Did you know that simply having someone come to fix your leaky sink and shower can constitute an instant marriage proposal? "Hi, my name is Sefir the plumber, and I'd like to be your husband today." Kat suggested this morning that I grab Patrick's picture and shove it at the guy, and say, "Look, here he is." and let him think I was married. I am not that quick on my feet, however, and had already told him I was single before I had a chance to borrow Patrick for a few minutes.

Anyway, it evokes some sypmathy, meeting these lonely guys who probably try that "Will you marry me?" stunt with every hapless single foreign girl whose showers they fix, but let me just say, I was glad that Kat was here to laugh with me about it.

The guy went out to the car to get some tools for a Bosnian 10 minutes (25-30 minutes), and I think he may also be stopping at the floral shop to further attempt to win me. Be still, my heart!

Best picture EVER

My sister Abby, and her hilariousness

Fog

The valley effect has descended: we are totally enveloped in fog, and if you're walking at night you can't see in front of or behind you past 5 feet. Creepy. I walked home last night from the church and I felt like I was walking through a huge blanket; the fog is so thick it's tangible, and it muffles the natural sounds of the water and the wind, and I feel strange in the silence of it.

Thankfulness

I have so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving, wow. When I look back on my life over the past year, I see the marvelous grace that God has given me: He has truly fulfilled the desire of my heart to serve in another nation. In Matthew 6:33 He said "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." I understand how amazing it is to just let go of my plans and agenda and let God work.

I tried for so long to force God to go along with my agenda--had big plans about what I wanted to do and where I wanted to go and who I wanted to marry and all that--things that the Lord might add unto me when I merely trust and delight in Him first. I realized that my plan making was getting me no where but depressed and frustrated. Last year on Thanksgiving I remember being in such a place of brokenness before God--out of college, in a job that I didn't like, and day after day wondering, "What now?" But I think in that time I truly learned to just say, "OK Lord, I just want You, and I know Your love for me and that my desires are from You--help me to just delight in You."

Now I see that my plans and agendas are so foolish compared to the plans that God has for me. Completely surrendering to God out of that place of brokenness brought me to a place I never thought I'd go, and things I never thought I would do. He has been fulfilling my desires in ways I couldn't have imagined. And as I looked around the table last night, I marveled that I was hosting people from four different nations--most of whom have never celebrated an American Thanksgiving before. I was so honored to serve them and fellowship with them and know them--most of all, I was just amazed to consider all of the things God has done in my life this year.

I think that many years from now, I will look back on this Thanksgiving as the most meaningful and special one of my life in many ways. Praise You, God, for Your faithfulness to Your children.

I've posted some pictures below from yesterday--enjoy!

Tiny European kitchen sinks are not 8 kilo bird-friendly: showers work pretty well, though!

Turkey in the shower--gitt'n 'er clean

Shampooing her--JUST KIDDING

Preparations on the kitchen floor (no room on the counters at this point)

Stuffing her!

Devin ironed all the tablecloths--yay!

Prijatno--she's finally done!

The feast

Post feast: full and satisfied

The group: 4 nations represented here: Bosnia, Sweden, Japan, and America--God is GOOD

Up a notch

So I decided a couple of weeks ago that my progress in language learning has been going wayyy too slowly. The first stage I went through upon this realization was depression, then annoyance, then frustration, then resolve, and finally, gross determination to progress more quickly. So, here goes!

My Bosnian tutor and I have been voraciously attacking the 7 cases--we're on the akuzativ and dativ (accusative and dative) cases now. I am confused and ignorant, but determined! Last night I dreamed in Bosnian--people wiser than me have said that when I truly begin to understand the language I will begin to dream in that language...I hope so.

Right now I am crazily trying to memorize vocabulary and praying ceaselessly for supernatural knowledge, as in the book of Acts. At the moment I feel like a walking Tower of Babel.

Worship

This morning Kathryn and I were talking about the sound of the music in the Balkan region--about how there seems to be a desperation, anger, and urgency in the voices and instruments. And in the worship here, there is a tremendous sound of lamentation.

Matt Redman prays at the end of a song he wrote titled Can A Nation Be Changed, "Hear the cry of the desperate, Lord!" That is the essence of music here--cries of the desperate. That is why I often cry during worship--I'm not just playing notes on the cello and Neno is not just strumming chords on his guitar--our instruments and our voices are revealing the groanings of the Father for this land that are too deep for words.

"My eyes will flow without ceasing, without respite, until the Lord from heaven looks down and sees; my eyes caused me grief at the fate of all the daughters of my city."
Lamentations 3: 49-51

Snapshots

Birthday dinner

Debating over lunch

Busy at laptop

Neso translating for the English speakers (left)

Mexican

Fellowship

Vrelo Bosne

Sasa and Denis

Adoring an open air orchestra at a distance

Entertaining for dinner: Hanna and Tess from Sweden

Mikiba

Victory in Sarajevo

Riotous fans walking past my building: notice the police on the midle righthand side, keeping order

Football (soccer) has just let out for the afternoon--a string of blaring car horns are announcing the victory of whoever (I'm assuming the more popular Bosnian team), and since I live on the busy intersection where the road to the airport in one direction is also the road to downtown in the other direction, our eardrums are being blasted apart!

Soon the enthused 20-something year old guys will parade down the streets, arm in arm, chanting the victory song, almost violently. It will be quite the experience to see a Bosnian football game; I'm planning to go next week to see it first-hand.

Hail to the Redskins!

We beat Dallas in the fourth quarter yesterday! The Skins benefited from Dallas place kicker Mike Vanderjagt's fudged 35 yard field goal attempt that would have won it for Dallas. We then gained a 3 point victory on the turnover, the clock stopping with 22-19 Washington on the scoreboard. YYYEEEEE HAWWWW! I agree with you, Jon, beating Dallas, the team that Redskins and Redskin fans absolutely ABHOR, completely makes up for this not-so-hot 3 and 5 season.

The Redskins still have a chance at the playoffs because of this win. But they have to be undefeated from here on out. So it's basically sudden death--Jon, for as long as they last, we have a phone date. Come on, Gibbs, fight for all D.C. next week! We are watching and praying!

Pada snijeg!

"Snow is falling!"

OK, the dumb Americans have had a contest going for about a month. The contest: each of us have predicted the first day that snow will fall in Sarajevo (and stick on the ground). Reward: the winner will be treated (by all the losers) to a free dinner at the fabulous Thai restaurant I just can't avoid talking about for more than three postings. My prediction for the first snowfall was the earliest of the whole group--November 2nd--today!

This morning before our prayer meeting we were all talking and laughing about this contest and all of the sudden Neno, who was at the window, quietly said, "Bekah, it's snowing." Of course I thought he was teasing me, but he was insistent and I got up and looked for myself. Voila--SNOW! Of course hysterical laughing and screaming ensued, the others screaming that the snow wouldn't stick, and me screaming that indeed it would!

OK, I have until midnight, because Kathryn's snow prediction is November 3rd (sneaky girl). Guess who won't be going to sleep tonight until 12:01 AM? So whatever, the snow stopped and hasn't started again yet, but many of the surrounding mountains are being blanketed as I write this, which gives me great faith. I'm sitting nervously in my living room, biting at my nails and feverishly sipping my Turkish coffee while glancing out the window every 3 or so seconds. I've done everything short of going outside and doing a snow dance to pray and claim it into being.

So, hold on to your wallets, friends--this is about to get ugly!

Remedied

Oops, somewhere along the way I accidentally hit a setting on my blog that disallows non-subscribers to leave comments...I've fixed that problem (I think), so go for it...you know you want to leave me comments!

Happy November blogging

I'm in the process of trying to redo/add/subtract from my blog (pictures, designs, what not), so please excuse me if random pictures/posts pop on and off in the next week or so. I'm getting blog-picky in my old age :) Cao.