Okay, I know, it has been an awful long time since I have written…but really….if you look at my journal, you will see I HAVE indeed been doing a lot of writing!!! It has just been more…personal lately. But! There has been quite a lot going on for me to share with you all—some very exciting things really. At least , I like to think they are exciting, but I guess you will have to be the judge of that.
First of all, I want to recommend this book I am reading to EVERYONE who has the ability to read, the desire to grow in the Lord and the hope of impacting all the lives you interact with on a daily basis. The book is called, “Don’t Waste Your Life” by John Piper, and it is transforming in its simple uncovering of how to live a meaningful life. I am a person irrationally fearful of making the “wrong” choice—the second best choice really. And reading this book is helping me shape a Biblical perspective of how to make all those HUGE choices I always dread to make because I don’t want my life to be wasted. I didn’t realize it that way before, but really, that is what I am afraid of. I am afraid that choices I make will yield nothing; that I will look back on them with regret of wasted efforts. This book is helping me to understand a Biblical foundation for a life that is the fullest because it is the life God wants for each of His creation through ultimate satisfaction in who He is for everything He is.
I was able to meet with Paul and Teresa to go over this “Discovery Bible Study” material to share with one of my Polish friends, so that Lord willing, in the Fall, he may lead a Bible study for Polish guys. I also wanted to find out more about it so that I could use it back home in the states. And I got to introduce Marcin to it today (Sunday) which went very well and I was very pleased with his honesty about where he is in his relationship with the Lord—which he feels needs to be stronger before he would want to lead a Bible study of this kind. He is one of my two “believer” friends who are Polish. Both he and Zofia are from families who are very Catholic, and it is a struggle for them to break free from some of the mindsets that have been a part of their growing up and also to adopt a “relational” faith versus some of the traditional ways of Catholicism. Both Marcin and Zofia I believe love the Lord, and really want this relationship aspect—a God whose Word is alive and living and working in them—but as I said before, it is hard when your family, your friends, your whole support system, is in opposition to that. So I am really glad the Lord directed me to them, and I hope that I can be an encourager for them both to just pursue a relationship with Christ—no matter what the cost. To prize Him and desire Him even of the cost is high. It really makes me so grateful that I live under the circumstances I do—with a family who has always pointed me towards a relationship with God.
We had an ALIVE Retreat meeting this Wednesday that was sooooooo productive I almost had to pinch myself to believe it!!! Praying the Lord is going to really just bless this weekend for the family of PIC. J So excited for it and all the amazing things we have planned—but even more excited for all the things God has in store!!! It is really cool too, because my roommate will be coming and she will be leading worship for us. J She has a beautiful voice, talented hands with the guitar and a shining heart for the Lord!!!
This week at our staff meeting we met at a park and did something a little different—and slightly out of my comfort zone. LOL. I do not mind talking with people I have a relationship with about my faith, but walking up to strangers and beginning spiritual conversations is a bit…scary in ways! But that is exactly what Rich had us do. And really, once you take that step and just begin that conversation, it is like all the fear is swallowed up because of your obedience. The fear is the devils tool to keep us from the obedience, but once we take that step of obedience, we secure Gods promise of His Spirit to guide us and supply us with what to say. It’s like jumping from that high place….it seems so much higher than it really is, and you are so terrified, but then once you take that first step off….it is just exhilarating and you wonder how you ever could have been so scared! But then of course, for some reason it comes to jump again and you don’t remember how silly your fear was the last time. But each time you jump, I think it gets a little less intimidating, until finally that cliff is so familiar, you know there is only exhilaration to look forward to. So next week I look forward to jumping off the cliff again. J the two ladies I talked to this week were actually Jehovah’s Witnesses. We exchanged emails so I hope something may come of it. Close to the end of our conversation, Paulina told me that there was something about me that she could tell that there was something different, even before I spoke. Just something in my eyes and smile. J it made my heart super glad to hear that.
I got to spend an evening with a special young lady on Thursday who is also a volunteer with the after school kids program. Her family has been here for I think 13 years…maybe longer…as missionaries. She knows Polish and English and will be graduating highschool this year and is looking forward to attending University in England. We had some yummy Zurek for dinner (made by her mother! A fabulous lady by the way) and then popped some popcorn and watched “Outsourced”. I am ALMOST as wacky as her, lol. She is a doll and is really energetic, so we get along great! J
Saturday I was invited to a BBQ by my friend Niina who is engaged and has a beautiful baby girl named Ellen—who is the same age as my own Little Miss (Aryanna—my little sister). They are the sweetest people and I had an amazing time with them at their garden with their friends. We had delicious sausage off the grill with GERMAN mustard!!! A tasty salad Niina made, some grilled veggies and bananas, Bread (of course!!!), pickles and I made my potatoes (which of course were a hit!!! I was so happy). I got a chance to talk with Niina and she told me her and Bartek’s “love story” which is truly a sweet one and almost like a movie!!! And I even got a chance to share with her about the Lord and who He is in my life and what He has done in my life and the ways He has blessed me in Poland. She asked me why I came, why God brought me here NOW and why I thought God wanted me to be a part of her life and the other people’s lives I have been a part of here in Poland and how God had blessed me since I had come to Poland. J it was an opportunity I had been praying all day for. We played Dutch Blitz when she, Bartek , I and their friend….Bartek, (a lot of the same names here!) went back to the house after the BBQ to hang out a little longer. She loved it so much….I think I am going to give it to her before I go back home.
And of course today was a special day because I got to watch the “Stream” service of my little sister being dedicated by Pastor Dale. J Of course, my internet connection is slower than a snail so the audio and video were like watching a scratched DVD and I think I caught about 20 words of the entire thing, but hey! It will just give me a story to tell Little Miss Aryanna in the future. J Crazy to think that the first year of a child’s life is when they form the strongest bonds with people in their life….and I have not been there to be a part of that. I seriously count that as one of the greatest costs of me being here. You know, similar to the man who tells Jesus, “Just let me go and bury my dead father”, before he follows where Jesus is leading. And still, I know that God will have grace in this situation. And I will be able to share the coolest stories ever with her one day about how awesome God is and how much He blessed me. And come on, one day she will be with all her little friends, hand on her hip talking about how her sister lived in another country and she says…..LOL. Not that that at all is something I would encourage….LOL, well, I think it would be cool for my little sister to look up to me like that and talk about me like I actually knew something to her little friends.
Well, it is totally late, and I really want to do some more reading in this John Piper book!
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