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.