A Story from My Mission Trip

On Sunday morning (11th), we attended the Protestant Congregational Church in Skopje, Macedonia; the service was in the Macedonian language. On Sunday evening (11th), we attended the Gypsy Church in a village outside Skopje; the service was in the Romany language. On Tuesday evening (13th), we attended the Protestant Church in Rahovek, Kosova; the service was in the Albanian language.

Each of these churches welcomed us with open arms; their hospitality was overwhelming. Even though I could not speak the language, I truly worshiped God with them. I do not merely watch them worship, but somehow I was able to join them in praise. I felt like apart of their community the moment I walked in. At each service, Patsy Jacobs preached, Pat Ham told a story, and we all sang some songs and performed a skit in the Macedonian language. When we sang “Great is Thy Faithfulness,” Joanna sang the third stanza, Rick sang the first and I sang the second. On Sunday morning, the congregation sang with me, so it was not really a solo. On Sunday evening, the congregation did not sing with me, so it was a solo.

A quarter way through the verse, I started to cry. I was heartbroken with myself because I was singing off key or badly. Here this church welcomed me gracefully, and I could not return the gesture with a good song. By half way, I could not sing at all as I was crying so much. Then a woman came forward and gave me a tissue (this would have never happened at most American Baptist churches that I have attend). Later, I learned that she was a prostitute. I never though that I would experience the love of God through the gesture of a prostitute in Eastern Europe.
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