Monday, September 6, 2010

dobar dan (good day)

we have been here for only a short time, and we are feeling the hospitality of our new friends so deeply.  they are welcoming and inviting.  they are patient with our attempts at croatian.  the patience is often coupled with laughter, but it a welcomed laughter.  we can simply laugh along with them at ourselves since we are 21-24, and we sound like babies.  a woman told me yesterday i should talk with her 5 year old daughter because she is beginning to learn english, and we have about the same amount of vocabulary.

we walk through the city, and there is so much life happening.  we see people stopping to enjoy a cup of coffee with a friend.  they don't even have starbucks here.  it won't work here with its to go cups.  people go to main square simply to stand and talk with others especially during the night time.  they seem to be a people that really values being able to stop and enjoy company.  i think we can learn from them.  we are very interested in getting to learn more and more about these people.  our hearts are falling in love.  we went to church saturday night, and we are beginning to see the passion of the christians here.  they break so deeply for their fellow croatians.  god is doing great things here already, and we are so excited to keep learning about how we can be a part.

we have been living with people from that church for now, and we will soon be moving into our own apartments.  michael and i will look at one today, and the girls will look at one tomorrow.  sasa, one of the elders from the church, is helping us with all of this.  we are extremely grateful.

that is all for now.  we are so thankful for the prayers of our family and friends.  we feel them everyday.  we see them mixing with the prayers of the people here.  god is moving.  a simple prayer in croatian is.  "sveti bog.  hvala ti."  holy god.  thank you.  hvala ti is used for friends.  when you spend just a half day with someone in would be an insult to use the respectful version of thank you--hvala vam.  again.  hvala ti.

jerry

1 comment:

  1. Hey guys just want to let you know that i am thinking about you guys and that i am praying for you. I hope that the transition to your own apartments is smooth as you guys continue to grow and to learn. - Faith

    ReplyDelete