One last breakfast at Marijan and Slavica’s for this year’s trip. Several last hugs and shared prayers and promises to Skype more often and another hug and … out the door and on the van for Prokuplje.
We arrived in Belgrade mid-afternoon, after a stop at a McDonald’s McCafe that you guys in America wouldn’t believe! It looked more like an upscale coffee shop, complete with the best apple pie I’ve had outside of homemade. (Just a bite of Caitlin’s, okay?) I will also admit to sharing an order of hot, salty fries.
In Serbia, what goes around, comes around — and we’re having the pleasure of staying in the home of a wonderful family where Daniel and Tanner stayed on their first trip to Serbia five or six years ago! Danko and Slaza Dudok are absolute treasures! They own a preschool that is so special — full of light and view of the Danube and plenty of trees and wooden tables and toys and music and art and … just fabulous! The story of how God blessed them with this dream of theirs for a business that ministered to families and children is inspiring.
After a tour of the daycare, and getting settled into their apartment they are graciously allowing us to use for a few days, we headed to the Danube for a walk alongside the river. Then we went to a soccer club owned by friends of theirs. Danko and Slaza’s lives are great examples of being Christ in your community, not by cornering everyone you met and preaching at them, but by living out God’s love and making His blessings known in your day to day lives.
After a yummy dinner of spaghetti (vegetarian AND meat sauce versions!!) we talked and talked about our respective ministries, and the many similarities. We are all involved in church planting, and I see us working together in the near future. What a blessing to find new, like-minded friends in this ministry journey in Serbia.
Tomorrow will be a full day — full of meetings, full of contrasts, and full, I am certain, of seeing God’s hand on our trip and in our work. First, visits to important charitable foundations — the Ana and Vlade Divac Foundation and HRH Crown Princess Katherine Foundation, then the Roma mahala that is built right on a garbage dump. Both chances to connect with others to show God’s love, and give them an opportunity to join with us — in giving and receiving.
We can’t wait!
