DAY 1 - THE STORM AND THE SEED

We arrived yesterday to beautiful Croatia and drove 2 hours into the country of Bosnia-Herzegovina. Wow! This is a gorgeous part of the world. The beauty of the area is only surpassed by that which emanates from the hearts and souls of the people we've met, so far. Their warmth and authenticity is captivating, especially as we begin to understand more and more of the story of the captivity that they have all endured and from which so few from this area have been delivered. Pastor Bernard shared, in prayer, this morning the metaphor of Peter taking those steps out of the boat and how often it is too easy to be distracted by the height of the waves . . . seemingly insurmountable. Yet, he is a humble man, so full of faith, and truly has an intimate relationship with our Lord and Savior. He knows how faithful and how much bigger our God is. In just one day, we have already experienced how much bigger our God is as well, and how wide and long and deep is His love for us, all of us. In a land where division along ethnic and religious lines runs deep, our Faithful father has planted a mustard seed with this church, and it is our sincere prayer that from this seed a mighty garden will grow for all of the people of Capljina, and eventually, become a movement that will transform this hope-deprived country. Please pray for Pastor Bernard, his congregation and this community . . . their strength and endurance and encouragement.

"The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches." Matthew 13:31-32