TEN Connect Magazine April 2021 - Growing hope among churches in Eastern Europe

CONNECT April – June 2021

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GROWING HOPE

astern urope E E IN

The Gospel of Eternal Life Picking Apples and Planting Churches Walking the Via Egnatia for TEN Quarterly Prayer Diary Red Tulip Appeal

EDITORIAL

Mobilise The roll-out of the UK Covid-19 vaccination programme by the NHS across more than 1,600 sites, with the support of thousands of steward volunteers and military personnel, will surely be one of the greatest examples of mobilisation in the 21st century.

Ultimately, this enormous task is about saving lives and loosening the grip of the pandemic on so much of our everyday lives. There will be few people reading this magazine who have not been personally affected and lost loved ones or close friends to the Coronavirus.

Despite the slim prospect of vaccine jabs for many people in Eastern Europe, our partners press on and are mobilising local churches for outreach this Easter and beyond. There is a call for more ‘volunteers’ to help save lives through outreach events, Bible study groups and summer camps. Pastor Vjeko Mrsic in Croatia challenges all of us to stay focussed on the main purpose—to declare the message of eternal salvation

through Jesus Christ (see page 4).

This Easter we are launching a new initiative: The Red Tulip Appeal (see the back cover). It’s about growing hope among the churches of Eastern Europe in the wake of Covid. Firstly, to pray for TEN’s partners using the quarterly Prayer Diary. Secondly, to offer practical support. Churches have suffered a steep drop in their regular income due to the widespread loss of jobs. They have few funds to meet their basic needs such as paying rents, contributing to modest salaries, covering utility bills and providing fuel for transport. Your gifts will enable TEN to provide partners with small relief grants in response to these urgent needs (see page 23).

APOLOGY: We are very sorry about the response slip naming error in the January magazine. We have tightened all processes to make sure that this does not occur again.

TRANSFORM EUROPE NETWORK Registered office: 23 Apex Court, Woodlands, Bradley Stoke, Bristol BS32 4JT Tel: +44 (0)117 961 5161

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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).

Contents

Welcome A resurrection people are a mobilised people.

“The night is darkest just before the dawn,” said the 17th century theologian Thomas Fuller. Putting aside the science for now, the power of the quote offers hope in dark moments.

Jesus’ disciples must have felt this when they looked back on the events of Easter. This was the necessary death that would destroy death itself through resurrection. They couldn’t see it on Saturday. But on Sunday, with Mary’s dawn declaration of Jesus’ resurrection, light flooded into their darkness.

As a resurrection people we are mobilised by the light that shines in the darkness. We have news of baptisms, evangelistic initiatives, church planting and stories about the poor receiving hope through the care of our partners and supporters. As we celebrate Easter this year let us remember the truth that the Light has overcome the darkness.

It’s been a tough twelve months for our partners and probably for you too. “When will this end? What will life beyond lockdown look like? How will mission be affected?” For our partners, these dark times continue.

With little sign of vaccinations, they continue to face the ravages of the Coronavirus with its impacts on health, family life, personal and church finances.

In this issue of Connect, we are launching the Red Tulip Appeal. With your prayerful support, we can grow hope this spring by helping our partners to push through the economic challenges presented by the virus. We have enclosed two Red Tulip Prayer postcards, one to keep and one to send, to encourage others to pray (more available on request).

My prayer this Easter is from Colossians 1:11, that all of us may be made strong with the strength that comes from His glorious power—which is resurrection power.

Thank you for being part of the TEN family.

James Vaughton, CEO, TEN

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4 We must never lose the vital message Croatia 5 Shelter for Emil Romania 6 New President for the Evangelical Churches of North Macedonia 7 A tribute to Mirco Andreev North Macedonia 8 Picking apples and planting churches North Macedonia 9 Teaching English as a Foreign Language 10 Walking the Via Egnatia for TEN 11 Heart Cry Prayer Diary April – June 16 More on your giving James Vaughton 18 Are you an angel?

Bulgaria 19 News Snippets 20 Update from Northern Ireland Ambassadors 21 For the nations 22 Church Partner in Wales pays tribute 23 Calls for help 24 Support the Red Tulip Appeal

TEN is looking for a board meeting minute taker. The role is 10 hours paid work around each board meeting, which takes place in Bristol every three months.

If you would like to know more please email: naomi.greenwood@ten-uk.org

We must never lose the vital message

by Pastor Vjeko Mrsic, Croatia

In the last year all of us have been affected by the pandemic. Many of us have been helping people who have lost their jobs, been ill or unable to cope with the pressures of the situation. Humanitarian aid has been emphasised a lot and it is great to help people around us. Meanwhile, most churches have been closed and not active as usual.

Recently, Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Zizek was asked in an interview about the future in the wake of Covid. As an atheist, he foresaw dark times filled with economic crisis, unrest and riots.

When asked how the church should answer these difficult times he quoted a Slovenian theologian who said, "The main mission of the Church is not physical healing, feeding the hungry or caring for the poor, even if these deeds are amazing, but eternal salvation through Jesus Christ."

In a recent conversation with a pastor from the city of Split, we came to the conclusion that the last time our churches had any evangelistic outreach sharing the gospel was in late 2019!

I would like to encourage us all not to lose the vital message, purpose and vision of the church here on earth.

"The main mission of the Church is not physical healing, feeding the hungry or caring for the poor, even if these deeds are amazing, but eternal salvation through Jesus Christ."

We are to go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit. May God help us to keep the gospel of eternal salvation as the main thing in what we say and do.

Proverbs 29:18 "Where there is no vision, the people perish."

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Shelter for Emil

by Naomi Greenwood, TEN Operations Assistant

Imagine your home has no proper roof and relies on rusty lengths of corrugated iron and a very inadequate covering of branches. It is often draughty, freezing in the winter, and of course the rain pours in. This was Emil’s situation a few months back.

If you met Emil, you would be struck by his rough appearance and vacant expression. Whenever Emil managed to make a fire to try and keep himself warm, the smoke had nowhere to go.

It clung to his clothes, his skin and affected his health.

A few years ago, Emil suffered a serious head injury and it changed his whole world. He often loses consciousness and has been unfit for work. Unable to provide for his family, he left his wife and children.

He lives in his dilapidated home, alone and depressed.

The local church in Tarcea, Romania have been praying for Emil ever since he started attending the meetings. He was thankful for the warmth, kindness and gift of food parcels.

Pastor Gavril Covaci wanted to do more and approached TEN for help.

A small emergency grant was quickly provided to enable urgent repairs to Emil’s roof, before the rain and snow set in. The roof was replaced by church volunteers as a temporary fix.

Emil needs a long-term solution. Emil has been given hope through the way that the church is helping him and it has encouraged him to know that God cares about his situation.

There will be a shelter to give shade from the heat by day, and refuge and protection from the storm and the rain.

Isaiah 4:6 NASB 5

New President for the Evangelical Churches of North Macedonia More responsibilities for Pastor Petre Petrov

The very sad passing in December of long-term partner of TEN, Mirco Andreev has been mourned by many and left significant leadership roles for others to fill.

As senior pastor of the Skopje Evangelical church, Mirco has ministered to the needs of the church and wider community for more than 26 years. Mirco was also the President of the Evangelical Churches in North Macedonia with responsibility for around 40 churches, including church plants.

The leadership team of the Skopje church agreed that Pastor Stojan Petrovski would become the new senior pastor with their full support.

In the following weeks, the pastors approved the appointment of Petre Petrov, Senior Pastor of Shtip Evangelical Church as the new President. This role provides oversight of the many churches, relationships with other denominational leaders and also accountability to government authorities for the finances and work of the denomination. Petre will draw on his extensive leadership experience as a church leader and successful businessman.

Regarded for many years as a religious sect, the Evangelical Church is becoming accepted as a legitimate Christian denomination.

The Evangelical Church is fully registered with the government and stands in good reputation. Its work supporting former drug addicts is widely praised and recognised. A very important part of the ministry of the Evangelical Church is its humanitarian projects helping the poor, the widows and the Roma people.

Petre’s vision is to raise up the next generation of young leaders who will become church planters across the nation. He aims to encourage current church leaders to identify, mentor and release new leaders into their God-ordained ministries. Petre says, constant change is vital, the life of every church should be like a river, always new. He also wants to involve younger leaders in the development of wider church vision. Just as the apostle Paul found young Timothy and trained him to be a leader, so Petre hopes that all pastors will train up the new generation.

One of the latest younger couples to be released into church planting is Robert and Krasi Salamanovi from Shtip and relocated to Radovish, as featured in the January edition of Connect.

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A tribute to Mirco Andreev

1966 – 2020

by Ken Millwood, TEN Partners Officer

Mirco Andreev was the Pastor of Skopje Evangelical Church and the visionary head of the national Evangelical Church denomination in North Macedonia. Sadly, Mirco contracted Coronavirus in December and as a result of complications due to underlying health conditions, he passed away on 26 December 2020.

Mirco was born in the village of Mokrino, near to Strumica in former Yugoslavia. As a young man his sole desire was to be a soldier, which took him to high school in Belgrade, but due to sickness he couldn’t continue and went to study in Skopje. This is where he met Nada who led him to faith and took him to the Baptist Church where he learned a lot from Pastor Ivan Grozdanov. The Evangelical Church in Skopje started as a small group in 1988, led by a Serbian missionary couple; Mirco and Nada attended the initial group. After their theological studies, in 1994 Mirco became pastor of the church and two years later was appointed as President of the denomination.

The church in Skopje grew, and other works were started including Agape Ministries, the humanitarian branch of the evangelical church

mainly working with refugees from the Middle East, and a Bible School in Kumanovo. Mirco was the head of the Evangelical Alliance and had a huge vision to establish one hundred churches across the country. To date about forty churches have been planted through year-round evangelism and social action projects.

TEN has had links with Mirco for over two decades. Mirco first met Gary Cox in 1999, during the Kosovo crisis, when TEN (Eurovangelism at the time) was the first organisation to contact Skopje Evangelical Church to help in their work with the refugees.

Mirco will be remembered for his infectious laughter, endless generosity and a constant joy in serving the Lord. He was married to Nada with two adult daughters, Elisaveta and Anastasia.

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Picking apples and planting churches Church planter seeks UK partners — Dragan and Biljana Manev The Evangelical Church in North Macedonia has a big vision of planting 100 churches across the country, focussing on the towns and villages with no evangelical presence. Dragan Manev is one of the pastors faithfully taking this vision forward and he needs our support!

For ten years Dragan Manev served as pastor of the Evangelical Church in Veles, North Macedonia He is a graduate of theology. In 2017, the family moved to plant a new church in Resen, a town in the south west of the country near to the Albanian border. A small group of new believers now meet together in their home and he is developing one room as a Hope Centre for the community. Dragan is married to Biljana and they have two children, Daniel and Maria.

Resen is a small town of about 20,000 residents. Its main ‘industry’ is apple growing with many local orchards.

Apples are picked and shipped abroad or sold to the town’s juice factories. For the last two autumns, Dragan has volunteered to help pick and pack apples as an intentional way of reaching the locals and some of the seasonal Albanian workers.

For Dragan and Biljana, sharing the gospel in Resen and the surrounding villages is their top priority. He regularly distributes food and clothing to the poor.

If you, or your church, would like to support Dragan’s ongoing work in prayer or finances please contact Melanie Griffiths at the TEN office.

Email: melanie.griffiths@ten-uk.org Tel: 0117 961 5161

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Update on Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL)

by Melanie Griffiths, Supporter Relations & Funding Development Officer

We are delighted with the response we have had towards the idea of online English teaching (TEFL) which TEN Ambassador Nick Clarke introduced us to in the January edition of Connect.

He is calling this initiative TENteach.

We have had at least seven people expressing an interest, including trained TEFL teachers and retired language teachers, all keen to use their skills to support our partners in this way.

Nick held a Zoom meeting on 3rd March with everyone who was interested, and is hoping to get a team trained and ready for the academic year in September. There are likely to be two strands to this; firstly, UK partnership churches could directly support their partner church in Europe in this way. Secondly, a team could offer classes at different levels across the Balkans.

We are really excited by the potential of this new initiative and are having conversations with Christian TEFL about how we can link with them for any training required. Please pray for the formation of the TENteach team that will bless our partners through

English classes focussed on the Bible and Christian teaching.

As Nick says, “This way people can learn English and hear the gospel at the same time.”

It’s certainly not too late to get involved. If you are interested please contact melanie.griffiths@ten-uk.org for more information.

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Walking the Via Egnatia for TEN

by Melanie Griffiths, Supporter Relations & Funding Development Officer

To inspire everyone who loves walking and raising funds for charity, we hope to set a fresh challenge for 2021.

Our plan is to encourage supporters to virtually walk the Via Egnatia— the ancient, Roman road from Thessaloniki (Greece) to Durres (Albania). The whole walk is in 10 stages covering 300 miles (equivalent to 600,000 steps!).

You choose your own mileage goal.

We want you to add up the miles each month while walking in your neighbourhood (maybe with your dog), rambling through your local countryside or following your favourite trail. In doing so, you will cover the equivalent miles/steps on our Via Egnatia chart. Cyclists are also welcome to follow the route.

Your individual or group progress will be updated on our website at www.ten-uk.org/walks and you will be rewarded with snippets of Balkan history, photos and learn more about the work of our partners along the route. We will create a donation link for your family and friends who wish to sponsor you.

The challenge will run until the late autumn with a special push during September. In order to gauge interest please let Melanie know. Email: melanie.griffiths@ten-uk.org or call the office on 0117 9615161.

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HEART Prayer requests from across Europe April – June 2021

The Red Tulip Campaign aims to grow hope across Europe through widespread prayer in response to the requests from our partners listed in the prayer diary.

We also invite you to join us in prayer, especially between Easter and Pentecost, for the power of the Spirit to bring new life to the churches in the aftermath of the pandemic.

— APRIL 2021 —

12 Pray for the many families with great needs and especially that they may find God during these hard days.

ANATOLI & DESI YANKOVI BULGARIA

13 Pray that the children who benefit from Kingdom Kids will feel His love for each of them.

1 Please pray that corruption by government officials will be exposed and eradicated.

14 Pray that the ladies who take part in the sewing classes will complete their training and also come to know God for themselves.

2 Pray that the economy, healthcare and national finances would improve in the wake of the pandemic.

3 Pray that the Lord would raise up new assistants in Shalom Church, Svishtov.

4 Please pray for Bulgaria as the population goes to the polls today to elect a new parliament.

5 Pray that many new people would be reached through the live broadcasting of church services.

ROUMEN & MARIANA IVANOV BULGARIA

SLAVKO & SANJA HADZIC BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA 15 Please pray for me as I share at this evening’s TEN Zoom meeting for key supporters.

16 Please continue to pray that there will be fruit through the evangelistic YouTube "Good news" channel.

17 Pray for the speakers and all who attend today’s Langham Preaching Study Day on Zoom.

6 Pray for all those taking part in the Youth Academy for ministry.

NESA & VESNA RADEKA SERBIA

7 Please pray for next weekend’s conference promoting pastoral care for Roma pastors and their wives.

18 Please pray for the successful fundraising programme for the completion of the Nexus church building and for global investors to become involved.

8 Please pray for the planned Prayer Conference due to take place later this month.

PETRE & DANIELA PETROV NORTH MACEDONIA 9 Pray for the success of the population census taking place during April.

MONIKA MAHR ROMANIA 10 Please pray that the Casa Grace team would receive wisdom and strength from above to deal with complex situations.

11 Please pray for all the team and especially those with sick family members who need special care.

19 Pray that the Soft Play Centre will be completed and fully equipped by May this year.

20 Pray for the ministry of A Place For Me in Serbia and for the plans to build a maternity home in the city of Novi Sad. 21 Please pray for divine protection upon Ivana and Boris who recently became Christians. May they stand firm and persist along their new path in life.

SLAVKO & SANJA HADZIC BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA 22 Pray for this week’s outreach mission at the University of Novi Sad, Serbia. Pray for Slavko as he speaks at the event and that the lives of many students will be changed.

MARINELA ROTARIU ROMANIA

SERGHEI MIHAILOV MOLDOVA

23 Please pray for our hospice doctor, Claudia, her husband and young family as she faces a serious cancer diagnosis.

2 Please pray for God's blessing and protection during the series of seminars about relationships and family by God's design.

24 Pray for the healing of Pastor Nicusor Curpas, the husband of the chief nurse at the hospice as he battles with melanoma.

3 Pray for the safety of the Beginning of Life team and participants in the Early Learning Centre, Urban Youth Centre and the Restoration Studio.

25 Pray that the hospice staff will have the energy and the necessary physical, emotional and spiritual resources to interact and support those who are in suffering.

4 Pray that Beginning of Life would know a special presence of God during the sessions with parents.

26 Pray for God’s blessing upon the vital collaboration with the General Directorate of Social Assistance and Child Protection from Bihor County, for the development of the paediatric department at Emanuel Hospice.

5 Please pray for the lovely team of young people who are ministering to teenagers.

ALEX & MILENA VULKANOVI BULGARIA

27 Pray that God would add to our team of professionals, one paediatrician, two nurses, one social worker, one psychologist and one physiotherapist.

6 Please pray that despite the Covid situation we will find a suitable construction company for the upcoming church building repairs.

28 Pray that the Lord would bless the building company employed by Emanuel Hospice to start the building works at the B Wingof the Palliative Care Centre.

7 Pray that God would provide the funds for the building repairs.

29 Pray for the fundraising campaign for the building project which we would like to launch in May.

DANIEL & IRINKA STRACINSKI MONTENEGRO 30 Please pray that Daniel’s request to remain in Montenegro for the next five years will be approved by the authorities.

— MAY 2021 — SLAVKO & SANJA HADZIC BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA 1 Please pray for Slavko as he speaks at Langham Preaching seminars in Bosnia and in Albania.

Pray for good attendance and good teaching.

8 Please pray for the believers who became sick due to the pandemic.

9 Pray for all the people who took part in the Easter outreach events.

10 Please pray for the strengthening of believers following a challenging year.

11 Pray that the government of Bulgaria will turn to God for wisdom.

LJILJANA BANICEK BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA 12 Please pray for the restart of church outreaches and activities as soon as practicable.

13 Pray that the Bible studies will resume with fresh hunger.

14 Please pray for the planned workshops aimed at reaching the unchurched.

15 Pray for all contacts made through the humanitarian visits to local homes.

16 Pray that the Lord would provide funds for a new heating system for the church building.

17 Pray for a new spiritual awakening and the spiritual growth of the church.

18 Pray that the brothers and sisters of the church would be protected from the severe impacts of the coronavirus.

ROUMEN & MARIANA IVANOV BULGARIA 19 Please pray for this week’s Hem of His Garment restoration programme for women, suffering severe trauma.

DANIEL & IRINKA STRACKINSKI MONTENEGRO 20 Please pray that our plans for outreach and church gatherings will soon be a reality.

21 Pray that God will reach the many people who follow us on YouTube and Instagram during the coronavirus restrictions.

22 Pray that our plans to run the Alpha course in the Serbian language will be richly blessed.

23 Please pray that Irinka’s pregnancy will go well and that the maternity care will be a blessing.

24 Pray that the pro-Serbian Orthodox government will fully recognise the status of Montenegro’s evangelical churches.

PETRE & DANIELA PETROV NORTH MACEDONIA 25 Pray for our new church plant in the town of Radovish and for God’s blessing upon Robert and Krasi Salamanovi who lead the church there.

28 Pray that emerging young leaders will be recognised and supported as pastors of new churches.

29 Pray that God would save North Macedonia from increasing crime and corruption and stabilise the political situation in the country.

30 Please pray for Petre, Daniela and their two sons, Daniel and Ivan as they serve God through the church in Shtip.

31 Pray that Petre will receive wisdom and guidance from God for his new responsibility as a President of the Evangelical Church in North Macedonia.

— JUNE 2021 — VANCE & TANJA GOLOMEOV NORTH MACEDONIA 1 Please pray that God would open a way for Vance and Tanja and their family to relocate later this year from Shtip to Pozarevac in Serbia.

2 Please pray that God would help us to distribute humanitarian aid to at least 20 families.

3 Prayer for the new people showing interest in the church in Shtip.

4 Please pray for all those affected by Covid-19.

May their lives be spared and their bodies recover quickly.

5 Pray that the church in Sveti Nikole would grow this year and that God would bless the lives of Jovana, Joradan, Boban, Trajance, Kristijan and Katerina.

6 Please pray that the men’s meetings in the church would deepen relationships and strengthen their trust in God.

26 Please pray that the new home groups in Resen and Novo Selo will grow and become official evangelical churches.

VASILE GRIGORITA MOLDOVA

27 Pray for the ministry among small groups of believers and their families in Prilep, Gostivar and Berovo.

7 Please pray for Vasile Grigorita as he pastors the Baptist Church in the village of Brinza.

8 Please pray for the nation of Moldova as it faces difficult times as a result of the pandemic and ongoing economic and political challenges.

20 Pray that the Lord will guide the church as it seeks to evangelise more young people in Tigheci.

9 Please pray for the divine protection for all the believers in Moldova.

21 Pray that the authorities would lift the restrictions and enable our summer camps to take place.

10 Pray that the church leaders would serve with wisdom and patience during these difficult times.

11 Pray that God would enable the churches to run the different activities we have planned as a church for this year.

RUSLAN TELPIZ MOLDOVA 12 Please continue to pray for the youth ministry every Friday in the towns of Gotesti and Chircani.

Around 60-70 young people meet together. May God open their eyes and hearts towards the Lord Jesus.

13 Please pray for the work of the Day Care Centre in Gotesti for socially vulnerable children and their parents.

14 Pray that many people reached through contacts in the community would desire to come to our church meetings.

15 Pray that the students in Gotesti who take part in the English classes would get to know the Lord.

16 Pray that God would enlarge the vision of the English classes with help from the UK.

22 Please pray that God would raise up new leaders for youthwork and the Sunday School ministry.

23 Pray for the economic and social stability of Moldova and an improvement in job prospects.

24 Pray that the Covid-19 vaccine would be effective in stopping the pandemic.

FETIJE HALILI ALBANIA 25 Please pray that the focus of the Riverbank Church will be wholly on Christ at this difficult time.

26 Pray that God would bring healing to church members who are very unwell.

27 Pray for spiritual renewal among the teens who face many distractions and great peer pressure.

28 Please pray for families being forced to take out bank loans due to unemployment.

DARIO & SILVIJA KAPIN BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA

17 Please pray for the neighbouring village of Gheoltosu where we want to plant a new church.

29 Please pray for the further development of the bee-keeping and honey production business to generate employment and sustainable income.

VALERIU & ANGELA MUNTEANU MOLDOVA

30 Please pray for new openings for the Gospel in the city of Derventa.

18 Pray that Tigheci Baptist Church will see much fruit as a result of its Christ-centred teaching.

19 Please pray that the church leaders will have a clear vision of transformation for the town of Tigheci.

More on your giving James Vaughton updates us on a variety of matters as part of keeping you informed of the financial picture at TEN. WinterHelp reaches £25,000

Essential Gifts Catalogue

Thank you to you for supporting our WinterHelp campaign this year. It has been such a privilege to see your response. We are very grateful for your generosity which has been enabling partners to show and share the love of Christ with the poor during the Winter season.

The Gift Catalogue published in October 2020 has proved even more popular with many online purchases.

Favourite items included Children’s Bibles, blankets and new footwear!

Thank you for purchasing gifts that make a lasting difference.

Why not buy someone an Easter gift?

Visit www.essentialgifts.org

Making your support go further and being environmentally responsible

Matched Funding making a bigger difference!

In our last magazine, I introduced our Over the last six months TEN has been matched funding approach to funding working hard to reduce unnecessary partners. Since highlighting this we have waste and costs. TEN is a lean helped provide computers in Kosovo, organisation but a recent review of our Christmas gifts in Romania, IT mailing list means that we will be equipment for a church in Bulgaria and posting significantly less copies of a new removals business van for the Connect Magazine, with more going Rainbow Rehab Centre in Novi by email. Over the year this Sad. This approach has will enable us to save over meant supporters in the £2,500. In addition to UK and funds raised in And finally… this, our office is now our partner nations supplied by 100% Due to the wonderful come together to have renewable energy, response to Harvest this a greater impact! guaranteed by year we are able to send a If you want to know OFGEM and means second set of grants to more, please email we are accredited in partners. This is so timely james.vaughton the Renewable and testimony to God’s @ten-uk.org Energies Guarantee of wonderful provision.

Origin (REGO) Scheme.

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Are you an angel?

by Ivan Ivanov, Mission Possible Bulgaria

This winter we travelled a lot, giving out jackets and shoes to children in desperate need. In the village of Milevo we noticed one little girl who looked very sad.

She stood alone beside the church wall as she watched the other children chatter and huddle together. It was a freezing cold day. She wore a thin, baggy sweater on top of a summer dress and her bare feet stuck out of her worn flip flops.

I went over to talk to her. She didn’t want to play with the others because she didn’t feel comfortable with them.

I told her I was sent to her today, to tell her that she was very precious and that Jesus loved her more than she can imagine. I explained how Jesus had paid the price for her to be His child! The little girl broke into tears and asked, “Are you an angel?”

Her face beamed with a smile, for she now knew how precious she was to Jesus!

I asked her to join the rest of the children to pray and sing to Jesus.

She was different!

Her face beamed with a smile, for she now knew how precious she was to Jesus! She even prayed with us! We also gave her a new jacket and a pair of boots to keep her warm, but we gave her also the Good News about Jesus, which is more important, for He will change her heart and destiny!

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NEWS

Snippets

Ruslan Telpiz, Moldova Ruslan Telpiz in Gotesti, Moldova is very thankful to TEN supporters who provided funds to purchase food parcels and sacks of briquettes to heat stoves during the winter months. These gifts were distributed to widows like Ecaterina who looks after her son who is bed-bound with Muscular Dystrophy.

Danny & Vera Kuranji, Serbia Danny and Vera Kuranji express their great appreciation to all those who contributed towards the cost of a new van to support the work of the Rainbow Rehab centre in Novi Sad, Serbia.

Gavril Covaci, Romania Pastor Gavril Covaci in Romania reports on eleven new candidates for water baptism as the Roma churches continue to grow despite the pandemic.

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Update from Northern Ireland Ambassadors

Jeff Stevenson

Rachel Graham

As I contemplated what I should write in this short update a verse popped onto the screen of my phone. They are sent daily by my Bible app. It was Isaiah 43 v19: “Behold I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”

I was inducted as an ambassador in March 2020, one week before the initial lockdown. As you can imagine, it has been difficult to make inroads into churches and other groups while they are closed. Plans for coffee mornings and sponsored walks had to be shelved. However, there have been encouragements. I have had the opportunity to speak in one church.

Others have promised that they will allow me opportunities to speak when the time is right and others have given their support to the annual Harvest for the Hungry appeal.

God willing, things are beginning to open up. I will hold onto Isaiah 43:19 and covet your prayers in the days that lie ahead.

From the outset, I had been trying to build relationships with pastors to raise the profile of TEN and the team opportunities that were available. As lockdown was tightened and extended, meetings with pastors became impossible. Teams have inevitably been put on hold for 2021 and the focus of my work has had to shift a little.

I have been working on a new resource that can be used in churches to help people to understand the need for cross-cultural mission and how they can become involved. The six-week programme is initially aimed at youth groups. We hope to see some groups using it soon and to get their feedback. We pray that it will inspire young people to get involved and perhaps to go on a team once life returns to something like normal.

Whilst lockdown has been frustrating in many ways, this resource has been developed and forced us to consider new ways of doing things.

Please pray that people will engage with it and that workers will go into the harvest fields as a result.

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For the nations

By James Vaughton, CEO TEN

More on the new mission resource for church groups.

Imagine a mission study resource for church groups that not only explains God’s plan for the world but also connects online with Christians in Eastern Europe for conversation and inspiration. We are working on just such a resource with the help of Rachel Graham, one of our Ambassadors in Northern Ireland.

A big ministry casualty for TEN last year was the cancellation of team trips between the UK and Eastern Europe.

These have been the mainstay of building relationships with people from churches in other nations. Whilst we anticipate that short-term trips will once again be part of the picture, we cannot assume things will just return to normal.

At TEN part of our vision is to help mobilise the church for mission. In Acts 1:8, Jesus says that when the Holy Spirit comes, his followers will be witnesses to the ends of the earth.

Our hope is that the resource will inspire a new generation and open a gateway to enabling UK Christians to go; in prayer, in support and in person.

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This only happens when in Acts 8:1 persecution arrives and the followers of Jesus flee. God uses a painful situation to spread the gospel.

The call to be witnesses to the ends of the earth still stands and we are empowered to do this by the Holy Spirit. God can use the pandemic restrictions to spread the gospel today through online communication.

The proposed six-session study will enable home groups, youth groups and mission groups to actually link up with church groups in Eastern Europe for a couple of the sessions. The study will focus on Jesus as the Saviour for all nations, God’s plan and our response.

We are really excited by this development and will be testing it over the next few months before releasing it later in the year. Our hope is that the resource will inspire a new generation and open a gateway to enabling UK Christians to go; in prayer, in support and in person.

If you want to know more about this please do email me: james.vaughton@ten-uk.org.

Church Partner in Wales pays tribute

By Jo Matthews, Kinmel Bay church partner

Kinmel Bay Baptist Church in North Wales has partnered with pastor Lucian and the church in Badicul Moldovanesc for about 10 years. I first visited Moldova six years ago and quickly became friends with Lucian and his wife, Svetlana.

News of Lucian's death, following a short battle with Covid, has come as a terrible blow to all who knew him.

I have visited the Tabacs several times with church teams, on my own and with each of my children. It always felt like I was going home to visit family.

On each visit, I was amazed at the changes in both the village and the church and each time I mentioned this to Lucian he would say "Thanks be to God." He never took the credit but always pointed people to Jesus.

He was a hardworking, humble and prayerful man who did so much for his village, as both mayor and local pastor.

I am sure the church in Badicul will continue to grow. Lucian and Svetlana have discipled many strong Christian men and women. This is all the more amazing when you learn

that Lucian was the only Christian in the village when he started the church.

Lucian was a real family man, who loved his wife and daughters and was always very proud of them.

To anyone who met him, it quickly became clear that faith and family were the two most important things in his life.

We have been honoured to be a TEN partner church with Lucian and so humbled by his faithfulness and the way God has used him. We have peace knowing Lucian is with his Lord and Saviour whom he loved, and worshipped and can now worship for all eternity. We continue to pray for Sveta, Madalina, Sanda, Raluca and Lucian’s parents.

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Calls for help in the wake of Covid-19 and typical costs faced by leaders across Eastern Europe.

My family and I are struggling to cover all the expenses we have during the pandemic. Rent, bills, food, etc.

The church can’t help us with our monthly £200 apartment rent.

The cost of a weekly food shop is £65.

People are losing their jobs and that worries us.

The monthly cost of church rent in the Balkans is £120.

We face a shortage of food and firewood.

Our children have lost the normal schedule of schooling getting barely 50% of lessons in school.

We don't have access to health care.

Risk of electricity being disconnected due to non-payment.

It costs up to £75 to heat a home for a month

A refurbished laptop costs around £180.

We were sick in hospital for seven days and may need rehab.

We don't know how the lack of money for healthcare and utility bills can be solved apart from prayer.

Find out about the Red Tulip Appeal on back cover 23

Support the Red Tulip Appeal ‘Growing hope among the churches of Eastern Europe’ The Red Tulip Appeal is a new initiative to help our partners in Eastern Europe in the wake of Covid-19.

The pandemic and lockdown restrictions have greatly impacted the everyday lives and ministry of TEN’s partners. Several partner families have battled with the coronavirus, some are still recovering and sadly it claimed the lives of two much-loved pastors, Lucian Tabac and Mirco Andreev.

As our partners in Eastern Europe mobilise for mission in 2021, their churches have suffered a steep drop

in their regular income due to the widespread loss of jobs. This has left churches with few funds to meet their basic needs such as paying rents, contributing to modest salaries, covering utility bills and providing fuel for transport.

Would you help to grow hope this springtime? Could you commit to pray for our partners? The Prayer Diary is a useful guide. Can you practically support these faithful people at this unprecedented time?

YOUR DONATION

GET CREATIVE AND PRAY!

Enable TEN to provide partners with small relief grants in response to their urgent needs.

• Send a Red Tulip Prayer postcard to a friend or loved one.

(Ask TEN for more postcards.)

• Write RED TULIP in part 3 of the enclosed Response Slip or on the back of your cheque.

• Donate online: www.ten-uk.org/give

• Send us a photo of your red tulips and we'll show it on our website.

• Buy someone a bunch of red tulips this Easter. (Let others know we are praying for Eastern Europe and the Balkans.)

Find out more online: www.ten-uk.org/redtulip Tell us about your ideas for the Red Tulip Appeal