Cultural Intricacies and Other Thing I've Learned

There are so many intricacies to each culture. Every culture has similarities but no culture is the same, even if you are in one country you can find a variety of culture and you don't even have to cross a border. This place has many, many intricacies about it's culture and many times the way you make coffee in one area may be the "incorrect" way to make coffee in a different area. When learning a culture imitation can be the best teacher.

When speaking the language some words in some places can tell the person you are talking to where you are from, what your ethnicity is, or where you are learning the language. This is true in most cultures, nothing is simply cut and dry. If it were the world would be an easy, uncomplicated, rot of boring. We would figure each other out in seconds. Friendships wouldn't be born out of language blunders and jokes about those blunders later in the relationship when the language is finally learned for the foreigner. Reliance on the goodness of humanity to have patience and help you get something you need, or go where you need to go wouldn't be a necessity.

If you follow Jesus, learning the culture leads you to rely on God to put people in your path to help in such ways. You rely on him to take care of the things that can go on back home that are not pleasant, even though you would rather help take care of it yourself. You cannot have the patience it takes to deal with yourself and others without relying on God to give you that divine patience that only comes from him.

 If you plan to live in another culture, grace is everything. Even if it is grace to the waiter/waitress who gives you hot chocolate instead of the cappuccino you ordered, or looks at you funny when you clearly said you wanted a Fanta and asks you three times what you said. Also, grace for the bigger things like believers who are still a little shy about their faith to other non-believers, or non-believers who change the subject when the conversation starts getting to deep into a spiritual discussion. Because as believers we live in this vast and deep....very deep ocean of grace, even in the most frustrating things and people, we cannot act like we can't even spare a drop.

Also, just from my short time living overseas, I have to say that no matter the circumstances you must be thankful. Even if you feel as if you cannot be thankful in the moment, somewhere along the way landing on thankfulness is probably the most helpful thing in bringing perspective and a lot of joy. It can get hard, no doubt about it. Life is rough for anyone and when you are thousands of miles away from situations, and that far away from people you love, this is no exception.

I haven't lived here nearly as long as some others who moved here from their home cultures, but I can see these trends (or lack thereof) coming into play. I can see the necessity of God and his divine power to help us in our work, give us words, and help us lead a life that leads others to conviction. I understand the importance of other people, national people, and want and need their friendship.

I am so blessed to be here, blessed by people back home and their support and confidence in me. I am blessed by their prayers. I am thankful for these opportunities I am able to have for the declaration of the Kingdom because of those back home who see the importance of it. I thank you all.

All to God

Full Swing

This weekend we had and have the privilege of having Iftar meals with Bosnian families. Last night we had an Iftar meal with one of my favorite families here. We helped (a little) with the preparations and waited in a hot room talking and laughing until the food was done. We ate until we were fully satisfied, sat for a bit, and said goodbye for the night.

Tonight we get to do a lot of the same but up in a village. We are having this meal with a family for whom we helped to rake hay. They are really good people and I am excited to spend this time with them. Many times up in the villages you will find many more devout followers of Islam than in the town or near town, so it may be a very interesting experience to be a part of their evening. Pray for us while we are there tonight would you?

Yes, Ramazan has been in full swing, and I must report that it has been daunting but in other ways instead of just being hungry. There is tiredness and weakness, there is agitation. Many of my roommates have not felt well throughout this endeavor, as far as feeling sick or strange I haven't had those symptoms. It has felt like since I have gotten here that death seems to be a constant in more ways than one. Since Ramazan started the true weight of the continuation of the deaths of people I know has anchored itself to my guts. I keep a positive attitude as many of these people have been faithful to Jesus their entire lives. However, many times I think over the deaths of those who died apart from Christ and situations that have arisen and it feels like someone has punched me in the stomach.

My prayers have been more focused, they have been more intentional. I know that everything works for the glory of God and my hope and prayer is that God will turn ashes into flowers. Throughout this Ramazan season I pray that God would move in big ways through people's lives so that we won't have to experience many more of our friends dying without knowing Christ, and that heartbreak in any form won't be as burdensome no matter how deep the cut because of Jesus.

Thank you, friends, for praying with me and for me through my time here and especially now. I love you all so very much.

All to God

30 Days

This week started something new...something I've never done in my whole life. This week the Muslim holy month of Ramadan (Ramazan for those here) where they fast all day and when the evening call to prayer goes off it's time for a meal called Iftar where they will break their fast. 

I'm not telling you this boastfully, and honestly many of you will disagree with this method, however we have chosen to fast as they fast and break the fast as they break the fast. We have a defining line, Jesus, we pray through him because we know he is our Savior. We do this as a petitioning method for Muslims to know Jesus and his saving grace because we love these people and we strive to help them understand salvation and have assurance of a holy eternity. 

Today is day three of this fast by day, eat by night month. A whole 30 days where while the sun still sits in the sky the fast continues. It is interesting to say the least and I'm wondering how my body will adjust back to it's normal routine after this month is over, however doing this has made us come together a little more. We have stuck with it together so far, we make Iftar meals together, both have been rewarding to me. 

I'm glad we are not bound by the law, I'm glad that the fear of what God might do to us if we do not fast this month is not a reality for us. I'm glad we do not have that fear but instead we have the faith that God would sustain us and keep us throughout the tasks we might do, and that he hears us when we pray in this fast, and finally that Jesus actually surrounds this whole thing giving us the freedom from fear, along with the freedom of the Holy Spirit. 

I hope you would pray for the Muslims around the world who are fasting this month. Pray as we pray that they might see dreams of Jesus while they sleep and go to a follower of Christ wondering what the dream was about. Pray that God would reveal himself to many Muslims around the world convicting their heart. Pray for us as we continue to work alongside these people.

All to God

This is How We Rake

There is nothing more satisfying than seeing hard work pay off. We have been doing a lot of hay raking this week in two different villages. At first you look at the field and are a little overwhelmed at the size of it and the depth of the actual hay, but then you start your work and slowly but surely the land becomes cleaner, the hay less deep than before, and you see your work as an accomplishment.

Not only are you satisfied at the result of your own work but also knowing that this was a team effort and the team played well. Because the job doesn't end with raking....oh no; you rake, and rake, and then someone with a fork comes and lifts (or pushes) the bundle that has been gathered to a bigger pile surrounding a pole sticking up from the ground. When the field has been raked clean then someone starts gathering the hay around the pole and then when it gets a little heigth on it then someone more skilled than I gets on top of the stack stomping it down with every throw of hay the person from the ground gives them.

Then rakers come in and shave the loose hay off the sides so rain will just drip off of the stack, and then they rake what is on the ground into little piles to be added to the top of the huge mountain of hay. Some precautions are made so that the hay doesn't combust on a hot, dry day sticking branches on the bottom of the big stack assuring some breathing room inside of it.

There have been many hands that have gone into raking these fields of cut, dry hay; if one slacks then the work goes slower and the heat of the day wears more on those laboring. However, many times these fields are left to the family that owns them. We have been seven (sometimes 8 or 9) extra bodies to help those we know rake their fields or a family member's field. I could make a sweet biblical reference and say how raking hay is kind of like the body of Christ in motion with each part doing it's job but I think that sentence really just gave you the gist of that allusion.

The raking hay itself is not the joyous part for me, it's the time we spend with the people before and afterward. When we go to help many people will fix lunch, or a meal for us after we are done. Though the meals are delicious, I try to focus on the words being spat out in Bosnian trying to weave through the different accents used in different villages and hanging onto the words I recognize to even latch onto the context of the conversation. I love the jokes, the quick-wit that is sometimes the Bosnian way, I love to hear about their concerns and questions they have for us.

I love this place..did you know that?

All to God

Hoping For the Best

My mind rolls about the future possibilities of this year. There are moments as I have lived here in these past few weeks that I have made a point to stop what I was doing for a few seconds and think one of two things; either "what I am doing in this moment is what I want a part of life here to look like" and other times it is "I should really be doing something."

Though being here for only a few weeks, and having some deaths occur, as well as some inconveniences, I still don't give myself much of an excuse on the days when it comes down to "I should really be doing something." Fortunately there have not been many of those kinds of days, however when they do happen I always know there is something I could be doing. I am happiest when I am busy, actually serving, actually building relationships, telling people my name and having them remember it, saying "we should have coffee sometime" and it actually happens.

The only hitch, a bit small...maybe medium sized: I want to speak to them in their language. I love that I can communicate with a good amount of people through speaking English, but I so desperately want that to be a temporary fix. I want to dive into these people's lives and show them the same generosity they have shown me through communicating with me in my heart language. I am grateful for those patient enough to use the English they know to better communicate and also those who are patient (and helpful) when I am trying to communicate in Bosnian.

God has put some people in our paths that have patient in both areas, people who I believe will turn into some pretty good friends. I tell most of the friends I make here "Someday you won't have to speak English to us!" and I'm going to make good on that promise.

I love these people. They really have tugged on my heart, everyday I encounter someone new it is just another reason to love these people. So there is something to pray about; that God would guide my words and actions as now is the time that I will be meeting a lot of new people and talking a lot.

Thank you for your prayers, as always, I cannot say how much they mean. It's so strange how words I will never hear, petitioning for the outcome of life and teaching here in this country will make such an impact in my life and the lives of others. So thank you...so very much.

All to God