Renewing Our Minds (ROM) 2016, TAP

Hope Manley produced a video about the 2016 Renewing Our Minds (ROM) Gathering featured at the Antioch Partners 2016 annual event in Houston “ One Night, Eternal Impact”. Hope Manley attended the 2016 ROM Gathering.

ROM 2016

Towards the end of the 2016 (ROM) Renewing Our Minds Gathering in Fuzine, Croatia last August, Jack Fallow, ROM speaker and mentor wrote and shared the following poem that summarized how he experienced the 2016 ROM Gathering and its amazingly diverse community:

ROM 2016

Poems write themselves, you know

They plow out from the pen

Sometimes at ROM, the rhythm flows
And it’s happened – once again.

Fifteen countries came to talk

To share, to listen, learn

Emotions flowed, and tears did too

As we started to discern

That

Our National Love

Comes not from above

That our National Pride

Creates thoughts to divide

Yes, iconic structures

Create mental structures

That tell us we’re better than them

That we will excel

As they go to hell

Because God rings our National bell.

But – God made our world a place

For the whole human race

And here we are – Each one a star

With talent and gifts that abound

And now – as we leave – Don’t forget to believe

That these people around you,

Are part of your team, can help with your dream.

They can all sing your song, as you travel along

They are part of your team, whatever your scheme

But they are not THEY, In fact they are ‘WE’

We have no stones to throw, wherever you go, there’s an ‘US’

That you meet here at ROM, And each is an “I” as part of the ‘US’

So, when you’re alone

There’s Facebook, Skype and phone

And we shall be the bone

That straightens you back

When your will might crack.

And when you’re up high

With your head in the sky

Just continue observant

Of the call of THE SERVANT

Jack Fallow

This is What ROM is About

Since 2001 Allen Belton has been a speaker and mentor every summer at the ROM (Renewing Our Minds) Gathering which takes place in Fuzine, Croatia. Here is Allen’s brief report on the past summer ROM Gathering.

My time in Fuzine at the Renewing Our Minds Gathering 2014 was rich inspirational experience for me and everyone attending the gathering.

I would like to share one story that demonstrates that. It is about two young couples. Both couples were married just before ROM and both couples decided to come to ROM for their honeymoons. Shenaj and Erman Belegu are from Kosovo. Shenaj’s first time at ROM was in the summer of 2013 and she decided to bring her husband to the next ROM. When I asked her why they came to ROM for their honeymoon she said, “Because I don’t know of another place that has so much peace, that I can feel so comfortable and be myself. I wanted my husband to experience this place for himself.”

The other couple just married who came to ROM 2014 were Marko and Mateja Stupar, from Serbia. They have been part of ROM for a number of years. “ROM is our extended family and we wouldn’t miss it”, they said. They shared a joint wedding reception, together with Erman and Shenaj, at ROM Gathering 2014.

The remarkable thing is that not all is well between Serbia and Kosovo, and ROM is probably the only place in the recent history of Serbia and Kosovo, where one could witness two couples, one from Serbia and another one from Kosovo, celebrating their marriages together, in the same room.

This is what ROM is all about. Each person that experiences ROM is a change person. I am a changed person. ROM is a time to learn from one another, a powerful time of building relationships, learning about Jesus, a time to have our minds renewed and being challenged to home and make a difference.

As a speaker at ROM I felt that what God gave me to share with those present at the last ROM was well received, understood, appreciated with open minds and hearts. I had many one-on-one conversations, and God used me to help others see that Jesus loves them, and that in God’s eyes we are all ‘Designer Originals’.

Allen Belton, published by Balkan Task Force Newsletter, October 2014.

FORUM 2013 SPRING APPEAL

Dear Friends, 

One and a half years ago Renewing Our Minds (ROM) and Economic Diplomacy and Integrity Forum (EDI) formed a new organization, Forum for Leadership and Reconciliation (Forum). Formed in November 2011 in Seattle WA, Forum is now taking the Renewing Our Minds and Economic Diplomacy and Integrity Forum to a new level. 

Forum builds on the fourteen years of ROM experience, as well as on the experience of Life Center International (LCI), the umbrella organization based in Fuzine, Croatia that supervised the work of ROM since 1999. The vision of Forum is, “Developing Leaders Transformed by the Person of Jesus in a Divided World”. Its mission is about advancing the Kingdom of God by nurturing international leaders of noble, forgiving, reconciled and serving hearts, and in harmony with the character of Jesus Christ. Forum pursues its mission through transformative, holistic and relational education, training and mentorship; as well as the advancement of caring and serving communities. 

Over the years the transformative impact of ROM, the heart of the Forum mission, has reached far beyond Southeast Europe (Balkans), where everything started in 1999 in response to the Balkan conflicts engulfing all former Yugoslavian countries at the time; and has since reached the Middle East, the African continent, the former Soviet Union countries, the EU, USA. For 600 young lives, from 50 countries have been directly impacted by ROM programs over the years, the experience was life defining and directing. Many ROM alumni have since emerged as leaders of substance, and are today making a difference in the political, social, humanitarian and religious arenas of their countries. 

In 2013 the Forum Board of Directors is focused on setting a firm and sustainable foundation for future growth of ROM and EDI by finalizing its organizational and serving structure and by setting realistic objectives that will lead us forward in our service. These are our primary program objectives for the current year: 

1. ROM Leadership and Reconciliation Gathering 2013: A two-week reconciliation and leadership seminar, known as ROM Gathering, in Fuzine, Croatia, July 13 – 29, 2013. A selected group of fifty young leaders, from 15 countries, representing diverse religious and ethnic backgrounds will attend. Objective: To teach young leaders about forgiveness, reconciliation and leadership of integrity and service by exposing them to the teachings of Jesus. 

2. FLR Regional Leadership Summit: A two-day Southeast European Leadership Summit,      July 30 – 31, 2013, in Fuzine, Croatia. A selected group of mature and trusted leaders from the Balkans will meet for a two day planning session leading to the establishment of a team of coordinators who will throughout a year coordinate the spiritual and vocational growth of ROM alumni through coaching and mentoring. 

3. EDI Forum in Romania: Economic Diplomacy and Integrity Forum is planned for September in Cluj-Napoca, Romania.  A group of 30 young leaders form Romania will learn about Jesus principles applied to business, economics, and politics.  

4. ROM Middle-East Project: A start-up ROM Middle-East weekend seminar is planned for December 2013. With a group of ROM alumni from the Middle East, and in partnership with a local organization that focuses on reconciliation, Forum is planning to set a ground work for future ROM projects in the countries of the Middle East. 

All our programs focus on building a new generation of leaders, reconciled and transformed by the person of Jesus. Forum is a new organization, with almost 15 years of experience, and proven programs and projects (ROM, EDI). At this time when the potential for international conflicts escalates by day, and when the leadership informed by the character of Jesus is very much a lacking ingredient in today’s society, we consider our work to be of primary importance. 

The work of Forum depends on the support of churches, foundations, organizations and friends like you who appreciate the value of investing the values of Jesus’ life into the lives of the young leaders of today.  Your generous donation will help meet our objectives for 2013. 

Please, direct your donation to our partners: The Antioch Partners. 

If you are sending your donation by check write ROM or Forum on the memo line and send to:            

The Antioch Partners

7132 Portland Avenue, Suite 138

Richfield, MN   55423.

If you would like to donate online, click on DONATE NOW and fill out the form completely. IMPORTANT: On the form under "Please direct your donation to:" select "Project Support", and under "Select project of your choice" select "Forum for Leadership and Reconciliation".

We will gladly answer all your questions. Thank you for your generous donation.  You are making a difference in the world we live in. For more info write to forumforleadership@gmail.com  

We are looking forward to hearing from you soon. 

Love and blessings. 

Martha S. Weiss, Forum for Leadership and Reconciliation, Chairwoman

Tihomir Kukolja, Renewing Our Minds, Director

ROM 2012 FESTIVAL OF FRIENDS

Close to one hundred young adults, leaders from over ten countries, gathered together for several days in Ohrid, Macedonia to talk about leadership of service and integrity, peacemaking, reconciliation, and building of serving communities – and all of those from the perspective of following the person of Jesus. Watch this video postcard featuring moments captured at the ROM Regathering 2012 in Ohrid, Macedonia, Sep 26 - Oct 1, 2012. Photos included by Jeremiah Collins, Donald Grabovari, Zeljko Rajkov and Tihomir Kukolja.

TRAIL OF FRIENDSHIP VISITS ROMANIA

The ROM Trail of Friendship 2012 Southeast Europe in July was an amazing adventure pursued by the Forum for Leadership and Reconciliation (FLR) and Renewing Our Minds (ROM) team consisting of Martha S. Weiss, Brett McMichael, Minela Pervanovic, Mihaela Kovacs, Bojan Ruvarac, Marko Stupar and Tihomir Kukolja. We visited nine countries and met with 200 friends, mostly ROM and EDS/EDI alumni, their families and friends. We ate with them, talked with them, asked many questions, visited their places of work, service, worship, and stayed in the homes of some of them. This video postcard features the five days we spent in Romania at the beginning of July, visiting Timisoara, Sigishoara, Cluj-Napoca and Bucharest. We are hoping to come with the video highlights featuring other eight countries we visited soon.

THIS TRIP WAS CRAZY

Photo: Martha S. Weiss, Minela Pervanovic, Bonnie Ray, Adelina Beqiri-Minci and Mihaela Kovacs visiting the main mosque in Prizren, Kosovo.

Martha S. Weiss from Seattle WA, USA wrote this report covering her ROM 2012 Trial of Friendship Southeast Europe one day after a month long Balkan trip was over. Martha was a member of the traveling team of seven who visited Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Bosnia – Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Albania and Montenegro in July 2012.

It has been a long, excellent time away from home but just about this time on every trip I'm ready to be home.  Ready to see my family and friends, ready to sleep in my own bed and ready for the life I have in the Seattle area.  

Our ROM - Trail of Friendship journey is officially over. Our last day as a team was yesterday as half of the team headed back to their homes in the US, Serbia and Bosnia - Herzegovina. The four of us will have a debriefing day tomorrow and then I leave on Saturday.  

I have been without Internet or without time but tonight I'm in the ROM office of Hope House in Fuzine, Croatia with internet and time. This is the place where ROM has taken place the past 13 years. It is a very special place. A beautiful, quaint village with a beautiful lake to walk around or boat on. Hope House is a yellow, huge, concrete, renovated building built on a hill above the village. It doesn't sound charming but it is. It's very special being here because the building has been sold so we don't know if ROM will ever be here again, so it's a sentimental visit as well. 

The final part of our trip - following Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo - included Macedonia, Albania and Montenegro.  We went to the cities of Tetovo, Skopje, Ohrid, Tirana, Kotor, Niskisc, Podgorica and lastly Zagreb where our team said good bye. I have to say we had a great team. I was the oldest, of course, four were the same ages as my kids and the other two mid 30's and 50's. We all got along so well, a few little bumps but all in all a great group that complimented each one. We survived long van trips, the 12 hour trip across the Montenegrin mountains, arriving several times into cities way pass midnight and windy, scary roads all with out complaining.  

This trip was crazy.... nothing like I thought it was going to be. The cities, towns, villages were so much prettier than I ever thought. The hills, mountains, countrysides were breathtaking. Meeting with ROM mates was inspirational and encouraging. The stories of how ROM effected their lives, made them the persons they are today or changed them were enlightening and I'm so glad I could hear the stories, travel to nine countries and experience the difference ROM is making.  This trip was also crazy because people were so generous. We were treated to a quaint hotel in the center of Tirana, and a beautiful hotel in Tetovo. Had a special tour up to the hills of Macedonia to a sheep farm and ate homemade cheeses. We had coffee at the Mayors personal summer home on the top of the hill overlooking the city of Tirana. Met with the Mayor and other government officials in other cities along the way. Toured royal palaces. I never expected that and I definitely didn't bring the right clothes for all those meetings.   

Through it all our second to the last day I think was our most memorable. It was the saddest, most moving day for us all. I'm still not sure why were we there for this day nor am I sure what to do with it.  

The ROM mate we came to visit in Podgorica is Sinisa.  Sinisa went to ROM 2005, 2006 and a couple more. Today he is the one person who works with the refugees from Kosovo located in Podgorica, Montenegro.  I can't tell you how many hundreds of people live in these two camps but I can tell you the camps are nothing more than cardboard and wood rooms.  Every once in a while there will be a building or two built by other organizations but all in all it is pure poverty. The housing is something like I saw in the slums of Nairobi. 

The number could be in the thousands and there are two camps. The people who live here fled for their lives from Kosovo in 1992 and even though the Montenegrin government allowed them to come here they seem to have nothing to do with them. The people are Albanian and most of them are Albanian gypsies or Roma people.

The day we were to go to the camp was the day a fire started at 5:30 am. I remember hearing sirens but by the time the fire truck(s) came 90% of the largest of the two camps was burnt to the ground.  Clearly our day with Sinisa was changed.  At noon we drove to the camp. It was very uncomfortable to be there, not knowing what to do, if anything.  It was so sad, people, mostly children were going through the smoldering heaps. To make matters seemingly worse it began to rain and not Seattle rain, a downpour, the first rain in months.  

We eventually ended up at the other camp in a building with one room. This was a church building. Took off our shoes, sat on the furniture this room had while other refugees joined us in a special church service.  I couldn't understand 90% of it but I didn't have to understand I knew these people were pouring out their hearts to God. Sinisa and two other refugees led the singing while others prayed, sang and cried.  By the end of our time the room was packed with 30 - 40 people.  

There was some interpretation during the meeting. I know three of the people there were from the other camp and lost everything they had. One man will be housing in his one room an additional 8 people. It is his wife's uncle and family.  Already in his one room lives 6 people but he says he will do it because God loves him and he will show that love to others.  He doesn't know where the money will come to buy food but he is trusting God. Trusting God, loving God, serving God was what was on their hearts. Sadness, grief and sorrow too but not, "Why?" Not, "Where are you God?" Their faith was inspirational. 

Every trip is life changing, and this one especially.

Martha S. Weiss, Chairwoman, Forum for Leadership and Reconciliation