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