GOD IS HERE

The team is gone for dessert and coffee. It's 9:30 pm, Saturday evening. All is well and quiet, save for my ipod sweetly playing "How He Loves" in the background. Why does it require crossing an ocean to this joy and hope deprived country for me to reconnect with this essential truth of our faith? I witness God's love in this tiny fraction of the Bosnia-Herzegovinia population who have somehow overcome insurmountable odds to worship our risen Lord and many who are battling those odds still. We prayed with a women this week who is being persecuted by her community and family because she has chosen to claim Christ her Savior. Despite the fact that her father has threatened imprisonment and even death, she stands boldly and resolute claiming she would rather die for Jesus than live any other way. Then, there is our dear friend here who has lost, not one but three, children and through these trough times found his path to salvation, because of it. Now, he states he would suffer it all again rather than losing his relationship with Christ, our Lord. This is a people, a country, a city, a community which has lost so much. It is dark and oppressive, yet there are beacons of light such as these that illuminate mountains and valleys, towns and villages sprinkled like Heavenly stardust. There is a love that is supernatural and can only come from the Holy Spirit shining within, uncontainable. How they love! Indeed, "How He Loves" It is almost unbelievable, if I were not witnessing it with my own eyes and feeling it with every fiber of my being. Like characters in a book, by stories end, they change each other. We are a team changed by this love. We have prayed with them and wept with them. It has been a highly emotional week. As we made our final walk through the streets of Capljina tonight, we prayed over many of the buildings still pock marked or completely destroyed by the war. Factories which once represented industry and a prospering economy are now drug and alcohol dens claiming Capljina's youth. We prayed intensely for them as they represent the future for this country. Upon leaving the graffiti plastered, soot marred and hallowed out shell of what once stood as a visual reminder of a thriving culture, a single, white dove soared overhead and perched atop a dead tree at the property's edge. Moved to tears, we all felt it - God is Here! Praise Him!

This will be our last post. We leave in the morning for Split, Croatia, with an overnight in Rome, Italy. One of our team members has a "connection" in Rome, so we are praying that we make contact and are able to manage a quick personal tour and dinner, before flying out Tuesday morning.

Please pray for safe travels for the team. Also, prayers to Jehovah-Rophe, our Healer, would be most welcome to relieve head colds, coughs and headaches before we take flight! For those who have been praying for our host Andrija, he has recovered! Slava Bogu! He is the happiest, most faithful man we may have ever known. Saying "Goodbye" or "Ciao, Ciao" to these passionate friends, now family, will be very difficult, but we all look forward to being reunited with each of you. You are loved!

Love,
Kathy

"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him." 1 John 3:1

War & The Wonderful Peace that Surpasses All Understanding

Before I get into Friday's events, I just wanted to let you know that Leland's luggage did indeed arrive the day after we did. He and Pastor Bernard took a drive to the Croatian border to pick his bag up from the authorities. He'd prayed for a shirt and a jacket the night before and the Lord provided; both were hanging on the door to his room when he woke up in the morning. Leland was grateful that he only needed to rely on borrowed clothing for one day.

We started Friday with devotions with our wonderful hosts Andrija & Marica at the breakfast table. They are such Godly people and we have been honored to share their home this week. The early days of the Capljina Evangelical Church began in the very room that B. J. Colleen and I have been sharing. Yesterday they showed us a picture of the first "small group" that was the church. After breakfast and devotions, we swung by the church to pick up Bernard and head to Pocitelj and then on to Mostar.

In Pocitelj there is a Mosque that was bombed and nearly destroyed in the war of the 1990's. Much of it has been restored but the evidence of war is so obvious everywhere you look. According to Pastor Bernard, the village is over a thousand years old. People still live there and their homes are high above the Mosque where no cars can go. They must travel on foot high up into the mountain to reach their homes. I climbed only as far as the Mosque and I am so glad that I did because it was really something to see. We left there and headed to Mostar, Pastor Bernard's home city. There we had a lunch of sandwiches made with small "house made" sausages & pita. The bread was just about the tastiest pita most of us have ever had. Driving through Mostar we saw many, many bombed out and bulleted buildings. Some have been restored to usability but it's very apparent that there was war here not too long ago. After our tasty lunch we walked through the city down toward the famous bridge which has been restored to it's original beauty. Both before and after the bridge there are many small merchants and artisans selling trinkets and things to wear. We had fun shopping and chatting with the merchants. I'm sure that I was snowed by one of the shop owners but what can I do? What's done is done.




Friday evening we had "A Night of Worship" at the church and though we do not speak the language it was a wonderful experience of praise & worship among Believers from both the Mostar Evangelical Church and the Capljina church. Most of us sang along in the native language since the words were on a screen in the church. We are learning the correct way to read and pronounce the words. Our God is so awesome, the language was no barrier. We all felt as though we were wrapped in the arms of Jesus as Toni, No No, Matea, Eleanor, Ivan and sweet, sweet Veronika skillfully led us in worship & praise. They all love the Lord fully with their entire hearts, souls and minds. One can feel His goodness and light emanating from within them.

This morning we took a little trip to Veronika's apartment where we listened to some of her story and prayed for her. The Lord has wonderful plans for this special girl. She has managed to get herself invited to join an organization for the youth in the city and has secured a meeting with the mayor to discuss the youth of Capljina. She is very bold with her faith and never fails to put it right out there for all to see which easily could cause pain and persecution in this area of the world. I am so honored to call this special young woman my friend, my sister in Christ!

Please pray for the health of the team members as we've had some illness and headaches. FYI: The Lord has healed Andrija!

In His Awesome GRIP, Tracy Anne

STRINGING BEADS, TETHERING HEARTS

Last night concluded our outreach to the women of Capljina. For two evenings, we hosted a jewelry making party as an opportunity to connect with some of the women in the church and others they have invested in over the last several months. Our hope was to give them a chance to relax in an evening of fellowship with Christian women and experience the love of Christ Jesus, as we strung baubles and beads, gems and gemstones, gold and sliver. We came prepared to assist each participant string a strand or two, but much to our surprise, we had difficulty keeping up with these most creative and passionate women. Six, seven, eight necklaces later, some with matching bracelets and earrings, more than jewels were connecting - hearts were as well. More precious than gold and silver, our God tethered every soul and shined manifest like the most glorious pendant covering every heart. And the joy! Oh, the joy was his delight, His glory. We had said from the beginning, whomever God brought - whether few or many - He would be glorified. It is with incredible awe that we claim God is true to His promises as He filled every table, both nights! We even had to buy extra beads yesterday to meet the demand. Glory be to God! He is it!!
Still in One Peace,
Kathy

Alive and well in Bosnia

DAY Four from Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Hello Everyone! Yes, Lynne, I am alive and well in Bosnia. Despite its tragic past, Bosnia and Herzegovina is a beautiful country with friendly people.

Today we went to the home of Lidija and Tiho. They met us in the driveway and invited us in. We were expecting dessert and coffee and to our surprise they gave us an incredible dinner. Their warmeth and passion for the Lord inspired us all. On our way back to Capljina, we stopped by the salon of Mladinka where she gave our intrepreter and wonderful friend, Tony, a hair cut. Yours truly documented the day with his cameras.

Tonight the ladies in our group are hosting Day 2 of a Jewelry making class while we guys go out with Pastor Bernard to plan a BBQ for this weekend. He is a wonderful person who has a passion for the Lord and for his fellow Bosnians. 

Thats all for now. I want to personally thank all of our supporters, especially Patty Boyce who was so generous to me. Also a special thank you to Deb Avery who not only helped but inspired our whole team. God bless

A Busy Wednesday

Good morning! The picture above is an attempt to get a team picture with the WHOLE team. More often than not, Leland is taking pictures of everything and everyone, which means he has been in very few pictures during our stay. Hopefully, more WHOLE team photos will take place. The picture was taken behind the church, which, as you can see, is situated next to a bridge and fast-paced river (name of river escapes me right now).

We had an action packed Tuesday, which left us all emotionally and physically drained. First, we started off our day with morning worship/fellowship. The music was led by our translator, Toni, who is an excellent musician! This time was spent to listen to God's word, listen to great music, and pray.

Next, our group visited Robert and Emina's house to spend time with their family and listen to Emina's testimony. Her story is one that could fill any book, but the main theme that runs throughout her story continues to be Jesus Christ and all that he has done in her life. After listening to her story, our team prayed over her and her family. We could definitely feel the Lord's presence.

Lunch for the day consisted of delicious pizza; however, I don't think many of the Americans added the mayonaise or ketchup, which is custom here (and supposedly delicious). Our hosts have gone out of their way to make everyone comfortable and feel at home. As an added bonus, most of the people within the church speak English, which makes for much easier communication.

Our Tuesday afternoon consisted of visiting Novi Most, which means "new bridge". Novi Most is a youth center that welcomes children and teenagers of all backgrounds and faith to learn computer skills and English speaking skills. Our team had the pleasure of helping a group of about 10 teenage girls practice their English and listen to various American accents. Mick and Ally, missionaries from the UK, run Novi Most and live in Bosnia with their two children. They are a delight to meet and are perfect examples of how to follow in Jesus's footsteps. The website for Novi Most is www.novimost.org.

The main event of the night was the jewelry making fellowship held for the women of Capjlina. The turn out was larger than expected. The ladies that participated in the event spent a lot of time making beautiful jewelry and joining in fellowship. A great night!

Overall, we had a great Tuesday! Spending time with great people and praying with them has been a true blessing.


God Bless,

The Bosnia Connections Team

BE WELL

We arrived in Capljina, Monday around 4:30 pm, after an eventful trip! There were several snags and hitches this year, but all were overcome easily and without any angst. Leland's luggage is still somewhere between Atlanta and Bosnia, but we've all pitched in clothes, toiletries, and remained true to our sense of team spirit. This will all become good fodder for gatherings around the dinner table during the week! :)

Just before arriving in Capljina, we witnessed a 4 wheeler ATV careening off the steep embankment that shores up the narrow two lane roads hugging the mountains and hillsides. The vehicle flipped the man and woman off leaving the woman lying relatively immobile and on her back against the rocky terrain so indigenous to this region. While Pastor Bernard talked the couple through the shock and called the police, the man all the while pacing back and forth, I came to the woman's side. I kneeled next to her, taking her hand, praying silently, gently stroking her wrist and forearm, hoping and praying Christ's comfort and healing touch might somehow move through me. The team stood around us in a powerful presence of God's love manifest. Soon, others arrived trying to help. I wished I had words of comfort to express all I felt for her, indeed how God feels for her, but I knew I wouldn't be understood. And, on some level, I wasn't sure how it would be received; well aware of where we are. So much for claiming God boldly! I knew nothing of this women save for the fact that, in this moment, she was in great need for the healing balm of Jesus - for His touch, for His embrace, for His peace which surpasses all understanding, for His love and reassurance.

When the ambulance arrived, we began to make our way back to the cars. I placed her bloodied hand down on her body and brushed her hair from her eyes and forehead, whispering "Be well." With every ounce of strength, she turned her head and looked at me with beautiful, big, brown eyes and mustered a smile. A Connection!

The Bosnia April Connections Trip has arrived. We are safe, we are rested and we are thrilled to be here with our Bosnian family at the Evangelical Church.

Please pray for Andrija, our host, who has taken ill today with congestion in his lungs and weakness in his legs. He and Marica are fearful, but their faith is strong. He will see a doctor today.

Please pray for the family and those who grieve the loss of Peter, a friend of Toni and Matea's who was killed in an auto accident. He was only 21. His funeral is today.

Thank you for your support.

"Be Well"
Kathy

"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." James 5:16

Connections

At the end of 2007 I was honored and privileged to be a part of a short term mission team in Skopje, Macedonia. We helped our Partner church in Skopje produce a Christmas concert in a 700 seat public meeting hall there. I fell in love with the people and would really love to go back some day! Two of those people are a young married couple, Zivko & Stephanie Barbatov who were performers in the concert. They have been living in Croatia to further their studies for some months now.

About two weeks ago Zivko posted on Facebook that he was going to Bosnia and I commented that I was too! Then he said that he was going to preach at Bernard's church in Capljina! After reading this, I thought it would be so cool if I could see my Macedonian friends while I am serving the people of Bosnia but it was not meant to be. They went back to Croatia yesterday afternoon.

Many of my support letters were sent via snail mail but I sent several through Cyberspace to folks I've served with in different areas of ministry since the early days of North Point Community Church. One person was Steve James who has also been to Bosnia several times on mission trips and for business. I served with Steve in the Starting Point Ministry a few years back.

Our trip is called "Bosnia Connections" and I've discovered that I already have quite a few connections before I've even physically touched the Country. I can't wait to get there and hug these wonderful people whom I've been hearing so much about over these last few months!

The photo is of the Capljina Church taken by Stephanie & Zivko while they were there just a few days ago celebrating a "second honeymoon". We hit the air in two and a half days; we'll land in Frankfurt and spend a few hours there before we board our Air Croatia flight for Split, Croatia and then we'll get to Capljina via automobile.

Last night we had a send off party thrown for us by Bonnie & Deb, members of previous Bosnia short term mission teams and it was wonderful! We were able to meet some of our team's supporters and we were prayed for and shared communion. It was the perfect thing to do before we head out into the land. Thank you Loyal Blog Followers for being on our team from wherever you are. We are connected, we are Family, The Family of the Mighty God we serve...

Tracy Anne