Second Annual Noteable Notes For Your Notice

We are driving through the Mediterranean Plain. Ella Fitzgerald is singing hymns to me. It is a beautiful day. I'm pretty ok with life right now. It seems that I should do a little blogging for you. I think I'll share some fun facts with you. 1. At our hotel in Macedonia, when you leave you put your room key on the front desk. It will be sitting there when you get back. And so will the owner. 2. The streets are clean. The shopkeepers wash them down multiple times a day. 3. Turkish toilets. If you don't know, don't ask. 4. We have eaten chicken from hell. That refers to meat cooked over burning coals. 5. I miss my dad. 6. Albanian has 35 letters. Come on, that is completely unnecessary. 7. It's wedding season. Dr. Rick Matchmaker Shaw is having a grand old time planning my life and picking out dresses for me. 8. Grapes have seeds. Apparently Americans are the only people on earth too lazy to spit out their own seeds. 9. Blavushka is a word that means "the blond one". It is funny to call Elaine Blavushka. 10. It is not funny to call Elaine Blavushka in Kosovo. The word sounds Serbian. More on that later. 11. It is funny when Elaine responds by naming Dr. Shaw Babaldi. There are a lot more than 11 fun facts about the Balkans. Unfortunately, it is time to find some dinner. We are all hoping we can survive a meal after the nauseating ride here. Wish our intestines luck.

7 AM what more do you want from me?

Today we drive to Greece. It is an all-day drive. I really hope we end up on some flat-ish roads so I can sleep. I really want to get a little more energy sp that I can appreciate the last few things we have to do. In Greece we will visit Thessaloniki and Neapolis and Philippi. I want to have a little brain power left for the places Paul went before I sink into a plane ride stupor. We are also planning a tour when we get to London. Gotta keep going. God has done a lot in and through me on this trip. I have so many things to process. I have all these potentially life changing epiphanies to make. I feel like I need a little more time before I can make sense of things. And maybe some breakfast. Thank you very much if you were a part of sending me here. You have invested in the kingdom of God and in my life. There are some very funny things I'd like to tell you about eventually. We get home on Tuesday, but don't think I'm done telling you about the trip. I have a lot of holes to fill.

Teaching for Teacher

There has not been much time for posting the past few days. I'll try to get you up to speed. The hotel we were booked at in Kosovo was not available because the previous guests had decided not to leave. Welcome to the Balkans. So our choices were a new hotel or to stay with the missionaries we are working with here. I thought it would be great to hear from them about their lives and experiences here. Not to mention, it's free! Between that and the low prices in Macedonia, my gellato budget has really expanded. Mmmmm.... We are all starting to lose our minds a little. My greatest shock this morning has been learning that it is Friday. I am finding myself in a place where abiding in Christ is a very important lesson. Yesterday was so difficult. I came to the absolute end of myself. I was tired and frustrated. I was angry that the system the missionaries used didn't work for me. Some of the ladies and I sat down in the kitchen after the kids went home. We talked about why the day had been so hard and how we could fix it the next day. I lost it. I just cried. I was just so tired. It was there at the lowest point I thought I could be at when God spoke to me. I had been enjoying the work we have done. Even more, I had enjoyed the praise I got from the team. I had enjoyed being the center of attention for story time. Sitting at the table feeling like a failure, I saw that I was finally where God wanted me. Then Dr Shaw asked me to give a testimony during the worship service about why I am here. I prayed and prayed that God would not let me mentally plan something that sounded good but was fake. When it was my turn, I got up and told how God had shown me that it is not about me. It doesn't matter if I'm a good teacher. In fact, when I'm feeling like a good teacher I'm taking away the glory that belongs to the Lord. I tried to be real and admit how low I had gotten that day. I cried then too. I have debated whether I should even post about it. God has shown me a major pride problem. I don't want to say these things so I sound good and spiritual. I'm saying that when I thought I was right, I forgot God. I am definitely not proud of that. That story could be told in greater detail. I could tell you about our day and tomorrow's plans and the wedding music playing outside right now. However, I'm not even sure how to express how tired I am.

Crossing the Border

It's too hot to blog. Or move. Or live. Today we drove from Skopje to Kosovo. I have been stuffing new information into my brain all day, so I am likely to miss some things. We learned a lot about the history of Kosovo and how it came to be a country. We stopped at Mother Theresa's church and were able to spend some time with the priest there. It is very interesting to hear different sides of the cultural and religious issues in this part of the world. Tonight, a few of us are staying with some American missionaries who have been in Kosovo for five years. It was so nice to see beds made up for us. We have only been here a week, but there was something about being in a home instead of a hotel that felt really good. I look forward to talking with the missionaries tomorrow about themselves and how they ended up here. We will be helping with some kids clubs and worship services. I am interested to see if I like Kosovo as much as Macedonia. We have two days of ministry here and then we head south to see some biblical sites in Greece. We have an early start tomorrow. Remind me to tell you about the memorials. Goodnight, Texas.

Hellos and Goodbyes

Today was our last day in Macedonia. We said goodbye to Konjare and Shutka. Tomorrow we will spend most of the day driving to Kosovo. Rusty said that if you imagine the worst bumpy farmer's market road where you can't pass and it takes forever, that would be better than the roads we will be on. We shall see if that manages to keep me from snoozing the whole way there. I expected to be sad about leaving Konjare. The village has so few Christians, and the ones there need a lot of training about the Bible. Shutka has been more difficult work and I expected to be okay with going somewhere new. But as we got in the van this afternoon, I said goodbye to the young man who accepted Christ on our first day. Over the past few days, we have seen this brand new Christian make leaps and bounds. He began helping us teach the younger children and translating our Macedonian lessons into the Roma language. Here in Macedonia I have seen huge emphasis on the relationship of brothers and sisters in Christ. This has been especially true with this boy. I feel such pride when I see my new brother growing and learning how to follow Jesus. As we left Shutka I wanted to tell him how important it is for him to study the Bible and to grow tall and strong in the Lord. How can I know he will press on when being a Christian gets hard? How can I leave my brother? And where will I go that could be more important than teaching people about Jesus? The van started up and tears ran down my face. We were so hot and sweaty that it hardly made any difference. For a little while I just lost it. We are leaving Macedonia. How long until I see the people who I have grown to love like my own family? Will I ever come back here? The sadness I felt today made me wonder if this is the place God has called me to. Is he showing me something I can get passionate about doing? Or would I feel this way anywhere? Only time will tell if Macedonia will be part of my future. I certainly wouldn't rule it out. Let's take a moment to talk about food. I haven't reported many dining escapades so far. Basically, I have discovered that I am the most hopeless food critic on the planet. I just don't like anything. Macedonia has not changed that. I get the plainest thing on the menu and eat enough to tide me over until my next peach from the bazaar. Most of the meat here is grilled. Burek is bread baker with something inside, like goat cheese or meat. People here almost always drink carbonated water instead of regular. You often have to say "no gas" when you ask for water. We have a lot of Shopske salad which has tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, peppers, and cheese. It is not my favorite but normal people seem to like it. The prices here are extremely low. Usually our supper at a restaurant is about 300 denari. Sounds like a lot, but it is really only $6.00 for a nice meal. Tiffany had an ice cream cone tonight for about twenty cents. I'm pretty cool with that. I'm headed to bed. Every time I wake up I am more tired than when I went to sleep. But usually from the moment I walk out the door something reminds me how much I love it here.

The Swap

Every day here, I find myself saying what a great day it has been. I am so happy. I really think I am feeling a sense of fulfillment that comes from following God's will for your life. Each day is more fantastic than the chocolate gelato I ate tonight. Today we had the honor of eating lunch in the mayor's home in Konjare and then spending time in the home of a family in Shutka. We have heard from several different sides about the cultural conflicts in this country. We spent time encouraging and sharing with other believers about the struggles churches go through. We talked a lot today about compromise. Give and take. Which is funny, because my story from today is about a trade. There is a family in Konjare that stole my heart almost immediately on our first day there. The mother and her two daughters have embraced me like family every day. Even with our difficulty speaking to each other, the warmth of these women makes it hard to leave every time. Although the father in this family is a Christian, the mother still holds to the cultural standard of being Muslim. In all reality, she has no religion. She works hard and cares for her family. She lives her life just trying to make things work. I have thought so much about her and wondered how we could make the truth about Christ real and practical to her. I think I tried to do that today. I sat with the woman and her daughters in their living room this morning. Grandma, do you remember the green dress you got the stain out of? I was wearing that and my favorite white flowered shirt. The older daughter told me how much she liked my outfit. I thanked her and we went on talking. When it was time for us to leave, the daughter wanted to ask me a question. She took me to the building off of the house where her bedroom was. Her younger sister helped her to explain that she had a birthday party to go to in Skopje. She wanted a pretty dress to wear to the party. She pulled out one of her own dresses and (after finally getting through the language barrier) asked if we could trade outfits. A helpful note about this trip : the Macedonian people are very poor. Many are unemployed. We have seen people begging for money and children selling things like fans and wet wipes. The problem is, giving people what they ask for is not always best for them. Some of the kids selling fans are being exploited by parents who sit at home. Some of the people begging for money will turn around and buy alcohol. Most of all, giving the impression that we, both as Americans and as Christians, will give handouts is not helping the people here into a better life. That thought was in my mind when I was confronted with this trade. Is this okay? At the same time, it seemed pretty fair to me to trade dress and shirt for dress and shirt. But the real selling point for me, had to do with the mother. How could I express the practical, life altering love of Jesus? Could helping a precious daughter to feel beautiful be an example of Jesus in Konjare? I think it might be a long shot to say the trade was a major event. Still, it is a start. She will have that green dress as a concrete reminder that some Christian girl from America did something for her and her daughter. The dress I got in return will certainly be the best souvenir I could ask for.

Goat Milk and Gratitude

No one ate supper tonight. This evening we went to the service at the church in Shutka. The church there is very proud that God has blessed them with a building of their own. Coming down the narrow streets in Shutka, you see patched up buildings surrounded by trash. Many people sit out on the sidewalks looking like they have been their all day. Just sitting. It is not a very hopeful place. However, we are told that of all the people groups in the world, God has been doing great things among the Roma. The Roma church is very small. There were probably about 40-50 people crammed inside it. I'm not sure what the weather has been like in Texas, but here it feels something like...well maybe the surface of the sun. Seriously. So you can imagine how delightful it was to be smashed into a furnace of sweaty bodies. Still, the people we're so glad to have us. I sat next to my new friend Jessica, who hugged me or held my hand through the whole service. Her little brother grinned at me from across the room like he was up to Np good. Then, the music started. It was something like Baliwood meets mariachi meets worship. I d lidn't know guitars could make those sounds. Despite the tiny space, the choir of 5 had microphones. Clearly this was not enough so the speakers were on full blast while the singers practically shouted into the mics. It was like nothing I have ever seen or heard. Dr Shaw preached mostly in Macedonian. I was able to follow a lot of it. I have been working very hard at language. He spoke about respect. Roma culture places a high value on respect. As Christians, where do we look for respect? The world has lots of ideas, but the truth is that through Christ God has given us honor. We don't need to go searching in worldly things. After the service, we went with the pastor and a few leaders into another room. There, they presented us with a gift. Though they had very little, they had prepared food for us. I knew two things when I saw the milky liquid in cups and strips of bread. 1) I was going to hate that food. 2) I was going to eat that food. You see, some of us have a problem. We find it difficult to give from our heart. Our giving often comes out of our leftovers. The Roma have so little and they were willing to sacrifice for us. For the sole reason that we are brothers and sisters in Christ, they acted. This is a church that takes following God seriously. How do you decline an offer like that. So I ate, and the bread was stuffed (like a lot of the bread here) with goat cheese. The cup was filled with yogurt. Do not be fooled, this is not Yoplait. It is by the grace of God that I and the whole team were able to swallow the indescribable goat milk product that entered our mouths. I am trying not to think about it. As always, so much more happened today. I look forward to getting all my stories down. For now, I have to prepare for a long day tomorrow. There is a lot of work to do. Goodnight.

Super Saturday

So sleepy. We are all dragging today, but glad to continue work here in Macedonia. Today we were at a women's conference at a church here in Skopje. The day felt like it ministered to us more than them. We met so many inspiring women that I don't know how I will tell all their stories. The church was a beautiful example of the family of God. Tomorrow morning we will go back there for Sunday morning service. In the evening we will go to the Roma church in Shutka. Every day we have to know which people group we will be with. Today with the Macedonians was a different experience than our time with the Roma and Albanians. The problem is, I love them all. As I got a little too tired and perhaps a bit weepy., I began to think about all the people I care about. Already, it is hard to be there for all the friends, family, and special people in my life at the same time. I cant even pray for all of them without leaving someone out. Every day we spend here, we meet and fall in love with more people. I realized that I feel the same passionate hope for the lives of my new friends in Konjare and Shutka as I do my own family. The same desire for them to know and follow Christ, the same hope for their happiness, and the same desire to spend more time with them. I know that I will always think of Texas when I am here, and of Macedonia when I am home. I'm just not in the zone to process and retell the stories so far. We laughed, we cried, it moved me Bob. I need to go eat a peach, I bought a kilo of them this morning because language is hard.

Dobro!

Today was another great day. We had the same schedule as yesterday, morning in Konjare and afternoon in Shutka. We have already seen God move in this place. What a blessing to be part of it! There were many more children in English class this morning. Almost all of them were girls. Most of the village boys spend their time playing in the polluted river outside of town. We discussed the roles of men and women in Islam and Dr Shaw suggested that education is one of the only ways for Muslim women to get ahead in life. Many do not have the opportunity. We taught the girls English and they taught us a game. We had sp much fun playing that we missed the time our class was supposed to end. When we went downstairs, everyone we met yesterday was gathered to say goodbye. A woman who was my particular favorite asked me why I did not come to her house today. We joked that I should hide and stay there with her. I almost would. The Albanian people are so easy to love. We have visited them only twice, but my heart stays in Konjare when we go to Shutka. It is difficult to explain what makes them so special. I cant wait to see them Monday. Despite that, the village of Konjare has a lot of battles going on. One of our new friends is a new Christian. He has asked us to teach him Bible lessons. Unfortunately, there are a few radical Muslims in the village who would disrupt those lessons if they heard about them. We have to be discreet. There is also a great deal of spiritual warfare. Many of the villagers are only nominal Muslims, it has no meaning for them. The people are very pragmatic and live their lives doing what works for them. There are some of our new friends who don't think it makes a difference whether you follow God or Allah. Others are willing to accept Christianity, but fail to understand how to accept Christ. Ultimately, the lost need Jesus and the found need discipleship. Even though I love the Albanians, today was our first opportunity to meet the Roma children. That was also a great experience. We were late to the church so there were already kids inside. As soon as we arrived they began to cheer. We split up into groups for games and Bible story. I told the story of creation. There was a lot of noise. Most of the Roma are able to speak Macedonian, so Dr Shaw translated for me. But he does not speak Roma, so sometimes the pastor would translate his Macedonian into Roma. It took three voices to take it, but we were able to bring the word of God to the kids. I really felt God use me today. I know that I would not have done the same quality of story without him. Not gonna lie, I felt a little super hero-ish. Then, something great happened. A few older boys sat in the back with Dr Shaw. In the midst of all the distraction, one of the boys talked with him about becoming a Christian. The boy's parents have just recently come to Christ. We all cheered and told him he was our new brother. It made a perfect and unexpected transition for us to share the gospel, even though we had planned to tell it Tuesday. The whole thing was such a surprise and such an encouragement. I want to sleep so bad. I think I'm not supposed to, because it is 6:00 in the evening. My internal clock is probably going to punch me in the face. These blogs do not come close to doing justice to the things going on. You will just have to keep reading and waiting until I get home. The end!

Konjare and Shutka

My feet hurt, my brain hurts, my face hurts. Now before you get jumping to conclusions, let me clear that up. My feet hurt from walking through beautiful, exciting places. My brain hurts from trying to remember the names of the delightful people we met today. Most of all, my face hurts from smiling. I had such a wonderful day. Even though I probably destroyed my blowdryer, the morning was pleasant. The weather was nice and we walked a short way to a bakery to order some burek, which I believe is the term for bread. Mine had meat and goat cheese stuffed in. Not a bad breakfast. After that, the men went to work on building fences and the women travelled the short distance to the village of Konjare. We met the mayor of the village and his family We removed our shoes to enter the porch area that was covered with rugs and cushions to sit on. The mayor's daughter in law served us Turkish coffee (hopefully there was enough distraction to keep the face I made unnoticed). Traditionally, the youngest son in a family remains at home to care for the parents. After the parents die, the son inherits the house. The mayor has an English library above his home where Janice and I went to have English class with the children. There were about 8 girls and a few boys who joined us. That English class was one of the best experiences of my life. We went over numbers and colors and played games. I am not sure how to explain the contentment I felt teaching those kids. I am quickly falling in love with this country. We ate lunch while walking through the bazaar. It was an amazing outdoor market with all sorts of items. We had some delicious produce while we explored. One vendor laughed at me when I explained that I wanted one tomato rather than one kilo of tomatoes. The prices here are very low. Like many eastern European countries, the patterns and worldviews of communism are still affecting Macedonia's economy. Unemployment is over 20%. We are using denars here. About 45 denars is equal to one US dollar. After lunch, we went to Shutka, a Roma village. The name Shutka literally means garbage dump, which just about sums up the way other Macedonians view the Roma. In fact,finding a local church to partner with in ministry to the Roma several years ago was difficult. Even believers were, at the time, unwilling to put aside their prejudices. The church that we are now partnering with is a Congregational church. I had never heard of the denomination until today. At this point, the Roma church is thriving. It was recently able to move out of a rented house into a building of their own. Tomorrow, Monday, and Tuesday, we will be using that building for kids club with the Roma children. We have songs and crafts and Bible stories picked out for what may ne 50 or 60 kids. We were warned about the stark contrast between the Albanian culture in Konjare and the Roma in Shutka. Still, I am not sure what to expect. Our team is made up of a great group of people and I am enjoying being part of it. We have had such a wonderful time in the day and a half we have been here. There is much more I would like to include, but I could really use some sleep. Thank you for reading!

In Transit Adventures

I still have no wi-fi, so several posts may get clumped together. I want to mention some of the first adventures I have had so far. Although it seems like an eternity ago, we landed safely in London. Our next flight was with Croatia Airlines. Jason (pastor at FBC Tulia) and I sat on either side of a woman from Bosnia. She had lived in London for many years after fleeing war in her country. She was on her way to visit family. Her accent was heavy and I was unable to remember her name, but we managed to carry on nice conversation. When I left my plane food untouched, she nudged me and said, "Eat! ". I couldn't bring myself to do it. The second time she insisted that I eat, she told me I was too skinny and gave me a piece of candy. That's right, I took candy from a stranger. Well, I didn't really want to. It was practically the size of a walnut and I knew I would be sucking on it for the next 7 years. Still, under the circumstances it was the polite thing to do. Wasn't so bad. Minty on the outside, caramel inside. Our plane landed in Rajek (pronounces something like rrrah-yeckuh), but we went on to Zagreb. That only took about 20 minutes. To my surprise, Dr Shaw took us into the city. We ate at a small cafe. I tasted a shopke salad, which has lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, onions, and goat cheese. I tried really hard, but it wasn't my favorite thing I ever ate. We walked around a bit and saw a ton of graffiti. There was not much time before we had to get back to the airport, but I had the unexpected chance to add another stamp to my passport. I'm chowing down on crackers and trying to stay awake. We will land in just a little while in Skopje and go to our hotel. These shoes did not do the job walking those streets and I am looking forward to changing them. Hopefully, after we get our luggage settled and into the hotel we can get a good night's rest. I know that tomorrow has big things in store. As we prepare, pray for receptiveness to the gospel. The community we begin teaching English in is heavily Muslim and has even been under some Al Quida influences. We are not sure if we will be allowed to teach the children Bible stories. Don't be worried, we are quite safe. I only want to be as effective as possible. Now I am cozying up in my very canvas-like sheets at our hotel. This place delights me already. Everybody is safe and sound. I took a very refreshing shower and I'm looking forward to tomorrow. Fun fact, I already have four different currencies with me at the mmoment. Goodnight!!

Ready, Set, Go!!!

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood! This is the day our team heads out for Macedonia. There are 12 members of our team. Right this second we are sitting on the runway in Lubbock preparing for takeoff. I am so glad you are reading along with us! We will go from here to Dallas, then London, Croatia, and finally to Macedonia. Then, the real work begins. We will be serving in Macedonia, Greece, and Kosovo. The men will be doing building projects and the women will work with children and other women. We will be teaching English with the kids. Language classes are a great platform for exposing children to the gospel. We will also hold a women's conference. I am looking forward to sharing with these women how valued they are by the Lord. We will do fingernails and facials, as well as talking about Jesus. Dr. Shaw has been taking a group to this area for many years. Much of what we do will be ongoing ministry. I do not anticipate baptising a thousand people every day. Many of the people in those areas have already heard the gospel. For the believers already in Macedonia, we hope to encourage and disciple. For those who have not yet believed, we are a consistent example of Christ. We will not change our minds or give up. Even if they are unwilling to accept Christ today, we will earn their trust and respect for tomorrow. So far, our travels are smooth. No grand stories to tell. Thank you so much for your prayers and support. Later... I haven't had any Internet so far so the last bit is waiting to be posted. I just woke up somewhere over the Atlantic. In true London spirit I'm having a spot of tea. I'm feeling pretty cozy. What's more, my feelings about the trip are in much better shape. I spent most of the day in a slight panic, to be honest. What will happen when we get there? Will I be able to do a good job? I forgot to learn my Albanian testimony and my carry -on was two pounds over. Eek!! I told Brostuff this morning that I was nervous and he turned up the radio...Despite all that, I awoke (at what I suppose is 2am) to some serious relief. I feel confident that God has called me to go on this trip. I believe that he will give me the strength to do whatever it takes to make him famous. I know that both my family and my church family are proudly waiting for me at home. Lots of people have made sacrifices to make this trip possible for me. I want that to be worth it. Suppose I have so much fun that the last day comes as a surprise? That is my hope. I have the opportunity these two weeks to pursue a call to missions that God placed in my heart years ago. How wonderful is that? Let's do this.

Wrapping Up

Can I brag on my Lord? Can I brag on your kids? Lucky for me, this is the Internet and I can do whatever I want. It was a privilege to be at camp with this great group of teenagers this week. Not only was I able to watch students learn and grow, but I was able to spend quality time with the Lord as well. I did not post on Wednesday, but I had planned to catch up. I wanted to tell you all that major break throughs were taking place. Students seemed just on the edge of opening up. They had begun to really wrestle with the questions we had been asking them all week. But just when I had begun to get excited about Wednesday, Thursday came. During the evening service, Brad left James to talk about Mary and Martha. He suggested to the students that there are 3 ways to respond to Jesus. One was as Judas, who spent time with Jesus, saw his miracles, heard his words and still had no idea who Jesus truly was. The next was as Martha, a godly woman living at the status quo. She wanted to serve Jesus and she completed the duties assigned to her by society. Still, Martha Martha, Mary had chosen what was better. Mary abandoned all sense of propriety, offered the alabaster jar that represented her wealth, future, and family responsibility, and sat at the feet of her Lord. Brad's invitation to the students challenged them to find out how they had been responding to Jesus. He encouraged students to do more than "pray a prayer ". Whether they wanted to talk to a sponsor about accepting Jesus or not, Brad asked them to move. Do something. As the band began to play, the students did just that. Many found their adult leaders to talk and pray with. Others found each other. Teenagers all over the room sat together to pray. Apologies were made, thank yous were said, and community could be seen everywhere. It was a very emotional time. Several of our own students came to their adults for prayer. The most beautiful thing I saw (maybe in my whole life) was the leadership shown by our older youth members. Our oldest boys approached the younger ones like brothers. They slapped them on the back and took them outside to pray. I could not have been more impressed or more proud. I later told these young men that I had watched them become men of God isntead of Christian boys. Aside from the respect I had for them as a sister in Christ, I was overjoyed that one of these boys was my very own Brostuff. Later that night, we had an event called the Concert of Prayer. All the chairs were moves from the worship center and the students were led through various postures of prayer. After the response time during worship, everyone was that much more prepared for intense prayer. We began by praying alone, then moved into our family groups. Last we moved into our church groups. The teenagers prayed for one another and talked about how much they had enjoyed meeting one another. They prayed for their leaders and we prayed for them. The whole experience was so powerful. I was so proud to see our teenagers stepping up to be the church of today, not tomorrow. If there was anything I would ask for as our students come home, it is support. Support from their families, support from our church, and support from the individuals who know them best. In fact, I'm begging for it. These young men and women need Christ-like role models. They need to be held accountable. They need to know the difference between a shallow emotional response and a genuine encounter with God. This means you. I would love to see our young people spark revival through our entire church and even further. Allow yourself to learn from teenagers as you teach them. Be there for them, we are all more similar than we know.

Tuesday, Snow Mountain CO

Happy Tuesday everyone! I am beat. Fo real. Blame it on the altitude or the fact that I gave up physical activity in junior high, but I could really use some oxygen. Luckily, the students are tired too so I can keep up. We have really started getting deeper into the Word by now. We have been working our way through James and talking about putting our faith into action. Both my family group and our youth group are becoming active participants in discussion. They are asking difficult questions and struggling with concepts that most adults have trouble with. As their leader, that thrills me. Questions lead to searching and searching leads to truth. Ultimately, those potentially uncomfortable questions become a gateway to a deeper relationship with the Lord. Today, Brad spoke about James 3 and the power of the tongue. Working our way through the book, James explains the importance of acting on hour faith. Chapter 3 begins to give practical ways to start. Words are so powerful. James knows that if we are unable to control our tongues, then we can hardly hope to be obedient in other areas. Our boys won today's dodgeball tournament (beat 22 teams!!!!). I feel pretty confident about our title's chances in the volleyball tournament tomorrow. We all had a big ol' time at the Redneck Prom. That's all for now. Be home soon!

Suit Up

A big youth camp hello to all of you! I am so proud of our teenagers. We demand a lot out of them for youth camp and they have responded swimmingly. Except at the moment they are, in fact, not able to swim due to lightning. That is neither here nor there. They are having a good time and getting into God's Word like champs. This morning, our speaker gave a message about battles. He explained thatt as children of God, we have an enemy. Our enemy comes to steal kill and destroy. Fortunately, God has not left us without defence. We are instructed in Ephesians 6:10-18 to put on the full armor of God. Most of our armor is defensive. They are tools for resisting the enemy. Only one is an offensive weapon, the Word of God. 2 Timothy 3:16 tells us that all scripture is useful and profitable. Because our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the powers of darkness, we use the spiritual weapons of the Lord instead of the weapons of the world. Brad shared a story out of 2 Samuel. When Saul died, the issue of Israel's next king led to war between the supporters of Ishbosheth (Saul's son) and those of David. A particular battle took place when 12 men from each side were chosen to fight each other. Joab was the commander of David's army and Abner the commander of Ishbosheth's. (By the way, there is in fact a person at this camp named Sky Commander. Who does that?) One of Joab's brothers, Asahel was among those chosen. The Bible says that he was as fast as a wild gazelle. Asahel began to chase Abner. Abner was amazed to see that Asahel had gone into battle without any armor. Twice he warned Asahel to pick up some of the weapons of soldiers who had fallen, but Asahel kept chasing. Finally, Abner plunged the blunt end of the spear all the way through Asahel and killed him. Initially, one would believe Asahel to be completely unreasonable. Was he cocky., forgetful, or just plain crazy? However, when we turn the question inward, things get uncomfortable. If we know that every day that we wake up, a battle is raging, why don't we put on armor? How can we choose every day to go into battle unprotected? Putting on armor once a week at church, or every now and then when we have time isn't going to cut it. Keep praying for our teenagers as they learn to put on their armor. Today's. Silly moment is brought to us by Dusty Prism : Terry : How old do you think I am? Dusty : You're a ninja so no one knows.

Here We Go!

We have safely arrived at camp. We were all pleased to see the rain as we came in. Everyone has had dinner and the students have begun exploring. So far, I think we have a great group. I can't wait to get to know each of their unique personalities. If you're wondering what goes on at youth camp, I'll give a little run down. The campers from all the different church groups are put into what we call Family Groups. A student will do rec, meals, activities, and Bible study with his or her group. They will get to know each other and help each other grow. We hope to see them encourage one another to be active participants in what God does this week. Thanks to technology, I know that some of these family groups will stay in contact for years to come. Campers will also spend time with their own church groups. This is important, too, because those are the people who will be able to support them when they get home. I encourage parents to be proactive. Ask your student what happened at camp. How did God work in your life? Encourage them to stay consistent after the camp high fades. This camp has a neat thing going on. Each camper got a bracelet with the name of another camper on it. They do not know the other person, but have been asked to pray for them this week. I hope that they will be able to find the person on their bracelet during camp and let them know face to face that they are praying specifically for them. That's a quick update for you guys at home. Everyone is safe and sound and ready for a great week. See you all soon!

Youth Camp : Day One

Our grand journey to Winter Park, Colorado has begun. We loaded 13 bright eyed and bushy tailed teenagers onto the bus at 5:30 this morning and headed out for youth camp. Right now this cool thing is happening where we sit in two crowded lanes waiting for traffic to get through a construction zone. Total blast. Not to worry, the campers seem oblivious. They are watching Karate Kid. I haven't heard much out of them so far. I'm surprised to see that the majority of our students are boys. I believe there is a misconception about young men in church. It is often more obvious when girls are impacted by the Holy Spirit. But while emotional responses are typical of girls, this is not the norm in boys. Just because a young man doesn't cry all over you, certainly doesn't mean that God is not working in his heart and his life. I think we will be doing our young men a great service by respecting their responses to God. I have heard many opinions floating around in the Church about the role of men in Christianity today. Some are quick to demand that if men would be the leaders God wants them to be, the Church wouldn't have problems. Personally, I believe this ideology has some serious holes in it. Does that kind of thinking stem from a desire to place blame, or from sincere attempts to encourage our brothers? How can we expect positive results from negative communication? God 's will for the church is that we be united in Christ. Every one of us lived up to our necks in sin at one time. When sin entered the garden, relationships broke. The companionship designed by God between man and woman was damaged and we see the effects even today. But Christ came to fix the brokenness. It is so important that we recognize that the redemption Jesus brought inside us wasn't meant to stop there. Christ came to set right, to bind up the broken, and to give light in the dark places. As Christians, the way we think about and treat other people needs to do justice to the grace we ourselves have received. hold up. The Karate Kid sounds were just replaced by an incredibly cheesy 90's praise and worship station. This has happened at least 4 times so far and I am finding the phenomenon pretty hilarious. You'll have to find it within your heart to forgive that I find Optimus Prime singing Steven Curtis Chapman entertaining. No one else seems to appreciate it either. Not to worry. I look forward to getting to know these teenagers this week and meeting my small group later this evening. The arrival of this week makes my trip seem unbelievably close. After that, it is time to start real life again. Bring it on August! I think I can get a good snooze in before we get there. Peace out, Girl Scout.

Odds and Ends

Macedonia is 7 hours ahead of Texas. Travel will include approximately 14 hours of flight time on 4 different planes. We will leave Lubbock at 12:50pm on July 21 and arrive in Skopje at 10:30pm the following day. Or is that two days? I'm finding the whole calculation very confusing. Either way, a big concern of mine is the fact that our team will be tired from the beginning. If you're praying for us, ask for stamina. I do not yet know what those two weeks will look like, but I am sure we will be feeling the time change and missing out on sleep. Spiritually, I know I should be excited about the opportunity to learn to rely on the Lord when I reach the end of my own strength. Truth is, it scares me out of my mind. Being like Christ is hard work when I feel great. Lack of sleep has rarely brought out my best. Oh well. Time to grow. I wish I knew more. More language, more about the jobs we will be doing, and how on earth to pack for two weeks. We have learned John 3:16 and How Great Thou Art in Macedonian. The language is Slavic (same family as Russian) and makes me feel pretty awesome. The alphabet is different from ours as well. In English letters, John 3:16 goes something like this: "Zoshto Bog go zasaka svetot, shto go dade svoyot edinoroden cin, ta sekoy koi veruva vo nego, da ne zagine tuku da ime vechen zjivot." Macedonians are (understandably) one of the major people groups in the region. They proudly trace their ancestry back to Alexander the Great, though there is sufficient doubt about the claim. Another important group is the Albanians. A majority of Albanians are Muslim, although some are more devout than others We will be arriving during Ramadan. For Muslims, the month of Ramadan calls for strict fasting. Devout Muslims will go the entire month eating and drinking nothing during daylight hours. If I understand correctly, nights are a time for feasts and gifts, sort of like an American Christmas. For us, this means that people are likely to be very tired and sluggish. There is the potential for our efforts to be more challenging under these circumstances. It is my prayer that the festival will raise questions in the hearts of Muslim people. I hope that the emptiness in these souls will encourage them to seek out truth. I am asking God to show his mercy and goodness to lost people. As I think about Ramadan I am struck by the contrasts in a man-made god and the Living God. Trying to make sense of the world, people often bind themselves up in rituals and rules. The Bible tells us that God desires mercy, not sacrifice. Fasting is an important discipline in the Christian life, but its purpose is not the same as that of the Ramadan fast. Islam demands the physical obedience of its followers. God wants our actions to be the product of obedient hearts. Foregoing food can be an appropriate way to help the heart focus its attention and affection on the Lord. Ramadan seems more like spiritual weight lifting to prove one's worth. I don't say these things to be superior. Without Christ, my heart would make up the same lies to help me fill the hole where he belongs. I make these observations hoping that change happens in Macedonia. I don't expect to baptize a thousand people every day. Our trip is part of ongoing ministry in the Balkans. I only hope to be the hands and feet that show the character of the one true God. I hope to strengthen and encourage believers already in Macedonia. Pray for us to have the physical and emotional endurance to love with our actions and our attitudes at all times. Thanks for keeping up with me as we get ready. Look out for more posts!

Testing...one, two??

Hello, hello! Greetings via my new favorite toy, my Kindle Fire! This post is partially a test run to find out whether my new gadget will post blogs. Why must it post blogs, you ask? Well, dear readers, if you are new to my adventure blog, I am pleased to announce my upcoming trip to Macedonia, Greece, and Kosovo. I'll be traveling with WBU's Mission Center for two weeks of ministry. I will be keeping my stateside friends updated through this blog. I am overwhelmed by the support I have already received. My WBU family bought my pumpkin rolls months before I even planned to participate in the trip. My church family went above and beyond what I could have asked of them. I sincerely hope that many of you who have made this trip possible are reading this now. I want to make all of my families active participants in the work God is doing in the Balkans. I am so thankful for your prayers for our team and your time reading my updates. I could certainly say more, but I'll hang onto it. Time to find out if I typed this for nothing...

Family Adventures

           Bloggety blog blog bloggen. It is blog season again! My schedule is delightfully lacking in stress and I have a fair few adventures to relate. The trouble is deciding what order to tell my fabulous tales in. This time, I believe I will share the daring escapades of the Bice family on Sunday afternoon. It is a perilous story of damsels in distress and valiant heroes. I do hope you enjoy.

            Your average Sunday in my house is just that: average. We begin the day with pancakes and church. The afternoon consists of lunch and nap-a-thons. Lately we have been plagued with NBA tournaments, which are tolerated because they facilitate family time. All in all, Sundays are great, just not too eventful.

            This particular Sunday was no such day. Brostuff decided to take Parents and me to Mackenzie Lake. Tour Guide Brostuff hiked us all around to check out the lake’s current state. As kids, we spent hours and days and weeks of time splashing around in our lake. Skiing, tubing, and star-gazing were major chunks of my childhood and Mackenzie Lake was the playground. Unfortunately, West Texas has been very thirsty the past few years. The drought has been devastating at Mackenzie. The water level has plummeted. Today’s hike would have been a swim just one year ago.

            And so we began, pancakes and church finished, we packed up water bottles and headed out. Dad, in camo shorts and ridiculous hat, insisted on bringing a hoe for snakes. The trouble was, he kept poking around in bushes and under rocks, asking for trouble. Luckily, that is not what made the day interesting.

            Fast-forward to the last half of the trip. Mackenzie is set inside a canyon, so the walls make up cliffs around the perimeter. In earlier days, a rounded section in the wall made a sort of open cave with a trickling waterfall. We used to jump off the rocks into the water below. Wanting to check out the almost empty cave, we began a trek down the steep canyon wall to the water below. It was a bit difficult to work our way down the unreliable rocks, but worth the trip. The cave was cool and refreshing after the day’s heat. We even found a paddle we lost years ago. After a while, it was time to head back up.

…….......................................................................

            Well you see…It just so happens…that Princess Mom is deathly afraid of heights. It took convincing to get her down the slope in the first place. As we made our way back up, it struck. Complete panic. Brostuff tried to explain where to place her feet, but she seemed to be at a standstill. Close behind her, I watched her half crawl up the slope. We were about 6 feet from the water at this point. The higher we went, the higher her hysteria grew.  Please understand, folks, that up until this point in history Princess Mom has been the picture of poise. The woman does not crack easily under pressure. And here she is, falling to pieces on the side of a canyon. This is, without a doubt, the most entertaining moment of my life.

            Almost at the top, Brostuff circled around giving advice, Dad pulled Princess up the last steps, and I followed closely behind. By this time, Princess Mom had sunk into fretful whimpers. At the end of the climb, there was a bit of tricky terrain between us and the car, but essentially a short walk. Princess, panting, informed us that she could not breathe. This was understandable, as she had spent most of her oxygen on the whimpers of distress I just mentioned. On a bit further, she sat down, apparently unable to see clearly. Dad, quite possibly in jest, asked if she wanted to be carried. Joke or not, she did. He came to her rescue, attempting to put her on his back. When he told her to jump, he got a wispy, “I can’t.” And so, as shining knights will do, he scooped her up and carried her to safety.

            We later sat in the marina, eating ice cream and laughing about the afternoon. We explored the lake map and talked about the changes in our beloved lake. Suddenly, Princess broke into tears. At our surprise she said, “I thought I was gonna die!”

            She will not appreciate this story on the internet. I certainly hope you do, because I am utterly convinced that nothing more hilarious has ever happened to me. I realize that this post is getting a bit long. I have also thought to myself that some of my blogs ought to give the Jesus angle a rest. And yet, I find it impossible to see any situation of my life without him. Evidence of God is inescapable.  Analogies of his character, his love, and his story are everywhere. He did not fail to show up during the Panic of Mackenzie Lake.

            I could not help but think of the Trinity. I certainly do not endeavor to compare myself or my family to God, I use us only as analogies. In her distress, Mom had three things: a helper, a shepherd, and the father. Though my role was limited, I stood behind her the whole time. I was reminded of the Holy Spirit. God will never leave us. Brostuff mapped out the way. He led her along the path like a good shepherd. Jesus looked on us with compassion, like sheep without a shepherd. His sinless life guides the way, showing us the steps to take. Best of all, the father came to lift her up, carrying her when she was weak. Seeing our inability to save ourselves, God sent his only son to rescue us from the perils of sin. As a side note, as Father’s Day approaches, I am so grateful for a father who consistently shows me examples of the love my heavenly father has for his children.

            I’d better wrap this up or I’ll lose you. Be on the lookout for more posts this summer! Glad to be back!

               

               

Ring By Spring or Your Money Back!

   This is my first article for The Trailblazer, Wayland's newspaper. Enjoy!

         The day is fast approaching. One single day of the year that determines whether “Dun dun dundun” means “Here Comes the Bride” or signals the arrival of the Grim Reaper. Valentine’s Day is both celebrated and dreaded. At a school called Wedding Bells University, the feelings are only magnified. The question is, what does it take? To what lengths does a belle go to make sure the bells ring? Just how does she get her ring by spring?

            Fear not, ladies. Here are step-by-step instructions, never before seen in print. The Wayland Wedding How-to is practically foolproof.

            First, it is essential that you become one of two majors: religion or education. Why? Because preacher boys come with a mission, that’s why. Religion classes put you in direct contact with said boys. Proximity is everything. Education is a close second because the walk to Van Howeling gives the perfect opportunity for him to see a nice hair flip before class.

            About hair, you need some. Lots of it.There’s nothing like long, luscious locks to catch a man. You may need to invest in an alarm clock. The I-just-rolled-out-of-bed look works in the movies, but not so much for our purposes.

            Spending time in the Caf is another fundamental part of acquiring your ring by spring. Think of it as a proverbial watering hole. That is where the action is, my friends. You might even employ the strategy of carrying too many plates at one time. This is, however, a bit of a risk because while it might attract the attention of a suave Samaritan, it has to potential to go downhill fast.

Caf time is not only vital for face-to-face communication with Mr. Ring, but an indispensable source for your next step: the add. Online social networking is key. Every ring-seeking sister must master stalking before going in for the flirt.

After gaining success in all these areas, some find themselves caught in wedding bell blues. They found the man, their Pinterest board is filling up, and yet no ring in sight. Press on my dears, it can be done. The most valuable tool at Wedding Bells is peer pressure. The months following December and May graduation offer a smorgasbord of matrimonial examples. It won’t be long before Mr. Dragging His Feet gets the hint.

The next step on your ring by spring road is to DISREGARD THESE INSTRUCTIONS. There is no foolproof way to snag a husband and the truth is, it is unnecessary. God has a plan for every young man and woman at Wayland Baptist University. When the time is right, that plan may lead into the most beautiful love story ever seen on campus. Until then, college is about finding yourself, not someone else. Embrace yourself, try new things, make new friends, and learn all you can. Toss out that change of major form and take a lesson from our very own Miss Wayland: No hair, don’t care. Beauty comes in many forms and mostly from the inside.You do not need Mr. Right to be the person you were made to be and you do not need to have an admirer to be admirable. Spend Valentine’s Day and every day knowing that ring or no ring, you are worth celebrating.

Yippee!!

     WBU recently had an essay contest to hear about what students love most about their school. Finalists were chosen from every campus to win a $200 gift certificate to the bookstore. The essay the finalists wrote are posted on Wayland Baptist University's Facebook page and are awaiting your votes! The finalist whose essay gets the most votes wins an iPad2! The finalists were released today and guess what! That's right, I'm a finalist. While I would be so appreciative of your votes, I also wanted to share my essay with my non-Facebooking readers. I wrote it for the contest, but I absolutely mean every word. So here it is!

Since I was very young, I felt God’s call on my life to attend Wayland Baptist University. Growing up in Lockney, Texas, I had no doubt that this was the school I wanted to attend. During high school at Plainview Christian Academy, I had the opportunity to take concurrent classes through Wayland. I am now a sophomore studying sociology and Spanish. After Wayland, I hope to pursue a Master’s degree and serve the elderly as a social worker. Wayland has been a wonderful place to reach both my short-term and long-term goals.

Higher education is a privilege that I value very much. I am thankful for the opportunity to better myself in order to help others in the future. For me, Wayland Baptist University is the perfect place to begin my journey. There are many reasons that I chose and continue to love Wayland, but almost all of them boil down to the people. Those who I live, work, and learn with every day have made up my Wayland story and have helped me become the person I am today.

 My fellow Wayland students have welcomed, encouraged, and inspired me throughout my time here. Through Koinonia I began to meet people with similar interests and goals. Dorm life has helped me make lasting friendships with individuals who sincerely care about me. I am continually inspired by my peers. Aside from their great attitudes, so many of our students have extraordinary talents. Through sports, music, art, and so many other venues, Wayland students express the gifts God has given them. I am so proud to count myself among these young men and women and so happy to call them my friends.

 Wayland’s work-study program has helped me not only to pay for school, but also to meet the staff who keep the university going. I have worked in the Office of the Registrar since my first semester at Wayland. It is great to feel that the things I do at work are necessary and valuable. It is even better to work with people who appreciate my help. My work environment reflects the “Wayland family” mentality. We complete our tasks, but we enjoy each other as we do so. My coworkers care about me and support me in and out of the office. My contact with other offices has given me a similar impression. I feel that the staff at Wayland are proud of what they do and happy to help students do their best.

 When others ask me about why I chose Wayland, I often point them to the professors. Wayland’s teachers are a terrific asset to the university. Regardless of department, I have encountered professors who love their jobs and love their students. My teachers know my name and pay attention to my goals and needs. Wayland’s faculty consistently builds relationships with students to help them achieve their fullest potential. The counsel I have received from teachers has given me the knowledge and the confidence to pursue my goals. I appreciate the effort each educator gives to ensuring that their students succeed both in class and in life.

 My Wayland story has many twists and turns and is not yet complete. I have experienced joys and sorrows, successes and failures, good times and bad. Through each of these times, the people of Wayland Baptist University have helped me to laugh, grow, and learn. As I continue my educational journey, I know that I can count on the students, staff, and faculty of Wayland to pick me up when I fall and cheer me on when I succeed. I am so thankful that God has made me a member of this family. I look forward to growing closer to the people who have made Wayland the right choice for me and welcoming new additions as the Wayland family grows.


I am overflowing with more post ideas, dear readers. However, I am not overflowing with time to get them down. In the meantime, check out Wayland's newspaper The Trailblazer (attached to the end of the electronic Baptist Standard). I'm excited to inform you that I'll be writing a few articles this semester!

E'ryday I'm Wasslin'

Sometime between birth and the nursing home, we humans do this cool thing called“growing up”. Some of us get jobs, some grow mustaches, and some run away to the circus. Growing up is tricky business. I count myself among the lucky ones who had siblings to make the process more complicated. My siblings may not know what a big deal they are to me. How could I sleep if there wasn’t someone poking my face?

            I have found that leaving home has been one of the best things that ever happened to my sibling relationships. Nowadays, Brostuff is the coolest kid I know. I save his texts, I tolerate the NBA to spend time with him, and a hug in public makes me feel like a rockstar. I’m so proud of who he is and I don’t even know when it happened.

            Getting to know Seesther again after graduating from our grouchy teenage years has been like gaining a new best friend. This year I became the Seesther-in-law of her terrific husband. Even though he’s a New Mexican, he gets a pass for being the perfect new addition to our family and Seesther’s life. Wedding planning gave Seesther and me the most time we’ve had together in years. We shop together. We laugh together because we are turning into Mom. We cry together when our medication is off. I’ve always felt that she is someone to look up to and someone I never felt pressure to live up to.

            Seesther just moved into a hideous house. I mean hideous. The stenciled shutters make you want to cry before you even enter. Last week, we packed up the car with all the paint that would fit in the trunk and made our way to the Land of Enchantment to see what we could do. The situation was difficult to describe. The best I can say is that this home was painted by a..gardener?...garden fairy?....a garden fairy on acid. Baby blue kitchen cabinets led into a laundry room with a border of clothes pins around the whole room. Underneath the pins was a hand-painted pattern of little people hanging up clothes on a line. Great. If you’re 87 and not looking. The master bath was the color of butter from a mad cow with a hand painted picket fence all around the bottom. The real treat was the hall bathroom.  You’ve probably seen the wooden trellises used outdoors to grow vines and such. The acid fairy decided to paint one teal and screw it to the ceiling. The absurdities of this house could go on and on.

            Lucky for Seesther, her folks know a thing or two about making a house a home. After buckets and buckets of paint, a few nights on the floor, and plenty of goo gone, we left that place in pretty terrific shape. It would be neat if I could give you some home improvement tips, like a step-by-step on how to fill a hole in the wall. However, I mostly stuck to the monkey jobs like priming and, well priming. I’m also pretty good at priming.

            I do think I'm fairly good at bringing a little comic effect to the renovation process. I was, however, topped by the New Mexican on one particular night. Seesther, suffering from the after-effects of Christmas music, explained to all of us that she was "wassling". I believe that in this millenium, the phrase is "Here we come a caroling", but to each her own. My music savvy readers should appreciate the following conversation. It went a bit like this:
M: I'm wassling.
K: You're what?
M: Wassling.
K:Every day you're what?
M: Wassling.

            Whether your house is featured on HGTV or you had a visit from the acid fairy, I hope that in this new year you are able to appreciate each person who makes your house into a home. Humor the ones you need to tell things to seven times before they remember. Do a couple loads of laundry. Maybe you’re getting ready to move back in with a less than delightful roommate. Maybe there are things you can do to be easier to live with. Whatever your situation, remember the ones who got you here. As you make and break your personal resolutions, take time to be a member of your home team.  Remember that home is always inside a hug.

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