fantastical digressiveness...

the coke machine.

2012-01-26T01:07:00.000-05:00

"I'm so thirsty," sighed Leigh in a Tennessee drawl. "Are y'all comin' with me to the Coke machine?"

As we walked out the door, and down the stairs, and across the hall, and right up to that Coke machine, not one of us had any idea of the treachery that awaited inside the red monster.

Leigh wanted a Coke. And by Coke she meant Sprite. Now, Coke in Florida costs $1.25. And Leigh only had a dollar. Even though we checked under the carpet...and in the corner. So after some trouble, we got ourselves a few more twenty-five cent pieces and re-congregated before the ole' Coke machine.

One quarter, two quarter, three quarter, four...five quarter, six quarter...equals $1.50. Come on y'all, do the math. We had a little problem on our hands. You see, in her parched state, Leigh had been shoving those quarters in that slot like nobody's business. Yes, so violently was she shoving them in the slot that nobody even noticed that she had somehow managed to lodge two quarters in the little space between the little coin slot and the little roof of the coin slot. Those quarters were stuck like anything would be stuck when you try to shove an object into a space where it's not supposed to fit. Yep. Logic.

Well, Leigh and I stood around waiting for Ashley, who went upstairs to locate a tweezer apparatus. Leigh occupied her time by munchin' on some ice chips we found. Anyway, we figured we could tweeze those shiny varmints right out of their hole. So we tweezed. And tweezed. And tweezed some more. After what seemed like days and days, we dug those quarters right out of there.

Leigh immediately began to shove them back in the slot like nobody's business. Yes, so violently was she shoving them in the slot that nobody even noticed that the bum Coke machine didn't even work.

And Leigh never got her Coke. I mean Sprite.

You might be asking yourself what the moral of this story is. And I don't have an answer for you. Maybe you need to save your quarters. Maybe you need to stop being so addicted to Coke. Maybe you just need to start munchin' on some ice chips.

Whatever it is, I hope you've learned just how handy-dandy a good pair of tweezers can be.

fortune cookie.

2011-06-08T20:32:00.000-04:00

__________
When you're in a bad mood, Marti the McDonald's worker will inevitably cheer you up. And then every time you walk in the place, you will creepily scope out the cashiers for any sign of her, determined that someday you will have an actual conversation.
__________
When someone gifts you a trip to Slovakia, go. But beware of climbing on castle ruins, because an Asian man may begin taking pictures of you and all your friends. If a picture is worth a thousand words, before long, he will know you better than anyone.

__________
Make your Mom cry. With love.

__________
Instructions for driving a 19-something-something Camero:

Fasten inconsequential lap seatbelt.
Listen to the pre-drive lecture from Father.
Insert cousin into co-pilot position.
Cousin mans the shifting mechanism.
Go.
Faster.
Faster.
FASTER.
Do not drive off the road.
Identify Father. Slow rapidly.

__________

Date your friends. It's fun. And tasty.

uphill.

2011-02-20T12:14:00.000-05:00

I was awakened one morning in Michigan by my dear brother, who invited me on a sledding expedition with himself and our cousin. Despite my feeble protests about not having any of the proper sledding gear, he prevailed and procured snow-pants and gloves from some crevice in the house that I certainly never knew about...

After the obligatory pre-adventure photograph, we three were off to Vet's Park.

As we readied for the ascent, I realized that this hill did not seem quite so large as it once did when I was a child. For one thing, I wasn't even out of breath by the time we reached the top...and when I sledded down, now I was the one in danger of running over small children in my path. And by small children I mean teenagers.

Here are three moments of our adventure.

Three_teenagers + heels + gumption / snowy hill = sheer awesomeness.

Two_Vet's Park brings out the daredevil in all of us.

One_the uphill climp in which I did not, in fact, have to...climb.

So you may be asking yourself the question, was the early morning, eclectic snow outfit, and uphill climb worth it? YES!

personal pheasant.

2011-01-18T17:59:00.000-05:00

OK. Remember when it was 2010? Now those were the good ole' days. And Christmas 2010. Phew! If your family is like my family, you would have had 3-4 celebrations of Christmas fantasticalness. And the first one would have occurred somewhere in the west side of Michigan.

Everyone arrives. There is hugging and kissing all around. Well...maybe not so much kissing. Let's keep this G-rated. Even though the whole family is there, let's not kid ourselves. It's really all about the little cousins: The quintessential quadruple sibling awesomeness at any gathering.

First you have the sweet one. She is the oldest and wisest. Likes horses. Will play games with you. But don't let her seemingly shy exterior fool you, because she will make her younger brothers toe the line. Then you have the cracker jack. For being in Kindergarten, this kid is on it. He is wittier than everyone else at the table. And when he gets you, I will be there to laugh...at with you. The third little guy is the fun-lover of the bunch. One second he's sitting on your lap, the next he's spilling water on your lap, and then, all of a sudden, while you're holding his older brother upside down, BOOM! He magically appears to kick him in the head. I mean, that's classic brotherly love. And finally, you have "the baby". Literally, he's a baby. He's all eatin', sleepin', cryin', crawlin', poopin'--and everyone is just Eating. It. Up. Let me tell you, he's good at what he does. Better than TV.

Eventually we get hungry, so we move the party to the table, which is fabulous. Covered in sparkly sparkles, my aunt brings out this platter filled with personal pheasants. Yes, my friend, somewhere out in nature, one pheasant died just for me. I bet his name was Fred. He liked berries and singing pheasant songs. Fred was a family bird. Loved his wife and kids. But don't feel sad, because they ended up on the platter too.

After dinner comes the ripping off of the wrapping paper to reveal the surprising goodness that is inside. And I get one of the best. No, it's not the hairspray (even though I use it like I live in the 80s). It is a gorgeous, handmade bracelet from my sweet cousin. Purple and blue and shimmery-shiny, it's sparkling so much that "the baby" just has to put it in his mouth. Made with love and sealed with saliva. Now that is a precious gift.

I love my family. And, imagine, this is only one side of it.

things i like about flying above new york at night.

2010-12-21T20:13:00.000-05:00

It's surprising, really, how many people use blinking christmas lights in their yuletide decor.
The many airplanes circling different airports look like fireflies.
Viewing a traffic jam from the rear looks like a river of blood. Very Moses.
An illuminated boat floating down the river, creating hundreds of ripples in its wake.
Discovering where the moon casts its glow over the earth.

getting to know you.

2010-12-16T08:00:00.003-05:00

How do you get to know someone?

Perhaps you pull a first grade friending by turning to the nearest person that looks kind of OK and blurting out, "Hi. Wanna be my fwend?"

Or for the more modern folk:

Do you ~~stalk~~ friend people on facebook?

Are your only friends facebook friends?

Are you eternally grateful that your facebook friends can't see how many times you check their profiles?

Come on, you can tell me...

But seriously, getting to know someone is often a long and complex process, riddled with craziness.

At least that's how it was with Mari.

We had known each other since I've been in Hungary; we had even ridden on a bus to Biatorbágy once. And everybody knows that when you ride a bus to Biatorbágy with someone, you automatically grow closer.

But our road to Friending was characterized by some rather specific milestones, which I think could be beneficial for anyone who is looking to enhance his/her relationship building capabilities. [Warning: follow advice at your own risk. May produce frenemy.]

Overcoming The Awkward Days:

Ride that bus. To [insert random city where a mutual friend lives]. Don't have a mutual friend? Get one. She will stand between you both when you're fighting.
Make your friend-to-be a miniature bouquet. Nothing larger will do--it's too much too soon. Remember, you're not committed yet.
Let her draw on your arm. You might end up with an elephant's rear end on your forearm, but just think of it as an investment in the future of your friendship. Priceless.

Making The Jump From Awkward To Awesome:

Start taking pictures of the two of you together. When you look at them later, you can reminisce for hours about why your kind-of-friend looks like she just ate a piece of tree bark.
Introduce ~~fightin' words~~ friendly banter into your conversations. Wow. Things are progressing quickly now!
It is time. Arrange to hang out with with your almost friend without your mutual friend and walk around outside for three hours, conversing about God, family, what you want to do with the rest of your lives, Christmas, how silver is infinitely more wonderful than gold, being 32 percent lost--all while taking pictures and planning to meet said mutual friend for dinner. (Phew).

Friending:

Congratulations, you made it!
This phase includes a lot of arm-linking. It's all about the connection.
Always remember, when you remove the 'r' from friend, you get fiend. And fiends don't have friends.
Here, your friendship isn't merely facebook official, but real life official. Deep. I know...

If at any point you find that these tips simply don't cut it, may I recommend the big gun of Friending?

Sing this song, and you won't go wrong.

magic carpet ride.

2010-11-21T14:04:00.000-05:00

This weekend I had the pleasure of attending my dear friend, Sari's middle school play:

Aladdin Jr.

Watching middle school theater is like eating an M&M cookie.

You view it with great anticipation, elbowing your way through the crowd, perhaps even knocking over little children, to get to it.

You savor every moment.

And you walk away from the experience saying, "Mmmm, mmmm good."

The only reason I used that analogy is because they did, in fact, have M&M cookies during intermission. And the above process describes what Luke and I went through to get to those M&M cookies...

Before you go off crying about those ~~savage~~ poor little children...let me tell you that I have not seen worse line cutting since that one time, when my mom told me about that one time, when she was in line at 3am to buy me a Furby on black Friday.

...Sweet Furby, how I loved you.

Anyway, the play was great. Sari did an excellent job. And I've been singing Aladdin songs in my head ever since.

I wish I could stop.

under my umbrella.

2010-11-09T06:35:00.004-05:00

My friend Mandi had to leave the country for the day because of Visa issues.

She needed to cross the border of a non-EU country.

Croatia.

Brittni, Liz, and I went with her.

What follows is not a narrative of what happened on the way there.

Nor is it a chronicle of our adventures in the small town of Koprivnica.

This is, rather, a story about our extended journey home.

8. November 2010 5:03pm
We arrived at the train station fantastically early for our 5:47pm train back to Budapest.

Still, we needed to check the timetables to find out what track our train would pull into.

Problem. The timetables were missing one key word: Budapest.

Second problem. The ticket woman didn't speak any of our languages.

We showed her our tickets.

She rattled off something in Croatian.

We stared.

She wrote down, "17" and "6.11" on a piece of paper, which she passed on to Liz.

We stared at the paper.

Then Liz voiced the unthinkable, "What if this means that the train already left at 5:00pm, and the next train is at 6:11 in the morning?"

We found translation.

And indeed, this was the true meaning of the numbers. We had the wrong train times.

There were now two options: spend the night in Croatia or select what would become a rife-with-adventure, harebrained travel plan.

Which do you think we chose?

6:47pm
The train headed for the border. Passports stamped. All was good.

We waited two hours in a train station bar. Eating pistachios and playing speed Bible thumbing.

9:30pm
Our ride left.

We dried our socks and shoes on the radiators, ensuring that whoever rode the train next would surely enjoy the gift of scented feet...

11:45pm
Arrived in Dombóvár.

No trains would be leaving until 4:00am.

All the workers stared at us.

We contemplated spending the night in the bathroom.

Then we found out that there is nothing around the fine Dombóvár train station.

So we found a bench.

It was nice.

Brittni sprawled out in an attempt at sleep.

Liz simultaneously attempted to snap pictures while acting as a human blanket for us all.

Mandi and I were laughing hysterically. Or maybe just slap-happily...

What do you do when you discover that you'll be sitting on a bench for three hours?

PRAY.

Play twenty questions.

Laugh at your new adventure.

And then someone akin to Brittni will say, "Heyyy! It's been TEN minutes, guys."

Fail.

9. November, 2010 12:20am
Mandi opened an umbrella to shield us from the breeze.

12:22am
Mandi opened a second umbrella to form a stronger windbreak.

12:23am
Brittni opened a third umbrella in an attempt to create a crude shelter.

About the time we were congratulating ourselves on being ~~ridiculous~~ so resourceful, an older railroad worker walked up and motioned for us to follow him.

I suppose we looked undoubtedly pathetic.

He took us to a running rail car and said something about Budapest in Hungarian.

Then he let us in.

It was a worker transport train.

We were going to another town where we would catch a train to Budapest.

4:50am
After an 11 hour expedition, we rolled into Budapest. And 15 minutes later I was rolling into bed.

THANK YOU JESUS.

It was so amazing to see how God provided for us.

We had tried to find another train or a bus, but there wasn't any.

We had thought about getting a hotel, until we found out that one didn't exist.

We had resigned ourselves to spending the night on a bench in Dombóvár.

But God had other plans.

He used a compassionate man and helpful train workers to get us home safely, warmly, and in a way only He could come up with.

Love it.

transylvania.

2010-10-25T10:23:00.000-04:00

We packed the cars and set off at an uninspired hour Monday morning. About seven hours later we arrived at our destination in the city of Cluj.

The journey was marked by some interesting sights...

Gyspy houses with palatial roofing...

Drive by souvenirs...

There are two staff and some volunteers in the city who work with Hungarian students. They also pass out Student Survival Kits like we do in Budapest, which contain interesting articles and a survey asking students' opinions about life, relationships, and spiritual things. We called back many of these students while we were in Cluj to set up appointments with those who were interested in talking more about who God is.

On Tuesday Zach joined us for a few days to give one talk to university students and visit two high schools. His university talk Tuesday night was about fear, and many students said that it was a thought-provoking speech!

I was also interviewed at this event, and I am sure it was an enlightening experience for all...When asked to talk about some differences in American student life, what do you talk about? Barn dancing, of course. It was a great conversation starter for later in the evening, especially when students asked me to demonstrate what barn dancing looks like ;]

Please pray for the staff and students in Transylvania--that they would be able to follow up the relationships formed last week. In two weeks we will have our Fall Retreat here, and a group from Transylvania will be coming to join us for a weekend of learning more about God!

sundays in vác.

2010-10-10T10:36:00.001-04:00

My friend Márti lives in Vác.

She invited us to come visit one Sunday.

I got to see where her family lives, and attend her church's first service in their new building.

And that is an interesting story. The man who built their church is the father of some of the members there, but he doesn't profess to be a Christian. After the service, he shared some of his story about why he decided to donate the building to the church. It was encouraging to see, yet again, how God will work through any situation for His good.

After church, we enjoyed a lovely lunch with her family, and then took a stroll around town, which is beautiful!

august staff conference.

2010-10-09T11:25:00.003-04:00

Last year at the end of August, I was at STINT briefing preparing to move to Hungary. It's hard to believe so much time has passed, but this year I was packing for a Hungarian staff conference instead. I got to ride with my sweet friend Lilla--it was her first 'road trip'. She drove. I had the maps. We only got lost once...

The speaker at our conference talked about the book of Haggai. Great lessons.

One theme that really stuck out to me was: just because a situation is difficult doesn't mean it is not God's will. This is a year of big decisions for me, so it was fitting, I think :]

prague connection.

2010-09-07T15:15:00.001-04:00

We met as roommates at our ministry briefing.

She's in Prague. I'm in Budapest.

So Jenny came to visit.

We spent a lovely couple of days in August wandering about Budapest and experiencing all the charm of the city.

Three things I learned about Jenny:

1. She loves poppy seeds. I say, "More for you, friend!"

2. She can run around Margit Island, come back to rendezvous, and then hike up a hill--all before 11am.

3. Jenny is the Slide Master.

I'm thankful for friends :]

hot in hungary.

2010-08-15T14:29:00.003-04:00

I bet you're wondering whether I'm talking about the people or the weather.

Good luck figuring that one out, friend.

In the week after SpeakOut, my dear roommate, Flora, organized a rather splendid foray to visit some different areas of Hungary. What was so fun about this adventure was that our group met up with friends in each city who showed us around and very graciously provided places for us to stay. Here is a one-picture-per-location tour (I hope you feel like you were right there--jammed in the tiny communist car--with us):

Budapest: The Children's Train
Yes. Everyone working on the train is a "kiddie-choo-choo!"(or at least that's what I called them--in my head). We rode the train for a bit and ended up on a ~~tragically uphill~~ scenic hike that took us to a panorama view of the city.

The photo is of my friend, Timi! I was so blessed to be able to spend this time with her and talk about what God is doing in our lives, especially since we don't get to see each other that often!

Visegrád: Renaissance Palace
If this is going to be an accurate report, we spent more time attempting the perfect jumping picture than enjoying the actual palace. There were palace poses, jumping shots, and photos from the summer toboggan run we went down. In the end, I decided to give a shout out to the ladies...you too can vault into the horizon with the flash of a camera.

Aggtelek: The 10ºC 98% Humidity Cave
Natural air conditioning. Sensational.

Miskolc: Swim Like a Mermaid
We met Márk in his hometown where we went to the sweet local pools there...and then we got to stay at his Grandma's apartment! She was so kind to us :]

Eger: Peti, Marci & Sanyi
These guys are great. If I was stuck on a deserted island, these are the fellows I would want with me. Whether we were being eaten alive by the bugs, eaten alive by the sharks in the water, or eaten alive by the tribe of cannibals we stumbled into, the experience would be entertaining--guaranteed.

Bogi: The Lada Experience
Jeremy and Bogi (the car) drove us on this expedition, and poor Bogi was the butt of many jokes before the journey even began. When I would tell people of our plans, they would generally start laughing and wonder how much time we would spend sitting on the side of the road...O ye of little faith...

...she lasted until Eger.

But it was just the clutch! We took a slight detour back to Budapest, got it fixed, and then continued on to...

Kalocsa: Flora's Hometown
Two things: Horse show and Kira (the sweet little sister, who gave us hand crafted artwork, and, unbeknownst to anyone, had walking pneumonia--maybe we shouldn't have teased her so much...).
As with all good things, this sojourn came to an end and we all, eventually, made it back to beautiful Budapest.

Where it was, and is, and will continue to be hot.

high on pie.

2010-07-19T11:15:00.000-04:00

We at SpeakOut believe in healthy demonstrations of love.

At the end of every SpeakOut week, we have a party.

It is during this party that campers are handed the opportunity to proclaim that love.

Love in the form of pie.

During week one, I took great joy in photographing my friends as they were pummeled with platters of whipped-cream.

However, my happy snapping was proven shortsighted this week--because I was pied three times.

The great tragedy of the situation is that my first pie-in-the-face experience was not from a dear camper, but from none other than my fellow staff member, Rocco. But do not worry, my friends, I duly smashed a small mountain of whipped-cream onto his person.

A sticky mess, I returned to the festivities only to be summed back to the firing squad a short time later by Lili...and then again by Barbi.

You might find it interesting to know that these girls were in the same tutor group all week. Coincidence? I think not. In fact, I am suspicious that the double pie-ing was premeditated by these sneaky ladies. I suppose, though, that I should be flattered...and thankful for showers ;]

Here are some of my favorite pie faces...

fearless

this is courtney...do those girls look familiar to you?

if-you-pie-me-i-will-wipe-it-all-off-on-you

the hamburger & whipped cream

the facial

the "attempting to eat the pie before it gets on my face" look

the firing squad

one week down...

2010-07-09T09:13:00.003-04:00

Our first group of campers left this morning after a great week of SpeakOut. My main job here is to disciple three American staff, so throughout the week I hang out with their respective tutor groups and meet the campers. My D-group is really fun--it has been wonderful to go deeper in the Word and learn more about God with them! It is also so encouraging to see them stepping out in faith to share their lives and the gospel with Hungarian girls every day! A camper from one of my girls' groups accepted Christ as her Savior this week--Praise God!

The general outline of a typical day at camp starts with Morning Class, where the campers are in a classroom setting (this year's theme is Stories). Then they go to discussion groups about the class. The afternoons are spent with their tutor groups (aka the Americans), while the Hungarian staff go out to do random evangelism. In the evenings we hold some type of event, like Staff Hunt.

Here is a small recap of week one in pictures:

Getting ready for camper registration.

American Culture Night:

I was in the Holidays group. What are they doing, you ask? Watermelon seed spitting contest, my friend. Try not to be too jealous.

Our first Culture Night happened to be on the 4th of July. Hungarian sparklers galore!

Sport Day:
The campers learned the rules for basketball, ping pong, American football, soccer, and ultimate frisbee.

Future olympians, right here.
Sport: Picture posing. If you haven't heard about it yet...oh, you will.

Hanging out with Leah's tutor Group! Awesome girls :]

Prayer Night (while the campers were at an outreach where they could hear the gospel in Hungarian)

What is that bright light? The World Cup...it's kind of popular here. You know.

The last night of week one with some of the tutor group girls I got to meet this week!

staff hunt.

2010-07-06T11:33:00.000-04:00

Every week we have something that's called a Staff Hunt at SpeakOut. All the staff dress up in crazy costumes or try to blend in with the locals in Keszthely, and the campers try to find as many of us as possible.

While in Michigan, my mother presented me with a platinum blond princess wig. Need I say more?

Please let me introduce you to...

Sport Ken, Original Barbie, Jungle Princess Barbie, and Original Ken.

Life in plastic--it's fantastic.

Here are some of our friends:

Batgirl...

and Sk8ter boy...

We made the campers do the Barbie dance before we would sign their contest papers. I think they enjoyed it...in fact, I think they are all off somewhere right now still doing the Barbie dance. Probably...

i ❤ speakout.

2010-07-03T15:39:00.000-04:00

The campers have officially arrived. No one has been killed off by mosquitos yet. And I've learned like two new words of Hungarian.

Things are off to a good start.

Today I spent the majority of the day meandering through Tesco (cross between Walmart and Meijer...) with Rivers gathering supplies for the next few days, while campers were registering back at the dorm. Here is a picture of our under-construction castle, by the way...it looks much better now than it did when we first arrived.

Tonight we had orientation for the campers--hopefully we didn't scare them too much. Tomorrow they start with a morning class, then tutor group time, and tomorrow night we will celebrate American culture night, which is extra fun because it will be the 4th! Apparently, we're getting Hungarian 'sparklers' that are more dangerous than American ones. I'm looking forward to that, especially since my group (holidays) gets to set them off...

In more God-focused news, I will be discipling three amazing girls this summer! They are all excited to be here and to learn more about God, while sharing their faith with Hungarian campers. God is marvelous!

neckin'

2010-06-08T01:47:00.002-04:00

No, sicko...not that kind of neckin'. A few months ago I went to my doctor in Hungary, who told me that I had a 'thing' on my neck and should get it checked out. Well I did, and after labs, an ultrasound, and a biopsy:

"You stick the needle in, you pull the needle out, you stick the needle in and you twirl it all about..."

The results came back negative. God gets all the glory! So this thing in my neck just gets to hang out for awhile, until it either grows or experiences a bad case of shrinkage.

Now after all the prayers, all the anxiety, all the procedures, I was sitting around with my family (important fact: Jeopardy was on in the background). Right in the middle of my dear brother making fun of my goitertasticness, my parents break in and tell me that I need to start consuming iodized salt, because apparently, the lack thereof was the source of my problem.

My response: Whaaa?!

Parents: Indicate to the rather large can of iodized salt that will be accompanying me back to Hungary.

My response: Baahaaa!

Just as the last laugh had passed from my lips, it seemed that the sound of Jeopardy was suddenly amplified throughout the room. In the midst of Q&A about The Boss, we hear, "In order to prevent thyroid disorders, iodine was added to this substance."

...what is salt.

Oh, Alex Trebek, you got me again.

God does have a sense of humor.

Despite the fact that it has not been proven that Hungarian salt is lacking iodine, I suppose that my sweet second home will have to take the blame for all this, or at least for my hypothesized hunger for iodization.

ode to the mayfly.

2010-05-29T01:38:00.000-04:00

They say that April showers bring May flowers

But I've found instead of budding blossoms

There came a swarm of infernal bugs

Only supposed to live a day

The Mayfly basked in the radiant sun

For which cause my face became your beach

Things grew rather Biblical

When you plagued my sandaled foot

How I longed to shoo you away

But you would have probably flown in my mouth

And died there

kalocsa.

2010-04-29T11:32:00.002-04:00

Home with Flora.
[home not pictured...ha]

Ate rooster.

Justin Bieeeeberrr!!!

He loves me not...

Ninja styles; courtesy of Kira.

Conga line in Kalocsa.

an adventure with kálmán and julcsi.

2010-04-15T18:26:00.000-04:00

It's Thursday night and as I dig my phone out from under the bag I'm packing I notice it has shut off. Restart. Reset the time. Set the alarm. Go to bed.

Friday morning. Hmmm, why is it so bright in here? Look at phone. 7:19! Aughgarbleeugh! I'm supposed to be at 'the place' at 7:30! Rush ensues.

All in all, I only managed to hold up my traveling party a half hour. Not bad for a day's work.

What happened, you ask? Well, in Hungary we operate on 24 hour time. And when I reset my clock, I conveniently forgot that small detail and entered 12 instead of 00. But hey, at least I got that extra half hour of sleep ;]

On that cloudy morning I was headed to Eger for a day of evangelism that was planned by a student. It was great to walk around the park and talk to students about God--we had some interesting gospel conversations, and even got to talk to one of the high school students of the woman I went with!

Later in the afternoon I left with Kálmán and Julcsi (a married couple that I work with) for Nyíregyháza, where we would be spending Easter with her mom, Julika (She didn't speak any English, and I know like 20 words of Hungarian...but we got by with many köszönöms and large gestures...incidentally, Julika makes the best stuffed cabbage in the whole of Hungary).

We visited a happy stone castle...Boldog Kőváralja...

Where we applied chapstick...

And reenacted Humpty Dumpty.

Then we meandered over to wine country...

And on Easter Sunday, after attending Julcsi's childhood church, we had a taste for adventure, so naturally, we went to the zoo.

Yes, there was a dog in the zoo.

And rats with wings seagulls.

Post-wildlife, we went to the park where Kálmán proposed to Julcsi. What follows is a lesson in proper proposal technique:

With moves like that, you too can secure a hearty, "Igen!"

And finally, we capped off the day with jumping and statue-posing. Two timeless traditions that have been around for ages!

Aaaand...then we went home.

The End.

Dipfa.

2010-03-29T18:34:00.001-04:00

My family has this tradition every year at Easter where we decorate hard-boiled eggs, and when they are all looking pretty--we smash them together! Egg bashing ensues until a winner emerges with the unscathed egg, and is declared the Dipfa champion.

Flora and I were talking about this one night, and after five minutes on Facebook, we created the 1st annual Dipfa Party event in Hungary ;] And it happened on Sunday night.

Everyone came with their eggs.

We boiled the eggs.

Then we dyed and painted the eggs.

And at last it was time to Dipfa the eggs.

Some people lost.

Some people won.

But when it came time for my epic Dipfa battle with Csaba...

...I did not handle the loss well.

So, without further adieu, allow me to present to you the Lord of the Eggs.

And his eggomaniac champion...

At the end of day, there were no hard feelings, just lots and lots of hard-boiled eggs after we experienced the delight of Dipfa.

May you cause many eggs to be blown to smithereens this week.

Now go and bash.

1848.

2010-03-16T18:22:00.000-04:00

March 15 is a national holiday here commemorating the Revolution of 1848, in which Hungary fought for independence from Habsburg rule.

So pop on your red, white and green cockades and check out this ceremony Florá and I went to at the National Museum.

beautipest.

2010-03-02T19:01:00.001-05:00

So Michigan Week is on.

I am so thankful as I think of all the craziness the team had to go through to even get here!

Three cancelled flights.

Too many delays to count.

Four pieces of lost luggage.

Late arrival.

And yet God made it happen.

In His time.

Monday night we went to Tarkarét, our English Club dorm, and it was so cool to see many new students stop by for the program and the great discussions that happened afterward.

Today we started with English classes in the morning and went on campus in the afternoon to talk to students about God. I am always struck by the honest answers students share, but today the theme seemed to be that the girls had never really thought about God or Jesus or death. As I pondered this, I remembered how similar I was. Unless in a situation where people were teaching about God or Jesus or death, I pushed these thoughts out of my life as much as possible. And I put off making any decision about Jesus for as long as possible. It was as though as long as I avoided the issue, I wouldn't have to deal with reality of my situation before God. And yet, avoidance was impossible, because the very nature of who God is demands a decision: yes or no. Jesus was either a crazy man, a liar, or telling the truth. And if He was speaking truth, everyone has a decision to make about whether they will believe in Him or not.

In the evening, we traveled a bit to get to a dorm for an event where we showed short films and had small group discussions. The last film of the night was The Butterfly Circus. I've posted it below--it's 20 minutes, and I highly recommend that you watch it! It will get you thinking...

forty-eight and sunny.

2010-02-27T11:27:00.000-05:00

Spring is in the air!

But apparently it's not spring everywhere. The group of students from Michigan who are coming to work with us this week were snowed in yesterday. But, the exciting news is that they will arrive tomorrow at noon! God is good!

Here are some pictures of a lovely day in Budapest :]

"love boat soon will be making another run..."

2010-02-12T19:29:00.001-05:00

The sweet sound of Lila Nap [Girl/Guy Day].

The ladies talked about their identities in Christ and how to discern God's will for their lives.

The gents learned about leadership and girls as friends.

I'm not sure what went on during that talk, but there seemed to be a lot of laughter coming from the room...

Zach and I were the skit team.

We pulled out all the stops.

We had dance moves.

We had a puppet act.

We had a worst date ever dramatization.

It was emotional.

It was dramatic.

It was...cheesy.

After the talks students went to staff homes for dinner.

I attended the dinner extraordinaire of Rivers.

Yum :]

Jodi and I skedaddled back to the office to decorate for Fék Hollywood.

But who were we kidding?

It was really all about the boa...

And the punch.

...And the kickin' dance moves.

Lila Nap, a day of God, fellowship, and fun.

Peace out.

drinking dr. pepper with moses on the beach in nerja.

2010-01-31T14:57:00.006-05:00

Give me 60 degrees and the ocean and life is great.
Sandals twenty-four/seven.
Long walks on the beach (and not long romantic walks either...I know what you're thinking...)
Moses.
Amazing worship.
Friends from all over the world.
Oh my. It was refreshing.

Some of my teammates and I attended the Crusade Midyear Conference in Nerja, Spain last week. The goal is to strengthen everyone before they go back to their countries. This year the topic was Moses and his calling, which, strangely enough, I had never really thought about before--even though it was pretty obvious--you know, the whole burning bush thing...

Rocco, Jeremy & Jodi

A few lessons that resonated with me:

Moses' calling was not what he thought it would be. His whole Prince of Egypt gig looked like the perfect setup for him to save his people (power, charm, connections, and all that jazz), but somewhere down the line he ended up herding sheep for his father-in-law in the middle of nowhere after both the Egyptians and his people rejected him. God, of course, used the new and improved Moses to show his power and his glory to Egypt. So the next time I think I have it all figured out how God can use me, I'll remember my buddy, Moses.
The Moses guide for getting out of what God calls you to do doesn't actually work. I was impressed by this guy's avoidance tactics (I've tried a few myself, "God, I need more guidance", "Who am I to go?"), but Moses just kept on going until he ticketh offeth God. At the end of the day, God had his way (he just can't stop being perfect...) because God is sweet and patient like that.
Moses was a reject. And you can be one too. If you're worried about your cool factor, our speaker, David, put it into perspective. He informed us that Christians aren't cool, and that if you think you're cool, you're probably slightly delusional...I do believe this is one of those situations where ignorance is bliss.
Moses was a marked man for God. Am I? Hebrews 11:26 shows that Moses wasn't just on a pleasure stroll when he went out among his people. He deliberately chose ill-treatment over the pleasures of sin, and he was working for something beyond his life. As I think about my ministry here, I don't know how long I'll be in Hungary and I certainly don't know what will happen here in the future, but my goal is that the students God brings into my life will grow strong in him and as they go out in the world, whether it be as missionaries, businesspeople, artists, whatever, they would tell others about Jesus Christ. My goal is that everyone they meet would hear about and see the power and love of God in their lives. And may God's glory be praised.

Here are a few highlights:

Dr. Pepper with Amanda and Erin

Easing the pain of Vernors & Taco Bell withdrawl since 25. January 2010

The best of Granada. Thank you Ben.

Stormy weather!

Seeing Jenny, my Colorado roommate :]

Warning: never make a bet about the time change, other wise you might end up jumping in a cold body of water at 7pm, like our friend Jeremy here.

The overall awesomeness of Nerja.

a day in jászberény.

2010-01-18T16:45:00.001-05:00

Sitting on a bus traveling away from Budapest was an exciting, albeit early, adventure this past weekend. I was invited to visit my friend, Eliza's hometown; a delightful burg by the name of Jászberény.

It might seem strange but this was the first time all winter that I had seen frost (most likely because there isn't much greenery in the city for the icy matter to cling to). And I must say that it was particularly lovely to behold.

Eventually I arrived and we began our grand tour of the town, starting with Margaret Island, a small park surrounded by a moat, if you will. There was even a castle of sorts at the center...

We wandered along the charming stream that runs though the city, and visited the oldest bridge in Jászberény (as you will see below, I have close ties with this bridge, maybe so much that someday Eliza's artwork will become a mass production postcard for the town... ;]).

Later at her home, I was able to meet her mother and grandmother (who, I can tell, is really fun), and was acquainted with their cats, two dogs, and chicken (she was kind of shy though).

All of the houses have high fences or walls around them, and Eliza told me about some residents who keep a personal cow or two within their private yards. I suppose that it's cool and all to have a ready-made milk machine living in your backyard, but if I were going to keep a large animal, I would totally have to go with a zebra. They might not be good for anything, but, just think, you would never have to purchase any landscaping decor...I mean, the black and white stripes? So in right now.

Some final highlights:

you shouldn't leave weaponry lying about...

photo by: tree.

mmmm landscapes...

what happens in december...

2009-12-30T12:11:00.023-05:00

My New Year's resolution is to write one last post before 2009 fades into oblivion...you know, it's easy to keep your resolutions if you decide something is a resolution after you start doing it...

I'm facing a conundrum, however. Since I didn't write much for the entire month of December, I have too many stories and not enough post. This situation rather reminds me of the Hungarian Posta, who, I am convinced, decided to horde my mail this month and only deliver it between yesterday and today.

But enough of that. To recap December, I shall provide a chronological list for your perusal:

10. The Advent Box.

On December 1, I received a box from my parents containing 25 small gifts, one to open for each day of December! The first one was, naturally, and advent calendar. Following were many tubes of Burt's Bees (pure awesomeness), a grow-a-cat kit, etc...and, one of my personal favorites, the Hair-do Harriet (if you don't know her, you should). Finally, I feel the need to mention to worst gift in the bunch...Mom and Dad got me on this one...a bottle of Echinacea. Swine flu prevention, perhaps? :]

9. Wien.

A couple friends and I went to Vienna, Austria for a day to see the Christmas festival there. It's basically a huge bazaar with hot wine and lots of food. I got excited for a reason having nothing to do with the festival though. I was able to get Starbucks' salted caramel hot chocolate (Starbucks hasn't made its way to Hungary yet)!

8. The day I was born...awhile ago...

My roommate is a master at surprises. What else can I say? Not only did she plan a surprise party for my birthday, but it was also a surprise party for three other friends who had birthdays in December. So tricky was my dear Florá, that she even used one of the unsuspecting surprise-ees, Lilla, to keep me away from the apartment until the party! Good times.

7. Santa is Hungarian.

I know because I totally got my picture taken with him.

6. The White Elephant Gift Exchange

Total madness. Gifts included a gas mask, a mechanical dog with glowing eyes, and a weird plaque thing that's gotten passed around for a few years. I still think I got the best gift: FIVE baby Jesus' that will fit comfortably on the end of any pencil or pen. Am I spiritual or what. Just kidding...but now there are only four baby Jesus' because I gave one away...who will be next?

5. Ice skating.

The future of ice capades right here.

4. Christmas party outreach.

3. Trip to the orphanage.

I got to go with a group from a Christian school to deliver Christmas presents to some awesome kids! We sang some Christmas carols, Istvan played a movie based on Max Lucado's book You Are Special, and Izi shared her story about God.

2. Christmas with Florá.

Read the pin. My head just got a little bit bigger...

I'm here! You have two wishes left... ;]

1. Christmas Eve.

Ice skating with Americans, and an evening adventure with Jeremy and Rocco. The only thing I need to say about this is that I won at both Home-run Derby and Dominoes. Furthermore, this game of Dominoes included the use of "addition" and I didn't even use my fingers to count...

0. Christmas!

Spent at Dan and Kelly's house, there were some games, lots of food and hanging out, and a few movies to end the night. It was a great time with friends :]

where my youth miniStarZ?!

2009-12-10T09:43:00.002-05:00

You know, there's nothing quite like a good ole' parody of Christian ministry :]

A few of my favorite lines:

...Now do the awkward side hug! The awkward side hug! The awkward side hug! The awkward side hug!

Rolling in the church van

I'm blasting the praises

My worship mix on shuffle

As im changing lanes-es

Track One, Chris Tomlin

Two, Chris Tomlin

Three, Hillsong United

Four...CHRIS TOMLIN!

But if we want to be serious for a minute, why do we do the the things we do in our churches and ministries?

What is the purpose? Does it have anything to do with God's glory or sharing his Word? Because,

if it doesn't, then why are we doing it?

name day.

2009-11-25T16:32:00.018-05:00

So Hungary has a name lexicon from which people can name their kids. If the name you want isn't on the list, tough luck kids. The plus side to having such a lexicon is that everyone gets a name day! It's like a second birthday. So, if you're like some people who celebrate their half-birthdays as well as their birthdays, you could potentially get up to three parties in a year. Pretty impressive, if you ask me ;]

Anyway, Wednesday, November 25 was Katalin, Katinka Day. That's right, my name is on the lexicon. And what a name day it was.

It started at some unseemly hour in the morning when I had to awaken...but if I'm really going to be accurate about describing this day, I guess it began while I was still salsa dancing at 12. Some of my friends that I work with and I went dancing after the student leadership meeting on Tuesday night. Needless to say, my salsa-dancing skills were uninspired, but everyone had fun nevertheless.

The reason I was now up is because Izi was going to teach me my first Hungarian lesson! It was so fun...we went through greetings and the alphabet. I confess that I still need to study. All 46 letters. There are some interesting ones, since letter combinations are included in the alphabet (i.e. if the English ch was a letter...). Dzs is the J sound, so if your name is Jennifer, you would spell it Dzsenifer.

The day just kept on being wonderful because after the language lesson, I met with a student at one of the universities here who I had first talked to last week. During this meeting, I was able to share the gospel with her and she made the decision to accept Christ into her life! Praise God for his faithfulness and for working in her life before we ever met! It was awe-inspiring to be able to sit next to this girl, who had just decided to make the most important decision of her life, and be able to pray with her to the everlasting God. I was encouraged because she told me that she could see the joy and hope in my life, which I know all comes from God. He is the one who was speaking to her, and he is the one who was preparing her heart for that day. It is the most beautiful thing in the world to see someone understand their position in relation to God, to feel their sin, and to desire the sacrifice of Jesus Christ in their lives so that they may experience a restored relationship with the God who created them.

In case you're wondering, my day peaked at 10:40am :] It doesn't get much better than that.

When I arrived back at the flat, Flóra surprised me with some name day treats. A mix of cookies and bubbles. As long as I remembered to swallow the cookie before I blew any bubbles, we were all good...

I also received a priceless treasure from another friend:

A health and safety advisory to remind me that, since I do not like tomatoes, I should not eat them. My friends keep me healthy :]

My night ended at the Fék weekly meeting, which was music night...

The Ambience...

The People...

The Talent...

Students could play and the Fék band played some favorites before Noémi Virág played. She is a music artist who is also a believer. It was a great end to a blessed day.

hot hoops.

2009-11-16T18:14:00.005-05:00

There is nothing like avoiding something you're supposed to be doing by writing a blog. 'Tis a sweet distraction. A double edged sword. A...ok, maybe I'm getting a smidge dramatic.

Perhaps I shall write about some authentic happenings in Budapest.

Two weeks ago we had our Fall Retreat for students and it was awesome to see how God was working in everyone's lives. Students shared their testimonies and speakers talked about different facets of God. It was very encouraging to learn more about God's character.

My free time was, of course, filled with very spiritual activities, including, but not limited to:

MASH
Eating dessert
Walking in the fog
Playing extreme tournaments of this toy basketball game called 'Hot Hoops' (I lost most of the time and my finger was pretty tired afterward...what a workout...did I mention that I was playing with 10-year-olds?).

(These are not 10-year-olds)

[Balázs (left) is a Hot Hoops aficionado: "No flash photography please"]

For those of you who are secretly dying to know (and you know you are), after honeymooning in Norway I will live in shack in North Korea with my one kid while working as a jeep driving pirate. There were some technicalities with the 'dude' portion of the game, so the results are, unfortunately, inconclusive ;]

Fast forward to yesterday and I must tell you that it was a simply gorgeous day in Budapest. So wonderful, in fact, that I was motivated, for the first time ever in Hungary, to go for a "jog". Now don't get too excited. Running stinks, so all I can say for the experience is that it was marginally successful and that I am marginally sore today. Was this a lame story? Probably. Will I ever be motivated to run in Hungary again? Who knows? Not me...

But I do know, that you should have a lovely day!

budapest movie.

2009-10-18T11:54:00.003-04:00

“We wanted to introduce Budapest as a city which is more than a mass of buildings. We wanted to look behind the buildings and show the intellectual power and invention potential that we have”, said István Madarász, the multiple award-winner director of the Get Engaged! movie.

-Budapest Business Region

ship the meat?

2009-10-07T17:50:00.018-04:00

Drooling over the box of American candy, Rivers and I contemplated the ethical dilemma we were seemingly in. On one hand, no one was watching us hovering above the student prizes...on the other, the presentation that night was to be on business ethics. Oh, sweet temptation.

It was 7pm and we were at Tarkarét, the freshman dorm for Corvinus University, preparing for our English Club. This one was more energized than normal because we had six American businesspeople there with us for BHHP (Bringing in the Hungarian Harvest Project) Week. And when Americans come they bring candy...prizes...music...pizza...and PowerPoint! [ok, maybe I'm the only one who gets excited about PowerPoint...]

This is the dorm that Rivers, Rocco and I have been holding English Clubs at for the month of September, so we were hoping for a large turnout. Our boss-man, Laci, thought that maybe 20 would show, so with that in mind, we set up our room and went out to knock on doors.

Tangent Time: One cultural difference between Hungarian and American dorms is the door-knocking policy. Whereas in the states, we knock and wait, in Hungary, we do the knock n' go. Vast potential for awkward moments. For example (you knew there would be an example, didn't you?), one night last week, Eszter and I were passing out fliers in a dorm. Now, Eszter is a conservative door-knocker, meaning that she waits to hear if someone calls, "come in" before entering. That being said, there were several problems with this policy:

The doors are like THIS THICK.
Near fatal miscommunication of the head-nod.

So this is the situation. We knock. I am looking at Eszter, who is looking at the door, who is just sitting there being all thick and stuff. Someone on the other side says something indiscernible. I am still looking at Eszter and she is still looking at the door. She nods and issues a slight shrug, which I would later recognize to mean, "Yes! A student is home! But I don't know what they said, so let's wait and see if they will come to the door..." Not knowing this, however, I only see the nod. So I start to open the door.

Opening...

SHRIEKING! SHRIEKING!

Close door.

Run. Away.

Stop. Stare at each other.

Knock again on way back down hall.

Moving along, once all the fliers were passed out, Rivers and I played some ultimate foosball with a couple of students downstairs---and by played, I mean stood there while the guys basically went back to playing one-on-one, just more...challenged.

So a little while later...the English Club actually started, and not 20, but 45 students came! We all got closer to one another into the Tanuló...and Matt began his talk on ethics. The point was to encourage students to examine their values, and he explained that his value system comes from Jesus, who taught the reasons behind rules (i.e. rule: no sex until marriage; reason: so that people can be physically pure). He also had a scenario for us to discuss in small groups (to allow students to talk about their personal values). What follows is the abridged version:

You are the manager of a Hungarian meat-packing company. There has just been a report of an outbreak of E. Coli. You do not know if the E. Coli comes from your meat or not, and it will take the government one week to test all your meat. However, you have a shipment to make to a large client worth 200,000,000 forint ($1 Million). If you do not make the shipment, you will lose this money and probably all future business from the client. If you do ship the meat, you risk sending an infected product.

Would you ship the meat or not? Why?

Some great conversation followed and then we had a RAFFLE! By then it was time for us to peace out after a successful event. But there will be much more to come on the rest of BHHP week, so stay tuned!

And please pray that students come back to the English Club tomorrow night (Monday) [:

pattogatott kukorica.

2009-10-03T10:41:00.003-04:00

Get some popcorn, ladies and gentlemen, and sit back and enjoy a video feast of what's been happening in Hungary for the past month ministry-wise!

All the videos were made by one of our fearless leaders, Laci. The first film documents our Student Survival Kit outreach. We use the contacts from this to follow-up with university students who indicate that they would be interested in talking more about God.

2009.09 :: Survival Kits from Laszlo Baczynski on Vimeo.

The second video documents the illustrious Staff Day and our canoe trip along the Danube. There's nothing like hard physical labor to cement your team ;]

200909 :: teamday :: csapatnap from Laszlo Baczynski on Vimeo.

And the last film is part humorous, part serious, and mostly embarrassing for yours truly (maybe I'm exaggerating :]). This weekend is Fall Retreat for all the universities in Michigan, and all of the students will be seeing this video, which is a promotion encouraging them to pray and inviting them to come to Budapest for Spring Break, SpeakOut, or do a STINT year! So if you're a student reading this...cooooooome toooo Huuuungaaaryyy...but seriously.

200909 :: Michigan Cru Retreat from Laszlo Baczynski on Vimeo.

On Sunday, a group of American Businesspeople are arriving to do outreach here. They will host English Clubs in the dorms, Evangelism, and be able to visit university English classes. Please pray for our weekly meeting and that we would be able to form meaningful relationships with students!

happy birthday!

2009-09-28T04:36:00.008-04:00

Today is a very special day, because it is my cousin, Mercedes' Birthday! We always have lots of fun together, and I thought I'd put together a photo list of our favorite activities :]

1. Drawing and reading (lots and lots...and lots of books :])

2. Making faces.

3. Making faces while playing with stuffed animals.

4. Just being goofy...Mercedes, I want my sock back ;D

5. Going on crazy hay rides through the woods!

6. Slurping our food (yes, chicken can be slurped).

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MERCEDES!

I LOVE YOU!!!

over my head.

2009-09-25T07:06:00.009-04:00

She said it was just a roommate dinner. Consequently, I did not find it suspicious that she banned me from the apartment until 7:30pm; nor did I catch on the night before when Nikki said, "See you tomorrow" and, in light of my quizzical expression, proclaimed, "Just kidding!" I didn't even get it at 7:20pm when Melinda literally smacked her forehead and said, "Oh, I'm so silly. I forgot to ask Flora something about bible study...can I stop by your apartment quick?"

We arrived and I walked into a SURPRISE! It was a 'welcome party' for the Americans from all the students! As I write this, admittedly, I am still a bit in shock from it all. I can't believe all the effort everyone took to pull off this surprise. And surprised I was...I have been well and truly had :]

The party featured the artistic designs from several talented individuals (there was even a decoration team). Susie sketched the portraits, she and Hajni made the paprika necklace, and Eliza made the awesome map that shows everyone's favorite cities in Hungary.
And then there was the food! A table full of Hungarian dessert items, I was obliged to try them all, but found that it wasn't such a hard thing to do...

The rest of the night consisted of music, games, and watching the guys eat paprika and pretend it was hot.

Eventually, the party train had to leave the station, and the aftermath still sits by our front door.
As I reflect on the night, so many emotions are surfacing. I am humbled, thankful, and so blessed. Perhaps the idea that stood out to me the most was that they started planning this night to welcome us into their culture before we even arrived in Budapest. And that couldn't have been inspired by anything other than a Christ-like love, which floors me. Psalm 139 talks about how God loved us and made plans for us before we were even born--before a single day had passed. And these students are living that picture out. They thought of me before they knew me. And they acted on faith. I am so incredibly blessed because I get to wake up every day with the knowledge that God planned this out before life began, that he called me to be here, and that he has prepared a place for me here.

You saw me before I was born.

Every day of my life was recorded in your book.

Every moment was laid out

before a single day had passed.

Psalm 139:16

hunting velvet canoes...

2009-09-22T16:18:00.010-04:00

Behold! The velvet...

Staff Hunt:

For the first student meeting, we all dressed up as 'inconspicuously' as possible and went out to a certain street to 'blend in'. The students tried to find us and collect as many signatures as possible. We had a bum, a businessman, a James Bond-type, a jogger, a married couple with a faux baby, a male nurse, and more! Here is my picture (with Gyuri)...can you guess who I was? Ha...

Staff Day Canoeing:

The rain stopped just in time to put our canoes in the Danube and began paddling upriver. Our 'canoe boss', Kalman, instructed us in the art of perfect rhythm, which is why our boat didn't capsize on the way back. One of the other boats, however, was not so fortuitous. I do believe they were chanting something akin to, "Row! Row! Row!" However, rather than pulling ahead, their aquatic song went sadly awry on the third "Row!" and sounded instead like, "Row! Row! Splurglegurglesplash!" Thankfully we weren't on the widest part of the river and could get to shore easily. They were able to drain the boat, and we were back at the starting point in no time.

Next we went to Gyuri and Jutka's house for fried fat and sausage! We roasted the fixings over the fire and dripped the fatty juice onto a big ole' piece of bread! And then we ate it! Y'all just need to go and roast your own fat and sausage because, let me tell you, it is scrumptious. If I knew how to acquire my own slab of fat...and build a bonfire...I would be cooking that stuff all the time (or at least until I burned my apartment complex down).

All in all, staff day was quite a success, as evidenced by the photo of Laci and I below...

The End [:

on a thursday night.

2009-09-10T14:43:00.004-04:00

Tomorrow is Staff Day, otherwise known as team bonding time. Rowing boats. In the Danube. This will either be awesome...or they'll find my body someday...But I'm voting for awesome.

In other news, for those of you who don't already know, I had been apartment hunting with my friend, Flora, and we decided to take the 5th floor one because it was pretty nifty (Flora got over her temporary fear of heights). Not only is the location great and the layout attractive, but all the furniture is velvet. Do I really need to say anything more? Really?

I sleep on a velvet bed with a velvet nightstand, and if you want to come visit, you can sit on the velvet love seat in my room. Our living room features a velvet couch with a velvet chair, and don't forget that classic velvet end table. We have tried to preserve these treasures by taking the greatest care in covering as many of them as possible. Gee, I hope they will last for generations to come.

This week was our first weekly meeting and to kick off the year, we had a staff hunt! What is a staff hunt, you say?

That question will have to wait until next time, because I simply must tell you what is happening right now. I am sitting in McDonalds to use the wireless (we don't have internet yet) and this cute Asian girl (like seven) just pulled her chair up to my table! She has been saying things to me in Hungarian, and I just keep repeating, "Nem beszélek magyarul" (I don't speak Hungarian). So now I think she is trying to teach me some Hungarian. Ahhh! The little darling! Now we are laughing about something, by the way. She was drawing on her fry holder, and is currently trying to fold it (she had me try, but gave up after I kept doing it wrong). So here we sit, typing and folding and shrugging and smiling. Cross-cultural communication. Jó.

one whole week.

2009-09-02T05:53:00.004-04:00

It was a warm day as the Hungarian fruit vendor surveyed his wares. He wiped the sweat from his brow and wondered just how he was to entertain his young son for the following hours. Distracting little Ádám from the heat would be no small feat. Already he was becoming antsy. Looking up, the vendor noticed his friendly competitor Edvin staring off into space. Always wanting to one up the man from across the way, the fruit vendor began forming an idea to accomplish both that and a form of entertainment for his son. Conveniently placed in his junk box was a mirror shard, which he had saved for years. Finally, it would serve its purpose. Picking up the piece, he carefully positioned it while motioning for young Ádám to watch. He moved the shard until a steady stream of light was refracted into his neighbor's eyes. Edvin shook his head. Edvin rubbed his eyes. He smacked his face hoping to clear his vision. The fruit vendor and his son snickered and watched the fun unfold...

This has been a dramatized version of a true story that I witnessed one day.

Wasn't that fun? Besides watching fruit vendor prank each other, life has been rather busy for the past week (I can't believe I've only been in Hungary a week). It's crazy! But this week marks the beginning of our passing out Student Survival Kits (SSK) to students who are beginning their first year at the university. These kits contain different stories and information, as well as a gospel presentation and survey. Students can indicate on this survey whether they would be interested in talking more about God---and following up with and talking with these students will be a large portion of the rest of our semester here. Some students will accept Christ and be discipled and plugged in with a Bible study and church.

Today is our day of prayer and then we will continue to talk to students at different universities for the rest of the week. Please pray that many students will be interested in learning more about God!

jó étvágyat.

2009-08-26T11:31:00.004-04:00

I strolled through the airport and into the crowded baggage claim. Then I meandered over to the 'security' checkpoint, which consisted of, "No items to declare" (a.k.a. walk out) or "Items to declare", which seemed to lead down a dark, winding hallway...

NO ITEMS!

Kelly was there to pick us up with flowers and chocolate, and that is how I began my first day.

By this time, I've been in Hungary a whopping three days, attending staff planning meetings and getting to know some of the student leaders, which has been busy, but fun.

This morning my friend took me to a German grocery store that is about the size of two Sam's Clubs. That is the magical place where I bought a can of sparkly hairspray. Life is good. Then we parked by some buses and later drove down a one way street (just thought you'd like to know...).

Yesterday we had our first staff planning meeting and the team gave us sweet welcome presents! Mine was the book "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan, chocolate, and a map (much needed). We started our day by climbing this hill and praying over the city and praising God! It is so encouraging to be a part of a team that really puts God first in all things and where each person is striving to be more like Jesus Christ!

Overall, God has already taught me a lot in this short time span, and I can't wait to see what He will do this year. Please pray for the students!

frankfurt in the morning.

2009-08-23T03:51:00.006-04:00

After the final wrangling of my effects into two suitcases yesterday, and a visit from some family, my parents drove me to the airport to catch a Lufthansa flight to Frankfurt, Germany. Comparing to my last international flight, this one was an upgrade (personal tvs and...a bunch of other stuff). The last plane I took to Hungary was a three by three seater that my friend Ryan, an airplane expert, informed us was not really safe to cross the ocean...

Anyway, here I am in Frankfurt waiting to fly to Budapest in a few hours. And since I have nothing truly exciting to report, I will give you a rundown of the highlights of the trip thus far.

This trip was my turn for the security rundown...which could have been caused by the fact that I have a junk load of menagerie jammed into my backpack.
I have spent some time really thinking about how I am going to get two 50lb suitcases into my future apartment that will probably end up being on the fifth floor.
What I watched on my personal plane tv: 17 Again, 30 Rock, and...totally fast-forwarded through the Hannah Montana Movie. Coolness is rapidly disappearing.
This morning I traded my can of hairspray for a pair of jeans in my suitcase. Debatable choice.
Skyped parents at 3:30am your time...and Mom answered!
Attempted several new airplane sleep positions, including the head on table-tray (aka. head jammed into a crevice), the traditional sitting-sleeping-head-wobbling-never-works-position, and the fist in face approach (this seemed to work the best...but then they turned the lights back on and started throwing more food at us ;]).

So, that's all I've got. There will be more from a coherent me later...peace.

ten thousand feet.

2009-08-16T16:58:00.005-04:00

Have you ever eaten lunch on a mountain? It's great. There are birds flying around, little chipmunk things, and Snow White is probably camped out somewhere among the trees. When not busy eating on a mountain, I am attending final STINT briefing in the lovely land of Colorado before I leave for Hungary. This week is a time of practical stuff, awesome worship, and time with the Lord.

The briefing is at a ski resort called Copper Mountain, which could be its own village (yes, there is a Starbucks...). But the neatest thing about being here is looking around and seeing God's beauty in everything. Personally, I relate to God visually, and seeing all He has made is such a strong reminder of His love and creativity. One of the first speakers this week asked us if we believed God loves us, and if so, does that excite our lives? He then went on to ask if we love God (and of course we're all sitting there thinking, 'duh!'). But then he wondered, "Does God know that you love Him?" Silence.

You know, what was so convicting about that statement is that we can become trapped in viewing God and loving Him only in the light of the things He does for us. But the problem then is that we are limiting ourselves from experiencing God's love being poured into our hearts, and we are not loving God for who He IS, rather than for what he DOES.

I think about my own prayers and ones I've heard, and so often they are filled with, "God, thanks for doing this; God, please do that; God, please give me something; etc..." But how often do we talk to God and just celebrate and love Him for who He is? Without conditions or expectations?

God has really already done everything for us. He loved us so much that He sent His Son to die on the cross so that we can have a personal relationship with Him. What more could we possibly ask for? My hope is to cling to this truth and learn more and more to love and experience God on an intimate level, and be able to say that Jesus has all of my heart, all of my mind, and all of my soul.

Gospel for Asia

2009-08-07T10:31:00.002-04:00

GFA Home - Gospel for Asia

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countdown to magyar koztarsasag.

2009-08-02T22:50:00.002-04:00

There are 20 days until I leave for Hungary.

And 19 days until I start packing...maybe less.

11 days until I go to Colorado for the final briefing.

One day left of kid-watching...

In the previous month I have:

Spent time with family and friends...and other people's pets...
Caught one perch.
Watched the worst Hallmark movie of all time.
Read mounds of books.
Toured two zoos (the one in Michigan was the best).
And done a passel of slightly more uninteresting things :]

But my it's been cold, hasn't it?

VBS.

2009-06-22T22:04:00.006-04:00

This week marks the beginning of the BC Vacation Bible School. I'm not sure where the vacation part comes in (maybe in-between duck-duck-goose and corralling a herd of kindergartners...), but that is neither here nor there. This year is the first time we have a theme for the week, which is missions...yay...and each class has a mission project to learn the importance of sharing their faith with others.

What is really cool about this year is that the number of kids has increased in a triad manner. Translations: three times (couldn't resist saying triad). Naturally, this means there are more kindergartners. And I will let you draw your own conclusions from that statement.

Moving along, today was really a day of firsts:

The first time I wore a pair of shoes and the first time they broke...
The first time I got to sit at the little kid table, where the service is spectacular--no "buffet" line for us--and we get plates: animal face plates.
The first time (today) that I was sucker-punched by a gang, yes, a gang of four foot tall children.

Speaking of sucker-punches, what is it with kids and all the walloping? I mean, come on, young friends, I think we've pushed the limit on the whole "love tap" thing. Unless it is a mutant love tap. But who really wants to believe that such a thing exists? Moreover, I may be biased, but these kids never seem to be slugging anyone but me. Why is that? Do I look like a punching bag? I don't think I dress like a punching bag. And I certainly don't smell like one...Honestly, the worst part is when they talk strategy as they're embedding their mini-fists into my body...while giggling. "You take quadrant II, Sparky, and I'll pummel the rest." Dude. I do believe I might take to carrying a candy bag around, so that in the event of a surprise attack, I can fling the candy, distract the gang, and make a hasty escape.

But I digress. A lot. Vacation Bible School rocks.

The End.

'twas the first day of summer.

2009-06-06T00:13:00.005-04:00

'Twas the first day of summer, the kids yelled out

Everyone was stirring, they were rather loud.

They lounged through the morning then ran out to play,

Planning all the fun that we would have that day.

First were the chores, met with nary a groan,

Next came playtime with puppies who liked to rove.

The boys played tennis, making rules of their own

Then we left to try our luck at Bay Lanes bowl.

Tragedy struck and the alley sign read closed,

Instead we got slurpees and through the mall roamed.

We arrived home early and sat 'bout with zeal,

Until Carlie rushed in needing help, for real.

"I saw the puppies, but the parents won't come!

There's something behind the barn--let's go! Let's run!"

We raced behind the barn, and naught did we find,

But a Jack Russell Terrier eating chicken behind.

Having escaped his cage, he killed with relish,

Every living thing within his grasp--ish.

While Carlie ran for help, I jumped in the cage,

And poked it with a log to distract its rage.

He had capped two chickens, and the kids did cry

But the chick homicide really crossed the line.

'Twas the first day of summer, the kids yelled out

About a stinkin' dog they would gladly rout.

the end of an era.

2009-04-25T17:19:00.005-04:00

In less than 24 hours I will officially graduate from college.

Am I excited?
YES.

Will I rip open my graduation gown while on stage to feature a bedazzled T-shirt?
NO.

Are you going to cry?
...MAYBE.

a suit of awkward proportions.

2009-03-25T22:16:00.005-04:00

Sunday, March 22
Roanoke, Illinois
Featuring Josh's new suit

Woman who shall remain nameless: "Doesn't this make you wish he wasn't your COUSIN?"

Me [emphatically]: "NO."

Josh (laughs nervously): "Awk-ward..."

The End.

a pause from procrastination.

2009-03-23T16:58:00.006-04:00

Time: forever-long pm.
Location: library; the dungeon.
Original purpose: to pound out a ten minute speech for Symposium on Friday.
Current purpose: puttering, apparently.
Mental condition: incoherent and/or fantastical.

Sitting here in the library.
the dungeon.
Maintaining a consistent level of lethargic dilly-dallying.
Slits of sunlight are valiantly fighting to penetrate the florescent haze.
The waves of research threaten to clog esophagus.
On second thought, paper does not taste good.

Need a ten minute speech.
Barriers to Entry.
In countries of interest to the United States.
What about the barriers blocking the brain?

Even procrastination has lost its charm.
Reduced to delaying the pursuit of active procrastination.
Is it possible to procrastinate from procrastinating?

Looked up the word in thesaurus.
And contemplated using all the terms in this post.
Alas, frittered to long and lost all motivation.

Am currently idle.
Because dawdling requires too great an expenditure of enterprise.

Moral of the story:
Mountain Dew is not an effective agent for the promotion of liveliness.
And neither is blogger.

international corn.

2009-02-20T22:10:00.012-05:00

Shutting the door inconspicuously behind her, she gleefully reached for the infamous can of corn that had plagued her for what seemed like a lifetime. Not remembering where the corn came from, or why she and her roommate continued to pass it back and forth with a vengeance, she was thrilled with the prospect of getting this can of corn out of the country. "Thank goodness for missionaries," she thought as she slowly unzipped her roommate's suitcase. Sarah was traveling to Hungary for the week and the time for action was at hand. Anxious not to be caught, the perpetrator quickly shoved the corn in the top of the bag and fled the room.

[Not five minutes later...]

She stared, devastated, as Sarah unzipped that very suitcase to pack something as irrelevant as an umbrella! "Who," she wondered, "...who would take a stinking umbrella to Hungary?" Her roommate apparently would, and since Sarah also apparently had two eyes, she spotted the despised corn within seconds. Spontaneous planning, ruined! Moving to the bedroom to disguise her disappointment, she was left speechless when Sarah followed to say, "Leave, it's my turn to hide the corn now." Did she really mean to say that after such a huge upset, it would be permissible for her to hide that drat corn in the fallen hero's things? Perish the thought!

She tore the corn away from Sarah and exited the room with a healthy slam of the door. She would hide the corn anyway. Nevermind that the charm was lost and the joke was ruined. No stinking umbrella was thwarting this corn going international. As she half-heartedly returned the corn to the suitcase, Erin sidled up next to her with none other than a little can of beans!

O happy day, indeed. What once was doomed to be a second hand prank quickly became a vegetable medley! Not one, not two, but three dishes of international cuisine would be traveling to Hungary. God's Word and canned vegetables: both savory nonperishables. Could it get any better?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you're up to it, please pray for the group of students who are stepping out in faith this week to help a campus ministry in Budapest, Hungary. They will be speaking to English classrooms at the universities, as well as engaging in other forms of spiritual outreach with the students [...may or may not include canned vegetables].

Please pray that they will be encouraged in God, bold in faith, and ready to love others the way Christ calls us to. Pray for the Hungarian students who may be hearing about God for the first time in their lives. And please pray for the ministry in Budapest, that after the American students return home from their week of missions, the Hungarian missionaries will have a group of students who are interested in learning more about God. May many new disciples be made through faith and grace in Jesus Christ, and may all glory go to God!

Peace.

"I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age" _Jesus in Matthew 28:18-20

look at this richard. just look at it.

2009-01-26T22:28:00.011-05:00

What is quite possibly the most hilarious piece of work I have ever read, this complaint letter is from a passenger flying from Mumbai to Heathrow Airport on Richard Branson's Virgin Airlines...

I’ll try and explain how this felt. Imagine being a twelve year old boy Richard. Now imagine it’s Christmas morning and you’ve sat their with your final present to open. It’s a big one, and you know what it is. It’s that Goodmans stereo you picked out the catalogue and wrote to Santa about.

Only you open the present and it’s not in there. It’s your hamster Richard. It’s your hamster in the box and it’s not breathing. That’s how I felt when I peeled back the foil and saw this:

Virgin: the world's best passenger complaint letter?

a rolling recollection.

2009-01-26T14:11:00.004-05:00

So I haven't blogged since 2008, and, therefore, feel that this one should be somehow special. However, the only thing of consequence running through my mind is the color of the bagels at church. Indeed, they were yellow and I ate them.

Let's be honest, a lot happened between 2008 and the present and I am not going to write about any of it. The only reason I am writing now is because I am in the COB computer lab and found it intriguing that I have never written a blog from any location other than my laptop. I will however, list what happened in bullet form and you can make up your own stories to go along with these episodes:

Christmas: Jesus Christ rocks, family is fun, especially when they throw up, and perfume.
Christmas Conference in Indy..."you can't walk standing still"
Sanctus Real.
New Years: prayer and party...like a middle schooler!
Winter semester 2009: apply for graduation...immediately. or else.
Winter Walk. Location: Ypsi. Why: Death-wish.
The BC, where the elder talks to the Sunday School about relationships [part I]. Righteous.
Playing Wii fit with Amy and Laura (interspersed with cookies and popcorn).
Detroit International Auto Show...Mackinaw Island Fudge was there.

There's probably some other stuff I forgot to mention, like watching multiple versions of Cinderella with my roommate; but admitting to things like that doesn't help anybody...really, it just reduces my level of awesomeness (which is already on the endangered list). And with that, my friends, we are back to bagels...

Not really. We are instead going to discuss roller skating, so take a moment, close your eyes, and remember the last time you pulled on a pair of skates or blades at the ole' rink and sped around in circles to the beat of the latest pop hits...or oldies, depending on just how long ago you skated ;]

I went with a few friends to a skating rink in Canton last weekend. We were arguably the oldest people there aside from a few watchful parents and one dude who skated like he was a retired superstar (minus the glitter and spandex). Now, my little friends used to have birthday parties at the local rink in the BC, where we would eat some cake, open some presents, and then dance to the hokey poky on skates. It was the bees knees folks. But today, attempting to execute any type of choreographed dance (especially along the lines of the chicken dance) might just result in a personal smack down. No longer does the rolling population move to such antiquated grooves, but to the likes of Sir Mix-A-Lot and his rapping friends.

Also going the way of the hokey poky was the unspoken rule that little kids stay in the middle and do their little kid thing. We must have come within inches of running over this one kid at least four or five times. I know this because every time he would shut his eyes, stop paying attention to where he was going, throw his arms over his head, and scream, "Auuuuugh!" You might be feeling sympathetic toward the young fellow about now, but stop. If only you could have been there to see the minor tragedies these children caused. Nine times out of ten, if there was a collision, a little kid was behind it, and if you saw a mangled teenager on the floor, you would more often than not find a laughing child dancing away to the sound of Chris Brown. Beware the next time you tie on a pair of roller skates, for you could be an innocent little child's victim of choice.

I suppose that's the end of this bittersweet memory, and of this special blog. Hopefully, you are feeling inspired to practice your jam skating, or at the very least to eat a yellow bagel.

Have a marvelous Monday.

whoopskidoo.

2008-12-21T01:14:00.018-05:00

4:53am. Christi's cell phone is vibrating somewhere. Someone should really tell her to turn it off. Oh wait. The alarm is for me. I never knew waking up could be so treacherous.

6:10am. We are late. Driving 30mph down country roads is simply not right. The snow is annoying.

6:30am. We made our first destination and met with the group. Chisti's snowboard makes for a painfully comfortable pillow. Now we are speeding down the same country roads that we were previously going 30 on. We just might die.

6:45am. White out. What to do when you can't see anything before you? Close your eyes and keep driving. Watch out for the semi, which created the white out, and power through.

9:00am. On time and [somewhat] ready to ski.

This pretty much sums up my entire adventure to Boyne Mountain with a group of friends this past Friday. Rotten weather for skiing, but with the annual 6 for 1 skipalooza going on, we just couldn't resist. Going down the mountain was like synonymously being pelted with pebbles and rain, which resulted in our faces being both raw and dripping wet, however that works out. For the sake of being adventuresome, it was worth it.

Natasha and I took our first break after my feet went numb. We sat inside while I pondered what would happen if we had to cut my toes off. I saw a movie once where there was definitely some cutting off of the toes going on; granted, the people were trapped in Antarctica or something, but what's the difference between Antarctica and Boyne, really?

Our first break lasted until lunch, when the other half of our group showed up after a 5 hour scenic tour of Michigan's western frontier. Christi and I braved the slopes once more. I left her with a pack of snowboarders... Decided to go down a black diamond. About three-quarters of the way down I gave up on carving, abandoned all effort, and started praying. There's nothing quite like a black diamond to spice up any conversation with the Almighty.

Much later I was passed by Natasha, who slowed down long enough to urge me to follow her along the stellar trail she had been using. First thing, climb a hill in skis, utilizing trees and other natural handrails. Next, ski through the forest. Ouch. Watch out for that branch. And that tree. And that sharp curve. Then Natasha said, "If you're adventurous, follow me." Oh snap. Called out by a teenager. And here I thought skiing through a passel of trees was adventurous.

The real adventure: ski through some more trees with added mystery jumps and do attempt to remain upright rather than crumpling like a broken snowball on the hard ground.

All in all, the day ended on some good notes. I did not crash into a tree, and my cousin had seen me on the slopes twice, ensuring he did not believe I spent the entire day in the lodge sleeping or watching the gear.

Perhaps more intriguing than the entire day was not the fact that we went skiing, that we never got into an accident or went off the road on the way home, but that we got stuck in the driveway at the end of our journey.

planet rock.

2008-11-24T13:02:00.018-05:00

So you're getting bored. It's that time of year again when the advancing stages of winter and humdrum begin to take their toll on you. Looking for a bit of adventure, you seriously contemplate feeding your family some dirty snow under the guise of a frosty from Wendy's.

But before you steep to such levels of grossness, reconsider your options. Instead of dealing in dirty snow or other amateurish acts of desperation, come on down to the great southeast and we can go rock climbing. This past weekend marked my introduction into the world of faux-rock climbing. With my friends Aron and Jessie--already pro climbers, we headed for Planet Rock, a 22,000 sq. ft. climbing area in Ann Arbor.

You're probably wondering what all this means for you. Well, my friend, this means that I could be considered a professional rock climber by some people...somewhere. Besides, what's the worst that could happen? I let go of your rope and you crash dive the floor? Not a problem.

Naturally, you'll learn all the stuff to keep from plummeting 50 feet or so to the blue padded floor...The learning experience will be interesting, since it is mostly comprised of knot tying and using the right and left hands in conjunction with one another--two things that I am not even slightly talented at. However, the dude who was teaching me all this seemed to think I would do just fine and sent me off to climb. He will send you off to climb too.

You'll start with some bouldering--climbing without a rope. That way you can only fall up to 12 feet at a time. Now, for professionals (such as myself), they can follow trials marked by tape. But you will be able to follow your own special rainbow trail. And no, you will not see any unicorns, care-bears, or leprechauns on your rainbow trail.

Next you'll move on to the actual climbing, where one person is belaying for the one climbing (a.k.a. if you fall, the other person should be holding the rope so you won't drop to the floor like an anvil). Your first climb doing an actual trail will probably be at a difficulty of 5.7, which, I hear, is a few steps up from climbing a ladder...

Remember to check your climbing partner for safety (this is where it gets somewhat sketch). I tried to avoid it, but we cannot continue without going over climber lingo 101. After you and your partner are all hooked in, the climber will say, "belay on?"; and you will say, with conviction, "belay on." That is to ensure that you are so ready to drop them--er--I mean not drop them. Next, you will say, with excessive enthusiasm, "climb on!" And your partner will begin his/her ascent. In reality, do people say this stuff? I don't know, but we sure didn't, and nobody was even slightly mangled by the end of the day...

At the close of your climbing experience, you will have thoroughly enjoyed yourself and fulfilled your inner calling for adventure. You will also temporarily loose the use of your upper appendages. But who needs them anyway? Just sit back, relax, and let somebody else do the hand motions for you.

So now that you're all excited about it, put on your harness, chalk your hands, and climb on!

*Disclaimer: the definition of rock climbing professional was used extraordinarily loosely in this text, referring to a person or fish that has had 4 hours or more of rock climbing experience. If you too would like to consider yourself a professional in the area of rock climbing...buy a day pass.

e.w.w.

2008-11-10T20:55:00.008-05:00

You know, weddings are interesting things. You've got your bride and the groom, and the family, and the flowers, and the dresses, and the cake, and all the Hallmark cards...but if you're not really involved in the wedding, there seem to be a whole slew of activities, which fall within the realm...a micro-world, really...that I will term the External Wedding Wild or Eww.

This realm can be a rather exciting place, involving such things as brakeless cars, battle of the sexes, and blueberry wine. Not all at one time, mind you. The following is a concise list of activities you can engage in whenever you find yourself caught in Eww:

Spend time with your little cousins. If you do not have little cousins near the wedding location, drive to the nearest suburb, knock on a door, and volunteer to babysit. You will probably wind up in jail, but whatever. Moving on, little cousins are awesome because you can perfect your reading/recitation skills [a.k.a. reading Clifford and Franklin books over and over and over again. Emily Elizabeth and you will be tight]. Little cousins are also awesome because you can color, whirl them around like a 40 pound shopping bag, and if you spill food on the floor, everybody just thinks it was them!

Be a social butterfly. You will probably have options concerning who to hang out with pre-wedding. Rather than staying at one locale and spending time with just one group of people, you can drive from one house to another in order to maximize your relational time. However, take care not to hit up a stranger's house in all the confusion. He/she won't be interested in stimulating conversation.

Play games. Battle of the Sexes comes highly recommended. This game is, naturally, guys versus girls, and the winner is the team that is able to answer the most 'common knowledge' questions about the other. Amid accusations that the gent's questions give dudes a bad name, the ladies will pull ahead. Here's a heads up: What is a chanterelle? This game will last forever, but you will exit early for better things...

Blueberry wine and cheese curds. You really should have an uncle to do this with, but if you can't procure one, it's time to adopt-an-uncle. This blueberry wine should have been aging since you last bought it for your uncle on his birthday. The cheese curds should not be left over. The savory-ness of it all will take your mind off of your...

Broken brakes. Yes, in order to have the full Eww experience, you need to break something on your car. There's nothing quite like it. In fact, there will probably be some sort of moral to the story, such as: if you hadn't attempted to slow down to keep to the speed limit, your brakes probably wouldn't have gone out...or something like that...

No excuses, you're now prepared for future Eww. Feel free to share your own anecdotes to avoid a dreaded pre-wedding slump.

facts about me [of the random sort]

2008-10-14T22:16:00.008-04:00

Incidentally, this is the second time I've been tagged for such a game. The first time was by Julie, and the "tag 7 people" thing totally turned me off: One, because I barely read seven blogs at the time, and two, because Julie tagged literally all the bloggers I knew. This was such a conundrum to me that I never got around to posting. However, now that Taryn has given me another chance at randomness, I shall try and do justice to the game.

Without further adieu, let the randoms begin___

eins.
Meatloaf is the bane of my existence.

zwei.
If it was sagacious to do so, I would replace all beverages in my life with Vernors, a bubbly concoction beyond compare.

drei.
When I was a kid, my mom (unbeknownst to her), slammed my right middle fingers in the cupboard door. Everything just seemed to be hanging by a thread...no worries, however; the good doctor sewed them right back on, good as new.

vier.
Also when I was a child--my elbow came out of its socket so often that the doctor taught my parents how to twist it back in. I had a wicked sweet sling though.

fünf.
This one time, I was riding the little lawn mower. My brother was riding the big lawn mower. He started to chase me. It was tragic. He swerved. I dodged. I looked back. He was gone. I looked forward. The ditch loomed. I swerved. Didn't work. So I did the only other logical thing...jumped off screaming. Got out of mowing the lawn...forever.

sechs.
If I had time for a hobby, I would make PowerPoints all day.

sieben.
I was in Zermatt, Switzerland and decided to go for a little hike. On my way back down I saw a path veering off toward "Schwarzsee" or Black Lake. The sign read 1_1/2. In my mind, I was thinking miles (never mind that miles are nonexistent in Europe...). I felt like I had been walking uphill for ages and ages when I saw it--another sign--a beacon of hope. Surely it would tell me that the Schwarzsee was only a little bit farther. It read 1_3/4. Shouldn't the number be decreasing? That's when the latter part of the verbiage jumped out at me, "Std." Stunden. Hours. Oh snap. At that point I was so not going back without seeing this lake, so I climbed and climbed, filled up my water bottle in a wild mountain steam, saw some goats, thought about rolling down the mountain, and ended up (much later) at Schwarzsee...or as some might call it, the base of the Matterhorn.

Alrighty. The randomness ends here and now. I tag Aaron, Amy, Peggy, Kaits, Ann, Brian, and the Waibel Family Blog (for kicks and giggles).

beat of a different drummer...

2008-10-02T23:11:00.003-04:00

Tonight at Cru, our speaker discussed how we should be living with an eternal perspective. To close the evening, he showed a youtube video of the one guy who dances funny all over the world. You've probably heard of him, as I believe he has now made three world tours doing his little dance (two of them were corporate sponsored), but that is not really the point.

Our speaker used the footage to parallel the idea that, no matter where we are or who we're with, Christians dance to the beat of a different drummer. Watching the video caused me to think about how different I am as a Christian. Initially this dude is dancing alone in front of amazing scenery. As the film progresses, however, other people from around the world begin to join him in doing his crazy dance.

Some people, in watching them dance, would think they look absolutely absurd. But I wonder...if this man, doing something so ridiculous, is inspiring others to let go and do the same, how much more should we, as Christians, be impacting the people around us? Are we electrifying the people we come into contact with, wherever and whenever, to take up the cross of a faith so peculiar by society's standards? Or are we merely doing a silly dance in front of lovely scenery when no one else is around?

Here's the video...

EMU...education first.

2008-09-10T22:39:00.006-04:00

Hello Dear Reader---

The book I am currently avoiding reading is entitled Doing Business in India for Dummies. I'm actually intrigued by this book, as it may contain some actual knowledge (as opposed to my other text books, which enable me to dream of unicorns and fairies while I 'read').

Now, on this fifth day of college, allow me to share with you some of the intelligence I have already gleaned (may or may not be from actual classes...):

1. When you go to your Doing Business in India class (in which you have an Indian professor), and there is a definitively non-Indian professor who hands you a syllabus for International Business Ethics and who, upon being questioned heads upstairs to find out what is going on, tells you he heard from a colleague across the hall that your professor is probably in India---it is not good.

2. Writing extremely long run on sentences is a valuable experience.

3. Sunday: the Lord's day. Wouldn't it seem reasonable to presume that God would not appreciate m&m flicking on His day? I know if I had a day, I would not allow m&m flicking.

4. After receiving three or four emails in the first week of school from Campus Police...let me just stop here and address all of you who are already judging: no, I am not on a first name basis with Campus Police...warning of people getting shot in the arm or robbed off campus, it is time to invest in a taser, or nunchucks, or a folding chair (for all you wwf fans out there). But seriously, one story was really cool, because a witness actually started yelling to scare the assailants off and then tailed one of them until the police arrived and busted him! Doesn't that just give you the urge to make a citizen's arrest?

5. When you go to your Consumer Behavior class and you are the only student your professor knows, he may repeatedly say, "Caitlin knows we will do this" or "As Caitlin already knows..." This does wonders for the ego...until your professor looks at you for the answer and all you've got is, "...the cool kids at school..."

Well, I do hope you've enjoyed this little chat session. I however, must be moving along to more critical things, such a writing a German resume for someone called Michael Durham and debating with my roommate about how cold is too cold to keep the window open...

Sincerely,

Caitlin

Orientation Check!

2008-08-28T22:00:00.002-04:00

So this week marked the beginning of NSOA (New Student Orientation Assistant) training. This group of students is best described as a hyper-active, loves-EMU-too-much, can sing the fight song in their sleep bunch. We will basically be scaring the first-year students come Saturday, enticing them to return on Sunday, and introducing them to life at Eastern over the next four days.

The benefits:
-Free food
-Free T-shirts
-Other free stuff
-Every 'school-spirited' student at Eastern is there
-Freshmen friends
-Unlimited singing of the fight song (including hip dance moves)

The costs:
-Lack of sleep (ie. right now, I could be sleeping...)
-Freshmen look at you like you're crazy for at least 12 hours
-If you don't like ice-breakers or games, you will probably die

So, you're envious, right? But that's a sin, and because I would hate for you to stumble, here's what I'll do. Below are the words to the EMU fight song. Paint your face green and add some wing flapping motions, fist pumps and screaming, and you too will have a taste of Orientation '08.

Eastern Eagles Fight Song
Eastern Eagles, hats off to you!
Fight, fight, fight for ole EMU.
Look to the sky,
the Eagles will fly,
the bravest we'll defy....Rah,rah, rah!

Hold that line for ole Green and White.
Sons and daughters show your might.
So, FIGHT, FIGHT! for ole EMU
and vic-tor-y!"

shut the door (in my face, preferably)

2008-08-19T15:31:00.000-04:00

How often do we thank God for slamming doors that we really, really...really want to go through?

slam.boom.bam.shut.click.no.

Understanding the heart behind God's direction is more precious than any human knowledge. He has shut the door to my desires on many occasions and during the most inconvenient times. He has forced me to look where he wants me to look; to see what he wants me to see; to go where he wants me to go. My refusal is not an option. He'll get me to his place no matter what it takes. I'll walk his line and trip around on my own path until I get there. Resistance is futile. And it's a beautiful thing!

slam.boom.bam.shut.click.no.

What I so often miss, is that God is not merely refusing what I want--He is saying, "What I have over here is so incomprehensibly better than anything you could ever imagine in your most creative state of mind that you will stand astounded when I reveal my plan to you!" He has a reasoning that trumps human logic in marvelous form.

slam.boom.bam.shut.click.no.

This is not just a present concept. Think about our entire lives! All the times our hearts' desires didn't happen. All the times we had to do something we didn't want to do. All the times the door that would have made our lives a little bit easier didn't open. That was God saying no to us in order to make stronger sons and daughters for his kingdom! With every door shut, God is taking us where we need to go. He's bringing us against the grain. He's throwing us against the crowd. He's training us against the enemy. He's raising us up against our weakness. Think of where we are today versus what we were then. The result of shut doors is a child of God more sure, more steady, and more ready to die for Christ than a pampered waif who is allowed to go his/her own way.

slam.boom.bam.shut.click.no.

"Thank you" is all I have to say at the end of the day. All things considered, having been weighed an measured, I wouldn't change His sovereign ways. "So shut the door" is all I have to say when I think of the amazing and always clever action plans God has employed to bring me in line, sometimes kicking and screaming. How could I ever think my plan was better? For, as each door is shut, God's perfect will for my life becomes more clear, and isn't that my heart's deepest desire?

slam.boom.bam.shut.click.yes.

one lifetime to the good.

2008-08-17T14:54:00.006-04:00

God shuts the door on my iniquity.

He raises me above my insecurity.

The LORD of all creation shows himself to me in astounding ways.

The lover of my soul leads me along the path of righteousness.

He blocks the way of foolishness and teaches me the knowledge of wise history.

The great I AM replaces missed opportunities with grace and fills my present with new hope in his will.

He moves me to action.

He inspires me to love like Christ.

He is worthy of my life.

Almighty God raises me above shame and sets my feet upon The Rock, who is my hope in every second until the very universe bows before his return; until he raises me to live on his new earth, in his everlasting city of eternal light and peace and joy.

My Father is good to me.

He refines me.

My Savior is easy to trust; he will use my every sorrow and guilt stricken mistake for HIS good, and his plan is indeed perfect.

Are we a grateful people?

pork, rose-goober drive, and artistic surprises.

2008-08-14T22:21:00.018-04:00

The Pig Gig

Once a year, this high society soirée gathers along the bank of the Saginaw River. Debutantes and gentlemen converge for the noble and courageous cause of raising money for various charities by...eating ribs. Yep.

This would have been only the second time I graced the, uh, rolling hills of the Pig Gig. The first time we were selling T-Shirts for the German Club (selbstlos, natürlich). This time, however, the first sight to greet my parents and I was a bucking camel. Now, camels do not, contrary to what you're thinking, normally inhabit the bay area. In fact, I am thinking this camel suffered from a case of mistaken identity since it made it's home in a pen filled with miniature goats...slight height differential.

After a long and arduous search for satisfactory ribs, I logically concluded that the booth with no line and no customers obviously had the best. And they were (probably) the most tastefull. But the most distinguished part of the Pig Gig was not the pigs, rather, the birch beer in a commemorative cup! Lighter than root beer, but oh so distinguished, this beverage is perfect for any summer eve.

Courtland Farms Adventures

A setting like Courtland Farms is one where nothing good happens. Perhaps because of all the miniature dogs, or the decree banning all residents from hanging their wash outside, an air of trouble hangs over the Cherrysprinkle Lanes and Apple Blossom Courts like a shroud. Why, not long ago, a snowman was murdered on the back porch of one of the most unsuspecting residents! And it was on these streets that my friends and I decided to walk that day...

Rule #1 for walking Flowerpickle Street: You've got to be tough. It especially helps if you tie your sweater like that. Very intimidating.

Rule #2 regarding sitting on the no swimming/no duck hunting bridge: staring into the sunset is not romantic. It is painful. And it burns.
Rule #3 if you're still sitting on the bridge: take some time to bust senior citizens who are flying contraband laundry outside.

Last Rule for sass: talk to the hand, because the face ain't listening.
Birthday Party Surprise

So Summer is my cousin and likes to surprise me with stuff (to be fair, her husband Ryan fully supports this, I'm sure). On the way to Walker's 1st birthday party, she called and asked me to do the face painting. While I had never dappled in the art of face painting, I figured it could be a worthwhile pursuit. Perhaps I had a hidden talent for face painting...if nothing else, a bunch of little kids would be walking around with "contemporary art" painted on their angelic faces.

Allow me to digress a tad, because this was not the first time I was recruited, unbeknownst to me, for such happenings. I believe I already mentioned the surprise babysitting in a prior post. However, my fondest memory of Summer's surprises goes back a few years. It was the night before her wedding, and the family had gathered for a backyard dinner. I was awkwardly sitting there (this was in the time before I was conversational) and Summer handed me an envelop. There were instructions inside. Instructions for what, you ask? Why, for being in her wedding, of course. Surprise!

Returning to the subject at hand, Mercedes was my first canvas:

me: What would you like?

Mercedes: A cat.

me: (Oh no. A cat. Do I even know how to draw a cat? Quick, start drawing brown circles!)

Chloe: What is that supposed to be?

Mercedes: A cat.

Chloe: That doesn't look like a cat.

me: (so much for my contemporary art fall-back) Let's just erase this...How about a heart?

Just an FYI, there's a lot of pressure in the face-painting arena. Little kids watching your every move, the child-canvas threatening to move as soon as something more exciting flies by, and the imminent threat of tantrums and drama related to "identical face painting" faux pas (especially if the identical face-painting has to do with clowns). Although, I did learn that kids can be surprisingly satisfied with random stripes and blobs that only slightly resemble the actual thing we were going for. Some kids just want you to paint their faces one color. That's when it becomes easy. Ever painted a wall?

All in all, it was a fun time. Here's some of my "work". But please, restrain yourself. I'm not for hire.

wind beneath my wings...

2008-07-28T17:56:00.018-04:00

It was a dark, dark night when it came. It flew from the depths into the light without a sound. The ominous silence was broken only by the sound of beating wings. She looked up...and DIED.

This is a brief history of the bat that used to live in apartment #11.

"...I woke up with a bat flying in my face...then I had to get rabies shots because my apartment is a bat nesting ground..." The horrid but true story of a Target Intern went through her mind as the bat appeared from thin air. The light confused it. She ran for the safety of the bedroom. Her roommate awoke as she slammed the door, "There's a bat in the living room!" Her roommate made no move to apprehend the interloper; indeed, she pulled up the bed covers!

Left to her own devices, she called the landlord (who naturally was unavailable) and searched for local pest removal services. "Critter Catchers, what can I do for ya?" "There's a bat in our living room." Lacking any sense of urgency, the man replied, "It'll be an $80 service fee, and a $50 removal fee."

There are times in life, when one is called to greatness...and many of those moments are sparked by an abject refusal to pay money for pest removal services. As she hung up the phone, she resolved to do the task herself. After all, she'd learned extensively about bats from Planet Earth, hadn't she? And hadn't her father caught bats before her? And his father before him? Truly, she must continue this legacy of courageous bat catching. Never mind that during all the times her father had caught bats, she had run down the stairs screaming...Never mind that the apartment was lacking any net-like apparatus. Phooey on all of them---she had a tennis racquet!

Time to rally the troops (a.k.a. Sarah, who was still in bed). Armed with an American Eagle bag (just in case the bat decided to fly into it), Sarah went out the door first, and promptly dropped back as the foe made wide arcs throughout the living room. They had to flank it. Sarah circled 'round to open the door, while she waited. Tiring, the bat retreated to a dark corner, where it sat...screeching...softer than Sarah and herself, but screeching nonetheless.
Creeping forward and wielding her tennis racquet, she moved through the darkness toward the enemy. Before she struck the blow, her thoughts ran wild, "What if it comes at me after I hit it? I don't want to die...O, woe is me!" Enough. She could see Sarah at a distance, having long ago abandoned her bat catching device, as well as refusing to advance and spray the bat with scrubbing bubbles because it was apparently a "bad idea." The time had come. She took a deep breath and BAM! She heard screaming--whether it was hers or the bat's, she would never know...but miracle of miracles, it flew out the open door! She slammed it shut and turned the lock. Safe at last, she had upheld the family honor....
This has been a brief history of the bat that used to live at apartment #11.

Life lessons and critical thinking simulations from a place called work.

2008-07-11T17:59:00.006-04:00

When it rains, it pours...and you will have to clean it up.

Emergency exit doors are not that great, and certainly not waterproof. After a rather heinous storm, you might walk into your store to find the store team leader mopping up the great flood in seasonal (where there are a number of items in cardboard boxes). Since the district office is attached to your store, a few higher-uppers will walk out and call for backup, but your STL will turn to you and say, "Make it look good." It won't matter that 'box-lifting' is so NOT your hidden talent because you've got squeegees; you've got mops; you've got flatbeds; you've got a pile of wet towels and a carpet from the sales floor that someone stuck under the emergency door; and you've even got that good ole' just-stepped-in-a-puddle-and-can't-take-off-your-shoes feelin'. What do you do?

ALWAYS (and I mean always) choose to lead Team Huddle.

Tag! It's your turn to run the store today. 9:30am and you've just called huddle. Team members are starting to arrive at the pre-arranged meeting spot: the fire tunnel. You get a call from your price change team lead, "Honey, an executive needs to clean up an accident in the bathroom. I'm not allowed to touch it, but someone needs to take care of it now...don't worry...it's not raisins." You wish there were tag-backs...How do you handle this catastrophic monstrosity?

(Hint: if, by chance, your fellow intern is there and you tell her she needs to lead huddle because you must clean up a "spill" in the restroom, she just might make a snap decision, which she will later really really regret, to clean up the spill instead of leading Huddle. You will then stand there in awe, while another co-worker covers her mouth in disbelief, and hear later how the spill was more like an atomic bomb...).

While you're working, someone else is playing.

Tweens and tag: the retail epidemic. What is it about certain stores that make people on the threshold of adulthood go crazy? Perhaps it has something to do with the perfectly zoned softlines, or maybe the purses really set them off. You witness firsthand how young men utilize the multitude of purses as a rather spectacular hiding spot from their giggling girlie-friends. You know that they look ridiculous. They don't know they look ridiculous. You know that they don't know that you know they look ridiculous. And you really just want to throw a clearance necklace at them and watch them fall. On one hand, this would be amusing. On the other hand, this would be a liability. O the possibilities! What do you decide?

There's always a crazy person.

While walking by a team member, he whispers, "There's a crazy dude back by the TVs!" Having experience in this area, you wonder what kind of crazy he really is. "He's shouting at the TVs!" Oh. That kind of crazy. To make this easy, there's only one solution: You don't want to mess with that kind of crazy...he might think that you hopped out of the TV, and then what?

his love really is.

2008-06-27T19:09:00.005-04:00

This past Wednesday, I volunteered with a group of friends from work at a MDA summer camp. We were there to make stepping stones and photo frames with the kids. Staring out across the camp, I praised God because He is good! What a wonderful place for these young guys and girls to come and experience a taste of normalcy. No one making fun, no weird looks, no one left on the outskirts, labeled worthless.

Considering the situation, it was a double edged sword for me. On one hand, my heart was pierced by sorrow that these kids will have dramatically shorter lives than most people. On the other, my heart was pierced by the glory of God, and the awing recognition that He knows exactly what He is doing when He forms each and every one of His children. He has a plan for good for the child who was wheelchair bound at age 10. He has a plan for good for the kid who lost the capability to speak at 16. He has a plan for good after each look, after each disappointment, after every progression of this disease!

By interacting with the kids, I was able to get a sense on their differing outlooks on life. While one kid was fast on his way to being the cutest comedian ever, another, Gabe, continually expressed his desire not to do anything. He seemed to be a kid that didn't get excited by much (or at least tried his darnedest not to show it). His counselors had to bribe him to make a stepping stone! To get him to participate, they told him he wouldn't have to take a shower that day...must be a guy thing ;] Later, I was running the bottle toss, and Gabe came over. Now, he had a pretty good arm, and, as much as he tried not to show it, Gabe was mighty pleased with his success, especially when my prize tickets started running low, all because of him and his all-star arm! I don't know what his life is like outside of camp, but I pray that God will plant the seed of excitement in his heart and that it will grow into pure joy in life and praise for all the things God provides.

I pray that all the campers (and I) would come to understand, "...as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love really is. May [we] experience the love of Christ, though it is so great [we] will never fully understand it. Then [we] will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God" __Eph. 3:18-19.

Glory be to God; He is mighty to save! May we all think about how incredibly blessed we are, broken and refined in our Creator's ever-faithful hands.

Randoms

2008-06-11T19:35:00.005-04:00

For a long while now I have been thinking of something to write about. However, this has not yet occurred, so I decided that writing without cause was the best solution. So as to not lead you on and waste your time, today we will be discussing Mackinaw Island, Bedunkadunks, Memorial Day Weekend, my internship, Sunday, and the Castle.

A while ago Mom and I took a trip to Mackinaw Island for a women's retreat at The Grand where Liz Curtis Higgins was talking (author of Bad Girls of the Bible). It was quite excellent; I really appreciate her study of Biblical women as real women. But enough of that. The best part was spending some quality time with my mom. We even ventured* into the unexplored (well, probably explored) and often forgotten Upper Peninsula...eh. There was something about being so close to the middle of nowhere that made me want to be there more often. I'm sure if I had gotten out of the car I would have actually reached the middle of nowhere...Also, if you're ever in Mackinaw City or anywhere in northern Michigan, do not be tricked into eating a pastie (past-ie). It will not be a novel experience, but an event you'll wish they had left in the past.

*This venture was made possible via I-75 and tourist billboards!

So a few of my friends were dunked on the west side of the state, and, as an added bonus, I was given the opportunity to watch my three little cousins for an entire day. Those of you who know me are probably wondering how I (and my cousins) survived. I'm not a seasoned child-wrangler...the only other kid I've ever watched was seven...my cousins are all under three. But I had a plan of action...movies, multiple bike rides, food & nap, a trip to the park, Barbies, pop...then parents ;] The highlight of the day was when nap-time rolled around. Cade and Walker fell asleep like we hope kids will, but when I walked into Mercedes' room, she appeared to be sleeping on top of a pile of toys and books; such a picture of innocence...NOT! Since I am not a parent, and enjoy hanging out with energetic kids before returning them to their parents, I feel free to say that I was duly impressed. This was exactly the type of thing I did as a child, sneaking toys and books to make my boorish nap-times more bearable. When I couldn't pirate toys, I would stare at the ceiling and pretend it was the floor (yeah, naps failed where I was concerned), so for Mercedes to be fake-sleeping on her entire collection of worldly possessions is worthy of recognition.

Memorial Day Weekend rolled around and Amy invited me to Waterford (so she wouldn't have to be alone with four dudes). John's former roommates came up to visit and we went to the state park where we all bonded by sitting on two beach towels. During this time I learned that my feet, when buried under the sand, would grow jewels, and that I have an eye condition---a tragic problem, remedied only through the use of big sunglasses. The greatest event during the weekend, however, was when Amy, John, and I watched the theatrical masterpiece known as The Secret Garden. It was so secretive.

So I have this internship with Target, in which I am training on how to manage the store. Today I was taught how many areas work, the most notable being consumables, where I probably got frostbite. Thus far, the most exciting day has been assets protection: catching the bad guys, if you will.

Last Sunday some neat people visited our church and the focus of this little tale is on a certain friend I shall refer to as Seph. So Amy and I were thinking that we really liked Seph and wanted to properly introduce him to life in Detroit. We accosted--I mean greeted him after church, and even invited him to eat lunch with us. We scanned the lunch room and the only place where there were three seats was at the 'center table'. You know the one...where all the ministers sit? Well, we sat down, surrounded by a bunch of dudes, and Seph started to get a little nervous; he was eying the ministers and the lunch time prayer microphone...

(Note: the following conversation is heavily paraphrased).

Seph: They're going to call me out.

Me: Pfft. No they're not.

Amy: Yeah, they never called John out. Maybe that was because we all sat on that side...

Me: Then we sat on the other side.

Amy: Oh! Remember when we sat over there?

Seph: I bet my dad's telling them to call me out.

And just like that, Seph was out of there! Blink and you'd miss it, all that was left of our trio was Amy and I, feeling incredibly awkward and trapped at the 'center table'. No sooner was the prayer over than Seph was back, happy as could be as he ate the cookie I had been planning to eat. In the end, Amy and I forgave him, because you just can't stay mad at Seph.

This past Monday we swapped rooms at The Castle. Sarah and I finally got the big room...the one that has space to move around in. Mom and Dad came down to help and Dad busted out some awesomeness to fix windows, beds, and other random things even though we didn't have the proper tools. Our room was christened that night by rain...or, more aptly, Sarah being rained on...excellent.

...the end.

A Bunch of Stuff.

2008-05-12T23:20:00.012-04:00

So I promise my dear friend Ann that I would write a new blog by Monday. It now being 11:20pm Monday night, I figured that it would be prudent to begin writing. I had planned to write my latest blog complete with a slew of pictures and interesting anecdotes, but that goal seems far beyond my scope at this point...maybe.

After the semester ended a few weeks back, I promptly dropped my backpack on the floor (where it remains to this day), and started reading a lot of [interesting] books while attempting to move as little as possible. This plan of inaction has been a double edged sword. Although my stress level has dropped an astonishing amount, I cannot for the life of me remember anything of worth to write about! A tragedy for the readers of this post, to be sure. Warning: you may be less intelligent for reading this.

I suppose an interesting fact is that I have spent an unusually high amount of time with the elder and his wife...and Hallie. OK...most of this time was spent with Hallie, where I was given a great hair-do and many fantastic pieces of art (some of which were drawn directly onto my body--saves paper).

Hmmm, I thought that story would stretch farther, but apparently not. Moving on, last week Sarah and I went to Ford park to walk around the lake and look at all the ducks and stuff. The best part was when we strolled past a family of geese (at least I think they were geese...) and one started hissing at us. I was ready...with my camera. Although I strongly urged Sarah to engage in a confrontation with the geese, she resisted! I cannot imagine why, and, alas dear reader, you shall have no picture of what I would have entitled: Geese 1, Sarah 0; Part I.

-the would-be geese brawl-

-the would-be champion-

Needless to say, the park let-down was just another blow to my self esteem, which already suffered from the week before, when I discovered, at a friend's birthday party, that I am a terrible laser tag player. I have no strategy, and cannot seem to hit people with lasers, no matter how many times I fire! It didn't help that my gun's name was Bubbles...

As this incident passed, Mother's Day was fast approaching, and what did my mother want? Tupperware. Now Tupperware is one of those things that people usually have to throw a party for in order to buy it...you know, like those jewelry parties, or candle parties, or useless-pieces-of-junk-that-you-order-from-a-magazine parties? Well, somehow, Dad located a dealer and passed the task of arranging a secret meeting along to me. After playing phone tag for awhile, we arranged a rendezvous in the Burger King parking lot. Luckily, we were having nachos that night, and needed sour cream:

Dad: Caitlin, we need sour cream...go to Jack's
Me: Whaaa? Oh...riiight.
(Keep in mind that Jack's is a 5-minute drive from my house)
20 minutes later in the BK parking lot, the TW dealer pulls next to the car.
We huddle around the trunk while she shows me the stuff.
I pay, she pulls out the ware.
I drive to Jack's, where my mother now thinks I've been for a half hour (it's a good thing I have a reputation for deliberating between brands of sour cream...) Sour cream: $2.38. Pulling one over on Mom: priceless.

The End.

Hungary Newsletter

2008-03-29T11:11:00.015-04:00

ARE YOU HUNGRY FOR HUNGARY?

Have you ever locked yourself out of a room that was protected by an impenetrable door, choked on an inferior cookie, loudly asked, “Who is Dave?” when Dave was standing right behind you, or bitten into a big piece of dry fish that you had been assured was chicken by the waitress, who couldn’t speak English? If you said yes to any of these things, then you should probably stop pretending you were in Budapest, Hungary at the same time I was.

It’s been a few weeks since returning to the good ole’ U.S., and I figured it would be a good idea to let you know what God did with your support (don’t worry…He did not just use your support to pay for a big piece of decrepit fish). Firstly, I must tell you how my heart is bursting with joy to be able to tell you how God is moving in Hungary. How God is actively raising His children up in a country where less than one percent of the 10 million people know Christ intimately.

PERCEPTION OF CHRISTIANITY

The traditional church is largely inactive in reaching out to young people, and unfortunately, a typical student’s picture of a Christian is one of irrelevance. Christianity is supposed to be a big piece of…decrepit fish. And nobody wants a taste of something so dry, so stale, and so boring. That is why my friends and I from Campus Crusade for Christ went to work with the organization Youth at the Threshold of Life, which is trying to change Hungarian students’ beliefs about Christianity. Its Hungarian acronym is Fék, which is pronounced fake, but don’t let the name fool you—Fék is very much an alive ministry for both high school and university students.

THE HEART BEHIND OUR MISSION TRIP

The week included three types of ministries: random evangelism, dorm outreaches, and English classes. Before I explain how they all came together, let me share the heart behind our actions. Some people think of evangelism as a group of crazy Christians thumping people with their Bibles in a scene akin to the song,

“Little Bunny Foo-foo hopping through the forest, scooping up all the field-mice, and boppin’ them on the head…”

You may have no clue what in the world I am talking about, but, in my mind, this song evokes a hilarious mental image of a group of Christians skipping through the university commons, bopping unsuspecting Hungarian students on their heads with hard-cover Bibles. Now, this scene might make it to YouTube.com, but it’s surely not effective when it comes to forming relationships with people.

The heart behind our trip was to be all about people, such as Christ was all about people. It was about forming relationships because we were genuinely interested in each individual we had the honor to meet. It was about serving without expectation for the glory of God.

Random evangelism was an avenue for a dialog with another student. I was able to talk to many students and hear what they were going through in life. When asked to describe their life in three words, most used a mix of ‘friends, family, boy/girlfriend, crazy, busy’. One girl told me that we use a mixture of those things to create our own gods. Another thought god was a type of angel. Yet another wasn’t sure if she believed in anything because if there is a god, why does he allow bad things to happen? Most students were willing to sit for over an hour and discuss a wide range of topics. While our group would leave at the end of the week, we were able to connect them to Fék in the event that they had questions or wanted to learn more about this Jesus dude.

Our group was split into three smaller teams to do dorm outreaches in different locations. My team’s outreach was (brace yourself) speed dating—two nights in a row! If you ever hear me talking about my five Hungarian boyfriends, well…OK, not really. Speed dating was an event to characterize the differences between American and Hungarian styles of dating, because in Hungary, when a guy asks a girl out, they are then in a serious, committed relationship. In contrast, we date, then we’re dating, and finally after much deliberation we’re ‘exclusive’ (so much more complicated!). The night ended with an American – Hungarian couple talking about how God helps them overcome cultural barriers in their relationship, and a Hungarian student gave his story about how he used women and dating to fill the void in his life before Christ.

Steve: "Awkward..."

Me: "We have something in common!"

We went to English classrooms simply to serve the students and give them a taste of American culture, because, unlike the vast majority of the free world, Hungarians actually like Americans, and they were interested in what we had to say about our university life. One student made the comment that we were always smiling and were much more outgoing than they were. It’s interesting that melancholy is the accepted form of social expression in Hungary, while we were acting like loud, smiling goobers. Hopefully they saw Christ shining from our expansive grins.

IN CONSLUSION…

It’s impossible to know how God will use that week, but I am confident that He will use it for the good of His Kingdom. Maybe there will be one, or two, or more who were crying out to an unknown god, and, given the opportunity, will reach out and take the love, grace, and mercy that God so freely offers through Christ. Please hold the Hungarian people near to your heart; in a place where men and women have not yet succumbed to indifference, nor claim to know Christ through an empty set of rituals, the harvest is ripe, but the laborers are few.

Jesus called out to them, "Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!" -Mark 1:17

Jesus came and told his disciples, "I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age." -Matthew 28:18-20

UPDATES

One girl accepted Christ while we were there.

Fék typically only goes into English classrooms, but after being visited by one of our groups, one professor told them that she was going to a university-wide falculty conference, where she would encourage the entire faculty to invite Fék into their classrooms.

At a recent battle of the bands our group helped promote, about 500 Hungarian students came, and many left their contact information because they were interested in talking about God.

Do We Love Him?

2008-03-07T12:39:00.005-05:00

I once heard a preacher say that it's all about people. Jesus is all about people, and he gave us his 'strategy' in John 13. The cloak of servitude. The choice of sacrifice. The choice to love.

We believe in Christ, but do we love Him?

The most beautiful lesson learned in Hungary was the heart behind the action. Before we left, people prayed about being able to share the gospel, about students coming to us, about reaching many for the cause.

When we arrived in Hungary, we learned they had been praying too. They had prayed about being able to form relationships, about reaching out to students, about serving them without expectation or ulterior motive.

In a place where less than one percent of the population believes in Christ and the traditional church is largely inactive, they're getting it right. They love like Christ loves. They serve like Christ serves. They're busting out the perfume and washing the feet. They're making the choice to love with the love that ends in a loss of self.

So often we talk about what Christ has done for us. What we want Christ to do for us. How Christ will bless us. But what about them?

Some don't think they need to reach out, or rest in the belief that that their 'godly' actions will explain it all. Some are too proud, some too humble, and some are proud to be humble. It's all the same. A painful lack of agape is replaced by the poison of selfishness. People making the decision not to love. Comfortable lives are easily accomplished in the place where we start to act more like Christ's entourage and less like our Savior himself.

We believe in Christ, but do we love Him?

Have you ever noticed that the people who loved Jesus extravagantly weren't part of the in-group? The woman with the perfume was wasteful. The wretched leper approaching the Lord was unforgivable. The Samaritan slut wasn't worth the dirt on the ground. The children were a nuisance. Yet, they were the ones who acted with the most faith, felt their shame oh so acutely, decided to serve without thought of the consequences, and understood the heart behind why Jesus loves.

And Christ leaves his entourage every time to go to these sinners. Are we standing still with the entourage? Judging the sinners with entourage? Deciding not to serve and not to love with the rest of the holy and the righteous? Are we still not understanding the heart behind Jesus?

What were the disciples thinking, when Jesus put himself in the lowest servant's place, the night he washed their feet?
What were the 12 doing the night the lover of their souls was betrayed?
What were they doing after the Lord was crucified?

They weren't getting what their master was about.
They decided to run. Peter decided to deny.
They were doing the exact same things as before Christ came.

We're the same.
But for Jesus.

We believe in Christ, but do we love Him?

“If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me."
-Jesus from Mark 8

Imperceptive Insights

2008-02-20T22:13:00.004-05:00

When one wears six layers of red on Valentine's Day, one will win a heart shaped cake made by one's roommates.

Do not wear flats to church lest you find yourself mucking through 4 inches of slush before you arrive at your destination.

Eating too much canned corn (and by too much I mean one bite) will make one ill.

When one is made an officer of a future grandparent stalker group on facebook, one should reevaluate one's rapidly depleting level of coolness.

When using foam rollers on your hair, prepare for the very likely event of being mistaken for Shirley Temple.

If you see your friends caught in a receiving line, you should laugh, then escape before the powers that be try to add you to the line because you were in the 'wedding party'.

If you and your newlywed friends are the only three people under 23 in the entire church, sit on the 'wrong' side of church as long as possible until older people stalk one or more members of the party in order to keep you on the 'right' side of church.

When lights start flickering during the church service, everyone will laugh, but the minister will just keep talking.

If you and a friend sample half of everything on the lunch tray, and then sample the other half of everything on the lunch tray, it no longer counts as eating just half.

If you carry a hat in your backpack, but don't wear it when it feels like -5, one must assume you are having an awesome hair day.

After creating a secret handshake with your roommate, who promptly forgets it, remember that you have two hands, therefore, you can do the secret handshake without your roommate.

Snowy Sundays

2007-12-16T14:40:00.000-05:00

Michigan has once again showed her magnificence in true form by dumping a large enough pile of snow to cancel every church in the state (well, that's probably an exaggeration). My only question is, why can't this happen on a school day?

All in all, Michigan people are generally undaunted by the fierce blast of icy particles covering the ground, and by Michigan people I mean drivers under 30 whose brains haven't fully developed yet. As my roommate would say, "You just have to power through."

And power through we did, right after deciding to drive to Arby's for lunch. As soon as we walked out the door, the snow plow drove by Sarah's car, creating at least a foot of snow where there once was none. Laughing (at least I was), she started kicking at the snow pile, stopping only long enough to ask me what I was doing. Absolutely nothing. So we both kicked at the snow pile for a little while longer until Sarah thought it plausible enough to 'power through'. She jumped in and started whipping her little Toyota Corolla around without even scraping off the windows. Even though she's from...Ohio, I had to give her props for her wicked awesome blind driving skills.

As an aside for those of you who are not familiar with, or have not perfected blind driving, it is when there is some substance blocking most visibility on your car, but you don't have time, or are just too lazy to get it off. For example, when there is a thin layer of frost on your car that cannot be scraped off, and you start driving anyway, thinking that your windshield fluid will do the job; however, the fluid then freezes on your window, creating worse visibility than before, leaving you to hope that the bright lights you see through the haze are not heading directly toward you. Another instance of this phenomenon is when there is just a smidge of ice on your windshield wipers that you failed to remove. When the snow turns to icy rain and you turn them on, instead of clarity, you get a blurry windshield--but there is no stopping now. It is too late for that. You are a Michigan driver and will 'power through' whatever the cost. So you crouch down in your seat and hope that the little hole at the bottom of the windshield will allow you to keep a wary eye on the rear lights of the vehicle you are tailgating.

Eventually, we scraped off some windows and made it out of the parking lot. The streets were still pretty snowy, which means you can basically drive anywhere on the road that you want because there isn't any line visibility. It is recommended, however, that one avoids driving into oncoming traffic. Once we reached the deserted Arby's, I was sent to look through the windows to make sure they were open, and after the two workers inside stared back at me like I was a crazy, we went in and ordered. It was fantastic; curly fries and dancing to cheesy Christmas songs on the radio. My favorite.

When we began the return journey, I noticed another result of such snowy days as this one. Since the snow piles up over 1ft high on the sides of the road, the sidewalks are shot. What are pedestrians to do? Walk in the street of course. You can only power through the snow in a car. If you're on foot, good luck dodging all the blind drivers that can't seem to figure out which side of the road to drive on.

Thanksgivius Festivius

2007-12-01T10:04:00.000-05:00

There are many reasons to be thankful during the Thanksgiving season...perhaps because it's the one time of year that people actually talk about being grateful. Personally, I just hold off on thanking anybody for anything until this one week of the year. So if I haven't gotten to you yet, it's because I'm still working on July - Sept. of 2007.

Now, this holiday is particularly special to college students, specifically because it simultaneously marks the realization that the semester is kicking their butts, and sparks ecstatic joy due to the wondrous fact that that there are only 2 weeks left of fall semester. So if you saw some students alternately twitching and grabbing their hearts, while giggling with glee, they were not experiencing a heart attack and excited about it.

My Thanksgiving Fest started on a very good note. So good in fact that, this year, in comparison to other years, I have a whopping 10 good notes to report, and have compiled them into a succinct list, complete with pictures (in chronological order).

#1: Sitting in the Forbidden Balcony

#2: Wearing an Amy & John Original (maybe if I hadn't organized the game, and Amy & John weren't the special guests, we would have won...)

#3: Fainting into Amy's arms after giving blood, yet again.

#4: Ticking off Amy in the outer perimeter of the Ladies bathroom.

#5: Making faces with Taryn and Hallie, and getting Taryn germs on my face.

#6: Only having to sit at one children's table this year with the other children, my 18-year-old brother and his gf, and my twenty-something cousin, while the 'real' table held the adults...a 3-year-old, a 1.5-year-old...and...a baby.

#7: Witnessing siblings unite in synchronized hitting to beat up their uncle. Priceless.

#8: Realizing that your cousin is addicted to IBC root beer. At least he's a happy drunk.

#9: Celebrating double birthdays, even though your birthday isn't for another few weeks...

#10: Squeezing Hailey's face.

Men's & Women's Night

2007-11-10T02:01:00.000-05:00

As you may have guessed from the title, there was indeed a time for us all to get together and jump into the opposite gender's head for awhile. The night included both a women's and men's panel who each talked to the ladies and gents separately.

There were many interesting questions brought up throughout the night, and I'm just going to throw a couple out there. Feel free to weigh in if the topic interests you (Note: As these things usually go, most of the questions had to do with guy-girl relationships, the topic that we all, and I'm generalizing here, secretly love to discuss).

Addressed to the Women's Panel:
1. The Bible uses the word 'helpmate' when describing a woman; how can you, therefore, not view women as the inferior race?

2. Why are maintaining friendships with your girlfriend's important?

3. What are some examples of how you have lived out the unique purpose God has created you for?

4. What is the line between making yourself vulnerable to guys in a godly way and going to far?

Addressed to the Men's Panel:
1. How can women support/affirm the men in their lives?

2. Does the verse in I Timothy 2 (11-12) that says women should listen quietly mean that women should not have any type of leadership roles in the church?

3. How do I handle "Christian Sexism": Men taking their role and turning it into a position of power and advantage over women?

4. This girl has a boyfriend who does not believe in Christ, but is, "supportive of her faith and relationship with Jesus". Her question was how to convey the importance of Jesus to her boyfriend.

A student on the panel started talking about how she could be a light to him and even cause him to come to Christ. Then a minister came out and said what the Bible states on believers and unbelievers...light and darkness. He was followed by another staff member who suggested that her leaving him could be the catalyst for him to come to Christ.

My question: Is that even right to try? Granted, the Bible states that a married woman who is faithful to the Lord can lead her husband to Christ, but does that really apply to dating relationships? They have no authority over one another, and haven't made any commitments under God, so one would logically conclude that the roles of married men and women wouldn't apply.

Devastation from a needle and a vein

2007-10-30T21:51:00.000-04:00

Blood:
1.the fluid that circulates in the principal vascular system of human beings and other vertebrates, in humans consisting of plasma in which the red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets are suspended.

22. make one's blood run cold, to fill with terror; frighten.

Sample:
1. a small part of anything or one of a number, intended to show the quality, style, or nature of the whole; specimen.

Catastrophe:
3. a final event or conclusion, usually an unfortunate one; a disastrous end.

Crisis:
3. a dramatic emotional or circumstantial upheaval in a person's life.

Things I have learned this week

2007-10-24T22:31:00.000-04:00

Monday:
I did not learn anything...

Tuesday:
1. When one forgets to set one's alarm the night before, do NOT lay in bed waiting for said alarm to sound until 8:12a.m. when one has class at 8:30a.m.

2. Do try to remember when you have homework for Sales Marketing so that you are not attempting to finish it 5 minutes before class starts.

3. After Sales Marketing ends, do NOT walk back to the Castle, listening to infectious Hindi music, thinking that you can finally breathe. No, you still have Finance at 1:00p.m. (your professor did not magically cancel class just for you). Realizing this at 12:53p.m. is not pleasant.

Wednesday:
1. Hey! I can drive my car from Illinois to Ypsi, and then from Ypsi to the BC on ONE tank of gas.

2. Getting a blood sample taken is underwhelming, yet appalling. My veins are vulnerable.

3. The Secretary of State office is the most popular hang-out in the BC. They were calling number 1 as I walked in and pulled out my number---34.

4. If I start to get randomly angry, depressed, start to withdraw from family and friends, etc...call mom.

5. After taking my medicine, I should eat something, such as that piece of tomato, to make sure that it doesn't burn a hole in my esophagus.
Mom: "You should eat that cheese"
Me: "What?!"
Mom: tries cheese. "This is good cheese"
Dad: "Well hey, you can still eat the butter and sugar that's left on the table"
Me: confused.

6. Hand-standing roommates are dangerous roommates.

College Weekend

2007-10-22T16:49:00.000-04:00

The theme this weekend was making God's will my desire. There has never been a more appropriate topic, in my estimation, as I seem to have a habit of giving everything to God (except that teeny, tiny, practically insignificant issue). As time passes, however, that minuscule issue inevitably becomes my hope, my vision, my idol, up until the point where, in the midst of figuring it out myself, I pray about it and my prayer is really an excuse for me to analyze it some more. All of this effort because God needn't be involved--until I pick my will and try to sell it to my CEO. I spend so much time developing a marketing campaign, complete with a theme song and lots of pretty pictures, that I sell myself to my idea before I've even presented it to the board. And my project is not the board's will...probably because I never bothered to learn what the company's vision was in the first place, probably because I never researched what my boss wanted.

So there I am, dazed and confused, saying the same thing once again, "This isn't God's will for my life?"

It's pity that there's so much time wasted and so much communication lost. Jesus has had to worry a lot about me. I've misunderstood him, he has lost my love to others, I've run away when Jesus has shown his true self, thought he was too persistent and just not my type, used him selfishly and to my advantage, left him and betrayed him, become bored with him, and hurt him. Yet, God still promises, "I will never fail you; I will never forsake you."

How can this be? Who is my God that he would take all of these things I throw at him, forgive me for them, and never do any of them to me? Truly, Jesus is the only one who will ever fully understand me. He knows 'where I came from' and where I am going. Most people are able to see the things I do, but Jesus knows why. And he works in the reasons.

"Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart." -Psalm 37:4

"When your will is God's will, you will have your will."

"If you have an idea, God has a better one."

My week in review

2007-10-07T23:35:00.000-04:00

I'm not quite sure why I'm even writing anything because the only part of last week I remember are the FOUR exams I was forced to take by my wonderful professors. The only noteworthy exam was Finance 350. You really have to wonder about an exam in which your professor supplies random (d.) answers that read like: "PV...what the h***! I don't speak Finance." and "Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn" (Gone With the Wind).

Gee...I hope those were the right ones...

Anyway, after the quadruple torture that took up most of the week there was the annual College of Business Career Conference on Friday. 'Tis a chance for all the eager collegiates to network with the businesses of their choice. I must say that the Marketing representation was underwhelming. All the Marketing majors were duking it out to talk to the 4-5ish companies that actually pertained to their career choice. I think I speak for all of us when I say that we were quite envious of those Accounting majors and their legion of job offerings.

Saturday marked the annual EMU vs. U of M football game (a game we are paid to play...). It was hot. And the number of Eastern fans was practically nonexistent. Gazing out across the Big House, one might occasionally spot a defiant green shirted fan packed in amongst the school-spirit-raging, key jangling, fist shaking Michigan fans...but they would quickly disappear from sight as a 47-year-old male would inevitably stand in front of them and start clanging his cowbell. Even my own brother was rooting for Michigan. Will no one ever give Eastern the respect it deserves? The good news is that we didn't even lose by that much. Unlike last year, in which I believe the team only won one game all season. This year it was simply a matter of a touchdown, give-or-take a few points.

The Amazing Love octet made an impressive appearance in Detroit Saturday night. They are a fabulous group of a capella singing dudes from Illinois. Their last song was one of my personal favs: Days of Elijah. What a great song to rejoice in the Lord.

Sunday was pretty standard...sermon, food, sermon...and that "Announcement". Now why is it that when you read announcement, you automatically thought, "Who is engaged now?" I won't examine your sad AC-thinking tendencies right now, because it was indeed an engagement: our dear Alexis. Alexis will be the 6th Michigan girl to get married in a span of 2 years (not even counting the guys...) That has to be some sort of record...If people from Mich keep getting hitched at that rate, we won't have any single people left. And then we'll have to put Mich single people on the endangered species list. I foresee a sad future if we can't reverse this trend. Note to non-Michigan people: stop proposing / saying yes. Save the singles!

So, I should stop making stuff up before I get in trouble...although I feel as though that has already occurred...

Paint Me Over

2007-09-27T22:24:00.000-04:00

Last weekend major painting took place at the Castle (a.k.a my apartment). There's not a whole lot of excitement to report...just long hours. Quite some time after my roommates had called it a night, I was up painting. Unfortunately the sin box was tuned into one of those Law in Order shows...and there is nothing worse than being tired, alone, and painting while listening to people getting capped behind you. So I changed it to 'Dirty Jobs', which made me feel better about my currently 'smelling-like-paint' self.

The real excitement began when we had to bring out the Dyson, which, as Dad says, 'drives like a Ferrari'. I cannot begin to describe the mass amounts of junk it sucked up...carpet fuzz, dustlies, cobwebs from 1972, dead bugs, live bugs, etc...after the Castle had been sufficiently vacuumed the whole dust-holder-thingy had to be cleaned because it had done such a good job of sucking up everything gross.

If Jesus were a Dyson, I would be the Castle. Just think about it...Jesus never loses suction either, no matter how gross I become. When he's cleaning he never blows my fuse, and he even has a retractable, bendable, all-reaching Holy Spirit accessory that gets to all the dark corners where I try to hide my dirt. Jesus' purifying intake is so powerful that he captures all my living sins that are just flying around, waiting to kill me as I sleep (like spiders do). When he's finished, all my dustlies and cobwebs from 1972 are gone. Terminated. Forgiven. Finally I am clean, with no dark corners, and prepared to invite people inside.

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch that doesn't produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so that they will produce even more. You have already been pruned for greater faithfulness by the message I have given you. Remain in me and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful apart from me." --John 15:1-4

BUG BOMB

2007-09-08T22:25:00.000-04:00

Sat: Return from Germany.

Sun: Go to church (and be seen).

Mon: Procrastinate packing for school.

Tues: "Oh no! I have to move to the apartment today!" Pack and drive...

2pm. Arrive at the new apartment, the place where I will be spending the next two years. Say hi to roomies. Unload everything. Look busy so parents will do the most dreaded tasks, such as: making the bed and arranging the furniture. Go to dinner with parents and return to apartment--alone. Enter room and take inventory. Look down for the first time and die a whole lot inside.

SPIDERS.

(The comprehensive history of Apartment #11 and the bugs that live(d) inside it)

In most normal homes spiders are usually seen outside, with the occasional interloper making its home in the bathroom, or on a ceiling. This problem is easily taken care of with a paper towel and 'Dad'. Punch and wipe...no more spider. However, in some extreme cases, in exotic locations (such as the one in which I live), the spider problem is more threatening. Picture a spider (any spider will do). Now multiply it by a million and place them 3 inches apart around the entire lower perimeter of my bedroom. Not cool...Dad had already left.

I had to implement the punch and wipe technique myself. What if I missed? The only thing worse than having to kill spiders myself is wondering when the 'one that got away' is going to come out of hiding and avenge his comrades.

As it would so happen, I did miss one, and he did reappear a few days later, after my parents had driven down my desk:

Mom: "Caitlin, there was a SPIDER-WEB right on your printer!"
Me: No response. Had already fainted.

Mom: "I can't believe that a SPIDER was living in your printer!"

Me: No response. Busy trying to suppress intense urge to run around screaming, "Kill it! Kill it!"

The next thing I knew I was walking though Meijer, buying a non-toxic, minty smelling, bug-killing spray. The apartment was thoroughly nuked before I was satisfied (and smelled minty-fresh afterwards). Unfortunately, my efforts were in vain. I may have sprayed the spiders away, but their demise only made the rise of my next foe more disturbing.

8am. Wake up. The only thing I want to do is take a shower, but when I walked in the bathroom a hoard of fruit flies blasted by my face! I thought for sure I could hear Moses in the distance shouting, "Let my people go!". The only problem with this was that I wasn't a pharaoh. I did pray, however, that God would help me aim my non-toxic, minty smelling, bug-killing spray. As I walked out to get it, I stumbled upon my roommate, waiting...watching...

Me: "Did you see all those bugs in the bathroom!?"

Sarah: "Yes, but I hoped they would disappear before you saw them..."

No such luck, since those fiends were still very much alive. After a good 15 minutes of spraying and squashing, I was satisfied. The bugs were not. They came at the apartment from all sides--causing pain and discomfort at every turn. They had to be stopped. It was us or the bugs, and we had no intention of cohabitation. There was going to be one last stand (all or nothing) that would rival the great battle scenes from Lord of the Rings or...Mulan. I needed advice, so I did what anybody would do. I called the Elder's wife.

Me: "Um yeah, so I hear you use bug bombs."

Peggy: (laughs) "Yesss...you can buy them from Meijer."

So there it was--back to Meijer! I bought those bombs and raced back to the apartment, where I prepped the area, putting down an outdoor force field to stop bugs from entering.

Then my roommates cleaned and put things away in preparation for the bug bombs while I...supervised.The bug bombs were unveiled.

They were put into position, and my roommates ran screaming from the apartment as I released the catch.

Fast forward 2 hours, and I was cleaning up the bugs. The dead bugs.

This has been the brief history of the bugs that used to live in apartment #11.

-The End-

Read my mind please

2007-08-06T09:06:00.000-04:00

So I've been deployed for 4 weeks now, and you'd think that I'd have about 50 blogs worth of material. Well...I probably do have 50 blogs worth of material, but here's the rub: I don't feel like writing about anything. Every night I write faithfully in my journal, and I just can't scrounge up enough mental pizzazz to write about everything again online.

I guess since I've already started typing, I should give some detail as to my new life as an Amerikanerin in Deutschland. My roommate, Catherine, and I live in an apartment by ourselves about a half hour outside the city. I am in Mittestrufe 2 at the University. Our teacher changes every two weeks. Last week marked the beginning of session B. Our new teacher is one of those serious, no-nonsense types. The atmosphere in class is that of nervous tension. I have to admit, I'm a little scared to go to school now. Never before have I been so stressed about making a mistake...In my head I know that's craziness, but trust me, after five minutes in that class, you'd be gasping for air too.

The best time is spent going out into the city...you know you've become well acquainted with a city when you start to recognize the local bums (which one plays music...which one just sits there...the trio that staggers around mumbling craziness and getting kicked out of subway).

For those of you interested in fashion, Düsseldorf happens to be the fashion capital of Northern Germany. Perhaps you've noticed a slight resurgence of 80s fashion in the US. The 80s have also invaded Germany, and they've hit hard. How you ask? Could it be with the skinny jean...or perhaps an off-the-shoulder sweatshirt? Maybe the women are wearing too much blue eye shadow, or *gasp* say it's not metallic leggings and sweatbands!

No, my fellow fashionistas, the problem is much worse: Mullets and rat-tails. I cannot begin to describe the heartache I feel every time I see some handsome German dude walking down the street. He is dressed to perfection...no baggy jeans and ripped T-shirt in sight. He is happy and healthy-looking...his hair is perfectly quaffed with just the right amount of gel giving it its shape.

And then I blink. I must not have drank enough water today because I think I'm hallucinating...there seems to be some unidentified object hanging from the back of his head. 'Don't move!' I cry, 'I think there's a rabid animal hanging to the base of your neck!' He just looks at me strangely and walks away. It is only then that I realize I have been in the presence of a fashion mullet. Dear Lord, I hope it's not contagious.

This disease is mostly found in German men, with a few women broadening the spectrum. There are many different strains: shorthairedmullet, spikedhairmullet, fohawkandmullet, traditional_rattailitis, dyed-hair_rattail, rattail_thick, two-toned_rattail, and my personal favorite, the double-rattail (sometimes called rat_synchronitis). Perhaps the greatest tragedy of all is that most of these cases feature a victim who sports what looks like a freshly cut hairdo on top with a mass of tangled, just-got-out-of-bed-and-forgot-to-comb-my-hair-for-the-tenth-day-in-a-row look.

America be warned. Women, keep an eye on your men. All it takes is a tiny tendril of hair to hang lower than all the others in the back...If this wisp is allowed to persevere, we could have an epidemic on our hands. Mullets and rattails would no longer be red-neck...they would be mainstream, and flaunting their tangly tresses on the necks of your boyfriends, husbands, uncles, grandpas, brothers, and fathers!

die Schweiz

2007-07-08T15:17:00.000-04:00

I'm in Switzerland. There are spiders here too.

I had to fry Wiener Schnitzle tonight...nothing is currently burning.

Home Alone, ACHSGC, and Spiders

2007-06-25T00:18:00.000-04:00

A lot has happened over the past week, the first being that my family took off for Florida, leaving me in the golden Michigan dust. The most significant detail of being left behind was that I suddenly found myself on 'kitchen duty'. Some people like to cook, and some people are just plain good at cooking, but when other people mention cooking and Caitlin in the same sentence, I say "Fire". Now, I have never actually set any food on fire, but I did bake a kitchen towel a couple of weeks ago (which was so not my fault); needless to say, the whole food preparation process was a little daunting, especially since I had to feed this food to my Grandma...

Overall, I would say that we both made it through the week without getting food poisoning. I grilled for the first time (and there are no signs of E. coli yet). However, every time I had a pot of water boiling on the stove it overflowed, but I don't count that as a kitchen disaster because I figure it was God's way of telling me that my cup runneth over. On a side note, I have been warned several times by some BC ladies (initials C.W. & P.J.) that I really shouldn't share stories of my mad cooking skills where "brothers" might hear, because it could ruin my chances for marriage...however, that's not how I see it. Doesn't it make more sense that a guy knows to purchase extra insurance and save money on a starter house because he is armed with the knowledge that his wife will probably just burn it down?

Anyway, that's about enough on that topic. On a much brighter note, Girls Camp was this past weekend, and I had the honor of being a counselor there. The girls were awesome, and the theme was right on: Idols. It was great to hear so many different perspectives on what idols different girls are dealing with. I think the weekend put a lot of issues into Godly perspective--at least they did for me. "Little children, keep yourselves from idols" --I John 5:21.

On a much dimmer note, it rained most of Saturday, and we all were just constantly dirty :0 However, that's not what bugged me so much...the real problem was the spider epidemic that infested our cabin, specifically our bathroom ceiling. You've probably already guessed that I hate spiders, even more so when they're hovering above me--waiting to pounce--as I get ready in the morning. You see, at the tender age of 16, my Biology teacher thought it would be marvelous to show 'Arachnophobia' to the class. Those spiders were brutal killing machines lead by a master spider who could only be defeated with a flaming crossbow (I have never owned a flaming crossbow). After being brainwashed by that horrid movie I wasn't able to eat cereal, take a shower, turn out a lamp, or put on a football helmet for weeks...and I still haven't recovered to this day. But by some miracle, I made it through Girls Camp unscathed (except for when I made Julie's bathroom my idol because it was spiderless...).

In Retrospect

2007-06-04T15:16:00.000-04:00

This past weekend I had the pleasure of traversing to both Alto and Leo. While the trip included getting lost and locking my keys in the car (thank goodness my family is talented at breaking and entering), I eventually arrived at my final destination to spend a lovely weekend with my friend Ann. We managed not to get rained on while 'shopping' and movie watching. We also discovered that we are the two most indecisive people in the world. It's funny because I usually find that indecisiveness is a problem whenever I am with another human being. I need to meet some real decision makers...or start making some decisions myself. I prefer to call this quandary 'extreme mellowness'. It's not that I "don't care", it's just that I would hate to suggest something that someone else loathes...indeed, I would rather be the suggestion receiver. That way I can maintain my "whatever" stance and still nix the suggestions I don't like. Ahh, to be...mellow.

Upon returning home, I spent some time reflecting on past journal entries. I came across a few rather depressing ones from my time in Florida. Last year I spent 3+ months working in Florida, living with strangers, and if there were any Christians in the vicinity, I was not fortunate enough to meet them. Upon embarking on this adventure I was excited to get away from everything and everyone...to have some time 'alone' with God. It didn't take very long, however, to discover that I was just alone. Living without accountability, fellowship, or kindred spirits eventually led me to rely on myself, and thus began a cycle of self-pity, poor choices, and then asking God why I felt spiritually empty.

I consoled myself with the thought that I am never truly alone with God in my life, but when that relationship is not tended too, the idea that God is present in my life becomes a mere thought. I did not seek and I did not share. It is no surprise that I condemned myself to wallow in my own poor company.

Perhaps the most hard learned lesson came from the day when God offered me his help. I had some business at the credit union, and the man who helped me was a 'faith-on-his-sleeve' Christian man. He shared with me some of his history; he was a minister at his church; he gave me his card and told me to call him if I ever needed help. After he sent me off with a "God bless you & be with you" I never called for that help. One of the most painful experiences in my life has been to look back and realize that God was stretching out his hand in that moment, and I walked away. That man was the only Christian I met that summer; he was the key to something that I chose not to have. Instead, I ended that summer with my faith in shambles, remembering how I had missed out on God's purpose for me, and wondering what could have been.

I would not wish such consequences on anyone. God leads us to many places, and some are outside our comfort level. When we despair and grow lonely, it is not enough to say that God is there. Seek out the people and opportunities that God has provided. When you feel alone in a crowded room, reach out to the people in that room and see how it changes things; for I have found that the greatest proponent of my loneliness is...me. God will not give us more than we can handle, but we must take advantage of what he has given.

Rocks

2007-05-29T18:23:00.000-04:00

So I have this Geology class, and we are obviously learning about all things pertaining to earthiness. The latest topic is rocks. I know that there are many people who love and adore rocks. For anyone who's watched POTC3, we know that Captain Jack is an avid geologist (see licking rock, which is a bona fide geological practice.) I myself have licked some rocks / minerals in class, and I can only wonder what disease will come from that folly.

But I digress, for those of you who know absolutely nothing about rocks, allow me to explain; there are 3 types of rocks: Sedimentary, Igneous, and Metamorphic. Sedimentary are caused by weathering and natural occurrences, Igneous by magma, and Metas by pressure and cooking. Interestingly enough these three rocks can all morph into one another through one process or another. Even more interestingly than enough, people are a lot like rocks. Perhaps we begin life with some serious meltdowns, and as we mature from that point we no longer experience frequent life traumas, but we learn to change and deal with the pressure of the world. Eventually, as wisdom abounds we become weathered and learn to transition with the urging of the Spirit.

Yes indeed, people are like rocks. The only thing left to decide is which type of rock we most resemble. Which stage are we in? Perhaps a most important geological question pertains to this situation: Do we taste like salt?