Saturday, July 29, 2006
Hard Like Water
Pasadena update
Maximum temperature last week: 119 degrees
Air conditioning: no
sleep: what?
food: excellent
general moral: tired but hopeful
Czech Republic statistics
Population: 10,235,455
2% Protestant, 59% unaffiliated
4th highest non-religous people in the world
9th least responsive to the Gospel message in the world
"People don't know about God anymore. They don't know what Christmas is about. They are lost in art galleries when they see paintings of Jesus Christ." (Olga Kopecka-Valeska)
"There's a hostility toward what religion did to them in the past" (Lawrence Cada)
"Europe is the closest thing to a godless civilization the world has ever known." (U. of Chicago Professor)
Hearing these quotes and statistics has definitely made me wonder, what exactly did I just get myself into? I'd like to think that when I get over there, life will just fall into place, and things will go along smoothly. The hardest thing about the last two weeks has been the realization that I have severly underestimated the significance and reality of what I'm doing. I don't mean significant in that it is in some way better than anyone else's post-college employment, but significant as in what it will require of me; that this isn't going to be a year free of indicent, struggle, or spiritual attack. Often my mind runs back home to where it's comfortable. But is that not what the enemy wants? Pressing onward has proved more challenging than I ever imagined. But I go knowing that God is already there. Despite the corruption, the pornography, the occult, He's been there all along. And He is working. They tell me that the ministries (including ESI, Younglife, YMCA, and Josiah Venture) are working together, uniting their efforts. Worship ministries are beginning to pop up. And teaching. I've been reminded that teaching itself, and doing it with excellence, is still ministry to my students and fellow teachers.
They say we are to be hard like water. Flexible and bending with the curves of the river, yet powerful enough to carve canyons. Right now I feel like I'm just struggling to keep up: to pay attention in my classes, find time to spend with the Lord, eat healthy as best I can, shower..... sleep....It's been a while since I've felt the need of God's gracious hand so strongly. To you who are praying for me, thank you. To you who have shared an encouraging word over the last two weeks, thank you. I couldn't do this without you!
I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. -John 15:5
Maximum temperature last week: 119 degrees
Air conditioning: no
sleep: what?
food: excellent
general moral: tired but hopeful
Czech Republic statistics
Population: 10,235,455
2% Protestant, 59% unaffiliated
4th highest non-religous people in the world
9th least responsive to the Gospel message in the world
"People don't know about God anymore. They don't know what Christmas is about. They are lost in art galleries when they see paintings of Jesus Christ." (Olga Kopecka-Valeska)
"There's a hostility toward what religion did to them in the past" (Lawrence Cada)
"Europe is the closest thing to a godless civilization the world has ever known." (U. of Chicago Professor)
Hearing these quotes and statistics has definitely made me wonder, what exactly did I just get myself into? I'd like to think that when I get over there, life will just fall into place, and things will go along smoothly. The hardest thing about the last two weeks has been the realization that I have severly underestimated the significance and reality of what I'm doing. I don't mean significant in that it is in some way better than anyone else's post-college employment, but significant as in what it will require of me; that this isn't going to be a year free of indicent, struggle, or spiritual attack. Often my mind runs back home to where it's comfortable. But is that not what the enemy wants? Pressing onward has proved more challenging than I ever imagined. But I go knowing that God is already there. Despite the corruption, the pornography, the occult, He's been there all along. And He is working. They tell me that the ministries (including ESI, Younglife, YMCA, and Josiah Venture) are working together, uniting their efforts. Worship ministries are beginning to pop up. And teaching. I've been reminded that teaching itself, and doing it with excellence, is still ministry to my students and fellow teachers.
They say we are to be hard like water. Flexible and bending with the curves of the river, yet powerful enough to carve canyons. Right now I feel like I'm just struggling to keep up: to pay attention in my classes, find time to spend with the Lord, eat healthy as best I can, shower..... sleep....It's been a while since I've felt the need of God's gracious hand so strongly. To you who are praying for me, thank you. To you who have shared an encouraging word over the last two weeks, thank you. I couldn't do this without you!
I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. -John 15:5
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
And Miles to Go Before I Sleep....
Training so far has proved to be very thorough and...exhausting! Our days pretty much go from 7:00am to 9:15pm with few breaks in between. I find myself scheduling things like showers and trips to the mailbox far in advance. We have two big sessions each day with multiple "split" sessions in smaller groups. Most of the topics so far have covered language acquisition, lesson planning, classroom management, and culture-specific information for CZ. Each night we have Practicum where we travel to various locations around town to teach the local non-native speakers, which I will be doing tonight for the first time.
I'm really enjoying getting to know my Central Europe teammates. Many have teaching backgrounds, but most of us don't and are hesitant to get our feet wet. But everyone is encouraging and supportive, so it makes the whole experience much more tolerable.
Today was quite interesting as we learned some differences between Czech and American schools. In CZ, the teacher is much more of an authoritative figure. They do not enter the classroom until the bell has rung, and students stand when the teacher enters. Teachers commonly yell at students, call them stupid, and just belittle them in general. Obviously, this is not a role we are to assume, but it opened my eyes a bit to the cultural variations and expectations. I also learned that, traditionally, Czechs could only give their children certain names, and had to fill out applications to use a name that wasn't on the "list." Although this is changing, most of my students will have the same name as someone else.
Please continue to pray for my time here as the Lord leads you. Things are going well but I have definitley had my share of doubt and concern, even in the last few days. Pray for my relationships with my teammates, for good rest at night and energy during the day. Also continue to pray for my support raising.
Thank you so much for your prayers, love, and encouragement! I miss you all so much!
I'm really enjoying getting to know my Central Europe teammates. Many have teaching backgrounds, but most of us don't and are hesitant to get our feet wet. But everyone is encouraging and supportive, so it makes the whole experience much more tolerable.
Today was quite interesting as we learned some differences between Czech and American schools. In CZ, the teacher is much more of an authoritative figure. They do not enter the classroom until the bell has rung, and students stand when the teacher enters. Teachers commonly yell at students, call them stupid, and just belittle them in general. Obviously, this is not a role we are to assume, but it opened my eyes a bit to the cultural variations and expectations. I also learned that, traditionally, Czechs could only give their children certain names, and had to fill out applications to use a name that wasn't on the "list." Although this is changing, most of my students will have the same name as someone else.
Please continue to pray for my time here as the Lord leads you. Things are going well but I have definitley had my share of doubt and concern, even in the last few days. Pray for my relationships with my teammates, for good rest at night and energy during the day. Also continue to pray for my support raising.
Thank you so much for your prayers, love, and encouragement! I miss you all so much!
Sunday, July 16, 2006
Fahrenheit 96
So I've made it to sunny southern California. And when I say sunny, I mean that it brings a new meaning to the lyrics "blessed be your name when the sun's shining down on me." Operation Go Buy Some Sunscreen Because I Forgot Some was underway less than thirty minutes after I arrived. But the the campus is pretty much at the base of a mountain, which makes up for the heat.
Yesterday was basically getting to know your team. I'll get to be a part of the worship team as well, which is exciting but also challenging because we'll have to coordinate five singers, two piano players, three guitar players, two other people that can fill in anywhere, and one signer (yes that's signer, not singer).
Before I head down to breakfast, here is a short list of fun facts from yesterday:
-If you refer to either the Czech Republic or Slovakia as Czechloslovakia to someone who is actually from one of those countries, you should probably run for your life
-Defenestration is an actual word meaning "to throw someone out a window." (there are actually two famous defenestration incidents in Prague)
-Hershey chocolate bars will stay melted overnight in a room without air conditioning
Yesterday was basically getting to know your team. I'll get to be a part of the worship team as well, which is exciting but also challenging because we'll have to coordinate five singers, two piano players, three guitar players, two other people that can fill in anywhere, and one signer (yes that's signer, not singer).
Before I head down to breakfast, here is a short list of fun facts from yesterday:
-If you refer to either the Czech Republic or Slovakia as Czechloslovakia to someone who is actually from one of those countries, you should probably run for your life
-Defenestration is an actual word meaning "to throw someone out a window." (there are actually two famous defenestration incidents in Prague)
-Hershey chocolate bars will stay melted overnight in a room without air conditioning
Monday, July 10, 2006
Support is still needed
Many of you have asked if I still need support, and the answer is yes!
Make checks out to Educational Services International and mail them to 444 East Huntington Drive, Suite 200; Arcadia, CA 91006. In the "FOR or MEMO" section of your check, please put the number 206038. Do not write my name anywhere on the check. This way, the organization will send you a reciept to use for a charitable tax deduction.
Make checks out to Educational Services International and mail them to 444 East Huntington Drive, Suite 200; Arcadia, CA 91006. In the "FOR or MEMO" section of your check, please put the number 206038. Do not write my name anywhere on the check. This way, the organization will send you a reciept to use for a charitable tax deduction.
Thursday, July 06, 2006
Nazareth didn't look too promising either...
Considering I only have about a week and a half before I leave for California, you'd think I'd be a little more excited/nervous/anxious (as Thomas said). But to be honest I haven't really thought about it much. Or mabye I've just been ignoring my impending departure because I tend to resist change sometimes and I want to enjoy life right now where I am. Whichever it is, perhaps the reason I don't feel any anxiety is that God has given me a complete peace about where I'm going and what I'm doing.
I met some of the girls in my program when I visited Prague a few weeks ago, which was simultaneously a good and bad idea. Good because now I'll have familiar faces and a general idea of how they live over there. Bad because..well, the same reasons, sort of. I hoped to go in with no expectations at all (per ESI's suggestion), although I don't see how that is possible. I was encouraged because the girls were great; very honest as well, which is always appreciated.
Not that I was all smiles the whole time, as they all have their opinions on Ostrava. And I swear, one of them seemed to almost gloat about the fact that I'm apparently going to be miserable for the next year of my life being outside of Prague. You try to ignore stuff like that, but it starts to get to you after a while. But as she's telling me that there's basically nothing good about Ostrava, a somewhat snappy retort forms in my head out of nowhere: "Yeah, they didn't think anything good could come out of Nazareth either." The next day (when I finally had some spare time), the Lord led me to John 1:45-46:
"Philip found Nathanael and told him, 'We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote - Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.' 'Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?' Nathanael asked.
'Come and see,' said Philip."
As July 15 draws nearer, I've noticed more and more spiritual attacks in various forms, causing me to doubt my decision to go and to become bitter for my placement. Leaving Crosspoint has also caused me to wonder whether or not I should have stayed, since I am so passionate about that church and its people and it pains me greatly to say goodbye, even if its only for a year. But I've realized over the last few weeks that in all honesty, I know I'll be fine wherever I am. I've always felt I was pretty adaptable, and I see so much God in my going to Ostrava that I wonder why I was even upset in the first place. Even if everyone in my program told me Ostrava was terrible, why should I doubt God, who is so much bigger than that? I've studied for months about (if I may borrow from Beth Moore) how God is who He says He is. God can do what He says He can do. Who am I to question His decision? So now I go with a great peace that I have an all-powerful God going before me. Anxious? Excited? I'll probably feel those multiple times. Weak and unprepaired? Certainly. But "God does not call the equipped, he equips the called" (thanks Ken).
I met some of the girls in my program when I visited Prague a few weeks ago, which was simultaneously a good and bad idea. Good because now I'll have familiar faces and a general idea of how they live over there. Bad because..well, the same reasons, sort of. I hoped to go in with no expectations at all (per ESI's suggestion), although I don't see how that is possible. I was encouraged because the girls were great; very honest as well, which is always appreciated.
Not that I was all smiles the whole time, as they all have their opinions on Ostrava. And I swear, one of them seemed to almost gloat about the fact that I'm apparently going to be miserable for the next year of my life being outside of Prague. You try to ignore stuff like that, but it starts to get to you after a while. But as she's telling me that there's basically nothing good about Ostrava, a somewhat snappy retort forms in my head out of nowhere: "Yeah, they didn't think anything good could come out of Nazareth either." The next day (when I finally had some spare time), the Lord led me to John 1:45-46:
"Philip found Nathanael and told him, 'We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote - Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.' 'Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?' Nathanael asked.
'Come and see,' said Philip."
As July 15 draws nearer, I've noticed more and more spiritual attacks in various forms, causing me to doubt my decision to go and to become bitter for my placement. Leaving Crosspoint has also caused me to wonder whether or not I should have stayed, since I am so passionate about that church and its people and it pains me greatly to say goodbye, even if its only for a year. But I've realized over the last few weeks that in all honesty, I know I'll be fine wherever I am. I've always felt I was pretty adaptable, and I see so much God in my going to Ostrava that I wonder why I was even upset in the first place. Even if everyone in my program told me Ostrava was terrible, why should I doubt God, who is so much bigger than that? I've studied for months about (if I may borrow from Beth Moore) how God is who He says He is. God can do what He says He can do. Who am I to question His decision? So now I go with a great peace that I have an all-powerful God going before me. Anxious? Excited? I'll probably feel those multiple times. Weak and unprepaired? Certainly. But "God does not call the equipped, he equips the called" (thanks Ken).
