----- Original Message -----
From: Petrovski Samuil <samche@EUnet.yu>
To: Paul Arveson <bridges@his.com>
Sent: Monday, December 20, 1999 6:49 AM
Subject: Re: advice from a Christian brother
> Dear brothers and sisters, warm greetings from Belgrade,
> Yugoslavia.
>
> So many things happened since my last email than I don’t know where to
> start? but I will try?
>
> The elevator is finally fixed and working again. Praise God for
> that! After good media propaganda the City Council showed mercy and gave
> money for the repair of the elevator. Thanks a lot for your prayers, it
> wasn’t easy because we had to walk to 28th
> floor for almost a month?.
>
> I was in Sarajevo with 2 students (one is my younger brother Paris
> and the other is
> Jovo, a student from Montenegro) to obtain UK visas and we got it very
> easily. Also in
> Sarajevo, we visited Christians (Believers) and shared our testimonies
> at the church service. We were there with Students too. They just
> started work among students this
> year. We shared our experience in a way of encouragement and after three
> days we went to Serbian Sarajevo (Pale) to visit our sister Ceca who is
> a missionary there among the Serbs. Ceca became a believer in Belgrade
> while she was a student there. In the bus we witnessed to some students
> who are studying in Pale. I witnessed to Majda (student of Philosophy in
> Pale) and she wants to meet Ceca and read the word of God with her. Pray
> for Majda!
>
> We were in the UK for International Youth Gathering and the UK
> National Prayer Breakfast. Young leaders who follow Jesus Christ from 20
> European countries were present for the weekend. After that we were at
> the UK National Prayer Breakfast where my good friend from Croatia Hazim
> and I shared our experience of mutual reconciliation one year ago. In
> London we visited and met some friends who are praying for our country.
> Praise God for this trip!!!
>
> Two of our graduate students from Belgrade started to serve the
> compulsoryarmy service (everybody has to do it in Yugoslavia). Slavko
> went to Belgrade and Vuchko went to Sabac (100 km from Belgrade). Some
> of us went with Vuchko to Sabac that day to be with him until he had to
> go to military barracks. Please pray for these two brothers. It is not
> easy to be Christian in the army here. It is forbidden to read the Bible
> and to do religious propaganda (witnessing) in the Army . Pray that God
> will send them at least one brother with whom they can have fellowship.
>
> Two new student Bible groups started in Belgrade. Nesa and other
> contacts from the
> Bookfair are coming and they are now members of these Bible groups. God
> is opening doors for the preaching of the Good News in Serbia. After the
> bombing, in one church in Novi Sad about 100 new people became
> believers. Last Sunday in our church we had a full church.I was
> preaching on Acts 5, and when I finished I didn’t have a seat, I seat on
> the radiator. My mother brought two neighbors from our building;
> Alexandra(30) and Ljubica (53). Praise the Lord!!!
>
> Last time I mentioned our brother Attila and his son Sebastian
> (2,5) who had a head
> illness. Doctors operated on him on Wednesday, the operation was not
> successful and so they operated again on Friday. Atila is sleeping in
> the hospital to be near him and to
> help him (his son knows only Hungarian and the nurses can't speak it).
> Sebastian is OK
> for now. He started to talk, eat and smile again, but can't move his
> legs and arms too much.I was visiting him in the hospital these days and
> the state of our hospitals is terrible.There is a lack of medicine,
> sheets, towels, medical equipment. It's very dirty and the food is
> tasteless. Doctors and nurses don’t care too much for patients if they
> don’t receive money from them. Reason for this is the economic situation
> in the country and the war (if you know some Christian organizations
> that would be willing to help our
> hospitals, let me know). Anyway, pray for Sebastian and his health and
> Attila his father
> for the strength for every new day while he is sleeping in a hospital in
> a chair.
>
> My father and mother are doing well. He is still on Insulin. He
> sent greetings to you who are praying for him. Our family owns a small
> house in Skopje, which we want to
> exchange with one sister from Macedonia who owns a flat in Belgrade. I
> am going to Skopje this week to sign papers and finish administrative
> work for that. That’s a small flat in which Paris and I will leave.
> Finally I will have my own room and my peace. Please pray for this need
> as well!
>
> I am also involved in one project for reconciliation and that is a
> Christmas concert for Reconciliation and Peace in Balkans. Christians
> Choirs from Serbia, Kosovo, Albania and Macedonia will sing together on
> 7th January in Skopje Macedonia in the main hall in the city. The main
> purpose is promotion of Peace and Reconciliation by Jesus' birth and
> showing people that it's possible to have unity and love in spite of the
> terrible war, but only through Jesus from Nazareth. Also that will be a
> good occasion for Christians from Serbia to meet brothers and sisters
> from Kosovo, Macedonia and Albania. This could even be a good foundation
> for future work in reconciliation in our region.While I am in Macedonia
> I will talk about this project as well.Please pray for this concert,that
> new people will come to Christ by seeing us sing together.
>
> The situation in Serbia is like before. You still cant find milk,
> sugar, oil in our shops.The opposition ended demonstrations for now.
> There was a small problem between
> Yugoslav Army and Montenegrian police in Montenegro, but nothing serious
> happened. That was close. Pray that God will stop all the people who are
> trying to start a conflict in Montenegro. For now the situation is OK.
>
>
> May God bless you! Jude 2
>
> Love and Peace from Belgrade
> Samuel
>
> Praise GOD for:
>
> Good visits in Sarajevo and UK
> New people(believers) who are coming to the church and our student
> meetings
> New student groups
> Elevator is fixed
>
>
>
> Pray GOD for:
>
> Slavko and Vuchko (brothers in army)
> Nesa and other contacts from the book fair
> Saska and Ljubica (our neighbors)
> Sebastian and Attila
> My trip in Macedonia
> Christmas Concert in Skopje
> Majda and sister Ceca from Pale
>
>
>