AJVAR!!!!

Ajvar is one true Macedonian specialty.  It is a red pepper relish.  I spent almost two whole days with Ane and her family helping them make ajvar.  

Here we are peeling the roasted red peppers.  We peeled about 65 kilos (143 lbs). 

While we peeled, we sang some Macedonian Christian songs and just enjoyed one anothers' company. I LOVE Ane!!!

 Here's Lade roasting the peppers.  He wanted proof that he did actually help. :)

More peeling. My hands smelled like red peppers for days.

The peppers doing their thing on the big outdoor stove. The pot is some corn on the cob for a later snack.

The peeled and seeded peppers. 

Day 2: I got there at about 10 and Ane already had the mixture in the pot.  She and her mom had run the peppers through a food mill the night before.  

The mixture: 65 kilos of peppers and 2 liters of oil.  You let it boil...

And boil...

And BOIL for about 4-5 hours while stirring constantly (except for a break to take pictures of course).

Ane added some chopped eggplant, a few spoonfuls of yellow mustard, and A LOT of salt. Then you jar it.

And boil the jars for 15-20 minutes to seal them. We made about 25 large jars.

Here are some other red peppers she "sewed" together that will dry out in the sun. She will use these through the whole winter.

Ajvar (eye-var) is not my most favorite Macedonian specialty.  To me it tastes a lot like pimento, but the Macedonians LOVE it. It is a staple in their winter diet. A lot of times they will have a jar of ajvar, some sirenje (white cheese) and bread for a meal.  If you are interested in giving it a try, you can find a recipe here or here with video.

Going Home

After a few days of poking, prodding and testing, I am headed back to Macedonia.  Thanks for praying for me.  I wasn't given any real definitive answers as to what is causing my problems, but I was given some new meds to try.  Praise the Lord that all of my tests came back within normal range except for a Vitamin D deficiency which is easily fixable.  God is faithful.  Perhaps, my tummy troubles are just the thorn in my flesh that will keep me humble and on my knees.  Once again, I am so grateful for the tremendous ministry of the IMB and the prayers of my brothers and sisters in Christ.

Budapest

Brian finally got his way. He and our awesome organization (thanks IMB supporters) sent me off to Budapest to try and figure out why my stomach hurts ALL the time.  So, I am here, enjoying (?) a lot of quiet time, a city with tons of American fun, and a doctor that actually listens to me.  But all of that means Brian is at home enjoying being Mr. Mom.  He's the man and I have NO doubt in his abilities to hold down the fort, keep the children clean, fed and happy, and also (semi) do a little work on the side.

Please pray for us all as we are apart for an indefinite period of time.  I shared with a worried Macedonian friend yesterday (via facebook) that she has no need to worry. I am in the mighty right hand of my sovereign creator and sustainer.  He sustains me daily, and he has sustained me through a time that left the doctors beside themselves in utter confusion.  He is faithful. He is good.

Also continue to pray for our sweet friends the Dovers. Josiah just started his second round of chemo yesterday. Continue to pray that his body responds well to the treatment, that he be healed and that most of all our Healer be glorified in it all. You can follow their story on CaringBridge or Facebook.

I will leave you with this quote by John Piper, "The prospect of eternal suffering is the most sobering truth in the world."  None of the above is easy, but we have hope. We have LIFE. Pray especially for those who are muttling through their days without this hope we have in Christ.

Шопска Салата

Have you been wondering, what on earth can I do with all of these delicious tomatoes and cucumbers from my garden?  Well, I have the answer.  You can make the most delicious salad there ever was: the шопска салата (shopska salad).  YUM!

 Here's what to do:

• Cut your tomatoes and cucumbers into bite size pieces.
• Mix together with salt and pepper to taste.
• Add chopped onion and green pepper if desired (They add so much deliciousness!)
• Mix in a little olive oil and vinegar. (You don't need a lot.)
• Throw in some fresh parsley, finely chopped.
• Add some crumbled/shredded feta cheese (the closest thing you can get to the amazing Macedonian сирење (sirenje) to top it off.
• Prepare yourself for one amazing salad. And make sure you have some delicious fresh baked bread to sop up the juice at the end.

It sounds so simple, right?  Well, almost all of our volunteers will agree it is one of the best things Macedonian cuisine has to offer.  Give it a try, and while you make it and eat it, pray for those here who don't yet know Christ as their savior.

"We are the Body"

Yay! Yay! YAY!  There is finally a music video to one of the best songs ever written.  Take a listen!

Mandi Mapes | "We Are The Body" from AsiaStories on Vimeo.

Happy Independence Day Macedonia

We LOVE living in Macedonia, especially in Ohrid.  Today is Macedonia's Independence Day --the one when they declared their independence from Yugoslavia.

Happy 20th Birthday Macedonia! May your next 20 years be filled with kindness from your neighbors, brotherly love among your citizens, success in all your endeavors, jobs for all people, and MOST of all the love of God! Know that we pray for you everyday!!!

"May [God] grant you your heart’s desire and fulfill all your plans!
May we shout for joy over your salvation,
and in the name of our God set up our banners!
May the LORD fulfill all your petitions!"

Pslam 20:4-5

 "Да ти даде според желбата на твоето срце, и да ги исполни сите твои намери! Ќе се радуваме за твоето спасение, во името на нашиот Бог ќе ги дигнеме знамињата. Господ да ги исполни сите твои молби!" 

Пслам 20:4-5

Promised Scotland Pitcures

Kate's First Day of Fishing

Earlier in the summer, I bought Kate a fishing pole. Today was the first day we got to go out and use it. We just used a bobber and I tied some bread to the line. There was a frog who kept jumping at the bobber which was a fun game for Kate because no matter what she did not want the frog to get it. I did however hover the bobber for a few pictures!

Josiah

Here is the Caring Bridge Site for Josiah. Let him know you are praying for him and most of all, PRAY!!!
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/josiahdover/mystory

Our God Reigns

I awoke to heart-breaking news that Josiah most likely has stage four lymphoma. Josiah is the seven year old son of our teammates and Ohrid family, Charlie and Jennifer Dover. We were shocked to read the words on the email as we thought his sickness would be diagnosed as no more than an enzyme disorder. Josiah is Kate's very best friend here in Ohrid. He is a full of energy, quick-witted, brilliant, tender-hearted, precious little boy that I love like my own nephew.

The minute I could get away this morning, I ran straight to the living Word of God. As I read through many Psalms, the Lord comforted my heart with words like, "When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul." and "He will cover you with his pinions and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and buckler." and "For He will command His angels concerning you, to guard you in all your ways." But the one that stood out to me the most this morning was this, "The Lord reigns; he is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed. He has put on strength as His belt. Your throne is established from of old; you are from everlasting."

Our God is STILL on His throne. He is STILL robed in majesty. He STILL reigns! While this news is unexpected. God was not surprised by it one minute. For some reason, in His goodness and love He has chosen this for Josiah and his family. I don't understand it all, but I believe the Gospel. I believe that He loved us enough to die for us so that there would be no fear in life or death. Perfect love casts out fear. I will rest in the shadow of His wings.

Pray for healing. Pray that Josiah, Charlie and Jennifer will all rest in our Sovereign Lord.

Bulgaria and Scotland

We just got back from a LONG time away from home. We were gone for 16 days which I would now say is way too long with two little ones in tow. We had a blast though. The first part of the trip was to Bulgaria for our annual meeting with other people from our organization. I have written about these before, and once again I cannot put into words how very grateful we are for these times of refreshment. A preacher, band, a medical team and child care workers all came in from the states to make the time beyond incredible for us. We were able to worship in our heart language and Kate was able to connect with some kids who are just like her. That was the most precious part of the week. I have said before that it wasn't until we had children that being overseas became a true sacrifice. And so this time was a real treat for Kate and Thomas. Thanks so all who worked to make it so wonderful!

After that we spent one night in Skopje with some friends and then jetted off to meet Brian's family in Scotland. It was a blast. Scotland is one of the most gorgeous places I have ever seen. Brian, his dad and his brother spent their time either playing golf or sizing up the courses they want to play on their next visit. They played Troon and my man shot a 78 the first day and an 80 the second day...OFF THE PRO TEES! That's my man! I was so proud, and he was pretty pumped too considering he was a little nervous about playing on such courses having not played golf in almost 2 years. They were also able to play Prestwick and size up St. Andrews.
Here is Brian, his dad, and brother.

Yay for Scotland!!!! Yay for vacation!
(More pictures to come!)

Big Boy

Thomas has become quite the big boy these days. To say he keeps us on our toes would be the understatement of the century. We sure do love laughing at all the fun and interesting things he does. And like they say, "It's better to laugh than to cry."

He wants to be just like Kate when he grows up. So he sits himself on the potty after she finishes her business. Potty training prodigy??? Perhaps.

He loves to trot around in daddy's shoes. He has even been caught in mommy's high heels before, but we didn't catch it on camera.

Little Mr. Van Gogh thought it would be fun to color all over mommy's kitchen walls and deep freeze. (Mommy must pay more attention to wild man when she has guests.)

Still Alive

We are here. We are alive. We are well. We are busy!!!!

The past few months have been unbelievable! Amazing! Incredible! Mind-blowing!.... Exhausting!

I have been sick off and on since the first week of March and have been treated for three ear infections, strep throat (iv antibiotics), an allergic reaction to the sun caused by one antibiotic, a sinus infection and I still don't feel 100%, and while I am pretty tired of not feeling good, I am amazed at what God is doing around me and for how He continues to daily pour out His abundant love on me in most obvious ways!

Some highlights:
Seeing new biblical believers grow, get baptized and become witnesses for Christ! Ane, Lade and Vlado all got baptized along with one new believer from Prilep! Praise the Lord!

A visit from my amazing sister and nephew! So fun. So precious!

An awesome volunteer team from Red Bank Baptist Church in Tennesee

Children's English Bible Story Hour bringing in kiddos from around town

Another volunteer team coming to love on us from Brook Hills Church.

Great time with our team/family here

There are so many more things I could put on here to brag on God. So whether I'm sick or not, He is good. He is faithful. He has done great things and I am in awe!

Women's Day -8mi Mart

The 8th of March is one of the best days in Macedonia. It's Woman's Day, and it encompasses the celebration of ALL women. And what do women do on Woman's Day? They party! We threw a little party at the coffee house and had ladies come by for coffee and some homemade American goodies. We had a blast visiting with ladies and handing out some scripture attached to flowers all day. And then at about 8 or 9PM all the ladies get all doddled-up and go out for dinner with their friends, family and female co-workers. The American ladies and I went out with two of the ladies from our small group. We had a BLAST! We danced and ATE and sang and danced and danced and danced, and then when I pooped out at about midnight, I sat and ate my dessert (yes at midnight) and watched everyone else dance. It is by far one of the best holidays ever created and I am sad that you American woman don't have the pleasure of experiencing it.


Ane and Biljana, our dance partners, don't get out a whole lot. In fact most of the women in Macedonia don't get out a whole lot. They take care of the kids, home, garden and cook dinner EVERYday without much of a break. That is one of the main reasons Woman's Day is so much fun and so huge. It's the one day to get out and party till your feet feel like they are going to fall off. Woman's Day 2012 get here quick!

It's all about LOVE.

While EVERYday is all about love because of the love that God has bestowed on us. We tried to make Valentine's Day a special day to show each other love.
Kate stayed busy for two days making Valentine's for everyone. She had so much fun.

Breakfast consisted of pink milk, pink eggs, pink pancakes and heart candles.

Kate finally got to open her Valentine from her Granna and Poppa and she was THRILLED!

Brian went out and got me flowers. Love it.

Up and Coming

There are some pretty big things that are getting ready to happen here in Ohrid. Will you pray desperately???
-- English Class Registration is next Tuesday night, the 22nd. We will have two beginner classes and two advanced classes. Ginna and Hannah will be leading these classes. Pray for them as they prepare and build relationships with those who come.
-- Ginna and Hannah finish full-time language study on the 25th and move into full-time coffee house work. Yep, they are going to need your prayers.
-- Party at the coffee house on Friday the 25th--Kicking things off as we plan to be open a lot more often.
-- Bible discussion starting on on the 3rd and continuing every Thursday night after that.
-- Woman's Day Coffee House event on March 8th. There will be coffee, tea, food (maybe even cupcakes), and conversation. We are exploring follow-up options. Will you pray???
-- Brian will be gone for the next two weeks. He will be in Bosnia for one week to explore some humanitarian aid options with Baptist Global Development. Then he will be in Greece for a week long meeting there. Pray for his safe travel and that God will give him a more focused vision while he is away. Pray for me and the kiddos too.

I have fallen in love with a new song by Mandi Mapes (people named Mandi are cool). Its called "We are the Body of Christ." It speaks my heart. Enjoy.

We Are The Body Of Christ
by Mandi Mapes, Jim Watkins

We are the body of the most High
We are the bride of a Savior
And we fall for the King of the kingdom
As we sing the songs of salvation

And we stand for those who cannot stand for themselves
And we love the loveless
And we go where Your light’s not shining
We are the body of Christ

We shine like a city on a hilltop
We boast in the Spirit living in us
And we march on a road leading to freedom
As we reach out our hands to the fallen

And we bring living water to the thirsty and
We live for the One who was and is and is to come
So our life counts for something greater than ourselves
We are the body of Christ

And our anthem will be a song of praise to the King
“He is worthy, He is worthy”

With one voice we will sing, “Where oh death is your sting”
He is mighty, He is mighty


I was hoping to find a youtube video of it, but I didn't succeed. You can go to itunes and find the song if you look up The Church at Brook Hills. Good stuff.

In Love with Ohrid

It is INCREDIBLE that God has sent me to a place covered in so much beauty and steeped in so much history. Every day, whether in snow or in sunshine, I am awed by the beauty of this place. Mostly I am awed by the fact that God has allowed me to live here and love here.

Along with my team and cluster, I have been trying to spend this month in a more focused intentional time of prayer for the needs around me. Last week, I spent my laundry-folding time listening to some sermons on prayer. I listened to one called "Pray Desperately" by David Platt (Do you know him? You need to. Google him or look up Brook Hills Church in Alabama. Good stuff.) Here are only a few things that I gleaned from that sermon:
"Great things happen not when we come up with plans and strategies but when we fall on our faces and say, "We need you to do it, O God, for your glory." This seems obvious if we understand the Gospel. We can't do it on our own. We can never be good enough. We can never love hard enough. We can not change hearts no matter what great plans we have. Only the blood of Jesus brings reconciliation. I know that, and yet I often get caught up in my great plan. And forget to pray desperately.

"The church in Acts grew because of grace and it is emphasized over and over because the ONE who gives the grace gets the glory."

"So many ask 'why is prayer necessary?' You may not say those words, but we are saying it with our lives. We ask that because we don't need prayer when we are watching tv or mindlessly surfing the internet...--when there is nothing at stake in your walk with Christ--when there is no risk--when it consists of a monotonous routine week in and week out. BUT when you risk everything to glorify Jesus, you need prayer. When we sacrifice job, career, reputation, family, EVERYthing to share the gospel day in and day out, we need prayer. When we enter into a battle we will need prayer."

So, this week, I am praying that we, you and me, will risk it all for the sake of the glory of Christ Jesus and that we will 'get' our absolute desperation without Him and that we will seek Him and His kingdom desperately.

28 years and Grateful

Below is part of the email my momma sent me this morning.
"Its just 10 minutes till the 30th here, though its already
the 30th there. You were born exactly 28 years ago at 8:48
tonight, Super Bowl Sunday! And our doctor (Magazi) kept
telling us he was on his "bipper" while he was watching the
game. He was Egyptian. :0))"

Thanks momma (and daddy) for giving me life, raising me, loving me unconditionally, and teaching me to love God. I am so grateful for both of you today (and everyday). Thank you for being faithful to our Lord, for loving Him first and loving each other so passionately. You were truly an example of how I want to be. I love you both so much.
I heard this song this morning and thought it appropriate for you both today



She rises up as morning breaks
She moves among these rooms alone
Before we wake
And her heart is so full; it overflows
She waters us with love and the children grow

So many years from now
Long after we are gone
These trees will spread their branches out
And bless the dawn
These trees will spread their branches out
And bless someone

Your branches have spread all the way to Macedonia. ;)

Sarma = YUM!!!

One of my absolute favorite Macedonian specialties is sarma, stuffed cabbage leaves. It's not something that ever sounded appetizing to me, and the first time I was invited over to someone's house to eat it, I was a little nervous. I am not really a sauerkraut girl. Brian is a Yankee of Polish decent so, I knew for certain (from Easter dinners) that I could stomach soured cabbage, but it is certainly not something I craved. The Macedonian version of soured cabbage leaves stuffed with meat is INCREDIBLE! You have to give it a try. It's worth the time and effort-trust me.

Macedonian Sarma

1 large head of brined cabbage (see below)
2 lbs. grounded meat (beef or combination of beef and pork)
1 cup rice
2 medium onions chopped
2 tablespoons of flour
1 tablespoon of paprika
cooking oil
water, liquid from the brined cabbage or vegetable soup
1 tablespoon chicken boullion
salt and pepper

First saute the onions in oil about 2 minutes. Add the meat and saute until the meat is cooked. Add the rice and cook about 5-10 minutes. Add salt, pepper and boullion. The rice should be half cooked. Take out the leaves from the cabbage and cut the thick parts from the leaf. Add the filling onto the leaf and wrap it while you tuck in the ends of the leaf. Cut the thick parts from the leaves and all the leaves that are left. Into a deep pot, place the cut cabbage leaves then the meat-filled leaves (sarmas), than again cabbage leaves then rolled leaves until all is gone (you should finish with cut leaves) into a deep pot. When you're putting the sarmas try to put them as close to one another as you can so that they won't unwrap. Add the water, liquid from the brined cabbage or vegetable soup until the sarmas are covered. Add little salt and pepper. Now, if you're baking it, close the pot with lid than bake it for 2 hours at 350 C. If you're cooking it onto stove, close the pot with plate and onto the plate place something heavy (at my home we're having a river rock which is used only for that purpose). If you don't do this there's a chance that the sarmas will unwrap when it comes to a boil. Cook it for about 2 hours. After 2 hours take out the pot and remove the lid or the plate. In a pan add about 6 tablespoons oil then fry the flour until golden. Than add the paprika. Add this into the sarmas, than cook it (open pot this time) for about 5 minutes. Try it and you'll see that it's worth the effort.

This recipe was taken from: http://macedonianfood.blogspot.com/2009/01/sarma.html

I am not real sure where you can get a head of brined cabbage in the states, but you can always make your own like this: 
Boil a head of cabbage for about 10 minutes in a mixture of water and vinegar. As the leaves soften, gently peel them away, cut them free, and lay them flat. It's important that they not tear, so be gentle.

Love Story

Brian and I just celebrated SEVEN years of marriage on January 24th. WOW! We were able to get away for a couple of days and spend some time together just the two of us. It was great. As we reflected on the last 7 years it is so evident that God's hand has been all over us. He has been so faithful to grow us in Himself and grow us together as one body with one goal and passion in this life. We went from living a very comfortable American dream kind of life at the beginning of our marriage to living out our passion among the people of Macedonia. We have said numerous goodbyes together, poured over one another in prayer, learned really hard lessons together, and told each other the hard truth sometimes. We have learned a new language together, moved...a LOT, made new friends, we have cried together (ok, mainly I'm the one crying), we have certainly laughed together, we have had a lot of cups of coffee, a lot of fun and some very hard conversations. We have sharpened one another as iron sharpens iron. We have learned the meaning of grace in a whole new way. We have been blessed with two beautiful, healthy kids. We have prayed over them together. We have been blessed beyond what we could have ever asked or imagined. Our love abounds still more and more for one another.

We pray that you have seen an example of Christ and His love through our marriage. That is our passion and goal: we want to bring Him glory in our relationship with each other and with our children and we want others to see and know that God's hand is sustaining us and growing us together. We want you to see Jesus in our marriage. We pray that you have and that more and more you will see an example of His great love for you in us.

We hope you enjoy the song. This is our love story.

Girl Time

December was a big month for the our women's outreach. We hosted a Breast Cancer Awareness Day as well as a Taste of American Holidays. Both went GREAT!

We didn't have a fantastic turn-out for the Breast Cancer Awareness Day. I personally blame it on the rain. We had a believer from Skopje who is a doctor and a breast cancer survivor come and speak. She did a great job! We sent all of the women home with a bag of information on physical health as well as spiritual health. We have already seen fruit from that day. Praise the Lord.

Most of the women in the picture below are believers who came from Skopje to help out

with the event. They were a huge help and we are so grateful!!!!

The Taste of American Holidays was an absolute hit!!! The women loved coming and tasting all the yummy food we eat around the holidays. The menu was complete with turkey, stuffing, pumpkin pie, cheese ball, crock-pot weinees, spiced nuts, and lots of Christmas cookies. It was a blast! We were able to give every woman that came a cookbook full of American recipes, Bible verses and the Gospel presentation in it. This event will probably become an annual thing!

We had sugar cookies for the kids that came. They painted and decorated them, and I think they loved this American tradition.

Also, just so you all know our two new journeymen arrived the end of November and they are pretty stinkin' great!!! I love them both so much already and I am so grateful for how God has already used them here in Ohrid. Pray for them as they focus on learning the language for the next month and a half and for their transition into coffee house ministry after that.