TEN - December News: Open Doors, Faithful Partners
Christmas is not far away now, and we hope and pray you experience God's richest blessings, particularly during this time when we remember that Christ came and is still present by His Spirit. Thank you so much for supporting our work, and God bless you as we head into 2026.
Here's what's coming up in our December news:
-
God Makes Us the Answer - God works through us even when we don't realise.
-
Opposition and Open Doors - God builds up believers in Montenegro.
-
Wisdom and Discernment for Outreach - Pray for God's guidance in Sarajevo.
-
Wasteland or Rosegarden? - James Vaughton reflects on indigenous stories.
-
Thank You - We couldn't do this without you.
Banner Photo: Belgrade, Serbia
|
|
|
Zoltan Vegel is a pastor in Serbia, who leads Sombor Christian Fellowship with his wife, Tanja. Here is what Zoli shared with us:
|
|
|
Recently, Tanja and I visited a rehabilitation centre in Belgrade. The people who come to the rehab centre arrive with just the clothes they are wearing. Even though the centre can provide for other needs, they struggle to meet the need for clothes. So, they prayed and put their need before the Lord.
|
|
|
|
We decided to help and involve the whole church. So, people bought and donated things for the women and men at the centre. A few people also volunteered to write a Christmas card to each resident. They prayed and sought the Lord so that every message was specific to the person who received a card.
|
|
|
|
Our good friends overheard our plans as we spoke with the centre. They own a clothing outlet and decided to donate clothes. They were very generous. But we didn’t have the means to get everything to the centre. Our friends said that they needed to go to Belgrade, and so they took everything. They filled their vehicle to the top. Despite it adding roughly another 20 miles to their journey, they refused our offer to cover their fuel.
After our friends returned, I shared with the man the story of how God responded to the prayer of the rehab centre. I said, “You are actually part of God's answer to their prayer. God moved your heart!” The atmosphere totally changed, and the man was amazed and even more happy to be part of this story.
|
|
|
Opposition and Open Doors
|
|
|
Srdjan (first photo) and Ruth Vorotovic lead a church from their home in Kotor, Montenegro. The church has experienced a mixed reception to their outreaches, but God is still encouraging them. Here's what Srdjan and Ruth shared recently:
During October, we distributed tracts. In Bar, while we were with brother Bozidar, we had a couple of interesting encounters with two older people. One of them invited us for coffee and was open to hearing more about the Lord Jesus Christ. During one of the distributions in Kotor, two men started threatening and insulting us. One woman even wanted to call the police. At that moment, the Lord encouraged us through the verse, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for my Name’s sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
|
|
|
We thank God for opening a door to a Roma community in Herceg Novi. Brother Ljubo, who attends our fellowship introduced us to this community. The first time we went to visit was with the shoebox programme.
|
|
|
The family that organised the children informed Ljubo that we were welcome to share the word of God with them and also hold lessons for the children. The children were very attentive, engaged and answered the questions, which is very encouraging. We pray that the good work that the Lord has begun in this community will continue for His own glory.
|
|
|
|
Wisdom and Discernment for Outreach
|
|
|
TEN Partners, Tomislav and Lidija Dubotovic, of Sarajevo Baptist Church in Bosnia and Herzegovina, recently sent us a report to share news of their work locally and nationally. Here is a key snippet:
|
|
|
We are getting ready for WinterHelp and Harvest for the Hungry [distributions], as the needs are great here, now that the cold weather has arrived. We pray for wisdom and God’s leading as we choose families and individuals to whom we will help and share Christ and His love.
|
|
|
|
Thank you for supporting Harvest for the Hungry and WinterHelp. Your gifts mean so much, and they add precious, practical, and much-needed value to our partners' gospel outreaches. Pray with Sarajevo Baptist Church for God's leading as the believers reach out to people with God's love.
|
|
|
We are delighted that James Vaughton, our CEO, has recently been able to write an article for online journal, Vista. The article is called, What's The Story? Wasteland or Rosegarden? As James reflects on 'the indigenous story', he writes:
|
|
|
The last seven years serving as CEO at TEN has given me the privilege of time with people to listen to their stories. Such experiences have shaped my perspective on how we work alongside indigenous leaders in this often-forgotten corner of Europe.
In this article, with a focus on the Balkans and the help of a T.S. Eliot poem, I want to propose that mission among indigenous people must operate within the story of the people and place concerned, as well as the resurrected Messiah story we profess.
|
|
|
|
To read the full article, click the button below.
|
|
 |
|
Thank You and Happy Christmas! |
|
|
Thank you so much for your support. We hope you have been encouraged and spurred on by what you have read. You really make a difference.
Have a wonderful Christmas and a blessed New Year!
The TEN team.
|
|
|