Desiring to follow Christ

Andrew and I have learned so much in our time here. If you haven't visited our blog before now, I encourage you to look through some of the former posts to see what the Lord has done in our hearts and with those around us. God has been at work, perhaps not in ways that we expected, but we cannot deny that seeds have been planted and that hearts have been drawn closer to the Savior. I am filled with so many emotions as I think about the past several months as well as what is ahead.  I am sad to leave, yet excited for what is next; regretful of things I wish I'd done differently, yet grateful for the Lord's grace; certain of what we are to do, yet daily struggling to put all my trust in the Lord and in His plan for us.

Andrew and I have decided not to return to Strumica, Macedonia next fall. Here are some of our reasons: (1) The Lord has done an incredible work in Andrew's heart regarding his desire to play basketball. A year ago, Andrew was praying something like, "Lord, I want to glorify you by playing basketball. Please, show me a way for this to happen." Now his prayer is something like, "Lord, I want to be obedient to whatever you call us. Please, make it clear where you want us." Andrew still loves basketball and I know would love to stay connected, but his heart's desire is simply to obey. As the leader in our family, I believe it's important that he be 'all in' with whatever the Lord calls us to. I praise the Lord for the transformation that has happened in him! (2) The future of ABA as well as Andrew's potential role on next year's team is very uncertain. Andrew hasn't been offered a spot on the team. ABA has struggled financially and no one can be sure that there will be a team next year. (3) Financially, the Lord has given us a different vision for doing ministry. We would love to follow the example of Paul. He did work for the Lord, yet was self-supported.    

Andrew and I will be flying back to the states on April 14th. We have less than one week left here in Strumica. Please pray for our remaining time here: that we would make the most of every opportunity. We will be living in the Kansas City area and are praying that the Lord provides job opportunities. We've been applying for jobs more and more lately; pray that we would be patient as we wait on the Lord. He is faithful and His timing is always perfect!

We are so thankful for all of you. We've been encouraged to know that you've been praying for us. The Lord has brought us through many trials; He's given us clarity and a solid perspective when our way has been unclear and Satan has threatened to cause us to doubt the Lord. For those of you who have supported us financially, thank you. You all have been so good to Andrew and I. Our needs have been met and we praise the Lord for your generosity. On another note, I encourage you to make contact with the folks at Faith and Learning International to make any necessary changes with the time you will be supporting us.

We look forward to a reunion with many of you soon. Please, feel free ask us any questions. We would love to share more details about our decision making, as well as stories and experiences from our time here.  

Much love,
Andrew and Halee

What's new?

The last few weeks have been a whirlwind around here. The basketball playoffs for ABA Strumica met it's halfway point with ABA sitting in 5th place and virtually no chance of making it to the final four. ABA has three games left to finish off their season. Coach Jakus gave the team one week off after hitting the midway point; there were two weeks between games. Unfortunately, Andrew and I spent this week mainly apart, but still had a good time. : )
Anna Buchberger and I were invited to Sofia, Bulgaria to host a dance class at the English Club some American friends of ours lead. We had a blast teaching them the Cha Cha Slide, Cotton Eye Joe and the ABA Dance Team's dance to Jump Around. The following day we enjoyed some sweet fellowship with friends in Sofia and then took a bus to Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria to visit Fifa. Fifa is a Macedonian who is finishing her degree in languages and translating in Blagoevgrad; she's also dating one of the American players, Marcus. She showed us around her town and the Lord provided good conversations with her. That was a big answer to prayer...Praise the Lord!
Andrew's freshmen team's season ended, though they are still practicing. We're not entirely sure why, but other teams are still practicing so why shouldn't we? Welcome to Macedonia. : )
Andrew and I traveled to Skopje yesterday to see our friends Dean and Renata, and help them celebrate their son Victor's second birthday. It was quite the celebration, complete with a whole roasted pig and a birthday cake with fireworks!

An update to come soon about our plans after this!      

Decision-Making Time

Just wanted to thank all of you who have kept us in your prayers and who have been so great at providing for our needs. Andrew and I have been so humbled and led to praise at the generosity that has been shown. Thank you for coming behind us and believing in what we are doing here in Macedonia. We pray that the Lord would find us worthy to be used by Him.

Andrew and I are still uncertain about where the Lord would have us be next year, or even next month if we're being honest. Our time here is dwindling down. As hard as it is to believe, we have just over 5 weeks left! We are praying for direction and clarity with the decision that lies ahead. I just wanted to leave you with an update on where we are in our decision-making process with the hope that you'll continue to pray for us in this.

About a week ago we met with John and Sara Jakus to talk about where we were with our decision. The Jakus' came to Macedonia through Athletes in Action. Andrew met John in the fall AIA tour of '09 and was our connecting point to coming here. They have both played a major role in our time here. John asked us to read through a number of Scripture passages; things that the Lord highlighted in each of our hearts were discussed. John was very intentional about encouraging us and speaking words of life into us. We also talked about what it would look like if we returned to Macedonia next fall. IF Andrew was offered a spot on the ABA team, he would likely play off the bench in a 1 or 2 position. We'd likely receive a salary that would be enough to pay for our loans and cover flights, but would need to raise support to cover the rest. We won't know if a spot is available until May at the earliest. Andrew and I have been job searching since early February. We are looking into either temporary summer jobs or more permanent positions. A summer job would give us more freedom if we decided to come back to Macedonia next fall or if another basketball opportunity presented itself. Andrew is currently in communication with a basketball agent on the reality of him getting a position on a pro team. We're hoping this conversation provides further direction. We also have friends who are also in transition that we'd love to do ministry with, so we are being mindful of their plans as well. Right now there are too many variables to consider to make a decision. Our desire is to be obedient to whatever the Lord calls us. We are seeking the Lord with what exactly that is; please pray for us!          

Obedience

Hey! It's Andrew here. I want to share an experience with you to encourage you. The Lord prompted me to take the guys that I coach out for pizza about a month ago. I knew I wanted to do it, but kept putting it off. It ended up taking me a whole month to obey what Jesus' Spirit put inside me.

Fast forward to this past Monday, I finally took the team out for pizza after practice (a group of 9 young men ages 14 to 16). The Lord spurred my heart to share with them about my Jesus. I felt as if this time God would give me an opportunity to share. Towards the end of our time at Bonita (a pizza restaurant near the center of Strumica) I shared the story of the Good Samaritan using images that would be meaningful to them by substituting the man who got beat up with a Roma. Romas (also called Gypsies) are a minority population in Strumica that is looked down upon similar to the Samaritans. Some of the guys seemed concerned others maybe a little guilty. One guy replied that they want to help but can't because they can hardly help themselves. I considered addressing his statement, but thought that doing that would unnecessarily distract everyone.

I then told them about my journey with one of my teammates this year. I shared that this teammate does many things that make me think very poorly of him. I told them things I want to say to him and how I want to treat him, and then I explained what I should do with him. Luke 6 came to mind. It says that we should bless those who curse us and pray for those who mistreat us. Basically, do good even to our "enemies." 

I thought that this was the last story that I would tell, but a few of the guys wanted me to tell another story. The Lord brought to mind some experiences I had while playing for the AAU basketball team Martin Brothers. I played for this team as a young buck, 16 and 17 years old. It was a collection of some of the best basketball players in Iowa in our age division. We traveled all over the country and spent a lot of time together on the road. For almost the entire first summer I was on this team, I was thought of as kind of weird or at least a little different. I said that I was looked at this way because I would not do some activities my teammates were doing and I didn't talk about things that they talked about. By the end of that summer and into the second summer we were together, my teammates began asking me questions as to why I acted the way I did. The Lord produced so many opportunities for me to share about Jesus and his effect on my life. I then concluded by saying that 2 or 3 years later, when we were all in college, I found out that 2 of the guys had also become "weird." The boys got a laugh out of that, and realized that when I said "weird" it basically meant I was following Jesus and it just seemed weird to my teammates.

After that we all left and as I was walking home one of the boys waited and walked home with me (he lives near us). He shared that he goes to church and that he believes in Jesus. He is Catholic and said he has read through the whole Bible. I encouraged him and he said his pastor has used the same words that I used to encouraged him with. He shared that he gets made fun of sometimes because of what he believes. Pray for Flesh; that is his nickname.

Halee and I thought that I should share this. I pray that it might encourage you to be obedient. It is another example of the Lord's blessing when we step out in obedience. The amazing thing is that I wasn't obedient for a whole month. Despite that, God still used me.

Praise be to God, His son Jesus, and the Spirit that He has given us! To Him be the glory always and forever!

Much love

Coach Stimson

Andrew and Marcus started coaching a freshmen-aged boys basketball team in September. It has been a great opportunity to be a light for Christ as well as invest in the future of basketball in Strumica. Andrew is a fantastic coach; he sees the court really well, shows a lot of love to the guys, and I can tell they really respect him and Marcus. They have a really talented group with a winning record. Yesterday, they played at ABA and defeated a team that had previously beat them by a large margin. Such a good game to watch! They have an incredibly long season. It goes well into May; unfortunately, as things currently stand, neither Andrew nor Marcus will be able to see them to the end. We're hoping and praying that the time they get to spend with the guys creates a lasting impact for Christ.

Andrew and Marcus at his right coaching at an away game.

Ohrid with the Vegov's

Andrew and Dean (DEY-awn) met in late October when Andrew was trying to get on the Millenium division II team. Things ended up not working out for Andrew with Millenium, but he was able to recommend that Dean come and play for ABA. Since then, the two have become really close and Andrew has had a number of meaningful conversations with Dean. Dean's had a rough last few years, has a soft heart, and we are hopeful that he will come to know the Lord.

Dean invited us to his wife's home town, Ohrid, to spend the weekend celebrating her birthday and their anniversary. They have been living apart from each other since Dean joined ABA. An apartment hasn't been found for Dean, Renata and their son Victor to move into. It was a real treat for us to meet his family and spend a weekend in such a beautiful city with such wonderful people. Please be praying for Dean and his wife; that they'd discover the saving grace in Jesus Christ, and that we would show Christ to them.

Here are some pictures from the weekend!

Andrew and Dean

Feeding the birds!

An archaeological dig. A fortress encloses the old city,
which you can partly see high in the background.

Amphitheater; still in use.

Big Upset

ABA basketball team has now entered playoffs. The top 6 teams in the super-league qualify. Each team plays the other teams twice for a total of 10 games to determine who the top 4 teams will be to compete for the championship. Last night was the first round and ABA (5) played MZT Skopje (3). One of the Americans, Marcus, suffered an ankle injury in Wednesday's practice so Andrew was asked to step in. It was unfortunate for Marcus, but I was happy to get to see Andrew play. One of those bitter-sweet kind of deals. : ) ABA played a great game. Solid team work and game play by a number of players. They won 75-72; it was a really exciting and fun game to watch.
 

Hard to tell, but the clock says 9:18 in the 1st quarter...
and MZT players are having a re-warm-up.
Officials stopped the game to regulate the MZT fans!

Andrew and Coach Jakus

 

 

   

ABA vs Ovche Pole vs Band vs Rim

The basketball team hit the road and played Ovche Pole (ohv-chey pole-ey) on Sunday. A number of circumstances made for an incredibly eventful game.

This band, complete with 2 saxophonists, 1 baritone, 1 tuba, and 1 bass drum with a cymbal, played the whole game! I was quite impressed with their endurance. Evidently, this was rare even for Macedonia.

During halftime warm-ups, the rim on our end of the court broke off.

 

So, naturally, both teams just warmed-up together. Way to go guys!

ABA is in orange and Ovche Pole is in yellow.

Nearly an hour later, with the help of 20 guys, the rim was fixed.

 Not to mention the game went into double overtime. ABA came home with the win though, 94-87!

Such a "love"-ly day

Yesterday, Andrew and I celebrated Valentine's Day together in a way that would only seem romantic to a specific set of people. We hiked up the mountain together! We started out on the trail and then decided to walk along the riverbed for awhile. It was beautiful! We talked about our future...what we'll be doing in the next couple of months, goals, and different scenarios; just "planning" knowing that the Lord is in control. We walked along the river bed for quite some time. The terrain was quite rough and we had to feel our way as we went. Eventually, we decided we should find our way onto the trail. We walked along a well-traveled trail for a little while, then noticed a smaller trail that forked off towards the mountain top. So, we took it! We hiked along for a little while when the trail seemed to disappear. I just kept following Andrew. It was really tough. Andrew encouraged me along the way and we held hands on occasion, which helped a great deal. In a short amount of time we'd found another trail. It wasn't well traveled, but we hoped it would lead us to a paved road that led directly to the top of the mountain. Sure enough, after about 30 minutes? of intense uphill hiking/climbing we met up with the road. This entire time, even in the midst of conversation, my mind couldn't help but think about the incredible word picture we were walking out. Following Christ is so much like this! Sometimes the path is nice and smooth, it's comfortable and we're really certain of our next step. We're confident, certain we aren't lost. Other times, we're on a really rough trail. Our footing is unsure, and we have to pray that our feet are set on a firm foundation. Still other times, we're on a trail and all of a sudden, it seems to be gone. It's then that we walk by faith and our confidence is in the Lord's leading. We trust that the Lord will even lead us to another path. As we were walking along Andrew starting quoting one of his rap songs saying, "Follow me as I follow Christ..." I am so thankful that God put such an amazing man in my life. Andrew is an incredible leader. He spurs me on to know Christ more and fills me with encouragement. I know that if I wasn't with Andrew I would be on a completely different path. A much less exciting path. I'm certain I would stick to the path that I know...I wouldn't venture off and risk getting lost. I'd go the way that has worked for so many people, I'd see the same views they'd seen, and I wouldn't have to trust the Lord as much to set my feet on a firm foundation. It's not bad, it's just safer. Anyway, at the top of the mountain Andrew found a nice place for us to sit and grab a drink of water, and he began reading scripture to me. He said some really beautiful things to me and encouraged me and I got to do the same for him. He didn't give me flowers or a candle-lit dinner, but he showed me love. He brought joy to my spirit and filled me with awe and wonder at the mighty God we serve.

A view of the river bed.

A lizard, the first "wild life" we've seen!

A view back at where we'd come from...it's good to reflect.

We hiked up the slope to the left of this river bed
to meet up with the trail.

            

Climbing Adventures

I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but Strumica is nestled in the foothill of a mountain range. Last Friday Anna B. and I decided to venture up this mountain, then yesterday Andrew, Jeremiah and I went.

Start of the hike. A hut that we can only hope is vacant.

They have exercise suggestions situated along the
path; some of which you may NOT want to do.

Don't fall over the edge Anna!

The St. Ilija (Ill-i-ya) monastery, located on the Elenica mountain,
about four kilometers away from Strumica.

We ran into some cattle. It's hard to tell,
but they're smaller than the ones I'm used to seeing.

Czar’s Towers, a fortress located at the top of a
steep hill overlooking Strumica from the south.

Overlooking Strumica!

Went on the same hike with Andrew and Jeremiah Boswell yesterday.

It's such a blessing to be able to escape into God's beautiful creation. Doing things like this remind me of how very small I am and how very big God is. Fellowship with others along the way is an added blessing.

Visit to Stip

Yesterday, Anna and I traveled with an American couple living in Strumica to a nearby village, Stip (pronounced Shteep), which is about a 45 minute drive. Our ABA English Academy friends, Tony and Norma Coles, live there and have been inviting us to visit them for some time now. I had such a good time there! We arrived around 11 and hiked to the top of a small mountain overlooking the city.

On the way up the mountain.

Anna, Marlene (our ride : )), and Tony and Norma leading the way.

We saw a couple of beautiful, old churches.

Not sure if this beauty is in use any more.

                                     

Stairs lined with memorials for those who gave their lives during WWII.

Cross overlooking Stip.

Me at the top of the mountain! What a view of such a great city.

After our hike we warmed up with some hot drinks at a local coffee bar. We then picked up some produce and headed to the Coles' flat for lunch. After lunch we convinced Anna to try some rakia. Evidently rakia is similar to moonshine. It's made out of virtually any kind of fruit and burns from the moment it touches your lips....or so I've heard. : ) The locals like to sip on a little bit of it with their meals. 

Before.

During.

After.

We had a fantastic time in Stip. The Coles are encouraging and a joy to be around and I'm anxious for English classes to get going again so I can see them more often!

A Typical Day

Here's what a "typical" day looks like for Andrew and me.
Wake up at 8:15. Andrew usually has lifting and/or shooting practice at 9:00 and 10:00. Today Andrew was going to meet up with Marcus (U.S. player) to do a little Bible study before shooting practice at 10:00. I have been going to ABA in the morning for a run. They have a nice sort of track that goes around the stadium seats...I figure each lap is around 200-250 meters so 15 laps = 2 miles. Today is not one of those days for me. However, a nice walk outside, coupled with running errands, is in order since it's sunny and 41. After practice Andrew enjoys a delicious, though rarely changing, meal at ABA restaurant. I'm sure today's menu, like most, will include chicken with rice, boiled potatoes, bread and zelka salad (sort of like coleslaw, but made with oil and vinegar, no mayo). Some meals are followed by a rousing game of 51; and if I'm around, I like to get in on some of the action. 51 is a card game in which the goal is to form runs and sets and be the first to get rid of all your cards. 1 important rule, no eating while playing...strange, I know! Most afternoons Andrew and I spend hanging out together at the apartment. Activities include, but are not limited to: playing cards, watching movies online, Bible studies, baking (well, mainly me), and staying close to the only heater in the house.

Sideways picture?? I had dance team girls over for "American cookies"
(a.k.a chocolate chip cookies) and coffee (a.k.a '3-in-1 Nescafe')!

Speaking of heaters, here it is.

You'd think, well it's 41 degrees, surely it's not that cold. Believe me, it is! The only part of our house that receives sunlight is the porch where I hang our clothes out to dry. Yep, it's February 2nd and I'm hanging clothes outside...I'm either incredibly lucky or incredibly crazy. Really, I have no other option since we don't have a dryer (most homes don't).

Anyway, so playing cards and other nonsense. Andrew heads back to practice around 3:00. Practice starts at 3:30 and runs until 5:30. Sometime between morning and late afternoon I go to dance practice which lasts for about 2 hours. Andrew has dinner at ABA yet again and then he and Marcus head off for their practice with the freshmen-aged team at either 6:00 or 7:00.

Needless to say, Andrew's schedule is pretty consistent and mine is, well, variable. Sometimes I go for coffee with people, sometimes I hang out with Sara and Anna, sometimes I'm trying to figure out what to make for myself to eat...each day is never the same. But Andrew and I really love it here!           

Big Win

ABA Strumica is ranked 5th and played 4th ranked team Torus last night. It was such a close game with ABA winning 62-60! We praise the Lord that all the Americans are healthy enough to play, though still recovering. The ABA Dance Team also performed at yesterday's game. I've uploaded a video of one of our pre-Christmas dances so you can see us get our groove on!
Andrew has returned to his role as strength and conditioning coach and he and Marcus will resume practice with the freshmen team today.

New Year...new uncertainties

Andrew and I, after a very refreshing time in the states, are back home in Strumica. We were slightly surprised at how ready we were to return. The Lord gave us a very blessed time with family and friends which made our transition back easy. We are so grateful to those of you who support us financially and prayerfully for making our visit to our homes in the states possible. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Andrew and I received a warm welcome back last night at church and so happy to be reunited with some of our friends again. We were delighted also to see that the pipes in our apartment didn't freeze while we were gone! 

So, we resume our activities here. Unfortunately, English classes won't be starting up again as soon as I thought. They've been postponed until further notice due to the cold temperatures in the sports hall where we meet. Needless to say, I'll be having a lot of time on my hands. I'm hoping to fill most of it with coffee and fellowship with friends as well as doing better at keeping you all updated! Andrew's continuing to condition the guys on the team and is back to practicing with them. They injured players continue to recover; not quite at 100% yet. Not likely he'll play any more this year, but we'll see!

Continue to pray for our relationships here...the Lord is at work! Also, pray for our future. As of now, we are committed to staying through the end of the basketball season (which could end anytime between mid-April and late-May). We have decided that we want this year to be our last of being fully financially supported. You all have been so great to us and we praise the Lord for you, but it's difficult at this financial stage in our lives (student loans are a beast!). Scripture says we are a slave to our debt, and we're feeling that now more than ever. We'd both love to come back to Strumica next year, but so much of that depends on if Andrew gets a paid playing position on the team. We hope to find out in March at the latest. We are open to whatever the Lord has in store for us. We are vulnerable to Him; we desire to be obedient to go wherever the Lord calls us and are praying for clarity with that.