Lessons from Overseas

Here is a list of some of the things we've learned throughout our time here. 

*School sports don't exist in some parts of the world. 

*Cooking takes twice the time when you have to translate and convert everything. Not to mention cooking from scratch.

*You don't have to have a closet full of clothes to have decent outfits to wear. Scarves work really well to change things up and it's actually quite freeing to not have to sift through so many choices.

*Sometimes you have the most in common with the least likely person in a room (like the time a Muslim, Buddhist, and Christian felt the same amount of out of place). 

*Grass is still grass no matter what side of the fence (or ocean in this case) you are on. You can choose to be content or to stay dissatisfied regardless of where you live. Life is hard no matter where you are. 

*People are all looking for the same things in life: love, acceptance, hope, peace, etc. regardless of status, money, or race.

*The church truly is global (it's not simply a building, but a group of people joined together for one purpose). I love attending a church with people from Africa, Asia, Australia, and all parts of Europe. 

*It's nice living in a small, one bedroom apartment. You don't actually need extra bedrooms "just in case" for the once a year or more visitor, or to fill with items you don't really want, use, or need. Besides, it's way easier to clean!

*Taxes-It's so nice to shop and know exactly how much everything costs (because the tax is already included) without having to guesstimate. Get with it America!

*Everyday tasks can take twice as long and be super frustrating when you don't know the language. Ever tried using a computer program in a different language? All of a sudden Microsoft is something you've never used before. Twice I somehow minimized the internet screen to about an inch and had no idea how I did it or how to fix it. I constantly get the z and y keys mixed up because they are switched in Czech. 

*Sometimes a doctor visit involving ENT doesn't include your temperature being taken or your ears being checked. Doctor visits were one of the worst experiences of living overseas. I am positive that that's not always the case but it certainly was for us. 

*You never know what is REALLY going on in someone's life, unless you take the time to show them that you really care and want to help.

*Family is not necessarily flesh and blood. We have met some people here who have become some of  the most important people in the world to us.

*Living in a constant state of things being out of your immediate control causes you to either become a crazy person or seriously flexible. At times we were a little bit of both. We had to be flexible with our teaching schedules all the time. Classes would get canceled, added, or moved weekly and sometimes every day. Using public transportation causes you to be flexible with travel plans and meeting times.

*One of my favorite "small" things about living overseas has been getting paid in cash. At first it was super weird. We kind of felt like we were part of the mob or something. We don't have a bank account here and we don't use debit cards at all. This has been a major blessing in disguise. We have been able to save so much more simply because we saw the money that was leaving our hands.

*This isn't a big shocker to anyone I'm sure, but one of the things we realized in a more real way I guess, was portion sizes. We noticed it the most after living here a year and then visiting the U.S. again last summer. It is crazy how much gets served for one meal in America.

*Something that we have grown to hate about Europe is paying for bathrooms. It can be very difficult to find a free bathroom when you're out and about. Needless to say we quickly memorized those that were available and planned our trips accordingly. Who wants to pay upwards of 50 cents every time they have to use the bathroom? By the way, water is rarely free at restaurants.

*The Czech Republic has some of the most well behaved dogs we've ever seen. Dogs will often stop at a red light without a leash and wait for their owner to give the go ahead to cross the street.

*Our map skills have grown immeasurably. When google maps isn't available,  you don't speak the language, and you have no hope of help, you quickly figure out how to navigate using an old fashioned paper map and memorizing your route becomes a cinch.

*Air conditioning: I have to say that I both appreciate and at the same time can't stand air conditioning more than ever before.  We don't have an air conditioner and for the most part we haven't needed one. With the exception of about a month or two we wouldn't have wanted an air conditioner. Having said that, we have literally had times where we went to the movies just to beat the heat (a lot of buildings and public transport don't have AC). The reason I say that I can't stand air conditioning is because it is overused in all of North America. Even when AC is used here, it is just enough to take off the edge, it is not an Arctic temperature drop. I shouldn't have to have a winter jacket on the ready in the middle of the summer just to enter a building.

These are just a few of the things we have learned about life overseas. I will say, it has been an unforgettable, life-altering experience. 

Universal

A couple of weeks ago, we were able to be a part of a get together that featured a very interesting mix of people. There were four Americans, two Nigerians, a Russian, a Brit, a Malaysian couple, and one Czech. The best part about the gathering for me was the topic: peace. Our Czech leader was discussing some Bible verses about how to have peace during troubled times. The group was comprised of mostly university students who were right in the middle of exam week, so finding peace was a spot on subject.

The mix of nationalities was so wonderful to see because it showed me again just how universal the gospel really is. No one is excluded. All are welcome. 

It was very encouraging to see this young Czech woman speaking so passionately about her relationship with Christ. So many of the Czechs I have spoken with view Christianity as only an American belief. It is nice to see first hand that it is not. Christianity is for anyone who will believe. 

Z for Zombie!

Prague can be a very fun city to visit and live in. Take last weekend for example. There was a citywide zombiewalk being held in the center of downtown. If you know me at all, you know I love me some zombies. The opportunity to dress up and frighten tourists is too fun to be missed. I have done it two years in a row now, and this year was definitely more fun due to the weather and the media coverage. 

We were able to have a good time with some good friends and blow off some steam. Even though Prague is very enjoyable to live in at times, it can also be a real challenge. Doing something outside of the box occasionally helps make the rough days a little less rough. Plus, zombies are cool. 

This is an ad for the event. 

The Human Projectile

Public transportation here in Prague can sometimes be treacherous. I have often theorized that our particular route to school in the morning is operated by drivers in training. Training that consists of driving as fast as possible to stop lights and then slamming on brakes when the light turns red. Couple that with the nearly ninety degree turn and slides to pick up new passengers and you have all the reasons why I think they are driver's ed students.

Take last week for example. We got on the bus and were excited to find that it was nearly empty. That is very rare here this time of year. Our bus is the one that picks up all of the airport traffic so it is usually filled from window to window with tourists and suitcases. We sat down and began discussing what we needed to do that day. The bus took of like it was powered by jet fuel and hate. Our heads swing back to the g-force. (Not exactly, but pretty close.) I was just about to tell Tonya something when the slamming of the brakes began. Silly me, I had not wedged myself into the seat properly. I had forgotten to brace my legs on the seat in front of me. As the brakes slammed, I felt myself lift off the seat, surging forward. It was like a slow motion scene from a movie or something. I was thrown into the seats facing us, using my hands to break my fall. 

I was sitting in the seat facing me at this point, my face planted in the seat back and my knees in the seat bottom. I looked like someone who had been made to sit in the corner. I calmly collected myself and sat back into my seat. I was greeted by my lovely wife, who was laughing so hard she was in tears. 

And there you have it, folks. The Human Projectile.

Next week: Zombie Walk! 

The God of the Impossible

I think everyone has a point in their lives where they bump into some moment where it seems like nothing is going to work out. Things look to be impossible. There is no way over or around or even through. What do you do when you face something like that? 

As a teacher and a coach, I have had the honor of walking through the "impossible" with my students and players. From crushed dreams over a torn ligament to the simple devastation of the first time they ever got in trouble for a dress code violation, I have seen it all and then some. The beauty of facing an impossible moment with someone is that rarely is the moment actually impossible. It is only impossible because our minds are limited to only the solutions we can think of. We try to do things in only our own power and when that power runs out, the moment gains the title of "impossible." 

When I face these personal moments of impossibility in my life, I turn to scripture. Not at first, though. Typically, at first, I flail my arms about, go straight to blind panic, and curl up into a fetal position and weep softly into a comfortable pillow. It's mid-whimper when I begin to realize that I not only can't handle my problems alone, but I don't have to. It's then I remember verses like Luke 1:37, "Nothing is impossible with God." Or Hebrews 13:5 "I will never leave you nor forsake you." Then I begin to gain confidence. Then I begin to believe. Then I begin to expect God to be God. That is when He delivers: When I realize that I can't, but He can. 

My faith is not always what it should be. I try to handle things on my own way too often. I am glad though, that when I get out of the way, and let God be God, I get to give credit to Him because He has accomplished only what He can accomplish. 

My God is a God of the impossible, and I am so grateful for it. 

Busyness and Blessings

There is an old expression that says "April showers bring May flowers." I am especially reminded of it here because the name for May in Czech is literally "flowers." 

We have experienced a couple of types of showers here this April, and none of them have to do with the weather. 

Shower Number 1: Busyness

We have been swamped ever since the beginning of April. It seemed like everyday we had some extra activity. Here was a list of our weekly activities, that were in addition to our lessons at school:

Monday- speaking partner 

Tuesday- English Drama Club 

Wednesday- English Drama Club, speaking partner 

Thursday- tutoring

Friday- speaking partner

Saturday- Half Marathon (only the first weekend)

Sunday- Church and rest

That was actually our schedule for most of March too, except we trained on Saturdays for the half marathon. 

The next week my speaking partner on Monday wanted to teach me how to box. It was actually fun, but exhausting. (I had the bruises to prove it). We also directed the drama club play that week as well, and it went very well. We were so proud of the kids. 

The week after that we traveled for Easter break. It was a wonderful trip to Austria, complete with a "Sound of Music" tour and a church service in German. German is interesting, because when we first here it, it sounds like English. It is only after a few sentences that we realize we have no idea what is being said. 

To finish off April, we got to witness a baptism at our church this morning. It was such a huge blessing to see The Lord work in someone's life. That brings us to the second shower of the month: blessings. 

Shower 2: Blessings

We have had so many great things happen to us and for us this month. The Lord has been so gracious to us this month. I'll just list the blessings, because I am so grateful for what he's done for us this month. 

The half-marathon: Just helping us finish this was incredible. The fact that we were able to make it in our goal time was miraculous. To top it off, some of our students were there to cheer us on. One even took pictures of us while we ran which was such a nice gesture. 

The play: Our English Drama Club present a play entitled, "Greek Mythology Olympiaganza." It was a parody play of all the Greek myths. The students did an incredible job. We were so blessed to have been a part of it for the past two years. The headmaster of the school even sent out a school wide email praising the students' efforts. Public praise is not really the thing to do here, so that was pretty amazing.

Easter: We got to travel with two great friends. It was a great time to debrief and fellowship. We have truly learned the value of bearing one another's burdens here during these two years. 

Employment: At the beginning of the month, we were able to secure jobs for next school year. We are happy to say that we will be in Raleigh, NC next year! 

Opportunities: We had so many opportunities to share our faith this month. It is always a privilege to be able to tell others of God's great love. 

Surprise: Even though we went to the USA in February, it took us until April to finalize the paperwork. Field trips in the US are difficult enough, but doing an international one with all of the paperwork in a foreign language is a whole different animal. Anyway, to make a long story short, we received a reimbursement that we were not expecting! God is so good. 

The Baptism: It so exciting to see someone profess their faith in Christ. We are so blessed to be a part of a church here in Prague where the gospel is preached. 

April was such a mountain top month for us. We are so grateful that God has placed us here for such a time as this.

Gentle Reminders

Gentle Reminders

I have two conversation partners that I meet with once a week for about an hour. Our conversations are about various topics with the simple purpose of practicing English.

I was talking about body image with one of my conversation partners a few weeks ago.  We were talking about how so many girls determine their self worth based on what they look like. This seems to be a universal problem found in every culture. It was very interesting to hear the frustration of another person trying to constantly be the positive reinforcer amongst friends that struggle mightily with body image. I kept hearing something like, “It gets tiresome repeating the same mantra, you are beautiful, you do matter, you don't have to look perfect, etc over and over to the same people who either don't believe it or choose to focus on the negative in every aspect of life.”  

It’s not humanly possible to be someone else’s source of hope and self esteem. We weren’t meant to be.

Toward the end of the conversation I was able to present my point of view on the whole issue. I was overjoyed to share that my self worth doesn’t come from any human relationship and isn't based on how I look on a daily basis. My worth comes from my relationship with God through Jesus Christ. People come and go in and out of our lives but God is always there. His opinion of me doesn't change based on whether I appear to be “good enough”.

I decided to use the analogy of marriage to drive home my point since I could see that this was a difficult concept to grasp. In human terms, we get married because we love someone and because they love us. In a healthy relationship we marry someone who accepts us for who we are. We wouldn't marry someone who insisted on making a list of things we had to change before agreeing to marriage. The same is true of God. He doesn't expect us to change and then have a relationship with Him. He accepts our faults, our failures, our sins and says “I want a relationship with you”.  

After being married for a few years, pieces of you begin to change. You don't change because it’s a requirement or a chore, but because it’s a natural progression. You're not a completely different person, but you are more understanding, less selfish, more forgiving, more loving, because you are more in love. The same is true in a relationship with God. The more you know Him and His love for you, the more you change. Not because you have to, but because you no longer want or need the things you thought you wanted or needed.  Love changes you for the better.

The difference between a human relationship and God is that God never leaves us and His love for us never changes. We change and grow closer to God but God loves us the same throughout our relationship. This is a promise that we can hold on to. God accepts me because Jesus Christ died for me. Jesus took my shame, failures, past, present, and future wrongs so that God would accept and love me for who I am right now. That is where I find my self worth. It’s in Jesus. Hollywood, magazines, friends, death, and other human relationships can’t change or take that away from me.  What an amazing truth!!

This brings me to the point of my blog. A few days after this conversation, I decided to get a haircut. I’ve gotten my hair cut in Prague several times. The place that I go is always the same. I can count on the fact that whoever cuts my hair won't speak more than about two words of English. I took an example picture for the stylist like I usually do since that's worked well for me in the past.

I did want a shorter haircut but what I got looked nothing like the picture that I brought.  My immediate reaction was “What have I done?” “It’s so short!” “I hate it, it’s so ugly.”  About the time I was beginning to really feel sorry for myself, I could hear that still small voice: “Remember, your self worth isn't found in your hair."

I’m so grateful for the conversation that I had had just three days prior to my haircut.  I couldn't help but think about how I would have reacted to the same situation even just a few years ago.  Such a small thing but what a great reminder of how my thoughts and life have been transformed through my relationship with God.

Our Trip to North Carolina: Part 2

The next big event of our week was homecoming and the events that surrounded it. The Czech students got to be involved in putting together floats, which was a first for them.

On Friday morning, Tonya and I were asked to pick up some convertibles from a local car dealership so that the homecoming candidates could ride in them. We drove to the dealership and on the way there we decided to only pick up one of the cars. When we saw what kind of cars they were, we decided we could get both. "I want to drive that one," Tonya said, pointing to the JAGUAR that was parked there. I had to settle for a Porsche. 

The parade was fun. The seniors added the Czech flag to their pirate ship themed float. It was a very nice gesture I thought. 

At the homecoming games that night, Tonya and I were able to reconnect with some of our favorite people the whole world: our former players. Not all of them were there, but it was still wonderful to see them. We laughed, we reminisced, and cheered as a basketball player won homecoming queen. All was right in the world. 

Saturday evening my family met us for dinner at Champps resturant at Southpoint mall in Durham. Our students got an auhentic USA restaurant experience, with oversized portions and free refills. We finished the night racing go-karts. it was a blast.

Sunday we met for lunch and said our goodbyes to our host families. As we drove off in the bus to the airport, a student said, "I love these people." It was such a simple and perfect response to the hospitality shown to us that week.

If you helped in any way, thank you so much. We could not have done it without you.

Special Thanks to:

GRACE Christian School, Mandy Gill, Isaiah Whelpley, Don Payne and Sean Blesh.
Red Branch Baptist Church for giving us a van to drive, free of charge.
My parents, for all your generosity.
AJ and Dottie, for loaning us your van.
Jennifer, for having your baby while we were there so we could meet him.

 

Our Trip to North Carolina, Part One

When we last left off, we had boarded the plane and made it to North Carolina. We were all exhausted from having to sleep in the airport. When we got to RDU, the principal and assistant principal from GRACE Christian school were there waiting for us. We were able to use the school buses to make our way to our first true NC experience: Bojangles. For me, it was a wonderful welcome home meal. For the students, it was pure culture shock. I never thought I would have to explain what the word "fixins" meant. Some of them liked it, some not so much. One thing is for sure though, we were really grateful that the school picked up the tab. It was truly a blessing.

That night, we were able to take the students to their first NHL game. This was very exciting for them because hockey is the national sport in the Czech Republic. There were several Czech players on both teams, so the students waved their Czech flag proudly. It was a great experience. We even got to interact with some inebriated hockey fans just to give them a true experience (Lots of swearing and inappropriate comments to ignore. Good times.).

The next day was Wednesday, and the students spent most of it at school. They went to chapel with the GRACE students. That was certainly a very different experience for them, as most of them do not attend church services here in Prague. I am sure some felt very uncomfortable, but it was another authentic NC experience. Tonya and I were really overjoyed that the Czech students could experience something that we really value highly: our faith.

That is it for part one. Join me again in a couple of days for the conclusion to our USA trip with the Czech students.

Before I end this one though, I want to extend my deepest gratitude to the host families, the teachers, students, and staff of GRACE Christian School. This trip was amazing, and it was amazing because of you. Thank you so much.

New York.

So we took a group of students to New York and North Carolina over the course of the past two weeks. This blog will focus on the adventure that was New York.

It was wonderful. Many of them were seeing the city and the US for the first time ever. Seeing their faces in Times Square was priceless. We were able to see pretty much every major landmark that the city has to offer. As a bonus, they went and decided to host the Super Bowl in New York for us. It was great to get to show the students just how big of a a deal the Super Bowl is here in the US. We got delivery pizza from Papa Johns. They liked it so much that we ordered it again the next day. It was a whirlwind of a tour, but I think the kids got to see everything they wanted to and then some.

When we got up on Monday, we were greeted by about six inches of snow. It was beautiful, but unwelcome. That was the beginning of the obstacle course that we called getting to Raleigh. 

The next obstacle occurred when we realized that our flight was leaving from JFK and not La Guardia. We were about five minutes from La Guardia and about forty from JFK. Did I mention all the snow? Well, we had to lug our bags through a maze of slush and icy puddles, up and down stairs, and in and out of subway trains. It was exhausting, but kind of fun. Well, not really.

Obstacle number three occurred when our flight to Raleigh was cancelled, causing us to spend the night in the airport. We did not get to check in our luggage due to a mysterious "security" measure that stated that we could not check in our bags until six hours before the flight. (This measure was even more mysterious when it disappeared the next morning due to us being in the way.)

We spent the night on the hard floor of the JFK airport. Some of us got pillows, some got blankets, some got both, and others got neither. Our students did not complain (at least not in English) and they used their luggage to make little forts in one long line through the airport so that they could have some privacy while they slept.

The next morning we were awoken by a less than friendly staff as they told us to move because we were in the way. I told the employee that we couldn't move because our flight was not available to check in (it was more that six hours before it left) and we had no where to go. "Who told you that?" she asked me, as if she had never heard of such a rule. "You did." I replied as calmly as I could. Now at this point, the trip could have taken a real turn for the worse. Thankfully, no one had to bail me out of jail that evening.

We got to the counter to check in and an employee who may have been part angel realized that we did not have to wait six more hours for a one hour flight, but that there was room on the next flight that was leaving in forty-five minutes. We rushed and made the flight, only to face obstacle number four: a malfunctioning aircraft.

We sat on the plane for about three hours while they tried to get it to work. Finally, we had to deplane and board another aircraft. From there, we were on our way to Raleigh, the subject of next week's blog story.

To sum up our flight schedule: Our 8pm Monday flight was delayed until Tuesday at 4pm. We boarded that flight at 8am on Tuesday instead and finally took of at 12pm. Sheesh.

Say Cheese!

Have you ever been in a group photo? Of course you have. Maybe it was for a team you played on, or a class photo from elementary school, or summer camp, but you've definitely been in one. The thing I love about group photos is that they capture a moment in time that will never come again. Surprisingly, that is also what I don't like about them. Group photos are bittersweet. They let us remember a past event with gladness, but they also make us sad as we begin to realize how much we miss those in the picture we no longer see anymore. In some cases, those in the pictures with us have passed away, leaving that photo as one of the only things of them that remain. This is a depressing thought for some of us, but not for all of us. Let me explain.

I recently had the privilege of taking a group photo with some friends of mine who have also dedicated their lives to serve The Lord here in Central Europe. As I looked at it on everyone's favorite social networking site, I realized that that particular group of people may never be in the same room again. I wanted to feel sad about this, but I was struck with the beautiful realization that most Christians take for granted on occasion: We will all be in the same room again someday.

For Christians, we have the peace of knowing that the end is never really the end. We have the hope of heaven and the peace of knowing that God will bring us all together again one day, either here on earth for some special calling, or in eternity when we celebrate the marvelous victory of Christ over sin and death.

So now when I look at myself in this group photo, I remember the hope I have in Christ and the peace that it brings. I don't deserve it, but He gave it anyway.

That is definitely something worth remembering.


Spiritual Renewal Retreat, January 2014

The Final Countdown

There is a song called "The Final Countdown" that plays just before basketball games or other sporting events. It implies that something big is about to be decided. Lately I feel like that song has been playing on repeat in my mind. Tonya and I have a big decision to make in February and it feels like we have so many options to entertain that we just don't know what to do.

When we decided to sell our house, store our belongings, give away our car and move overseas, we knew we would be doing that for at least two years. That number always seemed like so much time and such a far off place from where we were when we committed that we would certainly know what to do next when the time came to make a decision. Well, the time has come and here we sit, nearly clueless as to what we need to do next. We have a general idea of what we want, but we want what we want to be what God wants us to want. Makes sense, right?

We went to church today, hoping for answers or insights, and the pastor preached a sermon about waiting on The Lord. That is pretty funny because typically the last thing I ever want to do is wait on The Lord for anything. But that seems like what we need to do right now.

Will you help us wait on The Lord? Will you pray for us to have wisdom as to what our next step is? We would greatly appreciate it.

I bet that song is in your head now.

2013: Year in Review

The past year was one of the most challenging and roller coaster-y years of our lives. There were constant highs and lows and unexpected twists and turns. We learned a lot about ourselves, our lives, and our God who constantly provides for our needs. Here is how it went:

January
I was very ill at the outset of the month. To add insult to injury, January dumped a healthy dose of cold and dark on us that we were not quite ready for. Homesickness hit pretty hard as well. Suffice it to say, we were not a fan of the month of January.

February

The cold continued, but we were blessed to have a wonderful trip to Rome. The weather was much nicer, and we got to spend some quality time with good friends. Tonya had a bit of an illness this month which prevented her from attending the school dance, which was a bit of a downer. Overall, though, February was nice.

March

March was LONG. Other than that, it was uneventful.

April

This month was a month of excitement! My brother and his family came for a visit for Easter. It was a great boost for us as they lifted our spirits. What was really surprising about this month was how cold it was. Even our students and colleagues remarked about how long winter was hanging on. The highlight of the month and the school year was our first drama club production. We did not know what to expect, and the students blew us away with how amazing they were. They really put their hearts into the production and we were very proud of them for it.

May

May was strange because our fourth year students were dismissed to study for their final exams. We had some days where we came in to school at 2:00pm to begin our day.

June

June had an interesting start as I attended a zombie walk with one of my students. It is exactly like it sounds. Dress up as a zombie, and walk through Prague. It was very funny. We terrorized tourists as they snapped photos of us. You can even find it on YouTube. The rest of June passed without event, and we said goodbye to Prague. We arrived home on June 29th.

July

July was a time to reconnect with family and friends. We also began to work feverishly on our August fundraiser. For the first time, we toured the beautiful Outer Banks of North Carolina.

August

The highlight of August was no doubt our basketball fundraiser. We were able to see so many of our former students and watch some great three on three basketball. To all the people who helped us raise over 3,000 dollars for our endeavors here, thank you so much.

September

We returned to school the first week of September with a sense of confidence. We knew our way around the city and the school, and the month moved along very smoothly. We were able to connect with YoungLife Praha, a Christian youth outreach organization here in Prague. We also found a church home: International Church of Prague.

October

We began drama club again, this time with the assistance of some YoungLife leaders. We were very pleased to have them be a part of drama club. We were also able to take a wonderful fall break trip to Italy where we toured many famous towns such as Florence, Pisa, Milan, Verona, Venice, and Cinque Terre.

November

For November, we got together for Thanksgiving with all of the ESI teachers from Hungary and Czech Republic. It was great to hear about what The Lord is doing in these countries. A huge highlight for us was being able to see some new believers get baptized at out church.

December

December was surprisingly warm here in Prague. We only got a light dusting of snow that lasted for only about a day. The highlight of December was being able to travel again. This time we got to see Paris and Budapest, two very beautiful cities. I was astonished at how much French I remembered from high school. Mrs. Dorton, (my high school French Teacher) I am sure I have made you proud.

So that wraps up the 2013 year in review. If you are still with me at this point, you deserve a treat of some type.

It's only about three weeks until we will be coming to the USA with a group of Czech students! Prayers are greatly appreciated.

Many thanks to all of you who have supported us through the past year.