Week One: Check

                Today marks one week here in Huntsville, or as the locals say, “Hunts-vle”. It has been very busy! We jumped right in by meeting lots of pastors, directors, and people in all types of ministry in the city. There is an extensive network of restorative justice ministries here, designed to meet the needs of prisoners and their families as they face different stages of incarceration and re-entry. Here at the Hospitality House, we rely on donations to stay open, which the community is faithful to respond to. Saturday we will have a garage sale to raise money so we have been accepting anything and everything. Most of the time, we take whatever is given, use what we can, and pass on the rest to these other ministries. Many of the people involved in restorative justice have been in prison themselves, which is an awesome testimony to the change Jesus Christ has made in their lives.

                After a lot of introductions, we had the chance to go to a release. One of the units was scheduled to release 142 people on..was it Tuesday? It doesn’t really matter I guess… We showed up in our red Hospitality House shirts to wait with the families gathered outside the unit. They were waiting to pick up sons, brothers, husbands when they came out. The atmosphere was tense. When we arrived, the groups were spread out and isolated. These families have found that society blames, ostracizes, and looks down on them for the crimes of their loved ones. They have become guarded in order to protect themselves. But then, something started to happen. A pony-tailed guy on a motorcycle showed up. He stood in front of everyone and began to explain how the release process would go. He told the families what to expect, what to do, and what to watch out for. He talked about the ministries available to the men as they faced this new step. He gathered us all in a circle to join hands and pray. After we finished praying, people sort of hung around. Rather than spreading back out, they began to sit closer to one another. Myriam and I were able to have some great conversations and pray with some of the women waiting. The morning was very long. They had been told to arrive at 8:00am, but hours later were still waiting. The longer we waited, the more people began to talk to one another. People shared tables, conversations, and sometimes a lot more.

                Finally, around noon, the parole officer came outside. We all knew he would talk to each family and then go inside. Soon after, the release could move forward. You could feel the anxiety as the moment some had waited so long for came so close. And then it was time. Dressed in ill-fitting ‘street clothes’, men exited the prison in a single file line. How can you describe the beauty of that moment? A little boy jumping into the arms of his father or families touching their loved one as if to make sure they are real. It wasn’t a time to say, “You deserved it”. It was simply a time to congratulate people on a joyful day.

                In the same instant that some experienced such joy, there was also an element of deep sorrow. So many of the men had no one waiting for them. They marched on, eyes straight ahead, to the bus station. My knees shook when I saw, for a split second, one man’s lip quiver before he forced his face back to an unaffected stare forward. I don’t know why no one was there, but I sure wished that things were different.

                I’m worried that this post will become pretty lengthy, so bear with me. I’m hoping that my prayer partners have been looking forward to an update. I’d really love to hear from you, too! In fact, I have struggled a lot this week. I have so many things that my friends on other missions don’t. We live in a comfortable house with plenty to eat and everything we are used to. Still, I miss my home. I love my family so much and I underestimated the difficulty of being away from them. I miss my friends and the way they understand me without words. I have been sleeping whenever I can. I really need your prayers. On the other hand, God has been so faithful to me. I really relate to Peter lately. He so adamantly insists that he will follow Jesus no matter what and turns around and betrays him. He steps out on the water only to look away and sink. I’m so there. I’m standing here on the water, because I know God called me out here. But the waves rise around me and the wind howls in my ears. But my God is so good. He reaches out to catch me. Peter goes on to be a loud voice for the Lord. I know that with the help of my Savior, I can press on. I can walk through this time and come out victorious. He is teaching me to need him, to spend time with him, to be intimate with him. I rejoice in the difficult times and I ask for more because God uses them to make me strong.

                One last, critical thing: We finally had guests! The weekends are busy times. The House was packed Friday and Saturday. There were a couple of families that spoke mainly Spanish. I tried my best, but Myriam really took over in the translation department. We had tons of kids, too. I had a blast with them. Some of them came from loving families, while others were not so lucky. All of them were thrilled to have my attention. We played games and did puzzles and stayed up too late. I tried to emphasize how very smart they were and point out their best moments. I meant it, too. One of our second graders did almost an entire 300 piece puzzle on his own! I was so happy when a regular volunteer showed up to do art with the guests. She teaches art and has done a lot of study in art therapy. The little ones drew funny faces and colored their names. The adults did an altered book project. She showed us some examples of how giving a new life to an old book can be a healing process. One of her own projects was filled with memories and pictures of her sister who she lost to cancer several years ago. Some of the guests really got into it. I started a book and decided to tell the story of this summer. Right up my alley!

                I’ve washed a lot of sheets, made a lot of biscuits, had a couple meltdowns, and met a ton of people. I drink a lot of water and the frozen yogurt place has changed my life. My skin loves it here! I’m baby soft. I may die of a nosebleed when I head back home in August. Thank you for reading and praying. Please pray for me to be emotionally healthy, but also know that I'm moving forward! Hope to hear from lots of you!

Getting Started

I have journaled quite a bit about orientation and the first few days that I intend to post. Right now I'm updating from my phone because my computer is acting up and I am too tired to care too much. So I'll keep it short. Orientation in Dallas went well. We got lots of really valuable information and I was able to see two of my very best friends before taking off. My partner, Myriam, and I are off to a great start. We have different personalities but the same love for sharing Jesus with others.  Here at the House we are working on getting the hang of things. Our room is very nice and I'm glad to be on the kind of mission trip where you get hot water and a comfy bed. There is a lot to do each day and there is not really a "typical" day around here. Everyone at the House has been friendly and happy to see us. We won't have any guests until this weekend, but today we had a work crew of inmates come to the House. We were up early to make a big breakfast, loaded with things the men don't usually get to see. We prayed together and then shared a meal and great conversation. Some of the men had clearly had a life-changing encounter with Christ and are working towards a new life. By the time we cleaned up and tackled a few other tasks it was time to make lunch. Things didn't wind down til around 5:00. Then we went to a Wednesday night service at our director's church. We had the chance to hear a testimony from a man who had formerly been incarcerated. I was so blessed by his story. Not because he was an eloquent speaker or because he had a thrilling story. In fact, you could see he was no professional. The reason his testimony was so fascination was its complete focus on the work of Christ. In essence, it was simple. He used to be broken and the Lord made him whole. He made a commitment to obedience to God and his life was blessed as a result. Not a prosperity gospel, just the evidence of God's love and provision.

Of course I don't want you to think that I came to Huntsville and now I think all prisoners are the bomb. I know the justice system is important and that there are consequences to our choices. What I am seeing here is the redemptive power of God in the lives of believers. There is no one too far away for the Lord to find him. And once he does, the Church has room to receive a new brother or sister. The man who shared tonight is now linked up with other men to stay accountable. Believe it or not, many of these men are law enforcement officers. The very people he used to avoid are now his closest allies. With man, that kind of bridge is unthinkable. But nothing is too hard for God!

 Our job here won't be prison ministry. We probably won't know the details of our guests and the crimes their loved ones are incarcerated for. We are here to serve them in a safe, judgement-free environment. We meet needs because we follow our master's instructions. We love because he loved us. I'm glad we were able to see another facet of God's work here in Huntsville. Maybe the insight we got today will help us to be even better servants when we meet our first guests this weekend.

Prayer Update

     Huntsville is getting very close! I leave on Friday for orientation in Dallas. We will leave from there the following Monday. By we, I mean my partner and I. She is from El Paso.  She and I will be living and working together this summer at the Hospitality House.

                This post is to update my prayer partners. I am so thankful for those of you that will be praying for us and the people we will be serving. Prayer is so vitally important. There is nothing that we can accomplish outside the power of God working in us. Even better, there is nothing we can NOT accomplish when he does! Here are some suggestions for things to pray about:

 

                                Safe travel to Orientation and the field

                                Good relationship with my partner

                                Obedience to God

                                Physical and emotional health

 

I also encourage you to check out the House’s website. http://www.thehospitalityhouse.org/support-us/ways-to-pray Here is a link to their list of prayer requests. You can look around and see what they are all about and even see some pictures of the House. Looking through this makes me want to dance around. I am so excited! There are so many things about this job that make me feel well-suited to serve in this way. Pray that I am able to use the talents and skills God has given me without getting prideful. I want to serve with humility and gentleness. I need to learn to give God credit.

                I’m gonna go out on a creepy limb here and give you my email address. I would really like to hear from my prayer team throughout the summer. katie.bice@wayland.wbu.edu If I didn’t ask you to be on the team, but you’d like to anyway, let me know! If you have any questions I’d love to clear them up. If I did ask you, thank you for following through. I chose people who have been instrumental in my life. If you are excited about me serving as a summer missionary, you are probably part of the reason I am.

                I really have to wrap up. It’s time to peel potatoes. Hooray for one week at home! Two hoorays for no more caf food!!  #dormproblems

No, Mom, of course it wasn't a school night....

     I was already in bed, pajamas on, winding down for the night. My phone told me two things: 1) it was midnight 2) Valerie was calling. Before the word "waffle" was out of her mouth, I was out of bed and putting on shoes. And so begins another late night journey to Amarillo for Waffle House.

     Plainview has an IHOP. It's open all night and is frequented by hungry, nocturnal college students, especially during finals season. But Waffle House is on an entirely different level. The entire experience is much more than nighttime snacking. Five of us pile in a car and take off to satisfy some of human beings' most pressing needs. It is something like escape, freedom, familiarity, independence, hanging your head out the window and turning up the music. And hope. Waffle House nights mean that this isn't all there is. Not Plainview, not college, not this year, not myself. Life isn't about waking up on time and doing what you're supposed to do. There is magic in every moment.

     Chocolate chip waffle with a lot, a lot of chips. The cute old lady taking our orders knows exactly what this means. Holy deliciousness, Batman. You see some strange folk in the night at Waffle House. Next to a truck stop. And the jukebox makes for a sort of musical roulette.

     And then we came home. And how does this even matter? And am I seriously going to relate things to God again? Come on folks, have you been here at all?

     He made us for community. He made us for abundant life. He made us for ADVENTURE! The Christian life was never a safe life. We can be so content going about our business and then going to church and lather, rinse, repeat. We accept IHOP as all there is. Sometimes God does pretty cool things in our lives but that is the exception, not the rule. I don't want that! I don't want a life that tastes like cardboard! I want to follow Christ into the world. I want to jump out of bed when he calls and do whatever it takes to go where he is going. I want to meet the strange folk. That's what he did.

     It's ok to have a home, a routine, a pancake. Put your life in a box if you want, but leave the lid open. Besides, God can't be in a box. Climb out and experience him for real.

Next Stop, Huntsville!

Good evening ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to my small corner of the interwebs. I’m feeling extra bloggy tonight so let’s get going!

I see that some of you have received your GoNow letter from me! Of course, you read about my plans for the summer, but for those of you who haven’t checked your mailboxes, here is a short preview. I have applied through my school’s BSM (Baptist Student Ministry) to be sent as a GoNow missionary for the summer. After a long process of applications and interviews, I have been appointed to Huntsville, TX. Huntsville is home to some of Texas’s largest prisons. From May 18 until August 14, I will be staying at a hospitality house designed for those coming to visit loved ones in prison. This ministry takes a special interest in “the other victims of crime”.  The house provides lodging, meals, and spiritual support for families dealing with the incarceration of their loved ones.

For me, this means cooking, cleaning, answering phones, and doing whatever else needs to be done to help things go smoothly during the week. On the weekends, I get to spend time with the families and build relational bridges to Jesus. The temporary loss of a family member to prison can cause major strain on a family. During this difficult time, I will have the opportunity to talk about the hope found in Christ and the transformation he can bring to anyone who asks. Over and over in my own life I have seen the Lord bring a beautiful and joyful ending to a painful story. I love that I will be participating in God’s transforming power in Huntsville.

Know what else? There are a truckload of kids who desperately need Christ to change the trajectory of their lives. Check out these stats http://emu.edu/now/peacebuilder/2011/03/justice-for-children-whose-parents-are-in-prison/ . Without the ministry of the hospitality house, these children are on a path toward the same choices their parents have made. Through loving on these kids, we can teach them how to make their own positive choices. The house emphasizes keeping these children in school, a factor that decreases the likelihood that they too will end up in prison. These kiddos need to know that they are valuable creations of God and that he has great plans for their lives. And if I have anything to say about it, the time that they spend at the hospitality house will be a blast!

I don’t know if it has come across…but I’m excited!!! It is getting hard to concentrate on school, but these last few weeks are pretty important. In other news, I woke up this morning and told this day that I owned it. It belonged to me and it would be great. I should do that more often! It’s been a long and lovely day and I feel the kind of healthy tired that tops off a day. I am sure that I planned to say more, but I am anxious to get this posted.

Long Time No See

How very behind I am! I need to get back up to date so I can start posting GoNow updates. For the moment, here is a piece of my application for summer missions. We were asked for 2 experiences that give good insight about us. This is really close to my heart. I am becoming more and more aware of how many people experience depression. What was once a painful topic has become a wonderful ministry tool. Here is a bit about that:

About one year ago I came to a place where I needed to admit that I was struggling with depression and I needed help. Since starting college, depression and anxiety had been slowly creeping up on me. They began to show up more and more, straining my health, focus, and relationships. Prior to this time I felt that depression was a sign of a deficient faith. If you know Christ, then his joy ought to fill your life. Anxiety implied to me a lack of trust in God. When I began to feel these things in my own heart and mind I became very troubled. Had I failed God? Was I doing something wrong? Fortunately, my family was very supportive. They encouraged me to see my doctor. I began taking an anti-depressant and saw almost immediate results. I felt more like myself than I had in months. It seemed that I had a chemical imbalance that could be adjusted. However, after several good months, I began noticing bad signs again. I became nervous, overly sensitive, and spent most of my time asleep. I thought the problem had been fixed. I was hesitant to admit that it was back. I thought God had used my medicine to heal me and now things were going bad again.

The same inadequacy I had felt before plagued me. I returned to my doctor and increased my dosage. The experience sounds like a dark time for me, and at points it was. However the consistent factor in all of this was God. He never left my side when I asked difficult questions. His word confirmed to me that his work on the cross was sufficient for me. He would never change his mind about me based on failure or success. When my depression robbed me of enthusiasm, he assured me that he had created me for a purpose and that my life was going somewhere worthwhile. I began to understand that this was a trial in my Christian life, not an indication of some failure, and that God was able to see me through. I gained empathy for others experiencing depression and a desire to minister to them. Today, I still take my medication and have begun seeing a Christian counselor. My depression and anxiety are manageable. Still, there are times when I rely heavily on God’s help and comfort. Because of my constant need for him, my prayer life has exploded. I understand the faith of the men in the fiery furnace. My God will deliver me, but even if he does not I will praise him. If God takes away this struggle from me, I will rejoice in his healing. If he does not, I will rejoice in his love in the midst of it.

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.