CROATIA PASTORAL VISIT

What amazing time we live in…..

Within 24 hours you can be across the world in a completely different culture.  I am very thankful that my wife and I had the privilege to voyage across the sea and over many different countries at about 600 mph to get to our destination.  The purpose of our visit to Zagreb, Croatia was to serve a couple, Jerry and Zuzanna Low, who have been long-term missionaries in Zagreb for over 4 years. Our goal was to bring rest, encouragement, and love to them and their team of leaders who they have been raising up as influencers in their country. I truly love these types of visits because they end up being impactful both for the people that we visit and for us, the visitors. It never ceases to amaze me how passionate and compassionate God is for people. Every time I experience His heart towards a different people group, it is like knowing His love for the first time all over again.

A lot happened while we were there, and we had the unique privilege of seeing much of the impact our team had there, which isn’t always the case. The rest of this post will give you a bird’s eye view of our time there. If you’d like to hear more, please feel free to contact myself or my wife and we would be more than happy to share specific testimonies!

Our team of 6 from Denver was incredible, each person carrying specific gifts that would be used and needed while we were there. Mia and I were able to fly in to Paris 3 days before we needed to be in Zagreb, and we were the first ones to arrive in Zagreb, a day before the rest of our team got there. Since we arrived earlier than the rest of our team, Mia and I were able to adjust to the time difference, which gave us the energy we needed not only to do ministry each day, but also for Mia to cook for the team and for myself to stay awake while driving the team around Zagreb and to the other cities we visited.

The rest of our team arrived Saturday night, and the following morning we all led the Sunday service for the church that Jerry and Zuzanna are a part of. We ended up teaching about having a burning heart and being changed inside and out by the presence of God.  We shared about God’s desire for our hearts to be known and how we can rely on God to show up and finish what He desires for us, in us, and through us. After worship and sharing, we invited people up to come receive prayer or impartation.

What happened next blew our minds — the entire congregation stood up toreceive prayer. As we began praying over each person, we could feel the compassion of God tangibly in the room, and most of us began tearing up with joy and hope. We later found out that other leaders in different congregations heard about this service, and God began stirring their hearts to have the same encounter.  What happened in that service sparked conversations about unity that were desperately needed. We all felt humbled and honored to be able to see God encounter the congregation!

The week that followed was filled with experiences similar to this. Our team traveled throughout Zagreb and to a region called Lika to visit, prophesy over, and encourage leaders in the faith. We got to see other leaders receive encouragement, healing, hope, vision, joy, and peace that God had for them just as He had for us.  Each time someone opened themselves up to what God had for them, I was opened even more up to what God had for me. His ways can be so much higher than ours. How He uses us in our jobs, homes, neighborhoods, cities, country, or across the world, is up to Him — We have the open invitation to just enjoy Him throughout the ride.

God has a beautiful inheritance and purpose for the country of Croatia.  The people there carry many gifts involving the arts.  I believe that God wants to give many of the people there sounds from heaven that would be heard across the world.  I always see them equipping others from surrounding countries in the same gifting.  In addition, I believe their inheritance is peacekeeping — to bring unity between Western Europe and Western Asia. I could see in the spirit that as sentiments of peace and unity grow in their country, they will encounter the love and freedom found in Christ and love for one another.