Croatia Missions Trip 4/9

Saturday, June 12, 2021 

    Twenty people helped with the campaign today; four of them were from the church: Rueben, Antonio, Igor and Frauna. We met near some apartment buildings.

    Jason did a devotional today from Jonah chapter 4: Our prayer is that Croatia might be saved. To have the heart for the Croatian people that God has, we need his guidance, gourd, and gratitude. 

    We put literature in mailboxes before and after lunch. Lunch was baked goods at one of the parks. Some confusion happened in the after lunch assignments as groups started to do areas that someone had already done. We had to regroup at a coffee shop to reassign areas. Afterward, the whole group headed to the Point Shopping Center for dinner at Sofra for authentic Bosnian food.

Croatia Missions Trip 3/9

Friday, June 21 2021

    Today at 9:30am, our group of twenty met outside the Cathedral of Zagreb. Besides the group from the previous evening meal together also joining us was Brother Johnny. He has been in Croatia for twenty years and was instrumental in translating the Bible into Croatian. He brought a man named François with him as well as Brother Ron, his wife, Rachel, and their son, Caleb. This family has been helping the Leslies since 2019. 

    Pastor Jeff gave the devotional from 1 Kings 17:1 and then we spilt up into teams of two and headed to the square to distribute John and Romans and invitations to the Amazing Grace meeting to be held the following Thursday. I was partnered with Sarah who instructed me on useful phrases to say such as "dobra dan" which means "good afternoon". I had conversations in English with two people. One was a tourist from Zadar who was leaving Zagreb that day to head back home. The other was a very confused Hindu who believed all sorts of bazaar things including reincarnation. He said he would come to the meeting.

 

    Just before we broke for lunch, Frauna from Brother Brad's church, arrived to help out. I was with Sarah again after lunch in a different location. She handed the materials to a girl who started reading it. She ran back with her friend to catch up with Sarah so the friend could receive one as well. I took a picture of them reading the materials together. 

    It was supposed to rain starting at 11am, but the first droplet didn't even come until we said goodbyes to go our separate ways at 3. Praise the Lord! Dinner was at Paesano. Google map says it's an Italian restaurant, but they even have steak and burgers there. It was soooo good we agreed to go back for sure. We went to one mall looking for a fan (in which each of the guys bought one) and another mall so Jason could buy a phone. It started pouring rain when we returned to the AirBnB and soon after a rainbow lit up the sky. It was as though God sent it just for us at just that time to let us know He had held back the rain until the work of the day was done.

Cathedral of Zagreb 

Receiving assignments

Pastor Jeff giving a devotional

Meeting for lunch

The two girls reading the invitation

The view of the rainbow from the porch of the AirBnB

Croatia Missions Trip 2/9

Tuesday, June 8, 2021

    Jason, Micah and I said our goodbyes in Lee around 8:30 and arrived at JFK around noon for our journey. We got, checked in with no problems, but our Lufthansa flight for 3:45 was said be delayed an hour and a half. 

    We had dinner: I had a burger that cost $20! Micah and Jason each split a personal pizza and a burger. Just as we were finishing up our dinner, Pastor Jeff and his son-in-law, Travis, were passing by on the way to their gate and stopped to chat. They were flying on United to Vienna. We visited until it was time to go to our respective gates.

    When the time had arrived to board, the plane still had not arrived at the airport. To help appease the passengers, we were given a $14 food voucher to use at any of the restaurants. Since we had just eaten, Jason got a cheesecake, coffee and an apple. Micah got a meal and brought it to Pastor Jeff. I got a chicken fajita panini to share with Jason and Micah. About a half hour more passed before it was announced that the flight was canceled and the passengers would be shuttled to a hotel. Pastor Jeff and Travis came to our gate to say goodbye before boarding their plane. 

    We were shuttled to the Crown Plaza JFK. We received $40 each toward dinner and $14 each toward breakfast. Dinner at the hotel restaurant took especially long as a whole plane of travelers were staying there. Whenever taking our meal orders, the hotel asked if we were with the "distress flight", as our meals were covered by the airline. 

Wednesday June 9, 2021 

    Our flight was rescheduled for 9:05pm via Swiss Air. At breakfast, a Muslim man came over to talk to Jason. He asked where we were heading and why. He talked about how Christian churches and mosques used to stand side by side all over Europe. He said if a family had two sons, one would be raised Christian and other Muslim but I didn't understand the reason. He said he's a teacher and tells his students this but they find it hard to believe. 

    Micah and I headed to a laundromat as the hotel had no washers. We met in the hotel lobby at 11:50 to shuttle back to the airport. 

    At the airport, we retook a Covid test. This time two swabs were done. The POC is at rapid test and a PDC is a test that takes 24 hours for the results. The lady who took our information said that hopefully our airline accepts the POC, but it is a fifty fifty chance. 

    We met a couple maybe in their late twenties headed on their honeymoon to Hungary. He was Hungarian. She was American. They were in the same situation we were in with canceled flight and on Swiss Air next. Jason commented how Hungarians are lovey dovey, but this couple was not. Jason thought that perhaps the man only wanted American citizenship as they had met on a dating website. 

We finally boarded our flight. Thankfully, the POC test was acceptable. Dinner was beef in a tomato sauce with mushrooms and olives, salad with a vinegar dressing, bread with butter, cheese and cheesecake. Micah and I watched Aquaman before sleeping. 

Thursday, June 10, 2021

    We woke up on an airplane heading to Switzerland! Breakfast was a muffin and banana. After we landed and we were getting ready to leave the plane, I looked back at Jason to see his eyes were closed. We only had an hour until our flight to Zagreb left. 

    “Oh no," I thought" He's sleeping. What do I do; throw a pillow at him?” 

    I asked Micah to excuse himself through the people lined up to leave to wake his dad up. Jason got annoyed for bothering him because “his ears were wide awake”. 

    We flew out of Switzerland, even having time for coffee before leaving. It is a relatively small airport. Arrived in Zagreb at 1pm and picked up our tiny rental car in which we had to squeeze in three Home Depot boxes of food and other items for the Lowrie's, two suitcases, and our carry-on luggage. The car was quite packed.

    Our AirBnB was lovely. We quickly showered and prepared to meet our group for dinner at Pub Mlinarica that had enough room to seat fifteen people: Pastor Jeff, and Travis had been out helping the group all day, so they were already there when we arrived. Brother Brad, the missionary we had come to help, was there with his wife, Connie, and son, Lucas. Sarah, a single missionary to Croatia on deputation, had brought two teenage girls with her: Faith and Hope. Mrs. Sarah, a pastors wife from Wichita, Kansas, and her daughter Grace, had come as a graduation trip for Grace. Brother Brad also had two interns helping him. Charissa, a single lady, had been in Croatia since February. Alex, also an intern, had been in country since the end of May. Micah stayed with Alex and Lucas in Alex's apartment. 

My $20 burger!

Waiting with the other "distress flight" passengers in the hotel lobby to be assigned rooms

Finally aboard the plane to cross the ocean!

Made it to Croatia a day late

Croatia Missions Trip 1/9

    The next few posts are a journal of a missions trip Jason, Micah and I had the privilege to go on in Zagreb, Croatia. I want to be able to remember specific events, but more importantly, to clearly look back on all God has done during this trip. Since Laura and Heidi did not go on this trip with us, this first entry will contain details of our travels leading up to the missions trip. 

Monday, May 31, 2021

    Our trip began with driving from Boyd, Texas to Lee, Massachusetts to bring Laura, Heidi and the dogs, Winston and Walle, to stay with Jason's parents. We drove the 905 miles to New Albany, Indiana for Wednesday service at stopping halfway in Little Rock, Arkansas at a Holiday Inn. Two days prior this trip on Saturday, Jason spent the day getting our trailer ready for him and I to sleep in. He put a double bed in it, a shower, and a sink. This trailer is normally used for shed building, so I was amazed how he was able to convert it almost effortlessly. The truth was, he had been thinking about it for some time and had the practice from his travel time last fall. Monday in Arkansas, Micah, Winston and Walle got to be the first to test it out when we stayed at the hotel. At the church in Indiana, the kids slept Tuesday and Wednesday night in what will be the pastors office in tents and sleeping bags while Jason and I slept in the trailer. 

    Tuesday evening, we arrived at the church and went to a BBQ place with the pastor and his family for dinner. The oldest son who had gone on a missions trip to Hungary six years ago with us was there. He was home for the summer from college and working with his dad at the church. The four younger children sat at a table with Laura and Heidi. 

    Wednesday, Jason took Heidi to go to the laundromat while he worked on his evening message. Micah, Laura and I spent the morning vacuuming and mopping the church. When Jason returned, we went to lunch with the pastor and his son at Penn Station. We then parted ways to get some Walmart shopping done before evening service. 

    Jason preached the Wednesday evening service from Luke 16:27-17:10 "Ingredients for being a better Christian" He said that service to the King can not happen without forgiveness, faithfulness, thankfulness and obedience to the commands that have been given to us by Christ.

    After service, we went to Graters with the pastors family and a missionary family to Iceland. The missionary's wife was home with the younger two children as the baby was sick with pneumonia. The missionary came with his older three children. It was a wonderful time of fellowship for the three families! 

    Thursday, we drove 330 miles to spend the night at a friend's in Northern Ohio. They had a baby girl a year ago, so it was good to finally be able to meet her. We had wonderful meal of enchiladas before presenting the baby with her birthday gifts of an interactive toy purse and two t-shirts: one said "I'm the reason we're late" and the other said "I don't do quiet". She is super busy! After dinner, I was trying to play with her on the floor while drinking a cup of coffee. Trying to keep it away from her, she still managed to be faster than me and ended up knocking it over onto the carpet.

    Friday, after a most delicious breakfast casserole, we drove the 591 miles to Jason's  parents house in Lee, Massachusetts. We parked the trailer in the church parking lot which is located next to the house while the three kids slept in the two spare rooms. 

    Saturday was spent preparing for our trip. We had to go to Home Depot to get boxes to pack up items the for the missionaries they asked us to bring. We packed two for them and one for us filled with cereal for quick and easy breakfasts. 

    Sunday, we went to New York for both services. The pastor, Pastor Jeff, had a ticket to also go to Zagreb on the missions trip. 

    Micah and I sang "The Cause of Christ" Jason showed the video on his trip to North Macedonia. He preached his message from Luke 17. After service, we went to Cracker Barrel with Pastor Jeff and his wife, Mrs Anita, for lunch. Because of covid, they were not able to bring their two daughters as tables could contain no more than eight people. 

In the evening service, Micah sang "It is Well with My Soul". Jason preached a message from John 13 "Beautiful Feet in Service for the King". After service, we went to Pastor Jeff's house for pie while our kids played games with their two daughters. We didn't get back to Lee until after 11pm! 

    Monday, the day before our travels to Croatia began, Jason, Micah and I went to CVS in Torrington, CT for our Covid test. I was super nervous about the test. I had heard how far up they have to poke the swab and was dreading it. I was so relieved when, during our hour long drive there, the testing center sent a message to watch a video. It showed that the test was self done. Praise the Lord! While waiting for the test results, we found a laundromat to wash clothes and get them ready to pack. We also went shopping for rain gear. The Zagreb weather report predicted rain off and on all week. About an hour after the test, the results came back negative. We were ready for traveling the following day!

The van did a great job hauling the trailer from Texas to Massachusetts 

Winston all ready for camping at church in Indiana

With all the rain, dirt kept getting tracked into the church as it stuck to shoes

Wednesday evening service in Indiana

Sunday service in New York

Skopje, North Macedonia

This week, Jason is distributing gospel literature in the capital city of North Macedonia. The country itself has just over two million people in it with 600,000 residing in the capital. Prayers for many to accept the gospel!

 

New Insulin Pump!

      I received my new Minimed insulin pump and got connected to it and the sensor today! I no longer need to be concerned with my BG dropping too low at night because the new pump will alert me before it begins to drop too low! Jason is definitely happy about the new pump because of all the nighttime lows I have been having with my old one. And when he wants to check what my BG is whether we're together or not, he just checks the app on his phone for my current reading! What a blessing! 

BBC Missions Conference

 Today, we finished up a great Missions Conference at Bible Baptist Church in Bowie, TX.  Seven missionary families attended, one of which was a single lady on deputation to go to Croatia. I enjoyed hearing her present her burden for the people of Croatia, but more specifically, her burden to minister to the children. Croatia is only one of the many countries in Europe in need of the gospel and it is so good to see those surrendered to the Lord's will of reaching Europeans!