Using video games to share the gospel
If cross-cultural ministry was a video game, you could say that Engage Macedonia
took Andrew Bigos to the next level.
Andrew knows his goal for this game: Develop relationships within the cross-cultural gaming community in order to share Christ and make disciples.
He already passed Level 1: A short-term trip to Kenya, during which he felt God calling him to share the gospel with the unreached
In Level 2, Andrew lived in a missional community in Detroit and worked on a master’s degree in Spiritual Formation and Discipleship.
He racked up the points in Level 3, when he chose to serve with SEND — which pushed him on to Level 4: Choosing a field.
He thought Poland was Level 5, until he took a trip to a country he’d never even heard of …
Q. How did you spend your summer?
Q. How did you spend your summer?
I was one of five interns with Engage Macedonia. We worked with refugees, taught English, worked with a local church, did sports ministry, ran a children’s camp in a Muslim area, and learned Macedonian. And, on top of all that, we got to do our own kinds of ministry, too.
Q. What did you appreciate about Engage Macedonia?
Q. What did you appreciate about Engage Macedonia?
I liked that it wasn’t just “here’s your schedule” or “you’re completely free to do whatever you want.” It was kind of in between.
Q. When you could do whatever you wanted, what did you do?
Q. When you could do whatever you wanted, what did you do?
I went and found gamers and hung out with them. Macedonians are really open. They’ll talk about anything. We’d be having a normal conversation about gaming, and when they found out I was religious, the conversation would turn.
The missionaries encouraged us: Go out, talk to people, get their numbers. It’s not culturally weird. So we went to a juice bar, and the guy working there knew English from playing video games. So, I called him up, and we hung out a few times — including coffee at 11 p.m. He hits me with this question, right away: “So, how do I get an American girlfriend?” He told me his whole life story. I was able to tell him, “I can see you’re trying to fill your life with women, but you should fill your life with Jesus.” It was cool to be able to connect in that way, initially over games, but then getting into more personal areas.
Q. You’ve been on some other short-term trips. How was Engage Macedonia different?
The SEND Macedonia team was really into discipleship and building into you. I had a friend who went to Africa and had a cool missions experience, but the missionaries there just let him do his own thing while they did their own thing. I really liked having a mentor missionary come alongside me to disciple me through the experience. We got to grow together and learn together.
Q. You’ve been on some other short-term trips. How was Engage Macedonia different?
The SEND Macedonia team was really into discipleship and building into you. I had a friend who went to Africa and had a cool missions experience, but the missionaries there just let him do his own thing while they did their own thing. I really liked having a mentor missionary come alongside me to disciple me through the experience. We got to grow together and learn together.
There was spiritual training, but also really practical training. Like, how do you cook food when you can’t buy chicken nuggets from the store? And budgeting. And conflict resolution.
I’ve been telling everyone, if they want to do some program to actually understand missions, I think Engage Macedonia
works really well.
Q. What were your biggest takeaways from the summer?
Spiritually, you have to really rely on God because as soon as you step out your door, you’re pretty much useless because you don’t know much language. It’s like, “God, show me how to talk to the taxi driver.” It’s a full reliance on him, because you literally can’t do anything.
Also, people are important. The Macedonian culture really made that clear. If you see someone on the street you know, you go talk with them. If that makes you late for something else, that’s OK.
Before I did Engage Macedonia, I thought I’d serve in Poland, but I discovered that the Macedonian culture is a great fit for me. If someone wants to go to Macedonia, they need to be ready to be around people a lot of the time. There are other internship programs in SEND that might be a better fit for someone who is more reserved. But that’s how I recharge — I love being around people.
Additional Posts
Choosing a Missions Organization: Why SEND International Stands Out “Why should I be a missionary through SEND International?” Jenna, a new missionary in Eastern Europe, shared with us what she appreciates about working with SEND. The highlights for her are: - Devotion to prayer - Diligence in communication - Commitment to development - Intentionality in accountability Prayer “Back in September of 2022, the Lord reconnected me with SEND after I had met them a year prior at the Moody Bible Institute. However, before he would sign me up for anything, my Missions Coach encouraged me to pray. He said something to the effect of, "I know that you've been praying on your own for a long time. But as the Church, we are not called to walk alone. So, you and I won't talk for about a month unless you have questions. I want you to go pray with 5 or 6 others from your church about where God is calling you." That October, more than 10 friends prayed with me and we saw God answer as He directed me to Romania. From February 2024 to November 2025, I had the pleasure of being a part of team meetings in Romania with my SEND colleagues. Our meetings were four hours long, two for prayer and two for business. This has been the minimum for our team. There are also prayer meetings with the local churches we partner with, among smaller groups within our team, of course prayer with many of you across the pond, including those at our US office. The organization was built, has been sustained, and continues to run on prayer. This is my favorite thing about SEND. Communication As I mentioned above, we have a two hour block for business / ministry details in each of our meetings. This provides consistency across our team which works alongside three different churches and in a variety of ministries. It also helps us to communicate about the need for change or growth, alongside what is working well. In addition, my team director also meets with each of us, allowing us to communicate needs, considerations, and prayer requests. I've also enjoyed getting to work with SEND workers outside of my immediate region . We receive emails with the minutes from the Europe leadership team, Friday communications from our international director, and information regarding projects that affect our work among the unreached. In December of 2024, our international director at the time wrote a note to my parents for the first Christmas that I was gone. If nothing else had convinced my mom yet, this did. He took the time to care for me, but also to care well for the parents that were sending me (What it meant to my dad and mom for him to do this well has been one of the greatest ways I've been supported.). I also have some pretty wonderful regional directors. These people have prayed alongside us (while also serving in their own countries of service), they have taken time to come visit and encourage our team, and they have also taken the time to encourage the people in our churches. Development SEND has provided much in the area of development and care (spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally). At our regional conference (every three years), there have been medical check ups available, counseling options, and time for connecting with others on the field with similar experience. At our conference last October, I connected with a missionary who served overseas for many years, and is now serving on the administrative side of SEND. She has met with me since then for mentorship and has also invested much of her time recently in preparing a retreat for the singles across Europe. Accountability Over the years I have read and heard amazing stories of how God has worked through missionaries. God has done great things and great things He is still doing! However, people who have committed their lives to the Lord in this way are not “super Christians”. We are still humans with the same struggle against flesh that others have . A major challenge is in being isolated -- living in areas with little to no presence of other believers to sharpen them can cause many difficulties. SEND has been a great resource in this area too. Through my team, I have an accountability partner that I meet with monthly. When my regional director came to visit, he and his wife spent a day with me and asked intentional questions about how I lead, handle conflict, and how I am growing in general as a Christian. In addition, my teammates share their wisdom with me on a regular basis. These things and more have assured me that SEND International is a highly valuable organization and I'm excited to partner with them in service to, for, and with our great God! Interested in being sent by SEND?
Learn about the spiritual harmony in Vietnam & how missionaries engage with college students. Join us in sharing the gospel!
Explore Georgia's spiritual heritage and the impact of SEND International's mission. Join us in fostering authentic relationships today!
