Story number 1 for 3 Sep 2001

(Macedonia)–Our newscast begins today in the Balkans, where an uneasy lull in the fighting is more foreboding than encouraging. Despite the cease-fire and other negotiations, the hostilities are still lurking beneath the surface. At one point, the tensions were high enough for the Christian and Missionary Alliance to take action. C&MA’s Trent Thornton. “About two weeks ago, when the fighting was quite intense right around the city of Skopje, we were forced to withdraw personnel. Since then, we have given the green light for all personnel to return to Skopje and to Macedonia.” Thornton adds that the missionaries need support during this time as they work to forge a different kind of peace. “Pray that they will have an impact as they seek to do leadership development, and to plant churches in Macedonia. Our desire is to plant churches not only amongst ethnic Macedonians, but also amongst ethnic Albanians.”