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.

June 18-21 we conducted our second annual Champs Camp. I was again involved with the administration and leadership of the camp. Champs Camp is a day camp for elementary school age children from the community. It’s a high energy program with lots of singing, games, crafts, and, of course, Bible lessons. This program was started last summer by Biblijski institut, with the help of a large group from the Round Rock Church of Christ in Round Rock, Texas. This year, Biblijski institut again sponsored the camp, along with a new Croatian partner, Društvo Prijatelja Biblije (Association of Friends of the Bible). We had a much smaller group from Texas this time, but many more Croatian volunteers, which was encouraging. This year we had about 75 kids who came to the camp. Once again the program seemed to be well received by both children and parents. One of the most exciting aspects was that we had several kids who will be too old for the camp next year who said that they would like to help with it next time. It’s encouraging that they see something in the camp and something in us that they want to stay connected with. We are brainstorming and praying about ways we can capitalize on this interest and keep these kids engaged, both in the summer, and throughout the school year. Pray along with us that these efforts will produce fruit for the Kingdom in years to come. Enjoy some photos from Champs Camp II:

 

I realized today that it has been a little over two months since I last posted here. During that time we conducted the second Champs Camp (more on this later), I was in Texas for about 2 1/2 weeks for my parents’ 50th wedding anniversary and to see my new nephew, and I have had a little vacation time to myself. Right now I am writing this sitting by the Adriatic Sea on the island of Ugljan for our annual church family camp, at which I am teaching the class for teenagers (also more on this later). Here’s a photo of our family from the time with my parents in July:

Last Saturday we sponsored a barbecue for the students and faculty of Biblijski institut. Everyone was encouraged to bring friends who might be interested in studying with us. We had free food (grilled by yours truly, and some of the other staff), gave away t-shirts and sweatshirts, along with other promotional materials about the school. It was a fun day of fellowship and sharing about the institute. My dog and my grandmother’s chocolate chip cookies even made appearances. This event marked the beginning of our season of recruiting new students, which lasts until September. Pray with us that God will bring us the students for the next academic year whom He knows need to be here.

I spent last weekend with longtime friends, Max and Liz Crittenden (pictured above), at their home in Zenica, Bosnia and Hercegovina. Zenica is about a five hour drive southeast from Zagreb, in the very heart of Bosnia. Max and Liz have been missionaries there for about 14 years. I led a summer camp team to work with them back in 2000. That summer was one of the most exciting, challenging, and Spirit-led experiences of my missionary life. Ask me about that story sometime. We had a nice weekend, with great weather for a change, after a wet and cold spring so far. Even better was our fellowship and mutual encouragement of one another. That is so important for us all. It never escapes me the almost tangible change in feel, mood, and spirit when I cross the border into Bosnia. I took the photos below just across the border, in the northern part of Bosnia, which was hit hard during the war there in the early 1990s. Please pray for that country, for God’s Spirit and presence and peace, in the midst of spiritual darkness and ethnic tension and strife. Pray for the missionaries and native servants of Jesus there. Pray for their protection from the enemy of our souls, and that God will use them as the light and hope of Jesus in Bosnia.