Val evanđelja

Dear listeners and friends,

On this occasion I want to give you some information about our radio broadcasts via TWR Monte Carlo and Radio Tirana.

I well remember our first broadcast, which was on 19 August 1961. The first speaker and editor was Dr. Josip Horak. The first woman speaker was his daughter, Nela Horak-Williams. "With such enthusiasm we were preparing the broadcast and with such yearning we were awaiting it," Dr. Horak stated and continued – "We only had only one weekly broadcast and that on short-wave! It could hardly be heard, and much patience was needed to listen to it to the end, because there were many disturbances, and the signal was weak... However, we were from all our heart thankful to the Lord in heaven and TWR on earth for the first program in the Croatian language."

Today we daily have broadcasts on middle-wave, UKW, satellite and Internet. Our prayer is that the Lord reward all those who are enabling this: TWR, ERF in Wetzlar (Germany), Sanasaattajat in Finland, and other generous sponsors and our dear listeners. Our work is financed exclusively by means of voluntary contributions of listeners.

We began our first program of 19 August 1961 with the words of the Apostle Paul from the Epistle to the Romans 10:8 – "The Word is near you: it is in your mouth and in your heart, that is, the Word of faith which we are preaching." In that is our great responsibility. Our assignment is that through our broadcasts we draw people near to Jesus Christ, the Savior. "He is near to us through His Word," stated Dr. Horak, who was faithfully working on the broadcasts, all the way to the last day of his life. Most certainly the Lord has a reward for the work and effort of Dr. Horak, to whom we are thankful from all our heart. The work of VAL EVANĐELJA (Wave of the Gospel) is a continuation of the work, which our dear co-worker Dr. Josip Horak began and was doing.

I know that is a considerable number, dear listeners, who regularly follow us from the very beginnings. I thank you, as well as all the other appreciated listeners, for such attention. Thanks to all who have been writing us and who are regularly praying for us. Your letters are an encouragement for us and the work which the gracious Lord has entrusted to us. We ask of you, to continue to pray for us and our ministry by way of radio.

I want to conclude with the words of 1 Sam.7: 12 – "Thus far the Lord has helped us."

Yours in Christ's love,

Ferdo Sadak

THE EXPIRIENCE OF GREAT MERCY OF GOD AND LEARNING HOW STRONG FAITH CAN BE POWERFUL AND VICTORIOUS!

„Many are of the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all"

(Ps. 34:19)

As many of you, last few years I experienced a lot of problems, troubles and losses. I was taking that with more or less patience, as a part of that less beautiful side of our life, which is present, no matter if we like it or not. But recently I was faced with really hard times when I was on my vacations. And that experience had a deep influence on my life.

As in the past couple of years, I went on Island Brac for my holidays to a small fisherman's place Postira to which I was affected to from my early childhood. First three days of my staying were wonderful. I swim a lot and I felt so strong and healthy. Fourth day, or it is better to say fourth night I was waken up by hard pain in my chest and in both my armpits. The only words I could say in that moment were:

'Oh Lord, I will die, this is terrible pain, I am having heart attack'. Suddenly I felt that I will faint and there was darkness all around me. In that moment I eagerly prayed to my Lord: 'Dear God, don't let me lose my consciousness', because I was aware that if I faint now I will not wake up any more. I continued to pray my God and I ask Him not to let me suffer such a pain so long, that I would rather go to be with Him than to go through that pain any more. The dizziness was gone in a moment, and I succeeded to go downstairs to waken my household and ask her to call for first aid. Ambulance vehicle came soon and took me to the hospital in next bigger town on island where they give me some infusion and injection to help the blood reach my poor heart. Then they urgently took me by powerboat to hospital in Split where the doctors did the coronarography trying to remove the clot in my vein. Unfortunately, the clot couldn't be reached because my vein was so twisted, so they decided to give me medications to disintegrate it. The peripheral veins took the role of the main one, so I was safe, thanks to God.

I was recovering well and doctors were talking about leaving the hospital in a week. I was so happy and thankful to my Lord. But when they did an examination before releasing me they found smaller clots in an upper part of my heart. I had to stay in hospital, take medications and make blood tests until I reach particular values for coagulation. So, my going home was postponed, my disappointment was great, but my Lord didn't fill up my glass yet.

At the end of the second week in the hospital I was happy again. The day of my releasing was close and the blood tests were showing good values. I only had to wait for administrative details and to do last examination from my doctor.

During that check up they suddenly found that while they were doing that initial coronarography they ruin my vein and that I have a pseudo aneurysm which need to be surgically treated. My further staying in hospital was extended for two more weeks. There was one more surgery in front of me and all the things which follow that. That was great shock and like horror for me. It seemed as I will never go out of that hospital again.

My God was saving me from that hopelessness, and with each day I was becoming aware, in all that suffering and pain, that He is with me and that He is taking care of me like of His dearest child, and that He is taking care of all actions around me. He was scattering my fear and despair through dear people that I met and strengthen me in my faith through the difficulties I was going through.

I am deeply thankful to all brothers and sisters in Christ who keep me in their prayers, because I felt their support so strong in that time and that bring me closer to my Lord.

The only peaceful place for my 'hour of silence' was waiting room for patients that are coming out of the hospital to exams, early in the morning. In intense everyday prayer I was giving myself in the hands of my God in strong faith, hope and love, knowing that only in His arms things will go in right direction. That was the strongest handle, the 'prayer of faith'. I felt my Lord so close and the gift of His strength.

Coming back to my room with the Bible in my hand made my room mates curious. My leaving the room early in the morning was strange to them. Their questions and curiosity was a way given by God to testify them. how great and merciful my God was to me and to talk to them about my personal meeting the Christ. Through my witnessing I had so nice experience with people around me.

I am completely aware that this trouble I was going through is a part of Savior's plan for my further life. And I am grateful for that and glorify Him for all I went through. Because, more painful our troubles are, closer they will bring us to our Lord. God sometimes just uses troubles to achieve His particular goal in our life.

It happened so many times in my life that God was listening to my prayers full of faith, and that He answered on them. Help came right on time, although I thought sometimes it was too late. But I am sure He knows better when the right time is for everything. He is the master of time. And, greater the troubles in my life were, stronger my payers of faith was. I glorify Him, my awesome God and He show me His mercy and power so generously.

Although I knew that before, now I am completely aware that one can't count on his human power. The only power and strength we can count on is God's power, for He is awesome God, my strong Heavenly Father who is taking care of me.

At the end everything was fine. I spent almost four weeks in the hospital, the time full of pain, fear and sorrow, but in the same time, the time of untold happiness, close to my Lord.

Through my prayer of faith, in the middle of my trouble my God gave me special blessing and one new experience of LIVING GOD, as I had never before. So I want to celebrate Him, to give Him all the glory and honor He deserves.

My illness brought me to deeper and stronger faith in God's power and help.

My new health condition I accept ac a lifetime chance to abandon old habits and as a new beginning.

I am aware that I have to change my life rhythm, to slow down a little and accept quiescent way of life as my God's will and His way to show me some things in my life that I didn't noticed before in all the rush and running in my life. A situation that takes us closer to the Lord, although sometimes painful and unpleasant, is always welcome. Changing old habits in our life isn't easy task, but effort put in that purpose to be what our Lord wants us to be, will pay off abundantly.

I worship and glorify Him!

Your sister in Christ Nada Kanducar

In Zagreb, 28th July 2008.

Bekele Shanko was born into a rural Ethiopian family. Bekele's father worshiped Satan and abused alcohol as well as his three wives. At the age of four, young Bekele was officially dedicated for a lifetime of Satan worship, destined to follow in his father's footsteps.

But God had another plan for Bekele. With no church or Christian witness in their area of Ethiopia, Bekele was introduced to the message of the Gospel through a series of incredible events. He was transformed by the living Christ and is being used miraculously used by God to bring hope and healing in Africa.

Bekele's friends say that he has been divinely appointed for leadership. God set him apart and created him with special capacity. But despite his keen intellect and courageous faith, Bekele also displays deep humility and dependence upon God as he asks probing questions and expresses passion to develop as a leader. Bekele's story is one among many that signal a global trend among leaders. God is raising up a generation – often in unconventional ways – to lead His church. These incredible accounts highlight God's faithfulness to provide leaders for his church. At the same time, the collective voice of these leaders are also saying:

We need help to become Christ-centered leaders who are willing to resist the lure of success and advance the Kingdom of God in difficult places and against seemingly impossible odds.

We need contextualized Christ-centered leadership models that are appropriate to specific cultures. We prefer our own indigenous leadership heroes for the future.

We need mentors who will personally invest in us through ongoing life-upon-life encounters. Leadership training events – although helpful – are not sufficient alone to bring about the Christ-centered perspectives and leadership maturity we desperately long for.

We need each other. We are motivated by collaboration, not competition. We want to partner with other like-minded Kingdom leaders, sharing resources as good stewards in our service to the church and society.

We need leadership development now; it is a urgent priority for the church in the 21st century.

TWR is responding with a priority focus on leadership development into the future. We are privileged to partner with the Holy Spirit to accelerate the development of leaders who will make disciples among the nations. We are currently in the strategic planning stage to provide leadership development through mass media accompanied by "on-the-ground" initiatives. With leaders like Bekele, the church has a fantastic potential future. As these leaders share their heart cry for development, we have committed ourselves to cooperate with the church worldwide in response to this need to raise up a generation of leaders to advance the whole gospel to the whole world.

Rick Sessoms is TWR's leadership development officer