Boh sa však postaral. Takmer zázrakom sa nám na poslednú chvíľu uvoľnilo miesto v Diecéznom centre, ktoré má inak kapacity vybookované na dva roky dopredu. Vypadla im skupina – a my sme mohli prísť.

Oslávili sme tam aj Milošove 50. narodeniny, čo dodalo víkendu ešte osobitnejšiu atmosféru. Všetko najlepšie Miloš! Zákusky a torta boli fantastické (Vďaka za tortu Minori 🙂 )

Centrum nám poskytlo skvelé zázemie: herňu, multimediálnu miestnosť, veľkú jedáleň, praktickú kuchyňu a – na veľké prekvapenie – postele s perinami namiesto spacákov.

Témou víkendu boli modly

V piatok sme sa úprimne pozerali na modly, ktoré v našich životoch často nenápadne zaujímajú miesto, ktoré patrí Bohu. V sobotu sme pokračovali výzvou, že nemôžeme slúžiť dvom pánom – buď slúžime modle, alebo Bohu. Boh za nás zaplatil nahjväčšiu cenu a vykúpil nás z otroctva hriechu. Ba čo viac, stali sme sa súčasťou Jeho rodiny, kde nás nazýva svojimi deťmi a my môžeme volať Abba Otče.

Nechýbala turistika s prvkami dobrodružstva. Po dvoch hodinách sme dorazili až k vodopádu, o ktorom nevedeli ani niektorí miestni. Neodradil nás ani strmý a klzký zraz. A sánkovačka na sáčkoch? Neskutočne rýchla jazda – všetko zachytené dronom, o čo sa postaral Juro.

Samozrejme, víkend priniesol aj pár úsmevných „kozmic­kých rozčarovaní“:
Mišo večer zaspal a ráno sa zobudil a na vedľajšej posteli bol Beno 🙂
Peťo S. išiel spať s vlasmi a ráno sa zobudil – bez nich.

Odchádzali sme vďační za miesto, dobré počasie so snehom, Božie slovo, chvály a spoločenstvo, ktoré nás znovu posilnilo a spojilo. Za všetko patrí Bohu vďaka.

Mission Trip to Serbia – Serving in Kamp Nade Kamp Nade (Camp of Hope)

Our mission trip this year took us to Serbia, where we joined the ministry at Kamp Nade – a camp open to parents and their children with disabilities. For years, this camp has been a tremendous blessing to families who face many challenges in their daily lives, so it’s no surprise that it is in high demand among parents.

Can young people of this age experience blessings from giving?

Today, a young person can choose from many activities and, if they want, they can easily fill their whole summer with them. There are plenty of camps on the market offering sports, cultural, and spiritual programs. Many of these activities help build connections among young people, where everyone looks for a friend they can relate to. But what about giving? I feel that we have taught young people spiritual consumerism, while showing them too little of the example of service and the opportunity to personally experience the blessing that comes from giving. And it doesn’t have to be only about money. It is enough when they give their time to others – to those who are in greater need than they are. To those we usually don’t pay attention to, simply because they are not part of our circle.

Prayers and seeking

We prayed and looked for a way to involve the youth during the summer in a kind of ministry that would turn the roles around. In these new roles, they would be the ones giving and seeking ways to reach out to others—especially to those whom society pushes to the margins. Through a family connection of Pastor Andrej Kraljik, who is originally from Serbia, we were able to connect with his aunt Elenka, who introduced us to camps for children with mental and physical disabilities. She was excited about our plan and encouraged us not to be afraid, assuring us that such camps change people’s lives. One thing led to another, and in faith we started forming a team. We presented the idea at a youth meeting and were greatly encouraged by the genuine interest we received.

Preparation for a trip to Serbia

After some time, a sixteen-member international team was formed, including, besides Slovaks, one Indian, one Ukrainian, and a girl from Ghana. Hooray! Even Naty, who had been so eager to go, eventually canceled her vacation and joined us. English became our common language, and the Lord took care of all the details of the trip – the invitation letter, residence permit, financial support, insurance, and travel expenses.

Service in love

Finally, we arrived at the camp. On Sunday, we visited a Baptist church in Belgrade, and in the afternoon, we began preparations for the camp. Our mission was to care for the children—whether through games, conversations, or practical help. Every day we had the opportunity to learn what it truly means to be a servant. The young people who participated in the trip genuinely surprised me—they carried out their tasks with joy, selflessness, and open hearts. They showed that service is not about us, but about the fact that giving is more rewarding than receiving.

God's touch

Alongside serving the children and their parents, new friendships also formed between us and the people we met in Serbia. It was wonderful to see how God connects the hearts of people from different countries and backgrounds. Every evening, we were able to share our experiences and encourage one another in working with the children. Most importantly, we could sense God’s touch and blessing, which multiplied among the children with disabilities and also touched their parents. One couple, for example, was finally able to have some time for themselves and enjoy a coffee without their children—for the first time in 15 years.

What young people say about trip to Serbia?

At the beginning, I was afraid—wondering if I could handle it, if I would be patient enough, and if I could manage a child who is nonverbal. But the Lord gave me the strength and a way to connect with the children and communicate with them - Sofi Sofia

t was heartwarming to see how, even through us, God brought them joy, and that we could help not only the children but also their parents. What delighted me the most was when a little girl at the camp told me that she liked me - Akari Akari

It was truly enriching.
When a person gives, they also receive in return - Viola Viola

I came to understand that God wonderfully created even children with disabilities and that, just like us, they long to experience joy and acceptance. I am grateful to God for the opportunity to serve them – Peťo

The children were happy to be accepted and to spend time with someone other than their own family – Debora

We want to come next year again

The mission trip to Serbia was a powerful experience for all of us. We learned more about what it means to live a life of service, opened ourselves to new relationships, and left a piece of God’s love where it was most needed. We believe that in the future we will have the opportunity to continue serving these families and bringing hope where it is lacking. Many of us have already decided to return to the camp next year. Thanks be to God for this experience and to the Košice Baptist Church for their prayer and financial support.

misijná cesta do Srbska - tím zo Slovenska

Premiéru počas sobotného večera mali aj naši mladí hudobníci – Mišo Soják (basgitara) a Samo Elischer (klávesy). Ďakujeme všetkým, ktorí sa zúčastnili a každému, kto sa podieľal na príprave.

Sláva Bohu

Buďte teda trpezliví, bratia, až do príchodu Pána. Pozrite: Roľník vyčkáva vzácnu úrodu zeme a trpezlivo čaká, kým nedostane jesenný i jarný dážď. Aj vy buďte trpezliví a posilnite si srdcia, lebo Pánov príchod sa priblížil. Nežalujte, bratia, na seba navzájom, aby ste neboli odsúdení. Hľa, sudca stojí predo dvermi! Za vzor, ako znášať utrpenie a byť trpezlivým, berte si, bratia, prorokov, ktorí hovorili v Pánovom mene. Hľa, blahoslavíme vytrvalých.

Počuli ste o Jóbovej vytrvalosti a videli ste, k čomu ho Pán nakoniec priviedol. Veď Pán je milosrdný a ľútostivý. Predovšetkým, bratia moji, neprisahajte ani na nebo, ani na zem, ani nijakou inou prísahou. Vaše áno nech je áno a vaše nie nech je nie, aby ste neprepadli súdu. Trpí niekto medzi vami? Nech sa modlí! Raduje sa niekto? Nech spieva žalmy! Je niekto medzi vami chorý? Nech si zavolá starších cirkvi a nech sa nad ním modlia, keď ho v Pánovom mene pomažú olejom. A modlitba viery zachráni chorého a Pán ho pozdvihne. A ak sa dopustil hriechov, odpustia sa mu.

Vyznávajte si teda navzájom hriechy a modlite sa jeden za druhého, aby ste boli uzdravení. Veľa zmôže účinná modlitba spravodlivého. Eliáš bol človek ako my, ale keď sa horlivo modlil, aby nepršalo, nepršalo na zemi tri roky a šesť mesiacov. A znova sa modlil a nebo dalo dážď a zem vydala svoju úrodu. Bratia moji, keď niekto z vás zblúdi od pravdy a ak ho potom niekto obráti, nech vie, že kto vráti hriešnika z jeho bludnej cesty, zachráni jeho dušu od smrti a zakryje množstvo hriechov. (Jakub 5:7-20)

Scénka o tom, komu dáš svoje srdce. Keď si ho necháš pre seba, alebo ho dáš niekomu inému, môžeš čakať sklamanie. Jedine Boh ťa nesklame. Odovzdaj Bohu svoje srdce ešte dnes.

Scénka je síce v španielskom jazyku, ale napriek tomu nie je ťažké pochopiť o čom to celé je. Na internete je veľa prevedení scénok Heart Skit – napr. táto scénka, no žiadna nemá taký perfektný dabing. A ešte k tomu je tento dabing v podaní rýdzeho Slováka.