Lyn, Susan, and Melanie reflect on their August ministry journey in Greece and Bulgaria. Read their stories below.
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By Lyn Kern
On August 10, I made my 12th visit over to the Balkans to join Vula at the ministry center in Litochoro, Greece. The weather was hotter than normal, but always warm and inviting. The joy of the Lord is felt every morning as we read a devotional and prayed for the day.
Five days after I arrived, we were joined by Susan Timm and her niece Melanie Couch.
Our first opportunity to serve was at the Ukrainian refugee center in Katerini. We unpacked many boxes of clothes and got them organized by gender in preparation for donations.
August is a month of vacation in the Balkans so not everything is open, but there was sufficient work to do around the ministry center.
We took a trip to Bulgaria and visited Yastrebovo and the minister of the area Gopi and his wife and music minister Reni. We attended Sunday service with the people of the village. It is so rewarding to see the joy on the faces of the adults and children as they are able to worship in a church through the donations and the generosity of the people connected to the Macedonian Outreach. In Pamukchii we were able to attend Saturday service with the people of the area and see the eight new houses that are waiting for electricity. There is much red tape, but we pray that soon the houses will be completed and the families will be able to move in. It is the prayer on our hearts. With Gopi and Reni we drove to Pazardjik, where back in 2003 Vula led a group of 24 CPCers on our first mission trip where we experienced the poverty and yet joy of the Roma people of Bulgaria. This time we visited with Christina, the secretary and coordinator for the Pazardjik area.
God has surely blessed this ministry and its tireless leader, Vula, with His joy and energy!
Lyn
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By Susan Timm
This is a trip that I’ve been preparing for, for three years. Three years ago a small group of us were all prepared to go to Macedonian Outreach to learn about and serve the needs of refugees and be of service to the ministry. Due to circumstances beyond our control the trip was cancelled two weeks before we left. This year an opportunity came up and I asked my niece Melanie to come with me.
It was such a pleasure to travel with her. She was a trooper being with 3 older women for 2 weeks that moved slower and were less adventurous/energetic than herself. We did small projects around the ministry center, visited shut-ins and other ministry partners in Greece, we hosted a BBQ for ministry partners and their families from North Macedonia (you will read more about that by Melanie) and then visited Bulgaria for four days.
In Bulgaria we helped celebrate the 16th year of the church being recognized by the government! A very big deal since without their approval the church could shut them down. We visited a home for kids that are physically and mentally impaired. This was tough to see but their pure joy for life and seeing visitors was amazing to see. God truly knows and loves these 22 kids. The next day we helped Reni and Vula hold a special women’s service for the Roma women in a village where many live in chicken coops while their new home sits empty waiting on contractors to hook up electricity. The Roma people are considered less than 2nd class citizens, so their homes have sat empty for two years. But despite this they are proud, joyful people that blessed us with homemade treats and hugs and appreciation!
There are so many more stories and memories, like swimming in the very salty Aegean Sea, walks around Greece and Mt. Olympus and we discovered I graduated high school with Vula’s son! But all that has to wait for another time. Until next time…I will pray for the Macedonian Outreach and the work God is doing in and through the people.
Susan
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By Melanie Couch
One of my top memories while we were in Greece was while we were staying at Vula’s, there was another family staying in the other house on the MO property. We had a big barbecue one night and were able to meet the other family. They have a daughter my age and we instantly connected and talked the rest of the night. The family also invited me to go to the beach with them the next day and I said yes! I was nervous because while they knew English and could speak it, they mostly spoke Macedonian. We were able to compare our lives in America and North Macedonia and find out we have so much in common. We also learned the differences in our churches at home. I was very blessed to have this opportunity to meet a new friend and family. They were extremely welcoming and it made me feel so good.
My time in Bulgaria was also very memorable. One of the days in particular will stick with me forever. It was Saturday evening when we visited the families living in the chicken coops and we brought them food packages. After that we went to their church and the women and children were there for worship, then I went out and played with the kids. At first I was worried that it was going to be hard to play games since we didn’t speak the same language. After showing them what to, it was as if the language barrier didn’t matter at all. I was able to be creative and have fun with these kids while the older women were in church. I was thanked by some of the parents for making their kids feel welcome and including them in activities.
Melanie
We started our trip at a refugee care center in Thessaloniki, Greece. That’s where I met a boy in the kids’ area. He only spoke Arabic, but we still managed to do a word search puzzle together. It was cool how we didn’t need to speak the same language to understand each other. But then he had to leave. Before he left, he told me he lived about three hours away in an apartment. I said goodbye, even though I wished we had more time.
After that, my family and I traveled to Bulgaria. We visited one of the churches there and after worship all the kids went outside. We played soccer together and even though I didn’t know their language it didn’t matter—soccer kind of works like a language all its own. When it was time to leave, I said goodbye to them too. I noticed their homes were really run down and I’m not sure I’d even call them houses. It made me really thankful that Macedonian Outreach had helped build some better ones nearby.
Then we headed to Skopje, the capital of North Macedonia. The city looked pretty nice, but once we drove outside of it everything changed. We visited a community where people were living in what was basically a landfill. I could barely believe it. There were stray animals everywhere, and flies constantly buzzing around. It was hard to believe that kids actually lived there. Still, even in a place like that the kids smiled. We played soccer again, and later I found out a lot of them had phones and even played Brawl Stars—one of my favorite games. That really surprised me. Even though they didn’t have much they still found ways to have fun like any other kid.
After that, we went back to our hotel to get ready for the long trip home to California. Looking back, this trip was really fun and kind of eye-opening. I saw how different life can be for kids in other parts of the world. I hope that me and my family were able to bring a little bit of hope and joy to the people we met. I definitely feel like I’ve learned a lot. And, I’m really thankful for everything I have.
Judah Malakoff, Age 11
I love Matthew 25:35–36, where Jesus says, “For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger and you invited Me in; I needed clothes and you clothed Me; I was sick and you looked after Me; I was in prison and you came to visit Me.”
Our time with Macedonian Outreach is testimony to responding to this calling to serve the least of these.
We began our journey with a visit to a ministry center in Thessaloniki that provides clothing, food, and hot meals to refugees from wherever they come: Ukraine, the Sudan, Syria. The center provides a safe place where people can tell their story. Most importantly, the gospel is presented, both verbally and non-verbally, through the love shown by the volunteers. The Jesus Film and The Chosen are streamed on the TV.
On Sunday, we attended a church service put on by Voice of the Martyrs where pastors gathered from all over the world for a pastors’ conference. We met several American ministry partners as well as pastors from other countries.
A few days later, we went to Skopje, North Macedonia. Macedonian Outreach’s ministry partners Pavle and Suzan, who serve families in Skopje, organized a VBS for children from extremely poor families of the community. We did crafts, and played games. Linda Fore gave a wonderful telling of the Good News of the gospel, telling them of Jesus as our Rescuer, then using a demonstration of building one’s house on rock as opposed to building on sand. She very creatively used houses made of popsicle sticks on both a flat rock and another built on sand, then creatively used a spray bottle to mimic a storm coming. The children were captivated. At the end, Linda prayed a prayer of an open invitation for the children to give their life to Christ.
Shortly thereafter, we had the privilege of going to Bulgaria where we met ministry partners Gopi and Reni. They serve the Roma/Gypsy population in Yastrebovo and Pamukchii. Gopi grew up in the village and is now the pastor of the local village church. Vula has known him since he was a young man. Gopi and Reni have dedicated their lives to the village, meeting the needs of the villagers. When we arrived, we witnessed first hand the excitement by the villagers as our very own Vula was spotted. There were hugs all around from young adults who have known Vula since their childhood years. We went into the first village grocery store which was opened through Gopi’s guidance. We saw the new homes that were a dream of Macedonian Outreach twenty years ago to provide homes, running water and electricity for the first time for people who were once living in chicken coops. There are many more in need, but to see the happy faces of those who were beaming with love and appreciation was a sight to behold. Macedonian Outreach helped build the church building where Gopi preaches. We had a chance to offer VBS to those children, along with giving short testimonies. We met many mamas, fathers and grandmas with plenty of little ones. We met many who are in-firmed and elderly. For having so little, the Roma people are very generous with their love and hugs (and cookies).
My husband and I were invited to give our own personal testimony of the loss of our children. Many of the mamas and grandmas wept openly and told us their own stories of loss. Grief and loss know no boundaries. We are all on an equal playing field. It was a profound moment of connection. We had the chance to pray alongside a couple whose child is ill.
This is just a short synopsis of our experience with Macedonian Outreach. There is a quote from the Talmud that states, “He who saves one life saves the world entire.” Many generations are being raised up to go to school, to become self-sufficient, and to provide for their families. More importantly, many generations are hearing the gospel and following Christ. To see hands raised in worship by the Roma people during the service was amazing. We witnessed with our own eyes and touched with our own hands the gift of giving a cup of cold water in Jesus’ name. Always in Jesus’ name.
Janie and Mike Sheedy
June, 2025
Our time in Greece has been amazing. One of our most favorite trips was to North Macedonia. Arriving at the School/Church in Skopje, we met Sokrat, Lena, and Christina. Lena and Christina showed us around the school while Sokrat went to get the children. We were surprised to see that the school curriculum was the same that you would see in a US classroom. Learning numbers, days of the week, the weather, and the alphabet. Shortly thereafter, the two vans pulled up loaded with excited children. Every child was happy to be there and greeted us with huge smiles, fist bumps, hugs, and high fives. They were seated in the classroom and Christina and Lena had the arduous task of quieting the children down for the morning lesson. They joyfully sang their songs and even though it was in Macedonian, we recognized the songs – especially the song “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes” which they performed enthusiastically. After the lesson, we opened up the bags and handed out the beautiful red stockings decorated with love by the NCL (National Charity League). Each child joyfully pulled out all the treasures – putting on the hats and gloves, and playing with the toys. They enjoyed pizza and soda. Afterwards, we all went to the ghetto to see where the children live. Our hearts were heavy to see what difficult circumstances they live in on a daily basis. Our eyes and hearts were opened in ways we did not expect. The children, with so little, found resilience and hope that surpasses all understanding.
Their needs are great, but our God is greater, and in the depth of their poverty they still find joy and hope because “the Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18)
Our prayers are with the children and families of North Macedonia.
– Cindy, Diane, Janet & Linda
Some of the children of the ghetto in Saraj, Skopje, N. Macedonia
The fun is beginning!
Three little adorable friends!
In their neighborhood!
Our new little friend!
Love in the Balkans
From Yastrebovo to Pamukchii
Skopje, Litochoro and Thessaloniki too.
We wandered with wonder, each step a new grace,
Each village and city a sacred place.
In quiet corners and crowded squares,
We met hearts that carry heaven’s prayers—
Gopi with wisdom, Reni with song,
Pantelis and Kristina, steadfast and strong.
Vlado and Benny, with kindness to give,
Pavle and Sokrat show what it means to live.
At the church in Thessaloniki, bold and bright,
Pastors gathered, beacons of light.
Their love is not loud, but steady and deep,
They comfort the broken, the lost, and the weak.
In every embrace, every tear that they dried,
The love of Jesus could not be denied.
Macedonian Outreach, with hands open wide,
Walks where the wounded and weary reside.
These saints press on through hardship and trial,
Their joy and their faith stretching mile after mile.
Thank you, dear Vula, for opening the door,
To stories and souls we’ll cherish evermore.
For the feast of your welcome, the warmth of your care,
For showing us Jesus was already there.
So we leave with hearts both full and stirred,
By lives that have preached without saying a word.
In the Balkans, we saw what the gospel can be—
Love poured out for “the least of these.”
Written by Glenn, Lisa & A.I.