HiS PRINT Ministries Updates

This year’s dance camp stands out in two ways: new dance studio and new dance teacher. The past 3 years were held at an abandoned building with no mirrors and no AC, not the best setting, but God made it work, and Rachel was amazing in leading the camps. This year, we were blessed with a donated dance studio owned and operated by a pair of professional dancers and having Christina lead the group this year because Rachel could not make it. The studio is a huge blessing because it has a large wall of full length mirrors, a wooden dance floor, and an AC unit.  Here is a short testimony from Christina: It’s been amazing to see God’s strength in my weakness teaching dance camp this year. It’s only Tuesday, but we’ve already gotten to speak to the girls about the Gospel! On Monday I taught half of the dance and I forgot to do much of anything else out of nervousness. It was a little intimidating at first to keep asking questions to get the girls to open up because I only knew ...

These past 48 hours have been quite the eye-opening and sometimes most breathtaking hours I've ever taken. God constantly reminded me that He had put together a team that would carry on the love He has intended to be shown with or without me. And for these past 48 hours it has been without me! The team did not miss a beat - each and every event went on without a hitch and I was blessed to witness while only being able to observe and not participate!  I have often wondered in the past whether this ministry would continue if I or other key team members were to step down or be taken out. My question is forever answered! God has placed a team together that believes in what HiS PRINT is all about and believes in sharing His love with the people of Croatia, the Balkans and Eastern Europe. Watching every single part of the team work together from the house duties with Kim and Sharon; to the building duties with Rock; to the Baseball Camp with Ricky, Joe, Herb, Robert, Sebastian and B...

Wow what a 24 hours! Rejoice and be glad in it, right! In what? In this day because it's the day the Lord has made! Even when things around you or things happening to you make you think otherwise! From blessings in having a team of 16 loving on people where they are, to disappointments in delayed flights or missing luggage. To a library "Read to Me" program that saw close to 40 children, to another one that only had 4, they were the ones God had come! To a morning of dance preparation and not knowing who would show, to an afternoon of being able to teach and share with 8 girls excited to learn this year's dance! To personally spending the morning around a table with the team in a beautiful time of worship and prayer, to an afternoon and evening around a bathtub and bed trying to pass kidney stones! What a ride, what a blessing and the entire time I was reminded by His Spirit that this is the day He made, can you rejoice and be glad in it? And then to remind myself to...

Have you ever asked God? You may ask, ask God what? Have you ever just asked God, "Hey God, it's me!" And then just listen. I have talked to a couple of close brothers about exactly that. I call it my HYIFOM! You see when I asked God this or that, I seemed to have really never heard! Then one day recently I just plainly asked God nothing, just asked! Here is what I heard as loud as if someone were shouting to me on a loud speaker: "Hey you idiot, focus on Me! That is all you need!" Well, I'll tell you what, this new approach has brought me to a new understanding of patience and to a deepening relationship with Him! You see, this idiot always stood in the way by asking for his agenda, needs or wants to be met! Hence, crickets were loud and clear and no word from God. Nothing has spoken more loudly than on Saturday while participating in the Sisak Baseball Cup at The NEST! Watching four teams from neighboring cities participating in a Little League to...

I have come to know and understand through my maturing as a Christ follower that the Lord makes everyday, and no matter the circumstances that surround or occur on that day I am still to rejoice and be glad in it! I remember growing up how excited I would be as my birthday approached! My day! The day everyone celebrated my being born and of course the gifts that came along with it! One of the biggest aids in my maturing and realizing this life is not about me, has been the fact that I have celebrated my birthday, June 23rd over here in Croatia, away from my family for the past 10 of the 12 years we have been coming. Don't get me wrong, the mission team and our friends here in Croatia celebrate my birthday in awesome ways, but it's not quite the same without my bride and sons alongside me! However, that has helped me also realize that everyday is my birthday! Everyday is a new day that my Daddy God chose to give me breath in my lungs and and a song in my heart! It's my ch...

For some of you reading the title you remembered back in those Little league days when you shouted at the batter from the field on every pitch! In fact, there are a couple of you who actually voiced those exact words as a smile crept across your face! Maybe even a chuckle or two as you remembered those glory days of playing right field! I can honestly say those were some great memories for me and I am brought back to those days every time I take the field with the Sisak  Storks ! I played high school and college ball, coached college ball for nearly 18 years, ran a Baseball Academy for over 10 - yet nothing compares to the joy I have when I come over here and watch these young ball players put on a glove they just got and their eyes get as big as earth. To watch them take the field on The NEST, one of only 3 baseball fields in the entire country, and although there may be gopher holes the size of Texas and the grass so high the ball can't make it out of the infield, watching their...

Until we get to the place where we realize where we would be and who we were and now whose we are, we can't be truly thankful and devoted to Him! It's the deny of self that has to occur before you can ever pick up the cross and follow Jesus! We still have that pride, that EGO (Easing God Out), that says we've got this! Remember that HE DID IT and that's the only way We Can Do IT!   Monday  was a blessed day of completing work that needed to get done around HiS HOUSE in preparation of the team's arrival in a few days. They will trickle in  starting Wednesday , with the completion of the whole team of 38 getting here on the 30th. The air shipment we had flown over has arrived in Zagreb and prayerfully will clear customs  today  so that we can go pick it up  today ! We had two crates flown here so that we would have them in time for the mission this go around! I also had the chance to meet with Marko, the Vice Mayor of Sisak, to discuss this year's c...

What do you remember from history? How often do you learn from it? I guess there is some history that is worth repeating and others, not so much!   This weekend on Saturday evening , I went back in time, to 1590's and attended a knights festival here in Sisak where the Croatian army defeated the Turks and halted their invasion and march across Europe. It was a marvelous time with Neven and his family and actually saw many there that I knew from our own 12 year history of coming to Sisak to share the gospel.  Sunday morning  and evening was Blessed at Church with several young people several from Library program there. Coach Antonio came and sat with me! There were several Sisak Storks there at church and it is great to have them a part of the baseball club.  Sunday morning  as  I sat outside during my devotions, I could feel and hear the strong wind approaching through the trees several times and it reminded me of the power of the Holy Spirit. T...

I think we forget what Peter walked out onto when he got out of the boat! Oswald Chambers reminded me in my devotion that the waves were high, the wind was strong and the storm was present when he walked! He just didn't see or care to notice them because his focus was solely on Jesus! Peter's sole focus was being with Jesus! Let's walk out life with that kind of focus and keep in mind what caused Peter to sink, he lost that focus! He finishes the devotion in a way that most of us would say is childish or irresponsible: It is only by abandoning that you recognize Him. You will only realize His voice more clearly by recklessness! To be honest, I think that's why we see God all throughout HiS PRINT! We hear Him say "go" or someone comes requesting something we have no idea how to collect, we answer sure and before you know it a trailer full of karate gear shows up or a thousand softballs end up at your doorstep!  I thought the pace would be slower after ...

Boom! Or should I say BAM! Not in the sense of "Bam, drop the mic!" But: Bam, that just hit home in a new and meaningful way!" If you have never ventured into Oswald Chambers, "My Utmost for His Highest," may I suggest you find the time and effort to do so! There are very few days when God doesn't use him to bring a two by four across my noggin or press in on my obedience.  Well, today was no different. I will share a couple of nuggets from the devotion so that I can share the strike with others! The passage of scripture was from John 15:13 and 15. Those verses scream Let’s Do IT, one of our many sayings with H i S PRINT . In a nut shell they say: “No greater love has no man that this, that a man lay down his life for his friends……I have called you friends.” Jesus does not ask you and me to die for Him. No No No; He asks us to lay down our lives for Him. In fact it is easier to die than to lay down your life day in and day out with the sense of hig...

I spent the majority of the last two days showing around the three visitors who came to see what HiS PRINT is all about and then taking them up to the airport for their flights home! Ty Coke, the Pastor from Odessa, left early this morning to head back home.  He really seemed to have enjoyed HiS HOUSE. I told him that he was welcome anytime and he said he would take me up on the offer. Dan Britton, FCA International Director left early afternoon after we had a morning full of history around Sisak and then discussion around what's next and take-aways with how FCA and HiS PRINT can possibly marry moving forward. The possibility of coming alongside one another and possibly do ministry together, like forming HiS SPORTS and growing together! Definitely something to bring before the Lord and discuss with our board!   Later in the evening Michael Johnstone of "Go Send Me Ministries" headed back stateside.  It was a real pleasure having him back at HiS HOUSE and brains...

53 Countries cover the expanse  of the ECSU (European Christian Sports Union) in Europe and 42 of them are represented at this Christian Sports Conference! What a blessing to be there and make new connections and friendships as well as grow deeper in the ones made last year! God is alive and well in Europe and HiS PRINT is just excited and blessed to witness and be a part of this movement! Opportunities to share about equipment and camps opened up more and more doors to share Christ! I think that all 696 football helmets and 396 pair of shoulder pads, not to mention the jerseys, pants and pads, are all already claimed by teams first in Croatia, then Serbia and Bosnia! God has a huge plan for this and I want to thank each of you for allowing us to do IT! Whether through equipment donations, financial and prayer support, you have all made this wonderful ministry possible!  The conference finished up with a terrific worship service Saturday night  and followed by a pra...

This year's Sports Gathering is very dear to me since I was able to invite and sponsor several young men to come with me: Dino from Croatia. We know him through our Football Program in Split. He is headed to South Africa on July 12 to attend sports ministry school and HiS PRINT is helping him with tuition Nedo is from Germany and lives in Croatia and plays for the Split Sea Wolves, the football team we support. He is a young believer and someone I regularly Skype with to go over the Bible and disciple. I asked him to come and join me and he is so excited. I told home HiS PRINT would pay his conference fees. First hotel he has stayed in since he was 9. He's like a kid in a candy store!  Srdan is a President from a football team in Serbia I met many years ago. He is a believer and one I wanted to come and experience the conference. I told him if he could find a way there I would pick up his conference fee. He took the long bus ride to get here and when he came into the fir...

Well, I really don't know where to begin when so much has happened since setting foot on the plane in Houston to start Mission Learning Opportunity 2017  till today  attending the European Christian Sports Union Gathering in Vienna Austria.  The Mission started off with more bumps and potential bruises to try and put out (or at least dampen) the fire God has placed in my soul to reach the people of Eastern Europe and The Balkans! First p lane delays, then rain delays before boarding the plane in Houston caused a six hour delay and resulting in my missing my connection in Frankfurt.  The first delay created another 5 hour delay in getting the next flight to Zagreb Croatia! As I was going through security in Germany I was pulled from the line saying my bag had Gun powder residue. After opening my bag and going through every item they finally determined it was the peppered beef jerky I had! Praise God they didn't keep it for themselves. I landed in Zagreb and ...