Friday was a travel day for us. We left Pirot early in the morning, drove to Nis, where we dropped Marijan and Slavica off at the bus station for their return trip to Prokuplje, then we headed north through Belgrade to Temerin. Here we will have four days ministry with Pastor Sasa, who is based in Kucura. Since we traveled the whole day, we thought we’d sum up our trip so far, and share our favorite things. Maybe some of them will touch your heart as well. LaJuana
Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens . . . oops, wrong country. Actually we’ve seen more dogs than cats here. There are so many things that I love about Serbia. The people, the way they are relational to each other, the food, the cherry with cinnamon tea, the children, the way they love the Lord and love to learn, and all the laughter we are sharing. If I had to list my favorite thing, it would be that these people take time out for each other. They throw out the schedule and really focus in on the relationship. And they apply this to their study of God. They are serious about learning about God. When we walked into the Sisters Meeting in Pirot, the women were all at the table with their Bibles open. Their notebooks showed page after page already written in from previous home church meetings. And they were sitting, pen in hand, ready to commit what we shared to notes. They learned from us, but we’re also learning so much from them. ReNata
My favorite thing is how quickly I have gotten attached to the people that work with Linking Partners. I am very relational. I cried last night, thinking about saying goodbye to Caca and Marijan. It makes me sad, but I told them I would see them again next year. Also, part of that relational bonding is how welcoming each family has been to our visits. In the short amount of time we spend there, visiting and praying with them, when we leave, it feels like we have to say goodbye to our family. I was not expecting to get so close so fast.
I’ve also been impressed with how much like home the inside of the houses are, because they aren’t always finished on the outside. It appears that a lot of time is spent making a beautiful home. They may only have a little to work with, but the care in decorating their houses is only outdone by their hospitality in opening their home and feeding you. No matter how humble the home, there is always refreshment available. The people in Serbia know how to make a person welcome. Now that I’ve seen it with my eyes, I know what to go home and specifically pray for. Lorie
There are so many favorite things already, and we are only half way through the trip. I love the scenery and the food, but all the people I have met are my favorites! Rodja is my favorite driver and tour guide. He is so considerate and entertaining, and puts up with four women as if it is easy. It’s easy to see how he seamlessly coordinates the Linking Partners work in Serbia. Slobodan is my favorite translator. He speaks wonderful English and we are not even always sure we know what we’re saying. He has been a great sport during our Sister Meetings, and is getting a unique insight into women. It has been wonderful getting to know him. He has a great attitude and sense of humor! We have all decided we want to adopt him.
Marijan and Slavica are my favorite Roma pastor and wife team so far. They are such lovely people. They wear their hearts on the outside and it is obvious how much they love the Lord and love doing His work. When Marijan preaches (or teaches) the Word, it is easy to hear the love and respect he has for it. They are warm and generous people whom I have learned to love so much in this short amount of time. We will miss them greatly.
Laughter is another of my favorite things. We have done a lot of laughing. It is amazing how easy it is to laugh even with a language barrier. I am so thankful that we all laugh with each other as we all work to understand one another. I will never see an axe again without thinking about Marijan rescuing me from the locked bathroom. We have all laughed and laughed about that. It is great to be a part of this laughing team.
Home churches are definitely one of my most favorite things. The warmth and generosity of these people is evident from the moment we walk through the door. I love hearing the testimonies of what God is doing in their lives or hearing how God has shown himself to them personally. They are so involved in each other’s lives and committed to praying for each other. And they are so hungry for God’s word. I have loved seeing the book of Acts lived out in person. Teresa
