More than an internship
My name is Bianca Olcoski, originally from southern Brazil, and a senior TESOL major (teaching English to speakers of other languages) at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. As a requirement to complete my studies at Moody, I had to have a cross-cultural experience in teaching oversees. My love for the Lord, the gospel, and for lost people drew me to Skopje, Macedonia, to put into practice what I have been learning at Moody and accomplish the requirements for my internship.
TESOL as a Tool
When I got accepted to study at Moody as a TESOL major, I envisioned using English as a tool to build relationships with students. During my internship with SEND International, I was not expecting anyone to get saved because it was such a short trip. But God is at work and is using ordinary people like me to proclaim the most beautiful story ever told: that God incarnate came to die on the cross to save sinners for the ultimate glory of the Father!
My internship consisted of teaching English in camps to kids and teenagers. At night we would have adult classes at Global Connections School. We got to meet a lot of people and share the gospel as we got to know them. We were not allowed to evangelize in the classroom, but we could outside of the classroom when we would spend time with them.
Fast Friends
The first day I met 22-year-old Ellen*, our personalities clicked! She had been to Portugal a few times and loves Portuguese! We had a lot of commonalities, which led to a friendship. We laughed together, we spent time together, and we also had serious spiritual conversations.
One of my goals for this trip was to see people as people and not as projects. I wanted to be genuinely interested in the people, not just to accomplish a task, but because they are people, created by God! I specifically prayed for the Spirit to lead me to share the gospel and for the right times to share. Honestly, not every time I spent with Ellen and others I shared the gospel; sometimes we just had a good time together. On the other hand, other times we would talk about God, Jesus, and the cross for hours. Such a paradox, but I feel it was very Spirit-guided.
I shared the gospel with Ellen several times while I was there, gave her a tract in her language, and I could see she was interested and wanted to know more. On my last day in Macedonia, Ellen and I went shopping for souvenirs. We were browsing when she said, “Oh Bia, that is Mother Teresa’s house. Do you want to go see it?” I agreed. I didn’t know Mother Teresa was originally from Skopje; I thought that was cool.
Not About What She Did
As we walked in, we read the signs of rewards Mother Teresa received for her “good deeds.” Then I thought to myself: “Lord, maybe this will be the last time I will share the gospel with this girl.”
Then I said, “Ellen, Mother Teresa did a lot of good things, didn’t she?”
“Yes, Bia, look at how much she did.”
I replied, “Ellen, if Mother Teresa did not believe in Jesus as her Savior and Lord, believe He died on the cross for her because she is a sinner and repent of her sins, it does not matter of all these things she did. Because it is not about what she did, it is about what HE DID!”
I could see her thinking and thinking. We went on and talked about the gospel one more time. I could see the Spirit was working in her.
A Personal Decision
That night was Bible Study and I invited her to come, as it would be my last night. She came and SEND missionary Brian Stout shared the gospel again. He broke us up into groups and she was in my group. There I asked questions to see if she really understood the gospel and then I asked if she was ready to make a decision for Christ. She agreed.
I put my arms around her shoulders and asked her if she wanted to pray with me. I also explained that the prayer itself doesn’t save her, but it is the way we talk to God. She replied: “Yes I want to pray. But I want to pray alone and in my language, because it is a personal decision.” I was amazed at her answer.
She then started praying the prayer from the tract and she made her decision for Christ. After she prayed, I hugged her and said: “You are now my sister in Christ!” We started to cry and she said: “It seems we were friends for so much longer!”
I have been following up with her since I got back from Macedonia to see how she is doing and also her sister, who is also a new believer. For again, she is a person, not a project.
I am glad I went there and was part of the most important decision of Ellen’s life. I thank SEND International for allowing me to go with them and represent God and SEND in Macedonia and work with excellence for Him, to share what Jesus did on the cross, through the power of the Holy Spirit, for the ultimately glory of the Father. Praise Him!
There are lots of opportunities to reach people for Christ in Macedonia. Click here to explore them.
*not her real name
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?
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