I'm still alive.

It has been a while and a lot has happened. We are in Thailand. YAY! We flew into Bangkok and spent our first week there. During that week a lot happened: 

I was sick.. that was a drag. 

We ate crickets, grasshoppers, chicken heads, and frogs. Okay I only ate the crickets and part of the frogs. I ate some legs. But I couldn't get myself to eat the whole frog. 

That was part of our "cultural orientation." Eating all that stuff wasn't required but we did it anyways. Why not? ;) While in Bangkok we also had the opportunity to help with some of the flood relief. It was hard but interesting to help clean people's homes who had been hit by the flood and lost most of their possessions. The second day the area we where in had a water line above my head. Which was a dramatic difference to the first day when the water line was about knee high. 

From Bangkok we took a night bus to Chiang Mai. Where we have been for the past week. The day we arrived we had some time to sleep but then we went right to our Ministry Orientation. At orientation we heard about our first step in Chiang Mai, Ex-Life. It would be 5 days living in a village in the North. Three hours north of Chiang Mai to be exact. 

The village was such an awesome opportunity. We were in groups of four and we had specific houses that took us in. We had house moms that cooked Breakfast and Lunch for us and then Dinner we ate together at one of the main houses. In the mornings we went out to the Rice Fields and worked then returned home for lunch. In the afternoons we met together to plan a Christmas Story production. It was the first time the village had heard the Christmas Story. So, each afternoon we rehearsed our Christmas production and by the end of our rehearsals the kids had gathered at the basketball court where we were and we spent the rest of the time, hula-hooping, playing soccer, Volleyball, basketball, and bad-mitten. Or just sitting and drawing with the kids. They were such sweet hearts. They didn't understand english but with a few gestures and dramatics we could communicate pretty good. I guess I really am a kid at heart. :)  

We are back in Chiang Mai and today was our day off. A small group of us went to start the process for our Bangladesh visas. We got the paper work for it, but because we don't have all of our team finances in not everyone can apply because we don't have the money. So, two of our boys applied. We have such a short window to get our visas. Our flight is for the 11th of January. Just about two weeks. And there are some Thai holidays spread in there a bit so the offices will be closed. God is good and has a plan and timing for everything. 

I keep thinking of a quote I wrote down during lecture phase, "Make open yours cups and God will pour out." God is faithful and is pouring out/will pour out upon his children. HE IS FAITHFUL. He was faithful to his own death on the cross and He is faithful through our entire life. He will be faithful through this trip. He will be faithful in my small endeavors. I found myself remembering and reminding myself today that God is more interested in my life then I am. Which is A LOT because I am really interested in my life. 

He cares. 

He sees me. 

He is faithful to the end. 

I may not know where my funds are coming from for the rest of my outreach, but I know that God, the one who holds together the world with his hands, is interested in my life and me. He has promised that he will cover my expenses and He has never broken a promise to me yet. My God is BIG and He is GOOD. He is caring. He is kind. He is mighty. He is a provider. He is just. He is righteous. He is the Lord of Lords and King of Kings. He is the Prince of Peace. He is Healer. He is. 

He is my father. He is my God. 

I'm Leaving. :)

Goodbye Germany. It has been fun. 

My time here in Germany has been so so good. Seriously it has been good. and crazy.  and busy. and so many things. Everything coming at me all at the same time. I am looking forward to seeing what surfaces as I begin to process it as a whole. I know I learned some serious key things that will be major when they come up but at this moment I am way to tired to say specifically what I have learned. 

This whole trip has made me more appreciative of some things. First, I am so thankful for College. Not at all because of the degree or any amount of book smarts you can get from attending College, which are beneficial, but for the other life skills I learned during that time of my life. I so appreciate my roommates and life in my dorm in MS. I almost miss it at times. I enjoy being in close proximity to friends and people from different cultures, however it's difficult when everyone comes from different parts of life. :) Oh, community life. 

I am so much more thankful for the time God took me to CBN and my job there. I got to meet so many amazing people and i made some really awesome friendships while I was there. It was such a huge growing time for me and my relationship with God. So much stretching was done there. Looking around at my classmates here in Germany, there are so many different paths God has each person on and each person is at a totally different point on their specific path with Him. It is so exciting. And looking at my own path it gets me excited to see what He was walked me through and where He has taken me. It all is just building to take me forward with Him to some amazing places. 

I could go on in so many random areas of all the things I am thankful for and appreciate in my life but the biggest one right at the moment is my Dad. I love this guy. AH!  Friday and Saturday I was rather stressed out. For one, I was sick and it wasn't just a normal cold. It was/is some weird throat thing. It seems to be going away. Slowly. Saturday, I got on the computer answered emails, had some really good Skype conversations with other loved ones and my last conversation was with my dad. 

We talked about random stuff… which is typical us. We have the kind of relationship where we may sit with long awkward pauses for a while and then bring up something totally random talk about it and then get silent again. But, I love my dad. No matter how random. It's us. It's what we do. 

Honestly I can't really remember what we talked about. It was all pretty random. But one thing that came up, is his portfolio for his MFA degree. Ah! He is finishing his last semester for it and will be finishing in January. Yeah, I had forgotten until that point that I was missing his graduation ceremony.  BUT I do get the privilege of reading his final portfolio. :) I am really stoked to be able to read it! My dad is a major inspiration to me and I love and adore our talks about all things Art. 

Both of my parents are AMAZING and I would not be able to be here if it weren't for them. 

I LOVE YOU MOM AND DAD! 

Until next time, go hug a parent. 

For the past 2 1/2, almost three, months I've lived in Herrnhut, Germany. :) For the first two months I lived in town and had a walk that was about twenty minutes long each day. Down a hill. Through a forest.  Over a creek. And up the entrance to the Castle. :) I am not kidding. I kind of wish I was kidding. But I am not. 

The best part of the hill, is that it's called, Slow Death. It got it's name because the merchants had to take their wagons up it every time they went to market. Some of them wouldn't make it. I am serious. Again I wish I could be joking. 

 

My saving grace is that about half way up, there is a bench. It became our normal breather. Its the only way I made it up it all the time with my back-pack on full of stuff. 

This is Christina. One of my roommates. :)

All throughout the forest there are signs just like this one and there are random stone settings. Each one is a bit different. I should go through one day and take pictures of all of them. :) Maybe I will get a nice day here one of these days and I can go out and do it. 

Anyways. This particular one is one of the places that during the early years of Herrnhut, like way back in 1730, what they called Pastoral Care groups (Banden) would meet here and have worship and talk about personal or other problems. Crazy, eh? worship in the woods at a stone meeting place. SOOOO COOOLL!!! 

Now this place (below) is a monument to the first Tree that was cut down in the forest to build one of the first buildings in Herrnhut. Yeah, they are all about their monuments here in Herrnhut. I mean I would be too with such a rich history. :) 

 The rest of the images are other pictures from the forest. Enjoy!!

Until next time, go take a walk outside. :) This one I am definitely doing too!!! 

brief update

Im back. Never thought I would post twice in two days did ya? :) Well I am just full of surprises. 

So, I wanted to write a brief update and also let you know that I have a new addition to my blog page. 

We are at the beginning of our technical last week of lecture for our DTS. Originally we had planned to be leaving next weekend for outreach, but, our German visas have not yet come in and we are un able to leave the country without them. As you can imagine that would make things such a mess. So, our departure has been pushed back a week. Instead of leaving the 4th/5th we are now leaving sometime between the 10th & 12th of Dec. In some ways it is a blessing because we get an extra week here to just chill and process everything that has been going on. But on the other hand it means we lose a week of outreach. Which is a major bummer. 

I personally am not sure what to think of an extra week. I know God has big things in-store, but it is hard to see when I am not seeing how the finances are going to workout for outreach. My brain (ie. my flesh) is still trying to figure out how it will work. I know God's ways are not my ways. It is difficult to walk out some times. 

Yeah, so that kind of brings me to my blog addition. I added a paypal donate button. If you feel God impress upon you to donate to help, feel free to use PayPal. 

I have learned so much while I've been here. It is remarkable. We were assigned to prepare sermons last week based off one of the parables in Matthew 13 and the Kingdom of God. I've been looking in to what the Kingdom of God is and yeah. It has been crazy. Each of the parables are such great pictures of different aspects of the Kingdom of God. But the one that has stuck out to me was the parable of the Pearl. The merchant came across a valuable pearl and when he did he sold everything to buy the pearl. Why not? I mean the Kingdom of God is so much better then anything else. It is priceless and it doesn't make sense to hold on to fake pearls and cheap jewelry when you can have the real thing. You can have the Kingdom of God. The kingdom that changes everything. In 1 Corinthians 4:20 it says that "the Kingdom of God is not of talk but of power." Yeah, when we are about the Kingdom of God it isn't some soft spoken feel good fuzzys in your stomach but it is seeing people healed, demons being cast out, and food multiplying. 

In Luke 17:21 is says "the kingdom of God is within you." We carry the kingdom wherever we go and that WE can be atmosphere changers. WE can be the ones to see miracles. WE can bring the power of God to dark places. 

Yeah, so God has been challenging me with this idea. What if I fully grasped my identity in the Kingdom of God? What if I truly believed and understood what this meant, to have the Kingdom of God within me? 

I mean think with me for a moment. What if the Church today fully grasped their identity in the Kingdom of God? - Would they let go of their programs and their time schedules to whole heartedly seek after Who Jesus was? 

So, my question to you and myself. Would I/you sell everything and buy the pearl? Do I/you even recognize when I/you have that pearl in my/your hand?   

Concept Photography

I'm here in Germany for Photography and I haven't posted many pictures. For that I am terribly sorry. 

It's not that I haven't wanted to post pictures but without fail every time I've sat down to resize the images for the internet I've gotten sidetracked and distracted. But, I am making that change. 

In a previous post I put up my night shoot images. They were a lot of fun to take and I have taken a couple more since then. But those didn't turn out so good. I wanted to shoot a lot more but it has gotten so cold out here I don't think I could stand outside for more than one image. I would like to take some on outreach when we are in warmer climates. However we shall see what happens with that. 

Anyways I desire to go through the images I have here and being posting those pictures. I will start with my last assignment, Photo Story. This assignment was to do a photo story/concept. The assignment was to get us into thinking through a series and how to tell a story with our images. So we were to take consecutive images instead of four random images that had no relation to each other. You get the basic idea. 

My concept came from an image I got in my head during one of our worship times. It started as a "Self-Image" piece and as I flushed out the idea further it came to be an 'inner demon' concept. The four images are to show that sometimes when we are battling the enemy it isn't necessarily an ugly demon from an external source, but the enemy uses our own flesh to fight against us. So, I chose to do a four picture series where the 'inner demon' was the person in the image. One person, separate camera settings. :) 

Yeah, so here is my photo assignment. Enjoy!

:) I promise happier photos are coming. 


until next time, go have a Peppermint Mocha for me! 

I'M BACK! :) 

It's tuesday… which you will be reading it on wednesday. :) Anywho…..

This week so far has been good. I made it out to Zittau to the Visa office. A couple weeks ago I sent out an email to a few people explaining that we had a minor/major visa problem. I am going to try and recap it…. attempting at keeping it short. 

Sept 1st Germany's visa process changed. At the time we were not sure how that looked exactly but we just kept hearing, "The process has changed so please bare with us." And that it would take roughly 6 weeks to process our visas. Two weeks ago we found out that the 6 week processing time didn't start until after you had been to Zittau to be fingerprinted. Out of the 80+ students and a few staff only 4 people had been to Zittau at that point to get their fingerprints taken. Also, we were 4 weeks away from outreach. Yeah, could be a small issue if the visa didn't come in on time. HOWEVER, I was in the last group of people to go up to Zittau. We went up today. :) So, now we just have to pray a speedy process and that we all get our visas in time. :) We are only 3 weeks away from outreach!  

I am not sure that made sense…… I am a bit confused by the whole thing anyways… any who… I just know that it all could have been really bad. And we aren't out of the clear yet. BUT the staff at the base are AMAZING!! They have been working so hard to get all of us in the right office at the right time with the most efficiency. 

That is the exciting news from today. This past weekend…….. was fun! One of my roomies and I went night shooting. (it's our next assignment.) I had a lot of fun in the end. I started out a bit rough. But I think I have at least two prints worth turing in. Here are the good ones left .... 

Ever wondered what was outside your window? .... ME, with a camera! HAHA 

 :)

Tomorrow night/Tonight ... Wednesday night is castle art critique. It is going to be fun. It is so cool to see what other people are creating and thinking. :)


Until next time, do something fun! 

OUTREACH

This past week has been really good. Tim Heathcote was with us. Whoah. I don't really know what to say at this moment other then he was really good. The week long example was "Mind the Gap". There are gaps in our culture and around the world. Statistics like in some muslim nations there are only 3 christians to every 1 million muslims. (thats a gap) The numbers of people who live on less then two dollars a day and then the even more staggering number of people who live on less that one dollar a day. Gaps are everywhere and people are falling into the gap. Tim showed us and challenged us on what God thinks of the gaps  and then really challenged us to ask and pursue how we might stand in the gap. 

Early in the week during one of the workshops Tim spoke about Ebenezer and Jehovah Jireh. 

God who will provide and God who has provided.

It has gotten me thinking about all the times in my life God has been my Ebenezer and provided for me. Because of those times I am able to stand up and have faith that he will provide in my future. He has been faithful to me. Tim encouraged us to explore a creative physical Ebenezer. Something that we can have that reminds us of that time and what God did. Just as in the Old Testament and how He told them to build a monument so to always remember what He did for them in the fight at Ebenezer. 

Okay so, on top of a really good message I found out where I am going on outreach. I am going to THAILAND!!!!!! Yeah. We will be leaving sometime between the 3-5th of December. I know its only 3 weeks away now. Its crazy!! Yeah. So, there is a lot we have to do still to get ready but it is crazy! AH! It is going to be a crazy faith journey with God but I am pumped.

We are not 100% sure everything we will be doing while we are there but I am stoked to be going. I am relying on God for my financial provision. Before I left home I really felt him telling me to worry about Lecture. That I was to have Lecture and He would cover the rest. So, this is the fun/terrifying part. To rely on him. He is faithful and I know it will be amazing. I just have not stepped out onto this branch before. It will be a faith walk for sure. 

If you feel God pressing it upon your heart to help support me in this crazy venture in my life you can send a check to my home address: 

Payable to Jordan Miller

2125 Johnstown Rd

Chesapeake, VA 23322

I love you all!! 

I really felt to write a blog post. I had been putting it off and I really felt an urgent need to post something. I will most likely come back and flush out this post more but for what ever reason I needed to post this it is here. 

Until next time, go play in some leaves. 

SEND ME MAIL!!

So, this is me being shameless in my posts and asking you to send me letters. :) Im tired of checking my mail box everyday and not having anything. So, thanks in advance.

Here is my address,


 Jordan Miller
JMEM Herrnhut
Untere DorfStr .56
Ruppersdorf, Germany 02747


So yeah, when you are bored you can draw a little picture or right a note and send it to me!!!!! I really appreciate it too!! :)

Skype.

Yes, I am writing an entire post dedicated to Skype. :)


Without it I would be lost....wait thats a little dramatic, I would just be incommunicado ... :)

I am so amazed that technology can connect me here in the little village of Herrnhut Germany to my friends and family back in the states. :) So, in honor of my few AMAZING and heart warming conversations via Skype I am posting a few photos. :)  ENJOY!!

Also, if you want to Skype with me let me know. It's best if you leave a comment or message on my Skype as I am bad at remembering my comment section on here. :) Have no fear, you won't end up on my blog in a post. Well, you might... I mean come on how can I NOT share these amazing faces!!! I love em!

My AMAZING bestie!!! Who is rocking med-school!!!!!!!

The most amazing nephew ever!!!! He is getting so big!!! It was so amazing to talk to Kim and Sean and little Zeke

 Glad my brothers and I can still be the same no matter the distance between us. The miller gang is forever. 

 Boys and their games. :) 

Oh, you know, its what we do. 

He WAS HOME AND WE TALKED!!!! I was so stoked to talk to him!!!!!!!! 

Yeah, no words. 

Excited much? It was a chip. 

They were enthralled. :) 

I do have photos of mom... however because she turned the camera off while I was taking them, i decided it would be better for my over all health if I not post them here. :) 

*** I want to Skype and am willing to Skype more!! Just FB me here SKYPE MEEEEEEEE 

Until next time, Go ride a cybertron!

A lifestyle of generosity. What does that look like?

If you asked me what a lifestyle of generosity was/looked like two days ago, I might not actually know what to say.

But in the last week God has been moving in our school pushing us to be generous people and pushing the envelop on our idea of living a life of generosity. It started Monday with a time during our worship to ask God what He wanted us to give up or to give to someone else. It was an awesome time. I felt impressed upon my heart to take the money in my wallet and give it to one of the staff members and just write on the outside "for Snowboots." So I did. The rush of emotions was crazy afterwards. I felt freedom that I had no idea I was missing out on. As the day went on though, I started to panic and I felt God pulling my heart to give to more people. But as I was mentally seeing money go out I was seeing a list build of things I wanted/needed. (being honest it was more stuff I wanted.) That little fear in me started to grow. And as the day went on the fear got crazy. I was panicking. 

My fear was that I will always be in need and I would be prevented from doing what God had asked me to do because I didn't have what I thought I needed to accomplish it. For example, I don't have photoshop on my laptop. I had been using a 30 day trial that ran out last week. But I am not supposed to stop taking photos and stop allowing God to speak to me just because I don't have it. Between God and I, we will work a way out to get photos edited and assignments turned in. I've started to want a fixed 50mm lens for my camera. They are better for portraits, however with the help of God i've realized I can use the lenses I have right now to get the job done and I know down the line as I listen to God and follow his guiding I will receive more equipment. He will make sure of it.  

So, Tuesday morning Josiah announced that the staff didn't have an exact plan for our intercession time. But they had a point that they felt God wanted us to start at. And it was again generosity and to continue what God was doing monday. I don't really remember exactly what I heard first or where I started. It was more like I fell into the deep end of the pool. One minute I was dry on the side and the next I was soaked and treading water. I thought through with God what He wanted me to give up or away. I had mentally gone through all the stuff in my room back in town and I didn't feel anything. Then I thought, "what do I have on me? Or with me here?" Immediately I felt my iPod in my pocket. I told God, "No." He said "Yes." again I said, "No." Then He pushed further and I cried No. As I argued I felt like my iPod in my pocket was getting heavier and heavier. 

We started a box at the front of the tent conveniently called the "Generosity Box." Genius, I know. :) Anyways, If we felt to give something away but God doesn't say to whom, we could put it in the box. Also, God may say to go get something out of the box. Back to my iPod argument I lost. I, reluctantly slipped my iPod into the generosity box. 

It was hard. Releasing my iPod into the box was so crazy. I mean, it is so hard to explain the feelings I felt afterward. That afternoon I was talking to a good friend of mine while we were re-sealing and painting some castle windows, about that morning and what I was feeling God do in my life and what he was doing in her life. As I described to her about my iPod incident I clearly heard God speak to me that I would be getting an iPod back, but not for a bit. I was to give up my iPod to spend more time with Him. My iPod had become my escape when I was frustrated with things and I was using it to shut Him out. So, now I walk through the forest looking around and listening to God instead of furiously storming through with my head down and my iPod in my ears. 

So, yeah.. My eyes and heart have been changed this week. Truly all I have is His and He is enough for me. 

Some more crazy things that have happened this week. A student in the photo track felt God telling him to give another student from Ethiopia his digital camera. The student from Ethiopia was using a borrowed camera from a generous person. The same day the photo student gave away his digital camera,  a staff member came and gave him, her older medium format camera. CRAZY!! GOD is INSANE!!! 

One of my roommates, Tay, was given a brand new mac book pro, that another student had been given. He felt he was to give Tay  the laptop. Tay took it and prayed and felt it was to go back to the guy that gave it to her. Sometimes God wants us to have our hearts in the right position. It's not that He doesn't want us to have nice things but for our hearts to be softened and positioned in the right stance. 

Until next time, go hug some one. 

Hello cyber world.

It has been a while since I have been on here. :)

Germany is still fantastical. Even if it is cold. Oh my goodness it is so cold. I don't think I would be as startled by the chill if the day before it wasn't shorts and t-shirt warm and then the NEXT day, all of a sudden it felt like middle of January winter. That was a little annoying. All the Germans keep saying that it isn't cold yet. Which Im not sure if that makes me scared or frightened. Either way it doesn't look good. But it does make me want a big cup of hot tea. 

I've been here almost a month and a half. This coming friday will be exactly a month and a half. That is a crazy thought to think. I mean, whoa I've been in Germany and away from home for 6 weeks! Holy cow! 

DTS has been crazy good. Donna Jordan was here and that was a pivotal week for me. Things shifted and God moved in my heart. It was so good to get back to the basics and just spend quiet time with Jesus. This past week Stephen Goode was here and he talked all about Human Trafficking and extreme poverty. Crazy thing happened while Steve was here. Monday afternoon after the workshop God reminded me of a dream I had about 6-7 months ago. Long and short there was an older gentlemen in my dream and it was Steve! So crazy!! As cool as that seemed I tried to forget about it the rest of the week… I mean how weird would that be to go up to someone and just say "you were in my dream…. 6 months ago."  -- As much as I wanted to forget it, God didn't want me to forget it. So, I finally told God if he made an opening for me to tell steve I would. Wouldn't you know, that day an opportunity opened and I held up my end of the deal and I told Steve. It was weird. But it wasn't weird. He hugged me, smiled and just said "So we are supposed to go further." And that was that. Not weird at all…… well maybe a little. I got the chance to have lunch with Steve on Friday and it was so good to talk to him. SO inspiring! He gave some great advice that I would not have thought to ask anyone about or even known I should ask. It was so good. God is crazy weird and good!! :) So bazar sometimes how he works. 

I got my package that mom sent me!! I was so excited!! I never thought I would be that stoked about getting clothes that didn't fit in my suitcase! It was so crazy. But so awesome because it was just in time for the cooler weather and I now have LOTS of clothes to layer. :) So stoked. 

I keep getting distracted .. my bad…. and I lost that train of thought……well this is now awkward. 

Oh, one of the buds in my headphones has a short in the wire so it goes out most of the time. It's sad really. The are my favorite headphones that I got not too long ago. 

I feel really random at the moment and like i'm sharing useless information. I am pretty sure that is all as a result of how tired I am right now. 

Until next time, go get some ice cream. 

Tschus!!! 

I am going to try my best to not apologize or make up for the lost time in the blog world. What is done is done and yeah. Wish I could say that I would like to go back in time and re-do the last couple weeks. To post more and write more….But yeah… I actually wouldn't trade what has been going on for more time spent on my computer.  … Sorry. 

Life in Germany has been crazy. This past weekend a group of us went to Dresden to shop a bit For most of the girls that went it was to fill in the gaps of our winter clothing. It was a fun trip. 

So, what is going on in my life? you may ask. Well… there has been a lot going on. 

Donna Jordan is here this week speaking on Listening to God. She is a 73 year old power house in pursuit of Jesus. Andy Byrd, who was here from Kona, Hawaii last week affectionally calls Donna "Ninja Grandma". :) Just to give an example of just how amazing she is, this morning during lecture she had us make an aisle lengthwise in the dining hall and she was sharing about when a bride walks down the aisle to her Groom and how some people are strolling down the aisle and looking at other people in the crowd. Still shopping incase there is something better out there. And then she demonstrated how We as the Bride of Christ should be focused on Christ at the end of the aisle. I kid you not, she slipped off her flip-flops. Pretended to hand off her bouquet and then she took off running down our make shift aisle. It is not just her hard hitting analogies that get me but she will stop in the middle of her point and ask God how he wants it said, or what he is saying in that moment. If you have ever been in a prayer meeting with Joanne Picataggi, you know exactly what I mean. These are not subtle little pauses. Im talking legit stops and a verbal question and then waiting to hear an answer. Then she shares what He said. It is so good. And she has the BEST giggle ever!! 

Okay, so back to what I came to realize today. I've been in a funk lately. I have felt in this fog and somewhat disconnected. God felt so far away and I felt like I was straining to hear Him. This past summer I felt so in tune and connected it was so good. I felt him moving and heard Him speak so much and then in the last 3 weeks it was like crickets. Nothing. I would hear other people's testimonies of what God was saying and what visions and dreams they were having and I was coming up empty. I kept thinking that is great for them but I want GOD!! I want to hear and see too! Over the past couple weeks I would be able to enter a few minutes of worship here and there. I would have 10-15 great mins in lecture where it was really connecting but they all faded away. Nothing was lasting.. I wasn't getting anything. 

So today, We had a time when Donna played a song and we were to sit and ask God speak to us. At the end of the song if we so felt, We were to stand and proclaim, Jesus is my Lord. I knew that I was to stand. I did. It was good.. I could feel God moving a bit but as soon as I was entering in I felt like it was gone. We started kneeling at the foot of the cross and just pouring our hearts out to God. After some time had passed and people where reading scriptures over everyone and they were praying out. Donna came in and shared that some students were in warfare. And that the enemy was pulling them asleep. He was casting a spirit of confusion and of condemnation. She began to pray against the enemy and as I began to press into prayer I felt like someone was trying to pull me asleep. Like they were trying to pull shades down over my eyes. 

I went up to Donna at the beginning of Coffee break. I shared what had been going on and asked her to pray. She did. We had been given an assignment to take our coffee and fruit and go for a walk. To ask God to speak to us through nature. I grabbed some coffee and headed out. I ended up laying under a maple tree with the sun shining and the leaves were all different colors as it had started to change colors for fall. God began to speak and it was so good. He reminded me of things he said before I left home and he made promises for the future. 

It was so good. God is so good. 

So, like i said in the beginning. I would not trade anything that has been going on for more time on my computer. Actually I have contemplated fasting from it for a bit. I am not sure tho. God and I need a to talk first. 

Until next time, Tschus! 

5 Euros + 3 Americans + 1 Canadian + 1 German + 3 days

When I left home I had all these grandiose plans that I would send updates and be the super ywam-er that wrote and kept everyone at home up to date. Yeah, that isn't happening. 


I think I have good intentions and I do write all the time. But barely any of them make it to publishing and/or emailed out. My apologies. 


It is also a bit frustrating because I forget who I have talked to and who I have told what information. So, I am going to try and get everything to this place, and People who have my email address can email me directly with questions and messages and what not, but as for sending out updates... They will come through here. :) Along with photos. It is easier to put photos here. :) 


So, brief update:


We spent Wednesday - Saturday on a "faith walk" living on God's provision. On wednesday we were sent out to go ANYWHERE with 1 euro each. In groups of 4/5. The goal was to be a blessing where we could. A couple of us in my group really felt Berlin, so we set out towards Berlin. We ended up in Dresden and that is where we spent two days. God was so good. The first night, we got to Löbau and ran into several other teams. We all slept out under a tree in front of the Train station. A group of the boys who could all speak German stayed up keeping watch while everyone slept. At about 3 or 4am, my watch always is saying a completely different time then everyone else, the police showed up. There was no problem. Well no real problem. They asked for everyone's passports and they ran them all. There was about 30 ppl. I heard yesterday that they told the boys that the next time YWAM Herrnhut decides to do this that they should just call the Löbau police and let them know. 

My team got together in the morning and prayed and decided to head to Dresden via Hitch hiking. First off we were hungry and were  in search of food. We walked back to a cafe that the lady who gave us a ride in to town told us would probably help us. The cafe was closed. Bummer. BUT, right around the corner and across the Plats was a bakery. So, we went in and told her what we were doing and she gave us 5 milk buns. They were SOOO good! With food in us and the kindness of a stranger, we set off to Dresden. 

We found a good spot right by the Autobahn to set up camp to hitch hike. Three hours later.... we got a ride from a 19 yr old guy with a van. He originally was only going to take us to the next town over. However on the way he decided to take us all the way to Dresden. He was awesome. He reminded me exactly of a friend back home. I kept wanting to talk to him and be like "Paul!! It's you!" but every time he talked to Jan in german I was reminded it wasn't paul. 


In Dresden we ran into several more groups, received more awesome food. That evening we were talking to random different shops and the last restaurant we went in to, the chef was a muslim and when he found out what we where doing he told us to sit down and he was going to cook us a meal. We got a full spaghetti dinner. I told my team, I loved them, but to finally NOT have to split something with someone was amazing! I could not believe I had an entire bowl of spaghetti to myself. Ah! It was so good. 


That night, we didn't have a place to stay and we kept talking to people and they kept sending us in different directions, but each turn lead us to run in to another group that had been helping at a youth house that day. When we saw them after being turned down by the 3rd church the other ywam group told the guy that we were friends and that we didn't have a place to sleep. He invited us in and told us we would work out sleeping later. That night, we had worship, prayed and hung out with the two staff guys that run a youth hangout in Dresden. It was so awesome! The corner flat reminded me so much, of what I want to do back home. It was eclectic and a great place for kids to come and hangout after school/work and they had bible studies, game nights, and community. 


It was so good. The whole experience. So much happened. God provided at every turn. Even down to each moment we started to get frustrated or miss familiar faces we always seemed to run in to people we knew. It was so awesome to fully rely on God. He is a good good God.


So, the pictures from this excursion... will be coming soon. :) They need some editing. :)  

First Germany update

Guten Tag!

So I've been here a week and ..... uh, 2 days. Wow.. It seems like I've been here a bit longer than that. 

I was so tired the first day here. I took my bags up to my room. Wandered around and then found a flat surface and fell asleep. 

Saturday, we had worship. After dinner and before the festivities began.  

Photo credit: Chris Greene

The first three days of school were.... intense. Literally. We slept out in plastic tents the first two nights. Our school staff decided to as closely re-create a refugee camp out in the Garden in front of the castle as they could.  So, after worship and the art track pitches we were given our "scenario." Keep in mind by this point it is 11PM and the majority of the people I had met all we had gotten to was name, country, and art track. No one really knew anyone else. 

Our scenario went as follows. We were refugees from the country Yanistan. War had broken out in our home country and we didn't have time to grab but a few belongings. (I had a toothbrush, toothpaste, sleeping mat, socks, and a couple layers of sweatshirts/long sleeve shirts, later someone gave me their extra sleeping bag, PRAISE JESUS!) We were able to make it to a "neutral zone" (i.e. the garden) and the Controller, for now, was allowing us to stay there with minimal means of shelter and provision. 

Here is a photo of the boy's compound sunday morning. We had been "highly" encouraged to just roll up in the plastic and save the tent building until daylight. So... yeah. 

Photo credit: Chris Greene

 The Girl's compound.

Photo credit Chris Greene

The next day was filled with refugee contemplation. We were summoned to the basketball court after breakfast. We were told to sit on the cement for an hour and talking was discouraged. After that hour, the staff came back around from their further preparations and we had a time of refugee education. 

While we had been on the basketball court the staff closed off the whole camp even more from the castle, rolled up big bins of plastic and paper trash and stuff. After the refugee education, we were given our further instructions. Up until this point we had access to the bathrooms on the ground level of the castle. That was no more. There were 2 bathrooms, one men & one woman that we would be allowed to use but could only get to by escort. Oh BTW, there are 110 of us. Showers, they were now these black plastic stations, the girls had one and the boys had one. But for water, we had to go to the one water station in the middle of camp and carry buckets to our respective shower stations. 

On sunday, we built our tents. 

Photo credit Chris Greene

Photo credit Chris Greene

Photo credit Chris Greene

 So, we built these awesome tents. Did a bunch of stuff that I don't remember at the moment. However, that night we got called into the castle at 4:30AM due to a bad storm that was right over us. It was hard for me to get back to sleep once we were inside the castle. I kept thinking that if we were real refugees we wouldn't have a castle or ANY building to go into during a really bad storm.

This is the castle!!!!

Photo credit Chris Greene

After our evacuation into the castle the next day was our "information overload" day. We had a couple lectures, went over Visa information, School rules, and divvied out work duties and then completed those work duties. 

That evening the staff called us all into the dinning hall and had us all sit down. First, they announced we were not having "Education" that night. The second announcement was that the scenario was over. I am not sure that us students knew how to respond at first. I honestly thought he was joking with us. But Derrick continued explaining that apart from Tuesday the rest of the week's weather was to be crummy and for the mental, physical and spiritual well-being of us they decided to stop the scenario.  

Derrick did go on to explain what was to happen. Tuesday there was going to be a food shortage. And because the food had already been ordered, the food shortage was still going to happen. (He apologized). Also, Tuesday night the staff was going to kidnap some of the students from camp in the middle of the night. Wednesday some people were going to contract "cholera" and be quarantined. Thursday, the justice DTS students had been told to start "planting" thoughts in our heads that we were better then this & that we deserved to be treated better.  Then Friday, we would revolt and two 'UN vehicles' would come and liberate us. 

That is the Refugee camp. The parts that happened and some of the parts that didn't. 

The joys of travel

The following at the two blog posts I wrote during transit.  -- Since I got to the castle, it has been crazy. I have not really had much time to process it let alone write about it. So, hopefully sometime in the future I will. :) 

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Sitting at the Airport by the windows. 

I like airports, normally I am giddy to be in an airport and I sight where I can watch the hustle and bustle. Today is different, Im not sure why or how, just different. 

So, Im sitting in the airport in Norfolk, Virginia with my back to all the people, watching the window at my gate. 

I think I pissed off the TSA agent running the screener. I don't want to say she is permanently in that mood, I don't know her personally and I would never wish that on anyone.. however I digress. I got all my stuff on the belt, pulled my laptop, removed my shoes and belt, the whole nine yards. I forgot one thing. It is something that is so natural I totally didn't realize until the machine went off… I left my cell phone in my back pocket. FAIL. Oh well. I made it through with a laugh. No worries ma'am I have no other plans than to fly to Dresden, Germany. 

After my little tiff with the TSA agent (Really I'm making more of it than what happened, reality: she gave a look and then used a tone) I went to stare out the window.. across the tarmac there was luggage carts, cones, gates and ladders, and those funny little cars they wiz a round out there.  No one in sight. Then I saw it.

Off in the distance two small objects slowly moving closer. These two small things got bigger   until I was able to distinguish it was two men walking. They were wearing hawaiian shirts, kaki shorts and sandals. I believe one of them was wearing a hat. Im not sure. They looked lost. I really had the urge to open a door and tell them that the beach was 20 mins in the other direction. However I resisted.  

so far this trip has been good…. or Im going crazy. either one. :) 

If Im going crazy then the following posts will be bundles of fun. ;) 

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Guten tag from Deutchland!!! 

I made it, safe and sleepy. :)  My flights were good. Especially my last flight, from Frankfurt to Dresden. I had an entire row to myself. Three seats. Travel bliss. 

Story from today. Now at this moment I do question whether I should be sharing this story at all, for fear people won't let me travel ever again, but I can't help it. In the moment it made me laugh and I thought to myself, "I need to remember this so I can blog it later." :)

Exiting off the plane in frankfurt there were two airport workers, one holding a sign with a Munich flight and the other with a dresden flight. It was my flight to dresden. The guy holding the sign didn't speak english, so i kinda held out my ticket and said dresden and looked quizzical and he looked to the other guy who was able to get out, "dresden flight, Stand here and go to terminal" -- Keep in mind it was 5:45 AM and I had just walked off the dark plane from a crummy night's sleep. Oh I was also the last person to leave the plane too. So, I stood there. Praying I wasn't making a huge mistake, and missing something. 

When the German speaking fellow, confirmed with a mean looking German speaking woman that that was everyone off the plane, the two men looked at me and then escorted me down a set of stairs and out to the exterior of the airport. As we were walking down the stairs I thought to myself, "well this would kind of be an ideal set -up for snagging girls. If anything is to happen to me, this would be it. Oh, well I got Jesus." (Yes, 5:45 am logic was kicking in)  As I came to peace of the possibilities of what I might have gotten myself in to, we came around a corner and there was a shuttle bus. To my relief it had more people in it. "Good, Im not being kidnapped after all." 

But the fun doesn't stop there. We got to the terminal for the two flights, the men directed the 12 of us through a series of doorways, elevators and through to passport check. The first 7 people went up to the counters, got checked and moved on. I got to the counter, just as the guy working was clocking out and the new guy was clocking in. And apparently there was a delay with the system, and the guy kept leaving and coming back. As the police office kept spouting off german, and making faces at computer the rest of the group I was with made it through the passport check. FINALLY, the dude got it all together, stamped my passport and I went in search of the english speaking little man. 

I came around the corner and ran into a girl that had been on my Philly - Frankfurt flight and she was waiting for a girl that happened to be behind me in line. With my look of confusion, She asked if I was going to YWAM… and that is how I met, Alisa and Katherine. 

From that moment I had travel buddies and we made our way to dresden and the train system. I have two things to say about the train system, 1) It is remarkably on time. Like EXACTLY. 2) To my disappointment it didn't look like the Harry Potter train.