When we went to North Macedonia, I knew from the beginning that this mission trip was going to be different.

 

Normally, when we go on a mission trip with Life With Christ, there is a pretty full schedule. We usually know where we are going, what we are doing, and what the plan is for each day. But this time was completely different.

 

Our contact in North Macedonia really didn’t have a big plan laid out for us. We had one main day that was scheduled, but other than that, there wasn’t this full itinerary. And honestly, I did not really know what to expect.

 

So I just kept praying that God would help me remain open. Open to whatever He wanted to do. Open to whoever He wanted us to meet. Open to the fact that ministry might look different than what I was used to.

 

And it definitely did.

 

On our way there, we ended up missing our connecting flight and had about a 12-hour delay in Vienna, Austria. We were tired, and that is not usually the part of a mission trip you get excited about. Nobody plans on missed flights and long delays.

 

But God was already at work.

 

Before the trip, Mandy had a vision of us sitting in the back of a church and praying. I’m not going to tell all the details of that, because you’ll have to read her testimony for that part, but that vision ended up being fulfilled in Vienna.

 

To me, that was one of those moments where God confirmed, “This is not an accident. You are supposed to be here.”

 

So even in the delay, God had purpose.

 

We were able to walk around the city a little bit, leave some cards telling people about Jesus, and even try some authentic Austrian food at a cafe. What felt like an interruption to our schedule was actually part of God’s plan.

 

When we finally got to Skopje, North Macedonia, one of the first things we did was walk down to the square. It is a big downtown area with shops, statues, restaurants, and people everywhere.

 

And we just walked around and prayed.

 

We prayed for the country. We prayed for the people. We prayed that God’s love and mercy would be evident in their lives. And we prayed that He would open up doors for us to make connections.

 

For me, prayer was a huge part of this mission trip. Honestly, probably more than any other trip I have ever been on. God really reminded me how important prayer is.

 

I did the devotion on the second day, but it was during that first day that God started reminding me that sometimes the work we see Him doing starts small. Sometimes it starts like a little seed.

 

We don’t always have to be yelling on street corners or doing something that looks big in order for God to be working. Sometimes a smile, a kind word, a prayer, or a simple conversation can make a difference in someone’s life.

 

And I really believe this trip was God opening doors for future work in North Macedonia.

 

Yes, the country was beautiful. The shops, the atmosphere, the food, and the people were all amazing. The people we met were warm and kind.

 

But the highlight of my trip was making a connection with a local couple from Shtip.

 

It seemed like Mandy and I connected with them almost immediately. It was almost like an instant friendship. And I don’t believe that was by accident. I believe it was a God-ordained connection.

 

I really believe God is going to use that relationship to further His work in North Macedonia.

 

It was also really cool and honestly amazing to see how much of this trip was about prayer and small connections. It wasn’t a mission trip where every minute was scheduled out. It wasn’t packed full of programs and events. But God was still working.

 

We got to see Chris make a connection with a local church leader, and there may even be an opportunity for teaching materials he designed to be translated into Macedonian. That is huge. That may not look flashy in the moment, but that kind of thing can keep ministering long after we are gone.

 

We also got to watch Connie and Kitty experience their first mission trip. It was awesome seeing them take in a new culture, sometimes amazed, sometimes in awe, and sometimes just shocked by how different things were. But that is part of missions too. God opens your eyes to people and places outside of what you know.

 

And for Mandy and me, I believe God used this trip to stir up a renewed call to missions.

 

I don’t know exactly what that is going to look like yet. I don’t know how God is going to work all of that out in our lives. But I do know this: God is good, and when He opens doors, we want to be willing to walk through them.

 

If I could ask people to pray for one thing, I would ask them to pray for the people of North Macedonia.

 

Pray that religion would be replaced by relationship.

 

And I don’t mean that in a harsh way. I mean that people would not just know about God, or have traditions connected to God, but that they would truly know Jesus personally.

 

I think that became the theme of the trip for me:

 

Relationship, not religion.

 

That is what we were praying for as we walked through the square. That is what we were hoping for in the conversations we had. And that is what I believe God wants to continue doing there.