Žitni Potok needs leaders from the village. We have Rade who does his best to be good leader, he has heart for Lord, he likes to tell others about God, he tries to gather people etc. What Rade does now is gathering people for prayer meeting, organize prayers in houses, but he needs someone who will teach him some things. He doesn’t have experience in a lot of things, but our mutual “multiply project” is giving fruits – Petar almost every day speaks by phone with Rade (because he doesn’t have transport to that village) and encourages him, helps him with advice about home groups, and simply helps him in spiritual growth and also with that helps to make house church in that village spiritually mature.
In last two months we see that this system works, and gives us positive results. In that village two young people who were coming to our children classes joined church. Petar encouraged Rade to spend more time with them, to meet them with word of God and to pray together. These boys are Viktor (15) and Mile (14), and they now together visit youth in village and tell them about God.
This had a lot of influence on people from house church. Those who were not committed, and weren’t coming, after this a lot of them for almost two months, every week are ordinarily at prayer meetings organized in house of Rade and brother Mile. When I spoke to Rade and asked him how the house church works, and what is his plan for the future, he encouraged me with strategy.
Rade wants first that with boys with who he spend a lot of time, to confirm and tell them about God, church, service, mission work etc, and then together to work with those who are new in faith and help them to get closer to God. Also they plan to be more serious in bringing youth in that village to church. For that they will need our help and we look forward to be active in that area. Until now, the distance made it difficult to work in that village. We still don’t have anyone who will work with children there. We try to move someone to work with them but it is not easy. Please pray for this need.
For now, Rade gathers children every two weeks in his yard, (photo below is the children’s “classroom”) sings songs with them and teaches Bible verses. What Rade does is very good, but we know that children cannot grow only on that way. Pray for us that Lord gives us strength and wisdom for future work in that place.
In that house church, we have one prayer need. Rade’s mother was diagnosed with cancer on her left shoulder. If you remember please pray for his mother. Her name is Slovenka.
What we plan to do is that one time monthly we organize work with boys and that they visit our church (work with youth). Slowly, we give Petar chance that in cooperation with Rade, they take initiative in that village. For almost two months we haven’t visited that village, but Petar almost every day spoke to Rade by phone and gave him directions (thanks God for Pera and responsibility he took over). We see that between us there is good coordination and communication. I can say freely that both of them are afraid that they are still not ready to take things in their hands but we encourage them to do that, because now we see they are good. Petar plans to go there for a weekend. I look forward for that. I will let you all know how it goes.
ZELIM TI SVAKI BLAGOSLOV OD GOSPODA
I wish you every blessing from the Lord
Yours in Christ, Marijan
