It would be the easiest thing in the world to immerse ourselves in fantastic projects and initiatives. I've had many conversations now where my head starts to buzz and I start thinking about clever ways we can begin to help the church here in Macedonia. However we have to be really careful in our first 6 months not to pick anything up, no responsibilities, no new initiatives, (that doesn't preclude us from serving wherever we can though).
Our priorities for our first 6 months in Macedonia are: Language Learning, Relationship Building and Watching/Listening to God.
I learnt at school that the only calls in cricket, as a batsman, were 'yes' 'no' or 'wait'. At the moment most of the calls we need to make are 'wait!'
One of the few things I have said yes to over the past couple of weeks is to serving at the church run Roma pre-school. Everyday for the past 2 weeks I've made the hour long journey to Shutka the biggest gypsy settlement in the world to play with my new friends. I'm loving it! They teach me Macedonian, although I have to make sure I don't pick up too much Shutkese, and I make them laugh. To be honest I'm just an extra body and although the kindergarten is short staffed, they can cope very well without me. I get more out of going than they do having me.
I get to learn Macedonian in a fun way and practise with children who rarely laugh at my mistakes!
I feel like I'm contributing and being useful. Its amazing how much I need a 'purpose'.
I'm listening to Jesus in Shutka and seeing him alive and glorious in the lives of these children. we get to pray and worship together each day.
God is softening my heart. not just for the kids or for Shutka but for Skopje and Macedonia.
And on Friday, the last day before a summer break, we get to go to go on an outing! Misty and Mimi and Evan are joining us and we are all going to the zoo. We've been to the zoo as a family a couple of times before and it will be interesting to see what, if anything, has changed in the last couple of years, but for many of the shutka children this will be the first time not just to go to the zoo but to leave their Roma town. It should be fun!
I'll probably blog about this at some point but the pre-school exists on scarce funding and the zoo trip is possible thanks to Glasnost who all have little jam jars and donate their spare change. its amazing what impact such little gestures can have. Just the odd 2 and 5 denar (5 cents) can mount up and in this case is taking 20 deprived kids to the zoo.
I'll post more photos on my facebook soon
I remember our trip to Shutka that day in April 2007 SO well, Scvot - the children's fun at our being there, the dancing, the happiness amidst the squalor, the waving as we had to go - how their very spirit shamed our sense of "fairness", challenged our notion of "need", floored any dispute we might have with the world, and revealed our limited grasp of what "home" might mean. And I am still using the tin of shoe-black I bought off the stalls that day !
Have a great time at the zoo and give them ALL my best love !!!
RICHARD
Posted by: Richard | June 17, 2009 at 11:57