Serbia...Siberia...What?

Get out your maps people! Today, I'm going to set the record straight once and for all. Some disturbing questions have been asked about my new home.  "Do you have a warm enough jacket?" "Is there snow in the summer?" "Do many people live there?" "Are you going to learn Russian?" After a couple such questions, I realized that many people thought I was moving to Siberia not Serbia!!

So where is my new home exactly? A Google search will tell you it is at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe. It is just South of Hungary and my city, Subotica is only 6 miles from the Hungarian border. The city has about 100,000 people; a mix of Serbians, Hungarians, Croats, and Bunjevci. It is a beautiful city, with a very long, confusing history. Most of the people are either Catholic (usually Hungarians and Croats) or Serbian Orthodox (Serbians) and both churches are steeped in tradition, devastating the simplicity of what is means to have faith in Jesus. I love the people though, especially because they are straight-forward; unafraid to say what they think. There's way more I could say, so if you have questions I would love to answer them!

Catholic Church

City Hall 

Library

Walking Street

Calvary Chapel

Danny and Me

Synagogue

My First Month

"How do I share my life with those far away?" is a question I have been forced to ask as half a continent and an ocean stand between me and many I love. It's funny to write about my life. I feel so, well, ordinary. Most of the things I do are every day, every person, normal things. I eat several times a day. I wait until my last pair of clean socks are on my feet to do laundry. I go to church several times a week and so the temptation over the past month has come as a little voice in my head trying to convince me that I am doing nothing. It has done it's best to persuade me that being here is pointless, fruitless and I'm more of a burden than a help. Some days, I have to admit, it does a fair job. I live in discouragement those days and my eyes are clouded by doubt and gloom. Actually my eyes are not clouded, but misdirected. Those are the days my eyes rest steadily on myself and my own ability; no wonder I end up discouraged! My eyes are meant to be on Jesus. Your eyes are meant to be on Jesus. It doesn't matter what country or place I call 'home,' my effectiveness is always directly linked to that on which I place my focus. It is that thing that becomes my vision, the seat of my affection, the pleasure of my soul.  I want to be effective, to be used by the Lord, who doesn't, but how much we need Jesus.

My prayers have become much more simple lately because I have felt this need for Jesus more than ever. I just want Jesus to be with me. I want to know that He loves me even though I'm not 'doing' a million things for Him. I want to know that He will show me what to do, what to say and when is the right time. As I pray, this amazing thing happens. He comes and meets me right in my room. No, I can't see Him, but He fills every part of me with His love and I KNOW that He is with me. I know everything will be ok, no matter what happens. I know He looks at me and is pleased, not because of what I've done, but because I'm His little girl.

From the perspective of the world, I'm a fool, doing nothing with my life, wasting my youth and talent, but God knows better. He's preparing, shaping and teaching me. He's teaching me how to quietly sit at the back of church and let someone translate for me, the only one who doesn't speak Serbian. He's teaching me to work in the coffee shop after bible study and not to be afraid to talk with those I don't know. He's teaching me to soak up all the wisdom of those who have lived through things I've only read about in books.  He's teaching me to be content, even excited, about small, simple things.

I know that God has big plans for this city and the church here. There is so much potential and strength in the church, I know many of the lost will be shown the love of Christ through them. Pray we would be filled with the Spirit!

As warmer weather comes we can do more outside and I hope that the summer will be marked by lots of outreach. I have no idea what that might look like or mean, but more people will be on the streets, in the parks and just hanging out. Pray that it would be the love of Christ that compels us to share with everyone we meet! Pray that many would be saved and experience for themselves true life!

New Relationship, New Year, New Language

Instead of making New Year's Resolutions that I would most likely break, I decided to sit down and think about 2010. Time moves so quickly that it's easy for me to go, go, go, while forgetting all that God is doing and has done.
As I thought about last year, I realized it was one of the best so far. I had the opportunity to catch a glimpse of God's work at church's in Poland and throughout Hungary. Nothing is better than sitting in the back of a church watching the Lord breath life into a people through His word by the power of the Holy Spirit.
I also had the opportunity to learn many practical things through the internship program at the Bible College in Hungary. Overseeing housekeeping, laundry, and conference guest rooms taught me many things about myself. I went from no time management skills to mediocre time management skills. I learned how to wash laundry, talk on the phone, count clean linens and bundle dirty ones all at the same time.  I learned that toilet cleaning is a valuable skill to have no matter what country you live in. I learned that no matter how stressful things get it's not the end of the world and it's okay to laugh at myself. Mistakes aren't a sign of failure and God has a bizarre sense of timing, at least according to me. I saw God bring someone into my life and change it forever (his name is Danny, but I'll save that story for another day) and most importantly, I learned that God's grace always covers my failures and He is love.


What about 2011? Good question. I will not even pretend to have the year planned out, but I'll tell you what I do know. I have the privilege of moving to Subotica, Serbia to be a part of the Calvary Chapel there. My main task in the beginning will be to learn Serbian and I'm sure there will be plenty of embarrassing stories to tell along the way. Other than that, I will be helping at the church with whatever they may need. I'm feeling many different emotions right now (mostly excitement) as my life is rapidly changing so I need your prayers!
Pray....
-that I will learn the language quickly
-that I would be bold to share the gospel
-that I would serve with a humble heart