Da Judy Blog!

Hey guys! My article about Remis was featured on one of the TWR blogs (the Judy Blog)! Check it out: http://www.twr.org/judyblog/?p=1504

Struck Down But Not Destroyed

Hola amigos! (No, I'm still in Slovakia, I just wanted to speak in Spanish). This photo was taken in Budapest by a friend of ours who helped us out with some photography stock. Several of the girls with us were gracious enough to let us use them as models and we were able to make some fantastic shots. It's really a huge blessing for our publications.

Yeah, but that's me attempting to look serious. I love being behind the camera, but I hate being in front of it. Oh mah word, I was so uncomfortable the whole time. It made me realize how very awkward I can be. I'm not apologizing for it -- it's who I am -- but a girl does start to wonder sometimes, "am I too awkward?"

So that started me thinking on all of the awkward, ridiculous things I've done in my life -- of all the mistakes I've made, my embarrassments and my regrets. As a result, I laid in my bed in a fetal position last night wishing I had chocolate to gorge on, feeling insecure and regretting the person I was. It was a pathetic sight, but all joking aside, Satan knows my weak spots and he wasted no opportunities to try and destroy something that the Lord and I have been working on for years.

He came close, but he didn't succeed. Jesus pulled me up out of my saddened heap and so gently reminded me of who He is and who I am because of Him. I know who I am in Christ. How can I ever doubt the love of my Savior who died for me? My identity may be challenged, but the love of God steps in every time like a faithful hero to save the day.

So how about you? Do you have "identity crisis?" The Almighty God sent His beloved Son to die for you so that you could experience true love and purpose. Are you experiencing it?

"But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed," II Corinthians 4:7-9.

Karin's Back in Town!

Hey guys! I have great news! Karin was released from the clinic and she's back at work in Vienna! The doctors were able to diagnose her pain as stress induced. She wrote in an email that she'll have to make a few lifestyle changes to reduce stress and pain, but she sounded optimistic. She's had a faithful attitude this whole time and she's continues to do so even with the diagnosis. Praise the Lord! Thank you for praying with me. How can I thank you? The only way I can think is to ask the Lord to bless each person who prayed for Karin (even if I don't know who some of you are)! If you prayed, I hope this is an encouragement for you - to visibly see that our loving and tender Father truly does answer our prayers according to His will.

I can't wait to get back to Vienna and see Karin! I know I'll be greeted with a big smile and hug, and that's why it means so much to me that the Lord worked through our prayers - first for His glory, then for Karin's sake.

There Are No Camels In Budapest

It's true folks. Not one.

I liked Budapest a lot. It felt way more eastern European than Austria, which I liked. There weren't a lot of tourists there either so that was really nice. Alenka and I were originally going to go by ourselves early this week, but some of her friends were going on Saturday so we decided to join the party. We left at 5 a.m. and got back at 11 that night. Oh my word, it was a long day and we were all so tired by the end, but it was a great day and we made a lot of memories!

I'm not sure why we thought we could see all of Budapest in one day, but we certainly made a stab at it. We started out by climbing up to the "castle" which actually was just a post at the top of the mountain that looked out over Budapest. It was a crazy climb up, but we made it and it was a beautiful view. So while we were up there, we saw the castle waaaaaaaaay down below us and decided that would be our next destination. So after the crazy climb up we took the crazy climb down and eventually made it to the castle.

By the time we reached the castle it was about noon and we were pretty tired so we hit up the nearest mall and got Turkish food and then went to Starbucks which was a very interesting combo. Then we visited a couple of more sights before we headed back to catch the train.

We were a little late getting to the train so when we got on there were no more compartments! We all ended up standing/sitting in the tiny tiny tiny corridor which made for very awkward exchanges when backpackers (or anyone for that matter) tried to squeeze past us. Okay, but this is the kicker (a reeeeeeal kicker). We were standing right outside of a conductor's room (just an compartment reserved for the conductors) and there was only one conductor in there the whole time. It must have been really awkward for her because we just stared in at her the whole time like sad puppies.

The cars on either side of ours were also empty, but we didn't have the right tickets, so they kicked us out :( Even though they were empty! Waaaaaaah! My feet still hurt today.

So that's my Budapest adventure! Sunday was really nice too. I went to church with Alenka and we hung out with some of the people who were on the Budapest trip. So it was a good weekend, and there's more to tell but I have to run now! I can't take up too much time on the internet here, but if you want to see pictures of the trip, check out my Facebook page! Have a good day, guys!

Bratislava: "The Little Big City"

Hello blog readers! I haven't posted in a while because internet access is limited in ol' Slovakia, but I'm going to try and give you a quick update of everything! First of all, how was your week? Are you enjoying summer? What are you doing for fun? Are you experiencing the Lord's steadfast love? Are you shining His light? Feel free to answer all of these questions and send them to me in an email :)

This week has been a good one in Bratislava. I arrived on Monday and have just spent the week in the office doing various work-related things (I would hope so). I'm staying with Alenka in a missionaries' house who are gone on furlough. It's nice to have a big shower and my own room :)

I got the official tour on Tuesday and it only took about an hour. They call Bratislava the "little big city" because it has all of the qualities of a big European city, but it's actually quite small. Like a lot of cities here, it has a very lovely old historical district, but the rest is your typical not-so-glorious town. Oh my word, there I go again. Vienna has spoiled me so badly.

I was supposed to interview the Slovak partners here who work at Radio 7 in the adjoining part of our building. Unfortunately, no one could meet with me this week, so I'll do most of the interviewing next Tuesday. I think Wednesday I'll head back to Vienna and finish my work there.

Did I even tell you why I'm in Bratislava? Heavens! I live inside my head most of the time, sorry. The TWR office in Bratislava works very closely with the office in Vienna, so I can easily do a lot of my work here. The original reason I'm here is because the partners of TWR Slovakia are celebrating their 20th anniversary so I'm interviewing staff members and writing an article for InfoSERV, the TWR family magazine.

And the director of TWR Slovakia wanted me to extend my stay, so I'm still here. Tomorrow Alenka and I are going to Budapest to take pictures for the TWR stock photography. I'm waaaaaaay excited because all of my life I've had this idea that Budapest was somewhere in the wilderness of Russia and only eskimos lived there with their camels and their leafy tea. Oh come on, give me a break. Do you know where Budapest is?

Last night I was able to spend some time with a missionary family and some other friends from Alenka's church group. I was really amazed by their children, Kathryn, 15, and Daniel, 17. It was a true blessing to talk to such mature and godly teenagers. It made me wonder what I was like as a 15 year-old (yikes). I felt like I should have been conveying my vast amounts of 22 year-old wisdom (haha) to them, but really, I feel wiser after just sitting and listening to them. They've spent eight years off and on in the States, but most of their lives have been in Europe. They shared their struggles with feeling at home in America and I answered their questions about American lingo and other cultural questions they had about the States. It was ironic talking to "American" kids about what it's like to live in America. I was really blessed about their openness to God's will for their lives. It was a maturity I haven't seen in a long time from kids their age. I feel proud of them and I don't even know them. I just know the Lord is going to use them in a great way. He already has :)

But I think that's all the news from my end. I can't believe that my time here is winding down to its last days. I only have two more weeks here and then one with my B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L sister in England! Woo-hoo! Shout out to Chelsey Amanda Hill! I love her! She's awesome! She's the prettiest girl ever! She's a great cook! She's classy! Ahem ... yeah, I'm pretty excited.

So, thanks for reading yet another snippet of my life. I know, you feel so privileged, right? RIGHT? Heh heh! I love you guys! God bless you this week!

True Joy

Hey guys! Remember me telling you about Remis? Well, my boss asked me to write a short piece for a TWR magazine called "Connection" and I decided to write about Remis. I thought I'd share it with you so you can get to know him a little better. Here's a blurb:

Meet Remis: energetic, pensive, a visionary, joyful. He's the director of the Good News Center, TWR’s partner in Lithuania. Sometimes he substitutes dancing for walking and he consistently turns every other sentence into song (e.g. “It’s a lovely d-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-y!”). Before he was involved in ministry, he was a nightclub disc jockey in Dubai. Now, he has a passion for deteriorating Lithuania, for the youth, for his countrymen, for expats. Whatever the job, he approaches it with joy despite personal difficulties or challenges.

I met Remis when I traveled to Lithuania to interview partners from GNC. Through the interviews and time spent with this brother, the Lord began to show me the meaning of true joy. I thought I knew. But I didn’t.

Joy transcends beyond circumstances, beyond emotion. It’s a lifestyle that results from walking closely with the Father. It’s a perspective – a way of seeing things through a Spirit-filled lens. And it’s the visible effect of what happens when you take God at His word.

I’m thankful to Remis for being faithful and consequently allowing others to be blessed by his joy. It’s like a beautiful photograph that I could look at over and over again. And one that I hope to reproduce for others to see.

“I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High,” Psalm 9:2.

There is Sunshine in My Soul Todaaaaaay!

Were you praying for me? If you were, I just want to THANK YOU! I woke up today and I felt about 65% better!!! I definitely feel ready for Bratislava now and I know the Lord heard your prayers, even if only one person :)

So I'd like to say thank you to my loving Father who heals all of our sicknesses and thank you to my prayer partners who bring me before the Lord. Between the two, I am blessed beyond I could ever deserve.

And thank you to those who expressed your concern and tried to diagnose me ... and for the suggested remedies and rest. Each brought physical and emotional comfort. My soul is very happy :)

"A merry heart does good, like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones" (Proverbs 17:22).

*Sniffle*

A picture of what's right beside me.

Will you please pray for me? I've been pretty sick since Tuesday and I haven't seen a light at the end of this tunnel. I'm leaving for Bratislava in two days and I really need to be well! If I can't get well, then will you pray that I have a joyous attitude during this? Thank you, my friends. I appreciate it so much :)

“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: who forgives all your iniquities; who heals all your diseases” (Psalm 103:2).

Lithuania

Hello friends. I'm back from Lithuania and completely refreshed by what I experienced there. On the flip side, I'm pretty sick with a head cold so I'm thankful that I had a scheduled day-off.

So where to begin about my trip! I suppose the beginning is a "very good place to start."

Alenka and I flew from Vienna on Monday morning and arrived in Vilnius (the capital of Lithuania) that afternoon and the director of TWR-LT took us to Trakai castle and we ate dinner in a cafe on the lake by Trakai. We had a great first talk about the ministry in LT and I know the Lord was using the laid-back conversation to guide my heart and thoughts for the interviews to follow.

The next morning, we met with the producer/editor/writer/prettymucheverything of the children's radio program (her name is Daiva). The show is called "Little Evening Star" and it airs from 7:30 to 8 p.m. on Saturdays - right when kids are getting into bed, so it's perfect. It broadcasts into all of Lithuania and it's very popular. I was so amazed that the whole show was run by basically one woman in a tiny recording studio.

She invites children from all over (orphanages, institutions, etc.) to record for the voices of the characters and she said the process can take from two days to three weeks to complete one program. So each episode usually contains radio theater, practical and educational lessons, songs, and scriptures. Because it reaches out to such a wide range of listeners, they can't be overly spiritual, but the undertones are undeniably Christian. It is such a quality program. I wish it was broadcast in English!

So the next day, we spent with Audra, the fund coordinator who is also the children's magazine manager (the whole operation is run by a small staff, so they're all in charge of multiple operations). I had such a refreshing talk with her and Alenka and I were able to really encourage her. I think she was really tired spiritually from all of the discouragement the ministry faces. The staff can't afford training or education for most of their operations, so they're kind of on a trial and error basis and I could tell that Audra was overwhelmed with it all. She was also pretty discouraged about fundrasing there. The majority of the country is Catholic (who refuse to support a Protestant ministry) and the Protestant churches don't have a ministry-supportive mindset like in North American churches. So you can imagine that money is extremely tight. But praise the Lord, Alenka was able to give her a few resources to help and she's arranging for Audra to attend a TWR fundraising seminar in the fall!

Later that day Audra showed us around Vilnius. I'm still extremely puzzled by Lithuania. It's a country of so many contradictions. The "old city" is really for tourists and when you leave the city limits, you're in the "real city" which is a terribly poor community - it's an incredible contrast. The old city is being restored to pre WWII conditions, but the results of the Russian occupation are everywhere. In fact, the building where TWR-LT is located still has bullet holes in the walls. Check it out:

Isn't it incredible? You read about this stuff in history books, but to actually see it! On Thursday morning, Alenka and I went to the KGB museum and I'm still pretty disturbed by what I saw. We walked through the prison in the basement and it rivaled any horror film I've seen. I won't really go into detail, but it's definitely something I'll remember for the rest of my life. We are blessed in so many ways to live in in this age.

So now we get to Remis, the director of TWR-LT. He used to be a DJ in Dubai until he moved back to Lithuania where he got involved with TWR, eventually moving up to director. I say with confidence that I have never met a person with a more joyful spirit. I have never witnessed such joy! What's more, his wife was in a skiing accident last winter and she may end up in a wheelchair, but even in that situation, he presented it with joy and hope and such gratefulness to God. I was moved to tears several times during our talks with him.

Despite all that the ministry is going through and all of the discouragement they face everyday, Remis still has such a great hope that the Lord will work everything out. At first I doubted their situation, but his faith alone was a catalyst in my believing in God's huge plan for their ministry. "God has no crises," Remis kept saying. And it's so true. God is a God of order and a beautiful, sovereign plan and he will work everything out for those that love Him and those who He calls. And I can see so clearly that He has a huge plan for their ministry.

So just a couple of numbers: 133 people leave Lithuania every day and they predict that by the year 2050, Lithuanians will begin to completely die out because of the lowest birth rates ever. There's nothing really to keep them there - no jobs, nothing unique to the country, so the current generation just packs up and leaves. National pride is disappearing as the people who survived WWII pass away. They don't like to talk about that time, so a lot of the things that would normally tie them together are just forgotten.

It's their dream to reach out to Lithuanian emigrants and instill a sense of pride in them and hopefully convince them to support the ministry at TWR as they reach out to their countrymen. I can see how this one little ministry could bring the nation back together again. But really, why not? God has no limits and TWR-LT is certainly an open tool in His hand.

Okay, there is so much more I want to say, but I think I'll have to save it for another post. Thanks for reading this looooong entry and I hope you're able to see a little bit of what I've been seeing lately. Please pray for TWR-LT. They need money. They need skilled workers. They need encouragement, education, prayer. In my mind, they lack so much, but the hand of God is over them and that is all they need.

Ugh! My heart is so heavy right now as I think about the people I've met and the things I've seen. I want to do all that I can for the TWR ministry in Lithuania, but I feel so helpless. Will you please help me by praying? It's the greatest help we can give them.

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28).

Grüß Gott

Hey everybody! I'm sorry I've been lacking on my blogging duties. Things here have been ... uh, full? Yeah, I think full is the right word. Every day has been filled to capacity, but I'm not complaining one bit because it's been a great week.

This week I worked mostly on the article for the Czech partners (the office in Brno where I visited two weeks ago). And every day I worked a little bit more on editing the photos for the TWR European photo stock. I'd like to show you what I've been working on, but the photos are technically owned by TWR and if I put them up here, someone could use them without permission. So maybe I'll just edit some of my own photos and put them up here for your guys :)

So on Friday night, Julia and I went to a film festival at the Rathaus and watched a Parisian ballet (on film mind you ... we're not that lucky) and on Saturday we did some shopping in Vienna and then this morning we went to church and explored around the Belvedere. Here are some pics of the weekend:

At the Rathaus film festival

Me in front of the Rathaus (pronounced ROT house)

The Belvedere! (under major construction, but still beautiful)

Do you see these juices? We got them for free at church and do you know what? We drank them all. We did. It was like 91 degrees and we were outside for most of the day. Mine was carrot and orange juice with vitamins A, C and E, so I didn't feel too terribly bad about drinking all of those calories. My insides sloshed around all day.

 

This is Julia in front of the lower Belvedere

This is the upper Belvedere and one of the fountains in the garden. I'm so upset that we couldn't take pictures inside because it was so beautiful, but you can see pictures here:

http://www.belvedere.at/jart/prj3/belvedere/main.jart?rel=en&content-id=1169655785538&reserve-mode=active

My pictures are ridiculous compared to what it's really like. So much Baroque, so little time.

 

This is one of the paths in the garden between the upper and lower Belvedere. It's kind of confusing to explain, but you should Google "Belvedere" and check it out.

Yeah, so that's what's happening in Vienna town. I'm leaving for Lithuania tomorrow for four days, but I'll be back in Vienna for the weekend and then off to Bratislava again for another week. Pray for me as I interview our Lithuanian partners. I really need wisdom as I interview so I can know how best to write their article. They're under a lot of financial stress right now and I hope that I can write an article that will bring awareness to the great ministry there. They have this wonderful children's program that reaches so many families and it is such a precious ministry. I was flipping through some photos of the Lithuanian children on our photography website and they completely stole my heart! They're like something straight out of a Charles Dickens novel. Oh, so precious ...

Will you pray that the Lord provides good photo opportunities too? TWR needs way more stock photography for their many publications and the pickings are slim now, so they're forced to use photos multiple times in different publications. It's a big no-no for most professional organizations, but they really have no choice as they don't have any professional photographers who can just devote their time to making good photos. I'm so happy that I've been able to help in this area and I hope that I can leave TWR Europe with plenty of excellent photographs.

I want to give a special shout out to my prayer partners out there! You know who you are :) I appreciate you guys so much! Thanks for tuning in and I hope that everyone has a blessed and peaceful week ahead of them!

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight" (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Karin

This is Karin, my supervisor. I took this picture of her a couple of weeks ago when I was helping her with her TWR bio. I didn't know why, but I thought I'd keep it ... just in case. I'm glad I did because I want you to be able to visualize her as I write.

She's just a ball of sunshine. She loves hugs and she loves talking about missions-related giving. I love watching her get all serious when she talks about the joy of giving to missions.

She's at a clinic right now undergoing tests for stomach problems she's had for a while now. She got food poisoning when she was traveling (I'm not sure how long ago it was, maybe a year?) and has experienced complications since then.

So I'm asking you to pray. Will you please pray that the doctors would find a solution to the pain she's experiencing. She has a lot of responsibility at TWR and it's been hard to deal with that through all of the problems. She'll be gone from the office for 2-3 weeks which I think is a divine thing. Pray that the Lord rejuvenates her and that she experiences Him in a whole new light while she's away.

And thank you from the bottom of my heart for praying. Karin has been a blessing to so many people and I pray that the Lord will bless her in return with the people that she means so much to. The office is just not the same without her and we're all secretly awaiting her return.

A Chair Is Not An Insignificant Thing

Today I discovered how to adjust my office chair. It was originally very low and the back was in a reclining position which made for very awkward typing and computer work. So after three weeks of a sore neck, back, arms and the beginning symptoms of carpal tunnel, I am a very happy girl to have a nice seat.

It's amazing how much a good chair can change your outlook. Try it for yourself! Find a good chair and sit. But I would suggest you do more than just sit. Take time out to be quiet and meditate on the Lord. Think about who He is and His blessings in your life. Thank Him for a good chair.

"You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you" (Isaiah 26:3).

Pointless Points of Pointy Cultural Differences

So here are some things I've learned about German-speaking Europe:

1. Europeans don't like any breeze of any kind. It can be 90 degrees outside, but if there is a breeze, you will see them with a scarf around their neck.
2. They eat sandwiches for breakfast.
3. Never use the word "napkin" in public.
4. There are four kinds of recycling in every household. If you don't get it right, chances are you will hear about it from the crazy old ladies who inhabit the recycling shelters outside.
5. If you are American and you say something in German to a store employee, they will raise their eyebrows and then acknowledge that you tried to say something in their pristine language. This is usually followed by "bitte?"
6. Almost every major film and television show is from the U.S. and dubbed in German.
7. In the summer, it's perfectly acceptable to walk around naked in your own yard.
8. Carbonated water is standard drinking water here.
9. Despite eating tomatoes with practically every meal, no one seems to mind the ridiculous levels of absorbic acid.
10. Americans dress for comfort, Europeans dress for style.

Just some thoughts ... pointless, but interesting nevertheless.

Weekend Events

Hey everybody! I hope you enjoyed your weekend and that you're celebrating the Fourth in real American style! The best I can do here is eat some watermelon and sing the national anthem. But it's the thought that counts, right?

I had a great weekend with some friends in Vienna. We went to a public viewing place to watch the game between Germany and Argentina. My roommate and Heike are from Manheim, Germany, so I experienced real German pride. The viewing place was actually at an African fest, so for an hour beforehand we got to listen to an African concert (kind of a montage of African music over the past 40 years) and smell awesome African food. Here's a picture of Heike, Julia and Maxim at the Albertina celebrating after the game:

About half of the people there were for Argentina and the other half for Germany. There's tension between Austrians and Germans - something to do with old world Austria and a new Germany - but it was a really quiet tension. It was so fascinating to me to see the (very) subtle cultural differences. But it's nothing like you would see in the States. Everyone is very civil and although you could tell that they are at odds, it's almost like they have a "gentlemen's agreement" while still acknowledging the differences.

Oh! I almost forgot! Before the game, my roommate (Julia - pronounced Yuliah) and I went to Stephansdom to have a look around and when we were getting ready to leave these security guards pushed us back in and told us we couldn't go out because there was a wedding about to happen. So we waited inside for about ten minutes until the bride and groom came through. They must have been extremely wealthy to have their wedding in Stephansdom. The groom was about 60 years old and the bride couldn't have been more than 25 or 30 ... very interesting. But the detail of the dress and the groom's suit! Everyone was in white and red and it was just beautiful. I caught them on camera as they walked past us, but the lens didn't focus so all you can see is two white blurs. Darn!

I think it would be terribly unromantic to have your wedding at Stephansdom with all of the tourists outside the gate. Really, I felt like paparazzi taking pictures when the bride and groom walked down the aisle. Okay, but this is the worst part - when Julia and I left, there was an Argentinian flash mob prepping for the game right outside of the cathedral. They were shouting and banging on a huge drum. All I could think about was how sorry I felt for the couple getting married. Seriously, how unromatic.

When I first heard the flash mob, I thought there was a tribal war going on. You could hear them all through Vienna. I made Julia wait for me while I filmed them, which was quite insensitive of me since she's German. They don't sound very loud in this video, but they were quite LOUD.

But alas, their celebrating was in vain. And poor Maradona. I don't personally enjoy the man, but I couldn't help but feel sorry for him after the game :(

So that's life recently! I'm in Vienna this week and then next week I'm off to Lithuania and then Bratislava the week after that. Until next time, I pray that you're resting in the Lord and rejoicing in His faithfulness and mercy to us. Thanks for reading :)

"Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable" (Psalm 145:3).