Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! With this edition of Connecting Points we want to bring you up to date on the most recent ministry trip to Serbia. Read on for highlights of this ministry.
Since Crossing Bridges is an international affiliate ministry of Joni and Friends International Disability Center, I was asked to travel to Serbia as their representative. Two specific activities were planned: participation in the first Family Retreat in Serbia for families affected by disability, and teaching a course at a Bible College outside of Belgrade: “Designed by God: A Biblical Theology of Disability, Suffering, and the Church.”
My time in Serbia was extended one week due to the closure of European air space because of the volcanic eruption in Iceland. But the time was used well in that I was able to teach a second course, “Discipleship,” at the Bible College. I am grateful to God for being able to assist in this way, since the individual scheduled to teach this course was unable to get to Serbia for the same reason I could not return as scheduled! Sladjan, the Director of the Bible College was much encouraged by my being able to do this, as it permitted the students to continue on track toward completion of their studies. I am thankful for those who were in prayer for me during this extended stay in Serbia!
My first task in Serbia was to preach on Easter Sunday at a church in Sombor. This church was planted and is pastored by Greg Sivulka, whose wife, Jelena, was one of the two leaders for the Family Retreat. This was my first opportunity to participate in a Family Retreat. Twelve families were invited to the retreat, bringing with them13 children and adolescents with various disabling conditions: Down’s syndrome, autism, and physical impairments. The 5-day retreat was held at Hotel Aleksandar in a picturesque town a few hours south of Belgrade. Several students from the Bible College volunteered to help at the retreat, along with several people from the U.S.
While the children and youth were engaged in various activities, I met with the parents for an hour each day to teach about Gods’ view of people with disabilities. My hope was to change their persepctive on their children and their situation, to bring encouragement, and to help them better understand the God whom we serve. Many of the families were not Christians, and those who were had difficulty understanding where God was in their situation. Several of the volunteers and short term missionaries who attended the retreat also shared testimonies. Evenings were filled with singing, dancing, and entertainment.
These telling comments by parents give you an idea of the impact of the retreat:
- “My husband and I haven’t had a break like this in years. We simply have no one that will offer to take care of our child, even for a few hours. Your volunteers have cared for our child and shown more love toward her than even our own family.”
- “Seeing all of this has really convinced me that there is a God!”
- “Before I came to this place, I thought God was punishing me by giving me a child with a disability. Now I realize that this is not true, that God loves us all equally and created my child in his image for a special purpose.”
- “I’ve never been in a hotel like this before. I’ve been afraid to take my child out in public. It feels like I won the lottery.”
One parent asked a volunteer from the Bible College how he could show such love to her child. His answer: “Because God has loved me and his love flows through me to others.”
**Please pray for the families who attended the retreat that God will continue to open their hearts to the gospel.
The teaching at the Bible College (“HUB”) was for the second year students. Several of those in the class had participated at the retreat and were anxious to learn more about disability ministry, and spoke of implementing such outreach when their studies are completed and they enter the ministry. I was impressed with their academic ability and their interest in serving people with disabilities. We met for six session each day for a week for the Theology course, and four sessions over three days for the Discipleship course.
**Pray that God will be able to use them to bring light and hope to many who deal with disability.
I left with very positive feelings about the Bible College, its students, director, and staff, and I hope to return to Serbia for the next Family Retreat and to teach at the school again.
David
