Bridges & New Friends

Dobra Utro! (Good morning)

Last week we spent lots of time preparing for the campers to come and now they have arrived! We welcomed them with lots of colorful balloons and #SpeakOutMK signs all over the main room. It was so festive! The day they arrived we spent the rest of our time waving at the campers arriving and introducing ourselves, and sometimes hiding from them because we weren’t supposed to be introduced until that night haha. Each of the tutors chose a song to enter to, and we dressed up a little to make it more fun. I came in to Taylor Swift’s 22, Olivia was sporting a camo jacket and bounced in to a Lecrae song, Gloria had a Spanish sombrero on her head, Vern had a circus theme, and Keith dressed like Superman – we even improvised a long red cape…so much fun!!! Everyone loved it. 😉

Last night was American night – we taught them American dances, tasted American food, (we even made smores over red white and blue candles haha!) and they even got the chance to play baseball – all in all a fun and exhausting night. I tried to teach them the Virginia Reel, which we BUTCHERED, but the ChaCha Slide, Cupid Shuffle & Cotton Eyed Joe went much better lol. Then they grabbed my hand and taught me a flurry of quick step Macedonian traditional dances – they are so graceful I am amazed at how quickly their feet move!!! 🙂

I have six campers – beautiful girls – we’re having so much fun getting to know each other and sharing our stories back and forth. A ballerina, one who wants to be a doctor for allergies (we’ve been talking about herbs and she’s going to point out some native plants for me), A future genetic physicist, a future lawyer, a girl with a flair for acting and theater, and a future economist….a wonderful group! We all got ice cream yesterday at Peshtani – the village nearby, and talked for several hours. I’m enjoying getting to know them better, and getting to talk about important life topics with them! Yesterday they had a talk on good life choices, and how our choices effect who we are today, and in the future. Today they were talking about relationships, the real meaning of love, if love derives from freedom or control. Deep stuff, I’m excited to dig into it.

We tutors are really enjoying a tutor devotional time in the mornings with Baron – we’re digging through the book of Jonah – it’s been very insightful and encouraging. One of my favorite times of the day.

Odds and Ends: Went to Struga – a town with a river running through it that leaves from Lake Ohrid….in the city center is a bridge over the river, and I totally went with a group and jumped off the bridge into the water. Not far when you’re on the ground looking up at it, but when you’re sitting on the edge of the bridge staring down you have a “what the heck am I doing with my life” moment right before you scream and jump in! haha SO MUCH FUN. I loved it. So now, if somebody says “If your friends jumped off a bridge would you do it too?”….I have the answer. Yep, totally would 😀

Having so much fun here in my Macedonian home – they’re all convinced I need to stay and are trying to find me a Macedonian boyfriend to solidify that idea haha 😉 Don’t worry mama, I’m still coming home!

Love to all! (P.S. Sorry no pictures, the wifi here is horrible lol – I’ll put some up when I can)

Caio!
Rachael