"We"

I feel so honored and blessed to have been a part of this mission trip. I got the chance to represent my church from Tualatin, Oregon, to my church in Leskovac, Serbia. When translating and talking to people I always had to clarify what I meant by 'we'. Sometimes 'we' was the Rolling Hills church, some other times it was the Leskovac church. What a blessing! Faith shared pastor Mio's vision that the tree in RHCC has it roots going all the way to the church in Leskovac. This really was a good reminder that we are one body of Christ in two different locations. And 'we' is really one church, one body of Christ.

Lael would often say that this trip was a family reunion. And it really was. People in Leskovac asked about Monte, John and Greg. They also remembered the family Weiss from 5 years ago when they were there. Some of them even remembered Gloria from when she was in Serbia 12 years ago. The same way RHCC knows pastor Mio and Else's family. All of them have been building this partnership, have been connecting one church to the other. This exactly is what this team of 7 of us has done as well. We added onto the foundation that already was built, knowing that many more are yet to come. We were there to show the love that the whole church here has for the church in Leskovac.

We all gave and received a lot of love, in both tangible and non-tangible ways. The food that families received was a really big blessing for all of them in the time of economic hardships. But seeing the selfless, loving hearts of our team is what they all were touched by the most. But they have blessed us just as much. They reminded us that no matter how little we have, there is always something we can give, and that happens to be just enough. God really opened our hearts to feel what He feels - from loving those we just met, to breaking our hearts for those around us. God was with all of us every single step of the way.

I am very excited to watch this partnership between my church in Tualatin and my church in Leskovac grow as we teach, encourage and help each other.

Thank you all for your prayers.

Bog vas blagoslovio (God bless you all),
Sara Stanković

We're home!

Thank you again for all your prayers! We are home safe!

God bless you all!

p.s. More blog posts coming too!!

Leaving Serbia

Team LEC & RHCC (not pictured: Sara)

For the past ten days the church-to-church partnership established with the Leskovac Evangelical Church and Rolling Hills Community Church was strengthened.  How quickly those we met won their way into our hearts, and the relationship with our Serbian, Roma and Chinese brothers and sisters was reinforced as we spent time praying, dreaming, and sharing in ministry with them.  Needless to say, there were many tears as we said our good-byes.   I understood in a new way the words of the Apostle Paul to the Thessalonians. We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.” 

It has been a privilege and joy to share life with members of the Leskovac Evangelical Church.  They have taught us much about what it means to adore and worship God, depend on Him for everything, love and serve their neighbors, and in all things give thanks.  Our hearts have been changed and challenged to follow their example as we head back to our own community. 

Faith

Pozdrave iz Serbia!! (Greetings from Serbia!!)

Dobro Jutro!!  (Good Morning!)

Today is my turn to lead our morning devotion. We gather downstairs in the church every morning to share stories from the Book of Mark. It is our last devotion together as a team before we leave this place and the people we have come to love so dearly. We are reflecting on Jesus' words to His disciples in Mark 10 that He came not to be served, but to serve and to give His life for many.  We wondered aloud if it is harder to die for someone or to live for them...

Before we even left home for this trip, we prayed that we would be the hands and feet of Jesus to those we would be with.  We desperately wanted our hearts to be prepared to love, serve and bless the Serbian and Roma people with the love of the Lord. We shared many emotions and thoughts of the week that we have spent together here.  We all are a bit numb with emotion and are processing all that we have experienced in a short amount of time. 

I find that it has been a week of extremes.  We are laughing with great joy one minute and weeping with sorrow the next.  We have continually emptied ourselves and at the same time been filled with God's Spirit to love.  We have been overwhelmed by their generosity to serve US with so much when the reality is they have very little.  Even so...they give all they have so freely to us.  Life is very hard for the people in this part of the world.  They are so very poor by the world's standards and yet, they are so rich in faith. The joy they have in Jesus is their strength to live life in community with each other.  They are people of tremendous faith and prayer.  They are free of the worldly distractions and "stuff" that hinder us. "Give us this day our daily bread" is not a foreign thought to these precious people.  I greatly admire their courage and steadfastness to trust God for everything they need.

Just as we were about to wrap up our time, Pastor Bata joined us for prayer.  Before we started to pray, he said he wanted to share something important with us.  With great emotion and heartfelt tears Bata said the Lord woke Him up early in the morning to tell us that this team of seven was hand picked by God---10,000 miles away and months ago---to minister to Him and all of the people in the region (believers and non-believers).  He wanted us to know that we did not just come to represent Jesus, but WERE Jesus because of how we loved, blessed and served them.  It had nothing to do with the money or the things we brought...just our hearts to love them.  With a grateful heart he told us, "This you have done."  To us that was huge confirmation that our team did what the Lord asked us to do; individually and collectively.  There was not a dry eye in the room.  My heart is so full that the tears just flow.
 
I wrestled often before we left on this trip with what I could bring to the people here and how I could make an eternal difference for them and God.  I guess our hearts of compassion and love were enough.  God is so faithful and we are so humbled and blessed!  I loved how we all encouraged and strengthened each other in the Lord.  It was a time of sweet refreshing and connecting within the family of God so many miles away from Oregon.

Soon we will be leaving and another extreme comes to mind.  I feel as though I have been away from home for a very long time and yet the week just flew by.  So much packed into the time we have been in Leskovac and the surrounding churches.  I am going to miss everyone SO much. God willing, we will see one another again before long.

Our time in Serbia has drawn me close to the heart of Jesus.  My heart is full to overflowing...

Slava Bogu!  (Praise God!)

Lael

Photos from the Outdoor Evangelistic Outreach

Music is so important to this culture and that's one of the reasons why all people come.

Outdoor with the Romas

 

It has been an amazing week!  It's been a blur.  The last day of actual ministry here in Serbia was nothing short of fantastic. The Serbia Seven were asked to participate in an outdoor concert and outreach event in the Roma community of Leskovac.  The family Weiss (Mike and Lael) was asked to share their story and Mauro was asked to give an evangelistic message.

God was with us all and blessed all we had to say.  The important thing to remember is when I say, "God blessed what we had to say" it's because we opened our hearts to the Roma people.  When I gave the message that night and as I stood on the stage and saw the sea of faces my heart practically burst out of my chest.  Many of you might be thinking that if you had to speak in front of one thousand people your heart jump out of your chest, but that's not it at all.  I saw all those faces and literally fell in love with these people.  If only I could take my heart out and somehow magically put it in every one of you reading this blog.

We have had a very intense week.  Every day was packed with traveling, talking, listening, hugging, praying, eating, encouraging, sweating then finally debriefing.  Then when Gloria and I would get ready for some needed sleep we would pray some more then finally hit the sack to the rhapsody of barking dogs.

Back to the out reach event.  That particular Roma community population numbers at about six thousand and about one thousand or better attended the event.  It started with music of course, after all it's the Roma people who are gifted with musical ability, and oh how that music pierces your heart.  All age groups were represented musically.  There were recitals by very young girls, a dramatic sketch by a teenage couple, a group of grade school age children acted out a song of love for God, then the members of the Serbia Seven shared (Faith, Mike, Lael and Mauro) finally more music then the handing out of New Testaments and cookies as hospitality.  The community was blessed with great music, food, touching dramas and testimonies and unconditional love.  All this just to be the hands and feet of Jesus without any expectations.  They plan on doing this outreach event once a month and the next one is in a Muslim dominated quarter.

I pray the Holy Spirit moves your heart as you read our blog.  I could go on and on but I have to trust that what we have posted these past few blurry days will be used by God to open your hearts and eyes to the great work he is doing here in Serbia.

Pray for the pastors and their wives.  Pray for Serbia, that wall of separation would be broken down and there would no longer be Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female, Serb. or Roma.

See you soon and God bless you or as the Serbs would say it Bog te blogosvio or as the Romas would say it O devell tua.


Mauro

"Don't Talk to Strangers"

I love and care for my older sister, Ellie. She was so thoughtful giving me a card before I left that said, "Regina, we are so proud of you! Good luck on this chapter. Be safe and don't talk to strangers." Reflecting over this last week of meeting Roma adults and children, I have to admit, I didn't follow through with one of her words of wisdom. I did talk to strangers. I cannot count how many handshakes, kisses (the Serbian way), and hugs I received from these wonderful people here in Serbia. Wow! Yes, when I think about this, they are strangers to me, but then I think again and realize, they are not, they are people with such big hearts and love, not just for me, but for everyone and for Jesus.  I feel so honored and blessed to have been able to see, feel, and share with every one I have met.

on another thought...

The children have been amazing. As I reflect on this week with the children of Serbia, I am reminded that soon I'll be home in my own neighborhood. Sadly, I am guilty that the love I have shown these children here, I have not shown in my own neighborhood. I have smiled and waved to my neighbor kids, but I have never fully engaged myself. Leaving this place, I have fully realized how much I want to get to know the children in my neighborhood. I want to ask to play basketball with them, give them a hi-five or even a cookie.  I realize here in Serbia, there is no roadblocks with children. Their hugs are open and their hearts are big. Also, I realize, I am more open here with the children... and the children in my neighborhood are probably no different. I need to show them that I care, with more than just a smile and a wave. My plan is the first neighborhood kid I see, I am going to show them love. To listen, to talk, and to share with them. I'll ask them more questions and learn about them. My hope is, you'll do the same!

Of course, I could go on and on, but I leave with this, my heart has grown SO MUCH... wow, it hurts it is so full! I feel so blessed to learn about the Church here in Serbia. It's incredible the love and care this church has for all people. I am truly humbled. 

Hvala and Laku noc!
(thank you and good night)

Regina

Mike's Afternoon Agenda

I helped pack food supplies for the families and then helped deliver some of these packages with Mauro and Pastor Bata. The deliver of the packages were very biblical, because:

• We delivered to an elderly women who live alone without support.
• We delivered to a disabled men and women who can't leave their front door.
• We delivered to a 100% blind lady and her 80% blind husband who couldn't leave the house.
• We delivered to a family of five who are new to the church who needed food because the husband is out of work and cannot find work (for a very long time). He asked Mauro and I if we had troubles like this. We were able to share our life story with them. We shared the time when Mauro and I were out of work and could not provide for our families and had to rely on God. He was encouraged because Mauro and I understand what he's going through.
• We also delivered to Pastor Bata's father who is disabled and lives alone. The blessing in the delivery was we were able to see a picture of Bata's mother who prayed Him to come to Christ.

Each and every place opened their homes to us, giving us food, beverage and sitting in a place of honor. They gave out of nothing..

I can't tell you how humbling this is when people have nothing to give and still give. For me it challenges me deeply to do my life for others much better. To take it to a much higher level. Some of these people are nonbelievers, they just need help. This little church in Serbia has an amazing compassion for the weak, to see the needs and meet them as much as they possibly can, is a model for our Western Church.

We have so much to learn, we have so much selfishness to eliminate, we need to learn how to sacrifice and we need to learn what this church does on a daily basis. The trick I am learning, these people care and give for us out of nothing and most Americans can't even serve and share out of their prosperity.

We have so much to learn, we need to act on it at home and abroad.

Mike's Morning Agenda

Faith called a meeting with the Senior Pastors. Faith, Mike and Mauro attended this meeting with the other Pastors.

Faith asked Mauro and I to share two examples of affirmations and one challenge/observation to all the Pastors. I could affirm these men all day and could not finish on what they are doing well. They are doing so many things well, it was hard to narrow it down to two. All of these pastors have showed me so much on what it means to be a true follower of Christ. All these men are incredible.

The first affirmation:
Leading their flocks well. They are leading their flocks by the Bible. They are teaching their flocks God's Word, Ways, and Truth.

The second affirmation:
They are loving unconditionally. They are loving God unconditionally. They are loving themselves unconditionally. They are loving their congregation unconditionally.

The observation:
Was an analogy to my Hardware Store--the church is like my business. I spoke about many co-owners of mine have expanded their businesses too fast by adding other stores in various locations. By adding too many stores too fast, most of those stores are now out of business. They spread themselves too thin.

The challenge:
To take care of your business locally here first, because the harvest is so HUGE here and not plant too many churches until this harvest is 100% taken care.

Faith gave a scripture reading that nailed the Church of Serbia right on, that tells the story, it is: 1 Thes. 1:3-12. Faith and Mauro also shared very powerful affirmations and practical challenges. This was all shared out of love, heart, and tears.

This was the morning meeting for Mike.

Photos from Vranje