Sometimes We Don't Know Why God Lets Things Happen...

This isn't meant to be a whining "woe is me" type post but a lot of things have been tough for me recently. If you've been reading these posts you might be aware of some of the stuff that's been going on. Something happened last week, though, that was really the icing on the cake.
You may have seen my Facebook status saying that I was tracking my phone as it travelled around Ljubljana on the bus I'd left it on. Yep that's right, I left/ dropped my phone on the bus. I was travelling home from  a supermarket on the other side of the city (an international one which is the only place I can buy certain things) and it was raining. This meant that I had a few bags and my umbrella to worry about. I was listening to a podcast on my phone using my Bluetooth headphones when I got to the stop where I had to change buses. I gathered everything together and got off the bus. My first clue that something was wrong was when my headphones started crackling. This is usually a sign that I'm losing connection and so I felt in my pocket and sure enough my phone wasn't there. It was at that moment the bus drove off...

I vaguely tried running after it but it was too late. Now, not only had I just lost my phone, I'd also just lost my bus card which I keep with my phone. I wasn't even entirely sure where I was! I couldn't phone anyone, I couldn't even ask to borrow a phone as I don't know anyone's number. I couldn't get a bus home, I couldn't even get a city bike as they're also linked to the bus cards. I was in a panic. Eventually, after wandering around for about 5 minutes, I worked out the direction I needed to go and started walking. In the rain. For almost 2 miles. With my shopping.

By the time I got home, about an hour later, I was an emotional wreck. To be honest it wasn't even about the phone itself, it was what it represented, my link with my friends and my family especially those in the UK. Coming on top of the last month or so was especially tough. I struggled to understand how yet another thing could be going wrong.

Some of you might know my story of how I came to Slovenia and how at that time God used a series of really tough circumstances to convict me and convince me to move here. I'm not saying that that's what's going to happen this time but I know that in the past God has used these things in big ways. Sometimes, though, we just never get answers as to why God lets things happen. The point is that we shouldn't turn away from Him just because things get tough. He's the one we should be turning to!

Anyway, in at least this case the story has a happy ending and shows a lot of Slovene culture all in one go. Ljubljana is a very safe city and in general I find that most people here are honest and generous. As I've already found out for myself, the only things really in danger of being stolen are umbrellas and bikes.

When I got home my housemate immediately went into action, phoning the bus company and seeing if someone had handed it in. They said that a phone had been handed to the driver of the route I was on but they had no description of it. I had the choice of either going to a bus stop on the route and asking the driver for it or going to the office the next day. I was resigned to going to the office because how else was I supposed to know which bus it was on and where it was. It was at that point I remembered playing around with the settings when I first got the phone and realised that I might be able to log into my Samsung account and track it on there. Sure enough I was able to locate my phone and have the reassurance that it was still on the bus I'd left it on as it was following the correct route. From that I was able to work out when it would arrive at the bus stop closest to me on the route. I had to cycle there in the rain but when the bus arrived I was able to ask the driver and get my phone back. (Just a side note, Slovenes often send things via bus drivers or leave them at petrol stations for other people to collect, it's not quite as bizarre as it seems!)

In the end, everything turned out well and I had a lot to thank God for. I don't know why He let it happen but even if it was to remind me to trust in Him, I know He had a purpose and I just need to continue trusting in that.

The Arrival of Autumn...

Enjoying a fire and barbecue

The weather has definitely turned here now and is getting colder, greyer and wetter. Despite this, the last two weeks have been busy both with work and rest. Last week was the equivalent of half term here in Slovenia and so many of my normal meetings were cancelled. We also had two national holidays, Reformation Day and All Hallows. Last year I was a lot more involved in seeing how they were celebrated so if you'd like to know more, read my blog posts from that time. One fun fact I learnt though, Reformation Day is a national holiday in only 3 countries in the world, obviously Slovenia and Germany. If anyone can tell me the 3rd one (without resorting to Google) they can pat themselves on the back for a job well done. Answers on a postcard please.

Lake Cerknica

I didn't quite have the week off but I was able to spend a bit of time celebrating my birthday (which apparently is being spread over several weeks) with my flatmates and friends. The above photo was taken (with no filter) by the side of a river where we had a fire and barbecue which was great fun. We also travelled to Cerknica to visit my flatmate's mum. Cerknica is home to an amazing natural feature, a disappearing lake. The whole region is riddled with underground caves and so the lake only appears when the caves are full of water. It is the largest disappearing lake in Europe and if it were full it would be the largest lake in Slovenia. Anyway, the day we went was quite atmospheric and the lake was reasonably full compared to the last time I went when it was little more than a swamp!

This last week has definitely got back to normal and has been nicely full of meetings with different people. As much as I like having rest and time off, I do also like having purpose and work to do.

For those who are interested in the continuing saga of my thumb, the latest doctor I saw is pretty certain he knows the cause and it may well require surgery or a procedure of some sort. I have a test to confirm the diagnosis next week. I'll try and keep people updated as I learn in more certainty what's going on. Please continue to pray for this issue as I really don't want it to detract from my work here. I am grateful, however, for the speed in which I've gained a diagnosis and for the doctors here. If I do need surgery, I will have it here rather than returning to the UK. Nothing is certain yet and so I keep trusting in God because I know that he hold the future in his hands!