- Missions
A North Macedonian church hung gold, silver and black balloons and set up a first-class party hours before teens with disabilities arrived to smile, take selfies and dance with joy.
In this country, people with disabilities and their families typically suffer shame. But this year’s Night to Shine prom in Resen welcomed teenagers and their parents onto the red carpet of God’s love.
“It felt like we were in heaven for a moment,” said Daniela Neloska, the mother of a boy with autism. “We experienced a royal treatment, and my son felt like a king.”
That divine gift came through believers’ prayers and generosity, which empower the service of Converge global workers Andrew and Irida Morisseau.
“We have seen the community here transform,” Andrew Morisseau said.
That new life for formerly ashamed families came as they trusted the global workers and the church the Morisseaus started in nearby Struga. Life Church offers worship on Sundays and utilizes the building as a community center to serve its neighbors at other times.
Related: Learn more about the Morisseaus’ ministry (video)
This party brings people together
Widespread tension often exists among their neighbors who are Macedonians, Albanians, Turks and Romas. These people rarely go to the same place in peace.
But those four groups, plus guests from the deaf and blind communities, joyously attended Night to Shine, sponsored by a Tim Tebow Foundation grant.
“If Jesus would have been to Macedonia, this would have been the kind of party he would have attended,” Andrew Morisseau said. “What a reconciliation.”
North Macedonia has very few believers
The Morisseaus first arrived in Struga in 2017 to serve Albanians in North Macedonia. These people live with little knowledge of Christ and few believers among their native population.
Andrew and Irida saw the spiritual need, so they embraced the hard mission of asking God for a gospel movement among this least-reached people group. They also serve children and lead worship at Life Center in Struga. Recently, they began mentoring church planters starting a congregation in Resen, where Night to Shine happened.
The Morisseaus hope the new Resen church will host Night to Shine next year so the gospel work continues to multiply in the nation of two million people.
“We pray that they might see a lot of fruit,” he said.
Weeks have passed since this year’s Night to Shine. But Neloska said her son still tells everyone about his time at the prom. He also constantly looks at pictures from that night.
“I have never seen him happier,” Neloska said.
Converge is asking God for a gospel movement among every least-reached people group – in our generation. Learn how we are playing a role in accomplishing the Great Commission and how you can be involved.
