Kids Camp, Basketball, & a Salvation

We just finished our 6^th week, and really can’t believe we only have two weeks left. It’s exciting to think about coming home, but we are also excited about our last 2 weeks here.

This week we helped out with a kids camp and a basketball camp that the Blessed team from the UK put together. The kids camp was pretty similar to the previous ones, but we had it in a different location, so a lot of new faces were there. They had memory verses every day and were able to see skits about Jesus being the good shepherd, the light of the world, and the true vine. The kids seemed to really enjoy their time playing games, getting their face painted, and getting hair wraps. But it was truly a blessing at the end of the week to see the kids reciting all the memory verses from the week that they had learned. Hopefully they will remember the truth of them all and one day put their trust in it.

Kids Camp with "Blessed"

We also were able to participate in the basketball camp, mostly Guy; of course. He really enjoyed helping with the different stations and getting to know a lot of the boys that came out. I was not as much a participant in the camp, but I was able to take pictures for one of the coaches running the camp. Some of the kids were really talented in basketball, because they play on a regular basis, but some it was somewhat of a new sport to them. At the end of each day, one of the coaches would share their testimony or a brief message about the gospel.

Guy coaching the defense station

More defense lessons

"For HIM" cheer after each day of camp

Guy, Garret, and 2 of the basketball coaches were able to have a Bible study with some of the Croatian guys from camp this week. They studied Genesis 2 and 3, about creation and the fall of man. Most of the youth here have never really read the Bible or even own one, so it’s cool to see God open doors for us to study it with them. They said that there was a lot of good conversation and hopefully God will continue to open their eyes to His word and truth. The Croatians teens have asked more than once about playing basketball with Guy and Garret and doing another Bible study.  They will jump to John and share with them the Gospel.  Pray that God softens their hearts and opens their ears to His word and truth!

The girls and I were supposed to have another Bible study this week also, but it fell through. One of the girls that couldn’t come met with Melissa (one of the girls from VA) later that night and made the decision to accept Christ! It was so cool to see God working in her the whole time we have been here. We were all so excited, and hope to continue studying the Bible with her for the next couple of weeks. God is good and even if this is the only fruit we see, we are so excited. My prayer is that God will use her to impact other youth girls and that God’s kingdom will grow here in Croatia through her testimony.

Melissa, Adriana (Our new sister in Christ), Cindy and Me

It’s been a lot of fun this week hanging out with the people from England and also the American basketball coaches that came in for the camp. Friday night they did a talent show, and a lot of people came out to watch. The last talent was one of the leaders from the Blessed team sharing the gospel using a tea bag. It was such a cool analogy of Jesus dying on the cross for our sins and 3 days later rising from the dead so that we may one day join him in heaven.

Sunday, with all the guests, we were able to worship God with people from 8 different countries and 3 different continents at the church service. It was so cool to see a tid bit of how heaven will be.

 “After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb.”  Revelation 7:9

Visoko, Kids Club, UNA Klub

This week started off with a trip to Visoko, Bosnia. We went there to visit another team that lives their full time. The city happened to be having a big festival. We could barely walk any where on the main street because there were so many people. The family we visited have 2 kids, and it was fun getting to fellowship with both the kids and the parents while we were there. On the streets they have stands that sell what they call “palacinkas.” They are thin pancakes with a chocolate spread rolled up like a burrito (yum). It was cool to see another town in Bosnia, and also hear about how this family ministers there.  What was not cool was that Guy got sick from something he ate.  Walking around on a hot night and being in places that don’t have air conditioning aren’t always a good mix for hot, greasy food.  He got over it after a couple of days, but pray that God will keep us both healthy for the rest of our time here.

Palacinkas!

Visoko Festival

"Kids Bible Club"

On Tuesday we started another kids camp in Nova Gradiska.  Nova Gradiska is where half of the team of missionaries live.  There were about 20-25 kids there the first day, which was a lot more than they expected (only about 8 showed up the first day last year). Since the big youth group from VA left, Guy and I were able to interact more with the kids, act out the skits, and were able to make more connections. This camp was the same set-up as the last one we did here in Slavonski Brod, where we got to tell some of the stories from the Bible, sing songs, play games, and do crafts. It was a lot of fun getting to love on these kids and act out Bible stories. During craft time, Guy and I both had our small groups where we were able to learn their names and form relationships. This allows us both to pray for specific names to one day know Jesus personally.

Game time with the parachute

Guy with the kids listening to the story

My small group

Guy's small group

The girls in my group

The little boys loved wresting with Guy

                                           



Tuesday night we came back to Brod for a Bible study. Cindy, Melissa, and I (the girls that are staying until August from the youth group) did a Bible study with a couple of Croatian girls that they had met through the baseball camp. They both have never read the Bible before, so it is cool to see them so intrigued, even with the story of creation. Pray that as we go through some of the books of the Bible with them that God will open their eyes to the truth.

Guy and I actually got to stay in Nova Gradiska with a missionary couple the rest of the week as we did Kid’s Camp. They have only been in Croatia a couple of years, and it was amazing to see their passion and ideas for new ministries in order to share God’s love with the people of Nova Gradiska. Currently, through the organization that they are with, there is one church planted in Slavonski Brod and one in Nova Gradiska. Both churches have Croatian pastors and while we were in Nova Gradiska we were able to go to the pastor’s house and spend time with his family. It was cool to hear their story of how God brought them there and how they found so much joy in just allowing God to lead their lives.

Friday evening the girls and I met again for Bible study and had more good conversation. Guy went with our missionary leader, Garret, to a man’s house from the church to help move firewood. This time of year they collect and buy firewood so that it will dry out by the winter, so Guy was able to help to move the firewood and stack it to get it out of the way.  The man who they helped is an older man and is one of the few Croatians we have met that is deeply rooted in Christ.  He is always joyful and has a similar sense of humor that Guy has, so we (especially Guy) enjoy being around him.

It’s been really amazing to see God moving in the hearts of the girls that have come to the Bible study. Some are so curious and others even see their need for change. Please pray that God moves, because as much as I want them to see and know the truth, God is the one who opens eyes and soften hearts. Please also pray for Guy and Garret, they also are in the process of starting the same Bible study with some of the guys that we have met through baseball camp. Pray that God will bring them, and that he will also soften their hearts.

A group from the UK called Blessed arrived this weekend to minister here.  They have been coming to Slavonski Brod for a few years and have a good relationship with many kids here.  We love hearing them speak with their accents! Of course, they say that they love hearing our Southern accents.  We are quick to tell them that we don’t have accents and that we speak correctly J.

Roma UNA Club

More Roma children, so precious

On Saturday we were able to go with the Blessed team into the Roma village and do another “UNA Klub” with the kids there. The team acted out the parable of the lost sheep, sang songs, played games, and did some crafts. We were able to plug in wherever needed. It’s always a blessing to see the some of the same kids come to the camp each time we go to the village and for them to recognize us. Please continue to pray for the Roma people here in Croatia and that God will move their hearts toward him and away from worldly things.

We only have approximately 21 days left here and we are looking forward to what God has for us to do in this short amount of time. Next week we will do another kids camp and basketball camp with the Blessed team. Pray for kids to come out to play but also that through testimonies that their eyes will be opened to their need for a Savior.

My prayer is that one day all Croatians will be able to take hold of the promise that Jesus gives all of us in John 5:24.

            “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned: he has crossed over from death to life.”

Week 4: Baseball & 4th of July

Guy giving throwing instructions

 This week we did another baseball camp in Nova Gradiska, a town about 40 minutes away. It was the same set up as last week. They set up stations to teach all the kids the basics of baseball, and during the water breaks the some of the kids from the youth group would share their testimony. There were about 50-60 kids at this camp, which was more than the one last week.

After the camp each night, we would all go to the center of town where everyone hangs out with the intentions of having deeper conversations with the kids that came to the camp. After second night of the camp, Guy and I got into a conversation with a girl from the camp and she asked us if we had a story about how God had worked in our lives. We got to share our testimonies of how we got saved and how God still works in our lives. Her main comment to our stories was, “it’s so cool how all of you talk about Jesus like he is your friend.” Pray that one day she will come into a relationship with Jesus and be able to call Him her friend also.

Wednesday night after camp the youth group put on another talent show for the kids in this town. There was a good turn out and the gospel was shared through skits and testimonies. A lot of youth that came asked a lot of questions afterwards, so it’s cool to see God working on their hearts.

Guy giving hitting instructions

Kendall, a girl from the youth group, sharing her testimony

 We did get to do a small July 4^th celebration with sparklers, which was cut short by the rain. We sang the national anthem and some other songs, and some of the Croatians were still there and got to see how crazy Americans act.

Thursday morning we were able to do another “UNA Klub,” which is the kids club that we do in the Roma village. They have different areas of the village that they go to each week, and this month’s theme is Noah. So we were able to act out the story of Noah and the ark and remind them that God always keeps his promises. It was so hot because it was about 11 when we started, but God still brought a group of about 40 kids. These kids are so receptive to our love and praise, and we hope that God will reveal himself more and more to them as we go each week.

Us after the last day of baseball camp

Thursday night we played baseball again here in Brod. A lot of the same kids that came to the camp were able to come back. We split into two different groups and played actual baseball games. When we took a water break, Guy got to share his testimony to the whole group of kids that came. He was able to share how and when God saved him, and the fact that the first time he heard about Jesus and the gospel was at a baseball camp. Also, that he still makes mistakes, but that it’s not by anything that he can do, but through his relationship with Jesus that he has the hope of eternal life in heaven. It’s very important for them to hear these things here because a lot of the belief here is that they can earn their salvation through good works. We’ve already scheduled another game for Monday and so hopefully some of the kids will continue to come, ask questions and God will reveal himself.

Friday was more of a relaxing day, much rest needed after the baseball camps. In the evening we had dinner with the youth group from Virginia before they headed back to the US. It was amazing to see how many connections they made with the high school Croatians here and how bold they were in sharing the gospel. We hung out with them until 2am when their bus picked them up. Pray that God will grow the seeds that were planted while they were here and that the youth will still come around and we will be able to continue ministering to them. Two of the girls from the youth group are actually staying here until August also, so we will be able to continue to minister here together.

It’s been a good and challenging week. Please continue to pray that God leads our every step and every conversation. We are continually reminded that no matter how bad we want to save these people, God is the one that saves and we are just vessels in the process.

Kids Camp, Baseball Camp, & Game

            So this week has been our busiest yet. We started off with a church conference on Sunday, where a lot of the churches from around the area come together and have one big worship service. It was awesome to see that there is fruit from all the labor of the missionaries around Croatia and that they can come together and encourage one another. A youth group from Virginia came in on Saturday and were also able to participate in the service. A couple that is chaperoning were actually the first missionary family from our organization to come to Slovonski Brod (the town we are staying in). They served here for about 4 and a half years with their 4 children. He preached at the conference and spoke on what it really means to be a disciple of Christ. Not only was it challenging and encouraging, it was also in English so we could understand it.

My friend Maria 

            Monday started off the kids camp and baseball camp. We had the kid’s camp in the mornings and the baseball camps in the afternoons. The kid’s camp is designed for elementary aged children and is very similar to a Vacation Bible School in America. The youth group that is here from Virginia had it all planned out so we were just able to plug in where we were needed. We sang songs, played games, did crafts and acted out bible stories for the children. A lot of the children can speak English fairly well because they learn it in school, but some were so young that we had to get help to communicate with them. It was a lot of fun to see the kids laughing and smiling and hearing bible stories and the gospel for possibly the first time. By the end of the week a lot of relationships had been formed and the kids were really sad that the camp was over. Our prayer is that seeds were planted and that God will grow the seeds in the children’s hearts. Also, that they will continue to come back to camp each year, and one day come into a true relationship with Jesus as they grow up.

Kids playing sharks & minnow's at VBS

Some of the kids playing crab soccer

Guy and Arbonne
(notice the SWU hat and Oakleys on Arbonne)

            The baseball camp was in the late afternoons from 4-7 and was mostly middle school and high school age kids. Again, the youth group was really involved in the planning of this camp and they were able to work most of the stations. Guy was able to help a lot, since baseball is his thing and he has worked many camps in the past. I mostly just watched and played with the younger kids that came to the camp, who were not able to participate in all of the activities. The first day was about the absolute basics of baseball, because not only have most of the kids not every played baseball, some have never even heard of it. So they set up 6 stations where groups of kids rotated to begin learning the game. We would have a break in the middle of the camp where some of the youth from the church group would share their testimonies about how they came into a relationship with Christ and what all God has done in their lives.

Our Baseball Small Group

            The first night after camp was over they broke us up in the small groups where we were able to talk to them and see if they had any questions about the testimonies or about what God had done in our lives specifically. We also asked them some questions about what they valued most in life and what life looks like as a teen in Croatia. The answers were pretty normal for the teen generation, the most common answer was that they value soccer, girls, food, and their families. Guy then got to ask them if they had ever heard of Jesus and that he died on the cross for our sins. Most of them in our group had heard it before, because they are from the Roma village where the missionaries to the kids club there on a weekly basis. Our prayer there is that they won’t only have the knowledge of the gospel, but that they will truly believe it. There have been a lot of questions asked more privately by some of the kids at the camp to different members of the youth group. It’s amazing to see them asking more deeper questions and really trying to figure out why we believe what we believe, and them noticing a difference in our lives than most peoples lives here.

Guy in his  Slovonski Brod uniform

          

Thursday night we had a baseball game in a town about 45 minutes away, called Nova Gradiska. It was the American team (the youth group from VA) vs. the Croatian team (Slovonski Brod team plus Guy). We had a lot of spectators stop by and watch, and another guy from the youth group was able to share his testimony in the middle of the game.

            Stories are being shared, seeds are being planted, our prayer is that God will continue to knock on the doors of hearts and draw people to himself. Please pray for the people asking questions, who are so interested in finding truth. Pray that they will continue to see a difference in us and the youth group here, and that we will be salt and light at all times. Lastly, pray for boldness, that we will not be timid when sharing our stories or the gospel with people when God opens the door. 

Hungary, Bosnia, and Cevapi :)

Last weekend our leader had to go pick up a car and a pastor from the airport in Budapest, so he asked if we wanted to go with him. Of course our answer was YES, although after I was informed we were staying in a hostel, I wasn’t so sure. After being talked into it, I decided that it couldn’t be so bad. We took a 6 hour train ride (with no A/C or very much ventilation) to Budapest and arrived about 6pm. So we had very little time to see Budapest, but we decided we were going to see as much as we could in this one night. We went to a local bistro and had some Hungarian dishes, they were delicious, and then our self-guided tour began. We walked all over town, took the metro, trams, buses, and even got a little lost in a dark alley, but it was amazing. It was such a beautiful city and I wish we got to spend more time there. Our night came to an end a little after midnight, where we then stayed in a hostel, which was definitely not as bad as I had imagined. Then the next morning we had to head to the airport to pick up the pastor of one of the churches here in Croatia.

On Sunday we attended our first church service. It was all in Croatian, so we could not understand much of anything. So we were able to figure out the passage and just read it. There are two college guys here from America and they were able to give their testimonies in English, and someone translated for the congregation. This week we finished all the remodeling of the church by painting all the last odds and ends. It was a blessing to be able to help in the process, but it was definitely a lot of hard work.

House Church Remodel

We also finished all the remodeling on the church, so we got to do a little relaxing this week also. 

We got to do another Kids Club in the Roma village this week, which was much smaller and a lot easier to connect with all the kids. There were about 10 kids there and they got to hear the story of Noah and the ark, where we were able to tell that them God always keeps his promises. It actually brought tears to my eyes, thinking of how one day all these kids with very little hope could come to know Jesus through this ministry. I got to snag a little baby and hold her the whole time and I finally got her to laugh and smile at me. Afterwards we had ice cream for them, which they really enjoyed even though it was melted.

Other than that this week was filled with language classes, most every day. We have learned numbers, greetings, how to introduce ourselves, and some other important questions.  Our teacher is very nice and patient with our Southern accents and our terrible pronunciation. Through our language class, we were able to make a connection with a lady that runs a bakery down the street. She does not speak much English at all, so we were able to use the little that we know in Croatian to have a short conversation with her. We now try to go there frequently to continue talking with her and getting to know her. Our language classes have also helped with the Kids Club, because we can now interact with them a little better.

Bosnia! 

"Cevapi"

We did get to make a trip across the border to Bosnia. Bosnia is actually right across the river from the town that we are staying in. So we actually just parked at the border and walked over. There is a meal in Bosnia that is very popular called "cevapi." We tried it in Croatia and we weren't very pleased, but it was insisted that we try it again in Bosnia because that is where it originated. We did, and it was actually a lot better there.  

We also got to go around to different neighborhoods and apartment complexes to pass out invitations to our kids club (aka VBS) and the baseball camp. Our 3rd week has already begun, but I will update about that later. Please pray for the kids both camps and for the church group here leading them! Our prayer is that seeds are planted and for children to get a more positive view of the church, unlike the older generation here. 

Keep the prayers coming, it is still very difficult with the language barrier and the cold hearts toward the church. Thanks for all your prayers ahead of time!

Hello Croatia!

       Off to West Palm Beach for Orientation

         Hello to all of our supporters and prayer warriors! Thank you so much for all of your prayers so far, they have definitely been felt. After our 13 hour layover in Germany we were ready to turn around and come back home. We finally made it to Croatia and have been nonstop ever since.

        

      We got in late Friday night and our leader had our apartment ready for us. This is our apartment building for the summer. As you can tell their apartment buildings are pretty plain from their time as a communist country, but they are all very nice inside with a lot of room.

     

      Saturday we met with our team here to discuss plans and details for our trip. We also got a small tour of the town we are in so that we are able to get around and go to the market. Sunday we were able to go to a Croatian baseball game, because our leader is an umpire for the league. After we got back from the game we went to a village just outside of our town where the Roma people live. Roma are what we would call gypsies. They are very poor and their houses are in pretty bad condition. They get most of their things by going through the garbage and or asking for money. Very dark community in desperate need for hope. We got to be a part of a kids club that they do on a weekly basis. The kids seem to love the club, but mainly the attention and love they get from the leaders. Their goal and ours while we get to participate is to love on these kids and be able to share Bible stories with them so that one day they may receive Jesus. Then also to be able to reach the parents through this. A long process ahead, but God is good and anything is possible. We also got to go to the center court in town to watch Croatia play in the first rounds of the Euro Cup. This was lots of fun and definitely an experience to see all the dedicated fans, as you can see in the picture we dressed for the occasion also.

        From Monday until Wednesday we have been working at the church that they have started. They have just bought a new house so that they do not have to rent out a building. They are doing a lot of construction and so we have been transporting bricks, scraping bricks, working on the house, and saving as many bricks as we can for future use. I've had the opportunity to help in the kitchen and learn how to make some Croatian dishes, while most of the men do all of the hard work.

       This week has been fun so far, we will hopefully start language classes in the next couple of days. We are excited and ready for these classes because the communication barrier has probably been one of the hardest things. Please continue to pray for us as we get to minister to the Roma children and for strength as we work at the church. Also for us to form relationships with the locals around us so that we may be able to share the gospel and invite people to church. We are only here for a short time, but would really like to use all of our opportunities to glorify God.

       We got to celebrate our 2nd anniversary at a local restaurant, which was beautiful and delicious. They also had an English menu which was a plus :)
       Disasters thus far, is that I can't use my hair dryer or straightener because I didn't realize I needed a converter instead of an adapter. But before I realized all of this I tried to use my adapter and blew the fuse. So now we have no adapter to the European sockets. Secondly, I almost broke our washer, and we wouldn't have been able to wash clothes, but luckily I stopped it before that occurred. Lastly, our landlord forgot to inform us that we are supposed to drain the water in our shower very slowly, or else it will leak into our neighbors below us! So we had a Croatian man come out of his apartment and try to explain the problem to us with little ability to speak English.