September 2017 Mission to Montenegro Newsletter

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. II Peter 3:9

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

Our assumption that with the busy summer camp season past us, ministry and life would slow down to its "normal" routine was quite misguided!  Here are a few highlights from the past month:

• The privilege of proclaiming of God's Word here in Nikšić every Sunday continues for which we are most thankful.  Stan is currently preaching through Luke 18 in the morning and the Book of Esther in the evening.  In Esther we see God's amazing providence and greatness, not through the working of miracles, but through everyday life (insomnia, for example!), accomplishing *all* His good purposes.

• We hosted a record number of guests (apart from teams) these past four weeks-- from the US, the UK, Greece, Holland, and more--some for a meal, some needing a place to stay for a night, some for a week.  We barely fit under the shade of the grapevines for our last Fellowship Lunch!

• In presenting the gospel in a relationship-based culture, it is important to cultivate and build those relationships, both within the church and without.  Thus, along with the typical ministry activities of preparing sermons, counseling, visitation, mentoring, and midweek meetings--all of which center around fellow believers---we are participating in several new opportunities to get to know people within the wider Nikšić community.  

Upcoming Ministry and Prayer Requests

• Please pray for the Holy Spirit to illumine the minds and hearts of those who hear God's word for the natural man does not understand these things.  And please pray for Stan and the other young men given opportunities to preach, that they would be faithful and wise in their teaching and preaching.  And, let's pray that God add mightily to His church here in Nikšić and in Montenegro.

• Please pray for the EUS Student work which begins in earnest at the end of this month as the university students begin their classes:  for favor with the university and student council leaders, for students to participate in the offerings, for the local EUS leadership team to be wise in planning, preparing, and following-up students through weekly meetings as well as one-on-one bible studies.

• Please pray for a dedicated worker/couple to establish and lead an ongoing children's ministry.  We no longer just have babies but little people!  It was quite heartwarming when a set of twin boys eagerly requested their favorite worship song (not the same one, of course!) at a recent evening service.

• Please pray for special wisdom and maturity amongst for the church leaders here in MNE because there are always needs and issues arising amongst the believers (and when one part of the body hurts, the whole body hurts).  May God grant grace and wisdom to all for both the giving and receiving of godly counsel.

Special Mention Prayer Request:

As always, we wish to express our great love and appreciation for your ongoing prayers and support in this great work of God.  However, the financial administrator of our monetary support has informed us that contributions to Mission to Montenegro are noticeably underfunded this year to date.  

Our vision is simple: That Christ be preached through all of Montenegro beginning with a biblical local church in Nikšić.  

We are extremely grateful for all those individuals and churches who've supported the work thus far and if you'd like to join our team of financial supporters or adjust the gift you already give, please read past our signature.

One with you in Christ,

Stan and Vicki Surbatovich

Mission to Montenegro

Note: If you desire to give monetarily, whether for ongoing support or as a special offering, here’s how:

If you live in the U.S., you may mail checks made out to: Mission to Montenegro with appropriate memo and addressed to:

Faith Community Church
Attn:  Mission to Montenegro
723 South D Street
Oxnard, CA 93030

website: Faith Community Church

If you live outside the U.S. do get in touch (stan.surbatovich@gmail.com) and we will give you bank transfer information.

Thank you for your support! To God be the glory!

August 2017 Mission to Montenegro Newsletter

I will proclaim the name of the Lord. Oh, praise the greatness of our God!

He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just.

A faithful God who does no wrong, 

upright and just is he. 

Deut. 32:3,4

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

Another busy month, another successful camp, plus a lovely wedding--God is good!

• Camp Monty 2017, in its 11th year as a summer daytime sports camp, touched hundreds of children, old-timers and newcomers, through various sports such as soccer, basketball, volleyball, and tennis, as well as English lessons.  A large team of international volunteers shared their expertise and their love for the Lord Jesus.  

• We experienced the joy of inviting our neighbor to sit under our vine (Zech 3:10) as we've hosted a dozen+ people in town as helpers for Camp Monty, as guests for the wedding, and as friends.  We've enjoyed many a meal together, dining al fresco, sharing life, joys as well as trials. Being together in these settings provides wonderful opportunities for table-talk ministry. One other highlight: We were treated to a few "mini-concerts" as a number of the Danes, students at the Music Conservatory in Copenhagen, relaxed and amused themselves (to our delight) with the piano and guitars.  

• The big highlight of July, though, was the Pedersen Wedding!  With great satisfaction, we witnessed the vows and union of these two young people as they committed themselves to love one another and to love God and serve Him wholeheartedly together.  The ceremony and celebration afterwards wonderfully weaved together both Montenegrin and Danish traditions in a God-honoring way. Soli Deo Gloria!

Mr. and Mrs. Pedersen enjoying the moment!

Upcoming Ministry and Prayer Requests

• Please pray for the regular ongoing ministry of the church:  the preaching, the teaching, the discipling, the follow-up to the outreaches, personal growth in sanctification.  Also, please pray specifically for an upcoming visitation to the family of a church member whose father tragically passed away, leaving behind a widow with five children.

• Please pray for the many people, children and adults, who heard and witnessed the gospel in action this summer-through camps, through preaching, through hospitality and other ministry.  We long that the sharing of our faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing... for the sake of Christ.  (Philemon 1:6)

• Please pray for the marriage of the young Pedersen family and for all the marriages of the families in church.  As might be expected in a pioneering work, more than half the marriages in the fellowship are not united in Christ.  May God grant us all much grace and patience in loving and serving our spouses as expressions of our loving and serving the Lord Jesus.

• Please continue to pray for Stan's elderly mother and our role in her ongoing care.  Due to poor health, she was not able to come to Montenegro this summer per original plan, and we need much wisdom in determining next steps.

With great love and appreciation for your ongoing prayers and support in this great work of God,

Stan and Vicki Surbatovich
Mission to Montenegro

July 2017 Mission to Montenegro Newsletter

In the beginning was the Word, 

            and the Word was with God, 

                             and the Word was God.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us...  

                                                John 1:1,14

Grace and Peace to you in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord!

To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose, and here in Nikšić it is the time and season for camps and outreaches!  And while the many activities make for fun photos and good memories, what stirs our hearts is sharing and living the truth of Jesus Christ and His Word.

• On Sunday mornings, Stan is ministering from Luke 17, and in the evening, he is beginning a new series preaching through the book of Esther which uniquely shows God working His plans and purposes for His people who are living in an unrighteous, pagan society.

• The English Student Camp outreach, courtesy of the UCCF team from Britain along with local believers, wrapped up this past week.  Along with the fun activities and probing discussions of God's Word, the Spirit used the challenging circumstances of a somewhat serious injury of one participant to demonstrate the reality of our living faith in a living God as His goodness was proclaimed throughout the entire trial.  May the Lord continue to bring much fruit to bear in the lives of the saved and unsaved from this camp.

• God brought by another family, currently pastoring a church in Seattle, on a scouting trip to see if the Lord is calling them to Montenegro.  This is the fourth family in the past year or so pondering the same question.   We met up with them for a couple of hours to answer questions, share what we've seen and what we hope to see, and generally be helpful.  Please join us in praying for them, that they would distill the input they received from us and others, and discern all that God has for them.  We also fervently pray for the continued unity of all the churches here, especially as we are growing, for by this everyone will know that we are His disciples, if we love one another.

Upcoming Ministry and Prayer Requests

• Please pray for those who attended the English Student Camp.  Some of the young people did come to Sunday Services for the first time while the team was here.  Please pray that they would continue to come, to hear God's Word, to join in with His people.  Please also pray for the young woman who was injured. While she will not need surgery (Thank You, Lord), she still has several weeks of healing ahead of her.

• Please pray for the upcoming Camp Monty which starts next week.  Please pray that the seeds of gospel truth would take hold and pray especially for those who are entering into their high school/university years as that is often a time of personal reflection and decision-making. 

• We will also be participating in and celebrating the marriage next week of one of our young ladies to a Danish man.  Please pray for the bride and groom and their families, for Stan as he prepares a wedding sermon, and for all the details of this God-honoring, cross-cultural, life-changing event! 

With great love and appreciation for your ongoing prayers and support in this great work of God,

Stan and Vicki Surbatovich

Mission to Montenegro

Note:  If you would like to receive this newsletter update directly, please subscribe at:  http://christianitymontenegro.blogspot.com/ 

June 2017 Mission to Montenegro Newsletter

God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords,  

who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, 

whom no one has seen or can see. 

To him be honor and might forever. Amen. 

I Tim. 6:15-16

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

Greetings once again from Nikšić, Montenegro! Our return trip was remarkably uneventful: All flights on time and all baggage arrived—miraculously, because one bag bore zero (zip, nada) luggage tags—not a scan barcode at all—and two others had shredded tags.  Thank you, Lord!

• Stan is glad to be back in the pulpit, continuing on in Luke 16 for our morning services. He finished the parable of the rich man and Lazarus with a sobering look at the reality of hell which highlights the joyous good news of salvation in Jesus Christ.   In our evening services, Stan preached from I Tim 6: 14ff, with the theme Theology Leads to Doxology: The more we know God—He who is Immortal, Invisible, in Light Inaccessible, most Blessed, most Glorious, Almighty, Victorious*— the more we will love, praise, and obey Him.

• Earlier this month we attended the annual All-Montenegro Believer's Meeting (a chance for all 150+ believers in country to get together for mutual encouragement and edification--it is rather like a family reunion) which was hosted, for the first-time ever, by the Roma (Gypsy) Believers in Podgorica. We know the organizers were nervous (but eager) and everybody was thrilled with their more-than-respectable first effort!  These gatherings are always a foretaste of heaven, when we will join the heavenly hosts from all tribes, nations, and tongues.

Upcoming Ministry and Prayer Requests

• The regular ministry continues on with preaching and teaching, ongoing mentoring, our midweek prayer meeting and fellowship,  an active hospitality ministry, and our visitations (particularly to the elderly and infirm).  Please pray for all these good works, but particularly for Stan as he plans and prepares to proclaim God's Word faithfully week after week.

• We are once again entering in our busy season of camps and teams. Coming up at the end of this month we  will be busy with the Student English Camp (with British UCCF team), followed by the 11th annual Camp Monty sports camp.  Additionally this summer, we are expecting other guests for varying lengths of time--some coming to visit, some coming to celebrate the July wedding of one of our young people, some coming to get situated before moving into a permanent residence.  Please pray for the volunteers who are coming, that they might shine with God's love and speak winsomely by the power of the Holy Spirit and for the hearts of the young people who will meet and speak with them.

With great love and appreciation for your ongoing prayers and support in this great work of God,

Stan and Vicki Surbatovich

Mission to Montenegro

Note:  If you would like to receive this newsletter update directly, please subscribe at:  http://christianitymontenegro.blogspot.com/ 

*Lyrics from hymn by Walter Chalmers Smith (1824-1908)

May 2017 Mission to Montenegro Newsletter

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die... 

a time to mourn and a time to dance… 

He has made everything beautiful in its time.  

Eccles 3: 1-2,4,11

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

How reassuring are the above words! These Scriptures are so utterly timeless and true despite being penned thousands of years ago.  This past month, this season of activity,  we’ve experienced God’s loving kindness in so many ways.

We've had a time to laugh and a time to dance  as we celebrated the graduations of of our two youngest children and rejoice in the good things ahead for them in this next season of their lives.  Josiah will soon be working in the medical field as a Physician Assistant and Milijana is pursuing PhD studies at Carnegie Mellon. We were also able to touch base with our other three children. Join us as we praise God for His many mercies and pray for all our children as we minister in Montenegro and they live in the US.

We've had a time to build and a time to speak as Stan enjoyed giving a report on the work and preaching in Virginia earlier this month and will be presenting in Upstate New York this coming weekend.  Vicki had a chance to visit the saints from our sending church, Faith Community Church, and help out Stan's mother as well.   It has been a wonderful time of being mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and ours.  (Rom. 1:12)

We've had a time to mourn and to weep as we lost one of our elderly ladies in Nikšić to cancer.  We believe she had a simple, sincere trust in the Lord, so we do not mourn as those without hope. Please pray, though, for her grieving family.

With much love and appreciation for your ongoing prayers and support in this great work of God,

Stan and Vicki Surbatovich

Mission to Montenegro

Note:  If you would like to receive this newsletter update directly, please subscribe at:  http://christianitymontenegro.blogspot.com/ 

April 2017 Mission to Montenegro Newsletter

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away... 

I Peter 1:3-4a

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

With both western and Orthodox Easter falling on the same date this year, a number of people were away attending annual (western) Easter camps. While missing our brethren, we were blessed to have with us American, Ukrainian, and Bulgarian believers for our celebration!

• Stan's Easter sermon, Daily Blessings Inherent in the Resurrection, showed forth the abundant goodness and mercies of God in the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ and reminded us to reflect on those blessings not only at Easter, but throughout the days and weeks of our lives.  In our ongoing Lord's Day services, he is continuing in the Gospel of Luke in the morning and will be wrapping up 1 Timothy this month in the evening.

• April has been a month of hospitality!  Before this month is over, we will have been privileged to host four different families in our home for varying lengths of time.  We are always amazed (and thrilled!) at the number of people who manage to pass through Niksic...  Some were here for refreshment, some seeking to know if God is calling them to Montenegro, some for practical help.   Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! Amen!

• We've been able to visit the elderly and infirm of whom two are now completely housebound.  We are encouraged with the interest shown in reading Scripture and singing hymns.  Plus we are reminded to take advantage of modern technology to send small, encouraging texts often--they truly are much appreciated.

Upcoming Ministry and Prayer Requests:

• Please pray for those families and individuals who have heard the Word (especially unbelieving family members) but have yet to turn wholeheartedly to God.  Pray that they would be freed from the shackles of unbelief; from the fear of man; and from the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.  Oh, may God have mercy!

• Please pray for our elderly and sick, that God would comfort them in their affliction and they would know, truly know, a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And pray that we stir ourselves to love and good works on their behalf.

• Please pray for our time in the States next month as we celebrate the university graduations of not one, but two of our children!  We thank the Lord for their accomplishments and ask you to join us in praying that they will hold fast to Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.  Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil."

• Please pray for the men who will be ministering the Word and leading the services while we are away.  And please continue to pray for a person to be raised up to oversee ongoing ministry to the children of the church and of the community.

With much love and appreciation for your ongoing prayers and support in this great work of God,

Stan and Vicki Surbatovich

Mission to Montenegro

Note:  If you would like to receive this newsletter update directly, please subscribe at:  http://christianitymontenegro.blogspot.com/ 

March 2017 Mission to Montenegro Newsletter

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.  John 16:33 

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

This has been a month for all of us in Nikšić to take heart, for it has been a month full of challenges and tribulations, as well as a time to rejoice in God our Savior.

• Stan returned to the States (earlier than we expected) to help his mother downsize and move from the family home.    This was our first personal delving into eldercare issues, and while much was accomplished (by God's grace), we are still pursuing a better final set up for her and other family members.  Please pray for that we would be granted Solomonic wisdom.

• We had opportunity to mourn with those who mourn as two families close to us lost loved ones, a mother to cancer, a brother in a tragic car accident.  These sobering events make us long for that time when there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.  Please pray for those who are grieving, even though they grieve as ones with hope, but especially for those who aren't---that they might meet Him who has conquered death and offers life everlasting.

• The Danish Bible School is here!  They've been reaching out to the local university students with several events including meeting students on campus, hosting a fellowship evening at our home,  and leading a student bible study. After a week of such meeting and engaging with students, they are hosting a mini evangelical outreach camp in the local mountains this weekend.  Please pray that God would be pleased to open the hearts of many, protect them from cultural and familial discouragements to seek Christ, and for the local EUS (Evangelical Student Ministry) to follow up with each student.

With much love and appreciation for your ongoing prayers and support in this great work of God,

Stan and Vicki Surbatovich

Mission to Montenegro