If I asked you to paint a picture of a place you love, what would it look like? There are many beautiful places in this world, and I have loved traveling to many of them. But there is no place besides home that is as dear to me as Serbia. To paint a picture of Serbia would be to paint a picture of love, of children, of abundance and of want, of wrenching poverty and open-hearted generosity, of family — for I have come to love a new part of my family who live all over the country of Serbia.
Let me take you on a tour of my second home, and tell you about my beloved family there. The country looks much like my home state of Arkansas in the USA. There are wooded mountains and rich farmlands. The weather is hot and humid in the summer, cold and snowy in the winter. Homes are built of sturdy terracotta brick, plastered smooth, with cool tile floors and rugs for comfort.
The food is fabulous, from the pizza at Sega Fredo, to the world-famous barbecue in south Serbia. Ćevapčići, the national dish of Serbia, has many fans in America. It’s a mixed meat, formed into sausage-like links and grilled over an open fire. Eaten with the ever-present
And did I mention the children? Beautiful children with warm smiles, love in their eyes, hungry for attention, for love, for the word of God. Supporters of Linking Partners are pretty much in agreement about their love for the children, and some of them have taken it to another level. Charlotte Brown was immediately taken with photos of the children, and she used her God-given talent to show that love, and eventually to raise money for support for these very children.
Charlotte painted pictures of some of the children — you might recognize Isadora (above) from the home page of our website.
These paintings were done on canvas, and sold at an art sale where we sold knitted items and artwork to support the work in Serbia. Over $1,000 was raised from the sale of these items, and Linking Partners is so appreciative of those who gave their time and talents to provide more opportunities to be a blessing to the Roma people all over Serbia.
Because of your gifts — of time, of money, of talents — home churches are springing up all over Serbia — from the southern cities and villages of Prokuplje, Pirot, Zitni Potok — to the central, in and around Belgrade, Mladenovac, and Obrenovac — to the northern farmland of Vojvodina, including Kucura, Novi Sad, Vrbas, and Selenča.
Children gather for Bible lessons, and parents crowd the perimeter of the area where the children are listening. The word of God, the hope of the ages, goes out to all. Soon, there is a “man of peace” — someone who is willing to open their home, modest though it may be, to his neighbors and a church planter who has been trained by Linking Partners or one of our partner pastors. There, they begin to study the Bible, sing songs, pray and share the good news with one another. Eventually, a leader emerges in the home church who takes over the Bible study, freeing the church planter to move on to another home, another home church, another group of people hungry to hear God’s word.
Whatever your part in this cycle of hope and good news, thank you. If you’d like more information about being involved and sharing in the blessings — and finding a new place to love with all your heart — we’re just an email away info@linkingpartners.org
