Here are the last two stories in this series that we have been publishing since the Autumn. Each of the students you have read about need your prayer as they continue to prepare for mission at the Bible School in Belgrade, Serbia.
Mateja:
I heard about God when I was very small from my believing parents and experienced Him as my closest friend. As I grew, whilst I was experiencing and more of His great love, I found big difficulties at school from those who didn’t understand my relationship with Him. I used to “escape” to my room – the one safe place where I read the Bible religiously and understood the words but I didn’t put them into practice.
The great pressure and humiliation at school led me to fall into depression – I was full of bitterness and pain. One Sunday, my father spoke the words of Jesus – to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us – I realised finally that Jesus had suffered for me.
The difficulties continued but I saw that it actually was an honour to suffer for Jesus – that He could use me in the midst of this. I had a joy as I continued. Now I open the Bible – I don’t read mechanically… knowledge isn’t what makes a difference alone: it is living out, putting into practice the truth that changes things. I am now at the Bible School where I continue to learn to put into practice Jesus’ teaching…
Nenad:
I’m from Leskovac – South Serbia. A few years ago I was an aggressive, hard man. I looked for real freindship but didn’t find it – I felt overwhelmed by emptiness. My father was an alcoholic. I decided to commit suicide.
A woman came to my home and said, “Nenad, what are you doing? She encouraged me, she said “This kind of action is not from God – it is from Satan.” I sensed God working around me. I began to cry and decided to turn away from my wrong habits. But I quickly found myself in the middle of these wrong things again.
Finally I prayed, unable to resolve all of this by myself, “God – only You can keep me from this kind of life – only You can rescue me. I cannot.”
I lived in the Romany part of our town where there was a group who loved Jesus. I began to sense peace and God’s love. I began to be a blessing to my community as I started to love those around me.
Once I was dead – now I’m alive in Jesus Christ!