Odds and Ends

Macedonia is 7 hours ahead of Texas. Travel will include approximately 14 hours of flight time on 4 different planes. We will leave Lubbock at 12:50pm on July 21 and arrive in Skopje at 10:30pm the following day. Or is that two days? I'm finding the whole calculation very confusing. Either way, a big concern of mine is the fact that our team will be tired from the beginning. If you're praying for us, ask for stamina. I do not yet know what those two weeks will look like, but I am sure we will be feeling the time change and missing out on sleep. Spiritually, I know I should be excited about the opportunity to learn to rely on the Lord when I reach the end of my own strength. Truth is, it scares me out of my mind. Being like Christ is hard work when I feel great. Lack of sleep has rarely brought out my best. Oh well. Time to grow. I wish I knew more. More language, more about the jobs we will be doing, and how on earth to pack for two weeks. We have learned John 3:16 and How Great Thou Art in Macedonian. The language is Slavic (same family as Russian) and makes me feel pretty awesome. The alphabet is different from ours as well. In English letters, John 3:16 goes something like this: "Zoshto Bog go zasaka svetot, shto go dade svoyot edinoroden cin, ta sekoy koi veruva vo nego, da ne zagine tuku da ime vechen zjivot." Macedonians are (understandably) one of the major people groups in the region. They proudly trace their ancestry back to Alexander the Great, though there is sufficient doubt about the claim. Another important group is the Albanians. A majority of Albanians are Muslim, although some are more devout than others We will be arriving during Ramadan. For Muslims, the month of Ramadan calls for strict fasting. Devout Muslims will go the entire month eating and drinking nothing during daylight hours. If I understand correctly, nights are a time for feasts and gifts, sort of like an American Christmas. For us, this means that people are likely to be very tired and sluggish. There is the potential for our efforts to be more challenging under these circumstances. It is my prayer that the festival will raise questions in the hearts of Muslim people. I hope that the emptiness in these souls will encourage them to seek out truth. I am asking God to show his mercy and goodness to lost people. As I think about Ramadan I am struck by the contrasts in a man-made god and the Living God. Trying to make sense of the world, people often bind themselves up in rituals and rules. The Bible tells us that God desires mercy, not sacrifice. Fasting is an important discipline in the Christian life, but its purpose is not the same as that of the Ramadan fast. Islam demands the physical obedience of its followers. God wants our actions to be the product of obedient hearts. Foregoing food can be an appropriate way to help the heart focus its attention and affection on the Lord. Ramadan seems more like spiritual weight lifting to prove one's worth. I don't say these things to be superior. Without Christ, my heart would make up the same lies to help me fill the hole where he belongs. I make these observations hoping that change happens in Macedonia. I don't expect to baptize a thousand people every day. Our trip is part of ongoing ministry in the Balkans. I only hope to be the hands and feet that show the character of the one true God. I hope to strengthen and encourage believers already in Macedonia. Pray for us to have the physical and emotional endurance to love with our actions and our attitudes at all times. Thanks for keeping up with me as we get ready. Look out for more posts!