by Kathy Eikost, serving in Bosnia-Herzegovina
Twenty years have passed since the Dayton Peace Accord was signed November 21, 1995, ending the war in the Balkans. Yet still today, political division in Bosnia-Herzegovina—the Serb Republic, and the Federation of Croats and Muslims—stymies many areas of life in the country, including the church.
People who lived through the war are more likely to distrust those in the other ethnic groups. Those under age 20, who were born after the war, may be more open to learning how to live together in peace.
In light of this, the evangelical church in the capital city of Sarajevo hosts a youth conference each autumn. Like most youth conferences, Bible teaching plays a major role. But in our case, the fellowship time is just as vital.
Youth camps and youth conferences bring the next generation together and help them form friendships across ethnic lines. They’re able to meet other young people who share similar beliefs and values. The Lord is using these experiences to build a multi-ethnic church that can be a force for long-term reconciliation.
Living Counter-Culturally
At this year’s youth conference, we had a house full of guests. It was a fun weekend of challenging the next generation to live by God’s principles even if it means going against the predominant culture.
Mira* (age 21) and her twin brothers, Nick* and Nate* (age 17), attended the youth conference for the first time this year. They come from a Serbian family living in a rural area in the northern part of the country, five hours from Sarajevo. Their church is much more connected to churches in Serbia than those in Bosnia or Herzegovina.
As someone who grew up in a poor rural area, I realize how important it is to help youth from isolated areas to get a broader perspective on life and the church. My husband, Mark, and I did all that we could to encourage Mira, Nick, and Nate to attend the conference.
We visited the siblings’ church a month beforehand and met their pastor. We spoke with their father about allowing them to make the trip so that he would be assured of his children’s safety. We hosted them in our home while they were here for the event, and we found scholarship money to cover their costs.
When I asked Mira about her impressions of the conference, she said she met a lot of new people from different cities and ethnic backgrounds and that she looked forward to keeping in touch with them via social media like Facebook. I don’t know if she grasped how significant experiences like this can be, but I see God connecting youth in a way that can be a positive force for change here.
*Names changed
Pray
Pray for strong leaders to rise up from this group of young people to lead the churches of Bosnia-Herzegovina in the future.
Use the weekly Alliance Prayer Requests to join the Alliance family in interceding on behalf of our teams in Europe and worldwide, who often serve in challenging environments requiring Holy Spirit–inspired wisdom to share God’s love with those who don’t know Him.