This semester, in addition to my other duties, I am teaching a course at Biblijski institut. I am teaching “Introduction to Pedagogy.” This course is basically about teaching our students how to teach others, in whatever setting they find themselves. With my Master’s degree in Education, I am qualified to teach this course to our Bachelor’s level students. Our class meets for 2-3 hours each week. The semester lasts until the end of January and the final exam will be in February. This weekend I invited the class to my apartment for dinner. The photos here are from class last week and from dinner at my place this weekend. I am enjoying this opportunity to get to know some of our students at a deeper level.

I preached today for our church here in Zagreb. Along with churches around the world on this Sunday, we focused on the plight of orphans and God’s call of His followers to care for them. I preached on the topic, “Fields of the Fatherless.” I also shared some very personal examples and experiences, from my own life and that of my family, of God using His people to provide for orphans. I’m still very mindful and prayerful for my friend Vova, and many others in Ukraine. God help us to increasingly be the hands and feet of Jesus to these ones who are so on His heart.

Today is the 2nd anniversary of my move to Croatia. This morning I read today’s selection in Oswald Chambers’ devotional book, My Utmost for His Highest. It is amazing to me how timely and applicable readings from that book can be. Today was no exception. It was a great gift from God in confirming my life and work with Biblijski institut here in Croatia:

“One student a year who hears God’s call would be sufficient for God to have called this College into existence. This College as an organization is not worth anything, it is not academic; it is for nothing else but for God to help himself to lives. Is He going to help Himself to us, or are we taken up with our conception of what we are going to be?”

 What a blessing this week has been. I spent three days in the coastal city of Split, Croatia, as one of 250 missionary guests of an organization called the Christian Hospitality Network (CHN). They paid for rooms and two meals per day for all of us at the Le Meridian Lav Hotel, right outside of Split. They provided foot and hand massages for everyone, and had letters waiting for us from family and friends. There was also a time of worship together each evening. They wanted no thanks for this, but rather wanted to thank and honor us for our service far from our home country and our families. It was a good time of relaxing and refreshing, and being with other missionaries from all over Europe and parts of Africa. This Sunday, CHN’s team will be in Zagreb before they fly home on Monday. I will be their host for church, lunch, and a tour of the old town. Thank you God for this blessing.

 

On Saturday, October 6, we had our ceremony honoring our graduates for 2012. We celebrated this milestone with eight students. One received a Certificate in Christian Service, five received Bachelor’s degrees in Theology, and we had two receiving the Master of Arts in Christian Ministry from Abilene Christian University. ACU sent two representatives for the occasion. One of whom was Dr. Mark Hamilton, Associate Dean of ACU’s Graduate School of Theology. He also gave the keynote speech. As usual, I served in many “behind-the-scenes” roles for this event. Please join us in thanking God for these eight students, and in praying for them and their future ministries.

Sunday was a busy and important day. In the morning I was present at the baptism of Petra Erceg. I have worked with Petra at various camps and youth meetings over the last three years. While I am by no means the only person who has had spiritual input into her life, I like to think that I have had some part in encouraging her decision to follow Jesus. Afterwards at lunch Petra expressed her gratitude for the role I have played in leading up to this day in her life. I was very proud of her and felt honored to be a part of her day. Please pray along with me for this young lady and her new life in Jesus. Later in the day, I attended the birthday party of one of the children of my new neighbors. These neighbors are nice people and great neighbors and their children are very special. I gave as a birthday present a copy of the new illustrated children’s story Bible that Biblijski institut published last year. Pray also for my relationship with this family and for opportunities to show them Jesus. Photos of Petra’s baptism are below.

Last Friday I went and helped my friend Ivan (also our registrar at Biblijski institut) to clear the land he owns out in a village west of the city. This is the same village where our director and his wife live. It is also the area where I am looking for and considering land to possibly build a house on someday. This was the first time Ivan had worked on his property this year and some of the grass and weeds were three and four feet tall. Ivan cut it and I raked it all into piles. It was hard work as the land is on a fairly good slope. However, we also had good fellowship through the work.

I celebrated my birthday yesterday, and it was a great day. It all actually started on Saturday, with a picnic with some friends at a castle in the northern part of Croatia. Then yesterday morning, two other friends met me for coffee and one of them went on a hike with me to the top of the mountain that lies just north of Zagreb. Finally, I ended the day with dinner at a new Bosnian restaurant with the Biblijski institut director and his wife. Thanks to these friends for blessing me with some great times together. Enjoy some photos of the festivities:

Here I am with my discussion group of teenagers at our camp on the coast earlier this month. We are joined by a few of the adults who know them. I invited these adults to speak some words of life and encouragement to the teens. This was after our “experiment” in following Jesus. I first let the teens each choose a snack from a bunch I had bought earlier. Then they had to follow “Jesus” (me) around the camp. I led them through the water and through some weeds. Then I enlisted the help of the adult discussion groups. One of these groups spoke insults to these “Jesus followers,” and the other group said they were all hungry and took all the teens’ snacks I had given them. We ended up at the table pictured above. I told them “well done good and faithful servants,” and then poured out onto the table four times as many snacks as before. Then I invited the adults to speak positive words of affirmation to the teens. I hope through this experience the teens got at least a small glimpse of the trials, and especially the rewards, that come with following Jesus.