After a week of classes in Mostar, we have rejoined the rest of our team back in Sarajevo. Here is a brief summary of the last two days...When class ended Thursday afternoon, we headed out to a rural part of Mostar known as Rodoch. This area was once the industrial heart of the city, but the war in the 1990's left the area impoverished and broken. On the whole, it has recovered much slower than the rest of Mostar. But in this rural cluster of homes and dwellings live several members of the West Mostar Church. They have a real heart for their village, so the church has begun renovations on a building that will serve as an outreach and ministry center. As we prayed over this half-finished project, we truly sensed the power of God at work and a divine plan coming into place. Throughout history, God has used marginalized groups working from the fringes to change society. Pray that this small gathering of believers would shape the church in Mostar and in the whole country of Bosnia!
Friday morning was the final test for our three students. They appeared to have studied hard and took the test very seriously. They reported that it was neither hard nor easy. This felt like a success for Nick in his first shot at being the professor. The three students are pictured here- Arnes, Aldin, and Miki, along with our translator Sanela. She was awesome to work with! Pray that these three men will continue in their schooling and be released one day as true leaders within the local church.
Our trip back to Sarajevo included a detour up to the camp Emek Baraka. (Valley of Blessing) It was amazing to see two things- the perimeter fence around the grounds is completed, and the outer work on the main house is nearly done. Both look amazing. As we wandered the grounds, we shook our heads in awe at the hard work our summer team and other locals put into digging the posts. Piles of white rocks still cover the ground at the base of each one. With the fence complete, you can also see how large the camp property is and what potential it has for growth. The main house is looking amazing. It will be a great center of ministry for many years to come. Pray that the work will continue as planned so that it will be open and in full swing for camp next summer. Pray that hundreds upon thousands of Bosnians would meet Christ at this camp. (PS- rumor has it that we are trying to put together a team for late spring/early summer to work on a camp construction project. If you like this rumor, please email pastor Nick ASAP!)
The gals have been busy in Sarajevo doing English one-on-ones, meeting local Bosnian women for coffee, and blessing Todd and Karen with a night out. Tomorrow is a big day. The team expects over 150 people will fill Izvor for the Thanksgiving open house. Pray for good connections and a good time. Tune in tomorrow for a full report.
Blessings-
Team Bosnia
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