Nate's Serbia Blog

July 7

It’s been a long time since I’ve been in touch—I’ve been back from Serbia for 2 weeks now. I’ve had a lot of time to process the trip, and I wanted to share some of my reflections with you. In short, Serbia needs us! These two images say it better than words:
http://fbcarapaho.com/node/1399
http://fbcarapaho.com/node/1396
On our last Sunday in Serbia, we had the opportunity to visit two Orthodox churches. Most of the population there is Orthodox, which is a distant branch of Christianity. In fact, Orthodoxy has been reduced to a system of empty rituals to try to "get on God’s good side" and win your salvation. In the first photo above, people have taped money to the cross, probably with an accompanying prayer that they hope God will answer. We found out that the church services aren’t even spoken in the Serbian language, so people can’t even understand what’s being said!

Contrast that with the small but vibrant 2nd Baptist Church in Belgrade, or the two churches in rural Serbia started by our friend Branko. In any of these churches, services are spoken in normal language, an emphasis is placed on a personal relationship with God, and every gathering centers around fellowship with other believers. I’m so proud of the work we’re doing in Serbia, and my experience there has shown how important our ministry is to them as we support these fledgling churches.

I’ve posted some of my favorite photos online here: http://fbcarapaho.com/image-galleries/2009-serbia. I hope it gives you a taste of my experience. In the coming weeks, we’ll be creating some videos following up on our trip. I’ll let you know when they’re available online.

Thanks for your prayers and support!

Nate

June 18

Today was a very special day. For one thing, it marks the end of four days of very hard work, where we’ve gotten a ton accomplished. But more significantly, today, we informed Novica (Branko’s son-in-law) that our church would be financially supporting him to be the full-time director of the camp. He and his wife were incredibly grateful.
After four days of work, the septic tank hole is dug, the foundation laid, and the walls halfway built. We’ve laid and buried water pipe, begun building a “pump house” (near the well), and much more. Novica has commented over and over how much he appreciates our work. If we weren’t here, he’d either have to do it himself or pay someone to do it.
I continue to be impressed by the comraderie in our team. Attitudes are great, and people are working in the areas where they have the most experience or expertise. For me, that’s mixing mortar. Not. Although I’ve proven to be a fast learner!
It’s been a tiring, but extremely rewarding week. Thanks again for your prayers!

June 15

I’ve just finished my first full day of work, and I’m pretty sure I’ve worked every muscle in my body, including some I didn’t know were even there. The morning started with breakfast at 5:15 (yes, a.m.), and we were hard at work by 6. I am so proud of our team, for two reasons. First of all, I’m blown away by how much work we completed today. Half of us, including me, finished digging a trench and then ran pipe from the well to the house on the camp property. The other half did some very precise digging in a 10-foot deep hole, to prepare to build an enclosure for a septic system. We completed the 10-hour day by unloading 8,000 pounds of concrete and 144 cinderblocks from a flatbed truck!

The other reason I’m so proud of our team is the fantastic attitude everyone has had. Even when jet lagged, thrown into new situations, and basically slave-driven, people have been positive, cooperative, considerate and helpful.

It’s been great to see the Serbian friends we made two years ago. Yesterday we attended two church services. The team members and I led songs in both! The weather has been gorgeous: sunny days in the mid-80s, and chilly nights in the high 40s.

Thanks for your prayers. Keep them coming, as we continue to work hard at the camp. 

Working in the Septic Tank Hole

June 1

It’s just two weeks until I leave, and I couldn’t be more excited! Who wouldn’t be looking forward to 5 days of back breaking labor? :) But it’s going to be neat to reconnect with the people I know there, and make a contribution to what God’s doing in Serbia.

I also wanted to pass along some good news about Branko, the founder of the Christian camp. His son-in-law, Novitsa, has just agreed to be the first full-time staff member of the camp. He will be living on-site and overseeing the construction, as well as other things. Our church will be paying his first year’s salary, and our work at the camp this summer will bring water and sewer to his new home! So we’re really making a significant impact there.