THE ONE PLACE WHERE ALL
BOSNIANS CAN FIND FORGIVENESS.
THE CHURCH IS A PROTO TYPE OF
SOMETHING SPECIAL.
SARAJEVO HELD THE OPENING
CEREMONIES TO THE OLYMPIC GAMES.
TODAY FILLED WITH THOUSANDS OF
PEOPLE, VICTIMS OF THE BOZ
KNEEIAN WAR.
THIS IS WHAT THE TINY
EVANGELICAL CHURCH HAS TO DEAL
WITH BRINGING HEALING AND
RECONCILIATION TO A NATION
BITTERLY DIVIDED BY THE ACTS OF
WAR.
POLITICIANS ARE BRINGING US
TOGETHER, WORLD IS TRYING TO
BRING US TOGETHER, HUMANITARIAN
GROUPS BRINGING US TOGETHER.
ONLY IN THE CHURCH WHERE REAL
FELLOWSHIP AND COMMUNICATION IS
POSSIBLE.
THE CHURCH SITS IN THE HEART
OF BOSNIA'S CITY, SARAJEVO.
ON ANY GIVEN SUNDAY MORNING
YOU'LL FIND THEM WORSHIPPING
UNDER ONE ROOF.
FO
DURING A RECENT SERVICE, THAT
UNITY WAS ON DRAMATIC DISPLAY
WHEN A MUSLIM CONVERT TO
CHRISTIANITY AND A COUPLE FROM
SURB AND CROATE BACKGROUNDS
DECLARED THEIR LOVE FOR JESUS
CHRIST.
WE ARE FROM DIFFERENT
BACKGROUNDS, IT IS GOD WHO
REUNITED US.
TODAY I HAVE FOUND WHAT IT MEANS
TO BE HAPPY.
UNITY IS WHAT THIS COUNTRY
NEEDS TO MOVE FORWARD, 16 YEARS
LATER, REMAINS OF THOSE KILLED
DURING THE WAR ARE STILL BEING
DISCOVERED.
AS CITIES TRY TO RECOVER, THESE
IMAGES STILL HAUNT THEM ALL
THESE YEARS LATER.
HATRED.
DURING THE HEIGHT OF THE WAR,
LESS THAN 20 EVANGELICAL
BELIEVERS.
EVERYONE ELSE FLED.
GOD STILLED POURED HIS SPIRIT ON
US.
THE CHURCH HAS GROWN
SIGNIFICANTLY SINCE THEN AND
STILL REPRESENTS A TINY PERCENT.
THIS IS A VERY SMALL NUMBER.
IT IS NOT EASY TO SHARE THE
MESSAGE OF CHRIST.
MAJORITY OF BOZ KNEEIANS,
ORTHODOX, CATHOLICS OR MUSLIM.
THE ONLY PASTOR THAT HAS AN
OFFICIAL BUILDING DESIGNATED AS
AN EVANGELICAL CHURCH.
WE GOT ROUTINE THREATS, ALL
KINDS OF GRAFFITI ON THE CHURCH
WALL.
ONE OF THOSE WHO THOUGHT
EVANGELICAL CHRISTIANS ARE
POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS.
THAT CHANGED WHEN THIS FORMER
DRUG ADDICT -- I SAW DIFFERENT
GROUPS, WORSHIPPING GOD.
I GAVE MY HEART TO THE LORD AND
EVENTUALLY SET FREE FROM DRUGS.
HE SAYS OVERCOMING THE WOUNDS
OF THE PAST IS DIFFICULT.
THE MAJORITY OF MUSLIMS WERE
AUTHOR WHICH YOU A TORTURED.
YOU HAVE TO SPEND A FEW
MINUTES ON THE STREETS OF BOSNIA
AND PEOPLE REMEMBER THE HORRORS
OF THE WAR.
THEY REMEMBER THE REIGN OF
TERROR THAT STRUCK EVERY CORNER
OF THIS NATION.
NOW BOSNIANS WORRY UNCHECKED
AND ETHNIC TENSIONS COULD SPARK
ANOTHER WAR.
SOMETHING CHRISTIANS HERE ARE
PRAYING WILL NEVER HAPPEN.
WE HAVE TO PRAY AND WORK HARD
THAT RECONCILIATION IS A
POWERFUL MESSAGE THAT COMES FROM
GOD THROUGH JESUS CHRIST AND
THEN RECONCILIATION WITH ONE
ANOTHER.
I PRAY 2ND CHRONICLES 7 OVER OUR
NATION, DENY OUR STUBBORNNESS,
RELIGIOUS DIFFERENCES AND TURN
TO GOD.
THEN HE WILL HEAL US.
I WANT MY COUNTRY FILLED WITH
THE AWARENESS AND KNOWLEDGE OF
GOD.
I AM PRAYING BOSNIA WILL KNOW A
GOD THAT LOVES US, FORGIVES US
AND A GOD THAT SENT HIS ONLY SON
TO THE WORLD FOR OUR SINS.
THIS IS MY HOPE AND PRAYER.
GEORGE THOMAS, CBN NEWS,
SARAJEVO, BOSNIA
