Saturday, March 20, 2004:   Spring burst upon us suddenly this past week, and overnight Sarajevo moved into the streets.  In a society where just about everyone smokes, it's a welcome relief to break out of the stuffy indoor cafes and enjoy conversation in the fresh air.

I really don't have much to report today as far as formal ministry goes.  I'm still in the process of listening, observing, and trying to get a feel for how I should proceed.  Sunday in church I was greatly encouraged by a few new believers, and a good solid attendance.  Yet I couldn't shake off the feeling that so much of what we're doing in church these days, (both in America and in Sarajevo), falls into the category of "old wineskins."  While the average age a Presbyterian is 58, and a United Methodist is 62, the average age of an American is only 30, with 80% of our Christian young people, (in one survey), leaving the church by the time they're 20.  Is this trend unavoidable, or are we missing something in the church?

I have a fear that we American missionaries often strap the mission field with a church mentality that doesn't even produce kingdom results in our own backyard.  In a culture that finds the church increasingly vapid and irrelevant, when was the last time any of us participated in a 1 Corinthians 14:26 meeting where "..... everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church"?  From what I've seen of our younger generation, they would be hammering at the doors to get in on that kind of action.  But instead we offer church meetings that trump the priesthood of believers with professional ministry, and banish the vast majority of the saints to the extra-Biblical call of amateur "lay" ministry.  If the kingdom is to be taken in these last days, the saints will need to have their priesthood restored, and released once again into the prophetic and creative ministries of the Holy Spirit, both in America as well as in Bosnia.  Old wineskins simply cannot contain the life of the Kingdom.        

I'm fully aware that these thoughts might sound radical within the context of the established church.  But I'm equally convinced that they are normal in a Biblical sense.  May God guard me against error, and bless me with friends who will point the way more clearly. 

Saturday, March 13, 2004:   I returned to Sarajevo this past Monday, and have enjoyed a full week of adjustments, opportunities, and catching up with friends.  Things have changed so much in Sarajevo over the past six months that I'm needing to investigate new directions for ministry and focus here in the Balkans.   The refugee ministry has shrunk to only three: Zaphir, a medical doctor from Pakistan; Nurodine, from Algeria; and David.  At the same time the church is growing under the able leadership of Slavko, and already is beginning to fill our new building.    

Already I've had some challenging conversations about beliefs.  As in the US, the concept of truth is becoming more and more relative here in Bosnia, stripping away it's authority to bring wholness and blessing into the culture.   Many Bosnians buy into the demonic idea that whatever a person believes is valid.  "Communism, Islam, Christianity...... it really doesn't matter what you believe, so long as you're sincere."  But a tree is known by it's fruit, and any discerning person can easily see that what we believe does make a huge difference.  Integrity, hope, human rights, democracy, prosperity and technology are the natural fruit of Christianity while other systems inherently produce suspicion, oppression, poverty, backwardness, and corruption.  I believe this truth is the "yeast" of the Gospel that spreads throughout a culture and changes everything.

Wednesday morning I jumped back on board with home schooling with David.  He's more motivated than ever to learn, and his English vocabulary and reading skills will soon be on a par with American students.  While I was away he started reading I Kissed Dating Goodbye by Joshua Harris.  And now he's working his way through Kay Arthur's God, Are you There?  (A study of the Gospel of John.)  He's got so much energy for study.  If I don't suggest a break, he's perfectly willing to hang over the books for hours on end.  Not so his teacher!         

Thursday, March 4, 2004:  My heart is full with many things to write about. But today I'll just stick with news.  Hallelujah! I've essentially finished my CD.  It's all recorded, and I'm just going over it for glitches and fine tuning.  This project has turned out a bit differently from my others.  It's more orchestrial, more original, and doesn't have as many familiar tunes.  So I'm a little nervous about how it'll be received.  My goal is to have it in the hands of the production company by the weekend, and ready for distribution within a month.  Thanks to many of you who have been praying for me in this.  Please don't stop!!  When I have a chance to figure out how to do such things, I'll try to put two or three of the songs here on the website so people can listen and see what they think. 

My time in the States is just about up, and I'm preparing to return to Sarajevo on Sunday.  Between natural culture shock, and the fact that the ministry there will be changing so drastically, I expect a whole new adventure when I arrive.  

Many of you have prayed for my young Iranian friend, David, to find a home and a family.  This past week God opened the doors for him to immigrate to the US, and to live with his new adoptive family in Central PA.  At times this possibility has looked totally out of the question, but the Father has heard our prayers, and opened doors that no one else could open.  Let's praise God for His faithfulness.  David is, of course, ectatic.  I hope that many of you will one day have the opportunity to meet him and be blessed by his life and testimony.

With only three and a half days left on American soil, it's time to saddle up the horses and pull up the tent pegs again. 

Tuesday, February 24, 2004:  "However, when the Son of man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"  I was shocked recently to find myself in a lively debate with a Christian friend who claims that "since we know everything will just keep getting darker until Jesus comes, there's really nothing we can do to change history." At best, we can witness to our neighbors and save a few from the fire.  With reasoning like that, it's no wonder the American church is pickling in passivity.

How different western civilization would have looked if Luther, Calvin, and Carey, Whitfield, Wilberforce, and the Wesleys had consigned the world to the trash heap of time.  These men, rather, built nations, eliminated slave trade, outlawed child labor, framed civil government, educated the illiterate, championed reform, and led empires out of darkness.  With such a history, is it really sane to believe the Biblical triumph of the church. (and the Gospel of the kingdom), will ultimately amount to nothing more than a last minute Savior rescuing his people from a sinking Titanic?

Fatalism, the pouting child of Islam, has no place in the kingdom of God.  Redeemed man is a history-maker with a commission to exercise dominion over the earth, and to fill it with God's glory.  Our message is a mustard seed of hope that will spread it's branches over the whole garden of creation.  It is a vision of an earth "filled with the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea."  (Isaiah 11:9)  This is the destiny of the church.

Thursday, February 12, 2004:  This week's highlight has been teaching in the history and government classes at King's Academy.  It's been a delight to my spirit to be in a classroom setting that doesn't merely tack Jesus onto the end of a public school curriculum.  Here are students who are beginning to use their Christian minds to think about issues of justice, government, history, and economics, and to evaluate all of life from a Biblical perspective.  

One quick testimony:  My webpage has been short of new photos lately because my digital camera has been on it's last leg.  For the favor of one small picture, it has to be endlessly nursed and coaxed along like a baby.  Normally I'd just save up the money for a new one, but saving has been difficult the past year. So I prayed on my way into town this past Tuesday morning, and asked the Father about a replacement. Three hours later a friend handed me a check for a new camera.  God is so good and faithful to meet our needs.

I'm reading another book on Islam, Secrets of the Koran, by Don Richardson.  The more I read the Koran, and study about it, the more alarmed I am at the teachings it extols.  It's quite terrifying in it's promotion of violence and fear.  Yet at the same time, my love for Muslim people grows.  Under Koranic teaching, these dear people, (1.2 billion of them), have no freedom to investigate, or even question the claims of the book. To do so incurrs the wrath of Allah, and the assurance of eternal punishment in hell.  Please check out the comparison I've posted between Jesus and Muhammad, and pray for our dear friends who are held in darkness to this brutal religion.    

Wednesday, February 4, 2004:  Just a little newsy update today.  I just drained the last drop of my creative energy rewriting my teaching notes on the Kingdom and the Glory.  So if you feel more like content than news, you can check them out here. 

It's been a full week.  On top of seeing lots of old friends here in Florence, I've been leading worship, doing concerts, and teaching in various settings ranging from homegroups to church services, men's meetings, and a weekend retreat at Myrtle Beach, where God's presence was powerfully evident. Tonight I have a concert in Darlington, a Senior-high chapel service tomorrow, and will lead worship in church on Sunday.  It's been a joy to have so many opportunities to share with the believers here in the area.  My friend, Mauricio, blew into town over the weekend, and life is always a little more adventerous when he's around.  So I'm not lacking for challenge and adventure.  

Without a lot of fuss, the Lord is beginning to bring in the finances I'm desperately needing to return to Sarajevo.  And He also blessed me with the opportunity to try my hand at playing bagpipes on Saturday.  It felt like trying to blow up a flat tire.  But I was able to produce a few toots and fulfill a little dream I've had over the years.  I believe I'll stick with the Irish Whistle and leave the bagpipes to better men.  

Monday, January 26, 2004:  In order to see the Kingdom of God, we first need to learn how to love the things that God loves.  Because the Kingdom encompasses everything that the Father loves, the two go together like peas and carrots.  We American Christians don't seem to be getting very good marks in that department.  To love religious things is a no-brainer, but our failure to love natural beauty, justice, art, design, community, order, truth, and great literature, has obscured our vision of God's Kingdom.  We expect to see Him in the church Easter Cantata, but seldom look for him in marching bands, coffeeshops, galleries, courtrooms, or the morning newspaper. 

I met Jesus in an unexpected place Thursday night on my way home from town.  With a sudden craving for Mexican food, I found myself standing at the Taco Belle counter behind a skinny kid with long dreadlocks.  I spoke from behind, and he turned around with an unexpected friendly response.  Within seconds it became clear that Lee was a believer.  Granted, he looked like anything but a Bible-Belt Christian, but his passion for Jesus quickly overshadowed his matted hair.  One topic led to another, and soon he invited me back to his place to meet his roommates.  "They're insane," he said, speaking of their spiritual passion.  And his description was no disappointment.  At a Bible Study two days later I was privileged to return and meet a dozen more young people intoxicated with Jesus.  The worship was wild and unruly.  But the Holy Spirit didn't seem to mind.  They prophsied, and testified of healing and deliverance from smoking, asthema, and bipolar disorder.  Then they paired off to pray for each other.  "Don't tell each other your prayer concerns," their young leader instructed, "but let the Holy Spirit lead you in your praying."  Cameron, the thirteen year old sitting next to me had a "word" from the Lord.  "When the veil in the temple was torn," he said, "the presence of God poured out, filling the entire world with Himself."  (Compare that with my update from January 21st!)   

It would have been so easy to have missed that encounter altogether.  My over-50 eyes don't focus like they used to.  It was late, and I was both tired and hungry.  But there in Taco Belle the Father once again shattered my religious notions with His annoying habit of showing up in unexpected people and places. It's all so much bigger than we ever imagined.   

Wednesday, January 21, 2004:  God spoke to me on the drive to South Carolina this past Saturday: "If, when you become a Christian, your world does not expand into limitless horizons, if it instead becomes smaller and more constricted, then you have not found the Kingdom, but only religion."  Admittedly, I'm a slow learner.  But when I finally get the point, I hold onto it like bulldog with a bone.  It took me years to finally comprehend the idea that the all truth, all beauty, all things noble, and orderly, and refreshing, come from the Father.  The enemy simply can't invent such wonders because he hasn't the tools.  And here's the troubling root that kept tripping me up and throwing me to the ground:  God often works through even unbelievers to produce his glory.  In the public realm it matters not whether some composer, some author, or some artist, was a believer or not.  What matters is whether the composition brings glory to God.  "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-- think about such things. (Phil. 4:8)  

We American Christians, (since I really don't think I'm alone in this), have written off a good deal of God's glory simply because it wasn't explicit enough.  When I chose to follow Jesus three decades ago, my world suddenly shrunk.  Beautiful music, political causes, and nature itself was at once demoted to the basement of "unspiritual" things, while the church and anything that happened in the church building stepped onto center stage.   Only "Christian" music mattered, and "Christian" books, and "Christian" causes, and "Christian" organizations.  And if I really wanted to do something "spiritual," then "full-time ministry" was the route to take.  What a small, parochial universe I inherited; a world of untouchable, unimportant, unspiritual things.  Perhaps it was right, or even prudent for a young believer to refocus for awhile, but somewhere along the line we need to be reminded that  "The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it."  (Psalm 24:1) 

The good news is that now, in my middle years, I've rediscovered glory in corridors that were once "off limits."  His is a kingdom that lays claim not only to the church, but to every realm of life, from schools, to art galleries, to courtrooms and marketplaces.  When the Son of God died on the cross, he redeemed it all, and claimed it all for his own.  This is the kingdom, and it has no boundaries.

Wednesday, January 14, 2003:  Lies are deadly.  They kill everything they touch.  Until I moved to Bosnia I had no clue how powerfully the opposing forces of truth and deception play upon the stage of history.  Until that time, any foray into the idea of truth was boxed into my ideas of "telling the truth" (and "shaming the devil!") on a personal level.  But in the past five years my world has been rocked by the implications of truth on a cultural level.  The Bosnian war was a product of cultural deception in much the same way the Nazi movement was fueled by the grand deception of a "master race."  In Sarajevo it's common to hear monstrous lies that can upset the psyche of a whole nation: "The US started the Bosnian war in order to gain a foothold in the Balkans."  "The Jews were behind the bombing of the World Trade Center."  "The US purposely engineered the AIDS virus as a way to dominate Africa."  "The Jewish holocaust never happened; It was a huge publicity stunt to gain the world's sympathy for a Jewish homeland."  These, and similar lies fuel a growing hatred towards America not only in the Middle East, but even within the "enlightened" population of the European Union.

The world has no monopoly on deception.  It controls the church as well, keeping us in ignorance and passivity against the encroaching darkness of the enemy.  "Demons are nothing more than a myth, a hangover from the past."  "There's no such thing as spiritual warfare. Our evils are simply a matter of psychology, ignorance, and politics."  "The kingdom of God is for another time, another place." And so we retreat from the cultural war, embrace a quiet fatalism, and live for the moment of Jesus' return.  

But to "Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth" involves far more than a simple commitment tell the truth.  It means taking the time to investigate, to question, to reason, and to arrive at God's truth in every area of life from foreign policy to children's ministry, from Hollywood to Jerusalem.  Only then will we be able to offer our neighbors a rational defense for the hope that lies within us.  It's time that we, the American church,  swore-off ignorance, and educated ourselves for the glory of God and the sake of His kingdom.  Otherwise, the darkness will just keep on advancing.

Wednesday, January 7, 2004:  I'm still not clear about the purpose of this time in the states. I keep waking up in the morning and asking myself, "What are you doing, for heaven's sake?"  I'm trying to invest my time wisely in cultivating relationships, doing things for my Mom, communicating with friends, and studying.  But still, it feels too often like I'm sitting on a shelf while time marches relentlessly towards the expiration date.

Little things: This morning when I read the parable of the sower, I put myself in the atypical position of the one doing the planting rather than the more orthodox role of the soil.  God encouraged to press on planting what may seem to be insignificant kingdom seeds regardless of the soil in front of me.  My responsibility is to plant.  God's work is to make the seed grow.  (1 Cor. 3:6)  

I'm thinking we may underestimate our lives.  When Jesus takes up residence within, he brings life and promise to every act.  Nothing is left outside in the chill of "secular" activity.  It's all infused with grace.  Sister Mary Webster used to say, "God uses you the most when you know it the least."  I do hope this is true because my eyes sometimes become weary of looking towards the horizon for results.               

This Friday and Saturday I've been given an opportunity to share the Kingdom with a home group, and another group of United Methodist men.   Please pray that the Father will allow the seeds to fall on good soil.

Monday, December 29, 2004:  Stories are the language of the kingdom.  It was through the art of storytelling that Jesus taught his disciples that "The kingdom of God is like a pearl of great price", or "like a man who went away on a journey", or.... "like a sower who went to sow...."  And God is still speaking to us about the kingdom in the form of stories.  

I find it curious that in an age when the church has so neglected the kingdom story, the Father has raised up none other than a Hollywood filmmaker to remind us of God's plan.  Seeing the Return of the King last week was a spiritual experience for me as I watched vital Kingdom truths unwrapped before me on the silver screen.  It was a banquet of rich, neglected Biblical images articulated in technicolor and sound: The cosmic battle that rages between good and evil; The controlling power of the enemy through lies and deception; The crucial role each person plays in the story; And the life-and-death importance of unity among the troops.  

One of the greatest obstacles encountered by the king, (Aragorn), was reluctance of the the people to enter the battle.  Even in the milieu of "open warfare" the men of earth had to be persuaded that the days of "business as usual" were passed, and the battle of the ages was upon them.  I thought of our churches meeting week after week in our private little enclaves, while we wait passively for the King to arrive and "take us home."  How different from the message Jesus taught: the rule of God who's government would know no end, and who's glory would fill the earth. 

I'm convinced that the great stories that move our hearts to nobility or tears do so because they remind us of the story the Father has written into our hearts.  And we do well to ask the Holy Spirit to teach us as we see and hear these great stories retold.  Each of us is called to be a Frodo, or a "Samwise the Brave", or a Gimli in the great cause of the kingdom.  And until we take our role in the story, our lives will drift aimlessly through the shadowlands of middle earth. 

Tuesday, December 23, 2003:  Last week I had the privilege of teaching in the Las Vegas Discipleship Training School.  (See the photo below).  My topic, Biblical Worldview and the Kingdom of God always excites me, and there's nothing that thrills me more than helping young believers to grasp hold of the kingdom.  As always, I was fed by the youthful zeal of the students.  Unquestionably, they're a different breed, a new generation in grooming, fashion, and values. But I'm convinced that a healthy portion of their uniqueness is a gift from God for "such a time as this."  It will take nothing less than radical, extreme believers to carry off this next move of God in the nations, and these young people fit the bill in every way. 

Today I'll have two meals, first with the MRN church-plant team, and then later with the refugee ministry.  In both cases we have plenty of blessings to remember and tons of reasons to be thankful.  For the past several decades it's been my Thanksgiving custom to get alone with God sometime during the day, and to begin listing the blessings and joys of the previous year.  It's an exercise that seems to expand the longer I stick with it, and at some point I just have to cut off and say, "That's enough for now."  But always near the top of my list is a note of profound appreciation to the Lord for the relationships He's given me, and for the many of you who are reading this entry.   Thank you for your companionship and faithfulness to me over the years. I can't even imagine the poverty of trying to complete this journey without you and your friendship.  As far as I know, the only earthly things any of us will be permitted to carry into eternity are these precious relationships, and whatever good works may survive the flames of God's testing. 

Saturday, November 22, 2003:  Wednesday afternoon we said our goodbyes to Peter and Mohamad with bittersweet hearts and emotions.  I think all of us  felt like this was the timing of God for them to move on.  Yet we'll miss them so on a personal basis, not to mention their witness to the people of Bosnia.  Before they left, we convered them in much prayer, as well as scriptures and words of encouragement by the Spirit.  Today they called to report that they've safely arrived in a across the border.   I'm wishing I could have a peek at the scene when Mohamad finally reunites with his wife and daughter after four years of "exile" and becoming a new person along the way.  (His wife is already a believer).     

David returned from his week of Bible school yesterday.  Predictably, he made it a learning adventure and stole the hearts of students and teachers alike.  Today he came by to tell me some of the things he learned, including memory verses and new vocabulary words like "synoptic."  "John's gospel is about the glory of God, and Jesus being God's Son.  Mr Don, it uses the word 'believe' over one hundred times!!"   But now that he's back in Sarajevo, he's having to face the loneliness of not having his Iranian brothers around.   

Aldin, (from the neighborhood, not yet a believer), has decided to read the Bible each time he comes to visit, which is pretty much every day.  This was something he decided to do on his after one of our many talks.  I'm so excited to see the way God is courting him.  My whole Saturday has been spent working on my CD; Almost twelve hours of rooting out mistakes and tweaking glitches.  Talk about monotony.  Thankfully, several friends dropped by at convenient intervals just long enough to give me a good break from the tedium.       

Sunday, November 16, 2003:  Already Peter has tried to leave Bosnia eight times.  And each time he's been caught and deported back to Sarajevo.  But this time it seems different.  He plans to leave in a few days along with Mohammad, who, after four years of separation from his family just can't wait any longer on the bureacracy of resettlement.  These two guys are both spiritual giants who have soaked up the scriptures like a desert rain.  Peter has been known at times to study his Bible at a twelve hour stretch. 

After Church this morning, he dropped by my apartment to ask all the Bible questions that he never got around to asking over the past three years.  There he plopped on the floor with a notepad in one hand and his Bible in the other.  Peter's certain God wants to use him wherever he goes, and he wants to have all the answers ready.  "You know, Mr Don," he said, "For twenty four years Islam taught me nothing.  I knew the whole Koran.  But Christianity ..... WOW! I have learned so much.  It's taught me how to live, and how to love my neighbor."  After grilling me for some time, we had lunch together, played some music, and then prayed for his future and his trip.  I felt like God gave me Jeremiah 1:5-8 for him: "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations....... Do not say, 'I am only a child.' You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you," declares the LORD."  When we finished, he was quietly crying.  "You know," he haltingly volunteered, "my Christian friends here have become my family.  I'm closer to you than I am to my own family."            

So things are changing again.  Even our remnant is on the way out the door.  David is off to the Mostar Bible School tomorrow for a week of classes on the Gospel of John, which means (home) school is canceled this week.  Maybe I'll be able to get caught up on writing and putting the finishing touches on my CD project.  God is so good. 

Saturday, November 8, 2003:   It's true, the Kingdom has become an obsession with me.  I'm surely driving more than a few of my friends crazy with my constant rantings about the kingdom of God.  But I feel like I'm making up for the lost voice of the church.  The reflections of our glorious King are shimmering all around us, and we believers must not only cherish the Glory, but to understand King Jesus' grand intention for the consummation of human history.  

All of these headlines that push our hearts daily towards hopelessness and fear have profound Kingdom implications.  And if ever in the course of history the church was being called to action, it is now.  This mess is far bigger than the United States or even the United Nations can imagine.  This is a struggle of cosmic proportions, and only Kingdom answers will suffice.  Leading people to Jesus is a great beginning.  But it is only the beginning of our task.  (Actually the beginning of our task is prayer.)  But as we've seen in our own nation, simply having eighty million (!!!) born-again believers isn't enough to stem the tide of darkness.  We must understand the times, the spiritual warfare, the issues at stake, and God's vision for the nations.  We must raise the "banners" of the Kingdom all around us in every sphere of culture and society.  It never was the Father's intention that we believers would simply "hang on" until He returns.  His intention - indeed His passion -  is that we occupy the land with His truth, His virtue, His justice, and His compassion until he comes to take possession of the nations. 

Jesus commanded us to make disicples of all "nations," not simply of all "people."  The American church, (which I love), has made the near fatal mistake of haphazardly discipling people, while leaving our nation to be discipled by Madonna, Opra, arrogant circuit court judges, CBS, and intellectual elitists.  It's time we regained our Christian mind and our reformer's voice, before it's too late. 

Here in Sarajevo, the work goes on.  We're pushing forward step by faltering step, to build believers who in turn know how to build nations.  It's the only way out of this darkness.

Monday, November 3, 2003:  The early Celtic Christians (after Patrick, Brendan, and Columbo in the 7th century), often referred to the life of the Spirit as the "flight of the wild goose."  Perhaps this Spirit-adventure is even at the root of our English idiom, "a wild goose chase."  At any rate, I am understanding more and more the exhilaration of the pursuit.  Everywhere I turn I'm confronted with the Kingdom of God, and it has led me down countless byways and alleys that I never expected to explore. 

It's become clear to me that we can never fully grasp the Kingdom of God without at the same time understanding history, literature, geography, arts, and sciences.  All of it comprises the kingdom, and every cranny of the Father's creation provides delightful territory to examine and explore.  I wonder how we Believers have managed to stay awake during so many endless messages about sin-management and dry theology when all along the wild goose pursuit of the Kingdom has been calling us into the thermals of flight?  "....they will mount up with wings as eagles."   (Isaiah 40:31)  And my spirit answers YES!  

Our little study group, (none of which are Believers at this point), has kept me on my tip-toes these past few weeks.  They want to talk about Beauty, and the problem of evil, and how we can know if the Bible is reliable.  These students are pursuing degrees in Law, and Literature, and Physics, and they're interested in nearly everything.  The great news that I'm discovering more and more each day is that the Father is interested in everything as well.   And every subject in God's creation points back to the character and nature of the Creator Himself.  The kingdom encompasses all of human life, and it furnishes us with a firm foundation for all study and academics.  

For quite some time, now, I've felt a need to be writing more about these things. So stay tuned for more thoughts on the unshakable kingdom.

Tuesday, October 21, 2003:  Another week gone, and already I need to update again.  Even though this sometimes feels like a chore, it's been a great discipline for me to wrap words around my everyday feelings and experiences here in Sarajevo.

The idea that Allah is a God who punishes sin is a well-established doctrine of Islam.  And it's a concept that needs to be replaced when a Muslim comes to Christ.  For the Christian, our punishment is past, taken for us by our older brother Jesus when he hung on the cross.  But it is true that our Father disciplines us for our good.  And there is a vast difference.  Punishment suggests "paying" for our sin, while discipline is designed to teach and instruct us.  At Bible study last Thursday, Peter asked if we thought maybe God was punishing him by keeping him here in Bosnia.  (He's tried to leave the country on eight separate occasions, and has been caught or otherwise turned back each time).  "No!"  David shot back. "He's keeping us here to teach us and to adopt us!"  I laughed aloud to hear the life and passion underlying his young response.  No more whining for this kid.  He's embracing it all as discipline as his thinking passes from darkness into light.

Former Bosnian President, Alija Izetbegovic died this past suddenly this past Sunday.  I haven't read a word about in Fox, CNN, or ABC.  But it's a huge thing for this country.  This man who spent eight years of his life in prison for political dissent, and then steered the Bosnian people through the war is probably the country's greatest hero.  For the past two days all the music in the city has been silenced, as the people have mourned their leader.  Tomorrow the city will shut down for his massive funeral.    

Tuesday, October 14, 2003:  We're studying prayer with our little group of exile disciples.  Today we had six Iranians and one Algerian, and it was an especially productive time together.  I'm convinced the Father must have these men on some kind of "crash course" of discipleship.  No kidding, they know more of the Lord after a year or two than I knew after walking with Him for a decade.  

This past Sunday morning I had somewhat of a revelation as we worshipped together.  I suddenly knew, deep in my spirit, that it was no unfortunate set of circumstances that brought these men to Sarajevo.  They were chosen and brought to this place by the sovereign hand of God, so that they might be introduced to Jesus and sent back into the world with the Gospel.  This may be the most important assignment of my life, to pass on to them in a few short months what it's taken me thirty years to learn along the way.          

Wednesday, October 8, 2003: Yesterday I sat comfortably in an open air coffee bar.  Today it snowed from morning until evening.  So perhaps last week's entry about the seasons was better timed than I even thought. 

A thousand years ago Bosnia was populated by a gentle evangelical sect known as the "Bogomils."  Although their doctrine lacked some of the clarity characterizing our present day church, their lives were marked by gentleness, humility, and service.  They met in simple barn-like structures, sang hymns and read from the new Testament.  They ministered to the sick, helped the poor, baptized adults who professed their faith in Christ, and resisted violence.  The few things we know about these people today have been passed down to us by their enemies in the Roman Church.  Were it not for the presence of thousands of their automobile-sized marble tombstones littering the Bosnian countryside, it's as if they never existed.

The problem with the Bogomils was that they refused loyalty to the church of Rome.  And Rome wanted the Balkans.  So in crusade after crusade the believers were gradually wiped out in the eleventh and twelfth centuries.  The last remaining Bogomils fled to the Turks for protection, who in turn delivered the final death-blow, slaughtering their adults and carrying away their young men to be raised as Muslims in the Jannisary army of the Ottoman Empire.  

I share this bit of history to illustrate how deeply the roots of darkness and betrayal permeate the soil of Bosnia.  For almost a thousand years the Balkans have been cursed with warfare, treachery, and bloodshed, finding it's genesis, I believe, in the original tragedy of the Bogomil genocide.  And it's only been in the past decade that the Evangelical church has again taken root in Bosnian soil.  A thousand years of darkness cannot be broken overnight, and as present day believers take a stand for righteousness, we incur the wrath of hell upon us.  Bombs haven't fallen on Bosnia since 1995, but in the invisible realm of the spirit, this is a country still very much at war.   Please stand with us as we reclaim this land for the Kingdom of God.      

Wednesday, October 1, 2003:  I hope my friends who read these updates will adopt the habit of praying for me when too much time passes between entries.  Most often the silence indicates excessive routine, writer's block, or dryness of spirit.  This most recent silence has been a combination of factors that add up to not having much to say.  

It feels as if the nippy fall air has brought with it a corresponding chill in my spirit.  So my natural response has been to "bundle up" in studies, solitude, and prayer.   During my four years in Hawaii I missed the seasons like old friends.  Perpetual springtime at some point began to feel unnatural and monotonous.  My signposts were gone, and Christmases blurred into summer holidays like cream in my morning coffee.  But now that I'm back in the temporate zone, I've got to learn to live with the seasons again, God's natural liturgy of life, death, and resurrection.  I'm resting in the certainty that these times are as normal as nature, and that the work of the Spirit goes on unseen even when we're not experiencing profound revelations and bumper crops to harvest.

Saturday, September 20, 2003:  It's been a quiet week in Sarajevo.  This time of the year normally allows a natural break, and an opportunity to catch our breath.  Several years ago I would have said something like, "I haven't felt much like a missionary this week...." but I'm still learning that being a missionary involves a lot more than just speaking to people about Jesus. 

I've been spending more informal time, mentoring, doing personal study, catching up with Email, (which is easily the secondary vocation of most missionaries I know), and language learning.  Three afternoons per week I'm "home schooling" David, working on English and Italian, (I don't speak Italian. I'm just helping him to learn it.), reading, science, geography, history, music, Bible, and philosophy.  He's an eager student and soaks up everthing I throw at him.  The other four remaining Iranians are working through a Study of the Holy Spirit.  Goodness... what discussions we've had!  These brothers don't carry any of the theological baggage we often see in America, so their simple faith is opening them wide to the spiritual life.  The latest news from our other refugee friends has all been good.  The two families, along with Alibaba have all safely entered Europe, and are getting settled in community, school, etc. 

Tomorrow our little Bosnian church will celebrate it's five year anniversary.  We've made a lot of mistakes along the way, but in spite of our fumbles God has managed to establish a strong beginning.  We recently called a young Bosnian pastor, Slavco, who has quite a gift of preaching, and a real heart for the people.  So this naturally frees up our missionary team to focus on new horizons.  If it stays this quiet, I may even try to slip out of town for a little vacation.   

Saturday, September 13, 2003:  This past week I went with my friends Bob and Eileen Pressler to Zagreb to see Alibabba, who was being released from jail after a one year sentence for illegal entrance into the country.   Ali had been an officer in the Iranian army when he fell out of favor with the government.  After a time of imprisonment and torture, he fled to Bosnia and was introduced to Jesus along with a number of other refugees.  And then last year when he (illegally) fled Bosnia, he was picked up by the Croatian police and sentenced to yet another year in jail.  We were able to meet him when he came out of the prison, and to take him to his new temporary home in a nearby "open" refugee camp. 

My thrill was to see how this gentle and dignified man has grown in his faith during the past year in prison.  He's invested his time not only in studying God's Word, but in sharing his witness with others along the way.  And in the process, six other inmates have been baptized into the faith through Ali's in-house prison ministry.  As he departed the camp his friends affectionately gathered by the fence to send him off with honor and best wishes.

But his journey isn't yet over.  He'll have to continue on his way until he can find a country that will accept him as an immigrant.   Alibaba reminds me of that army of saints in Hebrews 11 who "braved abuse and whips and dungeons... wandering the earth, homeless, friendless, powerless.... making their way as best they could on the cruel edges of the world."  The writer of Hebrews goes on to say the world is not "worthy" of these people.  And I tend to agree.  Please pray for our dear refugee friends who remain homeless in a hostile world.          

Sunday, September 7, 2003:  I'm embarrassed it's been a full two weeks since my last update.  But I'm finally back in Sarajevo after missing my first flight out of DC, losing a portion of the reissued ticket, missing the rebooked flight, and then having to pay for both a hotel as well as yet another reissued ticket.  Talk about a test !  

Arriving a day late I discovered my Bosnian friends had been busy scouting out new apartments.  My old place had neither a kitchen nor a dining table, and was so small that entertaining more than three or four friends at a time could be problematic.  So my "ministry" this week has amounted to more or less checking out housing leads until I eventually discovered a tastefully furnished place with hardwood floors, twice the space, a full kitchen, and two balconies and a substantially lower rent!  God is so generous.   The neighborhood guys rose to the occasion, and within twenty four hours I was moved out of the old place and into my new flat.  I'm only a five minute walk up the street from my old address, so the young people are still within easy visiting range.  This afternoon I felt incredibly blessed by the new experience of having lunch with Alen and Dzenan around a table in my new home. 

But alas, my body is dead tired from the move, and still functioning on East Coast time.  So for the next couple of days I intend to stay low for some rest and recuperation.  Maybe I'll even do some cooking! 

Monday, August 25, 2003:  The Greeks used the story of Pandora's box to explain the presence of suffering in the world.  When the unsuspecting Pandora, (the Biblical equivalent of Eve), slipped the cover off the box, out poured every imaginable plague and trouble.  She quickly replaced the lid only to seal the last remaining entity, Hope , back inside the box.  It's only a myth, but the illustration powerfully describes the Bosnian situation that released destruction, genocide, and every manner of evil upon the culture, as it banished both its song and its hope.  

But here in America it's different.  Even in the midst of a war on terrorism, North Korean threats, wildfires, blackouts, judicial outrages, and ecclesiastical insanities, we push ahead with promise and hope because most of us still have hearts rooted in the Gospel story: Sin's power is broken, Christ has triumphed, and history is headed towards a new heaven and a new earth. 

But even so, I'm worried about an American church who seems to have all but given up its role as a guardian of truth, shaper of society, and conscience to the culture.  We're a people who are practiced at wringing our hands and cursing the darkness, but we've forgotten how to make an informed defense for Biblical truth. With each visit home I witness a nation that has relinquished yet another piece of its godly foundations.  (I'm quite confident the US Supreme Court as well as the American Episcopal church - by their latest actions - have proven once again to millions of unreached Muslims that we've lost our way).  My great fear is that one day I'll return to an America that's no longer different from Bosnia, where every trace of God has been expunged from its courtrooms, its universities, its government and institutions.  And then our hope will be locked back up in Pandora's box until some later generation of Christians rediscovers the courage to stand up for Biblical truth. 

Tuesday, August 12, 2003:   I've never enjoyed flying, but since there's no way around it I've just decided to silently suffer cramped seats, bumpy air pockets, and stuffy airports.  But Saturday's flight held a special surprise for me.

After a two hour delay in Zagreb airport, (which is neither air-conditioned, nor non-smoking), we boarded the relative comfort of the flight, sat patiently through the safety instructions, and buckled up for take off.  For me, there's always a few edgy minutes of wondering if the plane will gather enough speed to lift off  the ground, followed by the psychological release of becoming airborne.  There we were at that precise moment, when the pilot suddenly slammed on the bakes and began fighting the plane to a gradual lurching halt.  A bird had flew into one of the engines, (or so they said), and if the creature had been about twenty seconds later, we would have been in big trouble.   

So back we went into the smoker's concourse to begin the patient process of rerouting 160 passengers to their destinations.  Obviously, I made it home with an additional carry-on of a grateful heart for God's protection.  The last time I felt such a strong conviction of my life being spared was as a senior High School when I was struck by a car and spared from an oncoming school bus.  That was the conscious beginning of the path that eventually led me to Jesus.  This time I simply feel a fresh urgency to seize the day, and to make my life count for the Kingdom.  Home looks really good this time around.

Friday, August 8, 2003:  Social capitol is one of the distinguishing marks of a healthy culture. It's the ability of people to trust one another and to work together voluntarily for the good of the community.  Frenchman Alexis de Tocquville was so impressed by the social capitol of the American people in the mid 1800's that he wrote in Democracy in America, "I do not know of ten men in all of France who would do what ordinary Americans do as a matter of course ."  This mentality is a direct product of the Protestant Reformation and America's Great Awakening of the nineteenth century.  It's a mindset of Biblical "Kingdom thinking" that's tragically absent from Bosnian culture.  Communism in Yugoslavia bred suspicion, and the recent war that pitted neighbor against neighbor finished off whatever was left. 

So the theme of this year's church retreat was "Thirty ways to love one another."  With a wonderful mix of Croatians, Bosnians, Serbians, Americans, and Roma, it was a powerful exercise in building trust and learning to function together as a family.  Thanks to many of you who prayed for our camp!

The news with our Iranian friends is positive.  Another two groups have successfully crossed the border, including Michael's family who had been caught and jailed two weeks ago.  Young David was granted official refugee status this week, enabling him to legally stay in Bosnia and await an official solution for his case.  At the end of the week, we've had so many reasons to praise God and thank him for his faithfulness. 

Monday, August 4, 2003:  It's been an emotional week with Iranian friends coming and going.  Hopes deferred, disappointments, revised plans, saying goodbye all over again...   I can tell you it's murder on the emotions.  So it'll be good to get out of town and spend time with Bosnian friends at our anual church camp.  This year a couple of the young people from my neighborhood are coming along.  So I'm looking forward to the opportunities of sharing with them in a Christian environment.

I met with our young group of  truth-seekers this past Saturday night.  I can see God at work stirring questions and leading our discussions towards His ways.  Just to be among young people who are asking questions about life, truth, and God, continues to be a refreshing experience.  It'll be difficult for me to break away for a three week trip back to the States on Saturday. 

Tuesday, July 29, 2003:  I was awakened at three o'clock this morning by a knock at the door.  Outside stood David and Michael, back from Croatia, weary and in need of a place to sleep.  The authorities were merciful and returned them, (along with the rest of Michael's family), to Bosnia rather than sentencing them to jail terms. God is so good!  Obviously we're all happy to see them again, even though their ordeal is far from over.  They're still homeless, jobless, and illegal in Bosnia.  So once they're rested, they'll almost surely try again to escape.  Farah and family are still "on the way," and as far as we know are safe.   

Sunday, July 27, 2003:  David ran up to me a couple weeks ago, bursting with excitement, "Mr Don!  I played my flute for some Bosnain girls last night, and they started crying!"  It came as no surprise to me.  From the moment I introduced him to the Irish whistle he demonstrated an unusual talent.  And the deep well of pain in his short life would surely provide the emotional depth to pierce hearts and release tears.  Now this seventeen year old is sitting in a Croatian prison having his heart further battered with sadness, disappointment, and fear.  It makes me wonder what amazing things God must be preparing him for in the years ahead.  Just now I rang the prison and was able to speak with him.  He's holding steady. "We had worship this morning," he reported, "and I spoke to them about the faith of the woman who touched Jesus' garment."  "This jail is a very hard place, Mr Don, and when I think that maybe I will have to stay here, I remember what you told me: 'PUSH - pray until something happens.'"  His faith is undoubtedly outstripping mine these days.

In the meantime, Iranian church was very empty this morning.  Of the six who are left, only two plan to be with us next sunday.  Farah and her three children left yesterday, and soon to follow are Ahmad, Angelika, John, Farhat, Zilah, and their family.  Reza, who left on his own a couple of days ago, has been caught and jailed with the others. 

Apart from the ongoing drama of our refugee friends, I've been spending my time this week helping with worship at the Operation Mobilization Love Balkans conference being held here in the city.  Young people from twenty five nations have gathered to pray for the Balkan nations and to give themselves for God's purposes in this part of the world.     

Monday, July 21, 2003: Yesteray was an emotional tsunami.  It was the beginning of the end of the Iranian ministry here in Sarajevo.  In the past few weeks, the UNHCR, (United Nations High Commission on Refudagees), has taken an increasingly difficult posture towards our friends, to the point of threatening police intervention if they won't voluntarily vacate the refugee camp.  Under normal circumstances this might seem more reasonable, but since these people cannot otherwise live in Bosnia, they're forced into the difficult and potentially dangerous move of fleeing the country illegally.  So yesterday after the church service we said our sad goodbyes to the first group of pilgrims, including Sorhab and Zenab their two sons, Michael and Hamid, plus David, who has been very much like a spiritual son to me.  Two more groups will follow in the next few days, leaving only two or three who haven't the money to leave, or.... in the case of Abus and Muhamad, are still waiting, (after three years), to be legally resettled.

Goodbyes are always difficult, but they're excruciating when your friends are simply "leaving" without any clear destination or guarantee of a place to go: Five of them crowded into a taxi with their earthly treasures confined to a  backpack apiece, and an incorrigable hope that there will be a better life on the other end of the journey.   Please pray for these dear people.  And pray for us.  It's not easy having the entire congregation dodging laws that would sentence them to jail time, or deportation to a country where their Christian faith could be a death sentence.  I'm convinced that God brought these sweet people to Bosnia, not only to introduce them to Jesus, but to be a vibrant testimony of hope to the Bosnian people. 

Friday, July 18, 2003:  To all my precious friends who have patiently waited for this update, or perhaps prayed for me, thanks.  Between having a broken computer and a severe case of bronchitis, I've felt quite "out of it" for the past three weeks.  After two trips to the doctor and lots of prayers and loving attention from teammates, friends, and neighbors, I'm beginning to feel better.  And I've found a way to work around the computer problem until I can find the service I need.  God is good . 

The one time I gathered my energy and went out this past week was on Tuesday night when our little band of young people from the coast met for coffee and dialogue.  I'm so encouraged by this group.  They come from a variety of backgrounds, yet their hearts are hungering for truth.  Our conversation ranged from questions about reincarnation to whether or not life has an ultimate purpose and meaning.   It doesn't bother me that these kids haven't figured out the answers yet.  What thrills me is that, unlike so many others, they're asking questions.  Jesus has already promised that whoever truely seeks will find.  (Matt. 7:7)  So I consider our times together almost like holding out some savory dish before a friend in order to awaken his appetite.  Once a person gets a good taste of truth, he won't settle for anything less.