I traveled to Eastern Europe from July 21st - August 4th, 2023. The following are updates that I sent during my trip. (Meg wrote the last one). Additional details have been added in brackets.

Day 1

Here I am in Boston Logan airport getting ready for our 7pm flight. Next to me is Mike Haddad, a pastor in Derby. [Mike became a good friend on the trip].

Thank you for sending me on this trip to Eastern Europe!

I'll try to send updates each day with one or two things I've seen or learned.

Day 2

Phew!

After 24 hours of travel, we made it to the hotel Westin in Zagreb, Croatia. Approaching the city to land, we flew over corn fields and forests, small towns connected by winding roads. It reminded me of home.

Here's a picture of us meeting with our hosts, Judita (yoo-DEE-ta) and Dalibor (DAL-e-bor) Kraljik. They are a wonderful couple with a lot to teach us.

Tomorrow we will begin learning about Croatian history and attend a Croatian Evangelical church.

Judita and Dalibor (center) lead us in group introductions and an orientation to the trip.

Day 3

Friends,

Today was our first full day in the country, and a full day it has been! This morning we walked the streets of Zagreb, with commentary from our hosts Dalibor (doll-ee-bore) and Judita (yoo-dee-ta). Croatia has a rich, multi-layered and complicated history, which can be seen in the different monuments, sections and architectural styles of the city.

One highlight was visiting a Serbian Orthodox church, where a deacon named Peter talked about Serbian Orthodox faith. One thing he said was, "The church is the place where people who are divided in society come together as one."

At the end, he sung a song that is used in their Easter Sunday liturgy, which was deeply moving. You can listen to it here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/iyLmzDHBX3L1PeTd9

You will notice that there is scaffolding inside the church building. Three years ago there was a an earthquake in Croatia that caused significant damage to many buildings.

Attached is a photo of me with the two other Baptist pastors in our group, (L to R) Matt Wigton who serves in Rockford MA and Justin Frank from Augusta ME. We passed a Baptist church in Zagreb. I wish we'd had time to go inside!

There is much more that I don't have time to tell. In a few hours we will drive to a nearby village to worship at a Croatian church. Since I brought Asher's small guitar, I've been invited to join the worship team!

The second picture is a double espresso at a café where we rested this morning. There is a lot of coffee here, which makes me happy!

As I write this, many of you are gathering to worship. May you all know the goodness of God today.

Day 4

This morning we had the opportunity to meet with several pastors and professors at an Evangelical seminary in Zagreb. [The school appears to be a renovated 3-story home in a residential neighborhood of the city.] It was fascinating to hear these men talk about the history of the church here in Croatia. After the breakup of Yugoslavia in 1991, there was great spiritual openness in the country. Schools like this one were established to help train pastors for the new churches that sprung up. [This particular school received support from the Church of Christ denomination in the US. Well-known Church of Christ pastor Max Lucado has been a patron of the school].

Today, however, the growth of Christianity is slow. The church faces the same problems we do in the US: secularism, church division, and difficulty transferring leadership from one generation to the next.

Last night I met a Ukrainian man named Costay who works as a missionary in Croatia. He was forced to leave his home in the Crimean peninsula when Russia annexed it in 2014. [Now he serves the church in Croatia, and he was able to use his van to hep Ukrainian refugees at the border with Poland last year. Costay told us, “It is always too soon to give up on God.”]

As I write this, we are on a tour bus winding through villages and between farm fields. Dark green mountains sit in the distance. If not for the road signs in Croatian and the concrete homes with tile roofs, I might think I'm driving on 105 in Sheldon.

The jet lag has finally caught up to me, and my body is definitely feeling it. I would appreciate prayers for good sleep!

Here's a picture from the church we attended last night. Jason McConnell [a pastor in Franklin, VT] preached, with our host Dalibor translating.

[His sermon was based on Zechariah 9: “God is a watchful warrior who protects his people and punishes oppressors.” This message hit close to home in a country that has seen so much war.]

day 5

Friends,

I can't quite find the words to tell you what I saw and felt today.

A few hours ago we stood near a field of sunflowers where over 200 people were executed and dumped in a mass grave. This happened in 1991.

Later we stood on top of a bombed-out water tower in the nearby city of Vukovar, on the Danube river, bordering Serbia. Vukovar was besieged for two months and almost completely destroyed. Atrocities were committed. People who were once neighbors and friends turned on one another.

Yet there were moments of hope. As we sat on top of the water tower (which has been turned into a memorial and monument to Croatian resistance) we listened to a pastor named Lazo who lived through the war. He told us stories about miraculous protection, enemies reconciled, and God's power to save. With tears in my eyes, I was left with such a strong impression that Jesus is indeed the hope of the world.

The remains of the water town in Vukovar, intentionally preserved as it was after the siege.

This morning we gathered for a devotional time. My friend Sean, a pastor from Portland, shared Psalm 46 which ends with these words:

8 Come and see what the Lord has done,

the desolations he has brought on the earth.

9 He makes wars cease

to the ends of the earth.

He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;

he burns the shields with fire.

10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth.”

11 The Lord Almighty is with us;

the God of Jacob is our fortress

There's much more to say, but I'll leave it here. Tomorrow we head to Sarajevo to begin to learn about Bosnia, which fared much worse than Croatia in the war.

May you all know the strong hope of Jesus today.

Sitting on top of the water town in Vukovar, Croatia. Pastor Lazo (R) shares powerful stories of God’s help during the war, as Dalibor translates.

Days 6-7

Hi Everyone,

I want to introduce you to two amazing places and two amazing people.

First, Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia -Herzegovina.

Sarajevo has been called the "Jerusalem of the Balkans" because for centuries, Jews, Christians, and Muslims have been integrated in this city. It sits in a beautiful, green river valley surrounded by hills. Unfortunately, the main thing it is known for today is how it suffered under the longest siege of a capital city in modern warfare. For almost four years, the city was under fire from snipers, mortars, grenades and tank rounds. Over 2 million rounds dropped on the city. Almost 30 years since the war ended, Many buildings still bear the scars from shrapnel. Many residents were killed or disabled, and many today live with the trauma.

Our guide in Sarajevo was a pastor named Sasha. Sasha has a fascinating story of coming to Christ as a punk-rock teenager in the early 90s, fighting in the Bosnian army, then finally being called to ministry. Today he leads the largest Evangelical church in Sarajevo (which is still not large by our standards).

Pastor Sasha (left) tells us about the war. We stand outside the Sarajevo library that Serbians burned down in 1992 in an attempt to destroy Bosnian history and culture.

The highlight of today was visiting a camp in a mountain village that Sasha's church network has been running for 20 years. The location is just gorgeous: near an emerald lake between two stunning mountain peaks. It was truly amazing to see what God has done at this camp. This week happens to be the camp for young adults. We met some lovely young Bosnian Christians and a few workers from England and the US. The camp is called "Emed Berakah" which means "The Valley of Blessing."

Pastor Karmelo sharing about his ministry.

Second, I'll tell you about the city of Mostar and our guide, Pastor Karmelo. This will be briefer. Mostar is an ancient city that, like Sarajevo has been home to Muslims and Christians if different ethnicities. And like Sarajevo, it was besieged and almost destroyed during the war. Pastor Karmelo told us about life during the siege: learning to take a "shower" with two coke bottles of water warmed in the sun; friends surviving on one cracker per day; hanging blankets in the streets to obscure snipers' vision; performing over a hundred funerals for local families. "But you know what," he said, "we had peace and joy. Maybe even more than now." Pastor Karmelo is so evidently filled with the Holy Spirit and has such a zeal to see more people in Bosnia hear the good news of Jesus.

Mostar, Bosnia with its iconic Stari bridge. Originally built by the Ottoman Empire in the 15th century, the bridge stood for 600 years until it was destroyed by shelling in the 1992 siege. It was rebuilt in 2017.

Tomorrow we return to Croatia to spend a few days on the coast, where we will rest and try to process more if what we've learned. More importantly, tomorrow Meg is arriving!!

Day 8

Friends,

Today (Friday) was a day of reflection. I sat on a terrace this morning and drank Bosnian coffee (aka Turkish coffee) and tried to catch up on some journaling and thinking. There has been so much to absorb.

Croatia is a majority Roman Catholic country. 80% claim to be Catholic, although studies by the Catholic Church itself show that only about 15%-20% are practicing their faith. For most Croats, "to be Croatian is to be Catholic." Protestant Christians, especially Evangelicals, are seen with suspicion.

We're learning that in this part of the world two opposite forces are at work. On the one hand, there is growing secularism. Since Croatia was admitted to the EU about 20 years ago, the country has been on the path of Western Europe. Prosperity, modernism and secular ideas give people new ways to define their identity.

Pilgrims kneel and pray at a statue of Mary at the site of the first apparition. This was about a 15-minute hike up a rocky path.

On the other hand, religious devotion is alive and well. Churches and mosques are everywhere. Today on our way to the coast, we stopped in the town of Medugorje. This is the location where, in 1981, a few children claimed to see an apparition of the Virgin Mary. One of the children (now grown) still claims to see apparitions of Mary regularly in a nearby location. Whatever we make of this, over the past 4 decades, Medugorje has become a pilgrimage site for Roman Catholics all over the world. As we climbed the rocky path to the shrine, we saw men, women and children praying the rosary, some in silent prayer, and some even walking barefoot up the sharp rocks. [On the road leading to the mountain were many shops selling rosary beads, religious art, crucifixes, T-shirts, and more.]

Oh, and it was very hot. 33 degrees Celsius, or 91 F.

There's a lot to think about. If you're interested, Google "Medugorje," find some thoughtful articles about it, and see what you think.

The best part of the day, of course, was reuniting with Meg!

I'll send my next update on Sunday. Tomorrow we are all headed on an island cruise in the Adriatic Sea.

Days 9-10

Hello Everyone,

The Croatian coast (also known as Dalmatia) is one of the most amazing places I've ever seen. Our God filled this world with beauty! Photos will not do it justice.

Saturday was a rest day for our group. We went on an all-day cruise through the islands off the coast, which included a stop at an island where we swam in the teal ocean, swam in a saltwater lake, and hiked to the top of some cliffs overlooking the Adriatic Sea.

Pastor Mario (left) and another Croatian pastor (center) with Jason McConnell.

We have also met some beautiful people here. This morning we worshipped with a small church here in Sibenik (SHI-ben-ick), then had lunch with several leaders from this church and others. (https://photos.app.goo.gl/9Ky6mHwxh22hUCmP8). I had a good, encouraging conversation with a Baptist pastor named Mario. We agreed that both of our churches would benefit from meeting each other. Maybe someday we will!

Finally, we spent the evening touring the city Split, which was home to Roman Emperor Diocletian's massive palace. Diocletian was a harsh persecutor of Christians. Today his palace walls still stand—now filled with shops, bars and hotels—but his empire has long since crumbled. Yet the empire of King Jesus has spread all around the world.

The women of the trip. L to R: Cec, Mary, Cece, Meg, Betty, Judita

One of the courtyards in Diocletian’s Palace

Tomorrow we say goodbye to our Croatian host and fly to Prague for the last part of our trip.

Days 11-13

Hi Friends,

It's Meg here with greetings from Prague, Czech Republic! Tyler and I have been here for 2 days learning about the history and culture of this country. Among other things, Prague is known for its music. Last night we enjoyed a concert performed by the Royal Czech Symphony in a church called St. Salvatore. The music took our breath away.

A recurring theme over the past few days has been that Czech society is very secular. For a variety of reasons, very few Czechs are Christian. Although the Prague skyline is dotted with steeples and the church flourished here in the past, Czechs view Christian faith skeptically. Instead, they prefer the term "spirituality" and tend to create their own private belief systems.

Outside the St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague

Does this sound familiar to you? For us it reminds us of some conversations we have had with friends in Georgia. More and more people in our town distrust Christianity and view faith as irrelevant.

Here in Prague a professor shared with us some creative ways the Czech Church has been reaching unchurched people. They don't expect Czechs to come in the door for worship services, but instead use the church as a way to serve people. Churches connect with the community by offering playgroups, summer camps for kids, and by providing English lessons.

All of this talk about reaching people who see no need for Jesus in their lives has us thinking about our context. About our neighbors. About home. How can we as a church reach those in Franklin County who see Jesus as irrelevant to their lives? What do you think?

Thank you for your prayers for us. We fly home on Friday. God bless you and keep you!

The whole group on our second-to-last day in Prague. On the far right are Becca and Ben Helge, our hosts in Prague and missionaries there, with their son Victor. In the center are Pastor Martin and his wife (center), who spoke to us about how history shapes culture. In addition to being a Lutheran pastor, Martin is an elected representative of his district in Prague.

A Few More Thoughts…

I’ve been home for several days now, and I continue to process my experiences on this trip. As I do so, a few things stand out:

Trauma and Resilience. In Croatia and Bosnia and particular, I was at times overwhelmed with the amount of trauma that these people have endured. Everyone my age and older has vivid memories of the war in the 1990s. Many lost family members and friends. For example, our Croatian bus driver Ivitsa told us that during the war his grandmother was killed by Serbian forces. For some reason, he was the one chosen to identify the body.

Bosnia suffered intense “ethnic cleansing,” where in many cities and towns, all Muslim residents were forcibly removed, sent to prison camps, or killed. In the town of Srebrenica, Serbian forces separated the women and children, then systematically executed about 8,000 remaining men and boys over the course of 3 days. The evil is hard to fathom.

For many who survived, the past still haunts them. When we asked Pastor Sasha to tell us what it was like living through the siege of Sarajevo, he answered, “No, not tonight. It’s too hard to talk about, and I’m tired. Maybe tomorrow.”

At the same time, the people we met showed incredible resilience. By many measures, Croatia is thriving. Bosnia is not doing as well, but at least has stabilized and rebuilt since the war.

In these lands, the healing of trauma is a major way that the church is, and must be, offering the love of Jesus to the world. We have the same imperative here in Vermont, where trauma is no less real. As one of the members of our group shared, “We have the ultimate source of resilience to offer people: the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

The Body of Christ. This trip was not tourism. Although we viewed some amazing scenes, ate some great food, took lots of pictures, and did some touristy things, the real purpose of our trip was found in relationships. There is nothing quite like traveling halfway around the world and finding an instant bond with a brother or sister in the Lord. We enjoyed many conversations and meals with other believers who welcomed us, told us their stories, and asked us questions. This is the beautiful reality of the body of Christ. “Though we are many, we form one body” (1 Corinthians 12).

I was reminded again and again that we serve the God of the nations who is at work in all times and places. I was humbled by the resilience and faithfulness of the pastors and Christians we met. I was inspired by their creativity in mission. At the same time, if I had an idealistic vision of the church in these places, I saw reminders that Christians struggle with the same problems everywhere.

I am hopeful that some of the connections I made in these countries will lead to future partnerships with our church. I am convinced that in quiet small-town Vermont we need ways to stay connected to the global church.

Additionally, what a blessing it was to spend 14 days with this group as we traveled. We shared so many wonderful conversations, meals, times of laugher, and prayer. Having Meg join the group for the second week made it even sweeter. God made us for relationships.

The Long View. Several experiences on this trip made me realize that, as followers of Jesus, we must take the long view of history. Sometimes it looks like evil is winning. Sometimes the church is dormant for generations. But God is still working. Kingdoms rise and fall, but God’s plans remain. Consider these snapshots:

In Croatia, the church has existed since the first century. Christianity has gone through times of cultural power and times of decline.
In secular Prague, one church leader told us that before a typical Czech will attend his church, it takes years, even decades, of friendship with a Christian. He expects this.
In Prague we went to the church of Jan Huss, a 15th century pastor who opposed the Roman church on a number of points and preached a more biblical gospel. His teachings earned him the label “heretic” and he was burned at the stake. Yet one hundred years after his death, the German reformer Martin Luther realized that he was carrying on Jan Huss’s teachings. The Protestant Reformation changed the world.

In discussing all this, my friend Justin quoted the proverb, “Wise people plant trees in whose shade they will never sit.”

What would it look like for our church to take the long view? What “trees” would we plant for future generations to enjoy?

Mission. I witnessed the truth that when the church loses its mission, it dies. Prague was an example of how the church (both Catholic and Protestant) fought for centuries for cultural dominance and political power. Today, the cathedrals remain, but they are mostly empty of worshipers. Instead, the mission of Jesus has been carried on by churches that emerged after the revolution in 1989. Even now, 34 years after the revolution, many protestant churches are struggling to adapt to the changing culture.

In our own country, the church is at a turning point. As the culture moves on from traditional Christianity, many churches are anxious about losing their cultural relevance. We cling more tightly to institutional structures and ways of doing ministry that used to work. Some Christians put all their energy into fighting culture wars.

But the church has always been at its best as a “creative minority” in the culture (a phrase that Pavel Hosek shared with us). And whenever the church has worldly power, the gospel is corrupted.

Here in Vermont no one needs to remind us that Christians are a minority. But this can be an advantage. If we embrace this role as a creative minority, we can be more adaptable in carrying out our mission of making disciples. The challenge for us is to take an honest look at the ways we are currently doing things, ask ourselves what works and what doesn’t, and be willing to adapt.

Once again, thank you for your prayers, and thank you for sending me to learn and grow. I’m sure that this experience will continue to bear fruit in my life and in the life of our church.