after a week of traveling i finally made it to mostar, bosnia where i was able to meet the rest of the world racers. we were able to hang out there for a day and enjoy the beautiful city. we went to the front lines from where it was hit by the war and the devastation and damage there was almost unfathomable. to think it happened several years ago, but all of the evidence that is still there that people have to live with, look out, and have recollection of everyday. it took me to a place in my heart that i have
not been. i felt the pain for the people in a way that i never have.
later that night, they took kimmy, clara, and i out for a surprise bday dinner. it was so nice for all of us to be able to be together again and be able to celebrate my birthday with the people that have come to be so special to me over this past year. i might have to say it was one of the best birthday dinners ever. i love you guys so much… thank you.
the next morning all of the south Africans, plus the brown team left bright and early at 6am to head to a city that is in the mountains. we weren’t sure what lied ahead of us, all we knew was that we were going to a place that had NOTHING and we were going to be ministering there by setting up everything. the reason is… every year the believers in bosnia come together and hold camps for the people in bosnia. they reach out to the hurting, the lost, and encourage believers with this camp… so we were there to do all the prep and make this camp possible.
i have to be completely honest and say that i did not want to go. i was not looking forward to what lied ahead. it was going to consist of long hard day, early mornings, late nights, hard physical labor, and not a lot of down time… but i decided to go in there and make the best of it and let the Lord use me and rely on His strength.
we got there and it was the most beautiful place that i have ever seen. we were in the mountains of bosnia. down in a valley set a beautiful peace of land that was in the middle of the war (during that time) so all around it were buildings that had been hit… some were restored and others weren’t. i looked all around and all i saw was there was a lot of work to be done and could not see it all coming together.
we immediately jumped in and started working. the first task that we had to accomplish was making a kitchen. there was a ruin there that the shepards used for the sheep during the winter, so it was completely filthy and needed a lot of work that i thought was impossible, but we got in there and started cleaning and in the end it became our kitchen and i have to say i was proud of the way we made it look so good.
from there came days and days of more hard manual labor… we pitched tents for all of the campers, we put the kitchen together, made the bathrooms, dug the poop hole, then but the toilets and sinks in, then came the cleaning of them, set up showers, built tables and chairs, pitch tents for the dining area, made a tent for the meeting area, ran running water, ran electricity, built a coffee bar with everything you could possibly think a coffee bar would need, made banners, signs, set up the volleyball field, built garbage can areas, i could go on and on. it was a lot of work, but in the end we were so proud of what we accomplished. we made this place not just an okay camp to come to, but a five star camp.
though we worked so hard, i have to say that we did have a lot of fun. there were many moments that we would laugh with each other. we would go swimming in the afternoons in the freezing cold lake, laugh while others tried to tackle the banana, went down to a river that runs through all of bosnia that is extremely cold and swam across rushing currents, watch many soccer games, chilled out at night and drank lots and lots of coffee, set up a barber shop where i cut my hair off, had amazing worship times around the camp fire at night, and were able to form amazing relationships with each other and local Bosnian believers and nonbelievers.
yesterday we had to say our good byes. the brown team was committed to coming to tuzla to help out with a local church and do ministry here, so sadly to say we had to leave the camp site before the camps started. we were able to take part in the prayer weekend and make sure the land was anointed and ready for the campers to come, but as far as getting to minister at the camps, we had to leave. laura is still there, they asked her if she would stay and minister by working in the kitchen so they would not have to hire a cook and friske is also there, as they asked if she would stay for the youth camp.
so… yes… it is paul, jessica, and i here in tuzla. we are looking forward to seeing what the Lord has in store for us here and praying about going back to minister at the camps. please pray with us as we go through and listen to what the Lord is leading us to do.
+ i left my camera at the camp… will post more before and after pics soon…
