Subotica, Čantavir, Bačka Topola --> Weekend outreach to Serbia

I went on a weekend outreach to Serbia this weekend, and it was A.M.A.Z.I.N.G!! We went to 3 different churches – CC Subotica, CC Čantavir and CC Bačka Topola. 

We had a lot of time on Friday afternoon so we practiced the dramas for a couple of hours and ate a delicious burek! (did you know you can get a cherry burek in Serbia? And not just that, they have a chicken/cheese one, a chicken/mushroom one… man, why don't we have them in Slovenia?!?) 

We went to Čantavir on Saturday. It's a gipsy village and we worked for practically the whole day. The church was experiencing some attacks from men from the village. They came and vandalized it so we cleaned that up + the church had a bunch of clothes for charity that needed to be folded and put in boxes so that took us quite a couple of hours.

We had some sweet fellowship in the evening. We had a fire and we made our own dinner – sausages and bacon on sticks! :) It was yum! 

Sunday wasn’t as good as Saturday – we all woke up really down and tired. We were at church service in Bačka Topola (where we slept as well), I was in kids’ ministry and it was fun, I was just feeling down, tired and without any energy.

After the church we cleaned up and went back to Čantavir where we had lunch and did some more cleaning. Our plan then was to go to a gipsy village to evangelize and do the skits, and after that to go to 3 different church services and then go back to Vajta BUT our van broke down. It didn’t want to work anymore. After an hour or so men managed to get it start but then realized the turbo wasn’t working as it should. A new plan came up – we left the van in Serbia, checked the trains and found out the first one was leaving at 1am which wasn’t an option. God was faithful and a pastor of CC Subotica and another believer volunteered to take us back to Vajta at 8pm (3h drive). I was in a car with Kris, the pastor, and it was 6 of us in the car. The car was registered for 7 but we had so much luggage that there was 4 girls sitting in the back (on 3 seats). Again, the Lord answered prayers and people on the border didn’t even notice there was 6 of us in a car for 5. Amazing, huh? :) 

Overall, the outreach was really amazing and I’m thankful I got to be a part of it. There was 16 of us who went and we got a lot closer which is why I LOVE outreaches! It’s not as much important where you are and what you do, what really matters is who you’re with; and I can apply that principle to this trip.

I heard there’s going to be a weekend outreach to Celje next weekend. I’d love to go (the price is only 50€) but I think God is saying no.

There’s a season for everything, right? :)

We folded all of those clothes and put them in boxes. Then they put them in + on the van and took them to the warehouse.

 Delicious food!!

 Left: pastor Tibor from Čantavir church
Right: Lisa, our outreach leader and missions lady

 The gipsy village where we went to evangelize

 <3

 This is where we were suppose to sleep but then, out of safety reasons, decided to sleep somewhere else.

 Yes; we were tired and some fell asleep on the stairs.

Most of our team

This is what my friend Callie wrote about the outreach.

This weekend I had the privileged of spending the weekend in Serbia with the MTP students. It was a weekend filled with challenges, frustrations, laughter, and covered in God's blessings. One of the churches we visited has been going through a really rough time. We where told that a girl, about 15 years old, had been in the church alone and someone came in and "hurt" her. The guilty man was caught and arrested. His friends, angry that he was being punished, decided to take action against the church. They broke in and vandalized the whole property, breaking windows, stealing things, and (the worst part) going to the bathroom everywhere. The pastor, Pastor Tibor, had to start sleeping at the church because they kept coming, causing more destruction if he wasn't there. We came and simply cleaned up. Most of the work had been done before we got there, but the attic still needed to be done. I'm not gonna lie, we did amazing work!

We packed everything up and filled the van, inside and out and took everything away! Later, we fit 10 people and all our luggage. It was a tight fit to say the least.

I still need to get more pictures from friends, but the whole weekend was amazing, but hard right down to the end. Our van broke down and we ended up getting rides home from some very amazing friends. In the car I was in, we had four ladies (all with big birthing hips) squeezed into three seats. It was a 3 hours drive, and typical of the weekend, uncomfortable but very blessed. We all shared testimonies, laughed and just enjoyed being united in Jesus.

I love the way she writes!

10-day outreach

We heard the possibilities for 10-day outreaches today, and I had no idea where to go. My name was put on the Salzburg list because I was considering it but I wasn’t sure that’s where God wants me to go.

After lunch I talked to one of my roommates about the possibilities and where I’m thinking of going. It doesn’t matter where, it doesn’t matter what kind of ministry; what it matters is who I’m going with (who’s leading it). The more I thought about it and the more I talked about it with my roommate, Serbia kept coming up. Since I’m going to Serbia next weekend for a 2 day outreach, I didn’t want to do both in the same country but Pam, my MTP teacher said “don’t close the door”.

And I didn’t.

This is a part of my email devotion today:

Sometimes God will say, "Yes," sometimes He will say, "No," and sometimes He will say, "Wait." But we can be assured that when we passionately cry out to God by faith, He hears us.

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

- Jeremiah 29:13

At one point I started sharing with my roommate about our 5-day outreach to Leskovac last year and how Serbian gypsy people are so open and how much love is in them… and I have no idea how to explain it but I felt like I need to go to Serbia. I looked at Brianna and was shocked because I felt so good but I would never choose Serbia on my own!

There’s a lot more to the story but I just don’t know how to explain it. But the main point is, I’m going to Serbia twice this semester, and I’ll be learning Serbian language for my MTP studies. 

A bit weird and strange, isn’t it? :)

The adventures of life at Bible College.

We're in the 3. day school and our schedules are busy! We’re either in class, or we’re doing our servanthood class (mine s coffee shop this semester, yay!) or we’re in a meeting for something. We’re trying to get used to the routine of the semester and of the rhythm of this season, and it’s not easy.

Every MTP students needs to decide on a foreign language they’re going to study in the semester, and this semester I chose to study Serbian. Yes, it’s close to Slovene but not as much as we think. It’s one thing to talk or listen to someone talk in Serbian; it’s a whole different thing to read or write in Serbian, which is what I’ll be doing since I know the language pretty well. I’ll be reading theological books in Serbian and try to practice my talking skills with Arpi who’s our Hungarian pastor (he grew up in Subotica, Serbia).

10-day outreaches are going to be announced on Friday so anyone who’d like to lead or co-lead one needs to be prepared by Friday – where to go, how to get there, how many people can go, how much money it’ll cost…

2 people (2 families) asked me to co-lead an outreach with them. One of them is going to Subotica, Serbia, and another is going to Athens, Greece. I prayed about it and God spoke to me through Micah:

“My people, what have I done to you?

How have I burdened you? Answer me.

I brought you out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery.

I sent Moses to lead you, also Aaron and Miriam.

My people, remember what Balak king of Moab counseled

and what Balaam son of Beor answered.  

Remember your journey from Shittim to Gilgal,

that you may know the righteous acts of the Lord.”

With what shall I come before the Lord

and bow down before the exalted God?

Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings,

with calves a year old?

Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,

with ten thousand rivers of oil?

Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression,

the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

He has showed you, o man, what is good.

And what does the Lord require of you?

To act justly and to love mercy

and to walk humbly with your God.

~ Micah 6:3-8

I was feeling burdened and stressed out because I had to decide with whom I was going to lead the outreach and where I’m going to go. It really was a burden!

And then He spoke to me through those verses… is it really a burden? He’s done everything for me! He saved me, changed me and my life, brought me to Bible College, provided for me in so many different ways, gave me internship during the summer… what didn’t He do for me?!? And yet, here I am, feeling burdened.

What can I offer to Him? Is anything I offer enough?

What does He require from me?

“To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with my God.”

I talked about it with a few people and it really seems like God has a different season for me. A season of rest. That doesn’t mean I’ll be doing nothing; I’ll still be in action but in a different form.

Summer’s been crazy. Good, but crazy. I learned a lot, I experienced a lot, I succeeded a lot and also failed a lot. God showed me I’m not ready for ministry yet, that’s why I’m back in my “hospital where Jesus is my medicine”. But I do admit I complained to Him a lot, and I asked for rest and peace. And He’s giving it to me.

I’m not leading or co-leading any outreaches. I resisted it for a day because I didn’t think I can say “no”, but once I accepted what God has for me, and God only has the best for me, peace that surpasses understanding came upon me and I don’t feel burdened anymore, I don’t feel stressed out anymore.

It's a funny feeling, knowing my role will be different this semester but it's also good knowing it'll be easier, in a way, especially when I see people running around like crazy, doing things, like I did last semester.

I'm excited for what God has for me. I just need to remember to go one day at a time and not rush into things I don't have to know about yet.

A new season.

I've been back at school for 3 days now and I'm loving it. Everything seems to be a lot different, and a lot is! The system of a semester changed, girls' hallway is on the other side of the castle and there are 90 students who want to study the Bible!!

God put me in a position of a dorm steward and I’m pretty excited about it. Also a bit intimidated. I share my room with 4 Americans and a Croatian. It’s an interesting combination and I’m sure it’ll be interesting, in a good + in a bad way.

We have our orientation today where we sign up for classes, fill out the rest of the papers, take a picture, get our dorm keys… you know, formalities. We also find out what our M199 for the semester is (that’s the servanthood class, the practical side of Bible College). I have an idea what mine is and I’m super excited about it! 

I’m also super excited and thankful Miha is here with me. It’s not that I feel lost here but with him I have a sense a part of home is with me and it helps a lot. We haven’t seen each other a lot since we’re busy with different things but we sit together for a meal sometimes. I think he’s doing great adjusting to this world. It must be hard, I remember my first semester, but there’s a lot of guy students here and I’m sure he’ll be fine. 

We’re going on a class trip to Budapest tomorrow. It’s the 20^th anniversary of Calvary Chapel in Hungary, and it’s a big deal! We’ll be helping with kids’ ministry and be a part of this huge event. Afterwards we’re going to a market where we’ll be able to buy some authentic Hungarian stuff, and later on we’ll go on Citadella hill, where you can see the whole Budapest from, and take pictures, do some worship, maybe even a skit… I’m not sure. We’ll be away for a whole day and it’s not going to be easy to get up the next morning and start classes.

This semester I’m thinking of taking Genesis, Women’s discipleship, Biblical missions (and all the other classes I need to take), and I’m still kind of torn apart for the language study. I’m thinking of taking either Russian or Serbian but I don’t know if that’s what God wants me to do. We’ll see.

It’s been great being back, I feel like I’m in a hospital, recovering, and Jesus is my medicine. I’ve been spending some really good time with Him, journaling and praying. He hasn’t been speaking to me directly lately, but He’s been leaving His footprints everywhere. I’m not really used to that but we learn something new everyday, right? 

My prayer request would be that I would remember why I'm here for, that I would really focus on my relationship with Him and that He would be able to teach me a lot. I have no idea what the semester is bringing but it'll be interesting.