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When Your World Shakes
14 Plays2 years ago
Vernon speaks with Vlado Hoblaj and his daughter Elizabeth on their counseling, teaching and fostering ministry in Croatia. Vlado is the founder of Hope For Life and has written a best-selling book in Croatia to encourage others in his country to place their hope on the unshakeable foundation of Christ. Take a few moments to hear their story and glean from the experience of fame, fortune, bankruptcy, and ministry. What a journey. You can support their ministry at https://secure.lglforms.com/form_engine/s/nxYCOiier5LFs6TEmKtUqQ
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Transcript
Introduction of Guests
00:00:02
Speaker
This is your host Vernon Terrell with Grace Ministries International and it's time for Walking Free!
00:00:20
Speaker
And welcome back, this is Vernon Terrell. And today, we have some special guests all the way from Croatia, sitting right here in the studio. Let me introduce Vlado Hobli and his daughter, Betta. Welcome. Hi, hi everybody. Hello. Hello.
Vlado's Life-Changing Conference Experience
00:00:45
Speaker
Vlado has been a partner
00:00:48
Speaker
with Grace Ministries for a long time. And I thought I would first ask you, Vlada, how did you get connected
00:00:58
Speaker
with Grace Ministries. How did all that start? That starts with a mistake. Oh, a mistake? Yeah, I used to be in the business and somebody invited me to some seminar or conference to Budapest, Hungary that's supposed to help me with the business as much as I understand.
00:01:18
Speaker
But there was a man who I later realized that he was working for the Grace Ministries International, and he presented a very interesting biblical perspective on what is important for our life. At first I was disappointed because there was something different that I expected, but then as the seminar or the conference was going on,
00:01:43
Speaker
I realized there was something that's kind of very interesting, and I wanted to invite him to be the guest in my hometown. And when he came, I thought he was a very capable speaker, so I was wondering what he would speak in my town. But he wanted to speak the same thing that he did in Budapest.
00:02:07
Speaker
Oh, I thought, well, the good speaker might have a variety of subjects, but I allow him to do this stuff. Is this all he has, but okay. That's what I thought. But it turns out to be something so important. It was a life-changing experience, and that's where I started.
00:02:22
Speaker
Wow. How long ago
Journey Through Depression and Finding Faith
00:02:24
Speaker
was that? That was in 1997. Wow. I was much younger then. Much, much younger. And my beta, my Elizabetha, she was just born in that year. Wow. And so you are connected with Grace Ministries and you over time developed
00:02:44
Speaker
a ministry, multiple ministries in Croatia. Can you tell us a little bit about those? Well, I think the base of everything was my depression when I was young. I was a musician and I couldn't find the real reason for this life. Some idols were the musicians like Jenny Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and Jim Morrison. And I thought that there is nothing much more from this world I wanted to end at some time.
00:03:12
Speaker
And then when I met Christ, that was in 1987. Later I recognized my plan to end my life in the year 27. Later I recognized that was when I died to myself and was born again in Jesus. That was like me crossing over the Red Sea and being saved. But then 10 years after,
00:03:37
Speaker
I realized with meeting with this man, his name was Rob Clark, and when he was presenting me the program, training of grace ministers, which was having topics like depression and suicide. Oh, that is something I wanted to learn more. And then I realized that the Bible has much more to say than I ever even imagined. So it was for me, it was like crossing the Jordan River in the promised land.
00:04:04
Speaker
from there. Wow. And so here
Mental Health and Faith's Role
00:04:07
Speaker
you are. You've that was the basis. It's really and this is so important today, whether it's back then or right now, there has been a mental health crisis. We say that it's very public right now. There's people talking everywhere about the mental health crisis, depression, anxiety.
00:04:32
Speaker
thoughts of harming oneself. All kind of disorders. But that's not new. That was affecting people for a very long time. And from what I'm hearing you say, you found that Christ
00:04:51
Speaker
offered an answer for you. And what I'm seeing in the church is that sometimes we don't explain that answer very well. We don't explain how Christ is the solution for depression and anxiety. And yes, and you may disagree, agree that there are times when our body can work against us and we can have hormone imbalances and things in the brain.
00:05:20
Speaker
and we can seek some medical help, and that's a good thing, but by and large, the peace that comes from knowing Christ and knowing Christ in His fullness, in our identity, in our forgiveness, in God's grace, is a foundation that one can build upon to experience that life of peace
Betta's Faith Journey
00:05:42
Speaker
and joy.
00:05:42
Speaker
So let me ask you, and we say, but it's Elizabeth, or some, the US name might be just Elizabeth, but Elizabeth, tell us a little bit about as you're growing up in your household, when did you find faith in Christ?
00:06:06
Speaker
Well, I was in church since I was little and I got baptized like 12 years ago. It was time of Easter and at home we were watching movie about Jesus and
00:06:30
Speaker
what He has done for us, that He went to that cross to die for me in my sins, so I could live through Him and with Him for all my life. That's great. And that was 12 years ago. Yes. And what was the movie, if I might ask? Do you remember the name of the movie? Maybe Passion of Christ.
00:07:00
Speaker
Yeah, that's an incredible movie, The Passion of Christ. And now, Vlada, you came to Christ, but you began a ministry.
From Music to Ministry
00:07:13
Speaker
You were in the music business. You were touring with your band all in Europe, doing so much. But then when you came to Christ,
00:07:24
Speaker
Something happened and you started some ministries. What can you tell us about this? Well, maybe before I came to Christ, I believe that there was God. And so I kind of prayed to Him without having a personal relationship with Him. My basic two prayers that I was faithful praying every night was that God will open me the world of music because there was everything that matters to me. The other one was never be butchered as my father was.
00:07:52
Speaker
Oh, so your father was a butcher? Yeah. And you said, I never want to be a butcher. Not only I never want, I was asking God, never that happened. And then when I became a real Christian, when Christ was my God, then I felt that he was asking me if he was more important to me than music was. And I needed to take that step and say, OK, I can give up my music for you, Jesus.
00:08:19
Speaker
So then the next question was, I need to live a responsible life. What would that mean? Oh, that would mean go back home and continue to do what your father was doing. Oh, no. That was a humor of God. Yes. And so you did, you were in the butchering. But yes, but it was, my heart was never there. It was just my understanding that I need to live a responsible life. My heart was more in the ministry from the very beginning. So I was actively involved in planting the church in my hometown.
00:08:49
Speaker
Then for some time I was involved in the ministry of Christian businessman. And then I thought that my music was over forever. But then I met a friend in another church. He tells me, well, why don't we play music for God? You've played for yourself before. And that was completely new idea for me. So then I had a band for a couple
Fostering Journey and Family Commitment
00:09:14
Speaker
of years, the band named Adonai.
00:09:17
Speaker
We were touring to Croatia and sharing gospel to the music. But then after some, when I, when I, when I met Grace Ministries, I thought, well, this is more important than anything before. And that was the beginning of helpful life ministries.
00:09:32
Speaker
We had for several years the counseling office in virus and many people came to Christ. Many people found the solution for their troubles, their problems. But then some strange circumstances that can be coincidental, but I'm sure the Lord has planned it. I met in
00:09:52
Speaker
in Korea, one man who related me with American missionary who was using theater and drama and musicals for the gospel. And that was something very challenging to me. So we started the Cornerstone Art Theatre in Croatia. And then after sometimes when we happily bankrupted in 2009, and I was free from being a butcher,
00:10:16
Speaker
and having a pretty big house and seeing that we had by then five adopted children, so had some experience with children. So we thought this house could be filled with more children who needs family. So it might be a little confusing how that fits together, but it does.
00:10:36
Speaker
So I'm still serving as a pastor in my small church and I'm enjoying watching where the Lord is opening door and just give myself and ourself more to that.
00:10:49
Speaker
So you're trusting, you're asking the Lord to open the door and you just walk through it. Yeah. And this idea of bringing more children into the home was an open door. Yeah. And you're doing that through fostering. Yes. And how many fostering kids have you seen over the last few years? Well, it will be... Because I know some are in and out.
00:11:14
Speaker
and they kind of come quickly and they leave and some stay. Yeah, the complete number of the children who have been in our home is 26. Six of them have been adopted. Two of them are from Ukraine. They live with us, with their mom for a year and a half already. And the rest,
00:11:38
Speaker
has been shorter or longer with us. Some has been faster the way as being our own children. So we stay in touch forever with them. And so that's kind of so today.
Advice for Aspiring Foster Parents
00:11:50
Speaker
So today, how many are in your household right now? That can be better. How many? She's better in counting. Now it's 10 kids, 10 kids in the house right now and two dogs and two dogs.
00:12:08
Speaker
And we're fortunate to have two of Vlado's daughters here in the States with us and they'll be heading home soon, but very grateful to have them here. So, well, let me ask you, Beto, what is it like having 10 kids in the house at the same time?
00:12:30
Speaker
Well, it's funny. But I love when we are... There's many people in house. Because when there's a problem for someone, we can all solve this together. Because no one is ever alone.
00:12:59
Speaker
Hmm no one is how many bathrooms are in the house three no more
00:13:09
Speaker
With 10 kids and so you and you started fostering how many years ago? In 2009 10 actually we we decided 2009 that then we had to go to the program with social social service and 2000 then we received first three boys and
00:13:30
Speaker
What would you say to someone in the United States or another country who is considering fostering? What would you encourage them to do for a next step?
Challenges in Fostering
00:13:45
Speaker
Well, I don't know exactly what is the system in the United States. In Croatia, we need to cooperate with the governmental social service. And so for us in Croatia will be to just knock on the door and just say, hey, I would I would like to be the foster parent. And they they will direct you what you need to do. It's not too difficult to meet the criteria. Was that something you did with a lot of prayer? Yes. Yes. Yeah. Yeah.
00:14:13
Speaker
and decide that's just a big step of faith. Maybe it was easier. We never planned to have a big family. We just wanted to have at first one adopted child and then we realized that she was so sweet and that she would be spoiled just by herself. So we thought it would be good to have at least one sister.
00:14:38
Speaker
And then little by little, as I said, in 2009, we had five adopted and then have already some experience. So it was not that much new for us as it might be someone who would not have that experience before. What are the challenges that you experienced? And I want to hear your perspective too, back to when you're bringing a new foster
00:15:06
Speaker
boy or girl into the home. What challenges did you experience?
00:15:11
Speaker
Well, the first is to get the trust of the child. And another one is we have learned that the children must be loved by the head and not by heart. Because if you love them only by heart, they can manipulate you. Especially children who have been through trauma and changing homes, they have already developed some mechanism how to deal with the surrounding and that might not be good for them.
00:15:39
Speaker
And then some of them are stealing, many are lying, some are disrespectful. So we have fun to bring them. Right. What about you on challenges with when a new foster child comes in?
00:15:58
Speaker
I can agree with my dad because they all have history with their family. But I think it's important for them that they know that they can trust us and that they had a second chance to become a better person and to have some future.
00:16:28
Speaker
Do they have an opportunity to, and I know that's not the purpose of fostering in terms of providing, you know, giving them the gospel, but do you find that some of them are open?
Writing Inspired by Earthquakes
00:16:41
Speaker
Yes, they all are open because children are simple in that way. All people have more prejudice. So we don't want to force obviously, but as they are following and realizing, they all are very positive to gospel.
00:16:58
Speaker
And you wrote a book. And in fact, I believe you've been on national TV in Croatia. Can you tell us about your book? And it's in everyone. It's in Croatian. It's not in English, although there's some excerpts that we can help provide you in English. But tell us about your book.
00:17:22
Speaker
Well, as you may know, we had in Croatia two very devastating earthquakes. The first one was I guess 2019 and then in 2020. So everybody wanted to help in some way. The whole country, the whole nation was united with the people who suffered.
00:17:43
Speaker
And I realized maybe I can use my counseling background and experience and maybe to do something that can come to the people that I would never be able to meet personally. And then I realized that by thinking about that, it came to me the Matthew 7 when Jesus was talking about
00:18:03
Speaker
building our house or our lives either on sand or on the rock. I realized that earthquake is something that is testing our foundation. And I wanted to use the analogy of the earthquake, natural earthquake, with any crisis in our life that is coming. It's wrong to believe that crisis is something that should not happen.
00:18:30
Speaker
They are the test of our foundation. We need to expect them. And so what we can do is not waiting for such earthquake or crisis will happen, then we can then rebuild our foundation. We can do it before trusting Jesus that He knows and He can tell us how to build the real foundation of our lives. So that was the reason I felt to write the book.
00:18:59
Speaker
And, I mean, we're told to expect, Peter says to expect, and James says to expect these trials and temptations that will come. And I think it's a real danger that some, not some in the church,
00:19:18
Speaker
have mischaracterized God's blessing as everything is okay, nothing bad happens. And that is not the case. Life happens. Somebody said life... many people say life is difficult. And then somebody said comparing to what? I would say comparing to our expectation of our version to life.
00:19:42
Speaker
If we are in the children in the school, we never were happy when there was exam. But without exam, we would never really grow. Yeah. And as you said, these trials test our faith. Yes. And test our trust in Christ.
00:20:03
Speaker
For you, the book that you wrote, how was it received in Croatia? Well, Croatia is a small market and the books are not popular media today in the age of Instagram, TikTok, and all the books cannot compete.
00:20:21
Speaker
So, I heard, I was not in publishing before, I heard that like 500 copies or 1,000 copies for this country printed the book, that's success. I'm happy to say that my book was reprinted now in 2000, no, 4,000 already. Wow, that's incredible. I'm very encouraged by that.
00:20:43
Speaker
Have you and your family experienced any personal, from a metaphor, any personal earthquakes in your family that have maybe tested your faith, personal trials?
Finding Joy in Fostering Through Bankruptcy
00:20:59
Speaker
Well, there were many, but maybe the major was when we bankrupted in the business.
00:21:05
Speaker
What was that like? How did that... It was difficult. It had a variety of dimensions. One was obviously material and financial, but there was also shame. I felt like I was not good enough. But that helped us to make our trust in the Lord being
00:21:34
Speaker
refined. And I'm glad that after a couple of years we are more happy and more secure than ever before. So God proved to be very faithful.
00:21:44
Speaker
And even after that experience of bankruptcy, many would, or that Satan might tempt us to hoard and to draw, it's like to focus only on myself. Yet you did the exact opposite, reached out and said, I want more to come into my home.
00:22:09
Speaker
Well, today we see if we would not have bankruptcy. Maybe we will burn out in the business that we might lost ourselves and our family. But now because of bankruptcy, so many more children receive family. So how can I not say that we happily bankrupted? Yes, I love how you said that. Happily bankrupt. Because it was good for everybody. Eventually.
00:22:32
Speaker
Have you had, and I know, I won't say your age, we're not supposed to tell a lady's age, but have you had your own times where things have shaken in your life a little bit or not yet?
Overcoming Challenges with Faith
00:22:49
Speaker
I think everyone have these shakes in their life and of course I had it but as I gave my life to Christ it's different to see it in those
00:23:07
Speaker
difficult times because when you know God, you know that you have someone you can trust and that you can give all those problems and temptations and everything that is bothering you to him and that he will solve that and make it better. Yeah, it was sometimes hard with work or school or something but with God all things are possible.
00:23:37
Speaker
Well then let me ask you and then I'm gonna go to your dad and we'll close down this podcast.
Encouragement and Advice for Life's Challenges
00:23:49
Speaker
If someone listening today is going through a very hard time, things are shaking in their life, either relationally or with their job or with school, friends, everything is shaking.
00:24:06
Speaker
How would you encourage them? What would you say to them if they were sitting across like we are right now? What are some things you might say to them to encourage them? Well, I could say that maybe
00:24:30
Speaker
I think I would ask them if I can pray for them and for their situation. But I think I would say that they should give that to God with their honest heart. And I know God will answer their prayer. Even if they don't know Him personally, I know God will answer.
00:24:58
Speaker
Yeah, because God is close to the brokenhearted. He's close to those who are in need. Vlado, you've experienced in the country with the devastation of the earthquakes in that incredibly terrible situation, but in other areas where life is shaking, if someone's experiencing that, what would you say to encourage them?
00:25:28
Speaker
Well, I try to avoid instant and quick answer, because they could bring more pain than hope. Because we can say God is good, but what does it mean?
00:25:44
Speaker
So my first desire will be to hear the heart of people who is broken, and then just as I did in my book, little by little, what to do with nothing can be done, what to do with something can be done, little by little, but it's all at some point comes to Jesus.
00:26:03
Speaker
His mission was to come to our world to present to us who really God is. And the moments when we are in trouble, it gives us the opportunity to stop and to consider, to explore what is this life all about and who is Jesus.
00:26:25
Speaker
And as we get to know Him as He is, and we get to know God as He is, God is God of miracle. He can do some things that we as a counselors cannot predict. So I would like to avoid to say a simple way, but Jesus is the answer.
00:26:48
Speaker
I like that approach that sometimes we're too quick to give what might be termed a cliche, if you know that word, the saying. And that can be more hurtful. Hearing the heart of somebody. If you know someone who's hurting, take that advice to pray for them. And listen to them. And to listen to them.
00:27:16
Speaker
and to hear their heart. Don't be quick to give them a quick answer. What they need is someone. Job had many friends to give them a quick answer. They were all wrong, every one of them. For the first week they were good because they were just sitting and beside. The first week they did it and then they got a little ahead of themselves.
00:27:41
Speaker
So sit with them, listen, pray for them, and if you're the one who is hurting right now, if things are shaking, then we do want to encourage you that, not as a quick answer, but as a true answer, that God is for you and He's never against you.
00:27:58
Speaker
And if you need encouragement, you can always reach out to Grace Ministries, reach out to a friend, that person that you trust. And it's never a good idea to go it alone. It's always better to find someone that you can connect with that can encourage you and sometimes just sit with you.
Supporting Hope for Croatia
00:28:21
Speaker
So let me encourage you first if you want to know more about hope for Croatia you can always go to the Grace Ministry site look under international and find some more information you can donate and support hope for Croatia that will go directly to them and we encourage you to do that
00:28:43
Speaker
And we just encourage you, again, if life is shaking all around you, know that Jesus Christ is the unshakable foundation and you can find your rest, your hope, and your peace in him. So I don't want you to just think about it and talk about it. Ask the Lord what's your next step so you can stop talking and start walking.
00:29:11
Speaker
You've been listening to Walking Free, a production of Grace Ministries International in Marietta, Georgia. For more information, go to our website at gment.org. That's gminc.org.