Belgrade 6 Eng

Zdravo!

I feel like I am behind in writing. So much can happen in two week's time.

We had a wonderful trip to Zlatibor. The trip (250 km) was interesting with the help of a few wrong turns. But every wrong turn got us to the most beautiful places. And so we landed in a valley where all the fields were colored with pastels, with forests of every green shade in between.



Zlatibor is centered around a lake. They are focused on local tourists. I think we were about the only foreigners there.But it is beautiful. We struggled a little bit to find the mountain. I felt a bit like "the Englishman that went up a hill and came down a mountain". The mountain that they boast about is not more than green hills, but it gives the effect of "the sound of music". Our children became small in the distance as they ran through the green fields. And everywhere they stopped to pick wild flowers. Die forests in between gives the most beautiful effect.



We followed the road through the landscape with the Yugo we rented for one day. We saw about 3 cars on road the whole day. The road took us to a cave with a opening of about 35 m. They build a big fence in front of the cave so we could not go inside. Then out of the blue appeared this old man with a key. But our Sripski was too little to understand him. Luckily some Serbian tourist came at that moment and they could tell us about the cave. The man took all of us into the cave with a flashlight. Scary, but awesome! Inside the cave are hiking trails of more than 1 km (I was glad he did not offer to take us). He also showed us a waterfall inside the cave (the river flows through the cave). And everything was free! It was wonderful.



From there we stopped at an open-air museum. There is a whole town of wooden buildings that they preserve. It showed us how people used to live and even live today to support themselves. We were very hungry at that point and stopped at a Serbian restaurant where we had Serbian hamburgers while Serbian folk music played in the background. What an experience!



Our last stop was at a waterfall of 20m. But it doesn't stop there. The water goes down the mountain in two streams and form more waterfalls till it reach the bottom. It was very beautiful. From there we tried to find the road back home. A road sign that said Zlatibor took us to a gravel road where we had a nice drive through the woods. The branches formed a tunnel with their branches. And it is the brightest green leaves I've ever seen. The road also took us to the highest point in that area. We could see on all side into the distance. It was awesome and the quietness around us was wonderful.



We went to visit the family in Panceville again last weekend. It was nice to visit with them. Stephan preached there again (also on Sunday at the Assemblies). He used one good illustration in his message about a cell phone and swiss army knife that he always carry with him in his pockets. The applied it to the Bible message by saying that you either stay in contact with Jesus through pray (cell phone) or you do it yourself (swiss army knife) - John 15.

I feel very homesick. I've heard this quote somewhere "You cannot have roots and wings". I thought about how this fits into the Bible's message. I think established in Jesus we can soar like eagles, doesn't matter where we are. But we are human and I am longing for home, so please write. :-)

Love
Stephan Irene Nadia Anandi

Belgrade 6 Afr

Zdravo!

Dit voel asof ek agter is met die skryfwerk, want daar gebeur nogal baie in 2 weke se tyd.

Ons het toe 'n heerlike tyd gehad in Zlatibor. Die pad soontoe (so 250km) was interessant m.b.v. 'n verkeerde draai of twee. Maar elke verkeerde pad het ons by die mooiste plekke uitgebring. So het ons in 'n vallei beland waar die landerye met pastel kleure ingekleur is, met groen woude tussenin met elke skakering van groen waaraan mens kan dink.



Zlatibor sentreer rondom 'n meer en is baie op plaaslike toeriste ingestel. Ek dink ons was seker die enigste buitelanders daar. Maar dis pragtig. Ons het wel gesukkel om die berg te kry. Ek het bietjie gevoel soos "the englishman that went up a hill and came down a mountain". Die berg wat hulle so spog oor is niks meer as groen heuwels nie, maar dit gee nogal baie die effek van "the sound of music". Ons kinders het gehardloop deur die groen grasvelde dat hulle so klein geword het in die verte. En orals het hulle gestop en veldblomme gepluk. Die woude tussenin gee die mooiste effek.



Ons het ook 'n dag lank 'n pad gevolg deur die mooi landskap met die Yugo wat ons gehuur het. Ons het seker 3 karre gekry op die pad die hele dag. Dit het ons by 'n grot met 'n opening van 35m gebring. Hulle het 'n groot hek voor die grot aangebring en ons kon eers nie ingaan nie. Toe uit die bloute verskyn daar so 'n ou man wat die sleutel het. Maar ons Sripski was te min. Gelukkig het daar net op daardie oomblik ander Serbiese toeriste aangekom wat ons kon vertel van die grot. Die man het ons met 'n flitslig die grot van binne gewys. Scary, maar wonderlik! Binne die grot is daar staproetes van langer as 'n km (ek was nogal bly hy het nie aangebied om ons te vat nie). Hy het ons ook 'n waterval binne die grot gewys (die rivier vloei deur die grot). En dit alles gratis! Dit was wonderlik.



Daarna het ons by 'n buitelug museum gestop. Daar is 'n hele dorp van houthuise wat hulle oppas. Dit wys hoe mense geleef het en selfs nou nog lewe en hulleself onderhou. Ons was op daardie stadium baie honger en het gestop by 'n restaurant waar ons serbiese hamburgers geeet het terwyl vrolike serbiese volksmusiek gespeel het in die agtergrond.



Ons laaste stop was by 'n waterval van 20m. Maar dis nie waar dit stop nie. Die waterval kronkel in twee sulke strome af teen die berg en vorm nog watervalle tot onder. Dit was baie mooi. Van daar af het ons die pad terug probeer kry. 'n Bordjie was gese het Zlatibor het ons op 'n grondpad gebring waar ons eintlik deur die woude gery het. Die takke het so oor die pad gehang en 'n tonnel gevorm. En dit is die helderste groen blare wat ek nog gesien het. Die pad het ons ook op die hoogste punt in die area uitgebring. Ons kon elke kant van ons sien tot in die verte. Dit was asemrowend en die stilte was wonderlik.



Ons het verlede naweek ook weer in Panceville gaan kuier. Dit was heerlik om weer te kon saam kuier met die gesin daar. Stephan het weer gepreek daar (ook Sondag by Assemblies). Hy het een goeie illustrasie in sy preek genoem van 'n selfoon en swiss army knife, twee goed wat heeltyd in sy broeksakke bly. Die parallel wat hy getrek het met die Bybel is, bly in kontak met Jesus in gebed (selfoon) of doen dit self (swiss army knife) - Joh. 15.

Ek voel al baie home-sick. Ek het iewers die quote gehoor: "You cannot have roots and wings". Ek het gedink hoe dit by die Bybel inpas. Ek dink gevestig in Jesus kan ons sweef soos arende, maak nie saak waar ons is nie. Maar ons bly maar mens en ek verlang, so skryf asb. :-)

Liefde
Stephan Irene Nadia Anandi