All For HIS Glory

Reflecting

2010-01-29T23:23:00.004+02:00

I haven't updated my blog in over a year and half..... partly because it is too painful to remember life in LT and how different my life is now. Don't get me wrong, I know I'm where the LORD wants me, but that doesn't negate the fact that my heart often grieves serving in LT...or just serving in the capacity; to be doing full time ministry.

God called me to go and tell and now He has called me to stay and tell. I'm figuring out what that looks like; figuring out what it looks like to be a missionary to my own culture. To bring my real life to my real world.

I woke up this morning to the wind blowing on my face and it smelled like spring in Lithuania. When I became fully coherent, I was disappointed to realize I wasn't really there and memories came flooding in. Memories of walking down Laisves Aleja as the tress are changing, and flowers are showing their first appearance after a long dark colorless winter, talking to students about life. Or walking around the university campus with the warmer wind blowing, praying for a revival to take place and for the students to experience true freedom for the first time.

It's mornings like this, where I have to look at my tattoo and remember LT really did happen, even though most days it feels like a dream. I got my tattoo on the year anniversary of being back from LT. It says, "Nepamirsk" which means "don't forget" in Lithuanian. It reminds me to reflect and remember how God worked in LT and in my own life. How I'm not and never will be the same person I was before LT, and hopefully some students, as well. To remember that God is faithful and that He is good and that in the darkest moments of my life, He will be there and He will heal the wounded and broken places.

To remember to tell of His good deeds, and to ultimately remember He is not done with me. He still has great plans for me.....here.

Deuteronomy 4:9 is also apart of my tattoo which says;

"Only take care and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them know to your children and your children's children."

So today Lord, I am remembering.

Thank you for choosing me. Thank you for calling me. Thank you for using me. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for saving me. Thank you for hearing me. Thank you for changing me.

To YOU be the glory forever and ever.

My room right now!!!!

2008-06-17T18:09:00.003+03:00

Ahhhh! I think the way I organize things is through chaos! I am packing right now and my room looks like it was broken into and havoc was wreaked on it! I thought I would share my methodizing skills with you:

Room in Progress....

2008-06-17T18:00:00.004+03:00

My room has went from being to a mess to being a disaster to complete chaos!
Here are photos of the process:

And it begins...

2008-06-09T15:35:00.004+03:00

Now it is time to start the packing process...
Today's project was the office. I wish I had a before and after picture, but I just have an after picture. Hey! That's a good idea.. I will do before and after pictures of my packing process!! (Since I struggle with ideas of blogging, this will at least be a good 3 or 4 blogs! Yah for you! I know you are excited.. you just can't hide it!)

Okay, I realize you have nothing to compare it to, but trust me, it looks empty, sad, and lonely. It has lost its homey feeling.... hmmm.....
more to come later!

Lithuanian Staff Retreat

2008-06-09T15:12:00.005+03:00

Last week , all of the Lithuanian Agape Staff went on a retreat to a really small village. We stayed in a log cabin and ate homemade Lithuanian and Russian food! Hmmm... tasty goodness.
It was great to be able to spend some quality time with the Vilnius team and praise God together for all that He has done over the years. We also had devotion times in the morning where each person shared about how God has worked in their life and how they've seen Him use them this last year. What a precious time to hear more of peoples hearts and to be reminded of God 's goodness!

Then at the end of the week it was just the Kaunas team. We spent time debriefing as a team the last couple years. It was a time of laughter, tears (mostly on my part!), and reflection. This time will forever be cherished in my heart....

Agape Lithuania

Having some fun with statues

Chill'n

Breakfast

Playing a fun game Tiana introduced us to

My amazing team!!!

A park with big kids toys!!

The girls

Good-Bye Partay.......

2008-06-09T15:03:00.004+03:00

On June 1st, we invited all the students that we have meet over the last couple years to an open house goody-bye party. It was a laid back party which was great after a busy week! We could just sit back and visit with the students and reminisce over good times.

Sharon & Agne

Jason (being himself) & Joel

Edgaras & Matt

Gabriella & I

Devidas, Tiana, Aman

Not a fan of Goodbyes....

2008-05-27T14:53:00.005+03:00

The last couple weeks have been emotionally draining to say the least. Don't get me wrong, it has been great being able to meet with students and have that last "intentional" meeting, but I don't like saying goodbye. I'm more of a , "see ya later" girl, but it is really goodbye this time. Lord willing I will see them again one day and we will be able to worship our God together forever.. what a glorious day that will be..

Here are some photos of my meetings the last couple weeks:

Sonata, Me, Catherina

Simona & I

Sandra, Gintare, Zena

This is an old photo because I forgot to take a picture!!!
Vaida, Tiana, Me, Ausra

ETA

2008-05-20T13:08:00.003+03:00

Thought I would let you all know that we arrive home June 24th!
It is hard to believe that our time here is almost over and that it has went by so fast! However, it will be great to see family and friends again!

Piece of Cake

2008-05-13T13:08:00.005+03:00

I was hanging out with a student today and she said the cutest thing!
I thanked her for hanging out with me and she giggled then said, "It is like if you ate a piece of tasty cake and it said thank you for eating me."

I have never been compared to a piece of cake, but it was a sweet (haha) compliment.

Things I Like.......

2008-04-14T11:09:00.004+02:00

I realized that my last couple posts have been about things that are different between the States and Lithuania. I don't want you guys to get the impression that I don't like this culture. I have come to love Lithuania and Lithuanians and our differences. I have learned so much from them!
So I thought I would post about some of the things that I like and enjoy that are different from the States!
-I like the fact that the grocery cart's wheels go in all directions, making it possible to push your cart sideways.
- I appreciate and value Lithuanians honesty, there is usually no pretense.
- I like that you have to ask for your bill when you go to a restaurant because it is considered rude to bring it to you before then.
- I like the way the Lithuanians drive. (this took some getting use to, but now I like it!!!)
- I appreciate the fact that they are a relational people
- I like that when I order coffee it comes in a mug. (at first this was hard)
- I like having to walking everywhere.
- I like that when you go to someones house you take off your shoes and they usually have a basket of slippers for you to wear.
- I like how they dress, everyday wear would be considered dressy for us North Westerners.
- I appreciate the fact that when you go to someone's house, you bring a little gift for them. It can be as simple as a candy bar, but it is just a way of showing appreciation. If someone does bring something, it is proper for you to put it out for everyone to snack on.

Uhhhh... Is that what I think it is?

2008-04-14T10:18:00.003+02:00

Sharon and I were having coffee the other day (at my favorite coffee shop!) and another cultural difference was brought to mind. It is not bad, it is just different. However, I am still surprised every time I see it. So, it is very common for woman to leave their babies outside in their stroller while they go into a store or restaurant. While Sharon and I were at the coffee shop, a woman came, parked her baby outside and came in to get coffee. This lead Sharon and I into a conversation about cultural differences and how certain things are acceptable here that in the States would not be. To be honest, when I saw this for the first time, I was horrified because this contradicted everything my culture taught me about the proper way to care for a child.
But it is normal here and is a conventional way of caring for a child. Like I said earlier, it is not bad, just different.
I would love to hear any cultural differences you may have experienced or stories about interacting with another culture. :)

Cultural Organizational Methods

2008-03-31T14:29:00.003+02:00

I went to the grocery store today and I had everything that I need except mayonnaise. I went over to the condiment/canned goods isle to get it. I walked down the isle and didn't see any mayonnaise, but there was mustard, ketchup, salad dressing, BBQ sauce, and soy sauce etc. I thought, "Surely this is where the mayonnaise is. " (I have only bought mayonnaise one other time here and it was over a year ago.) So I walked down the isle again. It still wasn't there. Now, when I first came I was really frustrated by the way that the grocery stores organized their food products. Like the baking yeast being with the jello or how eggs and milk are not always refrigerated. However, I have gotten use to this. But in my mind all condiments were and should be together. I had no idea of where else to look so I started wandering around, reminding myself that things are in different places here. I walked down all the isles (all 5 of them!) just in case. I ended up back down the supposed "condiment" isle. The mayonnaise had not magically appeared, unfortunately.
So I meandered over to the refrigerated products area. I walked down the meat isle and next to the meat was the butter and I thought, "That's weird. Butter is suppose to be by the milk." Then I looked next to the butter and there was the mayonnaise above the packaged herring! Go figure! I should have know! (????)
That is my random story and a glimpse into daily life here AND the small differences between cultures that we usually don't even think about.

Linksmių Velykų!

2008-03-22T21:49:00.008+02:00

I hope you have a wonderful Easter, celebrating Jesus Christ victory over death and his glorious promise of eternal life for all who believe in Him!

His resurrection symbolizes the eternal life that is granted to all who believe in Him. The meaning of Easter also symbolizes the complete verification of all that Jesus preached and taught during His three-year ministry. If He had not risen from the dead, if He had merely died and not been resurrected, He would have been considered just another teacher or Rabbi. However, His resurrection changed all that and gave final and irrefutable proof that He was really the Son of God and that He had conquered death once and for all.

THANK YOU, JESUS!

Day with the Lord

2008-03-22T21:09:00.002+02:00

Me at my favorite coffee shop

Yesterday was our monthly Day with the Lord.
I wanted to be intentional about my time with Him, to plan a special day.
So I decided to go to some of my favorite places in Kaunas and enjoy them with Jesus.
The first stop was my favorite coffee shop. I spent a couple hours journaling through the first part of Psalms. What stood out was David's passion with and for the Lord. Their relationship that is displayed through the Psalms made my heart long for that type of relationship with God. David was passionate when he was angry, even at God, he was passionate when he had heart-wrenching sorrow, he was passionate when he was happy and praising God. I want to be this passionate with and for the Lord. I want to have an ongoing heartfelt love affair with Jesus.
Then it was lunch time so I went to Pizza Hut and listened to a Podcast about why the Gospel is worth enduring for. It talked about striving to make the Gospel central in my life. To strive to make it the driving force in all that I do and striving to see the power of the Gospel poured out into the world. The Gospel is worth enduring for because our Lord is the triumphant Messiah. Our Lord is the victorious promised one. It is also worth enduring for because it's message is the power of salvation! It will change lives and bring people to eternal salvation. After lunch, I walked around the mall listening to another podcast, praying, and listening to a special playlist I created for my day with Jesus.
I look forward to this day every month. A day where the only thing that is on my agenda is to meet with Jesus, to listen to him, to get to know more of his heart, and to read his word. That is a great day in my book! :)

Lover of My Soul......

2008-03-07T16:05:00.004+02:00

I have the most wonderful bride in the world because...

...you are a gift me Me; I’ve had my eye on you since before the world was created. I knew you were Mine, and I could hardly wait to have you (Ephesians 1:4)

...you let Me into your life. You are so much a part of Me that it feels as if you are My own body (1 Corinthians 12)

...you’re so beautiful to Me that I can hardly take My eyes off you. When I look at you, I can’t find a single stain or blemish-I can’t even find a wrinkle (Ephesians 5:25-27)

...you come from a great family. I know there’s royalty in your blood (1 Peter 2:9)

And, by the way, I think your Father’s the greatest.

- Lover of My Soul: Delighting in God's Passionate Love
By Alan D. Wright

What am I willing to give my life for?

2008-03-03T20:53:00.006+02:00

This is something that I have been asking myself lately.

I once heard or read that a man has not truly lived until he has found something worth dying for. (paraphrase mine. If you know where this came from I would love to know!)

I have been thinking about the aim of my life.....

I have come to the conclusion that I don't just want to live the "American Dream." I believe there is so much more to my life then getting a great education, more then being successful, more then my happiness and comfort, more then my wants and desires, and more than accumulating material possessions. There is nothing wrong with any of these in and of themselves. I believe God delights to bless me with many of these. It's when I make more of them then I ought to; when they take the place of Christ in my life.

I want to live for something great. A purpose far bigger then me, a legacy that will last after I go Home.

I have decided "there is nothing greater to give my life away for then the Glory of God and the mission of God in the world." (Jeff Olson-Coram Deo Fellowship.)
Where ever the Lord calls me, whether it is to the villages in Africa or climbing the corporate ladder, I want my aim in this life to be bringing the Good News and love of Jesus Christ to every person that I come in contact with. I never want to loose sight of this.

A friend from Bible School is at New Tribes preparing to go be Jesus' hands and feet to the world and she wrote a blog about it. I read it a couple times and was challenged, encouraged, and excited. I would like to share some of it with you...
This is an excerpt:

"It is worth any sacrifice I could make. It is worth giving up the ease that my country offers me, that God has put me in. It is worth forsaking my heart language. It is worth getting foreign diseases. It is worth possibly not getting married or having children. It is worth leaving my family. It is worth devoting my entire life to.

It is worth it because He is worth it. He died for all mankind, and He deserves the worship and praise of all men. They will die and go to hell if no one goes and tells them. They are real people who live in darkness, and the Savior died for them. They need a real hope, and I have the real answer. I have two hands, two feet, a good mind and an aching to see Christ proclaimed in the ends of the earth. I can go, I must go."

She said it so much better then I could! She is talking about going overseas to minister, but not everyone is called to be a missionary in another country and that is okay. However, I believe we are called to be ministers of reconciliation as Christ's ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:18-21), wherever we are at.

These are just some more of my ramblings, thoughts, things that I am learning and going through.

If we had children.......

2008-02-21T12:13:00.005+02:00

Tiana- "If we had children, you'd be the one that would get up in the middle of the night."
Me- "Huh?"

To preface this conversation I will tell you what led up to it. On Valentine's Day, Tiana and I invited Aušra and Vaida over for dinner. (These are the two awesome girls that we met with all last semester and will be meeting with this semester to go through Purpose Driven Life)

We had a three course meal by candle light, played Settler's of Catan, made a torta, which is a Lithuanian cake. After the amazingly delicious torta was made, we played the girls favorite game, Dutch Blitz. And it would just not be Valentine's Day if we did not watch a chick flick so we ended the evening or I guess the morning (3am) with 'How to Loose a Guy in 10 Days.' Now this is how I like do'n the dishes

We headed to bed, the girls sharing my bed and me sharing with Tiana. Well, Aušra had to get up at 7:30 to get to a lecture so I got up with her and then Vaida knocked on Tiana's room door around 9 to say that she was leaving. So I got up to say goodbye.Silly Girls

So back to Tiana and I's conversation:

Tiana- I decided that if we had kids, you'd be the one to get up in the middle of the night with them.
Me- Why did you decide this?
Tiana- Because you got up with the girls this morning and I just rolled over and went back to sleep!
Me- Oohh.

I found this conversation hilarious. One thing I appreciate about Tiana is her randomness and how things like this just come out of no where. It usually takes some clarifying questions on my part, but it always makes my life more entertaining and fun. Thanks Ti!

I love my job!!!!!

2008-02-07T16:23:00.000+02:00

I feel so spoiled by the Lord to have such an incredible job! I get to study the Word, I get to skype with students, I get to go hang out with girls in their dorm room for hours talking about life, about God, about new hairstyles!
I had a great day today! It started with me preparing for our Bible Study meeting. I had to state the main idea of Jonah in one simple sentence, then I had to find principles with in Jonah. Such as, God is sovereign over all nature: Jonah 1:4, 17, 2:10, 4:6, 4:7. God is gracious and compassionate: Jonah 4:11. After that I had to think of 4 applications that were specific and measurable; i.e. - Come to the Lord daily, confessing and repenting my iniquities so I may be humble and soft in heart, ready to be used by the Lord. I then went to our Bible Study and Prayer time for the next couple hours.
I had lunch and skyped with a girl who I had not talked to in a while. I found out it was her birthday so I started scheming to do something. I met with Sharon for our weekly meeting and talked to her about doing something for Rima. We got her some loose tea, a Peez despenser, chocolate, and a flower. We headed to her dorm and found that she was there. We talked for a while, but then she had a meeting to go to. However, Sharon knew Rima's roommate and suite- mate. So we ended up talking to them for a couple hours! One of the girls brought out her picture albums and talked us through a couple of them. I feel so privileged to be let into their lives and see a glimpse of their heart. I look forward to the future months to see where God takes these relationships and others!

I just had to tell you that I think I have the best job ever! I feel like jumping for joy!!

Spontaneous Dinner

2008-01-22T14:26:00.000+02:00

My amazing crazy roommate got her haircut yesterday. She came home with a hankering to get all dressed up and go out. The reason why I knew this was because I can take a hint. She put on her black dress and started dancing around the flat. After a quick photo shoot and mini-dance session in our living room we decided we should go out for dinner, especially sense our oven decided to quit working for no good reason.
We headed to a restaurant that is not far from our flat. We were the only ones in the restaurant the whole time we were there. I loved it! We talked about a whisper and I even laughed out loud!
It was so much fun to have a spontaneous roitic evening of getting all dressed up and enjoying my great roommate. (roitic is a romanitc evening with out the man.) :)
New Hair Doo (is that how you spell it?)
Dance Party!!!

Attitude! Roitic Dinner

Italy

2008-01-22T13:35:00.000+02:00

On January 13th, Jason and I left for Italy. Our flight itinerary was from Kaunas to Glasgow, Scotland and then to Milan, Italy. Well, the first flight to Glasgow was a few minutes late so we missed our check-in to Milan by 5 minutes! They wouldn't let us check-in, even though our flight wasn't scheduled to leave for another 35 minutes. So we had to change to the same flight for the following day. The Mormances had a couple hours there before their next flight so the 4 of us walked into Prestwick. It was a cute little Scottish town with a Subway! We had Subway for lunch and dinner!
Around 9pm the Mormances left and Jason and I still had about 15 hrs before our flight. I was naive in my presumption that sleeping in an airport would be a fun adventure. It was exciting for the first 2 hours then it progressively got more and more arduous. There was a Prayer Room in the airport and I thought, "what better place to sleep then in the presence of the Lord?" So the first hour or so were spent sleeping in the prayer room until security came and kicked us out. Then we headed for the "common sleeping area" also known as Arrivals; the only place that had benches to sleep on. There was not much room, but we found some spots to lay our head. About 2 hours later a man came and started yelling that everyone had to move because he had to clean the floor. So we meandered around and finally sat down by the Starbucks Kiosk. After a while I went over to an entrance hall and pulled up some carpet. After about an hour or so a lady came by and started vacuuming. I started sensing a theme. We headed back to the "common sleeping area" to find that all benches were taken, except for the oh so comfy hard chairs. Lets just say I never really went back to sleep after we got kicked out of the Presence of the Lord. I just counted down the minutes until 5am when Starbucks opened. Starbucks was the only redeeming factor in the whole fiasco.
We finally headed to Milan after our flight was delayed an hour. Ha! Perfect way to end our time in Scotland! :)
Milan was beautiful! I really enjoyed the classy and clean city. Our first night in Italy we had Thai food! It was so good.
The next night we hopped on a flight to Rome. We spent 2 full days in Rome. We saw the Colosseum and Forum, The Pantheon, The Spanish Steps, and The Vatican. It was a great time! Italians are warm and friendly people that make some freaking fantastic pasta and cappuccino!
We headed home after an 8 hour layover in Frankfurt. I'm done with airports. HA HA!

Some Catching Up......

2008-01-09T13:51:00.000+02:00

Some things that have happened the last couple weeks are........

Christmas:
Christmas Eve the team came over to Tiana and I's flat and had dinner, played games, and hung out. Everyone stayed the night and then we all met up later and Mormances for a Christmas dinner. It was a great time of celebrating! A lovely German missionary was able to join us in celebrating too!
Christmas Dinner
Showing off our "Stockings"

Tiana and I did Stockings. So much fun!
Jason wrapped my Christmas present in duct tape and change in between the layers of tape. Ah the joys...... :)

My Mom's Visit:
My mom came on the 27th and on the 28th I found out I had to leave the country for visa reasons. So my mom joined me on the adventure of living overseas. :) We hopped on a plan the evening of the 28th to Tallinn, Estonia and came back early the next morning. It was fun and spontaneous!

I will post more pictures of my mom's time here in LT later. :)

Baltic Staff Conference:
We went to the coast here in LT for our yearly Baltic Staff Conference. All people who work for Agape in Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia came. It was a very encouraging, restful, and enjoyable conference. I loved meeting and getting to know the amazing people working in the Baltic's.

There was about 40 people who attended
We crammed 6 of us into a small honda to go to the Dolphinarium which was so cool!

Scariest Man on Earth???

2007-12-21T12:38:00.000+02:00

My friend sent me an email that I thought was cute so I decided I would share in light of the Christmas Season.
All it said was, "How he keeps a positive attitude.....I don't know!"

Slumber Party!!

2007-12-12T14:58:00.000+02:00

Last Friday, Sharon and I had a slumber party for the university girls at our church. There were 12 girls that came. We had dinner together, Sharon gave a talk on God's view of woman, we watched movies, played games, and hung out. It was a lot of fun!
Relaxing and hanging out
A little back massage anyone?
Settler's of Catan in Lithuanian
Through out the night we had a drawing and prizes for the girls.

Appreciating Cultural Differences.....

2007-12-10T12:10:00.000+02:00

We had some lovely people come and visit us a couple weeks ago. They are technically our "bosses" for Campus Crusade. It was a blast to hang out with them and get to know them more. They are special people. :)
Us girls were able to each have a date with Krista while she was here. Her and I went to the mall to one of the only places that has to-go coffee. We both order a small coffee. Now portion sizes are definitely smaller here. If we are luck, a large coffee is about the size of a tall Starbucks coffee. So Krista and I were waiting for our coffee and I was staring off somewhere and I heard her start laughing. I turned around to see what was amusing her so much and then I saw them. Our cappuccinos......our "small" cappuccinos.......in dixie cups! It was hilarious!
Then later Krista went on a coffee date with Sharon. Sharon was sharing with Krista about the difference in portion sizes and that she needed more coffee today so she was going to get the "mega latte."

It was definitely "Mega." HA HA!

And just for fun, here is a picture of "Hot Chocolate" here:
It is basically a chocolate bar melted down and put in a cup! :0 Yum Yum!

Bible Study Methods

2007-12-03T15:56:00.000+02:00

As a team we've been going through the book of Jonah and applying a different part of Bible Study Methods each week as we study.
A couple weeks ago we were going over types, genres, and forms with in Jonah. However, to start the meeting, Matt had certain ones of us on the team (we have decided to remain anonymous), write out a Narrative, Poem, and Discourse (the three types of literature in the Bible) to persuade him never to go to KFC again. The purpose of this exercise was to get a better grasp on the difference between the three types. I would say the exercise was successful and fun at the same time. :)
Here is what people came up with:

Narrative:
"The day that KFC opened I went to Akropolis so excited for the finger licking goodness. I could smell deep fried chicken from two floors down. I got in line, which to my dismay was rather long, but I didn't mind. I would wait for KFC's yumminess. However, 45 minutes later I was starting to think it might not be worth it, but just then it was my turn to order. I went up to the cashier and ordered. The worker was quite unfriendly and disrespectful. I finally got my order in and as I was watching them cook my food I saw the cook sneeze on my chicken! Then it was handed to me on a plater. As I turned it over to start picking at it, I noticed a couple hairs fried in with my chicken! That is was it! I couldn't do it. I was done with KFC! Even the finger licking goodness isn't worth all of that."

Poem:
" To KFC say bye bye
because if not ,you might get ecoli.
They don't have any good pie.
So if you don't go, you won't die.
There is no big KFC in the sky
So just give it up and say bye bye"

Discourse:
"Therefore, Matt, in light of the fact that they do not carry buttermilk biscuits and mashers, I urge you to not partake in any meals at the KFC. This is your thoughtful act of kindness to the. Do not conform to the crowds at Akropolis, mindlessly wandering in hoping to try new American delicacies. What shall I say then? Just give in to public pressure? By no means! Instead walk in the path I have set before you- Pizza Hut."

There you have it.

Christmas Decorating

2007-11-27T14:01:00.000+02:00

I really enjoy this time of year when Christmas music is playing in the back ground and the smell of your Noble Tree is filling the air. You dig in the attic for all the Christmas decorations and the clutter of the boxes fill your living room. You start sorting through the decorations; reminiscing about past years, talking about the sentimental value behind some of the ornaments, untangling and checking to see if the lights still work from last year. Sitting in front of the fireplace, sipping on hot chocolate with whipped cream on top and using a candy cane as a stir stick. These are some of my fondest memories of the holidays and it is during this time of year that it becomes harder to be away from my family and not be able to partake of these traditions.
But I praise the Lord for the team He has given me and the friendships that have bloomed over the last couple years. This last weekend Tiana and I put on some Christmas music and made some hot chocolate and then dug out our little fake Christmas Tree (which my lovely and amazing sister, Renee, mailed me last year), our lights and decorations. As we decorated we talked about our favorite family traditions , shared Christmas stories, and decided we should go to church this year! Ha ha ha! We didn't quite make it last year.

Turkey Day! Paketos Diena!

2007-11-26T15:25:00.001+02:00

Well, We started off our Thanksgiving with an exam in our Lithuanian language class. If you ask me, it wouldn't have been my first choice to start off Turkey day, but it ended up being a fun class. Our professor divided us up in to groups where each group had at least one American. I was in a group with a guy from Germany and a girl from Poland. They were suppose to ask us Americans, questions about Thanksgiving. The problem: my Lithuanian vernacular does not cover words like "pilgrim," "Indian," or "Plymouth Rock." However, it was a fun time of trying to explain Thanksgiving to people who were from two different cultures and using a language to communicate that was none of our native tongue. It was an interesting experience. :)
After class, we went back to our flats and started preparing dinner.Jason and I got into a flour fight. I think he won.....

Matt BBQed the turkey which turned out amazing! All the food was very tasty. We had twice baked potatoes, green bean casserole, stuffing, and gravy. Mmmmmm.... yummy goodness.
We spent the evening hanging out, playing games, and watching movies. It was a great day!

Then there were five......

2007-11-20T16:27:00.000+02:00

Last Thursday we saw Peter and Jen off at the airport. It was a bitter sweet time. Sweet because I'm excited for them as God guides them into full time ministry and as they get to tap into their God given gifts and bless another team with them. Bitter because I will miss Peter and I will miss Jen and I will miss the Hibbs. Especially in the times when I know what Peter would've said or when Jen would've laughed and on the days we would've just hung out and enjoyed them.
Anywho, here are some pictures of the day.....

On the ride to Vilnius
Peter having a Stat Oil dog for breakfast
Our last full team picture
Saying, "See ya later, Friend!"

I love you guys!

SNOW!!!!

2007-11-14T13:32:00.000+02:00

It has been snowing the last couple days and it has been beautiful, but not sticking! I woke up this morning to this.......

I love snow!

Laura's B-Day Party

2007-11-05T16:31:00.000+02:00

One of our friends birthday was this last Sunday and we offered to have her birthday party at our flat on Saturday. It was a blast! She wanted to have tacos for dinner then we hung out, played games and chatted. I thank the Lord that He has given us a place that students feel like and are able to have parties and whatnot at our flat! That just blesses my heart!

All Saints Day

2007-11-05T16:22:00.001+02:00

November 1st is All Saints day and it is tradition in Lithuania to go to the cemetery in the evening and place candles on the grave sites of people you knew. It is a surreal and tranquil experiences. I have become quite found of this tradition since I have been here. :)

An Ode to Autum

2007-10-29T15:28:00.000+02:00

Everyone must take time to sit and watch the leaves turn.
-Elizabeth Lawrence

Autumn is crisp days and cool nights, a time to curl up around the dancing flames and sink into a good book.
– John Sinor

This park has become one of my favorite places to go the last couple weeks. There is a mall not to far from my flat and they just got a kiosk that has to go coffee! I was very excited about it! Especially since they have mochas because most coffee shops don't serve mochas. Anyways, I love getting a to go coffee and then going to this park and walking through the leaves, breathing in the smell of autumn, and then sitting and watch people pass by. It very peaceful and reminds me of Oregon.

In The Name of Jesus

2007-10-22T14:00:00.000+02:00

On Friday we had our day with the Lord for October. It was much needed! I ended up reading through the book, "In the Name of Jesus," by Henri Nouwen. I definitely recommend it. He states;

God loves us not because of what we do or accomplish, but because God has created and redeemed us in love and has choosen us to proclaim that love as the true source of all human life.

It is easy for me to get caught up in efficiency and accomplishments and start acting like I'm saved by works and not by grace. Being here, I have had to let go of my relevant self and realize that God has called me here and He isn't going to use me based on my accomplishments or competence, but He is going to use me in my weaknesses, because this is where His power is perfected in my life. This is where true success is found.
I am here to love these people and share with them Jesus Christ and Him crucified. To offer what has been given to me; love, grace, mercy, peace, freedom.......

The mystery of ministry is that I have been chosen to make my own limited and very conditional love the gateway for the unlimited and unconditional love of God.

ALPHA COURSE!

2007-10-11T12:44:00.000+02:00

Last week Tiana and I started an Alpha Course in one of the dorms here. I can't tell you how exciting that is! Two girls signed up, saying the were interested in doing an alpha course, but I didn't really think they knew what they were signing up for. It is a 10 week course on the basics of Christian faith so surely these girls that we just met don't understand what they are getting into. :) Me of little faith! The first night was amazing! We had it in the girls dorm room and they invited their suite mate. They are just the sweetest girls and so much fun!
The topic was "Christianity: Boring, Untrue, Irrelevant?" The discussion that followed the DVD was fantastic! The girls are thinkers and had some great questions and insight.
I am so excited about this week! The theme this week is "Who is Jesus?" Can't wait to see what God does tonight!
We had some fun on the Mac! :)

Animated Bible Reading......

2007-09-26T17:19:00.000+02:00

Every Thursday we, as a team, have Bible Study and prayer. We are starting a study on Judges so our last Bible Study, Peter wanted us to ready through Judges together. However, when we read he wanted us to read with excitement, animation, and with different voices. At first I was thinking, "oh man, I stink at this kind of thing. Plus, is anyone really going to get into it?" Well, Peter started us off and he read with vigor, zeal, and passion. He made the story come alive. As we went around the room everyone used their announcers voice and got into the reading. When we came to Judges 5, where Deborah sings of her victory over Sisera, it was Matt's turn. He sang the whole thing! It was great! If you ever wanted to now what Deborah's song sounded like, it had a farmer joe with a banjo kinda melody. :) I loved it! It was so much fun and refreshing to read the Word of God in community with zest and liveliness. I would encourage you to try it! It may feel awkward and weird at first, but once you get past that, you feel like you are able to step into the story and partake in what is happening. :)

First Agape Meeting!

2007-09-24T14:08:00.000+02:00

Last Wednesday we had our first Agape Meeting of the school year! Jason and Peter did a great job planning a Film Festival! We watch 3 short films and would have a discussion after each one. The students brought great insight into the discussions. Speaking of students, 12 came! All but one were from surveys we did when the summer team was here! It was incredible! Four of the students signed up saying they would be interested in doing a Bible Study and 3 students signed up saying they would be
interested in doing an Alpha Course which is learning about Christianity.
PRAISE GOD!! It was a fun and encouraging evening!

Go Lithuania!!

2007-09-19T16:11:00.001+02:00

During the European Basketball Championship we had some girls over to watch the game with us. It was the night Lithuania played Croatia and of course Lithuania won! WooHoo!!

Tiana, Laura, Monika, Akvyla

2007-09-19T16:08:00.001+02:00

Up and running again......

2007-09-14T14:50:00.001+02:00

We had a summer team come for two weeks at the end of August/beginning of September. They were an amazing group of people! Left to right- Bob, Anita, Paddy, Erin, Noah, and Julie. God used them in incredible ways here; not only in reaching the students, but also being a huge encouragement to us. Thank you, P-Town Team!

During the afternoons we would split up in teams of 2 and go do surveys. Jen organized about 650 gift bags for us to give to the students that we met while we were in the dorms. We gave away about 500 of them! I get so excited just thinking about how many students heard the gospel and/or experienced the love of Christ last week!

Our first event of the week was a suppose to be Field Games outside, but God had other plans. It ended up pouring Monday night so we ended up meeting in a pub that is on the main university street by KTU (Kaunas Technology University). It was a perfect place because the European Basketball Championship started last week so we played pool and then the guys got to watch the game with the students. That night 16 guys came! That is unheard of! It is always girls and maybe 1 or 2 guys.

This is Tadas. He is a student that came 3 out of the 4 nights.

The second night we went to a bowling alley, but there was some misunderstanding and we could bowl as a huge group. However, the second floor of the bowling alley was all pool tables so we played pool again! This time there were about 20 guys!!

The third night we had a scavenger hunt around the city the P-Town Team planned. We split up into 4 teams and hand an hour a half to find certain things around the center. This photo we had to find Anita at a statue and put on clothes and have our picture taken.

We had to buy a Kebabi and share it amongst the team.
Jen and I took this task very seriously! :)

Here is our team. We got 2nd place. :)

Then we went to a pub called Fortas and watched the basketball game. The last night everyone was invited to Tiana and I's flat for games and a slid show of the week. There were 13 students that came! It was a great time to have one on one conversations and to start building some friendships.

A day in the life of me

2007-06-21T15:26:00.000+03:00

My amazing mother had been putting together a love package for me which had many names; "Fun Box," "Giggle Box," "Enjoyment Chest," "Laughing Box," etc. You get the idea, it was suppose to make me laugh and joyful. She was very excited about this package that when she went to mail it she made sure it would get here as soon as possible.
It came in a week which is VERY surprising. I had to go to the center post office to pick it up which is about a mile or so from my flat. I found the "special package" post office which is down an ally, in the back, up some stairs and then you open a door and it is about a 5 X 5 closet that you stand in to get your special packages. :)
It took the lady about 10 minutes to find the package and I had to sign for it and then she showed me a piece of paper that said I had to pay to get the package since it went through customs so I handed her my debit card and she told me we don't except them. I ended up having to walk around to try and find a ATM, I finally found one. As I was standing at the ATM, it started pouring. After I got money I ran into a store and bought an umbrella and then headed back to the ally.
Package in hand, I started my mile walk back home, hoping that the rain would let up. It didn't. It just started raining harder. So here I am, in a T-shirt, flip-flops, and Capri's with a package walking down the prestige catwalk of Kaunas called Laisves Street, in the pouring rain. I wish I would have counted all the looks I got. I could only imagine what I looked like to the Lithuanian. Their looks just put me over the top, I started laughing. By this time I had to stop and put the box down because I was laughing so hard I couldn't move.
I was half way home and I stepped in a puddle and at the same time a car went by and splashed water on me. I ended taking my flip-flops off and walking barefoot the rest of the way because they wouldn't stay on my feet. Now I was a real sight. :)
I couldn't wait to get home to call my mother and tell her that her packaged lived up to it's name even before I opened it!

Flat Stanley

2007-06-11T17:25:00.000+03:00

This is me and Stanley. He is a pretty good looking lad, isn't he? My nephew's class made flat stanleys and mailed him to different places. The goal was to see how many different places Stanley could travel to. He came and visited me all the way over here in Lithuania so I figured the least I could do was take the guy on a date. We walked around and I showed him some cool places in Kaunas. We even decided to document our travels.
He is a quite guy and a great listener! He flew back home a week ago. I sure will miss him!
P.S. I'M STILL ALIVE! Hopefully I will get a couple more posts on here about the last couple weeks!

Driving!!!

2007-05-08T12:41:00.000+03:00

Wooohooo! I got to drive yesterday!! It has been 8 months since I have drove a car! I was really excited so I thought I would share that with you! I drove to the grocery store! It made it a lot easier too because I didn't have to carry my groceries home.
Oh, I am working on the directions for the Family Game. It is quite difficult to explain so I am doing my best. I will post it soon!

Mysterious Game called "Family"

2007-04-25T10:44:00.000+02:00

In answer to a comment (Matt), I will describe how to play Family:
You have a facilitator who directs and runs the game, but does not play.
Everyone gets a piece of paper and thinks of someone famous that everyone would know and writes it on the slip of paper, not revealing their answer. (I.G.-Actor/Actress, Athlete, Some one in government, Fictional Character, etc)
Then the facilitator collects the slips and reads through them twice and then chooses someone to start the game.
Goal:
To be the head of the family and then have everyone join your family so you become the Grandfather and win.
Objective:
To guess which person wrote what. If you guess right, that person becomes a part of your family and then you work together to guess other people's answers. When you guess wrong the next person in the circle goes.
For example, say I put on my slip of paper Snow White and someone guessed that I put Snow White. I then would go over and "join" their family. This goes on until everyone is in the same family and the head of the family wins.
This game isn't that difficult, but hard to explain. If you know how to play the game and noticed I left something out or didn't explain well, PLEASE leave a comment.
If you don't understand something, just ask and I will try to explain better!

2007-04-20T11:12:00.000+02:00

This is a picture from our Dinner and Discussion night. Once a month we just have a game night and hanging out time. This was after we played a game called "Family."

Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood

2007-04-04T09:43:00.000+02:00

This weekend I hung out with one of my friends. Her name is Ramunė or Daisy. :) I met her through a survey and we hit it off right away. She was the only survey I did that day, I ended up talking to her for 2 hours. She is a very sweet girl with a great heart. She is very open to the Gospel and wanted to go to church with me this last weekend, but wasn't able to make it. However, we ended up hanging out most of the day anyways. Here are some pictures from our time!

This is one of my many weak points

2007-03-20T13:30:00.000+02:00

I do realize that it has been over a month since I have posted a blog and I apologize for this. I wish I could promise you that I would write something everyweek with tons of pictures, but frankly I am horrible at keeping this thing up and running. I will try my best to atleast let you know I am alive and kicking every couple weeks. That is the best I can do, then IF I start posting more it will be a treat! :)
So, in the meantime... here are some pictures from the last month! :)

Ah, True Colors Come Out Behind Close Doors!

2007-02-06T15:09:00.000+02:00

This is what ends up happening after a long day of work!

2007-02-04T14:58:00.000+02:00

Here are some pictures from Spain. It was a joy to be able to see a sunset again! I forgot how beautiful they are.

Spain

2007-01-31T12:08:00.000+02:00

This last week I was at Campus Crusades' mid-year conference for STINTers. It was great to be able to see the sunshine and wear flip-flops! The first day I was there I went out to a view point above the mediterrianian. I climbed over and walked out to the edge and sat there for over an hour watching, listening, and praising God for His amazing creation! It was a great comfort to my heart because it reminded me of my time at ECOLA and where I fell in love with the Lord. Now I am back and ready to hit the ground running with the coming semester. I believe God is gearing up to do something big and I am excited to see what that is.

2007-01-08T12:03:00.000+02:00

Christmas was a beautiful day with sunshine which is a rarity so we decided to take advantage of it! We had ourselves a little photo shoot.
Christmas was good, but it didn't feel like Christmas. We hung out, played games, ate, laughed, and had a great time of fellowship, but it just felt like any other team night. It amazed me how I can know the true meaning of Christmas, but what makes Christmas feel like Christmas is familiarity. The pattern or practices that I associate with the event of Christmas. The congnitive content attached to the event is how I determine it's reality to me. I thought a lot about this during Christmas Eve and Christmas. I realized that I get caught up in the experience of Christmas that I don't meditate on the reason for the day. The conclusion that I came to is that I got to celebrate Jesus' birthday not Christmas the event.
It was hard to be away from my family and the traditions of Christmas with in my family, but having to spend Christmas away I couldn't have asked to celebrate it with better people! I praise God for the blessing this team is and continues to be!

2006-12-24T11:52:00.000+02:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!! I pray that you will have a very blessed holiday season. One that is full of laughter joy, fellowship with remembrance and reflection of our King!
LINKSMŲ ŠVENTŲ KALĖDŲ! LAIMINGŲ NAUJŲ METŲ! ( "Happy Holy Christmas! Happy New Year!)

2006-12-12T16:19:00.000+02:00

A couple weeks ago, a friend of mine invited Tiana and I to her church to hear a guy preach. He was from France, but was a pastor in Sweden and the sermon was going to be in English. I think it was one of the funniest sermons I have been too. Not so much because the guy had a great sense of humor, but more because of the dynamic of the evening. You have a Pastor who is speaking in English with a VERY strong French accent and a translator who is trying to translate something that sounds like, "....spanking God..." but is really "speaking to God." And then people from the congregation shouting out to the translator what the guy is saying. Translating is hard enough, but then you add 2 people that English is not their first langauge and then an audience who is more than willing to help you. It makes it a little more difficult. To say the least, it was a very amusing sermon! I think it was something about Moses spanking God.....? But the evening only got better.
Afterwards we went out with 5 students to dinner. Before I go on there is one thing that you need to know about Lithuanians, something that I admire and enjoy about them. They are very straight forward and there is no beating around the bush. They say what they are thinking with out a filter.
With this said, I was speaking to a student whom I had met before and we were talking about life and doing ministry here and the conversation ended up going like this,"

Student: " I hear you have started language?"
Me: "Not yet"
Student:"I would ask why, but I'm not sure if I care."
Me: "HA HA HA HA HA!"

I started laughing so hard I was crying. I don't think I have had someone ever be so honest before. It was quite refreshing. Well, I know who to go to now if I need an honest opinion!

2006-12-05T16:10:00.000+02:00

The week of Thanksgiving the courtyard by our flat was being decorated with a HUGE Christmas Tree and lights being put in the trees surrounding the courtyard. November 25th was the lighting ceremony which was a big deal, evidently! I thought there would be a few people, but their was hundreds! They also had a program for the evening with famous singers and dancers. However, the coolest part was the fireworks! We were about 30 feet from where they set them off, they were right above our heads! IT WAS SO COOL! Anywho, this is Tiana and I as the fireworks were going off.

2006-12-05T16:02:00.000+02:00

These are some photos from Thanksgiving! It was a great time of fellowship and building deeper relationships with the Vilnus team and just having fun! Which, I will never complain about!

2006-11-13T13:11:00.000+02:00

I go to a "Free" Church which is a non-denominational church. It is a small church, there was about 40 there yesterday. The service yesterday however stood out to me more than normal. The sermon was preached in Russian by a really cute elderly man then one of the elders translated it into Lithuanian then our translator translated it into English. In front of me a woman was translating it into German for someone. Also there was a Spaniard who was listening to the English translation as well. I looked around and saw about 5 cultures represented and all of them were hearing a sermon in a tongue they understood. What an amazing example of how big our God is! He isn't just Lord in America, but all over the world! For some reason this concept smacked me upside the head yesterday. I love those moments!

2006-11-02T17:45:00.000+02:00

Last night I experienced my first Lithuanian holiday, All Saints Day. It is in a way like our memorial day. The tradition is to go to the cemetaries and place candles on the grave sites to remember those who have passed away. I wish I could adequately describe what I saw, felt, and encountered, but it is not possible to portray such an image in mere words. It is something that has to be experienced to understand the exquisiteness of it. One would have to see the thousands of candles lit over acres of forest in complete darkness, to hear the wind gusting through and rustling the leaves, and to feel the somber atmosphere brought on by remembering how each candle represents a life lived and legcy left behind, both good and bad. To wonder where all of these hundreds of souls are now? How many of them heard the gospel? How many refused the gospel? It makes one stop and ponder his own life, how it has been lived and how it should be lived.

2006-10-19T15:09:00.000+02:00

One month anniversary! On October 18th I have offically been here one whole month! A lot has happend and changed in one month. I moved to a whole new world, found an apartment and moved in, have had many misunderstandings because of the language and cultural barriers, but I wouldn't take any of it back. It has been an experience I will never forget.
Last week we did all our planning for this year and this semester and this week we started doing ministry! Yesterday we went to the universities and did surveys. It was so exciting! I thought I was going to be scared out of my mind to do them, but I had a blasted being stretched. However, I must admit that God really spoiled my first survey experience. The first one Jen and I did together and the girl, Ingre, was really responsive. She wanted to know more about Agape and gave us her telephone number! After she left I jumped up and down and hit Jen telling her

"That was amazing!"

Jen and I split up to do more surveys. I talked to a couple girls and they did the survey, but they were not very interested. The third girl I was talking to didn't speak very good english. I asked her the question, "What do you think are 5 struggles university students deal with in Kaunas?" As I asked her this question a guy passed by and stoped right behind me. I ignored him for a lit bit thinking he was a friend of hers. Finally I turned around to see what he wanted and in perfect english told me,

"These questions you ask are very interesting."

He wanted to look at the survey and talk about it. The girl I was talking to lost intrest and left. This wanted to sit down and talk more so we went into the university and for 45min we talked all the way through the survey in depth. He would fill out the questions on the survey and then explain his answers. I would ask further questions as the Lord brought them to me. I don't think I stoped praying through the whole thing! I just wanted to be available to do what God wanted me to do and say. He spent last year in Japan studing abroad, you can imagine the spiritual concepts he picked up while over there. He had a Buddhist mentality towards spiritual things. He also enjoys philosophy so our converstation tended to sway in that direction. When he was done he looked at me and wanted to know what brought me to Lithuania and what were my goals while I was here. My thought was,

"Oh, I'm so glad you asked!!"

So I went on to tell him about Agape and what I was here to do, to tell university students about Jesus Christ. He said, "So I have heard of this Christianity. Tell me more about it." WHAT!!!!! God just kept paving the way. We started to talk about the fundamentals of Christianity and the Gospel. As we got into it he looked at his watched and noticed that he was late for class. One of the questions on the survey was, "Would you like to talk more to some about the meaning of life?" He put maybe, but wrote down his number and wanted someone to call him and talk more about

"philosophy."

I think I skipped all the way out of the university!!!!! My first day doing surverys and I got to see God work in a practical way through a survey! It was incredible! He gave me a boldnes that I never thought I had, to ask questions I thought I would never ask! Well, I guess you never say never to the Lord!

2006-10-05T14:45:00.000+02:00

We are taking 3 days to seek God and His plans for this semester and for us as a team. Yesterday I walked around the park close to my apartment and found a really really old church. It was run down and falling apart. As I got closer I noticed that there was a door open going into the church. I walked in not knowing if it was allowed, but I didn't care I was so intriged by this mysterious building. When I steped in there was an old monk sitting in a folding chair by the door reading. He showed me where I could read about the history of the church and that I was free to roam. I kicked into indiana jones mode. LOL! Inside is so worn and rusted. It has been through two fires, war and many other things. It is a catholic church and all the original paintings are still up on the walls. I walked around looking at them, most of them I couldn't even make out. I found myself standing in front of one that I could barely make out, but I could see Christ hanging on the cross. The painting was very faded, rusted, stale, and Christ was just a glipse. Then it hit me, this was a picture of Lithuania. I started to cry. Lithuania's heart is faded, rusted, stale and there is but a glipse of Christ here. I sat down in front of the picture crying and started to journal all these thoughts. I stayed there a while until the monk came up to me and told me it was time to go becasue he had to leave. He noticed that I had been crying. He tried asking me questions, but we couldn't understand each other. I had so many questions for him also. Lord willing I will be able to ask him someday.

2006-10-05T14:30:00.000+02:00

The week that we got in Kaunas, Renata had us do a scavenger hunt around the city. We had to ask three students from Kaunas Tech what they were studying and why they liked it, then we had to take a picture with them. This is Sharon & I posing with the three girls.

Jen, Sharon, & I on the savenger hunt. We were racing the boys to see who could finish the hunt the fastest.

This is an exchange student from Spain. His name is Estaban and he is a Christian. We met him at the first church we attended. He is going to be a great contact for meeting students! Praise God!

2006-10-05T14:19:00.000+02:00

This is a picture of the nationl dish of Lithuania. It is called Zepalini. There is a joke that you need to fast just to be able to eat it because it is very heavy.

2006-09-30T14:25:00.001+02:00

I've been in Lithuania now for 12 days and it still doesn't seem really. I have lived in three different apartments and now I have my apartment that I will be living in for the next two years. The 5 of us move into my apartment on September 27th. Jen and Peter got an apartment that is in the same complex as mine and moved in the next day. So now it me and Matt & Sharon. It has been great having them live with me! This way I am not living by myself and have some great company, but we are really praying that they can find an apartment soon so they can start settling in and making a home here!
God has been so good! I feel so blessed by Him! I was praying for an apartment that felt like home and He went above and behond! There were things that I really wanted to have, but could have lived without and God gave them to me! Like a dryer! I almost cried when I saw it! Dryers are not common at all, most people hang dry their clothes. I will post some pictures of my apartment soon.
We got to go to a student gathering last night for a different organization and it was so refreshing just to hang around students! It made me realize that I can't wait to start our ministry! I'm so excited!
I'm not really struggling with anything huge right now like I thought I would be. I just imagined that being a missionary I would always have some big struggle always looming over me. I'm just taking a day at a time and putting it in the Lord's hands and it makes things a lot easier! I'm not carrying the world on my shoulders and I know that if something happens that it's in the Lord's hands and He will take care of it. I am so thankful that I serve such a big God!!!!

2006-09-22T16:05:00.000+02:00

CHEESE! These were all taken at Gedimino Pilius.

Jen and I expressing our true colors!

We're so pretty, oh, so pretty!

2006-09-21T15:13:00.000+03:00

I am here! Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Haaaalllleeuljah!!!! It is my third full day in Vilnus, which is the capital of Lithuania. I will be leaving for Kaunas on Saturday. It has been beautiful here! Yesterday morning we had a thunder and lightening storm that was incredible. One time the thunder was right over us and made 3 car alarms in the parking lot go off! It was also rainy yesterday, I felt right at home!
Today we hiked up to a place called "Gedimino Pelius" which is a castle and watch tower. I took some pictures up at the top and I will post them as soon as I can get my computer hooked up to the internet. It was a beautiful view!
We are having a good time here in Vilnus and enjoying getting to know the Vilnus team, but I am ready to go to Kaunas and get settled in. I'm ready to start a ministry and make it my own, figure out where I fit in and start loving on and serving some students.

2006-09-13T05:50:00.000+03:00

I love being able to use different colors on here! It's so cool! The lastest news is that Lord willing I will be leaving for Lithuania on Sunday September 17th! Which is in 5 days! WEE HA! I have $285 more a month that I need to raise before then so if your reading this, could you pray for that? I would appreciate it! I just started packing this week, which just goes to show that my life has been a whirl-wind the past couple months! :) But through this process of support raising, I have been so blessed! God has put me in a front row seat of watching Him work in some incredible ways! I have loved it! He also has worked on my heart so much through all of this, breaking me and making me moldable to be more like Him! What an experience.

2006-09-13T05:36:00.000+03:00

By popular demand, I am updating my blog! :) To be totally honest, I am horrible at these kind of things. I tend to forget that I have them or that they even exist. Kind of like my head, if it wasn't attached, I would for get that I had it! So I have a great opprotunity to grow in this area and learn how to update my blog every week! Woo Hoo! I know you all are so excited about that, I know that I am. Seriously, I am. :) Updating here we come..................

2006-06-21T07:11:00.000+03:00

Well, for those of you who are interested in what is going on right now in the life of me, I am in the process of raising support for LT. Lord willing, we plan to leave on August 25. That is in 65 days, but who is counting!?! I feel like I have so much to do I don't even know where to start, but really all I have to do is trust in the Lord and walk obediently and He will take care of the rest. I just keep thinking of Isaiah in chapter 6 verse 8 where God says, "Whom shall we send and who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!" Sooo, God answered and here I am!

2006-06-21T06:53:00.000+03:00

Continually Amazed By His Grace
As each day goes by, I can't help but wonder why the Lord has so graciously choosen me of all people to be a vessel and an ambassador for Him? I feel so inadequate and helpless to do what He is calling me to do, but I suppose that is when He can be most glorified through me. As I am preparing the details for Lithuania, He is preparing me for Lithuania. That is what this blog site is all about. To bring glory and honor to Him has I am in Lithuania, showing the love of Christ to university students. So people can log on to this blog and see what Christ is doing in LT!

2006-06-20T06:24:00.000+03:00

Here is a picture of the Lithuania Team!