Life is a journey that everyone embarks on when they are born. During life, we come to various crossroads and must decide which way to go. When I entered high school, I was hesitant to decide whether to challenge myself by moving far away from home or to stay comfortably at the school near my village. Now, I can say with certainty that I made the right choice when I challenged myself to enroll at “Živorad Janković” High School in Serbia.
Believe it or not, living in a boarding school is a real blessing. At first, it was unusual to attend a class with only 8 other students, but eventually I realized that the professors were better able to focus on each student’s work and studies. Being separated from my family was not easy, but I always felt that someone cared. The deans tried to make us feel less lonely, and they would visit us at the slightest cough or pain. Plus, everything was so close by. As soon as I traveled down the stairs, I arrived at my classroom. (Yet somehow, that same distance became incredibly far away when I had to go back upstairs to get a book or notebook that I forgot!)
Some of my most cherished memories come from trips my class went on together. We learned, gained new experiences, and took endless photos next to every city landmark in sight. Besides memories and knowledge, friendships are one of the most important things I have gained. When you live in a community, you learn to adapt to one arnother. There are people who will make me smile when I’m sad and give me a warm hug. There are also people who tell me when I’m wrong and give me well-intentioned advice. I will never forget the parties and gatherings we had, but will also treasure the prayers and mutual support given when tough times happened.
In addition to the relationships I’ve built with other people, I have also felt a deeper connection to God. I knew that no problem or task was bigger than Him. I also knew that God worked not only in my life, but in everybody’s lives. For example, I had a friend from Macedonia who came to stay at the school. When she arrived, she had never heard of the Adventist church before. Now, she prays with us in small groups and goes to church almost every Sabbath. God has connected us to himself and to each other in different ways. At the end of the day, we were one big family.
Boarding school life is something that I believe everyone should experience. It’s been a great pleasure to be a part of it all, and I am grateful that the entire journey has been navigated by God. I am thankful He gave the vision for this school and that He has led it for the past 20 years. It has been a real blessing for many young people. Although this period of education has come to an end for me, I can say with certainty that studying at the “Živorad Janković” High School was the best decision I have ever made. Therefore, I can say, “Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass” (Psalm 37:5).
