LET'S GO TO CANADA

PRAYER UPDATE

2012-01-24T12:17:00.003-07:00

Thanks for your prayers. Here is an update on our most recent requests:

Dejan received the appointment notice for his civics exam and interview. It is scheduled for February 14th at 8 a.m. We received this notice about 6 weeks earlier than expected!
Our baby is sleeping a bit better, but she still has some virus she's working through in her G.I. system. Please continue to hold her up in prayer and for Julie for rest.

"Men ought always to pray and not to lose heart..." (Luke 18:1)

PRAYER REQUESTS

2012-01-15T10:14:00.002-07:00

Thank you for joining us in praying for these issues:

Our baby has been having difficulty with her G.I. system since New Year's Eve. She also hasn't been sleeping well for many nights, and this is starting to take its toll on Julie, causing her to be quite tired during the days. They both need rest.
Dejan has applied for his U.S. citizenship and one step in the process is complete. We are awaiting the appointment notice for his civics/English exam and interview.
We are still recovering from our accident in October. The girls have completed their treatments, but we are still in the doctor's office more often than we'd like. Speedy healing is our desire so we can close our claim.

God's Elevator

2012-01-03T11:08:00.003-07:00

Most of us have probably been in multiple elevators. When we visited Washington, D.C. a few years ago, our hosts took us to a grand hotel on the Delaware River that had glass elevators around their vestibule. Maybe you've even been in those elevators that have double sets of doors, so that when it's time to get out you exit on the opposite side from which you stepped in.

Elevators seem to fascinate us, even while they are hum-drum for the everyday high-rise office worker. They are particularly novel for children. No one expects to stay in an elevator for long, though.

Our best description for where we're at right now is " in God's elevator". It seems that when God is leading in a new direction, doors start opening that way to encourage us to pursue it. But at some point as we walk through them, doors start closing behind. It helps seal the commitment and prepare for that last open door. Kind of like an elevator. Once you're in, unless the doors close, you're not going to get anywhere.

Lately we have experienced some doors closing behind us, and though we still do not see the doors open before us to move out to Edmonton, we know for certain that God is working and moving us in that direction. It's exciting, really, and an indication that the time is getting quite close.

When things are aligned just right, the door will open of its own accord, with no forcing by us (and no risk of being caught dangerously between floors). God is lifting us up in His time, and we are glad to be in His control!

End of the Line or Full Circle?

2011-12-11T09:27:00.005-07:00

Most people are pretty busy in December, so this will be short.

Just last week we sent in Dejan's application for naturalization (U.S. citizenship), which he is eligible for in February 2012, and the same day we mailed it we learned that his employment will be ending December 15th. This came unexpectedly to us, but we have complete peace from God, and it is such an exciting time for us. So..... we are transitioning now to live from the support which we are raising to be in Canada.

We are also wondering, is our time here in the U.S. almost at an end? Or has the Lord brought us full circle in our time here because He is sending us out soon and very soon? We are eagerly waiting on Him. A funny thing is, we were recently praying that Dejan would again have more time for translation. God answers! Dejan will be working translation at home in the coming weeks, and Lord willing, the freedom from an office job will aid in the raising of the balance of our support.

Praising Him Who is working it all together for our good,

Dejan and Julie

Fly by...just checking in

2011-11-21T22:33:00.005-07:00

So that was an eye-opener. Moving, that is. What alot of work...and what alot of stuff! Not too keen on moving any time soon. Well, not unless we have some major organizing/boxing/packing help from others. It's a snail's pace for the two of us to do alot of things, between Dejan working full-time and Julie keeping track of the girls.

Life is meant to be about people and not possessions, this is probably agreed upon by most people. But, wow. Moving definitely sets things into a whirl. We'll probably just be getting to feel settled when it will be time to box up and go. (It seems we have about 60% of our financial support covered!)

Thanks to those who prayed for the move, who helped with the move-in and move-out process, who prayed for Julie the next day when she fell totally ill (all is well now), and to Grandma for her short-notice taxi, childcare and cooking service on multiple occasions. We are grateful to GOD for every act of thoughtfulness toward our family in these several weeks. He continues to show us He is looking out for us, and we are encouraged by all the love from our brothers and sisters in Christ.

On a more serious note, we are preparing Dejan's application for U.S. citizenship, which can be mailed any time now. He is eligible in early February and can apply up to 90 days in advance (read: November). We hope all will go smoothly and appreciate your prayers for this process.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

"In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. " 1 Thessalonians 5:18

REQUEST FOR PRAYER

2011-11-09T16:11:00.002-07:00

Yesterday we were able to move the majority of our things into our new apartment, thanks to lots of help! However, during the night, Julie became very ill and she is currently quite feverish and not functioning too well. This makes it very challenging complete our move and almost impossible to care for our girls. Please be lifting her up in prayer. Thanks.

4 Anniversaries and a Dress Rehearsal

2011-11-04T17:26:00.007-06:00

Forgive the long pause since our last update. I was just getting ready to post when we were rear-ended in a car accident. Now I can literally say of my aches and pains that "it feels like I've been hit by a truck"!

November brings many anniversaries for us as a couple, a family, and concerning the Lord's leading in our lives:

1. This month it's Eva's birthday (already)! Time flies when you're having fun!!

2. Then, on the 12th is our anniversary of when the Lord called us together and we started on the path towards marriage; 8 years of awesome friendship!

3. The weekend of the 9th-12th also marks the end of our fourth year of living in the U.S. Yep, we've been here that long. Hard to believe in some ways.

4. And last, but certainly very significant, it was three years ago this month that we sensed the Lord's calling on our lives to church-plant in Edmonton.

To celebrate, we find ourselves sandwiched in between doctor and dentist appointments, two weddings and a birthday party. But, as if that weren't enough excitement, we are also moving! No, we're not headed to Canada just yet, but we are moving north! Recently we learned that we are exceeding the occupancy for our little apartment, so we are moving into a larger one, and it just happened to become available during this next, busy week.

There was quite a bit of back and forth in our minds about moving in town, due to concerns about uprooting our girls too many times in a short period (since the plan is to move to Calgary for several weeks before finally settling in Edmonton once we go out). HOWEVER, the LORD addressed all our concerns in such a sweet way.

First, since we are required to get into a bigger apartment, we couldn't really argue with that being God's will. Second, He has given us great favor with the property manager at our complex, and she is allowing us to move without signing a new lease, which enables us to continue renting month-to-month so that when we are able to move we can do so freely. Third, since we will be in the same complex, the layout is nearly identical to our current apartment, so it's not a huge change for our children.

Fourth (this one is pretty fun), we are looking at this move as a sort of dress rehearsal for our big move into Canada. Like a trial run-practice move, so to speak. We're only going about 500 yards, from one end of the complex to the exact other, but we still have to completely vacate and clean the one we're in right now. So we figure it will give us a fair impression of what we will be facing when we ultimately leave this country.

So that's it. Fun and blessed memories of the Lord's work in our lives and sweet times He has graced us with. A long and growing history together. A crazy international move across the globe, relocating, and the call to a new nation. A precious new life in our family. These are some of our "Ebenezers" (stones of remembrance--1 Samuel 7, esp. v.12), and we're thankful for them. Thanks for letting us share them with you.

The Foreigners

2011-08-16T17:58:00.004-06:00

So I've spent the whole afternoon today becoming completely confused by government website information regarding all kinds of things from auto insurance to work permits and my conclusion is...? Canada is a foreign country. It might not sound profound (and to some, it is probably downright intellectually offensive), but it is an inescapable fact.

I would imagine that most of you reading this post are not Canadians and that the majority are American citizens. This is both a blessing, internationally/diplomatically speaking, and somewhat of a handicap. Why? Because we are neighbors along the largest undefended international border in the world, and yet, because we are so neighborly with Canada, we tend to blend the U.S. and Canada together in one general category. Yes, there are things that wiggle their way into our common-knowledge humor regarding the differences, but how different could they really be? Way different, that's how.

We used to joke about the bureaucracy in the Hungarian system when we lived in Hungary and were pursuing our permanent residence there. In fact, there was a staff member at the castle whose entire ministry to staff and students was to help them obtain their visas and navigate the issues, medical exams, consulate visits, etc. Boy, I sure wish we had her with us right now as we face our move!

Canadian immigration is no straight-forward walk in the park. Yes, we're going as missionaries, visitors (hopefully I will be able to get part-time work teaching Kindermusik), but that means we have a host of other sticky legal issues facing us. We are foreigners, and the Canadian government, as much as they are interested in populating their nation carefully and ensuring the best for all inhabitants, has put a proverbial wall around the nation to seemingly keep foreigners keenly aware of their outsider status.

To all of this, I would like to apply a truth that was shared with us by someone in our prayer team during our last monthly meeting, which puts it into perspective:

Understanding will not bring you peace.

God is able. Nothing is impossible with Him. Rahab, Ruth, Mary, Moses. Nehemiah, Daniel, Joseph. The LORD is on the side of the foreigner, the unlikely, the unresourced, the outsider. And He is our God. He is for us. Even though we don't understand all the technicalities so eloquently and verbosely layed out in the government immigration and legal websites, HE does, and He opens doors that no man can shut. He's got the inside on everything. He gives favor with rulers, and is the Lord of lords, all who are in authority.

I wish I could get my brain around all the information about what we need for our move, but the bottom line is that we need to trust the Lord. He will take care of that which concerns us. Praise Him for that!!

Video Greetings From Canada

2011-07-19T09:59:00.005-06:00

We recently visited Alberta, staying in Calgary to fellowship with Rocky Mountain Calvary Chapel, in addition to meeting with some brothers from Edmonton. During our visit we asked one of the pastors to share about Edmonton and our vision to church-plant there. This is it!

God's gentle leading

2011-06-16T11:07:00.004-06:00

Recently I've been thinking about how the LORD has been fulfilling a promise I started clinging to the day we found out we were expecting Sara:

"He shall feed His flock like a shepherd:

He shall gather the lambs with His arm,

and carry them in His bosom, and shall

gently lead those that are with young."

-Isaiah 40:11

Several times I have been reminded of that last portion, that He, Jesus, will "gently lead those that are with young." I'm with young! I have little children. LORD, lead us gently. That has often been my prayer as a mother concerning the things that lay ahead of us in God's will.

We have been praying about going to Edmonton for what seems to us such a long time, and even in that I see how God is looking out for us and our children, that it be a gentle transition. But beyond that, in a greater picture, I recently realized how the Lord moving us out of Serbia in 2007 was part of what He's doing with us today.

You see, the laws in Serbia have changed during the past year in such a way that, even if we had returned to live in Serbia in 2008 as we initially thought we would when we left, we would've had to leave last year anyway. A couple we know who are also a Serbian husband-American wife pair were unable to live together in Serbia since last fall. The wife was living in Hungary, unable to re-enter Serbia, and in December she flew home to the U.S. They are currently waiting for her husband to receive his green card so he can join her and they can continue their married life here in the States.

I am amazed that, though it didn't make sense, and though we had to leave Serbia so quickly in 2007 (we departed 6 weeks after the decision was made), I am so thankful that the LORD directed us to leave then, when it was just the two of us, instead of last year, in haste, when we had a toddler and I was pregnant with our second!

He has settled us here as a family, given us a vision and hearts for church planting in Edmonton, and we have been so blessed to be part of the fellowship of Calvary Chapel Pocatello. Though we didn't see it at the time, GOD saw these legal developments, and He transitioned us to North America in His perfect timing, not ours. That is His gentle leading!

We're headed North tomorrow for a week or so, and I'm curious to see how He will continue to bring things together in His gentle way. More to come...

Radio Interview

2011-04-19T14:52:00.004-06:00

I think we've managed to embed the recorded interview from last week when Dejan was a guest on The Chris Kelly Show. You can listen below (it's not really a video, but it is about 45MB):

Sharing the vision in Boise

2011-04-13T17:33:00.002-06:00

On Monday, April 11th, God gave us a unique opportunity to talk about what God is calling us to in Edmonton. A brother who also serves in radio ministry in the Boise area connected Dejan with The Chris Kelly Show on KBXL 94.1 FM.

He was interviewed for the entire hour, during which he was able to share how the LORD led us to considering Canada, as well as his background and testimony, and some general discussion of European issues and the Gospel. We are absolutely amazed that this open door was given to us, and we are curious about how He is going to use this in His plan for sending us to the mission field.

The interview will be available to listen online sometime soon, and we'll post the details at that time. On their Facebook page there is some basic information as well:

Chris Kelly

Dejan Buljovcic was my guest today! He's originally from Serbia -- but now lives in Pocatello with his wife, Julie. They're preparing to go to Edmonton, Alberta in Canada to start a church and they can use some sponsors! You can check out their info at ccpocatello.com -- click on missions and then Canada to find out more! They also have a blog you can check out from the ccpocatello.com web site...

Praise God for His divine appointments!

Growing God's Vision for Edmonton

2011-02-24T12:25:00.007-07:00

Last February at this time we were just getting back from 5 days in Edmonton. What a blessing it was to be able to actually be there, to pray, seek the LORD and get a feel for the city. We were able to meet a couple who are praying for a Calvary Chapel to be planted there, and since that time, we have received e-mails from several more people who are also looking for a Bible-teaching church home.

Though we had hoped to be in Canada in 2010, our plans were not including the newest member of our family, who is now over 3 months old and winning our hearts more and more as the days and weeks pass. The LORD knew our family would be expanding and He mercifully kept us here where we are, close to our church family and the grandparents, during a time when much moral support and practical help have been needed. This last six months or so has also been a time of growth and further rooting of the vision we originally had for church-planting in Edmonton.

One great blessing was that we were able to visit two other congregations and meet the precious people at Calvary Chapel Flathead Valley, MT and Calvary Chapel Salmon, ID. Another plus to remaining has been the beginning of a home fellowship in our home. It is such a joy to be able to serve the LORD together again in ministry, after 3 years of opportunities to serve separately. We truly enjoyed ministering together in Serbia and look forward to what's ahead. In fact, all four members of our family are enjoying this home study.

Lastly, we were incredibly blessed to be enabled to go to the Missions Conference last month. The spiritual warfare surrounding our trip was non-stop, but the LORD gave us determination, endurance, and joy which greatly strengthened us. The messages at the conference fit into our hearts in what seemed to be specially prepared spaces. The fellowship with other missionaries, pastors and people like us preparing to go out left us built up and encouraged; we are still drawing from those times of fellowship and prayer.

As we consider our current situation, we see by faith the LORD's hand moving on our behalf to clear the path North for us. We are seeking Him for His timing and are certain that He will be faithful to speak. Thanks for following us so far on this journey. We are believing God to do great things and know that includes all that is yet unseen in the present.

Missions Conference

2011-01-18T10:34:00.003-07:00

"Let the Nations Be Glad!" This was the theme this year for Calvary Chapel Missions Conference, which we attended 2 weeks ago. There were missionaries from far and wide, pastors and senders from missions-minded churches, and people like us who are missionaries preparing to go out on the field.

It was a blessing to meet and fellowship with everyone the Lord put in our paths. We were able to connect with peers who are serving in different countries, our friends who are serving in B.C. Canada, friends from Bible College days and new faces. We also spent a bit of time with the sister who Dejan works with for translation of Pastor Chuck Smith's sermons. We had an especially encouraging time of fellowship and prayer with one couple Julie has known for several years and who have been missionaries for as long as we've both been saved. We were truly blessed by the LORD and we hope we also were able to be a blessing to others.

There were specific encouragements from missionaries who are church-planting in places like Kyrgysztan and Nepal, to boldly share the gospel and preach and teach the Word of God, no matter the cultural bias. There were also general teachings and testimony on the Muslim world and Islam, a topic that keeps coming to us as we prepare for Edmonton, with its own significant Muslim population.

The calling of God is a clear thing for us, but it is still nice to be affirmed by others in that calling. For example, one couple from Arizona who are preparing to go to Africa said that the Canadians who winter in their area evidence a clear need for the LORD by their speech and actions. Another woman was glad to hear that there are now about 19 Calvary Chapel churches in Canada, since she has prayed for Canada for years, along with missions worldwide.

We're thankful that the LORD opened up the way for us to attend, even with fierce spiritual warfare in travel and health. Overall, it was refreshing to be with other missionaries and missions-focused brothers and sisters.

Lessons from a Baby

2010-12-12T17:06:00.014-07:00

The last time we posted, Julie was 39 weeks pregnant with our second child. Saturday, we celebrated ONE MONTH with our precious new baby daughter! Eva Joy is a delightful presence in our home and our lives...and she sparks much thought about life, eternity and our mission to Canada.

First, since the Christmas season is upon us, we marvel anew at the thought that God took upon Himself our human likeness and came, not as a man, like the first Adam, but as a newborn baby: helpless, vulnerable and dependent. When we look at our sweet baby, we wonder how the shepherds, Simeon, Anna and others must have thought as they gazed upon the infant Jesus, and how Mary and Joseph felt as they cared for Him day and night in those early months.

Second, as we prepared for her arrival, and now care for our tiny daughter, the LORD has brought to mind how much is involved in the new birth of lives into His Son. As much work and joy as we found during labor and at her birth, and what we now invest in caring for Eva, we anticipate the time the LORD will allow us to witness new births of others spiritually and pouring the Word of God into their hearts in Edmonton.

Third, our daughter's name means "bringer of glad tidings [of] joy". That is our desire for her life as she grows, but it is of course our desire as well. We want to live lives that bring the Gospel to others, sharing the truths of God's Word that have set us free and brought us to this place in our lives where we are now, as He is sending us to Canada. "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!" (Romans 10:15).

It's amazing how much the LORD can use even a newborn baby to raise our thoughts to Him and things above. Whatever is going on in our lives, He is so faithful to speak into our lives and encourage us and excite us about the things of His kingdom!

Christopher Columbus, Canada, and us

2010-11-06T21:05:00.017-06:00

A few weeks ago, maybe you got a day off work or your children were home from school in observance of Columbus Day. Or maybe you knew it was Columbus Day because of store ads offering special deals for the holiday. If you're like me, and like many other people, you probably didn't notice anything different. I even forgot it was Columbus Day, because I was thinking about another holiday that falls on the exact same day.

What is it, you ask? Thanksgiving Day! Canada's Thanksgiving is always in October, the second Monday, just like the American Columbus Day. Upon further thought (late at night when sleep was elusive), it struck me that Columbus and Canada and Thanksgiving really are all tied together--at least in my mind.

History review

Christopher Columbus was a man with an adventurous spirit.

Being from Europe, he was interested in seeking a way to the East Indies by

travelling west across the Atlantic, rather than south around the tip of Africa. A bold notion in their day, when many believed the world was flat and that he would sail right off the end of the earth! He had the vision, but he didn't have the means to fulfill it on his own. So, being resourceful, the Italian presented his "mission" to the King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain. Lo, and behold, they agreed to finance it, Columbus set sail with his famous three ships, hit land and is credited for discovering the American continent. And here we are today because Columbus followed up on his "crazy" idea. People walking on this American soil as descendants of the Europeans that followed after. A good reason to be personally thankful, right?

History preview?

We also have a couple of adventurous spirits. We're not trying to discover a new route somewhere (Jesus is the only Way there is to the Father), but we know there are many who don't know that, all around the world, and many, many of them are right here in North America, Canada especially and Edmonton in particular (more than 100,000 at the very least). We have been petitioning the King of kings with this mission, which He first put in our hearts, and we are seeking Him to raise up those who will join as senders to help us on our way. By His grace, a group of believers in Edmonton, Canada will be able to say, "And here we are today, walking with Jesus, because those of those two who dared to come here, where many people think it's irrelevant or unnecessary to do mission work". People walking in truth and the assurance of His salvation. A very good reason to be thankful, indeed.

So often, Paul the apostle wrote to the churches he either planted or had connection to, and some of the first words off the tip of his pen were "We give thanks to God always for you all" or something very similar, and his resulting joy at their faith in the Lord and belief in the Gospel when it came to them. (see Col. 1:3-8, 1 Thess. 1:3-10, 1 Cor. 1:4 and others).

More than discovering a new land or the "new world" of the 1400-1500's, people coming into God's kingdom every day, from any land, and every land on earth, is a major reason to have a Day of Thanksgiving. Not just for how God has blessed us, but how He desires to bless the world with His love and make us a blessing to them until the whole world hears of His offer of salvation. We're trusting Him to send us where He's called us, to Canada. Any other adventurous spirits out there?

A weekend in Alberta, part 2 of 2

2010-08-28T01:34:00.036-06:00

What a fruitful weekend! Dejan arrived back in the U.S. Monday evening, and the only bad news from the whole trip was that he lost his phone just prior to leaving...but even that has been found and is on it's way back. The LORD truly graced the entire trip. Even though we had no idea what kind of schedule he would have before he left, the LORD faithfully filled the days with divine appointments and blessing. Here's a re-cap with a couple of photos from Sunday.

Re-Cap

Thursday: arrive late and get to host apartment

Friday: a bit of time at the church (Rocky Mtn. Calvary Chapel) and lunch with the brother who edits the radio ministry programming of their pastor, Glenn Nudd. Afternoon and evening time preparing for Sunday's message and rest.

Saturday: drive out to ranch-type property donated to the church for fence-painting, landscaping work, etc. Fellowship with Pastor Glenn. More fellowship with our contact from Edmonton (answered prayer) who drove 3 hours specifically to meet with Dejan and also to help with the project.

Sunday Morning: outreach concert with Dennis Agajanian, both services. Dejan shared about 20 minutes each service. Three responses in the first service and 7 in the second--thank You, Lord Jesus, for saving souls!

Sunday P.M.: Barbecue/picnic for the worship ministry team at the overseer's home, meet for coffee with the church's only resident American to talk about visas, ministry in Canada, etc. then dinner at their home and more fellowship.

Monday: Opportunity to see the place we will live when we first arrive in Canada, in Calgary (where we will live for a few months before settling in Edmonton). Time to run a few quick errands and pack up to head home.

The Spirit and the Bride say, "Come!"

To give a bit more detail about Sunday morning, the concert fell on the same weekend as a Franklin Graham event in Calgary at which Dennis was playing. (The event will be in Edmonton this Saturday, Aug.28--learn more). The church youth were involved in that event Saturday and Sunday was the church's extension of the outreach through the concert. Both services were well-attended, the second near full. Dejan presented the Gospel and gave the response into the hands of the hearers. The call came when Dennis came up to close the service/concert and people responded. It was a true working together of the planters (people in the congregation who invited and brought others), waterers (Dennis and Dejan) and the LORD who gave the increase (1 Cor. 3). Though it is untypical for Canadians to give an "altar call" or to respond to one in a typical church service, it was an untypical event. What a blessing to witness hearts softening to receive salvation!

Thanks

Thanks to all of you who covered Dejan and this outreach and the weekend in prayer! It is a great encouragement to have further contact with the saints in Calgary and Edmonton as we anticipate our move there. We have long been convinced that this is God's call upon our lives at this time, but it is encouraging to have the moral support of the church in Calgary and to have had the open door to minister with and among them.

Please Pray

-for the discipleship of those who responded to the Gospel

-for our continued faith & patience as we wait on the Lord to raise our support

-for continued preparation of our hearts for the work in Edmonton

-for blessing of our fellowship and partnering with the church in Calgary, as they are working to help us logistically to get onto the Canadian mission field

Thanks be to God for all He has done and continues to do!!

A weekend in Alberta, part 1 of 2

2010-08-20T11:38:00.011-06:00

Dejan is currently in Canada!

He flew to Calgary yesterday (Thursday, Aug. 19) and is staying over until next Monday. Rocky Mountain Calvary Chapel in Calgary is having an outreach concert during their Sunday services with Dennis Agajanian. Dejan will be speaking for about 20 minutes near the end of the concert at each service to present the Gospel to the unsaved family and guests of people in the fellowship there. What a blessed open door!

Today he is at the church building and will be going to lunch with the brother who edits the church's radio program. He will also try to get in touch with our contact in Edmonton whom we met in February during our visit, to see if they can meet sometime this weekend to fellowship and pray together.

Tomorrow, Dejan will be joining many of the staff as they do some landscaping work at the piece of land that the church owns. He will also prepare for Sunday morning.

We find this opportunity for Dejan to travel to Alberta a great encouragement. While we are raising support for our move it is a welcome foretaste of things to come!

If you will, PLEASE PRAY with us these next few days:

-for guidance, anointing and sensitivity to the Spirit

-for the drawing of souls to both services (by invitation of friends or curiosity)

-the Gospel to go out with power and to save, open, hearing hearts

-good fellowship with the saints in Calgary

-the ability to meet with people in Edmonton

July 2010 Update

2010-07-15T17:31:00.005-06:00

Some progress as we are waiting to move...

-Dejan had his appointment for biometrics July 6th, so we are now clear to leave the U.S. once the finances are in order;

-Dejan also had a chance to share the vision for Edmonton and his work in translation at Calvary Chapel Flathead Valley while we were there visiting. Pastor John Michaels--a great missions enthusiast--also led in prayer for us with the pastor and elders at the church. He was around when the church-planter to Calgary, Glen Nudd (now the pastor), was sent out 17 years ago.

Some prayer requests...

-The LORD to raise up the rest of the financial partners/supporters for us that He is calling. $4000 per month is nothing to Him who owns "the cattle on a thousand hills" (Psalm 50:10). Church sponsors as well as individuals.

-Continued preparation of our hearts and minds for the work ahead. The LORD has provided many tools that we are using to prepare ourselves--we are prayerfully reading, studying and learning.

-Physical, mental and spiritual health.

-Patience while we wait: Sara is often quoted as saying "I want to go to Edmonton," to which our reply is simply, "We will go, honey, as soon as the LORD opens the way." This is difficult for a two year-old to grasp sometimes.

-For the people of Edmonton.

Thanks for your continued interest and prayers for us!

So we're moving to Canada already...just not in June

2010-06-05T13:52:00.017-06:00

God promised the children of Israel that they would enter and possess a land flowing with milk and honey when He brought them out of Egypt. It was an exciting vision that instilled the confidence in them to follow Moses.

However, we know the LORD didn't lead them to their new land by the shortest or quickest route. That route they were not prepared for, as it led right through Philistine territory. Instead, He led them across the Red Sea and into a wilderness. There, He formed them into a family of people, a nation, and gave them a common identity in His law and in worship.

On that route, He allowed them to be tested multiple times before leading them forward to the border of His promised location for them. He went before them in the pillar of cloud and fire, and when He moved, the nation moved with Him. (Yes, they failed the tests, grumbled and then refused to go in, but that's beside our point here).

In a similar way, we know that God has spoken to us about going to Canada, and the vision He shared with us has given us the confidence to step out and follow Him in that direction.

However, things haven't gone as quickly as we would have thought was best, but we trust that His route is the one we need. So we are in a sort of wilderness time, in that, we are on our way, having set in motion many things for leaving our town and this country.

Here, God is testing us and leading us, forming us into a closer family. At present, that pillar of His presence hasn't yet moved north, so we are waiting, living, working and worshiping Him until He does.

So to keep you updated, aside from daily life, here's what we're doing as time is marching on (twiddling our thumbs didn't make the list):

-Julie finished teaching her Kindermusik classes and childbirth classes at the beginning of the month, so she is closing things off for those businesses.

-We are moving along in packing at a leisurely, but thorough pace. The Canadian government requires itemization of all the things we're importing when we come. They have handy forms, but it's a process.

-We are waiting for a response from the U.S. government on a permit Dejan needs before we leave, as well as an appointment time from them for his fingerprints.

-Our 5th wedding anniversary was last week--so we took an evening to celebrate God's faithfulness to us this far and 1,825 days of marriage.

-We are continuing to meet with our pastor and prayer team.

-There are other, minor things we do daily, but we won't bore you with the details.

We are grateful for any and all of your prayers for us during this time, and for the mission ahead!

Trip to Edmonton!

2010-04-02T12:31:00.009-06:00

It's been over a month since we've been back from Canada!! Our experience in Edmonton and visiting the church in Calgary was very encouraging, productive and confirming.

There was a list of things we were hoping to accomplish, and with the exception of looking into local Kindermusik studios, the Lord made it possible for us to do them all. Thank you for your prayers! We truly noticed that God's hand was upon us, guiding our decisions, plans, and even our detours!

A great answer to prayer that made our 5 1/2 days more productive and smooth than they would've been otherwise was the rental of a car, which the Lord graced us with through a brother in Christ. Edmonton is HUGE, and it was cold, so without a car, we would've been much slower on public transport and less able to see as much of the city as freely as we did--and we only saw maybe 30% of it at that!

A second blessing, which we didn't even pray about, was a GPS. We thought we'd use our little tourist map to get around, but our host offered us her GPS to use during our stay, and that helped us get pretty much everywhere with no troubles. Especially when we went to Calgary, we would never have found the church after a 3-hour drive and been on time for the service without it!

We met with the contact given to us by the assistant pastor in Calgary, a man named Scott and his wife Lindsey. They are a young couple who have been praying for a Calvary Chapel type of church to be planted in Edmonton for the last 2 years. Scott used to live in Calgary and went to the Calvary Chapel there; their church in Edmonton "self-destructed", according to Scott's own words, and many couples were left church-less and disillusioned. They were encouraged and surprised to learn that we are hoping to come to Edmonton during 2010.

One of our great desires was to get in touch with the Serbian community on our visit, and the Lord used the rental car and the GPS to make that happen! We needed groceries and the GPS led us to the closest supermarket. Inside Julie noticed a worker with the name tag "Dejan", so she waited to meet him and later called in our Dejan. The young Dejan told us about the Serbian culture center, when to go, etc. We spent Friday evening there getting acquainted - they have weekly Serbian language lessons for young children and a folk dance club to teach traditional dances to the youth, as well as basketball in fall/winter and soccer in spring/summer for the men. The parents mill about and the children not in class play freely. Sara enjoyed watching the dancing and being led around by several of the little girls.

On Sunday, we visited Calvary - a long 3-hour drive (each way) to go to church but well worth the time! We enjoyed the service and were welcomed by many of the people in the fellowship. After service, the assistant pastor and his wife took us to lunch, and we enjoyed getting acquainted with them a bit and hearing their insight into Canadians, as well as their church-planting and pastoring experience.

Overall, we were very encouraged by the Lord and felt quite comfortable being in Edmonton, even though it is a very large metropolis. We are praying in more knowlageable ways now for the city and are seeking the Lord for His continued guidance in our preparation and His timing for our move. Thanks again for all your prayers and for your interest in what God is doing up north!

Blessings to you in His Name!!

Why...

2010-02-11T17:14:00.002-07:00

Why We're Going to Canada

2010-02-02T12:24:00.016-07:00

UPDATE: January 2010

Thanks for your prayers!! Quite a bit has come together for us in this last month regarding our hopes to head north. The LORD has directed our steps, even though it hasn't been in the ways we imagined. It's been better!

Missions Conference
So we didn't go to the missions conference in southern California last month (see previous post). But we did get a copy of the messages from the conference, and we're going to listen separately and discuss each session.

Contact
The LORD connected us with the assistant pastor from the Calvary Chapel in Calgary, which is some 185 miles south of Edmonton. Dejan had a very encouraging conversation with him, as did our pastor prior to Dejan's conversation. They are excited to hear of our desire to go to Edmonton and said they get calls about every 2 weeks from people asking if there are any Bible teaching churches in Edmonton that they can recommend. Apparently there is not a single one, sadly, but it is another encouragement to us from the LORD that we are headed in the right direction.

Visit
Not long after we learned about not going to the missions conference, the LORD gave us an idea. Why not use the funds we were going to put toward to conference toward a trip to Edmonton for several days? We presented the idea to our pastor who said he was thinking the same thing! We had enough frequent flyer miles to get tickets for the cost of taxes and fees and found a Bed & Breakfast which was very reasonable and fairly central, so we booked and Lord willing, we'll be going to Edmonton this month, February 17-22.

Our purpose is several fold:
1) pray over the city
2) explore and cover as much ground as possible though public transportation and/or driving
3) locate the various culture hubs (esp. the Serbian community)
4) see if any local Kindermusik studios plan to hire
5) find out more specific visa information and
6)meet with this assistant pastor from Calgary.
We look forward to this journey and all that will result from it.

Meetings
We have begun meeting with our pastor to hammer out the logistics and discuss all the other aspects of moving back out onto the mission field. Our rough target is late spring/early summer. Our first meeting was extremely fruitful and encouraging, and we anticipate many in the future.

Translation
Please check the side bar of our blog for where Dejan is at with translation. It's still going, but as it is a ministry without many "fireworks" for now, we thought it best to give more of a progress report in an easy to see place than to include it always in our updates. But please do keep it in prayer!!!

Prayer Needs
We ask your prayer for us for the following:

God's will to be done in us and for us through our upcoming visit to Edmonton, Feb. 17-22
provision for in-town transport and food during our stay
wisdom and direction from the Holy Spirit in our planning meetings this month
strength and unity in our marriage & family
open doors from the LORD in every way
translation progress (including Zlata, our proofreader)
physical & spiritual health for us all
whatever else is on your heart...

Personal

Dejan's mom to receive salvation (we have noticed a renewed spiritual battle)
continued preparation of our hearts for the work ahead, our times of prayer & study

Thank you so much for taking the time to read our update. Hopefully we'll have some photos and footage for our next post!

Blessings to you and peace in our LORD,
Dejan & Julie

With the "stuff"

2010-01-04T11:08:00.002-07:00

For those (many) of you who are at the Missions Conference in Murrieta this week and are wondering where we are and why we aren't there, here's the scoop.

We really hoped to come and we're expecting to go ever since last year's conference, which the LORD used to bless us greatly. The only thing we knew we needed to wait for was provision to get there and be there. Once that came through it all seemed to be final and we began to look into going down. However, as we were planning our steps, the LORD was directing our path and that path didn't lead south to the conference.

Dejan was asked to stay back and help the other available pastor cover things at the church while our pastor is out of town this week. Dejan also runs the radio station from the church and is the only one who knows how to troubleshoot if something goes awry, so here we are. And though initially we were very disappointed to miss the conference, we know God is faithful and we will not lack what we think we'd be missing at the conference just because we're here with the "stuff".

If you're there, enjoy! We still love to connect with you by update, skype, facebook, and your updates.

When cold winds blow...

2009-12-15T20:07:00.006-07:00

Forever ago was our last post. So much for being a real blog. :) But with a toddler jealous of the computer and many other activities requiring lengthy, focused attention, it's just life right now.

Winter is definitely here, in Idaho at least. A couple of weeks ago the temperatures dipped way down to below freezing and went BELOW ZERO several nights in a row. We were shivering, and so was part of our apartment...one of our pipes froze for several days. But now that it's warmed up (to freezing and just above!) it doesn't really feel that cold and the water is flowing in that faucet again. We figure that this weather is another way the LORD is giving us an opportunity to prepare for Canada's cold winters, and that's a blessing!

Dejan loves the cold anyway, and Julie likes winter well enough while there is something white to cover the barren ground and trees, especially before Christmas when everyone has lights up to keep things from being so dark. The cold is quite manageable, actually, if one has the right gear. So for Christmas this year, we asked for wool long johns and have been seeking other cold weather gear. Julie's motto right now is: Embrace winter. "Do all things without grumbling or complaining." (Phil. 2:14) So far so good!

summer preview

2009-07-15T14:33:00.006-06:00

As we are reading about Edmonton and looking into some of the facts about the city, of course the weather is a point of interest. I think that weather is pretty much important to everyone; no one is completely ambivalent about it, with a "whatever" attitude, or we wouldn't talk (or complain) about it so much.

Edmonton is quite far north, close in latitude to Moscow, Russia, so the temps aren't anything to look forward to, or are they? Dejan doesn't do well in the heat and actually prefers colder weather. I used to think that summer was my second favorite season, after spring, but in the last several years the heat is really getting to me. Cold weather isn't bad as long as there's snow to cover the ugly bear, and Canada seems to have no issues in the white fluff department. But their summers seemed to not have warms temps; only high 60's and into the 70's in July?

This summer in Idaho the weather has been untypically cool, with lots of rain and temps that don't soar as they usually do, into the 90's and even low 100's. It's been more like 70's, and it has been so enjoyable. It's as if the Lord is giving us a preview of the Edmonton summer temps. And after it was very hot and humid this past weekend, a reminder of the central European heat we lived in for about 4 years, it's made me thankful.

Celebrating the maple leaf

2009-07-01T18:43:00.007-06:00

July 1st is the official celebration of Canada's existence since 1867. It used to be called Dominion Day, but is now Canada Day. As far as we read in our little culture book, it's basically celebrated in a manner similar to the U.S. Independence Day (4th of July): barbecue, get-togethers, fireworks.

The only obvious difference I can figure, aside from the calendar date, is that Canada wasn't formed by a revolution or war. I guess North Americans--whether they are Canadian or U.S. citizens--are similar in several national celebration habits. However, as patriotic as Americans are and have become even more so since 9/11, Canadians have always been quite patriotic. When I went on an outreach to British Columbia in 2001 there were maple leaf symbols everywhere. Even the McDonald's used the maple leaf in place of the apostrophe between the "d" and "s" on their sign!!

We were only able to take note of this holiday and did nothing further to celebrate it this year, not even wishing our Canadian friends here a "Happy Canada Day!". But I will say that I didn't buy any 4th of July decorations, since Lord willing, we will be in Canada by next summer!

Start where you are, and if you're new, start HERE

2009-06-24T14:58:00.006-06:00

If you're new to keeping track of us, we're currently in the U.S., but we don't plan on staying here.

. . .We began our married life in Hungary 4 years ago at the school where we met, then we lived two years in northern Serbia in Dejan's hometown of Subotica. Over that period of time, Dejan served as the assistant pastor at his home church, oversaw the new men's ministry, played in an outreach-focused Christian hardcore band, and was in the early stages of translating Pastor Chuck's sermon series through the Bible. Julie studied Serbian and eventually began teaching/overseeing the women's ministry and a little bit of singing lessons for gals on the worship teams. Also during that period, Julie's health became more and more depleted until we discovered in 2007 that her immune system was overburdened and we started to work on recovery to the best of our ability. Then we took a wonderful vacation to the Croatian coast and came back to Subotica, when Julie's health seemed to take a nosedive. We later learned that a baby was on the way, and because of her declining health, we were advised on all sides to come to the States so Julie could get rest, the chance at better prenatal care and a healthy baby. . .

Fast-forward 19 months, to the present. Our daughter is already over 1 year old, healthy, and beautiful. Julie's health is much stronger and more stable. We are living in an apartment in Idaho, Dejan works part-time at the church here and on that same translation project. He received his resident "green" card earlier this spring (after 12 months of paperwork and waiting), and we are making plans for a return visit to Serbia in late August.

It's only a visit, though, which we didn't forsee when we left there in November '07. We're on the path to going to Edmonton, Alberta; Lord willing, next spring. But first we really need to see Dejan's mom and round up some gear we left in Serbia.

So this is our current starting point: in America, going to Serbia with the eventual plan to head north. More about it in coming posts. . .