Monday, November 30, 2009
Posted by team bosnia

“Indeed, none of those who wait for Thee will be ashamed…”-Psalm 25:3

Recently, I have been camping on this idea of waiting on God. There have been things within my heart that I have earnestly been waiting for for myself and for the people here in Bosnia. With everything within me, I want to see those things come to fruition. So often in my prayers, I find myself called to pray for certain things and when those things are first birthed in my heart I am concscience of praying for them. As time passes and nothing is seen with my physical eye as a result of those prayers, they become less and less. I get impatient.
Where I am now, God is telling me not to get impatient, but to press in. He is saying, “Heather, don’t give up, there is still hope.” For me, I have to say, this is challenging at times. God led me to Psalm 25 where he says that those who wait on God “will not be ashamed.” To me that spoke volumes. That verse says to me, “Heather, if you just have the courage to wait and hold on to the hope that God is in control, you will NOT be disappointed.” I felt like that was a promise to me. Despite what happens, if I wait on God to do His will, I won’t be ASHAMED of the outcome.
It has been interesting as I have been wrestling with this idea of waiting on the Lord that the people around me are struggling with the same thing. There are people that have been praying for years for things and have only seen glimpses of the outcome that they desire and have desired for years. People are at crossroads in their lives and are seeking God for direction. God is teaching them what it means to sit in presence and wait on Him to move so that they can follow.
For all of this, I have been praying that Psalm 27:13-14 would be the attitude and the prayer of my heart and the people around me here in Bosnia. “I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; Be strong, and let my heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord.”

-Heather

Things to pray for:

- That we will continue to petition God for the things that He has laid on their hearts
- That we will have the courage and hope to wait on God
- That we will be able to rest in the assurance that when we wait on God, we will not be ashamed.

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Friday, October 23, 2009

team dcf...

Posted by team bosnia

this was a glorious month of october!! we had a real live actual team from our home church arrive here in the great land of breza, bosnia i hercegovina. joining me and heather were michael & susan, betty, kurt and anthony. the purpose of this trip was to really focus on solidifying old and making new relationships. it was a time to refresh and breath new life, as well as listen and share.

us (minus kurt) in sarajevo in the "old town" area... happy family.

hanging out at church

there were a few afternoons that were spent with the women in Bible study. our focus was to really share and try to learn together about dividing truth from lies. we also talked about our spiritual giftings. of course, as any southern women should... susan and betty did a FABULOUS job of preparing goodies, atmosphere and FOOD!! oh my goodness, heather and i ate more these two weeks then we have in 2 months!

the women really responded and opened their hearts. it was beautiful. we spent time in a large group for teaching, then we broke into 2 small groups for prayer and sharing. there was much freedom gained and emotions released. all of the women have talked about it and what was learned. and... if you know a dcf-er, you KNOW we LOVE to have FUN!! so that was a given here as well. we had manicures, facials, games, laughter...



it was so nice to have them come with no agenda but to love and enjoy. the 3 total weeks were spent with movies, tears, music, games, mexican and southern food, language learning and snow.



thank you dothan christian fellowship... for EVERYTHING!! see you soon!

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Tuesday, September 15, 2009

what i know so far...

Posted by team bosnia

one of the most commonly asked questions for me is: "what is the biggest thing you have learned". so i have been preparing myself to answer this. it's funny, sort of like preparing for the big exam. pep talking myself; reminding myself; analyzing myself.

i realized that one of the biggest things i learned was that my relationship with God is my responsibility. this is nothing legalistic, nothing binding. what i mean by this is: it is up to me to make sure we are communicating, that we are spending time together.

you would not go to someone's house you do not know EXPECTING that they will feed you. you'd eat before you went, or eat afterwards. then, if they DO feed you, it is just glorious extras!! the same is with God. i cannot expect that i will be fed by any man or woman in my life- that is too much pressure and i am looking to them for to be my mediator. i don't need that - I NEED TO KNOW GOD FOR MYSELF. it is up to me to make sure i am eating and staying full.

today, this hit home again. in LUKE 10:38-42 we see a super famous passage. it is the ever challenging, almost infamous "mary vs. martha" passage.

i saw for the first time that as martha was busy, the scripture says in v. 40 (in NKJV) that she was "distracted with much serving". she then became irritated with JESUS and her SISTER. this spoke to me, in how when we get so busy serving that we get frustrated with Jesus and our brothers/sisters for not helping in the way we think they should. later in v.41, when she scolds Him, He addresses the problem. He does not speak to the physical things she was doing - probably because she was an honorable woman with a heart to be hospitible and serve her Lord and Savior, but instead He addresses the real issues. He says, "Martha, Martha, you are WORRIED and TROUBLED about many things." boom. right there Jesus did not get upset with her; He only pierced the heart.

this is the place that the relationship became a BURDEN, rather than REST.

it is here that Jesus says that "one thing is needed". He says that Mary has chosen it. that one thing needed?...to sit at His feet and be spiritually fed.

over these few months, God has reallllllly challenged me to a "sit at His feet" lifestyle. for goodness sakes, He even put me on house arrest for a few days. ha ha. He has been teaching me that i ABSOLUTELY MUST have this time with Him. it is vital to being, and becoming, who i truly am. it is cruical to being able to continue serving with my heart, and not becoming "distracted with much serving". it is what will keep me from becoming irritated with Jesus or my sister.

I DESIRE TO CHOOSE THE ONE THING THAT IS NEEDED. that is what i know so far...

christie

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Friday, August 21, 2009

Bosnia and Herzegovina's Identity Crisis - 40% Muslim

Posted by team bosnia

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Bosnians get a new nation but ask themselves, Who am I?

To pray effectively for 4.4 million people in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) we need to think in threes:

    1) Ethnically, Bosnia and Herzegovina are essentially Bosniaks, Croats or Serbs.

    2) Religiously, these three groups are predominantly Muslim Bosniaks, predominantly Roman Catholic Croats, and predominantly Orthodox Serbs.

    3) Bringing the Good News to a Bosnian is difficult from the human point of view. Becoming a Christian is likened to changing ones nationality. Giving up ones ethnical background is equal to betrayal.

After the bloody civil war in the early 1990s, the country of Bosnia and Herzegovina emerged as a new nation. For the first time after nearly fifty years of living under Tito's communism and the suppression of religion, people are being suddenly confronted with three questions: "Who am I? What am I? What sets me apart?"

Young and Muslim, Adnan attended an evangelistic summer camp this year. Every morning he joined to study the gospels and learn how Jesus handled people with love. He was very impressed by the things he heard and also the fellowship that he sensed. When asking him if he wanted to consider to start following Jesus, he replied: "I really agree with the things we have read and I like what Jesus did, but I can never become Christian, because I'm born Muslim." This statement depicts just how deep the impact of ethnic Muslim identity has on its people.

In the midst of a nation's identity crisis, God is moving among the Muslims. The Bosnian people are known for their love of relationship, their warm hospitality and their passion for coffee. You'll find many conversations about Jesus taking place in the most informal settings, around living room coffee tables and crowded cafes. Bosnians are coming to the Triune God through Christ and finding a new identity and lasting peace in Him.


Ministries in Bosnia and Herzegovina request your prayers:

* According to estimates by the World Tourism Organization, Bosnia and Herzegovina will have the third highest tourism growth rate in the world by 2020. Let us pray that Christian tourists will spend part of their holiday reaching out in love and also to conduct prayer walks on their travels.

* Pray for the Bosnian Evangelical Student Movement which has 10 study groups all over the country. Give thanks for the increased interest in their work and their faith. Pray that more Muslim students will start to read the Bible with them.

* Pray for the church which is often restricted by tradition and orthodox codes, for the Holy Spirit to bring unity and freedom through the message of the Gospel. (John 6:63, 10:10)

* Pray that the door remains open to share Christ freely with Muslims in this nation.

* Pray for continued peace. Tensions between the three constitutional peoples remain.

Additional Facts

During the war, Middle Eastern nations helped finance and supply the Bosnian Muslims. Some even came to fight themselves and after the war, took Bosnian wives and stayed in the country. Muslim fundamentalists are funneling into the nation, handing out money for children's schooling, widow's pensions and paying women to wear the veil. Bosnia and Herzegovina is a pivotal fault line between the East and West, between Islam and Christianity. It is said that if Bosnia can become a recognized Muslim nation, the door into the rest of Europe will open wide to Islam.

There is a great need for healing and forgiveness over the land. Reconciliation continues to be a ministry focus but requires Godly peace-makers to come between the ethnic and religious divides.

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About Bosnia and Herzegovina

Population: 4,613,414 (July 2009 est.) World rank #120

Life expectancy at birth: 78.5 years. World rank #43

Ethnic groups: Bosniak 48%, Serb 37.1%, Croat 14.3%, other 0.6% (2000)
Note: Bosniak has replaced Muslim as an ethnic term in part to avoid confusion with the religious term Muslim - an adherent of Islam

Religions: Muslim 40%, Orthodox 31%, Roman Catholic 15%, other 14%

Languages: Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian

Literacy: 94.4%

**information copied from the website www.30-days.net**

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Monday, August 3, 2009

recent thoughts:

Posted by team bosnia

This past month I have really been wrestling with what it means to rest in God. On a surface level it seems to be really easy, but the more I thought and prayed about it, the more God showed me how restless I am. Something that I have come to find is that true rest is only found in a right relationship with God.

Some of my days I wake up on the “wrong side of the bed,” but that’s not it at all. Really what has happened is that there is restlessness in my spirit. It is amazing to find that when I look at myself and take the time to ask God what is going on inside of me that He is oh so quick to show me. I have to confess that there are times that I do listen, but more often there are times when my stubbornness keeps me separated from Him. I am finding more and more that “rejecting His voice is rejecting His face because it rejects the opportunity for an authentic relationship with God.”

So after struggling with the issue, I have come to a deeper understanding of what resting in God truly means. It is doing what Adam did in the garden and taking a leisurely walk with God, being honest with Him and listening to Him. It is being still. It is being surrounded by the whirlwind of life and still being able to focus on the steps of the planned dance that God has choreographed for my life. It is staying focused on and listening to choreographer while I dance. I am finding that rest is “working from His presence rather than working for His presence.”

To say the least, it has been an interesting couple of weeks. Life continues, the devil continues to throw lies at me, and the strongholds here are endless. What it comes down to is who do I put my trust into? In whom do I rest? Each day was meant to be a leisurely walk with God.

- Heather

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camp adventures....

Posted by team bosnia

well, well... we have returned from camp!! For those of you that are not entirely familiar with "camp", it is EMEK BERAKA (aka: "valley of blessings" in hebrew). The Evangelical Church of Bosnia purchased some land over the last few years (piece by piece) high in the mountains. It is in this place that summer camps are held. Family, Youth, Kids, Church and Teenager camps are each given a week filled with sermons, worhip, fun, games, team-building excercises, coffee, food and, of course, swimming in an absolutely gorgeous emerald, spring-fed lake that lies between two mountain peaks. It's stunning.



Our week, Youth, had the theme of "Zasto sam ovdje?/Why am I here?". We took the week and explored the various reasons for our being on Earth. In this pic (clockwise from top), you see our daily focus: Slavljene/Worship, Zajednistvo/Community, Misija/Missions, Sluzenje/Service, and Ucenistvo/Discipleship.


In the in between times of seriousness.... were the "not so serious" moments. Among the games to play were these fantastic sumo wrestling suites. Check out these super ferocious fighters!!!

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This was the most hilarious thing I have seen in YEARS!!

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Heather and I always love the worship times at camp. There is something special about seeing the number of believers growing, seeing them raise up in freedom and being able to worship as ONE no matter the background. It is so much fun to hear a song we know in English and be able to rock out to it together! We LOVE the fun of the freedom to jump, sing, dance, cry, pray.... oh, it's awesome!

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One of the things I loved most about our week was the pure enjoyment of just being together. I was able to hang out with people I rarely get to see; I was able to play and laugh and....DANCE!! There is nothing like a random traditional folk dance to celebrate the evening.


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Through it all, God taught me so much about my passion -who i am created to be. The knowledge finally moved from my head to a deep place in my heart and spirit...
"I am PASSIONATE about helping people become who they are created to be."
This is place from which all things that I do comes from.

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Sunday, July 19, 2009
Posted by team bosnia

“God never leaves us where He finds us unless we insist.”

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“There is a chamber in God Himself, into which none can enter but the one the individual, the peculiar man- out of which chamber that man has to bring revelation and strength for His brethren. This is that for which he was made- to reveal the secret things of the Father.”
- George MacDonald

Over the past six weeks, God has placed on my and Christie’s heart to really pray for the people within the church here to come to a new level of intimacy with God. We really felt like God wanted us to pray concerning unity within the church- reconciliation of relationships, removal of comparison, and uprooting of jealousy and bitterness among the people. Over the time that we have been praying, we have shared God’s hear t for unity among this church with some of the members and they have begun to pray with us.

As we have come together and prayed, there has been a process of reconciliation and a new sense of unity among the believers here. Prayer meetings are attended with expectancy that wants to do something. The people come willing to worship their God and are starting to use the favor that they have been given to strengthen the body. As people are becoming more confident in who they are in Christ and diving into a more intimate relationship with God, God is being revealed. Things are shifting.
Thank God for what He is already doing and Thank God that there is more that He longs to do.

Please pray that:
- there would continue to be an expectancy
- the people will continue to choose to respond to His calling
on their lives and enter into a new place
of intimacy with Him
- new aspects of God will continue to be revealed

-Heather




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