Yeah, so, yesterday was my eldest sister's birthday. She turned fifteen! I'm still trying to recover from the shock of realizing that she is fifteen, and going to be sixteen next year. *sniff sniff* they grow us so fast.
I got to call just before lunch time and talk with her. That was nice. She liked my gift, a Barlow Girl CD. Which is good, 'cause she helped me pick it out before I left to come over here. It's also good because she got poison ivy on her feet, and it helps to distract her.
I'll brag a little bit more on my sister, since I'm talking about her. This past Saturday she went to our local Bible Bowl tournament, the Greenwood Round Robin. Now, we've played Bible Bowl together for two years, this current year being her third. I've taught her everything I know, other than the text. She had to memorize that herself.
So this past Saturday Mikaela casually takes the Bible Bowl Individual test, like every month. And she scores a perfect 150!!!! Another girl, one of our top friendly competitors, also scored a perfect 150. So it came down to a written tie-breaker. And Mikaela won! She didn't make any mistakes. I'm so proud of her, and of the rest of my family too.
In His Time,
Thursday, April 07, 2005
Tuesday, April 05, 2005
A Sun-Soaked Day
Today, I decided to play the tourist. I woke up a little later than I had planned, but that's okay. Tourists shouldn't worry about time too much.
But sometimes tourists do worry about the time, so I didn't dwaddle as I prepared to go out. I packed what I had for lunch, and made a mental note of what I needed to get at a store.
A good tourist always checks to see what the weather is like before going out. About 50 degrees, sunny, with a good chance of increasing heat as the day progressed. Beautiful.
I left the flat, walked to the metro station, occasionally greeting the natives in their own language, like any good tourist. I managed not to gawk, stumble over things while staring at gorgeous buildings, or get run over on my way to the metro. I realized that I was letting the tourist image down a little bit. I made up for it by trying my very best to speak the native language clearly. I'm sure that this was every bit in character for a tourist, because I got a few blank looks from fellow pedestrians.
I entered the metro, rode to a centrally located store, and purchased what I needed to complete my lunch. Again the good tourist, I thanked the cashier and said goodbye, all in the native tongue. It's so fun to experience new places!
I again boarded a metro and rode to Vysehrad. I had been informed by friends that there existed in this area a second castle (the first being Prague Castle, an inevitable tourist attraction). Being a good tourist, I did not want to go where "everyone else" was going. I needed to find vistas off the beaten path.
Fortunately, the "off the beaten path" was fairly easy to find, enclosed as it was by massive, ancient stone walls. Grass, trees, and beautiful views of the city predominated. The sun had risen and been shining long enough to warm the air up considerably. Like a good tourist, I ignored the local measuring unit of temperature, and estimated that it was 65 or 70 degrees out.
I realized that I had again slacked off from my primary task, and had not even removed my camera from my backpack, much less taken any pictures. I speedily addressed this wrong, and began seeking photographic opportunities. Fortunately, such opportunities abounded. Tunnels, walls, buildings, and the views from each of these, began filling my camera memory.
With this difficulty momentarily turned aside, a second one presented itself. Having contracted a cold a few days earlier, my nose was still producing mucus in large quantities. This in itself was not a problem, until I ran out of tissues. From this point onward, it became much more difficult to enjoy the gloriously warm day, the stunning views, and the ancient architecture. All I could think about was my nose, and how uncomfortable it was.
Finally, with a tourist's sigh, I retraced my steps to find a public restroom. Unlike public restrooms in the States, you must pay 3 crowns (between 12 - 15 cents) to use their facilities here. Having put it off as long as I could, this tourist bowed to necessecity and blew his nose on Czech toilet paper.
This unpleasant business finished, I once again was free to resume my tourist duties. Directly across from the public restrooms, though I had not seen it before, lay a cemetery. Walking silently between the packed plots of ground, I was once again reminded of how fragile our life is. Even more than that, how temporary it is. Each of these people were cherished, loved, and were energetic beings in life. But now, most of them no longer even have anyone to remember them. All that it left is an ornate coffin, resting in a beautiful cemetery.
Having been reminded of this lesson, I left the cemetery and returned to my circuit of the castle. The sun continued to shine warmly upon me, and I paused a few time to bask in it's embrace. I noticed several people sitting on the grass, and one couple even enjoying a picnic.
It struck me that this would be a perfect day for a picnic. Warm, just a touch of breeze, sunshine, no bugs yet...And all of this on a castle! Not bad at all. I would have liked to try it out myself, but I didn't have a blanket with me, nor anyone to share the picnic with. So I resigned myself to eating lunch on a large, uniquely shaped rock.
I must say, I like being a tourist on a day like this. I may have to try it again.
In His Time,
But sometimes tourists do worry about the time, so I didn't dwaddle as I prepared to go out. I packed what I had for lunch, and made a mental note of what I needed to get at a store.
A good tourist always checks to see what the weather is like before going out. About 50 degrees, sunny, with a good chance of increasing heat as the day progressed. Beautiful.
I left the flat, walked to the metro station, occasionally greeting the natives in their own language, like any good tourist. I managed not to gawk, stumble over things while staring at gorgeous buildings, or get run over on my way to the metro. I realized that I was letting the tourist image down a little bit. I made up for it by trying my very best to speak the native language clearly. I'm sure that this was every bit in character for a tourist, because I got a few blank looks from fellow pedestrians.
I entered the metro, rode to a centrally located store, and purchased what I needed to complete my lunch. Again the good tourist, I thanked the cashier and said goodbye, all in the native tongue. It's so fun to experience new places!
I again boarded a metro and rode to Vysehrad. I had been informed by friends that there existed in this area a second castle (the first being Prague Castle, an inevitable tourist attraction). Being a good tourist, I did not want to go where "everyone else" was going. I needed to find vistas off the beaten path.
Fortunately, the "off the beaten path" was fairly easy to find, enclosed as it was by massive, ancient stone walls. Grass, trees, and beautiful views of the city predominated. The sun had risen and been shining long enough to warm the air up considerably. Like a good tourist, I ignored the local measuring unit of temperature, and estimated that it was 65 or 70 degrees out.
I realized that I had again slacked off from my primary task, and had not even removed my camera from my backpack, much less taken any pictures. I speedily addressed this wrong, and began seeking photographic opportunities. Fortunately, such opportunities abounded. Tunnels, walls, buildings, and the views from each of these, began filling my camera memory.
With this difficulty momentarily turned aside, a second one presented itself. Having contracted a cold a few days earlier, my nose was still producing mucus in large quantities. This in itself was not a problem, until I ran out of tissues. From this point onward, it became much more difficult to enjoy the gloriously warm day, the stunning views, and the ancient architecture. All I could think about was my nose, and how uncomfortable it was.
Finally, with a tourist's sigh, I retraced my steps to find a public restroom. Unlike public restrooms in the States, you must pay 3 crowns (between 12 - 15 cents) to use their facilities here. Having put it off as long as I could, this tourist bowed to necessecity and blew his nose on Czech toilet paper.
This unpleasant business finished, I once again was free to resume my tourist duties. Directly across from the public restrooms, though I had not seen it before, lay a cemetery. Walking silently between the packed plots of ground, I was once again reminded of how fragile our life is. Even more than that, how temporary it is. Each of these people were cherished, loved, and were energetic beings in life. But now, most of them no longer even have anyone to remember them. All that it left is an ornate coffin, resting in a beautiful cemetery.
Having been reminded of this lesson, I left the cemetery and returned to my circuit of the castle. The sun continued to shine warmly upon me, and I paused a few time to bask in it's embrace. I noticed several people sitting on the grass, and one couple even enjoying a picnic.
It struck me that this would be a perfect day for a picnic. Warm, just a touch of breeze, sunshine, no bugs yet...And all of this on a castle! Not bad at all. I would have liked to try it out myself, but I didn't have a blanket with me, nor anyone to share the picnic with. So I resigned myself to eating lunch on a large, uniquely shaped rock.
I must say, I like being a tourist on a day like this. I may have to try it again.
In His Time,
Thursday, March 31, 2005
Too Much Alcohol
So, in coming over here to the Czech, I knew that this was the beer capitol of the world. I mean, beer and alcohol is cheaper than water! And I was ok with the full bars in the gyms, ice cream shops, and every little restaurant. But yesterday I saw something just a little too over the top for me.
I'm walking from my flat to the metro, taking the new shorter way that I found just a few weeks ago. Along the way I pass the radio tower, a hair salon, a paint store, and several miscellaneous buildings. Now, every other time that I've passed this hair salon, the lights have apparently been turned off. Because as I pass the salon this particular morning, I can see in the window. Much to my surprise, there is a full bar along one side of the salon! Maybe the hair stylists who work there aren't all that good, and need their customers to be a little on the happy side to get away with their haircuts. I don't know. But it just totally surprised me to find that there are bars in hair salons here.
In His Time,
I'm walking from my flat to the metro, taking the new shorter way that I found just a few weeks ago. Along the way I pass the radio tower, a hair salon, a paint store, and several miscellaneous buildings. Now, every other time that I've passed this hair salon, the lights have apparently been turned off. Because as I pass the salon this particular morning, I can see in the window. Much to my surprise, there is a full bar along one side of the salon! Maybe the hair stylists who work there aren't all that good, and need their customers to be a little on the happy side to get away with their haircuts. I don't know. But it just totally surprised me to find that there are bars in hair salons here.
In His Time,
Tuesday, March 29, 2005
God Loves Freely
I've been reading The Ragamuffin Gospel, along with Colossians. I am astonished how much The One Thing - pursuing God as the only thing in my life - permeates Colossians. Not astonished that it's there, but that I missed it before. I mean, I memorized the book, quoted it once or twice a week in my prime review season.
But both The Ragamuffin Gospel and Colossians underscore a truth that I've been realizing with fresh, bracing, shocking, astonishing clarity. Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow. He loves me so unconditionally, so completely and fully. There is nothing I can do, did do, will do, that prompted this. Nothing causes this love, except God. I can't do anything to make him love me - either more, or at all. He loves me just as I am, right now. He loves me this way just as much as if I did something that seems great in His name. He loves me this way just as much now as he would if I launched a nuclear weapon as Tokyo, the largest city in the world.
This is outrageous. It's not fair. God loves people who don't deserve it. They don't have to do anything for Him, there are no requirements or strings on His love. So what's to keep me from not doing anything for Him? I'm concerned that I'm just going to stop working for Him, get lazy. I take things to Him all the time mentally, talking them over with Him. But I don't have to do anything.
In His Time,
But both The Ragamuffin Gospel and Colossians underscore a truth that I've been realizing with fresh, bracing, shocking, astonishing clarity. Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow. He loves me so unconditionally, so completely and fully. There is nothing I can do, did do, will do, that prompted this. Nothing causes this love, except God. I can't do anything to make him love me - either more, or at all. He loves me just as I am, right now. He loves me this way just as much as if I did something that seems great in His name. He loves me this way just as much now as he would if I launched a nuclear weapon as Tokyo, the largest city in the world.
This is outrageous. It's not fair. God loves people who don't deserve it. They don't have to do anything for Him, there are no requirements or strings on His love. So what's to keep me from not doing anything for Him? I'm concerned that I'm just going to stop working for Him, get lazy. I take things to Him all the time mentally, talking them over with Him. But I don't have to do anything.
In His Time,
Joeletter 8.2
I'm just barely slipping a second Joeletter for this month in. It's amazing how time is flying by over here. (We had Daylight Savings Time kick in, losing an hour by setting our clocks forward).
Again, so much has happened. First of all, some sad news. Satan is seeking new ways to discourage us. Last Monday night the Impact office was broken into. The thieves bent apart two of the 1/4 in. steel bars over the windows and made off with two laptops and a large amount of money.
But there is happy news too. One of the Impact-Munich staff was able to drive down to Prague and visit us over the Easter weekend. It was a great blessing to have Sandy here. In addition, students from Johnson Bible College traveled up from a town on the southern border of the Czech Republic to be with us as well.
Over the Easter weekend we held an Easter Vigil in our under-development Prayer Room. The walls are painted, but the floors are still bare and there is no permanent source of heat yet. A large rug was brought in, along with a small electric heater. Friday night we opened the weekend with a candlelight service commemorating Jesus' death. We had singing, prayer, and Scripture readings. At the close of the service we extinguished all of the candles, representing Christ's light going out of the world.
Immediately following the service we began the prayer vigil. I was able to take the first hour shift. We were reminded that prayer is not simply sitting and talking to God, though that is a major portion of it. Prayer is also praising God through music, art, and dance, and reading His Word. I was very blessed by the time I was able to spend as part of the vigil.
Unbroken, the vigil continued until Saturday night. Several people were involved, including the JBC group, the Impact team, and other Christians here in the city. At this service we entered and held unlit candles. A lighted candle, representing Christ's Light, came into the Prayer center. From this central candle each Christian lit our own small candle. What had been a dark room was filled with light.
Again on Saturday we had a time of singing, Scripture reading, communion, and a time of blessing and anointing. The vigil continued through Saturday night, and ended Sunday morning with a third service celebrating the resurrection.
On Saturday I was also able to visit one of my Czech friends, Filip, at his house twenty minutes outside of Prague. He had invited me to come go downhill biking with him. Not knowing exactly what that was (but wanting to be able to spend time with him), I agreed. When I got off the train I borrowed his brother's bike and we set off for the hill. First of all, Filip's brother is taller than me. So when sitting on the seat of his bike, I was not able to touch the ground with my feet.
But that was okay, I was still able to ride along and balance myself fine. After all, riding a bike isn't about your feet touching the ground. We got to the hill, and started up. Now, this hill turned out to be a wooded, rocky kind of hill. There were trails cut through it, and jumps and steeps banked turns thickly sprinkled throughout.
I had agreed, upon borrowing the bike, not to do any jumping with it. In the first place, I didn't know how to jump, and in the second place the seat was too high for me to land safely anyway. So as I looked at the jumps and turns scattered along the trail, I knew that I was not going to try any of them. I figured that I would just sedately pedal along down the hill.
We kept climbing, and passing more and more insane jumps. At several of them Filip would turn around and do them a few times, showing me how it worked. He did them quite well. But I knew that I couldn't. Nevertheless, he urged me to try them. He even lent me his bike to ride, because it was more suited to downhill jumping. I got started trying once, riding down the hill toward a very big U in the ground. But two yards into it, bumping over the stones and tree-roots embedded in the trail, I knew that this was a very bad idea and I quickly stopped.
All this fear was present before Filip told me how one time he had taken this same jump and accidentally bent his front wheel sideways at the bottom of the U. The bike stopped. Filip didn't. He flew into a tree, cracking his helmet into two pieces. Fortunately for him, he was fine. But his friend, about a week later, did something similar without a helmet, and had to be helicoptered off the mountain. I didn't have a helmet. And I had never tried this extreme sport before. So, I decided to be a live chicken rather than a dead lion, and told Filip I just couldn't do it.
He was very gracious, though he didn't completely understand how a person wouldn't want to at least try this insane, extreme sport. I agreed to watch him do a few more jumps before lunch. Because in all truth, it is very exciting to be there in person and watch these riders pedal down the trail and take the jumps. But the second time Filip tried the jump, he tumbled out of control himself, hurting his back. At this point I knew that it was not cowardice but wisdom that was keeping me from trying the hill. Well, I knew before, but this just proved my point - both to myself and to Filip.
We walked back to his house for lunch, and I got to meet his parents. He showed me some pictures on his computer, we went for a walk, climbed a tree, built a fire, and watched a man fly his remote control airplane over the hillside. All in all, it was a good day.
Sunday night and Monday I got to spend with the students from JBC. We visited Cream & Dream, the best ice cream shop I have ever been too. The shop itself is in Old Town, a very picturesque and ancient part of the city. It's a huge tourist magnet, and for good reason. But being so old, it's very difficult to find your way around in Old Town, especially when you haven't spent much time there. What I am trying to say is, we briefly got lost. Yes, I know what I say - "I'm never lost, I know exactly where I am. It's just getting to where I'm going that's the hard part." And that would be true. But to all you Negative Nancy's, we were lost.
One of the brilliant ideas that the team had was implemented on the way to Cream & Dream. When writing thank you notes to the supporters who had allowed them to take this mission trip, why not write them on post cards from Prague?! So we stopped at a store and they picked out cards. In addition, a few of them started their shopping.
Duke bought a toboggan style hat. Some call them a beanie cap, but this doesn't have a propeller on top. It is a knit, stretchy, warm hat. In the front it says Czech Republic, with the national crest. Later than night Ross was describing something to me, and said, "It was the same color as Duke's hat, that kind of yellow." Duke snatched the hat off his head, looked at it, and exclaimed, "What! This hat is yellow?! I thought it was blue! Why'd you let me buy a yellow hat! People have been looking at me all night. I thought it was 'cause they were admiring how cool I looked. It's 'cause I'm wearing a yellow hat with my black jacket!!!!" It was absolutely hysterical. Apparently Duke had in his head that he wanted to buy the blue hat, and had mentally stopped paying attention to the color as he bought it and put it on.
We did find our way to Cream & Dream, and the team graciously paid for my ice cream. In fact, the team graciously paid for a lot of my meals while they were here. I became quite fond of them. Apparently the feeling was mutual, because they invited me to join them Monday for their shopping/siteseeing time in the city.
With much joy I accepted the invitation and joined them bright and early at one of the Metro stops. We visited a park with a great view of the city and took several pictures. Then we visited Bohemia Bagel, the only place in the city where they sell a bagel breakfast. I ordered and took a couple tables, saving them for the rest of the group. But when I looked back, I didn't see the group!! My bagel came, so I started eating it. They still weren't there, so in confusion I pocketed the other half of my bagel (which tasted fantastic as usual) and caught a tram to where I knew they were planning on heading next. They weren't there when I arrived, so I waited.
When they showed up, it turns out that they had gone to the cafe next door. They had told me, but I was focusing on the cashier and hadn't heard. With much rejoicing we were reunited, and set off to do more shopping.
The girl I was accompanying, Tabi, and I visited the Museum of Medieval Torture Instruments. It was the kind of place where you talked in hushed voices. It's beyond me how anyone could inflict this kind of damage on another human being. These instruments were designed to create suffering, most of them maximum suffering with minimum effort. We humans are capable of such destructive acts.
The JBC team left today and flew back to the States. I miss them a lot, and not just because they fed me. In the short time they were here they extended a lot of love to me. I was very blessed by their visit.
In His Time,
Again, so much has happened. First of all, some sad news. Satan is seeking new ways to discourage us. Last Monday night the Impact office was broken into. The thieves bent apart two of the 1/4 in. steel bars over the windows and made off with two laptops and a large amount of money.
But there is happy news too. One of the Impact-Munich staff was able to drive down to Prague and visit us over the Easter weekend. It was a great blessing to have Sandy here. In addition, students from Johnson Bible College traveled up from a town on the southern border of the Czech Republic to be with us as well.
Over the Easter weekend we held an Easter Vigil in our under-development Prayer Room. The walls are painted, but the floors are still bare and there is no permanent source of heat yet. A large rug was brought in, along with a small electric heater. Friday night we opened the weekend with a candlelight service commemorating Jesus' death. We had singing, prayer, and Scripture readings. At the close of the service we extinguished all of the candles, representing Christ's light going out of the world.
Immediately following the service we began the prayer vigil. I was able to take the first hour shift. We were reminded that prayer is not simply sitting and talking to God, though that is a major portion of it. Prayer is also praising God through music, art, and dance, and reading His Word. I was very blessed by the time I was able to spend as part of the vigil.
Unbroken, the vigil continued until Saturday night. Several people were involved, including the JBC group, the Impact team, and other Christians here in the city. At this service we entered and held unlit candles. A lighted candle, representing Christ's Light, came into the Prayer center. From this central candle each Christian lit our own small candle. What had been a dark room was filled with light.
Again on Saturday we had a time of singing, Scripture reading, communion, and a time of blessing and anointing. The vigil continued through Saturday night, and ended Sunday morning with a third service celebrating the resurrection.
On Saturday I was also able to visit one of my Czech friends, Filip, at his house twenty minutes outside of Prague. He had invited me to come go downhill biking with him. Not knowing exactly what that was (but wanting to be able to spend time with him), I agreed. When I got off the train I borrowed his brother's bike and we set off for the hill. First of all, Filip's brother is taller than me. So when sitting on the seat of his bike, I was not able to touch the ground with my feet.
But that was okay, I was still able to ride along and balance myself fine. After all, riding a bike isn't about your feet touching the ground. We got to the hill, and started up. Now, this hill turned out to be a wooded, rocky kind of hill. There were trails cut through it, and jumps and steeps banked turns thickly sprinkled throughout.
I had agreed, upon borrowing the bike, not to do any jumping with it. In the first place, I didn't know how to jump, and in the second place the seat was too high for me to land safely anyway. So as I looked at the jumps and turns scattered along the trail, I knew that I was not going to try any of them. I figured that I would just sedately pedal along down the hill.
We kept climbing, and passing more and more insane jumps. At several of them Filip would turn around and do them a few times, showing me how it worked. He did them quite well. But I knew that I couldn't. Nevertheless, he urged me to try them. He even lent me his bike to ride, because it was more suited to downhill jumping. I got started trying once, riding down the hill toward a very big U in the ground. But two yards into it, bumping over the stones and tree-roots embedded in the trail, I knew that this was a very bad idea and I quickly stopped.
All this fear was present before Filip told me how one time he had taken this same jump and accidentally bent his front wheel sideways at the bottom of the U. The bike stopped. Filip didn't. He flew into a tree, cracking his helmet into two pieces. Fortunately for him, he was fine. But his friend, about a week later, did something similar without a helmet, and had to be helicoptered off the mountain. I didn't have a helmet. And I had never tried this extreme sport before. So, I decided to be a live chicken rather than a dead lion, and told Filip I just couldn't do it.
He was very gracious, though he didn't completely understand how a person wouldn't want to at least try this insane, extreme sport. I agreed to watch him do a few more jumps before lunch. Because in all truth, it is very exciting to be there in person and watch these riders pedal down the trail and take the jumps. But the second time Filip tried the jump, he tumbled out of control himself, hurting his back. At this point I knew that it was not cowardice but wisdom that was keeping me from trying the hill. Well, I knew before, but this just proved my point - both to myself and to Filip.
We walked back to his house for lunch, and I got to meet his parents. He showed me some pictures on his computer, we went for a walk, climbed a tree, built a fire, and watched a man fly his remote control airplane over the hillside. All in all, it was a good day.
Sunday night and Monday I got to spend with the students from JBC. We visited Cream & Dream, the best ice cream shop I have ever been too. The shop itself is in Old Town, a very picturesque and ancient part of the city. It's a huge tourist magnet, and for good reason. But being so old, it's very difficult to find your way around in Old Town, especially when you haven't spent much time there. What I am trying to say is, we briefly got lost. Yes, I know what I say - "I'm never lost, I know exactly where I am. It's just getting to where I'm going that's the hard part." And that would be true. But to all you Negative Nancy's, we were lost.
One of the brilliant ideas that the team had was implemented on the way to Cream & Dream. When writing thank you notes to the supporters who had allowed them to take this mission trip, why not write them on post cards from Prague?! So we stopped at a store and they picked out cards. In addition, a few of them started their shopping.
Duke bought a toboggan style hat. Some call them a beanie cap, but this doesn't have a propeller on top. It is a knit, stretchy, warm hat. In the front it says Czech Republic, with the national crest. Later than night Ross was describing something to me, and said, "It was the same color as Duke's hat, that kind of yellow." Duke snatched the hat off his head, looked at it, and exclaimed, "What! This hat is yellow?! I thought it was blue! Why'd you let me buy a yellow hat! People have been looking at me all night. I thought it was 'cause they were admiring how cool I looked. It's 'cause I'm wearing a yellow hat with my black jacket!!!!" It was absolutely hysterical. Apparently Duke had in his head that he wanted to buy the blue hat, and had mentally stopped paying attention to the color as he bought it and put it on.
We did find our way to Cream & Dream, and the team graciously paid for my ice cream. In fact, the team graciously paid for a lot of my meals while they were here. I became quite fond of them. Apparently the feeling was mutual, because they invited me to join them Monday for their shopping/siteseeing time in the city.
With much joy I accepted the invitation and joined them bright and early at one of the Metro stops. We visited a park with a great view of the city and took several pictures. Then we visited Bohemia Bagel, the only place in the city where they sell a bagel breakfast. I ordered and took a couple tables, saving them for the rest of the group. But when I looked back, I didn't see the group!! My bagel came, so I started eating it. They still weren't there, so in confusion I pocketed the other half of my bagel (which tasted fantastic as usual) and caught a tram to where I knew they were planning on heading next. They weren't there when I arrived, so I waited.
When they showed up, it turns out that they had gone to the cafe next door. They had told me, but I was focusing on the cashier and hadn't heard. With much rejoicing we were reunited, and set off to do more shopping.
The girl I was accompanying, Tabi, and I visited the Museum of Medieval Torture Instruments. It was the kind of place where you talked in hushed voices. It's beyond me how anyone could inflict this kind of damage on another human being. These instruments were designed to create suffering, most of them maximum suffering with minimum effort. We humans are capable of such destructive acts.
The JBC team left today and flew back to the States. I miss them a lot, and not just because they fed me. In the short time they were here they extended a lot of love to me. I was very blessed by their visit.
In His Time,
Monday, March 21, 2005
So....Shumdla
Um, I just found out more what Shumdla really means. You remember Snow White and the Seven Dwarves? Yeah, can you name all them? The last one, the one who looked kinda funny, with the funny hat, his name was Dopey. So, apparently, his name in Czech is Shumdla. And that's now my name as well. haha, thanks to all my good Czech friends.
In His Time,
In His Time,
Confusion in the Streets
So, according to one of our friends here from the States, they periodically reroute all the trams to make it more difficult for foreigners to get around. I'm starting to believe him.
On Wednesdays I help teach English during the midday, then catch a tram to meet with the Impact team for prayer. The number 18 tram goes directly from where I help teach to where we would be meeting, at Steve Cone's flat. Well, normally it does.
As the tram pulled up, I noticed that over the sign where the tram stops for that particular tram are posted, was a large yellow sign. But since it was in Czeck, I causally disregarded it. Mistake number one.
I got on, rode for a few stops, and all was as it should be. Then we pulled into Hradchanska. This is where the tram should have turned to go to Steve's flat. But to my great consternation, we went in what I knew to be the wrong direction! My mind flashed back to that yellow paper in horror.
At the very next stop I got off the tram and started walking back in the other direction. At the place where Tram 18 should have turned, I turned and walked to the next tram station. Just as I got there, Tram 1 pulled in. I knew that Tram 1 also went to Steve's flat, so I boarded and sat down. We started off in the right direction, and all was fine. But presently I realized that this tram was going in the wrong direction in it's circuit. It would eventually turn around and go back the way it had come from, taking me to Steve's. But it would be much faster to get off and board Tram 1 going in the other direction. So at the first opportunity I stepped off.
Tram 1 going in the other direction came along and I boarded with a sigh of relief. I was fairly late at this point, but that was ok. The rest of the team would understand. I rode for a few stops, and noticed that this tram was also going in the wrong direction!!!!!! You must understand, trams only go two directions in their circuit. They either go the way you want to go, or they go the direct opposite way. But here, for the first time, a dreadful new twist had been added to the tram condrum. Of the two directions the trams were running, neither of them were right!
thoroughly disgusted and weirded out at this point, I thought briefly about commandeering a tram and driving myself to my destination. Well, I thought more than briefly about it. But good sense prevailed, and I got off at a place where I knew I could walk to Steve's house.
Since that ridiculous day the trams have returned to normal, and everything is as it should be now. But I will always look with fondness on the day I almost commandeered a tram.
In His Time,
On Wednesdays I help teach English during the midday, then catch a tram to meet with the Impact team for prayer. The number 18 tram goes directly from where I help teach to where we would be meeting, at Steve Cone's flat. Well, normally it does.
As the tram pulled up, I noticed that over the sign where the tram stops for that particular tram are posted, was a large yellow sign. But since it was in Czeck, I causally disregarded it. Mistake number one.
I got on, rode for a few stops, and all was as it should be. Then we pulled into Hradchanska. This is where the tram should have turned to go to Steve's flat. But to my great consternation, we went in what I knew to be the wrong direction! My mind flashed back to that yellow paper in horror.
At the very next stop I got off the tram and started walking back in the other direction. At the place where Tram 18 should have turned, I turned and walked to the next tram station. Just as I got there, Tram 1 pulled in. I knew that Tram 1 also went to Steve's flat, so I boarded and sat down. We started off in the right direction, and all was fine. But presently I realized that this tram was going in the wrong direction in it's circuit. It would eventually turn around and go back the way it had come from, taking me to Steve's. But it would be much faster to get off and board Tram 1 going in the other direction. So at the first opportunity I stepped off.
Tram 1 going in the other direction came along and I boarded with a sigh of relief. I was fairly late at this point, but that was ok. The rest of the team would understand. I rode for a few stops, and noticed that this tram was also going in the wrong direction!!!!!! You must understand, trams only go two directions in their circuit. They either go the way you want to go, or they go the direct opposite way. But here, for the first time, a dreadful new twist had been added to the tram condrum. Of the two directions the trams were running, neither of them were right!
thoroughly disgusted and weirded out at this point, I thought briefly about commandeering a tram and driving myself to my destination. Well, I thought more than briefly about it. But good sense prevailed, and I got off at a place where I knew I could walk to Steve's house.
Since that ridiculous day the trams have returned to normal, and everything is as it should be now. But I will always look with fondness on the day I almost commandeered a tram.
In His Time,
JBC Group
Today a group of ten students from Johnson Bible College flew over from the States. They landed here in Praha, and are taking a train down south to a town right on the border of the CR to do some work until Thursday. On Thursday they will ride back up and join us here in Prague for Easter weekend.
Along with them is Jonathan Ruff, one of the DTI students from last year. His overseas site was also Prague. During the week that the JBC students are here in the CR working, he is staying at Ben and my (our) flat. It's nice to have him here.
But the biggest surprise I saved for last. As we met the group, I saw someone who looked vaguely familiar. The thought ran through my head, "How random would it be for this guy to be here?" Taking the chance, I sidled over to him and said "Where ya from, brother?" Much to my satisfaction, he answered, "Batesville, Indiana."
This guy, Ross, went to the same Church Camp back home that I grew up in. I hadn't seen him for a couple of years, following a week of camp together. Now, here he is, in his second year at JBC, on a trip to Prague. And wonder of wonders, here I am too! It's amazing how our Father works.
Along with them is Jonathan Ruff, one of the DTI students from last year. His overseas site was also Prague. During the week that the JBC students are here in the CR working, he is staying at Ben and my (our) flat. It's nice to have him here.
But the biggest surprise I saved for last. As we met the group, I saw someone who looked vaguely familiar. The thought ran through my head, "How random would it be for this guy to be here?" Taking the chance, I sidled over to him and said "Where ya from, brother?" Much to my satisfaction, he answered, "Batesville, Indiana."
This guy, Ross, went to the same Church Camp back home that I grew up in. I hadn't seen him for a couple of years, following a week of camp together. Now, here he is, in his second year at JBC, on a trip to Prague. And wonder of wonders, here I am too! It's amazing how our Father works.
The other half of the skiing trip
So we didn't just spend time skiing on the trip to the alps. That was, of course, the upfront reason that we went, and the reason people joined the trip. But the secondary purpose in going was to help present the Christian worldview to people who didn't really know what it was/is.
In the evenings we gathered in the main room after supper. Different student leaders were assigned each night to lead us in a game or two. One evening we played King Frog. Following the game time we had a short song service. We took Impact's new djimbe along, and I got to play each evening. Then came the sharing time. One of our student leaders was either interviewed by Brian, our leader, or shared their testimony. Then came the main speaker for the evening. Different leaders spoke each evening, presenting a story from the Bible in a new way. They each encouraged us to consider the Christian worldview, referring to the story and the effect that Jesus had.
All but one night finished out with us getting into groups of those we roomed with. In each group we talked over a few questions that stemmed from the evening's subject. The goal was to help stimulate more thoughts on what was presented, the Christian worldview. It was very interesting to me to hear different worldviews, and see some things that I agreed with. At the same time, there were several things that I didn't agree with. It was a wonderful time for me to think, just as much as I hope they were doing.
The last night that we met, after the groups time, most of us left and went to bed. The next morning I heard that one of the students had chosen to accept Christ that night. He was one of the ones we had each privately considered most unlikely to choose our Savior. It was amazing.
In His Time,
In the evenings we gathered in the main room after supper. Different student leaders were assigned each night to lead us in a game or two. One evening we played King Frog. Following the game time we had a short song service. We took Impact's new djimbe along, and I got to play each evening. Then came the sharing time. One of our student leaders was either interviewed by Brian, our leader, or shared their testimony. Then came the main speaker for the evening. Different leaders spoke each evening, presenting a story from the Bible in a new way. They each encouraged us to consider the Christian worldview, referring to the story and the effect that Jesus had.
All but one night finished out with us getting into groups of those we roomed with. In each group we talked over a few questions that stemmed from the evening's subject. The goal was to help stimulate more thoughts on what was presented, the Christian worldview. It was very interesting to me to hear different worldviews, and see some things that I agreed with. At the same time, there were several things that I didn't agree with. It was a wonderful time for me to think, just as much as I hope they were doing.
The last night that we met, after the groups time, most of us left and went to bed. The next morning I heard that one of the students had chosen to accept Christ that night. He was one of the ones we had each privately considered most unlikely to choose our Savior. It was amazing.
In His Time,
Saturday, March 19, 2005
Joeletter ..... Um... 8.1?
Ok, wow, it's been a very, very, very long time since I updated this blog, or wrote to anyone. I'm sorry, kinda. What I mean is, I'm sorry that I wasn't able to let people know what all is going on. But the reason for that, well, I'm not so sorry that it was impossible for me to write to you all. Let me explain. Brace yourselves, sit down in your computer-desk chair. This past week, from last Saturday to last Thursday I went downhill snowskiing in the Austrian Alps!!!!!!!!!! Absolutely amazing! For me it was the skiing experience of a lifetime. Let me try to paint you a picture of what it all was like. I'll start with the lift tickets. Now, you must have a lift ticket to get carried up the mountain (yes, mountain). I am only used to a lift ticket that you clip onto your clothing and forget about. But here, they have a much nicer system. Each lift ticket is magnetically charged. So you ski up to the turnstyle, maneuver your ticket close to the reader (it looks like those shoplifting sensors at the doors of big stores) and it lets you through. Now, that's all well and good. But the best part is that you can put that ticket anywhere (like in a small pocket in your glove) and it will work through the fabric. You don't even have to get it out, just hold your glove by the reader and ski through. So that was the first neat thing. Next comes the gondolas. To get up the first half of the mountain you ride inside these gondolas. It comes around the corner, and you slide the ends of your skiis into slots that hold them outside the cabin. Then you step in through the little door with your ski poles. You can fit up to six people, three to a side, in each cabin. But we usually just fit five in, because it can get a little tight with all those people. You ride for about fifteen minutes and then step out of the gondola and grab your skiis at the other end of the line.
But this is only halfway up the mountain. You can choose to ski down from here, or ski to the other main lift that takes you the rest of the way up to the top of the mountain. Now, this lift is not the gondola type, but the chairlift type. You ski up to the line, and a chair comes around behind you and scoops you up. This is the type of lift I am used to from skiing in Indiana. But I had never seen a chair lift that was so large! This chairlift could carry six people per chair. And it came with ski rests! You pulled a metal bar down from above your head and rested your skiis on the ski rest. It was very nice. And last, but not least, was a clear plastic bubble that could also be pulled down over the chairlift. If the weather was nasty, or the wind was blowing, you could seal it all out on the way up the mountain, and ride in perfect peace.
But that's not what you wanted to hear about. Those are just some of the neat amenities that were offered. Now on to the real skiing.
At the very top of our mountain you could look all around, in every direction. And in every direction you could see mountains that were higher than us. Gorgeous, giant, snow-capped, craggy, majestic mountains. I don't know for sure just what it is, but every time I see mountains I am amazed and impressed by their majesty. And to think that our God made them. He is so much more majestic, so much grander, so awesome.
The mountain was covered with pine trees. It was a beautiful contrast to see the shining white snow and the dark green fir trees. But there was something that I'm still curious about. There were many, many pine trees there that had no needles on them. It is, according to my friends, an evergreen tree that is not evergreen. They didn't know the English name for them, but thought maybe it was spruce? I'd sure like to know, if anyone has any experience with pine trees that drop their needles in the winter.
On the first day of skiing the snow was okay, a little thick maybe. In the morning it was a little blustery, but afternoon brought a brilliant blue sky and excellent skiing on the lower half of the mountain. I've never had so much fun skiing in my life! That first day also brought my first skiing mistake. In an area that had some thick snow, I fell and twisted my left knee/ankle. It hurt quite a bit for about a minute, and then I was able to stand up. Fortunately the boot kept my ankle from twisting too far. My knee had definitely been twisted farther around than it was used to going. But after about a minute I was able to get up and keep skiing. I just had to be a little gentle when skiing on my left side.
I was able to keep skiing all the rest of that day without any problem. But on the bus ride to where we were staying, and while sitting that evening, my knee got really stiff. That seemed to confirm to me that it was just sore, and that the best thing for it would be to keep working it out by skiing on it. I was able to borrow a knee brace from one of the other guys for our second day of skiing, and it was a big help.
So we stayed at a retreat center run by a church in a small town about 30 mountain minutes from the ski resort. I say mountain minutes because it must take longer to drive anywhere in the mountains that it does on the flat lands of my upbringing. Each morning we took a bus at nine o'clock to the skiing mountain.
On the second day, skiing conditions were perfect. The ski was a deep, gorgeous blue. The mountains surrounding us were crystal clear. The snow was just right - not too slushy, not too icy, just perfect. I was able to ski just fine and totally forget about my knee, again proving to me that it just needed to be worked out. We were nearing the end of the day when I made my second skiing mistake. This one was much better than my first one though.
Ok, so I'm skiing down the mountain. I decide try a run I had only gone on one time before, on our first day of skiing. It's a very easy run, just a straightaway out on a slight incline, then a 180 degree turnaround and back in the direction you came from. Now, all the time this run is heading down. So if you looked at the run from a point off of the mountain, it would look like a V on it's side. You would ski down the upper part of the V, then turn around and ski down the lower part.
So I'm cruising down the upper part of the V, trying to keep my speed up. This particular run isn't very steep, so if you don't keep up your speed you might end up poling along. Well, I remembered that there was a shortcut right where the two legs of the V-on-it's-side come together. If you take the shortcut, it can add to your speed. Well, in the interest of speed I decided to take it. I came right up to where it should be, slewed around and shot over the edge onto the shortcut. Except for one small problem. I had turned too soon! So when I shot over the edge onto what should have been the shortcut, I actually came over the side, bounced off of the shortcut trail, and fell off of it! I ended up twisting my right knee in the same way as my left one, except not as badly.
But, again, it just needed to be skiied off, and I was able to finish out the rest of the week without any more injuries. Right now my right knee is fine most of the time, and my left knee just needs a little more time. It's still sore and a little weak, but I'm sure it's healing fine. I was able to ski the best I think I've ever skiied in my life on this mountain, even doing an Alpine Black Diamond run a couple/three times. (Black diamonds are the hardest designation in skiing). My skiing improved, and now what all my instructors in the States were trying to teach me makes so much more sense.
One of the funniest things about skiing in the Alps is the weather. While it is cold enough to maintain snow, the sun is out every day. Several people got sunburns, and I was soaked with sweat for the first few days until I was able to figure out a layering system that was light enough to cool off in.
But the best part about the skiing trip, as incredible as it was, was not the skiing. This week was being run as a skiing camp, inviting both students who did and who didn't know about Jesus to come. Each evening we would play a couple games, have a few songs, then have a short time of teaching/informing. Wednesday night, the last night that we stayed there, one of the students asked Jesus into his heart! It was amazing to see God working in this way. And it was so wonderful to welcome a new brother.
Those are some highlights from the ski trip. I'd also like to share a highlight from before the ski trip. The night before we left we ate supper at a restaurant here in Prague. Jeff, the Impact team leader, knows the restaurant very well, and he got our menus for us from the little holder. I did not know how surprised and happy I would be to open the menu and read it in English! I didn't think the language barrier was really bothering me. But it brought me way too much happiness to be able to open the menu and read what all they were offering. We don't eat out very much, when when we do it's kinda frustrating to partly guess what all you are ordering. Culture shock.
The weather on the ski trip was absolutely gorgeous. When we returned to Praha, it followed us here, at least for Friday. I felt like a whole new person in a whole new city with the added warmth. It was up to about 10 degrees C, which is about 50 degrees F. Our usual temperature is 0 degrees C, 32 F. So you can imagine how much nicer it felt. This morning it started to get colder again. I'm hoping that was a fluke, and it warms up again. It's really nice to be in a warm Prague.
Tonight they will be holding what I think is the World Championship for hacky-sack here in Prague. As I was walking to the tram a man asked me where the Metro Station was. I took him there, and it turns out he was looking for an ATM to get out the registration fee to enter the hacky-sack tournament. For three years now, if I understood correctly, the World Champion has been a certain resident of Prague. It only costs 50 crowns to watch, and I think it's being held right by my house. So, I'm planning to go watch tonight. It may be something that God is doing, connecting with people. At the very least I can pick up some hacky-sack moves!
Well, that's a lot of the news from this end of the world. It's always good to hear from you all, even when I can't respond as fast as I'd like.
In His Time,
But this is only halfway up the mountain. You can choose to ski down from here, or ski to the other main lift that takes you the rest of the way up to the top of the mountain. Now, this lift is not the gondola type, but the chairlift type. You ski up to the line, and a chair comes around behind you and scoops you up. This is the type of lift I am used to from skiing in Indiana. But I had never seen a chair lift that was so large! This chairlift could carry six people per chair. And it came with ski rests! You pulled a metal bar down from above your head and rested your skiis on the ski rest. It was very nice. And last, but not least, was a clear plastic bubble that could also be pulled down over the chairlift. If the weather was nasty, or the wind was blowing, you could seal it all out on the way up the mountain, and ride in perfect peace.
But that's not what you wanted to hear about. Those are just some of the neat amenities that were offered. Now on to the real skiing.
At the very top of our mountain you could look all around, in every direction. And in every direction you could see mountains that were higher than us. Gorgeous, giant, snow-capped, craggy, majestic mountains. I don't know for sure just what it is, but every time I see mountains I am amazed and impressed by their majesty. And to think that our God made them. He is so much more majestic, so much grander, so awesome.
The mountain was covered with pine trees. It was a beautiful contrast to see the shining white snow and the dark green fir trees. But there was something that I'm still curious about. There were many, many pine trees there that had no needles on them. It is, according to my friends, an evergreen tree that is not evergreen. They didn't know the English name for them, but thought maybe it was spruce? I'd sure like to know, if anyone has any experience with pine trees that drop their needles in the winter.
On the first day of skiing the snow was okay, a little thick maybe. In the morning it was a little blustery, but afternoon brought a brilliant blue sky and excellent skiing on the lower half of the mountain. I've never had so much fun skiing in my life! That first day also brought my first skiing mistake. In an area that had some thick snow, I fell and twisted my left knee/ankle. It hurt quite a bit for about a minute, and then I was able to stand up. Fortunately the boot kept my ankle from twisting too far. My knee had definitely been twisted farther around than it was used to going. But after about a minute I was able to get up and keep skiing. I just had to be a little gentle when skiing on my left side.
I was able to keep skiing all the rest of that day without any problem. But on the bus ride to where we were staying, and while sitting that evening, my knee got really stiff. That seemed to confirm to me that it was just sore, and that the best thing for it would be to keep working it out by skiing on it. I was able to borrow a knee brace from one of the other guys for our second day of skiing, and it was a big help.
So we stayed at a retreat center run by a church in a small town about 30 mountain minutes from the ski resort. I say mountain minutes because it must take longer to drive anywhere in the mountains that it does on the flat lands of my upbringing. Each morning we took a bus at nine o'clock to the skiing mountain.
On the second day, skiing conditions were perfect. The ski was a deep, gorgeous blue. The mountains surrounding us were crystal clear. The snow was just right - not too slushy, not too icy, just perfect. I was able to ski just fine and totally forget about my knee, again proving to me that it just needed to be worked out. We were nearing the end of the day when I made my second skiing mistake. This one was much better than my first one though.
Ok, so I'm skiing down the mountain. I decide try a run I had only gone on one time before, on our first day of skiing. It's a very easy run, just a straightaway out on a slight incline, then a 180 degree turnaround and back in the direction you came from. Now, all the time this run is heading down. So if you looked at the run from a point off of the mountain, it would look like a V on it's side. You would ski down the upper part of the V, then turn around and ski down the lower part.
So I'm cruising down the upper part of the V, trying to keep my speed up. This particular run isn't very steep, so if you don't keep up your speed you might end up poling along. Well, I remembered that there was a shortcut right where the two legs of the V-on-it's-side come together. If you take the shortcut, it can add to your speed. Well, in the interest of speed I decided to take it. I came right up to where it should be, slewed around and shot over the edge onto the shortcut. Except for one small problem. I had turned too soon! So when I shot over the edge onto what should have been the shortcut, I actually came over the side, bounced off of the shortcut trail, and fell off of it! I ended up twisting my right knee in the same way as my left one, except not as badly.
But, again, it just needed to be skiied off, and I was able to finish out the rest of the week without any more injuries. Right now my right knee is fine most of the time, and my left knee just needs a little more time. It's still sore and a little weak, but I'm sure it's healing fine. I was able to ski the best I think I've ever skiied in my life on this mountain, even doing an Alpine Black Diamond run a couple/three times. (Black diamonds are the hardest designation in skiing). My skiing improved, and now what all my instructors in the States were trying to teach me makes so much more sense.
One of the funniest things about skiing in the Alps is the weather. While it is cold enough to maintain snow, the sun is out every day. Several people got sunburns, and I was soaked with sweat for the first few days until I was able to figure out a layering system that was light enough to cool off in.
But the best part about the skiing trip, as incredible as it was, was not the skiing. This week was being run as a skiing camp, inviting both students who did and who didn't know about Jesus to come. Each evening we would play a couple games, have a few songs, then have a short time of teaching/informing. Wednesday night, the last night that we stayed there, one of the students asked Jesus into his heart! It was amazing to see God working in this way. And it was so wonderful to welcome a new brother.
Those are some highlights from the ski trip. I'd also like to share a highlight from before the ski trip. The night before we left we ate supper at a restaurant here in Prague. Jeff, the Impact team leader, knows the restaurant very well, and he got our menus for us from the little holder. I did not know how surprised and happy I would be to open the menu and read it in English! I didn't think the language barrier was really bothering me. But it brought me way too much happiness to be able to open the menu and read what all they were offering. We don't eat out very much, when when we do it's kinda frustrating to partly guess what all you are ordering. Culture shock.
The weather on the ski trip was absolutely gorgeous. When we returned to Praha, it followed us here, at least for Friday. I felt like a whole new person in a whole new city with the added warmth. It was up to about 10 degrees C, which is about 50 degrees F. Our usual temperature is 0 degrees C, 32 F. So you can imagine how much nicer it felt. This morning it started to get colder again. I'm hoping that was a fluke, and it warms up again. It's really nice to be in a warm Prague.
Tonight they will be holding what I think is the World Championship for hacky-sack here in Prague. As I was walking to the tram a man asked me where the Metro Station was. I took him there, and it turns out he was looking for an ATM to get out the registration fee to enter the hacky-sack tournament. For three years now, if I understood correctly, the World Champion has been a certain resident of Prague. It only costs 50 crowns to watch, and I think it's being held right by my house. So, I'm planning to go watch tonight. It may be something that God is doing, connecting with people. At the very least I can pick up some hacky-sack moves!
Well, that's a lot of the news from this end of the world. It's always good to hear from you all, even when I can't respond as fast as I'd like.
In His Time,
Monday, February 28, 2005
Ok, a disclaimer
Um, I went out walking, and looked again at the amazing feat of parking that the average Pragian (um, citizen of Prague?) performs everyday. I was slightly chagrined to find out that I may have been slightly misleading, though not on purpose. After looking again at the cars parked "five inches away from each other," I found that they are actually about two feet apart. Oh well, it sounded amazing at the time. However, remember that truck that was parked between two buttresses of a wall? Yeah, that truck was still really, really close to the stone parts. It looked pretty much impossible.
Peace out.
In His Time,
Peace out.
In His Time,
Joeletter 7.2
So much has happened since the last Joeletter! I haven't picked any weird yogurts since I wrote last, for which I'm grateful. I've been able to continue playing floor-ball and basketball with the guys. Today I went with Philip, one of the guys, to play pool and ping-pong for a couple of hours. It was nice to be with him, and he helped me improve both my cue-ball shooting, and my paddle skills.
This past week we got to go to Munich, Germany for a week. That ambiguous 'we' refers to Ben, myself, Jeff Valodine, Steve Cone, and Mark Fischel. We rode on a train for six hours, and were greeted by Sandy Graham. Also part of the Impact-Munich team are Brandy Laurance and Bethany Schmich. We took over their apartment for the time we were there, and they graciously stayed with a friend.
It was nice to be able to visit a different city. Their subway system, though, took a little getting used to. Here in Praha, there are only three Metro lines. If you go to one station, only one line runs through it. In Munich, however, just like New York, many different lines can run through one station. Thus you have to watch carefully to make sure when a subway train pulls into the station that it's the right one for you.
Something fun about the subway, though, that kind of made up for the subway differences, was the escalators. You may remember that here in Praha, the escalators can be six and a half stories tall. Well, in Munich they aren't as tall, but they stop when nobody is using them. When you want to use it, you just walk up and step on the motion activating pad. The great part is that there is one of these pads at each end of the escalator. So you can go up or down on the same escalator! It's really fun to walk up to an escalator, and make it move in the direction you want to go. I wanted to bring one home, but it wouldn't fit in my backpack. Oh well . . .
While we were in Germany we had a chance to visit Dachau, the first WWII concentration camp. It wasn't ever used for mass extermination, but it had the facilities too. But even without that specific evil, Dachau was still a somber experience. I kept thinking about the fact that not too long ago, right where I was standing/walking/breathing, prisoners had stood/walked/breathed. It was surreal. It was also sobering to see what a world without God naturally, logical ends up looking like.
I didn't realize how large such camps were. I'm sure that Dachau was by no means the largest camp. But the prisoners camp was enormous, with room for a massive amount of people. And the camp itself extended way beyond just the prison camp. Much larger by far was the part of the camp that supported the prison officers and wardens.
All in all, I am very glad that we got the chance to go see Dachau. As horrific as it was, it was good to be there physically, and see it with my own eyes.
One morning we got a chance to spend some time with two Mormon guys. For several months they have been regularly meeting with Sandy and Robert, and we were invited to join in. I really appreciated the time, though I said not one word. I came into the meeting pretty sure that this was a learning time for me, just as much a time where we hoped to plant more seeds within these two young men. Several significant, major differences between our two belief systems were explained, which was very helpful to me. Also, listening to everyone else talk was a great chance to think more about my own faith, and what that looked like.
In addition to seeing part of the city, we spent as much time as possible with the Impact-Munich team. We were blessed with three times of corporate worship, singing interspersed with prayer. God used the skills He has given us, Ben playing guitar, and me playing makeshift drums. It was a wonderful time of family, though none of us are biologically related to each other.
Bethany, one of the Impact girls, shares my (or should I say I share her) penchant for reading. We discussed several books both of us had read, as well as exchanged the names of authors we recommended. Due to the lack of space coming over, I didn't bring many books with me. Bethany kindly loaned me some, which I am devouring. They will be coming down to visit us at the end of March, at which point I will be able to give them back. In the mean time, it's great on the Metro.
Yes, I'm feeling quite comfortable on the Metro, and somewhat on the tram lines, to read and listen to music while traveling from place to place. It's a good feeling, and one that I know I'm going to miss quite a lot when I go home. It's so nice to be able to go anywhere, with a minimal amount of trouble.
Well, that's quite a bit of what all has happened. I know I'm forgetting some things, but those are the highlights. Thanks for your prayers.
In His Time,
This past week we got to go to Munich, Germany for a week. That ambiguous 'we' refers to Ben, myself, Jeff Valodine, Steve Cone, and Mark Fischel. We rode on a train for six hours, and were greeted by Sandy Graham. Also part of the Impact-Munich team are Brandy Laurance and Bethany Schmich. We took over their apartment for the time we were there, and they graciously stayed with a friend.
It was nice to be able to visit a different city. Their subway system, though, took a little getting used to. Here in Praha, there are only three Metro lines. If you go to one station, only one line runs through it. In Munich, however, just like New York, many different lines can run through one station. Thus you have to watch carefully to make sure when a subway train pulls into the station that it's the right one for you.
Something fun about the subway, though, that kind of made up for the subway differences, was the escalators. You may remember that here in Praha, the escalators can be six and a half stories tall. Well, in Munich they aren't as tall, but they stop when nobody is using them. When you want to use it, you just walk up and step on the motion activating pad. The great part is that there is one of these pads at each end of the escalator. So you can go up or down on the same escalator! It's really fun to walk up to an escalator, and make it move in the direction you want to go. I wanted to bring one home, but it wouldn't fit in my backpack. Oh well . . .
While we were in Germany we had a chance to visit Dachau, the first WWII concentration camp. It wasn't ever used for mass extermination, but it had the facilities too. But even without that specific evil, Dachau was still a somber experience. I kept thinking about the fact that not too long ago, right where I was standing/walking/breathing, prisoners had stood/walked/breathed. It was surreal. It was also sobering to see what a world without God naturally, logical ends up looking like.
I didn't realize how large such camps were. I'm sure that Dachau was by no means the largest camp. But the prisoners camp was enormous, with room for a massive amount of people. And the camp itself extended way beyond just the prison camp. Much larger by far was the part of the camp that supported the prison officers and wardens.
All in all, I am very glad that we got the chance to go see Dachau. As horrific as it was, it was good to be there physically, and see it with my own eyes.
One morning we got a chance to spend some time with two Mormon guys. For several months they have been regularly meeting with Sandy and Robert, and we were invited to join in. I really appreciated the time, though I said not one word. I came into the meeting pretty sure that this was a learning time for me, just as much a time where we hoped to plant more seeds within these two young men. Several significant, major differences between our two belief systems were explained, which was very helpful to me. Also, listening to everyone else talk was a great chance to think more about my own faith, and what that looked like.
In addition to seeing part of the city, we spent as much time as possible with the Impact-Munich team. We were blessed with three times of corporate worship, singing interspersed with prayer. God used the skills He has given us, Ben playing guitar, and me playing makeshift drums. It was a wonderful time of family, though none of us are biologically related to each other.
Bethany, one of the Impact girls, shares my (or should I say I share her) penchant for reading. We discussed several books both of us had read, as well as exchanged the names of authors we recommended. Due to the lack of space coming over, I didn't bring many books with me. Bethany kindly loaned me some, which I am devouring. They will be coming down to visit us at the end of March, at which point I will be able to give them back. In the mean time, it's great on the Metro.
Yes, I'm feeling quite comfortable on the Metro, and somewhat on the tram lines, to read and listen to music while traveling from place to place. It's a good feeling, and one that I know I'm going to miss quite a lot when I go home. It's so nice to be able to go anywhere, with a minimal amount of trouble.
Well, that's quite a bit of what all has happened. I know I'm forgetting some things, but those are the highlights. Thanks for your prayers.
In His Time,
Tuesday, February 22, 2005
So, four weeks in . . .
Right, so I know I've been here four weeks now. How do I know this so conclusively, you ask? I know because the beginning of this week was the fourth time I changed my pants. That's right, I've been going about a week in each set of jeans that I brought. I'm getting at least two days out of each shirt, frequently three or four.
I would appreciate a few more simple recipes, with simple things that I can get at the store. I still enjoy my staples of bread/sausage/cheese, spaghetti, and boiled carrots. But I suspect that I should get a little more variety in my diet.
Oh, one more thing. I'm currently in Munich, Germany. Yeah, it's kinda surreal to me too. I mean, Germany is a place I read about in history books, a place over in Europe. I've never been there. Quite a weird feeling, let me tell you. But I love it.
We rode the train six hours to get here from Prague, and got here last Saturday afternoon at 3:15. We're here until Thursday. We are getting to visit the Impact team here in Munich, and see some of the city. It's been wonderful so far, and looks as though it will continue to be. I am continuing to learn what it is to pursue God in new ways. Thank you for your continued prayers.
In His Time,
I would appreciate a few more simple recipes, with simple things that I can get at the store. I still enjoy my staples of bread/sausage/cheese, spaghetti, and boiled carrots. But I suspect that I should get a little more variety in my diet.
Oh, one more thing. I'm currently in Munich, Germany. Yeah, it's kinda surreal to me too. I mean, Germany is a place I read about in history books, a place over in Europe. I've never been there. Quite a weird feeling, let me tell you. But I love it.
We rode the train six hours to get here from Prague, and got here last Saturday afternoon at 3:15. We're here until Thursday. We are getting to visit the Impact team here in Munich, and see some of the city. It's been wonderful so far, and looks as though it will continue to be. I am continuing to learn what it is to pursue God in new ways. Thank you for your continued prayers.
In His Time,
Monday, February 14, 2005
So much to say, and I've forgotten it all!
This is so aggravating. I have been thinking of quite a few things that I want to share with you all via my blog. But as soon as I get on the internet, I forget them all!
Ok, I'll try to remember.
Another thing that's fairly weird here in Prague is the fact that cars regularly drive down the sidewalk. It's slightly unnerving to find cars where you are expecting to blithely walk home. It helps that the cars are, on the average, quite a bit smaller than cars back home. It's easy to spot vehicles that aren't originally from here, or that weren't designed for this city. Those cars stick out like a sore thumb because they're huge. They are taller and longer than all the other cars.
But one advantage of learning to drive here in Prague is that you learn to parallel park like the angels must. There is rarely more than four inches between the bumpers of parallel parked cars here. I saw one truck that was parked between two concrete buttresses, with about two inches between each bumper and the concrete. No joke, it was for straight up real. Amazing.
Matt and Bethany Harris joined me yesterday (Sunday) evening playing sports with some guys and gals from the church we go to. Usually we play floorball (floor hockey, really) most of the time, and finish with a game of basketball. (Have I mentioned how awful most Czechs are at basketball?) Well, since the guy who has the key to the closet was gone, we just played basketball. The first game we had all the native English speakers together, against all the native Czech speakers. That put the four of us (Matt, Bethany, myself and Lee, a friend of ours here) against the seven of them. We beat them 50 to 44. The second game we tried to switch out teams, appointing both Matt and Bethany as captains. But the way the picking turned out, we just lost Matt and gained Philip and Jana. So we stomped them again, this time 50 to 34 or 36. I really like playing basketball here, because I'm definitely improving and playing well. It's great!
I picked up a pair of slippers at one of the stores here. I like them a lot, because they help me keep my feet warm. When you are in anyone's house, you always take your shoes off. This includes in your own house. And that's fine, except for the part where I get cold feet and thus get cold all over. So I got these slippers. They squish down well, and I can put them in my backpack and take them wherever.
Last Thursday I went to help Jay, another friend here, unpack a crate he had shipped over to himself from the States. Matt Harris also went. We finished up with lunch, and had to wait a little until the crate arrived at the storage unit where he was sending it. So we walked through a couple malls and a grocery store.
The time arrived for us to go to the storage unit. Jay proceeded to lead us towards . . . . the highway? He explained that as of yet he did not know of any other way to get to the storage place from where we were at. I felt a little weird waltzing across an off-ramp and walking alongside the interstate. The only comforting fact was that there was a clearly worn dirt path going right where we were headed.
We walked underneath an overpass, and I had a startling revelation. This was the first time I had ever walked under an overpass, not riding in a vehicle. The whole way across I wondered to myself what it must be like to live under a bridge or overpass. We came out on the other side and continued to follow the path for a couple meters. Then it reared up and over the small hill that led up to the overpass; you know what I mean. It was a slightly drizzly day, and there was some snow and ice left on the ground. This hill was at least a 45 degree angle, if not more. The drizzle, ice, and angle combined to form a ridiculous ascent. I was reduced to climbing with my hands and feet, trying not to slip into the mud and down on top of Matt.
We finally reached the top, and walked through more mud to the storage center. There, the crate arrived a few minutes after we did. We unloaded it onto three dollies (no, not the baby kind, the moving-large-equipment kind). I took one, and wheeled it into the elevator. I asked Matt what floor Jay's storage unit was on, and he said, "Floor 3." So I pushed the button, and up we went. Matt had also told me, "You have to go down one ramp, and then go to the red door." At the third floor I pushed the cart/dolly thing out of the elevator, down the ramp, and to the red door. It was closed and locked. So I waited. While I waited I watched two guys trying to fix a car on that floor.
Oh, small detail. I should mention that the storage units were in the same building as a parking garage. That's why it had the ramp thing. That should also help explain the presence of a broken car (along with several working ones) on-the-third-floor-and-down-a-ramp. So, I waited. Patiently. I took some time to pray, examined my fingernails, tried the doors again to make sure they were locked, and waited.
Finally Matt called to me, "Joel."
I said, "Yo!"
He said again, "Joel."
I said, "The doors are locked."
He said, "Where are you?"
"I'm right in front of the red doors, but they're locked."
"What floor are you on?"
'The third one, and down the ramp"
"Oh, hold on a sec . . ."
I had forgotten a crucial detail in dealing with Czech elevators. The ground floor is always Zero. The next floor up is One, and so on. Floors below the ground are -1, -2, and so on in that direction. So when I go home and push the button for the fourth floor, I am actually five stories high. But according to Czech logic I am on the fourth floor.
Thus, Jay's storage unit was on the third floor, according to American terms. It was the third level above the ground. But according to the Czech elevator, it was the second floor. So Matt came up and helped me move my cart down two more ramps to get to the correct floor.
But remember that this is in a parking garage? Yeah, as we were going down the first ramp, a car whirled around the corner and tried to come up that same ramp. I was fairly sure that it would hit it's brakes. But it took a few more seconds for the car to stop than I would have liked! That car got uncomfortably close. I must admit to emitting a little, "Urp!"
Matt and I finished rolling down that ramp, and got out of the way of the car. The driver gunned his engine and shot up the ramp, clearly angry. We continued down, and finished putting the stuff into the storage unit. All in all, it was an eventful day.
In His Time,
Ok, I'll try to remember.
Another thing that's fairly weird here in Prague is the fact that cars regularly drive down the sidewalk. It's slightly unnerving to find cars where you are expecting to blithely walk home. It helps that the cars are, on the average, quite a bit smaller than cars back home. It's easy to spot vehicles that aren't originally from here, or that weren't designed for this city. Those cars stick out like a sore thumb because they're huge. They are taller and longer than all the other cars.
But one advantage of learning to drive here in Prague is that you learn to parallel park like the angels must. There is rarely more than four inches between the bumpers of parallel parked cars here. I saw one truck that was parked between two concrete buttresses, with about two inches between each bumper and the concrete. No joke, it was for straight up real. Amazing.
Matt and Bethany Harris joined me yesterday (Sunday) evening playing sports with some guys and gals from the church we go to. Usually we play floorball (floor hockey, really) most of the time, and finish with a game of basketball. (Have I mentioned how awful most Czechs are at basketball?) Well, since the guy who has the key to the closet was gone, we just played basketball. The first game we had all the native English speakers together, against all the native Czech speakers. That put the four of us (Matt, Bethany, myself and Lee, a friend of ours here) against the seven of them. We beat them 50 to 44. The second game we tried to switch out teams, appointing both Matt and Bethany as captains. But the way the picking turned out, we just lost Matt and gained Philip and Jana. So we stomped them again, this time 50 to 34 or 36. I really like playing basketball here, because I'm definitely improving and playing well. It's great!
I picked up a pair of slippers at one of the stores here. I like them a lot, because they help me keep my feet warm. When you are in anyone's house, you always take your shoes off. This includes in your own house. And that's fine, except for the part where I get cold feet and thus get cold all over. So I got these slippers. They squish down well, and I can put them in my backpack and take them wherever.
Last Thursday I went to help Jay, another friend here, unpack a crate he had shipped over to himself from the States. Matt Harris also went. We finished up with lunch, and had to wait a little until the crate arrived at the storage unit where he was sending it. So we walked through a couple malls and a grocery store.
The time arrived for us to go to the storage unit. Jay proceeded to lead us towards . . . . the highway? He explained that as of yet he did not know of any other way to get to the storage place from where we were at. I felt a little weird waltzing across an off-ramp and walking alongside the interstate. The only comforting fact was that there was a clearly worn dirt path going right where we were headed.
We walked underneath an overpass, and I had a startling revelation. This was the first time I had ever walked under an overpass, not riding in a vehicle. The whole way across I wondered to myself what it must be like to live under a bridge or overpass. We came out on the other side and continued to follow the path for a couple meters. Then it reared up and over the small hill that led up to the overpass; you know what I mean. It was a slightly drizzly day, and there was some snow and ice left on the ground. This hill was at least a 45 degree angle, if not more. The drizzle, ice, and angle combined to form a ridiculous ascent. I was reduced to climbing with my hands and feet, trying not to slip into the mud and down on top of Matt.
We finally reached the top, and walked through more mud to the storage center. There, the crate arrived a few minutes after we did. We unloaded it onto three dollies (no, not the baby kind, the moving-large-equipment kind). I took one, and wheeled it into the elevator. I asked Matt what floor Jay's storage unit was on, and he said, "Floor 3." So I pushed the button, and up we went. Matt had also told me, "You have to go down one ramp, and then go to the red door." At the third floor I pushed the cart/dolly thing out of the elevator, down the ramp, and to the red door. It was closed and locked. So I waited. While I waited I watched two guys trying to fix a car on that floor.
Oh, small detail. I should mention that the storage units were in the same building as a parking garage. That's why it had the ramp thing. That should also help explain the presence of a broken car (along with several working ones) on-the-third-floor-and-down-a-ramp. So, I waited. Patiently. I took some time to pray, examined my fingernails, tried the doors again to make sure they were locked, and waited.
Finally Matt called to me, "Joel."
I said, "Yo!"
He said again, "Joel."
I said, "The doors are locked."
He said, "Where are you?"
"I'm right in front of the red doors, but they're locked."
"What floor are you on?"
'The third one, and down the ramp"
"Oh, hold on a sec . . ."
I had forgotten a crucial detail in dealing with Czech elevators. The ground floor is always Zero. The next floor up is One, and so on. Floors below the ground are -1, -2, and so on in that direction. So when I go home and push the button for the fourth floor, I am actually five stories high. But according to Czech logic I am on the fourth floor.
Thus, Jay's storage unit was on the third floor, according to American terms. It was the third level above the ground. But according to the Czech elevator, it was the second floor. So Matt came up and helped me move my cart down two more ramps to get to the correct floor.
But remember that this is in a parking garage? Yeah, as we were going down the first ramp, a car whirled around the corner and tried to come up that same ramp. I was fairly sure that it would hit it's brakes. But it took a few more seconds for the car to stop than I would have liked! That car got uncomfortably close. I must admit to emitting a little, "Urp!"
Matt and I finished rolling down that ramp, and got out of the way of the car. The driver gunned his engine and shot up the ramp, clearly angry. We continued down, and finished putting the stuff into the storage unit. All in all, it was an eventful day.
In His Time,
Wednesday, February 09, 2005
Culture Differences
It's not really culture shock for me, at least not yet. But I've definitely noticed some culture differences here in Praha.
None of the doors have automatic closing apparatus. Like, no springs and friction bars to close the door behind you. You have to manually close each and every door, or it stays open! That's especially frustrating when you enter a small store or restaurant. They always speak sternly in Czech, telling you to close the door that you left swinging open behind you. Aaugh!
The Czech Republic doesn't believe in Peanut Butter. Well, that's not entirely true. They just don't believe that it should come in large, cheap quantities. A very, very small jar costs about $1.50, maybe $2.00. It's just not feasible to purchase much. In fact, it's cheaper to buy honey that it is to buy PB. Which, that works out okay as far as honey is concerned. I like it a lot. But simply because I can't have peanut butter, as much as I want, whenever I want, I am missing.
Windows. I'm not sure if I've written about this before, but it's another difference. Every house and business I've seen, in every window, has a double set of glass windows. There is the inner set, and the outer set. My guess is that this is to trap heat, and keep the rooms warmer. And it would also tend to discourage thieves. But it's different.
I know I've talked about this before, but there is an absurd number of locks on the door of our flat. We have a grand total of five separately keyed locks to our door, plus a chain. Two of these locks cannot even be accessed from the inside, but only locked from the outside. And two, not one but two peepholes. And all this is in addition to the outside door, the single door that all the flats use to get outside. It also has a lock. When I go home I feel sorta like I'm living in Fort Knox.
I'm starting to get used to the fact that I simply cannot understand most of the people around me. I get on the metro or a tram, and simply realize again that the vast majority of the quiet conversations going on around me are unintelligible. I walk into a grocery store and the fitness center and experience the same thing. Going through the czechout counter is always an experience. Hopefully I will just be able to see how much my purchases cost and give them the money. But a lot of the time they have a question about something, and I have to regretfully respond, "Nevim Cheski," - "I don't know Czech."
Oh, and speaking of money. I'm getting better at calculating how much a thing is worth. Each crown is currently worth between four and five cents. 100 crowns equals about four dollars. It's not too bad. But, it's definitely a difference.
Czechs don't boil carrots. They prefer to eat them raw. Which, by itself, is fine. In fact, raw carrots retain more nutrition. But when you have prepared a batch of boiled carrots for your dinner guests. . .
They also don't break their spaghetti before boiling it. Apparently they are more in favor of having long strands of spaghetti that take forever to wind, chew, and swallow. Again, dinner guests. . .
I don't want to sound like I'm complaining. I love Prague, and I am so glad this is where I was placed for the second semester. But I thought you might enjoy hearing about how different it is here. I certainly have.
In His Time,
None of the doors have automatic closing apparatus. Like, no springs and friction bars to close the door behind you. You have to manually close each and every door, or it stays open! That's especially frustrating when you enter a small store or restaurant. They always speak sternly in Czech, telling you to close the door that you left swinging open behind you. Aaugh!
The Czech Republic doesn't believe in Peanut Butter. Well, that's not entirely true. They just don't believe that it should come in large, cheap quantities. A very, very small jar costs about $1.50, maybe $2.00. It's just not feasible to purchase much. In fact, it's cheaper to buy honey that it is to buy PB. Which, that works out okay as far as honey is concerned. I like it a lot. But simply because I can't have peanut butter, as much as I want, whenever I want, I am missing.
Windows. I'm not sure if I've written about this before, but it's another difference. Every house and business I've seen, in every window, has a double set of glass windows. There is the inner set, and the outer set. My guess is that this is to trap heat, and keep the rooms warmer. And it would also tend to discourage thieves. But it's different.
I know I've talked about this before, but there is an absurd number of locks on the door of our flat. We have a grand total of five separately keyed locks to our door, plus a chain. Two of these locks cannot even be accessed from the inside, but only locked from the outside. And two, not one but two peepholes. And all this is in addition to the outside door, the single door that all the flats use to get outside. It also has a lock. When I go home I feel sorta like I'm living in Fort Knox.
I'm starting to get used to the fact that I simply cannot understand most of the people around me. I get on the metro or a tram, and simply realize again that the vast majority of the quiet conversations going on around me are unintelligible. I walk into a grocery store and the fitness center and experience the same thing. Going through the czechout counter is always an experience. Hopefully I will just be able to see how much my purchases cost and give them the money. But a lot of the time they have a question about something, and I have to regretfully respond, "Nevim Cheski," - "I don't know Czech."
Oh, and speaking of money. I'm getting better at calculating how much a thing is worth. Each crown is currently worth between four and five cents. 100 crowns equals about four dollars. It's not too bad. But, it's definitely a difference.
Czechs don't boil carrots. They prefer to eat them raw. Which, by itself, is fine. In fact, raw carrots retain more nutrition. But when you have prepared a batch of boiled carrots for your dinner guests. . .
They also don't break their spaghetti before boiling it. Apparently they are more in favor of having long strands of spaghetti that take forever to wind, chew, and swallow. Again, dinner guests. . .
I don't want to sound like I'm complaining. I love Prague, and I am so glad this is where I was placed for the second semester. But I thought you might enjoy hearing about how different it is here. I certainly have.
In His Time,
Some more thoughts on Evangelism & Discipling
So, I've been thinking more about my thoughts on evangelism and discipleship. I don't think I'm necessarily wrong, but I think that there is more to be said. (Well, of course, since I'm finite).
I was listening to Acts and Romans on my iPod, which is a wonderful thing to do while riding on the Metro and the trams. And I realized that Paul was evangelizing in a way that didn't fit into the little box that I wrote last time. Therefore, my box must not be complete, or completely right.
Paul didn't stick just to the discipling method of ministry. He was called by God (Acts 13:2-3) to go and do God's work. Reading further in Acts, this looks like preaching in the synagogues and lecture halls. First to the Jews, then to the Gentiles. Paul took this new information, the Gospel, and shared it with people who had never heard it before. Based on the situation, this was the exact method that needed to be followed. Simple moving to a city and waiting for God to raise up disciples would not have been nearly as effective.
So, as God has currently shown me (always subject to further insights from His Word), we are called to situation based ministry/evangelism. We must at all times be ready, through study and the personal pursuit of intimacy with God, both to serve as a mentor and to evangelize/preach. I must be seeking God in such a way that in responding to Him I will both be simply discipling those whom He raises up, and also ready to speak when He gives me a platform, a voice. This idea is the two sides of Spiritual Authority. Whether this authority is extending to one or two people, or a large number of people, I am still just responding to God.
In His Time,
I was listening to Acts and Romans on my iPod, which is a wonderful thing to do while riding on the Metro and the trams. And I realized that Paul was evangelizing in a way that didn't fit into the little box that I wrote last time. Therefore, my box must not be complete, or completely right.
Paul didn't stick just to the discipling method of ministry. He was called by God (Acts 13:2-3) to go and do God's work. Reading further in Acts, this looks like preaching in the synagogues and lecture halls. First to the Jews, then to the Gentiles. Paul took this new information, the Gospel, and shared it with people who had never heard it before. Based on the situation, this was the exact method that needed to be followed. Simple moving to a city and waiting for God to raise up disciples would not have been nearly as effective.
So, as God has currently shown me (always subject to further insights from His Word), we are called to situation based ministry/evangelism. We must at all times be ready, through study and the personal pursuit of intimacy with God, both to serve as a mentor and to evangelize/preach. I must be seeking God in such a way that in responding to Him I will both be simply discipling those whom He raises up, and also ready to speak when He gives me a platform, a voice. This idea is the two sides of Spiritual Authority. Whether this authority is extending to one or two people, or a large number of people, I am still just responding to God.
In His Time,
Monday, February 07, 2005
Discipleship
So I was thinking about Jesus' command to "Go and make disciples." Jeff and I got to talk this evening, and I was really filled with astonishment. Look at this verse again.
Matt. 28:18-20
"Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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."
Look at the progression in the passage. The reason for this command is Jesus' authority.
"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me."
All authority is His. That is why we do whatever He says next.
"Therefore, go and make disciples," (emphasis mine)
We are not commanded to evangelize in this passage! We are supposed to make disciples! There's a big difference. In fact, it's the difference between God and evangelism as a priority, a number one priority, and God as the Only Thing in life.
If we see our task here on earth as evangelism, that's what we will focus on. Reaching other people and getting them into the Kingdom becomes our goal. This is a tremendous burden, and engenders a lot of guilt.
On the other hand, if your goal is seeking God as the Only Thing, the One Thing in your life, you have a totally different purpose. All you want to do is seek God in every activity, comparing each thought, action, and emotion to what we know God says about this. Now, this also takes work. You must know what God says, and that also takes devotion. But there is no burden on you to save people.
In fact, you can't save people. Let me say that again. You can't save people. And you say, "Yeah, yeah, of course I can't save people, I'm not God." But when we are trying to evangelize, it is so easy to slip into the mindset where I am doing the work, I want them to be saved, I must reach them so they are not condemned for their sin.
Do we dare think that we want people to be saved more than God does? Does our heart encompass more pain than His? What have we really ever done for the world. What can we really ever do? The world is a mighty big place, and we are mighty small. (You can quote me on that, though I think the original thought came from Ecclesiastes).
So what are we to do? Jesus tells us to go! But He doesn't tell us to go and evangelize. He tells us that all authority is His. Not ours, but His. Thus, we seek Him. We seek Him, and His true Word, as the only thing. The One Thing. And in seeking Him, we will go and make disciples. We will not win large numbers of people. This life is not about winning. And I mean that both ways. This life is not about winning any game. And this life is not about winning people. It's about responding to God, pursuing God, seeking intimacy with God. And as a result of that, God will bring people into our lives who He will make our disciples. If nothing else, that knowledge scares me into seeking Christ as the only thing. I don't want to be caught napping when He wants to work in someone's life, and use my pursuit of Him to do that working.
Father be praised.
In His Time,
Matt. 28:18-20
"Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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."
Look at the progression in the passage. The reason for this command is Jesus' authority.
"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me."
All authority is His. That is why we do whatever He says next.
"Therefore, go and make disciples," (emphasis mine)
We are not commanded to evangelize in this passage! We are supposed to make disciples! There's a big difference. In fact, it's the difference between God and evangelism as a priority, a number one priority, and God as the Only Thing in life.
If we see our task here on earth as evangelism, that's what we will focus on. Reaching other people and getting them into the Kingdom becomes our goal. This is a tremendous burden, and engenders a lot of guilt.
On the other hand, if your goal is seeking God as the Only Thing, the One Thing in your life, you have a totally different purpose. All you want to do is seek God in every activity, comparing each thought, action, and emotion to what we know God says about this. Now, this also takes work. You must know what God says, and that also takes devotion. But there is no burden on you to save people.
In fact, you can't save people. Let me say that again. You can't save people. And you say, "Yeah, yeah, of course I can't save people, I'm not God." But when we are trying to evangelize, it is so easy to slip into the mindset where I am doing the work, I want them to be saved, I must reach them so they are not condemned for their sin.
Do we dare think that we want people to be saved more than God does? Does our heart encompass more pain than His? What have we really ever done for the world. What can we really ever do? The world is a mighty big place, and we are mighty small. (You can quote me on that, though I think the original thought came from Ecclesiastes).
So what are we to do? Jesus tells us to go! But He doesn't tell us to go and evangelize. He tells us that all authority is His. Not ours, but His. Thus, we seek Him. We seek Him, and His true Word, as the only thing. The One Thing. And in seeking Him, we will go and make disciples. We will not win large numbers of people. This life is not about winning. And I mean that both ways. This life is not about winning any game. And this life is not about winning people. It's about responding to God, pursuing God, seeking intimacy with God. And as a result of that, God will bring people into our lives who He will make our disciples. If nothing else, that knowledge scares me into seeking Christ as the only thing. I don't want to be caught napping when He wants to work in someone's life, and use my pursuit of Him to do that working.
Father be praised.
In His Time,
Joeletter 7.1
The Joeletter
Wow, Joeletter 7.1! It's amazing that I've been in Deeper for seven months now. God has been so good to me, and gently taught me so much. Like I've said, this is exactly where God wanted me to be this year.
Yesterday, Sunday evening, I was again able to play floor-ball with the guys. I'm just slightly better than I was last week, but not enough to make a whole lot of difference. But it's fun, and the best part of being able to play with these guys is not the winning. It's about being able to respond to God, seeking intimacy with Him, while being around other people. That's a big theme that God is teaching me with right now. It's about taking each thought, whether my own thoughts or others thoughts, and seeing what God has to say about it. Pursuing Him is that simple, walking each thought and action back to Him. It means a little bit of thinking. But it's so freeing. We are freed to simply do whatever it takes to be intimate with God. Making Him the one thing, the only thing that I act upon.
Oatmeal-making is going much better, thanks for your help. I made a simply wonderful bowl last week, with a dollop of honey to spice it up. I'm also enjoying making spaghetti for breakfast. I have to eat it plain, though, because the spaghetti sauce is very sweet over here, and doesn't taste right. I just found some flavoring that I put in this morning's spaghetti, kind of like chicken bullion. I liked that a lot.
I am trying to like tea. Tea and coffee are a fairly big part of this culture, enough so that they sell pitchers that plug into the wall and heat water to boiling in less than a minute. And it makes sense, because it's very cold here. It helps to have something hot/warm to drink. I just want my drink to actually taste like something! I'm too the point that I can stand tea. It smells really good, but the taste always lets me down. I like hot cups of water, though. I just skip the tea step, and go straight for the hot water. It works out pretty well.
So yogurt is a big thing here also. There is a huge selection at every grocery store. And it's none of this fat-free stuff. Here, they make yogurt with real cream! It tastes great, though it takes a little bit of getting used to the texture at first. But in my yogurt purchasing experiences here, I have learned a little caution. You should always look very carefully at the pictures on the little cups of yogurt. If I could read Czech it probably wouldn't be so bad. But, not reading, I must rely on the pictures. And I've purchased some pretty crazy yogurt by not looking.
The first weird one was from Yoplait. I saw cherries on the outside of the cup, and thought, "Oh, I like cherries. I'll get this one." It was also fairly cheap, and I'm always looking for cheap things. I got it out to eat as part of breakfast, and decided not to stir it up. I just left the cherry stuff on the bottom to eat last. As I got down to the color/flavoring, I noticed that in addition to red there seemed to be some brown. I just assumed that the red was so concentrated that it looked brown. Then I started tasting something that really didn't taste like cherry, though there was some of that in there too. I had to think a minute, and looked again at the outside of the cup. Upon this second inspection, I discovered a second crucial picture behind the picture of the cherries. It was a chocolate and cherry yogurt cup! I finished it, but vowed to always look very carefully at the pictures to see what I was actually getting.
All was fine for a few days, mainly because I didn't have a chance to purchase any more yogurt. Oh, and it's not spelled yogurt here. It's jogurty, or jogobella. I'm staying away from the jogobella for a while, though. That's what I bought yesterday. It was the cheapest yogurt on the shelf. One was strawberry flavored, and the other grape flavored. I had never had grape yogurt, so I thought that would be fun to try.
I opened up the cup, and stirred it up. I saw little....things in the yogurt, but that was fine. Almost all flavored yogurts have stuff in them; it makes them better. I took a bite, and found two things out. One, grape flavored yogurt is pretty good. It had little bits of actual grapes in the yogurt, slightly squishy. The other thing I found, though, wasn't quite as exciting. Once again I took a second, closer look at the outside of the cup. Surrounding the grapes on the outside was a picture of wheat stalks. I had just assumed that it as decoration, as usual. In reality, there were small wheat berries in the yogurt! It was hilarious. I would swallow the spoonful of yogurt, and then chew on these moist kernels of wheat. But as fun as it was, it's something you only want to do sparingly. Like I said, I'm going to be avoiding Jogobella for a while, and looking even more carefully at what the pictures have in them.
It's really funny to think about all of you right now. I'm six hours ahead of Eastern time. So when I'm eating lunch, you all are getting up. At supper, it's only lunch time for you. And I'm going to bed about your supper time. It's so funny to think about.
Thank you for your continued prayers that I will be able to see God's perspective in each thought, action, and plan. I am learning so much. And besides that, I'm having a blast!
In His Time,
Thursday, February 03, 2005
What to drink, What to drink?
So the stuff you drink over here is a little different than I'm used to at home. Yes, they have milk and juice, and Coke. But there's more. They sell Mattoni, which is carbonated water with a variety of flavors. I've had pear and peach, and seen many more. It's very different than anything I've seen in the States, especially since it comes in tall, 1.5 liter bottles.
They also sell milk in boxes. These boxes are stacked out in the middle of the aisle, and you can leave them on your shelf at home as long as they are unopened. In fact, these boxes of milk will keep for years if they aren't tampered with. This is because it's like canning milk. They pasturize it, and then seal the box closed. It ships much better, and is much easier to store. Now, once the box has been opened you do have to refrigerate it. But until then you don't have to at all. It's quite different.
I'm starting to get used to using the Crown (Kc) as a currency. I still convert the numbers in my head to have an idea how much something costs. But I'm getting faster at that too. Right now there are 23 Kc to the American Dollar. So to figure out how much a pair of 1180 Kc shoes costs, I just multiply the hundred's digits by four. So a pair of shoes costing 1180 Kc means they cost a little less than $48. (I rounded the 80 Kc up to get 1200 Kc, then multiplied by four). It's a little more difficult when going from American Dollars to Crowns, but since there are about four dollars to every 100 Kc, I just have to divide by four and multiply by 100.
In His Time,
They also sell milk in boxes. These boxes are stacked out in the middle of the aisle, and you can leave them on your shelf at home as long as they are unopened. In fact, these boxes of milk will keep for years if they aren't tampered with. This is because it's like canning milk. They pasturize it, and then seal the box closed. It ships much better, and is much easier to store. Now, once the box has been opened you do have to refrigerate it. But until then you don't have to at all. It's quite different.
I'm starting to get used to using the Crown (Kc) as a currency. I still convert the numbers in my head to have an idea how much something costs. But I'm getting faster at that too. Right now there are 23 Kc to the American Dollar. So to figure out how much a pair of 1180 Kc shoes costs, I just multiply the hundred's digits by four. So a pair of shoes costing 1180 Kc means they cost a little less than $48. (I rounded the 80 Kc up to get 1200 Kc, then multiplied by four). It's a little more difficult when going from American Dollars to Crowns, but since there are about four dollars to every 100 Kc, I just have to divide by four and multiply by 100.
In His Time,
Teaching English
God has opened a door for Impact-Prague in the teaching English area. A certain principle at an elementary age school has been looking for ways to help the kids at her school do a better job at learning English. This is because even though many many people are seeking to learning English, there aren't very many good teachers. What they need is native speakers.
So this principle has started a program that takes kids on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and places them in a classroom where the teachers are native English speakers. This program is led by Elaine Mudrik, one of the Impact-Prague team members. In the classroom the kids are learning basic English skills, like finding nose/ears/eyes, colors, greetings, and shapes.
I was able to go to the class with Elaine this morning, and help with the kids. They were a lot of fun to work with, though like most kids that age several of them were a little rowdy. I hope to start helping Sunny, another English teacher, on Wednesdays as she teaches conversational skills to 7th and 8th graders. It will be quite different, but I hope to have a chance to share God while we are talking. At the very least I am seeking to be intimate with God while with these kids.
In His Time,
So this principle has started a program that takes kids on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and places them in a classroom where the teachers are native English speakers. This program is led by Elaine Mudrik, one of the Impact-Prague team members. In the classroom the kids are learning basic English skills, like finding nose/ears/eyes, colors, greetings, and shapes.
I was able to go to the class with Elaine this morning, and help with the kids. They were a lot of fun to work with, though like most kids that age several of them were a little rowdy. I hope to start helping Sunny, another English teacher, on Wednesdays as she teaches conversational skills to 7th and 8th graders. It will be quite different, but I hope to have a chance to share God while we are talking. At the very least I am seeking to be intimate with God while with these kids.
In His Time,
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)