To all of you we send New Year greetings. We wish you health and success, and the leadership, protection and blessing of God, greeting you with the watchword for the next year, in which Jesus encourages, saying:
"Do not let your hearts be troubled; believe in God and believe also in Me."
Rada Arslanova
Thursday, 31 December 2009 18:44
Yesterday (December 30, 2009) the newly renovated house of Rada Arslamova was officially handed over to her in Strumica. Reconstruction of the house was financed by the UnitedMethodistChurch and businessmen from Strumica. We want to give a brief history of how the idea of renovating the house of Mrs. Rada came about. For more than six years this family has been cared for daily with food from the kitchen of the MissStoneCenter. With daily visits to their home, we as a church came to know them and their other needs. The house in which they lived was in bad condition and the roof could at any moment have fallen.
Seventy-three year old Radmila Arslanova lives with her forty-two year old daughter Lena in a dilapidated house with a decaying roof that could fall at any moment from a strong storm or heavy snow. The room in which they live is unbelievable misery. They are not able to do anything about it for themselves.
The humanitarian outreach of the Church and the Miss Stone Center have cared for them for more than six years with food, clothing, firewood and other necessities. They need a place where that can live as human beings. We as a church together with the humanitarian outreach of the Church, "Diakonia Macedonia”, make this appeal to all humane and good people together to fix the little house, adding a bathroom as well as the necessary appliances needed for living, such as a stove and refrigerator, that they might at least feel a little the beauty of life. Winter is on the threshold. And the room in which they live is like living outside. The cost of renovating the little house and buying the most necessary appliances is 3500 Euros [about $5000]. Please send your donations to the account of the United Methodist Church with the designation "Rada - Macedonia." Thank you!
Today is Thanksgiving Day, a day of special gratefulness to God for all the blessings that we get from Him. Today in our congregations worship services are held, dedicated to gratitude to God, with the active participation of children and youth from the congregation. It is really wonderful when we leave everything in God’s hands, then we see that He gives us everything we need and that in abundance.
Through God's wondrous providence, during the crises that occurred in 2000, the unexpected idea for a camp for children with special need was born. Unexpected because our social services had other plans for such children; but as often happens, we plan but God wills.
During the course of the past ten years, with the support of HEKS, the Aid Organization of the Protestant Churches of Switzerland, we have been able to make it possible for these children at least to enjoy a little the beauties of God's creation.
Summer Camp 2009 - Salvation gives life - let’s live!
With God's help again this year we held our youth camp in Ohrid, from 3-9 August. Again we gathered the youth of our congregations in Macedonia. Overall we had forty-five youth, thirsty for celebration and building up in the Word of God.
The Ambassador of Switzerland visited "Miss Stone Center"
Saturday, 22 August 2009 17:24
On July 2nd, the Ambassador of Switzerland, Ms. Nicole Wyrsch, together with her associate Ms. Melani Gerber and Ms. Baerbel Hauser, visited the social outreach center “Miss Stone Center" of the United Methodist Church in Strumica.
Ms. Wyrsch was introduced to the work of the social outreach center, especially the project “Meals on Wheels,” for which she has shown a special interest.
With this project, 110 elderly, ill and socially disadvantaged persons are daily provided with food.
