We have just received an urgent prayer request from our missionary who ministers to the gypsy population in Bulgaria. Abraham’s Flock is a Christian agricultural project that raises goats and chickens, ducks and geese, to provide milk and eggs for the poor children in Vetren, Bulgaria, where we also support a Christian literacy program.
“Abraham’s flock is in danger, due to ongoing rains and floods in Bulgaria. Due to a chemical contamination which government aircrafts have been spraying, an epidemic has been spreading in the surrounding villages. So, as a result of this all baby-goats die within three days after their birth. The vet has injected them with medicine and antibiotics, but despite everything done they are still dying! Due to the continuous floods the humidity has been increased and the animals cannot go outside the barn as often as they need. Please pray for the rains to STOP and for the baby goats to survive!
Along with this urgent prayer request is a praise story from that same ministry in Bulgaria. Todorka, a girl who attended the Christian literacy program GLOW supports has been accepted to nursing school in the city of Sophia (where our newest granddaughter was recently adopted) – and because of the Christian ministry in Vetren, Todorka takes Jesus with her! Your donations to GLOW go directly to support this ministry and others where disenfranchised people have not yet encountered the real Jesus.
Another story of praise and also prayer request is also from our missionary who ministers to the Greek orthodox and also Muslims in Athens and Corinth. She writes of “heaven’s appointment.”
“When I was walking in a nearby town, I saw an old white-haired man with a worn-out coat and a very sad face, picking out roots which Greeks cook for food. I decided to approach him, and asked him about these roots. As we were talking, the old man began sobbing with tears. It was very cold and the wind was freezing both my hands and face. He said that his name is Michalis. He used to own a small food market which he was forced to shut down due to the crisis. He doesn’t have a pension.
“Mr. Michalis told me that his beloved sister had recently passed away very suddenly, right after his 7 siblings had died, and was now totally alone. He told me that he loved Jesus, but he felt abandoned by God. His sister was a very compassionate lady who used to make small packages with food and had him distributing them to the needy and starving people out in their neighborhood. Someone had stolen his wallet which had his last few euros. So now he is left without any money, not even to buy a small bottle of milk!
“Even though he was a Greek Orthodox, he was reading the New Testament and he knew many portions by heart. His love for God was evident by every word he spoke! I am sure that this divine appointment was orchestrated by the Holy Spirit because Mr. Michalis knew about God, but not as a Father. He neither knew salvation by Grace. Later on he told me: “no one has ever spoken to me like this before”!
“Even his own priest didn’t have anything encouraging to say to him. We prayed together and he said Amen to every word I prayed for. Yesterday he called me on the phone, and I read with him from the Word of God and prayed with him. He told me that God’s Word brought “light” to his saddened heart. He will be calling me in a few days so we can read again from the Bible and pray.
Please pray for Mr. Michalis that the Lord will lift him up, provide for him and cover his needs, and that he will be a testimony of God’s grace in his neighborhood.
“… For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen…”
Romans 11:36
