Reminiscant Thoughts...

It has been a long time since I have written anything, and I had a moment yesterday that made me want to write...

I have been trying to work on finding a place for all my stuff since coming back to Idaho. I have been much less than successful, and still have stuff spread about my parents new house. In search of shoes, yes that's right shoes, I opened a box of winter clothing that had come back from Croatia with me. A familiar scent hit my nose as I opened the box, and I had to bury my head deeper in to take it in. I have been living in a smoke free environment for almost two months now, and as strange as it sounds the musty cigarette smell of my clothing brought a smile to my face and memories to mind of long afternoons spent inside smokey cafes with friends. I never really noticed the air in cafes when I lived there, and it would only be a present thought when visitors would point it out. It was especially bad during the winter since the cafes moved all seating indoors, away from the wind and the rain. My coats and sweaters and scarves and hats all smell of cigarette smoke. The smell most would classify as a stench made me miss Croatia and my dear friends. I joked with some of them that I would need to light cigarettes at home, just to have them sitting there and the smoke burning. It was part of daily life there, as was the strange mix of old and new pop and hip-hop music, some infused with a techno beat, that I now miss and have playing often in the background almost as a comfort. It seems so long since I left my home in Rijeka, and it seems that I just hit pause for that part and play again for the section at home. It saddens me that I can't carry on a life in both places, but all I can do is walk each day as a gift from God.

So my friends in Croatia, if you read this, know I am sorry for not writing. It's time I stop ignoring my feelings for what I left behind. I am enjoying life in Idaho again, though I thought I wouldn't, and I know that God has something in store for me. Pusa!

Watch out for sharks!

Yesterday Jon and I got a ride down to Novi Vinodolski so we could spend the afternoon and evening with friends Hrvoje and Doda. It was a great afternoon, and I really enjoyed seeing Doda's family again. The one disappointment to the day was the looming rain clouds that seemed to follow the coast line. We had hoped to spend some time swimming and sun bathing, so we decided to brave the weather. As we walked down the stairs leading to the beach we heard screams and crashing waves. At the bottom of the steps, there was hardly any beach exposed and massive waves crashed against the rocks. Normally you find the Adriatic calm and peaceful, and Doda said she had never seen anything like it though she lived right next to the beach. Hrvoje and Jon were the first to enter the water. Doda and I laughed as we watched their struggle to stay standing as the waves hit them. After Hrvoje was knocked over by one wave, he gave up and began to swim away. I wasn't sure I wanted to get in with what I was observing, but I did anyways. Doda and I were paralized by laughter as the waves slapped against our bodies and knocked us over too. The children in the water were staring at us strangely, as though they had a more graceful way to enter this choppy water. We finally got out past the worst of the waves to deeper water. It was fun riding the waves but we had to watch closely otherwise we would end up with a faceful of water. The water was gross and lined with the stuff normally found on the bottom. There was floating algea and sea urchin's you had to watch out for. After we all were tired from fighting the waves, we swam back in and once again had a hard time leaving the water as the waves would try to knock us over. Only after we got back in did Doda inform there had been some shark sightings down the coastline. She said the waves were playing tricks with her mind as the would rise and fall. Even as we sat to dry she watched the waves for a fin.

A good sermon

Yesterday I listened to a really good sermon on Psalm 51. You should give it a try=0) http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/MediaPlayer/2832/Audio/

One Month Left

I have reached a strange point today. It is July 14th, and on August 14th I am boarding a plane again. That's one month left in Rijeka, and it leaves me with so many mixed emotions. I have already said goodbye to a majority of my team and the students that have become my friends. Pete and Kali left three weeks ago, and the Kneeshaw family left a week ago. It has been easy to stay busy the last few weeks. I have seen many friends and I have an apartment to pack. I have greatly enjoyed swimming in the beautiful Adriatic, though at times I have been in some very questionable water. I have loved the extended coffees and visits brought on by the finishing of exams. God has also been using this relaxed time to show me a lot of what he has been teaching me through life this year. I could so easily get lost in all the activity and forget to say goodbye. Not that I want to be overwhelmed by emotion for the next month, but I want my heart to feel closure before I head home. But how do you really do that? I think it's impossible to feel completely ready to close one chapter of your life so that you can start the next. My prayer tonight as I am writing this is that God would prepare me for this, and give me wisdom on how to face it.

The women of the team during debriefing on Losinj (missing Petra).

The men of the team during debrief (missing Hrvoje).

If Only....

If only I were better at updating this thing. I was shocked with myself to see that the last post was in March! So, here's the run down...

Shortly after my last post we had a Serbian/Bosnian/Croatian Women's Retreat that was just amazing. I loved it and four great women from Rijeka went with me.

In April, we introduced our friends to some American sports, and they caught on quickly.

In May, we had our student retreat, and summer project arrived.

And just last week I was in Boise, Idaho for my friends' wedding.

In a nutshell that has been the past couple months. I even remember now as I am writing that there were things that I thought about writing in my blog and didn't. So here is one of those stories.

For the May Day holiday here, Kali and I decided to take a trip to Ljubljana, Slovenia. We checked train times, and since we didn't want to stay the night, both of us decided the 5 am train would be best. We get up bright and early, it was still dark and happened to be raining. There was only one other person on the train besides us, and one more man, carrying a bike got on at the next station. We reached the first town on the other side of the Slovene border and started to disembark because we were supposed to switch trains. The border guard yelled at me, because I needed to wait for me to inspect my documents. After this happening, Kali and I stood by the tracks and looked around wondering when the connector would come. The border guard watched us curiously for a while, then came over and asked what we were waiting for. Kali told him that the ticket information from Rijeka said there would be a connecting train. He laughed and said yes at 2:30pm. We both looked at each other in horror of the early hour, and lack of train to take us the rest of the way. Neither Kali or I responded so he went and began talking to the other men working at the train station. He came back with another Slovene man, and told us that this man would take us to the next station if we liked. He was getting off in 15 minutes and we would just barely make it before the train from Koper came through. I without a thought said yes, we would appreciate it, and Kali looked at me like I had just asked for us to be kidnapped. I had to convince her that it was our only option, and that the border guard would not suggest someone who isn't safe. Also with my past experiences, people in this area are very helpful when you need it. We waited for the man to get off, and then jumped into his car. The Slovene drove about 100 kilometers per hour down this narrow, windy country rode, and every once in a while I saw his eyes start to slide shut. It was 6:30, so I understand him being tired. A half an hour later we arrive at the station and have five minutes to wait. I was so grateful for this man's kindness, and also for God protecting us from his crazy driving.

Belief in the Savior of the World

Today as I was reading the story of Jesus' resurrection, there were two particular sections of verses that stood out to me. I know I have read them before but they never caught my attention. They come from the Gospel of John.

"Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciple, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name."

-John 20:30-31

"This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true. Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written."

-John 21:24-25

John clearly expresses in these two passages the greatness of Jesus. He clearly expresses the purpose of book of the Bible that he wrote. Jesus died on the cross for sinners. He conquered death so that all who believe may have eternal life. If nothing else is taken away from reading this book of the Bible, that is what John wants you to know. If we needed to see a world full of books telling of Jesus' life and works before we would believe, there would be no faith. We are saved by faith and God doesn't want us to believe because we can see, he wants us to believe and trust in him simply by faith in who He is. God gives us the Bible to speak to us and so we could know him. As I think about the two passages I quoted, I am thankful for my salvation, and I am also amazed at the thought of a world full of books. God is great. What Easter celebrates should be enough to show that. I challenge you today, to think and reflect on this holiday. What does your belief rely on and need? Have you found salvation in God? I am praying today that each person would know the fullness of Jesus' sacrifice and that this would bring belief. For those of you who know this salvation, I pray that you would be know the fullness of God's love and power. Even today, conquering death is something no one has done, only the Savior of the world.

A weekend in Solta

Cartoon's Messages

Old Disney cartoons... Tonight I was watching a series of classic Donald Duck episodes with a little girl. Many of them were based around the WW2 era in America. I was shocked at some of what I was seeing because it was meant for little kids. There are two that I saw that were just so shocking. The first was one about increased taxes in the US during the war. Donald Duck was being told by an old man to save for taxes and a young man resembling Hitler telling him to spend. It launched off of Donald Duck to why war time taxes are good and why they should be paid. It shows guns, factories, planes, and downed nazi planes. Starting at a young age they were placing the idea of country pride in people, which I am not saying is bad, just surprising. The second was a cartoon about creating a son of the reich. It started with the registration of the child, then the schooling, then the military training. I didn't get to see the ending because I turned them off. It was so dark for what was supposed to be a family cartoon. I was just amazed. Well I don't have much to say either than that. I feel like I can't say much, it's part of history and a very important one at that.

What are the chances?

Today the women went to Ljubljana for a girls day out. While getting ready to leave and head back to Rijeka, I turned around to see a familar face. Standing behind me was one of the four Slovenes Kali and I met on the crazy train ride to Serbia. Seriously, what are the chances?!!!

Quite the plan.

Recently it has been extremely nice here in Rijeka. The sun shines and draws people outside. It is making me anxious for spring, because though it is sunny it's not exactly warm yet. I have put away my winter coat but the wind keeps it cool enough that I still need my fleece.

One of the first Croatian words I learned was golub, meaning pigeon. I really don't like pigeons. They are everywhere, eating everything, flying at your head, and pooping on unsuspecting pedestrians. Since we are close to the sea, you also add sea gulls to this eating and pooping frenzy. It's never been a matter of will I get pooped on, but when will I get pooped on. I have learned to step away from buildings at certain doorways, and to make sure to wait under the awning, not just near it. Well the other day, Kali and I were sitting on the terrace of a cafe, enjoying the sun and messaging friends. I looked up just in time to see a flock of sea gulls flying in our direction. The noise actually caught my attention first, thankfully in time for me to cover my coffee with my hand. I started to see things dropping, and simultaneously everyone on the terrace starting screaming and jumping up. As gross as it was, I was quite amazed that they hit the entire terrace at once. Each person began wiping away the mess and some people moved inside. My coffee was safe, but our table was filthy now. Kali got poop on her arm and jacket, and my purse needed to be cleaned, but all in all we got away easy. After all it wasn't in my hair this time.

One thing I won't miss about the city....pigeons, and other large flying birds.