2022 Summer MLO Blog 5

 

Summer MLO Blog 5 Deep breaths and rest, that was the rule of the days for Friday and Saturday. With the team from Holland gone and the house empty other than Janko, Robert and me, it was a chance to clean, do laundry, and rest. Janko hired two people who came and stripped the beds, collected the used towels and did the laundry from the rooms. They cleaned, vacuumed and remade the beds for the next group. What a blessing it is to witness this, involve the community at HiS House and give them the chance to earn much needed money. I was tempted to take a picture of the stack of laundry but resisted. Let me tell you that with 18 beds occupied for 6 days, there was plenty of it.   We had a nice lunch with Kristina on Saturday after her dedicated hard work for the past two days, not to mention the work she did in the kitchen for the team every morning for lunch. The food here is amazing and we are never cut short on portions.

Lunch with Kristina

As we were cleaning up the café area, I discovered that only two of the 100 "HE DID IT!, Let’s Do IT!" bracelets were remaining. I had put them on the table near the door going out of the café and on Tuesday I explained what the saying meant. The team loved it and the rest of the week you could hear someone say "HE DID IT!" and someone else repeat, "Let’s Do IT!" Each of them had on their wrists one for themselves and several others to share with someone and share the love Christ has for us. HE DID IT!

He Did It!  Let's Do It!  bracelets

Saturday we spent the day completely at rest, well almost. We did our personal laundry and then dug into the boxes in the storage area, looking for my personal items that I leave behind every year. Having been gone for 3 years, my stuff was put in storage so the room I stay in could be utilized by guests. The problem now is that we can’t locate some of the more important stuff. We did find all my clothes; but three years later, covid pounds, heart condition and hip surgery, those clothes will all be taken to the Goodwill!   On Friday evening we met up with an old Sisak Stork baseball player downtown for dinner. Joseph is now married and has a 2 year old daughter. A lot happens in 17 years, from the first time I came and Joseph was 13 years old. He is now a successful engineer and doing very well in supporting his family. The restaurant where we met was next to the part on Kupa where we host the Texas Carnival every year on the Saturday evening closest to July 4th. It just so happened it would have been that Saturday and it brought back a flood of memories from all those years we have spent playing carnival games, watching a dance recital from the dance camp and sharing the gospel through a message and concert. On this day the park was empty of people and the scurry of activity, but the memories were moving through my heart and mind.

Kupa River Park

Saturday night Lordan and Martina came over and we sat out on Welcome Porch, enjoying the evening cooler weather and the wonderful company. We talked well into the night and enjoyed some pizza together. They are such a huge blessing to me personally but also so valuable to HiS Print. Their continuous servant's hearts help wherever needed and help at the drop of a hat! We would not be the ministry in the several area of community outreach without Lordan and Martina being the hands and feet on the ground throughout the year! I should have taken a picture, but I was completely was immersed in the conversation & company and failed to take one. On Sunday morning, I woke up with a catch in my upper back that would not allow me to straighten up or take a deep breath. That kept us from going to worship with our brothers and sisters in church, but it didn’t stop us from worshipping our Lord and Savior on Welcome Porch at HiS House. Janko, Robert and I worshipped through song, prayer and the reading and sharing from God’s Word. We read from Proverbs 8:30-36 and discussed the importance of listening to the Lord and staying near and watching for Him! What a beautiful time of worship and sharing with Janko, our dear brother here at HiS House. I will take the pain and discomfort any day, especially if it results in unexpected things like this to happen as a result.

Janko leading home worship

Worship at HiS House

Sunday afternoon, Robert and I headed over to visit Zacko and Andrea.  Zacko is the President of the figure skating klub here in Sisak who I have come to know over the past several years. It was a pleasure and blessing to be invited for a meal at their home and to spend some time visiting with them. What a meal we had and the desert was out of this world, in fact it almost took me out of this world after she fed me three pieces of it! What a delight and blessing it was.

Dinner at the home of Andrea and Zacko

Brandon made it in on Sunday afternoon and we caught up over pizza and ice cream downtown. His flights were all okay and he made it as well as his luggage, which is a miracle all in itself. God really has blessed each of us with travel and getting us and our luggage to our destinations. Unfortunately that was not the case for Hugh Poland and his family. They were coming in from Houston, Texas and supposed to be here on Saturday, but they were flying stand-by on United. Hugh’s wife had retired from United and they were trying to save money. However, with the open travel that is now happening worldwide and it being the July 4th weekend, they were never able to get on a flight! Bummed that it didn’t work out, he contacted me early Saturday morning to tell me the news. I was looking forward to introducing him to the people of Sisak and the many ministries we have been blessed to be a part of, as well as allowing them to have the comfort of being at HiS House. I am praying they will have the opportunity to come in the future.  Speaking of HiS House and the blessing that it is to have as a ministry home, after being gone for three years, seeing the improvements in the new kitchen, café and bathrooms is amazing. We are so blessed to have a place to call home and do ministry out of! But with a home comes maintenance, and there is need to do some work on certain areas around the house.

HiS House and maintenance areas

In the picture above you can see that I have taken pictures of the different areas around HiS House that need some TLC (Tender Loving Care) and work to help keep the house in tip-top shape. That being said, my plans are to return in November, prior to Thanksgiving, and to bring a construction crew with me to work around HiS House and bring it back in shape. Sooooo..., if you're interested in sanding, painting, staining, mortar work, window and door repair and other things we will be working on, please let me know. Who knows, we may even build a chapel out back, near the gazebo! Would love to have you and I know Janko would greatly appreciate seeing the work done that will only make HiS House a better place to stay and do ministry!  Take care and remember Jesus loves you and so do I!  HE DID IT!  David