Decision-Making Time

Just wanted to thank all of you who have kept us in your prayers and who have been so great at providing for our needs. Andrew and I have been so humbled and led to praise at the generosity that has been shown. Thank you for coming behind us and believing in what we are doing here in Macedonia. We pray that the Lord would find us worthy to be used by Him.

Andrew and I are still uncertain about where the Lord would have us be next year, or even next month if we're being honest. Our time here is dwindling down. As hard as it is to believe, we have just over 5 weeks left! We are praying for direction and clarity with the decision that lies ahead. I just wanted to leave you with an update on where we are in our decision-making process with the hope that you'll continue to pray for us in this.

About a week ago we met with John and Sara Jakus to talk about where we were with our decision. The Jakus' came to Macedonia through Athletes in Action. Andrew met John in the fall AIA tour of '09 and was our connecting point to coming here. They have both played a major role in our time here. John asked us to read through a number of Scripture passages; things that the Lord highlighted in each of our hearts were discussed. John was very intentional about encouraging us and speaking words of life into us. We also talked about what it would look like if we returned to Macedonia next fall. IF Andrew was offered a spot on the ABA team, he would likely play off the bench in a 1 or 2 position. We'd likely receive a salary that would be enough to pay for our loans and cover flights, but would need to raise support to cover the rest. We won't know if a spot is available until May at the earliest. Andrew and I have been job searching since early February. We are looking into either temporary summer jobs or more permanent positions. A summer job would give us more freedom if we decided to come back to Macedonia next fall or if another basketball opportunity presented itself. Andrew is currently in communication with a basketball agent on the reality of him getting a position on a pro team. We're hoping this conversation provides further direction. We also have friends who are also in transition that we'd love to do ministry with, so we are being mindful of their plans as well. Right now there are too many variables to consider to make a decision. Our desire is to be obedient to whatever the Lord calls us. We are seeking the Lord with what exactly that is; please pray for us!          

Obedience

Hey! It's Andrew here. I want to share an experience with you to encourage you. The Lord prompted me to take the guys that I coach out for pizza about a month ago. I knew I wanted to do it, but kept putting it off. It ended up taking me a whole month to obey what Jesus' Spirit put inside me.

Fast forward to this past Monday, I finally took the team out for pizza after practice (a group of 9 young men ages 14 to 16). The Lord spurred my heart to share with them about my Jesus. I felt as if this time God would give me an opportunity to share. Towards the end of our time at Bonita (a pizza restaurant near the center of Strumica) I shared the story of the Good Samaritan using images that would be meaningful to them by substituting the man who got beat up with a Roma. Romas (also called Gypsies) are a minority population in Strumica that is looked down upon similar to the Samaritans. Some of the guys seemed concerned others maybe a little guilty. One guy replied that they want to help but can't because they can hardly help themselves. I considered addressing his statement, but thought that doing that would unnecessarily distract everyone.

I then told them about my journey with one of my teammates this year. I shared that this teammate does many things that make me think very poorly of him. I told them things I want to say to him and how I want to treat him, and then I explained what I should do with him. Luke 6 came to mind. It says that we should bless those who curse us and pray for those who mistreat us. Basically, do good even to our "enemies." 

I thought that this was the last story that I would tell, but a few of the guys wanted me to tell another story. The Lord brought to mind some experiences I had while playing for the AAU basketball team Martin Brothers. I played for this team as a young buck, 16 and 17 years old. It was a collection of some of the best basketball players in Iowa in our age division. We traveled all over the country and spent a lot of time together on the road. For almost the entire first summer I was on this team, I was thought of as kind of weird or at least a little different. I said that I was looked at this way because I would not do some activities my teammates were doing and I didn't talk about things that they talked about. By the end of that summer and into the second summer we were together, my teammates began asking me questions as to why I acted the way I did. The Lord produced so many opportunities for me to share about Jesus and his effect on my life. I then concluded by saying that 2 or 3 years later, when we were all in college, I found out that 2 of the guys had also become "weird." The boys got a laugh out of that, and realized that when I said "weird" it basically meant I was following Jesus and it just seemed weird to my teammates.

After that we all left and as I was walking home one of the boys waited and walked home with me (he lives near us). He shared that he goes to church and that he believes in Jesus. He is Catholic and said he has read through the whole Bible. I encouraged him and he said his pastor has used the same words that I used to encouraged him with. He shared that he gets made fun of sometimes because of what he believes. Pray for Flesh; that is his nickname.

Halee and I thought that I should share this. I pray that it might encourage you to be obedient. It is another example of the Lord's blessing when we step out in obedience. The amazing thing is that I wasn't obedient for a whole month. Despite that, God still used me.

Praise be to God, His son Jesus, and the Spirit that He has given us! To Him be the glory always and forever!

Much love

Coach Stimson

Andrew and Marcus started coaching a freshmen-aged boys basketball team in September. It has been a great opportunity to be a light for Christ as well as invest in the future of basketball in Strumica. Andrew is a fantastic coach; he sees the court really well, shows a lot of love to the guys, and I can tell they really respect him and Marcus. They have a really talented group with a winning record. Yesterday, they played at ABA and defeated a team that had previously beat them by a large margin. Such a good game to watch! They have an incredibly long season. It goes well into May; unfortunately, as things currently stand, neither Andrew nor Marcus will be able to see them to the end. We're hoping and praying that the time they get to spend with the guys creates a lasting impact for Christ.

Andrew and Marcus at his right coaching at an away game.

Ohrid with the Vegov's

Andrew and Dean (DEY-awn) met in late October when Andrew was trying to get on the Millenium division II team. Things ended up not working out for Andrew with Millenium, but he was able to recommend that Dean come and play for ABA. Since then, the two have become really close and Andrew has had a number of meaningful conversations with Dean. Dean's had a rough last few years, has a soft heart, and we are hopeful that he will come to know the Lord.

Dean invited us to his wife's home town, Ohrid, to spend the weekend celebrating her birthday and their anniversary. They have been living apart from each other since Dean joined ABA. An apartment hasn't been found for Dean, Renata and their son Victor to move into. It was a real treat for us to meet his family and spend a weekend in such a beautiful city with such wonderful people. Please be praying for Dean and his wife; that they'd discover the saving grace in Jesus Christ, and that we would show Christ to them.

Here are some pictures from the weekend!

Andrew and Dean

Feeding the birds!

An archaeological dig. A fortress encloses the old city,
which you can partly see high in the background.

Amphitheater; still in use.