Bjerk Building Fund
"We are so glad you finally decided to stay!"
"I'm so, so happy you are building a house in my neighborhood!"
"When we moved here, I never dreamed I'd see that house finished!"
“Now you are as close as you can be to being one of us!”
These are some of the reactions we have heard in the months since we bought property here in our little part of Croatia. Until now, we did not realize how significant home ownership is to Croatians.
For eleven years we have lived and worked alongside our friends and neighbors, oblivious to the fact that some of them expected us to disappear at any time—despite our telling them that we have no plans to leave—simply because we are "only" renting a house in which to live. Renting is considered a luxury for visiting foreigners. But a foreigner building a home here is a watershed moment of cultural assimilation. It demonstrates the acceptance of and commitment to the country and the people. Owning a home gives us a base for long-term gospel ministry and opens doors into the lives and hearts of the folks living around us.
The cost of building materials has more than doubled in recent months, so what we had saved will not get us nearly as far as we had expected. We are asking God to provide the difference as He sees fit and in His timing, so that we can use this home/ministry base (located near our local church and camp property) for His glory.
"I'm so, so happy you are building a house in my neighborhood!"
"When we moved here, I never dreamed I'd see that house finished!"
“Now you are as close as you can be to being one of us!”
These are some of the reactions we have heard in the months since we bought property here in our little part of Croatia. Until now, we did not realize how significant home ownership is to Croatians.
For eleven years we have lived and worked alongside our friends and neighbors, oblivious to the fact that some of them expected us to disappear at any time—despite our telling them that we have no plans to leave—simply because we are "only" renting a house in which to live. Renting is considered a luxury for visiting foreigners. But a foreigner building a home here is a watershed moment of cultural assimilation. It demonstrates the acceptance of and commitment to the country and the people. Owning a home gives us a base for long-term gospel ministry and opens doors into the lives and hearts of the folks living around us.
The cost of building materials has more than doubled in recent months, so what we had saved will not get us nearly as far as we had expected. We are asking God to provide the difference as He sees fit and in His timing, so that we can use this home/ministry base (located near our local church and camp property) for His glory.