Thank you so much for your prayers and support of our recent trip to Hungary. We apologize for the long delay in expressing our gratitude, however, upon returning home, we were presented with some "unexpected challenges" and are just now getting our stride back.

At any rate, as you know, we were part of a Nashville-based team (The Bridge) that went to participate in a music/worship festival called, "Rock for Life". The goal of this annual event is to foster forgiveness, healing, and unity among the nations, especially those in the Balkan Region, by encouraging, training, and equipping worship leaders and others in the arts who will ultimately speak to their people for Jesus. Music is a universal tool, and God is using it mightily to bring reconciliation to his body around the world.

The daily events consisted of group worship in the morning for staff and everyone attending. This was an intimate gathering of approximately 300 people from many different cultures where we sang praises, prayed together, and gleaned insight for how to most effectively minister in the area based on the history of the people. In the afternoon we held workshop seminars designed for equipping and raising up leaders in the areas of musical studies on instrument and voice, songwriting, praise dance, keynote speaking and so on. Then in the evening from 6 to 11 PM, we held an outreach to the community through concert ministry. The evening concerts featured bands from all over the world: Britain, America, Australia, New Zealand, Hungary, Rumanian, Serbia, and many others. It was incredible. Overall, there were representatives from 20 different nations! The evening concerts would draw another 200 to 300 people from the community.

RFL staff

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While the underlying focus of the event is to build community awareness through relationship (thus, trust), and ultimately reconciliation, the bands were evangelistic in their approach, so we saw the Lord work in the hearts of people for salvation and recommitment. The people have been hit hard with religion, so the most effective form of evangelism is more relationship oriented. It's a beautiful process, and fruit is evident.

Brett and band played a couple of the outreach nights, and we both taught seminars and had many opportunities to speak and pray with Christians from all over the world. We were particularly impressed as we looked around during the morning worship times. What an incredible picture of what the bride of Christ looks like - how awesomely beautiful! People from every tribe and nation - unified in purpose. We stood overwhelmed as we were hit with the reality that God does see color; He sees race and culture and shape and size. He sees every singe one of our differences? and delights in them, fully! We watched people of different tongues and nations pray and praise all at once and in their own language. And the meaning of worshiping in spirit and truth went even deeper as we saw how God is so much greater than our communication abilities or our deficiencies, hearing our spirit - our heart cry - and not just our words. For God looks carefully on the heart. We saw a God whose heart beats passionately for every heart that has life - and how every life has exactly the same need for Jesus, no matter what our circumstance.

sound check - brett & members of The Bridge

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As you have undoubtedly noticed, the turmoil and hostility among the nations in this region has been all over the news. It's nothing new, but rather stems back thousands of years, and each group has very legitimate reasons for their animosity. Unfortunately, human logic and compromise is no match for the deep-rooted hurt and resentment they feel. Jesus is truly the only solution. Only through Him can people lay down their agendas and rights and forgive and be forgiven. Only Jesus has the power to heal generations of offenses and malice. It was a hope-filled moment to see God unite the people at the festival through worship. To see Jesus touch hearts and began to heal their hurts and give them strategies to reach their nations. Of course, it was only a small step in light of what needs to be accomplished. But that is how God works, one heart at a time.

the nations forgiving & praying for one another

There were some very touching testimonies from Christians who had been involved in the recent war conflict. A young Serbian woman, shared how reading the psalms about God being her fortress took on a whole new depth as she and her family would lay down at night to the sound of bombs destroying their city. She told of how their bomb shelters really provided no protection, and of how others were amazed at the peace of her family. She would tell them of Jesus and how at night, when she would go to bed hearing the bombs, she would pray, "Lord, I will now enter your presence", and then go to sleep. She knew she would either wake to another day or ultimately to see the face of Jesus.

One of the leaders told of God's protection over his personal friends who were in the war. There was a group of 18 Christians in his friend's home praying when the house took a direct hit. The home exploded and five people outside were killed, yet, those inside only suffered minor scratches.

A missionary who had been involved with planting a church saw it get bombed and shared the pain of trying to console the new Christians as they watched its destruction.

The region is rather poor, and we were overwhelmed by the need for instruments and other musical equipment. For example, guitar strings are difficult to find and expensive to buy. It was not uncommon for the Balkan musicians to string their guitars with "used strings" that we would consider "worn out" and normally discard when we put on new ones. They appreciated so much any and every gift we left with them.

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Some of the most enjoyable memories of gifts given were when a couple members of our team were able to give away guitars they brought to worship leaders in need or to those with a passion to worship Jesus through song. One gentleman (Wayne) from our team bought a guitar here in Nashville for the purpose of giving it away. He prayed for its new owner before buying the guitar, asking God to help direct him in meeting this person's needs.

He prayed the whole trip, watching and waiting for God to reveal the one he should give it to. Finally, he felt the Lord lead him to a Romanian young man who had a guitar with a crooked neck that made playing and tuning it very difficult. Watching him receive the guitar was very touching, as he was so grateful. But equally meaningful was when the young man in turn gave his old guitar to a young man who had none and yet desperately wanted one.

Another man (JR) had also brought a guitar and was praying about who he should give his to. As we were leaving he still wasn't sure who was to receive it, so he and some others began to pray. An old song by Jimmy Hendricks (about Gypsies) kept coming to his mind as they prayed. There was only one young man at the festival representing the Gypsy people: Peter. He knew he was to give it to Peter! Peter is a big, tall, burly teddy bear type. And when JR gave him the guitar, Peter leaped for joy, scoop JR up in his arms and spun him around and around. He was so excited. There was not a dry eye in sight. Peter then told JR how just that morning God had told him that He was going to give him a guitar! It was so beautiful to see God speak so clearly and to watch His will unfold so tenderly.

founders of The Bridge: mike demus, tom lane
& jim foster leading staff worship

There is so much more to tell; things we learned, saw, shared and felt. We came home with such a love and concern for our European brothers and sisters in Christ. Our hearts are forever imprinted with the awareness of how each people group in the body of Christ makes such a valuable and unique contribution to the beauty of His bride. We will continue giving and praying for this area and its wonderful, passionate people.

Tha nk you again, so, so much for all your help. Many hearts were touched to the glory of God, and they will never be the same.



Praying, believing, seeing,

Brett & Erin  

P.S. PRAYER REQUEST: The staff that served with us for the week of Rock for Life came from many different nations. We received e-mail a couple weeks ago stating that a number of the staff members we had worked with who were from Izm ir, Turkey were arrested while they were worshiping at church. They were charged with "worshiping God illegally" and "spreading propaganda" and then thrown in jail. The entire adult congregation was arrested (approx 40 people), and their small children were just left at the church to fend for themselves. They were expected to stand trial immediately. However, there is a member of the press (also a RFL staff person) who fought for them - talking with the powerful members of the town, arguing for their release. (His name is Sheldon.) Several days later, we received notice that they were all released from jail due to insufficient evidence.

These people really need our prayers. Though they were released, as you can see, they are severely oppressed, and the tension of the times is only becoming more and more extreme. Lord Jesus, come soon.