November 9, 2009
Bit of Bosnia #1 – Sarajevo Rose
This is another first edition of a new portion of posts we will put on our website. We will call them Bits of Bosnia. Each one will give you a little piece of Bosnia that will share the culture and history with you. I hope you enjoy them.
As you walk through Sarajevo, you continually find your attention drawn to certain marks on the sidewalks and streets. When you approach one of them, you find a collection of holes in the ground that almost make a design. It sometimes looks as though someone purposefully put these markings in certain places as an artistic expression.
In reality, the markings are grenade blasts from the Bosnian war in the early 90s. Some of these have been filled in and painted red (or filled in with something red). These are called “Sarajevo Roses” and mark grenade blasts where someone was probably killed.
We can’t keep from thinking that these must be a raw reminder of what happened in this place. Please pray for hearts in this country. People are still very much stuck in the past. Pray for hope and the love of Christ to fill their hearts.
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November 2, 2009
Bosanski Worship #1
Zdravo!
Here is a new category of posts that I am going to put up now. I thought that you would all joy an occasional worship song in the Bosnian language. Here is your first edition along with words below. I hope you enjoy.
Otvori Mi Oči O Bože <— Click link and download
Otvori mi oči, o Bože,
Oči srca mog
Jer želim te vidjeti
Jer želim te vidjeti
Vidjeti Tebe uzvišenog
Na prijestolju slave i časti
Izlij svoga Duha na nas
Kad pjevamo:
“Sveti, Sveti, Sveti”
Želimo Te vidjeti
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October 28, 2009
UPDATE!!!
We just wanted to give all of you a quick update and praise!!! You may remember a couple of our stories about “Betsy” and “Dave.” Well, they came to a saving faith in Christ last night! This is such an incredible blessing and praise.
Another praise is that they shared this moment with a local believer and not with any of us (foreigners). This is a huge answer to prayer in many ways!
Please continue to pray for “Betsy” and “Dave.” Pray that they encourage their children in Christ. Pray that they encourage each other in their marriage. Pray that they persevere through any persecution they face from family and friends. Pray that the believers here depend on Christ and each other…not on foreigners.
Thank you all for your prayers!!! We just had to share this with you real quick. More stories to come…
So that all may know,
Billy and Jess.
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October 26, 2009
Come to School With Us!
Šta ima? (There is your Bosnian lesson for the day…it means, “What’s up?”)
Here is a new video for you. I got the idea for this video from another guy on our team (thank you so much for the idea, Casey). We thought that all of you would enjoy going to language class with us as well. Apparently, YouTube wasn’t crazy about me using “Don’t Worry Be Happy.” So, I changed it to “Bus Driver” by Caedmon’s Call. They didn’t like me using that one either. So, I think I finally found some music for it.
Enjoy!
So that all may know,
Billy and Jess!
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October 20, 2009
Football!!!
It’s the sport of kings…
Better than a diamond ring…
That’s why we’re here to sing…
FOOTBALL!!!
Well, not in the sense you may be thinking. “Football” means something totally different to us now since we have moved outside the United States. (However, don’t think we don’t miss our Tech games!)
As many of you may know, the World Cup is happening next year. Just recently, the Bosnia-Herzegovina (BiH) national team just qualified for the World Cup. We have had amazing opportunities to see culture here through watching a couple of games at a cafe very near to our home. In fact, this is where we have made a lot of our local friends (for example, Jess’ friend Didi).
We missed watching the first game that happened right after we moved here. But, we certainly found out about it as we were able to hear cheering and yelling from our balcony all around us.
Also, let me give you one more quick story. The last game that we went to, we walked into the cafe and started making our way to the back through the crowd of people. Before we got through, some of the guys up front started telling us to sit with them and made seats for us. This definitely helped us see feel like a part of our new home.
Well, here is a video that I took shortly after the BiH national team won their game clinching their spot into the World Cup.
Prijatno (Enjoy)!!!
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October 20, 2009
Sarajevo Story 6
Zdravo, friends!!!
Sorry that it has taken so long to get another story up on the website, but we have been busy. Also, Billy got a cold or something for a couple of days. So, a couple of things have slowed us down from posting. Anyway, we have another encouraging story for you.
We have told you about our new friends Betsy and Dave. Well, we got the chance to go over to their home again. This time, though, Dave was not there. When we first got there we noticed that Betsy seemed down, and we started our time with small talk and learning some more language. What I have not told you yet, is that I brought my guitar and Bosnian worship book with us as well.
Eventually, Betsy asked about me playing the guitar. So, Jess and I attempted to sing a worship song in Bosnian. Before we knew it, Betsy and Dave’s kids (we will call them Nate and Samantha) were drawn into the room by the guitar and Betsy was singing along with us. We asked Betsy to help us translate the songs. Through doing this, we were able to talk to her about what the songs mean.
Soon enough, our time there took a divine turn into a conversation about Christianity and the Gospel. We have had some other friends here that have shared with Betsy and Dave before. She told us that she really likes what we say and how we live. However, she is afraid to add more commitments to her life. We were able to share with her that following Christ is not about giving more and more time, but about beginning to do and see everything differently (through the eyes of Christ).
We also got to present the Gospel to her again, sharing with her what it is like to be in relationship with Christ. I asked her if she believed that Christ died on the cross for her sins. It was hard to go much further due to language barriers. So, she eventually asked for us to find her a book in Bosnian that can help explain everything for her. At this point, I remembered that I had a New Testament in Bosnian in my backpack. We were able to give this to her and tell her that we would find her another book to help her understand more.
We were very encouraged through this time. Like I told you before, we noticed at the beginning that Betsy seemed down. Well, throughout our time there, we could definitely see a difference in her demeanor and tone of voice. Our time ended with her telling us that she hopes we can come back often. She also had Nate tell us to come back. Praise God for moments like this.
We feel that Betsy is on the verge and very close to trusting in Christ with her life. Hopefully, we will get opportunities to talk to Dave as well. Please pray for Betsy and her family. Pray that God puts a delight for Christ within their hearts and salvation to their home.
We love you all and are always thankful for your support.
So that all may know,
Billy and Jess.
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October 20, 2009
SNOW!!!
We have already gotten our first snow before the middle of October! We have also had a few more since then. Sorry it has taken me awhile to get this posted, but I am still learning how to post videos. I am getting there.
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October 7, 2009
Sarajevo Stories – Part 5
It is time for a couple of light-hearted stories for you. I (Billy) am not really sure how this happens, but I always find myself in funny situations. Don’t get me wrong…I don’t mind. I think life is more fun when you are thrown situations that make you laugh.
1. Jess and I were studying in our coffee shop. We happened to be studying “mesni proizvodi” (meat products) at the time. In the middle of our conversation about spicy sausage and luncheon meat, I look out the window and see the words “mesni proizvodi” on the building across the street. There just happened to be a butcher shop right there! I decided that I wanted to go study with the butcher…Jess told me to go for it.
Well, I entered the butcher shop and began with a few conversation starters…”hi,” “how are you,” and “what is your name.” So far so good. I went on to point to different meats and get a visual picture in my head along with the words. Then, we got to the “teletina.” I had already been told that this was veal, but the butcher decided to help me out. He pointed to the “teletina” and said, “baby beef.” Well, I remembered something when he said this. I had just recently wanted to learn what the Bosnian word was for “baby.” So, I ask, “Kako se kaže…’baby’? (How do you say…’baby’?)” The butcher took a couple of steps back while shaking his head and said, “NE NE NE…BABY BEEF!” It was obvious that he misunderstood what I was asking for since I had still been pointing at the “teletina.” Apparently, he thought for a moment that I was asking how to say “baby meat.” I decided to ask one more question before I left to practice my language a bit more…”Gdje radiš? (Where do you work?)” He gave me a quizzical look and pointed down to the floor. Now, every time I see him walk into our coffee shop to get a drink, he smiles when he looks at me and I wave and say hi.
2. There is a persistent issue that used to encounter in our language class. The rug on the floor was not big enough for the tables and all of our chairs to rest on. So, the back legs of our weak plastic chairs were on the slick hard floor. At least once a day, one of us would experience the back legs of our chair slide just a little…enough to give anyone a little scare. Well, the day came when I became the “chosen” one. Casey (one of our teammates) and I had been cutting up in class the whole day. This had caused me to not pay attention to the slight movements of my chair…until…the BIG slide. I fall silent and my eyes pop wide open. Casey looks at me and sees me drop a couple inches to the left…then a couple inches to the right. Oh, how badly I wanted to hop up and save the chair, but it was too late for the back legs. My momentum (notice my word choice there…it helps me feel better) snapped those puppies clean off. The rest of the class turned around just in time to see me hit the floor. Once they all noticed that I was laughing, everyone joined in the laughter and we shared a few tears together. Our language teacher has now put down a larger carpet piece so that all of the chair legs have better traction. However, someone still has a leg occasionally make a small slip, and we all wonder, “Who will be next?”
3. We were having a team meeting last night and we were all eating together. I was one of the last people to get my food and the cook finally mentioned that he had a small packet of parmesan cheese to accompany the main course. Well, the last shall be first, right? I picked up the packet and saw that all of the cheese was at the top of the packet. Thinking that the packet was unopened, I wanted to get the cheese to the bottom of the packet so I could open it and enjoy this tasty accompaniment to my main course. So, I grabbed the top of the packet and gave it a good fling. I fell silent, and the cook finally looked over at me to find an even layer of parmesan cheese from my hair to my plate on the table. The packet had already been opened for me.
So, know that good times are happening in Sarajevo for us. God is opening doors and allowing us to build great relationships. He is also allowing us to have plenty of opportunities to laugh. We love you all!
So that all may know,
Billy and Jess.
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September 27, 2009
Sarajevo Stories – Part 4
Dobro jutro ili dobar dan (“good morning or good day” – depending on where you live)!!!
Sorry it has been a little while since our last Sarajevo Story. We try to be very intentional about keeping all of you as updated as possible, however times occasionally get very busy. So, we have some catching up to do.
This edition of “Sarajevo Stories” is going to contain several small stories for you. We are about to leave for a team retreat for the next 5 days. Therefore, you need an update before we leave.
First, we have been able to begin a relationship with our “Bosnian care family.” We will call them Dave and Betsy for you (we will be changing names in these stories, but want to give you some kind of names because it makes things more “real”). Some of you might remember us explaining being put together with a “Bosnian care family” during our first three months here. The purpose of this family is to have someone to help us practice language and learn the culture. We have been able to meet with Dave and Betsy a couple of times now, and they are definitely a blessing. A friendship has definitely begun here. Betsy taught us how to make Bosnian coffee. She also speaks a little bit of English and does a good job to teach us the language more. We are planning on going to barbeque with them before too long so that Dave can teach us to do some Bosnian cooking. They have a second home off of the Drina River here in Bosnia and we might get to even go with them some weekend. Dave is an avid fisherman and I am working on making some stuff happen with this.
There was a God moment that we talked about in our first Sarajevo Story about a couple that we got to meet. Well, we got the opportunity to go visit them again one night last week…and we will call them Richard and Sandy. An average visit in Bosnia is about 2 hours. That is how long we spent at their apartment…and neither one of them speak any English! Needless to say, the first hour was very awkward. Then, praise the Lord, something happened over the course of the second hour and a great relationship has begun to be formed. As we were leaving their apartment they were telling us that we must come back (at least we think we interpreted this correctly, thanks to our trusty dictionary that fits in Billy’s back pocket…he carries it around everywhere). Sandy gave Jess a hug and a kiss on both cheeks…giving us confirmation that we are welcome.
Recently in our September newsletter, we told you about our friend from the pizzeria (who we will call Didi). This friendship has continued to grow for Jess. They have started to run together. We actually stayed with Didi the other night until she closed the pizzeria and walked her home.
For Billy, he has been able to build a friendship with Amos, our next door neighbor. We have already given details of their first encounter in the September newsletter. He and Billy swapped phone numbers the other day and talked about a double date in coming days. This is exciting!
Lastly, this past week we have had a short-term team from Atlanta here. They gave a few programs to the children in the neighborhood. We believe that 8 kids made a decision for Christ over their time here. Jess and I were blown away being on the side of the long-term missionaries this time. We reminisced about our times on short-term mission trips and remembered how amazing there were in our lives. However, you have to go back home at the end of the week. This time, we realized that we get to stay here and continue following up with these kids that were reached out to over this past week. We are so blessed and want you to know that this is what you are getting to be a part of as well. Thank you for you support and love.
Well, that definitely gives you an idea in a nutshell of how God continues to provide for us in this place. Continue to pray that the Lord gives us boldness in ministry and more open doors for relationships. We love you all.
So that all may know,
Billy and Jess.
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September 16, 2009
A Sarajevo Story 3
It is terrible thing to get settled into your new apartment having bought all kinds of groceries, and then find out that your refrigerator is no longer frigid. This is what happened to us this week.
We came back to our apartment a couple of days ago and Jess discovered that our refrigerated products were not as cold as before. Also, the light was no longer coming on inside the door. So, we told our team leader and he said that we would call our landlord the next day. In the meantime, we put all of the products that could spoil into the freezer overnight. Yeah, that’s right…the freezer was still working.
Yesterday, after several phone calls (it always takes more than one), our team leader was able to make a plan with our landlord. He called an appliance store to send a serviceman. The bad news was that they wouldn’t make it until at least a couple of days later. So, Jess made cauliflower and rice to go with our leftover chicken…dinner of champions (we had to make use of the food that did not have much longer to live).
Okay…before we tell you the rest of the story, let us rest our case. We may not be super handyman and handywoman, but we knew a couple of things to try. We had pulled the fridge out, taken the plug out and put it back in. We had turned the dial on the inside and underneath. So, please give us a break…we made a couple of attempts of troubleshooting. Now, we can finish the story.
When Jess put dinner on the table, Billy was finishing a conversation with someone on facebook, and she had to sit and wait a little bit. As she was waiting, she looked over at the stove and had a revelation! A miracle had happened (or not). The stove had worked without being plugged in! She ran over and turned the oven dial! The light came on! It was a Sarajevo miracle!!! Or, the plug that we thought was for the oven was in fact for our beloved refrigerator.
The only plug in our kitchen has a place for only one plug. So, when we wanted to use the electric tea kettle we have, we would unplug the oven (we thought) and plug it in. Well, we got a microwave and got a y-plug so we could plug in more than one thing. However, we figured that we did not need the oven for a little while, so we unplugged it (we thought). When we had checked the plug behind the refrigerator and saw that it was fine, we left it at that.
What American would have thought that the freezer AND the refrigerator had separate plugs?! It is one unit. Sure, it’s easy for you to think that you would have thought of that, but you never know. Haha. We hope that this Sarajevo Story gave you a smile and a laugh today.
The Lord had in fact provided for us in the situation. We found this out in time to call our team leader so he could stop the serviceman from coming. How terrible it would have been to have our landlord get the bill from the serviceman and find out that he only had to plug the refrigerator in? Praise the Lord!
The moral of the story: Good things come to those who wait. Just think, Jess…if I wasn’t keeping you waiting like I do so often, you would have never made the discovery. Just kidding (I had to put this in).
Ćao!