The gospel is bringing change and healing to a war-torn country through people’s hearts, minds and communities.
World Challenge’s partner in Bosnia, Marko, has been working for years to help heal the scars caused by the Bosnian War in 1995 and then the Bosnian Spring in 2014.
Tension between ethnic groups and the memories of death and loss from the war still lingers in the towns and regions that were hardest hit by the war. In the two decades that followed, the government seemed to follow through on very few of its promises to address the damage that had been done and to help the country recover. Around a fifth of the country was living below the poverty line after the war.
Frustrated, thousands of citizens began protesting in the Bosnian Spring, which took its name from the Arab Spring. Violent protest broke out in several cities, and hundreds of people were injured in the riots.
Many people in the country still feel the impact that the war and riots had on their families. Many of them are the ones Marko is determined to help find hope in an eternal God who cares for them and longs to comfort them.
The Power of the Gospel
Edin is 34 years old and the father of five children. As a child, he had to move from one city to another during the war. He stayed in that town as the country finally found peace, and he was finally able to build a home and began raising his children. However, it soon became apparent that his daughter was very ill. Doctors informed him that she had a kidney and bladder disease that was also causing her to experience severe indigestion.
The family was trying to figure out how to get her help when the Bosnian Spring struck. Riots between various political groups caused incessant turmoil for several weeks. Schools were closed for the safety of children. Edin and his wife’s home was heavy with anxiety that bloomed into disagreements and then fights between him and his wife and their daughter. Everyone was feeling the pressure. The turmoil in their country seemed reflected in their home.
When Edin met Marko, he began to hear about this Savior who offered eternal peace. “When I heard the word of God from the Bible, my relationship and my wife’s relationship with our daughter started to change,” he shared. “I love listening to Bible studies, and I was ready to accept Jesus into my life as a savior and protector. I want to serve in my community and share what I have received with other people.”
Soon Edin and his whole family were coming to the church house and participating together in workshops to learn new skills that Marko was offering. When the team found out that Edin’s wife was deaf, they prayed for her, and God healed her. Now she is able to hear! The miracle has inspired the whole family, and Edin said, “We plan to develop the community together and go where Jesus wants.”
Helping the Community Grow
The purpose of Marko’s workshops like the one Edin and his family are attending is to take a spiritual and physical approach to problem solving. Biblical themes are applied in practice to everyday life.
For example, God says to love one another, so what does that look like practically for being a good spouse or taking care of your children well? If God made us to be stewards over the world, what can we learn about animal husbandry and agriculture so we can better care for the world?
These lessons and connections within the community help families become more comfortable with inviting Marko over so that they can ask more questions about God and the gospel. Bit by bit, the heavenly Father is bringing peace and joy to people’s hearts in a nation with a slowly healing history.