Skopje tour

Hey everybody!  Today was another beautiful day here in Skopje!  We started out the day in a little restaurant just outside of Skopje.  We enjoyed some traditional Macedonian food which was delicious!  (Shopska salads, lots of fresh tomatoes and cucumbers, and a boar dish)  From there Nikola took us on a driving tour of Skopje.  We visited several different villages to get a better understanding of the demographics in this area.  There are 3 distinct ethnic groups here in Skopje: Macedonians, Albanians, and Gypsies.  And each group has their own religion. The Macedonians are primarily Christian (Eastern Orthodox), the Albanians (Muslim), and Gypsies (a mixture of different religions).  It was very interesting to see the differences just in driving through these little communities that are all part of the larger community of Skopje.  We stopped by a carpentry business run by a member of Soulcraft who employs workers that are hearing impaired.  This was really neat to see and to hear the stories of how Elia (that's the owner of the business) is helping these handicapped folks earn a living all the while building relationships with them to point them to Christ.  From there were visited the Museum of Skopje where we continued to learn more of the history of Macedonia.  We ended the afternoon up at the Fort of Skopje which overlooks the city.  We had an extended prayer time which was absolutely amazing.  There was a bit of a strong breeze that was constantly blowing and for me it just felt like the Holy Spirit moving through as we prayed.

On a personal note, I have to say that I completely admire the love and passion that Nikola (our NP partner) has for the people in this city.  He desires to see everyone in this community come to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  He desperately wants to find ways to bridge the gap between all of the ethnic groups so that they can be united under God through Christ. As we were driving around today I couldn't help but think "Lord, how do we start when there are so many people who don't know You?"  The task seems so overwhelming.  So that becomes my prayer.  And I ask you to join us in that prayer.  Please pray that God will pour out His wisdom to Nikola and the members of Soulcraft as they seek ways to build relationships with those in the community.  Pray that God will grant them influence in the community.  Pray that people will be drawn to services and outreach activities sponsored by Soulcraft so that ultimately they can hear about the love that God has for them.  There is so much to be done but as in the words of one of my favorite worship songs "greater things have yet to come and greater things are still to be done in this city".