Pray for Slovenia

Week of May 26 - June 1, 2014

A week ago, while on vacation, we spent a night in Ljubljana, Slovenia. I took advantage of the opportunity to prayer-walk around the government buildings. I prayed for arts and entertainment, business, education, media, the families, churches, and especially the government of Slovenia.

I sensed a peace concerning Slovenia and a promise from the Lord that He has not forgotten the country.

Lord, I thank You that my prayer walk is like a stake placed in the center of the country to remind the enemy that  You are coming with grace for Slovenia.

As I seeking the Lord now, I have a few concerns surfacing in my spirit.  It seems the Lord wants us to pray for these. Slovenes are:
·    Living in a survival mode
·    Living for today – little hope for tomorrow
·    Blessed but do not know it
·    Lack of gratefulness

Prayer points:
1.    We know, Lord, that You have a deep love for the Slovene people. Lord, please share with us Your love for them.
2.    Let us pray for hope to arise in Slovene hearts. May the Slovenes raise their heads, pull back their shoulders and be optimistic about a better tomorrow.
3.    You, oh Lord, can resurrect in the Slovene people energy to build a glorious future for their country.
4.    Let us pray for the families in Slovenia. Lord, help husbands and wives to live in constant forgiveness toward one another. May they encourage their children to believe in a better tomorrow.
5.    Let us pray for the churches of Slovenia; Catholic, Protestant and Evangelical. May Jesus be given first place in each one of them.
6.    Let us pray for the media of Slovenia. May they always strive to present the truth and not someone’s agenda.
7.    Let us pray that the arts and entertainment of Slovenia would be uplifting and not depressing. May joy, laughter and positive programs be presented for the people’s enjoyment.
8.    Lord, we ask for the release of energy and productivity for the businesses of Slovenia. May honesty be a personal motto of every business owner.
9.    Let us pray for the government of Slovenia. We ask that all corruption be exposed. We pray that the people of Slovenia would follow statesmen not politicians with personal agendas. Let us pray that men and women of faith would be called to serve their country.
10.    Education molds the minds of a country. Let us pray that truth and light would prevail in the Slovene educational system.

Psalm 43:3 (KJV)
O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles.

Please leave a Comment or Reaction so we will know you Prayed.

Pray for Serbia

Week of May 19-25, 2014

URGENT PRAYER REQUEST FOR SERBIA!
(Protestant Evangelical Alliance of Serbia asks for your prayers. Pray for the people of Serbia, Bosnia, and all who were affected by the floods.)

Dear friends,

We would like to ask you for your urgent and fervent prayers for Serbia. We have had heavy rainfalls for 3 days now, with the amount of rain equaling 3 month quantities (the samesituation is in Bosnia and Herzegovina). It caused local rivers overflowing (rising even to 4 meters in just 1 day) in majority of Serbian towns and cities, leaving thousands of citizens' homes and land flooded, their livestock and domestic animals drowned:-(. People were completely unprepared for this and in shock. So far, there are 5 casualties, but the numbers are not complete unfortunately. A massive storm churned river waters and triggered landslides across the country, leaving roads and railways underwater. Some motorways and roads are blocked, bridges torn down, and some towns in Serbia are still cut off from the civilization. This is the worst flooding ever in the history of Serbia.The Serbian government declared a state of emergency and natural disaster yesterday..

As we are writing this, we know for sure that 7.520 people were evacuated until this morning,135,000 homes are without electricity, 19 towns are flooded. The critical is the town of Obrenovac (suburb of Belgrade) which is being evacuated in total as it is 90% flooded. It has around 18 000 people in addition to be evacuated.

Another critical municipality is Sabac, in western Serbia (around 120 thousand people). It is close to the border of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the great danger is that the river Sava overflows during the night and tomorrow and endangers a huge population. At this point, over 3000 volunteers are traveling towards Sabac from all over Serbia to help the exhausted police forces, the army, the firemen fill the sand bags and try to stop the river overflowing.

Very difficult situation is in other towns like Lazarevac, Valjevo, Paraćin, Smederevska Palanka, Svilajnac, Petrovac na Mlavi. Majority of these towns don't have water or electricity or both. For a small and financially struggling country like Serbia, this sort of thing has a Katrina-like impact:
We would be thankful to you to pray for the following:

1.That God prevents rivers from more overflowing and the rainfall stops (especially it is critical for the town of Sabac and Obrenovac tonight), but also others.
2. That all the people are safely evacuated, with no more casualties.
3. That enough funds are raised in near future to make up for the losses people faced and these are huge (some are left without everything as their houses are lost in landslides and land, as their only source of income, is flooded).
4. For enough food, clothes, blankets and other needed items for thousands who are placed in schools, hospitals, hotels and other premises until the crisis is over.
5. For enough technical equipment to help pump the water from the flooded houses all over Serbia (EU, Russia, Israel already sent some help).
6. That God protects us from infections (in water and in food) due to animal decomposition which is currently underway.
7. All the crops in the flooded areas are completely devastated, which will hugely impact fragile Serbian economy. Pray for God's miracle and grace in this area and for complete restoration.
8. The flooding of bigger rivers is to be expected, so pray for the protection of rivers Sava and Danube.
9. It will take months for people to be able to start living normally, pray for God's mercy and protection and wisdom of the government officials in how to help and what to do. The damage is probably millions of euros.
Following are some links showing a dramatic situation:

This one is with Serbian comments from the Serbian national broadcaster Prva TV: http://www.prva.rs/web-tv/info/exploziv/12005/exploziv---16052014/34911/potop.html
This one is from the foreign media: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlY8UbF99tI

Feel free to share this email with your churches, home groups, forward to your friends and cover us in prayers. Thank you so much for your support. It is priceless.

God bless you

Pray for Serbia 5-19-14

In the News: 2 Drown in Serbia as Floods Hit Across Balkans
BELGRADE, Serbia May 15, 2014 (AP)

Two people drowned in Serbia and the country declared a national emergency Thursday as rain-swollen rivers across the Balkans flooded roads and bridges, shut down schools and cut off power. Hundreds of people had to be evacuated.

In Serbia and neighboring Bosnia, meteorologists said the rainfall was the most since measuring started 120 years ago. Belgrade authorities say the average rainfall of a two-month period hit the city in just 40 hours.
"What we are facing is the biggest water catastrophe in Serbia's history," Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic said as his government appealed for help from the European Union, Russia and neighboring countries.
Surging water coursed through towns and villages, overflowing across streets and into homes, sweeping bridges off their moorings. Sodden hills crumbled into landslides. Dozens of buses and cars were stranded on flooded roads and two main north-south railway lines in Serbia were impassable. http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/woman-drowns-serbia-floods-23726450

I received the following email from Greg and Jelena Sivulka, faithful prayer partners in Serbia:

The past few days, we have had a cyclone over this country that has brought more rain than there has ever been since they started recording rainfall levels 120 years ago!  Some cities and towns have been completely flooded.  There have been electrical shortages and there's a possibility that the main power plant may have to shut down most of its operations due to the flooding.  Just about an hour ago we just received word from a reliable source that the tap water has become contaminated.  I went to the store and joined the crowds of people buying bottled water.  What a catastrophe! 

Fortunately, in our city, Novi Sad, no areas have had to be evacuated yet, although several houses have been flooded.  A state of emergency has been declared in the country and thousands of community service workers and volunteers have been working round the clock to reinforce riverbanks with sandbags.  The rain just continues to fall, but they say it should be calming down sometime this weekend.

Please keep us in prayer!

P.S.  Here's an article with photos that will give you a better idea of what's going on:
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-27439139

Prayer Points:
1.    Let us pray for those suffering from this flooding in Serbia and Bosnia.
2.    Pray for the families of those that lost their lives due to the flooding.
3.    Pray for those that have had property damage, being overwhelmed by water.
4.    In the long run, pray that the Churches would take a lead in rescuing, caring for and over the months ahead, restoring families back to a normal existence.
5.    Truly it is a time upon the earth when we are seeing unnatural things happening in nature. Lord, help the Serbian people to look beyond the present tragedies and have hope for the future.
6.    This flooding tragedy will compound the already financial problems in Serbia. Let us pray for hope to supernaturally spring forth and a real “roll up our sleeves and go to work” attitude.

Ecclesiastes 3:10-12 (NLT)  I have seen the burden God has placed on us all.  Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.

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Week of May 12-18,2014

In the News: Fivefold Pay Surge Since 2006 Reveals Romania Tech Boom
By Andra Timu and Irina Savu  May 8, 2014 7:01 AM CT 
With more than 64,000 certified IT specialists, Romania is the European Union leader in technology workers per capita and sixth in the world, according to Gartner Inc. (IT), a research company in Stamford, Connecticut. Romania’s strengths are its multilingual, educated labor force and its low costs for IT services, Gartner said in a Nov. 6 report.

Report: Operation World reports that the number of evangelical Christian in Romania has risen to nearly 6%. No other country in the Balkans even comes close.
There is a shift taking place in the Balkans. God is setting the stage and positioning the players. Expectation is on the rise for a true move of God in the region. Romania is positioned well, in order to play a key role in whatever God has for the Balkans.

Prayer Points:
1) Lord, we want to humbly acknowledge Your sovereign work in Romania. We know there is much more work to be done but, we are so encouraged.
2) Thank You, Lord, for these companies that have utilized the workforce in Romania. Not only are You blessing Romania spiritually but the economy is being touched. Let us pray that Christians will acquire many of the mentioned IT jobs and bring an ethical influence to the industry.
3) Let us pray for the forming of Christian technology networks in Romania that will help carry the Gospel to the world. Lord, give your people influence in the technology industry.
4) Let us also pray for an increase in Christian programming for radio and television in Romania. Lord, we pray for the promotion of balanced Christian radio and television preachers that will proclaim the Gospel truth.
5) Let us pray that a spiritual wave start out of Romania. Lord, we pray for momentum and vision so the spiritual atmosphere of the Balkans may be changed and many would see You, Jesus, lifted up.

John 12: 31-33 Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.  And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.”  This He said, signifying by what death He would die. 
6) Lord, may mercy triumph over judgment at this time over the Balkans! Give us open doors to proclaim Your mercy.
7) Oh, Jesus, help us to show the Balkans Your sacrifice that covers our sins. Show us how to lift You up daily for the world to see.
8) One of the evangelical tools used in the Balkans are Christian youth camps. Let us pray that there would be special anointing on the children’s camps and teen camps planned for this summer in Romania. May many youth be saved and set on a path of discipleship in the Lord.

Please leave a Comment or Reaction so we will know you Prayed.

Pray for Montenegro

Week of May 5-11,2014

Zuzanna and I were privileged to visit Montenegro about a month ago. Our purpose was to find out more about the Roma (Gypsy) refugee camps in Podgorica and learn how we could help alleviate their present sufferings while sharing the love of Jesus with them. We found their situation quite dire. The will and the financial ability of the Montenegrin government comes short of meeting their physical needs.

Presently, there is a dental team visiting the camps preforming many procedures and meeting their needs. They are seeing 20 plus patients per day. This is a tremendous blessing to the refugees! Pastor Sinisa Nadazdin, head of Roma - REA Ministry Montenegro is praising God for the two dentists, Kriss and Thuha and the support team, who are blessing many refugees in the Konik camp.

As I visit each Balkan country I make it a priority to prayer walk the government buildings, in search of a breakthrough and to establish a stake in the ground. I did not get the sense that I accomplished this breakthrough when prayer-walking the Montenegrin capitol, which is yet another reminder of the spiritual hardness of this nation.

1) Let us pray for the love of Jesus to be manifested in the camps through the practical ministry of the dental team. May the people receiving dental care understand that God loved them so much, that He sent dentists to fix their teeth. May there be much lasting fruit as a result of this work.
2) Let us lift up Pastor Sinisa as he works with the refugees. May there be joy in their midst. May the Christian Roma in the camp live to be an example to the other refugees. 3) The country of Montenegro has an estimated 180 evangelical Christians. Let us pray for the strengthening of the Christians there and a reassurance that they are not alone. Let us hold up their weak arms like Aaron and Hur and pray that the Lord of all would give them new strength to live a victorious life.
4) Let us pray for a spiritual breakthrough in Montenegro. May the Lord stir hearts to believe for increase in Montenegro. May He break up the rocky ground of the Montenegrins hearts.
5) Montenegrin Christians need help from the larger Body of Christ abroad. Let us pray for churches and mission organizations throughout the world to turn their attention toward Montenegro. Let us pray also for the handful of Missionaries like Bukurije Nikqi and other organizations and churches who serve in Montenegro.
6) The Lord’s heart is for Montenegro to be a part of the coming revival. Let us pray for men and women who will hear His voice and follow His leading to pray for and go to Montenegro and leave the stamp of God on the nation.
7) Lord, deposit vision and strategies for evangelical events in Montenegro to reach the people. Lord, shine Your light on the dark land of Montenegro.PRAYING WITH SPECIFICITY… within an URGENT TIME FRAME… with an EXPECTATION OF RESULTS. - George Otis, Jr., Sentinel Group
Please leave a Comment of Reaction so we will know you Prayed.

Week of April 28 - May 4, 2014

FYR Macedonia is investing nearly 2 million euros for Roma education

(FYR) Macedonia is investing nearly 2 million euros to build and equip the first Roma high school in Suto Orizari in Skopje, where 30,000 Roma live.

Officials said more than 2,000 Roma children are expected to enroll in the high school in September.
“We expect the structure to be finished [this] month and the high school will be fully functional for the upcoming academic year,” said Spiro Ristovski, education and science minister of (FYR) Macedonia.
Read More

Prayer points:
1) At European Initiative we are always excited to hear about good news for the Roma. We are thankful to the Lord for the favor being shown to the Roma in Macedonia. We believe that our prayers about past ethnic tensions in Macedonia are being answered. God is at work.
2) Let us now pray that these funds will be administered by honest men and women. No amount will fall into corrupt hands and be diverted from benefitting the Roma.
3) Let us even pray that compassionate Christian teachers and administrators will be hired for this new school.
4) We pray for the whole of Macedonia, that Christians would go into the educational field. Lord, raise up teachers that will bring the Christian worldview to the classrooms of Macedonia,

I was talking with a Christian from Macedonia the other day about the spiritual atmosphere of his country. He informed me that Macedonian Christians are in disunity, much like the rest of the Balkans. He said that there was a small revival in the late 90s that brought much joy. There was many churches that formed from the revival but it was because of division not multiplication.

5) Let us ask the Lord how to come against this spirit of division over Macedonia and the Balkans. Lord, we beseech You on the behalf of Your bride in Macedonia. To break the power of this spirit that causes disunity.
6) Let us pray for a move of humility and forgiveness in the Macedonian churches.
7) Lord, we ask for a culture of honor to be released into the Christians of Macedonia
.
Romans 12:9-11 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;

8) Please join with me and declare with boldness, “Macedonia will be a Sheep nation before God’s throne!”

EI Ministry prayer need: This week (Mon & Tue, April 28-19) there is an outreach in Zagreb, Croatia. Please pray that the Lord will use the Christian ballet troupe, Ballet Magnificat, to reach many souls. Pray that the rain will clear out so the dancers can dance in the open air venue.

Please leave a Comment or Reaction so we will know you Prayed,

Pray for Kosovo

Week of April 21-27, 2014

Personal Story: In 1985 I visited a couple in Kosovo, John and Maria Angelic, who just moved from Serbia to start a church in Kosovo. It was Easter Sunday and I remember thinking; “In America the churches are filled on this day but here in Kosovo there is not even one Evangelical Church to attend”.
 

Last week, while in Kosovo, we talked with two local pastors and they spoke of their advancing congregations. They report that although there is national dislike and sometimes persecution against the few Orthodox who remained in the area, the Evangelicals are somewhat respected.

From Operation World: Kosovo’s Albanian population is predominately Muslim. Many Kosovars are quite nominally Muslim, though extremism is on the rise. Large financial injections from Saudi Arabia and Iran come with strings attached that pull Kosovo toward more radical forms of Islam. Reportedly, hundreds of mosques have been erected using such funds… http://www.operationworld.org/koso

There is no official count of the number of Evangelicals in Kosovo today but they are growing monthly. Most of the larger cities like Pristina, Gjakovë, Prizren, etc now have growing churches.

Prayer points:

 1. God is good as he took the seed John and Maria Angelic and missionaries before them planted some 30 years ago and has allowed it to flourish.   Let us now pray for exponential multiplication.

 2. A lot of Muslims seem nominal toward Islam and with the right approach accessible to the Gospel. Lord, we ask for the Christians in Kosovo to be trained to reach out to their Muslim friends.

 3. Let us pray against these foreign Muslim influences that are pouring money into Kosovo to “buy” the hearts of Kosovars and lead them in following the teachings of Islam.

 4. Let us pray for strategies from heaven to be imparted into the leaders that will expedite the growth.

 5. May the Christians be motivated to reach out to their Muslim neighbors and co-workers.

 6. Lord, show the churches how they can serve their city. Give them ideas of kindness toward their cities so they may have favor in the eyes of the people.

 7.     Let us pray for a spirit of unity over the believers in Kosovo. Much like in the rest of the Balkans, disunity has claimed its victims in Kosovo as well. May the Body for Christ learn to live in unity, with gladness and simplicity of heart. May the world see that they are one.

Acts 2: 46-47 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart,  praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

Please leave a Comment or Reaction so we will know you Prayed.

Special Report - BalkanNetworks Meeting

Week of April 14-20, 2014

This week, instead of a prayer directive, we will report on our visit to a refugee camp in Podgorica, Montenegro and the Balkan Networks strategy meeting in Gjakove, Kosovo which we attended last week.

Zuzanna and I started out by driving down the Croatian coast Monday and Tuesday (April 7-8) and were amazed at the beauty our creative Father laid out for us to enjoy.

We arrived to Montenegro and met with Sinisa Nadazdin who pastors in a Roma (Gypsy) refugee camp. At the camp we observed the degrading conditions of life for about 1,600 refugees. Several have come to know Jesus in the camp and are so hungry for Him. This was evident in the mid-week service we attended where about 75% was made up of young people. He has worked with the refugees for some six years and has earned their trust. Sinisa helps them in countless ways, among which is worth noting that he helps the refugees work through the entangled bureaucracy of the paperwork in order to establish their identity. These refugees have been struggling to get legal status for many years. They had fled from Kosovo during the conflict there about fourteen years ago.

On April 10th we boarded a bus for a six and a half hour ride into Kosovo. I want to say, Montenegro has some of the most unappreciated beauty Zuzanna and I have ever seen. The mountains and valleys are just breath-taking.

We arrived in Gjakova, Kosovo for the Balkan Networks meeting Thursday afternoon.  It was great to meet men and women I had been corresponding with, some for years, through Praying for the Balkans, Project. It was good to meet many other Christians who have a burden for the Balkan countries. The meeting was very on purpose and we saw in many ways how each of us fit into the puzzle of the coming revival in the Balkans, which we firmly believe is on the horizon.

The inspiring news is that there has been an increase over the past few years of ministries coming or being raised up in the Balkan countries. We were blessed to have some pastors from the region that came and shared their dreams with us. I know I will leave some out but let me mention some of the participants at the meeting and the ministries they represent.

   ·    Albin Larsson, from Romania, missionary and organizer of the event. Truly Albin did a remarkable job of pulling us together and setting the agenda.
   ·    Jeff McLaughlin, from Kosovo – missionary, who did the ground work in Gjakova and lead our worship times.
   ·    Dag Schjelderup who has been serving in Albania for many years as a prophetic voice and pastor.
   ·    Bryan Brenchley, businessman from Macedonia, spoke to us about deepening our relationships and connecting with Kingdom minded people throughout the region.
   ·    Lee Saville, missionary from Romania, was our main speaker. Thank you Lee, for setting the tone and challenging us to press on with expected assistance from heaven.
   ·    George Markakis, pastor form Athens, Greece. Pastor George was a defining voice that helped bring clarity to the meeting.
   ·    Venco Nakov, pastor from Macedonia, stressed to us the importance of prayer that must precede the move of God coming to the Balkans.
  ·    Werner Woiwode, from Switzerland with Trumpet Call – Europe, is going forth blowing the Trumpet of  the Lord in all European nations; the sounds of heaven are coming to earth. (Werner, I started reading your book “Stranded on Life’s obstacles” )
   ·    Many others:
      o    Michael Long, missionary from Thessaloniki, Greece.
      o    Julian and Beatrice Kastrati, local church leaders in Albania
      o    Barry Ogden, missionary in Albania
      o    Pal Katona, missionary in Macedonia
      o    Rachel Bevan, missionary in Romania
      o    Katrine Drevon, YWAM representative from Serbia
      o    Athol Barnes from the USA, with Call2all, an organization to reach all hidden people     groups
      o    Jerry McCarty and Donald Chandler from the USA with Serve the City
      o    Others, unnamed but special participants to the meeting

We were blessed to also have with us four pastors/evangelist from Argentina that had come with Michael Long. These gentlemen challenged us and spoke into our lives great Hope. They spoke of their plans to mobilize hundreds of missionaries from South America to take the Gospel back to Europe as a way of thankfulness to Europe for bringing it to them many years ago.

To Zuzanna and I, this Balkan Networks meeting was reassuring to us that God is truly answering the prayers we have prayed for the Balkans all these years.

Please leave a Comment or Reaction so we will know you Prayed.

Pray for the Roma People

Week of April 7-13, 2014

The communist governments in Eastern Europe worked hard to settle the Roma (Gypsy) populations in their respective countries. The Roma people, who traveled around a lot without established homes, just did not work well in with a highly controlled economy.

In the mid-1980s I traveled a great deal on trains and buses in the former Yugoslavia and Hungary.  I would see the Roma in the train and bus stations camped out on the pavement or around benches. They would have all their belongings with them and often things they were selling. I was amazed how they could live like that. The new democratic governments in Easter Europe have continued to encourage the Roma to settle and most have complied. Now you see Roma settlements in many East European cities. In some places there are complete villages of just Roma people. They remain true to some of their own tribal structures, with a leader or strong man in charge that helps to keep order. This leader is respected and often becomes the lesion between city officials and the Roma people.  To provide for their families, the Roma do travel to other locations, even other countries for seasonal work but most now have a place they call home.

Much like in any other populations there are some who live in better conditions than others, but it is common to see their homes as pieced together shacks, small, not well ventilated or too ventilated that families crowd into. Most cities now have water going into Roma villages, but generally there are still only outdoor toilets.
However, a remarkable thing is happening; they are accepting Jesus by the hundreds! Foreign missionaries and local Christians are reaching out to them with humanitarian aid and the message of salvation. We also see many efforts to bring Bible training and social help to improve the quality of their lives. Whole villages are being transformed by the power of the Gospel. Villages, which were once ravaged by crime are now becoming peaceful and safe communities.

There have been many studies conducted in universities across Europe concerning this paradigm shift among the Roma. They are amazed because it does not fit the prevailing humanistic worldview.

Prayer Points:
1)    Lord, You are faithful and You have a time of visitation for every people group. We are amazed how You have opened doors into the Roma communities. Pray that many more Roma will accept Jesus into their hearts.
2)    Let us pray for the leaders in the Roma communities. Because of the respect they carry, when these leaders accept Jesus, many in their family and in the whole community will follow suit.
3)    There is a big need in the Roma communities to plant churches. Pray for Roma churches to be planted that specifically minister to Roma needs.
4)    Pray that pastors will be raised up with a passion to lead the communities into transforming grace.
5)    Teaching for Roma church leaders is needed desperately. The Roma Christians are so hungry for the truth and they need teaching and deliverance from their destructive lifestyles. Pray that God would send anointed teachers into the Roma churches to lay out Gospel truth. Pray that God would raise up teachers among the Roma Christians.
6)    For so many years governments have held back education from the Roma communities. A great percentage of Roma can’t read or write. Let us pray for gifted teachers to give of their time and provide classes and much needed education to the Roma.

It is so encouraging to see the efforts of groups like Lighthouse of Life church in Zagreb for example. Lighthouse is bringing education not only of basic academics, but Bible training as well in order to disciple the many who have come to know Jesus through their efforts. They are now sending Roma evangelist out to other Roma villages. There are several such groups which are doing solid work, and of course, we at European Initiative, have sowed into the Roma in Romania for the past six years.

7)    Let us take a moment to celebrate what Jesus is doing for the Roma people!
8)    Let us pray for more Roma evangelist. They are travelers; having the knowledge and ability to travel at low expense. The network they have across the world is naturally setup for quick evangelization. Release them, Lord, into the harvest fields.




Please leave a Comment or Reaction so we will know you Prayed.

Pray for Greece

Week of 3/31 - 4/6, 2014

In the News:
The European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund agreed last week on the release of long-delayed emergency loans, after seven months of negotiations. The next bailout tranche is due to be released "well before" Greece faces a large bond redemption in May, an EU official said in Brussels on Thursday. Eurogroup finance ministers are expected to discuss Greece's latest reform pledges when they meet in Athens next week, with a view to formally concluding the agreement by the second half of April. The eurozone's rescue fund still has 10.1 billion euros (13.8 billion dollars) available for Greece. Greece has been granted 240 billion euros in bailout loans since 2010. In exchange, it is required to cut public spending and implement economic reforms. -  

Social support in Greece not adequate enough to deal with crisis, says OECD - Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

Total household income in Greece dropped by 1/3 between 2007 and 2012, with average anual losses of some 4,400 euros per person.

At 49 percent, the share of working age people in employment is the fourth-lowest among 34 OECD countries…

The social protection system in Greece was ill-prepared for the economic and social crisis.

The share of people saying that they cannot afford food has doubled, putting this subjective measure of economic distress at a higher level than in some emerging economies…

Young people in particular have been emigrating in increasing numbers, reducing potential future economic growth and further accelerating population ageing.

http://www.macropolis.gr/?i=portal.en.society.1072&itemId=1072 

Prayer points:

1. Europeans are very concerned about the failure of the economy in Greece. Let us pray that solutions for Greece will be released from heaven.
2. God has an answer to crises in nations. Let us pray that godly wisdom be welcomed by policy leaders. Lord, we call forth the Solomon’s of this age, whom You anointed for this time to bring Your solution into the chaos.
3. When will Greeks look to You for help? How much pain does it take to humble a nation? Lord, we ask for a paradigm shift in Greece that awakens Greeks and brings them to Your table to cry for mercy.
 

Proverbs 13:11
Wealth gained by dishonesty will be diminished, But he who gathers by labor will increase
 
…the sovereign debt crisis in Greece has caused many to question the government support and tax breaks given to the Greek Orthodox Church. Some 100,000 people have joined a Greek Facebook page, "Tax the Church." Church finances, tax payments and assets lack transparency. However campaigners claim that [the] Greek Orthodox Church owns more land than any entity other than the state and owns 1.5% of the National Bank of Greece. The government spends 268 million Euros each year paying the salaries of 9,000 priests as well as pensions for retired clergy. The Church says it paid 1.3 million Euros in taxes last year. The Church says payments of priests' salaries are justified by the fact that the Church handed over 96% of the property it owned to the state when Greece became independent of the Ottoman Empire in 1821. Also several ministry buildings, universities and hospitals in Athens are on church property that is leased to the state for a nominal amount.
 
Prayer points:
1) Let us pray that the Greek Orthodox Church would stop using the state for financial gain. (Investment)
2) This church/state union reveals the corruption in the church. Let us pray against this unholy union. The church cannot speak against sin in government if they are part of the government. Lord awaken your remnant in the Orthodox Church and give them boldness to speak out against this perverted gospel their church is promoting.
3) Lord, we ask that You would send the true Gospel of redemption across Greece. Raise up evangelist who will boldly proclaim the pure Word of God.
4) Let us pray that Greeks would wake up to the fact that Jesus saves, and not a religious system bound by tradition.
5) Let us pray for the Greek Orthodox Church. Lord, we ask for an invasion of the Holy Spirit. Lord, let mercy triumph over judgment!
Please leave a Comment or reaction so we will know you Prayed

Pray for Croatia

Week of March 24-30, 2014

This is the third month for Zuzanna and me living in Croatia, interacting with pastors, church workers and the Croatian people. We are beginning to understand the needs, hindrances and church conditions of this unique nation.

⦁    Most Croatians are Catholic  –  over 90% - they follow the traditions and beliefs of the Catholic Church and most often there is no real dedication to righteousness
⦁    Very few evangelical churches – less than 0.5% – most villages  and small towns do not have an evangelical church at all
⦁    According to some pastors, even among the evangelicals there is a lack of righteousness – they love to come to church, worship, listen to preaching and even get prayed for but live secular lives the rest of the week
⦁    We found a few groups here in Zagreb who are sold out to Him and live the gospel. They present hope for this city. We look forward to finding more such groups throughout the country
⦁    There is very little evangelism outside the churches in Croatia
⦁    There are a few churches reaching out to the Roma (Gypsies) - the Roma are very open to the Gospel. Though this is hard work, those who are reaching out to the Roma, are seeing real fruit
⦁    There is a “silent protest” by the Catholics against abortion that is being conducted in front of hospitals which perform abortions. They call it “40 days of Life”. This is being carried out during the days of Lent. This cannot be ignored by the media or the public due to its length.
⦁    God is on the move – a number of foreign missionaries have moved to Croatia in recent years, and especially this past year – they are passionate about evangelism and are stirring up the local Christians
⦁    Here is a real positive thing happening in Croatia, the churches are taking steps toward unity. This is significant as the Balkans is filled with disunity and constant church splits over nominal issues
⦁    A major victory for Evangelicals recently - the government granted full equality of religious freedom – equal rights to all religious groups

We love living in this country! We are making new friends weekly and we have seen God’s hand in opening doors to networking. Here at European Initiative Balkans (EIB), we are busy planning several outreaches in the city squares and malls of Zagreb, the capital. We are partnering with 10 churches who will actively take part in sharing the gospel.

Lets Pray:
1)    Thank the Lord for the Croatian Catholics and their concerns for the unborn. Let us pray that government officials would take up their cause and pass legislation to stop abortion.
2)    Thank the Lord for more missionaries coming to Croatia. Pray they will focus on stirring up the Croatian Christians to pray for and evangelize their country.
3)    Let us thank the Lord for religious equality being accepted by the Croatian government. Let us honor Pastor Mario Ducic and the activism he lead that brought about these results.
4)    May the evangelical churches now be active through acts of kindness to change the minds of the population that often times still considers all non-Catholics a cult. Also, pray for the media, may they align with this government edict and stop slandering non-Catholics.
5)    Pray that true intercession would be stirred up for the country.  There are some churches who conduct special times of prayer but it seems orchestrated and not Holy Spirit led.
6)    Pray that a full time house of prayer would arise here in Zagreb, Croatia. Pray that those called by the Lord to intercede would join together t to pray.
7)    Please pray for us at EIB as we organize outreaches in Croatia. Pray for deepened cooperation among the churches, favor with government agencies and open hearts by the Croatian people.
8)    Let us also pray for a team from Bethel Church in Redding, California who is ministering in Zagreb this week. May the Lord touch many as they witness on the streets and hold a faith building seminar.


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Pray for Bulgaria

Week of March 17-23, 2014

Elections for Metropolitan Bishop to be held in Bulgaria’s Ruse

 First round of the elections for Metropolitan Bishop will be held on Sunday, March 16 in the city of Ruse, the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church announced. Two out of nine Bishops will be elected by voters in the Eparchy of Ruse.

The Holy Synod is to hold a sitting on March 22 and if it deems the results of the vote valid, the second round of the elections will take place on March 23. http://www.focus-fen.net/news/2014/03/15/330008/elections-for-metropolitan-bishop-to-be-held-in-bulgarias-ruse.html

NOTE: The supreme clerical, judicial and administrative power for the whole domain of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church is exercised by the Holy Synod, which includes the Patriarch and the diocesan prelates, who are called metropolitans. Church life in the parishes is guided by the parish priests, numbering some 1,500. The Bulgarian Orthodox Church also has some 120 monasteries in Bulgaria, with about 2000 monks and nearly as many nuns.

Bulgaria without Censorship inks coalition agreement
Sofia. Bulgaria without Censorship party inked an official coalition agreement with the IMRO – Bulgarian National Movement (IMRO – BNM) and the Agrarian People’s Union, the press centre of Bulgaria without Censorship announced.

Bulgaria without Censorship’s leader Nikolay Barekov, Krasimir Karakachanov, leader of the IMRO – BNM, and MP Rumen Yonchev, who last month left the parliamentary group of the mandate-holder Coalition for Bulgaria to become an independent MP, and who is also a leader of the Agrarian People’s Union, attended the ceremony at which the document was inked.

The coalition was officially announced after the three formations held negotiations over several months. They were joined around the principle of equality, the fight against the political status quo in the country and by the desire to achieve a way of governing it so that issues faced by Bulgarian people are resolved.

Nikolay Barekov said there was no such an agreement in the history of Bulgarian politics, in which a citizen’s movement, grown into a party [his party] along with the two of the country’s oldest formations wanted the whole power and responsibility for the way Bulgaria is governed. http://www.focus-fen.net/news/2014/03/16/330103/bulgaria-without-censorship-inks-coalition-agreement.html

1)    The Bulgaria Orthodox Church (BOC) claims some 6.5 million members in the Republic of 1)    Bulgaria and between 1.5 and 2.0 million in other countries. Let us pray for this large Orthodox Church.
2)    Most Protestants and Non-denominationals believe the Orthodox churches are weak in doctrine and have no strategy for evangelism. Let us pray for a genuine love of Jesus to move through these churches.
3)     The Patriarch of the BOC does not have power over the church like the Pope does in the Catholic Church, but does have influence. Let us pray for His Holiness Neophyte, the Patriarch of Bulgaria and Metropolitan of Sofia. We are seeing the Pope in Rome reach out to other evangelicals may we see the Patriarch do the same.
4)    Unity is so needed throughout Christendom, pray that Body of Christ can unite in Bulgaria and in the Balkans around Jesus and who He is.
5)    This new political party, Bulgaria without Censorship Party, in Bulgaria at this junction sounds encouraging. They are challenging the other parties to own up to corruption in their ranks. Continue to pray for this positive move in Bulgarian politics.
6)    Pray for Bulgarian Ex-Journalist Nikolay Barekov who is boldly stepping out to lead this attack on corruption in Bulgaria. Not only that laws be passed to protect the innocent and punish evil, but that righteousness spring forth.
7)    Let us pray for a changing of the guard in Bulgaria. Let righteous men and women take their place in guiding the nation.

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Pray for Bosnia Herzegovina

Week of March 10-16, 2014

Recent News:
Men make up nearly 90 percent of the missing in the armed conflicts in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the 1990s, which left women and children to fight the difficult consequences alone and they are frequently threatened so that the truth about those missing or killed is not found out, the International Commission for Missing Persons (ICMP) said.

More than 30,000 people are believed to have gone missing in the 1990s armed conflicts and the latest statistics from the Missing Persons Institute and the ICMP show that men account for 87 per cent.
Some of the women left behind were victims of sexual violence and they were displaced from their homes, the ICMP said.

Despite the personal setbacks, many of those women have assumed the leading role in the non-governmental sector and are successfully fighting to solve the issue of the war missing in Bosnia and raise public awareness of this issue. More than 70% of those gone missing during the 1992-95 war in Bosnia have been found but the missing continue to be one of the biggest human rights problems in the country, the ICMP said.


In the News: Bosnia's worker to pensioner ratio a mere 1.13 to 1

The ratio of workers to pensioners, known as the support (or dependency) ratio, is worst in Bosnia and Herzegovina when compared to other countries in the area of former Yugoslavia, the Sarajevo-based Dnevni Avaz reported on Wednesday.

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, on average there are only 1.13 workers per each pensioner. Croatia follows with a ratio of 1.23 workers per each pensioner. In Slovenia, 1.27 workers work for one pensioner, Serbia's ratio is 1.46 to 1, and Macedonia fares best with a ratio of 1.76 to 1.

Bosnia and Herzegovina's authorities are concerned by an increase in the number of pension recipients while the number of workers, that is, pension contribution payers, keeps falling.

"The ratio is bad. Since the onset of the economic crisis, we have been recording a drastic deterioration," said Tihomir Joksimovic, the spokesman for the pension insurance fund in the Bosnian Serb entity, "Republika Srpska".
 
The average monthly pension is slightly over EUR 150 ($208) in that country.

1)    Lord Jesus, please extend grace to the people of Bosnia Herzegovina and a season of relief come to that land.
2)    We pray that the country would stabilize. May a national pride arise, which disregards ethnicity for the common good of the country. We pray for a day when the Bosnian Muslims, the Serbs and the Croats can walk together in peace. Let us pray against ethnic divisions, especially where demons of revenge and rage torment people’s thoughts.
3)    Lord, help the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina heal from the effects of the war. Lord, bring a massive revival to this needy land. The emotional effects of war can only be healed by a sovereign move of God. Let our intercession be deep and heartfelt as we ask the Lord to initiate a His plan from heaven.
4)    This is a time when the men of Bosnia and Herzegovina especially need our prayers. With a lack of men leading families women have to function in dual roles. Lord, give the women strength as they carry on to keep families together.
5)    Let us pray for the equipping of ministries, with empathy, to go unto the people of Bosnia Herzegovina with a gentle spirit that releasing healing from heaven.
6)    Productivity is very poor in BH. Let us pray for laws to be enacted that release the entrepreneurial spirit in the country to counter act this negative worker to pensioner ratio. Let us pray for ethical practices between business and government.

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Pray for Albania

Week of March 3-9, 2014

In praying for Albania I was led to look for heroes. I found two whose stories intrigued me. One is Ded Coku, an Albanian freedom fighter and the other Aubrey Herbert, an Englishman who loved Albania and represented her in many world courts.

Mr. Zef Coku [Ded Coku’s son] said recently through a translator. ''My father cried out before he died, 'Long life to Albania,' and he made the sign of the cross. But in the end, the Communists had their way.''

Let us take inspiration from a fallen hero of Albania, Ded Coku. He was executed when the communist took over in 1945.


Impeccably aristocratic and eccentric in a uniquely English tradition, Aubrey Herbert was at first sight an incongruous champion of Albanian nationalism, to say the least. Tall, slender and slightly stooped, with a mustache and heavily lidded eyes, within England - let alone abroad - he cut a colorful figure. But Herbert was also an acclaimed linguist, intrepid traveler and an outspoken and independent thinker, who became enthralled by the Balkans on his first visit to the region in 1904 as honorary attaché at the British Embassy in Constantinople. From that time until his death in 1923, he was unrelenting in campaigning for the Albanian cause. He returned frequently to the country and gained respect as an expert on the region. 

Aubrey Herbert was twice offered the throne of Albania. On the first occasion, just before World War I, …the second occasion the crown was offered was after the defeat of the Italian Army by the Albanians in September 1920. Again the offer was unofficial, though it was made on behalf of the Albanian government. The National Library of Albania in Tirana was once named after Herbert, as was a village in the country. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aubrey_Herbert

1)    Let us pray blessings upon Albania, a country greatly misunderstood but greatly loved by the Lord. Because Abraham is a blessing to all nations let us pray the Abrahamic blessing. 1)    Genesis 12:2  I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing.
2)    Let us pray for heroes to emerge who will give themselves like Ded Coku did for Albania. Christian or secular may they work toward the good of Albania.
3)    May those who have been influenced by a Biblical worldview rise to the top of every institution in Albanian society. Lord, release in Christians a sense of duty and service to country.
4)    May the churches rise up and touch the social fabric of Albania. Give the pastors vision and strategies to communicate the gospel to the population.
5)    Let us pray for friends of Albania. People like Aubrey Herbert that went beyond the call of duty to see that justice was extended to Albania. May foreigners of influence be sympathetic toward Albania.
6)    Lord, I ask You to put Albania on the hearts of Your church throughout the world. Not only that the saints would pray but they would go or send others. Just as Paul (Ro. 15:19) went to Albania (Illyricum) 2,000 years ago, may others hear the call today.
7)    Investment is coming into the country, although slowly. Let us pray that these assets would not only be invested wisely but that productivity in the country would rise.

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Pray for the Roma People

Week of Feb. 24 - March 2, 2014

Before we move forward with our prayer topics of the week, Zuzanna and I would like to express our heartfelt thanks to each and every one of you praying for me during the past two months as I battled with my health. The diagnoses is a serious and chronic heart condition and we appreciate your continued prayers as we believe for a miracle in the form of a renewed heart.

The Roma are a distinct people group with a common language and history. Often referred to as Gypsies, the Roma are the largest minority group in Europe, with population estimated as high as 14 million. Numbers are difficult to determine because of a verity of reasons, some of which are that Roma are sometimes not counted in census statistics due to their nomadic lifestyle, yet other times for some reason the Roma do not indicate on censuses their Roma ethnicity.

The Romanians and the citizens of Rome complain about the word Roma being used but the term "Rom" means "people" in Romani, the mother language of the Roma.

Although the Roma never claimed to be Egyptians, the term "gypsy", which stems from "Egyptian", was given to the Roma by Europeans who thought that they originated from Egypt. The more popular theory is that the Roma originated from India.

Though this people group for so long has been considered the outcast of society, God has not forgotten them. Many Roma are coming to Jesus, not only in the Balkans but in other parts of Europe. 

Recently, European Initiative conducted its 6th annual outreach to the Roma in the Transylvanian region of Romania. We worked with four Roma communities in Romania, where we distributed bags of groceries,coats and boots. We shared the gospel in homes, where many came to the saving knowledge of Christ, and the local Roma churches were strengthened. Here is a 3 minute video of the outreach http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90xR4kpN7as&feature=c4-overview&list=UU7XcSP0N1IM_rT32JfDTjyg

1. Thank You Lord for bringing many Roma to salvation. Truly, You desire that none perish. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9 (NIV)
2. Whether they become part of established churches or they gravitate to their own culturally distinct churches, let us pray that above all they will be cared for by loving pastors.
3. Let us rejoice in the beneficial things built into their culture that can be of redemptive value. Tight family units, tribal, honor given to patriarchal leadership, and culturally connected throughout every country. 
4. In their tribal communities when one gets saved many times others easily follow. Lord, we ask for deep and true conversions and not just religious acts to satisfy others.
5. Lord, we ask that You speak directly to family and tribal patriarchs. Because of the respect afforded the elder male, many in the family will come to faith in You. Lord, send your word from family to family and from nation to nation. Isaiah 52:7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, Who proclaims peace, Who brings glad tidings of good things, Who proclaims salvation, Who says to Zion, Your God reigns!
6. With many Roma coming to know Jesus in the past few years, and many churches springing up, there is a need for scriptural teaching and the operation of the five-fold ministry. Lord raise up more Bible schools throughout the Balkans to train those that are called to evangelize, pastor, and teach the Roma people. May the present Bible schools embrace the Roma in their countries. Pray for the Lighthouse of Life congregation in Zagreb, Croatia who has recently begun a mini Bible school in a Roma village they work in, training up future leaders in the Roman community.

The Roma culture needs full transformation. Their primitive and often pagan lifestyle brings with it deep challenges, from hygiene to education to incest and many others issues. This is a people group in need of   workers who are willing to lay down their lives for the transformation of the Roma people.

1. Lord, we ask that you bring to the surface the leaders in each community that You select and who will have open hearts to be instrumental in bringing change to their communities. 
2. We pray for Your strategies to be deposited into organizations like Buckner Romania, who are laying down their lives for the Roma. 
3. We thank you for entrepreneurial investors like the Elias Reyes model in Subotica, Serbia, which helps Christian Roma with small businesses. Lord, release more such creative ideas into the Body of Christ aimed at helping this people group.
4. We pray for the release of many funds that are needed to bring training and education along with the Gospel.
5. There are many Roma churches outside of the Balkans that are mature in the faith; May they be senders of missionaries to the struggling Balkan churches.

"And I will sow her for Myself in the land. I will also have compassion on her who had not obtained compassion, And I will say to those who were not My people, 'You are My people!' And they will say, 'You are my God!'" Hosea 2:23 (NIV)

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