Sombor, Serbia.
This small town is a hidden cove amongst Serbia and has been my home this month. My ministry hosts are Zoltan and Tanja Vegel and they’ve been married since 1998 and have two children Victoria & Anastazia who I’ve grown very fond of. They are serving together in Sombor, Serbia, where Zoltan is a pastor of the Protestant Christian Fellowship Church of Sombor. He’s been in full time ministry since 1995 and his passion is promoting faith to people who don’t know Christ and disciple those who know Him, preparing the next generation of leaders.
The church is located in an area that has a very strong Eastern Orthodox background, where formalities, traditions and superstitions bind people. There is also a strong tie to hedonism and low morals. Suicide and divorce rates are high as well as drug use among youth. The economy has also started to collapse. People don’t have hope, and are very apathetic. The church is often viewed as a cult that is trying to win the people over and break their national identity. So, their approach is often, though not always, long-term. Their approach is to build bridges of friendship and tear down the walls of fear and prejudice so that the people would be open to start hearing the gospel. Zoltan and Tanja desire to bring them the knowledge of the God who cares for them and gives hope. My team has come to Sombor and partnered with this church to do exactly that.
Now when I arrived on March 5, and was told this was our ministry for the month, you can imagine I was thrilled because I’m a relational person and felt like it had been a while since I had the chance to pour into others and form relationships. And everyday since then, that’s what each day has looked like. Starting at 9 am and going until 10 pm, each day has consisted of praying over this town, building relationships with the people here and sharing God’s love with them. I have seen the darkness and sadness that this community possesses, but I’ve also seen the hope.
My team has two days left here, and I’m very sad to leave this town for multiple reasons. I’ve seen the impact of us being here, and I’ve seen how this town needs Jesus more than ever. We’ve made some deep relationships within just a short month and I feel as though I’ve just gotten to point of pressing into them even more. But I know my team was supposed to be in Sombor this month. I will never forget this place and I pray that Zoltan is able to assemble a long-term team here that can continue to minister to this area.
Would everyone here join me in prayer and pray for the city of Sombor and for the hope it possesses? Both of our teams have prayed over this town and have heard the Holy Spirit speak this verse to us and I want to share it with ya’ll.
Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breathenter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’” – Ezekiel 37:4-6
Sombor may appear somber, but we know the missing key. The missing key is the Lord’s presence and God has such big plans to restore this town and give life to these dry bones.
