Anticipating our Return

Even with all the activity (see previous post), we miss Croatia! We're looking forward to getting back to our home church, our friends and life in general.

As we anticipate our trip back in January, our biggest need is a vehicle. With number four on the way in the spring, we're hoping to purchase a mini-van soon after we arrive. Croatia's entrance into the EU may make it less expensive to bring in a car from the U.S. (where the price of mini-vans is approximately half the price of those in Croatia). We probably won't know until January though. Either way, there will be several hurdles to cross. Your prayers would be greatly appreciated!

Here are a few additional things you can pray for:

• Jeremy’s continued focus on his studies, especially as the semester comes to an end on December 18th. 
• Our church back home in Orahovica.
• God’s direction and wisdom as we evaluate the future of our various ministries.
• God opening new doors for new ministries when we go back home.
• New ministry partners here in the states.
• More opportunities to share about our work in Orahovica.

If you are one of our prayer partners, thank you! We would appreciate hearing from you. Email us at jeremy.bohall@gmail.com.  

Expectations and Thankfulness

Baby Bohall number four is on the way! In September we found out that Petra is pregnant and due to give birth in the spring of 2013. We are again humbled by the gift of life growing before our eyes in the form of two energetic boys, a cruising one-year-old and Petra's increasingly round belly.

One of the reasons Thanksgiving resonates with us so much is because God's provision in the past reminds  us of our hope for the future. Pausing at various times to give thanks allows us to rest in His promises rather than being anxious. Since we arrived in the States in September, there are a number of things we are grateful for:

• A smooth transition for the whole family
• Lots of time with Jeremy's family



Bohalls November 2012

• Jeremy thoroughly enjoying his classes 
• Wonderful preschool classes for the boys
• A time of prayer with other missionaries from Garden City Church in October
• A very helpful ‘baka’ (Petra’s mom) who has helped with the kids on a daily basis

If you have prayed for us in the last few months we ask that you do two things:

1. Let us know so we can thank you. Prayer is the most important way you can be involved in our ministry: jeremy.bohall@gmail.com
2. Give thanks to the Lord for the various ways he has answered your prayers.

His love endures forever!

Gratefully,

Jeremy, Petra, Enoh, Ian, Emily and ____ Bohall

Update: Safe and Sound

We arrived safe and sound in Boston late Friday night August the 31st. Despite several airline and airport complications in Europe, the kids did better than we could have imagined.

Over a month ago Enoh (our oldest) told us he was going to give Oma (Jeremy's mother) a BIG hug when he saw her. Sure enough, in front of hundreds of waiting people in Terminal E Enoh ran to Oma and knocked her down with an enthusiastic hug. All of us were so glad to have family waiting for us when we arrived.

Thank you again for your prayers! Scroll down to find other ways you can support us in prayer in the months ahead.

Immeasurably More

The Lord is good. 

If you remember (or scroll down), our major concern as we prepare to visit the States was related to transportation. We were hoping someone in the Boston area knew of someone who was selling a vehicle or would let us rent theirs for a period of time. As it turns out, our friends in Buffalo have gone out of their way (literally) to loan us their SUV. The car seat situation has also been ironed out. We haven't even arrived and the Lord has provided for our biggest material needs. We are so thankful for generous friends and faithful supporters who have kept our family in their prayers!

As we prepare for our trip in less than two weeks, we ask for your continued prayers. Here are some specific requests:

- That the Lord would provide a spirit of peace for the whole family as we travel on August 31st and recover from jet lag afterwards. 

- For Petra as she hits the ground running taking care of the majority of the logistical work related to our five month stay.

- For Jeremy as he begins a semester at Gordon Conwell on September 10th. 

- For Enoh and Ian as they start preschool in new surroundings. 

- For opportunities to say "thank you" to those who have supported us and present our ministry to those who want to join our efforts. 

We are excited about what awaits us in Boston, but will certainly miss our church family in Orahovica. Please keep them in your prayers as well - especially Slobodan and Lidija (the pastor and his wife). 

All of these requests we bring to your attention knowing that God will answer according to his will. As we have seen, he is able to do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine. To God be the glory!

With thankful hearts,

Jeremy, Petra, Enoh, Ian and Emily Bohall

Visit to the States

Years back, we decided that before our kids are school age we would try to visit the States every two years. We will be making our next visit from September 2012 to January 2013. Our purpose in coming is threefold:

1. To visit family and friends.
2. For Jeremy to study at Gordon-Conwell Seminary during the fall semester.
3. To renew our relationships with our supporters and continue to find new ministry partners.

As we prepare for our visit we have several needs that we haven’t had in the past. The first is an affordable vehicle that can fit three car seats inside during our five month stay in Massachusetts. Secondly, we are looking for two car seats—for  a one year old and a two-and-a-half year old. If you know of anybody who would be willing to rent their vehicle for even part of that time, please let us know. The same goes for the car seats. If you have any information or questions towards this end please send an email to Jeremy at jeremy.bohall@gmail.com. Thanks!

In the past, we have hosted “Hvala” parties as a more personal way to keep you updated. We plan to do that again. If you’re in the New England area, keep an eye out for an invitation to our get-together this fall.

  We are always looking for opportunities to share our ministry with churches and /or individuals who may be interested. If you know of opporutnies like this, please let us know. We are always excited to expand our support base and meet new partners.

Most importantly, we ask for your prayers as we prepare for the trip and travel with three young children. We are looking forward to this adventure and trust that the LORD will provide as he always does.

Season of Change

When we began our ministry in 2007 we were practically newly-weds. Five years and three children later, the focus of our ministry is changing. While we are still involved in many of the same aspects of our ministry, God has also been leading us to work more with families in our church. This spring we hosted two couples nights (picture below) and Petra started the first nursery in the church.  Being more intentional with the families in our church has turned out to be a mutually encouraging aspect of our ministry. Unfortunately, couples are a demographic frequently neglected in many local Croatian congregations.

That’s not to say that we no longer work with the youth. As we told you in our last update, many of them graduated last year and we’ve been seeking wisdom as to how to go forward. This spring we’ve begun discipling several of the teenagers we met through English and baseball ministries. Petra has a weekly Bible study with two teenage girls while Jeremy meets regularly with one of the players on the baseball team. This too, has been rewarding on all counts.

In the meantime, Jeremy is finishing the first year of his studies towards a Master’s degree in Theology. During the summer, he will study Greek which means that Petra will have a limited role in camp for the first time since she was a teenager.  She will still be involved in writing part of the program for kids camp and managing registration for four of the camps in July. Jeremy continues to assume more pastoral responsibilities including officiating his first funeral and visiting various individuals in the church while preaching occasionally and leading worship. We are grateful for the various opportunities to continue work in His kingdom.

As we are continually reminded of the Lord's faithfulness, we remember your prayers and financial support which allow us to move forward in His plan. Thank you!

In Christ,

Jeremy, Petra, Enoh, Ian and Emily Bohall