Camp!

Sorry for the long time with no update. We have been kept busy the last month with camps, moving and then now we are currently at the Reach Global Europe Conference in Slovenia. Camps were full of excitement! We started out with training with our staff that came over from the states. Our staff was from Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin. Only two of the 9 that came over knew each other before arriving in Austria but over the weeks they meshed very well together! I was nervous going into it since I was in charge of training for English Lessons and I had never done that before but it went very well. Carrie (our team member) did a great job preparing me for it. The first week with the leaders was good as we alternated between training, team building and a little bit of sightseeing. Many of you were praying as I was going to be one of the drivers of the vans. In the past they had always been stick shift and would cost more for automatic so I spent a day learning. Then when we went to go pick up the vans we discovered that we received automatic vans because that was all they had. It was a big blessing.

It seemed like almost right away camp began and the kids were there. It was hard to be organized for that first week considering I had never been apart of the English Camps here in Austria before. But everything went smoothly. The first week we had 35, 12-14 year olds as well as a SWAT team (a leadership camp where they sleep outside in tents). It was interesting for Seth and I experiencing being on Program staff and not being actual cabin leaders but it was very good for us. We still had a great time getting to know many of the kids. It was also great experiencing things through the Cabin Leaders and being able to pray with, encourage and rejoice with them.

The second week came and we were much more organized and prepared. I was the cook but also was making sure that the program staff responsibilities were being taken care of. It was a lot of fun but it was a little disappointing not being able to be a part of staff meetings and things and not really knowing what was going on in the life of the campers. It was cool though to see how God would provide opportunities for me to talk with some of the cabin leaders when they were frustrated, needed a break or just someone to share with. They always knew I was in the kitchen and it was safe for them to come and talk with me which was a big blessing. Those few weeks just flew by and before we knew it we were back in Innsbruck doing debriefing with the staff and then taking them to the airport. We were blessed and 2 kids made first time decisions for Christ during our weeks a camp and many more rededicated their lives. Please continue to be in prayer for these kids since at this camp (we have two locations) probably half the kids that come are not believers. We had experiences with many kids that wanted nothing to do with God and only came for the English lessons. It was amazing to see God beginning to soften the hearts of many unwilling youth. There was lots of plowing and seed planting that went on in these weeks and many of the youth were really opening up to God by the end however they did not make a decision for Christ before they left. Please be in prayer that God will continue to work in their hearts and they will get involved with churches and youth groups where they live. That our cabin leaders will be able to stay in contact with them and follow up with them and that they will accept Jesus as their savior.

The morning that the staff was flying back to the states, Seth and I with a few other's help were moving into our new apartment. It is bittersweet considering our first apartment was very nice and large since we were renting it from a family of 6 that was gone for 6 months. It was such a blessing and we were able to host many people in our time there. There was a beautiful view of the mountains as well...we were pretty spoiled. Now we will be living in a much smaller place. It is nice and really is all that we need. It is on the 2nd floor which I am really excited to no longer be walking up 5 flights of stairs every time I want to go home. It is also within an apartment building that is full of believers. We are very excited about the fellowship and community that we will experience while living there. However I don't think there will be any quick trips to the grocery store. If you don't run into people walking through the building, you sure will on the way. But then again it's not really possible in Seward, Nebraska either.

We broke in our apartment those couple days that we were home seing how we can make it work having quite a few people over for a meal or games. It was a lot of fun. I also got the pleasure to spend most of the day with one of the youth girls who came over and helped us organize and rearrange the place just how we wanted it. It was a blessing since the people before us left us pretty much all of their furniture so we don't really need to buy much of anything and with the help of Viki rearranging with me, we are pretty well set. I'm excited to get home and be able to enjoy our apartment some more :) However that won't be happening for a little over a week.

After a couple days we made our way on an overnight train to Slovenia for the Reach Global conference. It has been a great time being poured into by many people who have been on the field much longer than we have. We have been blessed and encouraged in so many ways. We are actually right on the beach as well which has been a lot of fun in the time we have to get outside. We only have a few days left of conference and then Seth and I will be on our way to Croatia for a week of vacation. It will be nice to just relax and spend some time together after the crazy time we have had the last month. We are very excited and appreciate any and all prayers for safe travels.

English Camp Prep

This past week has been fun but very busy. It is our last full week before we leave early next Tuesday morning for English Camps. It has been a week full of making plans, spending time with youth we won’t see again for over a month, saying goodbye to friends that will have moved by time we are back in Innsbruck, learning to drive stick shift, signing documents, packing, end of the school year parties, and preparing to move.

It is hard to realize that we will be leaving for so long. Both of us feel as though we are really connecting with various people and it seems crazy to stop all that and be gone for over a month. It is hard to leave but I know that right when we arrive at the airport picking up all of the Americans that are coming to help with English Camps we will be glad to be there. We are very much looking forward to being at camp once more.

I am sure that Camp will fly by and before we know it we will be back in Innsbruck for those two days and be moving into our new apartment (I am looking forward to no longer walking up the stairs to the 5^th floor every day). It is such a blessing that we are able to move in during those couple days even though the apartment is not officially ours for another week. Praise God.

Then we will head out for Slovenia for the EFCA Europe Conference. Followed by a week of us on vacation in Croatia. It will be fun visiting places that we have never been before.

I am not entirely sure when the next time I will be able to update our blog so here are a few things that you can be in prayer for us over.

-The drive to Munich to pick up the American team. They mostly only have stick shift vehicles here in Austria and that includes the 9 passenger vans we will be renting for camp. Seth and I have very little experience learning how to drive stick but they were in need of one of us driving (an empty van) to the airport to pick up the team and then someone else can take over. I am the one that is going to be driving because later at camp I will be a cook and need to take the van to get groceries and insurance wise we can only have two people on the van.  I had a driving lesson for a couple hours yesterday and that went well but it is very difficult considering most of the time you are driving either uphill or downhill. But overall I understand. However I was learning in a smaller town without much traffic but we will need to pick up the vans in Innsbruck on Monday. There will definitely be traffic but I will also get part of that day to practice as well but then early Tuesday morning we will head out for Munich, which is about a 2-hour drive. I’m not concerned about driving on the Autobahn since we won’t really ever be stopping. But the time in Innsbruck and Munich will definitely be challenging so please pray that everything goes well and that I am able to stay calm.

-The move. We are working on packing most everything that we own so that it is ready to be moved right away when we return. Just pray that everything goes smoothly and that we are able to communicate well in German.

-Pray for our last few days before we leave for camp that it will be a time that we are able to relax so that we are able to head to camp with full energy

-That Seth and I don’t get overwhelmed at camp and are still able to make time for each other.

Things have really started to pick up! Thank you all for your prayers for two weekends ago. We had a lot of events that were going on over the weekend which kept us very busy but they had great turn outs! We had a Christian band, called Liz and the Lions, that came and did an open air concert in the parking lot. Many people came and many more people stopped and stayed instead of continuing to walk past. God really provided and we pray that some of those people will come back to the events that we have in the future. Seth and I had a great time getting to know the band as they ended up staying at our place. It was an encouragement to have them here and be able to share about what God has called us to. And we got to hear where God was calling them as well.

I have been meeting with a youth girl one-on-one for a few weeks and it has been awesome to see how God has been opening doors. It is neat to see how God can use a relationship when we are being open and vulnerable and following His calling. Not only have I been able to challenge, help processes, and hold her accountable but she has been doing many of the same things for me as well. Please be praying for this relationship and that God will continue to use it to help spur us on closer to Him.

This last weekend we had Matt arrive from the states and he will be staying here for 3 weeks. He will be making promotional videos for everything: After school Tutoring, Lighthouse, Friday Nights, English Camps and then one for our team as well to show our supporters more about our life here. We are very excited to share that with you all once it is finished! Matt’s mom was also here over the weekend since they had just finished visiting family here in Europe. She stayed with us over the weekend. It was really a pleasure to get to know her as well as an encouragement. She reminded me a lot of my mom, including how she enjoyed playing Dutch Blitz. It was a blessing to have her here for the weekend and have her show us love in so many ways even though we had just met.

The countdown has begun and we will be leaving for English Camps in exactly two weeks! Things are coming together well but at times it still seems overwhelming. Please be praying! We still need 1 more guy cabin leader as well as at least 1 more cook. We are doing the shopping tomorrow for all the supplies that we need, I think it will set in a lot more after that. Which reminds me…we need to go buy a printer. Please be praying for Seth and I, this is our first time being a part of the Program Staff at a camp. We will have a lot more responsibility. I am also going to be in charge of training the cabin leaders how to do the English lessons as well as taking care of the budget and finances. Both things that I know I will enjoy but also new territory for me.

This weekend Seth and Matt were a part of a 3-on-3 basketball tournament. They played on a team along with some people that Seth had met while playing.  It was a lot of fun to watch them play. Seth did great! They were only a part of the fun league but they won that division!

Also this weekend (we had a busy weekend) we were able to go to Hall (a town 10 minutes away by train) and have lunch with some people from current and previous German classes. It was fun to all be together as well as to try some Iranian dishes.

I know this post is already long but briefly I want to ask for some prayer with things that will be going on this week. Tomorrow, I will be a part of the girls youth group bible study as we talk about relationships. Thursday, Jen and I organized a Volleyball game mostly consisted of youth girls so be praying that enough people come and it will be a good bonding experience. Also the weather is beautiful and Seth wants to go out and play basketball a few different times. This weekend Seth might be taking a couple of the youth guys camping Friday night be praying for guidance with that. And then Sunday we have Elise coming to visit us from our home church in Seward, we are excited to have her and her friend stay with us for a couple of days and pray that God will keep them safe through all their travels. Also on Sunday Cathrin’s cousin will be coming and staying with us for 3 weeks…we however will only be here for one but pray that all goes smoothly especially as we will be very busy with preparing for camp. And then finally, in the two days after camp we need to be moving to our next apartment. So since we have such little time we are going to try and pack everything up before we leave for camp. This leads to a lot of things, right before we go so please be praying that we will use our time wisely and that God will bring everything together. Thanks so much for all your prayers!

Alyssa

This last week we finished up our 4th German class and this week we started our 5th one. This will be the last class we have before the summer (because here summer doesn't start for another month). This group is almost completely the same as our last one which is nice. It is exciting to see how far we have gotten with our German since we first came here a little over four months ago. We are definitely far from perfect but we are at the point that we can communicate most things pretty well. A lot of the grammer is getting ingrained in our minds but it is difficult to always think of it while speaking. It is crazy to think that after this class there will only be one more that we will take after the summer. It feels like we have so much more to learn but I think more than anything we have so much more vocabulary to learn and that will come.

This weekend we have lots of things going on at the Lighthouse that we are needing to set up and host so please be in prayer that many people will be coming and that God would be glorified. Particularly there is an open air concert that we are hosting Friday night in the parking lot/walk way. There are constantly people walking through this area so please be praying that many will stop and enjoy the concert.

The weather has taken a turn for the better! It has been raining nonstop for the last 3 weeks or so but yesterday and today have been gorgeous! Seth and I have been getting opportunities to meet with youth as well as people from German class. Please keep praying for opportunities. Thank you all for your prayers. I hope to write more in a few days!

Opportunities

English camps are quickly approaching (and we are still short 2 male cabin leaders in case you are interested). We have about four more weeks until we will head out and we still have quite a list of things that need to be accomplished during that time, so please be in prayer for that. This will be our first time taking a program staff role for a camp so it will definitely take some adjusting.

This last Friday night before we left for Pfiju some of the guys that Seth plays basketball with ended up coming to the Lighthouse for a few hours. It was very encouraging that they came along. It was challenging at times since they all come from the Middle East and are learning German now but we were able to communicate enough to play some games and have a good time. Please be praying that God will bring them back and create opportunities for us (especially Seth) to share more about God. Also that others that Seth has been meeting through Basketball will begin coming to the Lighthouse as well. This is also a great opportunity for the Christian youth that already come to the Lighthouse to branch out, make new friends and also share about their relationship with God.

There are a few girls from the youth group that I have developed a closer relationship with. God has been blessing these with many conversations about Him! Yesterday I met with one of the girls for the first time in a one-on-one setting. It went so well! God really blessed the conversation and definitely gave me the words to say as well as the right questions to ask! We learned a lot about one another and our relationships with God as well learning about various resources that are available to us that can help us to grow closer to God. In the end we decided to start to meet on a weekly basis. Please pray for this, every Monday, that God will give me wisdom and help us to both be vulnerable as well as help us to encourage one another.

Today we had the opportunity to spend time with some neighbors that we hadn’t yet had the chance to. They are an elderly couple that pretty much only speak German. We went over to their place for Coffee and Tea. We had a great time getting to know them, even if we didn’t always understand everything that they were saying J We pray that God will give us more chances to get to know them better in our last couple of months in this apartment.

Also today! Seth and I took a little hike up the mountains and had a picnic for supper. It was a lot of fun being in God’s creation and a beautiful day for it as well. We hadn’t been hiking in the mountains since everything got so green so it was like we were seeing a whole new place. We sure do live in a beautiful place!

This weekend we went to Pfiju. Which is the country wide youth conference. There were about 300 christian youth from around the country and about 25 from Innsbruck. It was a great time for us to get to know many youth better as well as to have various deep conversations with them as well. We had a great time learning more of how we are valuable to God. We were encouraged as we are understanding more and more when we hear speakers. Seth even was a part of the talent show one night. There was a good time had by all.

You can be praying for Alyssa for wisdom as she had a long conversation with one of the girls this weekend. Hopefully God will continue to develop this relationship and help her to be an encouragement.

This last Friday we had a new team member join us from the states. Her name is Jennifer and she is from Iowa. She will be here for 3 months and is here to help through camp. Please be praying for her and that God will bless the time that she is here. She was able to come along to Pfiju so she has been able to meet many of our students since most all of them were there.

(this is the group from our state which is Tirol and then one other as well)

Adventures

These past couple of weeks have just flown by. It is officially spring here in Innsbruck, raining almost daily. It is crazy to see the mountains at this time of year. Everything is all green except there is still snow at the tops. Lilac bushes are in full bloom and they seem to be everywhere.

(The view once more from our living room window. It looks a lot different now than it did when we first came. I sure am going to miss this view when we move in a couple of months.)

About two weeks ago we were on the train headed to Speyer, Germany to meet our friend John Garske (from Seward, NE) who was there for a Christian conference. It was amazing to see how God worked so that we could attend the conference as well. We grew and were challenged those four days that we were there in Speyer. It was a beautiful little town, much more like Nebraska or Kansas than Innsbruck is. Monday morning we took the train with John back to Innsbruck (and started our 4^th German class the next day). He stayed with us until Friday morning when he flew home. We had a great time showing him the town that we live in as well as some of the ministries we are a part of. We also did a little traveling, to Switzerland, Lichtenstein, and Italy. By train these are two hours or less away so we took a couple of day trips. It was our first time traveling to all of these countries; they were beautiful and fun to visit. We were definitely encouraged having John with us for a week or so.

(This is in Switzerland and behind us is flags from 4 of the 5 countries we visited while John was here. Austria, Germany, Switzerland and Lichtenstein. If only they had Italy too!)

Friday morning John flew out early in the morning, we had German class all morning and then headed out for Seefeld, Austria with our team. (Luckily this was only a half hour away). We enjoyed spending the weekend there with Dave, Cathrin, and Carrie. We did many team building activities, had lots of meetings, and great food. We left there feeling encouraged and motivated. We came home and have had the privilege to spend time with Tara Sharp who is currently staying with us until tomorrow. It has been great to have her, getting to know her better as well as be encouraged by her (hopefully there has been some of that the other way as well). Tara was apart of our team for the last five years but now has a different position through Reachglobal where she is the head of the camp division. She is also from Nebraska and went to Timberlake for any of those of you that don’t know her.

It is nice to just relax for a few days but that won’t last for long because on Saturday we go to Pfiu (I don’t know if that is spelled right) but it is a Christian youth conference, I believe for all of Austria. Most of our youth is going. I am excited to see how God uses us while we are there for the few days.

Please be praying for us and that God will use us. That we will be intentional about sharing with others about God and what He is doing in our lives. Be praying that God gives us more opportunities as well. Thanks for all your prayers!