August 2019 Mission to Montenegro Newsletter

And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches 

of his glory in Christ Jesus.  To our God and Father 

be glory for ever and ever.  Amen. Phil. 4:19

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

We certainly can testify to the kindness of our God abundantly meeting all our needs even before we knew we had them.

This newsletter, due to the very different kind of month we had, will be a bit different, too, as we recount a few of the many ways God met our needs (some even before we knew we had them) according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

The reason this past month has been SO different than any other is that we knew we had to help Stan’s mother into an improved living situation; our missionary life doesn’t magically exempt us from the weight and seriousness of 1 Tim 5:4. So, in prayerful consultation with siblings, we and Baba C (an affectionate nickname) determined to come back together to Montenegro, Baba C’s native land.

This meant packing up all her belongings to either bring or put into storage, arranging flight tickets as well as wheelchair assistance, ordering needful items not readily available in Montenegro (eg. a walker), all the while going about the daily necessities of life (in less than ideal conditions) and visiting a few churches and family members.

It had been our original intention to visit churches and family members in a concentrated manner in the first part of our trip, so we could stay put helping Baba C during the latter half.  However, God knew better, and our visits to churches and family ended up scattered throughout our time.  Those latter visits were wonderfully refreshing to body and soul; it is so energizing to connect with like-minded brethren!

Regarding Baba C, our first order of business was to make sure she was healthy enough to fly and to establish what health issues we needed to be aware of.  Despite making appointments in the past, she hadn’t kept them, so she hadn’t seen a doctor (any doctor) in more than three years.  We were able to get her into her “regular” doctors on very short notice *and* discover that she’s been blessed with a strong constitution; her inactivity, not illness, is the major contributor in her not feeling well. Knowing that she could physically handle the long flight, we decided to go ahead and purchase her tickets.

Naturally, we ordered our flight tickets months ago, but we made sure to buy the kind with the ability to change return dates for a small fee, knowing there was a distinct possibility of Baba C coming back with us. What blew us away is that when Stan went to buy tickets for Baba C a mere three weeks before our scheduled departure, he was able to get her on the exact same itinerary—all four flights—in August, the busiest vacation month in Europe.  We never dreamed that would happen.

Then, at the beginning of this month, just two weeks before departure,  Stan “happened” to notice that there was a printing error on Baba C's passport.  They had all her names, but in the wrong places.  Of course, that didn't match her ticket and when names don't match, you don't fly.

It took a full week of concentrated effort to get the mess unsnarled--many hours on the phone, hours driving, standing in lines, and more because she had used various variations of her name for years--thus, no two documents were the same, creating a very messy situation.

Fortunately, Southern California has TWO Passport Agencies (where urgently needed passports can be printed—there are only 26 in the whole country) and we visited them both—more than once—but in the end, a corrected passport was issued. We praise God that He brought the error to our attention with still enough time to reprint it and not when denied while boarding the plane.

Leaning on the Lord from whom all mercies flow

We had an amazingly smooth trip over here.  We were mentally prepared to miss our European flights — especially on our last flight (Vienna to Montenegro) which had less than an hour’s layover because it takes time to pass through passport control and trek from one terminal to another — and we figured with a wheelchair, we’d be even slower .

However, our wheelchair assistance impressed us very much.  We were met at every gate in a timely manner by cheerful helpers, assisted through passport control (in Brussels, Vienna, and Podgorica), helped by the airline personnel with carry-ons, and more.  At every juncture, the airport provided what they could:  wheelchair, tram, moveable elevator, even to being hand-carried down steps from an airplane (strapped in a chair).

Blessed with an uneventful trip, we’ve been settling down into old routines and making new ones.  Baba C hasn't experienced the disorientation that we expected but has eagerly been participating in both our daily and church life.

Coffee Klatch Balkan-Style

Since our return, we’ve enjoyed a sweet reunion with the saints here in Niksic.  The Camp Monty sports camp held earlier this month went well, with the gospel clearly and compellingly presented by Saša (a young man from our fellowship).

Saša sharing words of life, Camp Monty 2019

The Lord has been good to grow our NK Church family with the safe arrival of Rebeka P, now three weeks old.

Welcome, Rebeka!
Congratulations to the
Petkovski Family!

These are but a few of God's many kindnesses; we invite you to join us in giving thanks and praise to our Almighty Father.

Looking forward, this next month will be one of transition:  from summer to fall activities, from empty-nesters to elder-care givers, from wrapping up the Book of James to beginning the book of Hebrews in our evening service.  Please remember us in prayer!

With great love and appreciation for your ongoing prayers and support,

Stan and Vicki Surbatovich

July 2019 Mission to Montenegro Newsletter

Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous;

     it is fitting for the upright to praise him.

 For the word of the Lord is right and true; 

     he is faithful in all he does.

The Lord loves righteousness and justice;

    the earth is full of his unfailing love. Ps. 33:1, 4&5

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

This has been a happy time for us this past month! God has blessed us abundantly.

• In early July, the local student work, EUS CG, was officially recognized and accepted into the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students at the IFES World Assembly 2019 held in South Africa.  Please pray that God would continue to work among the university students, bringing many to faith by the saving work of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Danijel Petkovski at the IFES World Assembly

• In the spirit of Acts. 14:27*, we have visited several churches over the past few weeks, with one still to go, giving an update on the growing Nikšić church, the proposed changes to the religion law, and current prayer requests.  As always, we come away much refreshed because you all are the best! *On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles.

• The absolute highlight of the past month has been celebrating the marriage of our youngest daughter.  With friends and family gathered together,  we witnessed Milijana and Sean exchange solemn vows of commitment and faithfulness; we are so glad and grateful to see the next generation rising up, building their marriage on the firm foundation of love rooted in Christ.

The Vows

The Happy Couple

Upcoming Ministry and Prayer Requests:

• Please pray for the men (Peter, Danijel, Nemanja, and Rade) who are leading the church and its services in our absence; for their faithful handling of God's word, for hearers that hear and respond to Truth, for love and unity amongst all.

• Please pray for Camp Monty:  The camp volunteers are all arriving this week for the start of Camp next week.  Pray for continued health of the participants,  good weather, meaningful talks, and changed hearts.  Soli Deo Gloria!

• Please pray for us as we seek to help Stan's mother make the best decision regarding her current (unsustainable) living situation and take the necessary steps to ensure that happens--all before we return to Montenegro mid-August.

With great love and appreciation for your ongoing prayers and support,

Stan and Vicki Surbatovich

June 2019 Mission to Montenegro Newsletter

The Lord is righteous in all His ways, 

Gracious in all His works.

The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, 

To all who call upon Him in truth. Ps. 145: 17,18

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

Rejoice with us in all the Lord is doing!

• In our morning services, Stan has just finished Exodus 8, where God demonstrates through devastating plagues His power and might as Sovereign God in answer to Pharaoh's scoffing: Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice?  In the evening, we've recently been encouraged in James 5 to patiently persevere through trials, whether in our circumstances or in our relationships, knowing that there is an end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful. 

• The All-Montenegro Believer's Meeting was held at the end of May in Podgorica, gathering nearly 150 brethren from all over the country to praise God, be encouraged by good teaching, and enjoy sweet fellowship.  It is an annual "family reunion" that we look forward to.   This year, one young man used the opportunity to publicly commit himself to the Lord and has been faithfully meeting with us on Sundays since then.  The Lord is near to all who call upon Him. Soli Deo gloria!

All-MNE Believer's Meeting, 2019

• Regarding the newly redrafted Law on Religion and Religious Freedom, we have good news and bad news.  The good news is that the most restrictive elements have been eliminated and while we would like a few minor modifications, we can live with it as currently written.  The bad news doesn't directly affect us but will be the big sticking point in getting the new law passed as it deals with property rights of existing Orthodox Church buildings and lands and who owns them  (MNE or the (now foreign) Serbian Orthodox church).  Note: This particular provision has made headline news and sparked protests.

• The TGC-Southeast Europe conference proved to be a very worthwhile endeavor.  The sessions were fantastic (comforting, inspiring, and convicting) as was meeting fellow believers and workers from various countries including Albania, Greece, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Bosnia.  In God's providence, we particularly forged some new ties with individuals and groups from Bosnia and Albania-our two closest neighbors. 

Upcoming Ministry and Prayer Requests:

• Please pray for our upcoming trip Stateside which is again a full-packed schedule between helping Stan's elderly mother, celebrating the marriage of our daughter, and visiting churches, including one long-time supporting church and a new never-before-visited church.  Please pray for safe travels, joyous reunions, and clear communication regarding the needs, hopes, and  vision of ministry here.

• Please pray for the Nikšić church while we are apart--for the men faithfully preaching and teaching, for the church to be strengthened and to grow, and for the normal comings-and-goings of visitors, family, and teams here--that all might be done decently and in order to the glory of God.

• Please pray for the upcoming annual Camp Monty Sports Camp which targets young people 9-18.  This is the first year that we will personally miss it.  Pray for good seed to be planted and for good fruit in those children who have participated in the past. Additionally, please pray that  we as a church would have much wisdom in handling all the new requests for teams and weeklong ministry outreaches that we have been receiving--we would love to work with everyone but practically speaking that is not possible.  

With great love and appreciation for your ongoing prayers and support,

Stan and Vicki Surbatovich

May 2019 Mission to Montenegro Newsletter

Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!  For He has done marvelous things;

His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory.

The Lord has made known His salvation;

His righteousness He has revealed in the sight of the nations. Ps. 98:1-2

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

Praise God for all His marvelous works, shown to us and to the nations.

• For our Easter service (April 28th) Stan preached from 1 Peter 1:1-9 on the magnificent bounty of blessings in Christ in the Resurrection.  Our worship service, followed by our Fellowship Lunch, was a joyous time, and we believe the hearts of unbelieving family members were touched.  We are also encouraged to have received several new visitors interested in spiritual truths at various services this past month as well.

• By God’s good providence, Stan was able to attend a two-day conference sponsored by the Serbian Orthodox Church wrt to the proposed religion law.   The Conference regarding the religious draft law was extremely informative and helpful; still, our aims and the aims of the Orthodox Church only overlap to a certain degree.  The government does recognize that changes need to be made; more on that below.

• The highlight of the month was the marriage celebration of Saša and Marina. The wedding ceremony was beautiful and a testimony to many as very few weddings here have a scriptural, Christ-honoring component.   As Stan explained from Ephesians 5, we see a humbling and wondrous example of marital love, nourishment, and commitment in Christ as He loves and cherishes His Bride, the Church.  Oh, may God help us all to love one another as we should.

• Stan's cataract surgery was successfully completed a week ago, (opportunely scheduled the day AFTER the wedding) and the doctors are quite satisfied with the results; so is Stan as he can see out of that eye without any correction now!  Thank you all for your prayers and words of encouragement.  Please do pray for continued healing and for the best timing in taking care of his other eye---tricky because of our upcoming trip to the States.

Upcoming Ministry and Prayer Requests:

• Please pray for the regular ongoing ministry of the church:  for preaching,  teaching, discipling, visitations, our many hospitality opportunities, and personal growth in sanctification. 

• There is a time for everything and right now, God seems to be bringing people to hear His word and the gospel.  We mentioned earlier several new visitors at meetings (church, bible studies, conversation club).  Please pray for the souls of these men and women and for more to come and to hear the words of Jesus who said the words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. John 6:63

• The Montenegrin government now has on its agenda forming a new law on religious freedom and religious institutions.  They should be seeking input from all the churches; however, we currently have no information or voice on the matter.  Please pray that our concerns (the tiny evangelical church in Montenegro) would be heard and covered.   

• The Gospel Coalition of Southeast Europe is hosting a conference at the end of this month.  This conference is not merely for steering committee leaders but for pastors, their families, and any others interested in seeing a Christ-centered gospel as the foundation of Christian ministry.  We and a few others from Montenegro will be attending the conference held in Albania.  Please pray for safe travels, many attendees,  good networking, and an explosion of Christ-exalting preaching and teaching. 

• We recently had an informative session with Izaberi Život (Choose Life), a pro-life organization established in Serbia, on what they are doing and how they can help us here in Montenegro, where terminating unwanted pregnancies is culturally entrenched.  Please join us in praying for the unborn and their parents as well as the next practical step in learning to lovingly engage this culture to Choose Life.

With great love and appreciation for your ongoing prayers and support,

Stan and Vicki Surbatovich

April 2019 Mission to Montenegro Newsletter

For as the soil makes the sprout come up

    and a garden causes seeds to grow,

so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness

    and praise spring up before all nations. Is. 61:11

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

Praise our Sovereign Lord that He does indeed make righteousness and praise spring up, else our work would be a work in vain.  Even as the flowers in our garden remind us,  bursting forth as they are right now, we long and pray that God would add to His people here in Nikšić for His praise and glory. 

To that end, here are some highlights of this past (busy!) month:

• Through his exegetical preaching, Stan is currently covering Exodus 4, expounding on the call of Moses to deliver the Israelites, his unwillingness, and God’s mercies in the face of all Moses's weak excuses.  In our evening service, we continue to be challenged by James's pastoral concerns, and in chapter 3, we are confronted with the terrifying power of the tongue and the impossibility of our taming it—apart from being united with Christ.

• As part of the outreach to university students, we hosted Dr. Alexander Fink, a biophysicist and  Director of the Institute for Faith and Science (Institut für Glaube und Wissenschaft).  He gave several lectures, both in Podgorica and Nikšić, speaking on such topics as Are We More than our Brains? and Can a Scientist Believe in God?  There was a good turnout and new students were reached and stretched in their thinking.  May God cause those seeds to grow!

• Although we said good-bye to the Danish Bible School students at the end of March, our Montenegrin-Danish partnership continues to flourish.  Right now, several Montenegrin young people are in Denmark, attending a Christian Easter Camp, hearing the Word and being challenged to choose this day whom you will serve.  Please pray for illumined hearts, changed hearts, worshipful hearts.

• Stan has finished all the paperwork (officially stamped!) for his cataract surgery.  Thank you all for your concern, warm wishes, and prayers.  He nows awaits a phone call telling him when it will be; we have reasonable expectations that this will be during the first half of May.

Upcoming Ministry and Prayer Requests:

• Urgent! It has recently come to our attention that the draft law on church-state relations proposed by the Montenegrin government in 2015 is to be adopted by June 1.  This is the law that we spoke out against as being very restrictive and burdensome on religious freedom.  We have yet to see what (if any) changes were made to that proposal and have been finding it very difficult to find a copy or any information whatsoever.  Please pray that we (the entire evangelical community in Montenegro) would be able to read, assess, and respond in a timely manner, and that God would intervene to allow our current freedom to continue.

• Joyous times ahead! We will be celebrating Easter on April 28th (according to local custom), and a wedding on May 4.  Both these events are wonderful, natural opportunities to testify to the foundation (Christ!) of our happiness in this life and in the life to come.  Pray, too, for Saša and Marina as they commit to each other before God and family and enter into the joys and challenges of wedded life.

With great love and appreciation for your ongoing prayers and support,

Stan and Vicki Surbatovich

March 2019 Mission to Montenegro Newsletter

Moses said to God, “When they ask me, 

‘What is his name?’ What shall I tell them?”

God said to Moses, “I am who I am." 

Exodus 3:13-14

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

Did you read last month's newsletter?  Good!! Because this month is more of the same!  Praise God for the joy and gift of the ordinary life.

• Stan is still faithfully preaching in both morning and evening services.  In Exodus 3, we've seen God's loving revelation of His name and all that it embodies; from the book of James, we are challenged to have a living faith graced by godly works.
• We've said good-bye to the Ukranian team and welcomed the Danish Bible School!  While the Ukrainian team spent time in the broader community, the Danes will be engaging university students through a number of activities and events over the next two weeks.
• Stan has jumped through the first of the "need a referral" hoops for his cataract surgery, but there are still a few more to jump through, so much patience and perseverance are needed!

Upcoming Ministry and Prayer Requests:

• Please pray for the going-on-right-now University Outreach--that our Danish friends would meet the right young people, for conversations and presentations that show the love, glory, and power of our Father God, and for continued favor from the community to host events at the local cafes.  Pray, too, that we will continue to bless one another by mutually encouraging each other's faith as we sit down and enjoy meals and life together. 
• Please pray for the ongoing ministries of preaching, teaching, praying, visiting--none of this goes away when a team shows up!
• Please pray for a number of men and women with whom we (and the local church) are discussing biblical truths and sharing our faith.  Due to the public nature of these newsletters, we don't mention names, but God knows.  Oh, we long for these dear souls to pass from  darkness to light, from death to life everlasting!
• Please pray for a speedy process through the medical labyrinth so Stan can get his cataract surgery done in a timely manner.

With great love and appreciation for your ongoing prayers and support,

Stan and Vicki Surbatovich

February 2019 Mission to Montenegro Newsletter

Do you not know?   Have you not heard? 

The Lord is the everlasting God, 

the Creator of the ends of the earth.  

He will not grow tired or weary,

    and his understanding no one can fathom.  Is. 40-28

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

February may be a short month, but it is still a packed month.  Here are a few highlights since last month's newsletter.

• With the start of the new series in Exodus, Stan presented an overview of the book, with a special look at the parallels between God’s people being delivered from Egyptian slavery by Moses and God’s ultimate delivery of His people from sin’s enslavement by our Lord Jesus Christ.  In our evening service going through James 1, we've looked at how and why we must count it all joy when we fall into various trials along with the helps and cautions to endure that we might receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

• We've welcomed some new people to Nikšić, all here for short-term missions work.  The Ukrainian YWAM group of six people (and a baby!) are here for one month as part of their Practical Outreach of Discipleship training.  They've jumped right in with the church life, participating in all our regular events as well as "Cafe Connecting", going out to meet people on their own, and Mercy Ministries, helping older folks with their firewood needs and the Petkovski family who are moving into their own home.  We are also blessed to have Peter T (yes, another Peter!) from Denmark for the next four months.  Peter T was here last year, with the Danish Bible School, and proved eager to come back and be a part of the official EUS work reaching university students.

From every tribe....
Well, at least Ukraine, Canada, Denmark, Montenegro, Serbia, England, and the USA!

• On a more somber note, we witnessed the passing of two people, not members but with whom many of us had close connections.  In both cases, it was a surprisingly short time between "something is not right" and being gone.  We can only hope that the many seeds of truth heard took root.  And may it spur us to keep sowing, knowing the reality that it is appointed for men once to die, and after this the judgment. (Heb. 9:27)

Upcoming Ministry and Prayer Requests:

• Please pray for both the YWAM team and Peter T--to know the presence of the Lord, to continue to use their time and talents wisely, to trust the Lord that He will work all things to good at just the right time. 

• We've been meeting and getting to know new people!  The past month has brought several new people, both men and women, into our personal sphere as well as the wider church.  In a setting where personal relationships provide the best context for spiritual discourse, we rejoice in this! Rejoice with us! Please pray for the Holy Spirit to transform lives as only He can.

• In God's providence, the group from Georgia has decided to take more time in planning a ministry outreach here in Montenegro.  Meanwhile, we have plans to visit the church this summer in order to foster our relationship and make plans together.  Please pray for this team and others that have expressed a desire to come.  We love having church groups, Bible schools,  and individuals who come and see what the Lord is doing here in Nikšić, and participate in it, but we need to wisely pace ourselves.  Pray that we all might have eyes and ears to see and hear the Lord's leading.

• At his most recent eye exam, the optometrist said the time has come for Stan to have cataract surgery.   We are fortunate that he should be able to have it done at a private clinic with good reputation in Podgorica.  Even so, there are a number of bureaucratic hoops to jump through (referrals for referrals, all needing to be done in person), so please pray for Stan as he perseveres (James 1 in action!) and that all would be accomplished in a timely manner.  

With great love and appreciation for your ongoing prayers and support,

Stan and Vicki Surbatovich

Mission to Montenegro