Memories from Our Childhood in Ohrid

We just got back from an incredible trip to our beloved Ohrid. When we left we really thought it was a forever goodbye. How would one get from Asia to Ohrid without spending their life savings? We had wept so many tears as we packed up our home there and drove out of that city. We spent 9 years of our life there. We've only been married for 12 (almost 13), and 9 of those were spent growing up, becoming parents, growing up, being humbled, and... growing up in Ohrid. Our babies took their first steps in its buildings and learned to ride their bikes in its streets. This insanely beautiful Balkan gem taught us so much. It tore us apart, built us up, and then tore us apart again. The ups and downs of our time there are too many to count.

We were babies when we arrived on that cold March afternoon all those years ago. We had flown into a small, rundown airport, spent a couple of nights in the capital with people whom would become our mentors, our example to follow, and our dear friends, and then we climbed into a white european mini van and crossed two snow-covered mountain ranges to step out into the clean cool air of our new home. Graffiti covered the outside walls of the building we would call our first temporary home in Ohrid. Our mailbox door at the bottom of the stairs had a large gaping hole in it like it had been pulled apart. Our apartment housed the clothes, eye glasses, pictures, furniture and even liquor of the woman who had lived and died there before her place was to be rented out to two tall, young Americans. Our balcony looked out over the most beautiful lake I had ever seen. I may have been in shock, but I knew we were home.

Our boss, ahem, I mean, friend, because he never liked it when we referred to him as boss, left us in our new place still jet-lagged and told us to meet him at St. Jovan Kaneo church the next morning. He didn't tell us where it was or how to get there but that he would be there waiting on us at his favorite spot in the city. We found it (my husband) and as we stood there and looked out over the naturally clear blue lake and the city, I was overwhelmed. This city was ours, now. We were going to love it. We were going to learn it's language, it's culture, it's people. We were going to make the name of the Lord great in that place. We were going to work our fingers to the bone. We had no idea the work God was going to do in our hearts. We had no idea how much that language, that culture, those people would delve into our hearts and become apart of us. We had no idea how much we would be changed.

We look back on those early days and laugh. We laugh with our friends who were there when we arrived. They probably just laughed at us in those early days. We thought we knew so much. We would have never said that, of course, but we had read the books. We had been through the training. We had seen the model of what we were supposed to do and how we were supposed to do it. "Do A, B and C and you will get the new healthy living active church that never has problems, multiples, and sends out its own church planters within one term." Our training may have been a little faulty in that it diminished the reality of what we were sent out to do to a couple of books and, you know... also, pray. And also, there will be some spiritual warfare, and maybe it will be hard some days, you know, culture shock. Totally normal but just keep doing A, B, and C, and you'll be alright. Laugh out loud.

I know now that that training did the best job possible of preparing me for something I would never have been able to understand had they tried to explain it all. This training was just a little kindergarten sample of the real on-the-job training we would receive when we got our feet deep into the throes of the work. And in this kindergarten training, I may have been the kid eating the glue. I just didn't get it. After 9 years in Ohrid and 11+ years overseas, I still have much to learn. 

Our trip back to Ohrid brought back all of these memories. It reminded me of how much the Lord has grown me. It reminded me that He has been faithful through it all, He has done a work in me, and He isn't finished yet.

During our time back in that gorgeous place that feels like home, where we can fluently speak the language (amen), and where friends are many, we climbed back up to Kaneo, now one of our favorite spots in Ohrid and looked out over the lake. We remembered, and we thanked God for all that He had done and all that He is going to do.

For now, we are changed. For now, there is a church there that God allowed us to see planted. There are more people who know him. Three more were baptized while we were there this past week. 

The church that we poured our hearts into still holds a piece of our heart and beckons us to keep praying for its growth. We look back on it as Paul looked back on so many churches, and we understand his words a little better. It's in God's hands now. It always was. And He is faithful to continue to grow it. We give Him all the glory. Our Jesus will accomplish His work.