We just got back from the Luke 10 Exploration trip to Eastern Europe…
Sickness took down each team member, one at a time. Our rental host served us a homemade Bosnian breakfast. Missionaries told of great need and great difficulty in building trust to start ministry. Bombed-out buildings remain a feature in every Bosnian town we saw. The corner store lady nearly cried when we said goodbye and gave us candy when we left. Pastors shared about how God is moving and gave us a better understanding of the difficulties of ministry in this region.
We spent a lot of time on airplanes. |
At SeaTac airport, checking in for our first flight. |
Thank you for your prayers. We met with pastors in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina and missionaries in both of those countries and Montenegro. God brought us men and women of peace who welcomed us, offered insight and advice, and provided us with opportunities for ministry and partnership if EFM moves forward with this field.
The team is recommending moving forward with this field of southern Croatia, possibly including southwestern Bosnia and Herzegovina/northwestern Montenegro. We are feeling called to go to this field and are planning accordingly. However, the final decision on whether or not to approve it won’t be made until the November board meetings. We continue to feel a strong call to EFM and have discussed a “plan B” if this field isn’t approved, which would likely be working with Muslim refugees in Greece. In the meantime, our family will be busy with deputation, fundraising, continuing to build relationships here and abroad, and maintaining the activities of “normal” life.
Part of our team at Stari Most in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina. |
The kids walked a ton, but sometimes they needed help. This is in Dubrovnik, Croatia. |
Family Life
On the home front, Fred continues to work in the city and to run tech for our church. Jonelle has been busy with the kids, planning a missions conference for later this month, and family things. Alex continues to love dinosaurs and cars, sings all the time, pushes the stroller on our walks, and is fascinated by letters. One of his current favorite things to sing is the last line of the alphabet song “w, x, y, i, z,” and he sings it every time he sees letters on something. Like a box, a book, a shirt. He is working on his first memory verse and a simplified catechism. Jael’s vocabulary grows every day. She loves building with blocks, playing chase with Alex, petting the kitties, and reading books. She is a bundle of sunshine and energy.
Alex wanted to “help Jael walk”. |
And here Alex is walking Daddy. |
Snuggles on a long day in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. (Below).
Prayer Requests
Please pray…
- For Fred as he juggles family, work, church, and missions things. Pray for peace, for energy, that he will be a light in his workplace.
- For our interactions, as we are with family, friends, and visiting churches. Pray that we will be an encouragement and a witness.
- For our preparation, that we will be diligent in study, faithful in drawing near to Christ, and will clearly discern his leading
Thank you again for your prayers and support!
Fred and Jonelle Liddell
Alex and Jael
| Partnering with Us!
If you would like to schedule a time to connect with our family, please email Jonelle at jonellel@friendsmission.com. We currently have 159 prayer partners and have a goal of raising it to 500. If you know anyone who would like to pray for our ministry, please forward this form to them. We are currently raising funds for our monthly needs. It has been a privilege for us to be involved in the home front “sending” end of the Great Commission, and it is a privilege to be on the “going” end now. We are so grateful for those of you who have already begun supporting us financially and in prayer, but we have a ways to go before we can transition to full time ministry. Please partner with us, we would love to share in this ministry with you. There are four ways to financially partner with us:
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