Global Outreach partner, Mike Mellison, recently made a mission trip to Bosnia & Herzego-vina (BiH) which is a beautiful, mountainous country located in Southeast Europe. After declaring inde-pendence from Yugoslavia in 1992, it was ravaged by war until 1995. BiH continues to struggle today because of ethnic hatred fueled by nationalistic political parties. There are over 4 million people comprising three primary ethnic groups: Bosniaks, Serbs, and Croats. It also suffers from a high rate of unemployment. Muslims account for 40% of the population. There are less than 1,000 evangelical believers, spread across the approximately twenty evangelical churches in the country. Mike reports that all of these churches are very small but dedicated to loving God and doing His will.
The Evangelical Church of BiH led by Pastor Karmelo Kresonja is the largest group of evangelical churches. This group of twelve congregations is the group that the Mellisons work most closely with. Their mission work involves supporting these churches through prayer, giving, and short term missions teams. Resistance to the gospel is very strong primarily due to ethnic/cultural pressure against conversion. The greatest opportunity is to build loving relationships and to help meet physical and emotional needs through humanitarian aid, drug rehabilitation, micro loans to start small businesses, and similar outreach ministries.
Global Outreach is providing valuable support to this outreach effort in BiH by serving as a conduit for funds designated for the ministry of Pastor Karmelo. Please pray that God's will may be done through the lives of the pastors, believers, and missionaries serving in BiH and that hearts will be softened to the gospel message.
To see more pictures from Bosnia please download our February 2011 newsletter:
Learn more about Global Outreach ministries in Bosnia:
Will you consider a donation to help meet physical and emotional needs through humanitarian aid, drug rehabilitation, micro loans to start small businesses, and similar outreach ministries?
