Humbling Hospitality

Yesterday, I went with Carol, the missionary I am working with, and Zaga, a friend of Carol's and my Macedonian language tutor, to the village of Koleshino. In the Orthodox church, it was Sveti Spas, or Ascension Day and the village was celebrating because it was the Saint Day that their church was named after. Zaga grew up in Koleshino and still has family there and it is tradition for you to visit family on this day. She invited Carol and I along to meet her family and to experience the celebration festivities in the village. As soon as we arrived, Zaga took us to her home that she grew up in. Her father was a famous Macedonian writer and loved to write in this village. She gave us a tour of the home and told us about growing up in the village. You could see her mind drifting back to her childhood as she recalled these memories. I was honored that she had chosen us to tell these stories too.

After leaving Zaga's home, we went to meet her relatives in the village. We traveled from home to home and within six hours I had been to four different homes and eaten four complete meals. At each one, as soon as we entered, they kissed us on the cheek three times, a Macedonian custom, and invited us to sit at their table and rest for a while. Platters of food, many things to drink, and several different types of cookies and cakes were given to us at each location. These people had never met me before, did not know who I was, nor were they probably ever going to see me again, but they brought me to their table and invited me into their conversation. Although it was mostly in Macedonian, they still spoke to me as if I understood and Carol or Zaga would translate for me. These people did not have to do this, but they did and I was humbled by their love and acceptance of a stranger from a distance land who knew very little about them. In the course of the day, I met Zaga's cousins, nieces, nephews, aunt, and even the mayor of the village invited us into his home.

This experience made me reflect on what I am like when a new person enters my life. I will smile at them and maybe say hello, but to kiss them on the cheek and offer them a place to relax and be themselves is not something that I usually consider my job. I know that in the US, it is not our custom to do this, but what if it were. What if it were ok to "eat your way through a village," as Carol called it? To be a people who offered humbling hospitality to one another. I felt very loved yesterday, and now all I want to do is to somehow return that love and kindness. To let people know that no matter who you are or where you are from, you are worthy enough to sit and relax at my table. To be yourself and to know that you are loved and appreciated simply for existing. That is humbling hospitality, and one that has the power to change a person through the love of Christ being exemplified through the kindness of an open door and a place at the table.

A couple of prayer requests:

Mitko, Philip, and the Meals on Wheels program. Mitco is the director/driver for the meals on wheels program and Philip is the cook that prepares all the meals. Five days a week this program feeds 100 people in a 2o km radius a hot meal. Just recently, a third employee quit leaving the program understaffed. Many of the youth have been volunteering to help, as well as a young pastor and Carol and I. Be in prayer for them as they try to fill the position as soon as possible so that the routine for delivering these meals can return and their lives are made a little easier.

Remember me this Sunday morning as I will be preaching at the church in Strumica. My words will be translated as I am preaching and pray for my patience as I adjust to this stop and go preaching style. My desire is that the Word of God will come from my mouth to God's people in spite of the langauge barrier separating us.

Love and Prayers,
Loletuth

Article about the elections in Macedonia

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080602/ap_on_re_eu/macedonia_election;_ylt=AlzgriAF_iKrIn7HY2d0qT5vaA8F

Do not worry, I am not in an area with a lot of ethnic Albanians. In fact, the current winning majority party is quite large in Strumica so there has been quite a bit of celebrating and no violence.


A little taste of the celebrations in Strumica on Sunday after the polls closed

St. John the Theologian Church in Ohrid

Living in Translation

I attended church in the village of Murtino today because Mikhail (the pastor in Strumica) baptized four children since he is the only ordained elder in the area. They were all babies but it was still an exciting experience. As I sat in the front row of the congregation and watched the children and their parents, I realized that these four children represented not only the future of the United Methodist Church in Macedonia, but also the future workers in the Kingdom of God here on earth. As Carol and I watched this happening, I joined in with the congregation in the same liturgy that we use in the United States for infant baptism that was translated into Macedonian and realized that as a member of this connectional church, I could join with them in affirming how I too could care for these young members even across an ocean with my prayers and support of the Macedonian United Methodist Church.

I mention this experience as an introduction into the almost continuous experience that I am in now, a world of translation. For the first two weeks, I helped Carol and Lee with a group of American people from all over the United States who were here to learn about Macedonia and the needs of the nation and the church. So I was speaking in English to English speakers. Now that they have left and I have started my work here in Strumica, everything now has to be translated so that I can communicate with the people.

On Saturday, I helped with an ESL class at the church and a 12-year old boy named Gligor translated instructions between me and three other 1 and 2 grade boys. It was quite the humbling experience. That evening I went to the home of one of the youth to celebrate his 24 birthday and again, an 18 year old girl translated for me. I sat on the couch in the home and listened to the youth speaking in the Macedonian language feeling very disrespectful for coming to a country and not knowing their language. Many of the youth could speak in english and did so as much as they could with me, but to take them away from the conversation with their friends was rude. So my journey into living in a translation has truly begun and the most difficult part of my ministry here in Macedonia.

This does not mean that I have not had some good experiences in spite of this. As I said earlier I have met the youth of the church which is more like a young adult group because their ages range from 18-27. They have been very inviting of me into their activities, even taking me through an evening stroll of the city to show me around. It was nice to be around people my own age despite the language barrier. I also have discovered the bazaar, or marketplace, and go there to buy my fruits and vegetables. There are some interesting people there and there is always a good laugh when we try to communicate something in the different languages.

So this living in translation is scary, but it presents an interesting challenge that I am glad to accept. With all hopes it will propel me to more creative ministry and looking at how I can serve others without words.

A few prayer requests:

Majon (pronounced Ma-u-on) is a young Macedonian pastor fresh out of seminary and ready to start at his first congregation. He will be the pastor at Konichi (I know this is mis-spelled) which is the Roma (or gypsy) United Methodist Congregation here in Macedonia. I attended services there last Sunday and was very moved by the passion and energy of the congregation but they are scared about this change that is getting ready to take place. Currently, a lay pastor who is Roma is serving their church so getting a pastor who is not only a seminary graduate, but an individual who is not Roma frightens them because they do not know what will happen. Many of us have experienced the tension that takes place when a congregation changes pastors and know that this transition can be difficult. Pray for Majon and the Konichi church as they go through this process.

Jasmina, Joseph, Pepa, and Pavlinka are all youth who have graduation exams coming up. For Jasmina and Joseph, these exams will determine if they get to graduate from a university and for Pepa and Pavlinka, it will determine if they can go to the university. They are difficult tests that require quite a bit of studying so remember them in your prayers.

Remember the nation of Macedonia, specifically the government and the people. Today, June 1, are the parliament elections and are important for determining the next four years of how the nation will be run. Pray that the people will elect to office those who will help to pull the nation out of its rut of a poor economy and high unemplyment rate so that their standard of living can begin to improve. The worry concerning money and food sometimes causes quite the barrier to ministry.

With love and prayers for your ministry as well,
Loletuth

Discovering a People

I watched the sunset this evening from St. John the Theologian church right off of the coast of Lake Ohrid (pronounced Okrid) in Macedonia.  The sunlight danced off of the clouds that were forming over the mountains and for a brief second I thought that I might stop breathing.  It was a beautiful sight and I soon hope to post a couple of pictures that I took from that same location.  I walked back through an old fishing village along the coast and I finally began to take in all that I had experienced over the last few days.  

Since I arrived in Macedonia on Tuesday afternoon I have seen and experienced many new things.  I moved into the third floor of the Methodist Church in Strumica (pronounced Strumeetza) where I quickly learned that one of my duties will be to ring the church bell on Sunday mornings since the rope to do so is located on my balcony.  I also began to learn my way around the town, especially discovering where the city park is and where the ice cream stand is, both of which are important things to learn since a stroll in the park with a cone of ice cream is quite common on a warm summer evening. 

I also traveled to Bitola in Macedonia where I visited the Methodist Church there and met the Pastor's wife and daughter who gave me a beautiful yellow rose when I left.  I will probably be preaching at this church sometime this summer.  I experienced a Macedonian high school graduation and had my first taste of Macedonian Shokata (soft drink made of elderberries).  I also got to visit the location of the first Methodist mission place in Macedonia, that was founded in 1886 but was confiscated by the Communist government in the late 1940's and was never returned.  All that remains is the gate that is now bricked in but the words can still be made out if you look close enough.  Where a Methodist orphanage and hospital once stood now stands two run-down apartment complexes.  I also walked on Roman Ruins in Bitola and stood at the top of a Roman theatre that once held orators and gladiator fights.  All the while I learned about the history and the culture of the people that I have come to serve this summer and wondering all the while how I could do so.

I also traveled to Lake Ohrid and in two days visited 2 monasteries and 7 churches, two of which were located in caves.  I walked on city roads that had been there for nearly a thousand years and walked on a fortress of a city that has been here for nearly 2300 years.  I came within 500 meters of the Albanian border and could even see a village that was on the other side of the lake.  I also watched an archeological dig taking place at the location of the First Slavic University, the place where Clement composed the Cyrillic alphabet.  His grave was located in a church within the site of the dig.  I watched peacocks strut around a monasteries grounds, learned how to filet a fish and laughed with a Macedonian woman as both of us became lost in translation.  All the while, I was still being taught the culture, learning the language and having more of these people's history revealed.

This post probably seems to be a little boastful of all the things that I have done, but it is not meant to be that way.  I merely want to show you some of the things that I have learned and experienced in the last few days and to try to give you a taste of the country that I have journeyed to.  Upon my reflection while walking back from my sunset perch, I realized that I have fallen in love with this people not just because of what I have experienced, but because of what they can teach me.  Though they have experienced centuries of conflict and upheaval, they still smile at me on the street and will still strike up a conversation with me in broken english and sometime even better english than me.  They still have a thirst to discover something greater and though they are full of desperation, they are desperate for life and believe that this is still possible.

It is here that I feel called to this summer; to help the people see that life is still possible in the midst of this desperation and that their need for life can be fulfilled.  I hope to learn how to show them that I love them and want them to discover the life that awaits them.

This has already been a long post but I do have a few prayer requests:

Pray for "Jack" a 24-year old Muslim from Kosovo who I sat next too on the plane from New York to Budapest.  He was curious about what work I was doing and about the Christian faith in general.  We had some good conversations but were separated when we got off the plane, so I did not have a chance to say good-bye, but he has been on my heart ever since.

Pray for Elena, the pastor's daughter of the church in Bitola.  She has such a gentle spirit and a sweet personality.  I liked her within moments of meeting her and hope that she might realize her own unique gifts for ministry.

Pray for Carol and Lee, the GMBM missionary and her husband.  They are quite tired from planning a very good trip and need some rest to be revitalized for the coming months.

I am praying for everyone back home and appreciate your prayers and support as well.  May you have wonderful days ahead and I look forward to sharing with you again soon.

In Christ's Love,

Loletuth

Exciting Things are Happening

It is exciting to think that in two short months I will be leaving for Macedonia and I hope that this becomes a great way for me to share how the Spirit is moving and working in the nation of Macedonia. I look forward to posting about my experiences and hope that you will take notice of the joys and the needs of the Churches in Macedonia. May you be blessed by what is written here and may you be compelled to pray for what is happening not only in Macedonia, but the world as well.