Boundless Love

This evening my team spent a good portion of time singing hymns together. It was so moving and powerful to belt out the words to these weighty songs. These were team favorites, so I wanted to share the lyrics.

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, vast, unmeasured, boundless, free!
Rolling as a mighty ocean in its fullness over me!
Underneath me, all around me, is the current of Thy love
Leading onward, leading homeward to Thy glorious rest above!

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, spread His praise from shore to shore!
How He loveth, ever loveth, changeth never, nevermore!
How He watches o’er His loved ones, died to call them all His own;
How for them He intercedeth, watcheth o’er them from the throne!

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, love of every love the best!
’Tis an ocean full of blessing, ’tis a haven giving rest!
O the deep, deep love of Jesus, ’tis a heaven of heavens to me;
And it lifts me up to glory, for it lifts me up to Thee!

What a love. How can it really be so? Next song:

This is my Father’s world, and to my listening ears
All nature sings, and round me rings the music of the spheres.
This is my Father’s world: I rest me in the thought
Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas;
His hand the wonders wrought.

This is my Father’s world, the birds their carols raise,
The morning light, the lily white, declare their Maker’s praise.
This is my Father’s world: He shines in all that’s fair;
In the rustling grass I hear Him pass;
He speaks to me everywhere.
This is my Father’s world. O let me ne’er forget
That though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet.
This is my Father’s world: the battle is not done:
Jesus Who died shall be satisfied,
And earth and Heav’n be one.

This is my Father’s world, dreaming, I see His face.
I ope my eyes, and in glad surprise cry, “The Lord is in this place.”
This is my Father’s world, from the shining courts above,
The Beloved One, His Only Son,
Came—a pledge of deathless love.

This is my Father’s world, should my heart be ever sad?
The lord is King—let the heavens ring. God reigns—let the earth be glad.
This is my Father’s world. Now closer to Heaven bound,
For dear to God is the earth Christ trod.
No place but is holy ground.

This is my Father’s world. I walk a desert lone.
In a bush ablaze to my wondering gaze God makes His glory known.
This is my Father’s world, a wanderer I may roam
Whate’er my lot, it matters not,My heart is still at home.

Budapest

Our team ventured to Hungary for 4 days to explore what life will be like during our two month stay there. We also, on this trip, applied for a Hungarian visa through the Evangelical Alliance as a volunteer. On July 16th we will find out for sure if we will receive this visa to stay in the European Union. Please continue to pray that God would make a way for us to stay in Austria however that may look.

In 2 and a half weeks we will venture to Hungary for about a two month stay. Our summer will definitely be packed full as we serve every single week at camps put on by the OM Hungary team. Last week they trained us in teaching English since that will be what we mostly do while there. I'm really excited to also participate in some physical activity while helping out at sports camps.

The next two weeks we're continuing to get plugged into ministry. I've been doing a lot of work with the homeless ministry in Vienna and it's been a lot of fun. I feel very welcomed and loved by the guys there.

Here are some pictures of Budapest.

The Kingdom

Friday night I had the opportunity to go on an outreach with a group that reaches out to women in Vienna who have, either by force or by choice, found themselves working as prostitutes. Our journey only began at 10:30 pm as we headed for the area of town where the Nigerian women are at. Many of them were sold to a pimp or a madam with the intent of paying off debts. One girl that I met was sold by her parents to pay for her younger siblings schooling. We walked the streets giving them tea, food, and anything else we could give. My heart aches for these girls and the total injustice of the situation makes me feel frustrated and helpless. At the same time though, God gave me peace that this isn't the ministry I'm going to be doing while in Austria.

God has been very faithful to show me where He wants me to be during my time in Austria. Over the past few weeks I've begun to really plug into the homeless ministry and I love it so much! I've been helping out with some homeless meals and outreaches a few days a week, and then also working for a second hand shop that supports the ministry. I've made so many friends at the homeless meals and have really connected with so many of the men there. They treat me like a daughter and really respect me. It's also going to be nice to do the behind the scenes work that isn't so glamorous. It's not very exciting to write home to your supporters saying "I ironed and sorted second hand clothes for 6 hours all for the sake of the Kingdom!" But every part of the Body is important. Even the parts you don't see in action very much. So, in sorting and ironing clothes for the second hand shop I will be funding a ministry that feeds, houses, and cares for many homeless people. Praise God!

Tomorrow morning I leave for Hungary for 4 days. We're going to fill out visa applications in hopes of being accepted in Hungary instead of Austria. Pray that God would bless this time and show us favor in the visa offices.

Goodbye May, Hello June!

The packed full month of May came to a close with a bang. A very special bang that happens every single year.... MY BIRTHDAY! Yes, I was born May 31, 1988 and celebrated my 21st birthday this year. My teammates had some surprises awaiting me and the day turned out to be quite enjoyable. The weather wasn't the most cooperative (it was so cold I needed to wear my winter jacket and a hat!) but I felt so loved anyways. The attire was "something plaid," the main attraction was a Mexican restaurant, and the highlight was a bronze gnome present! Check out the pictures.

So far in June we've been doing our best to get plugged into ministry. This is complicated because we will be gone most of the summer in Hungary. I've been having an amazing time hanging out with some of the homeless in Vienna. I have many stories to tell, but that will have to be saved for a later post. Auf wiedersehen!

Košice, Slovakia

Pronounced: Co-shee-zuh.

On Monday I returned from a week long excursion to Košice, Slovakia. Our Austria team had been transplanted all over Europe, 1 in Turkey, 4 in Poland, and 3 in Slovakia. It would be very hard to explain to you all of the details of the trip, so instead I'd like to go over the main highlights.

When most Americans think of Gypsies the picture that comes to mind is very romantic, adventurous, and beautiful, due to the media portrayal of these wandering nomads. In Europe, that is not the case. Simply the word Gypsy usually brings a slight cringe and disgusted look on the faces of most. The Roma (Gypsy) people are seen as a problem. They are dirty, smelly, dangerous, lazy, and alcoholics. To most, they are less than human and the world would be better off without them.

But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.

There is a small body of believers growing among the large population of Gypsies in Košice, (this city has the largest "Gypsy Ghetto" in all of Europe). I was able to visit the Roma women's bible study on Tuesday and hear some of their testimonies. It was so powerful to hear their stories of loss, abuse, death, alcoholism, and fear INTO grace, peace, life, triumph and freedom. They are very aware of the depth from which they came, (the same depth from which we all came!) and are desperate for more of God.

On Sunday the entire Gypsy church came to the Slovakian service and put on a presentation. The Roma pastor preached and their band also lead worship. It was such a powerful time as Slovakians and Romas worshipped together under one roof, lifting up the name of the same God. The pastor's sermon was right on and exactly what needed to be heard. I left extremely challenged and touched. God is going to do amazing things in and through this potent, young, and hungry body of believers.

Ways you can pray!

• There is no written bible in the Gypsy language. Some people are working on translating it but it is a slow task. Pray that things come together quickly and efficiently so they can receive their own copy of the word of God.
  
• Alcoholism runs rampant among the Gypsy people. Pray against the believers returning to this addiction and for freedom for the ones who are yet ensnared.


• The pastor and his wife live very challenging lives in the ghetto. Money is tight and many businesses unfairly charge this family extra money since they are some of the only people paying their bills. They are the main leaders of the church and have a heavy load to carry. Not to mention having 4 kids and one on the way. Pray for peace and patient endurance.

Globetrottering

After our adventure to Bosnia we finished up our final week of German class. Many different emotions come up when thinking about the new season that is coming now that we've completed our course. Unsatisfaction of my progress, happy to move on to ministry, excited to learn more on my own, and just plain tired of "school," are some of the varrying emotions, to name a few. We'll see what God has in store for this transition. I'm giving it to Him.

Friday we celebrated the birthday of my teammate Jacob Paurus. The festivities were chosen by the birthday boy himself as the rest of us complied and joined in the fun. We left in the morning on a train to Bratislava, Slovakia with bikes and grins to accompany us. The weather was amazing and the city quite lovely. We cruised around, laid in the sun, checked out a castle, tested the cuisine and had lots of fun. I found out from a bag-pipe-playing Polish street performer that you can ride first class on the train if it's your birthday. We asked the conductor and he graciously allowed all of us to savor the glories of riding first class. We weren't exactly the classiest bunch, but we enjoyed every moment.

Tomorrow (Monday) morning our team will be heading off to different countries for a week. Four people will be going to Poland along with our supervisors to do some AIDS awareness conferences with the Polish youth. The other three on my team, including myself, will be trekking off to Slovakia to help out with some missionaries who work with the Roma Gypsies there. We will be doing a lot of practical work to bless them in any and every way they may need. I do know we're going to get to have tea with some of the Gypsy women on the first day. Please pray for me, that I would have Jesus as my vision during this trip, that I would work unto God and not unto men, and that I would be overflowing with thanksgiving.