Winter Phenomena

Winters in Serbia are tough.  It's cold, it's grey, and it's dark super early.  But is has it's positives also.  The snow is beautiful, chances for a white Christmas are significantly higher then in Texas. Other then the bitter cold (it hasn't arrived yet but you can sense it in the people, every knows its coming) the biggest problem I have with winter is the outdoor cafe seating dissapears.  This results in having coffee in a tiny cafe where 93% of the people are smoking.  This results in me having to wash my clothes more often (remeber the bitter cold, I have to wash my coat too).  But judging from the title of this blog you are probably thinking that is not very phenomenal and you are right.  This was a long introduction to let you know about the most interesting winter phenomena in Serbia:  The Make Out Phenomena.
I'm not sure if this is a Serbian thing, a European thing, or a big city thing but it is something.  See the problem arises because most young people (18 - 30) live at home until they are married.  Most homes in Belgrade are pretty small so this leads to a lack of privacy.  In the spring and summer the parks are full of make outers, but the parks are big so it's pretty easy to ignore and turn your attention elsewhere.   Winter cafe time is a whole different situation.  In the cafe your table is about 4 inches from the table next to you so if the make out couple is next to you, well you sort of feel like your part of the action.  But cafes are not the only place to make out, the bus is an ok place, the mall seems to be pretty popular - mainly the food court.  But the coolest place to make out is Mcdonalds.  Every time I go, there are  multiple couples making out.  I think this is because this is the cool place for kids to hang out.  And we all know where you find the kids is where you will find the making out.

The Most Fantasticness You Can Imagine

What do you get when you combine the following:  An Elementary school Choir, 8 Middle school girls singing and dancing to "Rolling in the Deep", 4th graders playing medieval songs on the recorder, Traditional Serbian song and dance, a choir of 1st graders singing about being good Yugoslav communists, a 3rd grade boy singing an amazing rock song while playing air guitar and a surprise appearance from a HUGE SERBIAN POP STAR?  Well of course its the 50th Birthday Celebration for Osnovna Škola Duško Radović.  This is the school Kyleigh goes to and last monday they had a huge show with all these things and more. 
Words can not describe how fantastic the show was.  Kyleigh gave us very little information so our expectation was pretty low.  I knew something was up when the theatre was packed, but really who expects much from any elementary school show.  The show started with the first graders singing an old Yugoslovian song - roughly translated it was about how to be a good socialist, complete with red star hats and red scarves:

We then got an amazing version of "Rolling in the Deep".  Kyleigh and some kids came out and told about freindship in many languages (Kyleigh got chosen because she is so good at English).  After that her class played a Medieval tune on the recorder (serbs call it a flute).

Friendship is very important at OS Dusko Radovic

The costumes enhance the medievalness of this tune

At this point we were pretty impressed with the show the "Rolling in the Deep" girls were multi talented coming out and singing a traditional song then busting out in some serious Serbian Folk Dance.  So now I am considering this a terrific Elementary school show but then things went crazy.  A girl stepped out from the choir and began singing a serbian pop song, she was probably in 8th grade and I thought "wow this kid has a great voice".... Then from stage right this lady comes dancing out picks up the song and the crowd went nuts.  I MEAN THEY WENT CRAZY!!!!! clapping, screaming, you name it they we jumping up and down.  My keen observation skills lead me to the conclusion that this lady was a pretty big deal and was probably the person that made this song famous.  We later found out it was Goca Trzan, click above and you can go to her webpage.  Anyway she went to K's school back in the day and had come to help them celebrate.  It was cool to hear her thank all the teachers that had help her become a success and I would imagine pretty inspiring to all the kids.
You would think that it would be impossible to top that but as Goca exits the stage a young boy with long hair steps from the choir and begins belting out this rock song.  He's probably 8 and totally playing the crowd but the show stopper was during, the required guitar solo in all rock songs, the kid busts out his air guitar - show over! (actually all the teachers and students and former students sang one more song but I was still living the air guitar dream)

Thankfulness, the main thing

So I missed last friday, the post thanksgiving hangover and preparing for Saturday's thanksgiving festivities caused a lapse in blogging.  That coupled with the fact that I wanted to give this topic the proper time and treatment resulted in my tardiness.

The Most Importatnt Thing, The Life Changing Thing, for me I call it The Main Thing.  It is the thing that I am most thankful for. It is the thing that makes everything else in my life possible.  All I have to be thankful for, from the air I breathe to my wonderful wife flow from this.  What is it?  What could I be this thankful for?  It is my relationship with Jesus.  Just knowing I have a relationship with Jesus makes the morning worth getting up for (and trust me that's hard when you know how cold it is and it is only going to get colder).

Like all of us I have a sin problem, but I have the grace of Jesus, freely given, and with that foregiveness for my sins. Every time I think about it, that gift that is so available, it amazes and boggles me.  You see, I know I am not worthy of heaven.  But the creator of the universe so loves me (and you) so much that he paid the debt for our sin with his son, Jesus Christ.

This main thing is more then forgiveness, grace, and redemption.  It's that daily relationship. Like all of us I am prone to wonder, but the daily walk with Christ sustains me.  It's the thing that I am most thankful for.

Thanksgiving Serbian Style

This was our second Thanksgiving in Serbia, but last year we celebrated with teammates, and this year we decided to invite two Serbian families to share some American goodness with.  This was a huge step, Thanksgiving food is way different then anything a Serb would eat (except turkey, people do eat turkey here). Lets face it, although Jen makes the best stuffing in the world, the whole concept of stuffing is a little strange.  It's impossible to explain what it is and make it sound appetizing.

The only reference these families had for Thanksgiving was t.v. and movies they see (luckily FRIENDS is on here and no American T.V. program celebrated Thanksgiving quite like those cooky New York singles).  I did explain to them ahead of time that there would be no huge turkey on the table with little white chef hats on his legs.  I think they were a little dissapointed, but better to get that out ahead of time. 

Jen worked tirelessly for two days to prepare all the food. My contribution consisted of getting the kids out of the house so she could cook.  She alternated between talking with her mom and texting teammates to give the impression that she was not cooking alone.  She did an amazing job, even making her own cranberry sauce.  Her best cooking decision was in the desert department.  We knew that all this food would be foreign and espeacially desert.  We were going with pumpkin and pecan pie.  Instead of making huge pies that may not be liked she made mini pies - that way the wasting of amazing desert goodness would be minimal. 

Dinner was phenomanal, I contributed by brewing amazing Starbucks coffee, no instant for my guests.  Our Serb friends were very intentional taking small helpings of everything and then going back for seconds of the stuff they liked. Sweet potatoes were a big hit - who would not like something smothered in butter, brown sugar, marshmallows and nuts.  There was a big discussion on what a pecan is.  The Serbian dictionary described it as a longer, smaller walnut, but it was decided it was much sweeter then a walnut.

Kyleigh took care of the kids, reading a story of the first thanksgiving, and preparing an activity for the kids.  They all made thankful turkeys. 
Over all it was great night and we were blessed to share our traditions with some great people.

Mini deserts, the masterpiece from my master chef

Kyleigh explains thanksgiving, notice NFL football in the background

A first for our Serb frineds

thankful turkeys, Serbian style

Princess's On Ice

If you know Jen and I you know we LOVE Disney.  We LOVE Disney World.  We LOVE Disney Princess'.  When you have girls like ours, you just live a life full of Princess'.  That's what made Saturday so special.  All the Disney Princess' were in Belgrade for a Disney on Ice show at the arena.  Thanks to a tremendous gift from Aunt Glenna and Uncle John we got to go to the show (it was Christmas for the girls).  K and Miki dresses in nice dresses, got some fancy hair and topped it off with a tiara, and were ready for the show. 

pretty princess' ready for the show

Mom gave miki the triple braid

Buns and curls for K

at the arena

excited to see the show

dad sports a Miki Crown

Happy girls after a great show

It was a great show, and a great time.

Fantastic Friday - a little more thankfulness

Things we are thankful for - guest entries from the Stevens kids.

Kyleigh:
Jesus - sort of self expanantory - he did save me from my sins after all.  A car - it is so much better then the bus or my feet. Friends here in Serbia and at home in Texas. Family - when friends are hard to come by at least I have these bozos. Serbia - hey I like it here. AWANA - gettin to know God's word makes a girl thankful.  Clothes - justice is my fave. Food - when you see folks begging everyday, you get very thankful for simple things, like a nice warm bed.

Michaela:
I am thankful for school, my teachers, my friends - they make the days better.  Transportation - I'm less picky then my sister.  Paper mache - something I have recently discovered.  a place to live, Mom and Dad, my life, My brother, the world around me.

Wilson:  I had to translate this so it may be a little off
I am thankful for MILK! MILK! MILK!  it sustains life.  And Mama, she is pretty and holds me and sings to me and she has MILK! and Sissy (both of them sometimes).  I am also a big fan of all electronics, I prefer things that have a screen, light up and are expensive. I am also very thankful that Dad put all the books on low shelves so I can take them down and read at my lesiure. 

Miki's homework

November in Miki's school is transportation month.  So for homework all the kids had to construct a vehicle of some sort.  Miki decided to make a jumbo jet 'like we came to Serbia on".  So with the uber creative Jen on the task a 2 liter pepsi bottle, cardboard and paper mache became Avion Miki.
UPDATE:  Today when Miki came home from school she told us her teachers had said her plane was:
geniol - genius
fenomenalo- phenominal

just getting started

first coat of paint drying

proud captain