“Loving Serbia is simply loving People”
The Value of You
“To understand your value before God is to understand the value of Christ, who gave absolutely everything for YOU!”
Transformed To His Way
The element of missions that is irreplaceable is you. No matter how much you try to remove yourself from the reality of God’s will, you remain part of it, a recipient of it, and a vital piece of it! The “you” element is the very thing that makes missions so precious in the purpose of God. Many try to frame ministry around what others do or are doing for others but without a receptive, humble, obedient you there is no ministry. God calls personally to personally minister first to you, so that He then can minister personally to others through you. When a movement of God works in a country it is a movement intended for YOU to partake in it, when a person is open to receive the glorious gospel of Christ it is an opportunity for YOU to see Christ’s heart revealed, When a world is in one accord crying out and groaning for a Savior it is a call for YOU to embrace God’s grace and labor furiously in seeking and saving the lost. Missions is personal, the walk with God is personal, growth in Christ and faith is personal. To understand your value before God is to understand the value of Christ, who gave absolutely everything for YOU! Loving Serbia is simply loving people because we know the true value of a soul. Heaven went bankrupt for you, do not err in underestimating your part in God’s divine purpose! Partake, pray, give, and grow. The world not only needs you it needs Christ in you the hope of glory. Allow Christ to reveal your true value and in precious holy faith BE the new creation Christ has made you to be!
— May in Review —
Rae and I had the reins for a couple weeks as Pastor Tomas and family enjoyed a time away in Czech to fulfill some practical needs. We had beautiful times of visitation and utilized the time to deepen newly forged friendships!
Summer Plans Set!
Looking forward, the team has found some candidates for Church Camp/conference and is preparing for teams to come through Serbia and take part in evangelism, Bible college, and Kidszone ministry. The Summer is going to be a busy season for us as the opportunities stretch personal capacities and finances to their limits but God is the finisher of it all. Please keep the team in prayer as we prepare for a fruitful season!
VISA!
Thank you for all the prayers in these last 3 months as we have been undergoing the process to get a visa for staying in Serbia. After a long wait since March of this year, we have finally been approved to continue and hopefully obtain our papers this week!
Language learning in Another land
Learning a Slavic language with the Cyrillic alphabet is very challenging and in a country that does not have many available resources to learn, the journey is proving to be a difficult one. Nonetheless many speak our tongue and many within the circle of people God has added to our life have been essential help in learning Serbian. The language is proving to be elusive but it is not impossible. We pray often that God would give us understanding of its rhythm and intricate workings. Without using large words to describe it(since there are words that describe types of languages) I will just note here that with each word there are many variations, cases, and forms of that word depending on usage. With this, every sentence and phrase is unique, all components of the sentence change by usage and context. It is a different way of thinking and our journey of learning has revealed the way the culture as a whole thinks and acts. Like their language, Serbians do not seem to have an established ebb and flow, they are avid storytellers and religious historians. A conversation with any Serb thus far has proved to be a warm one with long descriptive tales, testimonies, and well-articulated opinions on matters. You can talk to a Serb about anything and can disagree without having any dire dispute which is so great in evangelism. It has been a gift to be learning such a different way of life and language, please continue to keep our un-initiated tongues in your prayers!
“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”
– Winston Churchill
Our Vision and Prayer according to The Great Commission:
“All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore(Reach), and teach(Teach) all nations, baptizing(Immerse Them in Christ’s Truth) them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all(Challenge their capacity) things whatsoever I have commanded you:(Engage their faith in Biblical Responsibility) and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world (See Them faithfully kept by God’s Grace). Amen.”
Matt 28:18-20
Please pray as we believe God to:
- Reach: Evangelism to the Lost
- Teach: Biblical Study and Training in the Word of God
- Immerse others in Christ’s Truth: Fitting into the fellowship of the Church, discovering their Identity in Christ, and Observing the Ordinances
- Challenge their capacity: Biblical Discipleship and Biblical Accountability
- Engage their faith in Biblical Responsibility through His Ability: Opportunity and Leadership Development in the Church
- See Them faithfully kept by His Grace: Faithful Feeding and Fruitfulness in their Lives
Transformed To His Way 