We all need Jesus. Not a groundbreaking statement for most of us, but a truth and reality that I was reminded of as myself, my wife, and 12 others got to spend 10 days in Macedonia to partner with the missionary team on the ground as they spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the Roma people. Our time in Skopje, Macedonia was short but oh so sweet.
My first reaction to visiting with the Roma people was this: “I’ve never seen people in more need of Jesus than the Roma”. But that thought led me to another question. How can I say that they needed Jesus more than I did? More than you do? We have been blessed because we have heard about the changing power of Jesus Christ. We have access to so many resources and material to help us grow in our faith. But we still need Jesus. In many ways, we are no different than the Roma. We all want a good life, we all want to do good things, we all want to stay away from the bad things, and WE ALL need Jesus.
I’ve been thinking a lot about my experiences and home visits that we made while we were in Skopje. Macedonia (a former Communist nation) is a newly formed Democratic country, so the people of Macedonia can now live freely. But even still, the city is desparate for Jesus. The missionary team is doing such a great work there, it is so so evident. The team has already built so many great relationships with Roma who have already given their heart and life to Jesus Christ. The college students from Skopje that translated for us during the week also are helping in a life-changing way. Without them, our home visits and bible studies would have been extremely difficult. God is using so many people in that city, and I believe with all my heart, there is so much He still wants to do. I’m extremely humbled that through our CentriKid Camps offering, we’ve been able to help fund and support the missionary team in Skopje, as well as other teams in various parts of Europe. I urge you to pray and ask the Lord what He would have you give this summer to help spread the message of Jesus Christ to the Roma people. Regardless if you’ll be attending CentriKid Camps this summer, please pray for Skopje team (Betty, Karen, Geoff, B.T., Eric, and Emily). Pray for them as they continue to impact that city with the message of Jesus. Pray that they will fight through the spiritual battles being fought there and that they can be encouraged everyday through reading God’s word, worshipping with God’s people, and remembering God’s love. You can visit my personal blog for videos and updates from our time in Eastern Europe.