Since summer of 2023, Iva Matijević, a Croatian, has been working alongside us with the Ukrainians we are assisting here. Iva has been invaluable in this role, as she is fluent in Croatian, English, and Ukrainian.  As such, she has been able to help the Ukrainians in ways the rest of us could not. In the process, she has been a recipient herself of the teaching offered by our ministry, as well as of my preaching in the church. She has also been studying the Bible with my co-worker, Sandra Sibley. In Iva we see a tender and open heart to God, and a genuine desire to serve. She has studied with Sandra this year and she decided to be baptized this fall. I was privileged to assist her in taking this step. Please pray for Iva as she begins her walk with Jesus; as our faith community walks alongside her; and as she continues to seek out ways to be the hands and feet of Jesus to others.