2015 Annual Bridge Report

Dear Friends and Partners:

Happy New Year to you and your family from The Bridge team and our partners around the world!

For those who contributed to The Bridge in 2015, this report with additional IRS information and the enclosed itemized annual Donor Statement have been sent by postal mail to each giver’s mailing address. Upon request, we will send you The Bridge’s 2015 Finance Report prepared by the CPA firm Cherry Bekaert LLP in Miami, Florida.

On a Personal Note

Last year posed a great challenge in Steve and my life. At age six, by accident, Steve by fell out of a car in full speed, and has, since then, lived with chronic pain. Twelve years ago, he had a successful surgery on his spine, which proved it had been broken for a number of years. This alleviated much of his back pain, but he continued to struggle with neuropathy pain. When his pain level again began to drastically rise, again, we assumed it came from his spine. A medical checkup, however, showed he needed a new hip. On August 25, Steve underwent hip replacement surgery at a nearby hospital, renowned for its state-of-the-art medical advances. We were told this was a routine procedure with promise of full recovery and restoration back to normal life in six weeks.

But—alas, Steve developed a serious internal infection! During a four months period, he amassed almost 50 pounds of body fluid, had re-surgery with exchange of his prosthetics, three more hospitalizations, a three week rehab stay, home care with six weeks massive intravenous antibiotics. Being close to death, he was ready to depart and meet the Lord. But — miraculously, Steve came through! A week ago, he got a clean bill of health from his surgeon! Now, he is ready to work on bringing his battered body back into shape through rehab and resuming his activities at the gym!

As his wife, I knew God had called me to be right by Steve’s side, so I pulled back on other activities and devoted myself fully to his care. We are so thankful for the medical care available to us! But above all, we are amazed at God’s healing power, and deeply blessed by His people, both locally, and around the world, who prayed for us, and demonstrated their love in so many practical ways! Thanks, again to all of you who stood with us!

Through this battle, we never lost sight of believing we were safely tucked under the protective wings of our Heavenly Father (Psalm 91:3-4) so that nothing would come our way that He had not already seen and allowed! Psalm 27:3 kept echoing in my soul and feeding my faith, “I would have despaired had I not believed I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.“

This experience has given Steve and me a fresh appreciation of God’s incredible blessings on us and our fellow Christians living in the West! We enjoy all sufficiency in all things — we may perhaps not have everything we want, but certainly everything we need! On the contrary, practically everyone of our partners live and serve the Lord in nations hostile to the Christian faith. They lack many of the things we take for granted. They are often physically poor; when sick, they often lack proper medical care; some face persecution by their governments and are often ridiculed by their own extended families. Yet, they are undeterred in their commitment to fulfilling God’s call in their lives; they are risk-takers while being steadfast and enduring in the midst of the pressures of life. They seek to live according to the Word of God, and have a passion to share the Good News with others regardless of the cost of discipleship!

2015 in Review

Our focus of engagement in 2015 were in four parts of the world: the Andaman Islands (part of India), Central Asia, The Middle East, and East Africa.

Due to Steve’s health crisis last year, I did not travel overseas. However, we were able to continue to engage with the people in the field and help resourcing them, thanks to new advances in technology, like social media and communication via Skype where we can speak face to face.

We are so blessed by The Bridge Intercessory Prayer Team, consisting of a small group of individuals from various states in the U.S. who feel called to prayer and have offered to carry the burden of intercession for our ministry and the mission field. They come together on Skype several times a week and intercede for Steve and me, The Bridge’s outreaches, and the indigenous leaders and their ministries we serve overseas. We all meet every other week when we share our blessings, burdens and needs, news updates, and answers to prayer! More than once, we have seen God’s miraculous answers to needs too complex for man to solve! Through prayer, we have become friends and equal partners in serving one another and the nations with the Gospel!

A good example of serving one another, are Robert and Sandrina who live in Sarajevo, Bosnia where they have established a beautiful new church in the Muslim section of town. See:

https://www.bridgeinternational.org/sarajevo-bosnia-update-by-robert-jurjevich/

Last Fall, they traveled to Turkey where Robert was the speaker at Sargon’s conference for Iranian Christian leaders living in Turkey! It was a great blessing to both parties and the participants!

Sargon keeps ministering to his people in Turkey and beyond. This has resulted in the planting of seven new fellowships within Iran, and three in Turkey, one for whom we have helped finance a regular meeting place.

Varughese Mathew from the Andaman Islands visited our home in Florida in May. We have been partners with him and his ministry for a number of years. See:

https://www.bridgeinternational.org/andaman-islands-update-varughese-mathew/

Varughese told us that he and his ministry’s two orphanages, their many indigenous missionaries and mission stations throughout the archipelago could become fully financially self sufficient if they could obtain 160 goats at each $120.00. They already have 10 goats on a piece of land Steve had financially helped him to obtain in the North part of the island, next to a vast national forest. He returned home with finances for 10 goats, with 15 more to come, as well as help toward school supplies for the orphans. In 2016, we will continue to keep the Goat Project open!

In Central Asia, we continue to help finance two ministries in Kazakhstan, one in Kyrgyzstan, and occasional help toward Afghans who have come to faith in Jesus Christ and are refugees in other Central Asian countries. We help support a businessman who is engaged in building local communities within Afghanistan, which are quite successful, in spite of the everyday challenges and dangers they face.

We are grateful for the partners in faith who labor for the Gospel in the Middle East. I believe it is beyond the ability for us who live securely away from the turmoil and dangers they continually face, to comprehend the suffering and hardship individual Christians and groups of believers have to endure, especially in Syria and Iraq, where ISIS has established their Islamic State. Our courageous Arab partner and his team continue to bring his ministry’s and our funds to that area, which finances the relief aid distributed among the traumatized, suffering refugees. In addition, the local believers receive leadership training, which has resulted in the planting of new fellowships of believers who receive care and love. See:

https://www.bridgeinternational.org/northern-iraq-update-from-displaced-iraqis-and-syrians/

We have a heart for both Jews and Arabs, thus serve partners who minister in Israel as well as among other nations in the Middle East. Due to security reasons, however, I am not at liberty to disclose any specifics.

Sarang, our Kalmykian partner continued to minister to his people in China, Mongolia, and Russia.

We have several longstanding friends and partners who live and serve in South Sudan—from Nimule in the South,to Tonj towards the North, as well as a courageous American family of five who recently moved from Idaho to serve the Lord in South Sudan.

Last year, we continued our support of the South Sudanese minister, Matthew Dengut, as he keeps on sharing the Gospel with his people in the capital city of Juba. Matthew has survived much hardship, including twice being sick with Malaria; the dangers of living in the middle of civil war; lawlessness in the city streets whereby he and many of his friends have been robbed of their belongings; catastrophic crop failure which now is causing major starvation; widespread unemployment; and a lack of basic infrastructure. In the midst of these challenges, Matthew and his leadership team have planted three churches, two of them with attendance of 150-200 people each, and have a strong Bible–teaching program for the training of new leaders. The Bridge sent $1,200 to the church for Gospel outreaches for Christmas – 800 people attended and more than 100 came to faith. A page from my 2013 visit to South Sudan provides you with visual images from the streets of Juba:

https://www.bridgeinternational.org/turkey-south-sudan-trip/juba-street-outreach-page-7/

Thank you, again, for walking shoulder to shoulder with us in furthering the Kingdom of God in the nations! I close with Matthew’s words which apply to every nation in today’s world, “So many people live in such darkness and despair. They need HOPE! We have the LIGHT — JESUS IS THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD! The time is short! Please help us preach the Gospel and show God’s love to everybody!”

2015 Christmas Greetings from The Bridge

TO ALL OUR FRIENDS AND PARTNERS AROUND THE WORLD:

We wish you a merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year! May the many descriptions of Jesus Christ mentioned in the Scriptures captivate your hearts during this season and bring you a fresher and deeper awareness of His transforming love and power – He is indeed Immanuel “God with Us” (Isaiah 7:14) and the Light of the World (John 8:12)!

Blessings, Steve and R.K. Ulrich

From Allah to Jesus Christ – An Indonesian Muslim’s Testimony

FROM R.K.’S CORNER

The focus of the world’s attention is right now directed toward the senseless atrocities committed against innocent people by radical Islamist terrorists in Paris, France. From the intense debate in the media on how to define Islam and make sense of the actions of the radicalized Muslim terrorists, it is obvious that the public in Europe and the States at large, are ignorant of the cause and effect of the long term official disinformation and pressure of political correctness which has brought us to where we find ourselves.

Two weeks ago, Steve and I were blessed to meet two indigenous missionaries from respectively Malaysia and Indonesia through a Malaysian member of our local church. They both have compelling testimonies! Here, I am sharing with you the story of our visitor from Indonesia — a Muslim turned believer in Jesus Christ! What makes this story compelling, is that this man brings us into the mindset of a committed teacher of Islam who is introduced to Jesus by searching the verses about Him in the Quran !

In light of the events unfolding in Europe, we encourage you to pray that the Spirit of the Living God will reveal Himself – also through the scriptures of the Quran – to sincere Muslims who are searching for truth and the most coldblooded Islamic terrorists – alike!

FACTS ABOUT INDONESIA

The country of Indonesia is the world’s largest archipelago state, consisting of more than 17,500 islands, about one third of which are inhabited. The combined area of all the islands and regions of Indonesia equals about the size of the country of Mexico. It also has the largest Islamic population in the world, with more than 80% of its 255 million inhabitants being Sunni Muslims. A little more than 30 million are Christians, among whom evangelicals are the largest group.

In the wake of the rise of radical Islam, the attacks on Christians keep escalating — burning of church buildings, disruption of Christian meetings, and violent acts committed against pastors and individual believers. In certain parts of the country the violence puts Christians under enormous pressure. Last year, more than 30 churches of various denominations were forced to close and/or were attacked.

The government allows people to exercise their faith, but it forbids “proselytizing” of Muslims, which actually is even more widely enforced in the neighboring country of Malaysia. In reality, this means that those who openly share their Christian faith among them face repercussions; the Muslims who convert are often seriously persecuted. Thus, as in other Islam-dominated countries, the church excludes Muslims in their mission efforts.

But God’s Spirit is not subject to mas restrictions! From across the world of Islam we hear testimonies of people without access to Bibles or Christians coming to faith in Jesus Christ by supernatural encounters via dreams and vision. Other devout Muslims, through studying the Quran in their pursuit of truth, have by revelation found the risen Jesus Christ!

Our Indonesian brother featured in this issue is an example of the many sincere Muslims throughout the world who hunger for truth, and willing to pay the price for it — even death! His family and friends rejected him due to his new-found faith! Pray that other seeking Muslims will, by revelation, find Him – Who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life!

THE SPIRITUAL JOURNEY OF AN INDONESIAN MUSLIM

Before I start presenting my testimony, allow me to share with you a couple of verses from the truth of God’s Word from 1. Peter 3:15-16, “In your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have…”

The Bible declares that there is salvation only in Jesus Christ as it is written, “Blessed are those who have not seen Me (Jesus Christ) and yet have believed in Me. John 20:29

God rescued, called me and chose me to be His child and servant through Jesus Christ who was already sacrificed, not only for me but actually also for the whole world! He saved me, neither through events of extraordinary signs and wonders nor any amazing remarkable experience! From just a human perspective, it was impossible for me to accept Jesus Christ (Isa Al-Masih) – I would never have become a follower of the Messiah.

My parents were devout Muslims. For six years, from preschool age, I attended a pesantren— a school in a village which teaches children Islamic religious education. Then my parents moved, and I continued education at another pesantren, for an additional three years.

I was an eager student of Islamic studies and excelled academically. In 1987, I was selected to represent my city for the Al-Quran Recitation Competition, where I became the champion! In 1988, I won the competition of Islamic Calligraphy, i.e., the art of Arabic delicate handwriting (khat). At that same time, our team won the title of The Champion of Oratory Competition which made us teachers of Islam and qualified us to teach Islam to non– Muslims.

I continued my studies at an Advanced Islamic Learning Institute which prepares teachers of Islam to teach city-wide.As students, we were taught, and we believed, that Islam is the only right faith, as it is written in Al-Quran, “Truly the true religion according to Allah is Islam”. Our main mission was to seek out those who still had not yet embraced our religion, and introduce them to Islam by convincing explanations. Muslim clerics and Islamic teachers had taught us that, long ago, there were Crusades – wars between Muslims and Christians. Islam won, therefore God was on Islam’s side, according to the Quran verse which stated, “Truly the right religion on God’s side is Islam.”

I began preparing to preach Islam to those in my city who were non-Muslims; the largest group being a Chinese minority ethnic group. Although I was looking forward to it, I very carefully approached them and did not want to touch them, as I knew they enjoyed eating pork, which, according to Islam is the worst of all unclean food. A Muslim who touches pork, must cleanse himself/herself seven times with mud or red soil, then rinse with clean water seven times – only after that, he or she may be considered ‘purified’.

Still eager to preach to the Chinese, I opened the conversation with the following question, “My Friend, would you like to hear my story? I would like to ask you – What is your religion?”

One day I asked my Chinese friend that question, and he replied: “My religion is Christianity.” I continued: “Do you know that the Christian message was only valid two thousand years ago, at the time Jesus was still alive, but now His religion has been replaced by a new religion and a new prophet—that is Islam and its prophet is ‘Muhammad’.” To my astonishment, my friend answered, “Oh for me it is not a problem whether there is a new religion or not … for me, by FAITH I will surely enter heaven!”

His reply shocked me, because during all the years I had studied Islam, entering heaven is never something certain or normal for Muslims. For us, the world is like a race-track heading towards the Hereafter, and to enter it also depends on “Insyaallah” or God’s will! How could this Chinese Christian say that entering heaven was already secured for him? I asked him, “ Do you mean to say Heaven is owned by your Father?” He answered, “Yes. Indeed! My Father is the Owner of Heaven.”

I knew from the Quran that there is no other God than Allah, and that Allah has no wife, and certainly has no son! So how did this Christian Chinese dare to declare that God is his Father? I asked him again: “Who is your God? And what is His name?” Calmly he replied: “My Lord is Jesus (Isa)” – I got very irritated and mad at him. How did he also dare to say that Jesus is his God? So I told him: “To you be your religion, and to me my religion.” With that, I considered the discussion over, and returned to my village and my normal way of life.

I continued reciting the Quran and searched for the truth, either in my Islamic institution or privately. When I did my Quran recitation, the passing dialogue with my Chinese friend kept bothering my mind for a long time. It caused me to begin searching deeper for more truth about Jesus Christ to try to understand who he really was. Why can Christians confidently say that by faith one may enter Heaven?

I searched for any books about Jesus (Isa), and came across one titled The Road towards Allah. This book describes the situation at the end of the world. There will be wars, starvation, earthquakes, and chaos everywhere and many people will feel anxiously worried and anguished. In the midst of this, one very powerful force called ‘Dajjal’ will come forward. This Dajjal or Anti-Christ is very horrifying. He brings Heaven on his right hand and Hell on his left hand. Dajjal will go everywhere to search for people to fill his Heaven and Hell. In fact his Heaven is a Hell where its inhabitants will be tortured forever and ever! He will go everywhere to find souls to fill up his Heaven.

But, in the end comes the Savior Jesus who will fight that vicious Dajjal. I was surprised to learn who shall come to release the World from the evil Dajjal’s hand: he is ISA Al-Masih (Jesus Christ) as the Imam Mahdi himself—he will save the world from the Anti-Christ! After that comes Judgment Day, when the dead souls will be gathered to appear before the Righteous Judge who will decide who shall enter heaven and who shall be in hell—but none of the Quran Prophets will be able to defend these poor souls, not even Muhammad – they can only intercede.

I was stunned to learn that the Judge is actually no one else but Jesus—why is it Jesus who appears again, not the prophet Muhammad?

I was so intrigued to find out why Isa (Jesus) is the one who will decide those who shall enter heaven and those who shall be in hell. I gave myself to seeking Allah’s guidance in all my affairs; I did Islamic prayers five times a day, and prayed continually, because I did not want my sin and good deeds to carry equal weight.

For three years I was crying and seeking for answers, and then the answer came from al-Quaran, “Behold! the angels said: ‘O Mary! Allah giveth thee glad tidings of a Word from Him: his name will be Christ Jesus, the son of Mary, held in honor in this world and the Hereafter and of those nearest to Allah …” (Surah Al Imran 3:45). God had opened my eyes to see that Jesus is the Word of God, and He has authority in this world and Hereafter.

I contacted my Chinese friend who gave me a Bible. I approached it fearfully, but as I read on I found it very enjoyable and learned that the bits and pieces that were in the Quran were here in sequence and chronological order; the plot is clear, in perfect inter-relationships! In July 1991, after three years of my quest, as I read the Bible in its entirety, God gave me His peace and His salvation! In a vision I saw that Jesus has become my Atonement (kiffara) and He has taken the punishment for my sin – and also for all people in this world – so that we can have eternal life!

After I believed my sin has been paid for by God Himself – with the perfect life of Jesus Christ, I now have the faith that the King will come back to reclaim this world. Because now the King is not only the impartial Judge, but also my Redeemer and Savior forever! Halleluyah! Alhamdullilah! “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2 : 8-9 (NIV).

What is Worship? By Mark Medley

FROM R.K.’S CORNER

“Hi, R.K., how are you? This is Mark, Medley. Melissa and I are in town, we would love to take you out for lunch.” The happy voice at the other end of the phone and the subsequent lunch was a special love gift from my Heavenly Father— an unexpected touch from the mission field!

On August 25, my husband Steve, who had experienced increasing pain which had become unbearable, underwent hip replacement surgery. Caring for him have kept me homebound, unable to visit the mission field this year — but the Lord knew my heart’s desire! After the surgery, Steve was placed in a rehab facility—and what do you know—the majority of the staff are immigrant from a number of different nations! They are professional, diligent, and have given Steve excellent care. It has been a wonderful experience for us both! Since we did not go to the mission field, the mission field came to us! Steve returned home the day after his birthday—September 17!

Seeing Mark and Melissa was also part of that love gift! We have been field partners for a number of years; he is presently ministering in Russia and the Ukraine. As we were talking about the things of the Lord, I asked Mark if he would share with you his thoughts on Worship. One of the therapists at the rehab is a Haitian believer, she is also giving her thoughts on one aspect of worship – giving thanks to the Lord!

WHAT IS WORSHIP?

“…but an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth…” John 4:23-24.

The student of church history recognizes a consistent pattern through the ages. The vibrant life of God in the lives of believers and in the church at large has often been dampened when the church becomes institutionalized and formalized. I am not saying that organized religion cannot be a vehicle for an individual to be able to worship, but worship is not merely what we do in a church service – worship is a lifestyle. My life is my worship!

I believe that a Biblical definition of worship can be understood in this way: worship is a revelation, and a response that leads to an ever-growing relationship with God.

Worship is a revelation because it starts with God opening our eyes to see who He is. Our worship is only as deep as our revelation of Him. The depth, quality and level of passion in our worship is directly proportional to the way we view God. We cannot worship big when we have a small God.

Understanding God as he has revealed himself is crucial. He is utterly other than we are. Consider the fact that He is both the Sovereign Lord of the universe (transcendent, unknowable, immutable) and yet, he also reveals himself as a Father (knowable, loving). He has impeccable character. He is astonishingly gracious, fiercely holy and unchanging in His truth.

Theology is simply the study of God, and we all have ideas of what He is like. It is important to seek to know who God truly is, not just the concept of God that our culture espouses. These ideas of God must be informed by the Word of God and the Spirit of God for true worship to happen.

This is crucial, because we worship him only to the extent that we have seen him. Many of us do not worship fervently because we have not seen him clearly enough.

A real understanding of the nature and character traits of God will always lead us to a response in our actions and our life. This response may be formal congregational worship, but it is more than that. Jesus said in John 4:23-24 that true worshippers must worship the Father in spirit and in truth. Our response to seeing God as He truly is involves our heart and our way of life.

Responding means living out what we see and know about God. If we see his holiness, we begin to act holy according to his revealed standard. When we see his covenant love for us, we begin to act in compassionate ways toward others. When we see his sovereign authority, we yield our hearts, our actions, our way of life to him and his purposes.

All of this is important because, in truth, we are all created to worship. It is in our DNA and we cannot help but worship someone or something – sports, entertainment, money and career, our own lofty ideals – we will give our lives for something! God’s plan is that we give our lives to know Him and to make Him known. We were created to know him, therefore we will never be fulfilled until we live in a way which demonstrates true worship of Him.

“Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:1-2

We are created to have fellowship with God and with others. Paul reminds us in this chapter that presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice is a reasonable response to the mercies of God. Paul then spends the rest of that chapter unfolding what it looks like to practically live out worship: using our gifts to bless others, loving good and hating evil, honoring people and serving God, empathizing with others by rejoicing and weeping with them, being humble and peaceable, overcoming evil with good.

The ultimate purpose of worship is relationship. Like a good friendship or a good marriage, our worship of God is to be a never-ending process of progressive intimacy with the Almighty. This relationship involves walking faithfully with God and with others. It is talking with God, listening to the Word of God, knowing what pleases Him, and then doing what pleases Him.

“Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice,

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” Revelation 5:11-12

As we grow in our worship relationship with God, we are aligning ourselves with truth and joining with the throng of elders, angels and the redeemed around the throne who intimately know what we all need to know: Only Jesus Christ is worthy of our all!

Sarajevo, Bosnia Update – by Robert Jurjevich

As I sit writing this update, I am listening to sounds coming from outside. It’s the noise from the workmen removing the scaffolding from the newly built mosque here in Dobrinja, right beside our apartment. Soon, five times a day, the loud speakers on the minaret will call out to the residents of our neighborhood to come and pray for guidance from the Islamic god that they will not walk in the ‘deceitful’ path of the Jews and Christians. In other words, the mosque is a physical structure established as a spiritual ‘stronghold’ from where the god of the Qur’an makes war against the God of the Bible. This is our world – the battle for the souls of the Bosnian people.

Two years ago we arrived in Sarajevo with the vision of establishing an effective church-planting ministry that would eventually bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to every individual in the nation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Even before our plane touched down on Bosnian soil on August 1st, 2013, the resistance was rising and the spiritual warfare hasn’t let up since. We are very thankful to everyone who has stood faithfully with us in prayer and financial support as we have sought to fulfill in obedience our calling according to God’s will. We want you to know that we have no plan B – we are all in – and we intend to complete the mission.

We are excited to share with you the opportunity at hand for us to have a stronger presence in Sarajevo with two new developments in our area of the city, Dobrinja:

The first is that our present ministry location will serve a dual purpose: 1) serve as the office for our ministry Healing The Nations, newly registered as a non-profit ministry in Bosnia, and 2) become the new Center of Hope for Women, from where Sandrina will be providing Biblical training and prayer counseling for women.

The second development is the new location (1895 sq. ft of a former furniture store) for our Dobrinja Ministry Center, which will house all our other church and ministry activities. It will be where our Sunday worship services, seminars, leadership training and classes for the Focus Business School will be held. We will have space for up to 100 chairs, a Cafe & Resource Corner, and much needed space for children’s ministry with direct access to a city park located behind the building.Our expenses for moving into the new facility is a minimum budget of US$30,000 (= 27,400 EURO), which will cover expenses for initial renovations, technical equipment/furnishings and provide a 12 month buffer on the lease. Work begins as soon as we receive the keys to the building on September 1st. The slide presentation below hopefully will give you a sufficient overview to understand clearly this development. At the end of the month, the building will be emptied out and we will be able to show pictures of the interior.

Next month, September 2015, marks the beginning of the Biblical Year of Jubilee – the purpose of which is to bring liberty to the nation of Israel, breaking the oppression and poverty off the people, and restoring the land to it’s heirs. Bosnia and Herzegovina is my ‘Israel’ and Sarajevo is my ‘Jerusalem’. It’s only been 700 years – time to redeem my inheritance. My ancestors of the Jurjevich clan were part of the Bosnian nobility before the Ottoman Turks conquered the land by the oppressive sword of Islam.

My prayer before our Savior, Jesus Christ, King of kings, Lord of lords, is that I would stand on behalf of an oppressed nation, Bosnia and Herzegovina, as an intercessor, watchman and rightful heir to a stolen inheritance – may this Year of Jubilee begin the harvest of Bosnian souls to be brought into the Kingdom of God, and may this nation be set free from the wages of it’s sins through the blood of the Lamb.

We would ask you to help us today on two levels:

1) Prayerfully partner with us financially in helping make PROJECT ‘JUBILEE’: TIME FOR REDEMPTIVE EXPANSION a reality in Sarajevo – our goal is to raise $30,000 in the month of August. We are expanding our faith for a financial miracle in August so that the new Dobrinja Ministry Center will be completed without delay in September.

2) Please consider sharing this information, only as the Lord would lead you, with someone whom you feel might be interested in being involved with supporting PROJECT ‘JUBILEE’ and ministry here in Sarajevo, Bosnia.

The highlights during a visit to the neighboring country of Croatia was spending time with a young, single mom in Zagreb whom we had helped a little just over a year and a half ago when she was abandoned by her family because she would not abort her baby. Eventually, after some months, she was reconciled with her parents and gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. It was encouraging to see that she is growing strong in her Christian faith and pursuing her university degree.

PLEASE PRAY for our friend Cristóbal Krusen, director of SABINA K. – first ever Bosnian Christian film. SABINA K. will be presented at the Sarajevo Film Festival (14-22 August). PRAY that Cris will have tremendous favor in his interactions with the Festival committee, media interviews and public contacts. PRAY for open hearts to the love of Jesus with all those who will be present for the screening of the film at the Festival. For more information about Cris and how to financially support his film ministry, and especially about SABINA K., please visit: www.messengerfilms.com

ON THE PERSONAL FRONT

From May 26 to July 15, we visited friends, supporters, and partners in the States. We are now back in Sarajevo, Bosnia, and wish to express our appreciation to everyone who provided in one or another way for our seven weeks in the USA. Special thanks to very special friends who made available the perfect vehicle for our 5,800 mile road trip! And to everyone along the way who hosted us, fed us and took time from your busy schedules to fellowship with us, a huge THANK YOU!

The highlight of the trip for us was the wedding of our son Timothy and his Julianne on July 5, held at the beautiful Eden Gardens State Park in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. It was the first time in 2 1/2 years that we had been together with all our children in one place at the same time – definitely an extra blessing! Right now we are all reunited again in Amsterdam, Holland, celebrating our daughter, Lydia’s wedding to her Lennart which took place on August 22.

FROM R.K.’S CORNER

28 years ago, in 1987, Robert and Sandrina Jurjevich arrived in Sarajevo, capital of Bosnia, where they settled and pioneered a church with Robert as pastor. Five years later, In 1992, while they were on a visit to the States, the war broke out in Bosnia, and Sarajevo was closed off to all outsiders. They were not able to return. They had all their belongings in their apartment in Sarajevo. When a bomb hit their building, they lost everything they had. In spite of that, they never lost sight of their call to serve Bosnia with the Gospel!

In the ensuing years, they raised four children, worked for The Bridge, Holland, and pastored churches, both in the States and Holland. In 2013, they finally returned to their beloved Sarajevo, settled and pioneered a new church anew in the city. You can find more background information about them at: https://www.bridgeinternational.org/2013/06/

Steve and I highly recommend Robert and Sandrina to you as people of faith and integrity, close friends, and partners who need your prayers and financial support. Please mark your gifts 8345 Balkan Workers.THANKS!

Northern Iraq – Update from Displaced Iraqis and Syrians

FROM R.K.’S CORNER

In the October 2014 Bridge Report, we featured The Bridge’s first participation in helping ease the suffering of the destitute Iraqis and Syrians displaced by the brutal takeover of the region by ISIS — https://www.bridgeinternational.org/2014/10! Our friend and mission partner brought with them the Bridge relief funds we had received from our donors up till then! (Due to security reasons, we do not disclose the names of our partner or his organization). Our partner did a Fall trip in which we did not participate, but during his latest trip this Spring, we sent the balance in the relief account with him, from which he wrote us this month’s report. The fact that he is Arab, thus easily blending into the local population, enables him to touch the lives of those who suffer the most—the 200,000 out of the 1 mill refugees who live outside the camps, most of them being Yazidis and Christians. So far we have sent close to $20,000 into the field — with no overhead deducted, it means that 100% of the funds you give, directly serve the needy! Thank you for your generosity! THE NEED IS GREAT— PLEASE KEEP ON GIVING!

JUNE TRIP TO NORTHERN IRAQ BY OUR ARAB FRIEND AND HIS TEAM

Displaced Yazidis in Northern Iraq

Dear Brothers and Sisters:

We thank God for you as you have continued to give generously and helped provide food, clothing, medicine, heat, and transportation to the displaced people from Syria and Iraq and enabled us to keep sharing the Good News with those who are suffering and without Hope. During these trips, we have been giving new information and methods which are influencing the believers’ ability to reach across cultural barriers and share the message that we have been commissioned to share in a way the locals are able to hear and receive the Good News of the Kingdom.

Life goes on – Iraqi baby born in the camp

Entering Iraq this time, we found that ISIS had made new gains. What had appeared to be a “hands down” victory in Northern Iraq by the Kurds, had turned into a fresh infusion of troops and money from ISIS. We were present as ISIS took Ramadi. This was heartbreaking for us. We also experienced firsthand a renewed campaign of suicide bombs in the region’s capitol of Erbil. This made it an interesting visit, as everyone was a suspect of the Kurdish guards along the roads. We saw several “plumes” that were the evidence of the efforts by ISIS to penetrate into the heart of Kurdish territory.

Despite the efforts of ISIS, the King of Glory has been working in the hearts of men. We met several of the new Kurdish, Yazidi believers and had opportunity to encourage them and spend good quality time with them. We actively listened to their stories and learned as much as possible, so we could help them contextualize “the message”, for the purpose of reaching as many Yazidis as possible. My wife and I visited one of the main ancient Yazidi temples to learn about their history, traditions and ceremonies to enable to better help the Yazidi believers continue the movement that God has clearly started.

A Yazidi’s Testimony

N and A sharing their lives with us in the camp.

We met with one new believer whom I’ll call N for security sake, who shared his story. The following is his account:

“When the attacks began we had to leave to the mountain (Shingal). My wife was with my family, while I went ahead to the top of the mountain. Before my wife could join me she was bitten by a poisonous snake on her left leg which was swollen up to her thigh. I was the only young man in my family so I had to walk more than five kilometers every day to bring water to them. There are more than 84 people in my family, so I drank less than a cup of water each day which was not enough. We had no food for 18 days. My wife was getting weaker since we had no medicineand her leg was turning black and blue from the poison.

I had to make a decision as to whether I would stay with my family or try to take my wife to get help. My family was ok, except for their necessary to walk to get water. Because my wife could not walk, I had to carry her every day. I made the decision to leave my family to save her life. I carried her on my back, and many times she told me, ‘just leave me on the ground’, but I could not. I was dehydrated from carrying her and I asked a woman for water but she would not give it to me. My feet were bleeding, I still had not eaten, but I felt like someone was pushing me to go forward. I did not know who it was but I knew there was someone behind me telling me that there was a plan for my life and I must continue. Finally someone gave my wife a ride to Dohuq. I was able to get there later and she recovered fully.

Later, I met a man who introduced me to “A” (our partner) and he told me about Jesus and then brought me to meet a local pastor. Then I knew it was Jesus who gave me the strength to go on and that he does have a plan for me to tell my people about Him and give my people hope.”

The Situation on the Ground

In addition to the work being done among the unreached Yazidi people, we also continued to deliver aid to the Persecuted Christians. The situation among the Christians look very bleak at the present as there appears to be no plan by the Government of Iraq, the Kurds or anyone else to go retake the City of Mosul which is the ancient homeland of so many traditional Christians in Iraq. The feeling was very hopeless for those who had lost homes, businesses and land owned by their families for generations. Most of the Christians wanted to simply leave Iraq saying they could never trust the government or the situation again. They are still living on bare subsistence and in need of fruit, vegetables, meat and medical assistance.

We and several of our partner organizations have been pounding this drum for almost a year now, and while the situation has much improved from the first visit and there are no longer people living on the streets, it is far from resolved. (The two pictures above demonstrate the deplorable situation in the camps. They show the inside and outside of an outhouse, serving as toilet and washroom for between 50 – 140 people at any given time)!

Our Relief Aid Outreach

Delivery of Relief Aid

With our partners, we have been working tirelessly to provide the basic needs to help restore hope to those feeling the sting of displacement. In addition to locally buying food and medical supplies for distribution, we have also sent two large containers from the United States. While there, one of them arrived, so we went to the Turkish Border and checked it through and had it delivered to the warehouse where it was being sorted, inventoried and prepared for delivery.

After almost a year of wondering and waiting, the uncertainty is not less, but we have been able to ease the suffering and provide a message of comfort to those mourning and grieving.

Some of the greatest needs we are presently facing is grief counseling, PTSD counseling and medical care. If you have experience in any of these areas and are feeling called by God to reach out to your brothers and sisters in need, please contact us.

As much as I would like to tell you the situation is 100% safe; the truth is, the condition on the ground is not stable. Nevertheless — when God speaks to us to go, we need to trust and obey. While we do this charity work in obedience to Christ and His commands to “love one another”, it is not the only reason we go. We are also focused on sharing the message of the Good News with all who need to hear the Gospel message. That includes Yazidis, Muslims and Traditional Christians who do not yet have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. There are MANY of those in Northern Iraq.

Teaching and Training

Handing out groceries to the persecuted Christians in Iraq.

One of the main reasons I went to Iraq on this trip was to work with a group of people who have a heart for the lost and have been strategically placed by God Himself in this area.The last time we went, I began teaching on Crisis Discipleship. I touched on “cross-cultural” subjects. The concepts we shared were completely new to this group. They listened to a small portion of the teaching, which convinced them we should return and bring them more training.

Most of the workers in this group are Christians, three are from Muslim, and one from Yazidi backgrounds. As I shared, I saw God stretch them all into new areas of faith. They realized the old way has been failing. Now they are open to new ways of thinking and new ways of working. It is a real pleasure to work together and watch God open their eyes. We met together for four hours a night while we were there. The response was almost overwhelming. The brothers all asked us to come back every three months for more training. I was not only honored, but felt that the Lord had divinely opened this door and the good seed was being broadcast onto good ground. I fully expect this to bring forth a harvest, and for the Kingdom to be manifest in Northern Iraq.

How You Can Help

Please also keep our team there in your prayers as different groups have been working in a way that is unwise. Now, the security police have questioned “A” regarding some literature that has appeared in unsolicited ways and is causing a bad situation for the workers on the ground.

It is obvious to us that the Lord has called us to work in Iraq for such a time as this, but we can’t do it alone. We feel the fervent prayers from those of you who have prayed. You have also given generously to help us provide for the people of Iraq. Please continue to do so, that the work we have been called to can continue!

Thank you for all your love, prayers and support! Together we ARE making a difference! Because He Lives! T. D. *

United Nations Investigators Accuse ISIS of Genocide Over Attacks on Yazidis (Excerpts from @The New York Times 3-15-2015)

The tent cities, full to overflowing, seem more like prison camps rather than temporary shelter for displaced people.

The investigators reported that the pattern of attacks against the Yazidis, a religious minority living mostly in northern Iraq, pointed to the intention of the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, “to destroy the Yazidi as a group.” “In their advance across Iraq last year, Islamic State fighters rounded up hundreds of Yazidi men over the age of 14, led them to nearby ditches and summarily executed them”, the United Nations said. The report included the testimony of men who had survived massacres by shielding themselves behind the bodies of other victims. It was quite clear the attacks against them were not just spontaneous or happened out of the blue; “they were clearly orchestrated,” said Suki Nagra, who led a team of investigators that compiled the report.

Yazidi women and girls were abducted and sold or given into sexual slavery as spoils of war, said witnesses who also cited the rape by extremist fighters of two girls, ages six and nine. A pregnant married woman, 19, told investigators that she was raped repeatedly over two and a half months by an Islamic State militant claiming to be a doctor, and that he had deliberately sat on her stomach, telling her, “This baby should die because it is an infidel.”

Yazidi boys as young as 8 were forced to convert to Islam, to undergo training in the use of weapons and to watch videos of beheadings, children who escaped captivity told the United Nations team. “There are reports of hundreds, if not thousands, of these young boys who were forcibly taken,” Ms. Nagra said.

Evidence provided by witnesses also suggested that “a huge number of foreign fighters were involved” and that they had come from at least 10 countries, including from the West, Ms. Nagra said.

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