Prayer bulletin n° 3

& Français sans Frontières

Prayer bulletin n° 3

French Summer Mission Project to Croatia & Bosnia-Herzigovina
16 to 30 August 2008

On the front porch of the 1st building at Kamp Fokus, project of a young church in Split, Croatia

Dobar dan (“greetings!” in serbo-Croatian)!

We returned Saturday from our 2 week long French summer mission trek to Croatia and Bosnia.

In missiological terms, this mission venture was a smashing success!:

Our “dream team” of 24 believers from France put up the siding on Kamp Fokus’ 1st cabin

Our Stolac “SWAT team” of 12 ...

... taught French to Bosnian children ...

... and helped them learn French songs

In addition to our building projects at Kamp Fokus and French camp in Stolac, we got to know fellow believers from 2 churches, one on Split, Croatia, and the other in Mostar, Bosnia:

We led a Wednesday evening service with music, theater ...

... and Word

Famous Mostar bridge

French Cultural Center

We engaged Mostar locals, fans of Italian teams, in a soccer tournament

Pastor Dalibor

Thierry and I built teaching times into our schedule, with the goal of challenging our young summer missioners with involvement in Jesus’ harvest fields:

Ben & Thierry, co-leaders of FSF Mission to the Balkans

Summer missions ventures are a great tool for teach mission while doing it

I’ll let the summer missioners say it it their own words:

• “I was deeply inspired by the examples of full-time Croatian and Bosnian Christians in Split and Mostar.”
• “I came with the selfish desire of spiritual renewal ... and it happened!”
• “I love Croatian worship in Split, and was amazed by the multilingual environment: Croatian, French, Spanish and English.”
• “I thought that all of Europe was Christian, but here in Stolac, there is nothing! Not far from where we live, people need missionaries to hear the Gospel ... For the first time, I realize that a “normal person” can be a missionary.”
• “The idea of working with students in Stolac scared me... But then we spent 3 magical days with Bosnian children, and I wish we could stay another week! My vision of mission and missionaries has radically changed: God can actually work through us, and I understand better how my life may serve God.”
• “Croatian worship in the Split church was incredible!”
• “I didn’t think that I would do that much on the mission, but the Lord gave me lots to do!”
• “It was great to get to know you, someone who makes me want to be a missionary, to give my all. Thank you for your service, your presence ... for the great studies that taught me a lot.”
  

Reunited at the end of our mission for R & R on the Croatian Isle of Brac

Thank you for your prayers and support. I would challenge you to pray with us for the following:

• the ongoing impact and work of the Spirit in the lives of our 24 participants
• for Danijel and Eva and the other leaders of the Split church and its various mission activities
• for Enida, director of the youth center in Stolac, and for the children (and their families) that participated in our French camp
• for Dalibor, pastor of one of the churches in Mostar, and the outreach of his church to the predominantly Muslim neighborhood
• for Jasmina and the French Cultural Center in Mostar, with whom we had a good contact
• for future FSF projects in the Balkans.
  

In Christ,

Ben Beckner Thierry Mirone
Director Director of Youth Ministries
Français Sans Frontières France Mission
FSF.France@gmail.com Thierry.Mirone@gmail.com


Missions Consultant
Reachglobal Europe

Ben.Beckner@gmail.com