Done, Done and Done

Tonight is my last night in Gorazde and I will be leaving early in the morning to go to Croatia. I managed 3 visits today and dinner at the house with another family. I will miss the people I said goodbye to today and I hope to return here again. This is me signing off. Cao!

The Last Goodbyes

I have begun saying my goodbyes and will miss this place terribly. I am excited to return home to see the family and friends I have missed this summer. However, I knew I would always return home. I do not know if I will ever return here. I would like to say yes but cannot commit. I would love to return to see the people again whom I now love. Thanks to the Lord! I will see where the Lord leads me next and hopefully it will be here again. I hate and love this part of the work. But if I did not know the people then there would not be a special place. I would have only seen the city. You can travel to see, which I enjoy doing very much, but to know a place is to know the people. I am truly thankful for this opportunity and yet still so in awe that I was used.

This afternoon we are traveling to Sarajevo to watch the new Batman movie. I feel an adventure coming up but I am game. Tomorrow my day is filled with visits to the first people that I met here followed by dinner at our house. Gam is not feeling well so I do not know how the day will effect her but I hope she have strength until we return home on Wednesday. Sunday morning we are sightseeing in Dubrovnik, Croatia. I have seen pictures of this "Pearl of the Adriatic" and am beyond myself by its beauty. I will finally see (I'm only 23) deep blue water. YEAH!! We will then travel through Mostar, a medievial city with a grocery store similar to WalMart, and then on to Sarajevo until we EARLY Wednesday morning. Our flight is set to leave at 7:30am and we should arrive home at 7:30pm. It will be strange to leave the same day we return only 12 hours later but have been traveling for 24hours.

Raining on Our Parade

Today was my day to kayak but I woke to rain and cold weather. It would have been miserable if we would have attempted to kayak down the river. Instead we played games with the kids at the center and made glass etched frames again. It was a relaxing day. We gathered the girls and watched a chick flick and ate goodies. They loved the movie, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Tomorrow is the treasure hunt and it goes on, rain or shine. T and I have prepared little bags of treasure when they are finished with junk food and pictures from the campout. I hope they enjoy them. I wonder why we aren't blessed with wonderful, sunny weather but I am not the one in control. Nothing is out of His hands and He has ordained what will happen. Despite the rain, we were able to have hang out time and one on one conversations with the campers. The captains were able to get to know their campers much better. These relationships are what makes you cry when you leave and they enter into a special place in your heart you will never forget. These relationships are what change your life. The people are the most important.

Avanture u Prirodi

We are half way through our Adventure Camp. Last Wednesday through Friday we camped out in Bosnia's National Park. I would say we were in the middle of nowhere and it was absolutely breathtaking! We took our cars and vans off-roading and on more than one occasion we pushed our cars up steep hills. We managed to take our cars past a sign that said cars were forbidden so it shouldn't have been too shocking for us. The first night was absolutely freezing and I didn't sleep at all. My tent mates beg to differ and said that I snored. I am sticking with my story. The next day, the students kayaked on the lake and hiked up to the top of the summit facing our camp ground. I swam and enjoyed the downtime when everyone was gone. During the campout, I felt I was able to get to know everyone including the members of the team better. I think I asked a million and one questions but I saw the opportunities before me. I hope that the relationships will go forwards and continue to strengthen and not go backwards during the rest of the week. We had behavior problems with 3 boys which made things difficult and frustrating. They were swearing up a storm, totally disrespectful, and thought the world revolved around them. However, I refuse to let them ruin the entire campout experience. The second night was much better and I slept like a baby. I learned that I liked to cuddle in my sleep too. We loaded up early on Friday and went to Kravice which are famous waterfalls here in Bosnia. What an amazing Creator we have! The place was crawling with snakes so my desire to swim was deterred drastically. On the way home, my car stopped to look at the Tito monument dedicated to the dictator that reigned here for centuries.

Today, I gave my testimony during devotion time and forgot about eye contact completely. oops... My nervousness showed but I was pleased to have the opportunity to reflect on how the Lord has worked in my life. I still do not understand why He predestined me to be His and why He continues to use me. Last night as I was preparing what I would say I decided to go out on the balcony for a quiet time. I heard Gam close the door but I thought, "No, big deal. She is going to bed." I continued in prayer and then when I went to go inside to bed, I realized quickly that the outside door handle was missing. I banged on the door and no response. Luckily, I had my cell phone in my pocket. I called the house three times and no answer. I called Amanda, T's roommate, and reached the man having surgery in the hospital. Teresa had been in bed for awhile and one thing I have learned in my lifetime: Beards need their sleep and if you wake them...Watch Out! So I called Caitlin, who lives across the river to call T's roommate. No answer. I called the house again. I knew what I must do. I must call Teresa or spend the night out on the balcony. I seriously thought about a night out on the balcony. Teresa had been awakened earlier in the weekend and it was not a pretty sight. LOL So instead of calling...I texted. Help! I am locked out of the house on the balcony. Sure enough, Teresa came to my rescue. Lucky for me she found it absolutely humorous and was tickled pink. She was upstairs watching television relaxing and not asleep yet. I spent the night cozied up in bed. YEA!

I also helped with the glass etching craft and began preparing things for the Treasure Hunt on Wednesday. This thing better be a hit because we have spent so much time working on it. Tomorrow I will go kayaking down the Drina.

I will begin to say my goodbyes this week and I have many mixed emotions. I am glad to return home but my heart is heavy to leave here.

Surprise! Surprise! Surprise!

Today I received a small care package in the mail. It was such a lovely surprise! Thank you Murdocks! The People magazine was a hit! We have finished our first week of Adventure Camp and I hope to write more about it when I have the time. Today, I met with another team member and we prepared the pictures for the craft next week. I then went to dinner with the girl interns and had the best meal ever! The waiter was very proud to speak to us in English and it made for a very enjoyable time. When we set down the waiter came up to our table and said, "I speak English" before we managed to utter a word. I asked him how he knew we didn't speak any Bosnian...he can just tell apparently. Caitlin and I ordered the "ram steak gentlemen" and the waiter's face was priceless. The meal consists of well done steak and french fries but I guess women don't order it often. (that or he was pulling our leg) We then went into town, where the entire city goes on the weekend dressed to the nines, and drank cappuccinos. It is now almost midnight so maybe that wasn't the best idea. I had a wonderful time rehashing the events of our summer here with the other interns.

Numbers...I ain't got to show you no stinkin' numbers!

Yesterday we began Adventure Camp and 17 kids showed. We broke into teams and did team building and get-to-know-you activities. I had a wonderful time and adopted a group of my own. However, today 10 kids showed and are going on the campout with us tomorrow. At first I seemed terribly disappointed. Our group is small to say the least and leaders out weigh the campers tremendously. It feels like we are not reaching out. But, I am only seeing the small picture. I am only seeing this still moment. I am not able to see what will happen as a result of this - that is in the hands of my Creator. He knows how many campers we will have. He knows what events will transpire. He knows the relationships that will be built. If we are truly trusting Him then the opportunities He provides with these 13 (campers and translators) will be blessed. Nothing is out of His control. There are no numbers. Why do I place success in numbers and not in Him? Why do churches continually do this also? Why do I think He cares about numbers? When I really think about it - it is the stupidest thing. I am so fortunate He forgives and has grace and mercy on me and my simple brain. I will never fully understand how great and mighty He is.

Chicken and Rice and Everything Nice

Today Gam and I spent the day with a family. We went early to learn how she made her signature dish, chicken and rice. I have to admit this is my favorite dish here. I think it is because it is the closest thing to home. During the preparation, the husband asked me if I cooked. I replied, "no, not really" and you should have seen the utter fear in his eyes. How will I ever marry? He said that I must learn and that he would teach me to make pizza when I returned to their house after he goes to the hospital in Sarajevo. I thought it was comical but I forgot how big a deal cooking is here. I do not think I would be considered a dobro riba (good fish; translated great catch) as I am useless in the kitchen. I enjoyed the laughs though. During lunch, the husband stopped eating and put down his fork. He told us he was so glad that Gam and I were here and that we were able to eat with them in their house. He had always imagined meeting us since he began to know Teresa but did not think the time would ever come. He then continued to eat in silence. He is a very sweet man who loves his wife dearly and treats her very well. There love is very comfortable and respectful with one another. The mom and I are to spend time together this week making curtains for the bookshelves in my classroom. This is another thing I cannot do....sew. (once again...not a dobro riba) I have no idea what the measurements are but will use my arms to get an estimate which is scary. I look forward to meeting the rest of the mom's family in their village sometime before I leave. Today was a fantastic day spent getting to know people. I am very glad for the opportunities that are set before me.