The Fantastic Farewell

The Fantastic Farewell- by Gwendolyn Hunter

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Throughout the workshops we led over the course of this week, we invited the kids we had been working with to a traditional American Barbecue style picnic. At the end of the week, it was our opportunity to lean deeper into the relationships we had cultivated and to conclude the spectacular week we had spent together. On Friday morning, we finished preparing and packing our potato salad, coleslaw, baked beans, veggie salad, and of course components to make burgers and dogs! Members of the team worked to assemble the food, taking care to slice the bread from the pekara that closest resembled burger and hot dog buns. Two of our guys braved the hot brick oven to provide us with the patties and dogs, grilled to perfection! 

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Some of these were similar to familiar foods they prepare in Bosnia, and some were being introduced for the first time. As the kids excitedly ate their carefully crafted hamburgers, they repeated in disbelief, “I can’t believe we’re eating AMERICAN food!” Just when they thought they had finished eating the exotic meal of their dreams, Jesse presented them with freshly hatchet-whittled S’more sticks. The most exciting part of it all, I was told, was that they did not think Hersheys chocolate actually existed, but that they’d always wanted to try it.  S’mores = a HIT! 

After the meal was enjoyed and packed away, it was full on Summer barbecue time. All to the soundtrack of the 80s greatest hits, we played lawn games like ladder ball and cornhole, and taught new competitive table games. I’m not telling on our Lead and Worship pastor, but when competition got heavy, two people in particular may have wrestled and shoved each other over a plastic cup. 

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The highlight for me came at the end of a glorious day, after the kids were returned home ready for a late afternoon snooze. The Bosnia team members and the East Hills team gathered with some of our local brothers and sisters in Christ in the cool shade of familiar feeling Evergreen trees. Jesse was brought a guitar and the circle broke out into spontaneous worship. Someone would throw out the melody of a song and if it was familiar to everyone, it rang out from the mountain in two tongues. Three or four songs in, members of the circle reached for anything they could use as instruments to join in - teacups, spoons, clapping hands, even a cornhole board for a drum. Such a true picture of the universal tongue of praise shared by brothers and sisters of the Kingdom. All this was witnessed by one invited friend at the picnic who is not himself a believer. He later expressed to our host that sitting on the inside of the circle, he experienced the feeling of total peace. Hallelujah! 

I am bursting with gratitude for the opportunity to spend time showing what Spirit-filled community looks like, and what the love of Christ feels like to these young people and neighbors. Join us in prayer that something activates in theirs hearts upon experiencing Him, and that will grow an undeniable desire to pursue Him!

Generational ministry

Generational ministry - by Josh Droke

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The middle part of our trip was built around spending time with two generations – the elderly in the morning and the teenagers in the evening. 

The home visits with the elderly have been funny, heart-warming, and an interesting exercise trying to follow a conversation in another language (our partners have been very helpful interpreters!). One couple we visited lives on a farm, taking care of 100 sheep and “mowing” their acres of grass with a scythe… and they’re in their 80s! They were as kind, wise, and humble as you could hope for.

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In the evenings, we built relationships with the teenagers of Vareš through leading workshops on photography, anxiety, and conflict. I’m not sure what you picture when you think of teenagers from a small town in Bosnia, but these young people are simply typical teenagers who wouldn’t look out of place in any way in Kelso. They watch YouTube, love playing games on their phone, and have group text chats for encouragement and gossip. After the last workshop (by the way – Robert, Savanah, Gwen, and Jesse did an awesome job teaching!), many of the kids didn’t want to leave yet so we just hung out and talked about life for an hour. It was so good to make them feel seen, heard, and cared about, and just a lot of fun to spend an hour laughing together. We’re looking forward to seeing them again at our picnic!

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Also, as we were hanging out with the teenagers, we asked them how they met the partners we’re working with (the ones who invited the teenagers to the workshops). Their answer: Operation Christmas Child. They didn’t know the name of it, but they knew they received a gift year after year and were excited about it! Some of them, even though they are not yet believers, now help hand out those boxes to children. When you pack a box each fall, you’re helping ministries in places like this connect with children, build relationships, and open doors for the gospel. While our church’s boxes have never ended up here (to my knowledge), they have ended up in communities like this one. Thank you to all those who have packed boxes – you help set up moments like the joys we’re experiencing this week!

Fences and walls

At the end of our time at Bobovac we spent some time in prayer. During that time this is what I saw:

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I see a fence built to keep others out. We think it provides safety, but it is covered in vines. We grew the vines to cover the holes in the fence, to keep more people out, to block the holes, to hide behind.
But the vines are pulling the fence apart. What was planted to protect is creating destruction. It is pulling the beams apart.

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We build a fence to keep things in. To protect our loved ones we want to keep them close, to save them from the wilds far away, or close to home. We fill in behind the fence with dirt and rocks, blocking it in, using the fence to hold the property together.
But the rocks crack, break free, and knock apart the fence.

So we build a wall. And a castle. And think… we’ll be safe here. We’re protected. Nothing can knock us down now. We’re protected on all sides. The wall is strong, our castle is secure.
But the invading army has an inside man, who lets them in and gives us up. Betrayal leaves us broken, our foundation crumbling and our loved ones carried away.

I see people. Broken people trying to create safety but instead creating division by building fences and walls. By splitting up, seeing differences instead of similarities, can’t’s instead of cans, hatred instead of love. We think we need to be apart from people, to be safe we must fortify our position.

But God is in the vine.
He is in the rocks.
He is in the castle.

The enemy is ourselves, not others. God is peeling back the layers of protection we have built, asking us to vulnerably approach the boundaries of safety to seek to reconcile and restore the broken.

What if we could live without borders?
What if we could love safely without fear of our neighbors?
What if we could realize that none is worthy of God’s grace? God’s love? And yet still He loves us.

I see a future without walls and fences…
literally and figuratively.
A place of perfect restoration.

Come now, Lord Jesus.
Come now.

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Routine

Routine by Jesse Jorgensen

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I’m not sure if I should share pictures of some of the work we are doing so enjoy pictures of things I have eaten or found interesting!

We have settled into a few of days of routine. Today is our third and last day of home visits and workshops. We anticipate getting to see most of the students from the workshops and some other people we’ve met at the picnic we’ll host on Friday.

Home Visits:

We get to learn so much about culture on the home visits. We are impacted by the stories we hear and we are enjoying getting to be part of the conversation. I was mostly impressed by how our partners care for and shepherd the people they visit. I tried to ask one of them how many people he cares for in this way and he had a hard time coming up with a number but finally, he said maybe 100 in Vares. I also know he cares for people in 2 other places….so I’m guessing it’s more like hundreds of people that God has brought under his care. As we walk around the city with them, they are constantly greeted by people who are happy to see them. Our partners meet with those who are in need and lonely. They have their conversations “seasoned with salt” (see Colossians 4:6) as they sometimes gently challenge ideas and share the light of Christ. I saw tears in one woman’s eyes as she was prayed for at the end of her visit.

Many of you know how much I love pizza.

Workshops:

The workshops have been going SO great. Our goals are to build relationships, have good conversations, show the love and joy of Christ and of course teach some helpful skills. Even though the language barrier can sometimes create awkward situations, It has been fun to interact with the students. We have some teaching with break-out discussions, activities, and a snack break. When we’ve gone through all the material we play games with the students. It appears the students are having a lot of fun and feeling loved. One group drove 1.5 hours to attend and were not planning to make the trip again yesterday but they had so much fun they arranged to come anyway. Another student shared that she noticed we don’t talk behind other people’s backs and don’t judge them. That feels like a high compliment to us! They know we are Christians. We meet at the church and are under the oversight of the local pastor who they have built a relationship with. Pray that they so clearly see Jesus in us and come to understand that he is not the God he has sometimes been portrayed to be. There have also been some very good spiritual conversations that team members have been able to have. We hope that maybe some seeds are planted and pray that they will continue to ponder the topics we’ve discussed and perhaps later they will have a deeper conversation with the local pastor - and our partner - who they have built a long relationship with.

A Mercedes-Benz bicycle.

One last thing: yesterday was the anniversary of the massacre at Srebenica which only took place 27 years ago. If you can stomach it, maybe look up the history of that. It is sobering to realize that the consequences of war are on everyone’s minds. War has a way of hardening hearts. I suppose war happens because of hardened hearts. Years ago one of our partners visited East Hills and shared that their work feels like picking rocks out of a field so it can be planted. There are many rocks in these fields. It’s hard for me to understand what it feels like to experience what this region has walked through for centuries. Even so, we see God at work and hear stories of lives being changed. Keep praying!

You Are the Same God

You Are the Same God - by Wendy Droke

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Camp and camp ministry has always been important to me. As a child, I spent a lot of time at camp. It's where I met Jesus. It's where I learned about being a follower. It's a place that for me was pivotal in my early development of my faith as well as my maturing as a follower as I went on staff and served as a staff member for 6 summers. Camp foundationally changed who I am. God worked in my life through camp.

Today Josh, Jesse, and I were given the opportunity to travel out to camp to see and experience a few hours of the camp we have heard so much about. We were there just before campers arrived for the week, and even saw the first campers of the week showing up as we were leaving. While we were there we spoke with many of the staff members about the renovations going on at the camp (talk about amazing changes from the first pictures I saw from our team who went to dig fence post holes!), their excitement for what the future could hold as they finish up the second big house building, and the encouragement they have found in how that construction has been proceeding. From construction workers that are available (that's rare here - many skilled laborers have traveled to Germany where the pay is better), to provided funds, to provision in timing of things being done to be able to be used for storage, the staff is seeing encouraging things.

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Most impactful to me, however, was a conversation with a 19-year-old young woman who is working at the camp this summer. M has been going to the camp for 10 years, became a follower of Jesus there, and now is back to serve on staff this year. As she talked about the impact of camp on her life I was reminded of a much younger me. The setting looks different. The challenges are different. But our God is the same God here as he is at home. Our God is personal and meets needs individually, and while I knew that could happen in similar settings and methods, it was impactful to see how God does similar and meaningful things in youth in the same ways here as well as at home.

Also encouraging: hearing the dreams of the staff for the future of the camp and hearing things to lift up, so I'll pass those along to you for you to be praying for (or consider giving directly to):

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* to finish phase 2 of construction they still need a couple hundred thousand dollars. 

* They have done so well fundraising they were able to start phase 3 on faith that the money will come in. Praise God for that but also be praying for the money to complete phase 3!

* Camp has a few more weeks left this summer pray for the campers and staff that are there now and are coming.

* The camp would love to buy the two properties behind the back fence. Prayers for possible future expansion and positive reception from those property owners!

Day 2

Day 2 by Josh Droke

After a beautiful Saturday in the countryside of Vareš, Sunday was spent all over the city of Sarajevo. In two very different places, two overlapping themes emerged: (1) Walking and (2) the glory of God.

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Saturday, we hiked into the woods to forage for local vegetation, went on another long hike, and then half the team went on another long walk to do a home visit with a local Bosnian. Sunday, we walked around the city to see historic sights, rode the cable car up to the top of the Olympic (1984) bobsled track, walked down part of the bobsled track (and back up), hiked to a place we could see the whole city (what a view!), then rode back down and walked around some more to see the cultural/tourist shops of today’s Sarajevo. Y’all: Our legs are tired. Our muscles are sore. And our hearts are full.

All of that walking was also filled with laughter, ministry, and encouragement. It was so good to hike in the woods and hear about the local church’s work in the outskirts and small towns – relationship being built, people being prayed for, and the light of Christ shining in the darkness. Please pray for deepening spiritual connections and conversations, as well as encouragement for all involved!

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Sunday started with a worship gathering at one of the Sarajevo churches. Revelation 7:9 says, “After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb…” To listen to this small band of Bosnians worshiping in their language felt like a preview of Heaven. The words may be different, and some of the tunes unfamiliar, but the heart of worship is the same. We leaned into worship together in front of the Lamb, the Word of God and the Light of the World.

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After church, we got to eat lunch with the pastor of the church and his wife. The Pizza was great and the conversation with this brother and sister in Christ was even better. We got to hear stories of the great work Holy Spirit has done in their lives, to the glory of God. Please be praying for them. They face many of the same difficulties we face and much more. The weight of carrying the gospel for a whole nation of people can feel so heavy, and we can “lift their arms” in prayer.

Already, we have had the privilege of being a blessing to our partners and being blessed by them. We have been able to serve other believers in Bosnia, worship the Lord with them, and learn more of their story. As we look forward toward the rest of the week (more home visits, prayer walking, and our seminars), we’re praying God continues to be glorified and we can continue to bless as we are blessed.

One Man's Tale of Travel

One Man's Tale of Travel by Robert Hunter

When we landed in Istanbul, we arrived at the airport and sat down around gate A. It seemed like a “small” airport, so we relaxed until the airplane gate screen (terminal?) showed us the arrival time for our plane and what gate to go to. Apparently, the information was not up yet. It gave us a 1 hour waiting period, so it was time to get some drinks and food. Now, the first time using a bathroom in Istanbul was my first of many experiences of “culture shock”. (Why does it always have to be the bathrooms?) The first stall I opened was just a hole in the ground, an accommodation for European men called the “squatter”. (Fair warning, I if I write the blogs, things might get lost in my brain and/or translation). NOW! Sleep deprived me thought it wasn’t the time to try anything new. Luckily, the rest of the stalls had toilets in them. So, I do my business, and trying to figure out how to flush, I stand up. Proud and determined that I, for the first time, was on an airplane and had boots on the ground in Turkey. I look at a knob to the left, turn it, and to my sudden surprise, my heart dropped 100 ft. A stream of water strikes my legs and soaked my jeans as I encounter my first-ever bidet. As I get back, laughing at my sleep-deprived mistakes and humbling beginnings, I join the group waiting for the gate call. After an hour, a number pops up. The gate says E4 and from what the signs were pointing to, E4 is on the other side of this very small airport…. One thing you must know about me is that I have never flown before, and I am not an expert in airports. My ignorance to this gave me what I call “humbling awareness”, and this next story will explain. As we see a sign that the gate D-E is to the right, my jaw dropped. At first, I saw 5 huge shops. Then, my sleepy Lighting Mcqueen racing mind looked up jokingly and said to my inner sanctum of what I call Robert’s brain, “Oh, there can’t be more than this.” Because my sleep-deprived brain is determined this a “small airport” and saw a walking sign that said gate E 15 mins….. I have only encountered this while driving when there is a delay because of traffic. If I tell you it was an underground Vegas strip, that would be an understatement. Why? It was a mini city. No, it was airport? Planet? I am pretty sure it had its own eco system? (Well, I have never been to Vegas) So many things to think about while you are walking in an airport that you thought was small. It happened to be one of the biggest 5-star airports in the world. There was an upstairs and there were shops and vaulted ceilings at heights of 50ft or more. As we get to our gate, sweaty from sitting 11 hours and then walking a mile in the airport’s shoes, it was time for the next plane to Bosnia, only 2 hours!, This plane was smaller, not as fancy, but 100 percent more bumpy, (which was more fun). I did get a window seat because a lady switched my seats. She had a son flying, which was good so that I could sit by my wife. AND the window! FACT: Smaller planes are more fun. NOT A FACT: The landing on this one comparatively to the last, was a crash landing. As we got closer to the ground, it suddenly ran to embrace the concrete like a family member returning from a long trip. No worries, the plane, and landing strip hugged it out and my feet touched the ground. I took my first breath of Bosnian air on the airport strip, day 1 completed!

Vikendica!

Vikendica! by Jesse Jorgensen

Our team did arrive safely in Sarajevo on Friday evening (local time) and then drove an hour to Vares where we’ll spend most of our time. We were tired…weary, I’d say, but travel went smoothly every step of the way. Not to say it wasn’t uneventful. (I did get a little vomit on my legs due to being trapped in the “splash zone” of a nearby sick airplane passenger, and other team members may tell you their tales of the journey at some point.) But, all in all, a fine trip.

We spent our first day with our friends up at their vikendika (cottage) where we had our orientation meeting, and considered how we will setup for the picnic we are host there at the end of the week. We also ate delicious food, played cornhole and ladder ball with a local neighbor, walked/hiked, rested, and some of us even got to squeeze in a home visit to another neighbor. The weather was delightful and I count it as a very good day.

Please pray for us as we continue to adjust to the time zone and hopefully get our bodies caught up on the rest we need. We have a variety of small health related issues among the team. Mostly, we think, just due to fatigue and needing to adjust.

Today we are headed to church in Sarajevo. Josh will be preaching and Wendy and I will help lead worship. We’ll get to have lunch with the pastor of the church and visit some friends who had helped previous teams with the kids camps at the center. We are looking forward to more time with our global partners, old and new friends today!

Welcome to Our Blog!

Post #1 by Jesse Jorgensen

Thank you for all your support and prayers as you follow our trip through this blog! Our team is prepared and excited for the trip. We plan to post frequent updates throughout our time in Bosnia & Herzegovina so check back often and feel free to leave comments down below!

About the Trip:

The goals for our trip are to serve, partner, and learn.

Serve: We’ll have many opportunities to serve. We’ll get to visit 3 churches during our time and our team plans to be involved in preaching, helping to lead worship, and interacting with local believers getting to know them and encouraging one another. We’ll also teach 3 workshops for youth and young adults in town of Vareš. The workshops are: How to Deal With Anxiety, How to Get the Most Out Of Your Phone Camera, and How to Resolve Personal Conflict. These will be taught by Savanah, Robert, and Gwen, respectively. We’ll also be going along with our partners on home visits where we’ll get to meet locals and we pray we can share some of our stories and the light of Christ with them. At the end of the week, we are hosting an “American Picnic” for everyone we met and interacted with. Please pray for all of our interactions that we will have servant hearts and be a blessing to all.

Partner: East Hills has been partnered with the Alliance Team in Bosnia for something like 15 years. One of the most important things we can accomplish by sending short-term teams is to strengthen that partnership. As we spend time with our international workers, our team is eager to listen, encourage and support them in any way we can. The Alliance theme for missions this past year has been “Be Present”. We plan to be present with our global partners and on behalf of all of East Hills, we’ll build our friendship and support for them!

Learn: As we go, we realize that we have so much to learn. Going into a different culture is always educational and expands one’s understanding of the world. We plan to have our hands open to see what we can learn from the people in Bosnia & Herzegovina. I know that I am always impressed and inspired by the way believers there follow Jesus. We also know that God is going to grow us and work in our hearts through this experience. Our team is looking forward to how God will shape us to be more like him and give us more of his heart for the world through this trip.

Schedule:

We leave from the Seattle airport on Thursday evening, July 6th. We’ll have a 12-hour flight to Istanbul, a short layover, and then a couple-hour flight to Sarajevo. When we land we’ll have about an hour's drive out to Vares and then we will sleeeeeeeep. Pray that our travel goes well and that we adjust to the time change quickly!

Pray:

As I mentioned, we are grateful for your prayers and do ask that you would keep us covered in prayer as we go. We so appreciate the way that you all have given financially, how you provided medical supplies for us to give to our partners, and through your prayers! It truly is a team effort and you are involved in our going because of your sending. Stay tuned, we can’t wait to post more updates and bring you along with us through this blog!