A "Crappy" First Day

That title makes it seem like I had a horrible first day back, and that's not quite true, just a horrible first hour. Literally crappy. And here's why:

** Warning: not for the weak stomach!**

It needs to be said first of all that flying is not very kind to my bowels. I get bloated on planes and of course feel very uncomfortable throughout the whole travel experience, so I'm always happy to get back to a real house with a real bathroom. When David picked me up from the airport, he took me straight to my new apartment, which was SOOOO exciting. After we brought up the suitcases and he took off to let me nap, I immediately headed to the bathroom to do my thing. Forgetting that the pipes hadn't been used in 3 months, I proceeded to press down the button to flush. It didn't send out flushing water, however. Instead, it sent out a high-pressure burst of air that in turn sent poop and pee flying all over my bathroom and all over me.

Needless to say, I was not very happy (though grateful my mouth had been closed). I only freaked out a little though and was able to quickly find a rag to clean up my mess, hose down the shower, peel out of my clothes, and then quickly douse myself in pure water. I also ran around the apartment opening all faucets to let water run out. Welcome home, huh?

Yuck.

So kiss me and smile for me

Because I'm smiling pretty big right now. As of yesterday, my support is at 100%!!!! WOHOOOOOO! I still can hardly believe God made it all happen!!! And truth be told, that is the "unofficial" number, which means enough people have told me they'd like to support me, and 100% of the costs could be covered. However, the "official" number is lower, meaning not everyone has told WorldVenture yet, so they still think I'm at 95%. But I'm sure people will let them know in the next couple of weeks.

I leave today on that jet plane! 7:40 tonight. I'm scheduled to arrive in Basel tomorrow at 2 pm local time, and the Loves will pick me up and take me back to my new apartment, lined wall to wall with boxes that need unpacking. You can pray for me for the next few days:
- to get over jet lag quickly
- set up my classroom
- get the first week of lessons planned well
- find lights so I can see in my apartment
- can get settled enough that I'm don't freak out living among boxes for a few days

THANKS to everyone for the love and support this summer. THANKS to God for allowing me to return to BFA on time!

I would go to the ends of the earth

To be honest, I had my first "this missions thing stinks" today. I haven't had one up until now. Sure there have been rough patches and mornings I didn't want to call another church and "beg" for money, but I never was sad to think of going. I never doubted that my calling into missions was the greatest thing ever! Today though, when my parents drove off and I left my brother and his family at the airport, for the first time, it wasn't so rosy.

I suppose meeting Olivia had something to do with it; she'll be walking the next time I see her. It's also the fact that as a family, we've always had the next get-together on the calendar, even if it was nearly a year out in the future, there was something certain to look forward to. Furthermore, I've never left for a two-year stint to anywhere. The most was 11 months in Taiwan. 2 years!?! It just sounds so much longer!

I was feeling pretty low in the car on the way back to Shoreview tonight. So God showed up in the form of a song on the radio again (he's done it before). The song "Jesus, I believe in you" has ministered to me before, but never quite the way it did tonight: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErYjQNg_BAw.

Jesus, I believe in you,
and I would go to the ends of the earth
the ends of the earth
For you alone are the Son of God
and all the world will see that you are God
You are God!

It's all about Him. I've had the privilege up until now that it could also be somewhat about my love of Europe, my own knowledge of German, and my comfort of living cross-culturally. the cost hasn't been as real to me, but now that it is, I need to remind myself daily that it is still all about him. As they told us in training, nothing will keep you in your calling as much as a commitment to obedience. So, the "stinky days" will probably come again, but I know who's God, and I know where I'm supposed to be.

Yikes!

In faith that the final 7% will come in, I went ahead and bought a ticket!!! Not quite sure it was the wisest thing yet, but the prices were too good to pass up, plus you kind of need to book at least a couple weeks out in advance. However, I won't be able to use it until WorldVenture registers 100% support. Please pray!

Renewal Conference

Renewal Conference is WorldVenture's Annual conference for all its missionaries (who can come) and the staff members from headquarters. The President of the mission gives the State of the Mission update, and we get to hear about all kinds of new ideas and great initiatives for reaching more people around the globe. It's very exciting.

But my favorite part by far were the first two days where we spend every minute of every session only in prayer. I'd never been to a Prayer Summit like that before, and I know I thought "What in the world could we spend two whole days praying about?" However, it was amazing! Monday morning was all about just praising and worshiping our cool God. In the afternoon, we broke into two groups - men and women. Tuesday morning was for prayer in small groups, and I got to share a neat time with 4 amazing women I admire. Then in the afternoon, we all came back together again to offer petitions for the various ministries around the world.

in the Europe/Middle East prayer room

I walked away from the week emotionally and mentally drained but spiritually so revived! Funny how that works.

Showing off my niece

This melts my heart! 12 days till I get to meet her:

My Country Tis of Thee ... which one?

The 4th of July always brings with it such mixed feelings. I am extremely grateful to be an American. More than anything, I know what privileges my little eagle-embossed, blue-stitched passport bears outside these borders, not to mention the incredible opportunities and freedoms I've gotten to experience within this country. I've gotten to travel coast to coast and back again in one summer, seeing sights such as roaming elk in Yellowstone, the crack in the Liberty Bell, the view from the top of Space Mountain, and the chance to lie in four states at once. My education is another thing not to be taken for granted. I'm nearly finished with my master's degree - how many people around the world can claim that? How many of them female? And of course, who can forget the American staples such as national security, religious freedom, and apple pie?

However, a part of me feels more homesick than ever on this particular day. And with each passing year it gets harder and harder to pinpoint where I'm homesick for. Austria to be sure, but each trip there reminds more and more that I've moved from resident to visitor status, so it's hard to be HOMEsick for a certain place anymore. Germany and BFA? Not yet. My parents' house? Maybe that gets a little closer, but it still doesn't explain the way I both burst with pride and feel riddled with guilt when I try to sing "My Country Tis of Thee," which has nothing to do with where my parents find themselves at the moment.

The longing to have a home country and, more than anything, to BELONG somewhere is so strong sometimes. Once again, the only place I can find solace for my aching heart is in God's word and the promise of the place he's preparing. I trust that he knows me so well that he's going to make my house in heaven exactly what I need on all levels - spiritual, mental, emotional - and that upon entering it, I'll know for the first time in my life that I'm HOME! It will fit me like a glove and wrap me up in a warm blanket. Until then, I'll gladly cheer the fireworks, mumble as many of the words as I can remember to the Star-Spangled Banner, and stand tall and proudly when I watch the waves roll in on an Oregon shore, but oh how I long for that day of being finally in MY country! The one that ironically truly is of sweet liberty.