A Fall Update

Throughout the next month or so I will be endeavoring to do something that is quite foreign to us. 

In the Spring of 2007, Petra and I were already involved in ministry, working with youth in the local church and teaching English at a nearby seminary. That local church extended an invitation to serve full-time. We decided to take a leap of faith to see if the Lord would confirm the decision through the response of our family and friends. 

Since then and throughout the growth of our family and a move to Zagreb, the Lord has provided. We have never made a trip to the States for the sole purpose of fund-raising and have never been in need. It is honestly awe-inspiring to consider how the Lord has taken care of us. We believe He will continue to do so.

For various reasons, our support has decreased over the past year or so. Therefore, I am traveling to the Northeast U.S. from October 8th to 28th for the purpose of fund-raising. Our ministry at this point is more established. Petra leads camps throughout the summer and is involved in various church projects throughout the rest of the year. I teach and preach in our local church and lecture occassionally at the same seminary where I taught English 12 years ago.

In coming to the States, my hope is to meet with many who know us and thank them for their support. I also look forward to sharing what God is doing through us with others in hope that they may consider partnering with us. 

So we come to you first of all to ask for your prayers. I hope to see those I interact with come away with a clear understanding of the need in Croatia. And I would love to know that I have effectively communicated our vision and how the Lord is using us here. Would you please pray to that end?

Thank you for partnering with us. We are well aware of the fact that the Lord provides through your thoughtful and prayerful support. If there is any way we can keep you better informed, please let us know!

Prayer and Making Disciples

I’m convinced that it is impossible to make disciples of Jesus Christ without prayer. Let me put it in even stronger terms:
If we’re not praying for those we’re discipling, we’re not discipling.
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For those who are serious about a biblical vision of disciple making, it ought to be evident that prayer is an essential ingredient. 
The reason I post this though is because it’s probably the thing I am worst at. I need a reminder.
So, if you and I are serious about making disciples of Jesus Christ, let’s stop what we’re doing.
Go for a prayer walk. Turn down the music in your car and pray. Put a half hour of time in your calendar to pray. Do whatever it takes to devote time to pray for those you are discipling. 
If we can’t make time to pray, we’re not actually making disciples.