I’m still really connected with my friends who are living and serving in Slovakia. The current team consists of several of my past summer project friends (Lindsey, Stephanie, Amber, and Justin) as well as friends from last year’s team (Aaron, Dara, Jeremy, and Bibka). Since the internet is a wonderful tool that I have to stay connected with friends in other countries I get to talk to my friends in Slovakia quite often. I am really thankful for their dedicated service to Jesus in Slovakia.

I just wanted to share with you some specific ways you can be praying for the team and for their needs ministry wise and personally. It’s not easy living overseas for a year - away from all that is comfortable.

• Please pray for them personally, that they would abide in Christ, in His word, and that they would live the gospel out as a team and would preach it to themselves daily. Also, the holidays are coming up, and homesickness could start setting in, pray for them to bond as a team and experience deep unity.
• Pray for ministry. A few upcoming events include a Story of the Soul, as well as several Bible Studies. Please pray for Aaron, who is trying to start a guy’s Bible Study in Presov. Please pray for guys to come and for there to be community. If you’d like a specific time, please pray (if you are on EST) at 1pm on Wednesday.
• Pray for their sanity as it’s getting dark earlier now, it’s getting colder, the honeymoon phase is ending, and spiritual warfare is real.

Thank you so much for praying. I am always amazed at the power of prayer to change lives and change the course and direction of countries and people throughout history.

“Prayer is as natural an expression of faith as breathing is of life”- Jonathan Edwards

I have 100 days left in Slovakia, and really only 63 days left actually IN Slovakia due to my crazy travel schedule over the next few months. Let me give you the run down. Today marks the day before I leave for Spain (I’ll be there till the 26th), 10 days before I leave to go to Hungary for Story of the Soul training. Only 3 and a half more weeks on campus. In about 2 months I leave for Venice, Italy (for a week) then I’ll be back in Slovakia for 2 weeks in June, then we’re off to Serbia for our summer project for a week. Then on June 27th, I fly out. Back to America. I have some crazy emotions about all of this. I’ve learned to live here. I’ve learned how to buy groceries, where to shop, where not to shop, how to get around, how to ask what time it is, how to buy train tickets, how to wash clothes, and how to do ministry. I miss things in America, I miss my friends, my family, I miss my church, mexican restuarants on every corner, the beach, warmer weather, driving, and being able to dry my clothes the same day I wash them. But I’ve grown, I’ve changed, I won’t ever be the same. These lyrics from this Sarah Grove’s song seem to describe how I feel, and how I have felt since I arrived in Slovakia. Here they are:

I don’t want to leave here
I don’t want to stay
It feels like pinching to me either way
The places I long for the most
Are the places where I’ve been
They are calling after me like a long lost friend

It’s not about losing faith
It’s not about trust
It’s all about comfortable
When you move so much
The place I was wasn’t perfect
But I had found a way to live
It wasn’t milk or honey
But then neither is this

I’ve been painting pictures of Egypt
Leaving out what it lacked
The future seems so hard
And I want to go back
But the places that used to fit me
Cannot hold the things I”ve learned
And those roads closed off to me
While my back was turned

The past is so tangible
I know it by heart
Familiar things are never easy to discard
I was dying for some freedom
But now I hesitate to go
Caught between the promise
And the things I know

If it comes too quick
I may not recognize it
Is that the reason behind all this time and sand?
If it comes too quick
I may not appreciate it
Is that the reason behind all this time and sand?

Next time I write I’ll be in Spain, hopefully with updates and pictures. Pray for warm weather.

Also, Check out the Serbia promo: under serbia summer project it says, “come help change the world”

That’s what a girl said to me today after I shared the gospel with her. It just sounds so wrong and it is. Like taking Jesus out for a test drive, or some equivalent. Keep praying for her. Her name is Sandra. I gave her the little booklet - in English and in Slovak and told her to think it over and I’d call her in a week. I’ll keep you updated. Thanks for praying for her.

I wanted to catch you up on everything going on this week, but it is entirely too much for one post, and since I know that most of my readers are busy and have more important things to do than sit around and read my blog, I thought I’d share this in a seperate but completely as notable as the previous post.

I know you are probably wondering why this post has the name ‘dog bite’, is it some sort of figurative idea that I’m trying to make work for the sake of analogy? I cannot answer that now for it will spoil what will come, but please don’t read ahead, just let the story read as it should. (I’ve just finished flashbang and I’m thinking this is why I’m blogging like an internal monologue, I’m easily influenced what can I say)

Today my whole team went to the vet school to spend time in prayer and to also meet students in hopes of getting in spiritual conversations. We took some time praying for Sweden and I got to share some exciting updates that my dear friend Lindsey has kept me informed of what is going on there. We paired up and ventured out to do solarium with these students. Sometime I’ll write all about why I think pictures work better than a plain jane survey. (okay getting side tracked) So there we were, I was with Mirka and Aaron. We talked with a few girls and Aaron assumed his role as the guy who prays on the bench beside us while we were talking with girls. Then, we wanted to give Aaron his chance to talk to guys. Mirka went with them because she is the fluent Slovak speaker (obvious) and I was supposed to assume my role as pray-er. I’m not very good at this “seemingly silent” role. So, I prayed for awhile and as I was walking around I saw Carlyn and Biba talking with two girls - I prayed for them, I saw Matt and Dara talking to a guy - I prayed for them. But then, I wanted to talk to people. So, since we were at the Vet School there was a group of girls standing there with their dogs - this might indicate if the story is taking a literal or figurative turn. But maybe not, I am quite the accomplished blogger. I saw these 3 girls, standing there smoking, with their dogs, so I took the opportunity to approach. I walked up and all of a sudden this pit bull angry dog comes barking and sniffing towards me, immediately attracting the attention of Carlyn, Biba, Matt, and Dara who are strategically placed to see…the dog bite…yes, this dog is biting, nipping at the back of my leg. And I think, these girls HAVE TO BE nice to me now. They were, but they had already been approached to do the survey by someone else on my team and spoke very little english. But it was after this, after the bite, the sting, that I found this next girl that I talked to.

She was walking slowly, slower than others on campus. So I approached her, leg hurting, and asked her if she spoke english, to my complete surprise, she said a resounding, “yes!” and we started talking. Her name is Kristina and she speaks great english. She told me through the course of our conversation that different people are brought into our lives to influence us spiritually and that she is looking for such a person. So I got her contact information and asked if we could get coffee together sometime to talk about our spiritual journeys. She agreed and was even thankful. I am thankful.

This is where the dog bite is figurative and I might dip into being completely cheesy here, but please go with it. I think it is sometimes after the “dog bites” the tough things, that we see God more clearly. We see Him because we know what pain feels like, even when we look for Him there, we draw nearer to Him. This is where you, dear reader, are correct either way, the dog bite is both literal and figurative.

*On a practical note, my leg is fine, it will heal as do all wounds.

We started back this week in a full whirlwind of activity. On Monday we took the 5:35am train to Zilina and met in a nearby church called, New Beginnings, which has a partnership with Andy Stanley’s church, North Point. We met there along with a the campus team in Bratislava. It was a good day of vision, aligning, and strategizing for the sake of reaching students for Christ. I was encouraged by the steps of unity that the campus ministry in the country of Slovakia is taking in order to move forward. Our country director challenged us to commit to fasting and praying for Slovakia one day each week. This is a steep challenge for me, but it’s one that I definitely feel like I want to do, and know that Jesus assumes in the scripture that we will do. So, I’ll be fasting for Slovakia and for lost students everywhere on Tuesdays if anyone would like to join me. That night we arrived late back in Kosice, and after going up five flights of stairs back to my apartment I felt completely exhausted. I started asking myself, I’m so tired and it’s our first week back! How will this work? Where will I get the strength to move ahead? Even having thoughts that I didn’t want to go on campus at all that next day. I knew these thoughts weren’t from Jesus, and all the while I was recalling a blog my friend Courtney, who is on the world race and currently serving in Nicaragua wrote among the first 2 months she was on the field. She wrote this on July 25th,

Running through my head was that I no longer had [a desire to reach the nations] in my heart! I used to feel so passionately for the nations to come to God. I used to feel a burning desire and loved the persecuted church. My heart’s desire was to see people from all over the world come to know God. And no longer as obvious as it had been. As I am processing all of this I am thinking “Lord, I cared so much for these things but now that I am here actually doing it that desire is not as strong. What happened to me?

I was remembering this, and the reality that a lot of times we just don’t “feel” like getting out there, we “feel” tired and we “feel” alone. Usually these things are valid, but what is more true than all of them is the reality that God has called us and He will accomplish through us what He said He will accomplish.

So, Tuesday morning, I woke up, feeling surprisingly refreshed, headed to language class learned how to say things in future tense, (finally)! So I no longer have to say something in present tense when I mean that it will happen in the future. Language is such a funny thing sometimes. After language, I had lunch with my country director, and headed straight to the bus station to take a 30 minute bus ride out to Presov. On the way there I texted two girls that I’ve been meeting with off and on. Miska and Zuzka, both were excited that I contacted them and wanted to get together that day on campus. As I was walking to campus I began feeling really hopeful that God would work, that He would meet us there. Once on campus the Presov team met to talk about our plans for the semester, we need a consistent room to start an english club, we need to talk with students and get their input and interest level on going to an english class. So as a team, we started to get on the same page, we were feeling encouraged. We talked with some students about doing english class, they seemed excited that we were about to offer something like this to them. I met with Zuzka at a cafe across the street called Balada, I love this little place. She opened up to me and shared some things that were going on in her life, I’ve challenged her to begin reading through John, which I’m encouraged that she will actually do. I am reading through it with her, I’m on the 4th chapter and am completely amazed (just like I was with Acts). Following that meeting I met with Miska and Mirka at the same time to talk about everything going on and the excitement and the anticipation that we have that God will do something in Presov this semester. Miska was excited as we challenged her to have a newly forming Bible study in her room, she accepted. I gave her a copy of solarium and asked her to look over it, because the next time we’ll meet, we’ll go together on campus to try it with students. I also challenged her to think of one person she could share it with in her personal life. Immediately she replied, “I can’t wait for Janka (her roommate) to get back so I can share this with her!” (thank you Jesus).

Later I found out from Biba that Zuzka shared the gospel with her sister but didn’t even really know that she did it.

Now it’s Thursday and I’m excited to report that we have a room on campus. We’ll be meeting for english club called, “talk the talk” on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday starting on March 3rd going through the 12th. We are praying for momentum, that this would bring students who are spiritually interested. Would you pray this with me?

Also pray for Miska that she would share solarium with her roommate and that she would see God use her. Pray also for our time together, that she would feel encouraged and would continue to desire growth.

Pray for the girls Bible study that is starting up in Presov, pray for a hunger for God’s word and for community.

Pray for Zuzka, as we meet next week that she’ll find God in the pages of scripture.

God is at work, we are seeing Him and we are so very thankful.

I really need to catch up in the blogosphere, I’ve picked my oneword, and I want to write all about it, it’s playing into everything I do.

For the past couple of days my team has been focusing in on God, and His plans for Kosice and Presov, the cities that we have the privilege of ministering in this next semester. We’re all pretty hopeful, and love the latest passion album, God of this City, and Chris Tomlin’s song with that same title. We’re claiming the song’s words for our city. You can read Matt’s blog which details a little more about this song, and gives the lyrics. I’ll just suggest you buy the cd on itunes and be done with it.

This is a different take on the verse that we usually know as, “without vision the people perish.”

If people can’t see what God is doing,
they stumble all over themselves;
But when they attend to what he reveals,
they are most blessed.

Proverbs 29:18

and the video, to help you understand what we are trusting God for here in Slovakia. This was made today at our staff meeting.

[vimeo 685104]

in it to win it, that was a little Wilmington shout out.

I’m in Hungary now, as I have been for the past week and a half. Before this conference I was at my stint Midyear and now I’m at a conference in Tihany, Hungary (about 2 hours from Budapest) with about 1200 people, national staff, international campus staff (ICS), and stinters. There are 19 countries represented here at the conference and it truly is a taste of heaven.

It’s been fun to hear of the stories of life change that God is producing all over this area. I am increasingly aware of the fact that God is at work even when we can’t see it. I feel encouraged.

I feel hopeful for the salvation of Slovaks, Czechs, Croatians, Serbs, Russians, Israelis, Romanians, Ukrainians, Bosnians, and others.

Just the other day I heard a story of 35 students coming to Christ in Russia and 100 in the Ukraine. I feel truly amazed and blessed to be a part of a ministry that is so deeply committed to evangelism, discipleship, and multiplication. The process which has the name; movement building.

We’ve heard talks by speakers who have a deep passion and desire for us to understand the doctrine tucked inside the gospel. Which takes us back to the essential core of who we are as believers. I believe that we do need to preach the gospel to ourselves daily. I’m not so good at doing this type of thing. But, I do believe, if I’m ever going to really succeed in a lifetime of ministry, I will need to develop a deeper understanding of the gospel and who I am because of Christ. Isn’t this what we all need to get back to?

I’ve been so encouraged by the Global Leadership of Campus Crusade. As an Area of Affairs (including Eastern Europe, Russia, and Israel) there has been a general expression of our need to depend on God. That as an organization we need to get on our knees together and petition before the One who is able and ask in His name for the salvation of these countries in which we are serving.

In a global context songs like, “You Said” those that we tend to not sing any more, really get to the very core of what I feel like my heart is crying out.

“You said, ask and you will receive, whatever you need. You said, your glory will fill the earth like water the sea. Ask and I’ll give the nations to you, Oh Lord, that’s the cry of my heart, distant shores and the islands will see your light as it rises on us.”

I’ve really enjoyed the worship here. The other day we sang “Holy, Holy, Holy” each of us in our own language. It was a beautiful chorus that struck deep within me, my heart felt so encouraged by the reality that one day in heaven, we’ll listen and see something much more glorious, but it was a taste and at this point I’m very thankful.

Happy New Year! I hope you are doing well. It’s so hard for me to believe that I am halfway through my year here in Slovakia. I am really thankful for all that God has taught me over the course of these 5 months. Since mid-December we’ve been to 2 conferences (Slovakia Staff Conference and Winter Conference) and we head out on Monday for conference #3 (STINT midyear) and #4 (Area of Affairs) in Hungary! In this update I explain the conferences and all that God did at our recent winter conference. Thanks for your prayers and support. It humbles me as I think of your dedication to the gospel.

You can find the update here.

After 4 and a half months of filling out paper work, taking trips to random prisons in Vienna, having the police visit our language school and our apartment, we finally have the prized visa we’ve been waiting for. This video explains it all. Notice the background music, “Never Gone Get it” by Brick & Lace.

[vimeo 599137]

I’ve never been much for trying to understand all of this, but I will say that the value of the dollar and George Bush’s push to increase exports has greatly affected me as a missionary. Here is the current break down as of  today:

With the Euro to come into full effect in ‘09 here in Slovakia, no doubt it will be more expensive to live here, but also Slovakia will gain respect in the EU.

For most of you, I’m sure that it doesn’t affect your thinking, but please pray that the value of the dollar would increase, for missionaries (sent by the US) everywhere. And make sure this is an issue  you are informed on in the next presidential election.

America is not the only country in the world, there are many countries with economic and political power. Living in Europe at this time in history has really shown me a lot about ethnocentrism and the reality that most American’s don’t even think about other countries, or the reality that America does not rule the world.