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Vasa

It is with great sadness that I share this post with you.  Vasa studied at the Bible School in Belgrade through both the first and second year courses finishing studying last summer.  He has been a great encouragement to so many.

On December 24, Vasa went to be with Jesus Christ dying of a heart attack in his home.  Vasa was 25 years old when he died and lived his relatively short life deeply committed to Jesus Christ and seeking to share Him with those around him. Just days before he died, he wrote,

“I truly believe that the house of prayer is needed… in every town of our Serbia.”

Jonah 4:11 “…should I not have concern for the great city?”

Physically weak from birth, Vasa demonstrated deep spiritual strength as he continued to rely on Jesus Christ.  A very great priority for Vasa was the sharing of the Gospel in Serbia.  All of us who met him were always encouraged and touched by his graciousness and challenged by his servant-hearted approach to whatever task was before him.

On the morning of the day that Vasa died, he wrote to the team at the Bible School encouraging them that their work is a great blessing to many…  He also quoted from Psalm 23,

Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Please pray for Vasa’s parents and those around them at this time.

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Graduate Daniel writes…

Dear friends,

I send you warm greetings from Montenegro.

It is my pleasure that you are standing together with us and that’s why I would like to share with you about the ministry and prayer requests. After a long time and a lot of prayer the meeting room has become too small for us and since a couple of weeks we have to put more chairs in in order for everyone to get a seat.

God gave us in a special way people that are interested in him and that also invite others. It began with me being discouraged because the ones I invited all the time did not come. I prayed “God please send the people that honestly seek you” and God did a miracle. I started to get phone calls from people that I didn’t know and they were asking me if there was a church here and if they could come.

At the moment we have Montenegrians, Russians, Americans, Germans and Serbs in our meetings. How amazing it is to hear Him drawing people, so please join me in prayer for these people and praise God together.  Let us pray that God will work in their hearts.

One woman we prayed with now says “I am rejoicing to praise God every Sunday”.

Please pray for us that God gives wisdom and everything that is necessary in order for his church here to grow.

– Daniel

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A New Year of great developments in Ruma…

We are living in Ruma and our work and ministry is mostly based in the city and its surroundings. Our most important work from which flow all of our other activities is the foundation of a church in Ruma. 

Successfully completed Alpha course!  

At the end of December we completed Alpha course, which lasted for 12 weeks. Four people were able to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. Two of them want to continue studying the Bible with us. 

Christmas gifts for children! 

In cooperation with the local council and others, we distributed 850 Christmas gifts (Samaritan’s Purse) for children in Ruma, with Christmas programs and locally produced Christmas Cartons.

Children from families receiving social assistance and children orphaned were the priority of this event. We are grateful for this opportunity to be socially engaged in the environment where we live, where this kind of engagement is at a very low level.

Through these activities, we try to implement in practice the call of the Lord Jesus Christ:

You are the salt of the earth and light of the world.

 

Plans for this year:

Raising the leaders within the church. 

For more than three years we are in the project of the church planting. We are very encouraged to see over this period of time many new people who are ready and willing to take responsibility in work and life of the church. We believe that it was time to make this big step and invest in equipping of new leaders, which we believe is one of the prerequisites for further progress of the church. 

 

Finding space for the church 

As I mentioned earlier, we are looking for the space for the church to be rented for a minimum period of five years or more. That space should be in accordance with the needs we currently have, but also in accordance with our future needs, because we are the church which is continuously growing. 

We continue to spread the good news of Jesus Christ! 

We understand that this task is the most important part of the mission. As a church we do not not believe that the dissemination of the news of Jesus Christ is an isolated event that happens once or twice a year. We want this to become the lifestyle of every believer. Our plans are to work at the individual level of each believer, but also through group classes and events

Thank you for praying, 

– Drago and Jaroslava

 

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News from the Earthquake Zone in Kraljevo – Jovica writes…

Jovica on a roof with an improvised crane.

“I’d like to share with you what has happened here in Kraljevo. 

“We planned that five people would come for five days.  SIXTEEN people come for TWO WEEKS!  We’ve worked in SEVENTEEN locations repairing roofs, walls and chimneys.

“This has all had a great impact and been much appreciated in the area…

“I am sending some pictures!”

– Jovica

On the roofs above Kraljevo, a team of sixteen helped to prepare the damaged houses for the winter.A new roof takes shape.
A new roof takes shape.
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Earthquake in Central Serbia – Jovica & Kaca Request our Prayer

This morning, Kraljevo was the centre of an earthquake in Serbia that was felt even 200kms away in Belgrade.  Two were killed and scores have been injured.

Graduates Jovica and Kaca moved to Kraljevo to begin to plant a church there this summer time…  (Click here to read more about their move)  They are safe but appreciate our prayer.

As we spoke, Jovica described how many in the town fear after shocks.  He collected his son from the hospital where he had been receiving treatment for a lung infection before the earthquake struck as some fear that the building is now not safe.

Jovica and Kaca feel that at times such as these – when we feel our vulnerability – that many ask more searching questions about their lives.  Pray with them that this would be a time of great opportunities to serve their community and speak about the Lord Jesus.

“Half an hour ago there was another aftershock.  It is good to be here in Kraljevo at this time so that we stand with these people.  Many are outside their homes now.  I will be helping people to repair  their roofs, speaking with people.  Pray for us and for the people of Kraljevo – may God bring these people to Himself.  Thank you for your prayer.”

Click here for a 1 minute video and to read about the quake on the BBC

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A Summer of Blessing! – Dragan and Danijela

Dragan and Danijela write:

We want to share with you about the blessing that we’ve had through the summer!  We were able to be students on the first ‘Balkan Insitute’ learning much and meeting new people…  We have now become part of the team of ‘Child Evangelism Fellowship’ and so are able to continue to serve God in this way.

Six Children Received Christ as their Saviour!

We then had a ‘Romi Camp’ with forty young people from all over central Serbia.  We involved them in drama, music, language and craft lessons.  Together we studied Daniel in the Bible sessions.

Over half of the children were on a camp for the first time and they very much enjoyed it!  Six of the children received Jesus Christ as their Saviour – we are really encouraged by what God is doing through these camps and we want to thank those who have been praying for and supporting us… We are very happy that we can serve our Lord together in this way.

Please Continue to Pray…

We need your ongoing prayer that God would lead and use us for His glory.

With many greetings!

– Dragan and Danijela

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Reaching the Children of Serbia: Dragan and Danijela serving with Darko and Lidija

Summer Camps Running throughout August

Today Dragan and Danijela finish an excellent course run by CEF in Serbia – “Child Evangelism Fellwship”. The course has been called “The Balkan Institute” – extremely practical, very intensive and developed by CEF over a number of years to equip children’s workers.

“Here we are at the end of the institute, we’ve worked hard – sometimes until 4am – but it’s been a real blessing to refresh what we knew and to learn much more…  We’re going straight to a camp now – 60 people will be there: a real adventure!”

The CEF team is dynamically lead by Bible School graduates Darko and Lidija Adamek and is committed to reaching the children of Serbia with the Good News of the Lord Jesus.

Now Dragan and Danijela will spend the next weeks leading camps.  Filled with laughter, friendship and a life-changing message, these times together will be the highlight of the year for many of the children enjoying them.

Please pray for these important events!

Holidays for Refugees…

Some of the children enjoying these camps this summer time will be from the refugee camps – children to whom we have been bringing humanitarian aid for many years…

Read On!

There is much more to read about what is happening through Darko and Lidija, Dragan and Danijela and those around them.  Click here to read Darko and Lidija’s latest bulletin…