Six Months In

Today marks the sixth month anniversary of my arrival in Belgrade. Six months ago at this time I was settling into Kyleigh's bed to spend my first night in Serbia at the Stevens' house. Its all gone downhill since...just kidding! Serbia, so far, has been full of ups and downs. There have been beautiful, amazing moments and there have been times where I asked myself "why" over and over. So here we are, six months in with another year and a half to go. I'm so blessed to have such wonderful people around me. I have family here in Belgrade and for right now, it's home. So in the spirit of celebration I have created a list of some of the more fantastic, ridiculous or terrible things that have happened to me over the last six months. I wouldn't trade a single one of them.

• Being introduced to Choco O'Clocks by Jen
• Skiing and Ice Skating in Macedonia
• Hell week in Croatia with Pegasus and the Seattle Girls
• Riding the bus illegally with Bethany and Kristina
• Talking about chest hair with Kristina in my kitchen in the middle of the night
• Watching Novak's victory lap around Belgrade on July 4th
• Finding out that my freckles are a sign that I'm allergic to the sun
• Also finding out that a metal shed full of water is the best place to be in a lightening storm.
• Sitting next to almost Serbian celebrities while drinking not so delicious coffee.
• Traveling by foot in a Novi Sad monsoon with Pam.
• Seeing German dinosaurs displayed in a Serbian park.
• Spending New Year's Eve with a creepy Macedonian who insisted I call him Santa Claus.
• Connor and I repeatedly getting lost in old Belgrade and magically finding our way again.
• Terrible Christmas cartoons with the Israels.
• Getting a nine day visa.
• Building the giant Orthodox temple with my Bestie and my Macedonian secret weapon in order to dominate the ginger bread contest. 
• Seeing the guinea pig colony and almost touching a tiger at the Belgrade zoo
• Talking about Mike's wonderful hair at the team retreat 
• Making Serbian, Croatian, Australian, African, Macedonian and American friends
• Post Thanksgiving Day shopping in Budapest
• The Awanas Fall Fest
• Teaching English Classes
• Learning Serbian...kinda
• Adopting Cole and Lola
• Reading the bible with Nina
• Visiting Roma villages in Belgrade and Skopje
• Sleepovers with Kyleigh, Brooke and Michaela
• Team sleepover (complete with Trey in a zebra snuggie) on Christmas Day
• Thanksgiving near disasters with the Israels
• Birthday pedicures for Serbian girls
• Giving mardi gras beads out to Roma kids
• Being introduced to the flea market 
• Kyleigh's 50th anniversary school program
• etc. etc. etc.

One of the most wonderful things that has happened in the last six months is that I have been able to spend time with two absolutely wonderful families. Every member has had a special impact on my time here and I can't imagine life in Serbia without them. (I'm talking to you Stevens and Israels). My family back home has been so supportive, especially my mom who tells me to "suck it up" when I feel slightly homesick. My awesome friend Vanessa who is off doing something fantastic at this moment has done a wonderful job at the near impossible task of keeping me accountable. Every person that has come into my life in the last six months has taught me something valuable, innumerable things that I could never recount but that I will never forget. I can't imagine what the next six months will bring. God has done such incredible work in me, through all of you, that I'm slightly afraid of what He has planned. Rest assured that I will be awesome by the end of it. Thats the way these things work right?

The first of what?

This is my requisite New Year's post, I'm way behind on documenting everything that has been happening this last month. The next few weeks will be a mixture of catching up and introducing Serbian customs to you (January is a huge holiday month).

This last year contained many firsts and the things I have learned in the last few months have been huge. I'll tell you a bit more about them tomorrow as it marks my six month anniversary here in Belgrade.

In the last year: I picked up new skills working with some wonderful people at Chick-fil-A, saw my obedience tested in an emergency room and its aftermath, moved to Virginia in order to better prepare for my across the world journey, lived with a wonderful roommate and three families, learned what true obedience looks like and the sacrifices it entails, moved thousands of miles away to Serbia, joined two fabulous families in Belgrade, met amazing people, added two crazy cats to my household, said goodbye over and over again, learned to be humble and accept my stupidity with grace, traveled to four countries, and celebrated Christmas in two time zones. For those of you that have kept up with this blog I thank you. Things are far more fun when I have someone to rehash it with later...virtual or otherwise.

This year above all else has taught me that true independence is found, paradoxically, in the realization that I am utterly dependent on others. Those others include friends, family, strangers, and Christ Jesus. We survive in this world because we are not alone in it. So to all of you: Thank You. Without you, life would be far less amazing.

I look forward to what this year has in store. God moves in mysterious ways and I pray that He moves in me/through me in huge huge ways.

So here we go, bring it on 2012.