Concrete Poured and Done!!!!

sweet.

A Few More Days of Progress

Grace and Peace,

Cupo

What's Your Boy Up To?

Let me tell you about what's been going on!

Last week we drove up to Vienna. And in my opinion, it's a rather pretty little 8 hour ride. Not to mention it's littered with all sorts of interesting eye-candy. For instance, there's the long stretch of hawk/falcon/some sort of predatory bird sanctuary (which, as you can see by the picture on your left, I so masterfully captured with my undeniable capability in "moving-vehicle" photography). But, as many of you may know, Beth just began her daily radiation treatment as a preventative measure against her cancer returning. This unfortunately means she's limited to staying up in Vienna for about 5 to 6 weeks until the treatment is over. So for right now, it's just Jeff and I in Bosnia.

...oh and don't think Beth, in her absence, didn't leave us a "to do list" ...to do.

The past few days we've gotten busy undergoing the step-building project. So far the foundation is laid and the column shafts are built. The majstor dude came by today and gave us direction as to what the next few days entailed. Should be fun! It's hard to envision the front door with readily accessible steps. For as long as I've been here, it's been suspended 2 stories in the air with nothing but a terribly nasty fall following its exit. It'll be nice I think =D

MAJOR NEWS! The Harmony Youth's 30-Hour Famine fundraising will sponsor 4 greenhouses being donated to 4 different families in some local villages here. This is a brilliant project idea for Bosnia in my opinion. One greenhouse will not only cover a family's monetary needs, but will also provide a large portion of their own personal food supply, feed many of their surrounding neighbors, as well as sustain a great deal of the local community's need for freshly grown, readily available food. So please, keep this project on your thoughts and in your prayers. I will be sure to keep you up to speed on this...providing updates and more information regarding the selected families and such. I can't wait to see this in action. It's going to rule!

I think that's about it for now though. I'm super pumped that in a couple of weeks I'm going to have the privilege of seeing my family. They're all going to be in Europe in April. So soon! Craziness!

Grace and Peace,

Caleb

Pictures from the first couple days of stair-building!

 

MMM CATSUP

Hey Guys! Here's a bit of what's happening!

Had a great little visit in the States. My Mama so kindly provided me a way to come home for a couple weeks. Which, after living on my own for about a month in Bosnia prior to that, was nice. I was able to just relax and be with family and friends in a very appreciative state of being =] ...and I'm not going to lie, it felt almost surreal to be back in a place where everyone spoke english. But as my couple weeks in America were drawing to an end, I can't express how eager I was to return to Bosnia. This opportunity I have been blessed with certainly comes with an immense amount of gratitude. And I sincerely apologize if my lack of blogging has had anyone thinking otherwise ;D

Since being back in BiH I have felt truly compelled to soak in and learn as much as I can from the people I've gotten to know here and the relationships that I have formed. Going back to America for that short stint was good for me because it really put into perspective how fast time can fly. I'm here for a reason. That is to learn...and I want to make the most of my time granted to me. Each day I am learning more and more about the similarities I never envisioned having with a culture that I, at one point, couldn't tell you anything about. I'm learning how to better appreciate the simple human connections that bond us to one another. I am learning what it means to love your neighbor, no matter his background, religious beliefs, or world views. I think Jeff and Beth are a tremendous example of how a "missionary" in this region of the world should live. Their rooted understanding of what it means to walk alongside of your friend and help them in whatever way possible is inspiring to say the least. Through my steadily progressing language comprehension (which by no means is anything to brag about), this simple fact has become increasingly clearer. I am sincerely thankful for the opportunity of shadowing their humble example.

hmm what else...

Oh! This past weekend was a cool new experience for me. We went down to Gorazde to visit Kemal (a longtime Bosnian friend of the Summays) and see his new house that he lives in with his mother and brother. It was neat staying the night in legitimate Bosnian environment...which consisted of an ever-looming smog of cigarette smoke, unbelievably delicious Bosnian home-cooking, and hours and hours of highly competitive board game playing. And even though Kemal speaks almost fluent english, his mother and brother do not...which made for an interesting time playing Cities and Knights mostly all in Bosnian. Which simply put, was a hoot!

That's it for now! I'll be sure to keep you posted with more!

Grace and Peace,

Cupo


Movies: Eagle vs Shark | The Big Lebowski | Live-Action Super Mario Bros. Movie

Music: Teenage Fanclub "A Catholic Education" & "Songs From Northern Britain" | My Bloody Valentine "Loveless" | Fitz And The Tantrums "Pickin' Up The Pieces" | The Smiths "The Queen Is Dead"

Books: Safe Area Gorazde | Tea With Hezbollah

Playing Santa

Internet's Working Again!

Apologies for my poor stewardship in regards to blogging. Now let's play catch up!

Ok, so I made it home safely from Hvar and the olive picking. (wow, it has been a while) The ferry from Hvar to Split, and then bus ride from Split to Zenica were pleasant enough. It was my first time traveling through Europe alone, so I will admit there were some nerves a flowing at first, but they soon settled and I was able to enjoy my travels. The bus ride through the Bosnian mountains was simply magnificent. There had apparently been a snowfall the night before, and so all along the river and roads, and perched upon the pine trees and mountain peaks there layed that perfect, untouched layer of snow that was still sparkling white and oddly enough, heart-warming. I couldn't help but smile the whole way home (even if I was crammed in the back seat corner with a rather large Bosnian man to my left and an elderly woman who enjoyed rocking her chair back into my knees at a steadily painful rate).

But dudes, my time on that island was all and more than I had expected it to be. The opportunity to go and serve the elderly couple who owned the olive fields, to eat and drink at their table, to stumble through broken conversation in their language, to simply fellowship with them, were all moments that I cherish. One day I hope to take them up on their offer and return to help out with a future harvest. (Also, thanks so much Liz and Max for inviting me to tag along)

And when I got back to Zenica, I got back right in time for two things: Thanksgiving with Jeff and Beth and the B-Team...and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1! Ya! The Thanksgiving part was exceptionally filling in the physical sense. Seeing that I ate two very large plates of "main course food", and then basically gorged myself on generous servings of 4 different kinds of dessert, before passing out on the floor watching live streaming of some American football. But even though I was with people that I deeply love and consider to be like family, I still got that nagging feeling that something was missing. So, I just channeled all of that emotional energy into an intense game of cities and knights...and lost =P oh well, I had a truly wonderful Thanksgiving and was so very thankful to share it with the people I did.

....and as most of you already are aware, HP7 part 1 was rad and deserved multiple viewings ;]

Let's see, what else has happened between then and now? Oh I started taking accordion lessons! Jeff and I hunted all around town for a teacher, and finally found Najl. He's an older guy, seemingly something of a local icon, and is super patient and helpful. The lessons are at his house and all in bosnian...which can make for some interesting moments, but through and through it's an incredible experience for me. Who would have thought I'd get a music, language, and culture lesson all in one haha?!?

Last weekend I went up to Vienna to see Jeff and Beth off to America. Beth seems like she's doing really well recovering, and we can all thank God for that! Cancer free! 

But on the way home (I was again traveling alone by bus) I had quite a scary humorous border moment. We were driving at night, so we didn't reach the Bosnian border till super late at night/early in the morning I suppose, and I got summoned for a full body search. I suppose it was because I was the only one on the bus with an American passport, plus it doesn't help anything that I really don't look a thing like my passport picture anymore. Either way, they shuffled me and another younger gentleman into this tiny little room and then instructed us to dump out all of our belongings onto the table so they could look through them. I was about to piss myself. Not that I had anything illegal, or hazardous, or anything like that...just that I had to speak all in bosnian and try think through everything I was going to say as to not say the wrong thing. Which made it increasingly humorous when I got assigned to a guard who thought the whole situation was equally as funny. So here we go. I unzip my backpack and start to dump. At first it's just the norm, you know, clothes, tooth brush, tooth paste, deodorant- nothing too complicated when explaining. But then, we start getting to the random essentials that I always travel with and things start to just get awkward. Out comes the barrel of monkeys, with it's unfailingly suspicious rubber banded seal, DVD of the Animated Version of The Lord of the Rings (which the border guard looked intently at for about 2 whole minutes before looking up at me and muttering "Super!" haha, DVD of Gamera, the $2 knock-off of Godzilla, but exceedingly more entertaining, a single domino, 3 or 4 fantasy books, my Bible, and my pipe and tobacco. My heart was racing. There was no way I was going to be able explain all of this in any reasonable amount of time without my headed popping off of my body. But the guard dude looks up and is waiting for a response. So I begin. I make it all the way to my Bible before I really start to feel a sense of nervousness. As I was explaining what it was, and as he was flipping through it, he asks me what I'm doing in Bosnia. So I reply I'm working. And he basically says duh, what are you doing here? So i try my best to explain to him that I'm living with some friends who have been in the country for 9 or so years and we work in the villages and simply help out people who are in need. He smiled and shut my bible. I smiled and looked down at the next two items left: my pipe and tobacco. He lifts up my pipe and immediately shoves it back into my bag, relief. Then he grabs hold of my dark chocolate flavored tobacco and begins examining it closer than he had anything else prior. He asks what it is and where I got it from. I tell him it's tobacco from Kentucky. He responds with a blank face. I realize what was going through his head, and blurt out that Kentucky is in America. With that, he calls over no joke all of his border friends and they, one by one start taking in huge whiffs of the tobacco's soothing scent. And one by one they each tell me how good it smells and how good it is to smoke. I just nod my head and get more and more nervous by the second. Then it happens. The question I had feared. "Mogu li dobiti?" At first I was stunned at the fact that guard man had even asked in this way, instead of just telling me to give him some. But I realized he was smiling when he asked, so I thought it alright to point out that, as he could see, I was running on short supply and that little bit was all that i had left. After a bit of playfully jeering back and forth, he finally let me keep it and told me to have a good evening. So I hurriedly gathered up all of my things and hopped back on the bus. Not five minutes later I was totally asleep, exhausted. But crossing borders is what I do =P 

This past week has been nothing but repeated reassurance that God is an awesome God. Sunday began my month-long stint of living on my own in Bosnia. Which sounds like it could possibly be terribly lonesome and depressing. But surprisingly, I've been in great spirits all week and have felt a constant encouragement that I can't very well explain. On Monday we loaded up the van and set out for our operation Christmas child box passing out extravaganza in the local villages. I can't describe to ya'll how touching it is when we go into a classroom and pass out the boxes, getting to see the excitement and joy written all over the faces of the little Bosnian kids. Then afterwards, sitting down and chatting over some coffee and sweets with the school directors, and just hearing time after time again how thankful they are, and how much of a blessing Jeff and Beth and their kids have been to their communities. At one school the director passed out what seemed like a school newsletter type thing, but in it was an article written about their dear friend Jeff Summay and all the work that he had put in to improving their school. It was great. The Summays are without a doubt making a lasting impact on the hearts and lives of the people that they reach out to. And witnessing this first hand is truly inspiring.

I think that's basically all for now. Can't wait to see yeinz in January. 

...oh ya I'm coming home for a brief, two or so week visit in mid January...that's new.

Grace and Peace,

Kaleb

Movies: The Machinist | HP7-1 | Mystery Men | Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind | Memento
Music: Action! | Breathe Owl Breathe | Anais Mitchell (or at least the songs on the album featuring Justin Vernon) | Diarrhea Planet | Bon Iver (tis the season)
Books: The Wheel of Time's The Eye of the World

Someone Took Out Their Highlighter

Lately I've realized my life is quite different than it was this time last year. I've changed. Not only in obvious location. Or the additional year of physical alterations. But in spirit. Even typing this out I chuckle at myself for how completely lame and cookie-cutter this statement sounds. Changing in spirit...I mean it seems as if I belong on a house ornament that's being sold in one of America's finest christian bookstores. But no matter how its laid out and looked at, that's how it's pronounced. My thoughts have shifted gears. My priorities are now relevant. My perspective has gotten a new prescription. Life seems to be inviting me in. And man am I enjoying the hospitality. So, the passed few weeks where I haven't been blogging, I've simply been lavishing. I am absolutely blessed. And I am grateful. Life's been good.

A few weeks ago I got to go to my very first Bosnian rock show! Zeliko Joksimovic performed at the local arena and it was awesome! Becky and I danced our asses off and made complete fools of ourselves, virtually pouring every ounce of spirit we had into the moment (it's really hard to say, but I think I might have actually outdone one of my rave performances =P haha) ...Which essentially got some heads to turn and somehow made us some new friends. One lady actually went and got us much needed waters...which Becky in turn, cooled off my "hot for Zeliko head" by dumping it all over my face. It was nuts. I think my favorite part was when dude beckoned for the whole audience to basically shred an air guitar (which is apparently a cool thing to do over here...) and so Becky and I lit it up. It was stupid fun!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uMiGxK7NVc ...this was one of my favorites from the concert!

Speaking of Becky though, for those of you who didn't know, she just recently moved back to the States. Jeff and I drove her up to the airport in Zagreb last week, blasting Ska tunes and practically screaming our heads off the whole way there. She really became a great friend and honestly, without her being here I don't think I would have adjusted as smoothly as I did. Its going to be hard to keep going the uber liveliness of the house without her...let alone pump Jeff up everyday =P But I'm excited to see what God does through her life and time in America! 

As for me, right now I am sitting on Hvar (an island off the coast of Croatia) waiting for the sun to once again rise so I can venture my way down the ancient paths, lined with who-knows-how-old stone walls, climb some olive trees, and participate in the annual harvest. I've said many times over that it sounds like a fantasy. Like a dream that I'm going to wake up from and be incredibly disappointed. But so far, so good. Got my fingers crossed. It's pretty astonishing the beauty of this place. Today I was literally forced to stop what I was doing and sit for a good thirty minutes, smoke my pipe, and just be in utter awe of the beaming sunlight bursting through a cloud mass and sinking into the Adriatic. It was like a freaking painting. Ridiculous!

I trust everyone is doing well. I'd love to talk if you'd like. Hope you enjoyed reading some overviews of the highlights of my last several weeks =P

Grace and Peace,


Čupo (nickname that I have acquired over here...t loosely translates to long, greasy, unkept, burly, hair)


;]


~ books I'm reading: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (in preparation) | The Bible


~ movies I have watched recently and enjoyed watching them: Hot Rod (of course) | The Royal Tenenbaums | Thank You For Smoking


~ albums that have been stuck in my head: Noah and the Whale "Peaceful, The World Lays Me Down" | Death From Above 1979 "You're a Woman, I'm a Machine" | The Mountain Goats "All Hail West Texas" | Stray Cats "Stray Cats" | Neutral Milk Hotel "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea" (a tad bit all over the place I know haha)