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.