A week ago I got up early, met two of my teammates, caught a taxi to the train station and boarded a train for the first time since I was like 5! We were headed to Mostar, BiH (like a 3 hour train ride). As I was walking to board the train I had a moment where I thought, "I'm about to get on a train...traveling through BiH...with a guy from Chile, and a guy from Costa Rica." And then Dr. Seuss' poem "Oh! The Places You'll Go" started reciting through my head.
Since this journey began I've seen some incredible sights and met some incredible people. This week didn't fail to dissappoint in either of those categories.
FYI: If you EVER get the chance to come to Bosnia, Mostar is a city you need to see! IT is B.E.A.U.T.I.F.U.L!!!
One of the first nights we went for coffee (big surprise!) and I commented as we were walking back, "It looks like a fairy-tale". The sun was almost gone, there was a little purple coloring in the sky, the lights were on in the stone buildings in old town, and we were looking over the bridge. One of the other American girls with me said, "I know it's like you'd expect a guy on a white horse to come riding up." (Sorry to say, no prince charming on a white horse...BUT I did see some pretty sights and lots of goats if that counts for anything!)
I went to Mostar to go to "school". We started on Monday and went until Friday. The class was on Isaiah, which is a book I LOVE! So, I was more than happy to take a week, see some new sights, learn some new things, and meet some new people.
I was able to meet some believers from all over the world (this has become a regular occurrence since coming overseas), and I enjoyed some good "down-time" with them. I have been through almost 8 years of education studying the scriptures, learning methodologies, theories, doctrines, etc. All of that has been good, but the thing that impressed me about being here was the different insights from the different cultures.
I will be the first to say I'm very thankful for the education I've received. I've studied under some AMAZING people who love the Lord and walk with Him daily. The thing I've lacked though is that it's all been from an "American" perspecitive. It's not that there's anything wrong with that, but it's just a "piece" of the puzzle. To be able to study with and hear the observations from people from other cultures and countries was SO encouraging, and in some ways challenging for my thought process.
On top of getting to study with these amazing people, I also got to know some of them and their stories. It was such a time of encouragement to hear where people have come from and how they got to BiH. I was able to meet a local believer and talk with him about what they Lord is doing in his life and how He is growing him up in the Word. This encouraged my heart to see how our sweet Savior is raising up locals here for leadership and to share the Good News with others.
I was also able to rest some. I love the city I'm in, but I will be the first to admit that language learning can be draining! It takes a lot of brain cells and constant thinking to say things and to translate them in my head (I've always admired people who are bi-lingual, but now even moreso!) So, to have the week to still use language but have a break from classes was nice. Mostar is such a peaceful place, and I was able to relax a little and just enjoy the amazing views.
I was also able to rest some. I love the city I'm in, but I will be the first to admit that language learning can be draining! It takes a lot of brain cells and constant thinking to say things and to translate them in my head (I've always admired people who are bi-lingual, but now even moreso!) So, to have the week to still use language but have a break from classes was nice. Mostar is such a peaceful place, and I was able to relax a little and just enjoy the amazing views.
If you would have asked me even 6 months ago where Mostar was, I wouldn't have been able to tell you. But I'm so thankful to the Lord for allowing me to see this beautiful city, meet the people there, and have some rest in such a peaceful place. Oh! The places He's allowed me to go...It's been such an incredible adventure so far...I can't wait to see what (and where) else He has planned!
This time has FLOWN by so far. Fall has finally arrived here (it’s been abnormally hot for this time of year), but now the weather is cooler, leaves are changing, and life seems to be “slowing” down in a since (you can tell people are preparing for the winter). Seeing the changing of the leaves and the slower pace of life it made me start thinking as I was making my way to class the other day, about how much things have changed in the past 2 months of me living here. I was thinking about how the scriptures talk about the changing of the seasons and of life. There’s a time for everything: a time to be born and a time to die, a time for joy and a time for weeping, there’s a time for war and a time for peace…makes me want to sing “TURN, TURN, TURN”. I’ve been dwelling a lot since then about how I have changed in the past two months.
I mean the obvious change is that I’m not in the U.S. anymore! I spend my Saturday mornings having breakfast with a family of 7 from New York and 8 Roma kids (I LOVE Saturdays!), I hang my clothes out to dry, I've aquired a 5-year old Bosnian momak (boyfriend), I don’t drive anymore, I have to rely on other people for a lot of things, instead of churches on every corner there are mosque, I haven’t had a glass of sweet tea in almost THREE months! I sleep with a window opened instead of a ceiling fan, and I don’t go GET coffee anymore, I go FOR a coffee visit (for at least 2 hours).
More seriously though... I’ve changed a lot in what it means to daily walk with Jesus, to depend on Him in a way I’ve never had to before, I’ve learned more about what spiritual warfare and oppression looks like and I’ve seen it first-hand, I’ve been humbled (consistently) by the changing power of the Gospel in the life of a 15 year old boy (who’s had a life I can never even begin to imagine), I’ve learned more about dying to self and serving others, and I’ve seen more of the beauty of what it means to rest and abide in Christ.
Just as there is a time for the dying of the leaves sometimes comes a time in each of us as believers to “die” to self. And just like the leaves form again in the spring, when we “die” we are able to know more of the Life we have in Christ.
I’ll be honest, I’ve done a lot of “dying” these past two months. There’s been some hard times where I just clang to the promise that Christ is my strength, HE is a tower of salvation, HE is my refuge. Change has not been bad these past two months, but it’s been hard at times. It’s been hard to realize things about myself, about the world, about life that I was “blind” to or simply didn’t want to notice. The beauty of it though is just like the leaves are falling now outside, I know without a doubt they will grow back in the Spring. Even though I have had some hard times these past two months it’s been things that have caused me to “die” to self, to shed some “leaves” so to speak, and I know that without a doubt new “leaves” will grow, but this time they will be replaced characteristics that only come from my sweet Savior.