Monthly Archives: February 2012

February 26, 2012 · 09:25

last pic from Belgrade

I had a great 19 hours getting introduced to Belgrade. This is a capital city indeed, it has Hapsburg influence to be sure, but there was influence I recognized from Kyiv, indeed on the bus coming in we passed the airport and went down this wide, straight highway that looked like coming into Kyiv. But in the city, I felt I could have been in parts of NYC. The influences were wide. Below, I’m heading for the railway station, but I hope to return.

On the train, I shared a compartment with a Serb from Montenegro who was born in Bosnia but fled before the war. It was a lively discussion about history and politics which the Lord allowed to turn to Himself. I shared with my new friend that God’s love for him is complete because of the finished work of Jesus. I taught him the Jesus prayer and urged him to meditate on 1 John. I am going to keep up with him via the internet. I could see in his eyes that he is open to knowing God more deeply. I was glad for this divine appointment.

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Filed under from the Balkans, photos along the way

February 25, 2012 · 11:03

last leg of the southern loop

I should have just pulled away from platform two in Beograd for the last leg of this part of the trip which began two weeks ago this past Thursday…

3 weeks and am thankful

So far, I am blessed to have safely moved through 7 border crossings, visited 10 cities, spoken to 6 groups, had countless cups of coffee, ridden 6 trains, 4 buses (a new record) and all along the way I’ve gotten to speak with many people (translated into four languages) where I have been able, like the Psalmist, to give glory to God for His faithfulness. I have been able to speak via Skype to my Sweet Anna almost every day and am grateful for technology that allows us to do what we do for God’s glory and the living and speaking of His Gospel… I am a blessed man indeed.

Belgrade

…by the time the bus arrived and I found the hotel, it was a bit past four, I hurried out knowing I was losing the sun… The first thing I saw was this unidentified government (?) building…

… then up the street I saw this… it must have been NATO destruction from ’99…

THEN, I got to my first destination, the Serbian Orthodox Cathedral…

… inside, they are remodeling or something… I pondered this image of Jesus on the cross… if you ever wonder what the extra crosses are on an Orthodox cross, you can figure out why in this image…

… as I left, I was amazed by this sunset…

… then I got a look at a mass in a nearby chapel…

… I grabbed a ride on a tram to the main square…

… after the main square, I explored…

until I “GPT”ed my way back to the hotel

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Filed under culture, from the Balkans, photos along the way, things Central European

February 24, 2012 · 12:32

bus to Belgrade

after a quiet morning with the Lord, I had coffee with my contact in Srebrenica and we headed for the bus…

I was loaded up and ready to head to the capital of Serbia, we pulled away five minutes early! at 10:55…

We drove by the memorial cemetery on the way out…

it took us 45 minutes to cross the border from Bosnia to Bratunac, Serbia and arrive at a bus station where the ticket man rushed me onto another bus which backed out right after I got on and we were on our way… we followed the Drina river for a couple of hours …