Category Archives: Europe

Visiting Kalmyk Communities in China and Mongolia – Report by Sarang Badeev

My name is Sarang Badeev. 25 years ago, I came to faith in Christ in Kalmykia. For 15 years, I pastored the church which had been planted in the capital city, Elista, in the early 1990ties. For the last ten years, I have been traveling and preaching the Gospel to Kalmyks who live in other countries, especially in China, Mongolia, and the United States. The following is a travel letter from my last visit to Kalmyks living in Central Asia and China.

The Mongol-speaking Kalmyks are Western Mongols. Their language is different from that of other Mongols, so some linguists think that theirs is an archaic and ancient Mongolian language. Following after the Huns, Avars, and other ethnic groups, Kalmyks are the last nomadic people who crossed the steppes of Asia and reached Europe, where they settled. They are also the only people who later managed to migrate back to Asia from where they came, although half of them remained in Russia, where they today live in the Russian Autonomous Republic of Kalmykia, located between the Black and Caspian Seas.

Kalmyks are monotheists (believing there is only one God). That comes from the fact that in the past, the Kalmyks were Christians, evangelized in the 7th century by Nestorian missionaries who were sent out by the East Assyrian Church. This makes it, to some extent, easier to preach the Gospel among them. For example, in Kalmykia Russia, they are monotheists in mindset, therefore easily understand the doctrine of God’s Majesty, his Power, and his Unity.

In China, Kalmyks remember well that, in the past, they had been Christians. Several have told me, “When we were Christians, we were strong.” This makes a bridge between them and me when I preach. Centuries later, while the Kalmyks in China were under the rule of the Qing Dynasty, they were introduced to and embraced Buddhism. Presently, Buddhism plays a big role in their lives. In their Buddhist temples, they have their own ethnic priests. Despite the fact that the majority of Kalmyks in China lead a nomadic lifestyle, they make a point of visiting these temples, which are their religious centers. In Russia, the Kalmyks are not Buddhists in lifestyle; nevertheless, the religion is deeply ingrained in their minds. It is more their identity marker – who they think they are.

They accept and respond to the Gospel and agree with everything the Scripture states, but they fear they will lose their ethnic identity if they abandon Buddhism. Repentance and conversion to Christ could have been massive if it weren’t for this fundamental fear, since they are more monotheistic in their mindset and drawn to the Gospel. I believe and know that God will break this barrier.

Sociological research has shown that the Eastern Mongols identify with the East. i.e. Japan and Korea; the Kalmyks identify themselves as Western, as they live closer to Western values — having a more open mind, being not as easily blinded by their culture, they are more quickly transformed by the influence of the Gospel.

MY VISIT TO CHINA

included three autonomous districts inhabited by the Kalmyks: Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Inner Mongolia and the Qinghai province. For several years, I have been traveling to the Xinjiang province, where I pastor a church of 38 Kalmyk nomadic believers who live and move within a large area.

Missionary work is most often focused on evangelizing people in the cities, but the countryside is often overlooked. Since the people I minister to are nomads who roam with their herd across the foothills and high mountains of this province, constantly looking for new pastures, I move with them to these places. They are rarely stationed in the same place for very long. These are the people I am primarily seeking to reach with the Gospel. It is a difficult endeavor, as it is necessary to cover long distances, sometimes going to hard-to-reach places.

I was told about a man, 80 years old, who was a hunter and lived by himself, isolated from other people. In order to find him and give him the Word of God, I employed a local guide. We traveled first by car, then on horseback, and then we climbed on foot up steep hillsides, high up into the mountains, where he lived. He was a wonderful man. Despite his age, he had single-handed taken on a bear with just a knife. I shared the Gospel with him. He told me that we Kalmyks used to be Christians, and that we had our own Bible, and our own church called the House of Worship – and that Buddhism is not ours, it is Tibetan with Tibetan words and names. He wanted to receive Jesus Christ into his heart. I asked him if he really wanted to accept Jesus. He said Yes, so we prayed, and by faith, and he accepted the Lord!

I have translated some of the books of the New Testament into the Kalmyk language. The senior generation of Kalmyks in China speaks the Kalmyk language verbally, while young people both speak it and prefer to read Christian literature in the language. The Old Testament and many of the books of the New Testament are not yet translated. When I am not traveling, or have time in between trips, I focus on the translation work, but it is a slow process that I wish would go faster.

When I left Xinjiang, I placed one of the believers in charge of the church. He was arrested by the police and kept in prison for a time, but was later released. The Christians are growing in faith and knowledge.

IN INNER MONGOLIA

the Kalmyks live in an area called Alashan. Basically, it is a nomadic community where families live and wander in desert and semi-desert regions, and in vast nature reserves where many rare animals are protected. Some of the Kalmyks living in Alashan are descendants of a group who, in the 17^th century, traveled on a pilgrimage from Russia to Tibet. On their way, they were detained in Alashan, and ended up settling and live under Chinese authority. They still live in Alashan today.

Although I have not had much time to preach there, I have talked with many Mongols and Kalmyks about Jesus. There are now a fellowship of 14 people who have come to faith in Jesus.

When I was in the home of the man I left in charge of the church, a picture of the two of us was taken against the background of the national flag of external Mongolia, because the Mongols in China love the flag of the state of Mongolia. There we are, two Mongols from different parts of the world, united in brotherhood and faith in Jesus Christ!

Another group of Kalmyks live in the province of Qinghai. This group of Kalmyks arrived during the time of the intervention. In the 17^th century, they conquered Tibet, and became the military ruling class. They have a very good relationship with their fellow Kalmyks in Russia, as they remember that many of their people migrated to the West. So, when I visit them, they happily receive me with warm hospitality. The entire group of about 100,000 people are constantly on the move, roaming with their animals from place to place, from pasture to pasture. Vast, destructive sandstorms coming from the surrounding deserts are not uncommon.

In Qinghai, there are seven Christians who have come to faith through my preaching, but they live isolated, separated from one another by large distances. When circumstances allow, they visit each other’s homes and communicate together. In order to meet these people individually while on the move, I travel widely to different places. This gives me the opportunity to come across many remote villages where I stop and share the Gospel. It is a necessity to have the use of a rental car, which adds to my travel costs. I am looking for partners who will help sponsor my ministry and the cost of reaching the Kalmyk living in these remote parts of the world, that the Great Commission of Matthew 24:14 may be fulfilled! Pastor Sarang Badeev.

FROM R.K.’S CORNER

SARANG BADEEV is a native from the Russian Federal Republic of Kalmykia, located between the Black Sea and Caspian Sea — the only Buddhist people in Europe. Sarang, who came to faith during the Soviet era through a the work of a brave American missionary, Andrew Vincent, is pioneering the Gospel in his homeland and among his people who still live in their ancient communities within China and Mongolia.

The below links to two prior Bridge Reports on Kalmykia gives you the fuller, fascinating story on Andrew, Sarang, and the Kalmyk people – a clear demonstration of God’s love and heart for the ethnos:

https://www.bridgeinternational.org/2015/02/

https://www.bridgeinternational.org/pdf/may2010.pdf

Last year, Sarang visited Kalmyk communities in Mongolia; and mountainous areas of Xinjiang in the north western part of China, where the majority of the Muslim Uighur people live. In an effort to curb ethnic uprisings against their regime, it is believed that the Chinese government is detaining more than one million Uighurs in detention camps. Kalmyks living in the region are also among the minority ethnic groups oppressed by the Chinese. Sarang’s message of God’s love and forgiveness through Jesus is a new, powerful message to his people.

This issue is given to Sarang’s 2018 Travel Letter. Sarang is again ready to travel back to China and Mongolia. If you want to partner with him in reaching the Kalmyks with the Gospel, please mark you gift 8156 Kalmyk Worker. Thank You!

Joe Sellars – his Journey from Grief to Joy

Joe and Denise

Hello Everyone,

This is Joe Sellars, former missionary to Germany. In September 2012, you received the last update on our life and ministry, which R.K. published right after having attended the homegoing celebration service for Shelli, my wife of nearly 25 years, after her three year battle with colon cancer.

God had given us an adventurous life, and as always, He showed us his faithfulness! He was so good to us through the entire cancer battle. Even though it ended in Shelli’s death, His abiding presence was always with us, truly giving us the “peace that surpasses all understanding.” His love, grace, mercy, peace, and comfort were always there for me in the sorrow and grief, holding me close enough to hear His heartbeat through one of the most trying and challenging times in my entire life.

One of the biggest revelations God gave us on this journey was what we called The “Daniel 3” faith (Daniel 3:17-18). It refers to the three young Hebrew men about to be thrown into the fiery furnace by King Nebuchadnezzar. Their response to facing death was:

We know God can save us,
We know God will save us,
But even if He doesn’t save us, we will praise the Lord.

I have a hard time understanding how some people can walk through similar trials without Jesus. It was a dark time of my soul, but like in the story of Job, God has restored every area of my life. Below, I address how God has met me by showing Himself as my faithful Father in the areas of Finances, Family, Faith and Future.

FINANCES

Many of you who are reading this report were used by God to help me in my time of need. Shortly after Shelli passed away, I was faced with the daunting task of paying all of the medical expenses we had incurred. We also needed to pay for a van that a local car dealer had “loaned” me to test drive for over 3 months after my old van was literally run into the ground from the thousands of miles of driving to and from medical appointments, surgeries, chemo and follow-ups. If I had had to pay all the bills that were accrued, it would have cost me nearly $700,000. We had a woefully inadequate health insurance, so after the first month of this journey, we were moved to a cash payment status.

Family, friends, churches and even strangers stepped in, and by God’s grace, literally within two months of Shelli’s death, all the bills and the van were paid for! Vanderbilt Medical Center simply wiped out hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt. Thousands of dollars came in through my local church, as well as the Bridge International. One afternoon, I called a company I owed over $60,000 to discuss a payment plan. I was holding the last statement in my hand when I asked the lady on the other end of the line for my current balance. Instead of saying some amount just under $60,000, she said that I owed all of $16! I was in shock! I asked how that could be, and she answered she had no idea. All she knew, was what the invoice on her computer showed that amount. One medical facility after another were paid off in full – debt vanished or was simply forgiven. If you were one of the many who gave – thank you so very much!

FAMILY

I am a firm believer that God’s original plan in the Garden involved a man and a woman, a husband and wife, in covenant relationship where they were “towards” each other. One was to be the help-mate for the other, the strength to their weakness – two being truly better than one.

Just under two years after my first wife passed into eternity, God restored this plan to my life. On June 7^th, 2014 I married one of the most amazing women I have ever met. Denise is a hero of the faith (but that is another story for another time). She is passionate for the Lord. She is loving, kind, discerning, fiery, and absolutely gorgeous, as well. She is giving me the most amazing home a man could ever hope for.

Denise Sharing her Testimony

Together, we have already been ministering to families, singles, and hurting people. I am excited to learn what else God has in store for us in the future. Denise is a woman who understands the Biblical concept that she is the spotless Bride of Christ and is fully embraced by her Papa God. At our wedding, she stood at the back of the church behind two massive white flags. When those flags parted at the particular music cue in the processional, there was literally a gasp that echoed through the crowd. She appeared as if she had just stepped in from the very presence of God! We were given a taste of what the children of Israel must have felt when Moses returned from standing in the cloud of glory in the presence of God. She shares His love, peace, compassion, grace and mercy with everyone she comes in contact with. She has a gift of discerning a person’s situation and seeing the big picture like no one I have ever met before. She is a blessing to me and many others!

FAITH

In early 2013 God began speaking to me and reminded me of how, after leaving the Army in 1996, I was heading into an Information Technology Career, just before He threw me a curve ball and called me into full time church base ministry. “Do you remember that IT thing? It has now come full circle and I am calling you into full time market place ministry. It is time to get outside the four walls of the church building.” After much prayer and discussion with my pastor and the elder team, I stepped down as Youth Pastor in August, 2013 and began pursuing certifications in computers. This was a huge shift for me, but God was faithful. Since that time, I have a couple of IT certifications and working for my brother-in-law’s IT company in tech support and sales.

I have had many opportunities to minister to people outside the four walls of the church building. For example, a couple of days ago I met with a potential client who is fighting her own battle with cancer. At the end of our meeting I asked her if it would be OK for me to pray for her. She smiled and said, “absolutely.” So right there in her office, in the middle of City Hall, the presence of the Lord filled the room and she was encouraged. I am fully expecting to hear an amazing report from her the next time we meet together.

I am extremely blessed with the job I have. Please pray for us as we look to the future to see how God will transform, grow and use this business to release me more into ministry each day.

FUTURE

Currently, my wife and I are working to eliminating all of our debt and positioning ourselves to have more time and financial freedom to head back out for short term mission trips. I don’t currently see God leading me back to the mission field as a full time missionary, but rather drawing me back to short term missions.

When I look back at my life, some of the times I felt most alive, was when I had a herd of teenagers around me while leading them on a mission trip.

I know that God never removes His calling, therefore I believe that one day I will return overseas, being used by God to expand people’s world view and watch as God shows Himself to them in ways that they have never imagined. My heart-cry is still and will always be “Living the Great Commandment to Fulfill the Great Commission.“

The Sellars having Breakfast in our Home during their Visit

FROM R.K.’S CORNER

Living the Great Commandment to Fulfill the Great Commission” was Joe and Shelli Sellar’s ministry motto, as well as the standard by which they attempted to live their life together. “Our lives are not just about ministry, but about relationship, about living our lives so that others see Jesus in us — bringing Him honor in everything we do”, they were quick to explain. And their lives reflected that!

Joe and Shelli had in common that they both grew up in Tennessee, were saved and had a burden for Europe. After they were married in 1988, Joe served in the U.S. Army in Germany. There they came across The Bridge, so in 1999, when they were ready to move to Germany as full time missionaries, they contacted us, and we joined them in a 13 year partnership which proved very fruitful.

In 2010, Shelli found she had been unexpectedly enlisted to run a new race that culminated in her death on September 3, 2012: battling stage IV metastasized colon cancer. We stood with the family through their battle, contributing with prayer and finances. Since Shelli’s death, some have asked, “What has happened to Joe and their two children?” You will find the answer in this issue where Joe is giving us an overview of his life after Shelli. Two years after her passing, God provided a new wife for Joe.

Last week, when they visited us in our home, Steve and I were introduced to Denise, a remarkable young woman from an Arab, Muslim background who encountered Jesus as a teenager, embraced the Christian faith, and has been persecuted for that decision. Theirs is the story of a faithful God who brought the two of them together from sorrow and hardship to joy and fulfillment in the union of marriage, and calling them to be living testimonies of God’s grace and love! We are looking forward to learn what God has in store for them!

Sarajevo, Bosnia: The Lighthouse Shines in a Land of Darkness

UPDATE BY ROBERT JURJEVICH

The Center For Life THE LIGHTHOUSE was founded by Bob and Eileen Pressler in 2001 for the purpose of establishing the first pro-life ministry in former-Yugoslavia. Northriver, a United Kingdom Christian foundation, purchased a building for the ministry. They added a third floor apartment for Bob and Eileen to live in and oversee the facility. When Eileen passed away in the Fall of 2016, Sandrina was asked to become the new director of the pro-life ministry. In the Spring of 2017, the Northriver owners expressed their desire to transfer ownership of the facility to THE LIGHTHOUSE ministry.

When we first sat with the attorney to discuss the transfer of ownership, she told us the legal process would take 2-3 months. Finally, on July 30, after 18 months of legal work, we sat together with the completed documents in front of us. After a few laughs, a few minor changes, and a few photos, we signed on the line. The moment we had long waited for, came and went in a matter of seconds. After 18 years, the Christian foundation Northriver officially donated their facility in Sarajevo to the ministry Center For Life THE LIGHTHOUSE. ”It is highly unusual in Bosnia,” the notary said at the signing, ”for one organization to release a property as a donation to another organization.”

That brings us to where we are today – awaiting the Bosnian tax office to inform us of their appraisal of the facility’s value, which will require us to pay a 5% property appraisal tax up front. Upon completing the payment, we will be issued a new property deed, and the ownership process will be 100% completed!

Presently, Sandrina and Edita, her assistant, are focused on establishing a strong presence of THE LIGHTHOUSE on social media platforms and promoting the website as a primary source for Bosnian women to find information and answers to their questions concerning pregnancy, abortion and other relevant issues facing women, — see www.svjetionikcentarzazivot.com.

Monthly ads are being run on Facebook to promote a culture of life, the value of life, and the life of the unborn. In a land where abortion is a form of birth control, the opportunities to reach Bosnian women with a pro-life message are challenged by a mindset that is opposite to it.

This week during our daily children’s creative workshop at our church, Sandrina sat with a lady who has been bringing two boys every day for the last three weeks. It turns out she was not their grandmother as we thought, but their nanny. While they sat together, the lady became very talkative and asking Sandrina about herself. Sandrina shared about her work through THE LIGHTHOUSE ministry in helping women, especially in the areas of pregnancy, education, and counseling. The lady immediately opened her heart and shared that, several years prior, she had had an abortion. During the Bosnian civil war (1992-1995), she became pregnant with her second child after just 6 months of giving birth to her first. With tears in her eyes, she recounted how she chose to have an abortion. After that, she was never again able to bear children. She encouraged Sandrina and expressed how important the pro-life ministry of THE LIGHTHOUSE is. ”Abortion is a dark secret in the lives of many Bosnian women which is never spoken openly about”, she said.

RAFAEL FELLOWSHIP

Our church family, RAFAEL FELLOWSHIP, is located in one of the most densely populated areas of Sarajevo, which is 95% Muslim. Among Bosnia’s population of 4 million, there are only about 400 Protestant evangelicals in the nation. Like most ministries and churches in Bosnia, we have experienced our share of hopes and disappointments in pioneering a new church over the past five years.

While our fellowship meets on Sunday mornings for worship service, our facility is presently used during the week for the following outreaches:

Monday evenings – a sort of AA group meets that is providing help, not only for alcoholics, but mostly for drug addicts.
Tuesday and Thursday afternoons – a member of our church family provides a program for children with special needs.
Monday through Fridays – we provide a daily 2-hour creative workshop for children.

Whenever there are no other activities in the local community, we open the facility for the neighborhood teenagers to get them off the street. We build personal relationships with them through music and games.

OUR FAMILY

Our Family in 1995

As full-time missionaries on the field, we are only able to see our own children once or twice a year. In June, we came together in The Netherlands for a very special occassion – the wedding of our youngest son Joshua to his bride Joyce. All our children and their spouses love the Lord, which is a tremendous blessing to our hearts. Here is an update on our kids, with photos from 1995 and 2018:

Our Family in 2018

Johan & Kristen (to the right) live in Virginia Beach, VA. They volunteer in different capacities in their local church. Johan is a corporate CPA/Auditor; Kristen a corporate lawyer who recently became a partner in the law firm. As young professionals, they are directly influencing the Marketplace.

Lennart & Lydia (right of newlyweds) live in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, where they serve on the staff at Crossroads International Church. They are expecting their first baby (our first grandchild!) in January, 2019!

Timothy & Julianne (couple on left) live in Nashville Tennessee, USA. After a number of years as a children’s and youth pastor, Timothy is now working on staff at Gideon’s International as an assistant to the international director. Julianne is a registered nurse, and will be soon finishing up her training as an anesthesiologist.

Joshua and Joyce, the newlyweds, live in Amersfoort, The Netherlands, where they both serve on staff at Thousand Hills International Church as youth pastors and support staff.

PRAYER NEEDS FOR …

our finances, and the remaining funds for the property appraisal tax, estimated to be a total of $20,000.00.
for favor to be granted by the authorities for permanent resident visas to replace our present two year visas.
Sandrina – to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit in the further development of THE LIGHTHOUSE, as there are many opportunities available for the pro-life message.

FROM R.K.’s CORNER

Robert and Sandrina Jurjevich need no introduction to our longstanding Bridge friends who have, for nearly thirty years, followed their adventures as missionaries with a call to serving the Lord in the Balkans, specifically among Muslims in the city of Sarajevo. If you are not familiar with their background and history, I encourage you to take time to check them out on prior pages on this website. Please click on the following links:
https://www.bridgeinternational.org/2013/06/
https://www.bridgeinternational.org/2015/08/
https://www.bridgeinternational.org/2018/05/
This issue is a celebration of a long awaited answer to prayer! Their ministry finally owns a building which is housing their home, pro-life ministry, and their church’s many mercy outreach ministries to the community. This is a dream come true since the 1992-95 Civil War destroyed the first church they had planted, scattered the believers, and bombed their apartment, which burned to the ground with all their belongings. THE LIGHTHOUSE teems with joyful activities, and reflects the light and hope of the Gospel to the people of Sarajevo through Robert and Sandrina’s labor of love!

NB! If you want to partner with the Robert and Sandrina and their ministry to reach the Bosnian people with the Gospel – the Good News of Jesus Christ – please click on the DONATE button above and mark your gift 8345 BOSNIAN WORKERS Thank you! R.K.

The Balkans — Hate Replaced by Forgiveness, Love and Reconciliation

EXCERPTS FROM THE OCT. 1994 BRIDGE BALKAN CONFERENCE IN OHRID, MACEDONIA

Pastors from eight Balkan countries sharing fellowship and prayer

“Before I share about my country, there is one thing I must do.” The voice of the Turkish pastor trembled as he placed eight chairs in a row and pointed to specific people in the group to take a seat in the row facing the participants of the conference, each one a Christian leader representing his individual Balkan country: Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Serbia. Nexhi, the Albanian pastor’s wife, was asked to take seat on the last chair.

“I am in direct lineage of the Ottoman Emperor. On behalf of my Turkish ancestors, the Ottomans, I repent for all the atrocities and devastation my family and my people inflicted upon your people when they swept over the Balkans and conquered, burned, raped, pillaged, and established Islam by force. The present bloodshed and hatred experienced between the Balkan nations is a continuum of a curse that the Ottoman Empire inflicted upon you. Today I ask forgiveness and release your nation from that curse.“

The Turkish pastor then turned to Nexhi and told her with tears, “You represent all the Balkan women who have lived through rape, loss of husbands, fathers, and sons to senseless war; plundering of homes, abduction of children, and oppression by a cruel religion.”

Then, in anticipating silence, the Turkish pastor’s wife carried a basin with water to the line of chairs, and the Turkish pastor and his wife bent down before each one of the others and washed their feet as a sign of the servant+hood of Christ toward the other nations. While tears flowed and warm hugs were exchanged between the pastors, the room erupted in beautiful worship of the Lord – and powerful intercession for the Balkans, and a clear affirmation of forgiveness, reconciliation, and love!

REFLECTION ON THE MOVE OF GOD IN THE BALKANS by Robert Jurjevich

After serving for two years with The Bridge International as the Coordinator for all mission efforts into southeastern Europe, including the nation of Turkey, in October, 1994 I organized the pinnacle event conducted up till that moment. The Bridge Balkan Conference was being held at a hotel in the beautiful lakeside town of Ohrid, located in western Macedonia. We had invited pastors and church leaders, with their spouses, from all the Balkan nations we were serving to attend this unique gathering. This was an historic, very special event for many of the pastors and their spouses on a personal level. Many of them had never been away from their children before. None of them had attended a Christian leader’s conference — even staying in a hotel was a first time experience for some.

It was unique on a ministry level, as many had never met a fellow pastor (much less a fellow believer) from any of the other Balkan nations. Also, unique on a socio-political level, as everyone attending was challenged to overcoming cultural and historical prejudices and barriers as they came face-to-face with people that they should, in the natural, hate and despise. This Balkan leadership conference, possibly the first ever in modern history, was an opportunity for either the barriers to be reinforced or for a Kingdom breakthrough to take place for a region of the world that had suffered generational conflicts for hundreds of years. Thankfully, through the mercy and grace of God the Father, those leaders yielded to the move of the Holy Spirit with soul searching repentance on behalf of their respective people groups.

As I reflect both on the significance of that Bridge leadership conference of 1994 and our direct involvement in the Balkans during the last 40 years since God placed this region upon both my and Sandrina’s hearts, I believe the conference of 1994 still remains the deepest fundamental expression of God’s heart for this region which I have personally experienced all through these four decades. The desire for true reconciliation and healing between the various Balkan people groups remains the central heart desire and need in the souls scarred by centuries of tribal bloodshed. Today, it remains the number one issue in the minds and hearts of national church leaders in the Balkans; an issue which must be resolved in order for revival to breakthrough in the region.

The Croatian, Albanian, Greek, and Bulgarian
Pastors thanking and praising God together

I do not propose to know the answers in resolving this central issue – but I do know that when the answer to a simple question is more complicated than the question itself, we may be asking the wrong question. Why did we experience a breakthrough at the Bridge leadership conference in 1994? My reflections are given not in any particular order of importance, but simply as an attempt to highlight essentials:

FAITH – At the Bridge, we believed in God’s heart full of love for the Balkan nations – His compassion was our passion. We believed that God was able to do the impossible regardless of our lack of abilities and resources. We were able to believe in the potential of Balkan leaders because we believed in our calling from God to be available for his purposes wherever, whenever and with whomever the Lord sent us. The attendees of the conference knew that the Bridge team believed in them.

1992: Future church leaders – Gjakova, Kosovo

FRIENDSHIPS – Sandrina and I first connected with the Bridge because someone took time in 1987 to visit us in Sarajevo, sit down, have a coffee and listen to hearts about the hopes and vision for the city and nation. I spent two years travelling in and out of the Balkan nations drinking a lot of coffee, listening to a lot of concerns and being available in the lead-up to the conference. Relationship is important, but friendship has always been a specialty of the Bridge – no one on the field has ever felt that they ‘work’ for the Bridge, rather are coworkers for the same Kingdom goals. The attendees of the conference knew that the Bridge team members were their friends.

PRAYER – It is said that all ministry that is God-ordained and anointed begins and ends in prayer. One of the blessings within the vision of the Bridge has been to connect the field workers and churches with intercessors from around the world. We kept ministry in the Balkans very simple for our visiting Bridge teams who were instructed to do three things with the local believers – worship the Lord, share the Word and pray for their needs. The attendees of the conference knew that the Bridge team members were intercessors and that they were each individually covered continually in prayer.

HUMILITY – If we humble ourselves before God, He will lift us up on high. As seen everywhere else, Balkan church leaders face the challenges of life and ministry, and it is always a danger and risk of becoming hurt and offended, becoming territorial and controlling, becoming isolated and lonely. Remaining humble, forgiving and transparent can be very difficult in the Balkan cultures which can very barbaric at times. The hardening of the heart is perhaps the greatest obstacle of all. At the Orhid conference of 1994, church leaders yielded themselves, humbled themselves and laid broken before God and their peers. Greece and Turkey as nations are historically bitter enemies – yet after the conference the Greek pastor and Turkish pastor became best of friends, with each inviting the other to be guests in each other’s home. The attendees of the conference knew that the Bridge was giving them a safe environment where they could ‘unwind’, laugh and cry, forgive and be forgiven.

FROM R.K.’S CORNER

At the time of publishing this issue, we are watching deadly clashes between Palestinians and Israeli forces at the Gaza/Israeli border, due to protest against the relocation of the American Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem – a declaration that Jerusalem is the official Capital of Israel. The animosity between Arabs and Jews runs deep. It goes back more than 3000 years, when conflict arose between two half brothers Ishmael and Isaac (Gen. 16-18, 21).

In other parts of the world we find seething hatred between various ethnic groups. The Balkans has for centuries experienced conflict and wars between its peoples. No one knows that better than Robert and Sandrina Jurjevich who have carried the call to serve the Balkans with the Gospel for forty years, while living in several Balkan countries for large periods of that time. Read more about the Robert and Sandrina by clicking on the link:

https://www.bridgeinternational.org/category/bosnia/

In October 1994, Robert, at the time The Bridge’s Balkan Coordinator, hosted a Bridge sponsored conference for pastors from eight different Balkan countries of fellowship, prayer, and reconciliation between their peoples .

It proved to be an unforgettable historic event with relevance today! At the top, I have copied part of my 1994 report. Following, Robert reflects in retrospect on the significance of that time, and how we can help bring healing and love where there are hurts and hatred! The transforming love of God is still the best remedy!!

Corey and Angelika Booher: Making Disciples of Jesus in Poland

“Look at the nations and watch and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.” Habakkuk 1:5

Today, in over 650 places worldwide, and on almost every continent, God is using what has become known as the Disciple Making Movements (DMM) or Church Planting Movements (CPM). It brings salvation to people who have never heard the Gospel before, and brings it to places where it has long been forgotten. A disciple-making movement is characterized by a rapidly multiplying increase of indigenous churches and disciples within a group or population segment. In short, we are seeing the book of Acts lived out today, all around the world – it is exciting!

How has DMM turned out to be an amazing strategy to bring in the harvest in nations all throughout the world and specifically in Poland? By simple obedience to the Word of God – the Bible! We read the words of Jesus, believe them, draw crucial principles and practice them. Our focus is on:

Making disciples, not just converts (Matthew 28)
Baptizing and teaching all the disciples to baptize
Teaching to obey and not just listen to the Word
Healing the sick, casting out demons and sending others to do the same
Sharing the Gospel with boldness as a lifestyle everywhere
Finding “the people and families of peace”.
Intentionally working on going out and bringing the Kingdom to families, villages and towns; not pulling individuals out of their cultural contexts.

Angelika and I live and work in Warsaw, Poland, as a “movement catalyzer”. That weird terminology simply means we train believers to make disciples who make disciples, in obedience to the Word.

Corey Training Disciplers in Poland

At the same time we go and share the Gospel and search for those called “people of peace” in the New Testament. People of peace are open to hearing the Word, accept our message, and invite us into their homes. When such a “person of peace” is found, we start a simple, reproducible Bible study which develops over time into a simple house church and quickly reproduces itself as new disciples are made.

But, before we talk more about the amazing things God is doing in Poland, we should talk about the elephant in the room “Why Poland?” Poland is 99.5% Roman Catholic. So, how does Poland fit the “unreached” picture?

The evangelical population of Poland is only 0.25%, which makes Poland as unreached as the Hmu people of Northern China, the Hindi of Myanmar or the Brao of Cambodia. In my 19 years in this country, I’ve come to call it “a cultural Catholicism”. The reality is, an average Pole has no understanding of the Scriptures and does not read it. Our experience is this: if someone is searching for true faith in a living God they don’t know where to find it. Angelika is a great example: she heard the Gospel for the first time when she was 18 and got saved right away. With only 0.25% of the population being Evangelical, and of those, a very small percentage actually shares their faith. The need for the Gospel here, and across all of Europe, is dire — but God is doing a new thing in Poland and we are very excited!

A Disciple of Jesus Teaching New Believers to Evangelize

Let me give you an example of how a disciple-making movement starts: The other day, a wealthy business owner named George (not his real name) showed up at our door. He had been given our contact information through a mutual friend. He came to faith six months ago and was baptized. His wife, Rachel, got saved four months ago and was baptized last week. Standing in our living room, George said, “I am a Bible-believing Christian now. I don’t want to be in a system. I want to live out my faith. What can you do with me?” We told him about the importance of sharing the Gospel with his friends and family and that we could teach him and his wife to be a disciple of Christ who makes disciples. He immediately caught the vision of what God could and would do through him and his wife.

We offered to meet again to teach them how to do the Bible study with their friends who are searching for God. Even though we had already been talking for hours, Rachel said, “Teach us now so we can start this week!” This is the kind of passion we love to see and are seeing more often. So, we taught them.

The following Tuesday, they invited us to their apartment where they had gathered several families from their neighborhood to study the Bible. We led the first study to show them how, and that was the last one we led! Since then, George and Rachel have been leading the study by themselves and we have kept in contact with them to give them advice, encouragement or any other help needed.

Their excitement about their friends’ reaction to the Gospel has been exhilarating. And the best part? We have not been at the meetings! We help, but the Holy Spirt and the Scriptures are their most important teachers. God will multiply that group, as they teach their friends how to lead Bible study and as they, as disciples, make further disciples!

Bible study with friends at home may sound ordinary for an American, but for us seeing it happening in Poland, is so exiting! Poles never read the Bible by themselves, never pray out loud in their own words and never consider faith as something which should be lived out in everyday life outside of the Sunday mass.

We hear reports often of new groups having started. All Across Poland today, God is raising up an army of ordinary people who are obedient to the words of Jesus and dare to believe that what is written in the Bible is still true today. As someone comes to faith, often after a miracle is done in their lives, or after study of the Word, they are immediately led back out to lead others. They pray for healing, they baptize and do everything else which a believer is called and empowered to do! We do not make them wait to be “qualified” to be obedient to the Scriptures. We model obedience; assist them to do it themselves, watch them as they do it alone and then we move on to start the fire in new places and people groups.

Pawel Sharing his Testimony

Those new believers boldly and radically share the Gospel with their family, friends, at work, in the streets, and through social media.

Pawel is one of many examples of what we see happening in Poland. He was pursuing a career as a New Age life coach. He would travel the world to get involved in spiritual rituals. One day he watched a YouTube movie about the Gospel and the power of the Holy Spirit. Pawel contacted a Christian friend and coworker of ours who traveled with his wife to Pawel’s town and shared the Gospel with him. That day he received Christ, confessed his sins, got baptized in water, delivered from demons and baptized in the Holy Spirit.

The next day he got up and felt led by the Holy Spirit to burn all of his New Age books and material. Then, he went to the train station and began sharing the Gospel, but returned home, discouraged at “how hard it was.” He fell to his knees, asked God for boldness, and went back to continue sharing. He recorded his testimony and put it on social media where he gave his phone number and encouraged people to contact him. He stated he was no longer a New Age coach, but a follower of Jesus and could help others to become Jesus-followers, too. During the first three months of his walk with Jesus, he baptized 11 people. Today, Pawel no longer counts how many people he baptizes, but rather counts the number of disciple-making disciples he is training all over Poland.

This is God’s story in Poland today. We believe we are close to seeing multiple generations of house churches planted in streams all across the country. This means that one day, we will be able to say like the Apostle Paul, that the Gospel has covered all of Poland, no part has been missed!

R.K.’s CORNER

I met Paul and Gloria Booher and their two sons in the local church I began attend in the Fall of 1981 after I had moved from New York to Florida. Corey was then five years old. Paul had a heart for missions, and after the launch of The Bridge in 1983, he became very much part of its initial intercessory prayer group. A few years later, the Booher family moved out of town, and we more or less lost touch with them for several decades.

Four years ago, Paul and I intersected, again, with the result that he has, once again, become an integral part of The Bridge as head of the intercessory online prayer group for our field partners abroad. He told me that his son, Corey, now lives with his Polish wife, Angelika and their two sons in Warsaw, Poland, leading an exciting mission outreach. Their emphasis is not only on preaching the Gospel, but also on training people to be disciples of Jesus!

It is thrilling to learn that a new generation in Poland is coming to faith and demonstrating the Lordship of Christ, especially since, during the Communist era in the early eighties I crisscrossed Poland while distributing Bibles to the persecuted, underground, evangelical believers! They were few and far between! One sows, another waters, but it is God who gives the growth!

I have asked Corey to share with you a report on his life and ministry in Poland. Please mark gifts to the Boohers and their ministry “8350 Polish Workers”.

Rune Edvardsen – the Gospel to a New Generation

FROM R.K.’S CORNER

In July, I spend three weeks in Norway. It was primarily a personal visit spent with my siblings and some of my other relatives and friends who live in and around the capital of Oslo. We had a wonderful time, rich on good fellowship and memories! There was also room for a week of ministry. Coinciding with my trip, Iranian Bridge partner, Sargon Daniali, visited and shared his faith among Iranians who have come to faith in Jesus Christ and settled as refugees in Norway, Sweden, and Denmark.

In Norway, I introduced Sargon to one of the largest and most effective indigenous mission organizations in Europe, Troens Bevis, with whom we have partnered for over thirty years! The headquarters are located in Kvinesdal, a rural town in the southwestern part of Norway. From there, for almost fifty years, the dynamic late Aril Edvardsen with the support of his wife, Kari, reached around the world with the Gospel as evangelist, statesman and sponsor of indigenous missionaries.

In September, 2008, Aril Edvardsen died, having just completed a significant evangelistic crusade in Africa. Aril’s son, continued his father’s ministry. In the eight years since then, Rune has successfully made the generational transition from the older to the younger, making the Gospel relevant to the millennials (young adults and families with children). This was vividly expressed during the four days Sargon and I partook in Troens Bevis’ week-long annual Summer Festival in which 7000 people, including 1000 children, participated. This issue is a report from this present day ministry which continues to go strong in reaching the very least for Jesus Christ!

Please find below a link to the November 2008 Bridge Report, which is a commemorative issue presenting a brief background on Aril and his ministry, and Rune’s vision and call to lead the ministry his father had built into a new era.

https://www.bridgeinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Bridge-Report-Nov-2008.pdf

Rune’s tool in reaching the unreached is cont-emporary music concerts as catalyst to gather large crowds of youth in the nations, who are then presented with Jesus Christ who loves them and gives them a hope and a future! I will share more about this in next month’s Bridge Report.

RUNE EDVARDSEN – THE GOSPEL TO A NEW GENERATION

Rune was once asked, “How does it feel to walk in your father’s shoes?” He replied, “I am walking comfortably in my own shoes.” That summarizes Rune’s leadership. Steve and I came to know him in the mid eighties as a newly married man in his early twenties – down to earth, quiet, unassuming, but attentive to others. Seeing him as leader of this world wide ministry eight years after his father’s death, I was impressed to find that he has been true to himself. Rune does not command stage center, but in humility gives room for the gifts and talents of his coworkers and the people he serves with the Gospel. He operates more as a team member, but when necessary—also as decisive leader. This is part of the success in the continuation of the ministry which has fostered loyal, committed, very talented coworkers. His wife, Sølvi, stands faithfully by his side as a great support, and manages the family and household and the many practical responsibilities which is part of having a traveling husband

Rune – transmitting the Gospel to a young, enthusiastic crowd at his concert in Pakistan

Aril was a charismatic, dynamic preacher who thrived on large crusades; Rune has been called, not so much to preach, as to use contemporary music as a forum for transmitting the love and presence of God to the youth in the nations. With his band, Rune travels to some of the most dangerous and inaccessible places, and conducts Music Festivals where tens of thousands gather and are introduced to Jesus as Savior. As scores come to faith, churches are planted, and mercy ministries begin flourishing. There is much fruit!

TROENS BEVIS – 2016 SUMMER FESTIVAL IN SARON’S DAL, NORWAY

It was a love fest, indeed! Knowing I was visiting Norway, Rune had invited me to come with Sargon and enjoy the weeklong annual Summer Festival sponsored by Troens Bevis at their headquarter, Saron’s Dal.

Sargon with Lasse Rosten, faithful leadership member

When Sargon arrived in Oslo, we flew together to Kristiansand, Norway’s southernmost coastal city, then traveled inland by train for an hour to Kvinesdal, a small, stunningly beautiful town nestled in a mountain valley. This place is known around the world as a beacon of light by millions of people and scores of communities who have been transformed by the message of God’s love preached by Aril for over 50 years, and then Rune who is now leading the ministry into new expressions of the Gospel – but the message stays the same.

Bjørn Olav Thune, longstanding leadership team member and daily administrator of the Indigenous Missionaries Department, came to the train station and picked us up. Bjørn Olav is responsible for oversight over the 1000 national pastors and Gospel workers sponsored by Troens Bevis in some of the most dangerous and unreached nations of the world. He warmly embraced Sargon, and and made sure he was well taken care of in every way. The two of them bonded over their mutual passion for missions. Kari, Aril’s wife, insisted I stay with her. We enjoyed our time together, reminiscing over our thirty some years of friendship and partnership between us and our husbands, Aril and Steve.

The worship sessions were dynamic and uplifting

The Festival was attended by 7000 people, including 1000 children. The motto was, “GO OUT WITH LOVE!”The setup was impressive— everything took place in an informal, relaxed atmosphere in which everybody felt comfortable, yet the tremendous organizational skills and dedicated work of the leaders made everything run smoothly and effortless. Many had brought their RVs and tents, making this their family vacation.

The children gathered to watch a play with Biblical motif

During the day, the children and young people enjoyed participating in the many exciting and engaging activities, while the parents had some time to themselves, and could attend various seminars or teaching sessions on relevant topics on life—all with a Biblical, Jesus-centered perspective.

Sten Sørensen conducted a dynamic marriage seminar

As an example, in Norway the Biblically-based marriage has been under siege. In 2009, the secular government gave full legal rights to gay marriage. Moreover, last year, the official State Church implemented these same rights for their members and clergy within the church, placing it on equal footing with traditional marriage. This has caused great controversy and divisiveness in the Christian community. Instead of throwing themselves into this sometimes vicious debate, Troens Bevis has chosen to firmly hold forth the Biblical model for marriage, while finding ways to strengthen and encourage the traditional family. One morning, one of the leaders, Sten Sørensen, moderated an open, honest discussion by three couples on the issues facing married and how they seek to resolve the various conflicts in their own marriages. Other topics were on the challenges in child rearing and the media, on support of Israel among Christians, on how to unite conservative and modern expressions of church, and how to be spiritual, not religous Christians. There was much to take home for everybody. There was a also a strong emphsis on missions with dynamic guest speakers. I will feature that story in next month’s Bridge Report. As we said farewell, I was ready to pay for Sargon and my stay. Rune waved his hand, ”No, no—that’s o.k., you don’t pay!” Therein lies the continued longevity and vitality of this ministry: Hospitality, generosity and love — the hallmarks of Aril and Kari’s life together, which is amply demonstrated in their son, Rune! With his excellent team, he continues to hold high the banner on God’s love!

Watching the fathers lovingly engaged in their children’s lives, I was reminded of the words in Malachi 4:6, “…and He (the Lord) shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.”