Coffee Mondays & Rosehip Jam

Coffee Mondays & Rosehip Jam

Monday, October 25, 2010

It’s a little bit like coming home; Mondays at your favorite coffee hut, wherever that may be. It is the place where they smile when you walk in and know your favorite brew before you speak it. The music plays your beat and the cup in your hand feels oh so right. Monday mornings should be like that - smooth to soothe the soul.

A conversation with a friend a few weeks ago awakened something in me. She simply reminded me of why we became missionaries. Missionary. The word has both negative and positive connotations - we know that. What’s my word, my reason, my motivation? Relationship. Need another word? Journey. Experience. Vulnerability. A long chat over a latte. A trip to the mountains to see friends and to breathe the fresh air. A chance to make a difference - to speak peace, to bring a smile, to hug a child. Thanks Jayme, for calling me back to that place for which God formed me. It feels like I’m coming home again.

Surrounded by a breathtaking array of colorful autumn foliage, breathing in crisp, clean mountain air, and sharing a cup of linden tea with the teachers at the Vidrare school, I had to pinch myself. I had that amazing feeling that I was exactly where I was supposed to be in that moment of time. Later that morning, we pushed further into the mountains and I watched a Roma woman called ‘Lyelya Vanka’ (pronounced Lay-lee-uh Van-ka) stirring a brew that would eventually thicken into a sweet sticky rosehip jam. She stirred in a big black cauldron, the smoke from her outdoor fire creating a mysterious layer of thick steam hovering over the blood red mixture. I was overcome by the thought that time had stood still - that her repetitive rotations mimicked an activity that had continued for centuries within her culture. The scene was enchanting.

But, mountain air is a bit like the sirens of mythology who lull you into a state of contentment. Standing there, enchanted by the simmering cauldron, it was easy to forget that right inside Lyelya Vanka’s house, a young girl had returned home after months in Greece where she worked as a prostitute. A mother of three, this is the life she has chosen for herself but many more Roma girls suffer the same fate against their will. Sitting on the couch with rosehip jam bubbling in the yard, it was hard to remember that she is one of many sojourners to travel Eastern Europe’s ‘silk road’. Last week, we all wore keys on the 21st, representing our united efforts to abolish injustice in the 21st century. (Click on the 21st to go to their website).

Life is a little like lattes and rosehip jam, it is easy to be lulled into silence by the comforts of home. Christ calls us - all of us - to a different response. We challenge you to begin learning about the reality of human trafficking - it exists in America too. Start with Bulgaria (follow the links in this blog) and begin with prayer. Specifically pray that God would give wisdom to those of us in Bulgaria who desire to see trafficking abolished.

ROSES FOR BULGARIA: the challenge
*For the next 30 days, commit to pray against human trafficking and for Bulgaria.
*Buy a rose, make some rosehip jam, scent your home with rose candles - each time you see that item, let it remind you of Bulgaria and to pray specifically.
*Pray!
for the young girls of our country
for the eradication of human trafficking
for wisdom for those here - specifically in the areas of education and prevention

Get Educated with some useful sites:
Kids & trafficking
Bulgarian Trafficking

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