where east meets west

Hey Nordic family.

I and two dear friends just spent nine precious days in Macedonia. Thought about sharing something about it with you guys. As I attended the 24-7 gathering about three years ago in Belgrade and met a bunch of these amazing macedonian sisters and brothers I started to hope and pray, that some day I would be able to go and visit them in Skopje.

Many times during our stay there I just found myself returning to that hope I had, and the small sighed prayers. God is faithful and has his timings on everything. And its quite great how simple life in the end is.. Like you just plan a trip, get the tickets and think that ok, this is just happening, cool, and then in the end it really has a purpouse and meaning, that actually its something God is doing. So, the trip to Skopje became reality.

There was actually this 24-7 Balkans gathering for the weekend when we arrived to Skopje, so we were really priviledged and blessed to join the meeting. It was so good to pray for people from Albania, Bulgaria and Macedonia, and for the whole Balkans. How amazing it is to be a part of this kingdom family, learning to let love flow between people from different nations and journeying together.

During the weeked we heard some really good stories and sharings. Some wiser and older (should I say more experienced :)) guys were sharing, and somehow just giving out a really father-kind of approach. Stable, yet inspiring and encouraging. The talks were mostly about communities, and just basicly about your own identity and living the kingdom way. Us three finns that were together on the trip also were living in a communal kind of way- sharing our wallets, thoughts and hearts during the trip. All this woke a lot in ones one heart, process, renewal of mind and learning to be in the light. Its great, and painful, when while feeding yourself with the truth, your lies start to be seen in your own thinking. I found myself wrestling a lot with my wrong kind of self-dependency, individualistic thinking and un-certainties. It takes God to change my heart, so Im able not to act based on greed, selfishness or fear. But how blessed it is, that Jesus promises to do just that, to circumsize my heart, to give his Kingdom in me and renew my mind. Come on!

Our british friend Scot, whose family has now moved to Skopje, shared about communities, and the thing that stayed to nag my thinking from his speech, was the idea of Christ-centered community. For the first time I really started to think, what is the difference between friends just living together under the same roof, a community based on friendship, and between community that is Jesus centered. Where I also would like my heart to step in to is a communal lifestyle, that would be true on many levels, with people I live together with, and with people I maybe travel with, or people I facebook with. I dont actually have a lot of answers on these, how its done, but these are questions Im asking, and travelling life to get the answers.

There would be a lot to write about. The labyrinth-streets of old Skopje, the coffeebars and great ice creams, the beautiful hearts of our macedonian sisters and brothers, the mountains, views of lake Ohrid, Albanians, balconies on 15th floors, dreams and so on. But then Id go on and on. I recommend you all to travel and see it yourself!

Maybe next summer there could be a small nordic team travelling to join these precious people to lake Ohrid, to hang out, pray, share the kingdom and listen to the huge frogs that sing in the lake during nights.