Where is Montenegro you ask? If you’re like me you had never even heard of it until you found out you where going to it. Montenegro is a very small country in Southeastern Europe and is bordered by Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast, Albania to the southeast, and the Adriatic sea to the southwest. Montenegro is a very small country with only 650,000 inhabitants. Montenegro just became a country in 2006 after declaring independence from Serbia. So far everyone we’ve come in contact has been kind, however, our host tells us some people dislike Americans because of our role in wars internationally.
A little bit about Montenegro. First, it’s an incredibly beautiful country. Montenegro means ‘Black Mountain’, and it’s true. There are mountains everywhere. Podgorica is set in the valley of the mountain range. Everywhere you turn here you can see them off in the distance. The people in Montenegro are very concerned with personal appearance. The men take great pride in their bodies and the women are always dressed nicely. The majority of the people here are strictly Orthodox, however in name only. Here, Orthodoxy is a cultural religion and teaches that anything other than Orthodoxy is a sect. The Orthodox religion is tied to a persons Nationalism. If you aren’t Orthodox, then you aren’t Montenegrin. The Orthodox ties to culture and Nationalism are the reasons there are so few Christians here.
This month we’re working with Pastor Yovisa in Podgorica, Montenegro and his assistant Magi and his wife Klara. As you can image, the things listed above make ministry challenging. Our goal here is to begin forming relationships with people that Klara and Magi can continue on when we’re gone. Each day we go out into the streets with Magi and Klara and try to meet people. It is clear the Spirit of God is present in this church. The Christians here are few, but they love Jesus with everything they have.
We are staying at the church we’re working at this month. They’re incredible hosts and have provided us with two trailers for us to sleep in. This month we have beds, a shower, an actual toilet, Wifi, and AC! We’re all thankful for a location that is easing us into the World Race lifestyle. Africa will be quite a shock after the modernization of Europe! The above pictures show where we’re staying while here in Montenegro.
