I Heart Croatia

A handful of recent posts may have given my readers the impression that there's a lot to complain about in Croatia. "Very little baseball", "difficulty with paperwork", "the language is so difficult", so on and so on. Jeremy, quit whining!

But the fact is, I love it here. And I'm not just saying that. Here are the top 10 reasons I love Croatia.

10. The beauty of the land. It is no coincidence that Creation and Croatian sound so similar.

9. The food.

8. The relative safety. A stranger came up to Enoh the other day and gave him a cookie after Enoh flashed a smile. We realized later, had we been in America we would have had some skepticism. Not here.

7. The climate. All four seasons like New England but a longer summer and less snow make it ideal for the Sensors among us.

6. The generosity of the people.

5. The education. This is a long story that many Americans living in Croatia (not to mention Croatians living in Croatia) wouldn't agree with. Post forthcoming with solid arguments.

4. Our job. We have wonderful bosses (see 2) who give us the flexibility to do what we feel called to. We have a sovereign God who has directed our steps. We are able to use the gifts God has given us for things we enjoy doing in a place we love to live. Financial security is a good thing, but it's not the most important.

3. Orahovica. There's no place like home.

2. Our church and our bosses. We have possibly the most godly man we have met as our pastor. His humility, wisdom and Christ-like example have made our local church what it is today - a fellowship that will have a profound effect on Croatia for years to come.

1. My wife. Croatia, its people, culture, beauty, tradition, education system, temperment and attitude have stronly influenced her. "Rough around the edges but undeniably beautiful" goes a long way to describing both.