While
we were in Osijek, the ladies of Petra and Kingdom Unity had an
invitation from the pastor of the main church network to take a day
trip to Serbia and minister with some women. Naturally, we all
accepted with enthusiasm. What happened that day was hilariously
absurd.
we were in Osijek, the ladies of Petra and Kingdom Unity had an
invitation from the pastor of the main church network to take a day
trip to Serbia and minister with some women. Naturally, we all
accepted with enthusiasm. What happened that day was hilariously
absurd.
We
left the youth center at 5:30 am. The front gate was locked. So we
did what any rational twentysomething women would do. We jumped out
the window.
left the youth center at 5:30 am. The front gate was locked. So we
did what any rational twentysomething women would do. We jumped out
the window.
Our
directions to the bus location were strong until the part about the
bus being outside a sports center. At 5:45 am, a sports center that
is dark, deserted, and hidden behind a covering of trees and
playground equipment does not look like a sports center.
directions to the bus location were strong until the part about the
bus being outside a sports center. At 5:45 am, a sports center that
is dark, deserted, and hidden behind a covering of trees and
playground equipment does not look like a sports center.
After
asking for directions twice, we made it to the sports center. None
of us thought it appeared like anything remotely resembling what we
imagined a sports center would look like.
asking for directions twice, we made it to the sports center. None
of us thought it appeared like anything remotely resembling what we
imagined a sports center would look like.
We
spread ourselves out on the bus and prepared to catch up on the sleep
we were missing. About one hour into the venture, the bus stopped
and picked up what seemed like about fifty Croatian women between the
ages of thirty-five and four hundred, all of whom were much more
verbal and enthusiastic about the hour of day than any of us were. I
was not the only Racer who was somewhat bitter about life in that
moment.
spread ourselves out on the bus and prepared to catch up on the sleep
we were missing. About one hour into the venture, the bus stopped
and picked up what seemed like about fifty Croatian women between the
ages of thirty-five and four hundred, all of whom were much more
verbal and enthusiastic about the hour of day than any of us were. I
was not the only Racer who was somewhat bitter about life in that
moment.
We
sat at each border for about an hour on the way out of Croatia and
into Serbia. At the Serbian border, I had a slight passport scare.
The border guard stamped my passport like everyone else, and
collected it along with all the other American passports. When the
passports were returned, mine was not in the stack. As it turned
out, the agent had put the stack of passports into one of the bus’s
overhead bins to stamp the row of passports behind us. My passport
was on the bottom, and when the agent went to collect them, mine was
left in the bin. I almost had a heart attack.
sat at each border for about an hour on the way out of Croatia and
into Serbia. At the Serbian border, I had a slight passport scare.
The border guard stamped my passport like everyone else, and
collected it along with all the other American passports. When the
passports were returned, mine was not in the stack. As it turned
out, the agent had put the stack of passports into one of the bus’s
overhead bins to stamp the row of passports behind us. My passport
was on the bottom, and when the agent went to collect them, mine was
left in the bin. I almost had a heart attack.
As
we pulled into Belgrade, we anticipated that we would be working with
a women’s ministry with the Croatian women we were traveling with.
Wrong. We pulled up to a church, where we were whisked inside with
the other women on the bus. Turns out that we were present at a
Christian women’s conference. We walked in as a speaker was talking
about the faith in the women. Well, that’s my guess, anyway. The
talks were entirely in Serbian. The pastor who had met us at the bus
was nowhere to be found. We were on our own.
we pulled into Belgrade, we anticipated that we would be working with
a women’s ministry with the Croatian women we were traveling with.
Wrong. We pulled up to a church, where we were whisked inside with
the other women on the bus. Turns out that we were present at a
Christian women’s conference. We walked in as a speaker was talking
about the faith in the women. Well, that’s my guess, anyway. The
talks were entirely in Serbian. The pastor who had met us at the bus
was nowhere to be found. We were on our own.
Given
this new revelation, we decided to go explore the city after lunch.
We had about two hours before we needed to be back, and so we trekked
to the pedestrian area. On our way, Danielle and I were talking, and
some guy yelled out a bus window at us, “Hey ladies!”
this new revelation, we decided to go explore the city after lunch.
We had about two hours before we needed to be back, and so we trekked
to the pedestrian area. On our way, Danielle and I were talking, and
some guy yelled out a bus window at us, “Hey ladies!”
Danielle
waved back. I ignored it and kept walking. After a semester dealing
with creepy European men in Florence, I was in no mood to be
friendly. About ten seconds later, Jennifer called out, “Oh my
gosh, it’s Grant!” The guy yelling out the window at us was a
World Racer. Oops.
waved back. I ignored it and kept walking. After a semester dealing
with creepy European men in Florence, I was in no mood to be
friendly. About ten seconds later, Jennifer called out, “Oh my
gosh, it’s Grant!” The guy yelling out the window at us was a
World Racer. Oops.
We
chased after the bus as best we could, and conversed as best we could
through the bus window. Grant, David, April, and Julia were all on
the bus heading to the lake. We waved goodbye to them as the bus
pulled away.
chased after the bus as best we could, and conversed as best we could
through the bus window. Grant, David, April, and Julia were all on
the bus heading to the lake. We waved goodbye to them as the bus
pulled away.
Ten
minutes later, we ran into Drea and Katie. More Racers. What are
the odds?
minutes later, we ran into Drea and Katie. More Racers. What are
the odds?
They
told us that we absolutely HAD to see the big castle/fortress at the
end of the city, and pointed us in the direction of the castle. We
spent the whole rest of the afternoon trying to find it. We never
did. We did, however, almost get electrocuted by a tram cable that
snapped off right in front of Lauren Williamson and me. Closest to a
near-death experience I’ve ever had.
told us that we absolutely HAD to see the big castle/fortress at the
end of the city, and pointed us in the direction of the castle. We
spent the whole rest of the afternoon trying to find it. We never
did. We did, however, almost get electrocuted by a tram cable that
snapped off right in front of Lauren Williamson and me. Closest to a
near-death experience I’ve ever had.
Our
last highlight of note would have to have been getting directions
back to the church. We asked a young Serbian male (exact age
estimate varies depending on who you ask; range is from sixteen to
twenty-two) if we were heading in the right direction. He asked a
passing woman our question, and she gave him directions, which he
translated for us. We thanked him profusely and headed on our way.
Danielle had the words to sum up the encounter: “And that was the
day we all fell in love!”
last highlight of note would have to have been getting directions
back to the church. We asked a young Serbian male (exact age
estimate varies depending on who you ask; range is from sixteen to
twenty-two) if we were heading in the right direction. He asked a
passing woman our question, and she gave him directions, which he
translated for us. We thanked him profusely and headed on our way.
Danielle had the words to sum up the encounter: “And that was the
day we all fell in love!”
All
in all, the day was kind of ridiculous, but also amazing. We took a
day trip to a city that has recently been torn by war (you could see
huge parts of buildings that had collapsed due to bombings), and were
able to fellowship with the women of Croatia and Serbia who we had
never met before. They were kind to us, and on the bus ride back, we
joined in some of the praise sing-a-longs that had gotten under our
skin just that morning. It’s beautiful that God turns hearts so
easily when he’s welcomed in.
in all, the day was kind of ridiculous, but also amazing. We took a
day trip to a city that has recently been torn by war (you could see
huge parts of buildings that had collapsed due to bombings), and were
able to fellowship with the women of Croatia and Serbia who we had
never met before. They were kind to us, and on the bus ride back, we
joined in some of the praise sing-a-longs that had gotten under our
skin just that morning. It’s beautiful that God turns hearts so
easily when he’s welcomed in.
