The team had no contacts and no one who spoke the native language, but on the plane the team leader, an accountant, met a bilingual businessman who needed help explaining accounting principles at a seminar. The leader spoke at the seminar and the team met with many business, government and educational leaders and handed out evangelistic materials. A Macedonian Project trip is adventurous, but not reckless. Team leaders receive 14 hours of training in evangelism, cross-cultural ministry, and health, safety and security issues, Stedman said. Special arrangements allow teams to depart early due to illness or physical danger.
Team leaders receive extensive training about their target area.
They discuss places where they can meet people who speak English, such as public parks, business centers and schools, and anticipate problems and how to deal with them. The strategy usually bears fruit, Stedman said. A team that visited a private school with no advance planning met with the headmaster, who invited them to speak at a student assembly about freedom and religion in the United States. They received an invitation to return and bring more speakers, he said. Success requires participating churches and ministries to make a long-term commitment to a region so that relationships can be maintained and a permanent Gospel witness established.