Matthew 28:19-20, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Over the last few summers God has taken me to amazing places. Right after high school I got to fly to South Korea and spend the summer teaching English with Awana Korea. (You can read little Amy's thoughts about that summer here. I've grown a little since writing that first blog.) The next summer I went to West Palm Beach, Florida to work with inner city youth. During those winters I got to be an English teacher at an Awana Korea English camp in Orlando. Then last summer God took me to France, Portugal, and Northern Ireland to learn from different ministries and missionaries on the continent I feel led to serve. (You can look through the old posts on this blog to learn more about those adventures.) I have been going out every chance I get.
This summer is kind of weird. I'm not going anywhere. Well, I am. But I'm not. It has been almost a year since I got on an airplane. And now, in my last summer before graduation, I'm staying put in Spokane and Cheney. God is using me to make disciples at my church.
So here I am at Cheney Community Church. We no longer have a youth pastor. I stepped into the role of youth director as the church summer intern. We re-started the youth group in March after a 5-month hiatus. We now average 15 students at Monday night youth group; some nights we reach upwards of 20 students. Other college students stepped in as fellow youth leaders and we have a parent committee that prepare dinners for us and help promote the youth group in the church.
Finals are now over and the summer is rolling in. God is still preparing me for missionary life. This summer I get to practice the administration side of ministry. I get to work behind-the-scenes of organizing youth group nights, Bible study lessons, VBS, and youth events... possibly even a mission trip! And while working back stage I also get the blessing of interacting with the students all summer long. I get to teach, encourage, and play with some of the coolest kids I've ever met. The Lord has even given me an opportunity to be a camp counselor at my students' Awana camp in August.
My friend Casey brilliantly summed up my summer saying, "Isn't that rad? God can show someone the world and be like, 'but for this season I need you here.'"
I may not be going out this summer, but staying put will be quite the adventure.
Wednesday, June 8, 2016
Sunday, August 9, 2015
Final Countdown
This 10 week trip has come to a close. (Aside from my three-day debrief that ends on Wednesday.) As I type out the final chapter of my summer adventures, I'm sitting in JFK waiting for my last flight to Seattle. This will be my sixth plane this summer.
SO! My last stop in Europe was Northern Ireland. I spent two weeks working with Youth Missions International United Kingdom (YMIUK) which is a sister organization to YMI in the US. There is also YMI Peru and Brasil.
I stayed with Trisha Smyth, a lady who shared over 100 mutual friends with me on Facebook but I hadn't actually met yet. She used to live not too far from me in Western Washington where she was heavily involved with Awana (where we gained all of the mutual friends) and where she then worked for YMI. A couple of years ago she was a leader for a high school team to Northern Ireland for just over a week. There she met this dude Paul... (and by "dude" I mean that he's six-foot-something-fierce and a single dad to two grown kids). They kept in contact after her trip, eventually fell in love, got married and blah blah blah. The point is that she moved to Northern Ireland to join her new husband and then started YMIUK where she is now the Executive Director. (Fancy, right?!) I got to live with Trisha and Paul and work alongside Trisha and her full summer intern, Olivia. Olivia stayed in Northern Ireland for eight weeks.
There's a ton that I could say about Olivia and even more about Trisha! I learned so much from being with them for those two weeks. I had very little idea of what to expect because I didn't even know for sure if I would get to go to NI until the day I started my YMI trip. A huge part of our training is to be flexible and understand that schedules can change. Schedules do change. A lot. God shows us that His plans aren't always our plans. This summer is a beautiful example of that.
We were originally going to be serving for two weeks at a teen conference where Trisha was to be a keynote speaker. She has spoken all over the US and Northern Ireland, mainly with teenagers, about living your life to the fullest for God's glory and recognizing the value He has given all of us. (I REALLY loved being with and learning from Trisha. We have a lot of similar passions and we got along like old friends. I pray this is just the beginning of a long ministry partnership with her.)
Anyway, the summer was spent planning and looking forward to this two week conference, but plans changed. The opportunity fell through and God showed us that our plan wasn't His plan. We then found an opportunity to serve at a family camp at a Christian conference center not too far from Trisha's house. This wasn't just any family camp- it was a retreat for single moms and their kids.
When I got to Northern Ireland we got an estimate for around 20 kids. Our new job was then to put on a Holiday Bible Club (or "Vacation Bible School" as we call it in the States) for three hours in the morning and three hours in the afternoon for Monday to Friday. Olivia and Trisha had already started brainstorming themes, Bible lessons, and games.
But plans change. God showed us that our plan wasn't His plan. Two days before the families were due to arrive we learned the real number of kids... four. Four kids is not twenty kids. And the retreat started on Saturday, not Monday. Seven days of lessons is not five days of lessons. We were also asked to come for two hours in the morning and were told we could stay home in the afternoon. Two hours is not six hours..
Trisha looked at me and said something along the lines of, "That's not what we expected! Four kids..."
I smiled, "We get to do all of this for four kids!"
We finalized a theme (that we followed very loosely), divided up teaching days (which ended up starting on Monday like we planned- we gave the families the weekend to get settled), wrote our curriculum, and thought up some games.
On Monday we showed up with extra candy and fairy buns (mini cupcakes) ready to meet the kids and have fun. We ended up with three boys and a girl. The youngest boy is six and the other three kids are between nine and twelve. We also had the pleasure of spending time with William, a twenty-year-old guy with Down Syndrome, who joined us almost every day. His live-in caregiver was given the week off. We were told he doesn't speak much and that he has a mind close to a six-year-old.
We had a blast that week! Trisha talked to the moms after our first morning and bonded with them right away! (Trisha spent a number of years as a single mom with her son before Paul put a ring on it.) After talking to the moms it was decided that we would not only come every morning, but would also come back for two game-filled afternoons and a movie night.
The mornings with the kids started with music. Not the latest pop-Disney-superstars or catchy-but-questionable songs off the radio... We brought along our totally-cheesy-get-stuck-in-your-head-for-three-months childrens Jesus music! (Complete with dance moves!) The first day was really awkward. Four kids is an awkwardly small amount to get excited about cheesy dance moves. Especially when 75% of them have hit the "I'm-almost-a-teenager-and-can't-be-seen-making-a-fool-of-myself" stage. BUT William LOVED song time! He was even dancing along. He sang along at some points and started talking as the first morning went on. We couldn't understand what he was saying as his language skills are under developed, but smiling and laughing is a universal language.
By the end of the week we had the crankiest kid dancing. And singing a little bit, too. I call that a success. This is the same kid who on the first day told me, "You mean we have to spend EVERY morning with you guys?! That's just torture!" Yeah, I caught him smiling by Wednesday.
Besides music, we had a specific lesson time every morning. Day by day we went through the key points of the gospel. I taught Monday and Friday, Olivia taught Tuesday and Thursday, and Trisha taught Wednesday. Our theme was Clue (like the board game... but apparently in the UK they call it "Cluedo"... and Mr. Green for them is Reverend Green). We focused on uncovering the mysteries of God. A mystery is a truth that's hidden or not yet revealed. The first morning I talked about the mystery of God and how He reveals Himself to us through the Bible and creation. Tuesday was the mystery of sin- what it is and why it separates us from God. Wednesday was the mystery of Jesus- He is the bridge to a relationship with God. Thursday was the mystery of faith and Friday was the mystery of eternity. These mysteries don't have to remain mysterious. We had fun Pinterest crafts to go along with each lesson. Each day ended with a lot of games!
On Thursday we had a movie night and let the moms get all dressed up and go out to dinner. We didn't even give them a curfew. On Friday afternoon we finished the week with a scavenger hunt around the conference center property.
It was a great week that I will remember for many years to come.
Right now I'm praying about my future as this summer has opened a few different doors. I don't know what next summer will hold, but I have a few ideas of what might be... One of my biggest goals for this trip was to pursue long-term involvement in Europe.
But all of that deserves a blog post of its own ;)
Trisha- as you're reading this I want to publicly thank you for being genuine and loving. Thank you for all of our conversations and answering all of my random questions. I learned a lot from you in just two short weeks. I definitely wasn't ready to say good-bye, but those kinds of things are never easy and I've already gone through a lot of those this summer. I look forward to seeing what God does through you this next year in Northern Ireland! And I'm excited to be your friend for many years to come- even into eternity ;)
SO! My last stop in Europe was Northern Ireland. I spent two weeks working with Youth Missions International United Kingdom (YMIUK) which is a sister organization to YMI in the US. There is also YMI Peru and Brasil.
I stayed with Trisha Smyth, a lady who shared over 100 mutual friends with me on Facebook but I hadn't actually met yet. She used to live not too far from me in Western Washington where she was heavily involved with Awana (where we gained all of the mutual friends) and where she then worked for YMI. A couple of years ago she was a leader for a high school team to Northern Ireland for just over a week. There she met this dude Paul... (and by "dude" I mean that he's six-foot-something-fierce and a single dad to two grown kids). They kept in contact after her trip, eventually fell in love, got married and blah blah blah. The point is that she moved to Northern Ireland to join her new husband and then started YMIUK where she is now the Executive Director. (Fancy, right?!) I got to live with Trisha and Paul and work alongside Trisha and her full summer intern, Olivia. Olivia stayed in Northern Ireland for eight weeks.
There's a ton that I could say about Olivia and even more about Trisha! I learned so much from being with them for those two weeks. I had very little idea of what to expect because I didn't even know for sure if I would get to go to NI until the day I started my YMI trip. A huge part of our training is to be flexible and understand that schedules can change. Schedules do change. A lot. God shows us that His plans aren't always our plans. This summer is a beautiful example of that.
We were originally going to be serving for two weeks at a teen conference where Trisha was to be a keynote speaker. She has spoken all over the US and Northern Ireland, mainly with teenagers, about living your life to the fullest for God's glory and recognizing the value He has given all of us. (I REALLY loved being with and learning from Trisha. We have a lot of similar passions and we got along like old friends. I pray this is just the beginning of a long ministry partnership with her.)
Anyway, the summer was spent planning and looking forward to this two week conference, but plans changed. The opportunity fell through and God showed us that our plan wasn't His plan. We then found an opportunity to serve at a family camp at a Christian conference center not too far from Trisha's house. This wasn't just any family camp- it was a retreat for single moms and their kids.
When I got to Northern Ireland we got an estimate for around 20 kids. Our new job was then to put on a Holiday Bible Club (or "Vacation Bible School" as we call it in the States) for three hours in the morning and three hours in the afternoon for Monday to Friday. Olivia and Trisha had already started brainstorming themes, Bible lessons, and games.
But plans change. God showed us that our plan wasn't His plan. Two days before the families were due to arrive we learned the real number of kids... four. Four kids is not twenty kids. And the retreat started on Saturday, not Monday. Seven days of lessons is not five days of lessons. We were also asked to come for two hours in the morning and were told we could stay home in the afternoon. Two hours is not six hours..
Trisha looked at me and said something along the lines of, "That's not what we expected! Four kids..."
I smiled, "We get to do all of this for four kids!"
We finalized a theme (that we followed very loosely), divided up teaching days (which ended up starting on Monday like we planned- we gave the families the weekend to get settled), wrote our curriculum, and thought up some games.
On Monday we showed up with extra candy and fairy buns (mini cupcakes) ready to meet the kids and have fun. We ended up with three boys and a girl. The youngest boy is six and the other three kids are between nine and twelve. We also had the pleasure of spending time with William, a twenty-year-old guy with Down Syndrome, who joined us almost every day. His live-in caregiver was given the week off. We were told he doesn't speak much and that he has a mind close to a six-year-old.
We had a blast that week! Trisha talked to the moms after our first morning and bonded with them right away! (Trisha spent a number of years as a single mom with her son before Paul put a ring on it.) After talking to the moms it was decided that we would not only come every morning, but would also come back for two game-filled afternoons and a movie night.
The mornings with the kids started with music. Not the latest pop-Disney-superstars or catchy-but-questionable songs off the radio... We brought along our totally-cheesy-get-stuck-in-your-head-for-three-months childrens Jesus music! (Complete with dance moves!) The first day was really awkward. Four kids is an awkwardly small amount to get excited about cheesy dance moves. Especially when 75% of them have hit the "I'm-almost-a-teenager-and-can't-be-seen-making-a-fool-of-myself" stage. BUT William LOVED song time! He was even dancing along. He sang along at some points and started talking as the first morning went on. We couldn't understand what he was saying as his language skills are under developed, but smiling and laughing is a universal language.
By the end of the week we had the crankiest kid dancing. And singing a little bit, too. I call that a success. This is the same kid who on the first day told me, "You mean we have to spend EVERY morning with you guys?! That's just torture!" Yeah, I caught him smiling by Wednesday.
Besides music, we had a specific lesson time every morning. Day by day we went through the key points of the gospel. I taught Monday and Friday, Olivia taught Tuesday and Thursday, and Trisha taught Wednesday. Our theme was Clue (like the board game... but apparently in the UK they call it "Cluedo"... and Mr. Green for them is Reverend Green). We focused on uncovering the mysteries of God. A mystery is a truth that's hidden or not yet revealed. The first morning I talked about the mystery of God and how He reveals Himself to us through the Bible and creation. Tuesday was the mystery of sin- what it is and why it separates us from God. Wednesday was the mystery of Jesus- He is the bridge to a relationship with God. Thursday was the mystery of faith and Friday was the mystery of eternity. These mysteries don't have to remain mysterious. We had fun Pinterest crafts to go along with each lesson. Each day ended with a lot of games!
On Thursday we had a movie night and let the moms get all dressed up and go out to dinner. We didn't even give them a curfew. On Friday afternoon we finished the week with a scavenger hunt around the conference center property.
It was a great week that I will remember for many years to come.
Right now I'm praying about my future as this summer has opened a few different doors. I don't know what next summer will hold, but I have a few ideas of what might be... One of my biggest goals for this trip was to pursue long-term involvement in Europe.
But all of that deserves a blog post of its own ;)
Trisha- as you're reading this I want to publicly thank you for being genuine and loving. Thank you for all of our conversations and answering all of my random questions. I learned a lot from you in just two short weeks. I definitely wasn't ready to say good-bye, but those kinds of things are never easy and I've already gone through a lot of those this summer. I look forward to seeing what God does through you this next year in Northern Ireland! And I'm excited to be your friend for many years to come- even into eternity ;)
Sunday, August 2, 2015
Party... People... Portugal!
I have one week left until I return to the States and I'd say it's about time for an update!
The last time I sat down to type about everything was before the camps started in Portugal. I have since finished my month in Portugal and am now one week in to my two-week trip to Northern Ireland.
July 12th started the International Camp at Centro Biblico de Esmoriz (the Bible camp in Esmoriz, Portugal). We had a high school team come from America through Youth Missions International (YMI). The team happened to be led by a couple from Christ's Church! (That's the church I've gone to since I was 2 and that first got me connected with Awana and YMI. I basically owe most of who I am today to the people and ministries God has put in Christ's Church.) Kind of like the Canadians in France, this one-week team "adopted" me as one of their own. I joined them for daily devotions and assisted them in running the International Camp. We also had this dude come from England who came to help with sports.
(This English Dude... Joe... I looked at him the first day he came and I thought 'Sweet! He must be.. 18. That's close enough to my age. We can have mature conversations and be friends!' Then I made the mistake of asking Joe how old he is... FIFTEEN!!! And it turns out that he thought I was SEVENTEEN. Granted, that's a step up from the usual sixteen that people peg me as, but still! I am a twenty year old woman who wants friends her own age! But I digress... Joe turned out to be really cool and we ate biscuits and drank tea as time went on.)
For the International Camp we had around 20 campers.The focus of the camp was practicing English. If anyone was caught speaking Portuguese, they had to help with dishes for the next meal. All of the group times in the camp were gospel-focused. We had morning devotions with our rooms led by an American and a Portuguese leader. Then after breakfast each of the American teenagers on the YMI team took turns leading a daily lesson. The theme was sports, so we talked about what it looks like to be on God's "team."
I connected pretty quickly with two high school girls who came to the camp to practice English. Apparently "American English" isn't taught in their schools. These two girls, Diana and Daniella, were super excited to speak English with a group of Americans. From what I learned in my conversations with them, I think they grew up going to church with their families, but they are unfamiliar with Christianity outside of the pews. I shared a lot of goofy conversations with those two girls, but one day on the beach we were able to have a serious discussion about sin. Those girls have a lot more questions and things to talk about than what can fit in one week. They loved camp so much that as soon as they got home they started planning on coming back for Sports Camp. (Sports Camp started the week after I left.) These are just two campers who demonstrate why camps like this exist. The gospel is being shared. Lives are being changed- one conversation at a time.
I wish I could go into detail about all of the campers that I got to build friendships with. That week we became family. I was encouraged daily by all of the goofy faces and sincere hearts shown by the people I was surrounded with.
The church youth in Portuugal don't have a lot of programs to connect with each other. I grew up with youth group, Awana, and a strong group of Christians in nearly every school I went to. (And I went to a lot of schools...) But in Portugal the community is significantly smaller. The camp is one of the main ways that the christian youth can meet and gain the tools to share their faith with others around them.
After International Camp came Kids Camp. This was my last week in Portugal. Another American YMI team came, this time a church group from the Key Peninsula, but they focused on park evangelism that week. I had a simple week of introducing the daily Bible story and hanging out with the kids. The hardest part of kids week was that I still don't know Portuguese and most of the kids don't speak English well enough to hold a full conversation. We communicated mostly through charades or grabbing a Portuguese leader to interpret. I think at one point I was playing "Simon Says" with one of the smaller girls who pulled me outside, but I was just copying whatever she did until she yelled in Portuguese and then laughed again. It was a very confusing time. One guy just kept speaking to me in full Portuguese whether I understood or not.
Overall, Portugal was a refreshing time of connecting with the local church and pouring into the youth. I will forever treasure the friendships that I made. I'm praying for a couple of my new friends to join me at Moody in Spokane next year!
On Friday the 24th I traveled to Northern Ireland. The missionary I'm serving here is fantastic and I can clearly see how much I have to learn from her! The first week here has mostly been our tourist days and preparing for a single parents camp this next week.
I'll update on Northern Ireland later... when I can give it the time it deserves... most likely when I'm home from my trip.
Thank you for taking the time to read about what God has allowed me to do and be a part of! If I left out anything you want me to talk about or if you have any questions, please leave a comment or send me a message!
The last time I sat down to type about everything was before the camps started in Portugal. I have since finished my month in Portugal and am now one week in to my two-week trip to Northern Ireland.
July 12th started the International Camp at Centro Biblico de Esmoriz (the Bible camp in Esmoriz, Portugal). We had a high school team come from America through Youth Missions International (YMI). The team happened to be led by a couple from Christ's Church! (That's the church I've gone to since I was 2 and that first got me connected with Awana and YMI. I basically owe most of who I am today to the people and ministries God has put in Christ's Church.) Kind of like the Canadians in France, this one-week team "adopted" me as one of their own. I joined them for daily devotions and assisted them in running the International Camp. We also had this dude come from England who came to help with sports.
(This English Dude... Joe... I looked at him the first day he came and I thought 'Sweet! He must be.. 18. That's close enough to my age. We can have mature conversations and be friends!' Then I made the mistake of asking Joe how old he is... FIFTEEN!!! And it turns out that he thought I was SEVENTEEN. Granted, that's a step up from the usual sixteen that people peg me as, but still! I am a twenty year old woman who wants friends her own age! But I digress... Joe turned out to be really cool and we ate biscuits and drank tea as time went on.)
For the International Camp we had around 20 campers.The focus of the camp was practicing English. If anyone was caught speaking Portuguese, they had to help with dishes for the next meal. All of the group times in the camp were gospel-focused. We had morning devotions with our rooms led by an American and a Portuguese leader. Then after breakfast each of the American teenagers on the YMI team took turns leading a daily lesson. The theme was sports, so we talked about what it looks like to be on God's "team."
I connected pretty quickly with two high school girls who came to the camp to practice English. Apparently "American English" isn't taught in their schools. These two girls, Diana and Daniella, were super excited to speak English with a group of Americans. From what I learned in my conversations with them, I think they grew up going to church with their families, but they are unfamiliar with Christianity outside of the pews. I shared a lot of goofy conversations with those two girls, but one day on the beach we were able to have a serious discussion about sin. Those girls have a lot more questions and things to talk about than what can fit in one week. They loved camp so much that as soon as they got home they started planning on coming back for Sports Camp. (Sports Camp started the week after I left.) These are just two campers who demonstrate why camps like this exist. The gospel is being shared. Lives are being changed- one conversation at a time.
I wish I could go into detail about all of the campers that I got to build friendships with. That week we became family. I was encouraged daily by all of the goofy faces and sincere hearts shown by the people I was surrounded with.
The church youth in Portuugal don't have a lot of programs to connect with each other. I grew up with youth group, Awana, and a strong group of Christians in nearly every school I went to. (And I went to a lot of schools...) But in Portugal the community is significantly smaller. The camp is one of the main ways that the christian youth can meet and gain the tools to share their faith with others around them.
After International Camp came Kids Camp. This was my last week in Portugal. Another American YMI team came, this time a church group from the Key Peninsula, but they focused on park evangelism that week. I had a simple week of introducing the daily Bible story and hanging out with the kids. The hardest part of kids week was that I still don't know Portuguese and most of the kids don't speak English well enough to hold a full conversation. We communicated mostly through charades or grabbing a Portuguese leader to interpret. I think at one point I was playing "Simon Says" with one of the smaller girls who pulled me outside, but I was just copying whatever she did until she yelled in Portuguese and then laughed again. It was a very confusing time. One guy just kept speaking to me in full Portuguese whether I understood or not.
Overall, Portugal was a refreshing time of connecting with the local church and pouring into the youth. I will forever treasure the friendships that I made. I'm praying for a couple of my new friends to join me at Moody in Spokane next year!
On Friday the 24th I traveled to Northern Ireland. The missionary I'm serving here is fantastic and I can clearly see how much I have to learn from her! The first week here has mostly been our tourist days and preparing for a single parents camp this next week.
I'll update on Northern Ireland later... when I can give it the time it deserves... most likely when I'm home from my trip.
Thank you for taking the time to read about what God has allowed me to do and be a part of! If I left out anything you want me to talk about or if you have any questions, please leave a comment or send me a message!
Saturday, July 11, 2015
oooOH! We're Halfway There!
I have passed the halfway point of my internship! For those of you with awesome math skills, that means I still have halfway to go. Is the glass half empty? Is the glass half full? More like my cup is overflowing!
I've been in Portugal for two weeks now. I have two weeks left to go. Then I will travel to Northern Ireland where I will stay for two weeks before going home.
My first week in Portugal was pretty chill. I stayed at the home of a missionary that works at the camp I'm eventually helping with. I have two Portuguese sisters and a brother who are all close to my age. I knew I was in the right place as soon as I walked into the house because I saw a buzz lightyear hoodie hanging on the coat rack! They still have a VCR that they use regularly to watch old disney movies on VHS. They live a short busride away from Porto- where a lot of Portugal's history is rooted and also where Port wine is made. Living with the family for a week was truly a blessing from God that I don't take for granted. It was a week of rest and becoming familiar with the people and culture before moving to the camp and getting the summer started.
I toured a couple of museums, spent a couple days at the beach, had a few movie marathons with my Portuguese siblings (who got out of school for the summer the day before I flew in!), played some Mario Kart (both on the Wii and the N64!), and I met a lot of Portuguese people.
Cultural Difference #1:
The common greeting is not a hug or a handshake, like an American would expect. It's definitely not a mere nod of acknowledgement. Instead, a Portuguese greeting is to kiss both cheeks. I've lost count of the people who've kissed me without me ever learning their names. This is especially prevalent at church or large meetings when I meet 10 or more people at a time. The hardest part is that I keep forgetting that a greeting kiss is normal. A new person walks up to me and in my head I'm thinking, who is this? Why are they standing so close? Their face is getting closer. Oh! A hug! Oh.... not a hug... don't freak out! This is normal! (Mind you, all of this happens in half a second.) Sometimes I totally forget what's happening and I go for a hug, which is then made extra awkward when the other person ends up kissing my neck or my ear. I'm slowly adjusting to this cultural difference. This is a common European practice (as you obviously already know from all of the movies that show the Europeans greeting one another as such) so I'll get over my American conditioning soon enough.
Ok, so I had a relaxed week near Porto with a beautiful family. The Monday of my second week in Portugal we drove to Esmoriz where the camp is. Much like in France, I will be working at a Bible camp while in Portugal. In France I was mainly surrounded by Americans and did a lot of behind-the-scenes help in preparation for the bigger camps that I wasn't going to be there for. This first week at the camp in Portugal I was the only American. I've been helping in the kitchen and doing a little bit of cleaning. We had a group here from the Assembly of God Church. They came Monday night and left today (Saturday) after lunch. An American 2-week team just arrived from YMI. The first real camp of the summer starts tomorrow (Sunday).
The most difficult part right now is not knowing the language. I'm picking up a few words here and there (sumo= juice, obrigado= thank you, bon dia= good morning), but there's a lot more to a language than a few nouns and greetings. Most of the teenagers and young adults can speak good conversational English. I'm very thankful for everyone who translates for me and takes the time to converse with me. At the same time, it would be ridiculous for me to expect someone to translate everything for me and speak English 100% of the time. The work team for this past week ranged from 4-8 adults and 4-6 other young adults. Each day some of the people would come and go as their schedules allowed. Everybody is Portuguese besides me and have known each other for a long time. The young adults, as far as I understand, grew up coming to this camp and have returned as volunteers.
I observe and listen for most of the conversations as the others speak rapid Portuguese. (Portuguese, to the untrained ear, sounds like altered Spanish words spoken in a Russian accent. And don't accidentally confuse Portuguese with Spanish- in language, culture, politics, or geography- because the Portuguese are quick to claim their own identity. Also, Brazilian-Portuguese and Portuguese-Portuguese are almost two different languages.) One lady from the Assembly of God group has come up to me every day and made a comment or two in Portuguese. I must be good at nonverbal responses because after a week of this she still hasn't figured out that I don't understand a word she's saying. It's kind of isolating to realize that there's so much going on around you, but you can't understand any of it because you speak a different language. Sometimes I feel like I'm sitting in a movie theater watching life happen, disconnected from the role I'm supposed to play in the movie.
I am learning to be more intentional in the conversations that I have. If somebody makes an effort to talk to me, I need to be fully engaged in the conversation. In other places I can politely step away from a conversation after a while and step into a different one. However, I can't be choosy about conversation here because communication takes a lot more effort and is harder to come by. If I were to remain here for a year or longer, the first thing I would do is learn the language to the best of my ability. Nothing holds you back from a culture more than not being able to effectively communicate with other people. You know what? That rings true for every aspect of life. The greatest obstacle in life is not being able to communicate effectively.
To turn this on a spiritual note- we first and foremost have to communicate with God. He created us to have a relationship with Him, but no relationship works if you don't talk to each other. I've heard a lot of people say, "I just can't hear God speaking to me," or, "God doesn't talk to people anymore like He supposedly did in the Bible stories," or, "I can't see or hear God, so He can't be real." We could have a million different conversations about this, as a simple Google search will demonstrate, but the most important point I can make is that God does want to communicate with us. Like the Portuguese lady who keeps talking to me, God could be talking to you in a way you just haven't learned to understand yet.
Romans 1:20, "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities- His eternal power and divine nature- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse."
General Revelation: God speaks to us through His creation. We can have a thousand conversations about the intricacies of God's creation and how it points to His perfection and His innumerable characteristics.
2 Timothy 3:16-17, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."
Special Revelation: God speaks to us through His Word- the Bible. We can have a thousand conversations on the reliability of Scripture, the purpose of Scripture, and the life change that happens when we take His Word seriously.
1 Corinthians 2 talks about the wisdom of God revealed to us by the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 2:14, "The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned."
Talk to God and He will answer back. But you have to be ready and willing to listen to what He has to say in the way He wants to say it. God can communicate with you through reading the Bible, through another person, through a song, through nature, by putting thoughts in your head, through dreams, and so many other ways! Are you listening?
I will NEVER apologize for a spiritual rant, but I understand if a few of you skimmed over it. If you have any questions, disagreements, comments, or any thoughts concerning anything I've said, PLEASE leave a comment or message me about it. God wants to communicate with us. He wants a relationship with us. But just like when entering a new culture where the people want to talk to you, you have to open your eyes and mind to how they communicate because it can be different from what you're used to. God talks to us in so many ways. Don't miss the train because you're waiting for the bus.
So here I am, struggling behind a wall of cultural misunderstanding, learning and being reminded of the eternal truths of Christ through the temporary troubles of today. It's not easy being here without a team. I am thankful for the opportunity to travel by myself and enter new social settings without the safety net of teammates, but every day I understand the value of friendship a little bit more. God created us for community. He created us to communicate with one another. I get to learn a lot about myself as an independent person, which I'm very thankful for, but I am all the more aware of my dependency on others for my mental well-being. You can only go so long only watching and listening. I'm excited to go back home and put to practice all that this trip is teaching me!
Here's to new friendships, life lessons, sleeping on the beach, and experiencing the eternal truths of Christ while traveling through Europe! My cup overflows with the good and perfect gifts from above! I'm excited to share this enduring hope and joy with the campers who come in the next couple of weeks.
I've been in Portugal for two weeks now. I have two weeks left to go. Then I will travel to Northern Ireland where I will stay for two weeks before going home.
My first week in Portugal was pretty chill. I stayed at the home of a missionary that works at the camp I'm eventually helping with. I have two Portuguese sisters and a brother who are all close to my age. I knew I was in the right place as soon as I walked into the house because I saw a buzz lightyear hoodie hanging on the coat rack! They still have a VCR that they use regularly to watch old disney movies on VHS. They live a short busride away from Porto- where a lot of Portugal's history is rooted and also where Port wine is made. Living with the family for a week was truly a blessing from God that I don't take for granted. It was a week of rest and becoming familiar with the people and culture before moving to the camp and getting the summer started.
I toured a couple of museums, spent a couple days at the beach, had a few movie marathons with my Portuguese siblings (who got out of school for the summer the day before I flew in!), played some Mario Kart (both on the Wii and the N64!), and I met a lot of Portuguese people.
Cultural Difference #1:
The common greeting is not a hug or a handshake, like an American would expect. It's definitely not a mere nod of acknowledgement. Instead, a Portuguese greeting is to kiss both cheeks. I've lost count of the people who've kissed me without me ever learning their names. This is especially prevalent at church or large meetings when I meet 10 or more people at a time. The hardest part is that I keep forgetting that a greeting kiss is normal. A new person walks up to me and in my head I'm thinking, who is this? Why are they standing so close? Their face is getting closer. Oh! A hug! Oh.... not a hug... don't freak out! This is normal! (Mind you, all of this happens in half a second.) Sometimes I totally forget what's happening and I go for a hug, which is then made extra awkward when the other person ends up kissing my neck or my ear. I'm slowly adjusting to this cultural difference. This is a common European practice (as you obviously already know from all of the movies that show the Europeans greeting one another as such) so I'll get over my American conditioning soon enough.
Ok, so I had a relaxed week near Porto with a beautiful family. The Monday of my second week in Portugal we drove to Esmoriz where the camp is. Much like in France, I will be working at a Bible camp while in Portugal. In France I was mainly surrounded by Americans and did a lot of behind-the-scenes help in preparation for the bigger camps that I wasn't going to be there for. This first week at the camp in Portugal I was the only American. I've been helping in the kitchen and doing a little bit of cleaning. We had a group here from the Assembly of God Church. They came Monday night and left today (Saturday) after lunch. An American 2-week team just arrived from YMI. The first real camp of the summer starts tomorrow (Sunday).
The most difficult part right now is not knowing the language. I'm picking up a few words here and there (sumo= juice, obrigado= thank you, bon dia= good morning), but there's a lot more to a language than a few nouns and greetings. Most of the teenagers and young adults can speak good conversational English. I'm very thankful for everyone who translates for me and takes the time to converse with me. At the same time, it would be ridiculous for me to expect someone to translate everything for me and speak English 100% of the time. The work team for this past week ranged from 4-8 adults and 4-6 other young adults. Each day some of the people would come and go as their schedules allowed. Everybody is Portuguese besides me and have known each other for a long time. The young adults, as far as I understand, grew up coming to this camp and have returned as volunteers.
I observe and listen for most of the conversations as the others speak rapid Portuguese. (Portuguese, to the untrained ear, sounds like altered Spanish words spoken in a Russian accent. And don't accidentally confuse Portuguese with Spanish- in language, culture, politics, or geography- because the Portuguese are quick to claim their own identity. Also, Brazilian-Portuguese and Portuguese-Portuguese are almost two different languages.) One lady from the Assembly of God group has come up to me every day and made a comment or two in Portuguese. I must be good at nonverbal responses because after a week of this she still hasn't figured out that I don't understand a word she's saying. It's kind of isolating to realize that there's so much going on around you, but you can't understand any of it because you speak a different language. Sometimes I feel like I'm sitting in a movie theater watching life happen, disconnected from the role I'm supposed to play in the movie.
I am learning to be more intentional in the conversations that I have. If somebody makes an effort to talk to me, I need to be fully engaged in the conversation. In other places I can politely step away from a conversation after a while and step into a different one. However, I can't be choosy about conversation here because communication takes a lot more effort and is harder to come by. If I were to remain here for a year or longer, the first thing I would do is learn the language to the best of my ability. Nothing holds you back from a culture more than not being able to effectively communicate with other people. You know what? That rings true for every aspect of life. The greatest obstacle in life is not being able to communicate effectively.
To turn this on a spiritual note- we first and foremost have to communicate with God. He created us to have a relationship with Him, but no relationship works if you don't talk to each other. I've heard a lot of people say, "I just can't hear God speaking to me," or, "God doesn't talk to people anymore like He supposedly did in the Bible stories," or, "I can't see or hear God, so He can't be real." We could have a million different conversations about this, as a simple Google search will demonstrate, but the most important point I can make is that God does want to communicate with us. Like the Portuguese lady who keeps talking to me, God could be talking to you in a way you just haven't learned to understand yet.
Romans 1:20, "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities- His eternal power and divine nature- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse."
General Revelation: God speaks to us through His creation. We can have a thousand conversations about the intricacies of God's creation and how it points to His perfection and His innumerable characteristics.
2 Timothy 3:16-17, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."
Special Revelation: God speaks to us through His Word- the Bible. We can have a thousand conversations on the reliability of Scripture, the purpose of Scripture, and the life change that happens when we take His Word seriously.
1 Corinthians 2 talks about the wisdom of God revealed to us by the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 2:14, "The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned."
Talk to God and He will answer back. But you have to be ready and willing to listen to what He has to say in the way He wants to say it. God can communicate with you through reading the Bible, through another person, through a song, through nature, by putting thoughts in your head, through dreams, and so many other ways! Are you listening?
I will NEVER apologize for a spiritual rant, but I understand if a few of you skimmed over it. If you have any questions, disagreements, comments, or any thoughts concerning anything I've said, PLEASE leave a comment or message me about it. God wants to communicate with us. He wants a relationship with us. But just like when entering a new culture where the people want to talk to you, you have to open your eyes and mind to how they communicate because it can be different from what you're used to. God talks to us in so many ways. Don't miss the train because you're waiting for the bus.
So here I am, struggling behind a wall of cultural misunderstanding, learning and being reminded of the eternal truths of Christ through the temporary troubles of today. It's not easy being here without a team. I am thankful for the opportunity to travel by myself and enter new social settings without the safety net of teammates, but every day I understand the value of friendship a little bit more. God created us for community. He created us to communicate with one another. I get to learn a lot about myself as an independent person, which I'm very thankful for, but I am all the more aware of my dependency on others for my mental well-being. You can only go so long only watching and listening. I'm excited to go back home and put to practice all that this trip is teaching me!
Here's to new friendships, life lessons, sleeping on the beach, and experiencing the eternal truths of Christ while traveling through Europe! My cup overflows with the good and perfect gifts from above! I'm excited to share this enduring hope and joy with the campers who come in the next couple of weeks.
Monday, June 29, 2015
Au Revoir Alps!
I have safely left France and made it to Portugal! Apparently I flew out of Lyon the same day as a terrorist attack took place, but I didn't know anything about it until I got picked up at the airport in Porto... so yeah. I think everyone at home knew about my surroundings better than I did... and I'm kinda thankful for that!
My last week of France was spent helping with the kids program during a missionary retreat. We had three families bring nine kids- 7 between ages 2-10 and then 2 teenage girls. The family with the teenagers "adopted" me as their oldest daughter for the time of the camp. I sat with them for the meals and even slept outside with the girls one night! (I went up to my bed at around 5:30 am when I realized I still had 2 hours to get some resemblance of sleep if I snuck away)
I hiked up a mountain. A very tall mountain. The view was great. My lungs were hurting.
We are halfway up the mountain on our hike looking across the valley to the camp. Those little buildings towards the bottom are the camp.
Each day started with breakfast at 7:30, cleaning the dining hall, and then a time of singing worship with the whole group at 9. I left with the kids after that, along with 2 other leaders (both grandmas now) to go upstairs for our own VBS. We talked about going "Off the Map" and bringing the good news of Jesus to people all over the world! (highly effective when the kids are all missionary kids living in different countries)
I got to talk to a lot of missionaries about the state of the churches in Europe. I talked to one missionary about the Czech Republic, another about Germany, and still others about France.
All in all, France was a time of rest and learning. I didn't get to know the French people, but I got a taste of the realities of mission work. I spent a lot of time working behind the scenes and talked to established missionaries about the highs and lows of moving countries to share the gospel. A major theme of my conversations is that missionaries are normal people with the same frustrations and struggles as anybody else, but they experience it all in a different culture away from their support system of family and friends.
I can see how God is preparing me to move overseas. He is preparing me mentally and emotionally to move away from the known and comfortable to move into the unknown and uncomfortable for His glory. I am starting to see more and more how God has been using every event in my life to shape me into the type of person who can handle the stress and joys of this lifestyle.
Now to figure out where in the world He wants me to start digging roots...
Friday, June 12, 2015
Mullet Mission Trip
I have decided that this is a Mullet Mission Trip. (I coined the phrase myself! I should get paid for my genius!) I'm calling it a Mullet Mission Trip because it's business in the front and party in the back. I work hard in the day doing what needs to be done around camp, and then I spend the evenings making new friends, playing games, and building strong friendships with people who have been all over the world! I have the business, I have the party... but unlike a mullet, I won't regret this in five years!
BUSINESS:
BUSINESS:
Each day has been busy with different jobs around Camp des Cimes (french for Camp of the Peaks). I have learned a plethora of new skills. In the almost two weeks that I have been here I have served food, mopped floors, deep-cleaned the big kitchen (de-greasing, mopping, polishing, and cleaning every inch we can reach!), cleaned bathrooms/bedrooms/windows, cleared cobwebs, planted flowers, hauled wood, shoveled gravel, spread dirt, planted grass, and organized the library. I wake up in the morning not knowing what I will be doing until I go down for the morning meeting and get my assignment.
One thing that I like about French culture is that it's common to take a two hour lunch. Most businesses, at least in the valley where I'm at, will close between 12-2pm to go home for lunch with family. My work day starts at 9, breaks at 12, and continues from just after 2 to around 5:30. I actually have time to eat my food! After lunch conversations and clean-up I sometimes have time to check my e-mails or type out a bit more of a blog post.
Right now we have a 7-person work team from Canada with us. As Al, one of the men on the team, put it, they are all "on the wrong side of 65." The team is here through Greater Europe Mission (GEM) and each has crazy cool stories of all of the places they have been. The oldest on the team, Chester, is 85 years old and on his 54th mission trip! When Merlie, one of the ladies, tells me stories of her adventures, each story takes place in a different country! Most of them didn't get into missions until after their kids moved out of the house. Morgan (the other intern) and I have meals with the Canadians. They are staying in the chalet which is a short hike up from the main building. (By "hike" I mean that we are well out of breath by the time we get to the top of the hill... and most likely breaking a sweat... it's a workout to get anywhere on this mountain.) The delicious home-cooked meals are worth the hike!
Here I am with the Canadian team and my fellow intern. From left to right: Chester, Morgan (the other intern), Phil, Linda, Al, Marlene, Margaret, and Merlie. After I took the shot, Margaret proclaimed excitedly, "That was my first selfie!"
PARTY:
Here I am with the Canadian team and my fellow intern. From left to right: Chester, Morgan (the other intern), Phil, Linda, Al, Marlene, Margaret, and Merlie. After I took the shot, Margaret proclaimed excitedly, "That was my first selfie!"
PARTY:
One of my main goals for this 10-week internship is to meet as many missionaries as I can and learn from their experiences. God has overwhelmingly answered this prayer! Daily I interact with four long-term missionaries who help run this camp- Lynn, Marc, Dan, and Eric. Some days I even get to work with Lynn and Marc's wives- Rose and Elizabeth. I hope to have time later to go into detail about their histories in missions and how God brought them all to Camp des Cimes. Dan's wife is the only one among them who is truly French.
Marc and Elizabeth still have a 13-year-old daughter that they are raising in France. They invited us over for dinner on Friday and took us to church with them in Grenoble (an hour's drive away) on Sunday. Marc, having been raised as a missionary kid in France and then moving back as an adult missionary, has a lot of insight into what can help or hurt missions. I have had conversations with him about short term teams, about raising support, and a lot about the realities of missionary work. Each project, person, and location looks different. Marc has helped me put a lot of things into perspective.
It seems like every day I have 10 good conversations with different people about missions. As I typed this post, a missionary from Grenoble came and sat down next to me. He brought a work team for the day. We had a small conversation about the spiritual climate of this country and whether programs like Awana would be appreciated or not. I could go on and on about how God is using each person I meet to teach me more about who He is and who He wants me to be. This is a rich time in my life where every day is evident how God is shaping me to be more like Jesus.
Monday, June 1, 2015
I See London... I See France!
The scenery on our bus ride from the airport in France
For those of you just tuning in- I'm in Europe! I'm on an internship through Youth Missions International (YMI) with their Mission Apprentice Program (MAP) and will be traveling throughout Europe for 10 weeks. The purpose of this trip is for me to meet missionaries, experience their different ministries, and build relationships with the locals. I have a desire to be a long-term missionary, I have seen God develop in me the skills and passions that fit with long-term ministry, and I have had an interest in Europe for a few years now. This internship just makes sense.
Part of my schedule is still undetermined. It will be finalized later this week. What I know right now is that I am in France until June 26 when I fly to Portugal. The undetermined part is whether I will go to England after Portugal or not. I do know that I will finish up my 10 weeks in Northern Ireland. To recap: France, Portugal, (maybe England), and Northern Ireland. All of this from May 30- August 9!
On Thursday afternoon, May 28th, I got to the airport and caught my first flight to London. I traveled by myself until I got to London for a three hour layover. It was there that I met up with Morgan, a fellow intern who is coming through Greater Europe Mission (GEM). We will be working and rooming together in France. I will be in France for one month and she is staying for her full 2-month internship. She and I flew on the same flight from London to France. (I was in the States, London, and France all in 24 hours! CRAZY!!!) Our plane landed in Lyon and then we took a bus to Grenoble where a couple of missionaries picked us up and drove us an hour the rest of the way to the camp we are working at!
So now I'm in France. In the southeast corner. I'm actually pretty close to Italy and Switzerland. And the scenery? Camp des Cimes is up in the French Alps. We are completely surrounded by mountains! And trees!
Here is a panorama view from the deck right now. The scene is mostly covered by trees, but you can kind of see the tops of the mountains in the background! Just think green... everywhere!
Here's a better view of the mountains. We can see these out of the dining room.
The Camp des Cimes campus used to be a whole village. I was told that most of the buildings were probably built in the mid-1700s... which makes the buildings older than my own country. The property has slowly been bought up by the camp and renovated to meet current standards. We live in dorms. Each bedroom has its own sink. The showers and toilets are each in separate rooms, except for a few bathrooms that have them together. The room that Morgan and I share has two beds, a sink, and a dresser on the main floor. We also have a staircase in our room that leads up to a small loft with an extra bed. I sleep in the loft and feel like Rapunzel! That way we also get our own space when one wants to go to sleep earlier than the other.
This camp is mostly run by Americans (and one Aussie!) who grew up in France as missionary kids and decided to come back as adults. The summer camps and English camps don't start until July, so the end of May through June is spent making repairs and cleaning up the campus.
Camp des Cimes also rents out the facilities to groups that want to come for retreats. Morgan and I got here late Friday night. Saturday afternoon a college group from the local university came for the weekend. An American couple runs an international Christian club at the university, so they brought about 20 students for an overnight retreat. Morgan and I immediately got to work helping to serve food and clean the kitchen. Sunday night the group switched out for an American work team that is finishing up a 3 week mission trip. This morning we joined the work team in splitting logs and stacking fire wood for the camp to have campfires. The work team is from a Christian university in the midwest. They will leave on Wednesday.
Next weekend I believe we have a family reunion coming here. After that we have a ten day camp called "Refresh" for missionaries from all over the world. I hope to have many conversations with those coming- to hear their stories, gain wisdom, and make friends from all corners of the world. All this time I will be on the service team. We clean the facilities, prepare and serve food, and make sure everything is running smoothly.
So that's a quick update on the beginning of my trip! The wifi is pretty slow and unreliable up here, which makes blogging a challenge. I hope to give updates at least every couple of weeks, but my schedule will constantly be changing and I don't know when I will have time to sit down and type.
Specific Prayer Requests:
- One of Morgan's checked bags got lost in travel. Please pray that it gets here quickly and undamaged!
- Pray for each person who will come through this camp throughout the summer
- Pray for the staff and volunteers- that we get all of the work done and keep our focus on Christ
- Pray that my schedule will be finalized quickly and that I am able to go to England
Also, as a congratulations to you for making it through this post, enjoy a picture of a praying cat.
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