Macedonia part 2

It has been a crazy but good two weeks! Our schedule has been packed with stuff (which is funny, because Macedonian's as a whole are not big on time or schedules). We have been going to the preschool 4 days a week and teaching them English. We do things like ABC's, hokie-pokie, head-shoulders-knees-toes, and Old McDonald.  We go for about 40 minutes each morning. The kids are doing really great and Friday we are going to have a little program for the parents. We also sit and have coffee with the teachers after. Mandy, Ginna and Hannah have had some great conversations with them and started to build relationships with the teachers.

The team here has a coffee house we 'work' at 4 or 5 nights a week. Anyone can come in for free coffee. The name of the coffee house means "there is time", which is a really common phrase here. They have English classes, events every Friday, and just hang out. Please pray for the coffee house and the ministry they do there. Many people are hesitant to go into the coffee house because it is 'run by the Americans.' Pray that people in the community will be interested in the coffee house and the team here will be able to build more relationships.

This week, I got to go on an adventure to GREECE!!! Mandy, Ginna, Hannah and I got to go to Greece for the day on Monday. It took us about 4 hours to get there. We went into Thessaloniki and saw where they think Paul entered the city. it over looked the whole city and was BEAUTIFUL! We also went to starbucks, looked around in a book store, (I got two books. I'm such a nerd, I get excited about finding English books in Greece.) walked around the city, and then spent the rest of the day at the beach. It was amazing!!! The whole day was great!!!!

I'm sure it sounds like I'm not doing anything but I really am! :) I have been building relationships with people,  serving the team here, and most importantly, learning. God had really been working in my heart. One  of the biggest things God has been teaching me is, if something breaks my heart here, it should break at home too. There is a group of people called Romas. They go around begging for food or money. Often, they send their children to beg. This breaks my heart. But how often does my heart break for a homeless person in the States? There are few believers here, and the ones that are here are so hungry for the word and for encouragement. I want to sit all day with them and just be in God's word together. But at home, how often am I rushed to get my 'to-do list done that I forget to just sit with other believers. We have a friend here who is not a believer (many friends who are not, but one that stands out.) We were talking today about fasting in prayer for him, about 'warring'  for his soul. I have lots of friends at home that are lost. I pray for them, but do I fast for them? There is so much hurt and darkness here, but there is darkness at home too. God is really opening my eyes to the hurt here, and at home.
I am also encouraged by the amazing things God is going here. The believers here are so excited to be believers! God is opening doors and giving us daily opportunities to talk to people. I am truly amazed by what He is going here.