Looking at this past year has been very unusual, but God has been good through it all. We have many things to be grateful for. A Mexican couple that came to help us here in Poland (and were a big help!) left in February of this year and returned to Mexico. It was good that they left when they did because after they left Poland, the borders closed, and travel became more difficult.
We had asked for permission from the Polish government to allow the Mexican couple to come and stay in Poland as volunteers to help our foundation, which we established years ago. The border guards started calling and asking questions about our foundation and what we do. They also sent the police to our church to ask us some questions and to see where we existed. Pray for the government to be favorable to us and our foundation so that we can have others come and help in the harvest fields here in Poland. There is much work to be done, but the laborers are few.
In August of this year, my wife and I got to attend a special occasion for Jolie’s parents. Her parents celebrated their 49th wedding anniversary, and we got to be there and see most of Jolie’s brothers and sisters. It was some much-needed family time!
When we returned to Poland, there were new restrictions about holding meetings. We were only allowed to have one person per 15 square meters of space in the building. Our building is not so large; and, therefore, we could have about eight people in a meeting, plus my wife and me. This has encouraged a new ministry of online services, and we have many views for our online services, including Polish and English speakers.
Please pray for my insurance salesman and his wife. I have witnessed to them and invited them to church on many occasions. The man’s name is Kamil, and his wife’s name is Dorota. The Lord gave us a new young lady to attend our church. She got baptized in our church a few weeks ago. She is from Ukraine, but she lives in Poland now. This young lady has jumped right in and is a great help and blessing to our church. She has a business selling dried flower arrangements, and she offered to help decorate the church. She made a beautiful Christmas wreath for our church this year. It is wonderful to have people who want to serve and do it willingly. Please pray for her husband Roman to be saved; he is an atheist.
We are hanging in there because it’s very tough, with the lockdown here in Poland, to do our usual ministry work. People have fears of the virus and want limited contact with others. One Polish lady in our church was planning to visit her parents for New Year’s, but her mother told her not to come until she (her mother) could get the COVID vaccine, because her mother is about 70 years old. Older people especially are made to feel fearful.
We have a plan to start a ladies’ meeting, which will be held once a month. Pray for Jolie as she organizes and teaches the ladies. Pray that this would help and encourage the women; pray that more women would come and join our church.
This year we had a guest for the Christmas holidays, a young man from Nepal who works here in Poland. He is a believer and loves the Lord and our church. He stayed at our home for a few days and helped us with our church meetings on Thursday and Sunday. Our church had a special Christmas Eve dinner on Thursday evening, December 24. We also gave out gifts to everyone and toys to the children who attend our church. Then on Sunday, the 26th, we had dinner after the church service, and we ate spaghetti and pizza. Everyone was happy to meet together and fellowship after the unusual year we have experienced.
Thank you for your faithfulness and encouragement to us through your prayers, notes, cards, and giving. MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!
More than conquerors,
Paul & Jolie Sock
