Our team met with Zdenko (pastor of žive nada-hope alive), his wife Sandra and daughter Lara (age 6, 18 month old son, Philip,was napping with host family) in our pastor's study as we prepare for our trip to Croatia. Born and raised in Bosnia and Herzogvina (just south of Croatia) he had to flee his homeland because of the outbreak of war and settled in Croatia. There he met his wife who was led to follow Christ through a street evangelism outreach. She also told us that as a young girl she approached her priest to ask for a copy of the Bible and did not connect with it as she read so basically didn't believe there was a God, though she had been seeking Him for many years. They eventually connected with Kent and Cheri Pixlay (who we will be visiting with in Trogir, Croatia) and Kent invested his heart for God into Zdenko. Zdenko helped by leading worship (playing guitar) and in the youth ministry of the early church plant (by Kent and Cheri) after returning from a missionary trip to Livno, Bosnia. Since 2006, they have served as the first national pastors of žive nada church there in Split, Croatia.
Zdenko and Sandra are here looking for support to expand their ministry by purchasing some property to house the church They currently rent a 1000 sq. ft. facility (and are bursting at its seams) and start a private school there. The culture values organizations that have a place of their own like the Catholic Church so as not to be percieved as a sect or in a negative light.
What was great for me to see was their gentle spirits, compassionate hearts and passion for their call to serve Christ. They value all of the denominational evangelical churches there and speak highly of the 350 members (total) of all the evangelical believers in Croatia (a land with some 4 and a half million people). They readily confess they are inadequate to the task and vision God has layed before them, lacking administrative skills (and finances) to do so, and that too is quite refreshing. In such a brief encouter, their hearts connected with ours, their enthusiasm for our team going to his homeland was contagious. These shepherds have crossed the boundaries of culture to refresh and encourage our willingness to go to the people there and just be available.
It is our hope and prayer that we can be as they, generous, caring, available and with a passion to our call as God lays it out before us on our trip. Thank you again for your prayers and support of our team! You too are an extension of what God will allow us to do there in His name! All glory to Christ!
Zdenko and Sandra are here looking for support to expand their ministry by purchasing some property to house the church They currently rent a 1000 sq. ft. facility (and are bursting at its seams) and start a private school there. The culture values organizations that have a place of their own like the Catholic Church so as not to be percieved as a sect or in a negative light.
What was great for me to see was their gentle spirits, compassionate hearts and passion for their call to serve Christ. They value all of the denominational evangelical churches there and speak highly of the 350 members (total) of all the evangelical believers in Croatia (a land with some 4 and a half million people). They readily confess they are inadequate to the task and vision God has layed before them, lacking administrative skills (and finances) to do so, and that too is quite refreshing. In such a brief encouter, their hearts connected with ours, their enthusiasm for our team going to his homeland was contagious. These shepherds have crossed the boundaries of culture to refresh and encourage our willingness to go to the people there and just be available.
It is our hope and prayer that we can be as they, generous, caring, available and with a passion to our call as God lays it out before us on our trip. Thank you again for your prayers and support of our team! You too are an extension of what God will allow us to do there in His name! All glory to Christ!
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