Current Project!

Current Project!

First, we want to say thank you for all of your prayers and
financial support for our survey trip to the former
Yugoslavia. The trip was a success and accomplished
exactly what we set out to achieve. It was a little stressful
and there were lot of things to learn and people to meet in
a short period of time. We want to tell you all about it!

In all, we travelled 9584 miles by air, bus, car and on foot.
We stayed in six different homes, visited five teams, and
three countries. We witnessed teams ministering to
Muslims, Serbs, and Croats, as well as one team working
on translation and training. The trip was a major blessing
for us and meeting our future "family" was like icing on
the cake. The great news is that the people were very
welcoming and we instantly connected with many of the
Lord's workers who are already there. Also, it was a
unique experience to see how God is already moving in
that part of the world and see the fruit that is being
produced. The believers are encouraged that God will
heal their land and a revival movement will overcome the
hate that has permeated their culture for centuries.

Our Survey Trip...

Issue 1 May 27th 2007
We wanted to take some time and let you know how our trip has been going so far!
We are currently in a city called Slavonski Brod and are learning more about the
Croat people group. We have learned and experienced a great deal since arriving in
this beautiful country and God has really begun opening our hearts toward these
people. We now know that leaving the former Yugoslavia will be the most difficult
part of this entire experience..
It began on a hot muggy Monday afternoon just a week after I had a kidney stone
removed. It finally hit us that we were really leaving our comfy western life and
culture and heading for a third-world country where the people are as hard as can be.
Our friends really came through for us in this experience. We had several offers for
rides to the airport, cat feeding, and house watching. In the end, Jason & Lauren
were able to arrange free parking for us right near the front door of the airport! Our
flight to DC left on time and we even landed a few minutes early. When we boarded
the next flight (the big one) we realized that we weren't booked in seats together.
This was discouraging for both of us since the flight is almost 9 hours long.
Thankfully, we were able to switch and sit together....
Upon arriving at our next stop, we decided to have something to snack on since we
had flown all night and were only able to get a few hours of sleep. We sat down in a
cafe for juice and breakfast at around 8:30 local time to the strong smell of
cigarrettes and beer. Folks all around us were smoking it up and guzzling beer; slight
change from Columbia, South Carolina.
When we finally arrived in Sarajevo, our plane stopped in the middle of the taxi area
and opened the door. We would get off the plane and walk the 200 yards to the
terminal. This would normally not be a major problem except that it began pouring
just before our turn to get off the plane. Needless to say, we were soaked, and our
bags were drenched. All in all, we made it safe and sound without a major incident.
Most of our bags, though soaked, survived as well. One of our bags had a mysterious
tear down the middle. Our friends picked us up and we proceeded to their home and
were finally able to get some sleep. We were awake for approximately 34 hours
before hitting the hay.
We spent the next day working on a local project with a team from a different
organization in Kakanj. There were volunteers from all of the local teams. Our group
was composed of Americans, Bosnians, Serbs, Brasilians, Ukrainians, and a
gentleman from India. We were able to distribute over 500 of the newly translated
New Testaments that we had just received. This was an eye-opening experience for
all. We were blessed to see that some people were happy to receive them and
welcomed us in this mostly Muslim area. Other people, however, were not as
thrilled. Our hearts broke when we saw some doors with padlocks on them. When
we knocked on these doors the women would answer and say that they don't have the
key. You see, it is a common custom for some Muslim men to lock their wives in at
home when they leave. This was a startling reality for us to face.
Next, we were able to spend the night and have some fellowship time with our
friends from the same organization that we met in the states. It was another
wonderful encounter. We were able to tour the market and center of town where I
was scolded for sitting on concrete. When I asked the man who was with me what
was being said, I was told that the old lady was telling me that if I sat on concrete, I
would become sterile. One of our hosts' local friends invited us all to her house for
kafa (coffee). Starbucks this is not. This is strong Turkish style coffee that is made
with no filter....my advice is not to drink the last sip! Rachel & I really enjoyed this
experience that illustrated their culture of hospitality. There were lots of rules, and
our friends kept us on the right track. All in all, the experience lasted almost 4 hours
and included, chicken, fresh produce from the garden, homemade juice, bread,
cookies, music, jokes, a tour of the garden, two blood-pressure checks, and enough
chocolate for a fondue restaurant. Oh, by the way, the chocolate wasn't for us...it was
for the children of our friends. They gave each child a huge chunk of pure chocolate
and watched them eat it all. It appeared to be about a half pound of chocolate each
and she insisted that they each eat it all immediately. We were stunned.
Our next adventure would be the bus to Slavonski Brod, Croatia. The bus may not
seem like a big deal, but it is when you don't speak the language and they assume
that everyone does. Why would you not speak? After 7 stops (each one we had to
figure out if this was our stop) and 2 border crossing incidents which included us
bumbling about where we were going and always being asked why we would want to
go there. We finally arrived in beautiful Slavonski Brod. Our gracious hosts quickly
became like old friends. We strolled through the market and took lots of photos. We
helped a team member with some remodeling work and set up sleeping quarters for
short term trips who will be coming this summer. Our hosts were invited to the
wedding of some local people and learning about their wedding customs was very
entertaining...we will have to tell you all about that later. Right now we must get
dressed to attend the church here. Please keep me in prayer as I have been asked to
bring the message this morning.
May you discover something new and wonderful about G today...we love and miss
you all!

We felt like the Israelites must have felt when
they first had the opportunity to view the place
that God had promised them. We know that
this place is where God is leading us and
finally getting to see it was a treat...like a
promise fulfilled. We know that God has
major plans for this forgotten part of the
world. We had some funny culture clashes
and some heartwarming moments that touched
us deeply. Seeing the Lord's workers fulfilling
the Great Commission was encouraging. We
have lots of photos and stories from this trip,
so if you have the time, we would love to sit
down with you or your group and discuss what
God is doing. We have posted the first two
issues of "Journal of a Journey" here for your
review!

This tunnel was used during the seige of Sarajevo to
smuggle in food and medicine.

Issue 2 May 31st 2007
We want everyone to know that we are still alive and kickin' and G is blessing us at
every turn. I had the unique honor of being asked to share the message on Sunday
morning with the church in Croatia. I am not accustomed to speaking in front of
large groups (that isn't my gift) and the addition of a translator made the experience
even more unique. This was truly a blessing. I spoke about mercy and God's
reluctance to punish us when we disobey Him. I used the example of Methuselah
and the flood as an illustration and tied that to my testimony about how G waited for
me to turn to Him when I definitely didn't deserve it. He never gave up on me....

After the meeting, we had lunch in a great restaurant overlooking the river that
serves as the border between Bosnia & Croatia. We ate outside on a terrace where
there was a nice breeze and a view of boats travelling up and down the river and
people fishing from the bank. It was like something from a movie!

When leaving yesterday, Rachel was scolded for leaving the house with wet hair by a
local. Apparently this can give you spinal meningitis. Also, there was a woman
walking her very small dog. When she came close to another local woman she began
jumping up and down like she saw a mouse. Apparently most people here are deathly
afraid of dogs....even small ones. We are constantly amused at the differences in this
culture and ours. So far we have enjoyed our visits with each team and learning
about what they are doing here. We were invited into the home of another local
person for kaffa and we are always honored when this happens. So far, it has
occurred in almost every town. In this culture taking the time to sit and talk while
sharing drinks is a vital part of the culture. Some people will even forfeit some of
their money that is needed for groceries to have enough money to ensure that they
have enough coffee to be able to socialize. It is unique to have an opportunity to
learn more about the people of this historic place. It is a mix of eastern and western
cultures with 3 major religions mixed in.

We started walking today in the rain with umbrellas, but the weather changed and
became beautiful by the afternoon. We walked all over the town and even visited a
local orthodox church. It was a strange experience. We were shocked by the beauty
of the building...inside and out. This was by far the most expensive and beautiful
building in the country. The intricate artwork and gold inlays inside and out were
astounding. The paintings on the interior of the dome are Michelangelo-esque. The
robes of the priests were amazing. Also shocking was what was occurring on the
inside. Today was the celebration of Pentecost, so there was loose hay strewn all over
the polished granite floor. The members of the congregation were stooping and
choosing pieces of hay to form into wreaths. They believe that these little wreaths
will bring blessings on their home and protect it from evil/dark spirits. This religion
is steeped in symbolism and iconism.

On the way back home, we detoured through town to take some photos of some
unique areas along the way. Unknowingly, I broke the law and we had an encounter
with a police officer. Apparently, I took a photo of a government building (Ministry
of Defense) that is forbidden to be photographed. He came running up to us yelling
and screaming in Serbian. Our hosts were as surprised as we were at the time. They
explained that we didn't know about the law and were very sorry. When he
discovered that I used to be in the military, he released us and welcomed us to the
Republika Srbska! Somehow, we didn't feel very welcome at the time. Rachel found
an Austrian coin from 1860 laying in the street on the way home. For dinner we had
assorted local meats and bread. The meat was veal, pork, several types of sausage
and chicken. All of these meats were grilled with some type of seasoning on
them....truly a local flavor.

Tomorrow we will use the public transportation system again to travel to our next
destination. These "adventures" can be slightly stressful since they include border
crossings, multiple stops, and a language that we can't comprehend. Please pray that
God will make it evident which people group He wants us to serve. Also, please pray
that God can heal this land. There is so much hatred and animosity that Love seems
like an impossible reality. We know that the love of Christ can overcome anything.
We are hoping that it will make an impact on the people of the Balkans

There is much more to tell than ever be shown on one page.
Contact us to arrange a time for us to share our
experience with you or a small group.
We want to share what the Lord is doing
in this part of the world.

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