Mission Focus | North Macedonia / The Balkans
Missionaries | Jeff & Amy Williams Kyle & Jackie Kirkpatrick
North Macedonia / The Balkans
The Williamses and Kirkpatricks see the Lord working in the lives of people in North Macedonia.
The small, mountainous country of North Macedonia is nestled in the heart of the Balkans in Eastern Europe. The area is a beautiful, mountainous country.
People in the Balkans are friendly and happy to meet strangers. They drink Turkish coffee which is a thick strong brew that includes coffee grounds at the bottom of the cup. People who drink Turkish coffee leave half an inch of coffee in the bottom of the mug to avoid drinking the grounds.
Boys and girls in the Balkans enjoy playing soccer, basketball, and volleyball. Farmers in the Balkans are famous for growing delicious tomatoes and peppers.
Jeff and Amy Williams
Jeff and Amy Williams, have served in Macedonia for more than 15 years. The Williams family lives in the capital city of Skopje (SKOW-pee-uh). Some of their work consists of humanitarian projects, but they spend most of their time sharing the gospel and starting Bible studies. “My husband and I work together a fair amount to reach out to whole families through various ways,” Amy said. “We are with the people, and we love the people God has called us to.”
One way the Williamses have been able to meet tangible and spiritual needs at the same time is through a seed project. North Macedonia contains many villages throughout the country. At times, the family has been able to go door-to-door in these villages to pass out vegetable seed packages with an explanation of the parable of the sower. Besides providing food for villagers, this seed project opens the door for the Williamses and other IMB workers to meet people and share the gospel.
Kyle and Jackie Kirkpatrick
Kyle and Jackie Kirkpatrick, have served with the IMB in North Macedonia for more than 25 years. After many years of living in the capital, the Kirkpatricks relocated to a small town called Prilep (PREE-lep), where they have served for the past several years.
A practical way the Kirkpatricks also minister to people is through English as a second language classes to improve people’s job skills. They utilize volunteers for these classes or for connecting with local kindergartens to build playground equipment. Building a good reputation for helping the community has opened up doors as people become more open to hearing the good news of Jesus.
PRAYER REQUESTS
Pray for the Kirkpatricks, the Williamses, and the country of North Macedonia.
Lift up a combined effort with other Great Commission Christians to use an online platform for sharing the gospel and making disciples.
Pray God would strengthen and grow the churches in North Macedonia and establish new ones.
Pray for several people who have professed faith in Christ but are afraid to be baptized because of what others might think.
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