Today we’re leaving for Bratislava by train for briefing, it’s a 5 hour train ride and one, that I have to say, I am looking forward to. Tomorrow we will head to Vienna to get fingerprinted for our visas, we’ve gotta prove that we’re not criminals. So I hope that one time…doesn’t show up. Wait, just kidding. Anyway, we’re all pretty well excited about this venture out of Kosice and into the big city! I love Bratislava, it’s castles, the Danube, the streets, the main square, and the statues. We’ll be there till Saturday, and head back in to Kosice.

This past week has been full of ups and downs, really high ups, “wow, I can’t believe I’m really living here” to me actually counting the weeks till midyear (that was a low). But, I think I’m coming to the place where I think this is doable, especially with regular talks to my friends in the states (ptL for vonage).

God has taught me a lot about His character since I’ve been here, mainly too, about my lack of faith and trust in His goodness. So, I rest on that, and I long to “fall asleep in His will” and wake up at the right times. I’ve been reading several books, Vienna Prelude (historical fiction set during World War 2), Passion and Purity, as well as Lord, Only You Can Change Me.” This list isn’t as impressive as it sounds. One is fiction, one is a devotional, and the other reads really fast. I’ll let you guess which is which.

Next week, we’ll begin on campus passing out about 1,000 evangelistic cds on 3 different campuses. In the following weeks we’ll pass out the remaining 1,500 cds. This is an exciting time, I believe to watch God work. Yesterday my team had a time with the Lord in which we dreamed about Slovakia and what God might do here. We were coming up with all sorts of things, more guy leaders, spiritual multiplication, new believers in EVERY dorm, small groups in EVERY dorm, students stepping up to the plate, a thriving, lifegiving ministry. These are things we believe are only possible if God does them, that’s why its worth it.  Please join with me in praying for these things.

We’ve been here almost a full week. This weekend we’re planning on resting and relaxing. It’s been quite the journey so far. Arriving was a big one - and just all the emotions that go along with it. It’s not easy trying to learn a new culture and be yourself. My team has to learn how to function together and how to love each other. This is hard. Way harder than it sounds. I’m learning a lot about myself through this. I’m being stretched and it’s quite painful. Next week we’ll probably go to Bratislava to do our briefing, I’m looking forward to this, because I really love Bratislava. I’m still doing the picture every day thing, and I’m liking it. It helps me to be creative. Sometime soon, I’ll go around and take pictures of the city, there are so many great things to take pictures of, I can’t keep up. It’s gotta cool down some first, though. Once that happens I’ll wonder around some more, for now its too hard to tolerate the heat, much less take pictures.

We did go to word art (the name of my language school) yesterday to fill out 1.5 million forms for our visas and registration for language school. It was really overwhelming.

I’ve been wanting to blog but I’ve been exhausted. I’m trying to figure out how long it took us to get to Kosice. We left Sunday from Copper Mountain, Colorado which is 2 hours from the Denver airport. So after we got to the airport we got in the line to check our bags which is quite a task, because our bags are big and heavy. We got through fine, and then I tried to go help team Sweden, they got the run around at the Denver airport (but that’s quite the story). We boarded our flight to Chicago, got there, had a quick lunch (my team had McDonalds and I had a granola bar, I was holding out for the delicious plane food) and then ran through security/intimidation. We got on the plane just in time, as we’re boarding, the country director of Slovakia calls my American cell phone and I’m literally walking onto the plane. I sit down, and then there it is - emotional rush. I text some friends, and read what they write me back, and it’s sweet, things like, I’ll be praying for you, and I love you, I’ll miss you. Oh gosh, it was so sad. But, I stopped long enough to remember, “This is what God wants for you.” I think it was echoing through my heart as we took off. So, we fly to Vienna, we get there and there is free wireless in the airport, PTL for real. Then we flew on this tiny prop plane to Kosice, oh gosh that was so scary. Then once we got here we got ALL of our luggage (amazing). Biba, Mirka, Dara, Denis, and Jeremy met us at the airport. So, then we went to our aparment, with all of our luggage up 5 flights of stairs, now that required skill and I can see why the Midsouth office requires a medical release for overseas now. We went to dinner last night at the Slovak restaurant, there is more than one Slovak restuarant, it’s just that I don’t know what it’s called and they served traditional Slovak food. Well, we then went to Jeremy’s going away party - and I’m pretty sure we looked like zombies (this is an example of when you shouldn’t take me literally), but it was great seeing people. Then, we walked home, the Slovak girls with us - to make sure we found our way. There was a really cool thunder storm our first night. One of my favorite things here, is that we live on the 5th floor, and there is a door that locks to our building, so no one wants to walk all the way down the stairs, so there is literally a Christmas stocking that we put the key in and drop it down, on my first try I hit a car, way to go. We started with prayer this morning and it was good to just talk through some things. We’re still exhausted but we got out and did some things, bought our cell phones, got pictures made for bus passes and got groceries, I would say pretty good for not sleeping much the night before. I just wanted to update you on our first 24 hours. I know many are curious, and if you’re not, you’re gracious to pretend.

It’s really great here, and really good to be back. In a way, it feels a lot like home to me. I’m thankful I’m not staying in the K2. My apartment is awesome. My bedroom has 4 windows, two are floor to ceiling, they open like doors. I set up my bedroom last night, because there was no way I could sleep in a mess, mainly because I haven’t lived in a normal home for about a month now, due to moving, and packing and repacking. I’m taking pictures - but probably not enough, I’ll upload more soon. I’m thankful for all of you who’ve been praying - they are felt. God has been so gracious to me! It’s so fun working with Biba, Dara, and Mirka, they are a blessing to my life! Pet’o came by today, he is a hilarious guy involved with the ministry here, but he is going to Manchaster to study in a month. I’ll miss him.

Ministry will start soon, for now we’re trying to get some of the necessary things done and orient the team to the town and each other. We’ve got a lot of bonding to do - and I pray it happens naturally. Oh, I have a Slovak cell phone number. I’ll update it on the contact page.

This is me on my balcony. Oh right, I didn’t mention, I have a balcony on the side of my room.

Today I entered a 365 days pool on flickr. In which I will take one self portrait a day for 365 days and add it to the pool. I will also keep a set on my flickr site so that you can keep track of me, every single day this year. I thought, what better way to document a year overseas than by having a photo a day. Today, I uploaded this photo. In which I title, “getting my feet wet” I really believe in a figurative sense that is exactly what is taking place here, I am getting my feet wet and beginning this chapter of my life. So I took the picture as a literal representation. The Colorado mountain stream is very cold!

Today, I flew from RDU to Kansas City (funny story there about a really excited airline stewardess) then from KC to Denver. I got to check out Denver with Jeremy, Rob (Jeremy’s cousin) and Elizabeth (both Stint Team Leaders to Argentina). We ate southwest, because I’ll miss it the most, and they are gracious enough to allow my opinion to override theirs. Denver is really cool, a city with a few high rises, a handful of pro stadiums, sculptures, a starbucks on every corner, art, and lots of life and no humidity! It was beautiful! As if that wasn’t enough, it’s backdropped by this amazing mountain canvas. Which makes me realize how truly small and insignificant I am.

We bussed to this resort in Copper Mountain which is so cool, skiing takes place here during the winter months, but for now there are a few restaurants, a stream which pours through the well landscaped greens and cottages. It’s a great place to retreat, and to get ready for whats next.

Tonight we talked with our AOA’s (Area of Affairs) about our strategic plan, our 6 week plan and basically things to come. This is exciting. I feel like we’re already in a position of having to trust the Lord, not just saying we are. In Slovakia this is the run down situation:

5 American Stinters

3 Slovak National Staff

3 team leaders (2 Americans + 1 Slovak)

a handful of student leaders

6 campus locations

2 cities

a really big God.

Well, this is the realization I’ve had to come to. I can’t but we can. I think Andy Stanley said that, and I think the we has to include God. I can’t, like, me, lil ol me, I can’t do much at all, okay nothing, apart from God, his goodness and His plan, but He can, and we as a team, can follow Him there. This is what I’m excited about.

A leap of faith.

Now tell me if this isn’t cool, tonight we were challenged to 40 days of prayer from Sept 1 - Oct 10th, I’m praying about doing it, as a time of calling on God in our personal lives, for sin, for God to intervene in ministries that are fruitless. I’ve never thought of doing anything in this magnitude, but I believe that God is calling me to a higher level of commitment to Him and to the great commission. So, here we go.

I’ve been thinking about some questions and I wonder what you think, comment below if you’d like.

The questions:

1. When all else fades away in your life: materials, successes, achievements, etc. what is left for you? And isn’t this the most important thing of all?

2. How do we know obedience when we see it? Is obedience always hard?

Sadly I don’t know if these are highs or not. It just seems like it would be.

Things are busy here. Today was full. Completely filled to the brim. I was in Fuquay, Cary, Durham, Raleigh, and Chapel Hill. People are urgent to see me, talk to me, return calls. I’ve never seen anything like it. I appreciate it and love it and feel loved by the people who are doing it. It just makes me wonder why we’re not like this all the time. I’m reading Kingdom of Couches, which has sent me down an evaluative road of trying to discern why it is that I “need” community. Today I read something that hit me in a way that I think invades into the deepest part of who I am. Will Walker writes, “I started to realize that a major reason I like being around people is because I want them to think I am smart or funny or soemthing. I do it in very subtle Christian ways, but many times that is what I am after.” This resonated with me in a way. I think that often times I claim community because there is a security and a feeling of acceptance. I need much more. I need challenges and real life accountability and communal prayer. Things that are awkward and no one wants to start up, but things that are needed and real.

This book has helped me to think more honestly. These guys wrote the book in community, together, 3 of them. Good guy friends. I think that’s really cool. You should check it out.

I think next I shall read Passion and Purity.

“ After every major life change you mourn what you had.

Rebecca Buchanan

Since I am moving my blog over from tumblr to here. I didn’t want this story to get lost in the mix. This story represents life change and it’s worth sharing again and again. I posted this on tumblr on July 18th, but am just as excited to share it with you again today.

I wanted to give you the update about Kamilla from Slovakia who went to Korea for CM2007 (the conference I went to), she didn’t know God when she chose to go to Korea but went with her good friend named Janka (who just trusted Christ last spring), I just found out that Kamilla did in fact, trust Christ in Korea. Biba (Slovak national CCC staff) just IMed me to tell me. Biba also said that Kamilla feels like a lot of people have been praying for her! How awesome! Biba is starting follow up with her soon. Thanks so much for praying. (Sorry for all of the parentheses)

This is an email I got from Biba:

I have great news for you- I just met with Kamila today and found out that she trusted Christ in Korea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Praise God!!!!! He is so good!! Yesterday Kamila asked if she could meet with me and came from Bardejov with a letter for all her supporters. I was going to help her put it together and help translate it into English. As I started reading the letter with her sitting next to me I saw a line that said how she had seen God working in other people’s lives during the conference. And so I asked her if she thought God had been working in her life too in Korea and she said yes, I asked her how and she said that everything is different for her now. As she was thinking more how to explain it to me I spotted the next line in her letter that said: “At this conference I, too, decided to accept Jesus into my heart and to live with Him every day.” In her own words: “Aj ja som sa na tomto stretnuti rozhodla prijat Jezisa do svojho srdca , a rozhodla sa s Nim prezivat kazdy den.” She also told me how she loves reading the Bible and that what really touched her was when at one of the seminars we did not pay much attention but just talked about God and I shared how I think the Bible is a love letter from God to us. She really does look different and seems like she is so in love with God. So thank you to all of you who were there with us and loved her and cared for her and showed her how much God loves her. I had been praying that she would see it and would not be able to resist God’s love for her. I am so glad you all could be a part of her life for one awesome week and help her come to know God in a personal way. Thank you so much for praying for her!!! Today she also told me that she feels that a lot of people have been praying for her. Please keep praying for her and her new relationship with God!!! It has been so awesome for me to watch God change her from an indifferent girl last year into someone who wants to follow Him with her whole heart!!!
So thank you again and I hope this encourages you as it has encouraged me!!!
Caute,
Biba

There was a lot to process and think about after going to a missions conference with 121 countries in South Korea. I got the sense while I was there that I would never be able to fully explain what it was like and knew that I needed to document my time well in pictures and in thought. So I made a list of 14 things that I didn’t want to forget from going to South Korea, here they are:

1. Seperating trash is stressful in south korea. they take recycling very seriously, and i think it might send them into shock to see our garbage and our version of recycling. every day at lunch hundreds of korean volunteers would seperate food trash from paper trash, and then plastic from that. eventually i guess they melt down the plastic and turn it into cell phones which we’ll all want later.

2. Koreans pray all the time. I’m not kidding.

3. We sang “I am a Friend of God” every day at the conference. I’m not even sure it’s theologically correct.

4. We also sang lots of other worship songs from 1984, but they didn’t care. It didn’t stop them from worshipping. Sadly it stopped me. I think I’ve turned worship into this thing that has to look really good, and I’ve gotta like the songs.

5. At one point, there was a song sang with lyrics, “win the campus today, win the world tomorrow.” This is evidence of ccc(c).

6. There was lots of shipment in South Korea. I found them on the mission field! (this is for you Lauren)

7. Californians still don’t get my humor. I noticed when I joined staff in 03 and again this summer in Stint Team Leader training.

8. There are 41 staff in prison in a pacific island country. This is stuff we never hear about. Pray for them.

9. There were people at the conference from closed countries where they can’t worship freely. There was a no photo zone where they had to sit, and we couldn’t take pictures of them. This is possibly the first time in their lives they have had the opportunity to worship openly.

10. Lots of things in South Korea had “made for women” on it. We still don’t get it.

11. When Koreans saw that my name tag said staff, they couldn’t believe it. They respect us so much.

12. Chuk bok ab ni da. This means God Bless You, and one night we were saying it over and over walking down the street to the hotel. I’m sure Koreans in nearby bars appreciated us.

13. The Koreans made up dances to worship songs. One of them, “We worship you, alleluia, alleluia, we worship you, for who you are, you are good.” Had this clapping and swaying motion that we did in the subway with all of the other CM goers. It was fun, and a highlight of the trip.

14. Living in South Korea for 10 days taught me that a plasma tv is better used as a drying rack when 17 girls stay in the same room.

But also, to better explain the time there, someone made a video, and now I get to share it with you. I think this will give you a pretty good recap.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EC0XTdA0Xko ]