I think a lot of times I forget how my life here is not normal (according to most American’s standards). So, I’ll start by walking you through a normal week here in Slovakia.

Sundays: really depend on the Sunday. From February through March I was in a dance class with Aaron and Biba. I would go to class around 3:30 and return home around 6:30. I went by the #6 tram, from a stop that I walked to from my apartment called Dom Umenia (the palace of art). I usually check the tram schedule by going here. When I wasn’t in the class I was going to church in the afternoon at the Lutheran church here, to which I would go by bus a few stops.

Mondays: this semester Mondays have started with doing adminstrative things, I usually use this time to do reimbursements, write a prayer letter, return emails, write new emails, or tally receipts and things. Then we have a team lunch at the Slovak girls place, we usually bring our own lunch and just hang out, talk about what we’re praying for during the week, and send each other off. I get there by taking a tram (either #4 or #7 usually). Then I send off the Presov team, and I go back to my apartment to work on planning our serbia summer project.

Tuesdays: in the morning from 9am to 12:30pm we have language school, I walk there, it’s in town towards the huge cathedral. Then in the afternoon I meet with Matt and Biba for our leadership meeting, we use this time to get on the same page, to talk directionally for the movement, and to plan staff meeting that comes every Friday.

this is us during a break in language school (as you can tell we’re pretty tired)

Wednesday: we have the morning off, then I head to Presov around 12 to meet with students and to train and disciple Carlyn and Mirka. I get to Presov by taking a bus from the bus station in Kosice (it costs about 53 sk each way about $2.60) and the bus ride is about 30 minutes each way. Once I arrive at the bus station in Presov, I walk another 30 minutes to get to campus, then usually it’s time for my first appointment in which I meet with two students Miska and Zuzka, then immediately following I meet with Carlyn and Mirka, then I might grab dinner in town at this great place called Red Box, then I walk back to the bus station, and take a bus home. Sometimes, like while we were doing English club, the only bus home was the bus that would go through the villages and it would take 45 minutes to an hour to get home.

balada where we meet with students, this is right across the street from the campus

me sitting in balada

me and zuzka in balada

me and miska in balada

Thursday: In the morning, I meet with Biba to talk serbia summer project, we talk logistics, translate things that need to be translated, design fliers, and whatever else needs to be talked about, then around 1 we head to the Vet School campus to do Soularium with the students there. This is always a hilarious experience because there are lots of animals around, one of the days we saw a horse running through the campus (no lie).

Friday: We have staff meeting from 10 to 12ish, then at 1:30 we have language till 4:30, this makes for a really long Friday, by the time language gets out I am completely dead, and usually the only thing I can think about doing is putting on my pajamas and watching the office, or lost, something like this.

Saturday: I sleep in. Life overseas takes a lot out of me (still). Then I usually go grocery shopping, either to Tesco in town, I get there by tram or to Carrefour which is a mall/grocery place, or sometimes I go to Optima which is also a mall with a grocery store inside. called hypernova. I can get to the mall/grocery stores by bus. Then I might cook, or just lounge around, clean, do laundry, and I always talk to my mom on Saturday.

So there ya go, lots of walking, lots of public transportation in various forms. There are many other things that are different for Americans too, Slovaks dress for the month and not for the weather, so if it’s 70 degrees in March - then they are still wearing their winter coats, its started to warm up now, and the Americans on my team are beginning to wear shorts and flip flops, and we usually get yelled at my the old women. Slovaks also do not sit on the ground, any kind of benches, rocks, etc in months that have an R in them - because they believe that you will freeze your ovaries if you do, yes, they believe this. I, however, don’t believe this, so sometimes I get strage looks for sitting on a bench.

I know it’s been silent on the blog for so long and then bam, three posts in one day. (and I know I still haven’t updated you on Story of the Soul training) but I’m wanting to post these since they are fresh, and then the older stuff will get even older in the meantime, but check this latest Congo Cast episode out, I enjoy these because it helps with myoneword - perspective, I am realizing more and more about the calling, as Christians, to step in and do something about the injustice that exists in these third world locations. I’m so amazed at how God bombards us with these truths all at once. Through reading Irresistable Revolution, UnChristian, and listening to Fermi Podcasts I’ve been realizing the overwhelming need that we have to step in and do something about it. The world is watching. They want to know if what we say will line up with what we do. It’s time to mobillize.

[vimeo=878461]

Why oh why has it taken me so long to post this.

I want to write about myoneword. a project that exists to get to the core of who I am by delving deep into the issues of motivation, character, and pervasiveness. this isn’t something that will stay on the surface of who you are, but will really get in there, and move around, until change results.

So, the word that i picked and have wrestled with significantly is perspective. This is a perspective that what I’m doing here and now - might be hard (it might be real hard) but it’s not forever.

God has invaded me with this word, every time I feel tempted to feel hopeless, or to feel desperate, or lonely, deprived, not provided for, trapped, or a myriad of other emotions that I’ve felt at one time or another over the course of my time here in Slovakia.

The deal is, I am none of these things. I have hope, provision, opportunities, and all because the Lord provided them for me. But, if I take my mind off of the things of the Word and look to myself - then I lose perspective, and this isn’t carnality, this is just thinking of my needs, my wants, my desires - even though Biblical, yet not living with a perspective that comes from the Lord.

One thing that I’ve enjoyed doing is pairing up my word with the Word, and today I was reading in James and came across this verse…

How do you know what will happen tomorrow? For your life is like the morning fog - it’s here a little while, then it’s gone.

James 4:14

My life is but a vapor…

I know this has already been all over the web and back again, but I want to make sure that I get it posted too, so that those who view my blog can see it.

This is one of the many reasons I love my church, and am looking so forward to going back there! Last week Chris got it featured on Ragamuffin Soul and the effects have been viral.

Here is the video for the latest series at Port City, called Pursuit. It’s especially great because I’ve been reading Proverbs (coincidence) and loving how wisdom is personified. Actually, in the Bible I’m reading it tells me this about wisdom:

The word wisdom in Hebrew is a feminine noun. Thus, it is natural for Solomon to personify it as a woman - a virtuous woman - in contrast to the foolish and immoral ways of a harlot. Both wisdom and folly beckon with similar invitations.

[vimeo=840001]

i have the awesome privilege of planning a summer project to serbia this summer. we are taking slovak students to a nearby country to take the gospel and train our students to move this ministry to a movement. this is me on the floor of my apartment writing out our day-by-day serbia schedule, this is what visual learners must do, we have no choice. please pray for our project, coming up june 16th-24th. more details coming.

what a delight! on thursday night while i was still in budapest, i had the privilege of video chatting with sadie, sarah, and jeremy! it was so fun. here is a shot from our time together! what a beautiful family.

i’m in budapest, hungary at a story of the soul training. i’m learning lots of cool new things. more updates soon, i promise, for now it’s late here (9:28pm) i’m so stara mamka (grandma).

i love this. happy april fools.

Gmail utilizes an e-flux capacitor to resolve issues of causality (see Grandfather Paradox).