Belgrade 5 Eng

Dear friends and family



Thank you very much for your regular letters. We appreciate it. Belgrade got new life these last two weeks.



The trees have leaves, the fountains are running, the tulips and other flowers are blooming and they are selling ice-creams everywhere.



We went to Panceville this weekend, a town just outside Belgrade. Stephan preached there on Saturday and on Sunday he gave training in a town 3 hours drive from Panceville. The training sessions about small groups was 7 hours long and he was very tired. But it went well en he could encourage the cell leaders and taught them some small group principles.



The children and I went along, but we spend some time with the pastor's wife (she has a very difficult name :-) and their three children.



I enjoyed the company and the children enjoyed playing with the new friends. Die pastor's wife is an artist and she encouraged me to keep on drawing. She also makes the most beautiful dolls from corn leaves that she gets from her parent's plot.



For the long weekend we decided to take a trip to the mountains. Everybody recommended that we go to Zlatibor. I asked the Serbian information office to help us with phone calls, because the people don't speak English. The guy was very helpful, but after making two bookings and after two cancellations by the hotels, we finely gave up. But because we are a bit stubborn we decided to drive there anyway on Tuesday and if we cannot find a place to come back in the afternoon. We look forward to that. Except that it will be Stephan's first opportunity to drive on the right side of the road. But I think he will manage :-).



I have what I call my "Mr Bean" moments (we saw his latest movie here and we had the advantage - it was in English :-). I had one such experience in the Serbian Information office. The guy helped me to phone car rental places. One of the people spoke English and he handed met the phone. At the end of the conversation I wanted to know who I was speaking to. It was Woewoefkiwitch. I almost burst our laughing because it sounds so funny but I could keep my pose until I've put down the phone. I explained to the guy at the Information Office about the funny name this person has. He looked at the paper where I scribbled the name and his comment was "You spell it like this and it happens to be my last name." Well, luckily he struggles with Van der Merwe and shrugged it off :-).



Stephan had a few nice experiences these last two weeks. He ran the Belgrade half-marathon. He was stiff the next day but he enjoyed it very much. I will rather not tell you about my own marathon through the city looking for a t-shirt and race-number with only limited Skripsi :-). I will just say that I will not try to approach people with a paper in hand to ask something - they think I am a beggar :-). He also jogged down the Thames river in London last week. He needed to go to London for his visa and had one day to do sight-seeing.



Anandi also provides a few humourous moments. She can describe things very well. Some people in Belgrade put straps on their children when they go out for walks. Anandi's comment when se saw this was "Look Mommy, she dresses him like a dog". Luckily she said it in Afrikaans and they did not understand it :-). I showed Nadia and Anandi an old Asterix movie. The next morning I asked Nadia if she would like to read Asterix the Gaul (it helps with motivation for English reading). Anandi said "Yes, it is because he has such nice braids". She heard "girl" for those of you who didn't get it and she spoke about Obelix.



Well, it's all for now. We are getting attached to Belgrade. It is peaceful and without crime. We will also miss our new friends in the church. It is wonderful to be part of a family that is worldwide. Jesus wanted it like that, for us to be one. He made it possible through His death and resurrection.

Love
Stewan Irena Nada and Ujiway :-)

Belgrade 5 Afr

Liewe vriende en familie



Baie dankie vir julle gereelde briewe. Ons waardeer dit. Belgrade het die laaste twee weke nuwe lewe gekry.



Die bome het blare, die fonteine is aan, die tulpe en ander blomme is uit en hulle het die roomysse uitgepak.



Ons was hierdie naweek in Panceville, 'n dorpie net buite Belgrade. Stephan het daar gepreek Saterdag en Sondag heeldag opleiding gegee in 'n ander dorp 3 ure se ry van Panceville af. Hy het 7 ure land opleiding gegee en was pootuit. Maar dit baie goed gegaan en hy kon 'n paar selleiers bemoedig en selgroep beginsels leer.



Ek en die kinders was ook saam, maar het die heeltyd gekuier saam met die pastoor se vrou (haar naam is baie moeilik :-) en sy drie kinders.



Ek het die geselskap geniet en die kinders het heerlik gespeel. Die pastoor se vrou is 'n kunstenaar en sy het my aangemoedig om aan te hou teken. Sy maak ook die mooiste vroutjies van mielieblare.



Omdat dit eintlik 'n langnaweek is, het ons besluit om 'n trip na die berge te beplan. Almal het ons aanbeveel om Zlatibor toe te gaan. Ek het toe die Serbiese inligtingskantoor gevra om ons te help met oproepe, want die mense praat mos nie Engels nie. Die ou daar was baie hulpvaardig, maar na twee bookings wat gemaak is en deur die hotelle gekanselleer is, het ons maar moed opgegee. Maar ons het maar 'n hardkoppige streek in ons en het besluit om in elk geval Dinsdag Zlatibor toe te ry en indien ons nie plek kry nie, maar weer terug te kom die middag. Ons sien nogal uit daarna. Behalwe dat dit Stephan se eerste keer sal wees vir ry aan die regterkant van die pad. Maar ek is seker hy sal dit regkry :-).



Ek het sulke "Mr Bean" oomblikke - dis my naam daarvoor (ons het sy nuutste fliek hier gesien en het die voordeel gehad - dit was in Engels :-). Een het ek gehad by die serbiese inligtingskantoor. Die ou daar het my gehelp om plekke te bel wat karre uithuur. Een van die mense praat toe Engels. Aan die einde van die gesprek wou ek weet wat sy naam is. Dit is toe Woewoefkiwitch. Ek lag toe amper kliphard in die ou se oor want dit klink baie snaaks, maar kon toe darem myself in toom hou tot ek die foon neergesit het. Ek vertel toe vir die ou van die man met die snaakse naam. Hy kyk toe na die papier waar ek die naam geskribbel het en sy kommentaar was "You spell it like this and it happens to be my last name." Wel, gelukkig sukkel hy met Van der Merwe so hy was darem nie te verontwaardig nie.



Stephan het 'n paar heerlike ervarings gehad hierdie laaste twee weke. Hy het die Belgrade halfmarathon gehardloop. Hy was maar styf gewees maar dit was heerlik. Hy het goed gehardloop. Ek sal maar nie vertel van my eie marathon stap deur die stad agter 'n t-shirt en resies-nommer aan, met beperkte Sripski nie :-). Ek sal maar net se dat ek nie weer mense met 'n papiertjie in die hand sal probeer nader om iets te vra nie - hulle dink ek bedel :-). So het hy ook in Londen gaan draf langs die Teems af verlede week. Dit was nodig dat hy Londen toe gaan vir sy visum en hy het vir een dag heerlik sight-seeing gedoen.



Anandi het ook vir 'n paar snaakse oomblikke gesorg. Sy kan 'n ding baie goed beskryf. Party mense hierso maak hulle kinders aan bandjies vas wanneer hulle gaan stap. Anandi se opmerking was "Kyk Mamma sy trek hom soos 'n hond aan". Gelukkig praat die mense nie Afrikaans hier nie :-). Ek het vir Nadia en Anandi 'n ou Asterix movie gewys en die oggend vir Nadia gevra of sy graag Asterix the Gaul sou wou lees (dit help vir motivering vir Engels lees). Anandi se so ewe rustig "Ja, dis omdat hy sukkel mooi vlegsels het". Sy het "girl" gehoor vir die wat dit nie gesnap het nie (en sy praat van Obelix).

Wel, dis vir eers al. Ons raak nogal geheg aan Belgrade. Dis so rustig en misdaad vry. Ons sal ook ons vriende by die kerk mis. Dis wonderlik om deel van 'n familie te wees wat wereldwyd is. Dis wat Jesus wou he, dat ons een sal wees. Hy het dit moontlik gemaak vir ons deur sy dood en opstanding.


Liefde
Stewan Irena Nada en Ujiewaai :-)

Belgrade 4 Eng

Ka ko ste? Dali emate rajunar. Volim te. Oops, I'm so confused. I speak Srpski so much that I even type my messages now in Srpski ... I wish :-)



As Easter is getting nearer we miss two things: easter eggs and hot-cross buns. We have seen the Orthodox church easter symbols Saterday at St. Mark's church. They sold bells (for the good news), and wreaths (for the crown of thorns) at the church. It was like a fair and the children and us enjoyed it very much. They had al kinds of nice sweets that we just had to try. We also made the mistake to buy two balloons for the children that we had to drag along for the rest of the day through busy streets in busses and full shops.



We are going to have a quiet easter weekend in Belgrade. We will join the Assemblies church Friday evening for an Easter service. We also visited their only cell group this week. It was very good and a blessing to us. They treated us with a Serbian meal and afterwards we all prayed for each other. The leader and his wife can speak English very well and taught us a lot about the language and culture.



Our experience with the Serbians is that they seem unfriendly, but they are actually friendly and helpful (and they love to spend lots of time in caffe's next to the street). But this is how a woman tried to explain them to us on Sunday at church "They're loud, they're proud and they think they know something." I think there is truth in there somewhere.



Sunday we went to Ada Chiganlija. It felt even bigger than Kalemegdan. People practice any kind of sport there and even watersports. It seems like it can also be the local beach where people tan and swim. We cannot get enough af all the parks. It is awesome.



Stephan is working from home for now. We enjoy it, but he finds it difficult. But we hope that everyhting will work out soon and that all the uncertainties will be solved. In the mean time we try to make the most of every opportunity and take every day as it comes.



Well, I have to admit that I miss home already. Some days I feel a bit tired of the strange country and then I just want to stay at home (more specifically the shower) :-). It does not happen that often. It is too much fun to go and explore.



We hope you'll have a peaceful and quiet Easter weekend and that Jesus will have the place He deserves in your lives.

Love
Stephan en Irene

Belgrade 4 Afr

Ka ko ste? Dali emate rajunar. Volim te. Oeps, hoe deurmekaar is ek nou. Ek praat nou al so baie Srpski en tik ook sommer daarin. ... I wish :-)

Soos Paasfees nader kom is daar twee goed wat ons mis: paaseiers en hot-cross buns. Ons het wel die Ortodokse kerk se paasfees simbole gesien Saterdag by St. Markus se kerk. Hulle het klokkies (vir die goeie nuus), en kranse (vir die doringkroon) verkoop voor die kerk. Dit was amper soos 'n kermis en die kinders en ons het die baie geniet. Hulle het ook allerhande lekkernye verkoop wat ons net moes probeer. Ons het ook 'n foutjie gemaak om vir die kinders elkeen 'n groot ballon te koop wat ons toe die res van die dag agter ons saam moes sleep deur besige strate, in busse en vol winkels.



Ons gaan maar 'n stil en rustige paasnaweek hier in Belgrade he. Ons wil graag Vrydagaand na die Assemblies of God se diens gaan. Ons het hierdie week hulle enigste selgroep bygewoon. Dit was heerlik en vir ons 'n seen. Ons het 'n heerlike Serbiese ete geniet. Daarna het ons almal vir mekaar gebid. Die leier en sy vrou kan Engels goed praat en ons kon baie leer van die taal en kultuur.

Ons belewenis van die Serbiers is dat hulle nors voorkom, maar hulle is eintlik hulpvaardig en vriendelik. Hulle is beleefd en gaaf en hou van kuier in caffe's langs die straat. Maar soos die vrou wat Sondag vir ons vertaal het by die diens die Serbiers help verduidelik het: "They're loud, they're proud and they think they know something."










Ons was Sondag na die kerkdiens by Ada Chiganlija. Dit voel vir my amper nog groter as Kalemegdan. Die mense beoefen omtrent elke sportsoort daar o.a. watersport. Dit lyk ook amper of dit die strand kan wees waar mense sonbrand en swem. Ons kan maar net nie genoeg kry van al die parke nie. Dis heerlik.



Stephan werk nou vir eers by die huis. Dis vir ons lekker en vir hom moeilik. Maar ons hoop dinge sal gou uitwerk en dat die onsekerhede opgeklaar sal word. Intussen probeer ons die beste maak van die geleentheid en vat elke dag soos dit kom.



Wel, ek moet seker erken dat ek al so bietjie verlang ook. Ek raak party dae so bietjie moeg vir die vreemde land en dan wil ek net in die huis bly (meer spesifiek in die stort :-). Dit gebeur darem nie te baie nie. Dis te veel pret om te gaan rondloop.



Ons hoop julle het ook 'n heerlike rustige Paasnaweek en dat Jesus die plek sal he wat Hy verdien in julle lewe.

Liefde
Stephan en Irene