June 11, 2011
The things we do…
Ahh, the joys of ministry…particularly in another culture
I’m trying to decide if I can make this story funny, or if it will just be gross no matter what I do. Actually, since many of you have asked “What does a typical day look like for you?” I think I’ll go ahead and kill two birds with one stone here. So I’ll start with how the day went, and soon enough, you’ll get to the part that inspired me to share this little story with you (I think you’ll know when you get there).
Today began with a pretty relaxed morning. I went for a run and got to enjoy God’s incredible creativity, as well as a sermon podcast by an old friend (Treb Praytor, anybody heard of him?). God outdid himself as usual this morning. I could see the mountain peaks in the distance and yet there was a fog to where I couldn’t see the bottom of the mountains. It was great. After the run, I got ready for the day and enjoyed some time in the Word. We had “youth staff” meeting and prayer at 11:30, during which God gave us a great idea to do for all the students who are graduating this year (either 8th grade or high school), and we had a great opportunity to pray particularly for the families of our students (who for the most part are not believers). Immediately after that I went off to the home of one of our church members, whom I will call Lejla*.
I thought I was going to Lejla’s today for fellowship and for her and her daughter (who is not a believer) to teach me how to make a traditional Bosnian dish: Pita – which is not what you’re thinking it is. It turns out, she didn’t understand me very well on the phone the day before so when I got to her house, I found out that she doesn’t even like pita and she’s not very good at making it. So after spending 1.5 or 2 hours sitting and drinking coffee, hearing about her current crisis, and attempting to give some spiritual encouragement, I am still feeling from the Lord like I should insist on being taught to make something. Lejla does not have the easiest financial situation, and though I know of worse financial situations, this is what I felt from the Lord I should do today. Off to the store we went to buy everything we needed for Sarma (this is a sour cabbage roll stuffed with mince-meat and rice). For the record, I don’t really like sarma, but this is what I feel like I need to do.
Back at Lejla’s we got to work and between the two of us, preparation was done pretty quickly. She asked if either her daughter or I was hungry. Her daughter said no, but I honestly was, so I told her I could eat a little bit. Of course I assumed that I would be eating the sarma, when it was finished. Not my favorite, but I can stomach it. But Lejla proceeds to re-heat me some of yesterday’s leftovers: Jetrice i tjestenina (LIVER and pasta). I kind of start to freak out in my mind… “Oh no, I hate liver!..but I already said I was hungry, I can’t take it back now…what am I gonna DO!?!” And so…I ate it. Praying every bite that I would not reproduce it on her table in a much less appetizing form. God was faithful. I did not throw-up, and I left 5 hours later having consumed more than my share of food, coffee, and second-hand smoke.
The day ended with a little meeting at our team leaders house, where I of course shared my latest in the “What we do for Jesus” chronicles, and our ideas about the ensuing youth event.
Hope you enjoyed this one. It was definitely one for the record books! Love and miss you all!