After three flights and two long days of traveling, my team and I stepped into rainy Belgrade, Serbia. We walked into a poorly lit bus station to buy tickets to Negotin. To my disappointment, we couldn’t catch a bus until the morning which meant we would spend the next eight hours there. I felt uneasy and apprehensive about the situation. The Lord reminded me that He didn’t bring me here to increase my fears, He wants to increase my faith.
Laying on my pack, I accidentally fell asleep for half an hour. I was abruptly awoken to many voices and commotion. It was 3 AM and hundreds of people were swarming in the bus station. We realized that the people were Syrian refugees. The mass movement was a heartbreaking sight. People were carrying a backpack which held the only possessions brought for the journey. Barefoot babies in fur lined coats were sitting across from me. Everyone’s socks were sopping wet and people were trying to hang them to dry. So many people shuffled by us with muddy shoes and exhausted faces.
A lady approached us and asked for blankets to keep her children warm. She spoke English and shared her family’s story. They had lost everything. She told us that she didn’t have strength to continue the journey to Germany. She didn’t want to go. The nearby Serbian hotels would not allow them to stay the night. She was well educated and financially stable, yet she couldn’t avoid the situation.
My first night in Serbia was eye opening to me. I was expecting to jump on a bus and sleep overnight to our destination. God had so much more for us. I caught a glimpse of God’s perspective and His broken heart for the Syrian refugees. I was privileged to share a brief moment in life with them. The Syrian refugees need our prayers. Please pray that they have the strength, courage, and resources to arrive in Germany. Hungary recently closed their border to the refugees which means many people will be rerouting through Croatia. My team hopes to interact more with the refugees this week.
I know that God had me exactly where He wanted me in that moment and place. This year I will be learning to trust Him more and let go of my own expectations. I refuse to walk in fear when I know my Father goes before me, never leaves me, and orders my steps. I hope to share the journey, challenges, rewards, heartbreaks, and triumphs with you.
