My Trip to Croatia
by Lou Blagdan

September 13,2006

First I want to tell you that my trip to Croatia was very interesting and challenging. And I want to especially thank every one that prayed for me while I was there. Believe me you really need prayer when you are sharing Jesus with the people that are very deeply into tradition. Some of the spiritual warfare that I had to face really made me believe it was prayer that helped me get through and kept me going.

On the 28^th of July I arrived on KLM Airline to Amsterdam. The flight was very pleasant and I had a chance to share Jesus with one young girl that was sitting next to me. When I got to Amsterdam the ticket agent told me that I was not in the computer and she told me to wait and that she was going to see if she could get me on the same flight. It took a while and she did not just get me on the same flight but she also put me in first class. The same thing happened when I was coming back from Zadar to Amsterdam except this time I was told to wait until every one checks in and that if there is a seat left that they will let me go in and if not that I had to wait until the next day because there is only one flight a day going from Zadar to Amsterdam so I prayed in the Holy Spirit as I never prayed before. At the last minute I did not just get on the same flight but I also got to go to first class again. Praise the Lord! God is good.

The nest day I took a barge from Zadar and went across to the Island where I was born. My cousin came to meet me and we drove to Kukljica. When I got there it was strange for me being there and meeting so many people. I felt like a stranger. It took me a few days before then I was able to visit them all.

Several days after I got there I was very sick with a virus. I wanted to change my ticket and come back but then I was reminded of the scripture that Paul said that we are to run the race and not to quit. So I made up my mind that I was going to stay there for the whole time that I came there to stay. And I was reminded of the scripture from Ester that said. "If I parish I parish!" But I am going to stay.

When I first got there it was very hot 35c, which would be here over 100' with 90-degree humidity. Then just a few days later it started thundering and pouring rain very hard and it turned cold. It would ram for two or tree days without stopping. It rained the whole time I was there with a few nice days in between.

Kukljica is a beautiful place surrounded with lots of small and some large islands all around. It is a tourist place.  The people from all over Europe come there during summer to enjoy the fresh air, the beautiful Adriatic sea so clear that you can see the bottom, and the fishing is the best and the beautiful green mountains are all around. One can hear all over the town the beautiful music and songs being sang from late afternoon until after midnight.

The place really and truly would be heaven on earth if God was there. Most of the people live there only during summer and in winter they have home in Zadar which is the mainland. It is 45 minutes away from Kukljica with the ship. Some people live in Kuldjica through the whole year, mostly older people.

Kukljica is a beautiful place but is very wicked and very much into tradition.

I spoke up every time I heard someone swearing in God's name and reminded them that it is one of the commandment where God said not to use His name in vain.

I hope that next time I go, I can go with an evangelist who can preach the word of God to them. I do not know if that is possible because of the language barrier.

I should explain that on the 5^th of August they have a big fiesta, a celebration to the blessed Mary. That is the main holyday in Kukljica. People from all around come there for this holiday. There is a story told that on the 5^th of August the fishermen found a statue of Mary in the snow and that is the place where they built a church, in August there is not supposed to be snow any place because it is still warm weather. So the people dedicated a big statue of Mary and they celebrate her on that day.

I went to mass the first Sunday I came there and I noticed that all the praise and worship songs were sang to Mary. Not even one song was sang in praise and worship to God. No mention of Jesus or God except when reading the Gospel. 

I am glad that I did not leave when I got sick because the last three weeks were very fruitful. I had a chance to have lunch with a few of my cousins in their homes at different times and to tell them about Jesus and Salvation. They are not open to it and they have their own beliefs. But I am praying that the word of God would be made alive in their hearts and that the Holy Spirit would do His work in their lives. I was told that I was going to hell because I left my mother's faith.

I would like all the Christians to pray for the people of Croatia.

Lou Blagdan