It is the eve of a new year

Wow... in a few more hours it will be 2006... So what did I do on the last day of the year 2005? I went to France with my friend Jamie. :-) We drove up to a castle that was closed for security reasons... not sure what that was about....
And then we went into a great little town below it called Reaubville... and had coffee at a little shop, a chocolate croissant at a Chocolatiere... I am probably butchering the spellings of these french places... Oh... I asked the waitress a the coffee shop if she spoke English... but I asked her in German... good grief!

So, after a bit of touristy time.. cameras flashing... we drove back to Kandern. And we had a lovely dinner... Wow... it is sure more fun to cook when a good friend is here to enjoy it with me! And now a bit of down time before going to play card games with some friends. Then I suppose we will actually attempt to see some of the fireworks that are going off all around. And then to sleep...

I am excited... I have the opportunity to lead worship at the church I am attending tomorrow.. New Year's Day. May God get the glory and may my voice hold strong.

Happy New Year!!!!!

Boxing Day/St. Stephen Day

So, today is day 3 of Christmas here in Germany... Now to a girl from America this is a rather odd thing... 3 days for Christmas???? I am used to the commercials on TV raging about how great their after Christmas Sale is going to be. I am used to crazy people getting up at 4 a.m. on the 26th to be the first in line for their favorite store's sale. Crazy people! yes. Mind you, I think I have been part of the crazy people crowd a couple times in my life... but not being a huge fan of shopping malls... I quickly lost any excitment for that tradition.

So, here I am in Germany and it is Boxing Day/St. Stephens Day. I decided to look these up to find out why I get another day off. :-)

From what I could find... Boxing Day originated in the UK and St. Stephens Day originated in Ireland.

Boxing Day (from wikipedia)

There is much dispute over the true origins of Boxing Day, but one common story of the holiday's origins is that servants and tradesmen received Christmas gifts from their employers on the first weekday after Christmas, the day after the family celebrations. These were generally called their "Christmas boxes." Another story is that this is the day that priests broke open the collection boxes and distributed the money to the poor.


And from numerous other websites....

St. Stephens Day is after the first martyr Stephen who was stoned to death.

also from wikipedia:

St Stephen's Day is also a popular day for visiting family members. A popular rhyme, known to many Irish children and sung at each house visited by the mummers goes as follows:

The wren, the wren, the king of all birds,
On St. Stephen's Day was caught in the furze,
Up with the penny and down with the pan,
Give us a penny to bury the wren.

Interesting eh? And it started snowing this evening... lovely big flakes that pile on top of each other and cover everything very quickly. Gorgeous!!!!!

I had a good Christmas and my friend Jamie is coming to visit in a couple days... I am almost giddy with excitement. We will drive to Slovenia to visit some dear friends and I will also get to see my "sister" Bekah. It has been too long Beks!

It feels like home...

So... My flat finally feels like home... maybe because I have things on the walls... I painted a picture to go over my dining room table.. and that helps... So.. here you go photos... :-)

a package!

So, this morning I got up and made my way to the shower. Just as I was about to get in the shower, my doorbell buzzer rang. It kind of shocked me.. you know when you are not expecting something... that kind of shock.

Well, it rang and rang, so I picked up the receiver... no one there. Then it rang and rang again. I finally pushed the button to let whomever it was in... since they seemed so desperate. They came in the front door and then the buzzer rang and rang again... ARGH! I called out.. moment Bitte! threw on a more decent shirt and opened my door... No one was there. WHAT????? I was confused... and then I heard a man down below saying something about ein paket... I said, WAS?" sounds like vas. :-) He said "Package for Melissa Wright."

Good grief! So i go down the three flights of stairs and yes.. indeed a post man was there with a package for me. from my dear friend Amy. I got very excited. He kept exclaiming that I had no socks or shoes on and that I was standing on marble floors... very improper in Europe.

anyway, he spoke pretty good english so everything worked out and i bid him farewell, "Tchuss!" and took the package upstairs.

Oh the wonders that did delight my eyes upon opening said package! 2 People magazines, and a couple cooking magazines, 3 different types of Brownie mix, several packets of hot cider mix, instant jello, instant pudding.... wow.. yeah... and more. and the most wonderful Christmas card from my dear friend!

God is good!

I wonder who has my old number...

So this past week I had the random thought of, "I wonder if T-Mobile gave out my old number yet?" I had the number for about 7 years and so many of you had the number memorized.. it is a little strange to think that it belongs to another person now.

Anyway, an answer to my question came yesterday morning in this email from a friend. I am withholding the friend's name, :-)
***************************************
Okay, so I tried to send you a text message to see if it works, I only
texted:
"Hi, it's me, let me know if this works"
so I just got a phone call from a young-ish sounding guy, saying yeah, you just texted me, but I don't think I know you... He just got his phone yesterday with your old number. I told him that people are probably going to be calling him often, since he has just inherited the "most popular girl in the world"s old cell phone number and he laughed. I told him you had moved overseas, but that there were many people that might call him in the future since you had lots of friends, and were very open with giving out that number.
******************************************

Anyway, it made my day. And I even thought... hmmm.. maybe I should call or text him and tell him thank you for being so nice to my friends. :-)

Office parties...

Well... We had our Agape Office party last night... and I have been sick so I was kind of out of it. I went home at 10p.m.! Crazy...I know. It was, however, really great to see so many people who I have come to know and care about in one room. I could look around the room and know that these are quality people because I have had the privilege of seeing their hearts. Okay, not the literal heart... but the very core of them which drives them to do what God is calling them to do! I sat with the Athletes in Action crew. .(AIA) that group has become a second home to me. Jamie Weatherford... think of it as how your office was to me when I was at MBC. Great people... not that my own office is bad... far from it. I am very blessed. Anyway, enough rambling... here are some photos: Adrienne and I-she is working with AIA for the World Cup (Soccer anyone?)


And here are Brad and Scott-AIA guys. Of course these are not the most flattering of photos but what do you get when Brad takes my camera and starts shooting...


And here, last but certainly not least... is my friend Maria. She is the head of finances for Agape

Where I have been

well... last week... I went from snow to palm trees and sun.... Austria to Southern Italy...












And then to Rome, Italy...yes folks.. that is the coliseum... and that is me standing outside of the coliseum


































And this is the Vatican in the distance... over the swollen river...there are concerns of flooding in central and southern Italy due to the tremendous amounts of rain.

changing weather

So, on the 22nd I took the first photo and on the 25th I took the second photo... note the difference. :-) That is the view I have out of my bathroom window.. .amazing. The 25th is also the day I drove to Austria... never have I driven through so many snow storms... but it was beautiful!

This weekend

well, this is the traditional Thanksgiving weekend for Americans. Here in Germany, the Americans have Thanksgiving celebrations on any day around the week when they can gather with others who want to celebrate. :-) Me? I am gathering with the a couple friends, German/French/American. :-) I am making a couple pies.

Then, Friday morning I will get in a car with my co-worker Riitta (she is Finnish) and we will drive to Salzburg, Austria. We will explore Salzburg on Saturday and go down to Spittal (where I lived before) on Sunday and return to Kandern on Monday.

And next Wednesday I fly to Naples Italy to encourage a team of students working in southern Italy. and then to Rome for the weekend.

yep... I am traveling a lot. hope to post photos when I get back from it all. :-) for now... here is a photo of a stream that runs through town and that I walk by every single day.

Birthdays

So, today a co-worker took me to lunch for HER birthday... Sabine is one of the receptionists here that I have clicked with. She is great! She leads a gospel choir. :-) love it! German's singing Kirk Franklin. They do pretty good. Anyway, today was her birthday and she asked me last week if I could join her for lunch today. I was very honored and of course agreed! Then we went to lunch, had a lovely chat over some really good Italian food and then she paid.. I was shocked. I said, "I should pay for you!" she said, "no.. it is MY birthday!" So apparently, the tradition in Germany is that you pay for your own birthday celebrations... which is one reason they only have big parties on the 10s... 20, 30, 40, 50. Interesting eh....? :-)

My living room...

ok.. I bent to the pressure... here is a photo of the living area in my flat. I am making pillow cases for the remaining white pillows. :-)

Kandern down below

Well, here I am sitting on a hill that overlooks Kandern. That cement was very cold. :-)

France

So, I have been thinking a lot about what is happening in France, that happens when you live in Europe... things in Europe are more important. A state of emergency has been declared for all of France because of the rioting and fires and such. We have a team of young adults in Paris and in Toulouse. They are both in areas where these things are happening heavily. A co-worker received a photo yesterday taken by a man he knows in Toulouse. The photo was taken out of his front window. He wrote with the photo. "It is hard to go home when your streets are full of fire."

The nearest rioting is about 40 minutes from where I am living. It is subsiding now, but still going on. If you click HERE you can see a timeline of what has happened.

Could you take moment pray for the people you know in France and those who need to know Christ.

Musings...

Have you ever sat in a meeting with headphones on so you could hear the translation of the speaking in your own language? I did last night. I went to a Willow Creek type church in a nearby town. One of the men I went with was the English translator for the evening and all of us who did not speak German sat in the back row with headphones on so we could hear the translation. It was a strange feeling. But I really enjoyed the church service. They apparently have a seeker-friendly service on Sundays and church "members" service on Thursday nights. It brought up a brief discussion on the idea of seeker-services...

After the service we all went to Switzerland for some Starbucks coffee. It was nice to go to a big city and sit outside with new friends and drink coffee. The man translating in the service is Christian... and he is a Christian. He is German, married an amazing French woman and they have three children. He is working with Athletes in Action to work with the World Cup outreach that is being planned. ANYWAY....all that to say... he is good friends with a guy who works with my brother Matt and when he is in Portland, he goes to the church where my friend Jeremy is the worship leader. My world is getting smaller by the minute.

And I know that you all want photos of my place... but I don't have my container yet.. so I don't have it all put together. :-) so you have to wait... I am so sorry. :-)

I am moving...

:-) I move to my new flat on Monday... well... I begin Monday. Tuesday is a holiday so I won't move so that I do not offend my new German neighbors... so hopefully Monday I can recruit some helpers to move some items so that Tuesday I can arrange and organize and figure out what I am missing. I already know that my container will not arrive on time... I will be borrowing some important items in the meantime... towels are a good thing to have....

So, if you want my address:
Papierweg 8
79400 Kandern
Germany

if you want to send gifts, letters.. you know... or if you happen into town and want to surprise me. :-) I usually like surprises...

and soon I will have a land line... er for those who don't know what that is... it is a telephone line that is not mobile... :-)

murder mystery dinner party...

So, Saturday night I found myself taking on a character in a murder mystery dinner party. pictured here you will see all of the participants... I happened to be playing the woman whose husband was murdered... we all had a motive.. as it turned out. I had been having an affair with the guy behind me and did not want my husband to know, the girl beside me was engaged to the brother of the girl in blue on the couch but he was killed in a missile attack as a result of missiles my dead husband had sold to the terrorists. the girl in the middle back row was the estranged sister of the guy on the couch and they were about to make a merger with my now dead husband's company... anyway... loads of fun. loads of interesting twists and turns... if you ever get a chance to be part of a murder mystery dinner party... don't turn it down. :-)

Something silly I got from my friend's blog

A photo from the ruins with me in it... just so you know..... there is about a 20 foot drop right behind me... it was a bit thrilling and scary all at the same time.

So my friend put this thing on her blog that if you do a google search for "your name needs" as in Melissa Needs or Bekah Needs or Andy Needs... got it.. and then list the top ten things listed that follow... it is pretty humorous...


1. Melissa needs maintenance manuals
2. Melissa needs attention and will do things for attention
3. Melissa needs to board the blob ship that is hovering overhead
4. Melissa needs athletic promotions
5. Melissa needs someone near there who will work with her today
6. Melissa needs to plug the holes
7. Melissa needs to increase her votes from 25% to 50%
8. Melissa needs a shoulder to cry on
9. Melissa needs your help to understand tar
10. Melissa needs to toughen up.

hmmmm... very interesting. ... Now you try it. :-) what does google say you need?

Two firsts for me here

So, I just had to share... It rained today!!!!!!!!!! :-) Now it feels like Fall has arrived.

and

I had schnitzel this evening in a genuine German Straussi.. not sure if I spelled that right. But these places are open for only about 4 months of the year and will close by the end of this month.

Burgruine Rotteln

So today I had the opportunity to go to a town nearby to this place. :-) It was a lovely hike to and from the ruins with a stop at the beer garden in between.

Do you know how precious it is to me to get an email or blog comment from you?

So last night I was suddenly struck with how much I am already and how much I am going to miss my friends. It was a Thursday night. My norm would be to call some friends and see what is going on, or call and make something happen. Or I would find an open coffee house and do some reading. But instead I was feeling very alone in a small town.

There is a peace that pervades these feelings in my soul. I know that I am where God wants me to be. I know that the process of being part of the normalness of other's lives takes some time.

"Perfect submission all is at rest. I in my Saviour am happy and blessed"....words to the song that is currently playing on my I-Tunes. How good to be reminded.

I also had some time this morning to be with the women from the Bible Study that meets every other Friday. We met for breakfast this morning and then we went around and shared and prayed. It came to me, and I, with unwanted tears in my eyes said where I am at in the transitioning stage. The women there are all in various stages of this transitioning and it was encouraging to have them come alongside me and pray.

And the Lord blessed me with some comments and emails from some of you. Thank you for reminders that you think of me and miss me and are excited for me. :-)

Kandern from a Hill

Today we had one of the 2 days of prayer that the Agape office has each year. It was so good for my heart to pray for the ministries that Campus Crusade has in the world. It was a blessing to pray with these people I am working with.

After the day of prayer, I took a short hike up to a steep hill. :-) I about passed out...but it was so worth the trek.

I have luggage!

yes.. my luggage arrived Thursday night. It was a blessed sight.

Today I went to a women's Bible study. I am so grateful for this opportunity to get to know some of the women here and to be challenged to grow as well.


And... I had my first afternoon in the office. I am excited about this!

yep. just a quick update. :-) I should really get some photos up.

I have arrived...

So, you want the story? :-)

Keep in mind, I started with one hour of sleep under my belt.

I got to the Portland airport and after 1/2 hour in line I got up to the ticket counter. Guy-yes that is his name. Guy was the agent helping me. So, Guy helped me pay the money for 1 over weight bag. And then Guy informed me that in order to fly into Switzerland, I have to have a visa or a return ticket...of which I had neither.

After about 20 minutes of discussion over this point, Guy called the Swiss embassy and they told him I was fine to go as I was... no visa needed. Praise the Lord!!!

Then, because I had a one-way ticket, I was flagged for all the extra security screening you could possibly imagine. Do you find that when you have packed a bag the most carefully that then they have to take it all apart for screening? I do. :-) But the great thing... the screener doing the wanding on me, asked me why I was moving to Germany. When I told her, she got a big smile on her face and began to remind me that God is watching me, that He knows what I need-so it doesn't matter if I think I have forgotten something important, and that the Holy Spirit is reminding people to pray for me.

Wow... that was amazing. A huge blessing! God is good.

Then, I sat next to the granddaughter of the man who started Boyd's coffee. That was fun.

Then in Atlanta I made it to my flight just in time time to hear my section being called for boarding. Whew.... I sat next to a guy on that flight who was going to India for 3 months. He is a medical software programmer.

Okay, so I get to Paris... I am in the second to last row on the plane and I have 1/2 hour from landing to boarding my next flight... yeah... I missed the flight.

So, I am put on the next flight out, 3 hours later. no problem... and the airline gave me a voucher for a meal. I had a french bagette with mozarella and tomato and some tea. Lovely.

But, guess what? October 4th... was a nation worker strike day for the air traffic controllers. So my 1p.m. flight was pushed back to 3p.m. ... and then at 1:30 p.m. they boarded us and we left at 2p.m. I slept most of that 1 hour flight.

I arrived in Basel, Switzerland.... no baggage. Poor air france staff... they had a lot of irate people to deal with. The guy taking my info, said that he had 200 people without luggage that day. So I was really nice to him and he gave me the nicest overnight bag I have ever seen. Someone later told me it is the kind they give to first class travelers. He told me he was giving it to me because I was so nice. hmmm... a kind answer turns away wrath.

So, that is the story. I got to the Holladays. I love them! and I got a shower, ate some amazing soup and was in bed by 5:30p.m. I slept until 6a.m. :-)

Leaving, on a jet plane. Don't know when I'll be back again.

Seriously, my life is changing.

To all of you who are praying for me and who are supporting me financially. To all of you who have helped me pack and clean and lent me vehicles and done shopping for me and planned get togethers.

THANK YOU!!!!

If I have not been able to say goodbye yet... I hope to see you at Good Shepherd this weekend, or at my goodbye open house on Sunday. If you want to come to the airport... I fly Monday on Delta Airlines at 8:15a.m. So I will be at the airport between 5:30 and 6:00 a.m. and I plan to go through security aroung 7am...ish.
:-)

The Decision....

I am proceeding as planned.
Monday Oct. 3rd. 2005, flight leaves at 8:00 a.m.


I am amazed at how God has provided this past week and I know He will continue this week. I am in need of about $400/mo.

What does this week look like for me? CRAZY!!!! I do not think I have pulled any all-nighters since college. Remember those nights of tests and papers... yeah... So pray for me. :-)

I will be sorting, storing and packing.
Anyone know the best way to ship a bicycle from Portland to Kandern?

I will be getting a haircut from the wonderful hairstylist that I have used for the past 7 or is it 8 years.. If you need a good hair person.. Cindy Nizinski at Highland Hair Design. 503 661 7473 ext. 119 (181st and Powell)

I will be spending small amounts of quality time with dear friends and family.

I will be continuing to ask people what God has put on their heart regarding financial support.

I will be on worship team at church this coming weekend. And will be commissioned as well this weekend.

Oh.. and one more important detail for you...
A goodbye open house on Sunday (2:00-5:00 pm)
At my Mom's house: 19106 NE Hoyt, Portland, 97230

It would be great to see as many of you as can make it!

NEW Link on the right

So I added a link on the right of this page... can you find it? :-) Someone suggested that I put a link on here for anyone who would want to join the team that God is putting together for me support. So... there it is. :-)

Today I am in need of about $600/mo. I am asking God to provide at least half of that today for me to know that I should go ahead with leaving the 3rd of October.

Decision Time

Well, I thought it might be good to let everyone know who reads this blog.. that I need you to pray for me this week.

At the end of the week I will make a decision (based on my support level) about whether to push out my leave date or to keep it as is.

As of this moment, I am in need of about 700 more dollars a month in support. I am on a mission this week to find out what God has put on people's hearts regarding supporting me.

700 dollars... or 7,000 dollars... it does not matter, God is bigger than the dollar amount. And I trust that if He desires me to be here a bit longer, than that is what He desires and I am pretty sure it is for a good reason. :-)

So, please join with me in praying that God would make it very clear what my next step should be. Should I pack next week and leave on the 3rd? or should I leave a couple weeks later and work on support more next week?

Someone menntioned to me that it sounds like money is the main objective. That made me sad... cause the main objective is that I am where God wants me when He wants me there. I am excited to pour into the lives of the young people who are working on the campuses of Western Europe! God is doing some amazing things there!

When God Directs

Here is a photo of the living room in my new flat

So I have been thinking about the way that God has directed me and the things that have led me to this point of my life. I like to do this from time to time because it shows me on multiple levels why I need to trust God.

Going back just over a year ago... I was in a depression, first and hopefully the last one of my life. A huge part of it was dealing with some very irrational fears that I have lived with since I was a young child. Along the way I decided that I needed to get out of the country to get some perspective. So I contacted my friends in Kandern Germany.

I had met the Holladays in the summer of 2001 while co-leading a team of college students over to Lithuania to work with Campus Crusade in the capital city of Vilnius.

So, I make preparations to visit the Holladays in Germany and along the way someone they know asks if I can bring some medicine over for them. I was happy to oblige.

While there, 1st day of the trip, I was introduced to Jesse and Tricia Marcos; 2nd day of the trip, I was introduced to Deb Heefner. Deb gave me her card with the words, "I need an assistant".

Looking over the week of time that I spent in Kandern last December, I see how God was preparing me.

While in Colorado recently for a week of training/preparation, I had the opportunity to sit down with Deb Heefner again. In that conversation we both were struck with how God had been directing us to that point. She, to offer to someone she had just met to be her assistant and me to know immediately that I am supposed to do that.

Also that week in CO, the Holladays found me a flat. My getting the flat is somehow connected to the friends of theirs for whom I brought over the medicine.

I know that there are multiple other things that God has used in linkage to me being here at this moment. But it all makes me 100% sure that I am going in the direction that He is leading me.

What I am doing

So, I am in Eastern Oregon at the Eagle Crest Resort. Last chance for my family to all hang out together. I am so grateful for this time.

It has also been a time of processing and sorting out all the ideas in my head. I have lists now of things I need to do, things I need to pack, things I need to purchase, people I want to spend time with, people I need to contact about support. Lots of lists. :-)

And here is something else I am processing: Is is faith if we "give God an out"? For example, if I pray that all my support will come in, but I tell people that I will leave on October 3rd only if that is when God wants me to go. --does that just mean, I am giving God an out for providing by then or does it mean that I truly believe that God is all ...the end...the beginning...the master and provider in His timing. What do you think? Does that even make sense?

Last day of work

my last day of work is tomorrow...

My 3 years at Multnomah Bible College have been a blessing. It is amazing to be around people who have a passion for the work of the Lord. I had that at Good Shepherd too. How do I deserve such blessings? No.. nothing I deserve... just the mercy and grace of the Lord.

God has deepened friendships in my time here and begun new friendships. I keep having that song from Outdoor School days going through my head... "make new friends and keep the old, one is silver and the other gold." and the next line: "a circle's round, it never ends, that's how long I want to be your friend."

I get amazed by the friends I have. And as I leave Multnomah, I know that I am taking some people with me in my heart that would not be there if God had not led me here for work. Praise to the Lord!

Training...

Well.. end of the first week of training my replacement... My replacement is my friend from high school Donna Hurl.... How often do you get to catch up with a friend by training them for your job? She is learning well. :-)

This is all part of the change process... I am saying good bye to more people and places and friends these days. It gets harder and harder.

I am also excited... cause this is a good change. :-)

Trusting God

Well, I just got back from the Campus Crusade Training. I am SO excited. I spent my time getting to know the teams that will be in Western Europe. I am ecstatic to know that I have the privilege of investing in their lives these next couple years.

I felt a couple confirmations from the Lord while I was there. 1-I got the flat.. I have a place to live now!!!! 2. I connected with a lot of girls and I got more clarity as to what my role will be in Western Europe.

There are currently 134 full time staff working in 32 countries to reach 16 million students. Somehow that does not seem right. I am excited to go and be a part of this. I am excited about the doors that God is opening up in Western Europe!

So, I came home tonight and I have 2 more weeks of work. Please pray for my focus. And please pray for my support. I am in need of $1200/mo. to be able to leave on October 3rd. (which is the date on my plane ticket.)

Trusting always.

I have a flat!!!!!

not a flat tire... but an apt in Kandern... wow.. I am overwhelmed... I am so excited!!! just wanted to share... :-) this is the building it is in.. third floor

What we think about God

To qoute A.W. Tozer:

"What comes to your mind when you think about God is the most important thing about you."

What do you think of this quote? Post your thoughts... I want to hear them... er.. uh... read them. :-)

Training

I am at STINT briefing for Campus Crusade this week. In Keystone Colorado... yep.. breathing hard... drinking lots of water.. I am not used to this high elevation. :-) If you are reading this, please pray that I would be rested and refreshed this week. And pray that my support would come in. To the Glory of God!

My cousin Lisa

So today I met my cousin Lisa for coffee...well... I had coffee.. she had a cold slurpee/smoothie type thing that reminded her of an Orange Julius. :-) Good stuff. Anyway, We spent over 3 hours hanging out and talking. I just want to say... It is not often you find a good friend in a cousin... but I have found one. I love Lisa. and I love how God is using she and her husband to minister to hundreds of kids of all ages through camps, church, work... amazing.... lucky kids!

I've been Tagged....

So, my friend Tre came into work today and asked me if I saw that I had been "tagged" on his blog.. "no..." I replied... "what are you talking about?" So he proceeded to explain to me what it was all about.. His friend Hutch.. who I don't know.. tagged Tre.. for a book meme.. yeah.. not sure what that means either... anyway... it is kind of cool.. so I am complying. :-) What it means is that I answer some questions about books I am reading or have read and then I "tag" others at the end....

hmm.. sounds suspiciously like a chain letter.. only it is a chain blog.. wait.. back to the point at hand.

So.. to the questions:

Number of Books I own: I am not sure.. who besides Tre actually counts all their books? I know that I have 4 medium sized boxes of books packed to ship to Germany. And I have two more boxes that I am leaving here. And another 2 boxes worth that I put on a book shelf in my temporary bedroom at my mom's place...

Last Book I Read: J.I. Packer's- Knowing God. I read it during lunch today. No.. not the whole thing... It is the book that my girl's group is going through... incidentally... we are called Leafy... long story... but it really fits. :-)

Five Books that Mean a Lot to Me: 1. Bible 2. Fern-seed and Elephants-C.S. Lewis... a collection of his essays on Christianity. 3. Strong Women Soft Hearts-the first book that Leafy went through.. good stuff. 4. Tales of the Kingdom by David and Karen Mains. 5. Tales of Resistance by David and Karen Mains.

4 and 5 were books that my brothers and I got when we were in our pre-teen ages.. and they still mean a LOT to me. :-)

Okay. now to tag 5 other people.

Bekah Tucker-my amazing friend who is in prague as I type...

Alison Gentry- cause she keeps up on her blog and would have some great stuff to say...

Lisa Russell-a missionary to Venezuela... has a heart bigger than the whole country...figuratively speaking of course...

Ian Durias.. cause he would also have some great answers...

and the 5th person I know with a blog... Aimee B. She has a really great blog... lots of pictures about her knitting. :-)

Another friend leaving on a Jet Plane...

yes.. my dear friend Bekah...

She is leaving tomorrow to fly to Prague. If I was not flying to Germany two months later, I think I would be more sad. So instead, I am sad for the changes that are happening. So far this summer, my friend Allison got married; my friend Sara moved to Burundi, Africa; my friend Jodi moved to Costa Rica; I moved out of the apt that I shared with my friend Annie; and now Bekah is leaving. Whew... feels like a lot sometimes.. but the great thing... i know we are all pursuing the Lord and that it is His leading which is taking us these directions!

So... Bekah... hang on... Lord willing my support will be in and I will be moving to Europe just 2 months behind you!

David Klinkenberg

www.davidklinkenberg.com

Check out the website of this fiddle playing man. So fun and so glorifying to the Lord! I love that God gave us music and laughter and that the two can go together. David does both.. amazing musician and great humor.

Mary Kay Clearance Sale

Okay.. so some of you may not know this.. but I have been a Mary Kay consultant for just over 7 years now...

What??? Are you serious????
:-)
Yes. I am serious. (ah.. the things you learn about people when you read a blog...)

And now that I am moving to Germany I need to make a change.. I am not quitting .. but rather I am taking a sabbatical from the business.

I need to clear out my shelves of most of the Mary Kay product before I move to Germany as I am not able to sell it from Germany...

So... I am having a clearance sale...

If you are in the Portland/Vancouver area... I can get products to you.... so read on! :-)

From now until September 1st. If you purchase any items with a total purchase of $130 or less, you will receive them at 40% off. If you purchase a total of $131 dollars or more, I will gladly reduce the total by 45%. Just think of the possibilities!!! :-)

I will include, free with your purchase, any sample sizes, sponges, etc... that I have instock to go with your purchase.

The way this will work best is as follows.....

:-) email me a list of items that you would like to purchase, I will see what I have in stock.. don't be shy.. I have a fairly large inventory. I will then let you know what I have, along with the total cost minus the discount and we will figure out a good time for me to deliver the product and collect payment.

If you need a more current list of items available.. please let me know. If you are looking for something that you used a long time ago and would like to have some more of... let me know. If you want to try something new.. let me know. :-) I am sure I can accomodate your needs.. at least I will try. :-)

I am excited to help you purchase some products you like at reduced prices and I am excited to clear out my boxes and I am excited for an opportunity to put some money toward my time in Germany. To God be the glory!!!!

Garage sales

Okay.. so it has been forever and a day since I put on a garage sale.. and I don't think I can confidently say that I have ever done one on my own... but I find myself, this weekend in such a state...

So, hopefully the things that we are clearing out of my mom's house, and the stuff that I no longer need will all sell.

Here is to good weather and lots of interested parties... :-)

Trusting God

So this past weekend I was really struck with how much or how little I trust God in certain areas... more specifically... am I afraid to ask for "too much" from Him? Ridiculous...I know... you cannot ask too much from God. God is bigger than anything I can imagine. He owns everything. He rules everything.

This means that it is not too much to ask God to move in the hearts of those who should be joining my support team. The funny thing is.. I know the joy and challenge that committing to support a person prayerfully or financially can be... it can be hard! It is always good....always a growing experience.

And as the one being supported... it is a growing experience for me. It is humbling to me that others would be praying for God to use me in mighty ways. I am in awe that others would trust God to use their finances to further His work through me. Wow...

So, yeah... am thinking about how big my faith is... I trust God. I know He is in control of all time, all place, all resources.. but do my actions align with my heart. They should. they really should. I should not be afraid to ask big! and then to believe.

Laughter

So tonight I and my dear friend Bekah (who is moving to Prague in less than 1 month) went to Comedy Sportz! I always forget how much fun it is until I go again.. and laugh almost non-stop... laughter is good. If you do not know what Comedy Sportz is.. then you need to check out their site.. click the link. http://www.portlandcomedy.com/ Good, Clean, Hilarious!!!!

And a member of the team since 1998 told me tonight that I was his favorite.. of course he says that to everyone.. but funny thing is.. he has been my favorite since 1998! fun times were had by all....

It was just what I needed in the middle of some crazy times. :-) I get to be in the wedding of some very special friends of mine this weekend. And I get to see a great friend from Phoenix, AZ this weekend. And Monday I get on a plane and fly to San Diego, CA to visit my grandparents.. who don't know I am coming...

Oh.. and my best friend Amy.. is coming back to the states soon!!!! very soon!!! I am so excited!!!! :-)

Grace

I have been thinking a lot about grace and forgiveness... there is a lot of power when those are extended to someone who has sinned against us.

What is our immediate reaction when someone has wronged us.. or when we feel that we have been wronged? What would happen if our first response was an offering of grace? Isn't that what God extends to us every moment of our lives? And if we are to be followers of Christ... shouldn't we also extend grace? What is the pain we feel when we have been wronged.. compared to the pain that it must be to God when we even think a wrong thing?

I am not saying that we should not be pained by sin... sin causes pain. But I wonder if that pain could be carried to the cross, laid at the feet of the One who died for sins and grace offered instead of revenge or hatred or bitterness. "Twas grace that taught my heart to fear... and grace my fears relieved... how precious did that grace appear.. the hour I first believed."

May that grace always appear precious to me. It really is amazing... grace is undeserved... it would not be grace if it was deserved.

The 229th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence

I am heading down to Redding, CA with my delightful friend Jamie to hang out with her family for the 4th of July weekend.. I hope you all have plans to have fun, relax, ponder... anyway... here is something else to ponder...

As we celebrate...Here are 10 trivia questions for you (thanks to my friend Tracy and The Dallas Morning News ^ July 3, 2004 The Dallas Morning News Staff):

1. Which three presidents died on July 4?
2. Which president laid the cornerstone for the Washington Monument on July 4, 1850?
3. What was the title of the 1969 Broadway musical, written by Sherman Edwards and Peter Stone, that told the story of the founding of the United States?
4. What city in the American South fell to Ulysses S. Grant and Union forces on July 4, 1863, after a short siege?
5. What twin advice columnists were born on July 4, 1918?
6. In one of the wildest baseball games of all time, the New York Mets beat the Atlanta Braves, 16-13, in how many innings on July 4 (and 5), 1985?
7. When was the Stars and Stripes authorized by Congress as the national flag?
8. The flag has 13 stripes. How many of them are red?
9. Francis Scott Key wrote the words to the Star-Spangled Banner after witnessing what?
10. Where and when was the first 50-star flag flown?



Answers...

1. Thomas Jefferson and John Adams (1826) and James Monroe (1831)
2. Zachary Taylor. He became ill with cholera that night and died five days later.
3. 1776
4. Vicksburg, Miss. It came a day after the Union victory at Gettysburg, marking a turning point in the Civil War
5. Ann Landers and Abigail Van Buren (real names: Esther "Eppie" Lederer and Pauline Phillips)
6. 19 innings. The game ended at 3:55 a.m., and the Braves then fired off their Independence Day fireworks, leading many local residents to believe the city was under attack.
7. June 14, 1777. This date is observed as Flag Day.
8. Seven.
9. The bombardment of Fort McHenry
10. Philadelphia, 1960

The end of an Era

My friend Bekah just mentioned again that this in the end of an Era.. or shall we say it is the end of a chapter in the book... cause the end of an era sounds so final and with a book there is a possibility of a return to what once was... I like to think so anyhow...

So, all my things are out of my apt.... weird.. and now they are in the hallway and living room and family room of my mothers place... soon...there will be a return to normalcy. :-)

I was more than blessed by some dear friends who helped me move. Allen, Kristin, Sam, my dear brother Matt. THANK YOU!!!! And it made me begin to think about being thankful and wondering how I can express deeper thanks.. still working on that one. :-)

Here is to Good Friends!!!!

This Week In HealthNutrition and Lifestyle News: Good Friends Promote Long Life

What are friends for? The latest answer to that perennial question is “to help keep you alive longer.” Researchers in Australia recently published results of a 10-year study showing that having good friends is even more important than family for a long life. At the outset of the study, the researchers asked nearly 1,500 people over the age of 70 about their contact with children, relatives, friends and other confidants, including their spouses. After tracking the participants for ten years, the investigators concluded that while close contact with family members – including children – had little impact on the risk of death, a strong network of friends reduced the risk of dying. Compared to seniors with the weakest network of friends, those with the strongest ties were 22 percent less likely to die during the course of the study. The researchers speculated that, among other things, friends may exert a healthy influence on smoking and drinking and other health risks.

The study was published in the July, 2005 issue of the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.Source: Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, July 2005

We had a terriffic thunderstorm tonight... and only God could produce something so beautiful as this double rainbow in colors more brilliant than I have ever seen, in the midst of high winds, pelting rain and crazy dark clouds that literally enveloped the blue sky... 

Busy life

So, my friend Sara left on Wednesday for Burundi... wow.. I miss her... it was also weird to think that soon I will be going through those airport goodbyes and I will be the one going through the security gates while my friends and family watch. We watched Sara all the way through until she went to her gate... and then we lingered longer. I was telling another friend this week.. I did this 10 years ago.. but I think it is harder this time because I have deeper friendships.

I have a friend from Switzerland staying with me this week. Karen is a lot of fun and I look forward to being closer to her town (Zurich) when I move.

I am packing to move this month! Crazy... but yes.. the apt I share with my friend Annie is slowly looking less liveable and more boxy. :-) I am moving in with my mother the end of this month. I leave in 3.5 months... time has flown.

Well.. I will leave October 3rd.. if all my support is in. Once again, I am learning new things about faith and trust.

The photos below

Well... so the photos are so if you were not able to be at my birthday party... you can feel like you were there. :-) It was fabulous!

Counting

I was counting because it looked like more candles than were necessary... and I was right.. there was 2 more candles. :-) I think it took me 4 or 5 times to blow them all out... what does that mean?

More wonderful friends. :-) 

I have wonderful friends! 

My two brothers

I love my brothers Matthew and Michael very much... Matt is the one on the left. Mike is the one who looks scared.. he wasn't .. he and yeah.. all of us.. are a bit on the odd side now and again. I love that we can be goofy and serious together! Matt was taking all the photos at my surprise party.. thank you Matt.. now I have the memories for forever

National Leave Work Early Day.. for real!

Seriously.. someone mentioned that today was National Leave Work Early Day.. so I decided to Google it.. sure enough!
http://www.expertclick.com/NewsReleaseWire/default.cfm?Action=ReleaseDetail&ID=9030

Birthdays...

So. I turn 30 today... Does that mean I am automatically smarter? Wiser? :-) maybe not... I do know that I was very SUPRISED last night when I walked into what I thought was my traditional family birthday gathering to find some of my nearest and dearest friends all sitting at the table..

I was wonderng last week why my phone was so quiet... Needless to say! I love my friends! And WOW.. my family.. they were good.. my brother Matt even called me the night before and played like it was all normal.. good grief.. am I losing my ability to read people and figure things out or are you all just really good liars? :-)

I will probably post a photo of two of the time here when I get the photos.. it was definitely memorable...

I got the Ticket!!!!

So.. today I sent a check for my one-way ticket to Germany.... Wow... I leave Monday October 3rd. :-)

Gotta love the Frosty!!!

Okay.. so I am not a huge fan of fast food restaurants... but the Wendy's Frosty will always be a favorite... and check this out!!!!


This weekend Wendy's is giving away free, cool and creamy Jr. Frostys. Icy-cold, chocolaty refreshment, absolutely Free. No coupon needed. No purchase necessary. Just come in and say "Free Frosty". A "please" would be nice, but not required either.Available in the US, its territories and select international markets. At participating Wendy's while supplies last. Limit one per customer. Friday, May 13th through Sunday, May 15th.

Thanks Alison Gentry for bringing this fantastic offer to my attention!

My friend Sara is moving to Burundi.. in Africa!!!! 

My friend Bekah is moving to Prague!!!! 

My friends who are moving across the world before I do.

Yes.. my friend Sara is moving to Burundi, Africa in about a month... and my friend Bekah is moving to Prague, Czech Republic in August... We are being scattered to the ends of the earth! that is the hard thing about having amazing friends.... We get used in amazing ways in amazing places.... and we cling to the Lord!

Music Links

So today I got an email saying that my friend Marc Peter has a new version of his website.. it is great! And it made me think.. maybe I should tell my other friends about why I have Marc Peter and Jeremy Thom music links on my blog....

Marc Peter and I became friends while working with the college group at my church. And Jeremy and I became friends... cause he and my brother are really good friends.. and have been since.. hmm.... early high school... or maybe later high school.. not sure which.. but then Jeremy and I worked on a worship ministry together with many of our friends .. good times....

I thoroughly enjoy both of their music. And things I enjoy.. I want to share....

why do we have titles?

so.. yeah.. the last post.. is REALLY long.. if you want to wade through it.. great! :-) if not.... I understand. :-) I just really wanted to put out there why and where and when Germany. :-)

Kandern Germany and Campus Crusade

Ten years ago I was visiting some missionaries in Austria with my mom, while there they asked if I would come back and help them. My job was to be an administrative assistant to the husband as he was leading the small and growing church. I was very excited and I came home, prepared, raised support and went. I was there for six months and God changed my life and grew me up. Those six months gave me a small taste of real missionary life.
yeah... 10 years ago... I feel old

So, in the past 12 plus years I have experienced many aspects of missionary life. Because of these opportunities I have had a heart that was and is very soft to the work that God is doing in the eastern and western countries of Europe. Over the years I found myself not drawn to any one country.. .but instead toward the missionaries and nationals who were working in each country. I fell in love with taking college students on mission trips. Seeing a student’s eyes opened and their heart softened by the people and culture that they encounter is one of my greatest joys.

Some of my favorite memories over the past 12 years are the times with a student while in-country as they wrestled through what they were experiencing.
Working with DELTA ministries gave me my first insight into the importance of good training and debriefing for a team or person of a mission trip. It has been a blessing to my heart to be able to be the one who "understands" the difficulty that a person has upon re-entry.

I went to visit my friends Rick and Mary Beth Holladay just after Thanksgiving 2004. They are with a ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ called Crescendo... Amazing ministry. While there I met Deb Heefner and Jesse and Tricia Marcos. Deb is the Western European Campus Facilitator for Campus Crusade and Jesse, along with his wife Tricia, are the STINT partnership coordinators for Europe. About 10 minutes into my first time meeting Deb, she handed me her card and told me that she needs an assistant. My first thought? "Oh great. Someone else who has a wonderful plan for my life." :-) But over the course of the week with the Holladays in Kandern, Germany, the thought sat heavy on my heart.

The whole week it felt that God was calling me to think more seriously about this offer. I talked to Deb at the end of the week and we both realized that God was prompting us each in this situation. She and I have kept in communication since then as we try to put this all together. I have talked to and prayed with and asked for prayer from many dear, and wise people in my life. Each person, though sad at the thought of me leaving this area, has had incredible and immediate peace that this is where God is taking me.

I too, can sense that God has me in this place of life for this reason. I look back over the past years, from my experience with the college students at GSCC, to my experience overseas, to my various roommates, my various jobs, my ability to pick up languages fairly easily and the ease that I have in traveling and entering new cultures and I see how these have all prepared me for this next step.

The actual job description as Deb and Jesse and I have discussed, is as follows: Part time administratively assisting Deb and Jesse in the Area of Affairs Campus Office located in Kandern, Germany. This would include logistics and planning for conferences, travel coordination, organization and tracking of CC growth in Europe, and anything else I can do to make the office more effective and organized. The other part time would be helping to track and care for the single STINT women in Europe.

This is the perfect blend of the passions and the skills that God has honed in me. And it looks like the blend in me of details and people is the perfect blend for the need. My various experiences in Europe have prepared me to not be shocked by too much while living and traveling for this job. I am blessed to be able to have this opportunity to fill a much needed position with this incredible team of people.

I am committed to being in this position for 2 years.. At the very least. And I have no doubt that God might just call me to this longer term. I see that this is a very strategic ministry and I would love to be a vital part of it. I will be fully committed to the ministry while I am there and I would expect nothing less.

Links at the right...

So... I love random things... You really need to check out the Bubble Wrap link...

the beginning

well.. here it begins...