life flies by when you're living in true joy. it's been two months since i was reunited with friends in israel. since then, i've done an overwhelming amount of traveling. i've experienced God's crazy blessings, along with many wonderful, challenging, and beautiful times.
after israel, dan, phil and i flew to athens, greece. this city gets a bad rap as far as tourism goes, but i came to really enjoy the bustle of the squares, the efficient (and clean!) public transportation, and the friendliness of the greek people. plus, no one can deny the magnificence of the ancient ruins. i was in historical and aesthetical heaven.
we stayed in a hostel for a few nights, which put us right in the mix with various other transients and adventure-seekers. i love the traveling community! so many interesting people, all with a desire to experience more, learn more, and live a fuller life. we fit right in...the only difference is, we already HAVE the key to whatever it is they're still searching for. (Jesus. duh.) the cool thing is, everyone is always asking where you come from, how long you've been traveling, where you're going, and why. this is such a golden opportunity to share what we've seen God do, along with our vision and purpose.
our goal is to live lives that constantly point to Christ, but it definitely helps when people give us an opportunity to talk about it. looking back, i realize we came into contact with SO many different people during the last 2 months: roommates, hostel employees, lads out for a smoke, teenagers at the table next to us, bartenders, fellow tour-takers, couch surfers, people on the metro...just living life can bring you onto the mission field, if you make yourself available. moving around so much just brings us into that many more people's lives. and them into ours.
we've also joined the world-wide community of "couch surfers." by signing up online and creating a profile, you can travel the world without worrying about accommodation. it's brilliant. people open up their homes to those traveling through their city, and bam! you have somewhere to stay. those with a couch stay connected to the international community, surfers get to experience life through the eyes of a local, and everyone involved is able to meet people from different places, cultures, and walks in life. talk about a situation ripe with opportunities to witness. aside from our few days at the hostel in greece, we haven't paid for a bed yet! and we now have friends dotted all over western europe who allowed us to crash with them: giannis in athens, hannes in zurich, isabelle in paris, and john in london. all beautiful people who blessed us immensely. our hope is that the time we spent in their homes was also a blessing to them, and that God will continue to grow the seeds we planted for his Kingdom.
zurich was a wonderful couple of days. beautiful weather, breathtaking scenery, and free bikes to ride all day. my favorite memory from that town was our lake-side picnic...or maybe chats with our host, hannes. in paris, we met up with a large group of ywamers to celebrate two birthdays. it was refreshing to see friends again, and paris never gets old. we had so many good times in france, but two that stick out are my visits to notre dame and versailles. the palace is hands-down the most astonishing work of man i have ever beheld. the end. and as for the cathedral, i've been twice before...but this time was different. i took time to sit and pray, and knew almost instantly that God was there. the HOLINESS struck me in a new way. His presence was undeniable, and yet i watched as hundreds of tourists passed by untouched, more impressed by the structure itself than the One it was meant to glorify.
in london we were blessed to stay with a fellow american and jesus-lover named john. he is living by faith, just waiting for God to tell him what's next. (sounds familiar!) his story was inspiring, and such an encouragement for the three of us, who are new to this lifestyle of complete reliance on God. john took us to an enormous worship service at the O2 arena hosted by his church, hillsong. 11,000 people were there to celebrate the 10th anniversary of hillsong london, and to praise God for the work he is doing in that city! it was amazing. afterwards we traipsed down to the thames river for a fireworks show and cultural festival. what a great weekend to be in london.
i now find myself at the tail end of a three-week trip to ireland with my dear friends dan, beau and phil. phil is a dublin native, and his family has taken us in as if we were their own. i even have my own room! barbara, phil's mom, won't stop cooking for us, and phil's friends have greeted us with open arms as well. i haven't felt this "at home" in 8 months. ireland is beautiful, and rich in history. God is really at work here. we've had the opportunity to share at church, tell our stories to friends, pour into phil's family, rest, relax and become rejuvenated. the awe-inspiring scenery, killer accents, and quaint pubs are just the cherry on top of this perfect irish sundae. seriously.
so what's next? we've been asking God that very question. he's confirmed to each of us that we are to go back out into europe to continue ministry. the question in all of our minds has been: how? funds are limited, and we have no solid plan. but God has specifically asked me to trust Him with this time. He is continually building my faith, and has shown me that all i am required to do is take the first step. He'll take care of the rest. if i make myself available to be used, He will come down in power. money, accommodation, travel plans...they are nothing to Him! He is so much bigger than all of my apprehension. so we have chosen to step out. to go with it. to see where God takes us...
we currently have four tickets from dublin to edinburgh, scotland, plus a vague plan to make our way south toward london. and that's it. we have connections here and there, but we will continue to pray for divine appointments, direction and provision. we KNOW God is going to use us during this time. we want to further his Kingdom, whatever that looks like. (and often, it doesn't look the way we think it should. God's cool like that.)
we have plans shaping up that will eventually take us to budapest, hungary, where an opportunity to serve some local missionaries has just come up. what will happen between now and then? no idea. so prayers are appreciated! along with any ministry opportunities or connections you may know of...
i know this adventure is going to provide amazing stories of God's faithfulness and blessings, so be ready for more blog updates. i'll make sure to keep them coming. love to you all. -jaclyn
oh - and here are some DEADLY pictures
of my time in ireland.
No comments:
Post a Comment