Wow, I can’t believe it has been a month already! I feel so blessed to have been able to partner with Fokus Ministries and Novi Sad Christian Fellowship Church this last month. The people here have been nothing but kind and accepting, and I am going to miss them so much!
Some highlights about the month:
– Spending the day exploring with our Ministry Hosts Bera and Mira. Spending time with them and getting to know the hearts of this amazing power couple, caused me to be in so much awe of them. They are so giving, loving, considerate, and so willing to die to themselves in order to live for The Lord. 
– The youth of Novi Sad Christian Fellowship. Spending time with these young adults has been so much fun. They are so willing to open their hearts and pour out love to you. They are also so patient when teaching you how to pronounce a word in Serbian for the 100th time, or when you completely butcher the pronunciation of their name every single time you say it! 
– The openness of the congregation. I have felt so welcomed by the congregation of Novi Sad Christian Fellowhip! We have been invited over for coffee, dinner, pastries, lunch, exploring the town, etc. They are so quick to welcome you into their homes and hearts, and they love sharing their culture with you
– Meeting the staff of Fokus Ministry. It feels so nice when people are genuinely interested in you and your life. These people are so genuine, and have such big hearts. 
– All of the adventures we had this month! Serbia has captured a piece of my heart. I walk around with a big smile on my face, just because of all the beauty that surrounds me. The old buildings, the trees, the art, the people, the old men on bicycles! All of it. 
I could write a blog about each one of one of those highlights, and I could highlight so many more things about this month! The women of the church, the participants of the rehabilitation center, the staff of the church, etc. I have loved seeing how well run this church is, and how on fire for Christ all of the people are. (Women’s cultural exchange night below)
Some Key Serbian Words:
Stravo = Hello
Kako Ste? = How are you?
Drago mi je = Pleased to meet you
Dovidenje = Goodbye
Oprostite = Excuse me
Kako se Kaze? = How do you say?
Hvala = Thank you
Nazdravlie = Bless you
Dobro Jutro = Good Morning
Dobar Don = Good Day
Dobro Vece = Good Evening
Laku Noc = Goodnight
Ja Volim Kafu = I love coffee
The Raw Truth about How I Am:
I feel so blessed to be on this journey with God, in Europe, and with my team. I know I am in the right place at the right time, and God has been so good to me.
Emotionally this month has definitely had it’s highs and it’s lows. I have absolutely loved it here, and going to Apatin where my grandmother is from – made me so indescribably happy. But, on the other side of that – I have been struggling with not being home. I miss my family, my friends, my alone time. Part of me just wants to shut down and to be able to grieve the losses I’ve experienced this summer, but the other part is so grateful that God intricately chose to place me here in this church, with these women, at this ministry.
Speaking of those women – living in a community is different. I live, work, sleep, and play with 5 amazing other women. We are together 99% of the time. We aren’t just living in this church together, we are sharing one room, and one bathroom. I am DOING life with these women in a way I haven’t really done life with anyone before. It is challenging at times, but overall I am completely astounded by how incredible and unique each women is. I can identify with them all in different ways, and I genuinely love each and every one of them already.
God is definitely using this experience to sharpen me, and mold me into a more grace filled, loving, and patient person.
Thank you to everyone who has been praying for me! Thank you for partnering with God and I in this journey of a lifetime. I can already tell that God is shaping me into the women He wants me to be. And thank you to everyone who has supported me financially! I literally could not be here without you
I’m excited to announce that I am only $2 away from my next financial deadline, and only $3269 away from being fully funded!!! My deadlines are $13,000 by October 31st and fully funded ($16,267) by December 31st!
