Tales from the Macedonian Mission Field - May/June 2024 Update

Scott Jackson

Well summer is upon us now, and whatever this season holds for you, may you be blessed and find time to rest. As many things of a group nature within the church pause over the summer due to the holidays, may you have increased time and capacity to go even deeper in Jesus in your personal life and devotions as you move forward in the calling He has on your life.

This last two months has seen in many ways the continuation of what I was already involved in, and in other ways there have been some changes as new connections have been made with people in the community.

Young Life....

Bible studies and clubs have continued, and it is so wonderful and amazing to see the growth in faith in the kids, both in terms of their input and the questions that they are asking. Some have even started to ask for prayer for different things going on in their lives.

By the middle of June, the schedule started to change with the start of the summer holidays, which begin in Macedonia on the second week of the month. Our last club before the restart in September was on the 8th June, and was water themed. As you can imagine the kids greatly enjoyed it, and it was our largest so far with 77 kids in attendance. During the club, one member of the team, a volunteer youth leader, was able to share his testimony of his journey to faith in Jesus and what walking with Him has meant in his life. (photos of two recent YL clubs below).

In July I will be attending two Young Life camps, one here in Macedonia between the 8th and the 12th by Lake Prespa, where I will be a cabin leader to 9 lads. This year we will be having our largest Macedonian camp so far since YL started ministry in the country, with 56 kids attending. This was the largest number we could accomodate on site, and in comparison with previous years, was the fastest sign up we have ever seen for the camp since registration opened.

The next camp will be in Albania between the 14th - 20th, where I will be volunteering as the Prayer Coordinator again.

Skopje...

Over the last two months, I have continued to partner with the Moore family in their community in Novo Lisiche, both in the Bible studies that they lead, and also with evangelism. We have been a part of some amazing conversations with opportunities to share the love and Gospel of Jesus with people living in the area. For those whom we see on a more regular basis, it is fantastic, just like with the kids growing in YL, to see them growing in their faith, and for those who are not yet believers, how there is a growing hunger to know more, and desire to move forward in relationship.

Thanksgiving

• The deepening faith of those attending the Bible studies, both in Young Life and in Novo Lisiche.
• The growth in the Young Life outreach over the last season and in the run-up to the camp.
• The opportunities the Lord has provided to share the faith and build relationships with people who are not yet believers.

Prayer Requests

• For the Young Life camps, that as the kids hear the message of the Gospel over the course of the weeks, that they would be stirred in their hearts, and would start to seek God for themselves. Please pray also for the follow ups after the camps finish.
• For the continued growth in hunger for more of God in the lives of those we are connecting with.
• Even more opportunities to share the message of Jesus and build relationships with people in the community.

Thank you for reading my latest newsletter and being a part of this journey. I greatly appreciate your partnership and care, in prayer and financially. May you be blessed with ever more revelation of the love and calling of Jesus in your life, and in all that you do.

With much love and every blessing in Christ,
Scott