Scott and Jayne Cuidon

Our story began when we met serving as single missionaries in 1989. I (Scott) had given my life to Jesus as a college student and was serving with CRU in Germany when I met Jayne, who was teaching at The Black Forest Academy. Although our terms only overlapped by 4 months, we were engaged within the year and married in September of 1990.

From the beginning of our marriage, we knew that the Lord was calling us as career missionaries, and in January 1994 we moved with our young son to Zagreb, Croatia, to help start a ministry to students. In the following years, as we interacted with college students and their families, our hearts broke as we saw the devastation that had been carried out against families during the civil war and through 50 years of living under communism.

In 1999, after adding 5 more children to our family, we started FamilyLife Croatia and helped to start similar ministries in Serbia, Slovenia, and Albania.

Upon turning over the ministry to our Croatian colleagues in 2007, we spent the next few years focusing on our future – for Jayne, a doctorate in Educational Leadership with a focus on TCK development, and for Scott, an M.A. in Human Services with a specialty in Marriage and Family Therapy. In 2019 Scott also earned his Certificate in Spiritual Direction through Sustainable Faith.

In December 2018 we moved to Birmingham, Alabama, where we host global workers in our home for 3-7 day debriefs and marriage intensives. We also continue to travel back to Croatia 3 to 4 times a year to hold Barnabas Zentrum Retreats in the coastal town of Tućepi, Croatia (pictured at right).

Having spent 25 years in Croatia, we understand the unique challenges of ministering cross-culturally while raising a family and keeping a marriage alive. We love coming alongside missionaries and pastors on their journey towards deeper spiritual maturity and emotional health.