About 120 children and helpers gathered for the annual Detski Sostanok (Vacation Bible School), from July 24 - 26. The children enjoyed Bible lessons, songs, games, crafts and snacks. The event ended with a festive worship service led by the children and held in our church in Murtino.

A group of five volunteers came from Mt Bethel United Methodist Church in Marietta, GA, from June 21 to 27. They helped with the Meals on Wheels program at the Miss Stone Center, where they helped prepare and pack the food, deliver it and wash dishes. One evening they spent with the children of the Strumica congregation, teaching English and playing games.

From June 12 to 20, four students and an instructor from Cliff College in England gave their time and talents to the UMC in Macedonia. Two students preached on Sunday in Strumica and the group sang with the youth from the church.

During the week the Cliff College students worked at the Miss Stone Center, helping to prepare the food, pack it and wash dishes. Each evening, the students worked with the children of a different congregation, presenting a Bible lessons, games, songs and a craft project. This was the fourth group of volunteers to come from Cliff College.

Pastor Kate Herring from Illinois visited from May 20 to 27. She walked between all five of our United Methodist Churches in the Strumica valley. For each kilometer she walked, Kate had pledges of support for a new In-Mission-Together partnership between our church in the village of Monospitovo and her home district of La Moine River. Kate visited Monospitovo in 2007 and taught English classes there.
 

Kate also spent a day helping with the Meals on Wheels program, packing food and washing dishes. She was a guest teacher at Saturday morning English classes and she preached on Sunday morning in Monospitovo. She participated in an inter-religious meeting and excursion to the Smolari waterfall.