Spring Newsletter
As you'll see through some of my photos, spring has taken hold here in the most breathtaking ways. Flowers and leaves of all colors and shapes are stretching out of the soil screaming “hey, stop a moment! Take a deep breath and rejoice in this new season with me."
Time as always, passes by at speeds difficult for me to perceive and comprehend. I think to myself of all the things I need to add to my days, things I need to accomplish or achieve over the next three months. I feel the need to expand my time, to grasp and hold on to each moment for all that it is and could be. But maybe subtraction and simplification is what is actually called for. Maybe, just maybe what I’ve done is enough; and maybe being present and still and grateful and open and embracing is all that needs to be done. Maybe it’s just a letting go, a surrendering. Maybe it’s just about rejoicing and singing out in gratitude. Endless… endless gratitude for the place and people I have come from. For all my family and friends and supporters, some of whom I’ve never even met. All my thanks go out to you. I so hope that you’re all feeling the newness of spring or the possibility of spring existing under 20 inches of Midwestern-April snow.
It always seems that so much happens between each newsletter, read on for my attempt at capturing some of my experiences over the last few months!
I had the honor and absolute privilege of traveling to Belgrade and Novi Sad, Serbia just three days after sending my last newsletter! I was welcomed by EHO, the Ecumenical Humanitarian Organization of Novi Sad to live and work with my fabulous friend Angie, who has been serving and living in Novi Sad and Kulpin, Serbia this year. Most of my time was spent with women who work in the tailors shop at EHO. Maria, the director of this program organizes yearly training courses for vulnerable women from Novi Sad struggling to find stable work and financial security. During the time I was there, I was able to learn some of these skills and make a few pieces of clothing. I should say that 11-year-old Kayla, who watched endless hours of Project Runway and wanted to be a fashion designer, was super stoked! I also helped out at a maker’s market, selling some of the clothing as a fundraiser for the program. Maria also serves as a lay pastor in her Methodists church and happened to be giving a sermon one of the weekends I was in Novi Sad. I was so excited when she asked if I would like to come to the service and over to her families house for lunch afterwards. As always the generosity and kindness of the people i've met in both Serbia and Hungary take my breath away. We spoke for hours about their lives and the complex history of the region. While primarily Maria and her husband identify as Serbian, their families originate in both Croatia and Slovakia respectively.
The rest of my days were spent getting to know the other directors and their programs. I’m amazed at the work and diversity of projects that EHO organizes and coordinates each year. Programs include work with Roma children and families struggling to find stable housing, education and food resources. Others focus on supporting refugees and displaced families traveling back to Serbia from abroad. Yet other projects help with providing health care and health education to people living in northern Serbia. I was humbled to learn about the work they have been doing for the last 25 years, and so happy to help out with editing English grants and presentations with the directors when I could.
During my time in Novi Sad, Angie and I traveled to Belgrade for our spring volunteer retreat where we were all able to learn more about the complex history of Serbia and the Former Republic of Yugoslavia. Together we watched documentaries and went on educational walking tours, but ultimately what I was shown most prominently was my utter lack of knowledge about the history of this region. Most gratefully, I was given the opportunity to have conversations and listen to stories from friends and coworkers from Serbia, Kosovo, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia. Some of the most impactful were conversations I had with Tanja, a director of programs at EHO assisting in the reintegration of vulnerable families who are returning from Germany.
Tanja spoke with me about the many great joys in her life. She spoke about her husband and two sons, her parents as well as her work at EHO. Each year her program assists hundreds of families reintegrating from Western Europe back in to communities throughout Serbia. She works with 18 other team members to provide support for legal processes, home repairs and remodeling, reintegration of children in to local school systems, and securing employment for adults. Many aspects of the program focus on providing urgent support to families that lack access to adequate food, heating and medical supplies; while other aspects focus on the long term challenges that the families undoubtedly face. Simply hearing about this on-going work was inspiring in its own right, but what made it even more impactful was hearing it alongside Tanja's own story and her motivation behind the work. When Tanja was just 21 years old, and studying engineering at university in her home town of Tusli, Bosnia, the Bosnian war began. Along with her younger sister (13) and mother, Tanja left her home to seek greater safety in northern Serbia. Tanja and her younger sister made their way to Novi Sad, while their mother stayed in a different city in hopes of finding work. Tears filled her eyes as she spoke about her separation from her parents during this time, and the many ways her life was uprooted. Especially during the first year after leaving Bosnia; they struggled to find housing and food and were lucky to speak a few minutes each week with their father at a public site set up for radio communication. Due to her father's Bosnian-Serbian nationality he was forced to stay in Tusli, to fight in the war. Tanja was able to apply for university in Novi Sad in order to continue her education, but unfortunately she had to start from scratch. Eventually, she was able to find and afford a single dormitory room for her and her sister while she finished her engineering degree and Masters in Social Work. "These days were hard. I had never experienced struggle with my existence before" she said. Following her studies, she became a volunteer at EHO, helping countless families and young adults facing trials that were so similar to her own. And eventually, she would be in charge of her current program. Her persistence, courage, and devotion to her family, education and community are utterly inspirational. I struggle to feel as if I give any justice to her story in my meager words. But its a story that deserves to be shared, and a life that deserves to be honored, and admired.
Below are photos from our spring volunteer retreat in Belgrade, Serbia. Walking tours through the beautiful city and some shots of amazing Serbian food.
Photos that follow are from the Saint Sava Temple in Belgrade. Plans for this Serbian Orthodox temple began in 1895, with original construction beginning in 1905. Throughout the time of the Balkan wars, the two world wars, and the NATO bombing of Belgrade, construction ceased. On February of this year, internal decorations within the church were presented to the public and construction still continues.
Here are a few photos of my stay with Angie in Novi Sad. I so enjoyed our time spent exploring her host city, taking in the historic views, and tasting some of the most delicious Serbian street food.
In March I returned to my host community in Pécs, just in time to take part in Easter celebrations with my church and host community. My friend Sára (pronounced Shara) invited me to participate in the annual Passion of Christ play. The play is put on by the Roman Catholic Church of Pécs and is held at Tettya, a beautiful park on the edge of the Mescek mountain near my home. Hundreds of people gathered to watch and take part, it was spiritually moving and a memorable event.
My church hosted meditations each morning the week leading up to Easter Sunday; I was able to help by finding the images that were shown during the prayers. That Thursday my dear friend and fellow YAGM volunteer Pearl came to visit me. That evening we were invited to dinner and egg decorating with a local family. We were welcomed by six lovely Hungarian women for dinner, where they showed us the traditional method of egg painting. First we poked holes on the top and bottom of the eggs, to blow out the yoke. Afterwards we used small metal tools, candles and beeswax to create delicate designs on the egg's surface, before the final dyeing process. I only broke one egg, so I count that as a win for my first time! It may be my new favorite craft hobby, being that it was so relaxing and meditative. The next day was Good Friday, so Pearl and I attended the morning church service and then headed out to explore the city. It was a day where time moved more slowly, so many moments that took our breath away. The Easter celebrations in Hungary last for two days, so in addition to attending church services I was invited to meals with both Anna’s family and Barbara and Patrik. These are the moments that I will cherish for years to come.
Many weekends I enjoy spending time out exploring the nature of my region with both the Hungarian youth group from my church, and with my friends Melinda and Agotha. The fresh air, green landscapes and sounds of trickling streams rejuvenate my soul and bring a sense of greater presence to my mind and body. It has been so nice to embrace the warmer weather and sunshine, especially with the kids at MIOK. We have been spending our days playing soccer, badminton and basketball. I’ve even gotten a few of them to learn a few yoga poses with me out on the side walk! :)
The last few months I’ve found my self challenged in ways that I could never have anticipated. Challenged to be more flexible and open-minded, to be more open to communicating my experiences and feelings to others when it feels difficult, and most importantly to be open to receiving more love that I could have ever imagined. Amidst the days of confusion and trial, I found solace through conversations with new friends, in reading books, grounding in nature and in prayer. Many moments my mind lingered to my expansive network of family and friends that now spans across the globe, tears fill my eyes as I feel the love and support that surrounds and embraces me in times of both darkness and light. All of this to say, thank you. Thank you, thank you for keeping me in your thoughts and prayers. As the days pass by and we enter in to this new season of growth, I hope you are filled with a sense of meaning and connection; that you sense my love and the love of God that dwells within us, even in the darkest of times. Thank you for walking with me along this path of discovery and accompaniment with my community here in Central Europe.
With all my love, (and all the cutest photos found below)
Kayla
Endless, endless thanks for your continued support. If you would like to donate towards my work here in Hungary through the YAGM program, you should find my donation page by following this link.
