Living In Slovakia: 7 Weeks (Written April 14, 2014)

How do I even begin to sum up the last two and a half weeks? SO much has happened that

I feel like being asked to summarize these last two and half weeks is like

being asked to summarize a year. I have been putting off writing this update

simply because it seems like there will be too much to say, but there have been

too many blessings for me to not share them with you all.

So I will start from where my last note left off.

We came back to Bratislava from the JV Women’s retreat and that Sunday, Darina, Mark,

Amy, Gavin, Veronika, and I lead worship at their home church, Viera. That was

a fun experience and encouraging for me! I always feel like it is a gift to be

able to worship in multiple languages. That week we started band rehearsals for KPM, a big youth leadership conference in Slovakia.

Also that week, I began a job that I never once considered (or desired haha)… I started teaching

English to freshman in a bilingual high school in Bratislava. How I got there?

I’m not quite sure.. Maybe we’ll just call that “lost in translation”. But that

has been a really great experience for me so far! I teach 4 hours a week, as a

volunteer, until their new teacher comes from the States in May.

It really has been interesting for me to see the opportunities that God has put on

my journey. I have never wanted, or felt comfortable enough, to be a teacher or

to speak in front of groups of people. Yet, time after time, these are the

tasks and doorways that God is putting in front of me and asking me to step

through with Him. I told myself when I left Colorado and was sitting on that

plane that I would say "yes" to anything people asked me to do. I’m not sure why…

maybe I just wanted to have a crazy adventure and cool stories to tell

afterwards. But now I’m recognizing that I’ve been learning not how to say "yes" to people, but how to say "yes" to God. Had I chose to only do things that I thought I would enjoy

here, I would not have spoken at Fusion in Banska Bystrica, Bratislava, or

Senec. I would not be teaching English in a high school. I would not be in

Banska Bystrica right now promoting Fusion to several different

schools and classes. God would not be using me, and I wouldn’t be filled with

the joy that I have now. I’ve heard it quite a few times, that when we say yes to God, we find our joy. I never really understood that until now.

During this time, we confirmed that there was an opportunity and a need for me to come

back this summer as an intern for the Bratislava Fusion camp… And so I

purchased my tickets and I am officially coming back for camp with our Colorado

team in July! (Prayers for how I should seek financial assistance

for this trip would be greatly appreciated!)

So after a week of Fusion, workshops, teaching, and band practices, Mark and I

headed to Żilina to start setting up for the KPM conference. What an amazing week that was! This conference was incredibly encouraging for me, for the team that put it on, and for all the

youth leaders that attended it. There were over 500 people at the conference representing different youth ministries all over Slovakia. How incredible is that?? One thing that particularly stood out to me was

how directed it was towards God. The theme of the conference was “Zima, Zima, Teplo, Teplo” which means “Cold, Cold, Hot, Hot”. And they used this theme to relate to the fire that we have for God, or our passion for God. Many of the sessions were directed towards how we find our fire, how we keep

our fire, and how we share that fire. But most importantly, they made it clear

that unlike many retreats and conferences that I have been to before, this

conference was not meant to be a spark to your fire, that gave you a “spiritual

high”, but it was meant to equip you to trust God be your spark and fuel

to your fire. Everything in the conference went back to God and it was so reassuring.

The biggest impact of this week though did not come in the conference necessarily,

but in the team that directed it. TCKompas is the ministry that puts KPM

together every year and I am in awe of those people... I admire their hearts,

their creativity, their passion and their eagerness to accept and love people

around them. I felt at home among

this team of people when I couldn’t give an explanation to why I should. I’m an

intern! One that they may never see again, too! But yet they still included me

into their team and encouraged me more than I would’ve thought possible and

especially more that I thought I deserved.

Much of this has changed my way of thinking regarding ministry as well. I’m still

trying to decipher the emotions and thoughts that have flooded my heart and

mind since that conference, but I know that God has used the people in that

team to teach me some very valuable lessons and give me direction. I praise God

for that! I can feel the plans for my future starting to line up, and though I

can’t see EXACTLY what it is yet, I’m growing excited and hopeful to find out where

it is God is going to take me.

One thing that I have discovered with this also is passion. I’ve gotten the

opportunity to really taste true passion. I knew I had a passion for music. I’ve loved it for as long as I can

remember. But something has clicked about being here that I feel like music

doesn’t have to just be a hobby… Music wasn’t just given to me as something for

me to enjoy… But what if music is my tool, my weapon, for the path that God’s

set out before me? I don’t know what that looks like yet. But man, I’m excited

to find out!

This update is already getting long, and I don’t want to drag on any longer, but I

will leave you with some updates for the rest of my trip. This week I am in

Banska Bystrica again, and we are going into high schools and promoting Fusion

Camp this summer! Please pray that it’s a successful time and that the right

kids hear about this ministry. (We've already had 5 kids tell us that they want to come to Fusion!) I would love to have your prayer support for the relationships that I have made here as well as they continued to grow. Please pray that I can be Christ to them, showing constant grace and love.

I am so thankful for those of you who have been reading these updates and who have been

keeping me and Slovakia in your prayers. They are being felt here, and God is

at work in SO many ways that it brings me to tears sometimes. People often ask

me, “Is it hard being over seas? Being away for so long?” “Are you missing

home?” Part of me feels guilty to admit that this transition and trip here has

been easy. Honestly though, the only hard part about living here in Slovakia, is not being able to share these people, places, and experiences with you all in person.

Thank you again for your prayerful support!

God bless!