A Heart for Croatia

2011-05-27T18:02:00.002-05:00

I'm starting to see a trend.....it's 1 a.m.....for real! There have been so many great moments the last few days. One today was when Ray and were walking in Cakovec (a village near Brezje where Mladen lives and we played baseball the first year). There was a little street fair going on. I asked a lady what it was for, since it was a Friday afternoon, and she told me the children learn to make traditional crafts and items at school during the year and then they have this fair and sell the items at the end of the school year. So that was a nice little story. I bought one of her items. Then we walked down two more tables and some kids were looking at us a whispering. I guessed we looked different and I had on my ACU shirt so I think they were talking about that too. Then one says, "Jura! Jura!" (a very common name here, so I didn't think anything of it...yet) and lo and behold it's one of the kids we played baseball with two years ago. And then another. And then another one. Jura immediately asked me, "How is Jonathan?" :-) They were selling little painted wooden step-stools and children's chairs, so when you see the one in our house you will know where it came from.

We also spent more time with several church members the last few days. We've been to Zvonko and Zlata's home in the gypsy village. We've been to Darko and Miljenka's apartment. We visited Nadica's house twice. We've been to Josip and Ana's twice. Tomorrow we will go to Sasa and Danjella's house for dinner. But first we will have sarma, a Croatian dish with cabbage and sausage and potatoes. Apparently it is a "winter" food, but they are making it special for us since Nancy always talks so highly of it and I wondered what it was.

Tonight we did a mini-marriage seminar with 5 couples attending. It was blessed to be sure. We were anxious about the difference in cultures and generations, but of course we are all far more similar than different. We talked about God's commandements for husbands and wives to love and respect one another and the differences between the two. Then we briefly talked about the "5 Love Languages", which is available in Croatian so some were familiar. But the fun came when they all did the Lion, Otter, Beaver, Golden Retriever tests. I didn't know if it would make sense to them, but they loved it. And I could tell by their responses that they truly understood the concept. For those who know them, Josip and Ana are both Lions, but she is also a high Golden and he is a very high Otter. Ray commented that their house must be very loud. That was met with a lot of laughing and head shaking from their son, daughter-in-law, and grandson. Ana assured us she is a very faithful (Golden Retriever) Lion.

There will be more stories to tell when we are face to face. We thank you for your prayers and encouragement. We certainly can sense them. This week has flown by and though we are more than ready to see our kids, we wish there was more time too. Next time..... :-) We love you all!

2011-05-25T17:38:00.002-05:00

Here we are again headed towards 1 am, however this time it is because of a full schedule, not a lack of sleepiness. I can't describe to you what a blessing our brothers and sisters here are to us. We come to encourage, but just as the teacher learns more than the students, they are the ones blessing us. Again tonight we were blessed with time together talking to God. This time with only Mladen and Renata. It is mutually a relief and encouragement to talk about worries and challenges and dreams as an international church family. And to pray and cry together as we seek what God would have for both of our families.

Today was another busy day. We took Hana to school and then shopped for lunch ingredients in the local open-air market (one of my favorite Croatian places!) We then registered our visit at the police station and then spent lunch and planning with Kavan and Molly. Their LST information meeting was tonight and it went well, from an observer's point. I will allow them to update you more specifically.

Following the meeting was Wednesday night class for the congregation. It was nice to see more familiar faces. Especially Darko and his wife, Miljenka. We look forward to time in their home tomorrow evening.

Last night we spent time with the weekly prayer meeting. As I thought about it today I continued to be in awe of the Spirit's aid in helping us all communicate. Instead of the common term "spiritual eyes", we definitely have been blessed with "spiritual ears". We cannot understand the literal words, but the emotions, the train of thought, the heart, shines through and leaves no doubt. It is in the eye contact. It is in shared tears. It is in a hand grasped during prayer. It is in a hug that communicates a year's worth of missing each other. If you don't believe the Spirit is alive and well today, come to Croatia. They will show you.

2011-05-24T17:55:00.002-05:00

It's 1 am here and I'm having my first ever jet-lag. So....I'll catch you up a little on our trip so far. It's been great! We hade very easy travel getting here. We made all our connections and all our bags made it with us too. We have a busy schedule ahead of us. Today Molly and Kavan arrived and their travel was smooth as well. Tonight we spent a few hours at a church member's home for their weekly prayer meeting. Lots of prayer, lots of tears, lots of laughter, and lots of Croatian cookies! It was delightful. We are so thankful God has allowed us to be a part of His work here. It really is exciting to see what He has done in the past several years. They have come so far and they have such a bright future. They are truly our church family, there is no doubt. We only wish we could accurately describe those feelings to both those here and those at home.

Tomorrow we will register our stay with the police, have lunch with Molly and Kavan, and church in the evening. I'll also probably spend some time being beat by Rahela at her Wall-E video game. She is the third youngest and outgoing enough for herself as well as Hana and Rajan combined. Her English has improved so much we can communicate about pretty much anything. She did learn a new term today, "fieldtrip", since we knew Rachel and Papa were on a fieldtrip Monday. We have several visits planned to more church members this week, as well as a mini-marriage seminar Friday night, Baseball on Saturday, and kids' camp on Sunday. Then, home Monday. It will all fly by and we are trying to enjoy every moment.

Last night we took some time with Mladen and Renata and told them some stories about our humbling fundraising and some specific individual stories - you know who you are! - they were touched and overwhelmed. The funds we brought to share with them are clearly sent from God through you, so thank you on their behalf.

I must try and sleep now or I will regret it in the morning. Thank you for your prayers and meaniful support. We are thankful to be a part of this wonderful church.

Thank God for Rain

2010-06-21T16:29:00.002-05:00

Thoughts from Ray:

It may be a little untimely for Manhattan and a lot of the midwest right now, but rain was a blessing in Croatia today and many of us are thanking God tonight.

The original plan was to visit a national forrest today with Mladen's family. Late yesterday these plans began to unravel. Renata did not want to take Maja and Rahela to the mountains because there was a strong forecast for rain. Mladen assured us we could take his van and go ourselves, but that would not have been safe for Americans or Croats. The better plan appeared to be to stay in Varazdin, work on the "little cabin", and do some local shopping and sight seeing.

Not only was this the right decision on account that has rained nonstop all day, but it allowed for a fantastic evening. Our first two hour stop for the "young team" (not the "old team" - Rod and Morris) was Josip's house. He and Ana met us with with open arms and clepici filled with ham and cheese. Josip gave us a tour of his tailoring shop and he and Jonathan took a tour of the chicken coupe. I got the privilege of visiting with Sasha, Josip's grandson. I was increadible to see the future through the eyes of a 26 year-old Coatian wanting to start a family and planning for a career. I hope God is gracious to Sasha and Danjela. The laughter was great and the good-byes slow to come. Josip thanked God for rain.

Our next two hour stop was Darko's place (Josip and Ana's son). I would try to spell his wife's name but I would not spell it correctly, so we will affectionately call her "white chocolate". Yes there is an inside joke there. Once again we were met with fresh clepici bread only this time filled with chocolate and peach marmalade. Darko and his wife speak very little English and we speak even less Hrvatski, yet the hours disappeared quickly. As we left Darko prayed, "Thank you God for the rain, because if it had not rained, our brothers and sisters in Christ would not be at our house today."

I too now thank God for the rain that fell in Croatia on June 21, 2010. God's plans are better than ours. I would not trade all the trees and waterfalls in Croatia for what I experienced this evening. It is sad to leave tomorrow, but God knows how to send us off right!

To those of you who know me well - yes I cry when I type.

-Ray

A Note from Rachel & Jonathan

2010-06-21T02:25:00.010-05:00

I attempted to have Rachel and Jonathan blog, me typing while they talk. The concept is apparently too vague to them. This is all I got after probably 15 minutes of trying. Oh well, Grandma will at least appreciate it. :-)

From Rachel:

"I liked seeing the big real castle. I like the ice cream. I liked the meatballs when we had our first lunch. Nadica has made me special food for lunch each day. I'm waiting to get a hug from Grandma at the airport. "

From Jonathan:

"I like Croatia. I like my toys here. I like my friend Jakov. I'm ready to see my house. I like riding the pedal tractor here. That's all."

Rehela & Rehela
The kid who came in the evenings for Kid's English & Bible lessons

Proof they really are here: Morris & his reader, Sara

The Ray Estes saw mill
Jakov, Jura's son, playing with Rachel at the BBQ at their house.

The storage shed nearing completion.

The Ladies Tea

Kids who came to play baseball.

Mladen batting.

Big American Meal. Kristin & Laura serving tacos.

Coach Kristin

Coach Molly

Coach Matt

Rod at baseball :-)

Better Late Than Never

2010-06-21T02:25:00.006-05:00

So Laura said I should blog because my mom would love to read it. Here it goes...

There is so much to write about, almost overwhelming because I have gotten way behind in doing so. Yesterday (Sunday 6-20-10) was awesome, so much going on. In the morning we had services (in Croatian for the most part). Rod gave a great lesson about Jesus and when he was tempted by the devil out of Luke 4. It had been requested that we sing some songs in english so the congregation could hear some songs that they are familiar with in english. We sung Step By Step and the Greatest Commands. Josip, one of the members, was even prepared enough to have brought a voice recorder and recorded us singing. You can hear Molly over everybody else mostly because Josip was sitting right behind her. It sounds great even though it's on a hand-held recorder. After worship we had our "Great American Lunch" which consisted of soft-shelled tacos with the fixins. During and after lunch I primarily was playing cards with the kids. We played Texas Hold'em and I taught them how to play Liar Liar. It was a lot of fun.

I've made some great friends during my time here. I'm seriously considering coming back next summer for their summer camp for the whole church, Mladen askes me almost everyday to come to camp this year. I know God has been working through me on this trip in little ways and big ways. He has confirmed that I need to find a job or something that deals with working with kids and/or people in general. Last week Kristin presented I Corinthians 12 in our morning devo and challenged us to try to figure out what our spiritual gift(s) are. Me being the goofball that I am said that I have the gift of "fun." Everybody has constantly been thanking me for the time that I spend with the youth. It almost feels like I'm cheating the system because I'm having just as much fun as they are when I'm with them, it doesn't feel like I'm working or even serving, just that I'm having fun. At the same time I see many challenges that lie ahead of me if that is where God wants me to go. I'm a little apprehensive but know that He will show me the way. I'm a firm believer that God will get us where He wants us to go no matter how we get there, remember the story of Jonah? ;-) I am very grateful for everything He has put in my way, I wouldn't be the person I am right now without the paths He has laid out before me whether they were fun/happy/sad/hi/low/or whatever it may be.

Today is our last full day in Varazdin, it seems like we've been here longer than just a few weeks, like this is our home, it doesn't feel temporary though there is the knowledge that it is gnawing at the back of my mind.

2010-06-21T00:31:00.002-05:00

Today will be our last full day in Varazdin. It had been in our plans to visit a National Park famous for it's waterfalls, but that was not the plan of God and I can now see why. Ray will finish the storage building today with his new friend Darko. The kids and I are looking forward to time in the square looking for a present for Keri. It will be a nice slow day - something we all need, though I'm certain the falls would have been beautiful - maybe next time.

Yesterday was our Big American Meal after morning services. Morris and Rod were happy to have 7 readers come. Several even came to worship as well. Mladen asked us to share with the congregation something meaningful about our time here. There were many tears from both our teams as well as the members. Some we have formed deep bonds with in just a little time. Especially Ray and Kristin have built close new friends. We made tacos for lunch again by Mladen's request. They seemed to enjoy them, though some were skeptical.

After saying all our goodbyes and an afternoon nap, we all enjoyed dinner together at a restaurant on the park. You can eat outside and it's nice, but Matt didn't bring a jacket (hence the FB quote) so we were inside - still nice. Dinner was followed by ice cream and we walked back to the church through a few cold rain drops.

Previous to yesterday was baseball. We spent two hours on the field practicing and playing a game. Even the adults present took a turn hitting in the end. It was a fun afternoon and the kids seem to enjoy seeing us and playing again. They wondered where Morris and Michelle were. (He had another Migraine/vertigo spell). Afterwards we enjoyed pizza at Mladen's with several church members who came to play baseball, as well as the lady who organized baseball last year.

I believe that is all for now. Thank you all for reading the blog. I often felt like Kavan, 'writing far too much for far too few' - but I know those who are close to us, or have been here are interested and I thank you for that. I apologize for possible grammar and spelling. I usually didn't have time to re-read my typing. What a blessing technology is! Knowing we could share stories via the blog and hear your comments and encouragements was wonderful. Thank you again. See you soon!

(If time allows, I will try and post a few more pictures this afternoon or evening.)

2010-06-19T00:28:00.002-05:00

Today we will finally play some baseball! We are looking forward to a BBQ at Jura's (some of you know what that means :-)) and then an afternoon of baseball. It turns out God's plan was for frisbee this year, not so much baseball. When we arrived Mladen explained some strife within the village between kids loving to play baseball, the baseball organizer, and Mladen vs. the parents who hold a strong, traditional Catholic background. So for this year we take two steps back and one step forward. Change and openness comes slowly to most of us. We must remember that these people are being challenged by our beliefs. We must be sensitive and patient and allow God to do the planning, not us. We'll look forward to sharing pictures of our afternoon.

I want to share with you about yesterday as well. Kristin led a great devo on spiritual gifts and identifying our own. We spent some time talking about our own gifts and their role in this time here. God is good, of course, and He has truly used the gifts of all 9 of us in the past 6 weeks. I know as you hear the stories and patiently sit through the pictures and presentations you will see the use of the gifts as well.

Yesterday afternoon Ray and I were fortunate to visit a gypsy village where one of the church members lives. What an eye opening experience of the work here in Croatia. It was a little hard to describe, and may be better for a face to face story, but I was touched by the desire for us to be in their home. We are so often hung up on what we don't have in the U.S. 'I can't have her over because she'll see my house' - that kind of thinking. The joy and hospitality will stick with me for a long time. Sorry that is vague, but it is all I have processed thus far.

In the evening Kristin, Molly, and I hosted a lady's tea for the women of the church. We didn't know what to expect and I simply prayed that the women would feel comfortable in this unusual setting and feel compelled to share their stories of coming to be a part of a church. There were 3 of us, 5 church members, 1 member from the Zagreb church, and 1 guest of a church member. It was a very special time. Again, hard to describe, but I am confident you all know the feeling of the Spirit working. The three of us shared our very different stories of growing up and becoming a part of the Manhattan church. (I joked with Rod later that my story was very short - "I was born in Manhattan, went to the church all my life, the end.) Anyway, then was the moment of truth, would they participate as well? All I can say is there are far, far too many details to possibly remember and accurately write down. I sat amazed as every single woman told her story for the next two hours. And it was not just the short versions - for they have very complicated stories here. A LOT has happened in the past 20 years in Croatia. We heard of divorce, alcoholism, death, physical and sexual abuse, war, communism, poverty, pride, cults.....I could go on. It was simply amazing. In the end I told them how thankful I was for their sharing and honesty and laughter and the memories and lessons we will all have from that time. Even though we all have different stories they all end with Jesus and our desire to follow Him. Afterwards a lady told me I was glowing with the Spirit, let me tell you, that's all it could have been because this little introvert was totally exhausted after all that! Seriously, though, what a compliment. It was truly God who planted the idea in my mind and blessed it through its entirety.

Sorry to be repetitive, but again, we cannot thank you enough for your prayers, and words, and financial support. None of this is possible without that! God is good! See you soon. We are off to another day!

"I Will Always Stand Amazed"

2010-06-17T07:26:00.009-05:00

I know Laura already blogged today, but I thought I'd go ahead and post this blog that I wrote earlier this morning.

In my perfectionism, I have hesitated to write a post to the blog because I was waiting for some great epiphany to come to me in order to share something really special. The fact of the matter is that every day in Croatia has been filled with epiphanies—about God, about myself, about the faith and faithfulness of others, and about the heart of the church here in Varazdin. There is no question that God’s hand is at work here.

So many of those whom the church have touched are on the cusp of their belief in Jesus as a savior. I am amazed at how they are enveloped into the everyday activities held with the regularly involved church members. People who are coming to read with Rod and Morris for LST have begun to bring their children to our evening activities. When they come, they are naturally accepted into the “clique.” It seems as though the progression into the church family is nearly seamless. I believe wholeheartedly that this is because God is working in the hearts and minds of everyone who is hard at work here to show the love of Jesus to others. Even as outsiders who do not speak but a couple of words in Hrvatski, we were accepted with warm and loving hearts.

Thank you all for your prayers for our work here, they are being answered every minute of every day. We are a blessed group to have such loving Christian families in two countries. As you continue to pray, please consider the remainder of our trip and the upcoming trip to Brezje for a day filled with baseball. Also, please pray for our team to have encouraging interactions as we meet with the women and men—that the language barrier can somehow be broken and we can communicate effectively.

I am attaching more pictures (for Mom of course!) because I know everyone enjoys seeing our story as much as reading it.

The kids racing each other to find the English word to match the picture.

Matching the word to the picture

The girls won the wedding challenge. They had to walk down the aisle spreading "flower petals," line up for a wedding photo, fill the punch cups with water using water blasters, make flowers out of construction paper, and build a wedding cake with marshmallows. The girls completed these tasks faster than the boys.

Matt, Molly, Rachel, and Kristin at Trakoscan (I think only Rod knows how to add accents, but imagine a hat over the s and an accent on the c). This is a 700 year old castle about 12 km from the Slovenian border. Unfortunately, only Matt had his passport, so we couldn't cross over the border for a stamp.

2010-06-16T23:53:00.005-05:00

Good morning! As a day ends for you, another is beginning for us. We are nearing the end of the week and that means nearing the end of our work here. The days are being filled with meetings, events, meals, projects, and obligations as time is running out. For this entry I will post several pictures and share news with you via the captions. Initially, I will give an update on the LST team (since they never update their blog :-)) They are doing great. During the day the church building is like a bee hive with people coming and going constantly for all sorts of purposes. It is clear as an observer they have made a great difference. Their readers are joyful when they arrive and often stay late. The tone of the conversation is often very deep and serious - though of course I don't hear the words. At their party last night there was lots of laughter and smiles. It is amazing to watch the interaction between Croatian people. They easily converse and welcome a new individual to the group. I have witnessed this many times.

The following pictures are a sequence of Ray's project of building the tool shed ("lawn mower cabin") You can see the "gravel" I previously blogged about, followed by establishing a well, and pouring the concrete.

Maja and Renata enjoying a marshmallow. A rare treat in Croatia. :-)

Luca. Frisbees are constantly flying around here!

Matt's standard position. Either pushing kids on the swing set, kicking a soccer ball, or catching frisbees. Sounds like an ideal mission trip, right? He is tired at the end of the day. If the kids are around, there is a constant, "Matt! Matt! Matt!" Which they pronounce "Mott" :-)

Rod, The "LST Almighty" :-)
This quilt was given away at the LST party last night. The man examining it is a tailor.
We have the best lunch lady! She cooks for us every day and it is alway different and alway good. I look forward to telling you her story more when we return.

Mom always said, "Don't throw rocks!"

2010-06-14T08:03:00.003-05:00

Sunday was a very busy day here. Before worship we helped peel approximately 10 lb of potatoes for Mladen's dad. He cooked "goulash" (we would call it beef stew) for the entire church +3 other congregations. It's wonderful stuff! In the afternoon I taught the smaller children a lesson on Jonah. Several kids I remembered from last year. We had fun making little whales. Meanwhile, Ray and Matt led a class/discussion for the teenagers. They shared their stories of growing up in church and how their upbringing effects their lives now. They said it was difficult to get the kids to talk, but felt they were able to convey their message.

In the evening Rod, Matt, Kristin, and Molly enjoyed a concert by Jura and his orchestra. It contained many American movie and cartoon themes. We would have loved to go, but the kids were at melt-down stage, so we stayed home for a movie and popcorn, cheese, apples and ice cream.

Today, Monday, was finally our first "normal" day. We began with an devo and were joined by Dejan. Then, as Rod and Morris, began reading we began moving "gravel" inside the forms for the concrete pad for the storage shed. I put gravel in quotes because it's a loose term for gravel in American eyes. When the dump truck brought it this morning we just starred at each other. To put it in perspective, about half of the rocks are the size of my fist, with a few more the size of both my fists, with the remaining rocks slightly larger than typical American gravel for a road. At this point I must honor our students for their hard work this morning. I have not yet told you that the gravel is on the opposite side of a chain link fence from the building site. So for a couple hours this morning. We used our hands to throw the rocks over the fence and into the forms to prepare for concrete coming tomorrow. They didn't complain! :-) They were awesome. I did hear one of Rod's readers as I prepared lunch ask, "What are they doing out there?" Ha!

I will post pictures of all these events in the future. Now that you are updated and I am prepared for the kids' activities tonight, I must go continue to move rocks. As always, thank you for your prayers, comments and emails. They are truly working and encouraging and I know we all look forward to sharing more personal stories when we return.

2010-06-12T22:47:00.005-05:00

Maja & Deena

Yesterday, Saturday, we baked bread with one of Morris' readers, Spomenka. (Kristin and Molly are staying at Spomenka's house.) She had brought bread to an LST party and he asked her to teach him how to make it. It was a fun morning. The bread is called "Varazdiniski Klipici", or Varazdin Bread. It is typically plain/empty but she indicated cheese, meat, fruit, etc. could be added. We got a little carried away with the additions. Some had cheese, some chicken lunch meat, and several had peach preserves. When it was Morris' turn he added marshmallow, chocolate, and a sprinkle of coffee. Spomenka just shook her head. :-) It was really delicious and turned out to be our lunch. It was an excellent example of the personal friends LST readers can become. She was touched by our interest and it was a very positive morning for all of us.

Spomenka

2010-06-11T15:56:00.003-05:00

Today we enjoyed lunch with Mladen and his family. What a blessing to see our children play as if we've been gone a week instead of a year. Matt, Molly, and Kristin have already made a wonderful impression on so many people. They are seeing firsthand the genuine heart these people have for Jesus and the people of Croatia. We planned our upcoming days. They are sure to be busy, but we are ready to get to work after a day of resting a planning. In the picture above you can see Hana and some of our baseball kids from last year. Notice the K-State hat. They were very excited to see us and we're looking forward to an afternoon of baseball next Saturday.

Mom, Mom, and Mom: As you can see the students are doing great. :-)

We're Here!

2010-06-10T12:23:00.002-05:00

We safely arrived in Croatia this afternoon after about 26 hours of traveling. I apologize in advance for the randomness this will surely take on due to lack of rest. The flights were fairly smooth with only a minor delay in New York City on the runway. The kids did great on the planes and Jonathan did not complain of his ears at all. The biggest relief was to see each of our pieces of luggage come around the carousel. Jura met us at the airport just to say hi as he was in Zagreb for a concert (he plays the clarinet in the Croatian Army Band). Mladen picked us up and Nadiza and Vessna had a wonderful lunch ready for us at the church building. It was kind of a soup over mashed potatoes with whole bell peppers with meat and rice cooked inside. She even had a small pot of it especially for Rachel (gluten free). Nadiza's son is taking Kristin and Molly to their place to stay right now. One of Morris's readers offered her apartment for part of our team....a BIG blessing. We were first told it was 10 minute walk away, eventually the story became a 15 to 20 minute walk away. We'll see. :-) All in all a long and very good day and we are all ready for some great rest. Tomorrow we will visit the police station and receive our visitor's passes. Thank you for your prayers and support. We really appreciate them and you!

2010-06-07T20:39:00.003-05:00

The bags are nearly packed. The activites are planned. The supply/curriculum luggage is at weight capacity. We've been prayed for by the elders. We're ready. One more day and we'll be in Croatia. Thank you again for all your support. As you pray, please ask God to ease Jonathan's double ear infection. We visited the dr. as a precaution today and thank goodness we did. I'm sure the antibiotic will help clear it up. Thank you for your prayers.

Some of us are smiling in the picture, must have been when Gene was asking that our luggage stay with us throughout the traveling.

Thank You!

2010-06-05T12:50:00.003-05:00

We wish to thank all of you for your tremendous support during our fundraising this spring. We are excited for our adventure to begin on Wednesday. Thank you for praying as we travel and begin our work. With 5 of us, plus Rachel and Jonathan, on the team this year, there should be plenty of blogging and lots of stories and pictures for you to enjoy while we're gone.

We are looking forward to spending lots of time with children and the members of the Varazdin church and community. We will be playing baseball for just two days this year, but we hope for some "pick up games" in the evenings. We will conduct a "Super Saturday" of children's events for several churches in the surrounding area. We will also be having "VBS" style events for the children of the community as well as the children of the LST readers (there is a team there right now), based on bible stories and creating opportunities for them to practice English. Kristin and I are looking forward to organizing a Ladies Day of spending quality time with the women of the congregation and perhaps the female LST readers too. Mladen has also asked Ray for two specific jobs. He would like him to share his story of growing up in the church thru being a Christian business owner and father. Ray, and others too, will also be working on a storage shed (they call it "a cabin for the lawn mower" :-)) while we are there. And finally we've been asked to make another "Big American Meal" for the church members; and the LST readers will be invited for that as well. Lots to do in less than two weeks!!! We're excited to be busy and to get on the plane to come home feeling, "thoroughly used up".

Thank you for your interest and support in our trip. It's a blessing to have the experience, and to share it with you through this outlet.

2009-07-11T12:25:00.002-05:00

The playground was a great surprise to all the kids.

They had a wonderful afternoon playing!

2009-07-11T00:58:00.002-05:00

Today we begin our final full day in Varazdin. Late last night we returned from a quick trip to the coast and island of Krk. It was beautiful, but very much a tourist attraction. The kids swam in the Adriatic sea and we saw a lot of the beautiful countryside on our 5 hour bus trip to and from.

This afternoon we will make our "Big American Meal" for the church members. I guess we should call it our Big "North" American meal because we are making Mexican food! The members are excited to come and we are excited to do something for them since they have done so much for us. It has also turned out to be a great chance to invite non-members to an event at the building. The lady who organized baseball in Brezje will come too. We are getting ready to walk to an open air market for our fresh produce for the meal.

Ray is putting together the playground this morning as a surprise to the kids at the meal today. As I type, he is walking to a Home Depot-like store for a wrench. So since he is not looking over my shoulder I will take a moment to brag on him. I know you have been praying (and fasting ;-) ) for him. It's been obvious. Those of you who know him, know this trip was WAY out of his comfort zone. He has clearly been touched by the Spirit to not only function but participate wholly in this trip. We have had great team dynamics and the Spirit has used that as a witness to others. We have heard comments several times about how special it is we came as an extended family and how well we get along. Even though several generations typically live together in the culture, they don't always get along well. This has been a great example to the many we've come into contact with.

That is all for now. We will be very sad to leave tomorrow, but we really look forward to sharing more with you when we return home. When I have my own computer I will be able to easily post more pictures too. Thanks for being patient. I know there are several of you who are anxious to see the pictures. :-)

Thank you too for your prayers and comments and notes of encouragement. They really do mean a lot. It's nice to know someone on the other side of the world is thinking of us. Please continue your prayers for safety. We will begin our journey home after church tomorrow morning and should arrive in Kansas City around 5:30 Monday evening.

2009-07-06T14:11:00.002-05:00

Good evening from Croatia. Today was a great day for us. We began with our third session of Bible and Baseball in Brezje. The lesson of the day was casting your cares on the Lord because He cares for you. I was really excited to see the light come on for some kids as I explained the concept. They then continued with baseball. It is so fun to watch them play and practice. The littler ones play at one end of the field with the tee. The bigger kids play with Ray pitching. We added in a few more rules today and they are absorbing it all amazingly well. We continue to add in more children. Our total today was 73! Everyday other kids from the village come stand along the fence to watch. We invite them to come the next day and they usually do. Adults often stop and watch too. Two men watched for quite awhile this morning and asked Mladen a lot of questions about the rules and positions. The local soccer team was getting ready for practice and watched too. This is so exciting for Mladen. He is really excited for the visibility of Americans teaching the Bible and baseball. This will give him a great way to begin conversations with more families in the village.

After a traditional Croatian lunch, we shopped for the playground materials for the Varazdin church. This was a challenge as pressure treated lumber doesn't exist here. All their construction is brick and concrete. We were all very excited to make our purchases. We ended up with something that simply needs to be assembled. To say Mladen is very excited may be an understatement. As we waited for our items to be loaded he said (with his hand on his heart), "It is so amazing. Last year we had nothing and we were renting a building. This year we have a building, renovations, and now a playground."

Tomorrow will be our final day of baseball practice before Game Day! We are also making lunch for Mladen's family - Ham and Cheddar Rolls. We're thinking of trying a Croatian McDonald's for supper tomorrow. The kids are doing well but are starting to drag. Two more intensive days before our schedule relaxes a little. I thank those who are praying for them. They have each REALLY done well with the unusual food, language, people, beds, cars....God has touched them to be quite the little missionaries. We're half way there. Please continue to pray.

2009-07-04T14:10:00.005-05:00

Happy 4th of July from Croatia! Here are some pictures of the trip thus far. It is a chore to get them to this computer so I don't know how many I'll be able to share. We are having a wonderful time. Thank you for your prayers. We look forward to sharing stories when we return. The second day of baseball provided a great scrimmage game. The older kids, especially the boys, are really catching on quickly. They are doing a great job of hitting. The fielding is a little more challenging. A batter is usually assured getting to third base with each hit. :-) Our lesson today was Fruits of Spirit. Patience was the focus of the day as the children waited for their ice cream. We may need to review that concept again Monday. :-) Tomorrow we will begin work with the Varazdin children in the afternoon. Children from Zagreb will join us as well. This means we will have been in contact with approximately 80 different children from four different towns or villages. This is an amazing number since we originally thought we may have 15 to 20 at the very most. I can see the Sower's Seeds flying in all directions being carried by the Spirit's Wind. We pray they land on fertile soil in the hearts, homes, and villages of these warm, open, receptive, and impressionable children.

Our team with the Dominic family. This is the day we arrived.

Childrens' laughter is the same in all languages!

Rachel and Hannah making American Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Thumbs up for baseball!

Mryna our catcher, she's a natural. She taps her shoes with the bat before

she hits - says that's "just like in the movies".

Safe on first, ready to run!

Wet from a downpour during the first scrimmage.

Having today's 4th of July treat, ice cream!

Pitcher Ray

Jonathan drew a picture of a boat for this kid.

We've nick-named him Harvard because of his long hair. :-)

Our classroom.

End of the game High Fives.

The little ones practicing throwing.

The middle aged group practicing catching.

The cowboy hats. And yes, we wear them while we play - sometimes. :-)

Top of the First!

2009-07-03T15:39:00.003-05:00

And so baseball has begun.....it was a really wonderful day. When we first planned for baseball we were told to expect 15 to 20 kids. Later we were told maybe 30 kids. Today we counted at least 65! We had a great time. Baseball is a hit! (ha ha) They are excited to learn. After introductions we taught them Deep & Wide. Lots of smiles and giggles. We started with catching, throwing, and hitting with the kids divided into three groups. Some of the boys really caught on quickly. They were all excited to know they could come back tomorrow for more. We're told the newspaper and television were called to come watch our game on Wednesday.

This afternoon we were treated to a great meal by Mladen's father. It is exciting to tell you his mother and father have recently attended worship services with the Varazdin church. The church members are so thankful for us being here. We are looking forward to a meal with the congregation and some members from the Zagreb church on Sunday. Tomorrow Jura has invited us to his home to celebrate the 4th of July. He is excited to cook for us since he knows this is a big day in the US. We are looking forward to spending time with his family and some of his military co-workers.

We can't thank you enough for your support and prayers. The Spirit is listening to you and speaking through us. I will try and post pictures from Jura's home tomorrow. Thank you all!

2009-07-02T04:12:00.002-05:00

Good morning from Varazdin, Croatia. We have safely arrived. The kids traveled very well and slept a full night last night. That is a great blessing. We had a nice sharing time with the church members last night. They are all very happy we are here. It was special to watch them greet mom and dad after not seeing them for a year. We will meet with Mladen today for our "marching orders" for the week. Baseball will start tomorrow. Thank you for your prayers.

2009-06-29T15:38:00.001-05:00

Above: the Elders of our church pray for our team.

Below: Rachel & Jonathan with some of the donated baseball equipment.

2009-06-27T14:31:00.002-05:00

Today we are doing serious packing and organizing for our departure early Tuesday morning. Besides our carry-ons we now have one checked bag with all the baseball equipment. It is full to the 50lb limit! I must admit to giggling a little as I packed the checked bag. I can only imagine the reactions of friends from High School if they knew Laura Crisler (who never did a sport in her life!) was going to teach kids how to play baseball.

While completing our last minute lists and calls and sorting I am overwhelmed by the funds that continue to come in. We are in awe of the generosity of so many of you. At the same time we can't help but wonder what God has in mind for this trip. Why has He given us more money than we asked for? What are we supposed to do with it? I feel compelled to share with you the amazing ways God has blessed us through our fundraising. He alone could provide such blessings and we are immensely thankful.

We started our fundraising in February. We planned for three fundraising events and then prayerfully left the rest up to God. We conducted freewill soup suppers four times in February, the Teens of our congregation put on a Sweethearts Dinner for Valentine's Day, and we sold Easter sugar cookies in April. These events totaled $4175. Our initial budget of plane tickets, food, class supplies, playground materials, etc. was (and still is) $7485.00. Each of our families committed to personally paying for half of our plane ticket costs. As of Friday, our financial support totals an amazing $11,155.50. This support came from approximately 70 individuals or families.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. " ~ Jeremiah 29:11

I want to share with you how we have specifically been supported by some:

1. One family offered to cover the expense of sending our belongings ahead of us. We had planned to do this to simplify the airport and going through customs with two children. We have confirmation that our boxes arrived safely. This was a blessing for which we cannot say thank you enough.

2. Two families wished to fund the building of the playground. One of these families sacrificially gave of their own savings which was intended to build a "fort" in their own backyard. I cannot wait to share this story and their family picture with the children in Varazdin.

3. Another woman who lives in low-income housing gave me a crumpled envelope with $20. While this might seem a small donation, it was truly an example of a widow giving all she had.

4. Another special friend handed me yet another envelop with cash. She too has seen a life of trials, but God has worked in her heart and the Spirit just gushes out of her. At the time she was living in a shelter but recently got a job driving a taxi. Her instructions were to use the money to cover all our taxi fares..."from one taxi driver to another" she said.

5. Friends through Ray's work insisted on supporting us despite knowing we had met our goals. Their generous check for $500 will most certainly bless the lives of people in Croatia.

6. A very special family to us also sacrificially gave $500. Their check came with special instructions. Each adult was given $100 and each child $50. We are asked to use the money for a need we observe when we arrive. I am excited to share the stories of this money when we return.

7. Another couple very special to us gave us their entire tax return - $300.

8. A business owner in Wamego donated a large piece of luggage to transport all the baseball equipment.

9. And finally, one gentleman offered to purchase K-State baseball hats for the kids to wear while they are learning baseball. He not only purchased them, but paid to ship them as well.

I could go on and on. I hope you see here how God is working already. When our "feet are on the ground" I'm sure there will be more stories to tell.

It is just not enough to tell you all thank you for your support, so I hope you read between the lines because the Spirit is there whispering.

Love,
Laura

2009-06-21T06:45:00.002-05:00

We are nine days away from leaving for Croatia. Seems this time would never arrive - yet here it is; time to pack and hope we don't forget anything! I want to give you an update on our work, fundraising, and plans.

Our focus has shifted a little since our original plans were ensued. One of Mladen's dreams is to have an "LST-style" camp for children in the village where he grew up and where his parents still live. For those who don't know, LST is a program where adults can practice their English skills using a workbook based on the book of Luke. It has been a very successful program all over the world, and it is how our church was originally connected to the Varazdin church.

Originally we planned to do a week of lessons for children in the Varazdin church. Our theme was "Walking With Jesus". We had activities centered around maps, passports, suitcases, and some of the events within Jesus' ministry. All of these materials and activities will still be used. Renata will take them with her to camp to teach children from all over Croatia later this summer.

Given Mladen's dream for his village and his desire for us to teach children baseball while we are there a new plan has been formed. We will be spending five days (10 am to 1 pm) of our trip in the village teaching bible lessons and the game of baseball. We are all excited about this, especially now that there is a general plan established. We even discovered a children's devotional book based around baseball. Since Mladen has assured us all the kids know the basic stories of the Bible (they have Catholic-based bible classes at school) we have focused our lessons on Christian living, actions, words, and being an example to others. The children will be creating books with the bible stories, the baseball terms, etc. These will be in English and Croatian in hopes of improving their English. Our plan is to have four days of learning the basics of the game with the final day being a "real" baseball game. Should be a great time!! Oh, and I almost forgot, Mladen has also asked us to bring cowboy hats. In his words, "it will be a great hit, they love cowboys here!" Should be some comical pictures! Thanks to Dave and Jan Vanderbilt for donating hats for us to ship and wear.

We have not forgotten the Varazdin children! Michelle and Laura will be teaching the children during three worship times at the Varazdin church. We are looking forward to this as it will give the women who ALWAYS teach the children a deserved break. And, of course, we still plan to build a play structure for the church yard in Varazdin. We will probably spend most afternoon and evenings on this project.

Time to pray: please pray for us this week that we are patient with each other. I know as the time nears tension may be high as Ray wraps up things at work and I try to plan for international travel with two small children. Pray for dad and his migraines. He's had several in recent weeks. It would be a blessing if he did not have any while we are gone. Pray we remain united as a Team and that Satan is not allowed a foothold in our attitudes or communication. We will try and update this blog while we are gone. I hope we have internet available so you who have so generously supported us can know how things are going.

With such a focus on children, I keep being reminded:
Jesus loves the little children,
All the children of the world.
Red and yellow, black and white
They are precious in His sight.
Jesus loves the little children of the world.

2009-04-17T11:43:00.003-05:00

Our final fundraiser was Easter Sugar cookies. We had 65 dozen ordered and we were blessed to raise $1150.00! The photos below show my wonderful helpers: Blake Bowman, Traci Bowman, Callie Kostelich and of course mom. It took nearly 12 hours to frost and decorate 785 cookies. Dad brought pizza and Drew and Janet provided comic relief and moral support!

785 cookies ready for frosting.

Blake & Jonathan getting boxes ready.

Blake also cut 458 pieces of ribbon and the tissue paper for me.

Traci & mom frosting away!

We made 390 eggs and 390 bunnies.

Callie frosting more eggs.

Almost finished.

The completed project !

Friday afternoon and Saturday morning everyone came to pick up their cookies!

Thank you to all who supported us through this project!

2009-04-17T11:38:00.001-05:00

Rachel & Laura preparing children's activities: The Passport Game.

2009-04-17T11:35:00.001-05:00

A new picture of baby Maja.

2009-04-06T13:46:00.003-05:00

We are excited and proud to announce the birth of Mladen and Renata's baby girl, Maja!

She was 7 lb. 4 oz and 19 inches. They are all doing well and are appreicative of your prayers.

A History of Varazdin

2009-04-02T13:08:00.002-05:00

The first historical written reference to Varaždin was in 1181, when KingBela III mentioned the nearby thermal springs in a legal document.

Varaždin was declared a free royal borough in 1209 by the King Andrew II. The town was the economic and military center of northern Croatia. Due to Turkish raids, the town was structured defensively around the old fortress, and acquired the shape of a typical medieval Wasserburg.

At the end of the 14th century, Varaždin fortress passed to the hands of the Counts of Celje. Over the following centuries Varaždin had several owners, the most influential being Beatrice Frankopan, Margrave Georg of Brandenburg, who built the town hall; the last was Baron Ivan Ungnad, who reinforced the existing fortification. At the end of the 16th century Count Toma Bakac Erdody became its owner, assuming the hereditary position of Varaždin prefects (župan), and the fortress remained in the ownership of this family until 1925.
In 1756, the Ban Franjo Nadasdy chose Varaždin as his official residence, and Varaždin became the capital of all of Croatia.

In the 18th century Varaždin was the seat of many Croatian noblemen, and in 1756 it became the Croatian administrative centre. The fire of 1776 destroyed most of the town, resulting in the administrative institutions moving back to Zagreb. By the 19th century Varaždin had been completely rebuilt and expanded, with flourishing crafts and trade, and later the manufacture of silk and bricks.

Varaždin, with its unique monuments and artistic heritage, represents the best preserved and richest urban complex in continental Croatia. The Old Town (fortress) is a beautiful example of medieval defensive buildings. Construction began in the 14th century, and in the following century the rounded towers, typical in Croatia, were added. Today it houses the Town Museum.

In 1523, Margrave Georg of Brandenburg built the town hall in late baroque style, with the Varaždin coat of arms at the foot of the tower, and it has continued in its function until the present day. There is a guard-changing ceremony every Saturday.

Varaždin's Cathedral, a former Jesuit church, was built in 1647, and is distinguished by its baroque entrance, eighteenth-century altar, and paintings. There are many baroque and rococo palaces and houses in the town.

Varaždin is one of the few Croatian cities whose industry did not directly suffer from the war in 1991. Besides textile giant Varteks, it also has nationally important food (Vindija), metal, and construction industries. The Information Technology and financial and banking sector as are well developed. Further economic development has been encouraged with the creation of a free investment zone.

(information from various resources)

The Team

2009-03-27T13:01:00.009-05:00

2009 Croatia Team

Morris & Michelle

Ray & Laura

also pictured:

Drew & Janet

Why Croatia?

2009-03-27T10:26:00.010-05:00

Our local congregation (www.manhattankschurch.org) has financially supported the Varazdin church since 2004. Our congregations were connected through Let's Start Talking (www.lst.org) in 2003 (Rod Howell, Lacey Wrigley, Cheri Byer). LST uses English conversation practice using text from the book of Luke. In 2004 we sent a second LST team (Rod Howell, Eric Freeze) and became better acquainted with the Varazdin church's people, needs, and mission.

In 2005 the Manhattan congregation sent a third mission team to Croatia (Morris Crisler, Kevin Johnston, Lacey & Shiloh Wrigley), this time with a new project. This "camp team" taught and led children's activities during a nation-wide camp for Churches of Christ in Croatia. Again in 2006 our congregation sent another camp team (David & Marie Wingate, Kate Gillespie) with the same mission. A third camp team (Matt & Felicia Carter, Rod Howell, Marie Wingate) was sent to Croatia in 2007.

In 2008 our congregation planned to send a fourth camp team (Morris & Michelle Crisler), but God had other plans. Due to the camp dates changing and plane tickets already purchased, the 2008 team worked directly and intimately with the Varazdin church. This team led VBS-style children's activities as well as taught lessons for adults during worship time.

This brings us to 2009. This year we plan to conduct similar children's activities, with a new theme: Walking With Jesus. We will also be involved in building a play structure in the church yard. This will give the children a place to play! Morris & Ray will also be speaking during worship times on Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights. Ultimately, our goal is encouragement and ambassadorship between our congregations.

Fundraising Fun

2009-03-27T10:03:00.002-05:00

Hosts of the Sweetheart's Dinner

Preparing for a Soup Supper

Wednesday Night Soup Supper

Soup Supper

Sweetheart Dinner

Soup Supper Clean Up

2009-03-27T09:23:00.000-05:00

In July the Crisler and Estes families will be spending two weeks in Varazdin, Croatia. We will be leading adult bible studies, teaching children's activities, and building a play structure in the church's yard. We will use this blog for our friends near and far to keep track of our preparation and furndraising for our trip as well as photos and events during the trip. Check back soon for more updates!