We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints—and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us. 2 Corinthians 8:1-5
“An unexpected development happened when MB Foundation partnered with Mission Eurasia, which trains and equips Christian leaders throughout Eurasia. Sergey Rakhuba, Mission Eurasia’s president, agreed to help translate the devotional into Russian and recognized the value of its teachings in their ministry. Mission Eurasia soon began using it in 65 training locations throughout the 14 countries they serve.”
This comment from Mission Eurasia relates to the distribution of the Seven-Day Generosity Challenge by Jon Wiebe, my friend and fellow stewardship author and administrator at MB Foundation.
Just like the response of the Christians in Macedonia was unexpected, the response to the challenge to grow in the grace of giving was unexpected from God’s people in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Israel, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Mongolia, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.
I too have experienced this on this trip. You would never know a pandemic is raging. God fills the room each time with enthusiastic peopleand we’ve had not issues with Covid. See pictures on Facebook. If you want a copy of the trip report when I finish it in the next day or so before returning home, reply and I will send it to you.
Also unexpected was the beauty of the country. The header photo was taken from the Old Orhei Cave Monastery of the fruit trees, corn fields, and vineyards below. Stunning peaceful setting. I love Moldova and Ukraine. Beautiful scenery and even more beautiful people.
Today I deliver my last talk on “Nurturing Generosity and Sustainability: Four New Testament Insights for Global Application” at Odessa Theological Seminary. Pray with me for the unexpected. Receptive hearts to grow as stewards and to help ministries follow standards to flourish with sustainability. Thank you.