Messengers of Love

“No one wants to leave his country if he and his family are safe," Eli shares about their uprooting.

He and his children left their home country because they felt there was no other option. The journey has been difficult as they attempt to get to safety so he can build a life of stability for his children.

The kids beat me at Uno.

They are one of the families we welcome to Hope Community to share in our worship and community times while they are staying at a camp in Bosnia. The kids beat me at Uno. They build snowmen in Hope Community's yard, proud to show me their handiwork and not afraid to throw a mischievous snowball or two as we play together in the snow.

One day Eli told me of his love for Jesus. "He is far better than anything we can describe!"

"The world is beautiful because of you."

A couple months later, as they prepare to continue their asylum journey in another country, Eli shares that his family has felt loved and cared for at Hope Community in their time of crisis. In a message to my colleague, he writes, "The world is beautiful because of you. You are the messengers of love." Words like these are humbling because they do not feel deserved.

This family, especially Eli, reminds me to look for the beauty in the world. Not because this journey is always easy or lovely, but because Eli's faithfulness to Jesus and longsuffering in hardship was beautiful for me to see. His love for his children reminded me how God loves us despite and through all the suffering we experience.

I needed the testimony of his faithfulness to God.

I needed the testimony of his faithfulness to God, even if it was hard for me to comprehend. I am so grateful I didn't miss the opportunity to share in that blessing.

I hope they find neighbors who receive that blessing because God's love will be shared through them as they seek a place to start again in safety.

CLICK HERE to learn more about our ministry in Sarajevo!