So this is my friend Mark. Mark is fifteen years old, and he starts high school in just a few days. He lives here in Novi Sad with his parents and two sisters, one younger and one older.
I met Mark our first week here in Serbia, at camp. He’s a bit shy, so for the first few days, the main interaction I had with him was a bit of trash talk passed back and forth during a futbol or dodgeball game. But as days went by, he warmed up to me a bit, and we started to become friends.
On the third day of camp, he sat me down to teach me all the insults in Serbian. “Just in case someone tries to call you stupid, you can know what they’re saying.” It was about that time I knew we’d be good friends.
However, a few choice words are not the only things I’ve picked up from Mark. He’s funny, but never wants to be the center of attention. He’s athletic and talented, but you’d never hear it from him. Mark’s the guy you just can’t help but like. And he’s taught me a lot about being humble and letting your actions speak for themselves. He’s also taught me a lot about friendship. Mark’s best friend is Emil. Emil’s the most confident, suave 15 year old that I think I’ve ever met… Not a joke. His quota for attention is much higher, and Mark’s just cool with playing the heck out of the background. Emil has no trouble sharing about himself, but it wasn’t until later on a night walk to the store that I was able to get a glimpse into Mark’s walk and his life.
I see a lot of myself in Mark. For the most part we both tend to be on the quiet side, playing supporting roles the majority of the time. Our friend Una actually even came up to me and said the same, that I reminded her of him in a lot of ways. But I’ve been thinking. Those qualities I share with Mark, I didn’t learn on my own. And after I thought about it some more. And I realized, I’ve picked them up from watching my friend Curtis…
I’ve known Curt for around 3 years, and throughout that time, he’s taught me a lot of the same lessons. Like how to listen with intention. (He’s the absolute best person to tell a story to.) Extend grace to everyone, not just the people you like. (Sometimes people make me want to scream, usually he’s the one bringing patience and grace, and sometimes he’s screaming along with me.) Over the years he’s taught me how to love by simply being there.
So now we come to the end of month one. The end of my time in Novi Sad. And the thing that’s weighed the heaviest on my brain is that August makes the second month in a row that I’ve had to say goodbye to a best friend… I’ve got 10 more stops to go. I can’t make a best friend in every country… I just can’t. But you know what? If that’s what God has in store for me, to love on some new people real big in each and every new country, then I’m sure he’s going to gift me the emotional capacity to do so. So I say, bring it on!!
