We're Home!

It felt so good to get home on Tuesday night. It was another very long day as we had to be at the airport in Bel Grade, Serbia at 5:00 a.m. (which was really 11:00 p.m. the night before Ohio time). Be that as it may be, we made all the flight connections on time without any problem. Please let me share a few thoughts and hopefully a few pictures about our time in Serbia.

While of course geographically Serbia is very different from Tanzania, there seems to be a common thread of oppression that invades both places. While in a certain level of poverty, the folks in Tanzania have an inner peace and joiy that is so obvious and spills over into everything they do. On the other hand, the folks in Serbia seem to be oppressed, not so much by poverty, but by an attitude common to folks oppressed by Communisum, almost an existential fear of others. We were graciously welcomed where there was a plan, but I experienced something more like a fear of strangers on a one to one basis. Now, having said that, let me say again what a formidable barrier language can be.

We travelled a lot while in Serbia, visiting churches in no less than 10 different cities, from Vojlovica to Bielo Blato, to Backa Palanka, to Novi Sad, to Bel Grade. Each visit was unique and yet there was a similar theme of wondering how to make and keep the church a viable option in Serbia. There are only 28 Lutheran Churches that are a part of the Slovak Lutheran Church of the Augsburg Confession. These all have called pastors with about 13 more that are being cared for without a called pastor, usually because of lack of resources.

On Sunday November 22nd, we had the privilege of participating in a worship service, a funeral, and a wedding at the church in Back Palanka. This is the church that is now being served by Pastor Jasmina Kotas who was here in our synod the summers of 2007 and 2008 working with the mission to young folks from Eastern European countries who worked at Put-in-Bay. That evening before a tasty meal of soup, cabbage rolls, and schnitzel, we took a walk to the Danube River. As we got to the river, the lights on the other side of the river were from a town in Croatia, and to realize that Serbia and Croatia are not friendly, and there are guards and gates at the border.

Our last night we stayed in Bel Grade in order to get to the airport on a timely basis the next morning four flight. Just down the street fom the hotel were a few buildings that remain just as they were when they were bombed back in the early 90's during the war. What a sobering reminder of the ugliness of war.

I pray this finds you all well, and that you will join me in giving thanks to God this Thanksgiving for his bountiful blessings. Again, thanks for journeying with me/us on this most wonderful adventure. My life is much richer for the experience. P.S. One of the sideways photos is of me pumping the bellows on an old pipe organ--good exercise!

God bless you all!
Pastor Dale