Bosnia Day 7
Bosnia Day 7
Today was a day of variety and busyness. We started the day with yoga/pilates/exercises for the ladies and a walking about the city taking photos for the guys at 6:00 am. 7:15 is met as a group for the day and pray for the day and praises from yesterday. Two of the team were picked up at 7:30 to shop and prepare for breakfast while the rest of us walked to the center about 1.5 miles away. 8:00 am brings breakfast and fellowship (coffee). 9:00am the tables are clear and the dishes clean and put away. We have a time prayer with Mario and Dijana, Mark and Kathy, and any of the local workers who have constructed the playground.
About 9:30 to 9:45 we gather our materials and walk to the playground and start painting the wood. The paint is actually a stain impregnated with wax. Two of the team stay back at the center and help clean and prepare for lunch.
While we are painting some of the locals walk by and watch or greet Mario. A few children come by and a couple of them attempt some English with Debbie or Robbin. While we paint, the stain drip and runs and it does not take very long to look like we have been painting all day instead of 30 minutes. But through the day we get most of the structure painted. Coming back from lunch and an afternoon break, we find 10-12 children playing on the teeter totters, so Mario gently scolds them and they leave to come back next time we take a break. This neighborhood has been highly excited to for this project and even the police stop by to converse with Mario. It almost feels like we are with a local celebrity. While some of us are painting, Dijana and the others of the team are playing some games with the children of the neighborhood. “Between two fires” was a popular game and today was rematch day. God is working through the painting and the smiles on the children’s faces.
Now we go back and take quick showers and get ready for a very special evening. Mario and the policeman had finalized some details for an authentic Bosnian meal at the policeman’s home. We started up the road and as we climbed up the narrow winding road out of Vares the beauty of the landscape became more apparent. This is a beautiful country with steep tree covered ridges and occasional open meadows. A right turn off the rutted pavement onto a gravel road that was a rough(by our standards) but passable road led to the policeman’s home.
We had to walk about 100 yards along a rutted grass path to his house. We found out his name is Anto and we met his family; daughter, wife, mother, and father. We all sat down after introductions and the food was simply amazing. The photos do not do it justice. Everything was homemade, even the plum brandy.
Anto and his wife
This family was so happy to have Mario bring the group from America to share his food and to fellowship with him. After supper, we toured his farm and fought off his bees and he showed us how the meal was prepared. Later we shared little snippets of ourselves with his family. Robbin shared some pictures of her family with Anto’s family and the gates were broken open. Each of them ran into the house and brought out photos or models to share with us. We saw photos of family and weddings, an old police uniform and several different models the family constructs during winter months. After more sitting and sharing stories, and fellowship (coffee) we went back to the cars and came home. When we arrived home it was 11:15 p.m. and everyone was tired after a long full day. I am blogging because everyone else went to bed right away, so forgive my errors.
While typing this out it came to me that this is how Jesus is with us. He invites us to fellowship with him and wants to share all of Him with us. All I have to do is accept.
