Featured Blog: The Journey To India

We're blessed here in Ogallala to have incredible friends. It took awhile...something like two years! Nonetheless, each friendship is unique. Our new found friends Jim and Kristin are good natured and sweet and seem to always think of others before themselves. Drew and Amy are a solid Christian couple who have (despite our young friendship) already shared with us in joys and hardships, prayed with us when times were tough, and are always ready to lounge around in sweatpants with us. Ryan and Tracy are who we call when we want to unwind and have a good laugh. Ryan is one of the most unintentionally funny guys I know. His wife Tracy is down to earth, sweet, and not afraid to work hard--something I really admire. We don't have to go out and do something fancy to have fun. We're happy sitting around a kitchen table swapping stories, laughing. We met Ryan and Tracy through Bob and Shannon who have quickly grown to be our best friends here in town. I have a hard time even explaining our friendship as it's unlike one I've ever had before. Not only are they fellow bookies, music lovers, and NPR nerds, they're just all around good people. They're honest, unpretentious believers. Shannon is as straightforward as they come! She's a ton of fun; she's not girly (girly is a quality that tends to freak me out just a bit) and has experienced a lot of life. She's someone I've come to respect. Bob has opened me up to a world of new music, challenged me to think deeper, and has been a good confidant. He's also a helluva cook! Together they make an amazing couple: genuine, hospitable, and a host of other adjectives that slip me right now.

That's why I'm happy to share the link to Bob's blog: The Journey To India. In February, Bob will travel to rural parts of India where his team will help provide free medical services, work to strengthen the local church, and share the gospel with non-believers. Check out his blog if you're interested in learning more about God's work in India through Bob. And if you're the praying kind, send up a few for him. I know he and his wife both have apprehensions about this trip. Pray that they would abandon worry, pray about everything, and offer thanks to the work God is already doing (Philippians 4:6). Pray they'd both experience the kind of peace Paul talks about in Philippians 4:7. And don't forget to check out Bob's blog!

Skyping With Polish Friends

Today we got a chance to Skype with our friends from Poland, Kris and Ola. We made a great connection with this couple while we were there, so it was great to hear their voices and see their faces. Kris and Ola are so faithful--their marriage and relationship with Christ is encouraging to me. I love hearing them talk about the small groups they are involved with and the outreach they're doing with the scout groups that they lead. Each time I talk with them I am invigorated. We are blessed to have them as friends!

Poland Update

As I mentioned in an earlier post, my four year old niece, Denelle, wanted to do something to support us going to Poland. So, she and her mom went and bought three picture books about God to send with us. On the last day we handed out these books to a few kids.

The first picture is of a woman at the camp who served as a translator with her two daughters.

The next is of two little boys who attend preschool at the Chojnice Baptist church. What's interesting about this family is that the parents aren't believers...though this is a kids book, I think it will positively impact the parents as well

The last picture is really special to me. The little boy in the picture is Bartek--he is three years old and is going through some rough times right now. His 14 year old sister was in my classes, and I found out that their father recently left them. The mother is raising three children on her own...I am confident that this book will be a comfort to both Bartek and his mother.

Krys and Ola

This week we had the opportunity to meet and get to know a beautiful couple: Kris and Ola. They are around the same age as us and have been married for almost a year. They’ve been attending family camps for the past five years. In fact, Kris made a decision to follow Jesus at one of these camps a few years back.

We spent a lot of time with these two this week; on our last day in Poland, the two came and picked us up in old town Gdansk and we spent the afternoon together. They shopped with us and helped us find good bargains, translated for us, then took us to see the Baltic Sea, and finally we went back to their flat for coffee and great conversation. We ended up having dinner together and even went shopping at a hardware store to help them pick out paint colors. I’m having a hard time describing this new-found friendship because it feels like we’ve been friends with them for years.We’ve only known one another for 8 days—but we’ve made such a deep connection. It’s great to see how God brought this all about. I’m looking forward to seeing how our friendship develops over time.

This new relationship is another small picture of how God works at these camps. First, Kris developed a relationship with Jesus during this camp—it was just what he needed to give him that extra push in taking a step of faith. Many people who attended the camp this week felt this same push. Some decided to put their trust in Jesus at camp, but many more were driven one or two steps closer to God because of how He worked in the camp. Who knows where these people might be without the experiences they had at camp. Second—Kris and Ola’s marriage is another testimony to these camps. Ola mentioned that a few years ago she spent a lot of time talking with an Ogallala woman about marriage and what a godly marriage should look like (this Ogallala woman is the late wife of one of the men—John--from our church who came to serve at the camp this year). Now, Kris and Ola are married and are in a relationship that is glorifying to God. Kris and Ola’s marriage is also a blessing to John in that he could see how much of a blessing his wife was to this young couple. Finally, I feel invigorated to have met Kris and Ola. Because of them I am challenged to work more at my marriage and to make sure that God is the center of our marriage. I realize that camp isn’t the only event that caused all of these blessings to occur, but there is no denying that the way God works at these camps has played a role in many of these blessings.

My translator

As most of you know, my husband and I have been in Poland for the past 13 days working and teaching at a family English camp in Poland. So many great things have happened during this short time—there’s no way I can describe them all, but I do feel that I need to process the trip. So, the next few blogs will be devoted to my experiences in Poland.

Meet my translator, Ester. Ester was born in Poland, but moved to Canada with her family when she was younger. This summer she was back in Poland visiting extended family, so she wound up serving as a translator for me this past week. Translating is tough work. Not only does it require switching back and forth between two languages, but it also means that there is no time for spacing off during a conversation! Ester’s job this week was particularly difficult because we were working with girls raging in ages from 10-14 who spoke little to no English. If you’ve ever worked with this age group, you know how much talking can go on in the course of an hour! By the second day the 12-13 girls felt comfortable enough around us and were in the habit of talking or shouting at once and expected Ester to translate all of it. Ester’s job was not limited to the three and a half hours we were together for Bible study, English class, and conversation time—she ended up translating a lot in the evenings when girls wanted to talk with me. I am so thankful for Ester’s diligence and willingness to serve. It was frustrating at times for both Ester and me, but she stuck with it until the end.

Not only was she my translator, but I also feel that she became a friend during our short time together. We had some time each day where we just sat and talked. I think it was the second day of camp when Ester and I were talking about relationships—she is about the age where she’s thinking about marriage, so we talked a lot about the joys and hardships marriage brings. She asked if Nate and I were thinking about having children. I explained to her that it’s something we’d been struggling with, and that medically—the chances of having our own children are slim and that we are interested in beginning the adoption process. Ester piped in and boldly asked, “Well have you prayed about it? Because you can’t just say ‘some doctor told us we can’t have kids so we’ll just adopt.’ You have to pray because God can do anything, you know. Do you want me to pray for you?” I couldn’t believe that this 19 year old was getting so personal with me so quickly. It was a bit unnerving but also refreshing in the sense that someone who I barely knew cared enough to ask if she could pray for me.

Sunday was our last day of camp, so we spent a few hours reading through camp evaluations and talking about our experiences. Our leader (a pastor from Washington) stressed the importance of digesting the trip. So as I sit on the plane (we’re flying from Munich to DC right now) I’m thinking about how I can describe my experience in Poland to others. The conversation I mentioned between Ester and me is a perfect example of what happens at these family camps in Poland: relationships are built. Because the camp has a focus on God, not on teaching/learning English, great things can and do happen. The relationship I developed with my translator is just a small glimpse of what I gained while in Poland---be watching for more!

Poland Update: Thursday

I would have to say that a highlight of my day was Connor's testimony. Connor is a 19 year old college student who is an Ogallala grad. I mentioned this in my last post, but he has made quite a few relationships here at the camp. Tonight he gave a very moving testament of his faith in Christ. There were not many dry eyes in the place. I've heard many testimonies before, but this one will stick with me for awhile because it was so genuine and heart-felt. Connor laid himself on the line in front of nearly 150 people tonight--and several people talked with him afterwards to get advice about what they were going through or how they were feeling...this was a big step of faith for him. If you're the praying kind, please keep praying for Connor--that he would continue to draw nearer to Jesus and experience a type of intimacy he's never felt before. Also, pray for the campers who were moved by Connor's testimony, that it would bring them one step closer to God.

Poland Update

My team, posing as pirates...

My girls during English class---playing American Candy Bingo

Worship at night...

Nate's crazy high school boys during one of the games

My girls posing for a silly picture

Author's Note: Forgive me for any typos or poorly written sentences; it's late at night, and I’m exhausted!

It's Thursday morning...we just finished the fourth day of camp and are ready to start the fifth. I can't believe we only have four days left. I would have to say that this has been one of the best experiences I've had in a very long time. Here are some of the highlights:

•Watching one of the guys from our church connect with the Polish teenagers--Connor Max (he graduated from OHS in 2009) has really gone out of his way to form relationships with many of the Polish teens. He is leading junior high boys while we're here, and they have really connected with him.

•Seeing my girls (ages 10-14) come out of their shells. The first day they were a timid bunch who didn't speak a word--now they are chatty as all get out! I've also had a few girls ask if we could talk one on one at the end of the night--(with a translator translating). These conversations haven't been too deep, but it's a good step in the relationship forming process. I'm hoping that my girls can open up even more to explore deeper topics and converse about their faith.

•My Bible study time: At the end of our time yesterday I asked if anyone wanted to pray for the group. An outgoing little girl (Gabi) volunteered to pray, and she prayed the Our Father (most of my girls are Catholic) in Polish. So, I took advantage of this knowledge they had today and taught them the Lord's Prayer in English (Luke 11:1-4). They LOVED it! And I think it was eye opening for them to see the prayer in the Bible. In fact, when I asked them to turn to Luke 11 one girl asked, "You don't know it by heart?" I told them that I did, but I wanted them to read it from the Bible. I know I only have 8 days with them, but I'm hoping that reading our Bibles each day will get them familiar enough with it so that they aren't intimidated to open their Bibles.

•English classes: Though I am accustomed to teaching English, I am not familiar with teaching English to non-English speakers. Yesterday was our first class; I was trying to write a few vocab. words on our little white board and the girls kept shouting at the translator that they could not see the board. So naturally I taught them the phrase, "I can't see the board." I turned the board back onto my lap to write a few more words, and about 30 seconds later, in unison the girls screamed, "I can't see the board!" It scared me so much because I wasn't used to hearing English during that time! Our lesson today was fruitful, and many of the girls have been following me all over the place during the day practicing their newly learned English.

•Testimonies: Each night we end the day with about an hour long service where we sing (the worship band here is AMAZING) and an American gives his/her testimony (how they came to have a relationship with Jesus). Sunday night Justin, a youth pastor from Washington, gave his, Monday I gave mine, Tuesday was Bob from Washington, and today was John from Ogallala. I can really tell that God has been working during this time. I am a nervous person who doesn't like to speak in public, so I was terrified to give mine. I wrote four drafts of it! But I prayed over and over that day that God would just give me the right words to say to speak to the hearts of the campers. After the first line my nerves faded, and I felt a sudden sense of peace as the words flowed from my mouth. A few Polish people approached me afterwards and thanked me for speaking; some said they could relate to my story. I think that's a step...

•Seeing God work in the camp: Here's one example--our group leader from Ogallala, Chuck, drove us all the way to Denver, we got to DIA to check in, but when he the passport to the clerk he realized he had grabbed his wife's passport rather than his own! Passport-less, he drove back to Ogallala. Our pastor tried to book him another flight out, but the possibilities looked bleak. Chuck and our pastor prayed together over the phone and a few minutes later the pastor called back saying that the travel agency had found tickets for Chuck. He arrived at the end of our first day. Chuck is a legend here at camp as this is his 12th time here. He has formed many lasting relationships and has seen many people devote their lives to Christ. It's a blessing to have him here despite the minor passport glitch.

•Becoming familiar with Polish culture: Polish food is amazing. Polish people are EXTREMELY competitive (we've played a lot of evening games as social activities) and have a TON of energy, which makes for a lot of fun!

I know that's a lot! I do want to post more tomorrow about my amazing translator, Ester--so be sure to check back. I will leave you with a few prayer requests: handed

1. Connor is giving his testimony tomorrow night. Pray for peace for Him that God would work through him to really touch the hearts of some of the campers.

2. Energy! It's the middle--so some of us (including me) are dragging.

3. That we would be able to continue forming relationships with the Polish people.

More prayer requests...

I have a few more prayer requests for you all if you feel inclined to pray:

--One of our team members from Nebraska, Chuck--who has been to help at this camp 11 times--will be traveling to Poland today. We had a small hiccup at the airport--he was checking in at DIA and realized that he grabbed his wife's passport rather than in his own. So he had to drive all the way back and then rebook his flights---please pray for safe travel for him.

--Open hearts for the Polish people attending the camp.

Poland: Days 1 and 2

It's been a whirlwind so far here in Poland! After a long flight from D.C to Munich (layover due to weather and really tight quarters---none of the guys got to sleep on the nearly 9 hour plane ride) and a 1.5 hour trip from Munich to Gdansk, we had some more downtime while we waited for one of the Polish pastors, Piot (Peter), to come pick us up. After a few hour trip, we finally arrived in Czersk--a village of about 10,000 where we are staying with Ludvick and Camille. They are a wonderful couple with a beautiful home. They have been nothing but hospitable--Camille is an EXCELLENT cook and has fed us some great, authentic Polish food (all from scratch!) while Ludvick has been our tour guide bussing us all over to nearby villages. Last night we went to a nearby forest to see a beautiful river and do some hiking. On the way home we stopped in the town square to watch a traditional children's Polish group dance and sing. Tonight he took us to a beautiful Scandinavian cemetery that has been used for nearly 6,000 years in a forest---I got to eat wild blueberries here! Then he and his wife took us to another nearby village where an international folk festival was going on. We watched groups from Poland, Bulgaria, and Macedonia dance and sing. He also bought us some Polish bread (I can't pronounce it or even begin to think how to spell it!) that was topped with cheese, onions, cabbage, and meat. They are very gracious people.

The entrance to the Scandinavian cemetery

Connor, me, and Nate enjoying our Polish food at the folk festival

On the bridge at one of the forests near Czersk

Today we also visited the Baptist church in Chojnice--this is the church that is hosting the English camp we're here to work at. The pastor there, Henrik, is fantastic man--he and his wife have 8 kids and 1 on the way! After our team meeting, Henrik took us into the town and gave us a tour--according to him, the part of the city we were in was nearly 1,000 years old. Of course, the buildings have been renovated since then--but the history of the town is phenomenal. The Polish people have really endured a lot---the Germans in both World Wars and the Russians during the Communist era. They have only been free from Communism since about 1989, so they're still a relatively "new" country. Nonetheless, it is a beautiful country. All of the people we have met so far have been hospitable and very kind.

The Chojnice Baptist Church

The camp starts tomorrow---I'm not sure how the internet connection will be, and I know our schedule is pretty crammed. I'll try to blog during the week, but if not--look for a new post next Monday or Tuesday. I've also posted a bunch of photos to Facebook---so feel free to check there to see more of this gorgeous country!

If you're a praying person, here are a few prayer requests I have:

-Energy--we are all getting really tired as our bodies struggle to adjust to timezone differences. It's currently 11:55 PM here, but 3:55 PM in the states.....we will be stretched this week. So please pray that we would have some sort of supernatural energy to make it through.

-That we would rely on the power of God--the pastor who is joining us from Washington led us in a short devotional today on 2 Corinthians 12:1-9 (Paul's weaknesses). We talked about how we all have weaknesses--these are especially evident in situations where we are unfamiliar with our surroundings. My weakness right now is a feeling of inadequacy--I don't feel cut out to speak to people about Christ, I don't feel confident in my teaching abilities (especially to a group of Polish speaking junior high students!), the language barrier is a bit overwhelming at times, and I am tired. But---we can use our weaknesses to recognize the power of God--Paul writes, "Three times I begged the Lord to take it [his weakness] away. Each time he said, 'My gracious favor is all you need. My power works best in your weakness.' So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may work through me."

Thanks again for all of your support!!!

Poland Update

Tonight is our last night in the states! Our flight leaves tomorrow morning from DIA--we have a stop in Washington DC and one in Munich before flying into Garczyn, Poland. We'll then go to a smaller village near Chojnice to prepare for the Family English camp we'll be helping with. The camp will start on Sunday. I am assigned to beginner junior high students. For my bible study and conversation time it will be all jr. high girls; the English class will be co-ed. Nate will be working with high school boys. Our schedule for the 10 day camp will be something like this:

7:30--Team prayer and worship

8:30--Breakfast

9:15--Group worship

9:45--English reading time (Bible study)

11:00--English class

1:00--Lunch

2-5:00--Free time

5:00--Conversation time (back with our Bible study groups to talk about whatever)

6:30--Evening meal

7:30--Evening event time (campfire, scavenger hunt, talent show, skit night, etc)

9:00--Worship time/testimony time/optional bible study/relationship-building (coffee house style hosted by the local church)

As you can see---we have a FULL schedule! Poland is 8 hours ahead of us, so it will definitely be an adjustment for us.

If you're a praying person---here are a few things you could pray for:

• An unusual amount of energy to make it through the day and be able to serve the Polish people with an open heart
• Unity among our team
• Focus on Jesus (right now I have a lot on my mind--graduate classes, school, home, personal issues---I'm finding it tough to really focus on this trip)

As I wind down the evening, I have a few verses that are really sticking with me tonight I'd like to share:

"You see, we don't go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, 'Let there be light in the darkness,' has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves." (1 Corinthians 4:5-7)

I will have access to a laptop/iPod, so I'm hoping we'll have a wireless connection so I can digest the trip through blog posts. Check back for more updates!

Poland Update

It's one week until we fly out for our missions trip to Poland. Each time I see people around town they always ask, "Well, are you ready?" I've always responded with a stressed-out, "I think so." Today I'm feeling different. I don't have a clue as to what level or ages of students I'll have in English class, I don't feel completely confident in my abilities to lead a Bible study made up of English speakers--not to mention a mix of Polish and English speakers, the thought of flying in a plane for the first time freaks me out, I don't have my testimony written, and I still don't feel totally prepared for school (it starts 2 days after we get back). But--I am ready to go. Of course I have apprehensions, but my desires and readiness to immerse myself in a new culture and love people completely overshadow any shade of doubt.

Last night as I cooked dinner I put on some Caedmon's Call--we saw this band along with solo performances from Derek Webb perform at Lincoln Berean a few years ago. They are fantastic. At the concert though they talked a lot about the short-term missions trips (particularly India) that gave them opportunities to serve and a new outlook on life. So as I cooked, I listened to songs they played at their concert and found myself listening to "Two Weeks in Africa" and "Share The Well" over and over:

There is one message that sticks out to me in both songs: we can ALL serve. I believe that going overseas to serve is something each person should experience at some point in their lives, but we don't all have to go to Africa, Poland, or India. There are plenty of needs right here in the United States...or even, dare I say it, Nebraska! Your faith status doesn't matter---you're economic status doesn't matter--you're career path doesn't matter--your age doesn't matter (we have an 8th grader from our church in Poland right now, serving and loving the Polish people). We are all capable of loving and serving one another. Here's a perfect example:
Earlier this week I received an email from my sister in-law, Amy. She said that she was talking to Deni (her 4 year old daughter) about our trip when they came up with the idea to buy children's books about Jesus to send with us to give to kids or parents. Amy took Deni shopping and they picked out a book together, bought three copies, and sent them to us. This little girl is 4--and though she may not fully understand missions, she knows that she's telling people about Jesus. She's doing her part and serving how she can. Everyone can serve. It's my goal this year to do more of it right here at home.

Preparing for Poland

This weekend was our first weekend back in Ogallala in five weeks, so when we got home we felt frazzled--there was unpacking to be done, our basement had water in it, the checkbook needed balancing, the yard work needed to be done. But when I sat down to check my email I had a new message in my inbox about our Poland trip. Rather than feeling excited, I groaned and dropped my head into my hands--the last thing I wanted to do was prep work for our trip. There were other, more immediate needs to be addressed.

But---whether we are ready or not, we leave in 22 days. There is a lot to do: purchase gifts for our bible study groups and translators, prepare a few lessons for our English classes, complete a few bible studies, write our testimonies, pack. We also have to get our classrooms ready before we leave as we will return only two days before school starts! It's a lot to wrap my brain around and it's easy to sit and complain about it.

So to combat negativity and overwhelming feelings, I am trying to spend a little time each day researching Poland to help get me excited for July 29th. Nate and I came across the video above on Hulu this weekend--it's a short, 30 minute video about Poland, specifically Krackow, Auschwitz, and Warsaw. We aren't going to be in any of these cities, but the video did give us a good taste of Polish culture.

While we're in Poland we'll be teaching English at a family camp that a local Evangelical church puts on. But more importanlty, we'll be sharing about Jesus with the campers. Most Poles know who Jesus is from their Catholic background (Poland is predominately Catholica). But I've been told that having a personal relationship with God (a core concept in Evangelical Christianity) is something that is more unfamiliar to them. So, throughout our time in Poland we'll be talking with the campers about a relational faith. I'm excited to have these conversations--to share about what God has done in my life.

But after seeing this video, I am even more excited to learn from the Polish people about how to strengthen my faith--how to become more devoted, more dedicated. The video shows and talks about hundreds of churches and how important these are to Polish culture. This makes me think of my own grandparents who attend Catholic church a few times a week--and I can't ever remember a time where they missed church. They pray regularly, are active in the church, and are regular attenders. They truly are devoted to their religion. Unfortunately, I can't always say that I have the same devotion to my faith. Many Evangelical Christians rag on Catholicism and are quick to point out "wrong theology." But there is something we can learn from Catholics--how to be devoted to a cause. Their dedication is truly respectable.

So--if you're a praying person and have some free time on your hands, here are a few things you could pray for:
1. A sense of peace--that our minds would be eased and that we wouldn't let the stress of preparing to leave the country get to us.
2. Open hearts so we can learn from the Polish people about how to strengthen our own faith.

Thanks for your support! I'll try to post more updates as the trip grows closer.

Poland

This July Nate and I will be traveling to Chojnice, Poland with International Messengers/our church (New Hope) to help run a family camp where we will teach English using the Bible as our primary text.

We have never experienced an overseas missions trip before, so we see this as a great opportunity to share the love of Jesus with the people of Poland. In our training packets that IM sent us, they wrote that Poland has a population of 40,000,000 people but probably less than one-tenth of 1% have a personal relationship with Christ (Matthew 15:8-9). There are only about 80 missionaries in Poland (about 1 for every 500,000 people). Most people have never owned a Bible or read it.

Since we started dating Nate and I have always wanted to go on an overseas missions trip to serve God (Mark 16:15) but have not seriously considered it until this year. After some reading, praying and lots of late night conversations, we finally committed. It's exciting and scary all at the same time! Be watching for more posts about this exciting opportunity!