Dear Partners:
Here is a brief account of the worship service at our recent outreach event in Poznan.
On Saturday, May 28, at the Mercure Hotel, Sweet Surrender Poznan hosted its fourth worship service. There was a great deal of anticipation of this service and we spent a lot of time praying for the outcome.
As the room began to fill before worship, we noticed there was a sense of warm fellowship. Hugs were given freely and the chatter of happy voices filled the space. This is something of a new phenomenon, and we are happy that our attendees are beginning to come together for worship with a sense of belonging.
As the choir led us in worship, there was a sense of connection.
Ev began to speak about the grace of God, and how forgiveness is available. Hearts began to respond; the video shows that response. A clip from the movie “the Passion” stirred our hearts as we sang “Amazing Grace.”
As the offering plates were passed, people were given a chance to respond. The prayer cards we got ranged from prayers for family to a need for faith. We were excited that anyone actually dared to turn in their slips at all, and so we have been praying fervently over these requests.
After the service I was asked to meet with a young lady. After our discussion she asked for another meeting. So on Wednesday night following the service one of our American volunteers, Paige Stines, and I met in the office at the coffee shop to talk with our friend Karolina. We prayed with her that evening, and she is now a new creation in Christ! Isn’t that just so great?
Please continue to pray for all of us here in Poland. While amazing things are happening, we are also experiencing a time of great warfare. The enemy is trying to discourage what God has begun, and we desperately need your prayers as we move forward. We like to focus on the power of God. We know He will help us overcome.
Thanks for your love and prayerful support and partnership of Poland. We cannot do this without you!
–Rhonda Tustin
As a follow up her new faith, here is how this young lady described it to all of her friends on Facebook the next day:
“Oh, my God, I’M BACK!! I GOT MY SOUL BACK!! I pray for people in the street again, I’m nice to people again! I feel overwhelmed but amazing at the same time, this is just incredible. You can’t imagine the relief I’m feeling right now…:))) THANK YOU!!!! I love you, guys! See you soon!”
Do our prayers and investments in our work in Poland pay off? Just that one testimony to new life in Christ is worth it all! Thank you again, Medford First Church, for sponsoring this outreach event. We hope to do many more of these in the coming months. There are so many more people we need to meet who would be this excited to find a personal relationship with Christ like this young woman.
Please continue to pray for our new Christians in Poland for the Spirit to strengthen them in their faith and for them to have the courage it takes to live a faithful life in Christ.
Here are some pictures to give you a little idea of our joy-filled evening.
Check out a short video of the service at:
Thank you for praying! Keep on praying but take some time to rejoice and give thanks for God’s goodness in the lives of our people!
Prayer Needs
Please join us in focused prayer for the Poland ministry!
*Continue to pray for the continued effectiveness of ministry outreach events and worship services.
*Continue to pray that God will make funds and locations available for outreach events.
*Pray for our Volunteers. They are a key to what God is doing through the coffee shops.
*Pray for our new Christians in Poland that they will be faithful and follow God’s plan for their lives.
*Pray for Katie’s new Bible study group in Krakow.
*Pray for future financial resources for outreach events and Krakow building payments.
*Pray for Work & Witness teams who are coming this summer.
Practical Suggestions to Support Poland Ministry
1. Pray that God will continue to pour out His Spirit on the ministry.
2. Sponsor an outreach event. (The cost is about $700.00 hundred dollars for each event.)
3. Join with others who have decided to give a specific amount to this ministry monthly. This would help the ministry know how to plan as they search for a more adequate worship location.
4. Reach out to prospective “Poland Partners” or others who would be interested in supporting this ministry.
5. Visit Poland by organizing or joining a Prayer/Vision or Work & Witness trip to see what’s happening for yourself!
Instructions for sending funds are found below, at the bottom of this blog page.