CAMA Coffee Corner—Getting Acquainted!
EHA/The Grove is fine-tuning its CAMA support through the coffee donations by adopting CAMA workers from “our neck of the woods.” Ron and Lisa Ramsey and Doug and Anya Holcomb, from a local Portland CMA church, are serving in Kosovo, “next door” to Bosnia.
When the church family donates for a cup of CAMA coffee, the money will go to help the Ramsey and Holcomb families in their ministry.
East Hills and The Grove are fine-tuning their CAMA support through the coffee donations by adopting CAMA workers from “our neck of the woods.” Ron and Lisa Ramsey and Doug and Anya Holcomb, from a local Portland CMA church, are serving in Kosovo, “next door” to Bosnia.
When the church family donates for a cup of CAMA coffee, the money will go to help the Ramsey and Holcomb families in their ministry.
Ron and Lisa Ramsey serve in Gjilaan, Kosovo. Kosovo is 90% Muslim, has the youngest population in Europe and also is the poorest country in Europe. Lisa is a counselor and does consultation, research and training. Ron has a plastics recycling business with a local Kosovar Christian.
Their passion is to see Kosovars come to faith in Jesus Christ and for national believers to have opportunities for discipleship and growth.
The Ramseys will be the first International Workers to be featured in the new, upcoming “Get Acquainted” wall above the coffee bar in the EHA foyer. International workers from all over the world will be featured this year at the CAMA coffee corner bar! “See” you there!
The Joys of Ellipsis (John 12:7)
by: Noel McRae
A short study of from the life of Jesus. Dig out your Bible and read along. Like always, I recommend checking several translations to help understand a passage, especially if it is confusing.
by: Noel McRae
A short study of from the life of Jesus. Dig out your Bible and read along. Like always, I recommend checking several translations to help understand a passage, especially if it is confusing.
The NIV is a little confusing in our selected passage: When Mary anointed Jesus’ feet, Judas objected to the extravagant waste of money. Jesus responds, “‘Leave her alone,’ Jesus replied. ‘It was intended that (Greek word “hina”) she should save this perfume for the day of my burial’”.
One of the interpretive challenges of the verse is “hina”. The NIV keeps the normal force of the “hina” to indicate purpose, but in doing so it makes it sound as if Mary really had no choice in the matter. It removes the value of her choice and makes it sound like she was simply responding to God’s preordained plan.
The ESV has, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial.” This keeps the full force of the “hina” but, in my mind, makes no sense. Mary didn’t keep the perfume for the day of Jesus’ burial; she had just poured all of it on his feet.
The HCSB likewise says: Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. The have a footnote: Or “Leave her alone; she intended to keep it”
The NASB states: “Let her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial.” The NRSV is similar.
The KJV has: “Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this.” (Not helpful.)
The problem is that Mary has already poured out the perfume.
It is probably best to see the expression as an example of ellipsis; and therefore the question is, what has been left out?
The NLT that we use at EHA reads, “Leave her alone. She did this in preparation for my burial.”
Ah, the joys of ellipsis. A good guess is that Jesus is telling Judas to not object to Mary’s extravagance. She used the perfume to symbolically prepare Jesus for his death. Mary apparently had entered more into the mind of Jesus than had his twelve disciples, and she knew what was coming.
If you develop a habit of checking with several translations, you will see new insights and gain a clearer understanding of the text before you. Don’t just slide past, be a Berean and dig deeper into your Bible.
Get To Know Mark And Vivian Shady
Mark and Vivian Shady, International Workers in Mostar, Bosnia, visited with EHA and The Grove families last month. The House interviewed them for this article.
Mark and Vivian Shady, International Workers in Mostar, Bosnia, visited with EHA and The Grove families last month. The House interviewed them for this article.
We were able to pray for Mark and Vivian and their ministries.
Where did you grow up? Educational background?
Mark grew up in Burkina Faso and went to Toccoa Falls College and Denver Seminary. Viviane grew up in Indonesia and went to Toccoa Falls College and Missouri State University.
How did you come to know the Lord?
Mark went to a boarding school for missionary children and understood the gospel for the first time as a 7-8 year old. Viviane gave her life to the Lord at an M.K. boarding school.
How did you come to meet each other?
Viviane’s husband Matt died in Oct. 2001 and Mark’s wife Libby died Dec 24, 2003 on her 36th birthday. Libby’s parents were concerned about Mark returning to Bosnia alone and suggested that he start dating some of the eligible ladies from the church where her father was pastor. Viviane’s name was at the top of the list!
How many children do you have?
Viviane has 3 children—Melanie, Maria, and Maxwell. Mark has 2 children—Naomi and Esther. Melanie and her husband Jeremy Bill have 2 children. Maria is married to Loren Ellenberger. Esther is graduating from TFC and will be marrying Daniel Berry on May 30. Naomi is finishing up her Masters and Max has one more year at TFC.
What led you (Mark) to Bosnia and to the Bible school in Mostar? What subjects do you teach there?
The Shady's were able to share at a dinner event Sunday evening.
Mark was always interested in teaching and the Bible School in Mostar needed a teacher. The timing was right and the fit perfect. Mark mainly teaches Bible survey classes and doctrine classes. He is also director of the school. Viviane followed Mark
Vivian, what led you into women’s ministry there and what ministries are you involved in?
I really evolved into my ministries doing things that I was already interested in doing and made ministry out of it: aerobics, a lot of cooking, leading a Mother’s Prayer Group for our children.
How long have you been there?
Mark and Libby went to Bosnia Herzegovina in August 2000. Mark and Viviane went in August 2005.
What are some of the challenges of ministering there?
The language is very difficult. There are not many evangelical Christians in Bosnia and Herzegovina and there is a real need for workers to help start new churches and adequately staff the current churches. The greatest challenge for Viviane is being away from our kids and grandkids.
What are some of the joys you’ve experienced there?
One of Mark’s greatest joys is seeing former students, now pastors, teaching a new batch of students. Viviane's greatest joy has been leading the Mother’s Prayer Group and meeting unsaved ladies through our aerobics classes.
How can we be praying for you and the ministry there?
Pray that we will be able to facilitate a smooth leadership transition for the directorship of the Bible school. We really want to see a Bosnian worker take over that role. Pray for us as we leave children and parents behind. Pray for the salvation of the children that we are praying for in our group.
Where are you serving while in the United States and when do you return to Bosnia?
We are currently International Workers in Residence at Toccoa Falls College in Toccoa, GA. We serve as sponsors for the Student Missions Fellowship and Mark teaches 2 classes. We plan on returning to Bosnia in August 2015.
All Good Things...
Here are some of my reflections on our last few days as the team wraps up, packs our bags, and prepares for the long trans-Atlantic flight home.
Here are some of my reflections on our last few days as the team wraps up, packs our bags, and prepares for the long trans-Atlantic flight home.
Students in the Sanctification and Spiritual Formation class at Mostar.
Class in Mostar- The Spiritual Formation class at the Mostar Bible School was a real joy. While this go-round had only 3 students, they were all bright, energetic, and highly interactive. I greatly enjoyed our conversations and the insights these guys would bring from their cultural perspective. I truly feel like in a 24-hour period, we bonded and encouraged one another in our faith. I pray that the material helped build each one of them up and further prepared them to lead in the young Bosnian church. If you think of it, please pray for God to continue to build Sasha, Senad, and Tony.
Nick preaches with Pastor Sasha translating at the Malta Church
Church in Sarajevo- On Sunday morning, our team split up and participated in services at both Ilidza and Kosevsko Brdo. Pastor Matt brought the message out at Ilidza church (still some drug deals going down outside, but no stabbings. For context of that statement, see last Sunday's post!) while Nick and the rest of the team were with Pastor Slavko up a Kosevsko. Both groups were enthusiastic and encouraged by the presence of the team. On Sunday night, the team attended Malta Church again, where Nick preached with Pastor Sasha translating. For me (Nick) this church has become like a "home away from home." I realized that I have attended Malta at least 7 times in the last 5 years- more than any other church except East Hills! I enjoyed having the freedom to joke with Pastor Sasha during the message, and preaching about how our trust is in Christ, even when we don't understand everything that's happening to us. It truly felt like we were among friends. Pastor Jesse played acoustic along with their worship band.
Time with the Alliance Team at Izvor.
Last Day in Downtown- The team had some time to get last-minute gifts and souvenirs, as well as catch some coffee with friends. I was able to have coffee with some friends whom our very first team met 5 years ago. These gals were our translators for an English camp and continue to stay connected to Izvor and our teams when we visit. Jesse and I were really intrigued by their stories of growing up in Bosnia and how the war of 20 years ago continues to shape everyday life for them. Their view of the future of Bosnia, like most Bosnians we have met, is very gloomy. This nation seems to lack hope for change, and few believe that lasting reconciliation between people groups is possible. Please continue to pray for this country; that they would experience the light of Christ breaking over them in new ways. We also had time to pray with our team of Alliance workers for the church here, and various needs of the community. It was a sweet time of inviting God's power to work in each situation. Partnering with this team, and this country, feels so powerful and significant in times like that!
We hope to see you soon on the other side of the pond. Thanks for praying!
Nick
Floods, Recording, Teaching, and Cake
Hello again! Yesterday was an interesting day as most of our group went to visit the town of Maglai, which was recently affected by some serious flooding in the area. It appears that God is opening up some great doors for Izvor and the Malta church to bring some aid and build relationships with people in that town. I can’t tell you much more about that trip because ended up staying behind and spent the day with Neno, the worship leader from the Malta church.
Neno working on the recording for a music video.
The Malta church does some really great things with their music ministry and for some time now, they have recorded worship cd’s. Currently, Neno and his team are working on filming a music video of their worship team singing the song, “Fire Never Sleeps” by Jesus Culture and Martin Smith. He and I spent much of the day working on mixing the recording for the video. I really enjoyed making a new friend and getting to talk with him about worship ministry, music, and recording. In a country that has very few people following Jesus I think it is really great to see musicians such as Neno working to offer recordings of worship music for the believers in Bosnia.
The worship team at Malta church (with Pastor Matt playing bass).
This weekend the team split up again. The two ladies on our team stayed in Sarajevo and are going to be helping with a cake decorating class that is being taught at the Ilidza church. You can be praying for this event because ladies from the church are inviting their friends to come participate in the class. Pray that relationships will be built between followers of Jesus and women who are not currently believers. Pray that Jesus would draw hearts to himself through outreaches such as this class.
The Stari Most (Old Bridge) at Mostar.
While the ladies are working with the cake class, Pastor Nick and Pastor Matt are teaching a class at the Bible School in Mostar. We arrived earlier today and got to do a little sight seeing, but tonight, Nick and Matt are teaching a Friday evening class. For now please pray for Professor Nick, Professor Matt and the students. Tomorrow’s class will be an especially long day for them.
- Jesse
Pastor Nick Teaching at the Bible School in Mostar.
The Forgotten City
Today, let me tell you the story of a little city in Bosnia called Varesh.
Varesh is located in a mountain valley about one hour north of Sarajevo, Bosnia. During the cold war and the height of Yugoslavia, Varesh numbered over 25,000 people. At the heart of the city was a thriving mill that employed a majority of the population. Today, that building sits cold and empty. Unemployment is as high as 80%, and the numbers of the city have dwindled down to around 8,000.
The local residents call this place the forgotten city. After the Balkan war, many nations and much foreign aid arrived in the larger cities to help rebuild. But not in Varesh. No one came to help. No aid came for repairs. The city was left to itself to slowly rebuild from a horrific ethnic clash. The Bosnian war left them divided, depressed, and with little hope that the future will be any better. The road to this city feels more like winding back alley that may just as soon dead end and go over a cliff than it does a highway to Varesh.
But with God, no place, no city, is every forgotten. About four years ago, a Christians couple from Zenitca, Mario and Dana (pronounced Day-anna) felt called to come and help this area. As they prayed over the city and looked to God for direction, they noticed a group of kids who would stand around for several hours after school. These kids lived in some of the 40 villages beyond Varesh. If the city is "forgotten", imagine how the villages feel. There is one bus that connects some (not all) of these villages to Varesh. One bus in, one bus back. The bus doesn't leave until after 3. School is out some days as early as noon. God put it on Mario and Dana's heart to reach out to these kids as they waited.
Kids fill the center for lunch each day.
They found a space in the city and began inviting the kids in to do crafts, play games, and have a hot meal. (Many of these kids would eat only twice a day- a breakfast before leaving home early in the morning for school, and dinner late in the evening when they arrived home.) Slowly but surely, relationships are being built. One by one, Mario and Dana visit the homes of these children- Muslims by ethnic background- and explain what they are doing, as well as offer a prayer for the family. In some of these homes and villages, Mario and Dana believe this is the first time the name of Jesus has ever been spoken or heard. Families are becoming curious about why someone would care about them in these forgotten villages. Over 20 kids come daily to be blessed by Mario and Dana.
Though it is illegal in Bosnia to proselytize children, Mario and Dana pray for opportunities to answer questions and direct the kids to the hope they have in Christ. One day, a group of about 10 kids (the largest class coming to their center by far) came in asking for Bibles! Their teacher of Islamic Studies told them in class that every good Muslim should have a Bible and read it daily! Bibles that had been sitting on a shelf were suddenly in the hands, and the homes, of these 10 kids. God works in amazing ways here in Varesh.
Mario and Dana have been meeting with local government leaders, who have given them a wide-open door to preach the gospel and even start a church. "Do whatever you want", the Bosnian and Croat leaders say, "just help our people." So one at a time, God is beginning to build his church here.
And one by one, God is bringing people to His name. An older lady, who grew up in a family of Muslim priests, had taken care of a woman who was a Christian and had given her a Bible. When she met Mario and Dana, she asked questions she had since reading it, and shortly after gave her life to Christ.
Another Varesh resident had gone to Germany for a job, and there become a Christian. When she returned to Varesh, she found this small evangelical church and began to plug in.
A Muslim man came and asked them about what they are doing in his city. For over two hours he sat and asked questions about Christianity. At the end, he said he felt a warmth all over his body and a certainty that Christ was the one true way, and he surrendered his heart to Jesus.
Pastor Mario shares with Kathy Eikost.
God is at work in this valley! Will you join me in praying for the people of Varesh? Recently, the Alliance did a fund-raising campaign to purchase property so a church could be built, and almost three times the amount needed came in! Pray that God would lead Mario and Dana to just the right place. Pray for Mark and Kathy Eikost as they walk alongside this couple and help plant the church. Pray for the 10 Muslim kids who received Bibles. Pray for the families whom Mario and Dana visit in the villages. Pray that this forgotten city would become a light to the country of Bosnia. For our God has a way of turning valleys of dry bones into springs of living water. May living water course down the hills into Sarajevo and the cities beyond.
Thanks for praying!
Pastor Nick
The Cost of Following Jesus
In the last blog Nick mentioned that we got to meet and hear Pastor Slavco’s story. Between his story and the war museum we saw yesterday I’ve had a lot of thoughts to process! I’m still working on them but one thing I’ll share with you now:
Some of you may remember the video that we showed a couple weeks in a row during our Global Impact week. If you don’t remember you can view it here.
The view of Sarajevo from the top of the Avaz tower.
In the video you see the character, "Christian" talking about access to the gospel being restricted in many places of the world. Bosnia is one of those places. It’s not that churches here have to meet in secret or under the radar, but in this country of 3.8 million people, Pastor Slavko said, that about 1,000 are born again Christians. As Nick has shared before, that is like our church being the only christian church in the city of Portland. And even that would make our church larger than the bosnian church. It is staggering to think as we walk around Sarajevo that almost no one we see on these busy streets knows or believes the gospel. Access is very much limited.
Nick doing some prep work in the office at Izvor.
Also, as I've been meeting with Christians and hearing about some of the struggles they face I have been trying to wrap my head around the cost of being a Christian in Bosnia. There is always the same cost to following Christ no matter where or who you are. We all lose the throne of our hearts that we used to sit on to the Lordship of Jesus, and this means that we are all called to do things that are hard or stop doing things that we really want to do. But, for some, they pay up front, so-to-speak. For some, it means very tangible sacrifices from the get go. Here, being a christian could mean that your business would suffer. There is such corruption and a system of bribes is built in to many systems. Just as an example, some restaurant waiters will not report all the cups of coffee they sell, instead they will supplement their income by pocketing some of the small sales. When this waiter decides to follow Jesus they will inevitably learn that Jesus wants us to be honest in our dealings and not to steal. You can imagine some of the trouble they may get from the other waiters who now look bad when the christian begins turning in higher receipts at the end of the day, not to mention the loss of supplemented income or that fact that the boss may fire them for the stealing they have already done in the past. There is also the simple discrimination a christian business might face just for being different and dealing in business differently.
Pastor Matt Howell teaching a Business Ethics Seminar at Izvor.
Nick also mentioned Pastor Matt's Business Ethics Seminar in which some of these issues were able to be discussed. The seminar itself seemed to be well received and Matt did a really great job presenting the positive side of building trust and doing business in a way that asks, "how would I like to be treated."
Please pray for our brothers and sisters around the world facing difficult issues and seeking to follow Christ and bring light to a dark world. And, let's let their example challenge and convict us.
Thanks for checking in and thank you for praying!
- Jesse
The Church in Bosnia
One of the realities that hits you when you visit Bosnia is that this is a spiritually dark country. But the darkness doesn't stop in the spiritual realm.
Worship at the Ilidza Church.
On Sunday, we went out to the west end of town and worshiped with the Ilidza church. For those of you that are familiar with the Bosnia church, you may be interested to know that this small church has moved to a larger facility in a more central location to the shopping and dining area of Ilidza. They are experiencing some moderate growth and have benefited from a partnership with another mission organization that uses their facility for mid-week children's programming. I had the honor of bringing the message during the service. At the end, Alliance worker Kathy Eikost was leading the congregation in a rousing version of "How Great Thou Art." During this same time, a a drug-related incident was occurring outside, not connected to the church. Just beyond the front door of the church, a man was stabbed in the leg. As we ended the church service, police were responding and putting up caution tape that blocked our way to the parking lot! Talk about an unexpected end to the morning. As you might imagine, our prayer walking in this area later that afternoon had a particular urgency to it!
Sunday night, we joined the church at Malta for their worship service, where Matt Howell of Tacoma both played bass and also did the preaching. It was great to reconnect with many in this group whom I have met on previous trips. Pray for Pastor Sasha as he leads this diverse group towards spiritual maturity and tries to build a greater passion for reaching their city.
Today (Monday) involved some prayer walking around downtown, visiting a local museum on the Srebrinca massacre (a tragedy of the Balkan war where Serbian forces killed over 8,000 Bosnian men and boys in a single day), and coffee with another local pastor named Slavko. His story of how he came to faith was a great encouragement to our team.
Please pray for us as we continue to serve here. Matt is leading a "Business Ethics" seminar for over 25 Bosnians tonight at the Izvor Center. This is a challenging topic in a country where bribery is the social norm and corruption in the political system is the norm. Pray that this topic will challenge those who attend, and that it will spark a spiritual curiosity in them.
Thank you for your prayers! Many blessings-
Pastor Nick