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.
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!
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.
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.
