Saturday, August 28, 2010

A weekend in Alberta, part 2 of 2

What a fruitful weekend! Dejan arrived back in the U.S. Monday evening, and the only bad news from the whole trip was that he lost his phone just prior to leaving...but even that has been found and is on it's way back. The LORD truly graced the entire trip. Even though we had no idea what kind of schedule he would have before he left, the LORD faithfully filled the days with divine appointments and blessing. Here's a re-cap with a couple of photos from Sunday.

Re-Cap
Thursday: arrive late and get to host apartment

Friday: a bit of time at the church (Rocky Mtn. Calvary Chapel) and lunch with the brother who edits the radio ministry programming of their pastor, Glenn Nudd. Afternoon and evening time preparing for Sunday's message and rest.

Saturday: drive out to ranch-type property donated to the church for fence-painting, landscaping work, etc. Fellowship with Pastor Glenn. More fellowship with our contact from Edmonton (answered prayer) who drove 3 hours specifically to meet with Dejan and also to help with the project.

Sunday Morning: outreach concert with Dennis Agajanian, both services. Dejan shared about 20 minutes each service. Three responses in the first service and 7 in the second--thank You, Lord Jesus, for saving souls!

Sunday P.M.: Barbecue/picnic for the worship ministry team at the overseer's home, meet for coffee with the church's only resident American to talk about visas, ministry in Canada, etc. then dinner at their home and more fellowship.

Monday: Opportunity to see the place we will live when we first arrive in Canada, in Calgary (where we will live for a few months before settling in Edmonton). Time to run a few quick errands and pack up to head home.

The Spirit and the Bride say, "Come!"
To give a bit more detail about Sunday morning, the concert fell on the same weekend as a Franklin Graham event in Calgary at which Dennis was playing. (The event will be in Edmonton this Saturday, Aug.28--learn more). The church youth were involved in that event Saturday and Sunday was the church's extension of the outreach through the concert. Both services were well-attended, the second near full. Dejan presented the Gospel and gave the response into the hands of the hearers. The call came when Dennis came up to close the service/concert and people responded. It was a true working together of the planters (people in the congregation who invited and brought others), waterers (Dennis and Dejan) and the LORD who gave the increase (1 Cor. 3). Though it is untypical for Canadians to give an "altar call" or to respond to one in a typical church service, it was an untypical event. What a blessing to witness hearts softening to receive salvation!

Thanks
Thanks to all of you who covered Dejan and this outreach and the weekend in prayer! It is a great encouragement to have further contact with the saints in Calgary and Edmonton as we anticipate our move there. We have long been convinced that this is God's call upon our lives at this time, but it is encouraging to have the moral support of the church in Calgary and to have had the open door to minister with and among them.

Please Pray
-for the discipleship of those who responded to the Gospel
-for our continued faith & patience as we wait on the Lord to raise our support
-for continued preparation of our hearts for the work in Edmonton
-for blessing of our fellowship and partnering with the church in Calgary, as they are working to help us logistically to get onto the Canadian mission field

Thanks be to God for all He has done and continues to do!!

Friday, August 20, 2010

A weekend in Alberta, part 1 of 2

Dejan is currently in Canada!

He flew to Calgary yesterday (Thursday, Aug. 19) and is staying over until next Monday. Rocky Mountain Calvary Chapel in Calgary is having an outreach concert during their Sunday services with Dennis Agajanian. Dejan will be speaking for about 20 minutes near the end of the concert at each service to present the Gospel to the unsaved family and guests of people in the fellowship there. What a blessed open door!

Today he is at the church building and will be going to lunch with the brother who edits the church's radio program. He will also try to get in touch with our contact in Edmonton whom we met in February during our visit, to see if they can meet sometime this weekend to fellowship and pray together.

Tomorrow, Dejan will be joining many of the staff as they do some landscaping work at the piece of land that the church owns. He will also prepare for Sunday morning.

We find this opportunity for Dejan to travel to Alberta a great encouragement. While we are raising support for our move it is a welcome foretaste of things to come!

If you will, PLEASE PRAY with us these next few days:

-for guidance, anointing and sensitivity to the Spirit
-for the drawing of souls to both services (by invitation of friends or curiosity)
-the Gospel to go out with power and to save, open, hearing hearts
-good fellowship with the saints in Calgary
-the ability to meet with people in Edmonton