A few weeks ago, I (Lovisa) and Ester went on a mission trip to Croatia. We visited three local churches in different cities. This trip meant so much to us personally, as well as to the people we had the opportunity to meet, both inside and outside the church.
When we landed and were on our way to the bus stop, I saw a woman working at a small kiosk. There was something about her that caught my attention—she seemed a little sad. I decided to go up to her and tell her about Jesus.
When I told her that Jesus loves her, she said, “Wow, no one has ever told me that before.” She was deeply touched and accepted what I shared with her. I was once again reminded of how many people have never personally heard about Jesus and His immense love for each one of us. The gospel must be preached all over the world, not just at large gatherings but also in hidden corners, to individual people.
In Ozjek (the first city we visited), we gathered young and old from the church to pray and worship together. Before the meeting, I felt the Holy Spirit tell me that we should prophesy over them. The Holy Spirit took over the meeting, and we all prayed together for each person. The Holy Spirit spoke directly into their lives and confirmed things they had already had in their hearts. One woman shared that when we prayed for her, the dreams she had received from God were confirmed—dreams she had barely dared to believe in before. It’s so amazing that we get the opportunity to come and build up and encourage believers in different places, so they can receive renewed faith to continue building on what God has called them to.
After Ozjek, we went to Zagreb. There, we were met by wonderful young people who have since become our friends. One evening, we had a time of prayer and worship with them. We all prayed together for each person, so they could also pray for one another. The Holy Spirit was so present and truly spoke directly into their lives. One of the girls received a word for me that I had received before. I shared that it was something I had been carrying in my heart. She then said, “Wow, this has confirmed for me that I can actually hear God speak.” This was so moving for me, because it’s exactly what we long for when we go on mission—that the Christians we meet would come to know the Holy Spirit more and step out in the gifts of the Spirit.
Finally, we arrived in Split, our last destination. There, we mostly focused on evangelism. One afternoon, we met a girl who was sitting and smoking. She was very open to talking. After hearing our testimonies about what Jesus had done in our lives, she said, “It’s true, it’s true.” She could feel that what Jesus had done was real and not something we had made up. People can sense when something is genuine, and as born-again Christians, we all have a testimony of what Jesus has done in our lives. It’s truly worth sharing with others.
We also met a man on the street who was already a Christian. He didn’t really have a church to go to, so we invited him to the church we were in contact with. He gladly accepted and wanted to talk to everyone. Later, he even wanted to join us in going out to evangelize.
We started talking to him on the street to evangelize to him, and it ended up with him preaching alongside us instead – how amazing is that?
Personally, I became even more deeply in love with Jesus during this trip. I also gained a greater understanding that we can fully rely on the Holy Spirit. He is our Helper, and when we pray for people or preach the gospel, it is He who backs up His word. We are nothing without Jesus, but with Him, we can see anything happen!
/ Lovisa Lindroos
