Studentski Veekend

me with some new friends on a hike






<--interupting Dan's model shoot oh my. so, studentski veekend (aka fall retreat) was this past weekend--it was a tooootally macedonian experience. I am still trying to recover from exhaustion. (and by the way, why do macedonians switch their 'w's and 'v's? For example, weekend is 'veekend' and village is 'willage.' I must admit I adore this little quirk, but I just want to know whhhhy?) The retreat took place in Mavrevo, a small town up in the mountains, and we stayed at the Hotel Ratika (not to be confused with the Hotel Erotica). Hotel Ratika was probably in it's prime in 1967, mind you. Anyhow, it was a fabulous weekend in many respects, including that 60 students showed up and most of them were new and had never heard the Gospel!! They sure did after this weekend though! It turned out to be a pretty, uh, memorable time (belly dancing at the talent show, are you kidding me?!) On a more serious note, I am floored at how God draws people to Himself the way that only He is capable of doing. He is working so deeply in people's hearts, and they (and I) may never even realize. I am gaining such an appreciation for 'the process.' Process indicates no definite arrival point in this lifetime, but a general progression of gained understanding, a flow of relationships, instances, thoughts, emotions, interactions, and most importantly: workings of the Holy Spirit, that leads one down a path towards Christ. It's beautifully freeing to experience God's grace through the knowledge that, as my friend Jane would say, "You're right on schedule," where-ever you are, if you're walking with Him. And it's an amazing privilege to be able to work through those processes with other individuals...to learn together and to allow roots like a tree to settle down deep, sucking up some of that living water.
Macedonia is one of those starkly beautiful places--if you look at the pictures from Mavravo, you might know what I mean. You have to look past the browns and grays, the dusty apathy to see the blues and oranges, the seeds of hope that are sprouting fresh.
I wish I had more words to describe it right now, but it's late and I am to bed.