Albanians “across the Stone Bridge.” In many ways, Skopje physically represents this divide between cultures.
On one side of the bridge, there are churches (Orthodox and otherwise), expensive stores, and Macedonian food. On the other side, there are mosques everywhere, loud calls to prayer, Albanian language, and cheaper Albanian food.
So while Agape church is just getting on its feet, the work of intercession and relationship building is seeing Albanians come to the gospel. It’s is Kingdom focused, Spirit led, and has God’s heart for His people.
The House of Prayer in Skopje can connect you to this great ministry 🙂
Who knows what ministry God will lead us to next? We’ve gotten to meet with Campus Crusade here in Skopje, met with people in Tetovo, Negotino, and Stip. Later this week, we head to Ohrid on the coast. Then we will finish our month in Greece for a few days before meeting back up with the rest of L Squad in Albania. Pray for safe travels and even more divine appointments!
Thanks, Team!! You’re the best!!! 🙂
(My next blog will be answering any burning questions you might have about life this year! Questions about the World Race, how I get my laundry done, what I think of Asian food and more… what do you want to know?? No limits!)
