збогом

Title is Serbian for "Farewell." Bags are packed and weighed ready to go out the door at "the crack of smack"as Randi would call it! When that might be is at 04:30 when I head to the airport to make several flights back to the mighty Mississippi. I'll get to that more in a bit.

First I must describe my last week in Belgrade. Throughout this past week I went to the zoo, did an Underground Tour, had lots of chinese, words of Wisdom were spoken to me, met new national and African brothers and sisters at Danielle's picnic, and just enjoyed this city that I have lived in for the past 8 weeks. You might be thinking the zoo isn't unusual to ones back in the States. Let me tell you, you are wrong! Have you ever been to a zoo in the States were the only thing stopping tigers or lions from mauling your face off is an electric fence? Well that is what it is like at Belgrade's zoo. The tigers and leopards and you can be mere centimeters apart. It's pretty cool but exactly comforting! Since I can't put up pictures--check out Amy's pictures. The Underground Tour given solely in Serbian wasn't as undergroundy as I hoped or expected from the website. I thought we would be exploring extensive underground tunnels. My bad for assuming such. The one time we did go underground it was to see the bunker Tito hid out in during the second World War. What made everything better was the translations Danielle was giving me. It was hysterical--at one moment she translated "I think a ship hit the fortress" Who knows, it is after all Serbia.

This would only be acceptable in Serbia

Just a WWII bunker!

Beautiful view of the Sava and Danube Rivers

Aside from the slightly miserable heat wave and hormonal rain patterns, my final week in Belgrade was wonderful! I hate to leave this country but have every intention of never forgetting it. The things I've seen, experienced, and learned are countless and priceless memories that have filled my journal.

Here's my flight info if you would like to think of me as I travel back to Mississippi....for your sanity all the times given are in CT.

Belgrade to Frankfurt ----23:05 Sunday night to 01:15 Monday morning
Frankfurt to Houston-----03:10 to 13:50 -----Nearly 11 hour flight
Houston to Jackson------19:33 to 21:02

This is quite literal for tomorrow since I will leave when the sun is rising at 4:30 and land in Jackson well into the dark----"From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the L0rd is to be praised..." Psalm 113:3

soaking up serbia

What's the best way to soak up some sun in Serbia, you might ask?

Take a bike ride along the Sava and Danube Rivers! The volunteer team and I were provided the opportunity for a bike tour of Beograd as they concluded their last days in Serbia. If I had a map, you'd be impressed how much we biked. But believe me when I say, we biked a lot! Along the way were a few stops for bits of history. We learned that Kalemegdan Fortress has been apart of more than 100 wars, a lone tower was a wedding dowry, and about the various government buildings seen throughout the changing figureheads.

We took a break and loaded a boat to cross the Danube River to our friend's friend's little beach shack. How did we cross the river? In a jon boat. How many of us? 12 plus our friend plus two others. Total of 15. I had the privilege of sitting on the floor of the boat and the honor to be centimeters away from being in the river. No joke nor exaggeration. The boat kept dropping further down with each new person loading. Let's just say we asked for two trips but was assured one would do just fine.

Literally inches away

We then relaxed for the next 2 hours as we waited for our lunch to be prepared and cooked by Serbia's "Jamie Oliver" as our friend called him. The group got to munch on fish soup for their first time. It was hilarious to see their reactions to the whole fish chunks in their soups. hahaha I must have looked like such last year.

Serbia's Jamie Oliver is the shirtless guy

Their final day was spent touring Sveti Sava (mentioned in an earlier post) and learning the history of the temple. The most interesting tidbit learned was about the word 'Balkan.'  Serbia and its surrounding countries are the Balkans. 'Bal' means love, happiness, fun. 'Kan' means war, revenge, hatred. Complete polar opposites but accurate depiction of this land. Thus the recent movie, In the Land of Blood and Honey produced by A. Jolie is an accurate name for the Balkans.

Largest Orthodox church in Europe

Got to meet Darko at lunch

He then went on to challenge us to petition to our Father that this area would be filled with more Bal and an overwhelming joy that can only be provided by Him. May you join us in this petition.

Simple or Hard

Some of the simplest sayings can be hardest to apply to my life.

The saying "patience is a virtue" is the most daunting in my life currently. It sure enough is simple for me to say to others. Six syllables. Four words.

Yet, it is the hardest thing to hear others say to me. Today two dear friends have reminded me that the L0rd's timing is much better and fulfilling than my timing and snappy fingers. In addition, patiently waiting gives Him the glory. And impatiently waiting does no body any good and certainly does not give Him any glory, but I often find myself into the impatient category blaming everyone but myself.