2019 Winter Blog 1

Winter 2019 Blog 1 What a flurry of activity it has been for us at HiS PRINT. I know all of us have that feeling coming off Thanksgiving and entering into the Christmas season and all that is going on with Christmas parties, family activities and the rush of season can just about plow us over and wrap us up as tight as one of those packages you have under the tree. I might have just added to that flurry, when you realize you don’t have any of those gifts wrapped yet; in fact, you still haven’t ventured out to shop, because of all that you have going on. Enough said?  Well, let’s all take that deep breath, stop long enough to be thankful for what you have been given, reflect back to see all the blessings you have received and be excited, knowing our God sent the best package thousands of years ago! That gift is Immanuel “God With Us" Matthew 1:23.  In Matthew 1:22, Joseph was told to call Him Jesus “God Saves”. What a beautiful package wrapped up in the gift of Jesus, who is with us and saves us!  So I just briefly want to reflect back to 9 years ago and tie it to what happened 9 or so days ago.

The Nest In 2010, HiS PRINT was blessed with the opportunity to help the Sisak Storks make their dream come true and have a genuine baseball field built that they could call home. We call it The NEST-Home of the Sisak Storks. We call it a Field of Weeds….to Dreams…..to FAITH!

Started as a Field of Weeds

They prayed for their Field of Dreams

And today we use it as a Field of Faith

In fact, everyone who enters onto the field from the locker room is reminded of that fact and that it is His Field to be used for His glory!

His Cafe That whole Field of Weeds….to Dreams….to Faith concept reminded me of what has happened at HiS HOUSE in Sisak with the Café that is now there being used for His glory. What was once a dirty, filthy room that was built for completely different reasons (an auto mechanic's garage), because of a dream, today is being used in a whole new direction.  Room of Storage….to Webs…..to FELLOWSHIP!

Room of Storage

Room of Webs

Room of FELLOWSHIP!

Thanksgiving at His Cafe This past Thanksgiving, Stefan, Arie and Janko hosted a Thanksgiving feast at HiS HOUSE in the new café. They had over 50 people come and join them to celebrate an American Holiday, and to gather in thanks for friendships that were developed through their association with HiS PRINT. One of those in attendance called me afterwards and said that it felt like a family meal at home. There is no other place in town (other than a restaurant or hotel banquet hall) where could you gather that many people together and yet have it feel like home!

Thanksgiving decorations at His Cafe

Lastly, we have been blessed yet again with the development of a connection to the US Embassy through the US Ambassador to Croatia, Robert Kohorst. This past spring he was invited and came to The NEST to throw out the first pitch for the Croatian Little League season and he had a chance to meet with Neven and others on the Little League Board. They had a chance to share about HiS PRINT and this past Friday, the Ambassador called me to discuss sports in Croatia and how he could help. We had a terrific conversation and found out his brother had played baseball at Bowling Green State University where I use to coach. He graduated two years before I got there. What a small world. He invited us to the Embassy the next time we are in country and we are excited to sit down and meet with him face to face and share all that HiS PRINT has been doing for the past 14 years.

U.S. Ambassador Kohorst throwing the First Pitch

U.S. Ambassador Kohorst with Little League Board Members Neven and Damir at The Nest

And this past weekend, Stefan got the chance to meet Ambassador Kohorst at the Little League Fundraiser in Zagreb. It was such a blessing to see God close the circle in making all the connections between HiS PRINT and Baseball in Croatia.

Please continue to pray for HiS PRINT as we finish 2019: pray that we finish strong and then press into 2020 seeking His perfect 20/20 Vision in 2020. Blessings and have a wonderful God filled day!  David