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September 17, 2018

Rocky Terrain and Deep Roots - Croatia Spotlight

The Mediterranean landscape of the Dalmatia region in Croatia is postcard-worthy. Each summer, tourists flock to the beaches and enjoy hiking and cliff jumping, rock climbing and off-roading. This rocky terrain may make for a perfect vacation spot, but John Hinger, JV’s team leader in the country, says it’s also a suitable metaphor for the nation’s spiritual ground.

Croatia makes a solid first impression, with a cultural tradition of Roman Catholicism and a people who say they believe God is real. Yet digging deeper reveals that the gravel makes it hard for seeds of the gospel to truly take root. The barren land is not conducive to long-lasting growth or life-changing transformation. Called the “missionary graveyard,” Croatia is a place where many Christians visit and few stay.

Can things change? Will we see people come to know Christ? Is God actually moving in this place? These are the kinds of questions John and Amber Hinger have found themselves asking since they moved to Croatia at the end of 2014 in order to develop a Josiah Venture team. Good thing that, as John says, the Hinger family is “up for the trailblazing adventure-style deal.”

Different Than Expected

From the beginning, God worked in different ways than the Hingers expected. While the couple knew when they got married that they wanted to do overseas missions, they didn’t realize they’d stay Stateside for 12 years first. After having four kids and spending years doing youth ministry in the Chicago area, their time finally came.

John says the decision was clear for him after talking with a Croatian pastor on a survey trip to Croatia. “I’d said that we have a heart for young people and want to help serve the local church and I don’t know if that’s even needed here. And he said, ‘We’ve been praying for people like you, because I work a full-time job and I’m the pastor and I’d love to do things with young people, but I literally just don’t have the time or the ability to do that.’” On that trip, John explains, “We saw a need and we said we want to be there and we want to fill that need.”

The family arrived in Croatia without a team or a church to partner with, but hopeful about the future of ministry. 8 or 9 months later, their first teammates came and a youth group was started. Since then, through prayer and dedication, the team and the youth group have both grown and interaction between churches that were once divided has opened new doors.

The Short-Term Challenges

John says one of the main challenges is still that life in ministry doesn’t go the way you think it will. “Over the last three years, it’s been a lot of trying to show who we are by the way we are serving and loving the local church.” Since the church in Croatia has experienced missionaries come to help before, only to leave, the JV team is working to change this stereotype. “We’re trying to prove the fact that we’re here and we’re not going anywhere. That’s honestly half the battle.”

As the team, now made up of 10 adults (from Croatia and the States) plus some kids, have worked to show they can be trusted, their prayer has been that people wouldn’t just know about Christ, but that they’d have “a transformed heart of repentance and faith and belief and a desire to follow Christ and all that that means.”

John’s wise words, “Life transformation sparks more transformation.” He explains, “Some of the best evangelists are young people who know nothing about the Bible, but they know they’ve been forgiven and were blind but now can see….No amount of sitting in a class or learning how to lead people to Christ is going to be more effective than someone who is just going, ‘Alright, God changed me and this is good stuff!’”

The Long-Term Perspective

Maybe the most surprising thing is that as the team is faithful to God’s calling, God is faithful to move. The church the Hingers attend in Split has doubled in regular attenders. Every month, the churches in the area now do a city-wide youth event. More leaders are thinking about the next generation of believers and young people are making their faith their own and starting to disciple others. And this summer, two young people accepted Christ through the camp ministry.

Planting olive trees and vineyards in Croatia is hard work. A lot of rock needs to be cleared out to make enough space for a tree to grow. John says the ministry is like that too. “That’s where we’re at. We’re working on those things. Planting the seeds.” The best part about it is that olive trees are known to last for hundreds, even thousands of years. John and the team are keeping this in mind. “It takes a lot of work to get some seeds planted and to see growth and fruit, but that’s a plant, a tree that will last far longer than what we’ll ever see.”

As JV’s team in Croatia continues to clear rocks, plant seeds, and see God make things grow, please pray for eyes to notice where God is working and wisdom to know how to step into those areas and bring support. Pray for perseverance for the missionaries on the field and those preparing to come. Pray also for the young Croatians who came to camps this summer, that the seeds of the gospel that were planted then, would be tended to this fall and would be able to grow roots that last.

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Stop and think about the times in your life when you grew the most. What were you doing? What were the circumstances? What did you feel? What were you excited about, and what were you worried about? When I look back on my own life, I notice a pattern. Growth usually happens when the challenge in front of us is outside of our comfort zone or outside of our skill level. It happens when we’re stretched. I remember learning this in a very tangible way in college. I took a class called Experiential Learning, and, throughout the semester, we worked through various team-building exercises. At the end of the course, we went to a ropes course, which culminated in a challenge known as the “Pamper Pole”—a towering 10-meter telephone pole. The challenge was to climb to the top, stand on a tiny platform, and then leap to grab a trapeze bar. My professor had seen me go through most of the challenges fairly easily. 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Those early years were full of trial and error. We made countless mistakes and learned by trying something, realizing it didn’t work, and trying again. Over time, the Lord shaped us and grew us, but the learning curve was long. Some of the lessons we needed most came through hard seasons, and they didn’t come quickly. The Josiah Venture Winter Academy was established to help provide the resources necessary to give our staff a foundation for healthy, effective ministry that lasts, grounded in Christ’s strategy, and strengthened by shared language, practical tools, and a community that helps them grow through every season. This year, we gathered 52 Josiah Venture staff at our training center in Malenovice, Czech Republic, for a week of discussion, connection, and spiritual encouragement. Every staff member has the opportunity to participate in Winter Academy within their first year on the team (Year 1 track) and again within their second year (Year 2 track). 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Christmas Traditions

Every culture has its own Christmas traditions. Many of us already have our Christmas trees up, have begun playing our favourite Christmas music, and are checking items off our shopping list. In most European cities, Christmas markets have taken over town squares and observe their own unique traditions for Christmas Day. For example, in Poland, families prepare an extra place at the table in case of an unexpected guest; in Bulgaria, the oldest person in the house breaks open homemade bread with a coin baked inside; and in Czechia, children hide a fish scale under their dinner plate for good luck. Traditions are a wonderful thing as long as we remind ourselves why we keep them. One tradition that has meant a lot to my family and me for many years is lighting an Advent wreath. We usually make ours out of fir branches and four white candles, sometimes adding extra decorations like dried orange slices or pinecones. Then on the four Sundays leading up to Christmas, we read from the Bible, say prayers, sing songs, and light the candles in an increasing number: first one, then two, then three, and finally four. This tradition has its origins in the sixth century, and many European churches and Christians practice it. But after such a long time, it is easy to forget what it all means. Here is some of the significance. First of all, Advent derives from the Latin word for “coming, arrival.” It denotes the beginning of the year for Christians, who prepare our hearts for the arrival of God, by both remembering Jesus’ incarnation and anticipating his second coming. The circular shape of the wreath signifies the never-ending nature of God’s love for humanity. The fir branches remind us that, even in the dead of winter, God is at work to bring forth new life. And the successive lighting of the candles signals God’s determination to send his light into the world: the incarnation of his son. We love this tradition, but, to be honest, we don’t always keep it perfectly. This year, we had to dig out some old candles to use for our wreath, we have struggled to get through the Bible readings with our young children, and we often forget to light the right candle on the right day. But God is teaching me that this is alright. The season of Advent, along with its many traditions, is not made more or less meaningful by how faithfully I keep it. The season of Advent is made most meaningful because of how faithful God is at drawing near to us. The Apostle Paul summarised it well: “But when the right time finally came, God sent his own Son… so that we might become God’s children.” (Gal. 4:4-5, GNT). This Advent, may you find renewed meaning in your traditions. And may you remember and rely on God, who is most faithful to draw near to those who need his light.
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Discipleship, Evangelism, Stories

Home

Sajmir just wanted to belong. As the youngest son in a Muslim family of eight children, he was expected to serve everyone. Sajmir’s family was oppressed in Albania because they were dark skinned Gypsies. On top of that, during the difficult time after the revolution, his father began drinking and beating his mother. “My father never beat me,” Sajmir said, “but he never showed me love. He never hugged me or kissed me. I never saw a father figure. I was afraid of him. Also, outside in the city, people were not very close to me. I spent most of my time alone, playing soccer alone, or basketball alone.” There was only one soccer field in his village, and when Sajmir tried to join a game, the other kids would kick him out. One day, a group came toward the field and Sajmir began to back away, sure they would ask him to leave. “Will you play with us?” they asked. “You want to play with me?” Sajmir replied. For the first time in his life, someone invited him in. After the game, they invited him to church. “What is a church?” he said. Running home, he asked his parents if he could go. “Don’t go to church,” they answered sternly, “you will shame us.” But the next day was Sunday, and he snuck out when no one was looking. “When I stepped into the church, at the door, someone gave me a hug for the first time in my life,” Sajmir said. “They put me in the first row. I felt like a celebrity. Then I heard the story that someone loves you just as you are, that is, Jesus—as I was, dark skinned, rejected. But still, there is someone who died for me.” “I ran and told my family, but their response was: ’If you go one more time, we will tell your brother to beat you up.’ I went again. My brother beat me up. For three months, I was beaten every week. I was loved and accepted in church, while suffering and being beaten in my family. Then my mom said, ‘Let him go.’” Filled with joy, Sajmir fell on his knees and said, “God, I will serve you wherever you want me to.” That was 25 years ago, and today Sajmir and his family are part of our Josiah Venture team in Albania. Through youth ministry, he recently planted a church called “Mosaic,” which has grown to over 100 people. Every day, young people come after school and in the evening for tutoring, children’s meetings, youth meetings, small groups, discipleship groups, and a very lively Fusion choir. The church is open every day, from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm, and there is always something happening. “Our building is a daily home for everyone; it’s a family,” says Sajmir. “I always remember what God did for me in my youth. My heart is burning to see more young people come to Christ and find that they are loved and belong.” During this Advent season, we remember how Jesus left his home to make a home for us. He was sent to find us, where we play our games alone, and to invite us into his family. He found Sajmir, and you, and me. Thanks for helping us share this good news with young people who are still without a home. Dave Patty President, Josiah Venture