Kat Tracks

New definitions of NORMAL

2011-09-27T00:33:00.000+02:00

(From inside the blue mosque in Istanbul, Turkey)

There's something that happens when you live in a foreign country- things start seeming "NORMAL." I must admit that this term, without me knowing it, has taken on a different definition over the last few years, especially considering how people use it to define what a "normal life" is. (what does that even mean, anyway?) This would partly explain my absence from the blogging world. This is honestly what I thought at times.... "how can I fill up a blog with even more stuff when I can't think of anything ABNORMAL to write about?"

To catch everyone up to speed, I'm actually writing this post from my old alma-mater, the University of Oklahoma (BOOMER!). To be exact, I'm sitting in the Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher Garden- a nostalgic place for me- I fondly remember multiple stressful moments of last minute cramming for college exams and other college antics on this part of campus (I hope all the former OU phi lamb officers are giggling with me on that one...). Here's a picture just taken from my computer:

(And for those wondering, I've been back in the states for about a month now. I've been catching up with family, friends, and the people that enable me to live overseas. I'll be in the states for just over a month more. )

Back to the blog.... Here's something I've noticed since I've been back from Bosnia: things that used to seem ABNORMAL to me have all of a sudden seemed NORMAL and things that used to be NORMAL seem all of a sudden ABNORMAL. The former would be identified as cultural immersion (possibly a post for another time?) and the latter (what I find to be incredibly amusing), reverse culture shock.

Some examples of reverse culture shock:

Grocery Store Breakdowns! The grocery store is a common place for reverse culture shock. The last time I came to the states, the cereal aisle was a shock to me! This time? The bottled water aisle. Really people???? Do we really need an entire aisle of bottled water? Isn't Antartica filled up with the remnants of this???

Here's what happened: I went into Albertson's looking just for a bottle of water and this is what I found:

What originally was planned to be a quick trip turned into an excruciating decision... "Do I get bubbly water or non-bubbly? Mineral or spring? Store brand or fancy brand? 6 pack, 12 pack, 2 pack, or one bottle? Flavored or non-flavored? And why in the world is the gallon less expensive than the 20 ounce???"

I later braved the SAME grocery store again thinking I was ready. I planned to buy some fruit to compliment my lunch, then was in shock at the size of a peach!!! I had to stop someone in the store and vent.... "Really???? This can't be natural!!!"

No joke-I bought one to eat and another one for show and tell. I was sad most people weren't impressed with my "discovery. Apparently this wasn't as ABNORMAL as I thought... "

Here... take my bag.... I recently went into a large office building and there was a security guard at the door talking to someone who worked behind the desk. Without thinking about it, falling back unto some of my NORMAL habits, I automatically walked directly to them, pulled off my backpack, and started to take out my laptop so they could look at it. The security guard looks at me, laughs, and assures me he doesn't need to search my bag. Apparently I travel too much....

Another passport stamp please!!! I've been driving back and forth from Texas and Oklahoma quite a bit. The drive usually takes around 3 1/2 hours to go from McKinney, Texas to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The first time I crossed the border, I started feeling a bit flustered, thinking, OH NO! I FORGOT MY PASSPORT! That's right! I was thinking I would need to get it stamped before crossing over into Oklahoma, cause that's the NORMAL thing, right? Get a stamp as you cross a border? Then, it hit me... oh yeah... I probably won't be getting a stamp from the Sooner state anytime soon. That is, of course, Texas does something crazy like secede!

So... what do you have? While sitting a Mexican chain-restaurant (Since I've been eating Mexican food continually since I've been here I can't remember exactly which one), the waiter does something NORMAL: he hands me the menu. I glance at it for about 2 seconds, toss it aside, and ask "So... what do you have today?" Meaning... I know you handed me this menu, and these are your food options, but NORMALLY restaurants don't really have all this food back there. So, what do you really have available today? He looked at me a bit puzzled, named some things, then told me to look at the menu. Oooooh..... Is that what that thing is for?

"I can't today- I have a coffee." For anyone who has lived in Sarajevo, this is a normal statement. Why? The word "coffee" is not just a drink, but an event! If you want to say you want to spend time with someone in Sarajevo, you'll say something like this: "Idemo na kafu." Which translated directly says "let's go on coffee." So, after my brother asked me if we could do lunch, I naturally replied with this NORMAL sentence: "Sorry, I can't! I have a coffee!" He thought that was as good of an excuse as washing my hair.

(this is what came with the coffee in Travnik, Bosnia and Herzegovina. When you do the conversion, I paid about 85 cents for this package.)

Am I on an episode of the Bachelorette? Ok, time for a bit more personal one! First, a sidenote- as a disciple of Jesus Christ, I base my definition of "available bachelors" on one core condition: "Does he lead and inspire me to love God on a deeper level?" While the abilities to give great back massages, climb mountains, have a strong jaw line, (I know, I know... super important, right?) and grill a "mean" salmon and asparagus are up there up there, this is the first characteristic I'm looking for. Secondly, the church I attend in Sarajevo has anywhere from 10-20 people that currently attend weekly, and at most will have 0-2 1/2 available "bachelors" in attendance. So... with that background... imagine this:

I arrived in the states on a Friday evening and stayed with one of my BFF's in Washington D.C. Well, my arrival coincided with a surprise birthday party for one of the guys of the church they attend. To set up the scene, on the exact evening of my arrival to the states, I went to a birthday party that started at 2:30 A.M. my time (HELLOOO jet lag!) that not only had a plethora of Mexican food (mmmmmmm!!!) but also had more available "bachelors" in attendance than the total amount of people that attend my church in Sarajevo! Plus... shocker.. they were speaking ENGLISH!!! After getting over the initial shock factor of it all, I decided to embrace my loopy-sleepless state, enjoy a few too many chips and salsa, and laugh at the "NORMAL" experiences my life puts me in. :)

This doesn't include my driving habits (Oooh... so we don't honk at everyone we pass??? Why is he saying I'm "number one?"), common courtesies (You mean I don't have to interrupt people to get a word in?), and my deteriorated ability to speak English (prepositions are over-rated anyway!). Just know that when you live and work cross-culturally, the adventure and cultural mishaps don't end once your feet hit your NORMAL "home" country again. (again, wherever that is).

Till next time,

Kat

What Can a Year do for You?

2010-10-16T00:54:00.015+02:00

The rumors are true, I've lived in Sarajevo for OVER a year now!

Here's looking at you, kid!

In honor of the big milestone, I thought it would be fun to give a compare and contrast to what my life was like before as a shower scheduling, burrito eating, softball playing band director in Texas to my life now as a planner-losing, cevapi devouring, ski-loving English teacher/Bosnian language learner in Sarajevo, Bosnia.

to...

I normally teach adults, but I love this picture too much to not post it...

Then: When entering a shoe store, I say "good afternoon," look around at the style I want, ask for my size, then pick between the regular, narrow, or wide version.
Now: When entering a shoe store, I say "dobar dan," and immediately ask if they have anything in my size (10). If by some rare chance they do have something (again, a rare occasion), it is usually something that would have been before my grandmother's time.

Then: I drove an average of 45 minutes a day.

Now: I walk an average of 45 minutes a day.

Then: I had the emotional stability of a doped up reggai bass player. (Its aaalllll goooood)
Now: Often times I have the emotional instability of a mom who gets teary-eyed watching Hallmark commercials.

NOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!

Then: I said I would update my blog weekly.

Now: BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Then: If I drove in a straight line at 80 miles an hour for 3 hours, I would get from the top of Texas to somewhere in the middle of it (If I'm lucky...)

Now: If I could drive in a straight line for 3 hours at 80 miles an hour (not that that's possible right now), it would get me from Bosnia to Budapest, a country with a completely different culture, language, food preferences, currency...

She may benefit from a trip here...

Then: I liked long distance running and ran a lot of miles.
Now: That hasn't changed, but now I count in kilometers and thus have a higher sense of achievement.

Then: Saying "you have too much time on your hands" would come out of my mouth A LOT.
Now: I honestly can't imagine saying that to anyone right now, and I honestly think most people need a lot more "free time" on their hands.

Then: I could barely count to 100 in Spanish, my "second language."

Now: A month ago I was able to share my testimony all in Bosnian, specifically telling how Jesus brought me from living an over-achieving, world-pursuing, "rat-race" feeling life to a life with peace, redemption, purpose, and heart-awakening adventure.

Then: This is the setting where I performed the clarinet... (see the red curls in the background?)

Now: I now perform in an English pub and WITHOUT music. To put it all together, I'm an Irish woman playing Scottish folk music in an English pub while living Sarajevo. Whew.
(To my musician friends, I want to add that this whole playing by ear thing intimidates me a whole lot more than Shostakovich ever did...)

Then: Sleep came as I could have it and it was not a high priority.
Now: I learned very quickly how meaningless my 30 hours of weekly language study was without sleep, so getting a good night's sleep is HIGH HIGH HIGH on the priority list!

Then: Good hiking would happen MAYBE once a year, and this after a loooong road trip to Colorado.
Now: If I want to and the weather is cooperating, I could wake up tomorrow and go hiking in the gorgeous mountains surrounding Sarajevo!

Then: My identity was wrapped up in how busy I was, how well my students were doing, what my ratings were at contest, and the things "I'd" achieved thus far in life.
Now: I'm learning more and more that my identity is found in the One who created me, and by seeking Him with all that I have, I more fully understand who He created me to be.

Then: Culture shock= scary.
Now: Reverse culture shock=scarier!!!

Then: Going to coffee meant sitting with someone for an hour, maybe 2 if we're lucky.

Now: Going for coffee could be an all-day event, and I make sure to block out at least 2 hours each time.

traditional Bosnian coffee

For all you schedule lovers...

Then: School dates would be set the April before the next school year.

Now: A friend of mine didn't know when the last day of school was for her child until THAT DAY. They kept saying things like "maybe 2 more days... maybe next week... could be tomorrow.."

Then: I would schedule the exact time I would eat, take a shower, and go to bed.
Now: I get a little stressed when someone tries to plan a coffee (or skype, etc.) with me a week before.

Then: Each week would look VERY similar.
Now: One of the most dreaded questions I get is "What does a normal week look like for you?" because there is no normal week....

And finally, in honor of football season:

Then: I thought Bevo was a fat cow.

Now: I still think Bevo is a fat cow and am waiting for someone to correct me on this...
Mmmm... barbecue...

Till next time,
Kat

A year come and gone!

2010-09-30T23:21:00.003+02:00

So... guess what? I've officially lived in Sarajevo for OVER a year now! September 24th marked my one year anniversary!

Much to my surprise, I've a few people email me for a year in review update, and I want to thank you for that!!! Its SO nice to know people actually pay attention to my blog. :-)

I have been working on a well-thought-out-year-in-review-blog and hope to have it posted by the end of next week at the latest. Thanks so much for asking me about it!

In the meantime, I hope you'll enjoy a few picture snapshots from the last few summer months!

The first few pics are from a Bosnian protestant church camp I attended for nearly 3 weeks in July at Boracko Jezero (Jezero means lake)

The group coming back from swimming at the lake.

My abode for nearly three weeks, complete with cold showers. Awesomesauce.

Week one was teenager camp, and this was during one of the evening sessions.

Bosnians showing me how football is played.

Week 2 was kids camp. These were a few of my language helpers and campers. You can see one holding up my torn up Bosnian dictionary!

Me doing a clinic on kickball- a game virtually unknown in Bosnia.

We are so intimidating, especially me with my button down shirt and over-sized sunglasses.

Week 3 was the young adult camp. This is the group (minus the photographer) at the end of a hike and climb.

I had the privilege of seeing 2 Bosnians be baptized specifically into Protestant Christian Churches in Bosnia.

Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death.... in order that we too might walk in newness of life." Romans 6:4

I ran (okay.. survived) a half marathon in Sarajevo with a few friends. Counting distance in kilometers is way better than counting in miles when you run long distances!

During a rafting outing with some friends down the Neretva River.

I hopped on a bus and went with a friend to the Croatian coast for a few days. This is me peaking out at the Adriatica.

These pictures are all from Dubrovnik, Croatia. I would name this is as a TOP SPOT to see before you die! The city lays on the Adriatic coast and is surrounded by a massive fort. The fort is wide enough for you walk all the way around it.

A view from the fort, looking over a port into the Adriatic.

I was able to bring in my one year anniversary in style as I hoped a short flight to Rome (living in Europe can be so cool!). This was taken in front of the Vatican. Its good to know I haven't lost my Irish roots throughout process!

Till next time (and I hope next time is next week!)

-Kat

Snapshots of the last 2 months

2010-05-27T17:57:00.002+02:00

Okay, okay. I know I've been a blogging slacker! (Not having internet at my house for 3 weeks definitely didn't help me in my procrastination!) In order to make up for some lost time, this post includes a few pictures that I've taken over the last 2 months in Bosnia.

And just as an addition to that-I'm starting to see more and more that one of my roles here is to show people just how beautiful this place really is. There are many, many reasons why Lonely Planet listed Sarajevo as one of its top 10 cities to visit in 2010, and I hope I can somehow spread the word with them! Below you will find pictures of a a few places surrounding downtown Sarajevo, and all are in Bosnia.

So, without further ado.....

SPRING SNAPSHOTS FROM BOSNIA!

The first few pictures are from Vrelo Bosne. This is a park that is located on the outskirts of Sarajevo. To get here, Liz and I took a tram for about 25 minutes from the center of Sarajevo and walked 4 kilometers. If you aren't the walking type, you could travel in style like this couple...

As you can see, the park is well worth the walk!

And yes, the water tastes just as clean as it looks!

While we were there, there was a choir from a local Islamic school taking pictures for their upcoming concerts. I've actually seen a few of these pictures posted lately around town and hope to get to go to the concert!

I know, I know. Liz and I just blend right in...

The park even has a playground for you to get in touch with your child-like side. (Or maybe in my case, childish side?) Still working on that patience thing...

On the walk back, we stopped to chat with these gentlemen. They were kind enough to let me take their picture, but looked less than enthusiastic when I actually did it...

Still haven't decided if I like the black and white version better...

The next few shots are taken from Prvi Maj (the first of May). It is a BIG holiday here, and I went on a hike with a few Bosnian buddies- the PERFECT way to spend a beautiful day!

Okay, so funny language moment- we organized these plans the night before at a cafe, and the conversation was all in Bosnian. I was a bit proud of myself for understanding enough that we would be going to the mountain, but for some reason I had it in my mind that it would be a little bit of hiking and a lot of relaxing and frisbee throwing! Well... yeah... we ended up hiking pretty much the entire day! That was COMPLETELY fine with me, but my guests and I probably would have dressed a bit differently!

P.S. the bosnian word for hiking is pješačiti and all day is cijeli dan, in case you were wondering...

At least we hiked in style (and a little in the snow, I might add).

Have I mentioned yet that this stunning hiking trail is located just 30-40 minutes outside of Sarajevo by car?!?

This is our last group shot before getting to the very top! (the soon to be conquered mountain is behind us!)

Celebrating at the top, deciding to go for a little walk to get a little fresh air...

You gotta love how beautiful it is here!

The last few pictures are from an excursion we took with our ESL classes to Travnik and Jajce- both are older cities in Bosnia, complete with historic forts and mosques.

It rained for the majority of the day, so I wasn't able to take too many pictures.

First, we stopped to have coffee in Travnik. I ordered Bosnian coffee, and this is everything that was included. Look closely to see why I felt so compelled to take a picture....

During our time in Travnik, a couple of the ESL students decided to show me how they really felt about my English teaching abilities.

A view of some of the beautiful waterfalls in Jajce.

Maybe I'll start looking for a job with a Bosnian tourist agency?

And one last one group shot from Jajce! I think this really could be on a travel guide somewhere!

Till next time-

Kat

Flour? Sugar? Or Caulk? Reflections After 6 Months!

2010-03-28T21:01:00.003+02:00

If you can believe it, I've officially lived in Sarajevo for over 6 months now! Here's a taste of what's its been like to be immersed in a culture so completely different than my own...

There's something that happens when you move overseas: you question EVERYTHING. Some call this part of the culture shock process, but I like to call part of the adventure. A few examples: What is this I'm eating again? How do you turn on the washing machine? Is this the washing machine? Can I wear this here? Is this sugar, flour, or caulk? Why isn't anyone wearing shorts, chaco's or t-shirts?

I'm not sure if everyone goes through this or if this is just my burden to bear, but there's also been another question that has been swirling my mind the last few months: "Is Christianity truth? Or is it something entirely made up?"

Almost everyday, I am bombarded with moments that could war against my faith. For starters, I live in a Muslim country where less than 1% are Christ followers, the majority hasn't even heard the gospel, and the teaching is that Islam is the one true religion and Jesus was only a prophet. And this hasn't been all of the bombardment- I catch my news online, and there always seems to be an article posted on how Christianity, coupled with all other religions (except the ones where YOU are the center of the universe), are fake and outdated. (thanks cnn and msnbc!)

Here's something that may surprise you, especially my non-Christian friends: I read these things. And, I don't just read them, I think about them. I consider them. If I see an article on cnn that says "Why We Should Ditch Religion," I don't roll my eyes, ignore it, angrily post comments about how these people are going to hell, or turn my computer off and run for a C.S. Lewis book. Instead, I consider the arguments. If someone tells me that science disproves the bible- I honestly consider it. I research it. If a Muslim friend tells me that Jesus never claimed to be God and was only a prophet-I think about it. I study it. If someone tells me that the bible can't be trusted- I look into it. I research it. If someone tells me that religion is outdated or only for the ignorant- I analyze it. If a friend renounces their long held Christian faith-I ponder it. I consider their arguments, doubts, and objections.

I haven't always done this. I've always had a fear of anything that would cause me to question my faith. Used to be, I would ignore all the arguments against it. I honestly don't think this is ALL bad. Believers looking into skepticism and doubts should always do so carefully and prayerfully. "Let no one delude you with persuasive argument..." Colossians 2:4

What's my response to it all now? Well, one thing hasn't changed. I DON'T want to start questioning my faith. Coming from someone who bases much (I would hope all) of my life decisions on my faith, it is a scary thing to consider that something you spend your life pursuing could be false.

But, here's the change: I don't ignore them anymore. I consider them. Here's the reason why-why I put myself out there to question these things, why I allow myself to go through the scary moments of "what if this is all made up:" Every time I do it, it gives me a stronger conviction to my beliefs. And no, I don't question or doubt flippantly. Some of my most intense times of questioning have lasted close to a year, and I don't wish these trying times in my life on anyone. But, I am thankful for them, because these times of doubting, researching, asking, questioning has only deepened my faith that God is real, that Jesus is God in the flesh, and that through Him one inherits eternal life. Often times people forget that faith is not the absence of doubt, but instead the assurance of things hoped for. Far too often people define faith incorrectly.

Personally, there are few things that ruffle my feathers more than hearing someone say that Christianity is a "blind faith," thus insinuating that Christians ignore facts and substance, blindly accept the bible as being true, and never consider the arguments against it.

Here are just a few things I continue to do after 6 months of questioning, doubting, researching, struggling, asking...

I study claims that teach Jesus was JUST a good, moral teacher, as many says he was, and nothing more. (of the many responses... What good, moral teacher would tell people to eat of his flesh? I mean, really?! Or allow them to bow before him? Or say things like "No one enters the father but THROUGH me?)

I study things that are scientifically proven in nature and science to see if they prove that Christianity is indeed false as many say they do. (Check out this link for a list of verses that refute this argument. One example? Stars and the photosynthesis being explained WAY before scientists discover the truth of it.)

I research whether or not this person of Jesus was real, or whether his life, death, and resurrection was made up. (Secular historians give account to his life, his gruesome death, and the fact that his body "disappeared" 3 days later.)

I consider the possibility of whether or not Jesus' disciples came and stole his body after his death, staging that he rose from the dead. (11 of the 12 were gruesomely martyred- why would they die, and die such cruel deaths, for something they made up?)

Here's something I've come to realize: no, you are NEVER going to be able to FULLY prove that there is a God and that Jesus is, in fact, God in the flesh. I believe this is all by design-God wants us to live by faith. You can give arguments of how science supports the bible, give examples of miracles unexplained by science alone, tell of the miracle of someone's life turning around, tell incredible conversion stories, and argue philosophically about human depravity and our yearnings for heaven, but I don't think there will ever be something that gives 100% evidence that this is truth (on this side of heaven). And that argument is supported biblically.

Here's something else that many haven't considered: many have argued that you can't prove there is a God, but how often is it considered that no one has proved that there isn't one? Yes, you can point out how moral atheists can be, how there are some scientific THEORIES that go against what the bible says, and of the atrocities people have committed in the name of their faith, but there is nothing out there that says that without a shadow of a doubt that there is no God and disproves the divinity of Jesus.

Why am I still a Christ follower? Its not because I feel like I HAVE to be one, that I was born into it, or because its better to believe than not to. Here are just a few of the many reasons, in no particular order: it makes sense to me on an intellectual, personal, moral, and inner level, the way in which God has turned my life around 100% since I became a believer, the times in my life that have no other explanation apart from the presence of God, the changes I see in people's lives when they become believers in Jesus, seeing prayers incredibly answered (such as this!), the incredible depth and wisdom found in the bible, how personal God is to me, seeing God be faithful time, time, and time again, and, most importantly, because I believe it to be true.

I don't write this post to try to persuade you to become a believer in Jesus, or to try to win a religious argument. I've learned that my job as a Christ follower is not to persuade you to believe- I can't. Only God can do that. My job is to be prepared, to be bold, to be honest, to be patient, to be available. I write this post because I am tired- tired of non-believers thinking that Christians are ignorant of all the objections, and tired of the silence in the Christian community about doubts. My prayer is that we, as followers of Christ, would "grow in the GRACE and KNOWLEDGE of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." 2 Peter 3:18

Till next time-

-Kat

An American in Bosnia! (not Paris for all you Gershwin-ites!)

2010-03-06T22:23:00.005+01:00

As facebook so wonderfully publicized, I turned 25 again this week! (I'll leave you to wonder how many times I've done that! ha!)

I wasn't sure what to expect for my first birthday away from home, but it turned out to be one of my favorite birthdays yet! The day was mixed with usual American traditions and new Bosnian ones, relaxation balanced out by tiring sports activity.

As I'm sure you've probably figured out by now, I'm big into taking pictures, and I definitely made sure to document this day. So.. here you are! Here's how I celebrated my birthday, Bosnian and American style!

After sleeping in a bit, my team treated me to a fantastic breakfast at one of their apartments. Yum, yum!

It was complete with one of my favorites- coffee cake!

Me trying to blow out all the candles without spitting all over the cake.

Jacque=the hostest with the mostest!

During the early afternoon, I took some time to digest the food, relax, enjoy some bible reading, and be surprised by amount of facebook and email messages I was receiving! (Gotta love facebook!)

An American friend asked what I wanted most for my birthday, and I said I wanted nothing more than to play some sort of game- ultimate frisbee, tag football, basketball, etc. They worked it out perfectly! Plus, as prayed for, the rain stopped just enough for us to enjoy it. It was GREAT!

Testing to see if the -ole football-throwing arm is still in working condition.

Liz and Andrew talking a little bit of smack before we start our game of Ultimate.

Us wrapping things up after a satisfying afternoon of ultimate frisbee and basketball.

After playing, I reconnected with my good friend, Alex through a way-to-quick Skype call. I MISS YOU Alex!!!

As usual when talking with her, I completely lost track of time! So, I hurried to get cleaned up and get to the Bosnian part of my birthday...

The festivities continued at the ESL class. Per Bosnian custom, the birthday girl (or boy) brings cake for everyone to eat to celebrate their big day.

Adela surprised me (and everyone else) with a thoughtful toast while we were enjoying the birthday cake!

(P.S. This room is a work in progress! We moved in last week!)

We went to a coffee bar later that night, but I (uncharacteristically) forgot to take a picture. So.. here's a fun picture I found online of a Sarajevo coffee bar. :-)

It was raining on the way home, and I saw a car broken down near apartment building. Near it was a mom with her daughter. I decided to see if there was anything I could do to help. Wouldn't you know it? I know just as much about cars in Europe as I did in the states (uhh.. close to nothing!). So, I wasn't able to help that much, but I was grateful to know enough language to talk with her for a little bit, offer my phone, umbrella, etc.

The end of the great day- these are a few of my birthday goodies! The OREOs and Celestial Seasonings were gifts given by teammates that originate from the states, and the cookies behind are coconut flavored treats from Sarajevo that a Sarajevo buddy gave to me. Yum, yum!

This is me kissing the OREOs goodbye. I don't imagine they'll last too long in my apartment. :-)

(You can also see check out some of my language learning methods behind me.)

Thanks to everyone for making this such a special day!!! In addition to all the fun I had here, I was once again reminded of all the support I have at home. I can't thank you enough for all of it- thanks to everyone contributing to what turned into a great day!

Till next time-

Kat

Winter "Shorts"

2010-02-23T23:18:00.003+01:00

One of my bigger fears about starting this blog was that I would run out of things to write about. Well, guess what? Nothing has been further from the truth (at least, not yet!). My problem for the last month or so has been that I've had TOO many things to talk about, and I couldn't focus well enough to publish a concise post.

This has been my "creative process" the last month:

Think of an idea for a post.
Start writing the post.
Log in the next day to edit, but think of another topic.
Start writing a different post than the one before it.
Repeat steps 1-5.

So today, instead of writing a blog on just one subject, I've decided to give my perfectionistic tendencies a rest and give a few snap-shots ("shorts") of some experiences I've had over the last month or so, with the most impactful one for me being the last one.

Super Bowl Highlights

Throughout the month of January, I was writing essays entitled "Peyton Manning je moj momak," which translates directly to "Peyton Manning is my boyfriend." In these essays, I explained what the Super Bowl is (my language teacher had NO idea), how American football is indeed NOT rugby, and who Peyton Manning is.

To my surprise and delight, they DID air the Super Bowl live on a local channel. Some "minor" differences: kick-off was at 12:30 A.M., there were NO commercials, there were NO Doritos to be found, and the broadcasters spoke only German.

Watching the athletes guzzle water every 10 minutes during what would be the commercial breaks reminded me of how normal of a game it really is. In a way, I enjoyed it more because of that.

A New Sporting Love Unveiled!

The Winter Olympics started this week, and guess how I kicked them off ? By skiing (albeit, slowly!) on authentic Olympic Slopes! (Pretty sweet for a southern girl, huh?) As you know, the Winter Olympics were held in Sarajevo in 1984. These beautiful ski slopes are only a 40 minute drive from my apartment and are incredibly cheap to take advantage of!

Here are a few more pictures from the mountain (Jahorina):

Look at all that snow!

Icicles? or Weapons? I'm not so sure...

Michelle, Dejan and I waiting for our awesome (only Bosnian speaking) ski instructor.

Njegomir was a FANTASTIC coach! He had all of us (including nervous, inexperienced little me) skiing from the top of the mountain by the time his time with us was up!

We did our first couple of hours of ski lessons in this area.

Look at that clear blue sky!

Is the grinch hiding somewhere in there?

P.S. Bunny hills are only allowed if you are like 12 and under... For some reason, I couldn't convince them I was in that age group. It was my height, right?

A celebratory picture after surviving the first part of the trip down the mountain, all limbs still intact.

Till next time-
Kat

The Shades of Wisdom...

2010-01-13T20:13:00.005+01:00

The last few of my blog posts have been a bit abstract, so this time I decided to give a more tangible idea of what its like to walk through the streets of Sarajevo through my eyes. You'll get the reason for the pictures above soon enough. (I miss you Stef!)

As I thought through a good way to describe Sarajevo through pictures, there was one idea that stuck out to me more than any other. An idea, really a fact, that does, in fact, give another glimpse to the awesomeness that is Sarajevo. A fact that does, in fact, shed light on yet another reason why its one of the coolest, smartest, hip-est cities ever.

What's that fact? The fact is: they completely agree with the title of this blog! Red heads are, indeed, the very best heads! Female Sarajevans have this thing with red hair-especially the older and, I might add, wiser generation. While it is rare to see a natural redhead (unless you hang out with a certain "oklatexan"), it is very common to see ALL sorts of red on the streets.

After I was struck with this observation, I started taking tons and tons of pictures. Everytime I saw a redhead, I would try to snap a picture of it, thinking I would eventually use it for a blog post. But instead showing you my slightly-stalkerish-and-slightly-creepy picture collection, I decided to give ya'll a clearer glimpse of how common it really is! Except for the first two, all of the pictures below were taken during one 30 minute afternoon walk.

The first two were taken at an international Christmas bazaar for the embassies (one that the USA wasn't a part of, but thats a whole other story....).

The color and tail? I'm impressed! Not sure of many more people could pull that off!

I'd say this one was pretty normal, but we're just getting warmed up!

The following pictures were all taken during a span of about 30 minutes as I walked through the center of town...

I love this one!

"Look mom! Its like the sunrise!"

I saw this lady seconds after seeing the previous picture. Does this remind anyone else of OU/Texas, or is that just me?

Not as bright, but loving how it fits in with the red coat next to her.

This one almost looks like a natural color...

"Yeah.. I'm thinking of getting rid of the brown and going with more of an orange/red color..."

If you notice, all three of these ladies have at least a tint of red in their hair..

Pretty sure the man on the far left was thinking about dying his next.

We might be related somehow...

Again, not as bold of a red, but we young ones can tend to be more timid. :)

I'm not sure why this lady looks so unhappy. Your hair looks fab!

Loving the contrast from the plaid jacket to the hair...

Last but certainly not least!

And to close up this quasi-random post, here's another picture for any of you that have ever doubted whether or not I'm supposed to be here...

Now THAT'S deluxe view! Haha... ha..... egh. Nevermind. :)

I hope that even in the midst of all of my random sillyness, you will somehow gain more of an appreciation of what the city of Sarajevo is like!

Till next time,

Kat

A Bosnian Merry Christmas!

2009-12-24T02:28:00.004+01:00

Up to this year, all of my holiday seasons have looked like what most of yours will probably look like this year: being serenaded by Christmas music ALL the time, expressing disgust at how Walmart puts Christmas trees out earlier every year, playing Sleigh Ride by heart for multiple Christmas concerts (for all you musicians), promising yourself you'll never wait till the last second to buy gifts again, and enjoying more than enough egg nog, pumpkin bread, fudge, pumpkin spice lattes, and gingerbread cookies to last me for the rest of the year. Yumm.

It probably goes without saying that this Christmas is VASTLY different than any I’ve had before! Not only is this Christmas being spent away from family, it is being spent in a city that’s 95% Muslim, which means a city that doesn’t celebrate Christmas.

(disclaimer: There is a small population of those of the orthodox faith here, but they don’t celebrate Christmas until January. More information on their customs, beliefs, etc. can be found in various references.)

Here are some tangible differences: just like all government offices, the post office will be open on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day (I’m grateful since I’m anticipating a few packages!! Woo hoo!). The only way to make anything pumpkin related is to smash and bake the pumpkin yourself. (There's also no semi-sweet chocolate chips!) There’s just ONE public place that’s been airing Christmas music: the most expensive café in town and even THEY don’t do it all the time. You CAN actually find a few places with Christmas decorations, but they are the exception, not the rule. (5 years ago, you wouldn’t have found ANYTHING!) When you see them, you feel compelled to shamelessly take awkward-look-at-me-I’m-a-foreigner pictures in the middle of supermarkets. Like… this one:

I really wish I could have also taken a picture of the look the woman gave me after I took that picture, but I was too slow with the draw. (A lot of Bosnians have this thing about hating to have their picture taken! I guess I wouldn't be happy about it either is some foreigner starting taking random pictures of me.)

You can also play the game where you pretend that all the New Years decorations are for Christmas. Like… this one!

Did you know that Happy New Year actually means Merry Christmas in English? At least, I'm pretty sure it does.

And of course, the weather is vastly different. While I had gotten used to checking for school closings at the first sign of one measly snowflake, it snowed 8 days straight here with 8 inches falling on just the first night! You can get a taste of that from my picture below. This was in Budapest last weekend.

I'd like to point out the weather was -16 (F) by the time we got back to the hostel. We were troopers! J

I wasn’t sure how this Christmas season was going to be for me. I’ve heard horror stories from others living overseas at how hard it is during the holidays. I knew I was going to miss my family and friends- but how bad was it going to be?

To answer your question, yes, of course, I miss my family and friends, and I anticipate missing them even more over the next few days. I miss being surrounded by the Christmas atmosphere. (Part of the reason we chose to go specifically to Budapest was because they celebrate Christmas) I also specifically have missed being a part of a Christmas concert- whether that be conducting or performing.

But, even with all of that, I’m thankful to be spending my Christmas here in Sarajevo! I have some major hesitations in writing that statement because I don’t want to minimize how much I miss my family. But really, I've already learned so much from celebrating here and am grateful to be here (and grateful for Skype!)! Here the biggest changes/observations from me:

1. Making a conscious choice to celebrate Christmas, instead of doing it just because you are supposed to and are surrounded by it, carries incredible significance.

2. All of a sudden, I’m not celebrating Jesus’ birth because its Christmas time. I’m celebrating Christmas because now is specifically a time to celebrate Jesus’ birth. (Even though, really, we could do this all year!)

3. Seeing the lack of understanding about Christmas has been yet another encouragement to live a life of intentionality.

4. Christmas carols I've heard a million times have taken new meaning as I intentionally focus and reflect on the words. Who knew things I've sang since elementary school had so much depth???

O Holy Night and O Come All Ye Faithful have become my new favorite Christmas carols: the former because it beautifully tells the impact of Jesus' birth and the latter because it tells us what we should be actively doing during this season.

I'll post a FEW verses from each that have been particularly meaningful to me. I'd encourage you to read the words without trying to sing along- at least the first time!

O Holy Night

Long lay the world in sin and error pining.

Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.

A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,

for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn...

The King of kings lay thus in lowly manger;

In all our trials born to be our friend.

He knows our need, to our weakness is no stranger.

Chains shall He break, for the slave is our brother.

And in his name all oppression shall cease.

Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,

With all our hearts we praise HIs holy name.

(check out this fantastic blog for more background on this and other carols: http://wildwoodmark.wordpress.com/)

O Come All Ye Faithful

O come, let us adore Him,

Christ the Lord.

Sretan Božić!!! (Merry Christmas!)

Visa Application

2009-12-13T23:47:00.006+01:00

This picture is my attempt to give an excuse for my blogging absence over the past few weeks. Now that all the paperwork for my visa is ready (woo hoo!), I hope to post more thoughts to blogging world shortly! Till then, I'm leaving you with a fantastic quote I stumbled upon:

We do NOT need the grace of God to withstand crises- human nature

and pride are sufficient for us to face the stress and strain magnificently.

But it DOES require the supernatural grace of God to

live twenty-four hours of every day as a saint,

going through drudgery, and living an ordinary, unnoticed,

and ignored existence as a disciple of Jesus.

It is ingrained in us that we have to do exceptional things for God-

but we do not.

We have to be exceptional in the ordinary things of life,

and holy on the ordinary streets,

among ordinary people- and this is not learned in five minutes."

-Oswald Chambers "My Utmost for His Highest" -Oct 21 entry

By the way, if you don't have this book, GET IT!!! Right now, for under $5!!! Go, Go, Go!

Merry Christmas!

Kat

Giving Thanks in Sarajevo

2009-11-27T23:12:00.009+01:00

I definitely couldn't let Thanksgiving pass without a blog post. My first thanksgiving overseas definitely included a fair share of "cultural" moments! In an attempt to help you visualize what it was all like, I've put it all in a timeline with LOTS of pictures. Enjoy. :)

Tuesday, November 25th: Your job? Buy groceries so you can make green bean casserole and deviled eggs. Easy, right? Well.. except you find out that there aren't any canned green beans..soo.... now we're up for Broccoli and Cheddar casserole! Wait.. but there's no cheddar. Okay... We'll do a random broccoli and carrot with white cheese casserole. Start feeling a bit cranky after running all all around town looking for ingredients, feel convicted about it after watching THIS!!!!!! at ESL that night.

Later Tuesday, November 24th: After going out for coffee with a people from the ESL class, you come home to find your water has been turned off. Start obsessing on whether or not there are any bills you didn't pay, and wonder how it will be turned on when all the businesses are closed tomorrow??? Thank the Lord for both bottled water and minty gum, and think through how to handle tomorrow's adventures in trying to get it turned back on.

Wednesday, November 25th-Bosnia and Hercegovina's Independence Day. Wake up early, have your needed coffee intake, regret not taking a shower Monday night (eww...), COAT on the deodorant, and study new Bosnian phrases to communicate with your building manager about the water. Talk with the building manager and find out you're an idiot because all of Grbavica (your neighborhood) is without water. But still take a moment to have a mental party that you were able to communicate with the landlady. Buy a few huge bottles of bottled water to last you. Get the realization that people lived in this city, specifically in YOUR apartment, for 3 years during the war without running water OR electricity (except for brief glimpses of it). Running water just turned into something else for you to give thanks for. The water comes on later that afternoon.

Thursday Morning, November 26th: Big decision time. Do you go to the gym for a needed pre-thanksgiving workout? Or is it ANOTHER trip to the post office to see if the package your dad sent has finally arrived? You go to the post office. You find that it indeed HAS ARRIVED and freak out! In it contains your new camera, instant food mixes, chai tea, jeans, and measuring cups! Among other things, you tell the post office worker "I'm excited! My father sent this to me!" a few times and once again have a mental party for remembering the words for it. Realize 10 minutes later that you were actually saying "I'm looking! My father sent this! I'm looking!" instead. Oops. No wonder they looked so confused. Egh. Who cares? The care package arrived! Next challenge? Figure out the best way to transport the very hot and very much need-to-be-flat casserole among packed bus rides and long walks across town.

Thursday Afternoon, November 26th: Spend Thanksgiving lunch/afternoon at the Eberle's homey apartment. Great food and great fellowship! Enjoy the fact that EVERYTHING is from scratch- including the pumpkin pie and pumpkin cheesecake! Yum!

You walk home feeling grateful for such great people and a great Thanksgiving meal, but you also start to miss your family more. 1 Thess 5:17-18 comes to your mind: "Pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks..." You start naming off things you are thankful for and decide to write down a list when you get home. This is what you end up with...

You head to a friend's apartment to play a few games before heading back to skype with the fam later that night.

Friday, November 27th: Wake up early to the sound of a city full of gun shots, fireworks, and a few shrieking animals. Forget black Friday, you'll call it Red Friday! Its Kurban Bayram, the Muslim holiday where you sacrifice an animal (here its usually a lamb). Praise the Lord Jesus for being the sacrificial lamb that takes away the sins of the world. Jump out of bed to take a few pictures...

The pijacas, usually packed with fruit vendors, are almost completely bare except for the many flower vendors...

Look! A marching band! Well.. sorta....

You get closer to get a better picture (and give the trumpet player a few coins). The baritone player on the far left reminds you of a baritone player you had in one of your bands...

Start feeling sick to your stomach after walking around a few more minutes and head back to your apartment to rest and get recharged. Get an overwhelming urge to pray over the city and head to the best lookout you know.

Meet a few beautiful, friendly, and English speaking young Turkish women... (who don't speak Bosnian, by the way...)

Ask them to take a picture of you too! Play with the effects later...

Decide to have lunch together, but only after they take time to do their prayers at the mosque...

Enjoy some burek, zeljanica, or krompirusa at a local buregdzinica.

Exchange contact info and plan on getting together again soon. Take more pictures around town...

Finish the day skyping with an old friend!

(Kristen, please don't hate me for posting this! haha!)

You finish the week off feeling spiritually and physically drained, but at the same time overwhelmingly grateful to have the opportunity to be doing what you are doing and for having the support that you have.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!!!

"Falling" Into Change

2009-11-15T21:12:00.010+01:00

Whew. What a couple of weeks! More language study, more culture immersion, more challenges, and more and more rewards!

Before getting too far, I'm going to give further proof that I have the cutest nephews and niece in the entire world. Don't kid yourself in trying to argue because you can't win.

(Don't you just want to hug them? I for one think they should wear their Halloween costumes all the time...)

Alright, now that I've gotten that out of my system, on to this week's post!

I've had a few people ask me how I've changed since being here, and I thought it would be a great question to address for this blog. I don't know if I've really changed that much (its only been 7 weeks!), but I know a few of my normal activities have. So... without further ado, to this week's post:

Changes in the (chilly) air....

My homemade tortilla tribute to balloon boy...

Yumm for cheap market fresh vegetables!!!

Cooking Can Be.. Fun??? Gasp!!! Lets be honest. I always counted cooking as a waste of time. I was fine with eating the same thing every day as long as it was healthy, fast, and cheap. If it required more than 3 steps, I'd just go to a restaurant. Due to a combination of reasons (no instant mixes, cheap fast food = unhealthy food, wanting to learn how to practice hospitality..), I'm cooking a LOT more and actually enjoying it? Who saw that coming?

Sleep is Important... Who Knew? For the first time since high school, I'm averaging 7-8 hours of sleep a night. It didn't take me long to figure out that language learning was futile on less than that! I must say, it amazes me at how much different I feel (and even look) now as opposed to when I was averaging less than that.

TV Choice Watching TV is a GREAT way to learn the language! It is so useful, in fact, that it is covered in my monthly business expense reports. One thing that you might find amusing is WHAT I'm spending my time watching.... I've found the most productive things for me to watch right now are soap operas (they are VERY expressive and tend to talk slower) and kid's shows (smaller words). Someone grab the bon bons.

Appreciating the Little Things... My forced slower pace of life has helped me to better appreciate the small things, and I'm growing more and more convinced this is the biblical way to live your life. I walk slower, take in the sights and smells (when I'm not surrounded by cigarette smoke), have never been more appreciative of sunny days, and love those days in which I have no set plans!

Bigger Belief in the Power of Prayer...To be completely honest (maybe too honest?!?), as someone who believes strongly in the sovereignty of God and His concern and involvement over big and small things, I've never fully understood prayer. Why pray if God already has a pre-ordained plan anyway? Is it mostly to put your perspective in the correct place? I always knew it made a difference, and that it somehow made an impact, but I rarely knew how or rarely could point to specific ways in which I was CONVINCED it made a difference. Here, that is VERY different. I feel an almost constant dependance on prayer, have FELT when people are praying for me, and have seen incredible answers to prayer that would otherwise be unexplainable. This had made me pray more often, more specifically, more personally/specific, and with bigger requests.

Fluctuating Dress Code.... I guess I'll be honest about this one too. In the states, I didn't really care what was "in." (that won't shock anyone!) I wore what was inexpensive, comfortable, and what I liked! If it didn't fit those three requirements, I didn't wear it. Well... here.. because I want to stick out less as a foreigner, I've been more sensitive to what is most popular. In addition to constantly wearing a dressier black coat, I also occasionally sport the skinny jeans + black boots on the outside thing. ( I know, I know...) One thing I won't adhere to? The whole "wear heels all the time thing." I really don't know how they do it- even on the snow and ice?!?

Adhering to a Sabbath... Honestly (again, maybe too honest?), before coming here, I had always treated the Sabbath as something else I was supposed to "do" but rarely did. It became the forgotten commandment. I DEFINITELY don't see it that way here- the sabbath is something that I desperately need. It's a day (yes, an entire day, and rarely Sunday for me) that is devoted to resting spiritually, emotionally, culturally, and physically. And in case you were wondering, it is not because I have more time on my hands! Even on the weeks where I fall behind on my language learning and other responsibilities (such as this week), it remains a top priority because I know it is so needed. In Mark 2:27, Jesus said that "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath." My goal is that no matter how crazy busy my life becomes, I will always remember to have a day for remembering the Sabbath and the need I have for it.

I'm sure there are other ways, but that should give you a pretty good idea on some basic ways in which my normal behaviors/mindset have changed since being here. Maybe next time I'll mention a few things that HAVEN'T changed. (And for all you faithful blog checkers out there, let me know if YOU have an idea for a post I can write about!)

Thanks for continuing to check in. Till next time-

Kat

A Month Come and Gone!!

2009-10-25T20:29:00.007+01:00

If you can believe it, I have officially lived in Sarajevo for a month. The transition has been smoother than I was expecting, no doubt due in part to all the support I've had at home and abroad. So, THANK YOU for all your prayers, support and encouragement!

In light of the one month anniversary, I'm resorting to my standard bullet points to help organize my thoughts and this post.

First off, some announcements:

WEEKLY POSTS? HAH!!! I'm taking the pressure off of myself to update this blog on consistent weekly basis. Depending on the week, here are my reasons:

I have too many things to write about and can't pick one.
I can't formulate even ONE clear thought or story to write on.
I don't have time to make a thoughtful post and want to make sure I only post well-thought and edited posts.

I still plan to update it on a regular basis, but it will better without me feeling like I have to have it done at a specific time every week. I really enjoy using this as an outlet and communication device.

CAMERA CASUALITY! During a recent excursion through Bascarjia, my camera went for a dive that even my Kat-like reflexes couldn't prevent. BUT- I'm excited to let you know that Woodmen of the World Life Insurance had already decided to send me a GENEROUS care package of whatever I wanted. So..... guess what I'll be using it for?? :) In the meantime, I'll be taking advantage of the pictures I had taken previously and ones I find on the internet.

Without further ado... a month's worth of reflections and randomness!!

BAKERY AWESOMENESS!!!! It will be a feat in itself if I make through this year without gaining the "freshman 15." In a 5 minute walk, I can pick up a freshly baked loaf of bread from scratch for the equivalent of 60 cents. I'm sorry to say that my beloved Panera has nothin' on these bread-making fool's.

SIMPLE PLEASURES ARE THE BEST!!! Here are the things I have been the MOST excited about in the last month: being given index cards (you can't find them here), finding a few ziplock baggies (also not found here), replacing rain-soaked jeans with comfy fleece pajama pants, seeing my one of my nephews (Nolan) walk for the first time through Skype, hearing a sermon all in English (thank you Lord for podcasts), and successfully navigating myself in taxi rides (this would include knowing when they try the LONG way).

THE MIS-USE OF THE WORD "NEED"! Okay, I'm not living in Africa or anything, but there are a few things that I don't have and would have felt lost without in the states: a dryer, PAM, a microwave, toaster, Walmart, instant mixes of anything, measuring cups in.. cups (not liters, grams, etc), and a car. It really hasn't been that big of a deal, although I would love to find some of those measuring cups. :)

FITTING IN? I know the chances of me getting to where I can fit in are slim (especially when I need to open my mouth), but I have found some clues to not get me stared at as a foreigner when walking on the street: wear dark colors, NO open toed shoes, walk slowly, and dress up.

TIRED!!! Apparently adjusting to a new culture is exhausting, even when you do a good job of resting. Your brain is constantly at work digesting the language and culture, not to mention the spiritual pressure of constantly being on guard amongst such a dry culture. I've been especially tired the last few days and have taken a few hours to "veg out" on episodes of 24 to give my brain a rest!

LAUGHTER IS THE BEST MEDICINE! I'm finding the ability to laugh at myself is one of my most important qualities here, especially amongst my various cooking mishaps and during my adventures out practicing my "Bonglish" (Bosnian-English).

APPARENTLY I KNOW... UHH... NOTHING. I've found this to be true on multiple levels: teaching English grammer to an advanced English language student (past present continuos? past perfect continues? Huh??), cooking (I've always depended on instant stuff and whatever was the fastest...), spending time with other various colleagues that live here, and trying to understand even a taste of what these people have gone through during their lifetimes.

ABOUT THAT LANGUAGE THING... It doesn't take a genius to learn a new language. It takes time, perseverance, patience, motivation, and practice (all of which I hope I have an increasing amount of in the next year and covet your prayers regarding...). Yes, some find it easier than others, some learn a lot quicker than others, and some are able to grasp it at a higher level than others who work just as hard, but what I previously thought as being crazy hard ends up just requiring a LOT of elbow grease and commitment.

WORLD AWARENESS. While living in the states, it can be very easy to ignore the needs of the rest of the world, even if you don't mean to. I wish more energy was spent on world news than just filling up time with random local stories and celebrity gossip. I have been shocked at how much more plugged into world affairs I am now without even trying to be. I recently found a cnn website that is trying to help with this: http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2007/impact/

THE TRAGIC BEAUTY. As I've been struck by the overlooked beauty of this culture (see previous post), my heart has also been increasingly burdened by the spiritual needs of this city. My prayer is that God would make known his GREAT desire to bring reconciliation and redemption through Jesus to all the people here, and that He would show me how He wants me to play a part in what He's already at work doing. "For the Lord is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting,and His faithfulness to all generations." Psalm 100:5

In Closing....

Just as I don't know what the future holds, I don't have any idea what direction this blog will go! I look forward to continuing to share my experiences with you all and LOVE hearing your feedback. Please let me know if there is anything you would like to hear my experiences on or impressions of, or really anything else. I can't thank you for all the support throughout this process!

Tidbits of a Beautiful City and a Few Shots of a Great Apartment!

2009-10-11T22:43:00.012+02:00

2 days after posting this, I found a link that describes more of Bosnia's overlooked beauty. Take a gander if you are interested: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32789005/ns/travel-destinations//

Now to the original post!

-------------------------------------------

Okay, before we get to the post, I want you to do me a favor. Will you do that for me? No, really! I want you to take a personal quiz (yes, forgive me, for the teacher in me is coming out). Tell me 5 positives that you know about the country of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Seriously. Take a moment and think about it... Okay.. don't know 5? That's okay. How about.... 3? 1???

As I've reflected on what to write about this week, one of the things that has troubled me is the small amount of information that people know about Sarajevo! I can't even begin to tell you how many times I've heard "Is it safe? Are you scared? What about those land mines?!?" While I appreciate everyone's concerns (I really, really do!), it has troubled me to think about how little people know about what this city is like NOW.

Let me ask you something. The last pictures you saw of Sarajevo, were they pictures from the festive 84 Olympics? Or maybe some pictures of beautiful downtown Bascarsija, where it is like stepping back into the 1500's? Of Sarajevo's beautiful parks? Pictures of people, displaying its beautiful cultural diversity? Probably not. If my assumptions are correct, they are of burning buildings from the war that ravaged the city over 15 years ago. While the war has left a huge imprint here, there is much more to this city and to this country! I hope that this blog will be, among other things, a good reflection of the beauty of this city

and the people in it.

Okay, now to the pictures. The first picture was taken from the balcony on my apartment (yeah.. I know! Pretty sweet that I get to wake up to that every day, huh?! More on that later.) The second picture is taken from the streets in the middle of downtown Sarajevo, in the midst of the walking street. Everyday this street fills up with people walking arm in arm, talking, shopping, and looking for their favorite coffee shop or ice cream place. The best is on the weekends when they are filled with some very unique vendors. (I'll try to capture some of them by photos for a later post!).

This picture is a shot of Vilsonove Setaliste, aka "Wilsons Walk." President Wilson helped orchestrate this and it is named after him. Every weekday at 5:30 P.M. and all day every weekend, this street, located directly next to the Miljacka River, closes down for strollers, runners, rollerbladers, bikers, etc. I LOVE having a comfortable, beautiful, and popular place to go running in the evenings. I'm actually eyeing Sarajevo's fall 2010 marathon if I can find some female Bosnian running mates to run it with me (and if my knees can hold up)! Running can be such a great way to get to know people and it takes too much time to train for a marathon on your own!

This is a picture of my apartment building. If you look really close, you MIGHT be able to find where I live.....

I thought all you Sooners out there would appreciate me representin' in Sarajevo. And for all you haters out there, no, this isn't on my balcony all the time (But it did happen to be out on GAMEDAY! ha!). I actually had to clean it. Apparently it wasn't the brightest idea to ship over liquid versions of Dayquil and Nyquil... not sure what I was thinking there! Lesson learned!

I got a GREAT deal on my apartment. It was a total God thing. Not only do I have more space than I imagined having here, it is more space than I ever had on my own in the states! And, its far underneath my budget! Even though I'm only paying for a one bedroom, I have the space of a 2 bedroom, without the second bedroom (my landlord, who is a Bosnian living in Canada, keeps the other bedroom door locked so she can keep some of her stuff here). I love the views from the windows, the space, and the location: a 3 minute walk from Wilson's Walk, a lot of young people live in this area, and it is much quieter than living in downtown. It is fully furnished, and I am currently in the process of decorating and making it feel more home-y!

Some of you may think I'm weird for this, but I would rather deal with a squatty potty than a weak shower. I know this is a bit of a selfish request, but as I was praying about where to go, I specifically prayed that for wherever it is and whatever I was doing, I would be able to have a shower with great water pressure! (pray for all types of requests, right?) Guess what? My prayers were answered! Its great, and, if my previous experiences in the city are correct, a LOT of apartments in this area have weak showers! So, praise the Lord for that!

Here is a view of my living room with my office to the left. You can also see the balcony with my jeans drying off after I got caught in the rain on a long walk! I love all the space and all the great windows! The random pink post it notes are vocab words as I'm trying to learn language.

In this picture, my kitchen is behind me, and you can see my dining room and office. I can't even tell you how thankful I am to be living in this apartment- the space, the windows, the shower, the neighborhood, and all under my budget! Woo hoo! Praise the Lord!

This is me, on my balcony, inviting you to be my first coffee date. There will be a prize for whoever makes it over here first! I might even make Turkish coffee for you, if that's your style. :)

As I'm sure you can imagine, this is only the tip of the iceberg. I'm trying to NOT make this the longest post ever, so I'll wait to post more pictures later! I also hope to have a lot of pictures posted on facebook very soon.

As always, I can't thank you enough for all your prayers, support, encouragement, and every other way that you, in your own way, are playing a vital part in this. PLEASE let me know if you have some ideas on posts for this blog! It is always a work in progress (just like me), and I am always trying to figure out the best use for this!

Till next time- Kat

The First Week's Impressions!

2009-10-01T20:15:00.028+02:00

Hello all!!! Thanks for continuing to check in! I've been looking forward to updating this blog this week!

This post is a collection of some random thoughts I've had after spending a week in Bosnia. There are more, but I've tried to condense. Hope you enjoy. :)

- I went apartment hunting this week. Have you ever wondered where those avocado green and peach colored furniture and appliances went after their hayday in the U.S.? Well, in this excursion, I got to find out. (By the way, I hope to have pictures of my apartment in the next post!)

- Immersing yourself in a different culture is an extremely humbling event. Even though all my limbs and mental capacity are working strong (at least I think they are), I act and have to be treated like a child. I read no faster than a 1st grader sounding out all the letters, I have to be taught how to run a dishwasher (its different here), and I can't have anything close to a resemblance of an intellectual conversation! Plus, the fact that I'm a hot-shot coed softball player (or anything else you want to be proud of) doesn't matter- I'm just a foreigner who can't tell the difference between flour and sugar at the supermarket!

- Surprising to me, I feel more connected to the world now than before I moved here. Because I'm spending so much time learning the language, I'm spending a lot of time with my computer language software. When I need a mental break, I check my email, cnn, facebook, twitter, and other websites (usually in that order).

- I have a theory on why Europeans supposedly don't shower as often as those in the US. The showers here aren't nearly as refreshing as in the states... The water pressure is WEAK and the water is HARD. And, in case you were wondering, the two don't balance each other out!

- This would be a lot harder if I weren't joining a team here. Their help in finding an apartment, getting my white card (equivalent to a green card in the states), fighting off the urge to do too much at the beginning, and getting situated to the city has been invaluable. It makes me very appreciative of them and even more respectful of those that have moved to places not knowing anyone!

-There is a fascination here for red hair- you wouldn't believe all the different shades of red hair color I've seen (I have yet to see another natural redhead...) If it wasn't so incredibly obvious to other people that I'm a foreigner, I would probably enjoy this more. :)

- There's only been one time that I've felt overwhelmed, and that is when I was reflecting on how much support I have at home. To all my friends, supporters, family members, and others that have played a role in this, know that I am incredibly grateful for each of you and pray that you know your vital part in this.

- Last night, I had the privilege to watch a Bosnian accept Jesus as her Lord and Savior (this, my blogging friend, sadly, has not been a common event!!). First off, I was struck by how much this person was giving up in order to make this decision. All of her family and the majority of her friends are Muslim or staunchly non-religious. While she doesn't have to face the pressures others face in parts of the world (MANY Christians lives become immediately in danger), she made the decision knowing full well that there WILL be ramifications from her friends and family. She counted the cost, had a time of decision making, and then decided that Jesus was TRUE and worth it. As someone who became a Christian in bible belt of the US, where it is basically weird to NOT be a Christian, I have nothing to compare this to, and I fear that the normalcy of these decisions has caused a bit of apathy in the states. Often times we don't grasp how BIG of a decision this is- with what you give up, the change of life it leads you to live, and what you get in return.

Which led me to my second reaction: thinking about some of the incredible rewards that she inherited: freedom from slavery, inexplainable peace, complete forgiveness, an invitation to an intimate friendship/ relationship with the maker of the universe, untamed power at work inside of her, the ability to have joy in all circumanstances, and eternal life. May we (me especially), never forget what we've been saved from and what we've been saved to!

"Stagnant faith comes from knowing what you've been saved from, but not knowing what you've been saved to." Matt Chandler

Much, much more to come! Till next time...

-Kat

HELLOOO BOSNIA!!!

2009-09-25T18:28:00.007+02:00

Hello all!!!

After GREAT extended layovers in Washington D.C. (I spent about 24 hours there) and Vienna (a 9 hour layover), I have officially landed in Bosnia! My next few days will be spent resting, getting adjusted to the time change (8 hours), and getting situated and moved into the city. After I get adjusted and can focus some mental energy on it, I'll start focusing on language learning. My next post should have more interesting thoughts on it, I just don't feel too coherent just yet. I just wanted to let everyone know that I made it!

Thanks so much for continuing to check out this blog!!!

Till next time,

-Kat

A MUST READ STORY: BECOMING DEBT FREE!!!

2009-07-03T05:32:00.016+02:00

"And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul: and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own; but all things were common property to them." Acts 4:32-36

While I usually try to have some sort of witty opening story, quote, or something else I try to gain people's attention, I can't for this one. I'm too overwhelmed with gratitude, thankfulness, and excitement. Besides that, I don't think the story below needs any sort of embellishment anyway!

While I haven't made this very public, one of my main hesitations about serving overseas was my still-present school loans. I was aggressively paying these off until I started paying for seminary last summer. Because of that, MY PLAN of getting out of debt by this June seemed VERY dim. Impossible, really, unless there was a drastic change in my income and/or living expenses and/or education costs.

While this could have caused a dilemma for me, I strongly felt the Lord leading me to move overseas this fall. There was no denying it. I continued to move towards this goal and continued praying that my debt would somehow disappear before I left. I never started ignoring the debt- I just put it in the God's hands on whether or not it would be gone by this fall or not. This had been a prayer request of mine for almost 3 years now.

A friend of mine from college, currently a school teacher, asked me to have dinner last Monday night. What she said put me in a state of shock. She said that ever since we had a conversation about me possibly delaying my departure date due to school debt, she's been putting aside $500 a month to help me in this specific purpose! She did so for 20 months!!! (Quick.... do the math!!!) With her $10,000 gift, it is EXACTLY what I need to be completely debt free before I leave this fall!!! Praise the Lord for His incredible faithfulness in answering that specific prayer! I'm so thankful for her for being so generous and obedient to the Lord leading her to give!

What may have been the most shocking of this entire presentation was the graceful attitude that she gave it to me in. Psalm 37:21 reads that "The wicked borrows and does not pay back, but the righteous is gracious and gives. " It was a combination of "you really don't have to thank me," "its been fun for me to put it aside each month," and "I'm glad to do it." While I struggle to find any way to thank her, I have no doubt that the Lord has already been blessing her abundantly for doing so.

Even as I write about how excited I am that God answered this specific prayer (I've been on cloud nine since Monday), it brings up in me some huge theological issues that I can't help but address, especially since they are so prevalent in our culture... Do I believe that God ALWAYS hears our prayers? Absolutely! Do I believe that God always answers them the way we want Him to? No! It seems to me that God usually comes back with one of 3 answers- Yes, no, and wait. At times we (including me! egh!) can put God in a waitress-ing role- asking Him what we want and expecting it to be brought the way and when we want it to be brought.

I'll try to not go off on too much of a tangent here (I really wasn't planning too), but I think any teaching that says anything similar to "If you pray hard enough and believe, your prayers will definitely be answered" are NOT biblical and are extremely damaging to the church. Its the whole, "Just claim it and it will be yours!" philosophy. How many faithful families have prayed for healing of a loved one that ended up passing away? Even David, the one described as being after God's own heart, lost a son after praying faithfully and selflessly for God to heal him (2 Sam 12). There are more things to prayer than just faith, with not the least of those being the GRACE of God to give gifts to his undeserving children! When we start feeling like we deserve the things we're praying for because of OUR faith (when God tell us that he's the one that gives us the faith in the first place), that puts US in charge instead of the One giving the gifts. (If you disagree with me on this issue, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Okay. Whew. Now that I'm back from my tangent, let me say once again how incredibly excited and overwhelmed I am about how God answered this prayer with a resounding yes!!! It was totally the Lord's grace and provision that this came out. It definitely encourages me to more often pray for bigger things- for God to move mountains with my "mustard seeds" of faith. I pray that we will never forget that "nothing will be impossible with God." (Luke 1:27)

Till next time....

-Kat

Bye-Bye Band Director World!!!

2009-05-31T07:10:00.012+02:00

"For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it." Luke 8:23

It always amazes me how we can vividly remember the most random things. For example, I remember when my brother and his baseball team got in a swimming pool fight after a kid picked on 6 year old me. I remember badly scrapping my leg as a child and thinking it was better to bleed to death than to be taken care of by the crazy neighborhood lady that "saved" me. I distinctly remember hitting my first legitimate over the fence homerun and the 2 month slump that followed it. I also remember a pseudo "random" statement that was made to me my college pastor: If you love at least 80% of your job, you are one of the few lucky people that truly love their job!

There are many things I love about teaching and about teaching middle school students specifically. I love that it is one of the only times in my life that I am the least awkward person in the room. I love how impressionable and forgiving the specific age group tends to be. I love teaching the same student for 3 years and seeing them grow from the innocent "I want to please all my teachers" to the hormone charged 8th grader who's mood can be dependent on a good or bad hair day. Really, the only things I haven't liked are the insanely long hours, the annoying and persistent challenge of keeping up with the logistical stuff (inventory reports, paperwork, etc.), and the occasional conference with an upset parent who either forgets that I'm human or doesn't believe I have kid's best interest in mind. Realistically, I'm blessed to say that I have loved 95% of my job!!!

I hope and pray it is no secret why I am leaving a job and students that I love. I leave because there is something, or more accurately, SOMEONE that I love more. Someone that is MORE THAN worth giving up of financial security, job security (at least... I hope I had job security! ha!), close proximity to family, great friends, and my "rights" to personal space. I love the one who has not only given me new life, but has also taught me that He is the only one who can fully satisfy my adventurous spirit. Someone who selflessly gave up his life for me and deserves nothing less than for me to give up my life for him.

C.T. Studd once said "If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him." Sorry C.T, but I disagree with your choice of words... How can we call these things a sacrifice when we gain so much in return? Phil 3: 8: "I count ALL things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ... for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish..." Not only is Jesus the ONLY way for the eternal life, he is also the only way to live life to the fullest here on this earth. John 10:11 reads, "I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly..." Psalm 16:11 "In thy presence is fullness of joy..."

I feel strongly that God has lead me to this new life stage and feel excited and blessed to continue pursuing it headfirst. While a part of me is definitely sad to say bye to my students, my student's parents, and colleagues this week, I am excited to move on to this next step in my life and pray God uses it to minister to them specifically, encouraging them to take risks (even though I think the bigger risk is to NOT follow in what God is WHATEVER God is calling you to do) and live life to the fullest with and through Him.

Thank you to all of you who have been asking where I am in the process of raising support. As of today, I have ALL of my departure expenses raised and about half of my monthly financial and prayer support. Lord willing (James 4:13-15), I am planning on departing 09/09/2009! The plan is for this summer to be filled with resting, me spending time with my family and friends, finding ways to enjoy the warm weather, continuing my seminary classes, attending awesome weddings, "dominating" coed softball games, and raising the rest of the financial and prayer support.

If you are interested in partnering with me on this ministry, I would love for you to join the team! As you can see, I am still in need of financial and prayer partners. This can come in the means of monthly support, prayer support, or a one time financial gift. If you want more information on how to partner with me on this, please email me at katmoy@gmail.com and I'd love to answer any questions you have.

Thanks for always checking in my blog! Till next time... (and I assure you the wait won't be as long as last time....haha!)

-Miss Moy

A Not-So-Surprising Announcement

2009-01-26T01:52:00.017+01:00

If you're reading this blog, chances are you are NOT going to be surprised at what this post is about! I started this blog last fall with the intention of documenting my summer trip around the world. I publicized the trip as being a humanitarian aid trip. While the Lord allowed me to serve those living and serving in the various areas, the MAIN purpose of the trip was for me to seek out places that God may have me live and serve on a longer time period. This is why I traveled from the very laid back atmosphere of Eastern Europe to the high energy, efficient Asia and various other places in between. I wanted to see where I would fit in the best. Out of all the places that I've EVER visited, I've never felt my heart stir like it did while I was in Sarajevo, Bosnia. While I haven't submitted my official resignation yet to my school, I'm hoping and planning to move to Sarajevo, Bosnia this summer to serve the people there.

So.... to help you navigate through what will probably be a massively long post, here are the FAQ's:

1. What lead you to the point of going into moving overseas?

After becoming a Christian my senior year in high school, I first caught the service "bug" my sophomore year in college. This is when I heard for the first time that there are massive amounts of people in the world that have never even heard the gospel. It shocked me that some places had less than a .01% Christian population when I was so used to be surrounded by it here! In the following summers, I went to Marseilles, France to pass out bibles and other materials to those passing through the North African ports (Summer 2003), La Paz, Bolivia to teach music and athletics at a summer camp (Summer 2004), and various other countries last summer (2008). Each time, the verse "the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few" began to make more and more sense to me. There are millions of people that had never heard the name of Christ and I desired to somehow be a part of serving them.

2. How did you go about choosing Sarajevo, Bosnia?

Dude. All I can say is that its totally God. I didn't choose it- He did. It wasn't even on my radar. I spent much of last summer ministering and surveying the areas in Montenegro in areas that are an overnight bus ride away from Sarajevo. When I had just a few days left in Montenegro and nothing specific on the calendar, I decided very last minute to travel over to Sarajevo basically to see the sights! What happened while I was there shocked me- the Lord gave me an interest and burning compassion for the people and their culture that I had not had in any place before.

3. What made you finally make the decision to go?

If you had read my blog over the last few months, you are probably aware that I was wavering back and forth over whether or not I was going to pursue this. I wasn't able to distinguish if this was the Lord's will or not for my life. To be honest, I was growing really frustrated by it all. One day I was convinced I was going and the next day I was confused again. When I finally had some time to rest over Christmas break, God finally brought me to my breaking point. Was I really willing to lay ALL my desires at his feet and follow him WHEREVER He lead me and do WHATEVER He asked me to do?

Up to that point, the answer was NO. There were still some non-negotiables that I was holding on to. For ONE specific example, I did NOT want to give up being a full time teacher (Man. I love those crazy middle school students!). The conviction came when I read 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 " For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for ALL, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised." By not putting ALL my desires in His hands, I was living for myself. How can I hold back for the One who has not held ANYTHING back from me? It was only after reaching a place of complete submission and placing EVERYTHING in His hands that the direction clearly came. And, man, did it come. From that point, there hasn't been a doubt in my mind that this is what the Lord wants me to pursue right now.

4. What can you tell me about Sarajevo, Bosnia and Hercegovina?

First of all, I am no expert on the situation. I'm trying to read up to learn more about it and would love any insight any of you have. Here's what I understand to be true. Sarajevo has always been a central place in history, even though it hasn't always been positive! Just a few examples: Franz Fernidand was assassinated on a street corner in Sarajevo (remember that from your history classes?) and this basically started WWI. On a more positive note- Sarajevo served as the sight of the 1984 Winter Olympics. Probably what lies the most in people's minds is what happened in the past 20 years. Bosnia used to be included in the country of Yugoslavia, which now no longer exists. Yugoslavia split up into Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia, and Montenegro. In the fight for land and naming rights, a brutal civil war broke out in the 1990's. Sarajevo became a central location for the fighting- the Serb forces ended up surrounding Sarajevo and killing normal CITIZENS of the city during normal trips to the bread store, clothes, etc. People had to live underground and in complete fear for years. All in all, 11,000 citizens were killed and the Islamic community was targeted the most.

The statistics now? There are still remnants of the war physically, mentally, and emotionally all around the city. The dominant religion is Islam and biblical Christianity is almost unknown in almost all of Bosnia proper. It is a very strategic place for Christian missions and humanitarian aid workers.

5. How long are you planning to be gone?

I'm officially planning on committing to two years of ministry there with the possibility of staying longer. I'm leaving it open to what God wants me to do afterwards.

6. Will you have a job while you are there?

Yes and no... The unemployment in Sarajevo hovers around 45%, and it is strongly looked down upon when a foreigner takes a job. While I won't have an official bring-home-the-bacon sort of job like I have had in the states, I will be spending my time serving the people. To pay for all of of the living and ministry costs, I'm currently looking for people that are interested in partnering in this ministry either prayerfully and/or financially as the Lord leads them to do so. I believe strongly that while not every Christian is led to physically serve overseas, all believers are to be involved somehow in overseas missions. This can include praying, or giving financially. Psalm 96:3: "Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among ALL the peoples!"

7. So, why exactly are you going?

After the challenging semester of seeking the Lord direction, I can say with confidence that the only reason I'm earnestly pursuing going is because I feel that God wants me to do so. Its not because I don't like my job and want to move on to something "greater." (I know that teaching is a ministry in itself!) Its not for an adventure or to cross something off a "bucket list." Going back to 2 Corinthians 5:14-15: "for the love of Christ compels us." I love Jesus and all that He's done for me. Its for Him that I go, taking with me the hope that He would use me to glorify Himself amongst the Bosnian people.

8. So..... what now?

For now, I'm going to continue to love my middle school students (I plan on telling them these plans this week), hang out with my family (1 niece and two nephews now...whoa...), take classes at seminary (DTS), serve in my local church, sleep past 9 on Saturdays, hit a few softballs when the season starts, and raise financial and prayer support. Its busy, busy, but I'm grateful to be doing things that I love!!!

I'll be using this blog periodically throughout this semester and summer with various updates, random thoughts, adorable pictures of my niece and nephews, and whatever else comes up along the way! Thanks for checking in!

Till next time,

-Kat

Smoker voices, new mattresses, boomer sooner, and YOUR HELP

2008-09-21T02:49:00.020+02:00

In my last blog, I wrote "I am planning on continuing this blog past this post. So... if you feel so inclined, please continue to check it out!" Well, that was nearly two complete MONTHS ago. OUCH. I do want to apologize for my delay! Since being back from my trip, I have done a masterful job of overcommitting myself. Which has not only limited my blogging time, it also encouraged a lack of rest and a truckload of incomplete thoughts, none of which I felt were coherent enough to post on this blog!

So, where am I now? Still harboring some incomplete thoughts, but with more time on my hands after cutting some major commitments out of my schedule. I have also found myself without a "phone" or "coffee date friendly voice" for 4 days. Which I believe was the Lord's doing to force me to rest and spend more time talking to HIM than friends and family. I'm thankful for it, even if I have to endure the weird looks for my inconsistent, lack of volume control, man-ish smoker voice.

To bring you up to speed, I have been back from my trip for almost 2 months now. It was a GREAT trip. There were many things that blew me away: how much better fruit tastes when it doesn't contain weird contaminates, how much a culture effects the way a person thinks and behaves, that redheads really are a dying breed, that Dallas is a small town, and that the world is a much bigger and smaller place than I thought is was. I'm incredibly grateful for my trip around the world and impact it continues to have on me!

Many of you may know that one of the main purposes behind my round-the-world trip was to investigate possibilities of moving overseas long term. As of where I am now, I'm going to once again be humblingly (I know I made that word up) honest to the blogging world. As I've been praying about where the Lord would have me go (or stay) next, my heart has been focused on the things I would be leaving behind if I did move- students and a job that I absolutely love, a growing closeness with my perpetually- multiplying family (above is a picture of my niece, Karlie, during her 1st birthday party), fantastically loving and godly friends, and my dreamy new mattress. :)

Recently I have been convicted that my considerations for this big decision have been severely lacking. Is loving my job, my family, and my friends things I should consider when making a major life decision? Sure. But, should it be the focus? Of course not! Not even close! First of all, I had forgotten what an incredible honor it is to live a life wholly devoted to sharing the love of Christ with others, regardless of where your time zone or what your job is. The gospel does more good for people than any Red Cross, FEMA, Peace Corps, democracy, or military aid can ever do. It WILL (from Isaiah 61):

Bring good news to the poor
Bind up the brokenhearted
Proclaim liberty to the captives
Comfort all who mourn
Repair ruined cities and the devastations of many generations

So, what should my focus be during this decision? Should it be how my God-given gifts will be best used? Where I can actually find clothes that fit me? Who has the best ice-cream? Who will broadcast OU football games? (BOOMER SOONER!!!) No- my only focus should be on where the Lord would have me go (or stay.). My focus should be BEYOND MY PLANS AND NEEDS AND DESIRES. My focus should be on how I fit into the Lord's good, acceptable, and PERFECT will. (Romans 12) "Teach me to do your will, for you are my God! Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground!" (Psalm 143:10) May the Lord teach me to put my eyes on HIM first and my own needs second.

So... there are my incomplete thoughts right now. As always, I appreciate you checking out this blog. Till next time...

-Kat

23,161 Air Miles Later....

2008-07-23T04:24:00.010+02:00

On Sunday afternoon, I arrived back to Dallas seriously needing a hair cut, averaging 3-4 cups of coffee a day, thinking Dallas was suddenly a small city, and desiring to stay in the same time zone for a while! I'm looking forward to getting some much needed rest and talking with friends and family before the school year hits.

As usual, I’ve struggled to figure out what to write about! Where do I start? It has been one incredible trip- full of unbelievable sights, incredible people, beautiful cultures, and an overwhelming thankfulness for people like YOU who have helped to make this trip possible. While I know I probably won’t see the effect this trip has had on me for years to come, I did want to take a short moment to share one thing that has really stuck out to me the last couple of weeks. Due partly to my hangover of over 2 continual weeks of jet lag, it may not be the most well-thought blog, but it may be one of the most honest! :)

(And for those of you that are wondering, I am planning on continuing this blog past this post! So.. if you so feel inclined, please continue to check it out!)

During the past 6 weeks, I’ve been immersed in different cultural extremes: the laid-back, relationship driven Europe, the mysterious (at least to me) Arab culture, and the ever polite and friendly Asian culture. One thing that has amazed me is to see how much a person’s culture effects the way they behave, dress, think, and most importantly to me, believe. For example, the majority of the Montenegrins are Orthodox, most of Qatar is Islamic, Thailand is mostly Buddhist, and Hong Kong is a combination of Buddhist and Taoist. During much of the summer, I was in areas where the Christian population was under .01%. That's one in 10,000 for those that didn't pass 7th grade math. :)

One of the most challenging and refreshing processes I have gone through this summer has been thinking about whether I believe Jesus to be the “way, the truth, and the life” because I grew up in the buckle of the bible belt or because I truly believe He is the ONLY WAY to eternal life. Is it prideful and/or close-minded of me to think that my religion is "right" and everyone else’s is wrong? How can I be sure? Is Christianity the same as all the other religions?

Here's a pop quiz: What is the one thing that distinguishes the Christian faith from all other religions in the world? Well, besides the fabulously trendy t-shirts. The answer is GRACE. Every other major religion in the world (stop me if I'm wrong) tells us that in order to get to heaven or a better afterlife, we are to follow a set of rules and/or be a good person. The bible tells us that we are saved through the gift of God, and all we are to do to inherit eternal life is to accept that gift (Eph 2:8). It isn't based on us going to church, reading our bible, staying away from R rated movies, never dropping the F bomb, and refraining from spaghetti strapped shirts (gasp!). Its all about accepting the fact that we can't do it on our own, and believing in the ONE who can give eternal life.

While I know this may shock some of you (okay, not really), I don't have all the answers to life's difficult questions. Heck, I don't even have answers to life's most basic questions. (My ACT scores will prove this.) But one thing I do know is that there is no way that I could ever EARN my way to heaven. If heaven is a perfect paradise inhabited by a perfect and holy God, how wrong would it be to think that I, a person who sins daily, could come into that place on my own? That would be like me dousing myself with liquid food coloring for 25 years, jumping into a clear pool, and expecting the food coloring not to spread. There would have to be something that would be able to make me completely clean to not contaminate the cleanliness of the pool. That is what the gospel is all about- Christ's blood cleansing us in order that we may enter into the kingdom of God. (Not to make this sound like a southern baptist sermon, but if anyone has any questions about any of this, I would love to chat with you.)

Let's be honest here- this is not what I was planning on writing a blog about. Shouldn't I have something more "profound" to say after a trip around the world? But really, what is more profound than the simple truth of the gospel? I thank the Lord for showing me first hand the uniqueness of the gospel. I also thank him for showing me how it can not be held back by cultural, language, and geographical borders. But that's a whole other blog in itself. :)

As I mentioned before, I do plan on continuing this blog for a while, and hope to post more thoughts from the trip once I have some time to reflect more on it. Thanks for checking in once again. Enjoy your last few weeks of summer!

Till next time...

-Kat

A Diversity of Cultures

2008-07-17T03:44:00.004+02:00

Hello devoted blog watchers, thankful procrastinators, bored summer-ites, and everyone in between!

Well, I have had a very eventful few days! I definitely expected some craziness in Athens and a few “aha!” moments in Thailand, but I wasn’t expecting what happened in the middle! First things first…

My time in Athens started out pretty rough with sad goodbyes in Montenegro, delayed flights, and lost luggage (found 2 days later). But, I am thankful to report that I had a great time in Athens. I was able to meet up with another single female traveler (a specific prayer request of mine) that could stomach hanging out with me for 3 straight days. Plus, through the awesomeness of facebook, I was able to meet up with a college friend also traveling in the area. The picture above is the three of us doing what they did best at the Parthenon. Not posed at all, of course!

While I did love all the sites in Athens, I would have to say that my time in Ancient Corinth was my favorite. It lacked the tourists feel of Athens and contained more authentic Greek culture. It also got me out of the busy city and included a pretty sweet hike, which is always a plus for me. (for you facebook-ites, this is where my new profile pic comes from)

From Athens, I flew from Greece to Qatar, and Qatar to Thailand. This was an unexpected cultural experience. For those of you that don’t know where Qatar is (I didn’t), it is next to Saudi Arabia in the Arab world. Talk about being in the minority! When I checked in for my flight, I was the only caucasion and one of only 2 girls.

I’m embarrassed to admit that due to my stereotypes, I was more anxious about these 2 flights than any before it. The majority of those on the plane were dressed in traditional Muslim attire and many of the women wore full black hijabs that wouldn’t allow you to see their EYES. As I’m sure you can imagine, this part of the trip got me thinking. Is it really fair for me to be extra-anxious on this plane ride because most are wearing Islamic dress? I REALLY don’t think it is. But is there a way for me to not think those things if I'm ever in a similar situation? How is it right to judge an entire culture on the extremists? I really don't know enough about this culture. Maybe I can add that “learning more about the Arab world” to my growing list of things to do once I get back.

I will also add that out of all the airlines that I have flown on, Qatar Airways had the best customer service and facilities on the plane... just a note...

I guess I will talk more about my experiences in Asia once I arrive back on home soil. I will hopefully have more time to put together some complete thoughts then. :)

As always, thanks for all the support, interest, and encouragement!

Till next time..

-Kat

Leaving Montenegro

2008-07-06T20:47:00.012+02:00

Greetings Friends, Families, and Random bloggers!

Well, time has definitely flown by! I am sad to report that I will be leaving Montenegro tomorrow afternoon. The next 13 days will be filled with plane rides, jet lag, and different culture extremes. First, I will be landing in Athens, Greece for some days of reflection and relaxation. After that, I will be spending time in Thailand and Hong Kong. The plan is to land back in Dallas on July 20th.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in Montenegro. While I am excited to see what lies next in this unreal summer, I am sad to be leaving here. In addition to enjoying the beautiful countryside, I have had some incredibly hospitable hosts. This would include the native Montenegrins and especially the non-native workers I have met in the area. I have been humbled by their selfless dedication to make me feel at home. I hope and pray that I'll have the ability to show the same hospitality to someone else in the future.

The last 2 weeks have been filled with teaching English classes, spending time with believers and non-believers, and traveling about the area. My passport has been getting some "love" going to various cities in Montenegro, Croatia, and Bosnia. It has been an eye-opening experience to visit these areas. It is embarrassing to admit (but I guess I'm going to admit it anyway) that I was expecting this area of the world to look war-torn and deserted after the unrest the last 20 years. Well, my expectations were completely blown out of the water. I'm convinced that Croatia, Bosnia, and Montenegro contain some of the most beautiful sights and people in the world. My two favorite cities (besides Herceg Novi) would have to be Dubrovnik, Croatia (where the above picture is from) and Sarajevo, Bosnia. Both were filled with beautiful country sides and wonderful cultural and historical roots. I'm so thankful to have had the opportunity to see parts of these countries and would love to visit them again another time.

To close out my time in Montenegro, I'd like to share just a few of the cultural differences I've noticed. I thought it would best do to a comparison between the way I think and the way most Montenegrins think. So... I hope this gives you a good idea of some of the cultural differences!

Me: I should never see 60 year old men and women wearing speedo's and bikinis.

Montenegrins: You should wear as little wet material as possible when swimming. One pieces will make you sick, giving you kidney disease.

Me: If the sign says you're open from 8-5, you're going to open from 8-5.

Montenegrins: Sure, we're open from 8-5, but I want a coffee break. So, too bad, we're closed for the next 30 minutes.

Me: Its rude to tell someone they are overweight upon meeting them.

Montenegrins: What if they don't know? I'm only helping them.

Me: I need to have 10 things accomplished to have a productive day.

Montenegrins: The most productive thing I will do today is spend time talking with friends and family over coffee.

Me: Air conditioners are God's gift to mankind.

Montenegrins: Stay away!!! Air conditioners will make you sick!!!!

Me: Redheads are God's gift to mankind.

Montenegrins: Redheads are tourists. Therefore, I will stare at them continually.

Me: Walking around with wet hair during the summer feels good.

Montenegrins: Do it and your face might get paralyzed!

Me: You should walk on sidewalks and drive on streets.

Montenegrins: You should drive on sidewalks and walk on streets.

Me: When driving in a car, there should be at least 5 feet or at a guard rail between you and huge cliffs.

Montenegrins: Guardrails are for wussies, and I'll let you reverse on the cliff until you get to the spot where you'll have "at least" 2 inches from the cliff to let me pass you.

All kidding aside, I admire the Montenegrins for the priority they put on spending time with family and friends. In their culture, nothing is more important. I think us busy-body Americans (of whom I'm the worst!) have a lot to learn from them. I'll let them keep the bikini's and speedo's, but I hope I can bring their practice of making time for people back to my world in the states.

Till next time-

-Kat

The Surprising Nature of Risk Taking

2008-06-20T20:06:00.008+02:00

It has been difficult for me to figure out what to write on this blog. I think the main reason is that there are people from all of my different social “zones” that are checking it. I have close friends, acquaintances, family, colleagues, people I’ve met along the way, and even possibly some random blog surfers. What do I talk about? The embarrassing cultural moments? My new ambitions to never let the "guy speedo craze" hit America?

Well, in today's blog, I've decided to share something that I have learned along the way. This will go beyond my newfound appreciation for Walmart and all its convenient monopolized goodness. It’ll even go beyond the freedom I’ve experienced of packing just one backpack of clothes. Here’s the topic for this weeks blog: the surprising nature of taking risks.

Lets face it: traveling around the world alone as a ridiculously good-looking female (name that movie!) on 11 different flights carries an element of risk, regardless of how technologically advanced we are. With my adventurous spirit and, more importantly, a God who promises to take care of me, I’d like to say that I didn’t have any fear. But, that would be a complete lie! But what is a risk without an element of fear?

So, here comes my personal epiphany. The thing that I have found to be most surprising about taking risks in the name of the Lord: after you take one, you will probably be asked to take another one. And another one. And another one. And while the risks may become even tougher, the rewards become even greater.

We’ve all heard the story of Peter walking on water (Mark 6). Don’t loose sight of what was happening before that: Peter was in the boat with the rest of the disciples. They look out and see Jesus walking on water. What does Peter do? He asks Jesus to command him to walk on water towards him.

Peter didn't have to ask Jesus to command him to come out of the boat. Peter didn't even have to get out of the boat after Jesus commanded him to. He had the choice. But Peter chose to ask AND then chose to get out of the boat. And because he did, he was able to experience that extraordinary moment of walking on water. What an incredible feeling that must have been. I wonder how much of an impact this had on him later on in life?

Every time I've asked the Lord how I can know him more, he always seems lead me a little more out of my comfort zone and a little more dependent upon him. It has meant taking on a leadership position that I was terrified of (Phi Lamb), become increasingly involved at church, living with less "stuff," confront a loved one, take a job out of state, and go on various short term mission trips. I don't know what my next "boat" will be, but I'm willing to bet it will involved a considerable amount of risk and reward.

Let me get this clear, I don’t think anyone should do anything in the name of “risk” that is contrary to what the bible says. I also don't think that everything turns out "perfect" because you followed Jesus out of one of your comfort zones (Peter did sink, after all!) But I have found the most significant spiritual growth to be in the times of FOLLOWING Jesus out of my comfort zone. Of taking risks. The more I get out of my comfort zone, the more He asks of me. The more He asks of me, the more I am reminded of His faithfulness. The more I see how faithful He is to His promises, the more prone I am to follow Him wherever He leads me to go. I have no idea what is next. But, I do know that the Lord is faithful to His promises. I know he is worth running towards, even in the midst of stormy waters. If following Jesus out of your comfort zone brings you closer to Him, I'm starting to see it more of a risk not to follow Him out. Do you have a boat He's asking you to get out of? Have you asked him?

“His divine power has granted to us ALL THINGS that pertain to life and godliness…by which he has granted to us his PRECIOUS and very GREAT PROMISES, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.” 2 Peter 1:3-4

I adore you all! More to come...

Cultural Lessons From the Redhead

2008-06-16T14:26:00.004+02:00

Welcome to cultural lesson number one. Keep this in mind the next time it is 100 degrees and you are without an air conditioner. Did you know that Montenegrins believe that sickness can be traced to two distinct causes: drafts and not wearing house slippers? They will not let you keep 2 windows, a door AND a window, etc. open at the same time. For example, if it is 100 degrees outside, you will only be able to roll down one window in your car. No more. Another example: you can open one window in your room, but only if you close the door first. I badly misinterpreted this belief. I was assuming a closed door meant the same that it did in America: stay out! If I had followed my cultural expectations and “stayed out” every time the door was closed, I would never have had any opportunities to talk with my host family. It has been the little things like that that have been the biggest surprises for me.

I’ve had the opportunity to take pictures of the absolutely beautiful surroundings. Pictures could never do it justice, but I’ll share one anyway. Imagine gorgeous mountains plunging straight into a ridiculously blue sea, decorated by quaint towns made of stone. Above you find my favorite of the bunch. You can’t see Herceg Novi (where I am staying), but you can see the Bay of Kotor and the mountains. You should be able to find this area on a map if you wanted to.

I have also had the opportunity to begin learning about the culture. Like many cultures, there is usually not a distinction between personal beliefs and cultural expectations/traditions. The dominant religion is Orthodox, but the majority do not attend any sort of weekly worship service . It is a big change from the “church on every corner” found in the bible belt. Out of an estimated 40,000 natives, there are an estimated 5 believers in the area.

I'm looking forward to spending 2 more weeks here, but am afraid the time will go by too quickly! I hope all is well on your side of the world!

Kat has landed!

2008-06-13T18:18:00.006+02:00

Zdravo (hello) from Montenegro! After around 24 hours of travel and over 30 hours without sleep, I have officially landed in Montenegro. By “accident” I had a 9 hour layover in Rome. What a blessing to run into another American girl traveling on her own with an open afternoon! She let me drop my belongings off in her hotel and we ran around Rome for a few hours. This is a picture of us in front of the Colosseum. It makes the new Dallas Cowboy monstrocity of a football stadium look tiny and insignificant, especially since this was made without machinery. 20th century folks are such wussies.

I have my own room at a house with a welcoming and hospitable Montenegrin family. And to answer the first 2 questions I always have, yes, there is running water and working toilets! I was actually welcomed the first night by a rare Texas-sized thunderstorm that reminded me of home. The city I am in was built ON the mountain and next to a coast. It is absolutely breathtaking. I have spent the last few days walking around town, learning some language basics (serbo-croatian), learning more of the history of the region, and basically getting accustomed to the area. Next week I will begin to teach an intermediate and advanced English class. I'm looking forward to getting better plugged into the culture and meeting some of the native Montenegrins!

More pictures and updates will be coming after I get a chance to take a few more pictures and have more time to get settled. PLEASE let me know if you have anything you'd like to know more about! Thanks for checking in!

Cucemo se! (Keep in touch)

And I'm off!!!

2008-06-09T04:54:00.008+02:00

Okay..... I admit it. I used moving day as an opportunity to put a shameless "my-niece-is-cuter-than-your-niece" picture up, but I couldn't help it. Can you seriously blame me? Meet Karlie, born to the Moy family on August 14th, 2007. Although my brother and father did all the heavy lifting, Karlie helped us a lot on moving day by giving us a smiling face to come "home" to!

So... there you have it. On Saturday, I moved all of my belongings into storage until I get back on July 20th. I fly out of Montenegro TUESDAY afternoon (yes, tomorrow!) at 12:15. Next post will be after I get settled in!

In preparation of leaving, I want to share with you one of my favorite passages in all of scripture:

"But thanks be to God, who in Christ ALWAYS leads us in triumphal procession and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things?" 2 Corinthians 2:14-16

Friends, I definitely do not feel sufficient for these things on my own. But, I DO feel sufficient by the work of Jesus in me. I know He has led me to take this trip, and I rejoice that His grace is sufficient for me and that His power is made perfect in my many weaknesses. (2 corinthians 12:9). May his light shine through me thoughout this trip and to Him be all the glory.

Blessings to all...

2 weeks!

2008-05-30T01:27:00.009+02:00

Thanks for checking out my blog! I can't believe how long it has been since my last posting! I also can't believe that I leave in LESS THAN 2 WEEKS!

To update- all the needed financial support has been raised!!!! Praise the Lord! A big thank you to those that donated, prayed about donating, or just prayed-you are HUGE blessing! As I mentioned earlier, I hope and pray that you feel like a part of this ministry. Without you, this trip would not be possible!

I officially fly out of Dallas on June 10th. I will be spending around 3 weeks in Montenegro and 5 days in Thailand. If you are wondering why I am spending more time in Montenegro, it is because they have some specific ministry needs for the summer and an easier housing set up. I arrive back in Dallas on July 20th.

Because of flight arrangements and the challenge of coordinating transportation/schedules to the different areas, I will also have an opportunity to take a few "tourist" days in the midst of my stops in Montenegro and Thailand. Basically, I changed 4 hour layovers into 2 day layovers. I will be having extra stops in Rome (not overnight), Athens, Hong Kong, and Los Angeles. No support money will be used for this part of the trip. It added no extra cost to the plane ticket, and I will be paying any additional costs out my own pocket. If you know of anyone in these areas, I would love to meet up with them!

"Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not be faint." Isaiah 40:30-31

The last few weeks have been very hectic for me, and it doesn't look to slow down any leading up the departure date! I praise the Lord for the way he has given me energy, the ability manage the schedule, and good health. I truly don't believe there is any other explanation as to how smoothly the last few weeks have gone. As the old saying goes, "If the Lord calls you to it, He'll see you through it."

Thanks for checking in- I appreciate all of you!

FAQ's!!!

2008-05-12T02:08:00.003+02:00

1. Where the heck is Montenegro?

Imagine Italy as a boot. Now, put spurs on the boot and you kick Montenegro.

And for those of you that saw the last James Bond movie Casino Royal (if you haven't, I strongly recommend it!) NO-that is not what Montenegro is really like. But, I wouldn't necessarily mind it if I happened to run into David Craig.... :)

2. Why would you want to go to Montenegro?

I have always felt the Lord calling me to serve overseas. In the past, I had an interest to go to China, but I was convicted that my main reason for interest in China was because of friends around me who wanted to go there rather than God's specific leading to that country. While I didn't have a specific place or a culture I was interested in, I did have the desire to go overseas to a group of people that have a very little Christian population and no established church (an unreached people group). The Lord had also given me the specific desires to go to a warm mountainous area and use the gifts he's been given me.

This conviction/realization happened when I was at the orientation program at PIONEERS this past January. The next day, the team from Montengro was there, recruiting for "an outdoorsy person who could get involved in a local music school and be involved in athletics." My heart just about beat out of my chest. I spoke with the team leaders afterward and we really hit it off. I plan on spending the majority of my time in Montenegro ministering with the missionaries that are stationed there now.

3. Why Thailand?

Like Montenegro, Thailand is a warm, mountainous area and a need for workers. They also have a very large international school in Chiang Mai for English-speaking families. I love to teach and I feel that the Lord has gifted me in teaching, and I could be a full time teacher in Chiang Mai. I will be taking a short survey trip (4-5 days) to see the area, look at the school, meet the missionaries stationed there, and experience the culture.

4. How can we get in touch with you this summer?

By emailing me at katmoy@gmail.com, posting on this blog (yay, class participation!!!!!), and/or facebook stalk me.

5. How is support raising going?

This has been an overwhelming process for me, but in a good way! Thank you to all of you that have given financially and prayerfully. Without you, THIS WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE. I hope and pray that as I send updates that you will be able to fully understand how you are as much a part of the ministry as I am. I am an extension of you.

I am still in the process of raising financial support. It is difficult to know exactly how much as been raised do the the delay in having it sent directly to Florida. Once I get a final word, I will let you all know!!!

6. What is this PI organization you speak so kindly of?

PI is a Christian missions sending organization. They focus on teaming up with the local church to send missionaries to unreached people groups. They do not financially support missionaries, rather, they help you to organize to go, provide accountability, follow up, etc.

7. When will you be gone?

School for me does not get out until June 5th and I have a rehearsal on July 20th. My specific flight plan has not been finalized. I am looking to leave on June 10th or 11th and return on July 20th.

The First landing

2008-04-27T05:03:00.001+02:00

Thanks for looking at my blog!!!

For those that are interested in the dates, I am looking at departing to Montenegro around June 10th or 11th, heading to Thailand around July 5th, and returning to Dallas the morning of July 13th. The reason the trip is not longer is due to school responsibilities. Yay.... being a grown up! :)

I'm still in the midst of setting the specific flight itinerary, but when I do, I'll let you know!

More exciting posts will be up soon, I promise! Give me some time, people!!!