JOY & PAIN, SUNSHINE & RAIN…
THAT’S WHAT SERBIA MAKES ME THINK OF, THAT SONG…
BECAUSE THERE IS SO MUCH PAIN HERE,
BUT ALSO SO MANY REASONS FOR JOY…
BUT ALSO SO MANY REASONS FOR JOY…
TAKE A LOOK & SEE WHY:
SKULL TOWER: MANY YEARS AGO, TURKS & SERBS WERE AT WAR WITH EACH OTHER. AFTER A FIERCE BATTLE WHERE MANY MORE TURKS WERE KILLED THAN SERBS, THE TURKS DECIDED TO BUILD A STATUE OUT OF SERBIAN HEADS TO SHOW THEIR VICTORY (EVEN THOUGH IT WAS A LOSS). TODAY, IT STILL STANDS…
SOLITARY CELL IN CONCENTRATION CAMP: YES, THIS IS A BED MADE OUT OF BARBED WIRE. YES, PEOPLE WERE FORCED TO SLEEP HERE. YES, THIS REALLY HAPPENED, AND MUCH WORSE.
BARBED WIRE AT CONCENTRATION CAMP: 30,000 PEOPLE CAME THROUGH THIS CAMP IN NIS, SERBIA. MOST OF THEM WERE KILLED. ALL WERE TORTURED. MANY WERE JEWS, BUT THERE WERE ALSO SEVERAL CHRISTIANS, POLITICAL LEADERS, GYPSIES, AND OTHERS THAT WERE KEPT HERE.
CONCENTRATION CAMP: SERBIA USED TO BE PART OF YUGOSLAVIA BEFORE IT SPLIT. IN SERBIA ALONE, THERE WERE AT LEAST 6 CAMPS.
MEDIANA: THIS IS THE PALACE OF CONSTANTINE. CONSTANTINE WAS BORN IN NIS. IT IS ALSO THE BIRTHPLACE OF 5% OF THE GREAT EMPERORS. THE MEDIANA HAS BEEN LOOTED AND DESTROYED BY EVERY CONQUERER TO COME INTO SERBIA. ONLY 3% OF THE MEDIANA HAS BEEN EXCAVATED & PRESERVED. THE GOVERNMENT LACKS FUNDING FOR THIS SORT OF WORK. OUR PERSONAL GUIDE UNLOCKS THE DOOR OF THE MEDIANA FOR TOURS. HE HAS A MASTERS DEGREE IN HISTORY & THIS IS THE ONLY JOB HE CAN FIND. THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IS ASTRONOMICAL IN SERBIA. EVEN 1000 MEDICAL DOCTORS ARE UNEMPLOYED.
BUMPER CARS: ON OUR WAY TO OPOVO TO MEET WITH THE HUB (A FREE BIBLE COLLEGE- YES, FREE!), WE WALKED THROUGH A PARK THINKING WE WERE LOST, ONLY TO DISCOVER BUMPER CARS! WHAT A BLAST!
BAKERY: I AM IN LOVE WITH SERBIAN BAKERIES!!!! THIS ONE WAS MY ALL TIME FAVE. YUMMO!
HONEY FESTIVAL: ONE DAY WE SPLIT INTO TEAMS TO GO OUT INTO BELGRADE & PRAY FOR THE CITY. I WAS EXCITED TO BE PAIRED WITH APRIL & DAVID. ON OUR WALK, WE JUST REALLY WANTED TO SEE ALL THE GOOD THINGS GOD HAD FOR US IN SERBIA. WHAT HAPPENED?! WE RAN INTO A HONEY FESTIVAL- YES, A FESTIVAL TOTALLY FOCUSED ON HONEY. I HAVE LEARNED THAT I LOVE HONEY- ON TOAST, IN TEA, ON A SPOON…
PRAYER CANDLES IN ORTHODOX CHURCH: MOST SERBIANS ARE ORTHODOX. IN FACT MOST YOUNG PEOPLE IDENTIFY THEMSELVES AS ORTHODOX SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY ARE SERBIAN. THE ORTHODOX CHURCH IS FULL OF MUCH TRADITION, PRAYING TO SAINTS, AND LOTS OF GRANDEUR (SOME LOVELY BUILDINGS & INTERIORS), BUT I CAME TO THINK OF IT A LOT LIKE THE PRAYER CANDLES… THE CANDLES BURN ONLY FOR A SHORT TIME, THEN YOU HAVE TO GO GET A NEW CANDLE & BURN IT AGAIN, OVER & OVER… THIS IS NOT THE CHRISTIANITY THAT JESUS CAME TO BRING. HIS LOVE ENDURES FOREVER. HIS LIGHT NEVER GOES OUT. THERE IS NOTHING THAT I HAVE TO DO TO ENSURE THIS. IT JUST IS.
WITH TEACHER OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE SCHOOL: WE GOT TO WORK WITH A PROGRAM THAT TAUGHT ENGLISH AFTER SCHOOL TO CHILDREN. THEY BEGIN TAKING ENGLISH LESSONS IN 1ST GRADE. BY 5TH GRADE, MOST ARE FAIRLY FLUENT. THIS TEACHER, LIKE MANY SERBIANS WE MET, LOVES HER COUNTRY, BUT IS FEARFUL OF WHAT IT WILL BECOME. MANY THINK IT IS TRYING TOO HARD TO BE SOMETHING IT’S NOT. MANY THINK IT IS LOOKING FOR SALVATION THROUGH THE EUROPEAN UNION. MANY ARE AFRAID OF MORE DISAPPOINTMENT.
STUDENT AT ENGLISH LANGUAGE SCHOOL: BY 5TH GRADE, HE WILL SPEAK FLUENTLY AND HAVE MANY QUESTIONS TO ASK ABOUT AMERICA. HE MAY EVEN START DREAMING ABOUT LEAVING SERBIA FOR SOMETHING BETTER OUT THERE. HE WILL NOT FIND WHAT HE IS REALLY LOOKING FOR, HOPE, UNLESS A CROP OF STRONG CHURCHES EMERGE, A BATCH OF MISSIONARIES MAKE SERBIA THEIR HOME, A FLOOD OF PRAYERS GO OUT FOR THIS NATION & THESE CHILDREN.
ORPHANAGE: THERE ARE 7 ORPHANAGES IN SERBIA WHICH HOUSE 800 CHILDREN. 4000 ARE IN FOSTER HOMES. OVER THE LAST 5 YEARS, THEY HAVE MOVED 1200 CHILDREN FROM ORPHANAGES TO FOSTER HOMES. IT IS THEIR DESIRE TO HAVE MORE FOSTER HOMES SO THAT EVEN LESS WILL BE IN ORPHANAGES. IT IS IN MY CONVERSATION WITH THE DIRECTOR OF THE ORPHANAGE FOR 0-3 YEAR OLDS THAT I DISCOVER SOMETHING MY TEAM THINKS I SHOULD HAVE ALREADY KNOWN: I HAVE A HUGE PASSION FOR MEETING WITH VISIONARIES, FIGURING OUT THEIR DREAM, AND SEEING HOW OUR GROUP CAN HELP.
LAKE: WHAT BEAUTIFUL WEATHER WE HAD IN SERBIA! I EVEN GOT TO BREAK OUT MY NEW BATHING SUIT, WHICH IS PROBABLY THE ITEM IN MY PACK THAT GOT THE MOST THOUGHT, ENERGY, AND EFFORT. LESSON FOR FUTURE RACERS: THINK MORE ABOUT YOUR TENT THAN YOUR SUIT.
VIEW FROM THE FORTRESS: BELGRADE IS A GREAT CITY, FULL OF BEAUTY AT EVERY TURN, LOTS OF THINGS TO DO, EXCELLENT PEOPLE. HOWEVER FOR A CITY OF 2 MILLION, THERE ARE ONLY 10 CHURCHES.
PLAYING AT THE FORTRESS: THERE HAS NOT BEEN A SINGLE GENERATION IN SERBIA THAT HAS NOT KNOWN WAR. THIS IS A COUNTRY THAT IS JUST LEARNING HOW TO STAND SEPARATE FROM A CONQUERING NATION, THAT IS FIGURING OUT WHAT IT WANTS TO GIVE TO THE WORLD, BUT IT IS IN SUCH A CRITICAL LAND POSITION, THAT I WONDER IF IT WILL EVER KNOW PEACE.
BENKADI GIRLS NIGHT: FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE IRELAND, OUR TEAM WAS ABLE TO GO OUT TO DINNER. WHOOP! A MUCH NEEDED NIGHT OUT FOR MEXICAN FOOD, YEP, REALLY GOOD MEXICAN FOOD, TOO!
NATO BOMBED BUILDING: MANY SERBIANS ARE WARY OF AMERICANS FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS. SOME PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT THE FOREIGN PRESS SAYS (THAT WE DO NOT CARE THAT SO MANY PEOPLE GO WITHOUT HEALTH INSURANCE, FOR EXAMPLE THIS WAS ONE DISCUSSION I HAD WITH A SERBIAN), OR THEY ARE STILL ANGRY THAT WE BOMBED THEM 10 YEARS AGO. IN THE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY, THEY THINK WE WILL BE LIKE MANY OTHERS BEFORE US, WHO CAME TO SERBIA TO SERVE TO MAKE OURSELVES FEEL BETTER, NOT BECAUSE WE REALLY CARE ABOUT THEM OR WHO CAME ONLY FOR A SHORT TIME, STARTED BIG MINISTRIES, AND THEN LEFT WITHOUT ENSURING THAT THE WORK COULD BE CARRIED ON OR FINISHED.
PLAYING: MY NEPHEW BRANDON TURNED 4 THIS MONTH, AND IT REALLY HIT ME HOW MUCH I MISS SEEING MY LIL NIECE & NEPHEWS THIS MONTH. I MISS SPRINKLER PARKS, CHUCK E CHEESE, DORA THE EXPLORER, SINGING, GOING TO THE CIRCUS. I MISS YOU GUYS & LOVE YOU BUNCHES!!! EVERYBODY BACK HOME: KISS YOUR LIL ONE & JUST SPEND SOME TIME PLAYING WITH THEM FOR ME.
FREEZING ON AN UNHEATED TRAIN: OUR GOOD WEATHER ENDED, AND COLD WEATHER CAME IN ON TRAVEL DAY. YOU REALLY REALLY MISS YOUR COAT COLLECTION WHEN YOU RIDE FOR 5 HOURS ON AN UNHEATED TRAIN CAR. BUT HOW BLESSED I AM THAT I INSISTED ON PACKING GLOVES, A SCARF, AND A WINTER HAT WHEN MY SISTER TRIED TO TELL ME I DIDN’T NEED THEM!
SQUISHED IN A VAN WITH JOHOLO: WE GOT TO WORK WITH JOHOLO THIS MONTH. IT HAS BEEN SUCH A GOOD TIME TO WORK WITH ANOTHER AMAZING GROUP OF PEOPLE. JOHOLO STANDS FOR JOY, HOPE, AND LOVE & I WAS REALLY ABLE TO SEE THIS IN EACH OF THEM. THANKS FOR THE RIDE!
SORTING MEDICAL SUPPLIES: WE WORKED WITH A CHURCH WHO IS LOOKING TO START A MEDICAL MINISTRY IN ONE OF THE SMALL VILLAGES OUTSIDE OF NIS. THEY HOPE TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAL PEOPLE PHYSICALLY AND IN DOING SO, SPEND TIME TALKING WITH THEM ABOUT THEIR EMOTIONAL & SPIRITUAL NEEDS AS WELL. HOW AWESOME WOULD THAT BE BACK HOME INSTEAD OF TRYING TO BE RUSHED THROUGH YOUR DOCTORS VISIT?
WITH PASTOR AFTER CLEANING OUT WAREHOUSE ROOM: WITH CHADDO, A PASTOR IN NIS. THIS IS A MAN WITH AN AMAZING STORY WHO HAS SURVIVED COMMUNIST PERSECUTION, HIS FAMILY THINKING HE WAS IN A CULT SINCE HE STOPPED GOING TO THE ORTHODOX CHURCH, SEVERE HUNGER & POVERTY BECAUSE HE MOVED TO NIS AS A MISSIONARY WHEN THERE WAS NO OTHER CHURCH THERE… YET HE STILL BELIEVED & DID EVERYTHING THAT GOD ASKED OF HIM AND HE CAN SEE THE GREAT REWARD: THAT GOD’S KINGDOM CAN BE FOUND HERE ON EARTH IF WE JUST FOLLOW THE LEADING OF HIS SPIRIT. GOD WILL ALWAYS TAKE CARE OF HIS PEOPLE. THERE IS NO REASON TO EVER DOUBT HIS LOVE FOR YOU.
DO NOT BE ANXIOUS ABOUT ANYTHING, BUT IN EVERYTHING, BY PRAYER & PETITION, WITH THANKSGIVING, PRESENT YOUR REQUESTS TO GOD. AND THE PEACE OF GOD WHICH TRANSCENDS ALL UNDERSTANDING, WILL GUARD YOUR HEARTS AND YOUR MINDS IN CHRIST JESUS. PHILIPPIANS 4:6-7
