History in the Making

Today was an exceptionally good day. It was refreshing, therapeutic, and thought-provoking — all in equal measure. 

To begin our day of rest, the team ventured to Varvara. This neighborhood is the (hopeful!) future home of Shields High, the "impossible" dream given to Elizabeth Burton. It is located about 20 minutes south east of City Center. Just close enough to be convenient, but far enough for sheep to be grazing in the nearby pasture. 

If you've spent any time with Elizabeth, then you know how inspiring she is. Now imagine walking step in step with her as she unfolded the vision God has given her to build a state-of-the-art children's home on this land. From the Colorado-style administration lodge to the bridge over the babbling brook, her energy and passion for this project is nearly tangible. Combine that with the desire in each of us to provide a better future for the children of Macedonia, and you can understand how sweet it was to spend time prayer walking and rejoicing together. It's a moment I will never forget. 

And if that wasn't enough, our team also got to experience the beauty of Matka Canyon just outside of Skopje. The photos below hardly do it justice. Suffice it to say, it is home to the world's third deepest underwater cave (Vrelo Cave). But it's only #3 because they haven't reached the bottom yet!

It's no question that Shields High is committed to the Lord, and He is establishing the plans and steps of Elizabeth and all those involved. It is beyond exciting to witness HIS-story in the making. I invite you to join me in praying for Shields High, including all those who will one day call it "home"! 

-Stephanie Bond

Love Makes the Difference

I have so many thoughts and my heart feels so overwhelmed right now. I just hope I can effectively put those emotions into words.

First of all, you never really understand what you're walking into when you are new to a particular team. GlobalX is amazing in how it has strategically placed itself in many different areas around the world, with many different outreach objectives, all in order to tap into, and best utilize, each of the many different types of gifts of which we have been blessed. Every place and project is so unique. Even with the team building meetings held prior to the actual trip, it is hard to grasp 1) what type of hardships they have been through during their lives that ended up leading them to this home 2) what the connection will be like between them and us 3) their understanding of Jesus 4) how we can strengthen their desire for Him.

Immediately upon entering the children's home, I was able to answer #2.  These children wrapped their arms around us, and obviously knew that we were there for them, and we were there with much love to give. They surrounded us with sweet smiles and gave us every reason to feel welcomed in their home.

In keeping with our plan to set up various stations of crafts and sports to create an interactive environment, several of us gathered around a table to make rubber-band bracelets (this clearly wasn't their first rodeo with the bracelet making). As we sat around, casual talk began, and we were lucky enough to have Matt (an American missionary who had moved to Macedonia with his family several years ago) sitting at our table and translating for everyone. One thing led to the next and soon the children were revealing the whereabouts of their families. This talk gave me a lot of answers to question 1. These babies had been through so much darkness. Staring into their sweet faces while they told of such heartbreaking truths about their parents. I couldn't fathom being 12 years old having already faced so much trauma. In that moment, I realized how much our presence mattered, and I was so thankful to be right there with them.

We went through the remainder of our first day warming up more and more to them. They each have such distinctive personalities, but just about all of them are so full of energy and so full of words we wished we could understand.

After spending the day with the children, we went out to dinner with *Elizabeth. I had so many questions stirring around in my mind. I had already learned through Stephanie and Sheyna, who have been on this trip many times, that most of the orphans are Muslim. I just wasn't clear how accepted the name of Jesus was in the government-run orphanage and whether Elizabeth could see the Holy Spirit working through her in communicating God's love to these children. So, we talked. And questions 3 and 4 are now much clearer to me. Only IF and WHEN she's asked, Elizabeth is able to speak of God leading her here to be with these children and all because of His great love for them. She is really their only consistent form of strong emotional connect with an adult, as the orphanage keepers stay somewhat detached from the children. So, through Elizabeth's consistent presence and unwavering love through their many frustrations and aggressive outbursts, she has ingrained a steadfast loyalty with them to which they are not accustomed.  We are just the icing on the cake. They think of us as an extension of Elizabeth; a woman who has always been there for them through thick and thin. Without her long term commitment to them, our efforts would not be nearly as impactful. They know we will always visit them twice a year (once in May and once in October), and they trust that we are there because we care about them.
[*sidenote: Elizabeth is an amazing woman of faith who went on a short term trip through GlobalX, just like us, and felt God leading her to Macedonia full-time.]

I am so incredibly grateful to God for not only sending Elizabeth here, but I am especially grateful for her obedience to the calling.  She is setting a foundation by being their steady force of love in a confusing world where they have faced so much abandonment. She is the face of Jesus for them; Jesus is shedding light on their darkness through Elizabeth and the many globalX teams that continue to show up. Her impact on their lives will forever change them. I am so blessed to be a small piece of this operation.

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:14-16

~Erin Thompson

Traveling to Macedonia!

Greetings All!  Welcome to the blog for the October 2016 Macedonia Team!  We are so excited to share everything we are doing and learning and experiencing!  So here goes...

Once upon a time, early in the year of 2016, 8 people came together... from all different backgrounds, and for all different reasons... but all felt the same pull on their heart strings from God to travel to a far away land called Macedonia.  There they would discover an orphanage full of beautiful children and one amazing missionary named Elizabeth, and all of their lives would be changed forever!

Well, here we all are... Jim, Jesse, Stephanie, Sheyna, Erin, Renee, Natalie and Lynn!  After months of meetings and prayers and preparations, here we are... all wide awake and eager as ever at the (FIRST) airport!  (Thank YOU Stephanie for bringing the selfie stick - No shame here!!!).  The devil may have tried to throw some obstacles in our way... a broken foot, a heck of a hurricane, a team member accidentally being put on standby... but nothing was going to stop THIS Elite 8 from getting where we were headed!

3 flights and 16 hours later - we FINALLY landed in Skopje, Macedonia (with ALL of our luggage PRAISE JESUS!)... however, not quite as bright eyed and bushy tailed as we were in the initial photo in Atlanta (hence the lack of an "after" picture) - but excited and feeling awfully blessed to be here nonetheless! 

Elizabeth met us at the airport to excitedly welcome us to Skopje with our driver and we then headed to our hotel.  Elizabeth mentioned how quiet we were on the ride to the hotel - we are not really that calm or subdued of a group... we were just simply too tired to form complete sentences at that point!  (Still super excited though :) We got checked in and grabbed a little lunch before resting up for a couple of hours.  

***I will add what I have learned so far at this point in the trip***  I still am unable to sleep on planes.  The Newark airport is not my favorite.  My team is AWESOME and every single one of us brings something special to the table.  I have a new favorite salad - It is called Shopska Salad and I am now obsessed.  If you order "grilled cheese" off the menu in Macedonia, it is simply that - a block of cheese that has been grilled - not a sandwich.  European bathrooms flood when you shower.  All of them.

Ok - after naps and showers - we are somewhat 'un-zombied'... Able to at least form sentences now, and we probably at the very least smell a little better.  We then head through downtown Skopje's City Center and get a glimpse of the town and some time to explore how beautiful this city really is!  The statues, the view, it's really quite an amazing place!  From there, we headed to SoulCraft Church to listen to the pastor Nikola's message.  Our group was introduced to the congregation and was welcomed with open arms by everyone.  It made our entire group feel wonderful about being in this new and unfamiliar city, and God's purpose for us traveling all this way was becoming more and more clear by the minute.

After a wonderful dinner with Nikola and his beautiful wife and daughter, it was time to head back to the hotel for some MUCH needed beauty sleep.  We definitely needed as much rest as we could get to recover from our long couple days of travel and to prepare us for the following day's excitement!  

We all hit the beds hard and were blessed with a good night's sleep...  

Day One at the orphanage was actually today - but there is simply more to say about today than I can possibly write about this evening as my eyelids are getting quite heavy and tomorrow will be another long day!  

On a more personal note before I close off for tonight... Can I just add what an incredible blessing this trip is to each and every one of us?!  It's only the beginning and I just can't even believe how lucky I am to be here right now.  It really just blows my mind how God has brought this all together - all the right people, all the right circumstances, and truly at the right time.  I am so excited about how He is going to work through us this week with these children!  Whereas fears and insecurities of all kinds plagued my mind leading up to this trip, now that I am actually here - in this city, on the other side of the world, away from everything I have ever known and been comfortable with - I feel more secure in my mind that I am EXACTLY where I am meant to be at this moment in time!

*~*~* Various team members will be adding to the blog throughout the trip... so forgive us if there is repetition of events or moments, but we thought it best to get various points of view and different perspectives along the way!  We all hope you enjoy reading about our trip and the way in which God is using each and every one of us here! *~*~*

~Renee Doddington

Friday Festivities

The weather permitted us to be outside, so we started the day by painting the slacks of wood for the benches. We laid down the tarp and wood on the basketball court. This instantly caught the attention of the children who were eager to participate. Once we started painting, the children followed us around and insisted on helping us paint. Our reluctance was short lived as we surrendered our brushes and watched as the kids painted the slacks with diligence. They were excited to be part of a project that they were proud of.

We were also able to set up the volleyball court for the teachers and staff. Before long we were engaged in a highly competitive game of volleyball. The children joined in as we laughed and struggled to get the hang of the game. It was a funny, especially as the kids tried to kick or head-butt the ball; Elizabeth appropriately reminded the children this was not football. I'm still not sure if it stuck or not.

The staff hosted lunch for us which included meat a patty, chicken, a delicious spread, potatoes, bread and Coca Cola (befitting for us Atlantans) as an expression of gratitude for the team. It was a copious amount of food, making it very hard to finish. Our favorite part was being able to eat with the children-this was our first time sharing a meal together. It felt like a family gathering filled with laughter and joy.

Then the men got back to work and some of the boys helped put the wood slacks on the metal stands. I could hear their laughter from across the field as our men taught the boys how to hammer the nails. I think the kids may have enjoyed the projects more than we did. I think to them it didn't matter what they were doing as long as they were engaging with us.

Lake Ohrid Adventures

Hopefully we figure out how to upload the pictures soon! It was a bumpy and windy 3 hour drive through rural Macedonia, but so worth it when we reached our destination. We were dropped off at a castle on top of the hill, some of us (Steve, MaryStu, Zoe, and Grace) had to walk a mile to find a toilet. We finally found one at a restaurant along with the cutest little baby named Anna. We pretty much had to drag Steve from the baby to keep moving forward.  Even in such a stimulating environment, it was hard not to think about the children and how much we missed them. We all had a deep yearning to be with them again.

While exploring the lake we found a hip lounge with a patio right on the lake so we gathered there until the rain disrupted our patio lunch. Afterward Lupche guided us to the historical St. John Church  on top of the hill. It was a perilous journey through the rain. We passed stray cats, rocky cliffs, and fisherman on pebbly shores. The stormy weather did not phase the transparency of the water, you could still see the school of fish swimming around.

Once we reached the church, it was quite the sight! The church was perched on top of rocky cliffs with the lake as the backdrop. The church was tiny but you could tell it had been through alot and had a story to tell.

The van ride back to Skopje was tranquil, we were exhausted from the long day. Steve introduced us to Mr. Green who has now become the talk of the team. I recommend you ask one of us about him, he's quite the character!

Day 2, Day 3, and Mr. Green

Yesterday was our second day at the 25 of May. Most of the day was spent inside the orphanage due to rainy weather, doing arts and crafts with the children. It was nice to be able to bond with them inside their home and to really play and interact where they spend most of their time. The smiles from the children are getting bigger and the hugs are getting sweeter and sweeter with time. I know our time here is limited but I pray that every ounce of love we give them stays as an imprint on their heart for a lifetime. Since the moment we met they've welcomed us with warm smiles and open arms and for that I am grateful.

The men set up the new benches our team has provided outside in between the soccer field and the basketball court to serve as a place where the children can sit, rest and watch each other play. Our guys stood in the pouring rain for a couple of hours working on the benches and were a wonderful demonstration of selflessly serving the Lord. I'm so thankful God has given us all an opportunity to experience this time with the children together as a team and I'm hopeful for our days to come.

--

Today we spent the day at Lake Ohrid and it was truly beautiful. There are no words to describe God's beautiful creation. It was another rainy day but the laugher among the group was greater than any other time we've spent together. Everyone's spirits were high and the joy we all had exploring was so evident. Tomorrow we go back to the 25 of May for a cookout and more time with the children. We're all so excited and ready to see their bright shining faces.

For His Kingdom,
Zoe

P.S. Ask your respective loved one/friend on the trip who Mr. Green is...

First day at the orphanage

Today was our first day at the orphanage after a long journey from Atlanta to Frankfurt to Zagreb and finally to our destination- Skopje. We were all filled with excitement and joy as we drove into the 25th of May orphanage. To our delight, we were greeted by smiling faces of little ones who were curious to meet their anticipated guests. One of the very first kids we met was Ramche who had the most contagious smile I had ever seen. He was so warm and affectionate, it was impossible not to like him.

We quickly walked over to the field behind the orphanage where the kids were already outside and in a matter of minutes what seemed like a natural chemistry developed between the team and the children. It was an emotional sight to see as the children lit up with ecstacy when they welcomed Stephanie and Sheyna with long embraces I later had the privilege of experiencing. As the day progressed, we all did what children do best- play. The children welcomed us with open hearts and hands allowing us to enter their lives. Despite the language barrier, the children interacted with us not like the strangers we were, but like brothers and sisters who had returned to them.

It was by God's grace we were able to bond with these children who have experienced so much rejection and pain. Leaving was one of the hardest things we had to do with pressed palms on windows, watching the children chase after the van as though they would never see us again. My heart ached.

Tomorrow is another day, another chance to love on these children just as God intended. Stay tuned!

GlobalX October 2015 Macedonia Team

Hello Everyone! 

It is my pleasure to be the first to blog on behalf of the October 2015 Macedonia team. This year we have 12 amazing people all journeying to Macedonia together, with one common purpose of serving our Lord and Savior. This past Monday (August 10) marked the day we needed half of our funds raised in order to book our flights, but guess what.... we've raised 72%!!!!! Truly amazing. Where God leads, He certainly provides. 

Our team retreat is our next meeting- August 28-30. I can't wait to see how the Lord will work and the bonding that will happen during our time together. 

I thank Jesus for this opportunity, for calling us all to serve together, and for loving us with an unfailing love.

For His Kingdom, 

Zoe Torres 

It's Craft Time!

We always love doing different crafts and activities with the children at the orphanage. The kids have had a blast with sidewalk chalk and that fun beach catching game with the Velcro mitts and ball. (Please let us know if this game has a name!) In fact, they were having so much fun that we are already completely out of chalk and the plastic mitts are broken in several pieces! After a quick trip to the local hardware store one of our teammates found a piece of rope to be used as a jump rope! The joy on these children's faces as they participate in these activities is priceless! Now we know what to bring more of next trip!!

One of our crafts this year was a puzzle. We had the children decorate a piece and we are putting it up as a piece of art in the counselor's office we are renovating! We cannot wait to see it on the wall! 

We have also decorated leather bracelets, made paracord bracelets, clay necklaces and spray painted shirts! The kids will have so many fun gifts by the time we leave thanks to all of your generous donations!

Pictures to come soon!