Two People

I always go back to the mountains. I can never return from them without wanting to go back. I leave and immediately feel worse. However, sometimes in the mountains, my body is there and yet my mind is in the valley. I feel like I am two people who have been fighting all the time. Two people that are at different elevations. On the mountain, my eyes see glory and magnificence. In the valley, my eyes only see a splinter of light surrounded by darkness. I am terrified of the dark. The rolling thunder terrifies my mind as it brings me back to darkness. I hate to walk around my head, but when I was in the summer, that was all I got to do. I walked around my head and I only saw the broken. I only saw the shattered pieces that I try to hold together in front of everyone else. I see a storm on the horizon like one that I haven't seen in a couple of years. I feel as if this one is more powerful than the last, like a hurricane that no one has ever seen before. I see some light, but it is only a sliver of it. I feel like a shell of a person that I was. I hate that my mind does this because I feel like I need to be strong for the others that are around me. The silence in my head is what scares me most for I know that it is only lurking in the background waiting for its chance to pounce when I am least suspecting. I cannot help but to feel as if I have no hope. I try to cling to Christ, but my faith is so shaken that I do not know if he is really there. I know this is Satan and his work trying to make me fearful, but his tactics are successful. I absolutely hate feeling like this and I want it to stop. I want it all to stop. I want to stop feeling everthing, but I have people who depend on me. I have to keep going for them. I do not want to keep going. I have faked it for so long. I have pinned it behind a wall in my mind for so long, I allowed myself to forget it was even there. I didn't even notice the cracks in the wall before it had eventually failed and opened like a flood gate. I have to continue though. I cannot let this stop me. I have to keep going regardless of how much I feel that I cannot move on.

I see two people; I am two people. One is on the mountain who is thriving and acting in the right way. The other is in the valley with almost no hope of getting up the mountain ever in his life. I cannot see the end, but I want to make the end for myself. I want the shortcut regardless of the pain. I want the end to come. But I have people here who need me. I am two people. I make it to where I am no longer viable in my own eyes, yet I fight for pre-borns' lives. I no longer care for myself but only for those around me and my work. I want to see the good end, but I crave and end no matter what. I am sorry to those I have hurt in the past, but I feel like I cannot move on. It has come to pass that some nights I was totally fine with not waking up in the morning. Part of me thinks that if I leave this life, I can return to a better one, but I cannot work the math in my head to see the end result. I am two people. I hate the splitedness of my mind where I am constantly at war with myself to the point where I do not care which one wins.

Only Jesus?

What now? I am back home from my internship and I return to school on Monday, so what now? As you all will recall, I had a set song for my summer. The main question that I have today is "Is having only Jesus good enough?" I read an article on Facebook the other day that addressed this exact thing. If everything was taken away from us this very moment, would Jesus be enough? Sure, we are to say, "Of course he is enough! He is God and he will sustain us!", but do we really believe that? Yes, some truly do and I envy them for their complete faith. Sometimes I don't think this. I have my questions, but they are not all the way to doubts. I know God will provide for me (I have seen him do time and time again), I know that he loves me though sometimes love is hurtful.

You see, In love, we don't always get what we want, but instead, we get what we need. Sometimes what we need is some tough love. We might not be able to be in a relationship that we want because that would be detrimental to ourselves. We might not be at the job, school, house, etc. that we want to be at, but we are in these places because God knew what we needed when we needed it. Always, through and through, God's love wins. That is all that it is. His love wins out. So, yes, God is all-loving, but what we think of love is skewed from what love is. God is the perfect love and not the skewed version that we have on this earth. It doesn't matter what I feel about who I love or what anyone feels about who they love, but God's love is the ultimate love. We may not be able to control how we feel, but we can turn to God.

My family always ask me if I am going to be in a relationship. I know that God is calling me to singleness for the time being. I know what feelings I have in me, and they are to be in a relationship. However, if I were to go into a relationship now, I would stop my focus on God and turn it to another person. That is not right. My focus needs to be on Christ and not another person and if I need to be single to do that, then let that be so.

Is Jesus enough to be my only thing? In some ways, I believe he completely is. I cannot sit here and type that I believe he is enough for everything for me because I know deep in my heart that I do not believe that quite yet. I still struggle with the concept of Jesus being enough. My family has had to fight for too many things. My grandparents were share-croppers, they helped raise other people's children. My mom had to work multiple jobs through college to make it through, she still works 4 jobs to make it through and to support her kids. My family fights for what we need (and a little of what we want), so how can Jesus be enough when we have to fight? My faith has grown a lot this past couple of years, but that does not mean that I have everything figured out. I still have a lot to learn of God and I hope that as I continue to learn that my faith will grow and that my trust in Him will also grow.

With all this being said, I will leave you all with a bit of challenge. I challenge you all to grow. Grow more in Christ so that when you are asked if Jesus will be enough for you, you can say yes. May God bless you all!

The First 48

I have now been in the States for less than 48 hours. I have talked with friends and family, cooked a really good meal, and have slept wonderfully! I am ecstatic to be back home and to be able to rest and re-acclimate to the American culture. I have been able to finish my video that I have been working on for 10 weeks now. It is up and running and I will be sharing it within the next couple of days. I am now in the mode of writing reports for my supporters, greeting people, and talking to my church about what went on this summer. I am so excited to share my experiences with my small group on Sunday!

I am still in the first 48 hours of being back in the country, but I am so excited to be here and am being very restful! I have experienced culture shock once again, but this time it is a good shock. I have come from a cold-climate culture to a hot-climate culture where I thrive. I have learned a lot from my summer and I will always have these lessons and memories with me! Now on to writing more reports and starting the initial packing for school! Until next time, Y'all!

It’s a Me, Acts Project

Well, I have made it to Italy! I’ve been here a couple of days now and have been in the state of relaxation and debrief with the rest of my classmates. We each get the opportunity to share with the rest of the class how our summers went and what God has done in them and in us. So far, we have shared laughs, cries, and cringes as stories have been told. From stories of a Holocaust survivor to Cholera to boat rides and more, we have all shared these experiences and have been there for each other. We only have 2 full days left here and then we leave for the States on Tuesday!! I cannot wait to be home with my family!! This is a short blog for the week, but be assured we are all having a good time and we are all ready to be with our loved ones. So, until I return to the States, God bless! 

One Last Time

This will be the last blog that I write in Switzerland. Only one song comes to mind when I am writing this. From the Broadway musical Hamilton, One Last Time. This song is when Washington tells Hamilton that he is not going to run for a third term as President. Washington says, "We're gonna teach them how to say goodbye, say goodbye, you and I." Well, now it is my turn to learn how to say goodbye to the people that I have worked, lived, learned, laughed, and cried with. This summer has flown by and the opportunities do not cease to come by. This has been an awesome experience this summer. I could not have asked for a better summer. I had a wonderful time experiencing new things and doing them with great people. There were frustrations, talks with God, and growth. I have learned to be silent and to listen more closely to the Spirit. I have tried my hardest to see people as people just like Jesus did. I hope that people saw Jesus in me this summer as it is only he that can save.

I am almost all the way packed and cleaned up; all there is now is to wake up in the morning and get to the bus in time. I am so excited to see all my classmates again! It will be nice to have this transition period with my classmates, professors, and OM. I hope that this week will be productive for all of us. Only 15 hours until I head to Italy to meet them all. Some of my classmates are already on the way from their countries. Pray for safety for all of us as we try to get to Italy.

So, until I write again once in Italy, it's time "to say goodbye, say goodbye, you and I."









Below are some pictures from Geneva and Lauterbrunnen

Cotton Eye Joe

'What a week it has been! This week I had the summer camp in Eglisau and it was a lot of first experiences. I slept in a tent for the week, ate some good swiss-ish food, and was able to be disconnected from technology and more connected with God. I started off on Sunday not knowing what I was doing in the camp. I knew that I was one of the leaders, but I didn't know what my specific job was. On Monday, I was able to find out that the camp needed a photographer. That is what I became for the week. After 370+ photos, I have now documented the week. The theme was the Wild West and was more of a country theme than anything. Majority of the songs that were played on the Bluetooth speakers were country, and me being from the Nashville area, I knew the majority of the songs. Another leader and I were able to teach some of the other leaders and some of the kids the Cotton Eye Joe dance as that was the theme song for when it was time for the Milk Bar.

One of the greatest moments for me was when the kids accepted me as one of them. I spent the first three days as an outsider who the kids (and some leaders) were wary of. I completely understood this and did not blame them as I was wary of them as well. On Wednesday, I was able to break through the barrier of fondness. While helping wash dishes, we all got on the subject of those who sing while they work. One of the kids asked why was that a thing. We talked and talked and it came to the point where we started naming all the places in media and such that we have seen people sing while they work. Naturally, I brought up almost all the Disney Princesses who sing while they work. When I did this, a couple of the kids got excited to talk about Disney and other things like Broadway and such. Later on that afternoon, I was surrounded by kids who were just asking questions like what music I like, what my favorite movie is, etc. I had a wonderful time answering their questions and they seemed to enjoy it as well.

On the last day, the kids wanted to put on a Talent Show, so we let them and they asked some of the leaders to perform in it as well. They asked me if I would do something for it as well. So, I decided to sign a song. I chose to sign "Heathens" by Twenty-One Pilots. I have been working on this song for a couple of years now due to its fast pace and my limited time. Finally, I was able to perform it. When the show was all said and done, the judges tallied up the points and the crowd favorite points and awarded first, second, and third place. I won first place. I went from being the person no one knew to winning the talent show. It was a great time to spend with the kids and to have this experience.

The greatest lesson I had was when God told me to be still and be silent. The entire week was in Swiss-German. I had no clue what was going on, I only knew to take pictures throughout the week. I had no WiFi, so I was out of communication from everyone except for those around me (and yes, a majority of them knew English). I was able to be alone a couple of times when they would go swimming in the Rhine. One of those times, they went up river about 30 minutes and then floated down to the area we normally enter. I decided to stay back and meet them where they would leave the river. During this time, I was able to be at the river and read the Bible and talk with God. He lead me to Isaiah 6. This is the call of Isaiah; the "here am I, send me" passage. I heard God through this passage in a way that I have not heard him before in the same passage. Yes, this is most commonly used as a missions verse, but this time it wasn't about the actual verse, but the context around the verse. Isaiah was crying and bowing and saying how dirty he was before the Lord and how he is not worthy. Then God asks, "Who is here that I can send?" That is when Isaiah, even though he knows of his dirtiness begs God to send him. We should all be like this. We all think that we are too dirty to serve God and yet he still wants us to do his work. Isn't that wonderful? It was good to be away from technology for a while and to be with God in his glorious nature.

Tomorrow, I head to Geneva for my last travel day in Switzerland. I only have just over 2 days until I leave for Italy. So, until tomorrow, y'all have a good Sunday.

Pound by Pound by Pound!

Well, I am officially in my last week and getting towards my last few tasks to do in Switzerland. This past week, I was in the city of Zurich (see previous posts) doing Reach a Tourist. This next week, I will be at a summer camp in the woods near Eglisau. I am so excited about this next week! I cannot believe that my time here is almost done and that I will be in Italy soon. I can't wait to see my friends on the 24th, but I am also sad to leave this place.

Over the Summer, I have had a lot of first experiences. I have now traveled on an airplane by myself, I have traveled in a tram, public bus, and train by myself. By the 22nd, I will have traveled across an entire country by my self. I have jumped in the Rhine River, been in a small boat on said river, and went across Lake Zurich. All of these experiences allowed me to meet some really interesting people and to some of these people, I was able to share the Gospel. I have had the time of my life here!

One of the biggest accomplishments that I have had here is that I have now lost 16 pounds this summer!! This may not seem like a big deal to some people, but to me, this is a lot! I have tried for years to lose this kind of weight, but this time, when I wasn't worried about it and wasn't thinking about it, it came right off! I hope to lose 4 more pounds before I come home, but if not, that is okay! The life here in Switzerland has allowed me to eat healthier and to walk more. The vegetables are cheaper, the meat is higher and slightly leaner. I have been happier in the way that I am losing the weight and able to keep it off. I am definitely bringing this back home with me and back to college with me! I have a lot to show for this summer, but this is special to me.

As I begin to pack for the camping trip next week, I can't help but to think back and reflect on my summer internship. I have had a blast here and that will continue with this week and then Geneva and then Italy!

Starting tomorrow, I will be off the grid. So, no blog posts for the entire week. I will try to do one on Saturday night, but most likely it will be Sunday before I write again! So until then, thank you all for the prayers and support! May God bless you all!

Hello!

So, today, I was on the tram going towards the stop Central (Cen- trAl ['A' as in apple]) in the city for Reach a Tourist. First thing, if you follow my facebook, no I did not pack the salt once again, and the flickering lights keep me to wonder why I don't. Second, I was listening to my broadway playlist on Spotify and the song 'Hello' from The Book of Mormon came on. This is my favorite song from that musical, but the irony did not hit me until we were once again on the streets. I thought nothing of us doing street evangelism until I saw a couple of Mormons doing the same thing. As soon as I saw that, the irony hit me and the song became stuck inside my head for the rest of the day.

Now, there is nothing wrong with doing street evangelism as it is very effective to get to a bunch of people in an afternoon. I only write this as I thought it was funny to hear the song and then realize we always start the conversation with "Hello!" Sometimes I had to control my laughter from the song in my head.


On a serious note, why don't more Christians do street evangelism? The main ones I see are Westboro, Hate spreaders, and people that like to shout doom and gloom too much. Why do we not have a Reach a Tourist program in like Nashville, Chattanooga, Gatlinburg, New York, etc.? These are great places to reach multiple people from around the world that come to your home city. You tell them a little bit about the beautiful natural sites in the city, the history of the city, and/or even the religious history of the city so that you can then transition it into the Gospel. I mean, we could even do that in Columbia, TN (Mule Day anyone?). It has been a great tool for me to meet people from around the globe and share that the natural wonders that we see in Zurich (Alps, hills, river, trees, etc.) are created by God and that he created us and that he loves us.

Tomorrow is the last day for Reach a Tourist. I'll give a blog post and a newsletter after that! Until then, everyone, have a nice day!

Around The World in 80 Minutes

While Reach a Tourist lasts more than 80 minutes, you can be assured that you meet people from all around the globe. Today, my group and I went around the streets of Zurich and met people from Hong Kong, Korea, Indonesia, India, China, Canada, the United States, and France. I may have forgotten a couple more countries, but needless to say, we have seen people from as far as the East is to the West.

This afternoon was more active than yesterday. People were more open to what we had to say and for what we had in our bags. I was able to talk to the couple fro Hong Kong. They were at Zwingli's church in which he started his part in the reformation. I saw him, really I heard him, take pictures with his camera using voice recognition. This was the starting point of the conversation as I had not seen anything like this. We talked about the cathedral and I asked if he knew the history behind it. He said that he didn't and when I asked if I could share some of it, he said that he would enjoy that. I started to tell of the reformation and how it played a huge role in understanding the Bible for the crowds and not just relying on the Priests to interpret. I told him that the reformation began in Zurich 500 years ago this year (yes, a year after Martin Luther). I told him that Zwingli had put his work in translating the Bible from Latin to German so that people could have their own Bible. I went on to tell a bit more of the history and what was inside the church. I say all of that because sometimes, the gospel is not just starting off with how Jesus died. Sometimes it starts as a history tour of a building that leads to more questions of why that history was needed in the first place.

We have two more days left in Reach a Tourist. I pray that every day God uses us for His glory.

Reach a Tourist

Today was the first Reach a Tourist meeting in Zurich. We are doing this project until Thursday. It was a bit slow today, but I think it was because of the deconstruction of the festival. Many people were not in the normal tourist spots because of the deconstruction happening in those exact spots. However, the Gospel was spread to many people from around the world. There was not a moment that wasn't ordained by the Father.

I was able to meet some people from New York. If you're in the states, you know that Northerners and Southerners do not get along. I was not going to let this stop me, but I almost let the mocking of my accent stop me. Y'all know how it is when you get tired the accent gets drawn out and fish becomes fiiiiiiiish. Well, I'm tired, and yes I'll be getting a lot of rest tonight, but it was uncalled for when one of them tried to imitate my accent. I am not bitter, but just a little disappointed that people still do that. I went on to help them know where to go within the city and where the cool places are to go with the old buildings. They seemed like nice people otherwise.

Tomorrow, we go back out to hopefully reach more and more tourists. Let's hope the rain holds off this week and that it stays cool enough that people want to come out and be a tourist.

God bless y'all and goodnight.

Do You See What I See?

On Saturday, I was invited to go to a "BBQ" again with some OMers that are either based in Zurich or live there. We totaled about eight people. It was a great time of fellowship and laughter. We all shared something from our hearts or an observation that we had made. My observation had been from my project. As I walked the streets of Hirzenbach, I saw many people with many different backgrounds. However, they all had at least one thing in common: they all wanted to be seen. I saw people of different ethnicities, genders, religious backgrounds, and cultures when I walked the streets. I saw them as people and not as the other things listed. I saw them as them. That is what everyone in this world wants is to be seen. If you have been following this blog since the beginning, then you know that my calling is to go towards the outcasts of society. Who are the outcasts? It totally depends on where you are in the world. It can be the people who are homeless, the veterans of the nation, the mentally disabled, LGBT+ people, Muslims, refugees, etc. All these people want is to be seen. Notice, there is no race in this list. I do not care what color your skin is for you are a person, and I see you. This is what Jesus did. He saw people for people and not as their job, race, etc. He also told of the judgments to come and how people needed to turn from their sins, but his first step was to see people as people. If we see people as a "disease" or as I have so eloquently have read, "a Plague", then we are no better than others who have used these types of words to kill off millions. Once we begin to demonize people and try to say that they are not people, that is when we lose the chance to spread the Gospel. We are called to love people as people, we are called to preach Gospel, but where is the line between loving and accepting? I say look to Jesus for he is the ultimate answer. Look at how he helped people, look at how he interacted with people, and look at how he carried himself in all circumstances!

I was able to put this lesson into practice on Saturday afternoon as I went into the city for a movie and then the Zuri fest. I went into the new Spider-Man movie and I saw a lot of different people, but I also saw a lot of people that just wanted to see a movie. Afterward, I went more into the city and saw well over 20,000 people on the streets who were all different. We were all having a blast listening to the music being played, watching the air show done by planes and helicopters, some were ziplining, others eating and drinking; we were all there to have a good time.

What would have happened if I had just started to make people feel like they were different? Now, yes, some people have demonstrations that set them apart from all the rest, but this is not what I am talking about. If I had just started to make a sign saying that everyone needed to turn to Christ or burn in Hell for eternity that instant, then I would not have been very successful. In fact, I would have probably set back the missionaries here a few months because I have not started a distaste for Christianity in the mouths of the people of Zurich and all of the tourists that were there as well.

So, do you see what I see? This question is not meant to be boastful by any means, but do you see the people as people? Once we can do that, we can start relationships and start talking about Jesus and his deep love for all of us.

Below are a few pictures from the festival.

Bunker Down!

So I have been sitting on this information for a while now, waiting to see when a perfect time would be to share it. Since it is still Tornado season pt. 2 (of at least 3 parts) in the South, I decided to now share this. In the Southern United States, there is a famous meteorologist named James Spann. When I lived in Alabama, he was and is the most trusted in weather mapping and tracking. When he says the words, "Bunker down!" then you know that the storm has now turned into a tornado or hurricane (depends on the part of Alabama you are in). When you are in the south, bunker down means to go to the basement of your or a neighbor's home put on the bike helmets, get to the point where it has the most distance away from the outside, and hold each other tightly until the storm passes over.

You might be wondering where I am going with this, and I am glad I have gotten your interest. Here in Switzerland, they have the South beat when it comes to "bunker down." Here, every house and every big building had to have a bomb bunker. That is until the 1990's when they no longer had to build the bunkers.

Y'all let me tell you, it is like going back in time when I walk into the bunker in the church that we work with. They have now changed it into a storage room where they hold items for different ministries. Even though they have lights and all, it is still pretty creepy being down there. The lights are motion sensor lights and sometimes they do not come on immediately as you walk into the room, so, if you know me, this creeps me out. It is a really neat experience to see a bomb shelter, made because of the Cold War (hey, Switzerland may be neutral, but they are not stupid). The one in the church is pretty big because it had to hold many people in case war broke out during the services. It has a couple of rooms and they remind me of my Grandparents' homes. With the wood paneling on the walls and the bright yellow of the blast doors. It makes it for a throwback (and if war happened and you didn't close the door, it really would be a throwback... sorry probably a bit morbid).

I find this interesting since, in the States, we do not have these except in really rare and old places. These are not really accessible to the public, that is if the public even knows that they are there. Ours are old and filled with military rations from the 1960s and have not been updated or kept up. In the case of emergency and war, Switzerland is good to go with the bunkers and the States not so much, but, besides Japan and terrorists, who is really (trying to be PC) unintelligent enough to attack the USA?

Anyways, there is an interesting factoid for my friends and family in the States! Have a wonderful July 5!

Let Freedom Ring... Or The Doorbell That Works Too

Today, I was able to play all my Independence Day playlist on Spotify and sometimes I was able to play it at full blast. I cooked my teammates a southern lunch, sorry no cornbread 'cause no cornmeal, and had apple pie for dessert. I also wore my Tennessee flag shirt to show off the Red, White, and Blue! It has been a wonderful time and I was able to hear the freedom of my home country ring from 4000 miles away.

I was also able to hear the doorbell ring from upstairs. And of course, it was our friendly neighborhood Jehovah's Witnesses. Today was the last meeting that I will have with them here due to the fact that I will be gone away from the house for the next two weeks and then I am leaving Switzerland on the third week. We had wonderful conversations about Jesus, Hell, Evil, Love, and a lot more philosophical and theological topics. They stumped me a couple of times and I stumped them a few times, so I think that it was a good time! I hope to have more interactions like this when I get back to the states! They both were so receptible to what my ideas were and I was able to follow their ideas. They seem to be so close to real Christianity that it really hurts. They have a different Bible that adds or subtracts words from the text. I had to read from the original Greek and Hebrew for them to stop and think that maybe their Bible is wrong. Of course, this was not my goal but to only have them think deeper as to what their Bible says compared to the original texts say.

This post, without saying I guess, goes to my professors at Bryan and all the people that have helped me form my view of the Bible and the truth from it. Without you all, I would have been sucked into their closeness and missing the actual truth.

So, everyone, enjoy the rest of your Independence Day (since the majority of my readers are 7 hours behind)! Happy 4th and please be careful with the fireworks and/or gunshots tonight! Don't drink and drive or shoot.

Thank You Shady Brook Cinemas!

Thank you to my Shady Brook family who supported me in getting to Switzerland! I thank them for giving me the opportunity to have my first job for the past three years and for me to be able to come back during breaks. I appreciate all of them and how they have trained me for life! Thank you all! If you all want to see a family-friendly movie this summer for FREE then head on over to Shady Brook Cinemas on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays for a free movie provided by Muletown businesses! When you get there, be sure to get a $2 small popcorn and a $2 small drink!! C'mon out and enjoy these movies for great fun! Check out their schedule for all movies, including the FREE summer movies, on their website http://www.shadybrookcinemas.net/ !!!  

Now that this advertising is there, I truly appreciate them and cannot wait to work for them again in the Winter for my break from school. Today, I am extra appreciative for them teaching me how to pop popcorn. Yes, it sounds like a simple thing, but there are some things that you have to learn to get the perfect popcorn (which Shady Brook makes fresh by the way). Today, I had the opportunity to make the last snack for the final kids club. We decided to have a carnival theme and have the snack be watermelon and popcorn. Thank you, Lord, for the knowledge in how to pop it when it is only kernels and not microwave (Yes they have microwave popcorn here, but I wanted to make fresh popcorn. Plus, it was cheaper to do that than to buy ten boxes of microwave popcorn.).

Making the popcorn made me feel like I was back in the concession stand except without the crowds (really, everyone should work some type of customer service). The smell of fresh popcorn brought back all the memories and the feels of my hometown, Muletown, theater.

The kids club ended with a fluster of games, arts, and snacks. This was a good ending, in my opinion at least, for the kids club. The kids seemed to have fun and us, adults were able to control the crowd and possibly have some fun themselves. Here are some pictures from today! Until tomorrow, God bless!!

Chains.

Today, I went to the senior Luncheon and was able to give the input (devotion). Y'all I am not going to lie, I was nervous as all get out being in front of them. The verse that I referenced was Acts 26:29. It goes:

"And Paul said, 'Whether short or long, I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me this day might become such as I am-- except for these chains'" (ESV).

I focused on the aspect of chains. I had done something like this in the past but with Barrabbas instead of Paul. Except for this time, the message was a bit different. In Barrabbas, I was talking about the choice we make to either be Barrabbas or if we are to be like Christ. In this message, God told me to focus on the chains themselves. The chains that we all hold onto or that we can't seem to shake off. We all have these chains. They bind themselves in our shame, regret, struggles, pain, guiltiness, etc. What we have to do is trust the one that is able to break the chains and the one that is able to take care of us forever. In him, we are set free and we are free indeed. There are no more chains except the chain of freedom. I challenged them to examine themselves to what chains are still holding them down. They may still hurt physically, but the spirit will be free and it is such a relief. 

I wish I had said all of this when I was up there. I froze for a few minutes due to nervousness. I hope that the point was brought to light and that I pleased God in this. I know that God is pleased when He is taught and that is exactly what I tried to do. Let this be a learning curve for me in my entire line of preaching in years to come. 

This was probably the last time I will be with the Seniors at their Luncheon since I am away for the next two Tuesdays, and then I am packing up and cleaning on the third Tuesday to leave that next morning to go to Milan. 

That's all that I have for today. Tomorrow is the last Kids club meeting and it is going to be a blast! Carnival themed games and snacks for the kids! should be pretty cool! 

July

So, I am officially in my last couple of weeks in my internship. This week, I give a devotional to the seniors during their luncheon on Tuesday, we will end Kids Club on Wednesday, and will celebrate Independence Day (at least I will...). Next week I am with another ministry that DB is running here in Zurich. The week after that, I am in a summer camp. That week, I probably will not have WiFi since we are going to be in the woods and actually camping with tents and everything, so I will have to post when I get back. Then, I only have two days left in Switzerland before I leave for Italy. Where has the time gone?

After Thursday, I will have celebrated two American holidays in another country. I have missed July 4th a couple of times in the past (from Summit camp and Cincinnati Mission Trip), but I have never been in another country while this holiday occurred. So, I am bringing a lot of my American charm to Switzerland come Thursday. I already have a playlist of patriotic songs, a menu planned out for the day, and just a lot of America.

I have to take the time to explain why I am doing this. I am a proud American. We are known for our patriotism and national pride. Being in a different country has allowed me to see America from a different set of eyes than the ones from the South. With all the turmoil in the States right now, many people do not see any hope for my/their country. The election is coming and I do not think anyone in America is ready for it. We have a bunch of babbling baboons (thanks, Professor McGonagall) trying to say what they want for this country. They run other themselves and others on the stage that no one even gets a word in. I am not talking just about one party here. When we can all come to the table and discuss civilly what our differences are, what we all think, and come to compromises, then that is when this country will grow. However, the country will not really flourish until it accepts Jesus the Christ back into its borders. We push and push and God allows it because we have the free will, but we need to use this will to pray for forgiveness. I do not trust my government the way a person should be able to. I do not completely trust my Commander in Chief. I fully trust God in his plan, but my government is not God and they are from him. The President is not my or America's Savior; that is solely Jesus the Christ.

We shout from our computer screens what we believe but when typing becomes action, a lot of us fall back and retreat to our computer screens. If we all call to a cause, then let us not only be a part of that cause behind a screen but also let us live it out in our real lives. So, volunteer at that Women's Center, help that Vet office, clean the roads and rivers, do something! If we all sit down and think others will do it, then nothing will get done and we will all fall apart.

This is why I am in Switzerland. I believe in the cause of Christ and I went. I believe in America and I go. I believe in Life and I volunteer. What do you believe in? How do you show it so others know?

I am proud to be an American, but I am disheartened by its trajectory and pace. The only leader that will turn the country around is Jesus Christ and we elect him by inviting him in our hearts. No man or woman can turn this country around without this country coming to Christ first.

Glory be to God and may he bless these United States of America.

It’s a small world after all

These past couple of days has been busy! Since it has been a few days, okay almost a week, since the last time I blogged, let me set the scene of this week. Travel is the main word for this week. While Monday I was planning out the devotion for next Tuesday, this Tuesday through Thursday has been traveling galore! Tuesday was a BBQ at the OM Headquarters with the board and all. I traveled there and back with a good time of stories, food, and companionship. I got to see a leader that I haven’t seen since the Albanian Camp at the end of May and got to see many new people! On Wednesday. M and I went to Bern for an international pastors conference and, again, I got to see many more people that I knew and even more that I got to meet. After the conference, M and I went to tour the Old Town of Bern where the cathedral, government buildings, Swiss bank, and older buildings are. After that, I went on to Interlaken and Luzern. After many delays of the train, people were starting to get antsy and actually started to talk to others rather than be on their phones, laptops, etc. I was able to meet people from India, New Hampshire, California, and, of course, Switzerland. They were all very awesome people who do really cool jobs or want to do really cool jobs. The people from India work in the financial state (I don’t know if that’s the right word) in India, the girls from California just graduated high school (how they have money to travel all throughout Europe astounds me), the lady from New Hampshire is a nurse, and the guy from Switzerland sells insurance. They were all very nice and were very talkative. We talked about anything and everything. They asked what I was doing in Switzerland and I was able to tell them and when they asked who I was with, I was able to share some gospel (they weren’t really specific about what ‘who’ they meant...). After the train delays, though I wasn’t able to see all that I wanted to see, I had talked to people from three continents. So yes, it’s a small world after all, indeed.

Thursday was a fun work day. All of HFZ was able to say goodbye to R as she starts her new journey. We all went to the river Rhine where we all got on a small boat. If you all know me, I am terrified to be on a small boat. I barely and rarely go fishing in a small boat let alone hours upon hours on a small boat in the river. However, I did it. I’m still terrified of the small boats, but I feel that if I can steer the boat, then I feel more comfortable in the boat. We all took turns jumping out of the boat into the river and took the time to help everyone get back in. Usually it was pretty easy to get people back in as there was a small ladder. All we had to do was make sure the boat was steady when they came in. However, I had never 1) gone into a river this deep, 2) jumped out of a boat, and 3) tried to get back into the boat. Needless to say, I was not successful getting back in the boat via the ladder. Luckily there was a shoreline nearby to where we could pull up and I could get in again. Also, one of our members just got trained in how to save people that are stuck in the water. Lucky me! All in all, it was a wonderful and fun filled time!! Even though I am still terrified of small boats, I might go back again, just without jumping.

This week was a perfect week to end June. Also, today is my final day for the project to be on the streets. I will finish up this afternoon and then do reports on it all. Only 3 more work weeks to go then I will be getting ready and leaving for Italy before going back home. So, until the next blog (and honestly I don’t know when that will be)!

Knock, Knock! Who's There?

Opportunity, that is who (a what really). For the past couple of days, I have been been able to share the gospel with people from various backgrounds and religions. On Wednesday, I was able to share the gospel with one of the interns I was telling you all about. Then, on the next day, Jehova's Witnesses came up to the door and we all had about an hour or so when I was able to use their own type of scripture against them and ask what they think it means and what I think it means. It was interesting to see how they would answer my questions. Today, when I went to Rapperswil, I was confronted by a lady who was a part of a Hindu type religion that worships the god Vedas. She came up to me and started to talk about Reincarnation and how our souls live forever. I finally asked her if Vedas could destroy the soul. She said that no one could destroy the soul. I asked her if I could tell her about a God that could destroy both body and soul. She said yes, and I started to tell her about God and then when I got to the part of Jesus, she knew where I was and who I was talking about. She then didn't let me talk much for the rest of the time. She did, however, allow me to pray with her.

Y'all these times are what makes my day and time here in Switzerland. I am here for a reason and this is that reason. Below are a couple pictures from my travels today.

It's Time...

You can end that statement with ", Simba" or "to begin." We always want to know when the time for something is. For example today, I was at OM base for a four-hour prayer meeting, and when I got to the door, I saw a schedule of who was going to speak, when a break was, and when lunch was supposed to begin (yes, I read this in German through Google Translate). We always have the time to do something or the time for something to happen. You might be thinking of a song from a few decades ago by now by The Byrds. Such a song, based on Ecclesiastes, talks of time for everything. A time to live, a time to die, a time to gather and a time to sow. In all of these times, God is in control and has his hands are on everything in this world. HFZ is ending and everyone involved is in a time of transition. Today during the time of prayer, we read out of Psalms. We read Psalm 105:1-11. Below is verse 8:

8 He remembers his covenant forever, the word that he commanded,

for a thousand generations,... 

What is this verse referring to? Well, it is referring to the land of Canaan as it states in the next couple of verses. We can also take hope in this. His covenant with us he still remembers. He remembers what his son has done. He remembers the cross and all of us that partake in this salvation.

For the last couple of weeks, HFZ and I have been praying for peace and comfort during the time of transition. We want peace and assurance not because God has forgotten to help us out, but that it is something that we do not always feel both of these things. However, it is in these times that we can truly bless others. Even though HFZ is ending, we are able to share the gospel with people in the Quartier (area) that we are in. We are being used because God remembers. He remembers what it was like when we were down on our knees begging for him to be with us. He was with us when we looked to the heavens and screamed at God himself because of all the evil in our life and world. We cannot and will not understand the thoughts of God, but we have to trust in him that he will give us what we need at the moment that we need it. Why do I believe this? It is because God REMEMBERS! He remembers us in our darkest times, in our lightest times, in our highs and in our lows. He refines us like silver. Silver is only considered refined when the person refining can see their reflection in the silver itself. That is what God is doing with us. He allows us to go through the fire of refinement and he will continue to do so until he sees his likeness in us. 

There is a time to mourn and a time to rejoice. We mourn that people are leaving OM, but we rejoice in the work that God has done and what he will do. We worry about the future, but it is already known. We act as if when God doesn't move mountains one time that we need him to move instantly. However, we have already seen him move mountains, and as the song goes, "and I believe I'll see you[God] do it again." He remembers folks. What are we doing about it? Are we sitting in our last days like there is nothing to do, or are we passionately working till the final minute? 

A Little Bit

I have now been in Switzerland for a month and three days. It still makes me laugh when I ask if people know English and they say "A little bit" and then go on to have a 20-minute conversation with me in English. Their little bit is still way more than my little bit. But it also got me thinking about what "little bit" actually is. How much is a little bit? Is it like a pinch and a dash that no one, at least in the Southern United States, knows the exact measurement, or is it an exact amount?

If you know me, then you know that I am more of an observer. When I am walking the streets of Hirzenbach, I observe what I am walking into, on, and around. I see a little bit of gravel, a little bit of grass, and a little bit of people. I also see a little bit of churches here and there. I see a little bit of gates and a little bit of community.

What I can't help but think is that all of these "little bits" say something. I work with the reformed church here, and they have a very open area. To me, that says that they are open for people to come in and to be a part of the body. However, just a few blocks up the street, there is another church. This church has gates in front of it and does not have as much open ground to it. Now, the open ground can be said of where they are in the town. They weren't able to purchase a bigger plot of land, that's fine, not all churches have to have big plots of land or any land for that matter. But with its gates, most of the time shut, I feel that it is closing itself off to the community more so than not. I could be completely wrong in my observations, but how we are building our churches says a lot about how we want to interact with the community. Today, there was a little bit of opening in the gate and to me that says that the church is a little bit of open for the community.

I know this might sound like me reading too much into designs, but if I feel that vibe, then what do the people of Hirzenbach think? How can we be more open if we are still a little bit closed off? We are always just a little bit something. But what do our little bits say to those around us? What do they say to us?

Personalities and Music

Today, I was out on the street with my project. I went out in the morning for about an hour and a half and again in the afternoon for about another hour. Not many people were too interested in it today, but like I said in the last post, I am okay with that because I still do the Patch Adams thing. This seemed to work like a charm!

During my lunch break, a couple of my housemates and I were talking about the Enneagram and the Myers-Briggs personality tests and talking about what they all mean. It is interesting to hear each other talk about our own personality test results (I am an ENFP and a 9 wing 8 by the way). We talked about what the letter and numbers meant. E for Extrovert, I for Introvert, N for intuition, S for sensing, F for feeling, T for thinking, J for Judging and P for Perceiving. The numbers are listed below:

1. The Reformer (The rational, idealistic type) 
2. The Helper (The caring, interpersonal type) 
3. The Achiever (The success-oriented, pragmatic type) 
4. The Individualist (The sensitive, withdrawn type) 
5. The Investigator (The intense, cerebral type) 
6. The Loyalist (The committed and security-oriented type)
7. The Enthusiast (The busy, fun-loving type) 
8. The Challenger (The powerful, dominating type) 
9. The Peacemaker (The easygoing, self-effacing type) 

Each of these tells us how each other function more times than not. We all agreed that it helps us know how to interact with others that can seem a bit more difficult to understand. These are great tools to use in ministry but need to be looked at as tools and not divisions or the end-all. 

After this, we switched topics to music and was trying to find out what the name of a specific band was. Finally, we found out that the band we were looking for was Linkin Park. we then listened to a few songs on the Bluetooth speaker. We ranged music from Linkin Park to Panic! At The Disco to Fergie to JD Sumners and many more! It was a good lunch break with my housemates! 

The Patch Adams Project

This morning, I woke up to my sister tagging me in a post on Facebook. This post was about a mall that was flooding and the band that was there was playing "My Heart Will Go On" from the movie Titanic. I thought it was funny, but considering the Titanic sunk on its maiden voyage, I could not help but think if my project would do the same on its first time out. So, that is what I did today, I set out on my maiden voyage for my project. It was a bit bumpy at times, but it went pretty good.
Many people see this area as a family. One person admitted that it is like a family but it is hard to be one because of all the cultures that are colliding in this area. They see C&D as the community center for this area.

I talked to one guy as he was waiting for his taxi to go to the airport. He was new to the area and hadn't really explored it too much. Turned out, he is the Director of Finance at a luxury hotel chain that originated in the United States. I did not use my project to talk to him as it takes some knowledge of the area, however, I was able to talk to him and spend time with him until his taxi arrived. I really hope that this happens more often than not during the time of my project. It was refreshing to talk to someone just on normal things and to get out of my comfort zone to do so.

I gave this post the title of Patch Adams because if you have ever seen the movie, Patch (played by Robin Williams) has a project where he walks the street and tries to get everyone to smile around him. He breaks the system of where people go from point A to point B without anything interesting happening. He would hang from light poles, say hello to random people on the streets, and then have hours-long conversations with wrong numbers on the phone. This is what I am trying to do here and what M does all the time when he walks the street. I walked the street and said hello to almost everyone that passed me by. A lot of them smiled and said hello back. It is with this that we can all do and bring back humanity even more from the little phones that keep us distracted from the people that we pass by all the time.

So, this Titanic did not sink on the first trip. Here is to many more trips this next couple of weeks.

Testing... Testing 123

What?! Two posts in one day?? Yep, I know I signed off the last post with saying that that was all for today, but apparently, it wasn't. Today, I was able to test out my project with a couple of the other people in the office. I need to tweak some things on the project, but minor things that will only help communicate the vision of the project better. I have already started to work on the things that needed to be changed and I am now waiting on the glue to dry overnight to make sure everything sticks (pun intended).

While I was waiting for things to print and for the glue to dry, I was able to cut both the front and back yard. Now, "yard" is not really the word I would use, they are more like plots or patches, but I got to mow them either way. You know how long it has been since I have mowed a lawn? It has been a couple of years since I have had a yard to cut. It's a small thing, but something slightly enjoyable.

Tomorrow wraps my fourth week in Switzerland. Only six more to go then a week in Italy. My time in Europe is flying by! I get my first intern on Monday (hopefully) and then I get another the following Monday. I get to go to Bern for an International Pastor meeting in two Wednesdays from now. After that, I finish my project and start off July. It is all so close and I am getting more and more excited about it!

So now, that is officially all for today. Until next time.

Doppelgängers, doppelgängers everywhere!

Y'all, I am telling you that everyone's doppelgänger is in Switzerland! Last night, I went with an English speaking group to the RLD and it was strange because I saw the faces of my friends and some family from back home, but I know that they are not even close to Switzerland. I am actually surprised that I haven't encountered myself just yet. This group was a bit bigger than the other group that I went to the RLD with. There were many things that happened that showed me that this type of ministry is not really what I need to do. I am talking about the RLD, here. I can see the uneasiness as I walk into places or walk o the sidewalks. This is because I am a guy and if it makes people feel safer and more comfortable to not have a guy present, then I accept that and need to move on. I will still talk to the other people to see what they think and I am still praying about it. 

Sometimes, the ministry needs to be about comfort to the people that we are ministering to and not our personal preferences. I completely understand that as we can sometimes be overbearing when we talk Gospel to people who may not have heard it before. 

For the next two weeks, I have meetings and my project for C&D. I will travel to Bern at the end of the month for an International pastor meeting. I have my interns during these two weeks that I know nothing of other than the range of age that they will be. I am nervous and excited about this and I can't wait to finally meet my first intern on Monday! 

That's all for today! Until next time! 

Does Everyone Know What Time It Is? That's Right It's Tool Time!!

Today I finished my project for testing. Seeing a project come together is really nice. Though, when I had to use the jigsaw and drill, I felt like I was Tim the "Tool Man" Taylor from Home Improvement. Not only is that one of the shows that I absolutely loved to watch at 3am when I woke up in the middle of the night (that and George Lopez, of course). It was almost relaxing to cut the holes into the board to make sure that the buildings fit. It was my plan coming together. Yes, I know how that sounds. I believe that God is going to do something with this project, even if it is to talk to my interns for the next two weeks.

I have also started on a video for my time here in Switzerland. It is looking pretty cool, but it will not be finished until the end of July. Just watching the video as it progressed showed me how far I have come already! I can't wait to see what else happens this summer!


So, that's all for today! Now, remember, keep your mind sharp and your tools even sharper (probably something Tim would say).