The Swap

Every day here, I find myself saying what a great day it has been. I am so happy. I really think I am feeling a sense of fulfillment that comes from following God's will for your life. Each day is more fantastic than the chocolate gelato I ate tonight. Today we had the honor of eating lunch in the mayor's home in Konjare and then spending time in the home of a family in Shutka. We have heard from several different sides about the cultural conflicts in this country. We spent time encouraging and sharing with other believers about the struggles churches go through. We talked a lot today about compromise. Give and take. Which is funny, because my story from today is about a trade. There is a family in Konjare that stole my heart almost immediately on our first day there. The mother and her two daughters have embraced me like family every day. Even with our difficulty speaking to each other, the warmth of these women makes it hard to leave every time. Although the father in this family is a Christian, the mother still holds to the cultural standard of being Muslim. In all reality, she has no religion. She works hard and cares for her family. She lives her life just trying to make things work. I have thought so much about her and wondered how we could make the truth about Christ real and practical to her. I think I tried to do that today. I sat with the woman and her daughters in their living room this morning. Grandma, do you remember the green dress you got the stain out of? I was wearing that and my favorite white flowered shirt. The older daughter told me how much she liked my outfit. I thanked her and we went on talking. When it was time for us to leave, the daughter wanted to ask me a question. She took me to the building off of the house where her bedroom was. Her younger sister helped her to explain that she had a birthday party to go to in Skopje. She wanted a pretty dress to wear to the party. She pulled out one of her own dresses and (after finally getting through the language barrier) asked if we could trade outfits. A helpful note about this trip : the Macedonian people are very poor. Many are unemployed. We have seen people begging for money and children selling things like fans and wet wipes. The problem is, giving people what they ask for is not always best for them. Some of the kids selling fans are being exploited by parents who sit at home. Some of the people begging for money will turn around and buy alcohol. Most of all, giving the impression that we, both as Americans and as Christians, will give handouts is not helping the people here into a better life. That thought was in my mind when I was confronted with this trade. Is this okay? At the same time, it seemed pretty fair to me to trade dress and shirt for dress and shirt. But the real selling point for me, had to do with the mother. How could I express the practical, life altering love of Jesus? Could helping a precious daughter to feel beautiful be an example of Jesus in Konjare? I think it might be a long shot to say the trade was a major event. Still, it is a start. She will have that green dress as a concrete reminder that some Christian girl from America did something for her and her daughter. The dress I got in return will certainly be the best souvenir I could ask for.