Steps of Faith

2011-09-26T15:55:00.003+03:00

So you know that feeling you get on Christmas, after all the presents are opened (including the one you COULDN'T WAIT TO GIVE!!!), the wrapping paper is all cleaned up off the floor, the breakfast is eaten, the cinnamon rolls are gone, and reality is starting to set in that Christmas is DONE for another year? You're a little depressed, a lot sad, and at the same time a LITTLE relieved that after all the planning, your big day was a success. That's kind of how I feel at the end of camp season. Times a hundred!:)

After you watch the video of all the fun we've had, I'm sure you'll understand better. But it is about more than having fun. It is about having an up close and personal view of God's power as He changes lives, fights our battles, and reminds us that HE can do much more than we could ask or imagine. I came to Romania believing that verse was true. And God has shown me again and again, in all new ways, that HE is working and we are blessed when He allows us to just get a glimpse of what He's up to!

So enjoy! The songs are a couple of our themes songs from the summer, so they're full of memories, too. I know this is long, but hey, come on...it was the WHOLE summer! How was I supposed to choose only a few pictures! :)

Here We Go! Summer 2011!

2011-07-14T15:59:00.003+03:00

I just looked at the calendar and it says that today is the 14th of July. WHAT??? Really? How'd THAT happen? I've been waiting for about nine months (the end of last year's camp season!) for THIS year's camp season and now it is almost here and I really can't believe it! I leave in TWO DAYS?? Seriously??? I am in disbelief. For whatever reason, it doesn't feel REAL yet. But, nonetheless, come Saturday at 7am, I will be on my way back to Lunca Bradului for the first couple weeks of camp!

If you get my prayer letter (and I'm assuming if you're reading this, you probably do!), you have the line up of camps for the summer, so I won't repeat it all. I just wanted to quickly write about our first couple of weeks and let you know how they are shaping up and how you can specifically pray with us and be involved in this way.

On Saturday we leave for a week of camp with two churches: Alfa Omega and Cer Deschis. We're expecting 60-65 "campers", who will mostly be young adults (some are even married) From what we can tell, only about 30% are believers, which presents us with an awesome opportunity, but also gives us GREAT motivation for prayer. We saw especially last year that Satan really attacks us when there is a battle for souls, and so we need God's protection and help as we head into this week. This is also the first time that we've worked with these churches in a camp setting, and that means the week will be a little more difficult as we learn more about them, and they learn more about us and our way of doing camp. So pleas pray that we will work well with these churches. Please pray also for our counselors especially; that they will LOVE their campers unconditionally, and that they will be pro-active in having spiritual conversations with them. Our goal for this week is to "bust" many popular myths about God, His Word, eternity and the Christian life. I'm excited about this week and what God will do, but also think it will be a difficult week in many ways.

After our campers leave on Saturday, our Core Team will get back in Hillary (our team van...she has quite the personality. She even has her own Facebook account!) and head for the border! Our next camp will be in Ukraine. There's still actually quite a bit of planning that needs to happen for this week (we seem to work better under pressure!) and even though we've gone to visit a few times, we haven't held a camp here before (although some of our teammates did last summer). We are, however, still looking for and praying about finding two more quy counselors. Please pray with us. Guys are just really hard to find this summer. Our goal for this week is to give to give the campers a better idea of who Jesus is, and how they can walk with them. Most are from very conservatives churches and know what it looks like outwardly to be a Christian, but need a better understanding how how to have a real RELATIONSHIP with Him. Please pray with us for these teenagers.

So that's what the next two weeks look like. After that, we'll come home. I'll have two weeks off before the next camp, so my roommates and I are taking a "Happy 26th Birthday to Kristie" trip to London (where I WILL eat Chipotle!) and Dublin for about a week. Then, we'll have three more weeks of camp!

Thanks so much for your prayers before camp (as we finish preparing!), during camp, and after camp. It is a blessing to know that we aren't alone, and that others are praying, even as we sleep! What a cool thing that is! :)

Super Superhero Week

2011-07-04T09:10:00.012+03:00

And just like that, the VBS whirlwind has come and gone! It has hard to believe after all the planning, purchasing, preparing, and praying it is OVER! It was a fun week. I know WE learned a lot and I think the kids did, too.

One of the major issues going into the week was what the weather would do. Since we were holding VBS at the Botanical Gardens, rain wasn't really an option. We learned not to trust weather.com (seriously, it was exactly OPPOSITE of what they said almost every day!), but even though we had at least some rain three out of the five days, God gave us good trees, a few tents, and (for one especially rainy day), access to the church so we wouldn't all get sick and die. (That might be a slight exaggeration.)

Our group of kids wasn't huge (between 12-19 everyday), but it was great to see them learn and have fun doing it. They're such little sponges at that age! On the last day, as the Gospel was presented, it was so cool to see them listening and learning...and repeating things they learned earlier in the week. Please pray that God's Word will continue to take root in these little hearts. They're so small (4-7 years old), but I believe (WE believe!) that they really can understand and choose to follow Christ!

Other highlights:

*The totally awesome teens from the church that gave their week to help us! They were so sweet and patient with the kids, and the children loved them! Some of them are already involved in children's ministry at the church, but I'm praying that others will desire to be, too. They were great to work with and we really couldn't have done it without them.

*I was thankful again this week for the team that God has put my on and their willingness to serve...and their flexibility. With all the weather issues and constant changes, it could have been a tense situation. But it wasn't. Oh, and also...they're all super talented. I mean seriously. Some of THE most talented people I know. Love them.

*Seeing the kids run around in capes with smiles on their faces. How cute is that?!?

*The superheroes! They were HILARIOUS and totally rocked. I wrote the scripts but they made them work and were fantastic. I told them it was like seeing my imaginary friends come to life. The kids loved them, and (I think!) it helped them learn.

*Getting to speak more Romanian, having actual conversations, and not caring if every word wasn't perfect. I also had my first "I was speaking Romanian and didn't realize it!" moment! That was weird, but cool!

As much as I DO love organizing and keeping things going, I was reminded again this week how much I miss getting to actually be with the kids. I miss playing with them and talking with them and taking care of them. But that isn't my role here. There are other people who can and should do that. This is our goal: not to do it all ourselves, but to set other people up to succeed. And it is great to see that happen.

So those are some of the highlights. It was a good week. There are things I learned, things WE learned, and I know that we'll make changes in the future. But God was very gracious and faithful and answered our prayers.

Yep...It Is June

2011-06-16T20:14:00.008+03:00

Soo....it is June...
Don't ask me what has happened to the last few months because it really is just all kind of a blur, but I DO know there were lots of trains and cars and funny beds. April and May consisted mostly of travel and counselor training in several places with lots of people. My prayer letter has more details about THAT! They were a good couple of months. Just busy and with lots of language study.

Ahh...language...now THERE'S a fun topic! In all reality, I have (I'm told) made good strides in the last couple of months, thanks to switching teachers and mixing it up a little. But seriously...GAH! I feel like I'm constantly climbing up-hill, and the top is rarely in sight. When I DO somehow manage to see the top, I realize how far away I am! Most of the time I wonder if I'm even climbing UP at all, or just going around in circles. I have, however, starting reading my first novel in Romanian, and let me tell you...it is PAINFUL. I have pages full of words that I've had to look up. And I'm only in chapter two. Yeah, maybe by the time I leave, I'll hit chapter four...We can hope! :)

Right now, however, language has taken a backseat to camp planning. Specifically right now, we're getting ready for a VBS/day camp the week of June 27th. It has been a lot of work, and a lot of quick planning, BUT with ten days to go, we have a location, teachers, helpers, crafts, skits and games mostly planned! Considering where we were a couple weeks ago...that's pretty amazing! :) It has been neat to see God answer many, many prayers as HE has pulled things together in ways better than we ever could. I'm really looking forward to seeing more of what He has in store for that week. Pray with us! The kids are little (ages 4-7) but I really DO believe that they can understand the Gospel and am praying that they make decisions that will change the rest of their lives. That is what makes all the craziness worth it.

One of my favorite things in preparing for VBS was getting to write five "Superhero" scripts! I had forgotten how much I enjoy writing! It was a BLAST to come up with fun, but concrete ways to show our themes and teach the kids truth from God's Word. It took quite a bit of work and a lot of time, but I THINK it is done, and I'm thankful for the chance to do something I enjoy so much!

And this is, of course, only the beginning! We do have another five weeks/six programs in July and August that we're planning, preparing for, and praying about. (Hey look! Alliteration! I must be my father's daughter!) I have to say...our team really ROCKS! I love working with this group of people and seeing God use all our gifts individually and together. More importantly, though, we serve a great God Who is strong and worthy of our trust. So I have no doubt that everything that must get done WILL get done.

The most pressing need right now is for people. We need counselors (especially guys) and worship leaders, and it isn't easy for people to give up their time and money (and vacation days, sometimes!) to be a counselor. Please pray that God would give them the desire to be there, show them that it is worth the cost, and then bless them as they see the ways He uses them.

So that's what is currently on my plate. Additionally, I've been bitten by the homesick bug again. I never know the rhyme or reason, but I've been here for almost a year and a half and I am really ready for family, friends, home, hugs, church, my car, my dog, Chipotle, Target...you get the idea. All this is normal, I know. It comes and goes in phases. The summer will come and go quickly, and I'll love it and be totally absorbed in life here. And that'll be good. I just need to make it to that point! :)

"Your emotions are not the best indicator of your ability to deal with what is on your plate; ever-present grace is." Paul Tripp <---------My reminder to myself...and maybe you, too! :)

Thanks, God

2011-03-26T09:39:00.012+02:00

I very often have "is this really my life???" moments when I stop to think about where I am, what I'm doing, who I am. Is this really me? Am I really here? Am I really doing this? God has a sense of humor for sure! But I'm thankful.

I had several of those moments recently when I had the chance to spend a week in Ukraine. Our camp team took a trip to a town just across the border to do a Saturday conference with teens who had been in a camp led by our colleagues last summer. We're ALL planning on going back this summer, so it was good meet the teenagers, encourage them in the decisions they made last summer, and brainstorm a little with the leaders about THIS summer.

Sunday, we split into several teams and spent time in different churches sharing testimonies, preaching (not me, of course!) and fellowshipping together. On the way to our first church, as I sat in a car with Andrew and Anca, I couldn't help but wonder how a shy, scared girl from the middle of Ohio ends up in a car in Ukraine in the middle of the woods, stuck in the snow, with a driver we'd never met before...and all I could do was smile and say "thanks, God!" It was a long, exhausting day, but it was great.

Monday, my team headed back to Bucharest, but they dropped me off at at teeny, tiny airport. Sitting next to a cat and looking at my hand written ticket, I couldn't help smiling again. If you'd told a year ago that I'd be alone at an airport, waiting to get on a flight with eight other people where you load your luggage onto the plane by putting it in a pick-up truck at the door, I would have laughed at you. But there I was...laughing and enjoying the adventure. Thanks, God.

I arrived in Kiev, Ukraine (with the eight other people on my flight, and my bag, but without the cat) and was greeted by ABWE teammates David and Penny Winget. We drove six hours from there to Kharkov, a city in Northern Ukraine where they have lived and ministered for thirteen years. I really enjoyed their company and it was great to spend time with them in their home. Thanks, God.

Tuesday was March 8th, which may not mean much to YOU, but it IS International Women's Day. (Why do we think we have to come up with something "new" in the States? Why can't we just use the metric system and celebrate international holidays??? Anyway....) This is a HUGE deal in Ukraine. It is a day off work and everyone celebrates WOMEN!! Niiiiiice! :) The Winget's church holds a special banquet for ladies every year, and this year they asked me to speak. It was a beautiful event, with 35 ladies (more than in past years!) and it was wonderful to get to be a part of it. I was asked to talk about the tongue and the power of words, but it was especially a privlege to get to share the Gospel. It was one of those time when I had goosebumps as I shared what I KNOW to be truth! We are sinners, which breaks our relationship with God, but He made a way to restore that relationship through the death of His Son, Jesus Christ. What a POWERFUL message we have been given!! It was a good day. Thanks, God.

I spent the next several days with the Wingets seeing their ministries, sight-seeing a little and just enjoying their company. And, because my life really IS an adventure, my time in Ukraine also included a trip to the hospital. Sigh.

I had fallen on ice the first day we arrived in Ukraine (I believe this is now called "Pulling a Kristie"), and even though it hurt quite a lot I tried to ignore it. Unfortunately, it got worse instead of better, and by Thursday of the next week (almost a week later), it looked bad, felt bad, and was starting to get numb and tingly.
After talking with a couple of ABWE nurses, it was decided that I needed to get an x-ray right away. FANTASTIC. It was quite an adventure since I don't speak Russian (shocker, I know, but I'm sure if you'd given me another week....RIGHT!), and they tried to x-ray my collar bone instead of my arm. HOWEVER, eventually we found a very kind doctor who assured me my arm wasn't broken, but that I'd messed up some nerves or something. He gave me some awesome Ukrainian pain pills (who knows!) some cream stuff, and instructed me to wear a sling for the next five days. The sling was off before I even left the hospital (like you really thought I was actually going to DO that???), but I did try to give my arm a little more of a break, and now, three weeks later, I'm pleased to say the bruising is fading, and I can sleep through the night again! Both are good things. Thanks, God. Ooooh the adventures. I think my new goal is to collect x-rays from around the world. I already have Romania and Ukraine...where should I injure myself next??? (Kidding, Mom...kidding...)

So this is really my life? REALLY, it IS!! I hope I never lose my amazement, not just at God's ABILITY to use a weak, foolish person (me), but His DESIRE to do so, too (I Cor. 1:26-2:5). The fun and adventure along the way...that's just a bonus! :) THANKS, God.

Language Lessons

2011-02-12T16:06:00.006+02:00

There are MANY lessons I'll take home with me when I leave. I don't know what God has for me next (I know some of you are starting to wonder and ask!), but regardless of where He takes me, I know that the things He taught me here will go with me. One of the things I'm really thankful for is that I'll understand better what our missionary's lives are like. I'll be able to relate better and pray more knowledgeably cause I've been "there". So let me share at least one thing I've learned that has changed the way I pray.

I think when I read prayer letters from missionaries in the past, I always kind of skipped over the part about praying for their language abilities. Not that I didn't think it was important...I just figured that other things like special events or salvations or particular people were MORE important. And of course, those things are absolutely important! But my perspective has drastically changed over the last year. I now understand how all those other important things hinge on language and the ability to communicate well!

In the last couple of weeks, I've had two meetings with my team. One was just the ladies, and one was all of us together, but BOTH times, language learning, frustrations, defeats and (a few!) victories were a big part of what we talked about and prayed about. It is a HUGE part of our lives here. It is a normal conversation topic, an every day stress, and very consistently a tool that Satan can use to discourage us. He knows that language is soooo important to ministry! And so he loves to discourage us and make us feel like we can't do ANYTHING right since we can't even learn a silly little language. He likes to put the lie in our heads that we should be as good as "so and so" and since we aren't, we must be worthless and we'll never get it. He uses language to make us question if we're really supposed to be here. He know that language can keep us from being as effective as we'd like. (Have you ever spoken through a translator??) I'm really convinced that language learning is a spiritual battle. It isn't just my own crazy mind! :) "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (Ephesians 6:12).

In case you couldn't tell (!!), language has been a personal source of discouragement for me lately. In the last month, I've hit a wall where I feel like I'm not getting it, not making progress, and can't even put simple sentences together. All this came as I hit the "one year" mark, and realized that I'm NOT where I anticipated being language wise. My pride is a little bit wounded (which is good for me once in a while!) and I feel kind of STUCK...unable to move on. Everyone keeps telling me, "Just speak more, it'll come!"...but I don't really know HOW to speak. This is the problem. Some it has to do with the way I've been taught. Some of it has to do with me not putting in the time I should because of my busy schedule, and some of it...I really do believe is a spiritual attack from Satan, meant to discourage me. At any rate, I keep plugging away, taking lessons, meeting with a conversation partner, and TRYING to talk with my friends who are patient enough to listen and decode what I'm trying to say! :) And I pray. ALOT. Because I know I can't do this on my own.

So here's the challenge: Next time you read a prayer letter and see "language" listed there, PRAY HARD about this for your missionary. Add it to your prayer list. Ask God to give them the ability they need to learn, but also to protect them from Satan's lies and discouragement. I know it is more exciting to pray about other things and see immediate results...but language is the lynch pin that helps hold all the rest together.

And (obviously) I'd appreciate your prayers as I head into a really busy time of year and STILL try to make progress in language. Sigh...some days...I tell you...some days... :)

One Year!

2011-01-24T11:06:00.005+02:00

"My mouth will tell of your righteous deeds, of your saving acts all day long—
though I know not how to relate them all.
I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, Sovereign LORD;
I will proclaim your righteous deeds, yours alone.
Since my youth, God, you have taught me,
and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds."
Psalm 71:15-17

This coming Sunday (the 30th) will mark ONE YEAR since I arrived in Romania! I can hardly believe it! I've commented to several people lately that I think there's some kind of weird vortex here or something because time seems to move SOOO quickly! It has been an incredible year, with of a few really high highs, a couple really low lows, and a lot of day to day blessings. Coming here has been THE hardest thing I've ever done, but it has also been one of the BEST things I've ever done. I'm really thankful for what God has taught me about Himself in the last year, and will spend this week thinking specifically about those things and thanking Him for who I know He is.

I was re-reading my prayer journal from a year ago and had to smile. I don't usually post those thoughts here because they're so private, but reading it makes me so thankful that it is THIS year and not last year! :) I hope also that it will encourage you to know that the hard things God asks us to do are SOOOO worth it, and that He walks with us each step of the way, even when we doubt or wonder if obedience is worth the price. I'm thankful for this reminder as well.

January 22, 2010
Father, You see my fear for this next week. I dread it, and quite honestly don't want to go. Why? I know You've called me...at least I think so. Why do I doubt? Because I see myself and not You. Let me fix my eyes on You, so that I won't grow weary and lose heart. Oh God, my heart and head are so conflicted right now. I can't think straight, can't see You or hear You. How do I do this? Will it really be ok? Can I go this far outside my comfort zone? Will you REALLY be there with me?

And so a year later...I have the answers to all those questions and can say again that God is worthy of our trust.

Thanks, Lord, for your goodness, faithfulness, patience and help over this last year. Let me bring glory to You for all You have done.

CHRISTmas

2010-12-27T20:10:00.009+02:00

Christmas is done! Sigh of relief! :) Don't get me wrong, I really DID have a good Christmas. Actually, all of that week was really nice. And it was ALSO nice to not be working at Walgreens during the Christmas season for the first time in seven (possibly eight??) years. But I must admit, everything Christmas-y reminded me of home, so I'm glad to be moving on.

I was especially thankful this year for the wonderful team God has given me here. I can't believe that just a year ago these people were pretty much strangers to me...and now they're my family. (Andrew and Leah Postema, ME, Tom and Gela Graef)

I spent Monday-Thursday of Christmas week at "the little cabin in the woods" (as we affectionately call it!) in the mountains with Andrew, Leah, Grace(10), Rose(9) and Wayne(6) Postema. They really have been SUCH a blessing to me. We did virtually NOTHING together for four day. Games, cookies, puzzles, books...a really great way to spend time with people you love. It was wonderful. I'm thankful for "family" here I can relax with.

We came back in time on Thursday to finish shopping, baking and cooking for our team Christmas celebration on Friday. We spent all day together eating, playing games, talking, and exchanging gifts. Another really nice day.

I spent the night at the Postema's home on Christmas Eve so that I could get up with them early Christmas morning to open presents. Of course, Christmas with kids is just so much fun! Sorry, grown-ups, but we're pretty boring! :) There's nothing quite like watching a little boy open a Lego tractor and yell, "YEESSSSS!!! That's what I've ALWAYS wanted!!!!" on Christmas morning. (And for the record, that "perfect" gift was from me. OH YEAH! Points for Aunt Kristie!) We had breakfast together (yes, IBCers, those ARE my mom's famous cinnamon rolls on the table) and played with all the fun new toys before I headed home.

I made it back in time to catch my family back home (including Grandma and Grandpa!) and open presents with them! It was really fun to still feel like I was there (almost). I even got to see the brown dog bother everyone, which really IS a Christmas tradition. I'm thankful to live in a time when this is possible. It makes a HUGE difference. It was a good day.

So the holidays are done! Well...sort of! Caleb arrives on Wednesday (WEDNESDAY!! THIS WEEK!! TWO DAYS!!!), so my fun continues! :) If you got my last prayer letter, you know that he'll be here for a retreat we're doing this weekend. Please pray for all of us as we jump start back into ministry. I'm excited not just for Caleb to BE here, but for him to get to be a part of ministry that I have come to love so much.

Happy New Year, my friends! God continues to show me each year that, regardless of what He brings, HE is faithful and HE is enough. Thank you to those of you who have been praying for me especially over these last weeks. Our God truly IS Immanuel. He is with us.

Thanksgiving

2010-11-24T18:28:00.002+02:00

It MUST be Thanksgiving. I'm sitting in my kitchen as I write this, keeping an eye on the milk on my stove that is currently evaporating. Unfortunately, I'm now well aware of the fact that this takes several hours. A year ago, evaporated milk came in a can that took two seconds to pop open. Now, I avoid recipes that call for it because seriously, who has a few hours to just SIT in the kitchen?? But it IS Thanksgiving, and even in Romania we can't have Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie. And it seems you can't have pumpkin pie without evaporated milk. (Ironically, I don't even LIKE pumpkin pie and hadn't made it until this year...)

I've been thinking about things besides pumpkin pie, though. I have so much to be thankful for this year. God has blessed me. I don't say that flippantly. I mean it and think it often. Seriously, I think I could just put up a permanent Facebook status that says "Kristie Abernathy is blessed", and that would cover me for the rest of my life.

I was asked to give a testimony Sunday evening. I shared about how I'd been reflecting lately on how thankful I am that God is always the same, regardless of where I am or what changes around me. He's constant and unchanging. He's the same God in Romania as He is in the States. I'm thankful that "if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast" (Psalm 139: 9-10). That's not just a possibility in my life. That's the reality. His hand is still here. And regardless of where I go, what I do, or who comes and goes from my life, He is here and He's the same. Amen, right?

I came home that same night to an email saying that my cousin's adorable little 19 month old daughter had very suddenly gone to be with Jesus. It was one of those times when I KNEW that even though being home wouldn't mean I could do anything more, I wanted to be there. My heart is so sad for my cousins, aunt, uncle, grandparents...why do things like this happen?? How can this be for ANYONE'S good? But even that same night, a dear friend reminded me that the same God who was with me on "the far side of the sea" was with my family back home. And I had to practice what I had "preached".

So I'm STILL really thankful that God is always the same. I'm thankful He's the same God on the other side of the sea with my family. I'm thankful that He'll be with them all tomorrow as they gather together for a Thanksgiving dinner that I know will be bittersweet. And I'm thankful that He'll be here with me as I miss them and wish SO MUCH that I was there. He's the same good God. (These words are written after a few intense days of wrestling with this. Thanks to those of you who knew and were praying.)

Happy Thanksgiving, my friends. What are YOU thankful for this year?

"Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever."

Happy Memories :)

2010-11-15T12:05:00.003+02:00

Going through all these pictures brought back so many emotions and memories. I know you don't have those same feelings, but I hope it at least gives you a glimpse into our summer and lets you see the faces of those you've been praying for.

Mighty to Save

2010-09-14T18:10:00.016+03:00

Blogs can be such a great tool. I enjoy writing. It helps me process and work through my thoughts and feelings. Words can be so powerful! At the end of the day, though, words (and pictures!) can only do so much! I wish that you could all come and see what a week of camp looks like here. I wish you could experience the frustrations of bad weather and problem campers. I wish you could feel the spiritual battles. I wish you could see the smiles on camper’s faces when they’re playing "Peter Pan" or making up their team’s cheer. I wish you could hear us singing the same songs you know, to the same God you serve, but in a different language. I wish you could cry with us at the end of the week when you see a camper you’ve prayed for by name FINALLY make a decision to accept Christ. I wish you could join us for an exhausted, but joyful reflection on God’s faithfulness after the week is over. I wish this so much! I know, though, that no matter how much I write it will never QUITE do justice to the camp experience or the great ways we saw our God work. I think this is why is has been abnormally hard for me to write about the last two weeks of camp. I’ve tried several times without success. But here we go! Here’s a glimpse of the FINAL two camps of the 2010 season!

Teen Camp

If you read my last post, you know that we anticipated that the first week would be tough for a variety of reasons. Those of us who were working with the kids had a completely different experience than those who were working with the teens. We were kind of on our own little island (our motto was "Aloha!"), so everything I know about what happened with the teens is secondhand. HOWEVER, God did some amazing, AMAZING things in the lives of those teens! To those of you who were praying with us, be encouraged that God certainly DID answer your prayers and did more than we could have imagined! He was clearly working in lives all week and by the last day over 35 of the teens testified publicly that they had accepted Christ that week! Hold on, hold on…read that sentence again!! Over 35 teens!! How AWESOME is that! PRAISE GOD with us! He is mighty to save!

Please PRAY with us for these teens. PRAY that they'll desire to be in church and that the church would reach out to them and welcome them into the body of Christ. PRAY for wisdom for the leaders to know how to follow up with them. PRAY that these new believers would see God's power in their lives as they begin to walk with Him and that they'd be encouraged and protected in their new relationship with Him. Incidentally, we’re headed back up to this church this weekend for a “reunion” meeting. We hope to be able to encourage them to continue in their new faith and to be willing to stand for Christ even when it costs something. PRAY with us that God will use this to jump-start the church’s fall ministries.

Kid’s Camp

The kid’s program that week was a stretching experience for me personally, as well as the program director I was assisting (Anca). She had never done this job before, I had never done this job before and so we felt often like we weren’t sure what we were supposed to be doing! Our job that week included (but was not limited to!): planning the schedule, setting up and leading activities, moving tables and benches, managing conflict, sleeping with campers, encouraging and praying for counselors, handing out chocolate AND drinking lots of Coke! :-) It was an overwhelming and exhausting week, but it meant we also relied heavily on our Heavenly Father and each other. A big blessing from that week was that Anca and I were able to work together and communicate VERY well. At the end of the week we thanked God for each other and for giving us unity of thought and spirit. I’m so thankful for her continuing friendship. This was a definite personal blessing from this summer.

We didn’t have any KIDS accept Christ as Savior this week, but we DID see a definite change in the attitudes of some of the kids as the week went on (especially in these two girls in the picture). We know God WAS working on them. Please pray that the seeds that were planted in their hearts will be watered and grow. We were discouraged to see limited visible fruit, but DO trust that we serve a God who continues to work even after camp ends…thank goodness! :-)

Final Teen Camp

Our final week of camp should have been easy. That’s how it looked on paper! We only had 28 campers coming, we were ONLY doing a teen camp, and we actually had more help than we had the previous week! But for whatever reason it just WASN’T. It was a spiritually intense week and we were very aware of Satan trying to distract and disrupt. We had one camper who had to be sent home for discipline reasons (this is a good story…ask me about it!), and another boy was hurt badly enough that (after going to the hospital) he had to go home, too. There also seemed to be a spiritual apathy among the older boys in particular that we were battling all week. But I am SO thankful for the lessons that God had already taught us that summer, because seeing all this didn’t discourage us. It made us pray HARDER. And we prayed in FAITH because we had already seen that our God is capable of doing amazing things. And guess what? He did…AGAIN!! I can’t tell you how AMAZING it has been this summer to see God answer specific prayers over and over and see Him CLEARLY work in camper’s lives again and again! MAN! AWESOME!! So by the end of the week there were ANOTHER six salvation decisions (including the two girls in this picture!) and other decisions, as well, to live a committed Christian life. Remember those boys who were so apathetic? The pastor of the church where a few of them attend called OUR pastor and asked what had happened at camp…because the following Sunday they were sitting in the FRONT row of the church, LISTENING, and (are you ready for this??) TAKING NOTES!! How GREAT is our God??? Please PRAY that these kids will continue to love God and His Word even when the “camp” feeling wears off.

So please, those of you who were praying with us, spend some time THANKING God for what He has done. We certainly have. What a blessing and privilege to get to see Him work and change lives. I hope you’re blessed and encouraged by the way God used your prayers! We felt them and needed them! He heard and used them! What a powerful God we serve!! He is indeed mighty to save!

On The Road Again! (YAY!)

2010-08-21T11:00:00.004+03:00

How funny that four weeks ago I was counting the days (and hours!) until I could leave camp and come home to Bucharest. NOW, however, I'm counting the days (and yes, hours!) until I can LEAVE Bucharest and return to camp! We're down to something like 21 hours and I CAN'T WAIT!! Let's get this show on the road!! :-) (I think it is probably a good sign that I feel this way!)

Our next camp begins on Monday! As excited as I am, I don't have an delusions about it being easy, which is why I'm writing this post. We need your prayers! Next week's camp has the potential to be the best AND the hardest camp we've had all summer. Let me explain.

*This will be the biggest camp we've had all summer! 95 campers plus 30 staff equals a totally full camp which is AWESOME!!! In fact some people will have to stay in tents! We are just THAT full! This really is AWESOME, but it also makes things more crazy! PRAY for the logistics of all of this.

*90% of the campers coming are unbelievers. Did you get that?!?! 90%!!!!! Think of the potential there! This is totally different from the way all our other camps have been, and so it means re-thinking how we do things. It also means Satan will want to keep these kids from hearing and understanding God's Word. Please PRAY for protection from spiritual warfare. PRAY that these kids and teens will come to know TRUTH this week and that it'll change their lives (and the lives of their families!) forever! PRAY also that God uses this to build up and strengthen the youth group at this church. They need encouragement. How awesome would it be to see ALL of the teens from camp become part of this body of believers?!? That's how I'm praying...and trusting God to do more than I could ask or imagine! We serve a God who is capable of all of this and more!

*This is a church we've never worked with before. Again, this is really exciting and they're already talking about having more camps with us next year! But it also means we're working with counselors and staff who aren't used to the way that we do things. And it IS different from the way most camps work in Romania. Example: the whole idea of being WITH your campers all day and even sleeping in the same room with them is totally foreign to what they've always done. This means there is potential for problems and conflicts. Please PRAY that our counselors would GET IT, see results, and be encouraged by the way that God uses them in the lives of their campers. PRAY that WE would see how to encourage them. PRAY that God would use this week in the lives of the counselors and that they would love their campers.

*We're running two camps simultaneously! We'll have one camp for kids and one camp for teens. We're super excited about this, but it DOES mean spreading our staff a little thin and again, the logistics are always interesting and complicated! :-) PRAY that God would bless BOTH camps and that we'll have the people that we need to be able to run both camps WELL!!

*On a personal level, those of you who know me will smile when I say that I am SUPER EXCITED to be a part of the kid's camp!! YESSSS!! I've enjoyed ALL the camps, but I'm so glad to be able to hang out with kids again! As I've prepared mentally, spiritually and emotionally for this camp, the Lord keeps bring me back to Philippians 2. I ask that you would pray this passage specifically for me. PRAY that I won't be selfish. PRAY that I'll look out for the interest of others. PRAY that I would have the attitude of Christ. PRAY that I'll be willing to be made "nothing" and be humble. It is easy to ACT this way, but pray that I would truly have this attitude and spirit as I do whatever is needed.

So that's how you can (PLEASE!!) pray for us over the next week. I hope you can sense my excitement in these words! :-)

We DO have another week of camp after that. Actually, this time next week we'll be on the road, headed to our next location! I've been so focused on getting ready for this camp with the kids that I honestly don't know a whole lot of details about our FINAL camp...but please PRAY for us, for our counselors and for the campers that God will be bringing us. PRAY that (as my Mom always says!) we will finish WELL! PRAY that God's Word would be understood as Ken Rudolph and Cheryl Fawcett speak. PRAY that we''ll love the campers and be amazed as we see what God does in their lives.

If you read my last prayer letter, you know that God has taught me much about the power of prayer this summer. Not only does God hear our prayers, He CARES and He answers! That's why I'm writing this post. I honestly believe that when YOU pray for us here in Romania, thousands of miles away, God hears and He answers YOUR prayers. Isn't that amazing!?! So please PRAY! We need it! And think of how awesome it will be to hear in a few weeks how God specifically and directly answered your prayers!

Three Weeks Down...

2010-08-14T16:20:00.005+03:00

I've been home for three weeks now, and will leave again NEXT WEEK (YESSSS!!!) for more camp! But before I move ahead and forget , I want to make sure to take time to THANK God for the first few weeks of camp and reflect on the ways He answered prayer. So join me in praising Him!

Week One: Filadelfia Teens
This week almost didn't happen because a few days (yes, days) before camp started, we noticed a problem in the contract we had signed for the camp we were renting. Those were very tense days, full of negotiations and prayer, but God answered beyond what we could have imagined, and we had camp as planned! Thank you, Lord!

This was an emotionally and spiritually intense week. God did some great things in the lives of the campers, but it was an exhausting battle! Several campers were saved! The biggest challenge they left with, though, was to know, read, and study their Bibles. We've heard that since this group has returned home, they've ASKED their leaders to start Bible studies back up, even though it is the middle of the summer! Praise God for His continuing work!

Week Two: Holy Trinity Teens/Pre-Teens
For those of you who read my prayer letter, you know that this week was kind of an experiment for us. We tried (for the first time) running two different camps at the same time. Going INTO this week, (up until Sunday afternoon!) we really debated about whether or not this was best, but it seemed like something God was leading us to try. He really did BLESS this week and it was so neat to see the pre-teens open up and come alive in their own program.

Satan seemed to be especially opposed to the pre-teen camp. The morning the kids all arrived, the assistant program director for the pre-teens woke up, brushed her teeth, and realized that her tooth had (randomly!) come out! She had to be rushed to the closest dentist (and hour and a half away!) and camp had to begin without her. Just a couple days later, the program director for the teens became very sick with a high fever and was unable to lead the program for the next couple of days. Think this is just random? I sure don't.

I tell you these things because it was such a wake up call for me! I know in my head that "we wrestle not against flesh and blood", but it was just SO EVIDENT all week that there was a spiritual battle going on. When you see all this going on around you, what can you do except go to your Father in prayer and ask for His protection?? He was good, He answered our prayers, and He DID do awesome things in the lives of the campers this week, despite Satan's efforts to stop His work.

Week Three: Young Adults
After being the camp nurse the week before and taking care of sick people (yeah, that's a whole other story!), I became sick as we headed into this week. Thankfully, young adults don't need as much supervision and so I was able to rest more than the previous weeks. I was also able (along with one of my Romanian teammates) to spend good, concentrated time in prayer. How awesome to be able to see up close and personal that God hears AND answers our prayers! It really was amazing to see...it gave me goosebumps!

A couple more quick answers to prayer:
I made FRIENDS this summer! With the counselors, with the campers, with the staff. This is no small thing! I can walk into church now and actually KNOW people! Thanks, Lord!

My language abilities have improved. I understand more of what's going on around me, which is a nice feeling!

So those are the three weeks. There's so much more I could say, but this IS a public blog and some stories are better left untold! :-) This time next week we'll be headed north for our last two weeks of camp! I'm pretty excited! :-) Please, keep praying for us! Your prayers are important and God DOES hear and answer!!

To Be Continued...

2010-07-29T22:56:00.003+03:00

Camp was awesome! Or rather, CAMPS were awesome. And our God is awesome. More to come, but for now, this will give you an idea of what our weeks were like!

The Official Start of Summer

2010-06-19T10:38:00.003+03:00

The kids have been done with school here for several weeks now. The temperature has been in the high 90s for most of the last couple of weeks and the buses and trams are crowded and smelly. Summer visitors from the US have all arrived and are settled in. And I bought something resembling a cantaloupe at the store this week. But for me, summer will officially start next week. Why? We begin our first week of camp on Tuesday!!

Camp seemed like such a long way away when I first arrived (almost five months ago...wow!) and now it is HERE! I'm really excited and am looking forward to it, but I'm also a little apprehensive since this is something I've never done before. My main job will be supporting/praying for/coordinating the support staff, as well as helping with detail work.

Our first week of camp is for kids! The theme is "Discover the Treasure", and we'll be talking all week about the TRUE treasure...God's Word...and how it applies to our lives and daily walk. These aren't necessarily easy things for children to understand, but I think sometimes we don't give kids enough credit. They really ARE capable of not only understanding spiritual things, but applying them as well. Please PRAY that this happens next week and that lives are changed for eternity, for the glory of God.

As we've finalized plans this week, we've emotionally been up, down and everywhere in between. Early in the week we learned that an organization was going to help sponsor some of our kids! We entered the week PRAYING that God would send us just the right amount of campers. This has been a hard year financially for people here, and so the number of kids registered was much less than what we had been anticipating. This was such an answer to prayer! Later that same day, one of our counselors/worship leader informed us that he wouldn't be able to be at camp next week. Mid-week, we heard that another church was considering sponsoring MORE of our campers! You can imagine our excitement...only to find out yesterday that they decided to use the money for other purposes. Additionally, after five days of phone calls and prayers we are STILL without a guy counselor or worship leader to fill the hole. We're looking at the calendar and wondering how God is going to answer this...as we trust that HE knows what we need.

So that's where we are! I look forward to coming back next week (I'll be home for a week before heading out for three more weeks of camp), and telling you the ways that God worked and how everything was EXACTLY the way He wanted it to be...even if it wasn't according to OUR plans.

I'll leave you with a few specific prayer requests and ask that you PLEASE intercede on our behalf. We have an enemy who would love nothing more than to distract our campers and discourage our staff. Pray for God's protection. Please. The battle is real, and "our struggle is not against flesh and blood..." (Eph. 6:12).

*PRAY for a worship leader/guy counselor. Not just someone to fill the hole, but exactly the RIGHT person/people for the campers they will be working with.

*PRAY for the right amount of campers.

*PRAY for the illumination of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the campers so that they will understand God's Word and make changes for eternity.

*PRAY for wisdom/strength/enthusiasm/refreshment for our counseling staff:Ana, Miriam, Cristiana, Ionut, Radu and ???

*PRAY for our camp core team who at camp this week: Andrew and Leah, Dave and Kathy, Kristie, Anca, Felix

*PRAY for unity among staff and like mindedness.

*PRAY for our campers to be prepared, focused, and ready to learn.

*PRAY for safety for all, especially in the heat.

Finally Glad

2010-05-25T20:22:00.003+03:00

There are days when I wonder why in the world the Lord has brought me here. There are days when I when I feel like I've accomplished nothing...and worry that tomorrow will be the same. There are days when I question how I am EVER going to be able to understand what people are saying to me, let alone CONVERSE with them. And to be honest, there are days when I would like to lock myself in my apartment and forget that I'm in another country. Today, however, was NOT one of those days, and I'm praising the Lord!

I've felt THANKFUL to be here since I first landed. I'm thankful for God's direction, guidance and provision. I'm thankful for my financial supporter's sacrificial giving that allows me to be here. I'm thankful for so many of you who prayed faithfully to get me here, and continue to lift me up before the Father. And I'm thankful for a family and church family that love me enough to let me go while assuring me that they're 100% behind me. So I AM thankful to be here. I have BEEN thankful to be here. But today, maybe for the first time, I was GLAD to be here. Which is a totally different thing. (Stop and think about it for a moment!)

It might have something to do with the fact that today was a totally GORGEOUS day. The sun was shining, it wasn't too hot and people were just out enjoying the day. As I was standing outside with the sun on my face, watching people go by, I was overtaken by the realization of how blessed I am to be here. Despite frustrations and bouts of homesickness, there isn't ANYWHERE else I'd rather be. I'm content. I feel comfortable here. I still don't necessarily understand WHY I'm here, but I'm GLAD to be here!

And so those are my thoughts for the day. "Blessed be God, because He has not rejected my prayer or removed His steadfast love from me!" (Ps. 66:20)

Pictures, Pictures, Pictures!

2010-05-13T15:37:00.011+03:00

I just wrote a new prayer letter, which I'll probably post on here, too, shortly. But in the prayer letter I said that you could see pictures of my adventures on here...so I better actually post some pictures! :-)

These are all the awesome MKs that I spent a week teaching in April up in the mountains. Romania really DOES have the best MKs! :-)

This is me teaching the kids while we were in the mountains. It really was more fun than it looks like in this picture!

I sent the kids on an alphabet photo scavenger hunt, which they loved! I was their picture for "K"!

Teaching my session on visual aides in The Republic of Moldova.

And these were my students!

As you can see I'm becoming quite Romanian!

And THIS little cutie is my new niece, Ella Rae Abernathy. She was born on May 3rd and is already so loved by her parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and many other friends and family. Welcome to the world, Ella Rae!

Here, There, and Everywhere!

2010-04-05T11:17:00.007+03:00

I'm writing something...because the longer I write nothing, the more overwhelming it becomes! :-)

The last month has been a busy one for me! I've had quite a few guests coming and going and I've done some traveling, too! It has been wonderful to see more of Romania. People kept telling me how beautiful it is (once you leave Bucharest) and I must say they were absolutely right! God has brought me to a country that has it all: mountains, woods, beaches, cities...what more could a girl want?!? :-)

The reason for my travels? I was helping with Sunday School Teacher Training in three different cities. What an honor to get to teach people who want to learn! For this round of training I was able to share a brief devotion at the beginning of the day and then observe the rest of the session. I really love what my teammates are doing! There is such a need for this, and the appreciation of the teachers is so humbling! Pray for me as I seek the Lord's will about how I can be involved in the future. I'm already scheduled to teach a session on using visual aids in Moldova on the 24th of this month! Scary!

As I write this, I'm surrounded by an assortment of bags. I'm leaving today for the mountains for a combined training conference with my team and the ABWE team in northern Romania. While the rest of the adults are sitting in sessions all day, I'll be in charge of nine kids! I have a fun (I hope!!) program planned for them and am looking forward to it...but please pray for me! I'll have the kids for 5-6 hours a day. I'm praying for good weather so we can be outside A LOT! :-)

The rest of April looks so busy, too! But more about that later...I need to finish packing the rest of the food, craft supplies, teaching materials...oh man...I'm going to look like a bag lady! :-)

Thanks for your continuing interest in God's work in Romania. Sometimes it is hard to see...but He IS working in the lives and hearts of people here. Once in a while He gives us glimpses of what He is doing.

(The video below is of me singing with a teammate in a small village church we went to on our way home from teacher training. Thought you might like to see me sing in Romanian! So cool!) :-)

Observations

2010-03-01T12:09:00.003+02:00

I remember being amazed during my time in Germany how much I could pick up and learn about people just by watching. I didn't understand much of what they said, but by observing their body language, actions, and tone, I slowly started to learn about people. Of course, not ALL of my conclusions from my observations were correct, but many were and it was fascinating! I've always loved watching people!

I'm beginning to experience that here, too, as I adjust and settle into a routine. Yesterday, however, my observations were sad ones. I've been sitting in on (and doing crafts and such here and there) a Sunday School class for junior highers. They're fun kids and seem to like me, though I'm not sure why since we can barely communicate with each other! :-) I think I'm a novelty...the silent American girl who smiles a lot! Anyhow, as much as I genuinally like the kids, their attitudes upset me. My biggest observations? They seem to have very little respect for authority, and basically NO understanding that the Bible applies to THEM in their day to day lives. I know what you're thinking...how is that any different from kids in the US? :-) This isn't a new problem, and probably IS the case in many places back home, too, but it made my heart sad to see yesterday.

It ALSO made me even MORE eager learn the language. I want to be able to talk to them, to share a Savior with them who loves them and wants to guide them if only they'll listen and obey. I want them to see that the Bible isn't just stories, but REAL people with REAL lives who made choices just like us. I want them to own their faith and see what it means to have a RELATIONSHIP with the sovereign Creator of the universe!

Sigh...it is hard to have so much to say and yet no way to say it! :-) But God knows, and I continue to pray that He'll show me why I'm here and how to use my time. I'm at the point now where I'm having to choose between different opportunities. My observations yesterday, though, helped me clearly identify again what my heart's desire truly is: to see young people really come to KNOW our Savior and follow Him with a radical, life changing faith.

Please, Lord, show me how I can best do this, even with my limited abilities. If you can use anything, Lord, You can use me.

FIRSTS!

2010-02-27T16:17:00.004+02:00

I've officially been in Romania for four weeks now! I can't believe it! I'm really not homesick yet, but on several occasions I HAVE missed the convenience of living in the States. Especially when it comes to cooking. No brownie mixes here! Canned soups are just a memory now. And edible frozen food is no longer a part of my life. All of this is probably for the better, but I admit I have had to adapt. I've also had to sort through my recipes and find ones that I can actually get ingredients for. Hmmm...it is almost dinnertime, can you tell? I didn't intend to sit down and write about food. Moving on!

I thought I'd share with you a few of my "firsts" in the last week or so.

FIRST time on the Metro by myself! I went to a new friend's birthday party and managed to find my way there and back by myself! I also met an interesting man with a snowboard who told me I had a beautiful face (in Romanian), which I suppose counts as my FIRST time getting hit on here! Yessss! Actually, I was pleased that he said this in Romanian first, because the bigger compliment for me was that it meant he thought I looked Romanian. That's what I'm going for! :-)

FIRST time getting lost came the very next day. :-) I was headed to church, and though I've ridden with teammates every other week, the weather was nice so I thought it would be a good time for me to figure out how to take the tram. It should have been easy. Just go three stops, get off and walk. But for me...well...not so much. I got off at the right stop, but then thought it didn't look right, so I got back ON the tram and went two MORE stops. By that time I knew I'd been right the first time. I couldn't figure out how to get back on the tram going the opposite direction (the stops aren't always marked well), so I started walking...in my nice Sunday church shoes, of course! I knew I had to turn down a side street, but I couldn't tell which one because although I had a map, the streets don't always have signs (or at least signs that I can see!) and I'm directionally challenged anyway! :-) Eventually I saw a group of women wearing skirts and decided to follow them. And guess what? They went right to the church! I'm not sure if they knew I was following them or not. But God certainly heard my prayer for help and I was only five minutes late! It was actually an amusing experience, and I'm glad I've been lost once now so I don't have to be concerned when (not if!) it happens again.

FIRST time teaching a class here! I had nine kids on Sunday night for my "English" Jr. Church. What a fun group of kids! We talked about being examples with our words, and they especially enjoyed singing "Keep Your Tongue From Evil", by Steve Green. The hardest thing is keeping the wide variety of ages (pre-school to fifth grade) all interested and engaged. This week I should have twelve kids, so we're already talking about finding some help for me. That'd be good! :-)

FIRST time paying a bill (other than rent) by myself! My very kind doorman (who speaks a decent amount of English), volunteered to walk me to the office of the building administrator where I had to pay it. As it turns out, the building administrator is the man who had come to read my water meter last week (which is a whole OTHER story), so we'd met already and he was well aware that I couldn't speak much Romanian. I paid the bill, and he tried to set me up with his sons. Oh Romania! It sounds much more flattering than it actually is. Everyone wants a green card. Ha!

FIRST Romanian dinner! I've made a new friend, I think, and the dinner was just the icing on the cake for the evening! She took me to a traditional restaurant and ordered me a traditional meal. I enjoyed it and especially LOVED the dessert! It was like donut/funnel cake covered in cream cheese and jelly. YUM!!! Let's not talk about calories! :-) It was a fun night, full of good food and laughter! Thanks to those of you who are praying I'll find friends. It IS happening...slowly. Please keep praying.

So those are some of my firsts! If your life seems dull, book a ticket to come visit me! Cause I can promise you...it NEVER is here!! :-)

The Land of Randomness

2010-02-21T20:17:00.006+02:00

This last weekend I had a couple of guests! It was a blast and I was sorry to see them go. Becky is part of the Romania North Team, and Jenny is part of the South Team with me, but is still raising support back in the States, so she was only here for a visit. (Hopefully she'll be here for good soon...I'm really excited to have her here. Her goal is next January. Please pray that she comes quickly...for my own sanity!) I'd met them both before and was excited to have them come. We laughed ALOT. Jenny has lived here before and calls Romania the "Land of Randomness", which really IS a great description. I'm starting to love this country but man, does it make me laugh! Just in case you don't believe me, this is a video we took the other night on our way home from the Graefs. Romanian elevators are notoriously sketchy. This one, however, should win a prize. Not only has the light been burned out since I got here, the "Push for Help" button isn't exactly helpful. Listen and find out!

NOTE: Before this video was taken, David had to run down to the bottom floor to send the elevator up because it was stuck. Which made us feel even better.

Don't you love it?? When you all come visit, I'll be sure to take you in the laughing elevator! :-)

The View From Here

2010-02-16T14:39:00.008+02:00

I thought a few pictures might be nice...so here they are!

The view from my window

And my apartment building

Inside my apartment building

And the building's dog. The doorman lets him in and the women put food on their doorsteps for him. I speak nicely to him and pet him...but when I do he tries to follow me in the apartment! :-) I think I need to name him...suggestions??

And finally, this is for those of you in Columbus who have had all the snow. You're not alone. And at least in the US they shovel sidewalks! :-)

Two Weeks In!

2010-02-15T15:53:00.002+02:00

It is hard to believe I’m entering my third week in Bucharest. In some ways it seems like I’ve been here for months, and in other ways I feel like I got here yesterday. I hit a point early last week when I just kind of looked around and thought “Ok…now what?”! I was settled, my visa process was well under way, and I honestly didn’t know what to do with myself! Thankfully, in the last week or so God has begun to fill up my schedule.

I’m so thankful for the teammates God has given me! They’ve gone out of their way to make me feel welcome and comfortable, and I’ve spent quite a bit of time at all of their apartments in the last few weeks. It has been important, especially as I’m starting out, to build good relationships with them. They are my lifelines here, and I depend on them so much! They’ve been very helpful and patient as I learn all the things I need to know to live here. So getting to know all of them has been a big part of my last couple of weeks.

The visa process has taken quite a bit of time as well. It is pretty much like a giant, international scavenger hunt. You have to run all over the city, getting different places to fill out forms for you, collecting them all and eventually turning them in for the prize: a five year visa! Woohoo! I’m ALMOST ready to turn everything in to the government, and Scotte (my team leader) tells me having it all ready this quick is some kind of a record! I can be in the country for 90 days before I need the visa, so it should be done in plenty of time. Should be! ☺

Starting next Sunday, I’ll be taking over the Sunday night children’s program at church! It is done completely in English and mostly just MKs come, but it is still a good opportunity for me and I’m looking forward to it! My co-workers have been taking turns doing this, so I’m glad to be able to give them a break. Once I’ve gotten my feet wet a little bit, I think we may begin advertising it as an opportunity for OTHER children to work on their English, too. I’m excited about the potential and glad to be doing something so worthwhile!

I’ve also been observing the Sunday School program at the church I’m attending. I’ve especially “clicked” with one teacher, and have decided to start helping in her class. I’ll teach some, try a few ideas, and just try to get a feel for what’s going on.

I’m also going to be traveling quite a bit in the next couple of months! ABWE is doing three teacher training seminars in three different cities in March, and I have the opportunity to go and observe all of them, and have been asked to share a brief devotional at each one. In April, we’ll be doing a seminar in Moldova (a tiny country east of Romania), and they’ve asked me to actually teach a whole session! WOW! It is really intimidating, but as I prayed about it, I felt God telling me to stretch myself. So I’ll give it a shot! I’ll get my topic in the next few weeks and start working on it. What a cool opportunity!

In April, the Romania North and Romania South teams will be meeting in Transylvania for four days to do some planning. While all the grown-ups sit in meetings all day, I get to entertain the kids, which should be fun! I’m looking forward to it, and am glad to be able to help in this way.

The summer is also coming quickly, so planning is well under way for camp! I attended a meeting last week and am excited to be a part of this ministry! My specific role is still being discussed, but I’m glad to help however I can. Counselor applications and training will begin soon! I’m loving learning about the process of running a camp!

TOMORROW I will start my language lessons! I’m looking forward to finally being able to get into it because I want so badly to be able to communicate better. As an AMP missionary, I’m not required to take language classes, but I think it is important and really want to do it. I’ll be taking four hours a week and will have lots of homework, too, from what I hear! So today is my last day of freedom, I guess! ☺

Would you please pray specifically that I’d make some Romanian friends here? I’m trying, but it is HARD and it just takes time. I keep being told to “invite some girls over”…but that’s a little hard when I don’t know many girls, or even how to meet them! I love working with kids, but since I’m with them Sunday AM and PM, it makes it hard to meet people at church. I AM attending a Bible study on Friday nights, which has been good, but because it is English speaking, most of the people I’ve met have been from the US! So please pray that I meet people and am able to build relationships. That really is what I want!

Small Victories and Setbacks

2010-02-05T17:02:00.003+02:00

Well I must say, I'm glad it is not LAST week!
And I'm also thankful that THIS week is coming to a close. It has been a good week, but the learning curve is huge and I'm glad I'll never have to have a first week in Bucharest again! I'm able to find my way around my neighborhood now, shop, go to the bank, and walk to all of my teammate's apartments. Good things to know how to do, yes? Let me share some of my victories with you. They may seem small to you, but they were causes of great rejoicing to me!

1. I learned how to work the washer and dryer! They're quite different here, but thankfully my time in Germany in 2006 helped, and I DID remember what to do.

2. I hooked up a printer! This has nothing to do with Romania being difficult...this is just my own idiocy when it comes to computers. I won!

3. I paid my rent for February all by myself! Thanks to instructions from teammates, I was able to deposit the money into my landlord's account. This meant going from US dollars, to Romanian lei, to Euros...but I did it, and I was quite pleased with myself and thankful for the kind girl at the bank who spoke English.

4. I figured out how to light (yes, light) my stove! Actually, having an oven I had to light at my apartment in Columbus made this a lot less scary. Isn't it funny how God prepares us?? I haven't figured out the oven here, yet. A goal for next week...

5. I picked up paperwork from a government agency on my own! I dropped it off with Scotte the day before to be processed, and then managed (miraculously!)to find my way back to the building, into the right room, and to the right woman to pick it back up. A small victory, but one that goes a long way toward building my confidence in my new home town.

6. The internet is WORKING!! This is really only a half victory because (a) I didn't fix it, and (b) it isn't COMPLETELY fixed yet...but I'll take it! The internet was cutting out generally every 2 minutes, which wasn't good since this is my only form of communication to the world OUTSIDE of Bucharest. I still don't have wireless, but the internet stays connected (after Scotte and Tom worked on it for a while!) so I'm pretty content with THAT!

Each of these victories were accomplish while talking with my Heavenly Father. I depend on Him even more these days, and am always amazed at the way He cares even about silly, insignificant things...like lighting an oven.

Thankfully, He ALSO cares about my defeats, and what week wouldn't have a few of those??

1. My lost luggage. You know the story by now. Resolved in the end!

2. Sinus infection! I couldn't do much Sunday and Monday and was pretty miserable. BUT, I'm so thankful I had antibiotics with me, and I feel MUCH better now, though my sinuses are still draining. Yuck!

3. Frustrating internet. We've covered that already. I prayed over my computer, but it didn't cast the demons out. :-( I had to call in the professional missionaries! ;-)

4. Stolen debit card number. Sometime before I left the States, my card number got stolen, and we discovered this on Wednesday. I've been racking my brain to try to figure out where it happened, but I just have no idea! Anyhow, the bank had to deactivate my card so they wouldn't drain my account, which meant I had no way to access my account or withdraw money in a country that runs on virtually only cash. Yeah....I had a few moments of panic. But that is why God put me in a TEAM here in Bucharest, and they were able to loan me money from the team account until I have access to my own again.

Those were my biggest defeats this week. Nothing too horrible. But of course everything seems more horrible in a new place, with new people. I've asked God "why now?" a few times (especially with the debit card situation!), but was reminded that these things really AREN'T big deals and I need to trust Him.

Next up? Well, I'm headed to an (English) Bible study at the Graefs for tonight with some other young people. Now that I have reliable internet, however, I'll write again soon about the ministry opportunities God is already giving me here.

La revedere!

Well...It IS Romania!

2010-01-31T19:48:00.002+02:00

I am safely in Bucharest! And so is my luggage! I'm actually home tonight because I'm not feeling well. I'm fairly certain I have a sinus infection, but thankfully I felt it coming on before I left and was able to get antibiotics. (Thank you Dr. Steve!) Flying, however, didn't help, and I woke up this morning with a sore throat, too, so I'm taking it easy tonight in hopes that I'll be able to do what I need to do for the rest of the week. BUT, this does give me the chance to share with you how God showed me He was with me on my trip here.

Friday was a GOOD day, spent with family and friends...plus, I had Thai food for lunch! :-) My bags all zipped (a miracle itself!) and I checked in at Port Columbus without incident. Goodbyes (which I had been dreading since I made this decision a year and a half ago) were hard, but not unbearable, and I have to tell you, it was really nice to finally DO IT and not have it hanging over my head anymore. I flew to Detroit and had to wait only a few minutes to board my plane to Amsterdam.

I got on the plane and started to hope that the seat next to me would be empty so I could stretch out a little for the eight-hour flight. It hadn't happened to me on any other international flight before, but I started to pray that, maybe, just maybe, God would take pity on me and give me a little space. People kept getting on the plane...but the seat next to me was still empty! Yessss!!! Oh wait...the last person getting on? Are you serious? Not funny, Lord! So I ended up with a seatmate. Despite my disappointment, I smiled and made small talk and soon discovered that he was a believer and attended a Baptist church in Alabama! What an unexpected blessings! Even more "random" was the fact that he had a friend who is director of Campus Crusade for Christ for Eastern Europe. So he was super excited that I was going to Romania! So instead of feeling completely distraught as I watched the last bit of US soil fade out of view, I was sharing my journey with a fellow believer and being encouraged. Thank you, Lord!

We didn't talk much after the initial conversation. He took a sleeping pill and offered me one, but I don't make a habit of taking pills from men on airplanes, soooo I was awake the whole flight, and unable to get comfortable. I never sleep on planes, so I wasn't surprised, but goodness is that a miserable feeling! Eight hours, two (bad) meals and one (bad) movie later, we landed in Amsterdam on time. Yes, that's right, we LANDED on time. Unfortunately, we didn't pull up to the gate for another fifty minutes because the plane already AT the gate had to be de-iced and there was a sudden lack of de-icers at the airport. Thanks to the kind reassurances of the gentleman next to me that "all of the flights are probably delayed now", I didn't panic during those looooooong fifty minutes. If you woke up praying for me, THANK YOU! I could feel it!

Once we finally arrived at the gate and got off the plane, I discovered that SOMEHOW my flight to Bucharest was still on time. I had thirty minutes to figure out what gate to go to, run (literally!) to another concourse, go through security, and board the plane. And guess what? I made it! I was praying all the way, but I made it and was surprisingly calm the whole time. CLEARLY, people were praying.

After boarding the plane, I discovered that my NEW seatmate had also been on my plane from Detroit and had been through the same oh-so-exciting rush that I had. We bonded over that and chatted some. I'm not sure that he was a believer (I shared what I was doing and he didn't have much to say), but he WAS a homeschool dad of seven kids, which gave us a connection. He looked out for me during that flight and even gave me a clementine orange after another (especially bad) airline meal. Let me tell you...I was VERY thankful for that orange! :-) Another unexpected blessing!

We arrived in Bucharest on time. I passed through customs without incident and headed for the baggage claim with a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. If I had barely made it on the plane to Bucharest, was there any possible way that my luggage had? My seatmate and I stood watching the luggage going 'round and 'round. Never in my life have I wished for pink camo bags, but whoever had THOSE bags got their luggage that night, and unfortunately I did not. And neither did the nice man next to me, which was terrible for him, but really nice for me because I had someone to figure this out with. I told him I was pretty sure God had sent him to keep me calm through all this, which made him smile. We went to the office, filled out some forms, were given papers and told the next plane came in at midnight. Lovely.

If you listen to my prayer requests from my commissioning service (ibccares.org), you'll hear me say something about not thinking I could handle it if my bags didn't get to Bucharest. God proved once again that while I may not be capable of handling that, He certainly is...and the whole experience wasn't NEARLY as traumatic as it could have been. So I left the airport with only my carry on, but was greeted by my whole team as soon as I walked out the door! How wonderful to get fifteen "hello" hugs, including some from kids who had no idea who I was, but were excited to see me! :-) We all stopped at Burger King (and also Starbucks!) before I was taken back to the Staabs' (my team leaders!) apartment and given pajamas and shower stuff for the next day. Then we headed over to my apartment.

This apartment is a whole blessing in and of itself and story for another time. But an ADDED blessing is that I'm less than a 10-minute walk from all of my teammates. How cool is THAT! I managed to stay awake until 10pm before going to bed for the first time in over 30 hours. Unfortunately, the combination of new noises and wondering when my bags would show up meant that I didn't sleep very well.

I fell into a deep sleep somewhere around 6am, but woke up two hours later to hear my (borrowed) cell phone ringing. I was VERY groggy when I answered, but the man on the end only spoke Romanian, and got frustrated with me when I didn't understand, so he hung up on me! I had understood the words for "airport" and "home", and so I thought maybe he was waiting for me downstairs. I threw on socks, shoes, and a coat and ran downstairs...to find nothing. So I returned to my apartment and tried to wake myself up enough to decide what to do next, or wait for the man to make his next move. He called back and I STILL didn't understand what he was saying, so after he hung up on me again(!), I called a teammate and left a message, explaining the situation and praying that my bags weren't on their way BACK to the airport, never to be seen or heard from again! Thankfully, just as my teammate was returning my call, the doorbell rang, and there, outside my door, was a large, flustered looking Romanian man with my bags!! YESSS!!! He brought all three of them up to me (on the 4th floor!) which was so nice, and I thanked him (in Romanian, even!) profusely! I can't even tell you how happy I was to see those bags! Wooohooo!

I unpacked immediately and am as settled as I can be for now! I had a nice lunch with the Postemas and really enjoyed catching up with them. For now, though, I just don't feel good, and my body needs a good night of rest. Which is where I'm headed shortly.

I'm not sure about the plan for this week. There is so much to learn, so much to do. I DO know I'm going grocery shopping with Leah tomorrow, so I'll begin to figure THAT out. And I have dinner with the Graefs. Beyond that, I'm not sure, but hey! I'm flexible! I'm looking forward to the day when this new life is "normal" and I don't have to double check to make sure I'm going in the right apartment.

I know this is long, but I wanted to share the ways God showed me His hand over and over and over on this trip. I know I'm not alone and I'm so thankful for that! I'm thankful as well, for the many, many people I know were praying. I've felt people's prayers before, but never quite like this. So thank YOU!

Please PRAY that I feel better quickly and get over the jet lag, too. Pray that I would be flexible and patient in a country where hardly anything goes as planned. Pray that God gives me a deep love for Romania and the Romanian people. And pray that I would find "normal" soon.

I'll update again soon...and hopefully it won't be NEARLY so long! But it IS Romania...which I think is my new motto!

Commissioning Service Pictures

2010-01-26T03:15:00.009+02:00

The commissioning service was so special...as was the meal afterwards. These are a few pictures from the day. More to come, I'm sure! :-)

The Final Countdown

2010-01-23T05:21:00.002+02:00

I can't BELIEVE I have a week left in the US. It is crazy, really. I've spent the last year and a half waiting for this day and time has gone so slowly! Then all the sudden, I finished at Walgreens and WHAM! Time sped up!

I spent last week traveling, visiting friends, which was such a blessing to be able to do. I have wonderful friends all over the place and I'm so thankful for them. AND I'm thankful for the chance I had to see them before I become a world traveler! :-)

Next on the agenda is packing. I've sort of started. I'm taking three bags (and paying an arm and a leg for them!), but the rest of my stuff has to be packed so it can go to Michigan with my parents. How do you decide what you'll need for the next two years??

Also in the near future (Sunday) is my commissioning service. OOooooh boy. I have NO illusions about it being easy. I've never been good at goodbyes. I mean, I don't think anyone really likes them, but some people are better at them than others and I am NOT one of those people! I'm not sure why they're called "good"byes, because I DON'T think there is anything "good" about them. But that's just my thought. ANYWAY, service on Sunday! My parents are coming, along with some more family, which is fun. I AM looking forward to that. I'm thankful for my church family and their support through all of this. Pray with me that God is glorified on Sunday and that His power is seen.

I was reading an old journal today and was amazed at the amount of "scary" things in them that I could "never" do: a break up, trip to Germany, trip to Romania, support raising, seeing my parents move, saying goodbye to my brothers...the list continues, because I'm just a naturally scared person! :-) God has given me strength each time. And He will on Friday, too, right? I know it in my head...but try telling my heart! :-)

A season is coming when I will write more often. I look forward to it and THANK YOU for your prayers for me, especially in the coming weeks.

Update!

2009-12-12T03:39:00.002+02:00

Ok! So! Things are picking up here! This is the deal:
I leave Jan. 29th for Romania!
My commissioning service is the 24th!
My last day at Walgreens is the 6th!

I know I should be better at updating this, and my plan is to do it more once I actually arrive in Romania. In the mean time, God's love and faithfulness continue to amaze me even as I look at the scary months ahead. I'm so thankful that HE will go with me, even when I leave everyone and everything else that is familiar and comfortable.

Oh, yeah...I also have 100% of my support!! :-) :-)

The Echoing House

2009-08-21T04:02:00.003+03:00

I'm sitting on the floor where my desk used to be. My room looks empty. There aren't even boxes here anymore. Just bare furniture and a few things I need for tomorrow. The rest of the house is just kind of chaotic as the last little bits are packed. Why is it that there are always so many more boxes than I feel like there should be?? At any rate, the house won't ever be the same. WE won't ever be the same. Everything is changing. Tomorrow.

Tomorrow is the day that I've known in my gut was coming since way back in March. When my parents told me about a church in Michigan that was pursuing them, I just knew somehow that we'd eventually come to this day. I remember lying in my bed and wondering how in the world I would handle it when that day came. And now it has. But you know what? I've handled this the same way I've handled other situations that have been hard and scary. One step at a time, with the realization that God is GOOD and He is in control. He walks with me every day and gives me the strength that I need for each hour. Which isn't to say it hasn't been difficult, or that tomorrow won't bring tears. But if I really DO believe that God is good and gracious, I can move ahead with confidence. Including tomorrow. Gulp.

It isn't just saying goodbye to the house that is hard. I mean, we've only been here for a few years. It is the realization that things will never be the same. A good, and fairly easy part of my life is really over and I can never have it back. Even more, my family is scattered in four different states, with four different lives, and that is hard! I've always envied the families that live close to each other once they are all grown. But somehow I've known that would never be us...though I wish it was! I guess God just made us all with different dreams and goals, which is exciting...until you realize that pulls us away from each other, at least physically. Part of me always thought, though, that we'd come "home" and it would be the same. Now, none of us are really sure where home even is. Sure, home is where the heart is...but what if your heart is torn in different pieces? Ahhh the adjustments to be made. I know a new normal will come soon. I know everything will be all right. I know we'll all find ways to stay in touch and WILL be together again. But for tonight, while I'm surrounded by boxes and uncertainty...the past is more appealing than the future! :-)

Still, I AM excited about the future! God provided AMAZINGLY for me! I have a furnished apartment, above the home of some members of my church, with a kitchen, bathroom, living area and two bedrooms...all free of rent and utilities! I AM excited to live on my own. I'm excited to unpack and get settled. And I'm thankful that God provided this in a way that shows that HE gave this to me. What a wonderful reminder that He loves me and will take care of me. He didn't have to do this. He could have given me plan "b", and He would still have been good and gracious. But He chose to give me this wonderfully cute apartment, and I am so incredibly thankful and encouraged! Any time I doubt, all I'll have to do is look around to be reminded of His provision. I can't even begin to tell you how HUGE this has been.

So that's where I am tonight. Funny that Romania isn't mentioned in here at all. Maybe because I don't want to think about moving again! :-) More about that later. But that's all I have tonight...from this echoing house...

Excuses, Excuses...

2009-08-05T03:33:00.003+03:00

I am alive!
My computer died (I lost everything...but I have a cool new computer!), and couldn't remember my password to access my account. Ridiculous, I know...but that's what I get for saving my password on my computer instead of actually KNOWING it. I did, however, figure it out tonight, so I'm back.

So much has changed since April. And I don't have time to write about it tonight.
I'll sum it up with this:
My brother is married!
My parents live in Michigan now.
Our house has been sold.
I need a place to live!
My support is at 71%!!! WoooHOOO!!!
VBS was AWESOME and I loved being a space cadet...but I missed teaching the kids.
God is faithful.
The easiest part of my life is behind me.
I recite Philippians 4 to myself a lot these days.

So that's kinda where I am. I should update like this more often! It takes a lot less time! :-)
Hopefully...it won't be long before I post SOMETHING again.

Of Great Worth in God's Sight

2009-04-23T00:08:00.002+03:00

I know, I know, I’m a horrible blogger! I’m just going to stop promising to do better, because it probably won’t happen…though I do hope that it really will when I get to Romania!

I’m not going to really write much about the last month or so. It’s been really busy and good, and my last prayer letter was an update about that! If you don’t get my prayer letter but would like to, just email me (kabernathy@abwe.cc) and I’ll be happy to add you to the list! So that’s that. Moving on…

A few weeks ago most of my Romania team was able to get together for a few days in Nashville, TN. We were only missing one family from our whole team! It was a great time. I enjoyed being with them, hearing about their lives now, and also talking about what it will look like when we’re all in Romania together. We prayed a lot, ate A LOT, talked a lot and laughed a lot. So coming back from those few days together left me anxious to raise the rest of my support and get TO ROMANIA!!

You can imagine my disappointment, then, this last weekend when we sat down and added up my support from the last month (March-the crazy busy one that I hoped would be so helpful!) and discovered that my support level had actually gone DOWN instead of UP. Now, you might not know much about raising support, but I think you can probably figure out that isn’t a GOOD thing. You can imagine how discouraging that was. Over all, through this journey, God’s been really gracious and has protected me from discouragement. But last weekend was an exception. I really was discouraged.

Monday morning, I discovered 1 Peter 1:3-4. I don’t even remember why I looked at those specific verses. I think someone wrote them somewhere, or something. Anyway, I started thinking about them. They aren’t new verses to me. But this time Peter’s choice of words stood out to me. My faith is worth more than gold, more than the money that I am so desperately seeking. My faith is worth MORE in God’s sight. It is more necessary, more important. FAITH is of great worth. That isn’t really how I’ve been living these past few months. There’s never really been a doubt in my mind that God could provide all the money I need right away if He wanted, but for the first time I really thought about the fact that He’s more concerned about me having the faith I need to go to Romania than He is me having the money I need to go to Romania. So maybe He isn’t giving me what I THINK I need right now because He’s developing in me what He KNOWS I need. Something to ponder. I’ve been rolling it around in my heart for the last couple days. And I sense the discouragement fading too, as I’ve realized what I should have already known, but somehow lost sight of.

So be encouraged, friends! God is working to develop your FAITH, because it is precious and of great worth to Him. And so….we continue to take steps of faith, yes?

Prayer Letter

2009-03-07T16:54:00.002+02:00

I don't have time to write much (I'm getting ready for a busy next few days before heading to work!) but I thought I'd at least post the prayer letter I sent out this week. My schedule for March is also at the bottom. If you DON'T receive my prayer letters but would like to, please email me: kabernathy@abwe.cc

Dear Faithful Supporters,
Over the last month, God has done “beyond what we could ask or even imagine” (Eph. 3:20). He continues to graciously reassure me one step at a time that He is with me and that HE is at work, preparing me to go to Romania in His own time. Let me share with you a few of the exciting things He’s done in the last few weeks!

*My trip to County Line Baptist Church in Dayton. THANK YOU for praying and encouraging me as I faced that scary first hurdle. I could sense your prayers and became LESS nervous as the week went on, which was pretty amazing. The people at County Line were so supportive and encouraging. I enjoyed my time with them and appreciated their enthusiasm about God’s work in Romania and their commitment to pray. They were a wonderful first church. They also voted to take me on for monthly support, which is very exciting as well! Thank you again for praying!

*Continuing individual support. I’ve had several new commitments in the last few weeks, including one by my own youth group! They secretly raised money for me for several months and were excited to be able to support me for the whole two years I am in Romania! I also had a young elementary school student at my church give me a hand full of change and a few crumpled up dollar bills to help get me to Romania a little faster! It is times like that when I know God is reminding me that HE is working on people’s hearts, and that He hasn’t forgotten me. I’m beginning to see how exciting it is when I depend completely on Him to provide! At this time, I need 100 more churches or individuals to support me for $16 a month. EVERYTHING helps!

*More opportunities to speak in churches! I currently have six churches scheduled in the month of March! THANK YOU for praying, and please know that God is answering your prayers! March will be a very busy month, so please continue to pray for me and for the churches I have the chance to visit. This is still a very uncomfortable thing for me to do, but I’m learning how much God delights in weakness as He shows His strength. My speaking opportunities range from ten minutes to a full hour and will take me all over Ohio. I look forward to sharing with you the ways that God uses your prayers!

Waiting is never fun or easy. The only answer I have when people ask when I’ll go to Romania is “when God wants me there”! But I’m reminded of men like Abraham, Joseph, and David. God used waiting in their life as a time of preparation, and I can see glimpses of how He is doing that in my life also. Is He doing that in your life? Be encouraged. The God who asks us to wait is the same God who asked Joseph to wait. He knows what He’s doing. And He’s worthy of our trust.
Thanks for your continuing prayers and encouragement on my behalf!
Because He Lives,
Kristie Abernathy

Schedule for March:
March 8th: AM Bible Baptist Church, Bedford, OH
PM Grace Baptist Church, Cedarville, OH (Meeting with missions committee)
March 9th: Berean Baptist Church, Pickerington, OH (Women’s missionary meeting)
March 18th: Maranatha Baptist Church, Columbus, OH
March 21st -22nd: Calvary Baptist Church, Chillicothe, OH
March 28th -29th: Memorial Baptist Church, Columbus, OH

Little Pieces of Happiness

2009-02-05T18:15:00.005+02:00

I could write a lot about a lot of things (which is why I should update more, and consequently, why I DON'T update more! The longer I put it off, the more overwhelming it seems!), but instead I'm just going to (hopefully!) write a little about some happy, encouraging things that have happened in my life lately.

*My visit to County Line Baptist! Thank you all for praying. I actually got LESS nervous as the week went on, and I know that was only because of God's grace and the prayers of His people. It was a good first church. The people were so kind and encouraging. They were also genuinely interested in what God is doing in Romania! Even though I was originally told they wouldn't be able to take me on for monthly support, they voted later that week and DID decide to support me monthly for the full two years! Thank you, Lord! How encouraging!

*My youth group. They are one of the reasons that I know I'm still home and they're one of the GOOD things about still being home. I love them and spending time with them. They also surprised me, and collected money secretly for several months to be able to support me monthly for the full two years that I'm in Romania. How cool is that?!? I group of teenagers in Columbus, Ohio, will be part of God's work in Romania! I love it! And I love them and their enthusiastic support of me. The picture is of them.

*My supporters. They amaze me. I've had two in the last couple of weeks who have raised the amount of their support. I also had a little girl give me a bag full of change a couple of dollars to help send me to Romania. She'd worked hard for that money, and you know what? I can't wait to tell her how God uses that! How sweet and exciting. I love kids. One of the things I love hearing most is that GOD is nudging people on my behalf. Such a good reminder of what I already know, which is that this is His work, not mine, and He is truly worthy of my trust. This also puts me CLOSE to having 50% of my support which is HUGE!! It's all downhill from there, right?? :-)

*My VACATION!! A week from today (yessss!!) I'll leave to spend 5ish days in Kansas City, Missouri with some wonderful friends. I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to face to face conversations, laughter, and rest. God has blessed me with so many wonderful friends...it's just hard when so many of them are spread out all over the world. But I'll get to spend next week with three of them, and I feel like it's Christmas or something! It will also probably also be the last time I see them before I leave. Can goodbyes be beginning already??

And so those are some of the good and encouraging things in my life. I'm also aware, though, that so many of God's people are hurting and struggling right now. I've had too many of those phone calls and emails. I was reminded this morning, though, how short and unimportant MY life is in the grand scheme of things. May we not just "bustle about in vain" or "heap up wealth" but may we use each day of this "breath" of a life in a way that will matter after we're gone (Psalm 39).

By Faith

2009-01-11T21:17:00.004+02:00

"And by faith we'll walk as You walk with us."

This is a line from "Speak O Lord", a song written by the Gettys (if you don't know their music, you really should!) which we happened to sing in church this morning. I love the whole song, but that line in particular was a good reminder as 2009 begins. I found myself praying "That's it Lord...as long as you keep walking with me, I'll keep walking by faith." I'm not going to lie...2009 looks pretty scary to me right now when I think about it for very long. But, as I said in one of my first blog posts, God has taken me one step of faith at a time, and I can look back at the past and trust Him with the future. Amen? :-)

One of the scary next steps comes next Sunday as I do my first church presentation in Dayton, Ohio. It really is a scary thing for my introverted, shy little self, but this is what I WANT, what I've WAITED for! I have the opportunity to share with people all over the place about how God has worked in my life, and what He is doing in Romania. I'm prayerfully trying to see "pre-field ministry" really as ministry as I begin this next phase. I also have three churches scheduled in March, which is great as well! Please pray that God gives me courage. Pray that the words that I speak are His words. Pray that I'm an encouragement. And please pray that God will continue to raise up churches and individuals who want to be a part of what He is doing in Romania.

The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

2008-12-14T00:39:00.003+02:00

Today is December 13th. DECEMBER 13TH! Santa Claus is at Walgreens (yes, Santa goes to Walgreens. Twice this year, actually!), I just returned from Christmas shopping, and my car radio is set on Christmas music stations. I know it's December 13th, and I know Christmas is less than two weeks away. I'm just not sure HOW we got to this point.

The last month has been a whirlwind of Romanian, Walgreens, teaching...and a brief break from all of that to spend time with family and friends at Thanksgiving. Which was wonderful. I remembered how fun it can be to have a social life! :-) Now, Romanian is done (my final was on Monday), my weeks teaching in youth are over for now, and yes indeed the wonders of working retail at Christmas are setting in. Would you believe this is my 7th Christmas in retail? I have decided that whoever wrote that this is "the most wonderful time of the year" apparently never had finals and obviously NEVER worked in retail. My old roommate, in an attempt to avoid working on her own final projects, researched this and discovered that it is indeed true.

In the middle of all that craziness, I've needed the reminder of why we celebrate this season. I've KNOWN it my whole life, but how easily I forget. How many people out shopping today understand that the reason we celebrate this holiday has nothing to do with huge TVs or new DVDs? It has nothing to do with those, but has everything to do with our Heavenly Father loving us enough to give His Son. It has everything to do with God becoming man, being born as a baby, with the realization that ultimately He would die for the sins of those who He has called to be His children. We celebrate Christmas to remember that, but I've lost the awe. I've forgotten how WONDERFUL that is. I've forgotten that this season truly is worth celebrating. Think about it! "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us"! Why? Because the plan of His Father, from ages past, was to save His people from their sins. In spite of ourselves, He loves us. Wow. Yes, this season truly IS worth celebrating.

2008-11-07T03:02:00.002+02:00

So what's happened in the last couple of weeks? Not much, really. The big news is that I DO have a meeting set up with a church in January, which is great...but so far, that's it. I know my timing is horrible, with the economy and the holidays quickly approaching. As my mother just said, it's not promising. I'm not sure what's next, what I should DO next, or if I even have time to do it! So at least right now I feel like I'm just sitting and waiting and trying to decide...what's next. God's waiting room, so to speak. Can you tell I was just reading about Joseph? :)

I've also decided not to take another quarter of Romanian. This quarter has been good and helpful, but I at least have a start now, I have all the books, and I can keep working on it myself. Ah, the benefits of having been homeschooled...knowing how to discipline yourself to learn! :-) Plus, it will save me some money, which is always nice, AND give me more free time...in theory! So I have another month or so, and then I'll be done with my "formal" Romanian training until I'm actually in Bucharest!

In all the craziness of the last 10ish days (my Grandma is in the hospital, my cell phone is dead, my car is dying, and the election results were, in many areas, not what I would have chosen), I've been reminded that the same God that I trust to be in control of MY life is all in control of all of history and of the lives of the people I love.

A Day Off From Jesus

2008-10-24T04:38:00.002+03:00

I've been saying I needed a day off. Just one day where I didn't have to be anywhere, and could do something fun...like go shopping, as I mentioned. Well guess what! I got it! Kind of. Not how I would have expected, but as I've told several people, I think the circumstances were God's way of telling me to take a break. There was an accident on the freeway, and I couldn't make it to class on time, so instead of stressing about it, I decided to enjoy it. And I did indeed. I went shopping. And had lunch at Chipotle. And I made Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies. What a great day! So if you were praying that God would give me a chance to relax or something like that...He did indeed, and I'm so thankful! I actually woke up this morning feeling rested emotionally AND physically. So thank you friends. And thank You, Lord...for hearing and answering even "little" prayers.

So...October 19th....

2008-10-20T04:15:00.004+03:00

Can someone please tell me how in the world it is already October 19th???

It has been almost a month since "school" started, and with my new schedule, time absolutely flies. I think I've at least gotten used to the new schedule, which isn't to say I'm really crazy about it, but at least I've figured out how it works. I do have enough time to get it all done, and (minus this blog...) I've managed to stay on top of things fairly well, for which I'm thankful! My biggest frustration is I that don't have much free time to do "fun" things (like shop-I need nice, winter skirts and such and haven't had time to shop!) or stay in touch with friends here and all over the world. I think I'm more emotionally exhausted than anything else. It can be hard to have no time to talk to anyone for days. But only for a season.

Romanian is going well! Thank you all for praying. Languages are definitely still really hard for me, but I'm thankful to have a head start! I got a 97% on my first test (quite a difference between Moody grading and OSU grading, I'm finding!), and I generally UNDERSTAND most of what's going on. As is the case with learning any language, though, it is harder for me to figure out how to say things, and especially pronounce things. I keep thinking "I don't know that my mouth can do that!", but the sounds are slowly becoming less foreign to my lips, and I can see that I AM making progress. Which is encouraging.

As far as the support raising goes, I gave my presentation at my church a few weeks ago, and they voted to support me for 15% which is a HUGE encouragement! That brings my support level to (about) 30%! I've also called and talked with several pastors (TERRIFYING!!!) and my father has talked to others. We've sent lots of letters to lots of churches, so now...we wait, and then call again. Most churches are booked through the beginning of the year. Please keep praying that God would give me supporting churches that are excited about what God's doing in Romania and willing to support me both financially and in prayer.

Closing thoughts: I was talking to a friend tonight who is in "full-time ministry". He was sharing how he spends his days studying to teach, getting lessons ready, and then teaching throughout the week. I was so jealous! It was a good reminder, though, that this really, truly, is what I want to do, what I love to do, what God has called and gifted me to do. And that really WILL be my life one of these days. In God's time.

Only For A Season

2008-09-29T04:49:00.002+03:00

Well, after doing half a week of this school thing I think I might be entirely crazy to think that I can balance all of the things in my life right now. What's even crazier is that I was sitting in church this morning listening to announcements thinking, "I can do that! Maybe I should do that!" to several different ministries that need help. NO! I CANNOT take on anything else. There, I said it. Anyhow, as I've been reminded, this is LIFE, life is busy, and still somehow, this is only a season of my life. Here's hoping that the next season involves less Walgreens...

Romanian is going well, I think. I managed to get everything I needed on Wednesday (student ID, parking permit, books) and I also figured out how to get on a bus and get to class on time without much confusion! I have to say, I miss Moody, where "running across campus" meant running across the plaza. Now, it involves buses. Weird. I also had to stop expecting my professor to pray at the beginning of class. I know that sounds ridiculous, but I spent four years at Moody, so it is just kind of ingrained in me. BUT, I think it will be good. Part of the reason I wanted to do this is because I needed to have the adventure of doing all this ON MY OWN, somewhere where they speak English, before I have to have adventures on my own in Romania. It really is helpful in developing both my sense of direction and my self confidence! Oh, yeah...and the learning Romanian thing is probably good, too! :-) I have my first test next Friday. WHAT?!? TEST?!? I thought I was done with that...Groan...

Another "groan" would be Walgreens. I am REALLY struggling to have a good attitude about being there lately. I find myself ready for another vacation, which isn't good...because I don't have any vacation days left! :-) I would really appreciate your prayers. There are just days that are really long and frustrating, and I have to admit, I'm not very Christ-like on those days. It is a hard neighborhood to work in, with hard people to love, and some days I just can't do it...at least on my own. So please pray for me; that I'd be Jesus at Walgreens. I'm not even a very good version of "Kristie" most days, I'm afraid!

"Because He Lives, I can face tomorrow.
Because He lives, all fear is gone.
Because I know He holds the future.
And life is worth the living, just because He lives."

Ahhh....re-focusing...There we go.
Blessings, friends.

I'm In!

2008-09-23T04:34:00.003+03:00

Just a quick update to you let you know that I was able to get on my OSU account today and saw that Romanian was added to my scheduled today! That means I'm off the waiting list and in the class!! Yay! My school bill is paid now and everything. Thank you to those of you who prayed! :-)

Still Alive!

2008-09-20T22:32:00.002+03:00

Yes I AM still alive! For those of you who thought that I (a) wasn't, or (b) dropped off the face of the earth, or (c) hated you all and decided never to blog again, I can assure you, none of those are true! It has just been a crazy few weeks (do I say that every time I update? I think I do!) and we lost power for several days, thanks to Ike. That's a whole OTHER story, but in the end it all worked out fine. I'm still surprised that Ike managed to make it all the way to Ohio! Definitely makes me more sympathetic to those in Texas.

The "missionary" stuff is beginning to take off! I sang and gave a testimony this morning at a women's meeting (I still haven't managed to do something like this without crying. Maybe someday!), and my prayer cards came yesterday! I have 1000 now, which looks like a whole lot more in person than on paper, let me tell you. Pretty exciting stuff! Next on the list is putting together a presentation and display so that I can begin setting up meetings at churches. I'll do my very first presentation at Immanuel (my home church) in two weeks on Oct. 5, which is coming quickly.

Also coming quickly is my Romanian class! In theory I start at OSU on Wednesday, but as far as I know I'm still #2 on the waiting list. I say "as far as I know", because in classic Kristie style, I've gotten lost in technology somehow and can't actually figure out how to sign on to OSU's student website, so I can't check my position. I'll call and talk to someone on Monday. Regardless, I plan to show up for class on Wednesday and ask the professor to sign me in. Please pray that God makes the professor sympathetic toward me. Once THAT gets figured out I'll have to run all over campus to get an ID, buy a parking permit and eventually pay my school bill BUT none of that can happen until I'm officially a student. So there's a lot up in the air right now and I think God is once again teaching me to go with the flow and be flexible. Which seems to be a continuing theme in my life. Hmm...

Also, one last reminder that if you'd like to be on my updated prayer list, please email me at: kabernathy@abwe.cc
Eventually I'll send out email updates. But right now my list consists of two people, sooo.... :-)
Blessings, friends!

Road Trip!

2008-09-04T20:55:00.002+03:00

I'm home again!

I was gone for about eight days on what I jokingly referred to as my "Goodbye Tour". The whole thought process behind this trip is a long story, and it didn't quite work out as originally planned, BUT it was a wonderful trip. I spent time in Indianapolis, Beloit, Chicago, and Bloomingdale, and got to see many friends. God was really gracious is giving me special time with many people I love dearly, and probably won't see for a while! It was a really relaxing trip, despite all the driving, because I was with people who know me well so I was able to just be myself. And the icing on the cake was that I had the honor of being a bridesmaid in the wedding of one of my favorite couples last Saturday. What a special trip it was! Thanks to those of you who prayed for me during my time away.

I also really enjoyed the freedom of being on this trip by myself. It was FUN just to have time on my own and be able to do whatever I wanted whenever I wanted. I was kind of surprised by how much I liked it...but I really did!

So I returned and hit the ground running. Last night was the first night of Youth (I'm a youth leader this year) which is always exciting. Then today, I had an appointment with my advisor at OSU, where I am now officially enrolled! Well, sorta. I'm on the waiting list for Romanian 101. I'd appreciate your prayers about THAT! My advisor thinks I should just go to class and ask the professor to sign me in on the first day of class (Sept. 24) and seems to think that will be a good possibility. Still, I'm a little concerned, especially since I've kind of rearranged my life around taking this class. I have to admit, though, it IS kind of weird to be back in school again and having to talk about school bills, parking permits and student IDs. I'm torn between being excited and...not! :-)

So other than that, God continues to remind me in small ways that He's taking care of me and giving me exactly what I need. I've really been blown away recently by how gracious He is, not just in big things, but in little ways. Example? I've suddenly acquired a sense of direction. Laugh if you want, but those of you who know me know how surprising that is! :-) In the last three months, something has clicked in my head, and as silly as that sounds it really is a reminder that God's taking care of me. He's gracious. He loves His children, and He loves to take care of them. Of us. Of me. Wow.

PS Support update: 7.33% Yay!!! :-)

Just An Update

2008-08-19T02:58:00.002+03:00

Hi Friends!
I'm trying my best to update more! I feel like I don't really have much to say, which is why I don't write. Mostly right now, my life consists of Walgreens, phone messages and emails. And the Olympics! :-) I cheer for the USA, of course, but I also cheer for Romania (WOOHOO!) and Germany, and feel a warm fuzzy in my heart for other places I've been, too. Kind of more fun this way. More chances "I'll" win!

I've also taken on a small writing project for ABWE. The Eastern Europe Regional Team is having their bi-yearly conference in the Fall in Greece (wish I was going to be there!), and one of my teammates was given the job of getting all the devotionals for the adults, teens, and children written for the ten days PRIOR to the conference. Apparently something fell through with the children's devotional, and he asked the Romania team (which includes me now! Yay!) to help. So I've been given one of the days, and will be working on writing a devotional about why passion (or hunger/excitement, for the kid's sake) is important. NOT an easy topic to convey to kids, I'm discovering! Really abstract! So I certainly would appreciate your prayers in this new endeavor! I like writing and I love teaching, so despite the fact that this is kinda intimidating, I thought I'd give it a shot. How cool to be part of the "team" before I'm even there!

In other news, my "little" baby brother (Caleb) leaves on Friday to go to college for the first time. I'm excited for him and very proud of him, but will miss him...not just at home, but at work, too! So please also pray for him over the next week as he says goodbyes...and then begins a whole bunch of new hellos! There isn't a doubt in my mind that he'll do great, but it IS still scary and a big adjustment for him! And for those of us at home, too! :-)

More to come! I have a road trip coming up next week, and I'll have to tell you about that soon! Blessings!!

2008-08-15T02:29:00.002+03:00

Psalm 16

1. Preserve me, O God, for in you I take reguge.
2. I say to the LORD, "You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you."

3. As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight.
4. The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply; their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out or take their names on my lips.

5. The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot.
6. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.
7. I bless the LORD who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me.
8. I have set the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.

9. Therefore my heart is glad and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure.
10. For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.
11. You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Just one of my favorite Psalms, especially over the summer. And, just for good measure, here is verse eight...in Romanian! :-)

Psalmi 16:8

Am necurmat pe Domnul înaintea ochilor mei: cînd este El la dreapta mea, nu mă clatin.

Frequently Asked Questions

2008-08-03T20:59:00.002+03:00

I'm going to try something new. I'm going to be short, sweet, and to the point, while trying to answer many of the questions people have been asking me. The whole being concise thing is new to me :-) but I'll give it a shot!

1. "What will you be doing?"
Good question! A large part of my work will be administrative. The members of the team there are headed in so many different directions! I'm hoping to take some of the pressure of paper work and communication and details off them so they can focus on other aspects of their ministry. Cause I LIKE details and organizing and nerdy things like that! :-) Other opportunities include:
*A small (English-speaking!) Christian school.
*A camp that is being started by my teammates, Andrew and Leah Postema.
*The youth group and young adults group at the church in Bucharest.
*Sunday School teacher training.
*A ministry to unwed mothers.
*An orphanage visitation group.
These are just some of the things I'm aware of, and I'm sure I'll see more once I'm in Bucharest. I'm excited about the various opportunities, and many seem to be a good fit for me!

2. "When will you leave?"
Really, there is nothing holding me here in Columbus. I'll leave as soon as I have raised all my support (ABWE requires that I have 100% before I can go), but I have no idea how long that will take. I could be home for six months or two years, it just totally depends.

3. "How much support do you have to raise?"
The total amount is $2,704.05 a month, for two years. Housing is the biggest expense, because rent in Bucharest is ridiculous. Originally, they had me budgeted at $1600 a month JUST for rent, but they have bumped it down to $1000 a month with the stipulation that I find a roommate. Because of the weak US dollar and the fact that Bucharest is in the top five of the most expensive cities in Europe, this amount really IS necessary.

4. "What are you doing now?"
I'm working full-time at Walgreens still. I'm also just beginning the process of raising support. I finished copying and addressing the first round of support letters just yesterday, and will meet with the Missions Committee and Deacons at my church this week. I'll soon be making prayer cards, working on a presentation and display, and then contacting churches where I can present. I will also (hopefully) be starting Romanian classes at OSU in September. Added to that, I'm thinking and praying about how I can be involved in my home church while I'm here. As you can see, I am indeed busy.

5. "How can I help?"
I'm so glad you asked! :-) First of all, you can pray. I'll be sending out regular prayer updates, and I'd be happy to send you a prayer card as well. If you'd like to be involved that way, email me at: kabernathy@abwe.cc
I'd love to add you to my prayer list!
Second, of course I need financial supporters as well. The nice thing about being short term is that I can accept monthly gifts and one times gifts, and both are REALLY helpful to me as I begin this process. If you'd like to be involved this way, you can also email me (see above), and I would love to send you a support letter, or give you information about how to contact ABWE.
Third, there are a MYRIAD of other ways you can help me, if you'd like! I need people who are good with computers and PowerPoint to help me with a presentation. I need people who like talking on the phone to help me make contact with churches and figure out which ones would be good opportunities for me. I need people who are good at public speaking and can help me and give me pointers. And I ALWAYS need creative people who will brainstorm will me, help with prayer cards, and think about how to make a display. As you can see...I need a lot of help. If any of this sounds up your alley...please email me!

I think that's about all I have. Thanks for your interest in me as I prepare to go. And sorry that the whole "short, sweet, and to the point" thing didn't work out so well! ;-)

A Decision...At Last!

2008-07-21T05:26:00.003+03:00

I've returned home from Harrisburg, and though my body is still exhausted, my spirit is so refreshed! I can't remember that last time I was so encouraged and...spiritually refreshed. The sessions were good and helpful, but the people that I met and spent time with really made the week. I met people of all ages, from all over the world, with all kinds of personalities, and gifts and talents, but who ALL truly desired to serve God and are willing to make sacrifices in obedience to Him. Between the other people in AMP (Assistant Missionary Program) and all the veteran missionaries and new appointees, I was surrounded all week by incredible people. There are so many stories I could tell, so many people I'd love to share with you..but of course at this point, you've probably seen the title of this post and are wondering when I'm going to get around to telling you about my decision. So here we go.

When I wrote that post last Sunday night after I arrived in Harrisburg, I had mostly made up my mind. (Sidenote: I did eventually get a roommate! Ironically, she was a girl I graduated from Moody with six weeks ago, and though we didn't know each other, we recognized each other immediately. How funny!) By the time we were each asked to share our testimonies on Monday, I could say that I was going to "Romania...I think". Which was of course followed by tears. Lots of tears.

The question everyone asks me, of course, is how I decided. If you ask me that in person, I'll probably start to cry. But even though I'm not exactly SURE how I've reached that decision...I have, and I'm happy to share it with you. My dilemma the last six weeks has been between Germany and Romania. Some of you knew that. If you talked to me much at all, you know that I love Germany. I love the country, I love the people, I love the team there. It seems like such a perfect fit in so many ways. I have come so close to choosing Germany, and in fact almost told everyone two weeks ago that I would be going to Germany. But I couldn't. I just couldn't quite do it. And so I began to reconsider Romania. During that time, I also got a call from the team leader in Romania officially inviting me to join their team. At the time, I wanted to push it out of my mind, but I couldn't. I could see a spot on that team for me, a hole I could fill, and I found myself EXCITED about the prospect of the ministries I could be involved in there, much to my surprise. Something had changed, and I realized that while going to Germany may not be wrong, God's best for me would be Romania.

To me, it honestly doesn't make sense in a lot of ways. My logical mind doesn't see how it fits together, and there are many questions in my mind about Romania that remain unanswered. I still cry when I talk about NOT going to Germany. But I realized this week that even though the desire of my heart is to return there, it isn't where God is leading me right now. God doesn't always lead us to our heart country. I heard that in the testimony of others this week, too. As one of the girls I met this week likes to say, our God is wild and unpredictable, and we can't put Him in a box.

When I entitled this blog "Steps of Faith", I didn't realize what exactly that would entail, but this is a bigger step than I anticipated. Maybe you're even reading this and thinking, "Are you sure, Kristie? It really sounds like Germany make more sense, and you love it so much!" But I AM sure. Despite the fact that I have doubted and wondered and worried in the last week about whether or not this is the right decision, God has very graciously confirmed, even in the last few days, that this is indeed His best. I can't even tell you how much strength that gives me. To know that regardless of what Romania holds, it IS His will for me, brings so much peace. I can't describe it as anything other than a peace that transcends all understanding. I haven't felt this confident that I am exactly where God wants me since I made the decision to go to Moody five years ago. And let me tell you, it is a great feeling!

I'll write again soon about what I'll be doing in Romania and what is next for me. Until then, be encouraged, friends. God is working in the lives of His people and it is exciting to not only OBSERVE, but also to be a part of it.

"I have set the LORD always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken." (Psalm 16:8)

A "C" To Be Sure!

2008-07-14T04:59:00.002+03:00

"You may bog down in the details of the decision-making process.
You can make major decisions, but may be criticized for the amount
of time you take to gather and analyze information. Although you
like to hear the opinions of your managers, you take risks when
you have facts that you can interpret and use to draw conclusions."

I'm officially in Harrisburg now, in a hotel room, waiting for all the fun to start tomorrow. Granted, finding my way to Harrisburg today was fun in and of itself, but...one plane, two trains, and a mini-van later, I'm where I'm supposed to be. (But I still don't have a roommate...I think I have one...maybe??)

The quote above is from a personality test that I had to take in preparation for this week. If you're familiar with the "DISC" personality test, I'm a high "C", and have the classic "Perfectionist Pattern", which is shocking to those of you who know me, I'm sure! :-) I found the assessment of my decision making process to be amusing and probably true. I DO like to have all my info, which is why I STILL don't have a decision. To be honest, I think I probably have already made it, but there is still that one little last piece of information I need to add. And so I can't quite say it. Sigh. Sometimes the logical side of me has a problem with faith.

All that said, I'm looking forward to a week (without Walgreens!)) where I can focus on THIS part of my life and really think and pray. I mentioned in my last post that I really just wanted a day away from everyone to think and pray, and while that definitely didn't happen last week, I think God DID answer that prayer by giving me today (and a very tardy roommate...or no roommate...we shall see!) and I'm thankful for it!

...So off I go, to gather and analyze more information! :-)

Busy Days and Unanswered Questions

2008-07-05T18:38:00.002+03:00

My brother tells me that I need to update this or people will stop including me in their circle of blogs that they regularly check. I wonder how many people other than him even HAVE a circle of blogs that they regularly check, but I get his point. So here I am.

The last few weeks have been very full, and the next couple will be as well. Lots of work, and coffee with friends, and lesson plans. I like to be busy, but I'm realizing that I haven't left myself a whole lot of time to think, and suddenly the decision making deadline I gave myself is only a week away. It isn't that I haven't thought and prayed about it, but just because of the pace of life right now, most of my thought and prayer lately has been only in passing when I find a free minute at work. What I would love more than anything is to be able to take a day to myself, and just LEAVE and be by myself, away from everyone, to reflect and pray and listen for a long period of time. That isn't realistic, at least in the next week...but maybe I can find half a day! :-)

VBS at Immanuel starts on Monday, which will add to the madness, but I'm looking forward to it! I mean seriously, this is what I love and want to do! (I just look forward to the day I don't have to work at Walgreens and THEN go to VBS! :-)) I'm a "teacher" for the 5-7 year olds. My prayer has been that we will do this WELL and that the parents and kids will see that we think they are important because GOD thinks they are important. Please pray that we see whole families impacted by Christ's love through us and the truth of His Word.

I'm also thankful for the ways God is giving me opportunities to be involved while I'm home. It is hard to commit much without knowing how long I'll be home, and then realizing that I'll be traveling and raising support in the near future, but He keeps dropping things in my lap that encourage me, keep me busy, and help remind me how much I do love the church. Besides VBS, I also get to teach the Jr High class tomorrow, and sing at Grandpa's service at the retirement home. I'm teaching the Sr High girls in a few weeks too, and I'm also working on some curriculum for the children's ministry at IBC. These are all things I ENJOY, and despite the busy-ness, I really am thankful for the chance to be involved while I'm here.

I do leave a week from tomorrow (July 13th) for Harrisburg for my training with ABWE. I'm looking forward to a week off from work (woohoo!) and the chance to meet people, hear their stories....and learn whatever it is we need to learn! I still know very little about the whole thing, and a year ago that would have driven me nuts, but now...Eh, it'll all work out! :-)

So that's where I am these days. Thank you all for your encouragement and the reminders that you're praying for me. I'm very thankful for that, especially when everything looks so confusing and muddled. Please do pray for VBS this week, and the decision that I really would like to make soon. Also pray that I don't get so caught up in DOING (see above!) that I don't take time to listen and just be in His presence. God knows what He's doing. And sometimes He lets us see that, too! :-)

The Question, Of Course!

2008-06-14T19:01:00.002+03:00

I'm home from my world travels and getting settled in at home. (After being sick for a week! My body just had too much excitement, I think!) As most of you know, I left a couple days after graduation to go to Romania and Hungary for about 11 days on a survey trip. The question everyone is asking now, of course, is "So do you know where you're going yet?" And the answer is no. I don't. The trip was a good one, though exhausting in so many ways. I saw so much and met so many people that I just came home really overwhelmed. Over the past two weeks, though, the reality of the fact that I don't have to do EVERYTHING I saw has begun to sink in, and I'm relaxing a little. There are so many things to weigh, and I see a couple options that would both be GOOD...it is just a matter of trying to decide if one is BETTER. I'm beginning to finally be at the point where I can talk to people about it, instead of just blankly saying "Yeah, it was a good trip, just overwhelming", like when I first got home. Still, I'm not really telling many people what I'm thinking at this point, cause to be honest, I go back and forth so much it really depends on the day what I'm thinking.

So that's really all I have to report right now. If you want to sit down and have a cup of coffee with me, I'll probably tell you more, but for the time being, I'm not willing to post my thoughts for all to see! :-) My goal is to have a decision made before July 13th, which is when I leave for a week of training at ABWE's headquarters in Harrisburg, PA. I'm sure when I DO have a decision, I'll update on here and be quite relieved to have the decision making process over with! Until then, I'm just praying alot, and trying to be faithful with where God has me right now...which is mostly Walgreens! :-) I'd definitely appreciate YOUR prayers, though! Some days this seems waaaaay too overwhelming!

Steps of Faith Indeed

2008-06-10T03:30:00.002+03:00

I've entitled this blog "Steps of Faith", because I'm beginning to see that's what the Christian life is. Or at least, I think that is what the Christian life SHOULD be. It isn't about being comfortable or safe or even happy. Life is about something so much bigger than that and so much bigger than me. It is about advancing Christ's kingdom, regardless of the cost or risk. At the same time, I see God's grace through the fact that in my own life, He has asked me to take STEPS of faith...each a little harder than the last, and each something that is a little more beyond what "Kristie" is capable of doing. But I've found (amazingly!) that He's given me the grace and the faith to take each step as I've needed it.

As I enter a new phase of life, I know that I have "steps of faith" ahead of me. Many of them are unknown, but ALL of them will be scary. Life is an adventure. But God knows what He's doing, and THAT gives me the strength to take each step of faith as it comes.