The church in Capljina has been in the town for 11 years now. It has been a difficult journey in which the Protestant Church has often been called a sect. Many of the believers who have decided to follow Christ lose the support of their families. Bernard and Nada Mikulic came to lead this church from Mostar. They recall how they weren’t even served in some shops during the early days as they were Pastor and Pastor’s wi
fe of the Protestant Church. However, they have remained strong and faithful and today the views are slowly changing.
Nada always had a dream of opening a Women’s club for the ladies of the town so when the opportunity came last year she rented a small building and prepared craft sessions. It was amazing that this space soon became too small as ladies began to invite their friends. She now
rents a larger place not far from the church and the craft group has got big enough to split into two groups. I have also started to teach beginner’s 
English to some of the ladies. This has started small but is quickly growing.
The craft sessions are an excellent opportunity to sit and talk and show God’s love to the ladies. Crafts which have been popular have been patchwork, decoupage, Christmas decorations and making bunting.
In February Mick and I came to IBCZ and many of the ladies there gave me some wonderful pieces of material and wool which we have already started to use in the crafts. We are planning to hold patchwork sessions in the near future as this is also very popular.
This is a very important ministry and the ladies really enjoy being able to get out and have their own time. It is hoped that in the future we can invite ladies to come along for coffee and chat in a friendly non-threatening environment. The culture in this small town is a lot of gossiping and mistrust especially between the ethnic groups so building up a base of trust is important for ladies so they know they can share their problems without it going further. I want to say a big thank you to everyone who gave me material for this and everyone for their love and support.
Every blessing,
Ali Holstead
Join us this coming Sunday as we together consider this challenging question from our Lord, recorded in John 21: “Do you love me more than these?”