*:) highlight of the day (almost always, sometimes more than one)
*:) :) super highlight*:( lowlight of the day (seldom)
*;) funny light of the day (frequent, although I don't remember all of them)
Here's a breakdown of my trip:
East coast (visiting friends)
Spain (visiting fam with sis)
Italy (with sis, after our stay in Florence I was in Europe on my own) Switzerland (stayed with my roomie Lacey's fam) BEAUTFIUL
Germany (a day trip)
Paris (a few days)
Barcelona (visiting fam)
London (on a mission trip)
Spain (visiting fam)
London (community service)
East coast (visiting friends)
And I’m Off
May 26th, 1:47 pm
-Just got on the Greyhound bus to Phoenix.
*:) I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to visit family (Spain) and friends (NYC, Boston and Washington DC), and travel to places I have never been.
* :( I didn't get to say goodbye everyone.
I am excited to write in my journal that my girlfriends from Yuma gave me. Upon graduating from college I didn't think I would have such a tight knit wonderful group of friends. I love y'all.
First Whoa
May 27th, in the early am
-In the air from Las Vegas to DC
* :) I got to catch up with my best friend from high school, Maria.
*:( Missed my flight out of Phoenix. But, Woo hoo! I was the second to the last person to get a flight on the next red eye.
*;) Me: What do you get when you drink non-potable water? (Expecting some kind of disease I can't pronounce.)
Woman sitting next to me: Diarrhea.
I Heard What You Said
May 28th, 8:42 am
-On a bus from DC to Philly.
There were no trains into DC yesterday morning; I refused to pay for a taxi, so I went to Baltimore for the morning. I met the some wonderful people and had the best crab cake ever (I think my first, or at least the first memorable one); the meat was in thick but delicate chunks- Lexington Market you rock.
*:) A man came up to me and said, "You made my day hearing you talk about Jesus with the gentleman who just left." I had just sat next to a man with a "The Watchtower" (a Jehovah's Witness magazine). I asked him if he was a Jehovah's Witness. He said, "Oh, no. I just like to hear what they have to say. They have some good thoughts. They are just off on a big subject- they don't believe that Jesus was God." He told me about his life, and I told him about what God has done in mine.
It was nice to visit with Will. He and his four roommates are all intelligent, charming, and wonderfully goofy.
A Fish Around the Neck
May 28th, sometime after 9 am
-On the bus from Philly to NYC.
*:) Ari, a man from Indonesia sitting next to me on the bus, saw me reading, The Hidden Power of Praising God and asked me, "Are you serving the Lord?" I had never been asked that question. I think it is the best way to ask someone if they are a Christian. He told me, "I am a prayerer." He went on to tell me about his life and how after becoming a Christian Jesus helped him stop using drugs. It's funny because the last words in my journal (which I mostly write to God) were "I hope You bring up a conversation that is focused on You." Ari lived up to the fish around his neck (the early Christians used it to id themselves).
The Big Manzana
May 30th, 11 am
-Bus from NYC to Boston
Spending time with my roomies was great. The brunch was pricey but the company was wonderful. It was great to be able to go to Central Park with all of them. Uchechi had to leave early, but I got a chance to talk to her as I walked her out of the park.
*:) Playing Taboo with the girls.
*;) Taboo out of context quotes to be inserted.
I wish I would have had the opportunity to have more intimate conversations with them one on one. I did have a great late night conversation with Jessica and Div. All those women are beautiful.
*:) So many highlights- having breakfast with Lara and talking about how God can truly fill the emptiness that people have.
*:) :) Finding a church on my way to brunch. The music was so soulful and joyful.
My Alma Mater
May 31st, 2pm
-In the airport, headed to Spain
It was great to see Raegan yesterday.
*:) Dancing in Currier's dining hall during breakfast this morning. It was neat to see one my paintings hanging on a wall in Currier house.
*:( Seeing people who have not yet fallen in love with Jesus.
I found two wonderful quotes while reading the while waiting for my flight.
~Psalm 51:17
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart-- These, O God, You will not despise.
~2 Corinthians 3:2 You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men.
Sin is Sin
June 1st, in the morning
-Flight from London to Spain
*:) Seeing the England countryside, its green lush grassy fields with sheep grazing on them, was wonderful The last two flights I had some Christ filled conversations on some difficult subjects. On my flight from Boston to North Carolina the woman sitting next to me told me she was a lesbian and brought up Christianity. I told her as a Christian, the Bible tells us we should not practice that desire. I told her it is a sin, just the same as if I decided to sleep with a man before marriage. She continued to talk with me after I made that comment... On my flight from North Carolina to London I sat next to a woman who was going to be moving into a new big home. She told me a about her life. I told her about what Christ has done in my life. She told who told me she was a Hindu and didn’t know much about her faith. She went to sleep. When she woke up I gave her a tract on how to become a Christian.
God Should Be Happy
June 2nd, in the morning
*:) Giving my sister a great big hug at the airport when she came to pick me up. It was great to see my cousins, aunt, and uncle who I hadn’t seen in 3 years. Sleeping as soon as I got to their house was sooooo good.
*;) The song that is playing nonstop: Coral. A song written by a carpenter about making a coral where a farmer will plant potatoes and have pigs... It’s wonderfully ridiculous and quite catchy.
*:( One of my cousins said, "I know I’m selfish, but God should be happy if I am happy." To that I replied, "Many Israelites where happy doing what they were doing, but God wasn’t happy with them." I started to cry. The thing is we will be better off when we follow God, even if we don’t see how right away. God gives us many wonderful promises, Annemarie´s favorite, and mine: Delight in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4
Spain's bus stumps
Family! Pili and Paola
Rooftop party!
This car took FORever to park.
Madrilenos, Big and Small
June 3, in the am
-Madrid, at cousin David's apartment
Lucy and I got here yesterday in the afternoon, right now we are getting ready to go to church.
*:) I finally got to meet 2 year old Pepa-she is soooo cute.
We went out for dinner tonight with some of Juani and David´s friends. I ate a little too much. Doner Kebabs-so good.
*:( I have come to see that many people in Spain, like other countries, place there job, family or having fun above God.
Family!
Primo David taking us to see the sites. This is the oldest monument in Madrid, a temple from Egypt.
My sister and me with Spain's royal palace in the background
Play time!
Pepa!
I Can Only Change Me
June 5th, 2pm
-Madrid, Tio Tobias and Tia Gloria’s
*:) Oh my, I just ate some wonderful paella, one of Spain’s quintessential dishes. Lunch here is sooo large.
*:( Hearing my uncle say she didn’t believe in God because of all the bad politicians and all the bad things that happen in the world. I responded, "That’s where we have to be the difference." I know where Tio is coming from, but I had to realize: men make mistakes, God doesn’t. We can’t change anyone but ourselves.
Dali and Picasso, whoa
June 7th, 11:30 pm
-Bus from Madrid to Santander, Northern Spain
What a last couple of days, mostly spent on the "Giddy" bus, as my cousin David likes to call it. My sister, her friend, and I rode the tourist double-decker bus throughout the city yesterday and today, getting off to look at different places and shop. I really enjoyed the Reina Sofia Museum- Dali, wow. He had quite the imagination. I think he is a great painter, but I’m not a big fan of many of his paintings.
*:) I really enjoyed the exhibit on Picasso, showing all the studies Picasso made to prepare for Guernica. After looking at the studies I was encouraged to draw more. They also helped me appreciate the painting more... I think two of the best paintings there were one of the studies showing a woman holding her dying child and the other a painting of a dinner table where the food is untouched but the people around the table are dead. Picasso's paintings reminded me of how wars effect everyone and can change someone’s (even those not directly involved) perspective of life, for life...
Beautiful
June 8th, 7 am
-The dock at Santander
*:) The water is swelling in large humps gently hitting the seaweed covered walls. I ended up sleeping two hours last night. I watched "¨Let it Be Me" a movie about dancing. It reminded me of how much I love to dance. I hope to get married to someone who loves to dance.
My Dreams
June 8th, 8:30 pm
-On the train from Bilboa (a town passed Santander) to San Sebastian
*:) Going to dad’s old school, where he used to teach and preach.
Jose one of the priests during my dad's time there and still now took Lucy and me to get to know the town. He was sooo sweet. He spoke about how the Catholic Church should allow priests to get married. I agree. I also don’t agree with a lot of what the Catholic Church teaches. What a dream if every Catholic would simply follow what Jesus said, nothing more, nothing less. Jose said he wouldn’t get married because he prefers to serve the Lord only. He is a wonderful man.
Here are my dreams:
-Own a little cafe where I can show people Jesus’ love.
- Be a Biblical therapist, sharing God’s promises and love with others.
- Run a Christian youth program, reaching out to all kids, but especially those who need lots of love and guidance.
-Getting married and adopting and having children.
-Being a pastor’s wife.
-Being somewhere many people are willing to meet Jesus.
-Writing a book about what God has done in my life.
Missed the Boat (well, sleeper train, and correct words :)
June 9th 12 pm
-On a train from San Sebastian to Barcelona
*:(This morning Lucy and I just missed getting a sleeper car, for the same price as a sitting car, it’s a several hour ride. Lucy pulled together a couple of seats and is lying down next to me. Yesterday we met up with Lucy’s college roommate, Adrienne, in Bilbao. Bilbao is a nice little town. I’m a fan of their metro on grass. *:) While Lucy and I waited for Adrienne we sat in front of a water feature at the entrance of the Guggenheim museum (which is quite impressive on the outside). There were so many cute kids doing cute, some odd, things. Good times. We left Bilbao with Adrienne a little after sunset.
San Sebastian was cool, mostly sitting on the beach time. We met two cool University of Arizona(ers), John a drama major and Ian an aspiring opera singer. After the beach we went to eat with them.
*;) Lucy: Ian, do you want a cup of (Ian hears jalapenos)
Ian: No, I’m okay.
Lucy: Come on. Everyone is having one.
Ian: Oh, okay. (Lucy comes with the drinks.)
Ian: Oh, it’s summer wine. I thought it was jalapenos.
Lucy: So you were going to eat a cup of jalapenos.
Ian: Well, I thought it might be a tradition or something.
*:) Eating fried egg sandwich for dinner. It was amazing, and so cute the cook made a little hole top bread slice.
Barce and fam- beautiful. Catalan- wha?
June 12th, around noon
-On flight from Barcelona to Florence
Barcelona was nice. Tio Ramon was really kind, cute, patient, and funny. Tia Kenya is funny as well, although her frequent yelling detracts from her funniness. It’s funny because she doesn’t seem to mind serving, but everything has to be her way... As soon as we arrived to Barcelona I conked out. Upon waking up, Tio took us to Tibidao a mountain with a beautiful church on top. The church had wonderful depictions of the four gospel writers and unusually (wonderfully!) many depictions of Jesus, instead of Saints. For dinner we went to their only child’s house, Elena. Her husband cooked; the meal was wonderful. I played soccer with Adria, the oldest of two. He scored quite a few penalty shots on me. The next day, Tio, then Elena and her family took Lucy and me to important sites in Barcelona. I didn’t know there was more than one language spoken in Spain. Catalan is spoken in schools in Barcelona. There are lots of xes in it.
*:) Tio taking out a Bible, we read a bit together.
*:( That it looks like it hasn’t been open more than a couple of times.
Primos and Primitos
Viva Italia!
July 12, 10:05 pm
-In a pizzeria in Pisa
Lucy and I are waiting to get our pie and then take it to the cafe next door, buy some thin to drink there and watch the world cup game, Italy vs. Ghana. Lucy doesn’t think it’s a good idea. I guess I tend to think people are as chill as I am. If I just sold someone something and that person had something else to eat with them and wanted to enjoy the environment I had to offer I would let them, the exception being if their food was stinky. (We went to the cafe. The owner didn’t seem to mind; in fact he gave us a knife to cut our pizza.
* ;)Taking pictures of us trying to ¨push¨ the leaning tower upright and Lucy imitating the walking man sign.
Picturesque Pisa
Da Vinci, so amazing
July 13, noonish -In the Uffizi Museum *:) I am standing in front of segment in a Leonardo Da Vinci exhibit explaining how he painted the Mona Lisa. It’s amazing, how many technical steps he took to make it. This museum is fantastic. Lucy and I have been here five hours.
Florence
An outdoor version of Michaelangelo's David.
Futbol!
-Sitting in my bright yellow and orange hostel room with no one but God watching
My sister just left. It’s been a good two weeks in Europe with her. They have gone by quickly.
*:) Seeing Michael Angelo’s David has been the artistic highlight of this trip, of my life. I’m glad I stayed in line for a long time (my sister had to do/buy some things in the city). It made me feel like I had to go in, even though it was a sunken cost. Actually, even though I was there since the early morning (the first one in line) the time flew by while I read the Bible and talked to the man in line next to me.
*:( Seeing a woman clean the windshield of a man in a BMW, who didn’t refuse her services, take off without paying her. Thankfully, I had cash with me. I went up to her and gave her the money. I pointed to the sky and said something like ¨It is God’s money; I just get to share it with you," and pointed to the cross around my neck.
*;) She lifted up her shirt, (wasn't wearing a bra) held one of her breasts with the other put her five fingers up and said, "bambinos." I imagine she will be buying her five children milk with that money. Needless to say, I wasn’t expecting that.
Taken Home
July 15th at 11:49
-On bus from Florence to Sienna (for a day trip)
Last night was interesting. I went with Hilary, the sister of Zack, a friend from college. I had met her once before at a wedding Zack and I went to, boogying down was fun. Hilary took me to a cafe where she introduced me to some of her classmates. Then she showed me around her school/ studio. Hilary and her classmates create amazing works of art, so time consuming though; I don’t have that kind of patience. After the tour, Hilary invited me to go eat at her boyfriend’s apartment, with him, his roommates and another friend. When we arrived, Louis was starting to make dinner. I asked if he needed help. He didn’t need much help with the food, but he did want to practice his Spanish because he is going to build a house in a Latin American country. Louis had just finished at the Florence Academy of Art, where Hilary is studying. Ironically enough, he reminded me of a sculpture (which the students have to draw from). He was lean with nicely muscular legs and arms and chiseled face. We talked quite a bit, mostly about the Catholic churches´ sacraments. He told me why he believed in them, because he thinks God would have it that way. I told him I was once Catholic, but now I only believed in marriage, and baptism of people when they consciously choose it, because that’s what the Bible says. Dinner was nice, fajitas and a salad. What was even nicer, actually a surprise, was that Hilary’s boyfriend started talking about Christ; I had an artsy-people-don’t-believe-in-God idea in my head. I really wanted to stress the reality and necessity of Christ’s resurrection. In rising from the dead He conquered sin for us. If we believe in Him, we too will one day be resurrected to be with Him.
Hilary with one of her works of art.
Bird Poop :) …
June 15th at 3:40
-On the bus from Sienna to Florence
I was feeling very blah today. I was tired and felt like being in Europe and looking at old things was a waste of time... I was in Sienna’s plaza trying to take a picture of a pigeon when all the sudden I felt something drop on my head. I looked up and around and didn’t see anything. Everyone in the nearby restaurant terrace was laughing. I pointed up and said something like, "It’s just my day¨. A man said, ¨you took that pretty well.¨ As I went into the restroom I realized I needed to lighten up; life is to enjoy. When I went to wash my hair I noticed that there was nothing in it. I washed it anyways. When I went outside I asked the guy that had spoken to me what happened. He pointed to a man collecting money in a hat. Apparently, I had been the star of a joke, without even realizing it.
Sienna
Jesus' baptism fulfulling what John the baptist had said.
How wonderful that Jesus didn't stay on that cross, but was resurrected as that accpetbale sacrifice and lives in us when we accept Him!
An interesting welcome back to Florence.
Feeling Fresh off the Boat
June 15th 12 amish
-On bus from Rome’s train station to my hostel
My last few hours in Florence were nice. I went to a drawing class at Hilary’s school and afterwards went to get gelato, the same one I have eaten three days in a row, vanilla crème flavor with biscotti, laced with rich chocolate, sooo good. Whoa, the train trip was quite poopy.
*:( There was a group of four Americans talking about their sex lives and cursing up a storm. Getting off the train the situation didn’t get much better. I felt a little of what immigrants must feel when they are in a new place and need to communicate something to someone but cannot, and people don’t make time to figure out what they need. The bus ticket machines ate my money. The first time a transportation employee came and gave me my money back. The second machine ate my money and a different transportation employee told me to pay again. I told him I only had 90 cents; I was 10 cents sort. :) I stranger near by gave me 10 cents... I just dropped my luggage, and someone picked it up. I’m thinking about what a movie about my life would be like...
Sharing the Most Beautiful Gift
June 16th, 4pm
-sitting in my hostel way outside Rome
Whoa, God really and truly listens to prayers. Last night after writing the lines above in my journal I prayed: Lord please go before me and fill me with Your Holy Spirit. He sure did. I arrived to a place where I needed to catch my second bus to my hostel. I got to that bus station a little past 12. *:( The next bus wasn’t until 2 am; I almost cried. I was soo tired. All I wanted was to collapse on a bed. Then, all the sudden I said to myself, suck it up, maybe God has me here for a reason. Sure enough, I went into a small restaurant where I met Enrique, a house painter in his late thirties... We began to talk. He told me about his daughters, who are in Milan with his ex-wife, and how much he misses his family. He told me about his struggles. I told him what God has giid plans for him. He said he has read the Bible. I told him, ¨one thing is to read it, another to believe in it, and trust God.¨ I told him about the few difficulties I’ve had and how God helped me to forgive and love, how I have been living abundantly. We talked for two hours. At the end of our conversation he said, *:) :) ¨I feel like a little boy who has just opened a gift.¨ If my trip would have ended there I would have been content.
Finishing the Race (it doesn’t matter how long it takes)
June 17th early afternoon
-On top of St. Peter’s dome, waiting for my peeps from my hostel.
The two girls I ended up sharing a room with are great. Stephanie and Elisa (Steph and E) are about my age traveling together from Texas throughout Europe. Yesterday we stayed by the pool all day. It was soooo nice. We met Simone, Maggie, and Celestia, all from Denmark, Quentin from Australia, and Erin from Canada. Today we all woke up early to hit the sites. The line to the Vatican was tooo long so we came to St Peter’s. I started a conversation with a security guard. After a few minutes he pointed to an elevator and said, ¨Do you want to go up to the dome?¨ ¨Yes, but I have seven friends with me, ¨ I replied. As I was saying that Erin walked by and said, ¨Go on, we were all gonna pay to go up anyways, you might as well go free.¨ So I’ve been here waiting for them. Who knows how long the line is. It’s been neat to sit here and watch people finally smell fresh air, see the sight, be done with the three hundred odd steps. I congratulated them as they came up saying, ¨bravo, finito!¨ or simply giving them a high five or smiling. It didn’t matter how old they were, how big they were, how long it took them to climb the steps, they reached the top, they finished that’s all that matters.
:) :) It reminds me of what God will say to those who accepted His Son on earth. He won’t care how much money we made, where we lived, who we knew, all He’ll care about is that we stayed the course of believing and following His Son.
From the Top of St. Peter's
Jeepers, a whole lot seems to be spent on the lawns.
Lunch break by the river.
My rescuer, Simone, and Quentin ;)
Pooped, but we continue...
Sexy Ladies outside the Pantheon
College, in Italy
June 18th at 7:30 am
-Sitting outside the dining room at the camp hostel
What a beautiful morning. It’s my mama’s b-day and Father’s Day. I’m looking forward to talking to my ‘rents. Last night was interesting—it was like college, relocated to Italy. People were drunk, playing flip cup, bumping and grinding, and there was drama. I left early to go to bed, but alas I bumped into a guy who noticed the paint on my pajama pants and asked about it. I told him I love to make oil paintings. He told me he was in art school and how much he enjoyed expressing his life through paint. He told me about the difficult things in his life and his families lives. Now, different from when I was in college, I shared what God could do in his life and his families.
Goodness
June 19th at noonish
-In a park in the middle of Rome
The sun is shining brightly, but not harshly. There are several benches along a path surrounding a grassy area. So many people are enjoying each other’s company. There is a group of five women of different ages sitting and lying in the grass laughing and eating. There are two, probably American, women sitting side by side on the bench to my right; one of them is reading a Danielle Steale book. A small group of friends is eating subs on the bench to my left. A little ways away is a couple kissing. What a splendid bunch of activities. I love it. I wasn’t loving this morning so much, in fact I had a rough time. I left the camp early to come to church service. After walking around for awhile not being able to find the church I almost started crying. I said to myself, “I can worship God on my own.” I did a bit, but I wanted to sing with other believers. After finding where the church was supposed to be, but wasn’t I walked aimlessly down the street and found an Italian evangelical Methodist church. I walked in during their worship songs. It was wonderful to hear people worship God, even though I didn’t know what they were saying, my Spirit seemed to know exactly what they were saying. :) (Oh, my the kissing is ridiculous, wonderfully ridiculous). I left after a bit of praying. Walking down the street to find an English speaking Church of Scotland. I walked in during the last hymn. I was invited to the roof for refreshments. :) They had salsa. I met a wonderful woman named Ama who became a Christian when she was 25. She said to pray for everything. She told me how she prayed to marry a diplomat, and without realizing she dated (and later married) a diplomat. She invited me to visit her in Ghana.
My Little Roman Park :)
One of the many churches in Rome, hopefully it's a living one.
Ha...
Ha!
Una Boda Italian!
The canal I walked alongside for hours, sometimes being serenaded.
The Sites of Roma
June 19th @ 8:30 pm
-Sitting outside the grounds of my hostel
It has been a busy, good day. The Sistine Chapel is amazing. The parallels between Moses and Jesus on the panels was wonderfully depicted, beautiful. Michelangelo’s ceiling- gorgeous. The Spanish steps weren’t impressive. The Fount de Trevi was pretty and pristine (minus all the coins) the water was a clear blue. The Pantheon was neat, sleek looking and simple. theColiseum was immense and so rich in history, such sad history, so many deaths. Being alone in Rome yesterday after church was cool. I walked around the Jewish ghetto for awhile then along the river for at least an hour. It was great talking to my ‘rents yesterday. Some buds and I sang my mom happy birthday in Italian with some buds. Ironically, it was Stephanie who taught me to sing it, since she worked in an Italian restaurant in the states.
Vatican Musuems
Hot mamas!
Ah, another bird poop incident, this time a real one.
Trevi Fountain, with some fellow toursits buds.
Throwing a coin backwards got my hand in quite the inappropriate place.
Spanish Steps
More fun with my birthday rose.
A Final Dinner at Tiber
Goodbye, My Romans
June 21st in the am
-on train from Rome to Venice
Yesterday by the pool (where I stayed almost all day) there was a beautiful baby and I started thinking about being a mom… Yesterday I spoke with Florin, one of the waiters at the hostel; I asked him what his tattoo meant. He told me tears. Me, being my speak-before-you-think self, asked why. He said he’d prefer not to talk about it. We went on to play volleyball in the pool. It was fun. He is gorgeous and was so darling to me (he just seemed to have had a few bad encounters with one of my friends). Simone and I took a break from the pool and walked to the nearest town. She is a wonderful girl, with a lot going on. It so awesome that God can guide anyone, as long as they are willing. Last night, I had the opportunity to apologize to Florin for my nosiness and tell him I too had tears but several people helped me see Who could take them away. I gave him a tract in Italian about Jesus. Last night I also met Tim who just graduated from Harvard. We ended up on the same train to Venice and have talked for the majority of the trip, mostly about Jesus. :) We just arrived.
Larry comes out for a show on the subway.
Venezia: the places, people, water, and Chinese food
June 21 7pmish
-In the only park in Venice
This little green spot is beautiful. There are some cute little ladies in front of me, a cat roaming behind me, the ocean just beyond the park gates, and a beautiful young man sitting on a bench a few feet away reading a book very intently. Oddly enough, I had bumped into him earlier in the day and being my speak-before-you-think self again, told him with a bit of a twang, as he leaned on a wall, “You look like your posing for a picture.” I walked away saying nothing more. There were sooo many people. One of Hilary's friends described Italy well: it's like Disneyland comes to Europe. While walking down a street I stopped to I hear/watch a boy play the violin for quite some time. I also went to St. Zacaria; it is the most exquisitely decorated church, after the Sistine Chapel, that I have visited in Italy. I got a tour of Venice on the water bus (medium sized boat) and walked around several of the streets and its main plaza, where the birds jump on people's shoulders to eat the food they buy and put on themselves. I passed on that one. I had Chinese food before I crossed the bridge to this island; it was decent, but no where near as good as the Chinese food I had in Spain with the egg rolls the size of burritos, but it gave me energy to get around all of Venice.
Venice
The Plaza where people are fearless of the bird flu...
Venice with a Lovely Man
June 22 8:30 am
-On the train from Venice to Verona
I ended up talking with the man on the bench next to me. After asking him what he was reading and exchanging a couple of words he asked if he could sit next to me. He was reading a book written by a French philosopher; he had just finished studying in France for the year. Michael and I ended up walking all over Venice and eating dinner together. He reminded me a lot of a friend of mine because of his calm demeanor; a big difference was that he wasn’t a Christian. Michael stopped going to church when he was 12 and believed Jesus was just a powerful society changer, mostly for good. I told him what God had done in my life and I encouraged him to search, especially before he joined his life with someone else. He said, "Why, so that I don't love her as much as God?" I said, "Exactly, God doesn't want us to love someone fallible more than Him who is infallible. He doesn't want us to hurt that much if we were to lose that person."
Good bye Venice! It was a lovely day!
Loving Life
June 22 12:30 pm
-On a train from Verona to Milan
Verona was nice- I got to see Romeo and Juliet’s House and a beautiful church and several plazas. I had a freshly baked roll in a small plaza before hitting all the sites. That’s what I have enjoyed the most- eating lunches, or just sitting, in grassy knolls. God is so good. He is protective (saving me from so many accidents, including today when I almost got run over) omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, merciful, (not giving us what we deserve), graceful (giving us what we don't deserve), just (that became clear to me when I read how God sent Jonah to Nineveh because He didn’t want those people to perish) and above all loving (demonstrating that love for us on the cross).
Juliet's Balcony
;)
Late for a very important date
June 22, 6:30 pm
-On train from Milan to Basel, Switzerland
I missed the 5:08 train. This train is gonna put me into Basel passed midnight. I hate being late. The aunt of one of my college roommates, Lacey, is having me in her home for a couple of days. She’s being so gracious, and I can’t even get to her house at a decent hour. Milan wasn’t so hot. The Scala was blah, and the plaza was so crowded. The people were shouting at a person with a German flag. The World cup fever is something else. The church where the Last Supper is was nice, but no Last Supper for me. I wish I would have gone through the park, instead of this random castle, but maybe that would have made me miss even this train. The clouds are beautiful as I watch them dirft (;) Li). I am sitting across from an attractive man wearing a on a nice button down shirt with small initials embroidered on his chest. He is reading an economics magazine in English. I kinda wanna ask him what he does, but I'll let him read his mag. I’m happy to have time to read the Bible.
Majestic
June 22 9pm
-On the train going through Southern Switzerland
Oh me, oh my. Switzerland is the most beautiful place I have ever seen. The train is gently swerving through mountain valleys with gorgeous waterfalls. The sky is unfortunately getting dark, and a fog is rolling in. God is so good. Thank you for making such beautiful places and giving me the eyes to see them. Thank you for the bread with Nutella I just ate, so good.
Better Safe than Sorry
June 22 11 pm
-Still on the train to Basel
I’m in Luzrn for a stop. I wish I was here long enough to get a picture for my parents; this was their honeymoon of sorts. I am very thirsty… Hmm… I probably would have had time to take a picture and get something to drink since we’ve been here a bit now. I just couldn’t risk the doors closing on me; that would be a “Luz thing”. Oh well, one more hour of thirst. Two new things: it’s cold here and I don’t even remotely understand Swiss or German. Italian I could get away with because it is Latin based but here I just hope a lot of people speak English.
The Simple Life
June 23 at 2:30
-Sitting on a bench in Lorach, Germany I
just saw the cutest stroller with a scooter attached for toddlers. Tammi, Lacey’s aunt, is awesome and her daughter, Amelie is sooooo cute. Amelie made signs so that I could get to my bedroom safely last night. Tammi waited up for me and left a box of Lindt chocolate (my favorite) on my pillow. This morning Tammi and I had a wonderful conversation on how we became Christians. Her house is beautiful, a mixture of country, contemporary, and classy. I hope to have a home like hers one day. She dropped me off in Germany after we had breakfast. This little town is cute. There is shopping but not the sense of superficiality I got when I was in Spain. I just saw the coolest thing- pant holders for bicyclists, I got my pants caught in my bike plenty a time while in college. Oh, and the hot dog I ate for lunch was great. Someone just walked up to me and asked me something in German. I feel like a local. Okay, to buy gifts I go.
Helpful Au Pairs
June 23 mid afternoon
-Sitting outside a train station in Switzerland I am waiting for Eric, Tammi’s husband, to pick me up to go to a dinner party. I was going to try to make it to their house, but alas the bus wasn’t running into Switzerland. After my gift shopping spree I had some Chinese food and ice cream, both were delicious. At the bus stop I met two beautiful Russian girls. They had taken English, which they were hoping to improve as they worked as au pairs.
Excited
June 24th at 8amish
-On train from Basel (northern tip) to Interlachen (center of Switzerland) I’m bummed that the ticket costs 80 bucks, but I’m excited to see the view again. Last night, Tammi, Eric, Amelie and I want to eat dinner and watch the Swiss play in the world cup. It was fun, good food, and wonderful conversation. I really liked Mary, and her love for God, especially when she led prayer when everyone seemed to have forgotten. I had a good conversation with someone about pluralism and how there are absolutes (Jesus being the only way to heaven) even though at times they may be hard to think of when we think of the poor; that should encourage us to be or support missionaries.
Serenity
June 24th at 1 pm
-Sitting on a bench overlooking Lake Brienzersee. The view was beautiful, the train a little cramped, but the view compensated for the immediate surroundings. It’s taken me awhile to get situated in Interlachen… Maps, roads didn’t seem clear to me. I managed to set some salami, cheese and bread and figure out/ask what side of the river I was on and finally head out. There is a light fog hanging above the mountains, the water is crashing in small waves that the boats create. The cheese was yummy.
A lot to be Thankful For
June 24th at 6pm
-On train from Interlachen to Luzern (whew)
God, You are so good to me. Thank you for:
-laying out a safe, beautiful path to the quaint village on the other side of the Lake
-putting the young man in my path that needed You, and being able to tell him about Jesus
-creating the clear blue waters and providing a time when no one was around for to have a peaceful swim after a long walk
-giving me the guts to jump into the cold lake, it was warm after a bit and the view as a floated was amazing.
- not having anyone come and take my pants or camera when I was swimming
- allowing me to barely make the 3:10 train back into Interlachen
-giving me the courage to climb a big mountain, Harder Kuln alone
-giving me the peace, after a mild panic attack when it was raining and I feared I would have to sleep on the mountain
-protecting me from slipping on the wet leaves
-giving me strength me to make it to the top of Harder Kuln
-creating such an amazing place
-allowing me to see Switzerland’s two largest lakes from a bird’s eye view
-providing me with a yummy chicken sandwich I just finished, whoa I was hungry
-giving me legs and arms to walk and swim, and money to make this trip possible
-finally, for allowing me to get on the 6:08 train to Luzuern
Interlachen
The Lion and Dogs
June 26th 8amish
-On train from Basel to Paris, the seats are cushy
Yesterday was a good day. Church service was great, especially the worship. Stephanie and Sarah, the pastor’s daughters, are so talented: singing, writing, playing instruments. The party at Tammi’s house afterwards was neat. I spent a lot of time with Alec. He is such a sweet boy. I must say though, when I first met him I thought to myself, "How am I going to talk to Him about Jesus?” He was watching a movie with the Coliseum in it and I mentioned a lot of Christians were killed there. He responded, s"o were a lot of Jews". I looked that up on the internet and was able to talk to Alec about what happened in the Coliseum. I told him how sometimes we don’t think know about the whole situation, like how many Christians were killed in the Holocaust. He told me he really liked history and his favorite books are The Chronicles of Narnia. Aslan, the lion that dies for Edmund, is symbolic of how Jesus died for us. Alec, Amelie and I went for a walk. We talked about cats and dogs. I told them God wants us to be dogs, dependent on Him and loyal. He wants to give us good things, but sometimes we act like an independent cat, snubbing Him, acting like we don’t need Him.
I Don’t Speak French
June 26th at 11ish
-still on the train to Paris
My first experience in France- not so hot. I thought I had purchased my ticket on line last night (I had given my credit card information and was given a confirmation number), but apparently not. I shook my head and said I refused to pay again. The man took out a pink pad of paper that said infracion. The man was going to write one out for me and send it to the US Embassy. I couldn’t understand why he wanted to charge me again and he didn’t seem to understand me. I looked around for help and a young man who spoke English came to my rescue. He told me that my card had not been charged, and now I had to pay an extra 10 euros.
Smoked Duck and The Mona Lisa- not all that
June 26 at 6:30pmish
-On a bench in Paris I just finished walking down the Jardines des Tuleres. I am overlooking the Grand Palace with the background of gray rain filled clouds with the sun anxiously trying to peek out. I just came from the Louvre. I was there until it closed, which was only for an hour and a half. I saw the Italian and Spanish paintings as well as some ruins from Israel. I’m content with having seen that. I must say the Mona Lisa wasn’t all that, it was beautiful, but there are many more beautiful paintings, including the one right next to the Mona Lisa, which no one seemed to be paying any attention to. As soon as I got off the train from Basel I booked it to a bistro the Istels, my landlords from back home. They had just invited me to meet them. Lunch was nice. I briefly met four friends of the Istels, and then chatted with the Istels and an older woman. She was sweet, saying I was elegant; I was wearing one of my dad’s polo shirts with jeans. I ate a smoked duck salad; I prefer baked duck. (The sun is poking through.) After lunch, Mr. Istel took me to my hostel to drop off my things then showed me around Paris in his convertible. He dropped me off at the Louvre. And here I am now pooped, shoes off looking what seems to be the decorating for a fancy party in a restaurant in front of me. Hopefully, there’ll be a lot of fun dancing tonight. On the walk here from the Louvre couples were walking side by side, hugging, holding umbrellas. It was so romantic.
Pari! Paintings, Makeup, Monuments, French Food, and Four Interesting Men
June 22 at 6pmish
-Outside the Musee de Orsay
I’ve been in the museum all day- it’s been great. I really like Renoir. It was neat to be able to take pics of everything. Yesterday was fun and interesting, in many unexpected ways. After my break on the bench I walked along the Champs Elysees. I ate at a French fast-food place; it was decent. Then I went into Sephora, bought some small perfumes and gave myself a makeover. I went through the Arc de Triomphe and then walked to the Eiffel Tower. I was pooped. I sat down in the grass to watch the sunset over the tower. A man asked if he could join me. I said sure. He was nice. We talked for a bit before I told him I was hungry and wanted to get a crepe. He got a phone call and had to go. Before he left we set a time and place to meet for Chinese food tomorrow. While under the Eiffel Tower I bumped into two guys from Texas. They had just come from watching some world cup games in Germany. I’m not exactly sure how we started talking about sex, but we did. I told them I was waiting until I was married. I talked to them about being a Christian and following what God wants for me; God knows what’s best. They told me what they believed. I encouraged them to read the Bible. I went to buy a crepe and bumped into some young ladies that insisted that I go up the Eiffel Tower. I took them up on their suggestion. I ate my crepe (ham and cheese good, two tablespoons of salt and pepper- not good) while I waited in line. It took forever to get to the top, but the view was gorgeous. The river and the lights were beautiful. It was freezing though. Staying in the middle level is an excellent choice; it’s cheaper and the view isn’t too much of a difference, plus the time you have to wait can be ridiculous, especially if it’s cold. By the time I got on the ground the subway had closed. I bumped into three young ladies who were trying to get home as well. I asked if they wanted to split a cab. They said yes. They had just graduated from high school. I told them to make sure they kept close to Jesus, and if they weren’t Christian to join the Christian fellowship on their college campus. I told them to keep in contact with me if they wanted. (One of them has.) I got to my hostel at around 2 am.
Hadeed, the concierge, and I ended up having a two hour conversation. I told him I was Christian. He asked me if I thought homosexuality was wrong. I said, “yes, and I know it’s hard to say that. In fact, I recently started thinking that, but yes, God thinks it’s wrong.” (One can have a lot of desires, but one can and should choose to turn away from those desires. Acting on desires to be with a person of the same sex is wrong.) He gasped and said, “You are the first person who has said that. I believe that too.” “I know it’s not very talked about in metropolitan cities, because people are very pluralistic, and want to accept everything that isn’t directly “hurting” anyone. I know, I used to be one of those people. But there are absolutes.” He then said, “But you Christians don’t like to dance.” I said, “Oh no, I love to dance, in fact do you want me to show you some salsa moves.” He agreed and we danced. He told me about his practicing of Islam. One thing I really liked about their practice is the fact that though prayer they are trying to show their dependence on God, something I need to do more often. Towards the end of our conversation he said, “I am a Muslim because I believe my book is beautiful.” I happened to have a New Testament with the Psalms, I said I think this book is beautiful, and ended our conversation saying, “Thank you for sharing your faith with me. I will try to learn more about it." He said, “You think you will become a Muslim.” I said, “No, because God has done great things in my life.” He said, “Okay, I will look into your faith.”
Fried Rice and Gummy Bears
June 27 at 10pmish
-On the train from Paris to Barcelona.
Paris’ Chinatown is nice and the Chinese food was great. My friend from yesterday was a little late, but that’s ok I got to draw a little. We ended up walking around for while and then picking the first restaurant I had picked. The food was good. He was confused on some areas in life, especially in regards to loving someone. I left him a tract about Jesus. The girl sleeping in the bunk next to me just gave me a Haribo gummy. I’m laying down; my feet are happy. She just set up her stuffed animals. Yesterday the teenage girls squinted and giggled when they saw the Origins of Life painting. I thought it was very well done.
Questions
June 28th 10amish
-On train to Barcelona, still
I just transferred onto a Spanish train. I lost my ticket. So I had to buy a new one. It wasn’t too expensive. During the layover I went into Port Bou, and small town on the border of France and Spain. I went to the beach and bought cherries...
What questions could I ask people to get them to start to think about their need for God?
1) Do you believe people that break the law should get punished?
2) Do you hope there will be a better place after we die, especially for those who have suffered on this earth?
3) What do you study for things you will be graded for?
1) Everyone has broken one of the Ten Commandments (sinned) and will be punished unless there is someone who takes your punishment.
2) There is a better place after we die; if we choose to go there.
3) Often times we spend time odoing things that really don't matter. There will be a “test” with a pass fail grade. God will be giving the grade based on one question: What did you do with Jesus? Did you believe in Him and follow Him?
If your answer to the last question is no, please keep searching. Jesus took our punishment when he died on the cross; he descended into hell so we wouldn’t have to. He concurred death; he was resurrected, because he was an acceptable payment, a perfect sinless sacrifice. He was the only one that could have done this because He was God. Every other human has sinned. But God being perfect never did. That’s what makes His death so special. He came down from heaven to suffer, to be spit at, whipped, nailed to a cross, and have God’s wrath for what you and I do poured out on Him. His love is so amazing. If you want to accept that love you can say something like this: God, thank you for paying for my sins on the cross. Please forgive me for my sins. I turn from my life of sin. Please fill me and guide me. In Jesus’ name. Amen. If you said, this and meant it with your heart you just started a relationship with the maker of the heavens and the earth. What a wonderful God He is! If you said this prayer and believed it with your heart, yay! The Bible tells us that the angels in heaven are rejoicing. You just started a relationship with the creator of the heavens and the earth. What an awesome God He is! And He is always available for you to talk to and He wants to talk to you through His Word. As soon as you can, you should start reading His Word, the Bible; I know it may be intimidating, but ask God to guide you; He will. I highly recommend you start attending a Bible believing church as soon as you can. If you live in Yuma, you are more than welcome to attend my church: Calvary Chapel- which meets at the Yuma County Food Bank at 2351 S. Engler Ave. phone # 343-4045. There are tons of Calvary Chapels around the world; Here's Calvary Chapel's website if you want to know more about it: http://www.calvarychapel.com/ Here are places you can get more info about Christianity: http://www.greatcom.org/laws/english/flash/ http://www.gotquestions.org/crucial.html
http://www.notreligion.com/
The first one is a very informative flash movie. :) The second is a site where many questions about Christianity are answered. The 3rd is a site that may give a helpful explanation of why we need Jesus. Case for Faith is a very good book if you have doubts about Christianity, especially God's justice. Please e-mail me if there is anything you think I can help you with or simply to tell me that you have decided to become a Christian and/or need some direction: gonzalez.luz@gmail.com.
My B-day
-at Tio Ramon’s house
Lord, thank you for allowing me to become one year older. My spiritual birthday will be in a couple of weeks; it was July 17, 2005 when I said the prayer above, and meant it, for the first time. This past year has been better than all 22 years of my life combined. Getting together with the Stephanie and Elisa was great. After our time in Rome they went to Morocco and Southern Spain. A biking trip around Barcelona was canceled because the girls had bruises from a mugging they went through in Cordoba. How scary. Stephanie is one tough cookie though; she didn’t let the mugger take her purse. They brought me a beautiful long-sleeved shirt from Morocco, a soft silky black material with stitching down the middle with a few red non-functioning buttons along the stitching. We ended up going up to Montjuic Mountain on the sky baskets- it was a beautiful view. Then they took me to eat. After lunch we went back to their hotel to get changed for the beach. Before the mar, we stopped at the chocolate factory where I bought some sugarless chocolate for Tio and Tia.
When I got off the subway I saw that Tio Ramon was waiting for me. He looked so cute. He was so sweet in getting me chocolate con purros this morning. A thick chocolate drink with fat churros. Speaking with him in the evening I realized I had caused a dispute between my uncles last time I was here, regarding where I was staying. I didn’t even now about it. It’s so sad how we can hold grudges for so long. As a Christian I have seen the power God gives us to forgive- how wonderful it is! What an awesome God! Yesterday I ended up talking with a guy at the end of the train ride that had a huge pogo stick and my uncle gave him a ride to the center of the city. He is the most attractive guy I’ve seen in Europe, and ha, he is an American, Danny. He had curly, not too long, not too short, hair under a cap, had nicely defined muscles (probably, from carrying around his pogo stick), beautiful facial features and gorgeous smile. And he is a Christian! He was so full of life and joy, and so unique, I mean, he had a pogo stick! I told him about the questions I had thought about on the train ride. He told me about his life and his time in Europe. It would have been neat to meet up with him again…
My Roman Girls :)
Lotsa meat is eaten in Spain...
Thoughts on the Future
July 1 12:30pmish
-On the bus to the airport I just said goodbye to Tio Ramon.
When I got on the bus I started to cry. He is such a loving, patient man. It was great to spend his birthday with him yesterday. We went up Parque Cuell and looked at Goudi’s architecture-beautiful. I will keep Tio Ramon and Tia Kenya in my prayers, that they would love God above all things. Thoughts of the future have come into my head. I would love to raise children with my parents around. Also, what came into my mind was the ministry that just started in Algodones. Lord, do you want me to use this Harvard degree for something in particular? Young Life…
Parque Cuell with Tio
Adios at the bus station
London (from backyards, to kids play day, to adult play days, to cementaries, all pics together at the bottom)
Tea, lotsa tea
July 2 11pm -lying in Mick and Gwen’s home, my hosts during this mission trip.
I arrived to London at 11 pm right after England lost, and were out of the world cup race. So there was some beer bottle breaking and screams on my subway ride to the pastor's house, where I stayed the first night. The strangest thing to look at in England is people driving on the different side of the road. I slept for the first time ever on a cot. This morning I met up with Kevin (a pastor/missionary, who came to my church in Yuma) and the rest of his team from South Carolina that is here to help with the puppets and skits. Kevin did a puppet show at church then gave a great sermon from 1 Kings 19 on how even when Elijah was running from God He took care of him. In the same way God takes care of many of those who fear before we accept Him. Kevin also talked about how God wasn't in the earthquakes or the fire, but in the still quiet voice. It made me think of how those who are affected by natural disasters, or other tragedies, need to be listening for God's voice, and depend on Him.
After service we all went to a park. It was beautiful day, the sun was shining brightly. I took a nap at 3 “tea time” (most people don’t even stop for tea at 3 but I observed to the fullest :) After I got up I got to know a wonderful girl, Brianne. She is with the American team. We sat next to a beautiful lake with all kinds of different dragon flies and talked for a while. She is so on fire for the Lord! I also got to share things with two young members of the church. One of the teenage girls in the church caught my attention and I was compelled to give her a fan I had bought in Spain. I did. She smiled grandly. I shared with Robert John a story about British steward who told me, “American chocolate stinks,” In a stereotypical English accent and brought me Cadbury’s, and I Ioved it. He in turn brought me two Cadbury chocolate bars to the picnic. During our picnic, there was a cricket match going on and the pastor gave me the breakdown of the rules, of which I remember very few.
Finally, I was taken to Mick and Gwen's home, where I have been staying ever since. They are so kind and peaceful. Mick is like the grandfather I never had, and Gwen, has been as sweet as a grandma, which I haven't had in years. She wakes me up with a soft knock, "good morning", and a cup of tea. I didn’t know what I was walking into, but God did. I couldn’t have asked for a better home.
Yay for Puppets
July 4th noon
-sitting on the floor of the church sipping a cup of tea
The team went into an elementary school and did a puppet skit on love and forgiveness. It is great to see the children's response to the puppets, they laugh so heartily. Kevin is soooo talented. Yesterday was a day of prep. The team, made up of 9 people from South Carolina; Kike, a women from northern England interning at the church; and me, learned the ins and outs of Religious Education classes, which is a requirement here in England. Students learn about several religions in 7-10 grades. People from different faiths come and talk about what they believe. Yesterday in the evening a group of us went to watch a soccer game with 20 young men; they are really good. Kevin invited them to play baseball this afternoon.
Great Times
July 7th
Recap on 4th-7th
Futbol!
July 4th
The English had a 4th of July party for us. The smores turned out to be pink and white marshmallows. :) The team played baseball. I started to play, but I saw six guys from yesterday’s game. I bumped a soccer ball around with them for a while then we sat down and they told me about their lives. I told them about my life and what God has been doing in it. How God had helped me see I needed Him. They were very attentive. After awhile, I asked them if they wanted to continue to hear about my life. They said yes, so I told them how God had helped me forgive. As I concluded my story someone from my team called me into the church. I asked the guys to come in, but they said they were waiting for a friend. I went in and prayed for them. When I came out of the back room I was in, they were in the church.
The Sites
July 5th
We got a tour of London. It was fun, but tiring. I got to know Kike better. She is an amazing woman. We crossed Tower Bridge, which people in Lake Havasu, Arizona thought they had bought. It’s a sweet draw bridge. Big Ben was cool and Westminster Abbey was neat, but the most beautiful place was the park on the side of Buckingham Palace.
The Best Day of the Summer
July 6th
During a quiet morning walk something truly wonderful occurred: I met Mick, a man willing to change. Mick realized that there would be judgment. We are made in God's image; we want the bad guys to get punished and the good guys to get a reward. God, too, will punish, but his punishment will only be towards those whose sins haven't been paid for. Mick realized he had sinned, broken at least one of The Ten Commandments; all humans have, except for Jesus: "For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ" (2 Corinthians5:21) Mick believed Jesus had paid for his sins on the cross, and all he needed to do was believe in Him. He asked God to forgive him of his sin and accepted Christ into his heart. How awesome to be used by God to bring one more soul into His kingdom. After a training, the group hit the streets, actually, the alleys. We went to clean the back of some mom and pop stores. Right as we were finishing it started to rain. Matt, a teacher around my age, and I went to drop off a newspaper the church prints to the nearby business owners and tenants.
Door to Door Fun
July 7th
This time we really hit the streets. Matt and I went to invite the people that live near the church to a Fun Day the church is putting on and deliver the church newspapers. A couple of people really opened up to us. A little old man talked to us for about 30 minutes about everything under the sun. Another man vented about having to take care of his mother. One woman started crying. We prayed for all of them, and gave the church their info to do follow up with them.
Grill the Christian Week
July 14th -our day off
Wow, it’s been a week since I wrote. Monday-Thursday parts of the team went into the public schools and took over the Religious Education classesm engaging kids on the topics of respect and morality. Seeing as how I mostly write on modes of transportation, I haven’t written as often, but here’s the breakdown of the week, (finally days of the week made a difference, Monday’s were Monday’s not just a traveling day).
Fun Day
Saturday, July 8th
The team went to help at the Harold Hill Fun Day. I was expecting to help with the puppets and talk about God. Nope. The organizers didn’t have enough people to pick up trash and sell programs. People from the team were chosen at random to do these things. I was chosen to sell programs. I would have preferred to pick up trash. I don’t like asking people to buy things. Maybe because it feels too much like begging; I don’t like to be associated or have my race associated with that, especially in the states were for many people Mexicans, immigrants, have a negative stereotype attached to them. Nonetheless, Kike (who really helped me be more joyful and let go off those thoughts) and I sold many programs. The team did such a good job that the organizers said the church we were with could have a slot on the main stage next year! Praise God! He knows what He is doing!
Being Best Friends with The Man
Sunday, July 9th
Church service was good as usual. It is different than service back home. Here if someone has had God work in their life during the week they get up and tell the whole church. I like that. Matt gave the sermon today. It was about how John went from being a man of thunder to the apostle of love, Jesus’ best friend here on earth, which He left His mother to. He encouraged us to be like John, a friend of Jesus by:
1) Talking with God. (Praying)
2) Listening to God (reading the Bible)
3) Following God (obeying what He asks us to do) A
fter church service we went to an elderly home, sang songs with them , chatted, and ate tea cakes with them. Matt gave a condensed version of the morning sermon and I was asked to make the closing prayer. Right after prayer Robert, a memner of the churh, came and asked Matt and me to meet with his son and his high school Christian club. They were so awesome. They were taking over the RE classes, just like we were. They asked us for our opinions and asked if we could work with them someday next week. I wanted to help with their girl’s outreach event.
Middle School Here I am Again
Monday, July 10th
Going into the schools was a great experience. Basically, we would talk about morality by getting the kids to take a stand a situation, if they would do it or not, or were unsure. We would do the same for respect asking if they respected a person or not, or if they weren’t sure. The last of six people was Jesus. Most kids said they weren’t sure about it. After the game one person from the group would talk about that issue as a Christian. Then, the student could ask questions. One of the questions a student has asked was: Do you masturbate? The speaker responded well, “I don’t do anything I feel bad about.” The student thought it was a good answer as well, saying, “cool, cool.” I’ve also heard it said, “I wouldn’t do anything God wouldn’t want to see me doing.”
I thought I knew better than the person choosing who should speak. I asked Kevin if he would pick. He said confidently. “Richard, the man running the classes, would know better.” After Bonnie and Aaron went I was chosen. I was sooo sacred. I had asked God if he wanted speak to give me that opportunity. I didn’t know what I was going to say, but God did. He definitely gave me the words. I don’t think I have ever said anything so well; it’s amazing what God can do if we ask. The students’ hands went up. The team worked together to answer the questions. It was a great first day.
The Islam Faith
Tuesday, July 11th Most of the group that went into the schools yesterday went to drop off invitation to the fun day and newspapers. Brianne; Bonnie, the beautiful southern belle; and I had a great conversation afterwards. When we got back to the church Brianne and I went on a prayer walk. I want to incorporate that in my life. It was a wonderful evening, as well. Kike’s Nigerian food was amazing!
Aaron, a very intelligent ex-surfer, and I had a great conversation about Islam. He has researched Islam so much that he was given information that only universities get. He told me so many things I didn't know: what the Koran actually says: the jihad is meant as a physical war with others, not a war within yourself, as I was taught in college. He also told me how Muslims can come to accept Jesus by comparing what is said in Quran about Jesus and Muhammad. Jesus never lied, Jesus didn't sleep with his niece, and Jesus never asked people to do something He wouldn't do. Muhammad did. Also, many Muslims come to believe in Jesus through a dream. In fact, one of the women in the church was a Muslim and came to accept Christ because of a dream she had. This made me rejoice because it reminded me that God keeps all His promises: You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart (Jeremiah 29:13). Aaron talked about the Bible with such passion. His love for Muslims was great. Even greater was His love for God. When he talked about the Bible and how God had changed his life it made me so joyous. I think it was in part because I love to see men love God so deeply. This strong man had had tears in his eyes after our conversation about God and his goodness. We ended our time together by praying for Hadeed, the Muslim man I had met in Paris.
Plans to Give You Hope and a Future
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Back to the schools. It was so neat to hear Matt talk about his life. How he did whatever made him happy until he finally reconsidered his actions when his 4 year old nephew said,” Matt do you know God loves you? He loves you, but he doesn’t love everything you do.” A little later Matt read Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Matt decided to accept God's love, that love He showed on the cross as a payment for the life he had lead, and choose to start following God and live out his plan. I pray you do the same.
