America to Zagreb: The McCollum Family - All Saints Day

Friday, 16 May 2008

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All Saints Day - 2007

Written by Michael McCollum

Friday, 02 November 2007

Yesterday was All Saints Day or Day of the Dead. It is a national holiday in Croatia so none of us had school. We decided to go to the Mirogoj Cemetary in Zagreb. It was decorated with flowers, elaborate headstones, and candles. Buses were running from the main square (Trg Bana Jelačića) to the cemetary. We were amazed at how efficient and orderly it operated. It spoke to us about how serious this day is for Croatians.

Click on any picture below for a high resolution slide show.

Note: Not all of the pictures displaying in this article are from the cemetary. Some are from our trip to and from the cemetary. I thought people might like to see the fall colors in our area...and that we are still such Americans that we stopped at McDonald's for a late lunch.

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Comments (3)

1. Written by Christian , on 02-11-2007 15:41
It's a big day in Slovenia also. Not only the catholics go because the communists also celebrated it too. So almost everbody is there ... already on reformationday ... which should be on the day before ... but isn't as popular by far.
http://utechristian.wordpress.com/2007/10/31/lichterfest/

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2. Featured!
Written by Missionary Blog Watch , on 03-11-2007 19:23
Hi! Just thought you might like to know that your post was featured at Missionary Blog Watch. I really enjoyed your pictures (it's interesting comparing Day of the Dead traditions too).

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3. interesting culture
Written by This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , on 05-11-2007 01:03
There's a lot to learn about a culture by observing how they treat their dead. Many Japanese festivals are related to the spirits of the dead. Yesterday, our church had a service in the church cemetary. (I didn't go and I think the cemetary is nearly an hour from here.) It is one way that non-Christians feel comfortable in a Christian service because it is in a cemetary and because it is cultural to remember the deceased.

I enjoy your newsletters. I think and pray for your children. Ours are having their own struggles being in a new area of Japan. Suitbable activities and friendships also top our requests for our children--especially the boys.

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On June 15, 2007, the McCollum family arrived in Zagreb, Croatia. Croatia is a country with a long history of calling itself Christian but with few who actually know Christ as their savior. The McCollum family believes God has called them to teach the people of Croatia what it truly means to be followers of Christ.

Once they finish formal language school, they will serve on a church planting team with other missionaries and Croats. Church planting, or starting churches, is a core aspect of SEND International ministries:

Starting churches where there are none and helping them where there are by
Evangelizing the unreached,
Nurturing disciples, and
Developing leaders from among the national people.

On their journey to Croatia, one elderly pastor shared his story of a life well lived for the glory of God. This has become a growing passion for the family as they begin serving in God's work in Croatia.

After years of preparation, the McCollum family is glad to be where God has called them. Although right now their relationships are limited by language, they look forward to the day when they can communicate clearly with Croats and actively engage in ministry.

How will they preach unless they are sent? - Romans 10:15

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