Solving the Puzzle - Croatia
Winnie and Aaron Coleman-Horvat are AGWM personnel based in Osijek, Croatia. They have been doing an amazing work with the youth of that city. One aspect of their ministry was to take a group of youth on a mission trip this past summer.
Winnie and Aaron Coleman-Horvat are AGWM personnel based in Osijek, Croatia. They have been doing an amazing work with the youth of that city. One aspect of their ministry was to take a group of youth on a mission trip this past summer. The team performed the children’s evangelistic musical drama, The Puzzle, in Hungary and Austria. It was a five day trip, and The Puzzle was performed eight times in three different languages to over 300 children. The team actually learned this performance in English which is their second language which is amazing in itself.
One of the youth on that team was an MK (missionary kid) from Slovenia and another teen is the daughter of the pastor of the church in Osijek. The rest of the team were all from non-Christian homes. It was their first missions trip and they had to raise their own money in order to go. “Europe’s Children”, the children’s ministry focus of AGWM/Europe gave additional funds for this project as well.
Winnie states, “We actually didn't have enough money pay for food on the trip, so it was a big step of faith. It was amazing how God provided for us. People kept giving us food, buying us water, lunch, breakfast, snacks, coffee, two watermelons... it was incredible, particularly as we hadn't told anyone about our need for food.”
The Puzzle team performed in Pecs, Hungary and the pastor there was so blessed. He took the team up to the top of the mountain there, telling them that during the Balkans war, he could see the bombing and fires in Osijek. He and his church prayed for the Christians and church in Osijek although he didn't even know the church there. For him, our coming was a sign of the fruit of prayer, that 20 years later a team had come from Osijek to do ministry in his town.
The Puzzle was also performed in Močas which has a tiny church. Two ladies came to the team afterward in tears, saying how thankful they were that someone cared enough to come to their small town and tell people about God's love. Everyone who went on this trip was so thrilled with this experience of doing missions and they want to do another one. Winnie says, “Now that we have a team trained to do The Puzzle, we need to get it translated into Croatian!”