Bohall Ministry

On Tuesday at 12:19 pm, while most of our family was in the living room, our apartment started rocking. We've experienced aftershocks from the quake in March for months now. But the one on Tuesday lasted longer and gained strength until it ended. The only feeling I can compare it to is like turbulence on an airplane. The obvious difference is that you don't expect the floor beneath you to move when you're in your own house. Some of our cupboards opened and spilled their contents. Thankfully, that was the extent of the physical damage in our apartment. None of us were hurt. We would soon learn though that we were on the outskirts of a much stronger quake than the one in March. Several towns and villages about an hours drive from us experienced the full brunt of the earthquake measured 6.2 on the Richter scale. As of this writing seven people have died and many more are injured.  Photo courtesy of Josip Škof Though there is damage in Zagreb, it's not nearly as se...

This has been a sobering year for many of us. It's a year in which the significance of a Savior who understands and sympathizes with us brings us more comfort, perhaps, than in other years. Our prayer is that you would be surrounded by peace as you celebrate the birth of Emmanuel. May the news of Christ's birth fill your heart with joy. Merry Christmas!

 Seeing one kid after another take up an instrument has been a joy for us as parents. This year we put together a simple arrangement for our unique instrumentation and played Angels We Have Heard on High. Enjoy!

I've long been drawn to the incredible promise in Ephesians 3:20-21. Abundantly more than we can ask or imagine? How can that be? When I use Paul's beautiful hymn of praise as a benediction at the end of our church services, I fear some may feel it's just a nice way to leave. But can these words really be true? Are they true? In this sermon, I try to get at the heart of what Paul is saying in this lofty text. I preached it in Croatian a couple weeks ago. But I also practiced it in English ahead of time. 

As is true of so many segments of life, our scout ministry has been affected by the pandemic. We've had fewer and shorter meetings since the virus came to Croatia in February. Last Monday was the third day of a three-day weekend and a beautiful day for a hike. We took advantage of it.   I (Jeremy) have the pleasure of leading Royal Rangers with one of my good friends, Danijel K. His two oldest boys (middle) are pictured here with our two oldest boys. I am so thankful for the friendship our two families have. 

I had the pleasure of digging into Genesis over the summer. This is a sermon I prepared for our local church in Zagreb in July. By way of preparation, I recorded it in English ahead of time. 

 This was the first summer since we moved to Croatia that we haven't been involved in camps. They were cancelled due to Covid-19. Although it was disappointing to not be able to serve in one of the most exciting parts of our ministry, the break came at a good time. We took the extra time to be with friends and family at the coast. 

On most occassions when I (Jeremy) preach these days, I preach in Croatian. But there are times when I practice the sermon ahead of time in English. I've found it's important to feel what it's like to preach the sermon in my native language before preaching in my second language.  This is a sermon I preached earlier this year on the value of Jesus Christ as Lord. 

  Two weeks ago, Petra traveled from Croatia across the border to Hungary for the weekend without a hitch. She went to a women’s gathering while I (Jeremy) stayed at home with our five children. My parents and my mother-in-law helped me manage the whole situation. Our life was completely normal. There were 12 confirmed cases of Coronavirus in Croatia.   One week ago, Petra and I went out for breakfast in Zagreb to plan for the upcoming change in our schedule. The government had just announced that there would be no school for at least the next two weeks. With four of our children affected, we had to plan ahead. Thankfully Croatian officials were on the ball. They had already begun recording classes for pupils to watch on television and over the internet. There were 49 confirmed cases of Coronavirus in Croatia. Zagreb on March 14 Today, we’re not allowed to cross the border to any other country. We can’t go to a restaurant because they’re all closed. In fact, we’re not allowed ...

Jeremy here. I am headed back to Croatia. My trip to the Northeast was incredible. Just about everything went as planned - something I'm not accustomed to experiencing with five kids. Petra dealt with the unpredictable in Zagreb,  school strikes  and all, while I traveled through the News: England and York.  Of course, pleasure was not the reason I visited the States. Still, I've always said that family and friends were the #1 thing I miss about the U.S., just ahead of baseball. I got both on this trip.  What I loved most about this particular journey was meeting many people who are excited about advancing the Kingdom of God. Between churches, pastors and friends and family, there were at least 15 various gatherings in which I was able to share our story and talk about what's going on in Croatia.  So much of that was because many of our long time supporters graciously hosted me, arranged gatherings, and spoke on our behalf. We are so grat...