Ten men from seven nations sat in a circle in a quiet Airbnb in Zagreb, Croatia—pastors, missionaries, and friends—each carrying years of unseen, faithful ministry.
We gathered for what we called a Refresh Conference. Although I knew each of them, they were just meeting one another for the first time. That first evening, over Croatian food in the old city, stories started to unfold and friendships began to develop.
The following morning, after a hearty breakfast prepared by our friend Andrej from Slovenia, we opened to Isaiah 40. As the words filled the room—“He gives power to the faint… they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength”—something sacred happened. These were men who spend their lives teaching Scripture, yet here they were being renewed by it.
That afternoon, we had an honest talk about “The Weight We Carry.” There were no agendas or whiteboards—only conversation and prayer. Burdens were named, and strength was shared quietly.
For me, it was an answered prayer. I have long asked the Lord to make space for our global partners to get to know each other, to be strengthened not only in their work but also in their relationships.
As I reflected on those men—serving faithfully for years, mostly unseen—I was reminded of something Oswald Chambers wrote: “The greatest heroes of the faith are not always those who seem to be soaring; often it is they who are quietly, faithfully plodding along.”
These are the kinds of men Paul the Apostle had in mind when he wrote that it is required of stewards that they be found faithful (1 Cor. 4:2).
Thank you for loving and supporting them so well. Would you continue to pray for them—not for ease, but for endurance—as they quietly, faithfully keep going?
