Renewal of Sweet Surrender Gdansk!
When we need help . . .
When we need help . . .
You Pray!
God calls!
. . . and you listen — and come!
What an exciting week in Poland! Work and Witness teams from two different countries (a rare event!) joined together to serve the Lord’s work in Poland.
Team members from Nampa ID Fairview Church of the Nazarene arrived in Krakow the morning of July 2, a bit bleary from more than 20 hours of air travel. Aaron and Brittany Bolerjack of the Sweet Surrender ministry team met them at the airport and took them on the tram to the main train station, where they loaded their luggage, embarking on a 10-hour train ride to meet the other half of the group in Gdansk.
The Nazarene Work and Witness [WW] team from the British Isles had arrived the day before and spent the time doing prep work on the Sweet Surrender facility there.
The group totaled 20: 9 from Nampa, 6 from the British Isles, and 5 more from the Sweet Surrender ministry team. The combined group meshed together seamlessly.
They worked for five days: pulling weeds, planting shrubs, and laying weed barrier and lava rock to create an attractive “backyard” to the Sweet Surrender shop.
Meanwhile, inside the building they laid a fresh coat of paint to anything that stood still long enough to get a touch up.
Other work completed:
· New lighting strung to give the shop a brighter feel
· New artworks created and hung
- A children’s corner built and set up
- A new kitchen laid out and plumbed
As the Gdansk facility prepares to be re-opened in the fall with new ministry team personnel, we still have a few more touches, but we’re 75% of the way there.
On July 7 at 11:00 p.m. the WW teams boarded a sleep train headed for Krakow. They visited Auschwitz and Schindler’s Factory Museum and went on the Crazy Guides Communism Tour.
Early on Sunday morning, the weary crew from Nampa left Krakow by plane headed home.
At 11:00 a.m. that same day the UK group attended the church service at the Sweet Surrender in Krakow; it was a quiet gathering with roughly 20 in attendance. Rev. Bruce Lloyd from Sheffield Nazarene shared the message. At the conclusion there was time for some brief sharing about what the Lord was doing in the lives of those there. This share time led to some deeper discussions, which in turn led to one young schoolteacher from the Krakow church praying to ask Christ to become her Lord and Savior. Simultaneously, in another part of the coffee shop one member from UK team also asked Christ to come into his heart. The shop was aglow with the warmth of Jesus that day. Hours later, the UK contingent boarded their plane headed home, and the shop doors were closed.
Grace and peace,
Ev Tustin
Prayer Focus
Next up: the Spokane First WW team arrives Wednesday in Poznan. They will remodel the kitchen in the volunteer apartment as well as serve a meal to the homeless at Bread of Life and give the shop there a fresh coat of paint. Join us in prayer for their safe travel and effective ministry while in Poznan.
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 Volunteers as they raise funds to support their ministry in Poland.
*Pray for our new Christians in Poland that they will be faithful and follow God’s plan for their lives.
*Pray for future financial resources for outreach events and Krakow building payments.
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.
Instructions for sending funds are found below, at the bottom of this blog page.
