Life With A Foreign Family: WHERE IN THE WORLD ARE YOUR SOCKS!?!

So I know I just posted something...yesterday :) But I was laying in bed last night and I thought about the fact that I really need to start posting more about my "adventures" living with my "family". I've already mentioned a few adjustments, and left out a few others, but I think as someone who is adjusting to a different culture it's good to find the humerous differences between cultures; to be able to laugh and realize that these differences are just that...different. Not necessarily bad, just different. And while some things here make me go, "Why do they do that?" I'm learning that no matter where you live the things we do often come from the fact that yo' momma did it that way, as her momma did, and her momma, and so on and so on... And I've come to one conclusion in my short time here: this American girl wants to be open to learning some lessons from this culture she is engulfed in!
I hope these stories will make you laugh (although some may make you cry), but most importantly I hope they make you see the world a little differently, and even ask yourself "So, why do I do (insert a tradition) here (in my own country)?"
Enjoy the first of many to come :)
So, I've experienced my first sickness here. This past weekend (see previous post) we had 30 something people in a cabin all together...and a "glorious" stomache virus made it's way into our lives. I was one of the lucky ones who got to experience this stomache bug. I started feeling sick the night before we left and the day we were to pack up and leave I woke up (correction! I was woken up) early in the morning to run to the bathroom. So needless to say I wasn't much help cleaning and someone brought me back to town before all the others left. I stayed with some friends and slept most of the day. We text my "family" to let them know I wouldn't be home till Wednesday and all was well.
Well, yesterday I woke up feeling much better, but my stomache was still not my friend. I ate mainly pretzels and Sprite/water Tuesday and Wednesday because anything remotely heavy made my stomache churn. I went to language class and came back. We called my family and told them I was coming home but that I had a stomache virus so I had some pretzels and water and was "good to go". I finished packing my backpack and headed out the door.
LO AND BEHOLD...I got to the bottom of the building, rounded the corner, and who is standing acroos the street (might I add not anywhere near their own apartment) but my "family"! :) I just smiled. (It just means they care about me!) But I do have to say it was rather humorous.
I walked up to them and the dad looked at my feet and said something that sounded like "Soaks?" (He was trying to say "socks")
I smiled and said, "Ne" (No) "Cuc'i" (Home) and pointed to indicate my socks were at the house.
He said something in his language and then looked at me and said, "Soaks...stomak...dobra" (translation: Socks...Stomache...Good) He was trying to explain that I needed socks on my feet to help my stomache get better :)
Internally I busted out laughing! For those of you who know my sarcasm, it was in FULL swing internally. I was thinking, "OF COURSE! SOCKS!" :)
See, people here already think I'm crazy! It's almost October and I'm still wearing flip-flops. Here...it doesn't matter what the temperature is...you dress based on the month. And for those of you who know me well, you know I LOVE flip-flops and HATE close-toed shoes. I will wear flip-flops until my feet are so cold they get frost-bite!
On with the story...so he accepts my answer and we go to the grocery store before heading home. We get home and I put on socks :) No harm in appeasing this.
The first thing I'm asked as I sit down is, "Chai? Good for stomak."
I think, "Tea isn't so bad." So, I tell them chai is fine. Then I'm offered cake (waffer type cookies). Again, not so bad. I can appease this as well (even though I'm actually not one bit hungry).
About a hour later, the mom starts setting the table :) She places a bowl in front of me and I'm thinking, "Really? Does she really want me to eat? Lord, please help me! I don't know what to say to her."
Then she brings out this huge pan filled with chicken, peppers, and potatoes that has been cooked in oil (a staple here). My stomache churns and I think, "There is absolutely NO way!"
She looks at me and uses the phrase she often does, "You ate?" ("You eat?")
I say, "Ne, hvala, Ne. Stomak bole." (No thank you. No. Stomache sick)
She says, "Chicken." and offers a piece of the chicken.
Again I say, "Ne hvala." (With a look of desperation as to say, "please let it be! I don't want to eat")
She shakes her head and says, "Okay. You ate cake (the waffer cookies)."
Whooo! Praise Jesus...I was really concerned there'd be more persistence on her part, but so thankful she let it be :)
...Although the rest of the night I think I was offered chai and cake like 10 more times :)

Making John Candy Proud

Have you ever seen "The Great Outdoors" with John Candy and Dan Aykroyd? Great movie! I recommend you watch it! This past weekend scenes from this movie continued to go through my mind!
See, we were on an "outing" this past weekend to do some planning.
Picture this: a cabin, decent sized, but with 32 people (with 10 of those being kids) living together for 4 days...talk about a lot of noise, a lot of food, and a WHOLE lot of FUN!!!
We were able to spend time together discussing the things we've seen "work" and the things we've seen fail, and just giving the Lord glory for what He's been doing this past year. For me this was an awesome time to just listen. Since I have just arrived it was so encouraging just to be able to hear from those who have been here a while.
This weekend was also a time to make plans for the upcoming year: to brainstorm, and reflect on needs where we are. Included in all of this we simply got to hang out, get to know each other a little better, share with one another, and just have fun! (And if singing and dancing to Michael Jackson while cooking dinner isn't a good time...I'm not sure what is!)
There have been so many occassions in the process of being here that I have stopped and just thought about where I am and who I am with and just praised God. At one point this weekend I remember looking around the campfire (and no, we did not sing "kum bay ya", though I tried to get is started ;) ) and reflecting on all these people sitting with me from all over the U.S, and then from different countries as well and how we are coming together to live in a completely DIFFERENT country because we all have one thing in common: we know and are known by the Almighty God who has saved us! What an amazing thing!
It was such a good weekend! So cram me in a cabin with this bunch again anytime :) It makes for some GREAT stories, building and continuing some GREAT relationships, and most importantly, getting to praise, dwell on, and glorify a GREAT God!

What's Love Got To Do With It?

So if you would have asked me a year ago if I thought that this time next year I'd be living with a family who can't speak English and constantly wants me to eat (as if I REALLY look like I've got issues with eating ;) ), watching Turkish soap operas almost every night (please note this is because the family does!), taking a 45min-1 hour bus ride to get to a language class, and going to MacDonald's would be my solace, I probably would have laughed in your face. I probably would have then said, "first of all, I can't STAND MacDonald's (or soap operas for that matter)"
But the reality is...this is my life! :) (and FYI I'm LOVING it- Turkish soap operas and all!)
I'm adjusting, and the Lord has shown me such sweet grace in the process of being here so far. I know it's Him because there are things here that are different (some of you have heard stories from my mom). It's not bad...genuinely... just different and I'm learning to adjust. A lot of times I just giggle and go "Well, that's just the way it is here!" That attitude is completely from the Lord!
One thing He's shown me recently though is that during this time of adjusting and learning language I can still love. Love does not need words!
This past week I was looking at the email from my congregation back in North Carolina and realized they were studying 1 Corinthians 13. So I read 1 Corinthians 13 :) Always a good chapter!
Then Sunday I went to worship with a local body here. 1 Corinthians 13 was read and briefly spoken about! Twice in a matter of 3 days the Lord was placing these verses before me (I've learned that when this happens I need to pay attention).
Then yesterday some ladies came over to my host families home for coffee. The lady I'm living with was telling one of the ladies about something that happened to her a few years back that's honestly left alot of fear in her life. I believe the other night she was trying to tell me about this but I didn't understand. I caught the gist of what she was saying, but not the details or even that it was about HER! We are doing well with communicating, but the language barrier causes some issues when it comes to details :/
All that said, this is what (among many other lessons) I believe the Lord was trying to "shake me awake" to: I can learn the language here. In fact I've been trying SO hard to understand, translate, and figure out what this lady is trying to say to me that often I don't listen to what she is telling me. I hear and can figure out words, but I think I was SO focused on the language barrier and the "task" of figuring out what she is saying and what/how I'm going to communicate what I need to say to her that I forgot something very important!

She is a person!

A person who God loves, a person who has had hardships (maybe big, maybe small), who has had joys, who like everyone else deals with things that life throws our way.

And this morning it hit me! "Courtney, you can learn the language; you can know it so well you sound like a local, but are you listening to what is being said?" In other words am I loving the person well by listening and genuinely getting to know the person speaking?
I was challenged with the fact that so often I am task-oriented; learning language, doing what I have to get done for the day, trying to figure out what's being said. BUT love can be shown in ways that LANGUAGE BARRIERS CANNOT HINDER! I don't want to be merely clanging brass! I don't want to merely learn the language! (though I do need to learn the language) But I also want to KNOW the people! I want to genuinely, whole-heartedly LOVE these people!
So in the midst of all the joys and challenges of adjusting and learning language, the Lord once again is gently reminding me to focus on knowing His love and in return LOVING others, and I CAN DO THAT WITHOUT SPEAKING ONE BIT OF THE LANGUAGE!!!

Me in my new "crib"! (Notice the clothes hanging out in the balcony :) )

The Secrets Out!

So...I have a confession :)
I got a tattoo! Some of you alreaddy know this, and some of you are probably in shoce right now. Others might be thinking "Doesn't surprise me at all!" :) And some may even be a little disappointed.

I got it right before I left to move overseas. My brother (Yes, Luke...I'm telling on you!) offered to pay for it as a going away present and since I've wanted one for about 8 years now, I decided to finally just do it! And I'm so happy I did! I love it. It's of the word "Abide" and it's on my left wrist.

I'm writing about this because the other day my sweet friend, Erin sent me an email. I had told her before leaving about my tattoo. She said in her email that right after telling her about it the chruch she goes to begam a series on John and specifically what it means to abide in Christ. In her email she was asking me what the word "abide" means to me since it was important enough to get put on my body permanently :)

WHAT A GREAT QUESTION!!!

I wanted to share my response to her because it was a great reminder to me (not to why I got the tattoo) but a reminder of the Gospel. I appreciated the question SO much because it made me take the time to write it out and remember what it means to abide in Christ. Such a beautiful thing that I'm continually growing in. So here it goes... what abiding means to me and why it is important enough to have on my body forever:

So a few years back...before seminary, when I went to Kazakhstan, my friend, Jeff, was reading this book called "The Power of the Blood Covenant". Because I love Kay Arthur and was "in love" with studying about covenant I was intrigued by this book. I started reading it and was challenged to search the scriptures in regards to covenant and what things like the Lord's supper, baptism, and our relationship as the Body looks like. Now granted I'm no expert and I'm continually growing in all of those, but the Lord grew my mindset to see Christ in a more personal way. So oftern I knew the Spirit lives in me, but it was like He was there to convict and encourage...the end. The Lord was growing me to see that the Spirit in real within me and I could fellowship with Him and through that I could likewise fellowship with Jesus and the Father.

There was a phrase the author of the book kept using "enjoy Christ". THroughout reading and even after that I've dwelt on what that means. Not just enjoy His blessings or when I'm growing, but enjoy HIM. It's like me saying I want to enjoy (fill in your name). It means I want to know you so personally and intimately that I know everything about you and enjoy every minute of learning it, knowing it, and who you are as you throughout and during my life. That takes ALL of my life. We are constantly growing in what it means to enjoy Christ. And I think that's what He's getting at when He says, "For I am the Vine, you are the branches. If you abide in my and I in you, you will bear much fruit; for without me you can do nothing." He's saying, I am the very life you have. I am your "life" (the real life...spiritual life) as a branch gets it very sustenance, growth, "juice" from the vine, so you get it from me. You do that by abiding (being with, knowing, remaining). It's a simple concept, but because of sin so hard!

However, if we aren't abiding, we aren't bearing fruit. If we aren't abiding, we can do nothing. A branch can't do anything if it's cut off from it's life-source; it can't grow, can't enjoy bearing fruit, knowing the vine, being part of the vine, and sharing with the other branches on the vine. If we don't abide, we don't enjoy knowing, growing, and being with Christ. We don't know the benefits of the other branches (the Body), we don't enjoy bearing fruit. We are "cut off" from the very One who gives us life. SO!!! All that (which hopefully makes sense) to say, to "abide" with Christ means to be with Him FULLY. To grow in enjoying Him, to remain with Him even when things are hard, to grow with the Body because it's part of Him. I don't know how much fruit I'll bear. I don't think that's the focus...I think it's the outcome. We focus on abiding (enjoying and being with Christ) and He produces the fruit (and that doesn't necessarily mean converts). He also tells us that when I'm not abiding...I can do nothing. That's a scary though, but one I've proven true. Because when I try to do things on my own it never turns out good.

Especially in the chaos of leaving home, going to a new place, and adjusting here, I keep remembering two verses. One is John 15:5 about the Vine; the other Psalm 46. The Psalmist talks about all this chaos all around him, the world falling apart basically, and as the end he declares that phrase that so many only know half of so well :) "Be still and know that I am God...." The rest of it though is awesome to me..." I WILL be exalted among the nations, I WILL be exalted in the earth." So when my mind is going crazy, I'm overwhelmed, things seem chaotic, I catch a glimpse of my wrist (it's kind of like Deut. where God gives the Shema, and tells them to bind His law on their hands and foreheads; hands for them to see, foreheads for others to see (BUT I'M NOT GETTING ANYTHING TATTED ON MY FOREHEAD!!!) And I'm reminded of two things: 1. "Court, you don't have to get things figured out, things may be crazy and they may stay crazy, but all Jesus says is "abide". Just be with Him!" 2. "Court, be still and remember who God is. He says He WILL be exalted. He is in control, and He has already overcome. REMEMBER this!"

So my tattoo is doing what it was intended to do: to be the gentle reminder I constantly have with me to not focus on self or circumstances, but on my great covenant partner who simply says to abide with Him.

So, I leave you with this...life is crazy (no matter if you are adjusting to living in a new country, raising kids, working in the same job for 30 years, etc)...that's just the way it is. BUT in the midst of the craziness, are you abiding in the very One who gives Life, or are you still trying to grow fruit on your own?

There's a First Time for Everything

So today marks the first week of living in Bosnia-Herzegovina!
Throughout this week I've experienced a few "firsts" that I tried to keep track of to share with those of you who actually read this thing :) Most of these "firsts" will be norms during my time living here, but the experience of trying them for the first time was one I wanted to remember.
So here it goes:
1. Hung all my clothes out to dry (I know, I know this is pathetic. HOWEVER, in my defense, at some point my mom may have done this when I was younger, but I have never done it)
2. Ate Cevapi, Pita, and Doner for the first time
(Cevapi pronounced CHEE-VAH-PEE: small sausages inside of what Americans call pita bread (but SO much better than most pita in the States)-for you meat eaters out there, these would be right up your alley!)
Pita: NOT what I would think of. This is thin layers of dough rolled up around some kind of filling (beef, spinach, potatoes) I ate mine with potatoes...SO GOOD!)

Doner: it's like a pressed sandwhich on REALLY good bread with thinly sliced meat (usually lamb), cucumbers, lettuce, tomato, and a sauce..very messy, but very good!)

3. Did a scavenger hunt around Dobrinja with a Finnish guy :) This was someone who was here for the week, and as a "get to know our way around" we had to follow clues that led us around this area. He knew English so we were able to communicate, but I remember thinking to myself at one point: "I'm in Sarajevo...walking around...with a Finnish kid...that I just met...Okay!" :)

4. Bought my first ever appliance with a European plug-in! (My hairdryer AND straightner blew up the first week I was in Europe, so a girl had to do what a girl had to do ;) )

5. Drank Bosnian coffee...a little stronger than I'm use to (DEFINITELY has a little more "kick" than a pumpkin latte from Starbucks :) but it was a good experience, and I'm sure I'll get use to it as I will be drinking it ALOT!)
And last but definitely not least...
6. Experienced Bosnia winning a football (soccer) game! There were fireworks popping, horns blowing, people yelling and singing in the streets. This wasn't like a championship game; it was just a regular game :) Like when two professional teams in baseball or football in the states have a game, BUT the celebration was like a team winning the superbowl or world series! In their defense they did score RIGHT before the whistle to win the game, so it was really close.
At about 3 maybe 4 am that night I woke up to some people walking down the street singing loudly :) and then all of a sudden I heard a lady yell from her balcony "CUTI!" Pronounced CHOO TEE...Meaning "SHUT UP!" :)

So that concludes my first week in Sarajevo!
I hope you've enjoyed some of my "firsts" in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
I know I have!

Where's Walley?

So I've made it to my new city! WOO HOO!
I spent the last two weeks at an amazing conference, met some amazing people, learned a lot, was challenged in so many ways, and enjoyed every minute of it (even in the moments with little sleep :) ) Now that I'm in this new place though I am glad to finally be settling in. There's still of course TONS of adjustment, learning the language, and getting situated, BUT I am here! Praise the Lord!
I wanted to tell a little story about something that happened right before I left Holland to head to Sarajevo. I lost Walley :(
Walley (as he is affectionately known) is my ring that looks like an owl. I know, I know...ridiculous! But I love this ring! So when he went missing two days before the conference was over I was a little sad. I wasn't sure what had happened to him. I usually have 1-2 places I put my jewlery so I looked in those places and nothing. I looked throughout the room. We were a little compact in our room with 4 of us and all of our luggage so I wasn't sure where he might be. Then the thought occurred to me that I may have dropped Walley somewhere or taken him off. I looked in the lost and found...nothing :(
I know he's just a ring, but I love this ring. So...I told the Lord, "You know, I'm not devastated...it's just a ring, but You know that ring was special to me. I'll be fine without it, but if You could just help me find it I'd be very grateful."
I'm sure you are probably thinking, "Really, Courtney? You prayed about a ring? That's stupid"
BUT...the Lord answered! Today when I was going through my stuff unpacking I pulled out my emergency kit (bandaids and such). I don't know why but I opened it just to see what I had packed and there sitting in the bag was Walley!
I don't even remember taking the kit out of my backpack the whole conference! But at some point I must have slipped him in there.
I know it is a silly little ring that really has no value (I mean I got him from Claire's for goodness sake), but it helped me to remember how our Father is concerned even with the little (insignificant) things in our lives. I would have been fine without it, I didn't loose any sleep over it, and I sure wasn't going to worry about it, but it was a sweet reminder that the Lord cares. He knew that it meant something to me, He knew that "letting" go of it kind of hit my pride and made me have to once again say, "Nothing belongs to me, and it's just a 'thing'." But finding Walley brought a lot of joy to me not just because I have him again, but because it was a sweet reminder that my Father cares about EVERY detail of my life (no matter how small).