TEN Connect Magazine, July 2025 by Transform Europe Network

July – September 2025

M agazine UnityOF SPIRIT

A Kingdom Without Borders: Church Partnerships God's Perfect Provision for TENteams

From Family Faith to Personal Calling

A Picture Full of Life: Leading Mission Possible Bulgaria

Spirit of Unity

By Margaret Lilley, TEN Trustee

How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!

Psalm 133:1

I recently joined two other volunteers on a TENteam trip to Albania. You can read more about it on page 20. One thing that was very apparent was our unity! Each day we were asked to plan something—for a service, a ladies event or a youth group—and to our surprise, God had spoken to us individually, either in our own private devotional time, in a dream or a passing thought on the exact same subject.

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This happened every day, so each day we came to expect God to speak to us and through us.

In TEN’s previous Prayer Diary, there was a prayer for unity and a godly witness of the churches and organisations in Bathore, Tirana, so that Christ’s name would be honoured. Our team became part of that witness, ministering alongside TEN partner Erion Çuni.

I and my fellow TEN trustees are very united in the decisions we make. Our meetings happen four times a year, both online and in person. I have got to know the other trustees really well and between us is a mutual trust. We listen to each other, praying through decisions— occasionally, very difficult ones. Unless we are in unity we wait.

In every Connect Magazine, there are amazing examples of our partners, amid significant challenges, working and living in unity. This edition is no exception. Please pray for all of our partners that each day they will know the blessing of the Lord as in Psalm 133, which concludes:

For there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.

Connect Magazine is written and produced by the TEN team. Design by Simon Petherick Graphic and Web Design. Transform Europe Network (TEN) is the operating name for Eurovangelism. Registered in England and Wales as a charity (no. 1140592) and company limited by guarantee (no. 7507682).

TENteam Margaret Lilley, Joy Wilson and Heather Griffiths in Albania, Gentiana and Erion Çuni behind them.

‘For the first time in 12 years, I could sleep without pills and function throughout the day. For the first time in 12 years, I wasn’t anxious, depressed or hopeless. I began to feel truly free. I wanted to live again…I became joyful and content…God also gave me a restored relationship with my family.’

This is the story of Aleksandar, one of the young men who was in recovery at Rainbow Rehabilitation Centre in Novi Sad, Serbia. I met him last year. ‘Jesus has done so much in my life.’ Aleksandar says now.

In another account from the field, Nikola Atanasov, a partner in Bulgaria, explains the difference made by a food parcel, which was funded through Harvest for the Hungry:

‘One of the families in the village had just lost their husband. He passed away unexpectedly! He left behind his wife and three children. By God's grace and with the help of TEN, she is taking care of her children today. Such help is gospel in action! We may talk a lot about God, but with such initiatives, the people in the village see the real Jesus Christ!’

TEN’s partners are the faithful, persevering and committed workers in the harvest field. As the partners give themselves to serve those in their field, they reap the harvest and share their stories of hope with you and me. We also see how those, like Aleksandar, want in turn to become workers in the field. Alex concludes, ‘…my daily prayer is that God would use me to reach others who are lost like I once was.’ How wonderful that is!

These two stories remind me why the work of TEN and your part in it matters so much. Thank you for the part you play in bringing hope in the harvest.

James Vaughton, CEO, TEN

4 Together at the Supporter Conference Supporter Conference 2025

6 Why Go It Alone When We Can Go Together North Macedonia

8 Praying for the Balkans

9 Prayer Diary July – September

15 Continuing in The Lord Serbia

16 Harvest for the Hungry

19 Country Focus: Montenegro

20 God Equips and Enables Albania & North Macedonia

22 A Picture Full of Life

Bulgaria

23 Lucy's Roundup

Bring hope this Harvest through harvestforthehungry.org

Cover photo: Worship at TEN's 60 Years Thanksgiving Service.

Together at the Supporter Conference

At the end of March, we celebrated 60 years of ministry at our Supporter Conference in Bristol. It was brilliant to celebrate together, with many dedicated supporters and partners, what God continues to do through His united people. Here are some reflections from the weekend.

Simon Blanchflower

I was struck by the depth of faith, and confidence in calling, that underpinned partner ministries, with people working in incredibly challenging situations where the number of evangelical Christians is often very small, and the opposition or indifference is high. Where church planting and growth comes slowly and each new life in Jesus is celebrated as a sign of ground being taken. It was encouraging to hear about ministries in different cultural contexts flourishing; how the Church there stands in the gap where civic society doesn't meet needs, through prison ministry, practical help and hospice care. I came away uplifted and yet challenged, grateful for these many pioneering leaders, and reflective about what I can learn about ministry in my own context.

Margaret Malcolm

The highlight was hearing from partners—their joy in serving God in the Balkans and Eastern Europe, but they also didn’t hide the challenges they face. It was good to be reminded that it can be costly and that there is a good deal of opposition to sharing the Good News of Jesus in a personal way. Every partner who spoke, either in person or by video, made it clear that their aim is to introduce people to Jesus, sharing God’s love in every aspect of their lives.

Connect Magazine and its very helpful Prayer Diary helps me stay connected with TEN. The names of most partners and the places where they serve are strange to my ears, but God knows each one and it is a privilege to be able to pray. May God continue to bless these ministries— abundantly.

Mircea & Ronela Cristian, Rock of Ages, Romania

We were so happy that God allowed us to come to the Supporter Conference, where TEN celebrated 60 years of ministry with partners in Eastern Europe and the Balkans. We really wanted to be there with all of you, to rejoice together with you about what and how God is still working for the salvation of the lost.

Simon Blanchflower worships with other supporters at the conference; Margaret Malcolm; a glass artwork gift for TEN from Tedi and Didi Oprenovi; Mircea and Ronela Cristian with TEN Country Champion (Romania), Terry Wood

Because we often need to give time and energy to leadership and training others, it was so good to be able to receive! It was such an encouragement to meet the staff, to see how much they care for all their partners, humbly walking in God’s will and giving all the glory to Him.

We feel that we are not alone, and for that we are so grateful!

Also, to meet with the partners who were present, some of whom we have met before, to see how God is blessing their work, was great, too! Last but not least, it was a blessing to meet the supporters, some that we’ve met before, as well as some who are new to us, to share news about us and the prison work in Romania. God bless you all, with our love and appreciation. The Story Continues!

Spring Appeal Update

from James Vaughton

We want to share a brief update with you on our goal to raise £60k to fund new leaders in this, our 60th year. We launched our Spring Appeal at our Supporters Conference, and so far, we have raised over £22K. Thank you—we praise God for every gift!

Whilst being launched in the spring this appeal will

continue throughout the year and into 2026. We are encouraged that enough funds have already been raised for two new leaders but are hoping to hit our target over the next year.

If you want to support this campaign for new Christian leaders in Eastern Europe and the Balkans, you can do so at tenspringappeal.org.

Why Go It Alone When We Can Go Together

Have you ever considered a church partnership? Have you wondered what that might look like, why it matters and how it might bring blessing? Keep reading to learn from people who can give you some insight.

Dragan Manev, Pastor of Resen Evangelical Church, North Macedonia

When I considered the subject of partnership with another church, one important sentence rose in my mind; Why we are going alone when we can go together!

My family and I are serving as church planters in the town of Resen. Most of our ministry is outreach and discipleship with new believers. Because of that, we often feel alone, and we need some fellowship and encouragement from a mature

church. Thank God that last October, a team from Battle Baptist Church visited in order to encourage us and the ministry that we are doing.

The team shared many resources with us, such as spiritual gifts, their church’s YouTube teaching, books, daily application prayer. Sometime later, we began a partnership with them. Our next ministry together will be in the summer, where we will run our English Camp with young people from our region.

This is a great encouragement for us and together with Battle Baptist Church, we are working in the Kingdom of God which has no country borders.

Rhod Jones, Battle Baptist Church, UK

Over the years, I have had the privilege to have been involved in several church partnerships in Hungary, Romania and Croatia. Now, we in Battle Baptist have been connected with Resen Evangelical Church, North Macedonia. Dragan and Biljana lead the church there.

The church in Resen is reaching out with the love of Jesus, particularly focusing on those who are marginalised through disabilities and ethnic divides.

We at Battle are being challenged by the Lord, who constantly reached out to those on the edge of society, to do the same. Apart from regular support in prayer and finance, we are planning to help them this summer with their English Camp and community outreach programme. I would encourage all who read this to ask yourselves, “Can our church get involved?” I know there are a number of people and places that TEN would love to connect you with.

Lorenz Jorgensen,

Saffron Walden Community Church, UK & TEN Trustee

Saffron Walden Community Church recently began a partnership with Struga Evangelical Church in North Macedonia. Struga Evangelical Church is lead by TEN partners, Emil and Vesna Puzderlievi.

Whilst SWCC already supports several Christian charities and missions, the leadership is collectively passionate about mission and supporting the growth of God’s kingdom, partly inspired by Acts 1:8, where Jesus speaks of his followers

Dragan and Biljana Manev and Anita Dimitrievska with members of Battle Baptist Church; Dragan and Biljana Manev with Rhod Jones and the team from Battle Baptist Church at a Bible study; Lorenz Jorgensen; Emil and Vesna Puzderlievi

being his “witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Awareness that the few evangelical Christians in the Balkans often face great opposition, despite many of these countries being nominally Christian, was a key driver to pursuing a partnership with a church in the region. In choosing a partner church, we were guided by TEN in terms of where a partnership might provide the greatest blessing; and partnering through TEN provides additional comfort to our own church.

We hope that this partnership will bring mutual blessing. Practically, we pray that our partnership will contribute to the enabling of Emil and Vesna’s important ministry, and spiritually we hope to encourage each other through prayer and mission visits.

If you would like to explore or just start the conversation about TEN church partnerships, we would love to hear from you. Contact Lucy Reid at lucy.reid@ten-uk.org or call our office on 0117 961 5161.

Praying for The Balkans

In the past year, the Balkans has experienced some tragic events. Here are some that you can pray for.

Dario Kapin, Pastor of Zenica Biblical Protestant Church, Bosnia

and Herzegovina

Last October, Bosnia and Herzegovina was hit with catastrophic floods. Over 25 people died. Some towns were completely flooded and there were landslides, making roads impassable. People were left without electricity and clean water. Thanks to support from Foursquare Disaster Relief, we helped two families by replacing white goods.

Dušan Beređi, Pastor of Novi Sad Christian Fellowship, Serbia

Since November, there have been mass protests in Serbia against government corruption. The protests were sparked after a tragic event at a train station in Novi Sad, which killed 16 people. The Church has responded by walking alongside students, offering shelter, food, and prayer. We believe God is at work through this pursuit of justice. Pray for peace, wisdom, and a Church that unites and reflects Christ in this fragile time.

Mihail Nikolov, Administrator of Evangelical Church of Macedonia, North Macedonia

In March, a fire at a nightclub in Kočani claimed 62 lives and injured 193 people. This is the deadliest fire in the history of Macedonia. It triggered protests in the country. The believers from Kočani Evangelical Church visited some of the families of the deceased and offered them financial assistance and food packages. Pray with us for families and friends of the victims, whose sorrow and pain are immeasurable.

Prayer Diary

Prayer requests from Eastern Europe and the Balkans

July – September 2025

ten-uk.org/daily-prayer

July

Anatoli & Desi Yankovi, Bulgaria

In March, I, Anatoli, was rushed to hospital with a bleeding stomach ulcer. Praise God for the medical teams and the prayers of my loved ones. Please pray for me to fully recover and for my body to be strengthened.

the young people and the games we will play. Ask God to guide us, give us wisdom and provide for all of our financial needs.

Dušan & Mira Beređi, Serbia

We are starting a new youth ministry, which is a waterbased camp. We have purchased eight canoes. Next week, we will begin the ministry with Royal Rangers. Ask God to bless and guide us all.

I, Desi, have had two operations on my right kidney. Praise God I am feeling better. I have a stent which needs to be removed, and I may need a third operation. Pray for wisdom for the doctors and my full recovery.

We are due to leave our current church building and relocate. May God guide us in every decision we make. Pray that God provides all the funds we need to purchase a spacious, comfortable and blessed place to worship Him.

4 Pray for spiritual unity and zeal among our congregation as we go through the significant transition of relocating to new church premises.

Andrei & Eugenie Ghidion, Moldova

We have planned three camps this summer. Please pray for

Today we begin our evangelistic English Camp with a team from the USA. At the end of this month, a UK team will join us to work with children, run the camp and participate in evangelism. Please pray for all of us.

Pray for the guys at the Rainbow Rehabilitation Centre. At least twenty of them reside at the church premises where we try to disciple them. Pray for wisdom.

Pray for the businesses we operate to fund the rehab centre. We have been covering 76% of our expenses through our projects. This year, we aim to reach 85-90%. Pray for our new equipment rental business to thrive and provide funds to sustain our mission.

Since last November, Serbia has had mass anti-corruption protests. Despite their legitimacy, the protests have negatively impacted our businesses that fund our rehab centre, particularly the removals business. Please pray for God to provide and sustain us.

Vasile & Maria Grigorita, Moldova

We are expecting to host 80-100 young people at our summer camps this month. Pray for God to work through us to reach the young people with the Good News.

Next month, we will hold a baptism celebration for new believers. Pray for each person as they take this important step of faith.

13 In September, there will be elections for the leadership team of the Baptist Churches of Moldova. Pray for wisdom to choose those God has appointed.

Anita Dimitrievska, North Macedonia

So far this year, we have celebrated Women’s Day, had a seminar at church and completed an Alpha Course. I am grateful to God for these souls we have met with. I believe that the seeds sown will bear fruit at the right time.

We have formed a dedicated group from our art evening, and I have been able to share the gospel with them. Pray that God works in their hearts, so they experience salvation. Praise God that we held an exhibition of their work at the end of last month.

Tomislav & Lidija Dobutović, Bosnia and Herzegovina

16 This month, we will run an intensive English course and a children’s club. Next month, we will go to Mostar for the Baptist Union summer camp. Pray with us that these events will help us to grow as disciples.

A short-term team from the USA will support us in our evangelism work. Ask for this work to be effective and bear fruit.

Pray for the daily operations at our Hope Community Centre, especially our work with refugees.

19 Pray that God would raise up more leaders in local and national ministry. We need more indigenous believers involved in church leadership in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Pray for us as a family; that God will lead us throughout our future and that we will have fresh vision and strength for ministry. Remember our son, Natan, as he finishes his second year at university in Split, Croatia. Pray that he will pass all his exams and stay close to God.

Mission Possible Albania, Albania

21 Ask God to guide us in our children’s ministry.

Pray that we truly understand the needs of the children and that we speak into their lives with wisdom. Pray we can provide a safe and open door where the children feel comfortable to share with us.

Pray for our youth ministry. We believe it is time for a fresh beginning. Ask God to raise up a new generation of bold, young believers who are ready to go out and proclaim through words and action, that Jesus is Lord.

23 Please pray for the Muslim women who attend our ministry. May God reach them in powerful and personal ways—through dreams, visions and however He chooses—so they experience a change of heart and confess Jesus Christ alone is Lord.

Pray for Flavio, the son of one of our staff members. He broke three toes.

Pray for Rosa who suffered a stroke that left her paralysed. Pray for Tushia, who sustained multiple fractures after being struck by a car. Join us as we pray for swift recovery for each of these dear people.

25 We believe that God will provide both a car and a building for our ministry. Pray that God would tear down every demonic force that seeks to frustrate His provisions. God has called us to serve Him here and we ask for breakthrough and victory.

Srdjan & Ruth Vorotovic, Montenegro

We had our children’s camp last month, and this month, we’re having our camp for teenagers. Pray for the young people to be convicted by the Word of God and to find their identity in Christ.

Youth For Christ Kosova, Kosovo

Pray for me, Alban, and my wife Albana, as we lead YFCK.

Pray for our Superwoman meetings with teenage girls. Ask God to bring more girls to our clubs, for more volunteers to support this growing ministry and especially for Drita who leads this ministry.

Pray for the evangelistic camp in the city of Gjilan. We are partnering with the local church and another three churches and organisations.

30 Please pray for Bajrush and his family. Bajrush works part-time leading youth Bible studies.

We continue to believe that God will supernaturally provide for all we have planned. We see this provision even through disappointments; God provides funds for our ministry at just the right time. Praise God for His goodness and ask Him to continue in His goodness to us.

August

Anita Dimitrievska, North Macedonia

1 Pray for Ohrid to experience revival and be set free from religious pride. Pray that more people would be hungry and thirsty for God.

artist Randy Fair. Randy will exhibit his recent work. Let us pray that by the Holy Spirit, every person we have invited responds to the call and experiences salvation.

Ask God to open the door for us to start work with the students in Ohrid.

Mihail & Ina Hiorescu, Moldova

Last month, we ran a children’s camp. Ask God to bless every seed that was planted when we shared about Jesus Christ.

This month, we are hosting a youth meeting. Pray for our planning and that the meeting would be effective in reaching the hearts of the young people.

We would like for our church members to be more involved in the social activities of the local community. Ask God to encourage them to connect with people and bring His light.

Pray for us as we make plans for next month’s new start with the children at the Day Care Centre.

We give thanks to the Lord for this time of grace and for the new opportunities He gives us to testify about Him wherever we are.

Ivan Petrov, North Macedonia

Pray for the churches in Štip and Sveti Nikole to see people coming to faith in Christ.

This month, we will have another seminar and evangelistic event at the church with

I am grateful for many opportunities to share the gospel with young adults, one-to-one, over a coffee. Pray for more young adults to come to faith.

11 Please pray for my coffee ministry. Ask God to provide financial support so I can take people out for coffee to talk about faith. Maybe in the future, I can open a coffee house in Štip.

12 I want to start a podcast so that I can share devotionals in Macedonian and English. I will talk about faith, courage, love, patience and heroes from the Bible. Pray that God would provide money for suitable equipment.

Pray for me for wisdom, courage, financial support, a wife and good health.

Srdjan & Ruth Vorotovic, Montenegro

We thank God for bringing Helen and her husband, Alexander, into our home group, and for their desire to study the Bible.

21 Ask God to give us the wisdom to know how we should speak to our children to nurture and bring them to Christ, particularly at home.

Emil & Vesna Puzderlievi, North Macedonia

We are really grateful for the time we spent with Jeff and Jeanne. They were a blessing to us during their stay in Kotor.

Praise God that He provided all the funds to buy a new car for our ministry. Our old one failed to pass its technical exam repeatedly and it was too expensive to get fixed. Thank you to those who gave funds. We are so grateful.

As volunteers with Child Evangelism Fellowship, we have been invited to a retreat this month. Pray with us that we can be nourished and refreshed by the Lord, so that we can be effective in serving the teenagers.

Valeriu & Angela Munteanu, Moldova

We would love to host a few summer day camps. Pray with us that God helps us to make this happen. We want to actively reach young people with the Good News.

22 From this Thursday until Sunday, we will have an art outreach event. Pray that many people will come and engage with the gospel.

Boris & Urša Curčić, Montenegro

23 We pray God will glorify Himself through us and all the visitors we are having with us this summer. We are hosting lots of guests. Pray for us that we are good hosts to everyone.

24 We want to start a Christian radio station, so we are competing for a frequency. There is only one available this year and the winner will be announced next month. The odds to win are against us in human terms, so we rely on God completely.

25 We will be joined by a team of young people from Germany. Pray with us for success in sharing the gospel in Podgorica.

Pray that our church can really put discipleship into practice. For many years we haven’t been progressing. There is talk but no action.

20 Please pray that we can be more effective in our ministry.

We are praying over all the empty chairs in our church—we want to see them full of Montenegrins. We thank God for a few new people who are coming to our meetings. Pray with us that God multiplies our numbers, and many more people hear about Jesus Christ.

Pray with us for fruitful work in God’s Kingdom across Montenegro. Pray with us for fellowship between the churches here and for an abundant harvest in every Christian church.

Vance & Tanja Golomeovi, Serbia

Thank you for your prayers for our family and for the church in Požarevac. Ask that

God sustains us. Pray for the friends we have been bringing to church, that through the work of the Holy Spirit, they will surrender to the Lord.

Pray for those who are preparing for baptism. Please pray for them during this time. Ask God to encourage them to stay strong and committed to Him. Pray for those who since baptism have fallen away, that they will remember their covenant with God.

Pray for our work with children and young people. Ask God to encourage parents to bring their children to church regularly. Pray that God will raise up a youth leader from within the church, to develop our ministries.

Ask God to provide all we need to renovate our church building. We seek His financial provision, all the required permits and the right team of professionals to get the work done. Pray especially that we can complete the building of our prayer house in Požarevac.

September

Danny & Vera Kuranji, Serbia

Praise God for the wonderful encouragement of witnessing the start of several ministries, churches, and new leaders of those churches.

2 Pray for the contacts we have made in Montenegro and ask God to create opportunities to minister there. Once such opportunity will be the women’s retreat this month.

3 The Lord encouraged us at the regional conference for ex-drug addicts. Over 200 people now live in freedom and for His glory. It is a great reminder that investing in people is always best!

May God continue to use us where He needs us. Ask God to grant us the wisdom to know what the priorities are and to follow where He leads us.

Pray for Serbia. Since November last year, there have been protests and dissatisfaction with the government over corruption. May God use this time to bring people to Himself—He is the hope!

Andrei & Eugenie Ghidion, Moldova

Pray for the five people who want to make a covenant with the Lord through baptism. Ask God to strengthen and encourage them to stay strong in their faith, as they all come from worldly circumstances.

We have planned some outreach mission for this autumn. Ask God to bring in an abundant harvest.

Pray for our church to get involved with mission and opportunities to serve.

Ruslan & Larisa Telpiz, Moldova

Please pray we can have a house of prayer in the village of Țiganca, where we are planting a church.

We are grateful to the Lord, who works in the hearts of our teenagers. Recently, two people gave their lives to Christ.

We praise God for our ministries through sports (taekwondo and football) and for every young person who attends. Pray that we can share the gospel with as many young people as possible, and that they understand. Ask God to help us reach out to their parents too.

Please pray for the finances we need to install a football pitch at our church in Gotești. The local football pitch is in a poor state.

13 Please pray for the finances to send people to the Mission Through Sports school. We need more taekwondo instructors.

We urgently need kitchen equipment at our Pinos Reales Camp Centre in Madrid. It has been forty years since we last had an upgrade.

We are so grateful that over 160 young people attended the Evangelism in Action (EEA) camps session this summer, and we also praise God for the children’s festivals in towns across Málaga.

Pray with us as we reach out to children through our Urban English Camps in October. These camps will take place in various towns across Málaga.

Pray for the impact of the Encounters with The Truth radio programme we broadcast throughout southern Andalusia. There is an audience of almost nine million listeners.

Dario Kapin, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Please pray for us to have a new building for our children’s work and an office.

Pray for the new people who are coming to our church meetings.

Ask God to bless our work during the bee season and to give us an abundant harvest. Our work on the apiary provides work for church members, funds to support our church ministry and we look for opportunities to share the gospel with other beekeepers.

21 Ask God to provide and sustain us financially, as a church and also for our family.

Robert & Krasi Salamanovi, North Macedonia

Last month, we had a series of evangelistic outreaches in Radoviš. It is wonderful to share

the gospel but please pray that many hearts are touched and we see the fruit of our labours.

Pray for the miners in Radoviš. We long to see them take hold of the hope that comes from salvation.

Pray for the young people in our church. Ask that they follow the call of Christ and become disciples.

25 Our church building is being renovated. Pray that God takes care of all the finances we need.

Praise God for Trajce. He is a miner who comes to church regularly and he has given some money towards the renovation of the church building. We are so grateful.

Ami Oprenova-Stavrou, Bulgaria

27 We are grateful to God for the amazing volunteers He has raised up in our church and for the other new ministries that are developing. Praise God!

28 It has been over six months since the launch of our new home groups. Pray with us that many feel supported and connected to the church.

29 This month, we started the new season of Toddler Group meetings, Sunday School, a new teenagers’ ministry and our handbell ministry. Pray for the people who lead and organise these ministries and for all the children and parents involved in the activities.

Slavko Hadžić, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Next month, the Good News Association will hold their second regional conference on evangelism in Sarajevo. The theme is The Harvest is Plentiful. Please pray for the conference to go well and for the participants from the Balkans. We expect to host over 100 people.

Continuing in The Lord

What a joy to witness God’s blessing through the generations! Viktorija and Anastazija Vegel—daughters of TEN partners Zoltan and Tanja—share how God is working in their lives.

Viktorija

I was raised in a Christian family, but I distanced myself from my faith at 16. By 18, feeling something was missing in my life, I attended Bible college, where I truly met Christ and experienced God speaking to me personally. This transformed my faith into something personal, not just something inherited from my parents.

I came home with a new perspective and hope for my life! I’m part of a ministry which is led by my friend at a local pub in Subotica. We run Bible workshops for the nonreligious.

I have it on my heart to see young people in my city get to know Christ, so I hope to join the Steiger Mission School this summer, which focuses on reaching youth worldwide! Following that, my plan is to start law school and see what God has for me there.

Anastazija

Growing up, I believed in God, but I lacked a personal connection with Him. When a YWAM team visited our church, their personal relationship with Christ deeply inspired me and I realised I wanted that for myself.

A month later, while volunteering in Hungary, I attended a worship night at a charismatic Catholic

conference. During prayer, a group of people approached and prayed over me in tongues, and I felt so convicted that I cried, knelt, and surrendered my life to Christ.

I am currently involved at media ministry at my church in Sombor and I help with the youth and coffee shop ministry at Calvary Chapel Subotica. I am discipling my new friend through looking at Jesus in John’s Gospel and talking about how to apply His example personally.

I am very missionally minded and next year I would like to apply for YWAM DTS. I want to serve God wherever and whenever I can.

Anastazija (right) with a friend

Harvest for the Hungry

By Ken Millwood, TEN Partners Manager

Thank you for your support for Harvest to the Hungry. In Leviticus we are reminded of God’s heart for the poor and disadvantaged: When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest… Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the Lord your God. Leviticus 19:9–10 NIV

Through grants sent in autumn 2024, you helped twenty-four partners provide at least 1,094 food parcels for at least 932 children and 949 adults, plus run a soup kitchen in Bulgaria which provided 1,200 hot meals for Roma people and a project in Serbia which supplied 200 food packages and multiple hot meals for 50 homeless adults*.

Grants ranged from €675 to over €3,000 depending on the size of the project. Funds were sent to partners in eight countries. In this way TEN funded 24 projects.

Erion Çuni in Albania reports, ‘The grant was used to purchase eightyfive food parcels for people in need in church and outside the church in our community. Luiza** is a young mother who has two boys with autism, her life is very hard emotionally and physically! The food parcels don’t change her problems, but they have been a sign of love and care in moments when she would say to herself, she is all alone; every visit and call from the church members have been a moment of comfort to her.’

Mission Possible in Bulgaria runs an annual soup kitchen in Ihtiman for the Roma community. TEN has supported this project for a number of years.

‘A group of women from the local Roma church prepare meals every Saturday and Sunday. The food is delivered to the houses of elderly and sick people who do not have pensions and to socially disadvantaged and large families. Ten old people and thirty children under 16 years of age receive soup. In the kitchen they prepare soup 30 times for 40 servings. A total of 1,200 food portions—soup and bread.

‘Delivering food to homes is the only social help people like George, who is 69, ever receive. While he was sick in bed this winter, the 'Angels of Ihtiman' brought him soup and bread every day. George survived, recovered and is grateful.’

Nesa Radeka from Novi Sad Nexus Church in Serbia told us, ‘The grant was used to provide food assistance to families in need. We purchased essential food items and assembled food parcels to help cover basic nutritional needs. Each parcel contained a mix of staples and nutritious items to ensure balanced meals. In some cases, instead of parcels, we provided food vouchers to allow families to choose what they needed most. This approach ensured that recipients received practical and meaningful support.

‘The Jovanovic family with five children faced financial hardship due to job loss. The food parcels provided a safety net during this challenging time, allowing the parents to focus on finding employment without the immediate worry of feeding their children.’

Can you help?

Your gift for Harvest for the Hungry helps our partners show God’s heart for the poor and disadvantaged. To help our partners this coming winter, you can give a financial gift to Harvest for the Hungry by completing the giving form on the leaflet enclosed with this edition of Connect, you could fill in our tearout giving slip (page 18), or give at harvestforthehungry.org.

How about asking your church to hold a service or special event to raise funds for Harvest for the Hungry? Partners expressed their gratitude to you for supporting them through last winter. Your gift for any amount will help our partners continue to feed hungry people in Eastern Europe and the Balkans.

*Figures are based on partner feedback received at the time of issue. **This name has been changed. An 'Angel of Ihtiman' distributes hot soup in Bulgaria; the 'Angels' pray before distributing hot soup and bread; delivering food parcels in Serbia.

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Country Focus: Montenegro

By Boris & Urša Curčić, Christ Gospel Church, Podgorica, Montenegro

Evangelising people in Montenegro is very hard. People believe they already live a Christian life. They don't read the Bible and they don't behave like Christians, but they are convinced they are saved. They have their own 'Jesus' who does not expect them to change, and don't want a Jesus who will transform them.

To the people of Montenegro, tradition, including the Orthodox Church, is central to their culture and identity. Every approach to people usually ends up with rejection once they ask if we belong to the Orthodox Church. If what is shared is not from the Orthodox Church, it is rejected. They don't even want to look at our Youtube or Facebook pages.

Our hope is in young people. People who are courageous to resist traditional expectations of the society and their families.

In cooperation with other churches in Montenegro we try to make a breakthrough by meeting to pray together and having pastoral meetings every month. But every person's approach is different, according to the strategy they believe God has given them. We believe a radio station is a way we can reach people because it doesn't have a label yet. People will not even be aware that they're listening to God's Word. Our wish is that Montenegins would at least hear the Word of God and then decide if they want it or not.

Life in Montenegro is challenging and exciting because we expect a breakthrough every day. Our hope is in young people. People who are courageous to resist traditional expectations of the society and their families. There is hope for Montenegro and that's why we're still here.

Boris and Urša Curčić; An Orthodox church in Montenegro; A view of Montenegro.

God Equips and Enables

At the start of May, two small (but mighty) TENteams headed out for the Balkans to support partners there.

Albania

Heather Griffiths, TENteam Leader, UK

By the time we left for Albania, our team had been reduced from five people to three, and probably all of us had personal challenges along the way which might have prevented us from coming.

On arrival in Tirana, we were straight into ministry, with a youth meeting that very first night. We took part in the youth meeting, ministered at two women’s groups, and spoke at five different churches, during a period of six days.

In stepping out with God we found that He worked in a wonderful way, enabling us to work so well together. Each of us brought complimentary

giftings, and God equipped us for each meeting as we went along.

It was a privilege to come alongside so many people; to be able to share God’s word, to pray with them and to encourage them in their faith. When God calls, He equips and guides so well.

Erion Cuni, Pastor of Life in Christ “Church of God”, Tirana, Albania

“A new command I give you: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34–35

Many times, we’ve been asked the question, “What is your expectation from the ones coming to visit and serve with you?” Our expectation is what they have promised to God, their families and their sending church when they decided to come; love the lost, share God’s love and use their

Joy Wilson shares from the Bible; the Albania TENteam with Gentiana Çuni (third right) and women at the church.

People often think they need experience and ministry titles to go on mission. In my experience the ones with the most impact are those that say “Yes” to Jesus.

gifts. Margaret, Joy and Heather have done that in an amazing way. It is not easy to connect with strangers at times. We do not know each other, we come from different cultures, different churches and denominations. But the Spirit of God makes us one as we obey His will. Many times, we sowed beautiful messages we had not prepared, which were in perfect harmony with each other, confirming the word given to the churches we visited.

People often think they need experience and ministry titles to go on mission. In my experience the ones with the most impact are those that say "Yes" to Jesus. They go and share His love, get involved with simple acts of service but with much love. People remember love; they remember care.

Heather, Joy and Margaret, we appreciate and love you for saying “Yes”, and for coming to visit us. And we appreciate and love those of you who prayed and sent them to us! God bless you.

North Macedonia Christine Vaughton, TENteam, UK

After being driven through beautiful mountains, we met Emil Puzderliev. Emil drove us to Struga where we stayed to share in the ministry of Struga Evangelical Church, where Emil and his wife Vesna pastor. The next day, we contributed to an evening service, sharing scriptures and testimonies.

On Thursday, we went to Ohrid to sightsee and meet up with Anita Dimitrievska who pastors Ohrid Evangelical Church there. The next two days, we helped run outreach events in Struga, and on Sunday we had the joy of sharing in the morning service before returning home the following day.

Both churches are small in number but very committed to sharing the love of Jesus in their communities. We felt that our ministry there was to listen, support, encourage and pray for these two women in leadership. For me, the time was a blessing, and it gave me an insight into how hard it is for the Evangelical Church to minister in a country where the Orthodox Church dominates.

To find out more about TENteam trips contact Lucy Reid at

Vesna Puzderlieva and Anita Dimitrievska; Vesna, Christine, Emil, Toni, Dessi and Hazel.

A Picture Full of Life

By Iva Tsvetkova, new CEO of Mission Possible Bulgaria

I was born and raised in Bulgaria. I accepted Christ as my saviour in 1993, at the age of 11 and today I’m living out the answers to my prayers.

I still remember how 18 years ago I asked God to let me be involved in fulltime ministry. Back then I was working in business and had just discovered the organisation, Mission Possible, through a friend. I was thrilled to become a volunteer. It didn’t matter what I was assigned to. My heart was full because I was involved in God’s business.

After five years of volunteering for Mission Possible, God miraculously moved the chess pieces of my life, and I became a full-time staff member. During the years He taught me how to serve Him together with others. I was involved in every aspect of the work.

Gradually, my responsibilities increased so that I started leading projects, including the summer camps for children and youth. God stretched my faith to measures I didn’t imagine. At the beginning of February, I became CEO of Mission Possible Bulgaria. In this new season I will continue to follow God’s voice in fulfilling our mission—to help the local churches in their work and to share the gospel. Ministry is not my whole life, but through it I see how God connects the dots and draws the big picture of humanity. It is a picture that includes salvation, healing, redemption, restoration, promises and blessings—a picture full of life!

“Iva’s deep longing to serve the Lord and to build the Kingdom of God, combined with her developed skills and innovative approach to leadership, makes her the ideal candidate to lead our organisation into its next phase of growth, as God wants!”

Roumen Ivanov, Founder of

Mission Possible Bulgaria

Roumen Ivanov and Iva Tsvetkova

Lucy’s Roundup

By Lucy Reid, Mission Engagement Officer at TEN

It was such a blessing to connect with old and new friends at the Young Adults’ Worship event in March. My friends from HopeStream led a beautiful time of worship and Ivan Petrov who pastors Štip Evangelical Church in North Macedonia shared from God’s Word. Poppi Toon, Youth Minister at Woodlands Church (Central), joined us. This year, Poppi will take a team to visit our partner Dušan Beređi in Novi Sad, Serbia.

Ivan Petrov and HopeStream Worship

Ivan Petrov

The worship event was a fantastic experience. It was such a blessing for me to get to know the young adults and to share my testimony with them. I shared from Jeremiah 1:4-10 about ‘living with the goal’. I'm still in touch with people I met, and I hope to see them soon!

Poppi Toon

I really enjoyed it! The worship felt well invested in. I thought it was cool to hear what is happening in Eastern Europe and the Balkans and to reflect and pray for one another. We are excited about going on the trip and taking seven teenagers with us this summer. This will be their first experience of a mission trip abroad. Please pray for safety, community and courage as we share the gospel.

Bera at Bangor Worldwide Missionary Convention

Dušan (Bera) and Mirjana Beređi will join James Vaughton in Bangor Worldwide Missionary Convention. During their visit, Bera will speak at different venues about pioneering and transformative ministry. Bera writes:

Dear friends, we’re looking forward to seeing you in Northern Ireland. We deeply appreciate everything TEN does for us, and we’re eager to strengthen

our partnership, as well as to develop new friendships and collaborations.

As we serve those who are broken—addicts, the homeless—we are expanding the influence of God’s Kingdom in Serbia. In this mission, every friendship and partnership is truly precious.

Bring hope to hungry people in the Balkans and Eastern Europe through Harvest for the Hungry.

 Food parcels are delivered

 Hot meals are shared

 Hope is given More details inside on pages 16–17

To visit our Harvest for the Hungry webpage or to give, scan the QR code or go to harvestforthehungry.org