Part 1: Life Update + Part 2: False Gospels

Life Update

This past month has been busy and wonderful. God continues to place new people and opportunities in our life as well as being faithful to encourage us through the difficult tasks we face. We have gladly welcomed the fall season with it’s cool breezes and spiced aromas filling our home. This new season of life has been a bit trickier to embrace. Jeremiah and I completed a three-week Language Intensive while the girls grew accustomed to their vrtić (i.e. daycare/ kindergarten). I taught Louella what a weekend was because she wanted to go to her “school” every day! Jeremiah and I did well in the course and took a placement exam for our semester course, but immediately after it all, we realized how exhausted we were. 

Luckily, we had planned a family vacation, which was much needed, so that we could catch up on some snuggles and rest. It was a bit daunting to realize that we were leaping into a full semester this month, now knowing how exhausting it would be. In the midst of this challenge, God has reminded us of His blessings and comfort. Although it will be a lot of work, we are happy to have tested into a higher language level for the semester. The broad categories that we work through are A1, A2, B1, B2. Our goal is to reach B2 as soon as possible. While this is our first semester, we are so happy to not have to start in an A1 beginners course! Our hard work with tutors and an online class has payed off!

I (Anna) struggled a lot this week with sending our kids back to vrtić, knowing that it was for the foreseeable future now. It’s hard not to miss slow mornings and sharing my days with the girls, but God has blessed us with a small, loving, place for them to place with kids and learn about language and culture while we study. I don’t know what I would do if they didn’t love going! 

False Gospels

While we spend most of our time learning language,  we have found opportunities to help in our church and build relationships with locals (it feels weird to write “locals” because to us, they are simply “friends). Jeremiah helps with tech for our worship services, and I have been working to lay the framework for a children’s ministry. 

Outside of church, we have also had opportunities to meet with local believers, hear more of their testimonies, and encourage/ be encouraged by them. Jeremiah has had a few evangelism opportunities, and I, really cool discipleship opportunities, with the same underlying them: False Gospels. 

On two separate occasions, Jeremiah was approached by “evangelists” trying to share with him about “Mother God”. This group, stemming from Korea, preaches a false gospel and and teaches a salvation outside of Jesus Christ. Luckily, Jeremiah was able to study up after his first encounter with them, but on both occasions, we shared the truth and the love of Jesus with them. 

I was sharing this story with my Croatian friend, L, on Sunday and she reminded me of a simple truth. Anything outside of repentance and faith in Jesus is a false gospel. Her insight as a former Catholic is a gift from God. She pointed out that Catholic people often “do” a lot to try and earn God’s favor. Not only are they relying on their own works, but on those of false idols. We have heard testimonies of people here praying to angels, saints, or Mary, hoping that- through the grape-vine- God will hear them. While it’s heartbreaking to imagine a God so distant that you need help reaching him, it’s also hard to imagine putting your hope in created ones: Mary, angles, mere humans, when the Creator of the universe wants to be near to each of us. 

Whether a person is deceived by a false prophet in Korea, claiming to be the second coming of Christ, or a long established church that impresses false doctrine on its people, Christ loves them. He wants them to know the truth, he wants them to know Himself. No matter what we face in this life, stress, struggles, seasons of abundance, we can continue in the work that God has made us for because of His Spirit in us; encouraging, empowering, and comforting us. 

Thank you for your continued support and prayers for the work here in Croatia. We feel so blessed to get to be a part of what God is doing here among His people. Please pray for our church: Zagreb Baptist. Please pray for our dear friends in the faith as they minister here in the city, and please pray that more believers here would feel burdened to boldly share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We are so heartbroken over the Croatians who are responding to false gospels.