BALLET MAGNIFICAT!

Friends,

Two nights ago, our church had a rare opportunity to attend a live ballet performance. In Montenegro, ballet is popular among the young girls, but aside from that, there is very little going on that is ballet related. So, it came as a real surprise when we heard that an American, Christian, ballet troop - Ballet Magnificat! - was coming to Niksic, Montenegro, to perform. 

To us locals, there is little that connect Niksic, a city of “steel and beer” (its two major industries) and ballet, which made it even more exciting and somewhat surreal 🙂 The ballet troop was touring Eastern Europe, and, thanks to our friends from Montenegrin IFES branch - they made their way to Montenegro. 

There  are a couple of reasons why I thought it would be a good idea to take our church to see the performance, even if we had o sacrifice one of our mid-week church meetings for it. Since the early days of our ministry, one of the greatest challenges we were facing were both the exclusion and self-exclusion of the Roma from most public places. Although there were no legal obstacles, they felt that they didn’t belong outside of their “usual circle” and so did the others. 

I remember what a big of a deal it was to take them to Podgorica’s biggest shopping mall - Delta City - and how proud and excited they were after being there. The truth is that a lot of our discipleship was taking place in various cafes and restaurants, not only for the sake of pleasure and convenience, but also to help them overcome mental, emotional, and if you will, spiritual barriers that kept them apart from the non-Roma world around them. To be able to grasp who are they in Christ, it was necessary for them to find their new place in the (fallen) world too. In many ways, we were pioneering in the fields of inclusion and integration, preparing the way for the rest of Roma and Ashkali/Egyptians in Podgorica and in Montenegro. 

The same was with going out of town, visiting churches and attending Christian events in Serbia, Albania, Bosnia, Macedonia, Hungary, taking trips across Europe, their first train rides, airplane flights, first EU visas - all after obtaining their “full” legal identity, for the first time in their lives. The first driver’s licenses and the overwhelming, contagious sense of peace radiating from them from being able to drive legally for the first time in their life 🙂 

And then, re-discovering and re-learning about the world through their eyes! All so special, so priceless, such a blessing, privilege and joy! Our ministry was genuinely “wholistic”, not because we’d planned on it, but simply because we were lead into it, trying to love people the way they are and to show them love in the most practical, real, meeting-them-where-they’re-at and walking with them, side by side, sharing hearts and life. The spiritual upbringing that we tried to facilitate and nourish, had to include education about the world around them too.

Because of all of this and so much more, I didn’t want to miss out on another “educational moment” and an empowerment opportunity, as well as for them to be blessed by the performance. Finally, I wanted our church to demonstrate support for this initiative. 

The performance was more than we expected. Besides the artistic part, which speaks far more loudly when seen live, the message of the Gospel was presented loud, clear and lively. The troop members did an amazing job, even in the eyes of uneducated, unsophisticated Roma, who were “enchanted” by the gracious, yet passionate dance. Apparently, the beauty, if it comes from the heart that lives for God, doesn’t meet only the eye of the beholder. It also finds the way into their hearts. 

And once again, it was so rewarding to help them become a part of the world, a reality where they “don’t belong”, tearing down the remaining walls and destroying strongholds in the name of Jesus. Because He has come to give life, a life of abundance in this and the world after. Just pray that the circumstances, flesh, sin and the troubles of this world do not close that window. At least not soon.

Please pray for more opportunities like this in the future. Pray that - by the grace,provision, guidance and power of God - we can continue what we’d started and that the Light that is in Konik will be shining in the midst of all darkness that encompasses that place all the way until He comes back again. By Grace we are being saved, by Grace we live this life and by Grace may we run the race to the end well.