week 19 and a short CampFest countdown!

Does 19 feel like a very high number to anyone else? that's almost 20!! (way to state the obvious Stas!)
Some days it feels like I’ve been here forever and then I think I’m 1/3 of the way through my year and there’s so much I thought I’d have done by now. Then I look back over my past e-mails and realize that I’ve done a ton of things I never imagined that I would!

Not a lot of impressive things have happened this past week though. Everything is gearing up toward CampFest.

Friday a few girls and I cleaned the big projection screens for Campfest and on Friday evening I went to Kosice to help Will O’Connell celebrate his 6th birthday. We went swimming, had McDonalds (Praise Jesus for McDonalds) and went back to their flat for presents and cake! I spent the night in Kosice and Just hung out some with them on Saturday.

Sunday I woke up generally not feeling well and decided to spend the morning in bed. The thought of trying to decipher a translated sermon was just too much I felt better in the afternoon, watched a sermon on my computer and did some knitting and tidying up.

Monday at work I helped with some small detail work. One theme of CampFest is raising an army of young people from seemingly dry bones. (Ezekiel 37), so everyone at CampFest is getting a dog tag with a praying stick figure. We have 3,000 of these tags and they all needed strung onto cord.

Tuesday, I continued the dog tag threading. In the evening I bought an 80L knapsack to pack in for CampFest, my large wheelie suitcase that I could fit into with room to spare, was just not the practical solution!

Today we put the last video stuff together and packed boxes.

The next 12 days I will be out of communication

Tomorrow (Thursday) we leave from Presov.

The 4-6th (Friday, Saturday, Sunday) there will be a 3 day event called “Daniel Generation.” This is for the volunteers who will work during CampFest. The idea is that they will be prepared to serve and enjoy themselves a bit before working through CampFest.

The 7-9th (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday) will be full days of setting up tents and stands and all the other things that can only be done on site.

CampFest kicks off with the evening program on the 10th(Thursday) and then all craziness breaks loose through 2:00AM Sunday the 13th.

Then tearing down on Sunday and Monday morning and hopefully (unless the plan changes, which is likely) we will be back late Monday evening the 14th.

My responsibilities at CampFest include cutting live video for the big screens in the mornings and photographing the evening programs. Oh, and whatever else they ask me to do :)

2 weeks ago I updated on how to pray for CampFest and now I want to tell you how you can pray for me at CampFest.

An easy way to remember my requests is to pray that I will be able to follow “the rules” (these are from playing youth soccer with my dad and they have translated to my life):

1, Do your best.

Please pray for my Health. In addition to my known allergies to the location of CampFest I have been coming down with a cough/cold. Running around like crazy and spending 12 days sleeping on the floor when it will be around 50 degrees at night might not be the best things to do about that. The schedule at CampFest will translate to long days, short nights, and screwy sleep schedules. (I like sleep.) AND, there will be very little “introvert time.”, which is how I run. Satan will try to use all these things to mess with my health and attitude and stop me from doing the best job that I can.

2, Respect your teammates.

Roman told me today that by the end everyone will be “cheeky monkeys.” I have no clue what that expression means exactly, but I think it translates to “pray for interpersonal relationships on the MPK team!” We have an intense, close-quartered 12 days ahead and everyone's’ already been working like crazy the past weeks. You can help by praying against attitudes and tempers being brought into the mix!

3, Have fun.

As for the fun thing. CampFest will be dirty, and crowded, and lets face it, I am not an outdoorsy camping sort of girl. But there will be lots of opportunities if I just take hold of them. Maybe you remember the “things that smell good” from the Prague excursion, there will be a booth selling those!! (I’m taking guesses on how much “things that smell good” weight I will put on:)) There will also be great music, ,interesting people, and we have a stunning view of the Tatras mountains to the North. I enjoy cutting video and taking pictures. I just have to not lose perspective, chill out, and go with the flow.

Your prayers will be greatly appreciated on these matters as well as all the other CampFest things you have already been praying for! (i.e. safety, weather, technical stuff, Holy Spirit’s moving)
(If you’re interested, www.campfest.sk is the website and is available in English)
(I like parenthesis)

You rock my world, and your prayers will help CampFest Rock the youth of Slovakia!!
:)Stasi!!



--

Pastor Dave

Thanks for Praying!! Surgury went well, i got an e-mail from him in the hospital. Swallowing doesnt hurt bad enough to keep him from eating (this is how i know he'll be ok!). He spent the night and is coming home Saturday.
Please pray that he will behave himself the next few days and not pull any crazy youth pastor stunts. and that all the healing that needs to happens.

ALSO....please read the post below and pray for Kristen and the team.

Pray for Kristen

so, pray for my Kristen, you know the really cool suitemate in N Ireland. she's halfway through Summerserve. She and the rest of the team are challenging Kids to run away from hell. Naturally the gates of hell are not happy about this.

Summerserve in Her words:
"Summerserve is a two week long mission trip that’s run by YFCNI (Youth for Christ Northern Ireland) every year. People come from America and Canada to join NIers and are broken up into teams of 10-12. I am leading a team of 11 in a parish called Magheralin - just over the hill from Warinsgtown. I have an assistant named Matthew Nichol and our team is comprised of 6 Americans and 5 Northern Irish.

Over the two weeks, we’ll be running a VBS, nightly drop-in center activities, neighborhood clean-up projects, detached youth work and whatever else arises as the Lord directs! While most of the structure of the two weeks is planned, the details are not. That is down to the team."

How to pray:
For the team:
- unity
- energy
- focus
- discipline
- that we wouldn’t waste opportunities
- that we would have fun
- that we would worship with our whole lives
- that people would see Jesus in us

For the parish:
- that the transition would be made between a Summerserve commitment and a
full-time disciple
- that the more traditional folks would be okay as we open the doors to the
‘hooligans’ of the parish

For the people they’re “ministering” to:
- that they’d see Jesus and choose to follow

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I love this girl, and if you dont you should! And regardless of you feelings or lack thereof for Kristen, she and this team are doing some amazing Kiingdom stuff, and need your prayers!

Check out her blog for more details, and probably an update with pictures when she gets home. The link is over to the right. Or click HERE

week 18

in which i befriend the paper cutter.

Welcome to week 18!

Thursday evening I went to the cinema for the first time. We saw the movie Poseidon. It was not a bad movie. The beautiful thing about it was that it is much less expensive to see a movie here, so there is less risk in seeing a movie. I would have regretted paying 7 dollars to see it but 75SK(about 2.50 US) was just about what it was worth. I am going to have such sticker shock when I come back to the States. Have I ever told you that I can get two scoops of ice cream for 12SK (under 50 cents)? Life is good in Slovakia. I eat a LOT of ice cream :)

Last Friday, we went to a different restaurant than usual for lunch, and I had a lesson in crossing cultures. The restaurant was crowded and there were no empty tables, so we split up and sat at two different partly full tables It was very stretching for me to sit down with total strangers. Interestingly enough, a Slovak will not sit down next to someone on a bus without asking first. And they will often stand rather than sit down. I learn something new every day.

Saturday was a relaxing day. I slept in, cleaned some, read some, and hung out in the evening at one of the open cafes that pop up along the street in the summer.

Sunday, I slept in by accident and missed church. On the upside, I was home to get the call form Jeff and Andrea who I stayed with in Kosice when I first came to Slovakia. They invited me to lunch as I got to spend the afternoon trading stories and hanging out with their family.

I did a lot of paper cutting this week. Entry tickets and food tickets and car tickets. Thousands of them. You name it, I helped print and cut it this week :)

Because of Tuesday I get to say the words CampFest video again!! After showing it to Marian and having Rina double check my Slovak spelling, there were a few details that needed addressed. I spent most of my day Tuesday back in the cycle of render, check, tweak, render..... export. It was fun. I also had a Slovak lesson. I am learning. I need to study more.

Wednesday = more paper cutting. All day. I bonded with the rotary paper cutter. It was nice actually, relaxing. A bit of mindless repetition. It gave me time to reflect and pray and daydream. I had a chance to listen to a few sermons that have been sitting on my computer for a while now.

Thursday (today) this morning Roman and I finished cutting everything (I hope :)) this afternoon I’m updating you all and dealing with some paperwork stuff. This evening I am going with a group of folks to see the second Pirates of the Caribbean movie.

Friday is the signing day for the new CampFest field in Svarin :) After tomorrow, it should be all final!! “Timothy School” is a conference for new believers in September. We hope to be able to hold it in Svarin! Also, Friday my dad is having surgery on a ruptured disc in his neck. I’m stressed to be so far away. Not that I could do anything if I was in Pittsburgh but STILL! My Friday prayer warriors have a full day.

Thank you to everyone who prayed for my social life. I was out more this week than I have been. Please pray that relationships will form from hanging out with these folks. More specifically that I will have courage to step outside of myself and initiate those relationships.

News from CampFest!! There is a problem with the lights. (I told you last week this is where Satan was gonna screw with us) The father of the guy who usually does the lights is very sick. He might not be able to come. There are other problems with the constructions for hanging the lights. In a classic translation issue, I have no clue exactly what the problem is, just that it requires prayer.

PLEASE KEEP PRAYING:
~CampFest
~Relationships
~Slovak Learning (I NEED to study more)

You all rock my world

questions

i have a lot of them.
who?
why?
when?
where?
can i?
should i?
what's next?
i'm a third of the way through my year....there is so much i thought i would have acocmplished by now that i haven't and so many things i never imagined i would do that i have.
and i dont know what's next.
and when i'm culture shocking and anxious and depressed, i dont know what i need.
and i'm gonna throw somemthing at the next person who asks me what my plans are for next April. casue i dont know.
and God's not telling. or i'm not listening.

curious thought i had on the bus

nuns.

they're supposed to be the brides of Christ right? so why do they wear mostly black? even the bride of frakenstein wore white.

am i going to get struck by lightning for this post?

princess complex resurfaces

:) found online. made me smile. i might need this. life is good.

crossing cultures

Slovak people will not sit down next to someone they dont know on a crowded bus, but in a crowded restaurant, they dont have a problem sitting down at a partially full table!
Yesterday we went to a different restaurant for lunch. There were 8 of us to find a table at noon. As it turns out, this was not going to happen. So we split and sat at two part full tables. This situation was a stretch for me. I commented to Ander about this, and he told me that I didnt have to touch them, share my food or even talk to them, and the other option was leaving. He was surprised because in NYC strangers sit down right next to each other on the subway.
So why do we define something like sharing a lunch table in a restaurant as an intimate thing, and not sitting next to a total stranger on the bus?

CULTURE that's why. Culture pops up in the strangest places. Phrases you use. ever think about how many different ways we use the word "blow"?
the wind blows
we blow out candles
Bombs blow up
enlarging a photo is blowing it up
inflating a beach ball is also blowing it up
blow is a drug

Think about the word "Hang".....

how about why you could say you were "on the bus" without someone thinking you were standing on the roof, but it doesnt work that way with a car?

Being faced with my weird culture and language and the fact that i cant really explain it, i am trying harder to ask "is there a reason for that?" rahter than "Why do you do that?" becasue chances are the "why" is jsut because that's how it is!

CHEWING GUM!!!

what kind of idiot director forgets/doesnt notice to make the actor SPIT OUT HIS CHEWING GUM!!!! i have an angsty guy who smiles a lot and chews gum....better luck next time staz

Me in two songs.

Sorry about all the posts that are just cut and pasted from some song or movie or whatever, but if you lived in my house you'd understand that we communicate like this, in lyrics or quotes. No matter what I feel like communicating, someone has probably already said it better than I could. The only weird part of this is just how many lyrics, quotes, and catch phrases my family can remember off the tops of our heads.

And just like every Sunday I called momma up last night
And even when it's not, I tell her everything's alright
Before we hung up I said
Hey momma, don't forget to tell my baby sister I'll see her in the fall
And tell mee-ma that I miss her
Yeah, I should give her a call
And make sure you tell Daddy that I'm still his little girl
Yeah I still feel like I'm where I'm supposed to be
Don't forget to remember me

Tonight I find myself kneeling by the bed to pray
I haven't done this in a while
So I don't know what to say but
Lord I feel so small some times in this big ol' place
I know there are more important things, but
Don't forget to remember me
Don't forget to remember me
~Carrie Underwood

Morning by morning I wake up to find
The power and comfort of God'’s hand in mine
Season by season I watch Him, amazed
In awe of the mystery of His perfect ways
All I have need of, His hand will provide
He'’s always been faithful to me.

I can't remember a trial or a pain
He did not recycle to bring me gain
I can'’t remember one single regret
In serving God only, and trusting His hand
All I have need of, His hand will provide
He'’s always been faithful to me.

This is my anthem, this is my song
The theme of the stories I'’ve heard for so long
God has been faithful, He will be again
His loving compassion, it knows no end
All I have need of, His hand will provide
He'’s always been faithful, He'’s always been faithful
He'’s always been faithful to me.
~Sara Groves

Great is Thy Faithfulness, Amen. Being a Vessel shaped the way I see God, and remember to let God shape me. I just have to remind myself every now and then.
I'm finally coming back into me I think (hope pray).
So, Don't forget to remember me, but more important, remember the Faithful One with me tonight.

i survived 2 more weeks (15 & 16 in case you're counting)

Dear wonderful people,

I promise that this will turn back into a weekly update, but I'm working myself back up to that. Three weeks last time, now two and next week we’ll be back on schedule :). The past two weeks were a continuation of my crazy homesickness and thanks to your prayers, I’m finally pulling the whole way out of it. That’s the short version, and here comes the blow by blow:

Week 15 (June 30-July 6)
Friday, I got all the elements (music, text, ect.) for the CampFest video and started coming up with a concept for that. After work, on a whim, I bought a rosebush (to replace the azalea I killed). This purchase was the direct result of getting caught in a summer storm and browsing in the Tesco to stay dry and kill 20 minutes (a dangerous past time!).
Saturday afternoon found me in a tree! I was helping pick cherries. I have not climbed a tree in forever. Everyone was amazed/terrified by the monkeylike way I was moving around the tree. And because I was in the tree, sadly there are no pictures of this. But the cherries were really good and the Biros family now has a winters worth of cherries canned.
Sunday after church I had lunch with Danka and Peto and their two little boys, Philip and David. I went to bed early. I love weekends!
Monday I roughed out the CampFest video (lets see how many times I can type “CampFest video” :))
Tuesday was the 4th of July. I told someone at work that and they said “yes and tomorrow will be the 5th.” They don’t celebrate my national holiday in Slovakia (of all the nerve!!). I worked on the CampFest video, bought a quarter of a watermelon, sang “America the Beautiful” under my breath all day, and called my family.
Wednesday was a day off work in honor of St Cybil and Method who (near as I understand) put the Slovak language into writing in 863AD. Slovaks could then have the bible in their own language. I guess I understand why no one was really excited about the 4th.
Thursday was back to work and the CampFest video (are you counting?) was again the main focal point of my day.

Week 16:
Friday was you guessed it, more editing of the CampFest video!! I made it to the 30 second mark, and wished that I had picked a passion that lent itself better to impressive sounding lists of things I have accomplished.
Saturday I slept in because I could, cleaned my desk and the bathroom. And read a book in the sunshine. Have I mentioned that I love weekends?
Sunday after church I went to lunch and hung out with Rina.
Monday I woke up with a horrible headache. The kind of headache that is made worse by light and being upright. I spent the day in bed with a blanket over my head.
Tuesday, I woke up and found out much to my delight that standing up didn’t make me feel like railroad spikes were being driven into my eyes. I went to work and spent another 8 hours on the CampFest video, finished another 13 seconds!! I also went to the bank without my passport again. Sheesh!
Wednesday I finished the CampFest video!!! CampFest video! CampFest video! CampFest video!! Also it was 87 degrees. And they are re-roofing the offices.. Everything is covered in dust and not air-conditioned!!
Thursday has been construction day at the office. Ander was rebuilding shelves, the roofers were hammering and drilling and roofing and I was trying to tweak the CampFest video. My headache made a brief reappearance and was beaten off by some Tylenol. The CampFest Video is waiting for official approval after this morning’s tweak session. This afternoon, I’ll either re-tweak the CampFest video, go back to

Tomorrow, I will be driving to Germany with a bunch of other people to attend Calling All Nations, an international worship festival being held in Berlin. There is a good chance that I will spend more time in the car than in Berlin, but I’m still excited about this. The festival is all day Saturday and we’ll drive back Saturday night and get in Sunday Evening!! Next week, will be full of whatever needs done for CampFest any final tweaking that needs done on the CampFest video and heaven knows what else!

I have still not received my visa, red tape and all that jazz. I have all my paperwork handed in before Micah came and I should receive it next week.

PLEASE PRAY:
~ For safe travel to Germany this weekend and a time of blessing for all in attendance.
~ CampFest Preparations. (a thousand little details)
~ My Slovak learning. (I am not good at studying like I should.)
~ That I will find the balance of stretching without running myself into the ground

Thank you for praying!

Lunch time already!!

i promise the past two weeks updates will be up tonight or tomorrow.

but to tide you over, i love desktops that automaticly change. this morning i got to work and this was my desktop.

The Rose

it's only a tiny rosebud, a flower of God's design
But I can't unfold the petals with these clumsy hands of mine

The secret of unfolding flowers is not known to such as I
The flower God opens so sweetly in my hands would fade and die

If I cannot unfold a rosebud this flower of God's design
Then how can I think i have wisdom to unfold this life of mine?

So I'll trust in Him for his leading each moment of every day
And I'll look to Him for guidance each step of the pilgram way

For the pathway that lies before me, my Heavenly Father knows
I'll trust Him to unfold the moments, just as He unfolds the rose.


I got this poem in a frame as a HS graduation gift from Linda. It has sat on my desk for the past 5 years as a reminder that I need to trust Him. I need to be reminded a lot.

PS If i get enough comments i'll tell you all the story of how i aquired this rose bush as a direct result of a summer storm.

yesteday

yesterday, my country had it's 230th birthday. i bought a watermellon talked on the phone to my mom and sisters and micah (two seperate calls) and then went to bed early. some party eh?
today is a day off in honor of St Cybil and Method who put the Slovak Language into Writing in 823AD. Slovaks could then have the bible in their own language. 823AD PEOPLE!! their language celebraes almost 2,000 years. i guess I understand why no one was really excited about the 4th yesterday.

*edit* it was actually 863AD. but out of three numbers i remembered two! and when youre dealing in thousands of years ago how much diference can 40 years make? AND when youre me and it comes to numbers, 2 outta 3 ain't bad!

PEA SOOOUUUUP!!!

(*watery smile*:) its from the movie "the rescuers")
i'm feeling really homesick and overwhelmed and downright lost right now. and describing the fog i feel like i'm trying to swim through/drowning in as Pea Soup and then going off on the rescuer's tangent makes it worse.

R-E-S-C-U-E
Rescue Aid Society
Hands held high, touch the sky
You mean everything to me

In a jam, in a scrape
When you think, "no escape"
Do not fear, we are here
Courageous are we

Please Pray.

for those who mmay be concerned that i dropped off the face of the earth (or weeks 12 throiugh 14)

I’m sorry that I missed updating you last week and the week before that too. After Micah and I returned to Presov I never did make time to sit down and catch you all up. And now, he’s been gone a week and I’m just starting to get caught up. I hope that you will forgive me, and accept my three-in-one update. If recapping three weeks of my life is too much for you, please at least scroll to the bottom for the prayer requests!

Week 12:
The week spent touring Slovakia was amazing. It was an amazing opportunity to tour the country without having to do all the planning and all the stresses that come along with that. I saw things that I would have never planned to see if I had been planning and traveled at a leisurely pace. Also, it was a blessing to see people from the US especially RuthAnn and my Micah. I won’t bore you with my itinerary, suffice to say, it included mountains, a lot of castles and beautiful scenery. Pictures are up at my Flickr site (www.flickr.com/photos/stasigh). Thank you for praying. We had a safe trip and I was able to relax, and speak English to my heart’s content!

Week13:
After a week of leisure, Micah and I waved good-bye to the rest of the group at the airport in Bratislava and traveled back to Presov. We got home late Wednesday night and got Micah situated in Martin’s room next door to mine.
Thursday and Friday were busy days in the office trying to get everythign in order for shooting the Music video on Monday and Tuesday. I have not got much of a clue what Micah did during the day Thursday and Friday, he was mostly left to his own devices as I found myself planning and scheduling and then changing the entire plan/schedule repeatedly as little/major details kept changing. Needless to say, there were a few stressful moments, I could tell you were praying!!
Friday night was a youth event/cookout with volleyball and some other fun games. I went straight from work and Micah rode the bus by himself (he did much better with busses than I did my first week in Presov!)
Saturday we went on a trip to the Tatras for a walk and spent the afternoon at the Aqua Park in Poprad. I think I will never again be happy with the Mars Community Pool! Imagine three heated pools each slightly warmmer than the next and one is a huge hot tub complete with JETS!!! Simon (the guy who came from Switzerland) camme with us and it was nice to have an additional sommeone to speak English to. Again we didn’t get home till late
Sunday was church, followed by afternoon naps to recover from all the walking in the burning hot sun on Saturday and the effort it takes to listen to sermons being translated (the translation thing is more draining than you might imagine! Especially if you are sharing a translator with two others and have to listen very hard in addition to sorting out theological concepts in second-language English.) Also, there was trying to call fathers who did not answer their phones, and then to dinner at Marian and L’udka’s Flat with Simon. We stayed and talked which morphed into shop talk about Monday’s shoot, and went rather late.(sorry Micah)
Monday and Tuesday were spent shooting the video for the Music Video I’ll start editing once the CampFest Video is finished. These were two very stressful days for me. There were personal conflicts, schedule changes (MONDAY MORNING!!!), creative concerns, camera people whose first language was NOT English, and summer decided to show up and bring temperatures in the high 80’s and sunshine. With that said, everything got shot, no lives were lost, and in the end I am confident that I will be proud of this video. As frustrating as it was to have to balance 11 hour work days and wanting to make the most of my limited time with Micah, I was lucky to have Micah as a support system those two days. Those of you who are counting can add two more late nights (sensing a trend?). Tuesday was an especially late night since after we got home late, Micah and I stayed up, watched a movie, and tried to cram months worth of face to face conversation into one evening.
Wednesday, Paly drove us to the Kosice airport and I said good bye to Micah. I then went back to the office and distracted myself by watching the footage from the previous two days. Wednesday night was rough, you see, I missed him already. Spend two full weeks with someone and you get used to it.

Week 14:
Thursday I did some more shot logging (watching the video and writing descriptions of each individual take) and let me tell you, that is my least favorite part of the whole process of going from concept to final product!!
Friday morning we left for the Mobilization weekend for Campfest. A very powerful time of prayer and fasting. I was quite worn out from the previous week, both physically and emotionally so the weekend was a series of ups and downs, but overall a good weekend, God and I had a good time. I was the official photographer ( how did I get turned into a photographer?) and I got some good shots and for the first time feel like I found a good balance between participating in an event and capturing it as well. Also, I discovered I am severely allergic to the CampFest location!
Monday and Tuesday were days off after the weekend. I had a whole list of things to get done, some that absolutely needed to be done like laundry and cleaning the bathroom and grocery shopping and then some that would just be nice to have done. I ended up scrapping most of my extensive list in favor of naps and reading and relaxing and early nights. I have some anxiety, feeling like I wasted those days, but I know that I did the best thing for myself,(if I could just get over my feeling un-productive.)
Wednesday was more shot listing and that brings us to today when I went to the graduation ceremony for two of my co-workers, finally wrote this and a number of other e-mails I meant to write on Monday and Tuesday. I’m slowly chipping away at that list.

OK, so the honest “How I am”:
Of the past 3 weeks, one was amazing and restful, one was stressful and tiring, but I had some help getting through it and now, I am having a rough week, full of being too hard on myself, and lonely, and unmotivated and generally feeling under attack. My keyboard has developed a bad case of stuttering m’s and i’s sporadically (double/triple typing those letters). And I need your prayers. I feel like I’m on a bit of a roller coaster, some times up and some down. Part of that is that I have let my roots get shallow, and part of it is just the regular worn out and stressed that comes from the past two weeks being what they were, long, emotional, hot, and full of allergens.

Updates on MPK(where it’s all about CampFest this month!):
-Simon (from Switzerland) has been a huge help to MPK and also to me (he speaks excellent English). He has gone home for 3 weeks and will be back for another month after that leading up to CampFest. He enjoyed his time here. Thank you for Praying for him.
-Things are still moving for the CampFest Field to be purchased, slowly though. I was mistaken earlier there are 31 owners of the field. Please Keep Praying!
-The main CampFest Tent that we rent from Poland was damaged in a storm. This is HUGE! Please pray!
-There are also issues with the Sportcamp where Campfest is to be held this year. Troubles with facilities and showers. Pray that these will be fixed!
-Mobilization weekend was amazing. Twice as many people came as last year and God moved powerfully.

Please Pray!
-For the little issues that go into CampFest.
-Motivation and improved mental state for me.
-Vision for the CampFest video

Ok this week I only put three requests in my list. I have no clue what next week will bring and those requests cover a lot of ground. Please pray, even though my list looks short, I need your covering this week.

Thank you for still praying even when I was incommunicado.

His,
Stasi!!

I Don't Want to Live on the Moon

Well, I'd like to visit the moon
On a rocket ship high in the air
Yes, I'd like to visit the moon
But I don't think I'd like to live there

Though I'd like to look down at the earth from above
I would miss all the places and people I love
So although I might like it for one afternoon
I don't want to live on the moon

I'd like to travel under the sea
I could meet all the fish everywhere
Yes, I'd travel under the sea
But I don't think I'd like to live there
I might stay for a day there if I had my wish
But there's not much to do when your friends are all fish
And an oyster and clam aren't real family
So I don't want to live in the sea

I'd like to visit the jungle, hear the lions roar
Go back in time and meet a dinosaur
There's so many strange places I'd like to be
But none of them permanently

So if I should visit the moon
Well, I'll dance on a moonbeam and then
I will make a wish on a star
And I'll wish I was home once again

Though I'd like to look down at the earth from above
I would miss all the places and people I love
So although I may go I'll be coming home soon
'Cause I don't want to live on the moon
No, I don't want to live on the moon

Written by Jeff Moss
Sung by Ernie (Jim Henson)
(c)1978 Festival Attractions, Inc. (ASCAP)

I PROMISE a real update is in the works. But right now i'm just a bit homesick.

sheesh

i promise the last two weeks updates are coming however in the meantime a few thoughts from today:
- how can i get my keyboard to stop typing double m's however it strikes it conceited little fancy (to steal a phrase fromm Micah)
- Speaking of mmy Micah, he is back in the US of A. i miss him already.
- I have never had a sunburn that peeled twice before. does that mean it was a second degree burn? cool.
- How do you say "i feel like someone is pounding a railroad tie into my head" in Slovak? I think i need that phrase.
- How did my family live without air conditioning for so long?
- I really do love video editing. really. a lot.
- This might be the Aunt Sarah version of the update that is to come. I love my aunt Sara. i forget if her namme has a h. i am too lazy too look it up. sorry, Aunt Sara(h)

Edit:
also:
-there are three diffent computers playing three differnent kinds of music in this office. i forgot my headphones at home.
-the guy sitting next to me has stolen mmy comfortable chair leaving me with the defective one AND he is whistling.

DVANAST TYZDEN!!! (translation:eleven week!!)

Help me here, did I really use the phrase “rediscovered my groove” in last week’s update? The blacklight beatles show must have had a more lasting effect than I thought!

This was a full/short/crazy/busy week. (feel free to pick the adjective that you like best)

Last Friday, plans changed and instead of leaving at 5 in the Morning, I ended up hanging around Presov till 8 in the Evening (I was not upset about this change!) The reason I got moved to the group that stayed was to take pictures of the closing program for the 24/10 prayers in Presov.
We got safely to Vsetin rather late at night. Thank you for Praying for this weekend!!! Getting there safely was the first answer since there were bad storms here this weekend complete with flooded roads and downed trees. And then the Worship Festival itself went without any major hitches. I of course didn’t understand what the speakers were saying, but the people there did and there was a great response. The people who came forward exactly matched the number of people on the Prayer team. God has all the Little details under control!! Also, the Catholic Church in Vsetin participated and it seemed like some barriers between Protestants and Catholics started to come down.

Sunday morning we traveled home and in the afternoon, I took a nap and refreshed after spending the whole weekend working. That was good because Monday morning I had to go to the foreigner police, with all the documents that I have been gathering. We thought we had everythign, but found out one page needed to be notarized. Other than that everything seems to be in order. It was a rather stressful morning, so I decided since I had the afternoon off I would travel to Hermanovce and surprise the group from Grove City. I rode a bus all by myself and arrived in time to join them on a short hike and visit some before getting a ride back to Presov.

Tuesday I met with some people from the University of Presov to impart my great wisdom and priceless advice to others who plan to spend a year volunteering abroad. I spent the afternoon backing up files to the new router and meeting with Marian and Roman to discuss the details about the music video.

Wednesday was my really full day. I think I have done about a weeks worth of work in under 24 hours. I went to the notary. Handed in my Visa forms once and for all. Now we just wait to make sure of approval! While we were on out 10K walk this morning/afternoon looking for locations for shooting the music video, we stumbled across a perfect abandoned building. This discovery was followed by an impromptu meeting to ask permission to shoot in it (pray that this works out, please). I finalized the shot list and locations for the video and packed for next week.

Tomorrow (Thursday) I will meet up with the Grove City Group here in Presov and spend next week touring the country. I am very excited about this! It will be good to have someone to be a tourist with. And since everything is all planned out, it should be a very low stress week. I’ll be back next Thursday.

Updates on things you’ve been praying for:
-THANK YOU FOR PRAYING!!!!!!!
-I got a new mobile phone after crushing the old one last week. The Lipovsky family loaned me Esther’s old phone. It works great, and I can read the screen!!
- The field/ranch we have been looking at for CampFest is for sale (it wasn’t for sale before and was just serving as the model for what they wanted) Aditionally, there is a supporter who is willing to help us out with this, because it can also be used as a retreat center during the year. It is still a huge request as plenty of things could go wrong since the property is owned in parts by 4 different individuals and all that jazz, but we’re also praising for gods hand so far at this point.
-Simon, from Switzerland arrived this week to help with logistics for CampFest. As a part of his education, he has to do an internship in a foreign country. Helping Riso with the details of the bands counts for that. He is a great guy and already marian has commented on the big help he is being.
-Because of problems with the camera an outside organization was hired to come in to do the video projection at CampFest

Please keep praying:
-For safety in travel this week
-That I will be refreshed and realxed
-That my visa will be approved
-CampFest preparations and the purchase of a field
-A quality camera for MPK


Thank you for praying, this week has been one answered prayer after another!!

:)Stasi!!

We Went To Prague

Kristen wrote about it. Isn't she wonderful!!! Click the link to see it!!! Leave a comment to tell her how great she is!

The Prague Experience or Our Search for the Things That Smell Good!

looking for a time waster.

click on this!!

i love lazy sundays. and since i took a nap this afternoon after we got back from the worship festival in Vsetin, i'm not ready for bed and i was killing some time while i backed up my pictures, because you never know when your computer will decide to Eat your hard drive. Just thought i'd share.

10th Update!!!

I’m walking on sunshine oh oh and don’t it feel Good! (apologies to Katrina and the Waves)

This was an eventful week.

Last Friday I took a 10 hour bus ride to Prague and met up with Kristen!! I firmly believe that weekends in Prague with people you love are God’s apology for Culture Shock! It was a blessing and refreshing and amazing. I’m not going to give you a play by play, but the highlights include: Speaking English the WHOLE time, being with someone who has known me over 2 months, comparing notes on the one-year missionary life, things that smelled really good, and black light theater. Another Highlight for me was that we attended an English Speaking church. I had not realized the extent to which I was starving for corporate worship in a language I understand! In summation, we dandered (my new Irish word), we talked, we took close to 500 pictures, we went on a boat tour and saw the Beatles in Blacklight (which was every bit as trippy as it sounds!). It was a great weekend! My pictures are up on Flickr and later this weekend, Kristen is going to put the blow by blow, complete with pictures, on her blog. Feel free to dander on over to http://www.rmfo-blogs.com/kristen and check it out.

I got home on Monday morning at 545 came home napped and went to the office for the afternoon. This week I worked on gathering ideas for the CampFest videos and its starting to come together in my head. Next week I’ll start grabbing some footage from old CampFest videos and deciding what I need to shoot.

Tuesday morning was a rough one. I was running (literally) late for my bus, tripped, fell, crushed my mobile, cut my hand, and the darn bus still left without me. The most damage was done to my mobile phone, my ego and my spirit. I have some amazingly stellar days, but lurking just under the surface you can find culture shock, a little homesickness and a lot of feelings of inadequacy. There is nothing like falling on one’s face while running to catch a bus to bring those things to the surface. In spite of all that, I can honestly say that God is good, and he takes care of his own. Mrs. Biros from downstairs bandaged my hand up and gave me hot chocolate, and some much needed mothering. I got on the next bus, made it to the office without incident and e-mailed my Tuesday prayer warriors as well as a few others. God answers prayers. By the end of the afternoon I was feeling infinitely better. By the time my Slovak lesson rolled around, I had rediscovered my grove. This just highlights how much of a blessing you all are. I would be lost if you all were not praying.

Wednesday was, as I predicted last week, very long. The office was crowded and I had trouble concentrating and sitting still. The highlight was that we finally collected all the documents I need for my Visa (we think) and so next Monday will find me in the police station, with all my paperwork, and only a few forms and official approval between me and being here legally! (Technically, I AM currently here legally, but to stay longer than 3 months, I need the visa)

This morning, when I went up to breakfast, Paly commented that I seemed to be shining. There was good reason for that. Today I went to Kosice to greet the group who came from the Slovak Craft Shop in Grove City. This is the group that includes RuthAnn Humes and Micah Henry. I got a lot of hugs., hugs from Mars Alliance, from my family, and started to make a dent in the 10 weeks worth of hugs that Micah owes me. I am not complaining about this at all. It was wonderful to see Micah, and to meet the people I will be spending the week after next with. The group has gone on to Hermanovce to do a week long work camp with the Cirkev Bratska there. We will meet up again next Thursday and I will join them as they tour Slovakia.

Tomorrow (Friday) morning I leave bright and early (think 5AM) to head back to the Czech republic to a town called Vsetin. MPK is having a Worship Festival there this weekend. It is an ecumenical event and there have been some tensions between the Evangelical and Catholic churces in Vsetin.
We wont get home until Sunday evening. Monday is visa day, Tuesday is location scouting and pulling everything together for the music video. Wednesday will be another long day,, but full of last minute details for the music video and maybe some CampFest Video prep. And Thursday will find me again meeting up with the Grove City group, this time for a week long tour of the country and a full on vacation before the summer gets too crazy! These two weeks are weird echoes of each other.

This week I also caught a vision for a video that will tell the stories of MPK. People keep telling me stories about this ministry and that and how God has provided for the ministry here in Slovakia. I would love for others to hear these stories as well. One problem with this is the language barrier, it’s hard to conduct interviews and edit stories in a language you don’t speak. Another issue is that MPK does not own a high quality video camera of the sort that would be needed to make this type of video. Please pray with me that God will provide MPK with a camera. Especially with the possibility of another video person coming from the US, so much more could be done in this area.

Please Pray:
~ That I continue to have the motivation and ability to learn Slovak
~ For this weekend’s Worship festival. (safe travel for us from Presov, and God to move)
~ The Visa adventure as it hopefully comes to an uneventful close Monday
~ Safety for the GC group as they work in Hermnovce.
~ Things to come together for CampFest 2006
~ A location for CampFest 2007
~ That God will provide a quality Video camera for our use.

Without your prayers, I would be like a boat without paddles, drifting aimlessly and bound to crash into rocks and sink. Thank you for being my oars on this adventure your prayers and support are invaluable.

...as a hilton dog

...as a hilton dog
Originally uploaded by amidawn26.

browsing Flickr. Can you believe Dixi was this little.

the internet

i had a very bad morning, fell, crushed my cell phone, cut up my hand, missed the bus, the works! felt worthless and like a failture.
let me count the ways i love the internet today:

1) E-mail How can you argue with this. I was able to e-mail my Tuesday prayer warriors about my bad day and I know that they prayed because my afternoon was much better. I felt lifted up instead of in the dumps, and got a number of encouraging thoughts in my inbox. Also, i got a picture from the bike ride my family took this weekend.

2)Instant Messanger This morning, I IM'd Kristen about the horrible, no good, very bad start to my day. And she prayed for me, typed it out over IM. And i dont know if rebuking works over the internet, but obviously praying does.

3)Skype I talked to my mom in Mars and Ron and Ruth Berger in Washington State this evening. Both very encouraging calls both over Skype. Both Free!

4) Flickr I posted my pictures form Prague to Flickr and have already gotten compliments on them. My mom was able to see them while we talked tonight and I told her some about my trip. She can also make prints to show her friends at work from there!! You can too, as ong as you promise not to claim them for your own!

5)My Blog I can tell you all that prayer works (pray for your missionaries) and God works through the internet

All in all, anyone who say's I'm their hero for doing this whole moving to a different country missionary thing, well, they are crazy. What I'm doing is like breaking the homerun record on Steriods. Iif the homerun record is the missionary life. and Steriods are all the things I have to help me! I mean sure I am doing it, but it feels a little bit unfair. (Sorry if the steroids related to missions analogy bugs you.)

The real heroes are people like William Carrey. He went even though his pastor told him that if God wanted the lost saved, He would just save them! I grew up with missionaries in my church, in my house, and in our family prayer time. My pastor preaches the Great Comission and wants to see young people follow God wherever He calls them.

The real heroes are the hundreds of men and women who packed in their coffins and never heard from their families again. I talk to my mom at least once a week, and we e-mail pictures back and forth. I know i'm going home after a year. If something happens to me or my family, I can get on a plane and be home in less than 24 hours.

The real heroes are the Missionaries who live in the African bush and tents in Kyrgestan. I live in a house. There are no large bugs here, I have internet access, heat, indoor plumbing and running water.

The real heores are the tentmakers in China. The real heroes are the missionaries who cant even use the word "Missionary" or "prayer" in their letters home because they could end up in jail or worse. I can go to church on Sundays and youth group on Wednesdays, and bible study on Mondays and tell people I love Jesus and the worst thing they can do to me is laugh. And the government doesn't even have an official position sanctioning the laughing!

Just my thoughts on this whole thing. Putting it in perspective. Yes, I realize that i'm doing something relatively big. Honeslty, a lot if the time it scares me. But all I did was listen to what God told me to do a long time ago at Edinboro Youth Camp. And if doing what God tells you to do makes you a hero, then please think of someone else you know who is following God in a way that is maybe not so visible as moving to another country. And when you've got that person in mind, pray for them. Or go way out on a limb and tell them that you appreciate what they're doing. Need a few suggestions? Think about the people who teach preschoolers Sunday School. Think about the men and women who volunteer to go on Jr High youth trips. Think about the Christian teachers in public schools who build relationships and love on kids. Think about the 7th grade girl who carries a bible to school. What about the 10th grade boy who studys for his test instead of cheating?
Who are your heroes?

Prague

i liked it.

Yes, that's all i'm saying for now. Be patient. By the weekend, Kristen will have the full blow by blow update on her Blog. When it's up i'll post a link to it....or, you can get there from the link in my sidebar and check obsessively for yourself.

in the meantime, my pictures are up at Flickr (link in the sidebar! or just click here)

SMILE with me in 2 Sleeps, my Micah will be in Slovakia!!!

more to come

Greetings from Slovakia! 9 weeks in.
I’m excited to write this to you all, so much has happened and so much more will in the next week!

Last weekend, I took some me-time in preparation for what looks like a few crazy weeks! I baked cookies (chocolate chip and some VERY sticky nobakes) caught up on my sleep and was blessed by the speaker in church on Sunday who was a missionary and spoke in English!!

This past week I finished the video on the 23rd Psalm video I was doing, re-tweaked the Vision poem I did when I first got here and caught the vision for the CampFest videos that will start each teaching session. It will be a big production with video and live music and dancers! I hope we can pull it off!

Tuesday night was the opening meeting for 10 days of 24 hour prayer for Prešov. This is an exciting thing. All of the churches in Presov are praying together these 10 days. The worship band that led the opening worship was 7 young people from 6 different denominations! Catholic Luteran Bretheren Baptist all praising and praying together that God will change Prešov!!! It was very powerful. Pictures are at my Flickr site, but they barely begin to capture the power in that place.

Wednesday was youth group at the Lutheran Church. Thank you to those of you praying that I will form relationships. When I arrived early last night, instead of standing around feeling lost someone pulled out a chair and I was included in the conversation. Or the conversation shifted to practicing english and how talking to me would be a great comedy skit on TV, them saying “what what?” and me asking “čo? čo?” and sometimes I know the basic words and I can translate for myself. So someone would ask a friend how do you say X in English and I would answer with the right word! Encouraging for my Slovak Ego and fun for building relationships. After youth group a few of us went to the prayer room. Where I was further blessed. God is SOO good!

Today I’m in the middle of a CampFest meeting. I’m not actually participating since it’s all in Slovak and I am not part of the planning team. The meeting is just being held in the room where I have my space. Kind of a bit like the twilight zone :)

Tomorrow will find me on a bus to Prague. It will be a 10 hour bus ride across Slovakia. I’m meeting my Suitemate from Asbury and we’re going to be tourists. I’m staying in a hostel and visiting a castle and SPEAKING ENGLISH the WHOLE time!!! There will be lots of pictures.
And we’re going to attend an English Church on Sunday. Very exciting for me.

Heading into next week....
Monday will be a long tired day as I go home, shower after spending a night on a bus and get back on another bus to come to work.
Tuesday will be more brainstorming on the CampFest video
Wednesday will be more brainstorming planning and will drag on forever. I’m sure about this because.....
Next Thursday I am headed to Kosice to meet a plane that will bring the group from Grove City. This is the group that includes Ruth Ann and my Micah.


Please Pray:
~ That I will continue to learn Slovak (especially motivation to study)
~ For Campfest preparations
~ For Safety on my trip to Prague
~ For spiritual growth.

I Finally made it to the Chorus!!!

"now it's sunny with a high of 75
since you took my heavy heart and made it light
it's funny how you find you enjoy your life
when you're happy to be alive."

relient k - hight of 75


ONE SLEEP!!!! (to prague with Kristen the only problem is how many cameras to bring)

SEVEN DAYS!!! (till someone special is in the same place as me!!!)

Happy to be alive!

cutlure shock?

so, is it part of culture shock to start seeing things? like people start to look like people you know. so far i've seen Rachel DeSantes, Guy Chmeleski, Ray Meals, Allison Knight, and J-Ed. of course if you know something i don't and some of these folks actually have been in Presov and didn't come visit me, let me know. my feelings would be hurt of course, but at least i would know i am not going totally crazy!!!

:)

so i changed my comments. not that i have a lot of people reading this or an overabundance of comments. but anyway. i switched to the blogger comments from Haloscan. so now i get an e-mail when you comment. (i used HTML to make that bold. Proud of me?) getting comments in e-mail might motivate me to write more. also i have no clue where any of my previous comments went. ....
so anyway, it's the weekend. i like the weekend. i'm going to try and bake cookies this afternoon.
My micah graduates today. I am very proud of him. If i was independently rich instead of a missionary, i would have flown home for the weekend. but if i wasnt a missionary i would not get to spend a few weeks with him in Slovakia. maybe it all balances out?

8 weeks = 2 months!!

Greetings from 8 weeks in. The past week was a good one, one in which I took a lot of pictures.

Over the weekend, I photographed a conference on Family issues. The thing about taking pictures of a conference is that once you get pictures of all the speakers, and a few shots of people looking interested it gets a lot trickier to find things to take pictures of.

Monday I took over 200 pictures of Presov for the 24/10 Prayer that is coming up in Presov. They will be blown up and hung in the prayer room. Most of them are of the churches schools and government buildings but some are the big picture of the center of PO and along the way I took a few that I wanted to have. I have updated my pictures page at Flickr, if you’re interested ( www.flickr.com/photos/stasigh )

I also had 2 Slovak lessons and my teacher told Marian, that I am the second best student she’s had in the four years that she has been teaching Slovak. I’m taking that as a high compliment and not asking how many students she has had :)

The past week I have been working on a video of the 23rd Psalm. Yesterday Roman and I tweaked the video. It was good to work with him. We are getting to be more able to communicate as his English and my Slovak both improve. Thank you for praying.

Upcoming this next week is the start of work on the Campfest videos, retweaking the Vision poem video and a trip to Prague to meet up with My suitemate from college, Kristen.

I just found out that another American has moved back to Presov after having trouble with her leg. We have not met yet. Please pray that we will be able to connect.

There are a lot of details/issues concerning Campfest (Aug 10-13) that seem not to be coming together. We would appreciate your prayers! Usually they borrow/rent 6 cameras and so far only 3 are for sure available besides having technical problems with the switchers and volunteers to run the cameras (I’m personally invested in this particular problem).
Also, there are possible problems with getting the tents, and also with the “propogations” as they call it, we’d say advertising :) There have been problems both in getting the information gathered and put together and also with printing.
The website is not totally finished yet. And for a variety of reasons, (money, the date, the busy-ness of the liasons, bands backing out, miscommunications,) the program is not filled yet and it is getting late to find bands that don’t already have their summers full.
The office is buzzing here. I’m sure that God must want to do great things this summer since Satan is working so hard to screw this up!

Also the center is coming along well with some minor problems, like the wrong size windows for the studio. Someone donated most of the money we needed for the new roof, things could come out exactly to the Krown. But there is the more distinct possibility that some things will have to wait on funds to be finished. It looks so good down stairs though!! Well in the café part, the studio still has big holes in the walls and stuff but you can tell it’s coming together!

Please Pray:
~That I will be able to learn Slovak
~For Campfest preperations
~That I will form relationships
~ For Safety on my bus trip to Prague
~For a continued Sense of Purpose and God’s Direction

Your prayers make all the difference. Thank you!

Stasi!

free association

do you know what's funny? well i'll tell you, when Roman sings, that is funny.
You must understand that Roman sings in English. But other than when he sings, we do not communicate without a dictionary close by! When I catch parts of his songs though and can laugh with him because they sre silly or can sing along, we connect pretty well.
PLUS, he chooses his songs by free association near as i can figure. Sometimes it's just nice to know that someone else has that sort of music in them.
And sometiems it's downright funny today it's stormng outside and i just overheard Roman singing It's Raining Men. this is wonderful to me partly becasue it is a weird song for him to be singing and mostly because he sings in English and most of all because this is not unusual. Someone mentions something that happened yesterday, and we're all treated to a few bars of the Beatles.
Everytime i smile. sometimes i laugh out loud! I cant help myself!

Psalm 23

next video i'm doing is a reflection on Psalm 23

what images do these verses bring to your mind?

really, please leave a comment. i'm drawing a creative blank.

WEEK SEVEN!!!

It has been an exciting 7th full week in Presov. Come to think of it, I haven’t had a dull week yet.

Friday, I purchased bus tickets to Prague! Well technically Paly helped and did all the talking and I just paid for them. But it is still exciting because that means that in 15 days I will be getting on a Bus to meet my wonderful suitemate Kristen in Prague! I believe that good friends and affordable weekends in Exotic places are God’s apology for culture shock!!

Last weekend I spent some time alone in my room refreshing with God. I am still trying to find the right balance of time alone to refresh and accomplish things and spending enough time with other people so that I don’t become isolated and homesick.

Monday was a national holiday and I went hiking with a group from church. We went to Slovensky Raj (Slovak Paradise) and “hiked in the river”. I did not realize that we would be actually IN the river, I thought it was a case of second language communication and not having the right word. But no, we were Literally IN the river. This made my sneakers very inadequate footwear (I don’t own hiking boots) and I learned a few new words, “Spadla” (I fell) and “som mokra” (I am wet) “vel’my mokra” (very wet!). I had a good time, though. It was a nice day and I enjoyed it very much. Again on this trip, my Eagle Scout and other outdoorsy-type friends would be proud of me. And the ankle I turned that one time I slipped already feel just fine again.

Tuesday I was back to work and as an answer to your prayers I met with the lady who will be teaching me Slovak for the rest of this year. She doesn’t speak much English, but her Slovak is Excellent :) She told me that I am a good learner and she thinks in another 2 or 3 months I will be able to function in Slovak. Very exciting news. We will meet twice a week for 2 and a half hours.

Wednesday I finished editing another video to be played behind worship and a camera arrived from Ireland. It is an big old camera that will work for CampFest and worship festivals to send signal to the screens but not for recording video. It came in a case that we are pretty sure I could fit in if the padding was removed. It has not been attempted, yet. I’m trying to discourage this experimentation.

Today Roman and I played with the new camera figuring out what all the buttons do and how to make it be in Color! Later today I will talk with Marian about another video, proof the one I finished yesterday, and who knows what else! I am getting better at not having everything all planned out so far in advance. I will also be trying to avoid having my picture taken by Paly who got a new digital camera. Boys and their new toys are the same worldwide!

Things here at MPK are moving along. The Café had carpet installed yesterday. It is starting to look very good, everyone is excited to see it open. Someone from Switzerland might be coming to help Rišo with booking the bands for CampFest which would be a major answer to prayer! Yesterday they signed the contract to secure the site of CampFest this year. Next year, a new location must be found. This is a major prayer request. There is one place that they are looking at but there seems to be just too many details to work out. Please Pray with us that God will lead in the direction He would have this ministry go.

Please Pray:
~ that I will form relationships here and bond with people.
~ that the things still needed for my Visa will come together
~For CampFest preparations
~ That Someone will come to help start the ministry in Banská Bystrica

Thank you For praying!

Why I'm doing this crazy thing

Could also be titled "why i am not a cartoonist"

"Schulz drew Peanuts because he had to—there was nothing he could do better.
'I draw it because it is the one thing which I feel I do best, and I can see no reason why I should give up drawing the comic strip in order to go to the mission field, for instance, and become a terrible missionary or to study for the ministry and become a terrible minister, merely because the ministry would seem to be closer to spiritual things. I think it’s much better to be a good cartoonist than a terrible minister.'"

(This is a quote by Peanuts creator Charles Schulz, from an article by Kevin Mungons posted on Sharper Iron.)

God Uses E-Mail!!

Some days God is SO good. Well, every day God is good, some days we just realize it more than others! and some days God uses His people and a bit of technology to help us realize it.

It was a particularly encouraging e-mail day today.

Papa Chuck told me I am not crazy, just culure shocked and it's normal (for the first time maybe in my life, i'm doing something completely normal!!) :) also He told me why I poked the concrete with the big stick: to help it settle in case you were dying to know.

I got a link about tours in Prague from Kristen, and that reminded me how excited i am for our trip the end of this month (26th-29th May) Keep your eyes peeled the two of us are hitting Prague with our cameras, will the internet have room for them all?!!

Pastor (or is it reverend by now?) Ben invited me to Checkpoint and i think he should Rap the Call to worship on Sunday well that was jsut my suggestion. doubt that will happen the e-mail exchange though made me smile.

And Laurie Bean sent the lyrics to this song which i jsut downloaded and it might be my new favorite. soothing and a good reminder that i'm not alone here!

Jesus King of angels heaven’s light
Shine Your face upon this house tonight
Let no evil come into my dreams
Light of heaven keep me in Your peace

Remind me how you made dark spirits flee
And spoke Your power to the raging sea
And spoke Your mercy to a sinful man
Remind me Jesus this is what I am

The universe is vast beyond the stars
But You are mindful when the sparrow falls
And mindful of the anxious thoughts
That find me, surround me, and bind me

With all my heart I love You Sovereign Lord
Tomorrow let me love you even more
And rise to speak the goodness of Your name
Until I close my eyes and sleep again

The universe is vast beyond the stars
But you are mindful of when the sparrow falls
And mindful of the anxious thoughts
That find me, surround me and bind me


Jesus King of angels heaven’s light
Hold my hand and keep me through this night.

~Fernando Ortega

Today make a month and a half!!

I’m sorry that this past week most of you didn’t hear from me. It was a crazy week and even though I had not updated you on my needs, I felt your prayers.

Most of the week’s Crazy was in my head. I am feeling very homesick right now. And your prayers for that are greatly appreciated. I am not sure right now even what I need to do to help myself with this. God is being faithful though even when I am not. I am surrounded by people who, even if they don’t speak fluent English, care about and pray for me here.

Saturday, I helped mix cement for a sidewalk around the house. I am learning so much here. I still do not understand why part of my job was poking the poured cement with a stick, but I’m thinking of adding that skill to my resume. Sadly, I was not allowed to put my handprint or initials in the cement. In fact they looked at me like I was crazy when I suggested it :) Sometimes, I am glaringly American!

Last Sunday was a Worship Festival in Michelovce. It was a looong day that started at 5 am and ended at 3 am Monday. I helped with video production, everything from setting up the screen to switching and directing the cameras. It went very well and a number of people came forward after the speaker. Also, I learned 5 new words. Wire, shovel, drizzle, screen and can I help you? They guys I work with get a kick out of teaching me mostly useless words.

Monday was a Bank Holiday. And Tuesday was a day off because of the Worship Festival on Sunday. Tuesday I went to the bank to try and pay my cell phone bill. (I have an account here now but until I have my visa I can not use the ATMs or internet banking.) I did not realize that I would have to have my Passport with me to do this. So that meant waiting for the bus back home, getting my passport, waiting for the next bus, riding back to the bank, waiting in the lines again....but the bill is paid. It’s on excursions like this that I miss my car!!

After the bank I wandered around Presov for a bit. I am still trying to figure out how to shop here, what stores sell what, which stores I have to take my own bag to, even what size I wear is a little of a mystery. I think my pant and shoe sizes have both jumped up to 30-something :).

Here in Presov, we are getting ready for Campfest, the big open air music festival in August. They are having trouble finding bands and volunteers. Two key things if you want to have a large music festival. Also the center is in the process of being finished. The coffee house is getting ready to open. Chairs tables and carpet should be arriving sometime in the next weeks and the walls are all painted as of yesterday. The recording studio that is being rebuilt in the basement is coming along as well, the funds for this are still coming in but slowly.

Personally, I have a few video projects, all in the planning stages. Some closer to being realized than others.

I have been in e-mail contact with a Slovak teacher and am currently waiting to hear from her about a time we can meet to see how/if it will work for her to teach me.

If you’d like to see some of my pictures, I have posted them online at flickr.Use the link in the sidebar that says MY PICTURES! I will be trying my best to keep this updated with my latest photos.

PLEASE PRAY!
~That the Visa quest will continue (it is moving so slow!)
~That I connect with a teacher and learn Slovak
~For my homesick funk, that it will leave or I will cope or know what’s best for me to do.
~For Slovakia. There are hurting broken people here.
~For MPK(Mladez pre Krista YFC in Slovak) for support to finish the center and that CampFest preparations go well

Thank you for your prayers,
Stasi!

fast Going!!

5 weeks! Oh my word!! This week disappeared so fast and where has the past month gone?! Thank you for your prayers! I would never have made it this far without you!

Last weekend went very well!

Friday we packed six people and their stuff for the weekend (including 3 guitars and sleeping bags for everyone) into a minivan. And drove about 6 hours across Slovakia to The Lumen Festival in Trnava (www.festivallumen.sk). I spent Friday night in the flat of a girl from Monroeville, which was very nice. I had my own room and chocolate chip cookies and un accented English conversation. (God takes such good care of us doesn’t He!!)

Saturday was a search for a good restaurant for lunch and Timothy's concert where my videos were used. It was so neat and nerve wracking to see them on the big screen! Also, the reason for me to be on the trip, I photographed the band during their concert. We got home about 2 in the morning.

Sunday was a day of beautiful relaxation and finally some sunshine! Spring is coming to Slovakia :) Also, I had the closest thing so far to an untranslated conversation in Slovak. You’d have to have a loose definition of “untranslated” and “Conversation” but I came close and managed to understand the questions and most of the time give an appropriate answer. There were sometimes I needed help, like explaining that my mother works as a Laboratory Technician in a hospital, but I could tell him names and ages of my siblings, that my father is a pastor, and that I think Slovakia is very pretty! All in all, a great ego boost! Everyone here is impressed by what I can understand already. I wish it was coming faster though

Monday, I barely missed my bus (I literally saw it pull away from the stop as I rounded the corner) and instead of waiting the 35 minutes for the next one, I just started walking toward town. It is about a 45 minute walk to the office but there are bus stops with more frequent stops between my house and the office. I was not wearing the right shoes for this decision. But had a blessed time of visiting with God in spite of the blisters on my heels.

Tuesday I got up early to take the bus to Kosice for a doctors appointment to ensure that I will not infect the country of Slovakia with some horrible disease if they give me a visa. It went well and aside from the taking of blood, it was mostly just a lot of walking from building to building trying to figure out what I needed. I was so thankful that Zuzka went with me since sometimes she was confused and she is Slovak! God is so faithful!!

I started planning for another video project. I’m excited about this one. It is a music video for one of Timothy’s songs about how God brings the light back into our lives. It has a good possibility of being on Slovak TV. It is mostly planned out and we’re just waiting on some small details, like a camera. When I came, I thought that MPK (“Mladez pre Krista” YFC in Slovak) owned a camera. But I had misunderstood and they just have friends who loan them cameras for certain events, and a two small consumer models. Please join me in praying that God will provide a professional camera.

Thursday I went to a concert with some girls I met at the small group I attended on Monday night. it ws a lot of fun and very good for me to hang out with other girls my age!!

I’m still waiting to hear back from someone I e-mailed about teaching me Slovak. Some days I’m very tempted to just get by on what I pick up and what English people here speak, but in my heart of hearts, I really want to learn this crazy language!

This weekend I will be helping/learning to mix the video for the big screens at the worship festival in Michelovce. Practice for Campfest!! we leave at 630 AM on Sunday! and i'll be back to Presov sometime around 11 or midnight!!

PLEASE PRAY:
~ That my battles with homesickness will come at longer intervals. (currently the trend is moving the opposite direction)
~ That I can find a Slovak tutor and learn the language.
~ That I will be able to build relationships.
~ That things will progress smoothly to get my visa.
~ That I continue to grow closer to God and stay Rooted in Him

Dovidenia,

Stasi

flickr

updated my first 2 weeks of photos.

use the link to the right. you know the one that says, my pictures!

week 4!! or a WHOLE Month!

Can you believe it was 4 weeks on Friday and today is a full month according to the date?! Me either!!

Last week was very busy! I didn’t finish all of the videos that I wanted to for the Lumen festival, but the ones that I did finish went well.

My weekend was fun. Friday we packed six people and their stuff for the weekend (including 3 guitars and sleeping bags for everyone) into a minivan. And drove about 6 hours across Slovakia to The Lumen Festival in Trnava (www.festivallumen.sk). I heard some fun bands. Some even sang in English, and one sang in Slovak with a British Accent! I spent Friday night in the flat of a girl from Monroeville, which was very nice. I had my own room and chocolate chip cookies and un accented English conversation. (God is so Good isn’t He!!)

Saturday was a search for a good restaurant for lunch and Timothy's concert where my videos were used. It was so neat and nerve wracking to see them on the big screen! Also, the reason for me to be on the trip, I photographed the band during their concert. We got home about 2 in the morning.

Sunday was a day of beautiful relaxation an finally some sunshine! Spring is coming to Slovakia :) Also, I had the closest thing so far to an untranslated conversation in Slovak. You’d have to have a loose definition of “untranslated” and “Conversation” but I came close and managed to undertand the questions and most of the time give an appropriate answer. There were sometimes I needed help, like explaining that my mother works as a Laboratory Technician in a hospital, but I could tell him names and ages of my siblings, that my father is a pastor, and that I think Slovakia is very pretty! All in all, a great ego boost!

This coming week holds a lot of paperwork for my visa and a Slovak Physical Tuesday in Kosice. Monday’s task is visiting the bank to try and set up an account in Slovakia.

Please Pray:
~ That the visa quest will go smoothly (especially the doctor visit part!)
~ That I will learn Slovak (especially for finding a tutor.)
~ That I will “be all here” (especially in forming relationships)

what do you need?

Anastasia needs encouragement regarding the importance of regular school
Anastasia needs a caring and committed family who can encourage her
Anastasia needs a teacher who can make it interesting and exciting
Anastasia needs lessons in talent acquisition [Re: ILUVCOUNTRY] ... I think she needs a lesson in manners
Anastasia needs to refine her comments to the contestants more
Anastasia needs to send a message to the browser, asking it to start showing this particular book
Self-confidence is what Anastasia needs. Where to find it? Studio Charmante, of course
Anastasia needs extensive work on her hooves to compensate for the deformity of her front legs
I do think Anastasia needs to get her mind out of the gutter
Anastasia needs to be 110 percent to win the French Open again
First Anastasia needs to finish school, and she is going to Borneo with you and Mrs. Chamberlain for a few months." "That sounds sensible
Anastasia needs a nap
Her parents said Anastasia still needs regular check-ups with orthopedists and neurologists but other than that, she’sa regular 4-year-old
Anastasia just might not need oxygen when she comes
Anastasia: Does she need to overcome her fear of his being ill and allow him to do what he wants
Anastasia needs to lose about 20 pounds
Anastasia needs to get aromas

today, i photographed a funeral and a midget held my umbrella.
last weekend i got kissed by a nun
what's new with you?

week 1 in Slovakia

Some of you I’m sure were worried that I had dropped off the face of the earth. That is not the case, I promise, I just left the country, that’s all. “just” :) Presov is still in Slovakia. And I am still sure that it is where I’m supposed to be!

I am currently living in a room under the flat of one of my co-workers, next door to his brother, and upstairs from his parents. The bathroom is across the hall (or will be once it is finished this weekend) and I’m sharing a kitchen with Paly, Ivetka and their 1 year old daughter Clara. Everyone here is so very nice. My nearest meltdown was in the Tesco when I couldn’t read any labels on the butter. I think that if this is my biggest problem so far, I’m doing ok!

My current projects include getting a visa and a bus pass and sorting out exactly what projects I will be working on the next year with Roman, who is currently doing the video work. Also, I have started learning some Slovak already. They tell me that my accent is good but so far, I can produce just a bit less than Clara!

I have already accomplished a lot, my first trip to the supermarket, riding a city bus, and figuring out which of the two buttons above the toilet to push. (the big one for big jobs and the smaller one for smaller visits, makes so much sense if you think about it) I’m getting better at just asking!

Please pray!
~That I will be able to remember the names of my co-workers and get to know them better in spite of the language barrier
~That there will not be any problems with getting my Visa
~That I will be able to recall and produce the Slovak I am learning
~That I will keep a servant attitude, and catch God’s vision for my year here!

leaving on a jet plane

Greetings for the last time from Mars!

I'm leaving for a year to do promotional and ministry video for Youth for Christ in Slovakia. Thank you for your prayers, they are what has brought me this far and why I am able to step out in faith and get on that plane this afternoon.

In 5 hours i'll be on a plane to Slovakia!



Please Pray:
~ For safe travel. I am flying out of Pittsburgh at 12:10PM, Washington DC at 5:55PM, And Vienna at 7:25AM(EST) Friday. I will arrive in Kosice, Slovakia around 8:40AM(EST) on the 24th.

~ For my ability to learn the language quicky, especially in my first days there.

~That I will begin to form strong friendships with people in Slovakia. Both those I will be working with and people outside the ministry I am going to have.

~ That God will give me a clear vision of what He wants me to do this next year.


I dont have a phone number yet, but my address is:

Anastasia Havener
Orgovanova 24
080 01 PRESOV
SLOVAKIA

Thank you for your prayers and support. I am blessed to have you with me as part of what God is going to do in the next year in Slovakia.

My lucky day

So, I know it's been a long time but bear with me. And believe me that there is not a shred of sarcasm in the title of this blog, just a joy and a bit of awe at God's goodness.

Some of the wisest words I heard today came out of the neon green braced mouth of a 4th grade girl scout who's name I don’t even know. She's the one who told me it was my lucky day.

here comes the part where you might be tempted to think I’m being sarcastic.

As of this morning the car I just agreed to sell to Greg is not running.
You know, my "cute little thang" that has run reliably without incident for over a year. Yes her, the one I could really use the next three weeks while I’m getting all ready to leave.
The sweet red cavalier I planned to use to visit the notary and the church and the post office this morning.
And maybe, just maybe, if I got at least 3/4 of my to do list done this afternoon, the car I wanted to drive to see my Micah and Hunter in Ohio this evening.

Yeah that's the car, the one that has a clogged radiator foiling all of my plans.

And here is the part where I explain why I’m not being even the least bit facetious.

This morning, in light of my car not being able to go more than 200 yards without violently overheating, I was walking my errands. (If you need to visit a notary, and make copies, and mail important papers, Mars is a great town to be a pedestrian in.)

And by God's Grace (because He knew I was not in the state of mind to handle a rainy or snowy or even cloudy day) the sun was shining. And I had shoes and a warm coat and scarf and hat and gloves.

And on my way from Eckerd’s to the Post Office there were Girl Scouts outside Foodland, selling cookies from 11 to 1. I missed Girl Scout cookie ordering by being in Colorado. And ironicly had I been driving my errands today, I would have totally missed them today too. And at that table outside foodland, I was reminded just how blessed I am. Today is my lucky day!

And then later in my day God really reminded me of the smart friends I have, like Jenni in The Netherlands and Kristen in Northern Ireland who are figuring this out ahead of me. So that I can learn from them (ok that's not the only reason they are out of the country it's just an added perk for me!).

It's like having big sisters. I’ve always had to be the one who the parents experimented on and who had to fight for what the younger siblings got easily. Believe me I'm appreciating learning from others experiences much more than if I had been doing it all my life.

"My deal with God is that He says, “Go” and I say, “where?” It’s not out of blind obedience, it’s out of eternal gratitude and the understanding that if God is up to something, I want to be a part of it. "

Kristen, thank you. I needed to be reminded of that today. I needed to have that agreement put right up in my face. To help me see what I need to remember this lent.

And I needed to be reminded to ask the right questions. Not "WHY God!?" but "God, WHERE are You in this?" (Thank you Aaron Stern and Podcasts)

And so, today was my lucky day because God was in the sunshine and in the Girl Scout cookies and in the peace He hands out so freely!

input please

i'm thinking about dying my hair
yeses?
Nos?
color suggestions?
anyone care?
anyone read this?

sorry bout the lack of content....actually there is a lot going on....i am just spread to thin to process it all and then type it out too.....i'd be glad to do lunch.breakfast.dinner somethime and clue you in on some of the stuff i'm learning....i'll be home saturday......call the cell

here we go!

Pittsburgh's goin to the super bowl!!!!! ONE FOR THE THUMB!!!
i must admiththat watching the game in Colorado made me a bit nervous...oh but what a good game....
i am a tad unapologetic about the fact that i'm a person whose mood is affected by the winners of football games! in which the steelers are involved!!

My Latest Cross Cultural Experience

I went to the rodeo last weekend....and had a great time crossing cultures!!
Me and John Deere

me and a large dead cow head

I smooched a LLAMA!!(do you think Micah will get jealous?)

kissing cows

cow butts

It must be a cultural thing :)

this guy was just the epitome of cute! He got so tied up in his rope....i felt kinda bad taking pictures of kids that werent mine, but not bad enough to miss this cute shot
more cute kids who arent mine!

I cant escape Slovak Culture!....we were running late to the actual rodeo so I didn’t get to try any :(

start of the rodeo

bull riding

they put 5 and 6 year olds on sheep.....it was sooo funny...the kids were just hanging on for dear life!!

Stasi In the Saddle!!


THE END!!!

the joy and the agony

i love my mac...i have to use safari if i want to post pictures on it...pictures liek this one of my drill group trying to perfect the sound of an upsilon in phonetics....

i have my cell phone charger!! you can call me if i am not posting enoough to suit your taste....you can not if you dotn have my number and i'm not going to post it on the internet...i'm not DUMB!!!

We finish up PILAT tomorrow at noon....i'm heading to Denver to YFC headquarters tomorrow afternoon, going to hear Steve Saint speak tomorrow evening and going to a rodeo on Saturday!!

monday starts SPLICE

i'll be sending out a prayer letter soon....it's getting edited....

i'm done writing

i wish i was better at this

Thank You

for praying....this morning i feel so much much better!!! God is Good.....i am still a tad tired...but my nose did not bleed last night and my nose is not stuffed up adn my head does not ache near as bad....thank you thank you thank you

Two for the price of one (about PILAT AND my Afternoon off)

PILAT so far has been wonderful....it has been good to meet other misisonaries...to share frustrations and suggestions and jsut feel like people understand!

We have classes/sessions/whatever you call them from 845 till 430 and A lot of what we're doing has been really interesting and useful. Ive gotten some really practical ideas for learning Slovak and a lot of encouragement that it can be done. I've even been practicing some of them with Russian!

we've also been trying to break out of our "sound boxes" did you know that English only has about 44 sounds but the human mouth and vocal chords are capable of THOUSANDS!!?? (i wish English still had an interrobang too) but our mouths fall into a rut...yesterday after practicing laterals and fricatives, my mouth was sooo tired....but i'm starting to be able to hear and make the sounds too...it's really neat....

Here at MTI we get weekends off...except this week we started late so we had a session this morning....so here's what i did with my afternoon off

Art & Lois from headquarters who help me keep focused and figure out fundraising drove down from Denver to take Jessica (also with YFC...going to Uganda) and me out to Lunch it was a great. fellowship and chineese food (without roaches!!) next friday i'll be going up there to visit

Till we got back most people had left for the afternoon on hikes or otherday trips so i am here mostly on my own....i took the chance to embrace the solitude and get some stuff done

I wrote some thank yous. I still have quite a few to go and darn it if Postage isnt going up this weekend!!

I finally ballanced my checkbook....

Also I uploaded a ton of pictures....if youve been waiting for pictures of the Lane Christmas/Anniversary, or the pictures for updating your magnets, or some pictures of Colorado, The Link to Flikr on the right is for you!!!!! Also if i get enough comments, i may break down and post the picture of me with the banana on my head!

I sat with some kids who are here and watched the never ending story while is did the pictures and wrote this

Additionally and a source of joy, I sat outside in the sun (it was 65 here today....what kind of wussy January is this?) I havent seen sun in months it seems!! I did some reading and some just sitting!!

later, i'll write a paper (or at least start it) and watch another hour of "Pride and Predjudice"...send some e-mails....and go to bed early!!

more to come.....stay tuned

from Beatrice & Colorado

I'm currently wireless in the community area...this is officially beatrice's first blog entry!!

so i almost slept through my flight but with some other "minor" complications (which i'm not admitting to the internet in general) I made it to Palmer Lake and MTi. i forgot my bears and cell phone charger so far...i mean that's all i have realized i forgot so far....It's nice here...have my own room and bthroom and every one seems nice enough...at dinner with a couple going to Kenya, a friend going to Uganda, a girl going to Tanzania, and one going to Uzbekistan

i have pictures from the Lane thing...aniversary and Christmas...they shall find their way to flickr eventually! any family reading this, keep your eyes peeled at the link to the right

i'll keep y'all updated as i learn my language acquisition techniques these next two weeks

ok so without looking, what's the difference between eg. and i.e. ?

DSL

I would like to sing the praises of DSL...i'm not honestly sure what that stands for, but i know i like it!....it was daddy's christmas present....and they are going to hook up the wireless router so that i can access the internet on beatrice....what's that you say "who's beatrice???" well it turns out that my laptop came with a name...and that name happens to be beatrice...i am also in love with her!
and in other "geek"(as My darling Micah would say) news ... i sort of bought a digital camera...a canon EOS 300D..."how does one sort of buy a camera?" you ask....well, i bid on it on e-bay...on a whim...i was surprised to win....(insert shocked and surprised face here) ... it should arrive tomorrow.... quite excited....Ok my cousin's Boy Band is coming tonight and staying here so i must run a nd clean some....and please dont tell Stephen i called his band a boy band....i believe they play metal.....but they ARE all boys....what SHOULD i call them?? :)

a post

2 weeks till i leave for Colorado for the last bit of training....exciting....scary...so much to do...and i am still having inertia problems....i had a bad day yesterday....

but a wonderful night...drove to Grove City to celebrate the end of the Semester with Micah before he leaves for the barren wasteland that is Ohio ( i know, i know, sorry...i'll be nice;)
we had a LATE dinnner (we ate at 9) after his final...decided it was too cold to walk and look at lights....his very strong desire to deposit me in a snow bank played a part in that decission....so we watched the muppet christmas carol instead....

i got a laptop...a major God thing...used 6 months....noting wrong with it...more screen size ram and a bigger Hard ddrive than i could have gotten for hte same amt of $....God is Good!....Abi is bringing it home with her!....

bye

jsut becasue KT asks so nicely!

Look on the bright side, when i dont update there anre none of my annoying typos!

so it's been so long since i posted that my internet browser no longer "guesses" right when i start to type in the URL....sometimes it feels like it has been even longer than that since anything worth posting happened....and i certainly dont have any insights into life...nothing deep...nothing humorous....

i discovered the other day that my uncle Ron reads my blog...kinda fun....wonder who else out there....makes me want to be more entertaining....

so i'll tell a story that makes me laugh....the childrens christmas program was this past weekend. and as part of that, the prescoolers sang a few songs....their moms and dads dressed them up in their cutest little red and green and velvet christmas outfits and they all had little stars on top of thier heads that glittered.....
my favorite was littel Samantha though....her dress was red with a bit of a drop waist and a flare skirt....and right there in the front row, she has either side of her skirt in her littel fists....and shes lifting one side then the other...bringing them both up and hugging the skirt to hereself....positively showing the entire audience her underwear....
my mom is next to her and says, "Samantha, honey, keep your skirt down" And Samantha (the sweetest littel thing in the world) just looks at her and says, "It's RED!" and how can you argue with that?
Someday Samantha will grow up and she will be mortified by the video her dad has of the program. And somewhere along the way, she will stop finding so much joy in the color of her christmas dress that she simply must play with the skirt, no matter who sees her underwear.
i'm not saying that's a bad thing in fact society will say its a wonderful thing!....but lucky for humanity, Samantha's place will be filled by another prescooler will come along to remind us that sort of joy is still out there.

Merry Christmas! i wish you all the reckless joy that having a Savior brings