http://www.fishermensline.blogspot.com/ Fishing in Poland!!
Greetings!
Have you ever been ice fishing? Today is a chilly 30 degrees here in Krakow, but I notice that it’s an even chillier 28 degrees in Michigan, where Lora, Jim, Ryan, Ian, and Zane, live!
We always watch the weather on our pc desktop to monitor Lora and family and Michael, in his tropical 75 degrees!
Today is one of the busiest days of the week for us. Sundays we have two church services, travel to and from one house church, which is about two hours drive each way, then a meeting of the entire Krakow team at the end of the day! So much for rest! Therefore, we usually have our rest time, when possible, on Friday.
I’ll try to update everyone on our developments over the past month. My office helper, Ann, will not be coming to the field, most likely. She and her husband, Ed, still plan a short trip, maybe this summer. Ed just this past week (on the 6th of Dec.) had a tumor removed from his brain. It apparently was non-malignant, thankfully. They just don’t think it’s very likely they will come here to stay. Please be praying for Ed and Ann.
Another note about this lovely couple (whom we have only met once, and love them both dearly); they have donated a gift for the purchase of Christmas presents for the Roma children. Brenda, her daughters, and I will be doing the shopping for these gifts. Most likely, it will go for much needed items, and maybe a small treat that the children will appreciate.
Michael is very busy traveling for about a week at a time. He tells us he gets a big kick out of people thinking about him being in a beautiful, tropical island, with monster surf, and beautiful women! He has seen the beach once! He says knowing the waves are so big, is absolute torture, not being able to even see them! He says, ‘it’s so different than how I used to be, when surf was up, I was there, and now, I’m being so responsible!” Allan told him, “We all have our cross to bear!”
I have been telling him that he will have a time of R&R, and that he’ll be able to do that, Lord willing, of course. Anyway, he’s doing great and still loving his work for the Lord. Pray for him and for the lost souls of his area.
Lora tells us that she put up her Christmas tree. I haven’t seen a picture of it yet (Lora?!), but she always does a beautiful tree. This year it is filled with natural decorations, pine cones, etc.
I have been in touch with one of the representatives for Jews for Jesus, here in the European region. Allan and I are hoping to meet him at the conference in Poznan, in January. I am still not sure where God will take this desire to minister to the Jewish people of Poland, but He has already placed several people in my life, that are even connected to each other, across oceans and country boundaries!
It seems by our conversation on Skype, that he knows the lady here in Poland that I have been in touch with through e-mail! When we discovered this, it was clear that it was God at work.
Allan and Jerry are hard at work with the Roma people. They have a Bible study on Tuesday and Thursday evening. They also attend the 3rd Baptist Church on Sundays (the Roma), and they often try to attend the house church in Tarno’v.
Last Saturday we attended another baptism of 5 Roma and 3 Polish believers. It is a blessing to see them follow Jesus’ example of obedience to be baptized.
The really wonderful thing that happened on that Saturday, was that the pastor of the Baptist church in this nearby town (about 45 min. away from Krakow), wants to get involved in a Roma outreach! He said it was a divine intervention that Allan and Jerry came there. He told Allan that the little city is full of Roma. Allan asked if there are any Roma believers there, and he said, “not even one, that I know of!” Please pray for this opportunity to further this outreach of this persecuted people. Please also pray for this pastor, who has such a heart. He seems to be most humble! Also pray for his church and the believers that they, too, will share his vision of reaching these people.
Most of the Roma are too poor to tithe much, but they contribute greatly to the church’s ministry. They usually struggle with daily survival in a world of extremely high costs of living, and no healthcare, very little government aid, etc.
Our Strategy Associate, Mark and his wife Susie, have family here for the rest of Dec. Jerry and Brenda, have their two daughters here from the states. One of the daughters, Tara, is getting married on the 21st. Her fiancée’ Will, is here also. We will attend Tara and Will’s wedding and after the ceremony, they will fly to Rome for 10 days then back to America.
I’m not sure what Allan and I will be doing for Christmas. We will miss our family so much, that I am hoping we can take a drive to somewhere nearby. I was hoping Austria for only a night or two, but it’s about 8 hours drive. I’m not sure we would have the time. If not, then maybe we can make a trip to Zakopane. Zakopane is in the Tatra’s, part of the Carpathian Mountain Range. It’s a beautiful little ski village and will be completely decorated for Christmas. I don’t think I’d get on skis, however, but a ride on the lift should be safe enough for my bones!
We are having a Christmas party on the 16th to announce the opening of the New International Fellowship here in Krakow. Please pray for this fellowship! It will be our worship time in our own language, and wow!, do we ever need that!
It will be an English-speaking fellowship, and we’ll have music and a message that we can understand. I know, more than ever what Paul is talking about when he talks about someone in the congregation who cannot understand without an interpreter. If there is no interpreter, how can one be edified?
Usually, in the services, we can pick out a word or two, and if we listen extremely carefully, we may be able to tell what book and chapter they are reading from! The numbers here are very long and they speak rapidly. It’s very difficult to understand, so often, someone (usually Jerry) will lean over and whisper to us which book, chapter and verse, so we can at least follow in our own Bible. Please pray for us in this too!
I believe that is about all for this month. Oh, one more thing though. The office is pretty well set up. We also have two or three rooms where guests can stay. If anyone wants to come for a mission trip, visit, etc. we can accommodate you with bed and breakfast at least! Allan and I will also have one extra room. Everyone here would be happy to help out to keep expenses down.
Please pray about sending a small group in July for the Roma camp! There is much to do and if anyone has musical skills of any kind, it would be awesome to have you help out! Please pray, also, that Lora, Jim, and the boys can come over this summer! Ryan wants to be here for the Roma camp, to help us with that. They also want to return to Lake Ann Camp this summer. I’m praying that this will all work out. (Ps.37:4-5!!!)
Thank you so much for your prayers, and we both want to know, how can we pray for you? Please let us know. We will certainly pray! Pray for our prayer team, that we will be faithful in intercessory prayer! Prayer is our foundation, and all work must be based on His plan and direction!
God bless you one and all! Have a wonderful Christmas! (Lu.2:1-16). John 12:27.
I have inserted two or three pictures of Zakopane. This is where we go to visit with Roma believers. There are several towns and villages where there are believers, thanks to LOTTIE MOON and the generous gifts of the believers back in America. Pray for LOTTIE MOON offering this year. Pray that the offerings will exceed beyond our imagination. We know, first hand, what this Christmas offering accomplishes worldwide. God uses this wonderful offering to spread His Word to those who are lost and desperate and without hope. LOTTIE MOON makes visiting villages and nearly impossible to reach, out of the way places, possible! LOTTIE MOON gives missionaries all over the world a chance to do HIS work un-hindered, as it should be done!
Please prayerfully consider your giving this year! Please remember what Jesus meant when HE said in Matthew 24:14 “and this gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto ALL Nations; and then the end shall come”
In His Great Unfailing Love,
Sue and Allan
Greetings!
Have you ever been ice fishing? Today is a chilly 30 degrees here in Krakow, but I notice that it’s an even chillier 28 degrees in Michigan, where Lora, Jim, Ryan, Ian, and Zane, live!
We always watch the weather on our pc desktop to monitor Lora and family and Michael, in his tropical 75 degrees!
Today is one of the busiest days of the week for us. Sundays we have two church services, travel to and from one house church, which is about two hours drive each way, then a meeting of the entire Krakow team at the end of the day! So much for rest! Therefore, we usually have our rest time, when possible, on Friday.
I’ll try to update everyone on our developments over the past month. My office helper, Ann, will not be coming to the field, most likely. She and her husband, Ed, still plan a short trip, maybe this summer. Ed just this past week (on the 6th of Dec.) had a tumor removed from his brain. It apparently was non-malignant, thankfully. They just don’t think it’s very likely they will come here to stay. Please be praying for Ed and Ann.
Another note about this lovely couple (whom we have only met once, and love them both dearly); they have donated a gift for the purchase of Christmas presents for the Roma children. Brenda, her daughters, and I will be doing the shopping for these gifts. Most likely, it will go for much needed items, and maybe a small treat that the children will appreciate.
Michael is very busy traveling for about a week at a time. He tells us he gets a big kick out of people thinking about him being in a beautiful, tropical island, with monster surf, and beautiful women! He has seen the beach once! He says knowing the waves are so big, is absolute torture, not being able to even see them! He says, ‘it’s so different than how I used to be, when surf was up, I was there, and now, I’m being so responsible!” Allan told him, “We all have our cross to bear!”
I have been telling him that he will have a time of R&R, and that he’ll be able to do that, Lord willing, of course. Anyway, he’s doing great and still loving his work for the Lord. Pray for him and for the lost souls of his area.
Lora tells us that she put up her Christmas tree. I haven’t seen a picture of it yet (Lora?!), but she always does a beautiful tree. This year it is filled with natural decorations, pine cones, etc.
I have been in touch with one of the representatives for Jews for Jesus, here in the European region. Allan and I are hoping to meet him at the conference in Poznan, in January. I am still not sure where God will take this desire to minister to the Jewish people of Poland, but He has already placed several people in my life, that are even connected to each other, across oceans and country boundaries!
It seems by our conversation on Skype, that he knows the lady here in Poland that I have been in touch with through e-mail! When we discovered this, it was clear that it was God at work.
Allan and Jerry are hard at work with the Roma people. They have a Bible study on Tuesday and Thursday evening. They also attend the 3rd Baptist Church on Sundays (the Roma), and they often try to attend the house church in Tarno’v.
Last Saturday we attended another baptism of 5 Roma and 3 Polish believers. It is a blessing to see them follow Jesus’ example of obedience to be baptized.
The really wonderful thing that happened on that Saturday, was that the pastor of the Baptist church in this nearby town (about 45 min. away from Krakow), wants to get involved in a Roma outreach! He said it was a divine intervention that Allan and Jerry came there. He told Allan that the little city is full of Roma. Allan asked if there are any Roma believers there, and he said, “not even one, that I know of!” Please pray for this opportunity to further this outreach of this persecuted people. Please also pray for this pastor, who has such a heart. He seems to be most humble! Also pray for his church and the believers that they, too, will share his vision of reaching these people.
Most of the Roma are too poor to tithe much, but they contribute greatly to the church’s ministry. They usually struggle with daily survival in a world of extremely high costs of living, and no healthcare, very little government aid, etc.
Our Strategy Associate, Mark and his wife Susie, have family here for the rest of Dec. Jerry and Brenda, have their two daughters here from the states. One of the daughters, Tara, is getting married on the 21st. Her fiancée’ Will, is here also. We will attend Tara and Will’s wedding and after the ceremony, they will fly to Rome for 10 days then back to America.
I’m not sure what Allan and I will be doing for Christmas. We will miss our family so much, that I am hoping we can take a drive to somewhere nearby. I was hoping Austria for only a night or two, but it’s about 8 hours drive. I’m not sure we would have the time. If not, then maybe we can make a trip to Zakopane. Zakopane is in the Tatra’s, part of the Carpathian Mountain Range. It’s a beautiful little ski village and will be completely decorated for Christmas. I don’t think I’d get on skis, however, but a ride on the lift should be safe enough for my bones!
We are having a Christmas party on the 16th to announce the opening of the New International Fellowship here in Krakow. Please pray for this fellowship! It will be our worship time in our own language, and wow!, do we ever need that!
It will be an English-speaking fellowship, and we’ll have music and a message that we can understand. I know, more than ever what Paul is talking about when he talks about someone in the congregation who cannot understand without an interpreter. If there is no interpreter, how can one be edified?
Usually, in the services, we can pick out a word or two, and if we listen extremely carefully, we may be able to tell what book and chapter they are reading from! The numbers here are very long and they speak rapidly. It’s very difficult to understand, so often, someone (usually Jerry) will lean over and whisper to us which book, chapter and verse, so we can at least follow in our own Bible. Please pray for us in this too!
I believe that is about all for this month. Oh, one more thing though. The office is pretty well set up. We also have two or three rooms where guests can stay. If anyone wants to come for a mission trip, visit, etc. we can accommodate you with bed and breakfast at least! Allan and I will also have one extra room. Everyone here would be happy to help out to keep expenses down.
Please pray about sending a small group in July for the Roma camp! There is much to do and if anyone has musical skills of any kind, it would be awesome to have you help out! Please pray, also, that Lora, Jim, and the boys can come over this summer! Ryan wants to be here for the Roma camp, to help us with that. They also want to return to Lake Ann Camp this summer. I’m praying that this will all work out. (Ps.37:4-5!!!)
Thank you so much for your prayers, and we both want to know, how can we pray for you? Please let us know. We will certainly pray! Pray for our prayer team, that we will be faithful in intercessory prayer! Prayer is our foundation, and all work must be based on His plan and direction!
God bless you one and all! Have a wonderful Christmas! (Lu.2:1-16). John 12:27.
I have inserted two or three pictures of Zakopane. This is where we go to visit with Roma believers. There are several towns and villages where there are believers, thanks to LOTTIE MOON and the generous gifts of the believers back in America. Pray for LOTTIE MOON offering this year. Pray that the offerings will exceed beyond our imagination. We know, first hand, what this Christmas offering accomplishes worldwide. God uses this wonderful offering to spread His Word to those who are lost and desperate and without hope. LOTTIE MOON makes visiting villages and nearly impossible to reach, out of the way places, possible! LOTTIE MOON gives missionaries all over the world a chance to do HIS work un-hindered, as it should be done!
Please prayerfully consider your giving this year! Please remember what Jesus meant when HE said in Matthew 24:14 “and this gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto ALL Nations; and then the end shall come”
In His Great Unfailing Love,
Sue and Allan
Matt. 4:19
Pray for Discernment Praise Him for His Mercy!
Pray for our family Praise Him for He is Great!
Pray for the people of Poland Praise Him for His Blessings!
Pray for the Jewish People Praise Him for new believers!
Pray for the Roma Praise Him for Answers!
Pray for Discernment Praise Him for His Mercy!
Pray for our family Praise Him for He is Great!
Pray for the people of Poland Praise Him for His Blessings!
Pray for the Jewish People Praise Him for new believers!
Pray for the Roma Praise Him for Answers!
2 comments:
Thanks for the newsy update.I had just written Susie and asked about ya'll! We think of our short visit with you in Krakow back in October and pray for each of you as you immerse yourselves in the country. We did go to Zakopane before we flew back home and loved it. Hope you were able to go during Christmas time, or will get to go soon. By the way, it is even COLD in south Georgia today, predicted to be 19 tonight with a wind chill in the single digits!!!
Love in Christ, Shelby and Bob McPherson
Shelby and Bob,
Thanks for your comment! it was great spending time with you in Krakow! maybe we'll see you again, someday!
Sue and Allan
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