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.    

A Macedonian Christmas

 

Snow has finally fallen here in Strumica, Macedonia and it's absolutely beautiful. This picture is taken from our third story balcony.

Last night, the group of Americans here celebrated Christmas together. The Jakus family so graciously hosted the celebration. As Andrew and I were walking to their house I said to him, "It's starting to feel more like Christmas with the snow crunching under my feet." The night was full of listening to Christmas music, munching on all kinds of goodies, a white elephant gift exchange and lots of laughs. Andrew came home with a pocket knife (that he bought!) and I came home with cherry gummies and chocolates. Such a fun evening!

We are flying into the states on the 23rd...so soon! : ) We're so anxious to see family and friends. We'll be home for about a month. Andrew will be turning his cell phone back on so feel free to connect with us!

I hope you are all enjoying this time of the year and the significance that Christ's coming has for us as believers! "Go, tell it on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere! Go, tell it on the mountain that Jesus Christ is born!"

Won by 12!

ABA Strumica had a football basketball game last night. It was freezing cold in the gym. We guessed about 35 F. Pregame warm-ups had double meaning We played Kumanovo. ABA Strumica dominated the first half and held on tight for the second. Play was incredibly aggressive. A couple of our guys got injured; Zolke got a sprained wrist and Bobby a facial injury (not quite sure the extent of it). Our post guy, John Chappell, was pushed up and down the court. I'm not one to be known for how observant I am, but even I noticed how bad it was. The Kumanovo fans were equally as aggressive. They had a big drum and were chanting the whole game. Court-side fans tried to spit on the players when they came near. It was a zoo! Andrew played a great game though. The team played together as well as they have all year.