Live by the Sun - Love by the Moon: DAY 77 - Mother Teresa's Mission: "A life not lived for others is not a life."

June 4 - Skopje...the NEW Greek city AND the city of LIONS!

We had a nice bus ride out of Prizren, Kosovo. I use the travel time, whether it is on bus, train, or plane, for computer time. I either write the script for my blog, organize the pictures, or write in my daily journal. Very few times have we had internet.

Shari's working on her blog....AGAIN!

As we came into the country of Macedonia, I noticed that many homes, flats, and business buildings were half finished. Everywhere you looked, that was the case.

This house and many others were setting empty and had been for years.

Another vacant building

Looks like a parking garage, but this building just sits empty.

As we started asking around, people would attribute it to the economy and from the crash about 6 - 7 years ago. Another idea as far as the homes were that it is tradition for the family to keep building up and up. Each floor was for a son and after a son would begin his family, they would finish that floor of their house for that particular son. But...it was becoming more and more prevalent for grown children to go off to University, get their education, and go elsewhere to get a job. The reason was not that they didn't want to live in their home town, but because they had to.

Skopje is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Macedonia. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic center. This WWI cemetery was one of the first sites we saw as we entered the city. There were flags everywhere paying tribute to those who lost their lives.

WWI Cemetery

When we came out of the bus to try and figure out what to do next, guess who we saw again?

Nick is helping us to find our way on the computer.

WOW! Skopje is going to be an awesome place!

I feel like Nick has come into our lives for a reason - what is it?

Yes...it was Nick again. Nick from Columbia. We just keep bumping into him! Crazy! This makes FOUR TIMES!!! He had started to travel with a girl named Atelena, from Seattle, Washington. They had met at one of the hostels they were staying at.

Skopje is all quite new because it was leveled in 1963 with a terrible earthquake. 1,000 people died and more than 80% of the city was destroyed. In 2010, the government launched the "Skopje 2014" project which aims to give a more monumental appearance to the capital. It made plans to erect a lot of statues, fountains, bridges, and museums at a cost of about €500 million. Whoah! That's a lot of dollars!! The project has generated controversy -critics have described the new landmark buildings as signs of
"reactionary historicist aesthetics". The government has also been criticized for its cost and for the for turning Skopje into a theme park in order to bring in more tourism. I think it may be working. The area truly does look like a mini Greek city.

There were fountains EVERYWHERE

This is a neat tribute to womanhood

We loved how the classical music was choreographed with the way the water fountains danced. I could have spent hours watching and listening to the beautiful music.

We met Zoya for a late lunch and enjoyed a Macedonian salad and pizza.

Our new host, Zoya, and our first meal together

The famous Skopska salad

This Shopska Salad is a traditional Bulgarian cold salad popular throughout the Balkans and Central Europe. We had it several times and it was always so refreshing. It is made from tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, raw or roasted peppers, sirene (white brine or goat's cheese), and parsley. The vegetables are usually diced and salted, followed by a light dressing of olive oil and sometimes vinegar.

We talked and found out that she had lived in the USA, so her English was very good and her understanding of American culture as well as Macedonian culture was so very interesting. We got an ice cream cone, Zoya went on her way, and we continued to tour the "Greek Mini-City."

Dallin...you're going to love this! There were lions everywhere. I took a lot of pictures for you.

The Macedonian Lion, like the Macedonian Sun is yet another oldest European symbol that still survives as cultural symbol of the Macedonians. Lions used to dwell around Macedonia and the ancient historians have recorded this. The lion hunt was popular among the Macedonians and lion hunt scenes have found their place in the Macedonian art.

The lion traditionally symbolizes bravery, valour, strength, and royalty, since traditionally, it is regarded as the king of beasts.

We all love Disney's "The Lion King". I prefer to think of the lions as kind and tender like Aslan.

He looks so scary!

The next stop was at Mother Theresa's Memorial House. What an amazing woman she was! She was the recipient of numerous honors including the 1979 Nobel Peace Prize.

This is a replica of her house in Calcutta, where she died.

"One of the greatest diseases is to be nobody to anybody."

She left home at age 18 to join the Sister of Loreto as a missionary. She never again saw her mother or sister. I cannot fathom how that could be, but I guess her devotion to God and to helping others took precedence.

"A life not lived for others is not a life."

While there, Nick and Atelena wandered in. This is crazy! 5 times we have just managed to find each other. This is no coincidence...it must be destiny! So crazy! I nearly cried when I saw them. You can't imagine - the city is quite big and they are staying in a hostel on the other side of town.

WHAT? Nick again? This makes 5 times.

"I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples."

"What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family."

"Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin."

"God doesn't require us to succeed; He only requires that you try."

She served as a teacher at the Loreto convent school in Entally, eastern Calcutta. Teresa served there for almost twenty years and in 1944 was appointed headmistress. She began her missionary work with the poor in 1948. Mother Teresa started a school in Calcutta, tending to the needs of the destitute and starving. In the beginning of 1949 she was joined in her effort by a group of young women and laid the foundations to create a new religious community helping the "poorest among the poor". For nearly 50 years, Mother Teresa fed and served needy orphans, AIDS patients, lepers, tuberculosis victims, homeless families and indigent people through this outreach.

Mother Teresa said "By blood, I am Albanian. By citizenship, an Indian. By faith, I am a Catholic nun. As to my calling, I belong to the world. As to my heart, I belong entirely to the Heart of Jesus."

"If you can't feed a hundred people, then just feed one."

Mother Teresa was honored on August 26, 2010 (exactly 100 years after her birth) for her selfless service to the poorest of humanity. Roman Catholic Pope Benedict XIV proclaimed a blessing for the late Albanian-Indian nun (who died in September 1997) and called the faithful of every stripe to recall her joyful faith and benevolence. The Pope spoke during a special mass, held at the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, India.

"I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot; together we can do great things."

"If we pray, we will believe; If we believe, we will love; If we love, we will serve."

"The child is God's gift to the family.
Each child is created in God's image and kindness
To love and be loved"

"Life is beauty, admire it. Life is a dream, realize it. Life is a challenge, meet it. Life is a duty, complete it. Life is a game, play it. Life is a promise, fulfill it. Life is sorrow, overcome it. Life is a song, sing it. Life is a struggle, accept it. Life is a tragedy, confront it. Life is an adventure, dare it. Life is luck, make it. Life is too precious, do not destroy it. Life is life, fight for it."

( Mother Teresa
Skopje 1910 - Calcutta 1997)

Boo Hoo...The girls think Nick is cuter than me".

We found our way to Zoya's flat – about 30 minutes walking distance. I was so excited to find out she had a piano, so I played through most everything I knew “by heart” and then read through several of her sheet music, mostly music from the Classical period. It was great!