May 28, 2006
Dear Family and Friends,
I want to take a moment to share some very exciting news with you. I’m going to Bosnia this summer on a short-term mission trip! I will be part of a team from North Point Community Church going to support the members of our partner church, the Evangelical Church of Capljina (pronounced chop-lin-a). We are going to encourage them as they continue to grow and create irresistible environments for the people of Capljina. Our team will be focused on helping the church reach out through English classes.
As many of you know, Jason and I have had a connection to Bosnia for a few years now. We were first introduced to the people of Bosnia through close friends. After hearing about their challenges, we knew we wanted to get involved. Last summer, Jason had the opportunity to help through a short-term construction trip. Then, in January, we had the incredible opportunity to host two college students from the church (it was quite a miracle for them to get to visit the States!). We want to continue building these relationships, and I feel blessed to have another opportunity to do so this summer.
For centuries, Bosnia has been plagued by religious persecution and violence. Ethnicity, nationalism and religion have been used as tools to justify land grabs, ethnic cleansing and genocide. Today Bosnia is still trying to rebuild from its most recent war (in the early 1990s – which killed over 200,000 thousand and left one million more displaced!). The task is daunting. Christ is the only answer. Unfortunately (and understandably), the people of Bosnia are incredibly suspicious of anyone suggesting action based on a religious belief. The church in Capljina is trying to change that by sharing a message of forgiveness and love through Jesus Christ. Our team hopes to continue growing the church’s credibility by modeling God’s love in a way that breaks through Bosnia’s ethnic and cultural barriers. We want to show the people of Capljina that Christ gave his life for all Bosnians, whether Muslim, Orthodox, Catholic or Jew.
Providing free English classes to the community is one of the ways the church is doing this. The ability to speak English is extremely valuable in the region. In an economy where nearly 50% are unemployed, the ability to speak English can mean the difference in finding a job. The classes will also provide the church with opportunities to establish relationships with people who have never been shown God’s unconditional love.
I would love to have your support on this trip. For the trip to be successful, we need prayer for our preparation and time there (June 11-19) and for God to open the hearts of the people. We also need financial support. The trip will cost each of us $2,000. I must raise 50% of the money by April 30th and 100% by May 20th. Many of you generously supported Jason last summer. I would so appreciate your support for this trip as well. I pray that through this you will also feel you are building a relationship with the people of Bosnia.
I am truly thankful to have each of you in my life. Thank you so much for your prayers and support! I can’t wait to share what God does during my time in Bosnia.
Gratefully,
Gina
(Return to www.atlantaclimber.com)