Mention the summer Beach Club to OMer Robbie in Montenegro and you are sure of an excited response. “Every year I am so amazed at the programme and how God brings these kids who are on vacation with their families!” he enthuses.

Every summer since 2008, OM has run a children’s programme for two weeks on the beach in Bar, a major port and seaside resort in southern Montenegro. Kids come for a high-energy mix of music, games, puppets, crafts and Bible stories. OM Montenegro staff the camp with assistance from international volunteers; this year two volunteers came from Germany, and one from Jamaica.

All children are welcome, whether on holiday from elsewhere in the Balkans, or living locally. This year, a total of 150 children attended across the two weeks, with an average of 30-40 each day. The OMers were kept busy! A theme runs throughout each Beach Club; this summer it was the miracles of Jesus. Most of the kids had never heard the Bible stories before. “My biggest joy,” says Robbie, "is after a youngster has come on three occasions, they get a gift, a children’s Bible.”

This year the team gave out 80 Bibles to kids and families from Orthodox, Muslim and Catholic backgrounds as well as those with no religious affiliation. The team prayed that, as families returned home after their holidays, the Bibles would not be forgotten, but would be treasured as a special memory of the Beach Club and studied with hearts open to receive God’s truth.

The team prayed, too, for God’s blessing on the owners of the beach-front cafes, without whose practical assistance, the Beach Clubs could not take place. Robbie and his OM colleagues take seriously the idea that they can be the ‘fragrance of Jesus’ to these business people, not just in August for the duration of the Beach Club, but all year round.

“Come down to the café and meet us for our team Bible study,” was an invitation I couldn’t refuse during my visit in October, and a great reason for a morning walk along the Adriatic coast. Fresh breezes and lively waves buffeted the beach-front promenade while higher up the sands, a few intrepid sunbathers were catching the year’s final warmth. As I strolled with my husband along the promenade, there were fewer stalls and bars the further away we got from the town centre, and tall, spreading native pines took the place of tidy palm trees. Half a mile on, we reached our destination–one of the few sea-front cafes still open for business at this time of year, a bright fresh contemporary place.

“The Beach Club was held right there for the first time this year,” says Robbie, pointing to an area of empty sand just beyond the window. “We used to stage it closer to the resort centre, but there’s too much background noise going on. This is a better location in summer because you don’t get all the noise and distractions, but you still have masses of families coming here, and this café’s owners were a great help to us with practical stuff.”

Sitting down at a table with Robbie, his wife, Angela, and their colleagues Igor and Santa, we were joined by some other visitors–ShinGu from Korea who served in Montenegro with OM eight years ago and his wife, SuHee, who are here on holiday. Soon we were sipping coffee and discussing the Gospel of John, while inwardly praying for the café staff and customers around us. The team come here every week for an hour or two of Bible study, a consistency of witness and friendship, which are very important in this relational Balkan culture.

When we all got up to leave, we took turns huggin each other goodbye, and I saw the heads of nearby customers turn to watch. May the Lord open the hearts of these onlookers and be preparing this place for Beach Club 2019!

Robbie and Angela were thrilled to receive an email from Amy, whom they’d known from childhood, and soon the plans for a six week internship in south-east Europe were falling into place. Although Angela and Robbie are based in Bar on Montenegro’s southern coast,  the schedule they planned for themselves and Amy would give her a taste of OM activities not only in Montenegro, but Serbia too. 

Special times at Art Camp

One part of Bar which tourists rarely see is the Old Town; historically an area of poverty and deprivation. Most residents have a Muslim heritage, and Robbie and Angela’s ministry base “The Lighthouse” is right in the heart of town. It is very popular for local kids and youth, as a place to hang out and for the activities staged there. Art and crafts are great favourites for both girls and boys, as they get little other opportunity or encouragement to be creative, and craft supplies can be hard to obtain locally. Angela leads the craft activities and was planning a special week-long Art Camp, so Amy’s help was most valuable. Angela’s original idea was that everyone would make a different craft each day, then display everything on the final evening, as an exhibition for the parents to attend.

But on the first morning, Angela soon realised that the kids who were coming either didn’t live with their parents, or their home situations were really difficult, meaning that family members might not turn up for an exhibition. “So our plans changed as we realised that God had brought the perfect group of kids that we could give a little extra love and attention to, that they don’t get at home.” It was a great benefit to Angela to have Amy share in the Art Camp with her, because as Angela puts it, “she did such a great job of showing the love of Jesus ” to the kids. Amy especially valued opportunities such as the time she spent with 14 year old Nejla* “just talking, and encouraging her, amid the chaos at art camp”, as Amy describes it. Nejla loved sharing about her family, her birthplace in Bosnia, school and her dreams for the future. Another teenager Amna* was keen to practise her English with Amy, trying to express her passion for learning and for life.

Busy sewing machines

That wasn’t the end of handicrafts for Amy. Robbie had a great idea–which Angela comments usually means lots of work for her will be involved–but this was such a good idea that Angela decided it would be worth the time. Robbie’s idea was to make gift bags for the 115 workers at the old people’s home where the couple regularly visit their special friend Duska, one of the 300 residents. For a full week Amy and Angela cut and sewed attractive little bags, then shopped through town for enough lotions, coffee and sweets to fill them. Then followed the two hour journey north along the coast to one of Montenegro’s two state-run care homes for the elderly. Robbie and Angela want to invest in the lives not only of the residents, but also the staff. When the care staff were presented with the gift bags, they were so surprised and thankful. One of Angela’s favourite quotes is from Mother Teresa...’Do small things with great love’, and she feels that these simple gifts did show God’s love to the workers, and will continue to grow and deepen their relationships with everyone at the home. Amy recalls feeling a little nervous when first entering the care home, not knowing what to expect, but soon felt at ease because the staff and residents were all so friendly. “I did have quite a few residents talk to me, but not knowing Serbian kept me from understanding them,“ says Amy. “I wish I could have spoken to them and heard their stories! And I especially loved seeing their faces light up when we played music for them.”

Washing, washing…and yet more washing

Another car journey Amy took with Robbie and Angela took even longer – 11 hours of mountains, road tunnels, hairpin bends and finally the border crossing into Serbia. Here at a refugee camp, OM provides a huge tent to be a community space for the camp’s 350 occupants,  and also runs the laundry service. Amy and Angela got busy in the laundry room, where on just one day they processed 67 loads of washing. “Oh my!” laughs Amy. "I've never seen so much laundry at one time! It was a lot to take in at first, but once I got into the rhythm of it, it was actually kind of fun, like trying to explain the process to the refugees who didn't understand English. I really enjoyed being able to help in a very tangible way at the camp.”

Robbie meanwhile was based in the OM tent itself, which was a rich experience involving serving tea, playing table tennis and board games with the men and boys hanging out there, who come from lands like Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Somalia, Tunisia and Pakistan. One cultural highlight for Robbie was dancing with some Kurdish men to their local music. Spiritual highlights included studying the Bible with a Syrian guy and with some Iraqis. Robbie comments that is was “such an honour to be sharing and showing God’s love to these people at a time when they are ‘lost’ in every way."

Heading home

Reflecting on Amy’s loving and servant-hearted input to all the different activities this summer, Angela comments that with young people like her around, the future is looking good for other people getting to know Christ. Amy herself reflects that amidst the whirl of activity in Montenegro, there were also precious quieter times of fellowship (sometimes despite not even a word being spoken because of language barriers) or being lost for words at the wonder of creation by the Adriatic sea. But whether in those quieter times, or in full-on activity, it was a privilege to share in God’s loving purposes for unreached people of all ages and backgrounds. Please pray for Amy as she concludes her health studies and seeks God’s place for her in the world!

*names changed to protect privacy

Igor’s own background means he understands the disillusion which leads many to reject conventional ‘religion’ altogether, or to look to ‘alternative’ spiritualities. And as Igor boldly shares his story of how meeting God personally freed him from a life of sin, fear and emptiness, and filled him with eternal joy and hope, it is stirring hearts and conversations amongst the Montenegrins he meets.

Igor has become friends with some local young people who attend the English Café at OM’s base ‘The Living Room.’ On Good Friday, Igor invited two guys Dusko* and Jovan* to watch the Jesus Film, being shown at Mozaik church which OM helps to lead. These young men have an Orthodox heritage, but faith is not real to them; they would describe themselves as an agnostic and an atheist. However the film clearly moved and impressed them, and Igor could share with them how, coming from a background like theirs, meeting Jesus has transformed his existence.

Since his childhood in Moldova, Igor had struggled with a fear of death and a sense of hopeless emptiness, leading to alcohol misuse in his late teens. An evangelical Christian friend called Vitalie often told him about God’s eternal love but Igor remained sceptical whether God even existed. Then one night, when he was nearly 19, he went to a prayer meeting with Vitalie; everything changed when God answered Igor’s anguished prayers to reveal Himself, with these words: “You called Me and here I am. I love you and I want to make you one of My children. If I come today, are you ready to come and meet me?”  Igor felt a strong power of God through these words in his whole being. He began to shake, burst into tears and in that very moment, received these revelations:

God exists and is more real than any physical object.

God knows everything about me, from my birth and up until today; He knows my thoughts, my deeds, my feelings, my fears, my sins, and absolutely everything!

I saw that God is holy, holy, and holy!  I am dirty, dirty, and dirty from sin.

I felt that even though I am sinful and dirty, God loves me and is ready to receive me with arms wide open.

As Igor said to his friend Vitalie* that night he was saved, “you know… I have such a feeling of being alive, as if only now I’ve begun to live!”   

After hearing Igor’s story, Dusko and Jovan wanted to talk more; Dusko invited Igor to go on a road trip with them to see Montenegro’s magnificent scenery, and also invited a friend Nevena* who explores New Age spirituality. “As we travelled around in the car, we talked for hours about our beliefs and I had great opportunities to share the gospel with them,” says Igor. At the end of the day, Dusko approached Igor and said he felt that, although an agnostic, something had changed in him from that Good Friday evening when he first saw the Jesus Film – he was considering his actions more and therefore sinning less. “I was moved by what Dusko was saying," Igor recalls. "I gave glory to God and then I prayed that God would continue His work of salvation in this young man’s life. God puts people He has chosen in my path and it is a great joy for me to be obedient and to be able to testify to them about Jesus.”  

Please pray for these young people coming to OM’s English café and others whom Igor meets, who are asking serious questions about the purpose of life. May their hearts be open to the truth about the risen Lord who loves them!

* surname not included for security reasons

Natja Sachse, from the OM team in Bar, has led their autism ministry for seven years. “The families we know are often unaware how to access the little state provision there is,” she shares, “then we had a breakthrough.” In late 2016, a special needs expert teacher called Isobel, a long-standing volunteer with the team who came over from Scotland. She led a training at the special school in Podgorica, which led to a recognition by the Bar social services that four young people from that town could go there, too, as a right. Furthermore, social services would give each family a 100 Euro (116 USD) subsidy each month to cover their public transport costs, as none had a car.

However, three of the four teens are severely autistic, and even if parents could accompany them, getting to Podgorica by bus or train is completely impractical. Yet the unique opportunities which this school offers for socialisation and practical skills just couldn’t be missed—these families otherwise live in isolation. “We simply had to find a solution for them,” says Natja.

The answer came in the shape of OM’s elderly seven-seater team car, (a silver 2003 Renault Espace). Pooling the public transport subsidies funds the car’s basic running costs and fuel for the daily 130km round trip and pays a small wage to Edin*, the stepfather of one of the teens, who drives it. Edin’s 15 year old stepson, called Balsa*, is severely autistic, non-verbal and sometimes aggressive towards himself. Because he had to spend so much time at home caring for Balsa, Edin wasn’t able to find a job as a taxi-driver. But now he drives for OM instead, and two other parents come along in the car as escorts. “You can see how much dignity and pride this work has restored to him,” smiles Natja.

The transport project began in May 2017. Has Natja seen any benefits to the Bar teenagers since they have been at the school? “It’s invaluable,” she enthuses. “We have seen progress in how they respect others more and behave more appropriately, and in practical skills like dressing themselves and using the toilet, boosting their independence. Nowhere else in Montenegro can they access this sort of therapy, and the most able can even study work skills like hairdressing.”

There is one problem on the horizon, however. “Our faithful old team car is breaking down too often,” comments Natja, sadly. Renting a car or using a taxi instead is not economical, so the team need to raise 5,000 Euro (5,823 USD) over the next couple of months in order to buy a replacement seven-seater during the summer holidays, so it will be ready to use for the autumn term.

“Please pray with us that we can raise the funds and find just the right car,” concludes Natja. “It’s a lifeline to the future for these very special young people!”

*Names changed for security

A successful day of showing love

International Women’s Day on 8 March is a huge celebration in the Balkans. Robbie and Angela had planned special craft activities for that day: The kids would make cards for their mothers or grandmas, and the couple had also ordered 40 roses for the kids to give their relatives. After all the preparations were made, Angela found she had to go to Serbia for the first two weeks of March for language study.

“My expertise is not in crafts but, the light must shine,” Robbie laughed, remembering the thought of running the festivities himself. Angela had prepared the supplies, so Robbie just needed to facilitate the project.

“I think it actually went pretty well,” he said. “There were some masterpieces created, some [kids] used enough stickers for 10 cards, and there was glitter everywhere. But most importantly, the kids were so happy to have something special for their mother or grandma. I think it was a successful day of showing love.”

Boys and bracelets

On another occasion, things didn’t go quite to plan. Angela had been very excited that more girls are now coming to Lighthouse, since in the local culture they are not given much freedom to be outside their homes. So she thought it would be great to have a craft time with just the girls. In her mind, Angela pictured the five or six girls who would come sitting around the table—how they would laugh and talk as they made their necklaces and bracelets. But God had a different plan because the boys also wanted to make the jewellery.

“At first, I told them it was just for the girls,” Angela said, “but when I saw their sad little faces, I just had to let them.” So she changed the plan. Thankfully, Angela had bought enough supplies for everyone.

It wasn’t the way she had imagined it would go, but watching them all, girls and boys working so carefully on their jewellery, was better than anything she could have planned. But the greatest surprise was when one of the boys, Edin*, who can cause trouble at times, asked if he could make some jewellery for his mother.

“He sat so quietly, carefully making his jewellery—I was astonished,” Angela recalled. When he had finished, Edin carefully made a little box out of a small piece of paper to put the jewellery in, just like a shop-bought present.

When he came into Lighthouse the next day, Edin quickly ran to Angela, gave her a huge smile and high five and told her how much his mum loved the necklace and bracelet. “I don’t know what Edin’s family life is like,” Angela said, “ but I am so thankful that God changed my plans and brought such joy to this boy!”

Angela and Robbie hope to meet Edin’s wider family soon—please pray for further opportunities to bless them and other families like them with the love of Jesus Christ.

*Name changed to protect identity

When the couple’s dear friend Ruzica* developed dementia and had to move to the home last year, Robbie and Angela started making the two hour trip north to Kotor to visit her. As Angela says, “we love visiting Ruzica, but we have fallen in love with the others there as well." Visiting every two to three weeks, the couple also takes every opportunity to introduce OM volunteers to the care home. For instance, a British group who visited in November 2017 staged a ‘real English tea party.' The event was hugely popular with both the residents and the staff; the tea party was a real ‘first.’

In March 2018, Robbie and Angela’s colleagues Volker and Natja hosted a team of twelve from their home church in Germany. They made the journey up to the care home on a warm, sunny day, and staged a concert outside in the courtyard. The staff brought a hundred of the residents outside to listen, which was a major undertaking for them. After the group sang some songs in German, Volker played simple worship songs on his guitar, but this time singing in Serbian. Hearing their own language, many of the old people seemed to ‘wake up,’ singing along, smiling, clapping, tapping their feet – a few of them even dancing. “The home’s director came out to watch,” recalls Angela, “He was joining in too, smiling broadly!”

Although it’s a long drive, Angela and Robbie hope to visit every week in the future. An exciting development is the recent addition to the team of Santa from Norway, a trained nurse and former activities coordinator in elderly care homes, who shares Robbie and Angela’s vision. “The Bible tells us to care for the poor and the widows,” concludes Robbie. "We know that for these people, they are in their final days of making a decision for Christ and we want to give them this opportunity.”

Thank God for open doors and pray for Jesus’ love to touch many lives, as the OMers act as His hands and feet amongst these isolated elderly people.

*name changed

“So now here we were with a car full of food and no one to give it to,” shared Angela. ”So we quickly thought and God brought to our minds a family in the Old Town.” The couple had seen the kids around town and the family home had benefitted from a much-needed renovation project performed last summer by a team visiting from Robbie and Angela’s home church.  

“The family situation is very difficult, confusing and sometimes hard to believe," commented Angela. In short, there are four kids from 11 to 18 years old living with their grandmother, who is an alcoholic. The kids are from the grandmother's two sons, one of whom is dead, and the other is in prison; both of the mothers are in prison as well.  

When Angela and Robbie pulled into the driveway, heads popped out the window and door and upon recognising the couple, big smiles filled the youngsters' faces. "There really wasn’t so much special about the actual visit that day, but what has happened since has really been a God story," said Angela.

During the visit the oldest girl, Jasmina*, told Angela that she wanted to learn English, so Angela invited her to the English class they run. In fact, all four children showed up for the class and have been going regularly to classes and games. Jasmina goes two extra days each week to just hang out and practise her English.

Angela noticed Jasmina was so motivated to learn, though she didn’t grasp the real reason until after a few visits when Jasmina shared some of her story. She said her family situation was so difficult. She had no proper examples of how to live a 'good' life, but knew she did not want the kind of life she had experienced so far. “If I can learn English then maybe I can get a job this summer selling icecream to tourists and start making changes in all our futures," said Jasmina. She is from a Muslim heritage but told Angela that even though she doesn’t understand or know much about God, she does believe He exists. “That is a great place to start!” smiled Angela. “I think and pray that the future for Jasmina is bigger and brighter than she can imagine! God's plans are better than ours.”

Angela and Robbie feel so blessed to be the hands and feet for what God wants to do in Bar’s Old Town, such as giving Jasmina’s family a literal door to keep their home warm, dry, and safe. But even greater is how that earlier act during Love Bar opened a spiritual door to share not just human love, but the best love of all...Jesus!      

* Name changed        

The home’s head manager (director) and staff really care for the home’s residents, and the director is very open to Robbie and Angela’s visits as well as the possibility of them organising activities and socials for the elderly people.

The outside of the buildings and the courtyard area look quite attractive, though the inside is rather dated. “One time we arrived at lunchtime. ...Have you ever smelled boiled cabbage for 150? Not a good smell!” Robbie laughs.

After the first few visits to the home, Robbie and Angela realised sadly that most of the residents had no family or friends who visited them. “We really wanted to try and bring a little companionship into their lives,” says Robbie. “So we thought, ‘Let’s have a party!’ But how?”

In November 2017 a seven-member team from the UK came to help the couple with ministry. Since Ruzica had lived in London when she was younger, Robbie thought she would enjoy meeting the British people. So they planned a proper English tea party. The British team brought tea and made scones, special cakes and biscuits. About 30 of the residents attended; they had a great time eating sweets and seeing friendly faces.

English wasn’t the only language that got practised that day—a young lady on the UK team who knew sign language was introduced to a deaf resident called Zorica*. Zorica was so happy that she and her new British friend could sign a little together.

“It was really one of our favourite days in ministry here in Montenegro,” Robbie shares. The OMers and the visiting UK team all left with hearts full of joy and love for these elderly people who have been somewhat forgotten. “I think many of the residents were overjoyed, too,” he concludes, “since the home’s director said no one has ever come before to do anything like this for them. We hope and pray we can stage a special event at least every other month.”

Praise God for this amazing opportunity, and pray for Robbie and Angela as they bring His love to the people others tend to forget.

*Name changed for security

From the beginning, TeenStreet has been all about showing teens a street to travel on (or a way of life). Since the first TeenStreet gathering in Germany in 1993, the event has spread across the globe; from Asia to Latin America. The overall vision is the same everywhere, but each location has its own unique flavour.

So from 21-25 August 2017 TeenStreet Balkans was held for the first time at a university sports hall and campus in Podgorica, Montenegro's capital. Montenegro was an obvious venue – a central location in the region to make travelling easier and a ‘neutral’ vibe meaning people of all backgrounds could feel relaxed going there. Youth workers from OM teams in Bosnia & Herzegovina, Albania, Montenegro and Kosovo brought a total of seventy youngsters with them.

Over the next four days, the teens expirenced a full-on time of powerful Bible teachings, spirit-filled worship, hands-on activities and vital Christian fellowship. Most of the delegates had not experienced this before, and many young hearts were deeply touched. For instance, one Montenegrin girl said, “I’ve always done what my parents said – now I want to know for myself what God wants me to do for Him," while another began to ask serious questions from a desire to know more about Jesus. A youngster from Kosovo was radiant as she told everyone she met how she had accepted Christ as her saviour and that God was now her Father.

There are only a handful of evangelical churches in Montenegro and inviting them to assist in the event was a key strategy. Two Roma churches brought their youth groups and the pastor of one of them led some small-group work. He found this rare opportunity a great blessing.

What about the vision of young people being united in faith, irrespective of their ethnic background? At the beginning of the conference, Robbie from OM Montenegro observed that “there was quite an awkward feeling….and definite separation between the teens for each country. But every day you could see the walls and differences being broken down and the similarities and friendships beginning to grow and shine. It was definitely something that only God could have orchestrated."

Sajmir from OM Albania agreed: “It was so great to see teens from the Balkans coming together despite other political issues. In this we understand that God’s family is unshakeable!”

To symbolise this breaking down of barriers, the week culminated in a silent ‘Unity Walk’ through the centre of Podgorica - everyone making a stand for the belief that ‘we are now all one in Christ.' When it was time to finally go home, many of the teens cried as they said good-bye to their new friends from other countries.

With the organisers now exploring how to make things even better, the planning is underway for TeenStreet Balkans in 2018 – and beyond!

The young, but growing, “Mozaik” church which OM has pioneered, had congregated to baptise seven new believers into their midst, and hearts were full as they sang worship songs on the beach, prayed, and celebrated communion together. It was indeed a time of rejoicing, and even their bus driver meandered over to join in the excitement.

The people in the water came from various backgrounds and walks of life, reflecting the Mozaik in the church’s name: a woman bursting with the joy of her testimony, shared a song she had written, while her atheist husband looked on, not quite knowing what to think.

A teenage boy, wrestling through owning his faith and not relying on his parents, found new maturity in the Lord to fully embrace what his heart believes.

A couple from Ukraine was present, who finally understood the truth of the gospel.

A missionary kid made a stand to love and serve the Lord alongside his parents in this nation.

A woman, eager to show others how God had changed her life.

Lastly, the mother of another church member, so touched by the positive change she’d seen in her son over the past three years, who excitedly allowed her son to immerse her in the sea, rising up as a picture of the resurrection God had brought to her own heart.

The people that day were varied, but were united by this truth: “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” (Ephesians 4:4-6, NIV)

There is an area of poor housing at one end of the beach, and back in 2011 Robbie and Angela started to visit a local friend who’d just moved in with her children. Seeing that there were many other kids in the neighborhood, the couple wanted to do something to show them God’s love. They started a Kids’ Club in spring 2011, and although at first just three children came along, the others eventually started to warm to Robbie and Angela and numbers at the Club increased.

One problem remained: the Club had no facilities and had to meet outdoors in the corner of a nearby car park. If it was raining, too hot or too windy, the Club had to be cancelled. Robbie and Angela left Montenegro in 2012, and OM colleagues ran the club in their absence. Returning to Bar in 2014, the couple resumed leading the club. Weather frustrations continued. “Over the winter, I think we cancelled more than we met,” says Angela. In addition, a team member had to stand watch so that the kids were kept safe from cars.

In the spring of 2015 a team from England came to build a shelter to give Kids Club a better place to meet.

Describing the team, Angela shares, “Half of them were women who did not know much about construction, but they took the time to teach one another so that everyone was able to help. The neighbors watched this!” She says excitedly, “They were able to see people working together without arguing. It was a good witness.”

Angela also enjoyed how much the team cared about the kids and how much the kids enjoyed the team. They even let some of the kids help where they could; even though this made more work for the team, it allowed the kids to build their confidence.

Now that the shelter has been in use for several months, Robbie appreciates the benefits it is having; it is easier to have lessons now that there is a place to set up table and chairs, and to decorate with pictures and words to give the kids better visuals. And there is a peace of mind that they can play with the kids without the danger of cars.

Angela comments, “Before, the kids did not know if we would come or not, but the shelter has helped us to meet consistently. It now feels like they have their own place. It helps to build relationships with them.”

“We don’t just want to do this for the kids.” Robbie says. “We want to reach out to the parents of the kids and build relationships with them.” Community cook-outs have been an example of this. Before the shelter was built, only one mum came. Now, three more come along!

The OM team in Bar is thankful for short term teams that come to help minister to the community and are blessed both by the immediate and lasting impact these teams can have. 

Could you help make an impact in Montenegro? Please contact us for more information on opportunities to serve there, or contact your local OM office.

* surname not included for security reasons

Every Sunday, up to 35 adults and 10 kids of diverse nationalities squeeze into the morning worship service at the team’s base, called The Living Room. The team is hoping that their meeting will soon be registered as a church and called Mozaik in Serbian.

“I love that word ‘mosaic’,” says Natja. "It’s a mirror of who we are as a group—such different people, from different parts of the world, but still the one God puts us all together like little puzzle pieces.”

Many of the believers gathering on Sundays have fled the war-torn east of Ukraine. With evangelical churches being so rare in Montenegro, the Ukrainians arriving in Bar were glad to discover the OM worship services and share fellowship again. The OM team has already had to buy more tables and chairs so everyone can have a seat.

"It’s beautiful but challenging at the same time,” Natja said. “Many of our guests don’t speak Serbian, and we don’t speak Russian, so we need to be very creative to achieve translation and understanding. That’s where technology comes in so useful.”

Many of these families from Ukraine don’t know what their futures hold or how their homeland may change. They are in Montenegro in a transition phase, and that makes it hard for them to commit to a church and hard for the OMers to foresee how their church will develop.

“But God still loves everyone through us,” said Natja. "And that’s why we want to embrace the challenges God gives us. In a mosaic, there is always room for one more little part. Our wish is that God will bring many more pieces into our Mozaik."

Robbie's wife, Angela*, agreed. A lively couple in their early 50s, Robbie and Angela have been involved with kids’ ministry all their married life. Between 2010 and 2012, they served with OM Montenegro in the coastal city of Bar, where they worked with the poorest and most disadvantaged, such as Roma youth. One of their favourite ministries was the kids’ club, attended by youngsters from the Old Town, the roughest neighbourhood.

“We’d go and collect all these wild kids in our team minibus and bring them back to the OM centre for the club. But it was a quiet area, and the neighbours couldn’t bear all the noise—and sometimes we couldn’t either!” said Robbie.

In 2012, Robbie and Angela completed their two-year commitment with OM and returned to the US before spending 2013 serving God in Belize. Meanwhile, the kids’ club in Bar had closed down, but the remaining OMers prayed for more culturally suitable ways to serve the marginalised children. Across the Atlantic, Robbie and Angela prayed too and eventually realised they had to get back to Montenegro.

The couple returned to Montenegro in August 2014, in time for OM’s summer beach mission. After that, they spent time in the Old Town, praying for the neighbourhood and reconnecting with the children who knew so little about Jesus. They were delighted to renew many old friendships in the community and, in spring 2015, they decided to rent a property in the heart of the Old Town.

“It’s a tough area, and we’re the only outsiders, but we know it’s where God wants us, being with people at street level, and loving them in the name of Jesus," said Angela.

Please pray that Angela and Robbie would settle well in this close-knit, impoverished neighbourhood. Pray for their spiritual protection and for persistence in renewing their Serbian language studies. May the love of God, which brought them back to Montenegro, shine through them into the lives of many families in the Old Town.

*Full name not included for security reasons

The team hoped to see transformation in the hearts of the teenagers, with the vision that they would someday transform the culture around them. Just a year later, the OM workers are surprised to see that cultural transformation is already happening in a very real way.

A large population of Roma Gypsies lives in Podgorica, and like in many other cities, the Roma are a marginalised group.

The Roma and the Montenegrins very seldom interact, and the brief interactions that do occur happen usually when the Roma ask for money in public.

For the past four years, since a Bosnian missionary, Pastor Sinisha, began church planting in the Roma camp, not much cooperation between the Montenegrin and the Roma churches exists.

However, God gave OM worker Tim Davidson a vision to see Montenegrin teenagers and Roma teenagers worship and pray together. He invited Roma teens to a youth meeting at the Montenegrin church.

At first things were tense, and the Montenegrin teenagers were rude and insulted the newcomers, especially when a Roma teen prayed in his native tongue of Albanian. However, these hindrances did not stop the vision to see unity between these divided groups, and the combined worship services were held monthly.

During the following months, OM workers saw walls come down and hearts soften as the two groups began to see each other as brothers and sisters in Christ. 

Now, one year later, the OM team witnesses Roma teenagers arm in arm, worshiping the Lord, with the same Montenegrins who insulted them in the beginning.

“[The Roma teenagers] love this,” said Pastor Sinisha at one of the gatherings. “They would come every week if they could. There really isn't any other place in society where this interaction happens between these two groups.”

Praise God for transforming hearts, bringing down barriers and demonstrating the beautiful diversity and unity of His kingdom in Montenegro.

The singer, Dejan Milinov, is from the Pentecostal church in Novi Sad, Serbia. Volker phoned and invited him to play a couple concerts at the OM base in Bar, called the Living Room.

When Dejan visited OM in October 2013, the number of concerts scheduled had grown to six, including performances at two churches in Podgorica, the Catholic church in Bar (where Dejan’s CDs sold out), the Bar Dom Kultur civic arts centre, and the Bar Adria day centre for young adults with learning disabilities.

Dejan was encouraged that he could perform alongside OM team musicians. With a day job in a supermarket, he cannot afford to hire a band and relies instead on digital backing tracks.

At Volker’s invitation, Dejan returned to Bar in June 2014 for six informal club-style sessions in Bar and Podgorica, connected with visiting German singer and pianist Maria Pentzek. Volker’s colleague Nicole Lazarevic was thrilled by the opportunity to play bass guitar in the backing group that OM assembled.

Volker informed Radio Bar of the concerts, who gave 30 minutes of time on the air to the two singers, featuring interviews, studio tracks and a live performance. Dejan also led a worship seminar at OM’s Living Room one evening.

A young man, Zeljko*, who has been hanging out with the OM team for a couple of years, was greatly moved by the atmosphere in the room during the worship seminar.

“Normally Zeljko* heads off to watch football at a local bar after he’s visited us,” shared Volker. “But this time he went on his own to the beach to pray and reflect on how he had felt God’s presence so strongly that night.”

Dejan is planning a third concert tour with OM Montenegro in spring 2015.

Praise God for using Dejan’s music to touch lives in Montenegro, as people worship Jesus in their own language.

*Name changed

In a society riddled with fear and prejudice about disability, these families receive almost no understanding or assistance, causing great hardship on many levels. In last year’s visits, several families known to the team attended special seminars led by Isabel, which introduced them to the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS), specially designed for children without speech.

On follow-up home visits, Isabel and the OM team witnessed the transformative impact PECS made on the children’s ability to express themselves, and the relief felt by parents that, finally, somebody cares enough to help.

Addressing teachers’ needs

Back home in Inverness, Isabel has continued meeting with a small group of likeminded friends and supporters, who discuss and pray specifically for the autism project in Bar. The OM team communicated a new area of need to this prayer group: Montenegrin law now requires inclusive classrooms, but doesn’t train teachers in the practical delivery of this ideal. This means that some teachers have one student with special needs and 30 other kids in the classroom, and they are usually overwhelmed or frustrated in their attempts to teach everybody.

When prayer-group member Marion McInnes heard about this need, she sensed God prompting her to get practically involved, particularly as she had been praying for a new challenge in her life. Marion works with social services in Inverness, supporting children and families at home and at school, particularly sharing strategies for working with children on the autistic spectrum.

The OM team hosted Marion for a week in April 2014, during which she presented a seminar aimed at addressing the needs of these hard-pressed teachers. Including children’s social workers as well, 14 professionals attended the seminar. Marion’s topics for discussion and presentations included Autism Awareness, Intensive Interaction, Visual Timetables, PECS and Talking Mats. On another day, Marion visited a kindergarten of 60 kids, including one child with special needs.

During the rest of her visit, Marion was introduced by the OMers to 15 families, who hadn’t previously attended Isabel’s parent-focused seminars. Making home visits, she spent over two hours assessing and helping each family with the principles of PECS and gave the kids toys and gifts, which she had brought from Scotland. Some of the toys were to enhance general creativity, such as Lego, while others were designed for special needs.

An immediate response

Just before Marion arrived in Montenegro, OM team member Volker Sachse had gone to a shop in the city. The shopkeeper’s young son was playing on the ground. Volker observed that he wasn’t talking and wondered if the boy was on the autistic spectrum. When Volker asked Mira*, the boy’s mother, about this, she burst into tears. She explained that her son, Jovan*, was six years old but had not spoken since he was two!

To support themselves financially, Mira worked in the shop all day, seven days a week, and Jovan had to be there with her. Biljana Somborac, another OMer, later took Marion to the shop. Marion introduced Mira to PECS and gave Jovan some toys. His response to PECS and the toys was immediate.

Marion found her time in Montenegro intensely rewarding. She was very impressed with the autism project that OM has started, and the positive relationship that the team has worked hard to build within the community.

"God's love and grace, in action in a very real and practical way, has opened up a new world for me,” she comments. “Meeting Isabel and the OM Montenegro team has enriched my life."

Planning and praying for the next phase of the Autism Project continues, with the team feeling a real sense of God’s hand on the project. Funding permitting, Isabel and Marion will return together in October 2014 to deliver extended PECS training to families they previously met with, and they’ve also invited one or two OM Montenegro staff to receive formal specialist training in Scotland for a week this summer. The training would enable the OM workers to spread the benefits of PECS more widely and effectively, and show God’s love in a practical way to many more families, who fear society has forgotten them.

 For more information on how you can get involved, contact info.me@om.org.

I was born in northern Serbia, in 1985 and grew up in a small town with a rich Orthodox heritage, and like most Serbs, my family followed Orthodox traditions. I remember going to church but not understanding much because the Bible was read in old Slavonic, not modern Serbian, and it seemed that God was someone from a distant time and far away, whom I should fear.

My parents separated during my teenage years, causing me great hurt and leaving me very bitter, especially towards my father. My mother left Serbia and moved to Bar, and eventually I joined her in 2004, at age 19.

When I was 23, I got the chance to go the US, working for eight months in Portland, Oregon. Soon after arriving, I attended an international student gathering, and someone I met invited me to their church.

I had no idea what a non-Orthodox church might be like. The first time I attended a Sunday service, I was overwhelmed by the love people had for God, and it was also the first time I heard the Bible in a language I could actually understand.

I realised that God is loving and caring, and that I can love Him too and not only fear Him, as I had been taught. The preaching I heard that day was so personal, and I could see that God is present. I had always believed in the Holy Trinity, but I had never had a personal relationship with God, so on Easter Sunday, 12 April 2009, I asked Jesus to come into my life. That day my life changed!

Most significantly, God started healing my emotional wounds, and I began to forgive my family. Two months later, I called my father after two years of not speaking to him. He was the happiest man! I know Jesus was changing my heart and healing all the hurt that was in me.

In mid-2009 I returned to Montenegro and began studying in a northern city called Nikšić. I travelled back to my home in Bar whenever I could, on weekends and during university holidays. I didn’t have Christian friends at that time in Montenegro and I struggled spiritually for the first year, torn between following God and going back to my old lifestyle. It was like walking two paths at the same time.

Then later in 2010, friends in Nikšić introduced me to an American couple they had met “by coincidence” from Portland, Oregon. I discovered that these Americans were working in Bar, and that there was even a church there! Through them, I met their colleagues in OM and began attending their church.

Gradually, I started helping the OM team with translation and other ministries, as I liked what they were doing. God used the next two years to bring me fully back onto His path and to strengthen me spiritually.

In August 2012 I had another chance to go abroad – a year of cross-cultural study and international work in Norway. I also worked for the Christian student organization IFES in colleges and churches. Away from my own country and culture, I learnt afresh the importance of leaving the old life behind and being a new person.

While in Norway, I felt God was saying the time had come for “church”; I knew He meant the church in Bar but I didn’t know exactly what or how!  But six months after returning home to Bar, my OM friends invited me to officially join their team, and I accepted!

I want to serve God wherever He wants me. I enjoy being part of OM and contributing to church growth in Bar and the transformation of people’s lives. I have a strong desire to help those in need, those from broken families and those who hurt. I want to be attentive to God’s voice so that I don’t miss out on what He wants me to do, and I trust He will provide financially for me if He wants me in OM Montenegro beyond 2015. May He also make me a strong testimony to my family!

I’ve learnt that we must leave our comfort zones and go for it, following God’s plan for us, because “who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14; NIV).

*name changed to protect privacy

Please pray that the people of Montenegro will have genuinely open hearts to seek answers to the questions of life, instead of shutting down or judging God, or seeking Him only in difficulties. Pray too that the Lord would be known for who He is; that the nation of Montenegro would come to see that they need a personal relationship with Him.

OM Montenegro first faced this challenge in 2009 after receiving a donation from the UK to “help people in need”. The team turned to the local social services department in the town of Bar for advice, and it’s a cooperation that’s lasted ever since.

During the first year, two social workers, Snezana* and Jelena*, took OM to visit seven families, whom they initially helped with food packages. But support from the team sometimes went further. For example, 40-year-old Gordana*, dying of cancer, had four kids ages 9-16 and an alcoholic husband, so the grandmother was caring for everyone. The OM team visited often to help, and Gordana believed in Jesus before she died. Later, OMers rebuilt the family’s shack and have provided ongoing practical and emotional support.

The team still visits most of the first seven families, and through this social work, constantly meets new ones. Altogether, 23 families have been helped.

How does the referral process work? It begins with a meeting at the Bar social services office. From there, an OMer accompanies Snezana and Jelena to visit the new family to discuss needs and how OM can assist. Another team member returns to implement this; it might be funding medical treatment, giving winter firewood or getting a hearing aid or wheelchair for a child.

Through the social workers, OMers meet whole groups of people they normally wouldn’t, like families with autistic kids. These children lack educational provision and face prejudice and exclusion from society.

Lacking knowledge and skills to give help themselves, the team began praying for someone to assist. God answered with a Scottish special needs teacher, Isabel Black, sensing a call to missions; she has volunteered in Montenegro three times since 2012, giving support and training to several families, whom social services had referred.

One parent told Isabel, “I believe God brought you to us. You have given us hope.” 

The OM team in Bar has observed an increase in job satisfaction for the social workers, who had been frustrated by limited state resources. The varied and different input available through OM has enabled social services to help more people than before.

It is a blessing for OM as well, since the social workers direct the team to people in genuine need, and having an official contact reduces the suspicion some people feel towards OM and it being a strange sect.

Best of all, building lasting friendships with both the social workers and people in need has given team members natural opportunities to share their faith in Jesus.

*Name changed

The youngest children that attend the Roma Writing School are about three years old, the oldest around 13 – Nicole and Natja cannot be sure, since the Roma people don’t celebrate birthdays.

While they let the younger ones have fun colouring pictures, the OM workers practise reading and writing with the older ones. They also try to encourage them to attend the local school regularly, but unfortunately the parents are rarely supportive, since they need their children to help support the family financially by begging.

One of the mothers in the camp complained recently that she could not send her kids to school because they didn’t have shoes. Natja and Nicole decided it was a weak excuse, so they organised shoes for her six children to wear in school.

When they saw the children the next time, one of the older boys told the OMers that he wore his shoes that day in school. “But now I’ve taken them off, so they won’t get dirty,” he explained. Then he asked if there would be a writing lesson that day. When Natja and Nicole said there would be, he exclaimed, “Thank God!”

“We strongly believe that there is a good potential in these kids that are so not welcome in this society,” concluded Nicole. “Please pray that we can continue to support them, and that their parents will realise how important education is for their children, so they can break the cycle of poverty and deprivation.”

One empty park.

Ten days to build a playground.

Mark McCulloch from OM Montenegro had carpentry experience, knew the right connections and had a lot of faith, but could he and his team really make the deadline for their project?

By day three, Mark had some serious doubt that they could complete their wooden structure in time, even though the dedicated Swiss team members were learning carpentry tricks quickly.

However, with help from a few locals and extra volunteers, Mark began to have confidence that the playground would be finished.

Ten days later, the team achieved their target.

"Through all the sweat, cutting, screwing and measuring, it was hard at times to keep the end goal in view,” said Mark.

But just as the team put the last few screws in the roof, cameras from the local TV station showed up, and everyone was reminded of the goal: to bless local children and help the OM team glorify Jesus in the city of Bar.

"Please pray with us to see how God uses this gift,” Mark asked.

OM team member Danijel* was excited to find the JESUS film in the Roma language. The Roma also speak Serbian, but it’s better for anyone to watch the film in his or her own “heart language”. The team already knew many of the camp’s residents and were praying they’d be willing to attend the OM “cinema”.

Team members hung a curtain to make a screen, connected the laptop and projector, and set up chairs. As night fell, the film began, and most of the Roma people gathered to watch. The audience grew silent as the scenes of Jesus’ death approached. Some of the young men realised that spikes would be nailed into Jesus’ hands and yelled out, “No!”

At the end of the film, the narrator summarised the life of Jesus and explained how to pray for salvation. When Danijel asked if anyone wanted to do that, many cried out, “We want to! We want to!”

Danijel replayed the section with the prayer so they could join in. To follow up, the OM team members are meeting with some of the young men in the camp to teach parables and later a short series on God, our need for salvation in Christ, receiving Christ personally and experiencing God’s plan for our lives.

The OM team wonders whether it was group mentality, which is very strong in Roma culture, that led to so many responses that night, or a real turning to God. The OM team needs wisdom to discern which young men made genuine commitments of faith.

Please pray that new Christians in the camp will grow in faith as they meet with their OM friends for follow-up. Pray that the whole camp would allow Christ to be the centre of their community.

To read more about God's work in Montenegro, see their news site. 

*Full name not included for security reasons

Nicky Andrews: Please tell me about your background.

Isabel Black: I live with my husband and three sons in Inverness, Scotland. My eldest son, aged 11, is on the autistic spectrum. I’ve worked as a special needs teacher since 2009; that was my second career change. I was previously a staff worker for Scripture Union, and before that a German teacher.

NA: You have recently volunteered with the OM team in Bar, Montenegro. How did that come about?  

IB: I was interested in spending some time in mission work with my family, probably somewhere German-speaking. When I searched the OM website for teaching jobs using German or English, Montenegro came up. I had never heard of Montenegro but they were looking for support with their English and German outreach cafes. When I contacted the team, it turned out they were also praying for someone to help with special needs!

NA: Why were they praying for someone like you?

IB: In Montenegro, and throughout the Balkans, there is a huge climate of prejudice and misunderstanding about disability. The OM team had met several families with disabled children and seen the huge challenges they face: no school /educational provision; minimal respite; prejudice and exclusion from society. The team wanted to help these families, but lacked knowledge and skills. So we arranged that I would come to help them for a week.

NA: How were you an answer to their prayer?

IB: The team in Bar had met mums really struggling to cope with their autistic kids, especially those without verbal communication. For kids like that in my school in Scotland, we use the “Picture Exchange Communication System” (PECS) as taught by Pyramid Education. It reduces their frustration, increases positive behaviour, and in time, they often start talking. I know just the basics of PECS, but that was enough for me to run two half-day seminars for a number of families, teachers and other volunteer workers.

NA: How did your seminars impact those families?

IB: Visiting two of them afterwards, one mum had tears in her eyes when she told me that her son had already differentiated pictures enough to show that he wanted his hair washed. The other mum had thought there was no hope for her son, but when she saw he was motivated to exchange picture symbols for food she could see this might work. Her husband – an occasionally practising member of the Orthodox church - said, “I believe God brought you to us. You have given us hope.”  

NA: Will you go back to Montenegro?

IB: Yes! Because this introduction was positive and successful, I will return firstly this October, with another volunteer, when we will go further with our basic autism training. I am also arranging for a highly experienced licensed PECS trainer to come with me at Easter 2014, and deliver the full course to these, and other families. She already delivers training in my school and has influenced it for good in a massive way, and can offer support and experience beyond my own.

NA: What help do you need for that?  

IB: OM Montenegro needs to raise £5000 (5830 USD) to cover the costs of using this professional trainer, so financial support would be greatly appreciated. Most of all, please pray. Pray for time to get prepared and to bring the best quality of training and help, so that God will be glorified and people’s lives changed for the better. Pray that these families find faith, discovering that God, who created all these special children, loves them all as His special children and longs for them to know Him as Father, and to own Jesus as Saviour and Lord.

NA: Would you encourage other special needs workers to volunteer in countries like Montenegro?

IB: Yes! The needs are great, and local volunteers and families are open to receive help. The opportunities are boundless. Pray that God would open a door!

If you would like to help OM Montenegro meet the costs of the specialist training in October, please donate through your national OM website, and mark your gifts ‘Montenegro/Autism project ‘.

The OM team in Bar have come to know that side well—families trapped in grinding poverty, often because of illness and disability, people who would benefit from practical help, with winter setting in.

When the British public responded to OM’s Just Christmas appeal, OM Montenegro was one of the teams receiving funds to help needy families. Thanks to donors’ generosity, the team received 100 euros to spend for every family.

During their five years in Bar, the team has had on-going contact with a number of these poor and disadvantaged families. Each would certainly benefit from a big package of staple food items and household essentials, but beyond that, the team’s relationship with each family meant the team could respond to individual needs. For example, one family needed new shoes for every member. Others struggle to pay fuel bills, so the team was able to assist in that way.

“I won’t forget the looks on people’s faces as we delivered those food packages,” said Mercy Ministry coordinator Rachel. “People like Petar* and Marija*: They are nearly 80, barely surviving on a meagre pension. My teammate Daniel has known them for years, and Petar became a believer two years ago. When we arrived with the food at their tiny house, they said God had sent it just in time to keep them alive!”

Disability is a real challenge for some families. Two years ago, Fikreta’s husband, Albin*, fell from a tree. He was badly injured and will probably never walk again. Currently he has four bad bed sores. Medical staff comes to the house to help Albin twice a day, but Fikreta needs to care for him the rest of the time. This means she cannot work to support him and their two sons. Since a small amount of social service aid is their only income, getting a food package from the team was a real lifeline.

The OM team helped over 20 families, all in desperate situations.

“The Just Christmas donations made it possible for our team to show God’s love in a practical way, underlining our message that there is a God who cares,” Rachel said.

*name changed

After a time of adjustment and learning the local language, the two families will support the local church and start a ministry meeting local youth through language cafés, similar to the work in Bar. The local pastor is excited to have OM workers in his church in Podgorica who have long-term vision and a heart to serve.

OM has had good contact with the local churches in the country since an OM ship visited a few years ago, and the first long-term OM team began in Bar in 2007. The course is now set for greater cooperation between the two OM teams and the local church in the country. Praise God for this dream come true for the team. Please pray for greater impact for Christ in the area. 

After some research, Mark realised not one public playground existed in the town. Making a new one sounded like a good idea, but he didn’t know how to go about it. During 2012, the OM team had been deepening their relationship with the leader of the nearby kindergarten, and she also got excited about the playground idea. With her help, they got the necessary permissions from the municipal government to start rebuilding the old playground in the summer of 2013.

Now, OM Montenegro’s plan is to host a team of volunteers to help build the playground. The team hopes they can also involve some of their local friends or local companies. Please pray that this would happen, and for the necessary financial support. The team believe it will be a blessing for the children of Bar to have a place to play.

The OM team already had good contacts with kindergarten teachers around Bar and arranged to visit 10 kindergartens, staging 15 dental hygiene presentations. To make the programme a memorable experience for the kids, the team presented a puppet show with two main characters: Mister Tooth, who obviously believed there's no need to brush, and Miss White, the opposite of her dirty partner.

After the show, which also included a video demonstrating how to brush teeth correctly, the team did a small craft with the kids so they would better remember: two times a day for two minutes!

At one small village, fewer than 10 children awaited them. "But it was definitely worth going there!" team member Nicole remembers. "The kindergarten teacher told us how she had always wanted to come to the language café we run in Bar but didn't know how to contact us. We gave her a flyer with all the important information. Please pray that she will find the courage to come!"

There are legal restrictions on presenting the gospel in kindergartens, so the OM team thank God for every chance to show His love in practical ways-touching the lives of both children and their teachers.

Four of the “toughest” OM guys and four Roma guys, who are even tougher, recently climbed the mountain Rumija, the highest peak on the Montenegrin coast. Their plan was to be “real men” and spend the night under the starry sky.

Their luggage consisted of sleeping bags, a small barbeque, some food for dinner and breakfast and lots of water. After a two-hour climb they reached the plateau where they wanted to unfold their sleeping bags. The OMers realised that they were the only ones with sleeping bags—the Roma boys didn’t even bring a blanket!

They collected fire wood and then left the plateau to climb the last few meters to the top of the mountain. After enjoying the view and taking a group picture, they climbed down and got ready for dinner. That night they sat for a long time around the camp fire, chatting and marvelling at an amazing starry sky.

On the climb down the next morning, the four tough OM guys could only thank God for a great opportunity to build friendships, and for the miracle that they didn’t meet any snakes and that nobody got injured. Everyone agreed: “We have to do this again!”

From uneasy glances through shut windows to hugs and kisses when being greeted—this is the miraculous change that has occurred for members of the OM Montenegro team and one community where a new kids’ club has started.

This community is very small and economically disadvantaged, with a strong Orthodox background. All of the neighbours know one another. The OM team made contact with one family through the social services department.

Christina and other OM team members got to know three children—Angela, Milica and Vladimir—and their mother, Marija, through regular visits to their home. During these visits, they realised that many other children could also be reached with God’s love. They also realised, however, that starting a kids’ programme in this neighbourhood would mean winning the trust of everyone in the close-knit community that tends to be wary of outsiders.

“As a team we began to pray and plan,” says Christina. “It was slow going in the beginning, with only games being played. After several months of going once a week, we felt there was enough trust that we could introduce a simple Bible story and craft into the programme.” The children ranged in age from 5-13, and numbers varied from five to 10 children.

Over time a change in attitude became apparent to the team. Parents and grandparents began to say hello. One grandmother even baked bread for a cold afternoon lesson. “And if we had a special programme planned, we were invited in to the homes as we went door to door passing out information,” adds Christina.

The team credits this change to going slowly, showing faithfulness and consistency and being transparent with the community by hosting the programme in public. “But above all else,” concludes Christina, “this change is credited to God answering prayer! We continue to seek God’s will and are excited to see what the future holds for this kids’ club and for the entire community!”

As their Orthodox friends and neighbours were preparing to celebrate Easter, the OM Montenegro team busily prepared four special evenings, entitled Get Closer. The team spent many months in prayer about this initiative, designed to introduce the basics of the Christian faith and discuss questions. Team members had invited friends and contacts, some of whom had showed interest in the team’s weekly worship gathering. The first night team members laid out finger food that would respect the Orthodox pre-Easter fast and wondered who would come.

The team praised God, as on each occasion, an average of six local people came through the doors. The topics explored were God the Father, Jesus, faith and our response and the Holy Spirit. Team member Nicole comments, “We were very positively surprised by the numbers, as well as by who came—some people we didn’t even think were interested! The format opened possibilities for talking about spiritual things with people who usually stick to superficial subjects. They shared honestly and their questions showed that they are seriously thinking about God.

“Three people came every time—one has a Muslim background, the others are young Orthodox guys—and those two are very close to making a decision for Christ, and the sessions obviously did help them to ‘get closer’. Please pray for them and all these friends of ours, that they will come to know Jesus in all His living reality!”

Igor, 41, was born in Belgrade, Serbia, when the country was part of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. His family were atheists apart from grandparents from the Catholic and Orthodox traditions. His parents divorced when he was young, and life never felt easy, he says—it was in ruins until he met Jesus eight years ago. Now, he serves with OM in Bar, Montenegro, and shares about how God led him into missions.   

OM: How did you become a believer?

Igor: I’d entered adulthood with an independent and headstrong attitude that I was going to live life to please myself. All through my 20s I was foul-mouthed, promiscuous, gambling, drinking and getting in fights. This wild life had a big impact on my family and everyone around me. By age 33, my whole world had crashed. I was sick, jobless, and had no money or home.

Then my stepmother, who is an evangelical Christian, gave me a New Testament. The words drew me like a magnet; I couldn’t put it down! One winter night, I prayed and handed my life over to Jesus. He saved me, and filled me with the Holy Spirit.

My old lifestyle ended because my motivation in life was turned upside-down—from pleasing myself to pleasing Jesus—and He continues to transform my mind to be more like Him. I want Him to be proud of me. I am His child and God is an amazing father!

OM: How has God led you since then?

Igor: I was in secular jobs for the next four years, first in Cyprus then back in Belgrade. Then in autumn 2007 I began a two-year course at the HUB Bible School near Belgrade, enabling me to study the Word of God more deeply and prepare for life in ministry. When my course ended in 2009, God opened the door for me to join a church in Vojvodina, northern Serbia, where I served in lots of different ways: outreach, preaching, helping the disadvantaged, puppet shows, helping at camps and conferences.

OM: How did God call you to work with OM?

Igor: By the end of 2010 I had the feeling that I should serve the Lord in a new way and place, where I could be even more useful for Him. I had been praying about this for six months, when I went to the Bible school again in summer 2011 to meet up with other students. Volker, who leads OM Montenegro, came to talk to us about their pioneering outreach, and challenged us to come and serve God there. I knew this was the next step for me and joined the OM team that autumn, which God has made possible through the financial support of a church I know in England—an amazing answer to prayer.

OM: In what ways do you hope God will use you in Montenegro?

Igor: I see that he is already using me! I have been able to help my colleagues with administration (such as coping with local bureaucracy) and translation work. In outreach, I’m involved in preaching, mercy ministries and visiting local people in their homes, which is very important in our culture. When I, as a Serb, share with people about a personal relationship with Jesus, it really challenges their usual thinking about what a Christian is, as most people here have an Orthodox religious background but are stuck in tradition and superstition, unaware of the true gospel.

OM: How would you encourage Serbs and other people from former Yugoslavia to serve God in missions?

Igor: It is a great privilege and special blessing to be in mission. It is not always easy, but God is always on your side—His hand will never bring you to a place where His mercy will not cover you! He will provide everything you need.

OM: How can we pray for you?

Igor: I am asking God for two big things: for a wife with a heart for God and mission and for His leading and financial provision if I am to stay on in Montenegro next year.

When OM Montenegro began in 2007 with a team of three, holding a packed-out Sunday worship meeting seemed a long way off. But the vision of planting a church in Bar is slowly being realised; now 25 or 30 people cram into OM’s small meeting area on Sunday mornings, singing praises to God and listening to His Word in Serbian and English.

“It all started in late 2010 when we as a team started meeting for worship on Sundays,” recalls Volker, OM Montenegro country leader. “Then some Russian believers living nearby began joining us, and as word got around locally, we next met a Montenegrin girl and a Serbian family, all believers looking for fellowship. Our OM team has grown to 13, but best of all, numbers have been swelled by local people who are curious about a living relationship with Jesus. For example, one young guy from an Orthodox background loves coming, and keeps bringing all his friends.”

Please join Volker and the team in prayer that their local friends will meet Jesus. Pray also that the good news will spread throughout the city of Bar.

When OM Montenegro started four years ago, the OM team had plans and expectations. What they thought could be accomplished in a short period of time was soon challenged by the Montenegrin pace of life.

Now they've learnt that the pace of sharing the love of God and church planting cannot go faster than the speed of the prevailing culture. Perhaps even revival may happen at a slower rate than in the West.

Needless to say, the OM Montenegro team rejoices in what God has done in recent times—for example, witnessing a Montenegrin choose to follow Christ and participate in the church plant's first Sunday service with locals from the community.

"After one of our Sunday services," reported a team member, "we invited locals to an informal potluck meal in our mission centre and explained the vision and strategy of the new church plant as a local and independent church. A big step has been taken and an important goal reached—maybe church planting is not going so slowly after all!"

“Naturally we differ in background, gifts, talents, and ways of working, yet it doesn’t seem an obstacle for us,” says Angela. “I can see that God is working through our team, just by our teamwork alone. And it doesn’t go unnoticed by the community around us.”

“I can see that God is working through our team, just by our teamwork alone. And it doesn’t go unnoticed by the community around us.”

Every week, the team gathers at the leader’s home to plan for the ministry. One day after the meeting, a neighbour came over. She said to the team, “I’ve been watching you, and I just can’t understand how week after week you continue to laugh and have a good time together.”

In another instance, the team began renovating a space in a building that would be their new ministry centre. They hired a local man to lay flooring, while members of the team painted and worked in another area. When the man completed the job, he commented, “I have never seen so many people working together, co-operating, and having fun while doing it!”

We know that in Montenegro, relationships are very important to the people. But we are all willing to sacrifice self in order to shine God’s love to the people of Bar.

“It’s not the type of behaviour you normally see in this or any country,” says Angela. “But what makes our team different, and able to be this example to the community, is that we have the same purpose and vision—to love God and love people. We know that in Montenegro, relationships are very important to the people. But we are all willing to sacrifice self in order to shine God’s love to the people of Bar. God is going to do some amazing things in this city. Please pray for our team and the influence we have through everyday actions, working and having fun together.”

STIRRED TO ACT

Christina was first stirred as a 13-year-old by a need to tackle the suffering in this world. From a Christian home in rural Canada, she began her own relationship with God at fifteen. That early passion has remained, both to help others and to be the hands and feet of God.

The memory of her first mission trip makes her laugh. “My youth group went halfway across Canada to help process unwanted fruit and vegetables into soup mixes for the Third World. But no luscious peaches for us – our privilege was chopping my least favourite vegetable - 32,000 pounds of onions! I cried every day and smelled for a week.”

Aged seventeen, Christina went to Belize with Samaritan’s Purse and had her first encounter with real poverty. “After high school I went to Bible college for a year then worked in an office. I applied to OM Canada to join the Ships Ministry but couldn’t for medical reasons. From over a hundred countries I had the adventure of choosing five options. I had not considered Europe before, yet all my choices were in the Balkans. Although I’d never heard of Montenegro 18 months ago, I do feel it’s where I’m meant to be for this time in my life.”

“God is definitely changing me,” Christina continues. “I’ve learnt how I need to open up to others, really love them with His love...that was head knowledge before but now I have the chance to really act on it, as I meet more and more people from very different backgrounds. I see how God desires to alleviate suffering both practically and spiritually. The two go hand-in-hand.”

SAILING INTO MONTENEGRO

Anna had just left high school, and was already committed to joining Logos Hope in September 2009 when she met OM Montenegro leader Natja at an OM Germany event. Anna’s heart was touched as she heard of the spiritual needs there, and signed up for Natja’s newsletters. “Then after I joined the ship, the Doulos was retired – where should her crew go next? Many wanted to come to the OM ship, but there was no space. A thought came to my mind - what if I could go to Montenegro? That same day, the ship’s director suggested that if any of us felt God’s calling to go elsewhere, we should talk to personnel about it. It was like a confirmation to me! Two months later, in February 2010, I arrived in Montenegro! ”

CONNECTING WITH YOUTH

Anna and Christina have both completed their three-month cultural orientation training, and are making progress in speaking the Serbian language. They are now participating more fully in team ministries, such as literacy teaching to children at the local Roma camp, and drop-in activities like language cafes and kids’ clubs at 'The Living Room', OM Montenegro’s youth centre. Montenegrin society is shaped by relationships and connections, so building friendships with young Montenegrins is vital. This contrasts with German and Canadian cultures, as Anna comments, “Through a different culture I’m learning a lot about hospitality, and how to put people over tasks.”

If young people are thinking about missions, here is Christina’s advice. “Spend time with God. Don’t think ‘Why me?’ or ‘’What do I have to offer?’ God knows what he is doing, and who He is calling, so just trust and follow. There’s no safer place than being in His will!”

“We’ve been holding weekly ‘Bible School’ for the kids at the Roma camp, and we've been teaching them how to write. Without a room to meet in, we would improvise an outdoor classroom by fixing a whiteboard against our VW van, and spreading out our table, benches and school supplies in front. That was great in fine, sunny weather – but once the autumn rains set in, the whole camp turned to a sea of mud. How could we ever continue this ministry through the winter?”

Then a wonderful chain of events began. Volker continues, “I saw my neighbour starting to build himself a car-port. Nothing dramatic, but it sparked a vision in my mind – why not build a car-port at the Roma camp? That would give shelter all year round for our teaching and Bible stories. Around this time, OM Montenegro received a donation of 500 euros from a group in Khur, Switzerland – enough to buy the materials. Next, we had a youth team from Halle, Germany come to Bar for a week of ministry, and these great young people aged 15-18 helped us construct our car-port. So now we can continue the Bible and writing lessons in the winter without fear of getting wet - we just enter our new ‘classroom‘ to share God’s love with the Roma kids!“

Beach Outreach Report

August 6, 2008

Three weeks ago we put out three requests for an upcoming Beach Outreach here in Bar, Montenegro.

          1.)  We asked for prayer concerning a good location: Praise!  There are times in life when opposition to ministry is especially strong, and setting up this outreach was one of those times.  But, after two weeks of asking, waiting and being shuffled back and forth between government offices we got permission to set up the kid’s club next to a great little family friendly café.  We also got permission to set up our teenager survey next to another café right on the promenade, where everyone walks in the evenings.   

        2.)  We asked for prayer about practicalities: Praise!  Though we were rained out the first day the following days went well.  Bibles, umbrellas, craft supplies, and sunshine were all found in good supply.

        3.)  We requested prayer for good contacts: Praise!  One of our main goals in planning the Beach Outreach was to make contact with people in the community.  Each day we saw new faces at the kid’s club, averaging about 12 a day.  Both weeks we noticed that there were five or six core children that came each day, while others would drop in for a day or two.  Parents would also come and watch on the sidelines, so we were able to talk with them as well.  In the evenings we stopped about 30 teenagers each night, but over all had a small handful of really good talks in which phone numbers were exchanged and we now have hopes of future contact. 

Another goal was to become known in a positive way in Bar, this is especially crucial as any group outside of the Orthodox church is seen as a sect.  After the end of the first week Danijel, a Serbian missionary helping with the outreach, ran into a neighbor.  This neighbor has never talked to him before, but this time he greeted Danijel with a smile.  The wife of the neighbor works as a babysitter and had been bringing three children to the Kid’s Club.  The mother of the children continued to bring them on the weekend as well.  The neighbor shared that many were skeptical of the club because it was being put on by a sect.  The amazing part is that this neighbor, his wife and the mother of the children all explained to their friends that we were a Christian group and not part of a sect.  What better way to get good exposure than members of the community sharing in a positive way about who we are and what we are doing.

It was a busy, but great three weeks of outreach.  Each morning we had a two hour kids club and on the weekends we put out a survey and other small activities focused on making contact with teenagers.  Besides working with Danijel, we also had help from Violeta, a teenager believer from a local church.  We pray that the contacts we made during this time will be the beginning of a future work with youth and eventual church plant in the town of Bar.