Christmas Newsletter

Click on the title to download my newest newsletter!!!

Our last Club

Last night we had our last Club for 2008, and we had a really good turn out. The past couple weeks we have just had one big group for discussions, but this week we were able to go back to 2 groups! I think the theme for the night was part of the reason we had so many people come... who doesn´t have stress, and who doesn´t want to get rid of it???



So, Matt led us in our evening of Stress. He talked about how it impacts all levels of life.

- the individual experiences the effects of stress. It takes a toll on our minds, bodies and spirits.

- stress causes physical problems such as hyper tension, migraines, joint pain, back aches

- emotionally stress is linked to depression, substance abuse, and feelings of anger, frustration and hopelessness

- stress has a negative impact on the workplace and economy. The World Health Organization says that stress is a "worldwide epidemic". Statistics Canada says that 40% of job turnover is stress related and stress costs the Canadian economy $12 million each year. The American economy loses $300 billion each year.

- it impacts interpersonal relationships. How many fights have we had because one person was a little stressed out



Stress does not always come from negative events. Any change and the adaptation it requires can cause stress. Stress can be a part of adapting to any change - good or bad. Sometimes even thinking about these changes can cause stress.



Then we did a stress test... 2 dolphins, how many differences do you see? The more you see, the more stressed you are!

Then we watched the response of some people to stress...
Which brought us to our first discussion....
- What are your stressors?
- What causes you stress?
- How do you know when you are experiencing stress? What is your pattern of stress.
- How do you react to it?

Then we wanted to talk about ways of dealing with stress...
- Try being active. Exercise and physical activity releases endorphins that naturally combat stress and puts tense muscles to work. Being physically tired may also help you sleep
- A little emotional release can be a good thing: crying and laughing releases the same endorphins
- Watch a funny movie / sad movie. go to see a comedian. go somewhere private and let yourself cry etc.
- A hobby or project to direct your energies into and take your mind off of things.
-foods rich in antioxidants are good: Potatoes, cantaloupe, strawberries, raw cabbage and citrus fruits
-Magnesium helps a lot to manage your stress level. Green vegetables like spinach, almonds and seeds are the best source of magnesium.
- Use time management techniques like using a calendar or writing yourself reminder notes / plan your day ahead to be efficient
- Try a new, creative idea to an old problem (even if it seems a bit crazy)


here´s one more method....






Discussion 2:
- How do you cope with stress?
- How should you cope with stress?
- How do you see other people coping with stress?
- What helps you best to cope with stress

Then Matt told us about how he was so stressed once that his eye started twitching, but he was still in denial that he had stress! That is, until his wife sat him down and told him the truth about his state, and he was able to confront his stress and do something to change the situation!

Then, we discussed another method of dealing with stress... which is to eat cookies! So, we did!

This was our last club for this year, but we are already excited for our FIRST CLUB of 2009 which will be on 17.02 at 18:30. Thank you for praying for this Club! I hope you were able to get a good feel for the tone of our clubs!

Convoy of Hope

So, just this weekend we hosted the Convoy of Hope. This is an organization that works alongside churches in order to help them reach their mandate to serve the poor and needy in their communities. So, they sent us a truck full of canned food (soup, baby food, some desserts...) and a team of 20 people from the US to help.

The truck pulled in at about 9:30 Saturday morning, and between the 20 Americans, 10 people from church, 10 guys from Teen Challenge, some kids from the street and 15 people from the Catalyst Leadership Training program, it took us 7 hours to unload the truck.


We passed package after package of canned goods as an assembly line from the parking lot into the VBC building. After lunch, we loaded up 2 vans and took 2 trips to deliver some of this food to various social institutions in the city, like the homeless shelter and the deaf society. I was on this team.



While we were out delivering, the majority stayed behind and packed individual packages to deliver door to door, which we did on Sunday after church. That was really great to be a part of... taking the church and the american team, and going together to minister to our community. Showing them that we aren't just out to serve ourselves, but others. Showing them the love of God in a practical way. We shortened church and made this distribution a part of the service. It was great.

One really cool story that I can tell you about this distribution, was when we made our delivery to a home for homeless families (or just mothers) with children. The boys from this home came out to help us unload the van, which was so cute. But, as we were there, the director told us that right at that moment, these families had nothing to eat. That had we not come, they wouldn't have had anything. Wow.

As we were going door to door, we met with many types of people: those who were angry and didn't want anything from us, those who turned us down, others who cried and recieved it gladly, and those who rushed the van, calling their neighbours to come and take a parcel.

Please pray that God will use this event to bring people closer to Him.

News...

OK... I know you have all been waiting in deep suspense about what is happening over here. So, I shall keep you waiting no longer!

About the church, we are still at the VBC Business Centre, Miro was able to procure a massive space heater, which will serve us well for now anyway. But, this is still just a Band-aid over a much bigger issue. They have still decided not to allow us to stay beyond December, so... keep praying!


In other news, I am moving! I have a new apartment, 2.5 rooms, 85m2, newly renovated, close to the centre of town and .... for a little less money! Woo! I just signed the contract this morning.I take possession on the 14th of Nov, but I prob won't actually move until the 21st/22nd - I have my current apartment until 3. Dec. So I can take my time with moving... here are some pics of the new place that the realtor sent me.

Being Evicted???

Alright, so yesterday afternoon, my landlord was standing in my driveway with 2 other men. Strange I thought, but whatever. I walked up to them with much apprehension and my landlord said, "Oh hello, I am so glad that you are here. We want to talk to you. That man there is an Austrian, and he will pay double what you are paying for this apartment. You're not able to meet that are you?" She then proceeded to tell me that I would have 2 weeks to move out. She mentioned that the other man with the Austrian is a realtor and he would be more than willing to help me find a new place, as well, she also owns another apartment in town which I could also check out and move in immediately.

At this moment in time, I was actually on my way out to take a friend to the airport, and we were already late in leaving. So, I was trying to recover from this gut-wrenching event, while driving on the highway. Not fun. I have since looked at our contract, and, as it turns out, they have to give me 2 months notice and according to the law, it should be 3 months. I am really hoping this doesn't get ugly. Part of me just wants to go and maintain the peace. So, I am looking for a new place for me and my roommates to live...

My apartment was a huge blessing, not only to me, but to others as well. Also, my rocky relationship with my neighbours has really improved over the past few months, which was very encouraging to me. But, this just goes to show again, that we cannot hold on to anything of this world too tightly, and to always be prepared for whatever could happen. Over this past year, I have come up against challenge after challenge. From my car breaking down, to being a victim of fraud, to my computer crashing... and God has shown Himself faithful again and again, and has showed me that He IS taking care of me. I believe that this will be another case of this.

Pray for me.

Goodbye to the VBC

Sigh... this past Sunday was our last Sunday at the VBC Business Centre. After refusing to turn on the heating for us for the winter and not to allow us to stay beyond the end of December, Miro decided that it was best for us to go now. We have pregnant mothers and small children, and it is simply too cold already. So, Miro is on the search again for a place for us to meet. He is also looking into a long term solution as well, buying, as extraordinary of a project that would be, it is looking like more and more the direction God would have us walk in. Please remember us.

The dreams we dream

This was the theme of our first club this semester, which happened yesterday! We had a full house which was great, and I think everyone had fun!

We watched a couple inspiring videos about a couple young people who had dreams, who worked against adversity, and who saw their dreams come true.

We talked about the dreams we have, what is preventing from dreaming BIG dreams, why people give up on their dreams and even the point behind dreaming at all.

Liz talked about how she had a dream to open a music school, and about how hard she worked in order to achieve her dream. Then, just as things we starting to really go well, she was asked to give up this one dream in order to achieve an even bigger dream. But the fulfilling of her bigger dream meant closing her school and going into a new area of her life that was less certain and required a lot more faith in God in order to stick with it.

Then we talked about whether or not our dreams were worth fighting for, at what cost. Also, if they would be willing to sacrifice their dreams for someone or something, and of course, what happens when our dreams don't come true.

Here are some pics from the event:

VBC meets Mozaika!

Here's a prayer update for you. This past Sunday we were in the VBC Business Centre! It is a great place: the location, the facilities, the size... it's wonderful. But please continue to pray for us. They have only guaranteed us this room for October, perhaps till the end of the year, perhaps for 2-3 years! There is another business that wants to use this room, and they would use it 24/7 and would be able to afford to pay for such. So, it depends on how they decide what our fate will be. The maximum amount of time that we could stay in the VBC would be 2 or 3 yrs because they have plans to demolish that part of the building in order to build an administrative tower.

Let's pray that the last purpose this room will serve will be as a Temple!! Pray also for our future building, whether that means from Nov, from Jan or in 2/3 yrs time!





Thank you for your faithfulness in prayer. I have been very encouraged by the emails that I have received from many of you. Thank you.

They're BACK!

Ahh, the end of September... it can only mean one thing... the summer has gone and the students have come back! Tues started the first days of school, and their presence could be felt immediately. When the population of your city increases overnight by 30%, you feel it!

Pray for us, we're gearing up for the beginning of our Discussion Club, which starts on Oct 7. We're hoping for a good semester, for lives to be touched and changed!

For now...

Thank you for your prayers regarding a place for us to meet on Sunday. Yesterday we met in the home of one of our church members, Peter and Adka Stolarik. They have a very large and very nice home, and we all managed to meet in there quite nicely. I thought we might be fewer in number, but I was told after that we had 30 adults! So praise God! The devil might try to stop what God is doing, but it's not going to happen! We had a great time of worship together: singing, praying, taking communion together, fellowship, learning more about God together. It was rich with the presence of God, and love for one another. It was great! Felt like family.

As far as next steps are concerned, we are waiting to hear back from VBC, a business centre here in town, whether or not we can rent a space from them.

Pray with us please, one thing that we, as a church are dedicating ourselves to for the next 3 weeks is to fasting and prayer for what's to happen next. Miro has a building of our own on his heart. This would be a good declaration, spiritually, to actually have a piece of land dedicated to God. As well, it would be a fabulous tool that we could use. But, as I mentioned, we will be fasting and praying for the Lord's leading in this area. A building project is a major undertaking in any corner of the world, but it is not made easier by the impossibility of getting a mortgage. No bank in Slovakia will give a mortgage to non-profit groups, or those who might would demand a 2 yr steady income statement, which we don't have. We have been our own entity since July of this year. But, we also believe that if this is the will of God for our church, finances will come.

Please continue to stand with us in prayer.

Church Troubles

Yesterday we received a call from AgroInstitute, the place where we have been meeting for Sunday services, that we have just spent our last Sunday there. They decided to refuse to rent to us anymore, and so we are now faced with quite a big situation. We are now only 4 days away from another Sunday service and no place to have it. Coincidentally, we have just switched to morning services and have just put ads in the paper advertising our new time. As you may remember, it took us a year to get out of my apartment and into a public venue, please please pray that God will open doors for us in record time!

27 years...

Last week I celebrated my birthday in Slovakia. It was a wonderful day spent with friends, I even made a lemon meringue pie (my favourite) to commemorate the event! I also had a BBQ on the Sat which was also a lot of fun. We tromped up the hill of Kalvaria here in Nitra and roasted weenies over a fire. I spent some time just staring out at the stars in the sky after it got dark, and it wasn't until the early morning hours (midnight +30min) when we decided to come back down to real life! Fun times.

Thank you to all of you who wished me a happy birthday! It truly brightened my day!

Christina's Summer Continues

So, it's been a couple months since I returned from Canada, and there have been a few significant things which happened.








Pastor's Camp was one of them. This year, Stephen Hertzog of Vanguard College, sponsored this camp for all of our pastors and their families. I decided to tag along for the last day and a bit. It was a really encouraging and challenging time for our pastors, as Ross Olsen and Jim Guskjolen as well as their wives came as well to share during the meeting times. I only heard good feedback from those who attended. It was also an excellent time of fellowship as well, which is always my favourite part! It was also so neat to see the kids again. 5 years ago I helped with the kids during pastors camp, and seeing how much they've grown is absolutely incredible for me.






I also had the honour of attending my good friend and former classmate's wedding here in Slovakia, Vlado and Martinka Zak. It's so wonderful to witness such an event, a dream come true.






Campfest was another of my memorable moments this summer. Campfest is an annual Ecumenical, Christian Open-Air Music Festival which takes place in the northern, more mountainous area of Slovakia. It rained the whole time we were there, creating a slew of mud. It was also not a warm rain, but a very cold one. Fortunately though, unlike friends of mine, my tent (borrowed) withstood the rain and did not flood! Apart from the weather, the musical groups were alright, although I missed a couple of the ones I wanted to see because we came a little later (we came on Friday not Thurs) and left earlier, Sat evening not Sun morn! So that was a little disappointing, but that's fine too. Overall, Campfest was fine. My favourite part is always seeing my friends from all corners of the country in one place! :)




A friend of mine, Julie Bilodeau from Ont, decided to come and visit me this summer for a couple weeks, which was really nice. We took a couple trips around the area and was a really enjoyable time. We even ventured over to the southern part of Germany where I used to attend school and also where I did part of my Bible School internship. It was so incredible to visit friends and "family", people I haven't seen in many years.










Just this week I also had a very incredible and unique opportunity. As you know, I teach English and I also translate. Up until now, my professional translations have limited themselves to documents for various different companies, such as company security measures,job descriptions and the like. Well, this week I was given the opportunity to branch into live interpreting. Now, I do interpret quite often for English speaking visitors who come to church, but this is not a paid position, and if I make a mistake, it's not the end of the world. Well, this week, I interpreted for 6 hours for a European Union Commission sent to Nitra to determine its Candidacy to become the European Capital City of Culture 2013. I interpreted for one member of the Commission individually, and everything I said carried water! It would make a difference if I didn't understand or if I did it wrong! It was frightening at worst, and delightful at best. It was nice to be wined and dined, even though none of it was actually for ME... but I got to experience it anyway. I was a part of an entourage, which also included Nitra's Mayor, both University directors, and someone from the Ministry of Culture, as well as two television stations. I actually got to interpret a TV interview! I thank the Lord for this opportunity to meet people of influence in Nitra, the European Union, as well as just the professional opportunity. I hope that this experience will open new doors and new opportunities.

Also, my cat came back after a month and a half hiatus. Amazing. Everything that was taken or challenged has been restored. My car, my computer, those who stole from me, my cat... amazing. Glory to God!

7 planes, 14 days

I decided not too long ago to take a trip to Canada this year for a little R&R. Inspired by a wedding! One of my best friends was getting married, so, how could I not come out for that? So, I saved up my nickels and dimes and bought a plane ticket! I took 2 weeks holiday, and made plans to also see my family.

I visited my Mom in Calgary, which was really special, also because my brother, Scott, came down, and my sister, Nichole, was off work as well. So, for 3 days, we hung out, went shopping, had a BBQ and celebrated Scott's birthday early. It was the first time I've been at the celebration of one of my sibling's birthdays in... years. So that was really special.


I also went to visit my Dad, and also my home church, the Park Church. Unfortunately, the video wouldn't play... oh technology... so, if you would like to watch it now... :)







My Dad and I also took a road trip out to Glaslyn, SK. There is a wonderful church out there that I was in contact with, but had never actually met. So, it was important for me to see them, face to face. Actually, one of the women at that church went to High School with my mom!

I also spend a little time in National Office in ON, and got to spend a little time with a couple friends out there.



Then it was off to Nfld for Ian and Tiffanie's wedding. I went a few days early to help them get ready, and to spend time with the others who had gone out as well. It was a lot of fun and it was so incredibly special for me to be at their wedding. I bawled during a practice of the wedding songs, but managed to hold it together during the ceremony itself. Sniff sniff. I'm so proud of them!



If you're curious about the planes... Here's the breakdown. Vienna-Washington, Wash - Toronto, Toronto - Calgary, Edmonton-Toronto, Toronto-St John's, St John's-Toronto, Toronto - Vienna. And in there was also a bus to Edmonton, a motorcycle to SK and back, public transportation and various car rides!

It was a quick trip, but a very blessed one!

Another Car Update

After 4 months of waiting, I finally have my car back! The repairs were significantly cheaper than expected, how often do you get to say that about taking the car to get fixed???!!! But, at the same time, there is a sense in my spirit that I shouldn't become too attatched again to this car. And many people have been advising me to sell it now while I still can. I think I am going to listen to that voice of reason. But, that also makes me sad... I still have very little funds, not enough to buy another car. Can I go without for an undetermined amount of time? I don't know. But God is faithful, and I think I am just going to have to trust in Him. I know He won't disappoint me or fail me.

Early Summer Update

Mar_08.pdf

Car Update

Tommorrow the car is being towed away to another shop. The one shop, which has been running tests and diagnostics for the past couple months has given up trying to find out what the problem is. They are 90% sure they know what the problem is, but finding that used part has turned out to be next to impossible. So, they have thrown in the towel. They told me that I had only one option left: take it to the dealership. So, tomorrow I will tow it there.

At first I didn't think that it would even be worth it to fix the car, that I could just sell it for parts and get a decent price. Well, that has turned out to be less of a reality than I thought. I was laughed at when I told someone how much I thought I could get it for parts. And it's also more complicated than just a simple sale. So, if I can fix it and sell it right away, that would be the easiest way, and I would also get a better price for it.

So, no more Seat Ibiza for me! I have managed to get by so far by walking everywhere or taking the bus. It has worked so far, but my ministry outside the city has pretty much ground to a halt. I haven't been in Nove Zamky since April when we had a team here who had rented a car! There have also been missed opportunities to serve others, and I have needed to fall on the mercy of others who have cars. Like I said, God has been faithful and I have managed to get by, but I am feeling the need to be more mobile again.

Hence, I have launched a fundraising campaign in order to be able to buy a new-to-me car! I am aiming to buy a 2-3 yr old Skoda Fabia or Oktavia Combi. They are readily available and parts (should I ever need them) are close at hand since they are made in the Czech Republic and cheaper too. They are also a very reliable car, and I have been encouraged to buy one by many people. That or the VW Polo 5... but, unless the Lord opens the Heavens of provision, I will probably aim for the Skoda! :)

Please watch the video here to learn more about this fundraising campaign, it is very different (I have very creative friends who share their ideas with me!) and very interactive. Yes! I need you! Please watch!

Red Guitars

Again, I have abandoned the blog for a god period of time... sigh... I wish I could be better! I don't even have any pictures to show you because my camera broke awhile ago, and I am investigating if it can be fixed. No word yet...





For the past couple months, I have been attempting to learn how to play the guitar. One of the remaining remnants of things left behind in my house since church was here, is Milan's red guitar. It sat in my living room for a very long time, until I finally said that I was going to use this opportunity to learn how to play! So, my friend Betka taught me my first two chords at Christmas time. So, I was glad for my two chords, but we never could quite get it together after that (I was shy to ask) to get her to teach me some more. So, a couple months ago I downloaded chord fingering charts and found some songs and began to teach myself. A month after that I asked Martin, who leads worship at church if he would meet with me. So, every Saturday I take the bus up to Klokocina (one part of Nitra) for an hour lesson, then I have to run to catch the bus back down! And last night, was my crowning achievement... I played in our small group meeting and it wasn't a complete disaster! Have no illusions... I lost my rhythm a couple times, I fumbled the chords a few times, but, all together it was really good! We worshiped and God was glorified even in my weakness!






Also, I've been able to make some new friends! Through the St Catherine's team, we met Marian, and through him, I've been introduced to a whole network of people! Marian works with an organization called AIESIC, which is an international internship program. AIESIC also has a close relationship with ERASMUS, which is a student exchange program. So, I've met people here in Nitra, from all sorts of backgrounds: Spanish, Turkish, English, Slovak and others! They're a great group of people and we have a lot of fun together. I've also had some chances to share the Gospel with a few, a few have come to church and one came to small group last night! Some of them have been believers, and so it's been good to encourage them in their walks as well. It's been a blessing so far and I believe God will use this relationship to open more doors to share Jesus with others!

Wow...

Yah, I just cam on here after a long period of not even checking the blog... and then I noticed just how LONG it has been since I wrote anything on here... so much has happened...

The first thing I want to talk about is our Young Adult Outreach. We have had 3 clubs so far for University students in the form of a Discussion Club. Our topics have been on Friendships, Beauty (who decides?), and Living the Right Life (is there more to life than money, family, career...) It has been SO encouraging to see people come to these events. Although it's been a bit strange, we always seem to have the same amount of people, but always different people! I am praying for the day they ALL come at the same time! :) These clubs are a place where people can connect with others, and an open forum for everyone to share their opinions in a safe environment. And of course, we always wrap it up at the end with a personal testimony so that the Gospel is clearly shared and that God's perspective is the last one that is talked about! Then we have refreshments and just chat until they all decide to go home! It has been during these times of just chatting over pie or whatever that we've had some really good conversations. So far no has been saved, but we believe that it's a process and we are faithful to what God is calling us to!

We are also building relationships with Christian University students, and we really value this as well because we recognise that some people may respond to a flyer, but the most people will come when they are invited/brought by a friend. So, we rely on these students to be our voice on campus! :) It has been really great getting to know them as well and to encourage them in their lives, and to be encouraged as well! These students come from all kinds of denominations and backgrounds and I think it's fabulous to do something together!

You may have noticed that I have been mostly talking about WE, no, this is not the royal "we", I am not alone! I have 2 great people that I am working together with on this, Betka and Patrick.

Betka is a wonderful young woman of God, and it is such a pleasure to work with her. She is easily my closest friend here in Nitra, and I am so thankful for her friendship. These clubs were actually mainly her idea! I was praying and trying to find a way to reach out to the students. I knew that we had this room in the office that I wanted to turn into a mini-cafe, but I wasn't quite sure how to go about that. Then Betka and I started talking together about this, which is when she told me that she had all these ideas, and that God has placed this strongly on her heart! She was also inspired by what she experienced with Campus Ministries while she was in Russia over the summer. So, we took that idea and ran with it! As a result... we've got our (so far) monthly discussion club! Praise God for His leading and provision!

Patrick is an American who has been working in the Kingdom in Nitra for the past 7 years together with his wife, Ivetka and their 2 sons. Patrick is changing his role though, and will be not be as involved when we resume in the fall.




More news....

So far this year we have had 2 MISSIONS TEAMS!!! Actually, they came back to back in April, which is my excuse for why i haven't posted! :)

The first team were 3 wonderful ladies from Alberta who came as a District Women's team, and it was such a blessing to have them here! They were so easy to host and such a joy! And they were so well recieved! It was great! I was blessed in particular because 2 of these women I know very well, Debbie Fawcett and Arlene Rowley, and it was so good to meet Denise Hager of Chauvin as well. They did various types of things while they were here, mainly focusing on women and mother's. We went to the Mother's Centre in Nove Zamky and did teaching/discussion on issues pertinent to mom's and wives... I learned a lot! :)


We went to one facility for teenage mother's and did crafts with them, which was so much fun! It was so great to see these girls just be girls and not have all the pressure of being a mom at 15 on them. It was also great to see how they connected with Arlene in particular. We also did a Regional Women's Night Out, where 60 women gathered for an evening of sharing, conversing, eating and receiving! Debbie spoke and it was really powerful. Hearts were definitely moved, the feedback I've received since then has all included, "we need to do this more often" and has included a lot of positive adjectives! :)





I also put them to work and they cleaned off bricks for re-use in Zlate Moravce at the church planter's house (Michal and Lubi Kluciar) there, which they are renovating completely.














We also went to another church here in the city and washed all their windows! This was a joint effort also by others in our church, and also their church. It was great to do something together and we had a great time of fellowship over good food as well! :) They were also involved in many other things... I kept them busy! :D


THANK YOU ALBERTA FOR SENDING US THREE GREAT WOMEN TO MINISTER HERE!!! SEND MORE ANYTIME!!!

The second team we received was from St.Catherine's, Ontario, and they were a young adult team from Central. They were a lot of fun, very high energy! These guys were a servant/young adult team.

Everyday they were in the University serving them in practical ways. This opened doors of influence for us in the university, as well as doors of relationships. The university sent them a student who could show them around a bit, who ended up being a great guy that they connected well with. We have also met him and his friends, and this looks to be a relationship that will continue to grow! We also sent them to Zlate Moravce to help Michal and Lubi with their house.











THANK YOU ST CATHERINE'S FOR SENDING SOME GREAT YOUNG PEOPLE TO HELP US MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!! FEEL FREE TO COME AGAIN!!!















New Ministry involvement:You might remember my crazy actress friend, Ludka. Well she is starting a new ministry, an Army of Worshipers. So far all we have done is met together to seek the Lord and to pray for Slovakia and for revival. It's been really good thus far, the Holy Spirit has been really present. So, we'll see where God takes it from here!




OK... I think I will end this post soon...

Car update: The mechanic who has it cannot fix it, and he has asked me to remove my vehicle. He wants to send me to another mechanic who might be able to help me. Sigh. Is it even worth it??

Technology Update: The camera and the cell phone have died. The camera I don't know what can be done... And the cell phone I have replaced! It was time for a new contract anyway... So, note the change of number! 011-421-918-881843

KPM 08

I just got back in the wee hours of this morning from Zilina, from a conference called KPM: Conference for Youth Workers. There was about 600 people from all over the country, from every denomination. It was a hall full of great potential, the potential to change the face of this country... of Europe! There is just something powerful about being in a room full of believers, praising God together. I love it!!

Easter

During the time that we celebrate the death and resurrection of Christ, I am marvelled by a new form of new life that I was able to celebrate this Easter. And that was the resurection of my laptop!!! After being cut off from the land of the technologically connected for a whole month, I am pleased to announce my return! And not only were they able to restore my laptop to me (complete with new hardware) they were also able to save my data!!! I am SOOOO thankful for that! There were so many things, precious things, files that represented hours of my life that were not backed up (which are now!) that I thought were lost forever, that have now been restored! Praise God!

Also, for Easter, I was very glad to host my friend Anne Wahl, from Weingarten, Germany. Anne was one of the youth that I worked with during my internship in Germany way back in 2003. After 5 yrs of seeing each other, it was really wonderful to have her here. For Easter weekend we took a little trip up to the mountains, I wanted her to see the nicest parts of this country! It was so incredible to reconnect with an old friend and over Easter as well! I thought it was a little ironic that it was at this time that she chose to come. 5 years ago, I spent Easter with her family! It was also good to brush up a bit on my German, which was a frustrating endeavour... trying to find it in the attic of my brain! But I was glad to re-discover my hidden vocabulary!

As far as an update on my car is concerned, I he last time I called my mechanic, I asked him if there was any hope for the car, his response, "ooo... I can't say..." So, needless to say, it doesn't look good. Because I use my car so much for ministry, and because of the precious cargo (people) that I usually carry in my car, a reliable car is on the wish list! Stay tuned for more details!

Technology Hates Me :)

This month hasn't been a very good one for me as far as technology is concerned. Both my car and my computer have rebelled against me!

In my last blog entry, I wrote about my car and how the air hose had holes in it. Well, apparently that was the least of my worries! The actual problem in the car has yet to be discovered! At first they thought it was the ignition coil, but after that was replaced, the problem persisted. Then they ran more tests and found that the part which functions as the central computer of the car was broken. A new part will cost big money, so they are trying to find a used part, but the ones they have been trying on the car actually haven't worked. So, needless to say, I need a new car! :) Please pray that God can provide for this need of mine!

My laptop also decided not to work, but that, at least, was under warranty. I nearly cried when they told me my files couldn't be recovered... but let this be a lesson to us all... back up files! Fortunately I burned all my pictures from 2007 onto discs in Jan, so I have that much as a consolation. I have been almost 3 weeks without a computer...

No car, no computer... I'm crippled! :)

I think that it has a spiritual tie though... is it a coincidence that the 2 things I use most for ministry are out of commission at the same time??? And is it a coincidence that this happened just as we began intensively praying for and planning University outreaches? Hmm... I think not! Please pray for us!

Regional Conference and MacGuyver

This past weekend was our Regional Conference for the whole western part of Slovakia. We had people from all over the place coming in! It was held in the Culture House, in an old theatre room, where we filled it with young and old people who wanted to seek the Face of the Lord! This years theme was Mission, and everyone was challenged to live a life of mission. Living in purity, passionate for God and actively praying and witnessing in our areas of influence, as well as abroad. It was great. The only thing that put a damper on the conference for me, apart from the rainy weather, was the fact that my car broke down on the way there!




My air hose has about 6 holes in it now, all repaired in a MacGuyver fashion... using the first aid kit in the car to patch up the holes to get us to where we needed to go! We also prayed it in to Nove Zamky. It must have been a site to see... 3 girls in a car, speeding up and slowing down (based on the cars ability to breathe) praying in tongues and prophesying over this car in the rain. A journey which should have taken 40 min took us 2.5hours! But God got us there, that I know because we couldnt even drive out of the parking lot after the conference, even with all our repairs! Amazing.

If you would like to see how we are growing in Nitra, check out this video...http://files.filefront.com/MVI+6074avi/;9745991;/fileinfo.html