I’m back and, contrary to popular belief, I made it out of West Africa alive!
I’m so sorry to all of you for not blogging in so long! Although blogging is not my passion, it is my passion to keep all of my supporters back home updated with all the things of this life!
TBH, West Africa was so tough (as we already know) and it was extremely difficult to blog. Every day was a choice to stay and be present and live each day to it’s fullest, and my little heart just didn’t feel like it had it in me to blog. That’s not to say that God didn’t do some amazing things (of course He did!), and I hope to share these with you face to face some day!
HOWEVER, I have survived and I am currently living in my own personal land of blessing and abundance and beauty… my little land of milk and honey! My team and I are living in Bijelo Polje, Montengro. I imagine most of you have never heard of the country of Montenegro (it’s only been a country for 10 years!), but it is easily the most beautiful place I have ever seen. The mountains are tall and lavished with thousands of trees, the Adriatic sea borders it’s coast and is magnificent, the sky is always clear and the sun always bright! Every time I walk outside I am taken aback by God’s creativity in the landscape and that people are actually blessed enough to live here! My heart literally overflows with joy and peace just by looking out into the horizon. I love God and I know through the Word and through personal testimony that the maker of the universe handcrafted every mountain and He knows every drop of water in the ocean.
“For his invisible attributes, namely his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.” –Romans 1:20
My whole ministry this month has been to get to know the people of Bijelo Polje- to build relationships with them so that I can show them Jesus before I tell them. In Africa it was easy to go up to anyone on the street and tell them about the Gospel or how much He loves them, but here in Europe, people don’t want to hear it. In a place with such magnificent physical beauty, there is an even greater sense of hopelessness that wants to swallow the whole country up.
The most common religion of Montenegro is Orthodox. The Orthodox religion is rules, rules, rules, rules… and more rules. No wonder people don’t want to hear about religion- it enslaves them! They believe they have to earn their whole lives and in return they aren’t even allowed to have a personal relationship with God. The only way for Orthodox believers to talk to God is through saints, and one day a year they walk the “holy bones” of the saints from church to church for hours just to worship them (some of my teammates were able to participate in order to witness to a man)! To the Orthodox, religion means rules, and rules mean slavery, and slavery means you can’t enjoy life. And don’t we all want to enjoy this beautiful life we have been given to the fullest?
Well my team and I are hear to share with this country that in order to have the most life they need Jesus and ONLY JESUS. It blows me away that in a land that literally singswith the freedom of the Lord, people are so chained to the things of this world. My first prayer is that through the relationships we are building we can share the Gospel and use words when necessary! My second prayer is that God would start calling people to Montenegro to share the Gospel and build churches! I have yet to see a Christian church and have heard rumors that there are only 3 in the entire country! My heart truly loves this land, this culture, and these people so please join me in prayer for them!
You are so stinkin’ loved!!!!
Sara
