This is across from the train station, about a 10 minute walk from my house.

San Antonio cafe and American Donut stand

This last Sunday I was asked to give the lesson at the church youth meeting.  This is a monthly gathering of youth from a few churches in Croatia that is held at a different church each month.  This time we were at Zaprešić.  I taught a lesson about how we are born into a grand story that God is telling and that we all have a role to play in that story.  I tied this in with how all the grand stories we love all share the same basic storyline:  Things were good, then evil enters the picture, a hero has to fight a battle and sometimes has to die, and then things are set right again.  What does this sound like?  It is simply a reflection of the grander, truer story (the Gospel) we are all a part of as God’s creation.  It is wired into who we are and so it can’t help coming out in the stories we love to tell.  I used scripture references together with several film clips from popular movies to illustrate the lesson.  Afterward, we all went bowling together at a local shopping mall.  It was a good day and it was great to get to know these teens better and pour into their lives.

Our Youth Meeting

My Bowling Group

Last Sunday I visited one of our Bible Institute students, Vanja Kleindienst, and her family in the small mountain village where they live in Razbor, Slovenia.  Vanja and her husband Sergej minister to a small church that meets in their house.  Their village recently lost their resident parish priest.  In his absence, Vanja and Sergej have become the de facto spiritual leaders in this small community.  We have a group of Americans coming from Round Rock, Texas to do a camp this summer in the nearby town of Sevnica.  Vanja and Sergej will be our hosts for this camp and then will conduct follow-up ministries with the children and their families after the team leaves.  It was a great day with Vanja and Sergej and I look forward to the time in the summer with them.

Vanja, Sergej, and their children

The only street in the village of Razbor

Vanja by one of her gardens