Thanksgiving Serbian Style

Thursday we celebrated Thanksgiving in our new home.  Before I get to the details of that glorious day (and meal) and observation.  Thanksgiving is not celebrated around the world - amazing it is only an American holiday.  Now I knew that, but was still shocked Thursday morning when I went for a quick jog and Belgrade was still business as usual, anyway back to Thanksgiving.  Our original plan for the holiday was to celebrate with our friends in Novi Sad.  Check here http://lovegrowslovegoes.blogspot.com/2010/11/crazy-weekend.html as to why that plan changed.  So we celebrated here in Belgrade with the Isreal Family.  Because Randi was out of commission Jen made most of the lunch.  She worked hard and prepared a great meal.  Lets start with the Turkey, can you get on here?  Yes you can! Many folks had said we would not find turkey in Serbia without a special request.  But living in Belgrade they are fairly available around the holidays.  On Monday Jen checked at two stores both assured us they would have Turkey.  The Super Idea would have them available on Thursday after 2:00 and Mercator would have them Friday after 9:00. (Another clue that thanksgiving is only celebrated in the U.S.)  On Wednesday I went to try one last store (Rodić) and was told after three on Wednesday I could get turkey.  So I went back to the store looking for whole turkeys.  Oops! Rodič had turkey, but it was already cut up into breast fillets, wings, thighs, legs etc, so I bought two huge breasts and 4 legs.  With the turkey in hand and Jen having acquired sweet potatoes earlier in the week we were in business for Thanksgiving dinner.  Jen did a great job of preparing our favorites as well as some things the Isreals considered essential.   The meal was great but celebrating with the Isreal's was terrific.  On Wednesday night we ordered pizza, while the women cooked and Randi taught the kids about the first thanksgiving.  Thursday was food, and more food.  Great fellowship. Both us and the Isreals Skyped with family back home.  We finished the night watching the Cowboys over the Internet.  We finished the weekend by decorating our tree for Christmas.  It was fun talking about the different ornaments and when we got them and why they were significant.  Over all it was a great day, different but great. Here are some pics of the festivities. 

Pumpkin Pie YUM!

The story of the first Thanksgiving

The Four legged Turkey

The Feast

New place, new people, new tradition

The tree is up and decorated

Thankfulness!

Anyone would be thankful for these guys

Wilson we can't wait to meet you

Today marks our first Holiday in Serbia away from friends and family in the States.  But despite the little bit of sadness that creeps in we have an amazing list of things to be thankful for. I mean I do get to spend everyday with my amazing family and God has seen fit to bless us and continue to grow our family.  We are thankful for good doctor's and hospitals here in Belgrade who are ready to help bring Wilson in the world and who take great care of Jennifer.   We have made great friends here, both national and international, and get to spend today with our good friends the Isreal's.  As I look back over the past year (can you believe we have been here almost a year) God has blessed us in so many ways and we have so much to be thankful for.  Simple things like our landlords, the Labalo's, who took great care of us when we first got here, friends like Sasko and Ira who are always taking care of us.  God has introduced us to great people who's lives we can share and speak into.  He has introduced us to great partners to work with and reach Belgrade.  I am also so thankful for the incredible growth I have seen in my self and my family since our arrival.  I am thankful for the girls schools and teachers, which have been so great for both of them.  I am thankful that regardless of whats going on the God of the universe is involved in and directing my life, how easy it is to be at peace knowing this.  This week I was reading the following verse “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.  Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” (John 7: 37-38).  Wow, Christ called ANYONE, not just the rich, or the best, or the pretty, or the successful, he called anyone who needs him (and we all need him).  That really struck me this week, we have a God who's heart yearns to know us all and who has invited anyone to join him.  In the ESV it says Christ SHOUTED this invitation!  This was no quiet invitation for a select few, the greatest orator in history shouted his invitation.  I am blessed in thankful to have accepted that invitation and to know that my God cares so much for me and for all people.  

Crazy Weekend

Wow did this past weekend turn out to be CRAZY!  Our friends  (The I family) came down from Novi Sad.  They are going to be moving to Belgrade this summer and will join us in the projects our new company is doing in the city.  We are very excited to have the help as well as the friendship.  There reason for coming was to see us, look at neighborhoods so we can narrow down the apartment search and third go to the English speaking church with us on Sunday.  We had a great time Saturday starting the day with Mcdonalds Breakfast,  that's right Mcmuffins for all.  We then explored several neighborhoods so they could get an opportunity to see how things would be logistically.  Using busses and such.  That night we stayed up late talking,  Pretty normal day but that would change.  On Sunday when we woke up R was not feeling well (that' the wife and mom) so she stayed home we went to church.  By the time we got home she was very ill, fever and vomiting.  My brilliant wife got on the internet and I called a private clinic near our house.  The men and R loaded up and headed to the clinic.  After about an hour they decided it would be best to take her to the hospital.  The great thing about this clinic is they have their own private hospital across town, so off in the ambulance the I's went.  I headed home to help Jen take care of the kids (our 2 and their 3).  We were hoping they would just observe R for a few hours and release her but around 8pm the Doc's decided she had a severe bacterial  infection (not contagious PTL) and needed to keep her a few days for an intense cycle of antibiotics.  T took the kids back to Novi Sad for a few days of school and Jen was in contact with with R.  Luckily things cleared up quicker and R was able to come to our house Tuesday night.  She still has some treatment but can do it near our house.  T and the kids are back, we will be celebrating Thanksgiving together tomorrow.  Keep praying for R that she heals completly, but wow what crazy weekend. 

Car Registration

That's a simple title.... it is not a simple process.  See this picture, this is what I look like after nearly three months of working to get cars registered in the name of our company in Belgrade.  Let me take you through the process.  Nearly a year ago I was tasked with starting a company in Belgrade.  One of the things we wanted to do was be able to register cars with the company and not individuals.  This makes it easier for people to drive the cars since we constantly have personnel coming and going from the states.  So in July we got he company set up and in September we started the process of adding two of the cars.  First the company had to buy the cars from the individual owners.  Sounds easy enough.  Well this took a month of going to lawyers, mailing contracts, remailing contracts, drafting, stamping and mailing powers of attorney.  Finally at the end of October the cars were sold which took a whole day of me in line at the court for about two minutes of transaction and of course paying some unknown tax. Next was a little trip south (about 3 hours) to finish the sale.  See the cars in question are registered in Kraljevo so after they are sold to the company in Belgrade I have to go there to pay the taxes and return the license plates.  This little trip should have been it's own blog but lets just say if it wasn't for our friend Pauk (spider in Serbian), I would still be in Krajlevo.  So we got the taxes paid, turned in the plates, got temp plates (so we could drive the cars back to Belgrade).  Side note here, Jen and the girls went to Krajlevo with me so Jen could drive a car back.  Can I just say TROOPER.  She spent all day, like 10 hours, keeping the kids entertained at various parks, restraunts and coffee shops, she rocks.  When we got back to Belgrade the fun really started.  Tuesday I went to get the cars inspected.  Well after about two hours of really great conversation in Serbian, it was determined I did not need an inspection the present inspection was still valid so I just needed to go to the police station register the cars and bam, I'm done.  Since nothing is that easy and I was paying lawyers to help, I called them and came up with a plan.  Wednesday at 11 we would meet at the police station and we did.  After standing (I mean really standing) in line for 3 hours we paid taxes, completed forms and the lovely lady at the window informed us because our company was in a New Belgrade we need to go to the police station there.  This is not a big deal it's near our house so no problem right.  Well because of our 3 hours in line, it was to late for Wednesday so we decided we would meet Thursday morning at 9:00.  On Thursday we only stood in line for an hour and were cruely tricked.  The clerk took our paperwork looked it over got up and grabbed new plates. (I knew the end was near!) Then started pecking at her computer only to get an error message... She looks up and tells us since the previous owner of the car was a foreigner we needed to be at a different police station to finish the process.  YIKES, my cheerful optimism was waning big time.  So Miloš (the lawyer) and I headed to the police station on the far side of the moon.  Seriously I know I live in a mega city but we drove forever.  We finally arrived and went in.  We found the right window - no line I knew God was with us- We handed the lady our documents and walked out the door 30 minutes later with the above viewed plates!!!  Miloš and I were pretty happy and now we (our team) could drive the cars.  Welcome to a day in the life of an American in Eastern Europe 

My Journey

This past few weeks I have gone all over the place finishing paperwork to officially start our business.  Instead of giving you a boring rundown, I'll let my friend tell the story.   Hello, my name is Ben, I have spent my whole life as a $100 bill.  I have traveled the world but I yearned for something more, I wanted to make a difference.  Now don't get me wrong being a Ben is great.  People love to show you off when they have you, you get referenced in movies and hip-hop songs, sometimes you are the symbol of a strong economy, but I wanted to be more and the only way to do that is to become something different (not a Euro or a British Pound, then you just become something less).  I decided I wanted to be a Serbian Dinar, at today's rated I could be over 7000 Serbian Dinar!  So I took a little Journey.  My journey started as part of a gift.  I was donated to help make a difference all over the world around Christmas time.  From here I was deposited while decisions were made as to what to do with me.  This past June it was decided I would go to Serbia to help finance a start up education company reaching the people of Belgrade.  I did not get to leave in June because there were many government papers to file.  By September I was ready to go, I even got sent on my first wire trip, but there were problems and I was sent back to the U.S.  My new companies bank had set up the account wrong.  There were emails, skype calls and meetings.  How would I get to go on my trip?  Finally a new bank account, was set up and I was on my way.  I could not wait to become a Dinar, this was going to be sweeeeet.  Well I arrived in Serbia in early October and when I got there I was still a hundred dollars...What?  I was very concerned, but the other dollars told me this was normal and I would soon be 7000 Dinar.  Well I waited and waited and waited.  Come to find out there was a little bank/tax snafu.  I had to have a reason to become a dinar.  So the new company I was working with filed some papers, hired an accountant, filed some new papers with the tax office, got approval for me to become a dinar.  A few paper were scanned and stamped and presto I was a Dinar.  Life is great.  I am going to help pay rent, buy office furniture, pay utilities and take care of other obligations for the company.  This will allow the company to have English classes, business seminars, and other activities to help the people of Serbia.  Thanks to all of you out there that give your rescources so Ben's like me can make a difference. 

It's been a while!

As I write this I am drinking a fresh cup of Starbucks, breakfast blend, brought home from Budapest.  It's the little things in life. I know I have been absent from the blog but life has been moving at warp speed so this post is gonna just catch everyone up!
Kyleigh is playing volleyball and really enjoying it.  She is making new friends.  The practice schedule is a little different then in the states.  They let us know at one practice when and where the next one will be.  We just roll with it.
Miki is doing great, her teachers no longer speak English to her and she is really thriving in Serbian.  We are trying to find her a ballet class, she also wants to take karate, it's Miki sort of par for the course.
Jen and Wilson are doing great.  Last week Jen and I bit the bullet and went to the hospital with no help.  We (Jen really) used her awesome language skills to get us a brief tour and get some questions answered.  We were really pleased and think Narodni Front Hospital is going to serve our needs just fine.  We look forward to sharing our Serbian boy with our friends and neighbors here.   We also completed our third language course and Tuesday will begin a new course in a new location.  We are excited to have new teachers as well be about 5 minutes from home.  This means we avoid a one way, one hour, trip on public transportation everyday.  Very happy people here.
I have been busy getting our business from the approval stage to the up and running stage.  I have rented office space, bought some furniture (still got a long way to go here) and started teaching to English classes a week.  This has really kept me busy but aloud me to meet some great people as well as build new relationships.
We have also started our first small group and are studying the book of Mathew.
I am going to work hard this month to more diligent and keep up with blogging more.  Thanks for reading and have a great week.