Cultivating Spiritual Ground In Estonia

Thoughts on Adventure Camp from 30,000 feet

2009-07-13T06:37:00.000-07:00

I’m writing as we are flying in a Air France 767, 50 miles northwest of Paris. Since our six hour layover in Paris was cut short we were not able to leave the airport. However, we have been blessed that both flights have been without issue (minus a slight delay in the first one) and that our group is still in good spirits, despite averaging two hours of sleep last night!

Thank you all for your patience in us getting our big weekly update on the blog. The week was amazing. Just for a little background for you all, we were told there are about 320,000 youth ages 12 to 21 in Estonia. Of that 320,000 there are roughly 3,000 believers…that’s less than 1%! There is obviously a huge need to impact the next generation in Estonia and Eastern Europe as a whole.

English camps are very common in Eastern Europe. Since English is the international language and it is an essential skill needed for communication today, students have a huge yearning and need to practice English. That being said, there are many Christian organizations that host English camps in Europe. Their intent is to share the Gospel (usually more of an introduction to the Gospel) and at the same time practice English with the students. It is an incredible way to show the students that one, Christians aren’t nuts (there are a lot of false misconceptions about Christians in their society), and two, to show them the love of Christ through our love of them. Because of the background of the students, our adventure camp was a step beyond the average English camp.

This camp was for people already with an interest, knowledge, or thorough understanding of Jesus Christ. Because of that, instead of tiptoeing around God, He was the sole focus of the week...and some awesome adventure challenges too! Our week-long focus was Disciples in Christ. Our mornings consisted of practical talks: community (by our very own Stuart Brown), prayer, the bible, and testimony/personal stories (eloquently and humbly spoken by Calder). The evenings were the four G’s of God. God is great (He is in control so we don’t need to be), God is glorious (we don’t need to worry about what other’s think, only what God thinks), God is good (we don’t need to look elsewhere for joy; He is enough), God is gracious (we can’t earn His grace; it is freely given). Before our talks we had amazing times of worship in both English and Estonian. Our talks were also followed up by small group discussions. They consisted of guided discussions and questions for three to five students lead by an both an American and Estonian leader.

Success is defined in many different ways, but I can solidly say, our week was amazingly successful. Our goal wasn’t to convert every student; it was to take as many students one-step beyond where they were. For some, this meant for the total atheist students to simply recognize that there may possibly be a god out there. For others, if they thought there may be a god, it was to show them of the God that we know. For believers, it was to help them greater understand God and His love for them. We did just that. And because of that, we had tremendous success.

God did amazing things this week in a little camp in rural Estonia. God moved mountains, broke down walls, in the hearts of the students. He also spoke through and worked so clearly in the leaders, both Estonian and American. I so strongly felt the “mutual encouragement through each other’s faith,” the disciple Paul speaks about in the book of Romans. It was clear that our group was so clearly handpicked to be apart of this trip. Thank you for trusting both God and us with your support. Thank you for all you have given and for your continued prayers.

With much love and gratitude

Still hanging in the Tallinn airport...

2009-07-11T22:50:00.001-07:00

I know that we have way, way more important things to share than airport delays, but couldn't resist posting this picture that I just took of Grant and D-mac sleeping:

A few photos...

2009-07-11T21:43:00.000-07:00

Ok, hopefully we can get a couple photos on here prior to boarding the flight.

We did a "prayer walk" on Thursday night where we walked the students through thoughts on the greatness of God, the personal nature of God, his unfailing love, his forgiveness and our "new creation" status once we are saved. As a part of this walk we blindfolded the students and had them carry a brick around camp as they walked "by faith" and not by sight. It was a powerful way to bring camp to a close (or so we thought). The students, for the most part, really engaged with the premise of the evening - especially after Craig (one of the Pastors for Risttee) did an exceptional job of re-telling the story of the Prodigal Son.
At the end of the walk, the students took off their blindfolds, dropped their bricks and then tossed a piece of paper with their barriers to feeling loved (or to believing in God) into the fire as their small group leaders hugged them and reaffirmed both the fierce love that God has for them as well as the love that their leaders possess for them.

In this photo, we wash away the dirt that remained from the brick - symbolic of God's redeeming love cleansing us through the death of Christ. Just as we come away pure and blameless in God's eyes, the students walked away cleansed, once they have let go of their burden (in the form of the brick).

Worship took place each morning and each evening in the Pavillion. "Au Sinule, Igavesti" was our favorite song (Glory to God). We always took turns singing both in Estonian and English. These were some of our favorite times.

This is Eric preparing for the Amazing Race. He didn't have a small group of his own b/c he was way too valuable in putting together the games that we did every afternoon for up to 3-4 hours as well as the crazy games we did for a few minutes at the beginning of each evening worship time. For a taste of what we mean by "crazy" - one night the game consisted of eating bananas while wearing pantyhose on your head - hilarious (and not easy at all!) The next night we did a game called "Eat it or Wear it" in which the contestants have to make a decision whether or not to eat or wear whatever substance is about to be presented to them...messy was a big part of these games.

Ok, this is so random, Dolly Parton is on the TV here at the airport. Not sure why I felt it necessary to share that, but if you were to ask me to list 1000 artists whose videos would be playing at the Tallinn airport at 8:07 in the morning, she would not make the list.

I have not missed the flight by the way. Our flight has been delayed a few minutes in case you are wondering. I think we should be boarding momentarily. Either way, we have a 6 hour layover in Paris, so there's no way we should miss our connection back to Atlanta...

Sara and Rachel get their team colors just before the scavenger hunt on Monday morning that kicked camp off.
Tat showing off his Navy Blue...
Amy in Florida Gator Orange...
Grant & Jeremiah "proudly" display their shades of pink....I promise it was random that these two got blessed with shades of pink...really...
Ok, this is from dinner in Tartu on Sun night. D-mac looking at his "Chips Pizza." I'm fairly certain that he is the first person over the age of 12 to ever order this. If you will look closely his pizza is covered in hot dogs and french fries. Of course, the 2nd adult to ever order that pizza was Grant Gilley... And, you can see his picture with the "Chips Pizza" in an earlier post.

Ok, that's it for now. Time to hopefully get on our way to Charles de Gaulle....unless....and, it looks as if we are delayed for another 45 minutes...estimated departure time of 9:30 AM local time....I think. It may be 9:00. We'll see and will keep you posted.

Good-byes again and again and again....

2009-07-11T21:34:00.000-07:00

We are now at the airport in Tallinn after a crazy early start to our day. When we left our hostel just after 4:15 AM, we were sent off by about 10-15 students who surprised us by showing up and sending us off in style. They had stayed up all night and walked to the hostel from several kilometers away (arriving at the hostel at 3:15 to make sure that they did not miss us). And, many of them had an even longer walk home! We were clearly blown away by such a show of affection. AND then, when we got here to the airport, we were even more surprised when one of the students showed up here to say good-bye to us. She had hitch-hiked all the way from Tartu to make sure she got here in time to say good-bye. For many of these students, there is no doubt that their lives were changed by their encounter with our team. I can say this b/c for the most part I only got to know the students from a distance - it was the rest of the team that loved the students with a gentle tenaciousness that can barely be fathomed. These students came to church last night with gift after gift for their small group leaders, notes, jewelry, t-shirts, sweaters and on and on. It was overwhelming to see such an overflow of love. Thanks for making this happen. We all come home to you guys changed in huge ways by what God did in us - AND by the recognition that we were privileged for Him to work through us to further his story in Estonia. We know that there are so many details that we need to share....we are working on that and will get those posts up as soon as we can - thanks for continuing to check in on us and our stories. And thanks for your prayers as we begin a 19 hour journey back to Atlanta. Although we'll be tired and probably a bit smelly and grumpy when we walk off the plane in Atlanta in something like 20 hours, please know that we are excited to see you and we come home with a little of our hearts left in Estonia...

Quick update and preparing for a long hard goodbye..

2009-07-11T15:02:00.000-07:00

So it is about 1 a.m. here and Grant G., Jeremiah and I are up because well, we know that when we wake up we will have to leave. It has been kind of a fast day here but at the same time it does not seem like we did much. We woke up around 830am, ate some good breakfast and then went off to a meeting with the Estonian leaders about the camp. We exchanged stories about the camp and how God really moved through each of us. As we reflected about the events of the trip so far, it is really apparent how God was all over. He blessed us with safety, companionship, love, and patience. There is plenty more to write about and we will be doing that in the morning, but we have to wake up at 315am for a 4am departure so until the next post...

We're back! Well almost...

2009-07-10T09:20:00.000-07:00

Hello!

Just a quick blog update to let you know that the team has just arrived back in Tartu. We had an incredible week at Adventure Camp! We left camp around 3:00 p.m. this afternoon and dropped the students back off in front of the theatre in Tartu, the spot where this journey first began on Monday. The bus then dropped us off here at the hostel where we will be spending our next two nights before our trip home.

On the bus ride from the theatre to the hostel all of us began scheming to see who would be first to take a hot shower. I was lucky enough to be one of the first to take a shower, and I feel amazing. Calder and I both admit to being city-slickers so this camping and no showering gig was foreign to us both.

I also feel amazing about what happened this past week at camp. We played some grueling games that wore us out and beat us up, but more importantly we built authentic relationships that will last for a lifetime. I had a small group of four teenagers and I was fortunate enough to be able to share with them just how majestic and great our God really is. At the beginning of the week they were a little shy and not to sure why I would come all the way across the globe to camp out with them for a week, but after a week of sharing our stories and our struggles together they understood that God had a reason for all of us being there.

I have learned a lot this week about people and God, it has been one of the most powerful weeks in my life. All of us have so many stories to tell about this week and we cant wait to get home and share them with you. Check back soon as we will have more details about Adventure Camp 2009!

Final showers before camp (i.e. for the next 5 days)

2009-07-05T14:14:00.000-07:00

Ok, from top to bottom on the pics:

The top 4 pictures are of Rachel, Amy, Jeremiah and Grant. These head shots are a part of the scavenger hunt game that will kick off camp in just about 9.5 hours from now. In case you are wondering, Grant is eating a pizza that looks like it was made for 10 year olds - french fries and hot dogs....and it wasn't on the kiddie menu. I figured you were wondering.

The next two pics are from worship at Risttee Church this morning. The bottom pic is from the spiral stairwell that heads to the top of Oliveste Church - it is from Sat, but was too good not to post. A very, very, very long stairwell that is also very, very, very narrow....

Back to the important stuff: worship. Peep preached from Acts 16 while Timo sat with us and translated. We also Still, I think most of us agreed that the best part was the privilege of worshiping through music in another language. We sang Heart of worship, Agnus Dei, Draw me close to you, Glory to God Forever and Here I am to worship. When we talked to Daniel afterwards he said it was pretty cool to hear the Americans singing the songs in English (at least when we could remember the words - which was for most of them) mixed in with the Estonian. And, of course, it is always an incredible thing to participate in communion - especially the way that Risttee practices communion where you get to serve the elements to the person standing next to you. For many of us, it was the first time for us to serve communion to someone else.

Au Sinale, Igavesti - that is how Glory to God forever is translated into Estonian.

After worship we had lunch and then went to a training session where we discussed cultural issues, logistical issues and general camp planning. After about 4.5 hours of this we were done and nearly ready for camp. We are slowly overcoming our jetlag - just in time for camp where we have heard that 4 hours of sleep per night is about typical. So, yes, you now now how to pray for us - that our limited rest would be multiplied, that our bodies would hold up both while we are at camp and once we return to the States and that in the midst of all the activity we would be able to focus on our calling (at least for this week) of being a part of God's story here in Estonia. So much incredible cultural stuff to share - maybe I'll be able to update the blog in the morning before we head off to camp, but for now my alarm is going off in under 5 hours....

Thanks for your prayers! We look fwd to sharing some amazing stories on Friday afternoon when we return from camp (Friday morning your time). We'll be sure to shower before we start blogging again - for most of us, our last shower for the next 120 hours has been had...and I'm fairly certain that you won't even have to try that hard to notice that this blog is scratch n sniff....

Heb 10:24

The Singing Festival (sort of) and the bus to Tartu

2009-07-04T16:04:00.000-07:00

Camp is steadily creeping up on us. In just over 30 hours we will be on a bus filled with teenagers who are excited about Adventure camp - and if you have ever been on a bus filled with excited teens, you know it is a treat. It is just past 2:00 AM in Tartu. Our bus arrived shortly before midnight after a 2.5 hour drive. I'd love to describe the scenery, but the only scenery I saw had to do with the back of my eyelids.

After a quick stop at McDonald's (I know, I know...stereotypical Americans abroad. In our defense, it was midnight and the only thing between the bus stop and the hostel that was open was McDonald's). So with McDonald's in one hand and suitcases in the other (and strapped to our backs) we checked in. It's finally getting quiet in the hostel and that's a good thing. We have another busy day ahead of us - our last day prior to camp.

Our afternoon in Tallinn began with a climb to the top of Oleviste church. At one point it was the tallest church in the world - and some reports indicate the tallest building in the world. My Estonian is not good enough to confirm that. Regardless, it is tall. You can see a photo by clicking on this link:

http://www.7is7.com/otto/estonia/tallinn_oleviste.html

It used to be about 159 meters tall and after the spire burned down in 1625 it was rebuilt to it's present height of about 123 meters. It is a beautiful building and from the top you have a great view of the Baltic as well as Old Town Tallinn.

After the trip to the observation platform, we headed to lunch at a place called "Hell Hunt." Upon arriving and so that we wouldn't wonder what kind of place he had picked out for us, Timo quickly informed us that when translated Hell Hunt means "Tender Wolf." After getting some nourishment we headed out to explore some more. Once we came back together in the main square we swapped stories of coffee shops (still trying to get over jetlag), ice cream, souvenirs and gifts for loved ones to a backdrop of hare krishna's loudly singing and dancing.

From there we walked about 45 minutes to an hour along the parade route to the Amphitheater on the edge of town. I have no idea how many people were there or how many singers dressed in traditional costumes filled the amphitheater. In September of 1988 there were 300,000 people there. Of course there weren't that many today, but the number sure seemed countless as the people spread out before us in a seemingly endless manner.

Unfortunately when we had to leave about 8:15, the singing had yet to start. The official start time was 7:00, but with something the scale of this festival, things don't always go as planned. The good news it started to rain right as we were leaving, so we were spared being cold and wet all night.

Ok, that's it for tonight...There will be a couple more posts tomorrow and most likely Monday morning. After that, we're likely to be offline until Friday night when we return from camp.

For those of you who are praying for us - thank you for your consistency and for walking with us through this journey. We are all healthy and upbeat - albeit a bit tired. Please continue to pray for discernment, patience and wisdom as we prepare to lead the teens that we will be coaching for most of the next week.

Pictures from Tallinn's Old Town

2009-07-04T01:50:00.000-07:00

Hope you enjoyed the pictures from Tallin's old town...Much of it from the 14th century! More photos to come from the Singing Festival later on today. Oh yeah, the Singing Festival! As it turns out, every 5 years, Estonia has its Big Singing Festival. This weekend is that once every five years event, so our hosts changed the game plan for us and have made arrangements for us to attend this afternoon. Singing Festivals may not sound like a big deal to us, but in Estonia it is a way big deal. See this link:

http://www.singingrevolution.com/

You can see that since Estonia owes its independence in part to singing, that the festival is a huge deal. It takes place yearly, but as I said a few moments ago, it's only every 5th year that it is as big a production as it is this year.

Having today to rest and sight see works out great b/c it gave the team this morning to catch its collective breath and to rest up after a long, long day of travel. I should also mention to those of you sweating it out in Atlanta that the temperatures over here are in the 60's and low 70's w/ humidity of about 0%. Clearly this is a nice treat. Eric and I both thought it felt like Colorado in September when we got off the plane last night.

We met this morning and discussed 2 Cor 2:15 - the idea of being the Aroma of Christ. What a great thought for us and a challenging one - especially since that is the last thing that comes to mind when you are tired, jetlagged and don't speak the language all the while learning a new city and carrying the sum total of all your possessions for the next 10 days on your back. Fortunately our God is much bigger than our tiredness and emotions. Not to mention, we have an incredible team that has been amazing during the last 48 hours of travel and transition. We said early on that flexibility would be key and they have embraced that whole-heartedly.

Ok, Timo and Hannah just showed up and we are off to experience a bit more of Estonia. Hannah is giving Jeremiah and Grant vocabulary lessons - I have no idea what anyone is saying, but I think for some reason that she is teaching Jeremiah how to say "Help me! Help me!" Everyone is laughing, so call it a hunch that the pronunciation was a bit off.

Tallinn: On the ground, safe and sound

2009-07-03T08:08:00.000-07:00

So, after about 19 hours of travel, we are here in Tallinn. The weather is beautiful and we are all excited to meet Timo, Mart, Daniel, Craig and the rest of the gang from Risttee church. We have yet to even get our bags from baggage claim, but since wireless is fairly universal here, we get to update all of you while we sit here.

Tat was the sleeping hero of the journey - he slept for nearly the entire flight to Copenhagen and again for most of the flight to Tallinn. The rest of us had varying degrees of success - as in not much at all. After our 3 hour sprint into Copenhagen for some sightseeing and some lunch, we made it back to our departure gate at the airport with about an hour to spare. Nearly everyone one of us immediately fell asleep on the cold, hard stone floor of the airport. And, again, Tat was leading that charge.

While the rest of us were sleeping or watching movies on the plan, David met Ralf, a new friend from Dresden, Germany. I was able to drop in on the conversation and heard them swapping stories about community groups, hiking in the Smokies and their faith.

Oh yeah, when you get a chance, you'll have to ask Jeremiah about his Forrest Gump comment....Ok, looks like our bags are here. Time to run......

2009-07-01T20:39:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow we leave...Please be praying for us all and all of the lives God uses us to shape!!

Courage

2009-06-17T08:03:00.000-07:00

Our group recently had a meeting (the second to last one!!) and one word really came to mind, thanks to Calder, when I think about where we are as a group...courage; that sense of purpose that is the backbone of any tough endeavor. Courage is in the mind and the spirit and enables us to do things that we would not normally do. An example of this is when we share with each other our life story. These depictions usually include how we became a Christian and also our upbringing with family and friends. There are times and seasons in everyone's life they may not be particularly proud of, and when you share that with others it takes a lot of courage because you do not know how the listener(s) will respond/think. But, on the bright side, letting others inside to know you on a deeper level is the laminin (A shout out to Louie Giglio, Google it) of a great relationship. I have to say, that this group has God's blessings all over it and the bonds between us are ever growing.

Another type of courage can be in the form of endurance during a long and an endearing task (such as raising $28,000 for an overseas trip in the span of five months!). I will admit it, the idea of raising 2500$ dollars a person in a couple of months seemed like the ultimate mountain to climb and I knew only through God could that mountain be climbed. With that mindset, our group waited patiently each day for new members to join our support team and give their prayers and/or money. As these last days before our trip conclude, there are two verses that I think are fitting because of the depiction of trust and love between us and our Holy Father...

Isaiah 40:28-31
"...He never grows faint or weary; there is no limit to His understanding. (29) He gives strength to the weary and strengthens the powerless. (30) Youths may faint and grow weary, and young men stumble and fall, (31) but those who trust in the LORD will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not faint."

Matthew 6:33-34
"But first seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. (34) Therefore don't worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

These two verses really depict an amazing concept. A concept full of love, reassurance and guidance that can revive you and take you places you have never been before. Now I know the Bible says faith is proof of the unseen but the more I reflect on the status of the group and where we are going, I see a lot of God.

"This is way cooler than I thought"

2009-06-11T06:47:00.001-07:00

Well, as of this morning, we are three weeks away from our departure date. We are planning prayer walks, games, devotions and fundraisers. It has been a busy month, for sure. Although we are all still looking ahead to camp, it would be a shame not to celebrate what we have already accomplished. As of yesterday we were at 66% of our financial goal. That is a huge increase over the past several weeks. More importantly is the camaraderie that is building within the team. I've heard more than once that the relationships that have been established since Feb are in some cases more authentic than some community groups experience over the course of 18 months or more.

As for this morning's title - that is a quote from Tat when he showed up on Sat and saw what the team had dreamed up and executed. I think, in some ways, we all have to agree with his assessment. Granted, we had a ton of help - from Tat's office for loaning us the tables, Sally's Catering for loaning us the plates/silveware, from Noelle and Tom for loaning us their culinary prowess, from Angie, Suzanne, Nicole and Amy for allowing us to completely commandeer their home to all the friends/family who came on Sat night to enjoy the evening, support our team and intersect their stories with ours. Soooooooo cool to see it all take shape in one incredible evening. Of course by 1:00 when the last dish was mostly clean, we were one tired team...except for the fellas who were heading out for some more Sat night fun. Just a reminder to us 30-somethings on the team (ok, by "us" i mean "me") that we are not as young as we used to be...

Other notes from Sat night:

- Tat and Jeremiah tied for most applause as waiter of the evening.

- D-mac (although he'll never admit it) totally obliterated Grant L. in the contest for having the most girls ask questions about his dating availability. (By the way if I don't finish this posting it will be b/c Grant L has snuck up behind me while I'm typing with his ninja skills and used his MMA training to ensure that I never type again.)

- Grant L tried unsuccessfully to get Grant G to change his name to Gilley. Grant G refused, so for the rest of the summer there will be endless jokes as we say stuff like "The good looking Grant needs to do so and so...." just to see who responds more quickly. In fact the only time that didn't work on Sat night was when we said "The humble Grant..." and neither responded. Although Grant did try to explain to us the difference between 'Confidence' and' Arrogance'...or was it 'Cockiness' ...

- Ricky is real. He was there on Sat night and very much in love with his fiance, Amy...

- Sara May rocked as the guru of all things fundraising...

- Eric May rocked as the husband of the guru of all things fundraising. Not to mention he can light Tiki torches with the best of them...

- Was it me or did Jeremiah's truck seem way more manly when he drives it than when D-mac drives it....I'm just saying....

More Pictures From The Dinner

2009-06-10T08:33:00.000-07:00

Thank you to all those who came out!

Estonia Fundraiser Dinner

2009-06-09T08:54:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago our group decided to do some fundraising events. One of the events, which took place this past Saturday, was an elegant dinner located in Brookhaven (North Atlanta). It was a night of many blessings, both financially and for the continued growth of our group. Along with our eleven group members we enlisted the help of two other very gifted people, our chefs, Noelle and Tom.

The day was filled with preparations ranging from the farmers market to party city. It was a huge team effort. By the middle of the afternoon the cooks were busy in the kitchen. Our group showed up shortly there after to set up tables and decorations. Of course there were also last minute items to grab so others ran to the store.

Our first guest showed up just before 8pm. By 830pm we had a total of 26 guests, just over the goal we set of 25! Dinner started out with a nice caesar salad. That was followed shortly by filet mignon or grilled chicken with risotto, and asparagus with bernaise sauce. Bananas foster finished off the evening on a sweet note.

Stuart, our fearless leader, gave a great talk about our vision for Estonia, the hearts of our group, and our plan of impacting the youth. The night was a success for many reasons. First and foremost, the food and company was great. Second, our group was able to come together with great teamwork to host an incredible evening. Third, with many thanks to those who made donations, we raised over $1,300.

We had a wonderful time, and if you were there, we hope you did as well. Thank you again for your support, prayers, and encouragement. Also a special thanks again to Tom and Noelle, who selflessly donated their time and skills for the sake of others. We would also like to thank Noelle and her roomates for opening up their home for our use.

Question and Answer Time with Eric

2009-06-02T08:28:00.000-07:00

1)When do you feel most alive? Why?

I feel most alive in the outdoors. Most specifically rock climbing. I love being in the wilderness, hiking, backpacking, etc. And the best of both worlds is when I go backpack or hike somewhere to go rock climbing! Climbing is an exciting game of trust; trusting yourself, your gear, your partner, even the rock. It requires smart decisions, careful movement, strength, determination, partnership, comradery, companionship and so much more. I love it!

2)If they made a movie of your life who would you want to play you? Why?

I would say Tom Cruise but I think he is kinda nuts! Why him? Because he is small, energetic, fit, usually smiling and of course flew F-14's!...but the "crazy" part of Tom Cruise I don't associate with as much... Or at least I'm on a different level of "crazy" than he is!

3)Whats the greatest song ever written? By who?

That is the world's hardest question. My favorite song right now is Waiting, by John Waller. But if I had to say the Greatest Song Ever Written...the award would go do Queen, Bohemian Rhapsody. They might be crazy too, but they made the most ingenuous song ever written (minus their hair styles in the music video :)

4)What do you hope to accomplish while in Estonia?

This is my first mission trip so I would imagine I will learn much more from the students than I will teach. However, I do want to have a huge impact. I want to impart on them having a personal relationship with Christ and having a daily focus on learning more about God; prayer, quiet time, conversation, etc. I want to establish meaningful relationships with both my mission team and the students and grow those relationships during and after the trip. Most of all I want to be a light; I want to reflect Christ's love and grace.

Q & A

2009-06-01T08:39:00.000-07:00

When do you feel most alive? Why?
I really enjoy football games; especially SEC games. GO Gators! You haven’t experience a real football game until you’ve been to an SEC rivalry game. If you’re from the South, you know exactly what it’s like to plan business and personal engagements around your favorite team’s football schedule. We know all the words to the school’s fight song. We take part in singing the alma mater. And we wake up early on Sunday morning, not for church –we can always attend the evening service, but we wake up early Sunday morning after a win so we can read each sports column about the game we witnessed the day before while, at the same time, watching ESPN Sports Zone. But more so than a college football game, I feel most alive when I’m serving others. I shared with one of my best friends, David, whom I’m extremely excited to be serving alongside with on this trip that nothing pleases me more than making a difference; a change for the better in some one’s life. I’ve been blessed beyond measure. I don’t know if I’ll ever understand why God would choose to bless me with all my faults while there are so many others who are less fortunate and more deserving. Serving is my opportunity to be a blessing to others.

If they made a movie of your life who would you want to play you? Why?
I think Denzel Washington could play me. He has it all. He’s handsome, charming, and extremely intelligent.

Whats the greatest song ever written? By who?
My favorite song is Amazing Grace... Words originally by John Newton; Melody by Slave Unknown… This song, the history, better explained by Wintley Phipps, President of an organization called US Dream Academy who supports children of prisoners. Check it out on youtube here:

What do you hope to accomplish while in Estonia?
This will be the 3rd mission trip I’ve had the opportunity to be apart of. The one thing I like the most from these trips are the relationships and bonds are that formed with both my team and those who we are serving. Part of this has already been accomplished, as I feel this is the best mission team I’ve ever been apart of. The best has yet to come!

2009-05-31T16:50:00.000-07:00

We are all counting down the days until we depart for Estonia… our meetings are starting to get a little longer and more jam-packed with exciting information and details. Today we met at Calder’s house where we shared a few testimonies, brainstormed ideas for games, and discussed logistics of the two hour prayer walk. We also shared how to repel the potential giant mosquitoes and how quitting coffee should probably be done before going on the trip. We are putting into action all the fundraising ideas-a cookout, a dinner, personal training, and others that are in progress… we are about one month away and excited to have raised about 50% of the fundraising for our team.

Below there are pictures of the camp we will be staying at just to give you a better idea of what we will be doing over there in our amazing trip!

2009-05-31T16:36:00.000-07:00

Pictures of the Camp

2009-05-31T16:16:00.000-07:00

Fast and Furiously...

2009-05-28T14:28:00.000-07:00

So, I had a chance to talk to Märt this morning. Camp is coming - fast and furiously it is coming. He sent me a bunch of pictures of where camp will be in July (I'll post later) and he let me know that there will be no running water at camp...thinking that we had better all pack lots of deodorant! I've not yet asked about mosquitoes, but seeing as Estonia's latitude is about that of Alaska (Estonia is 59 N and Anchorage is 61.18) - I'm thinking that they must be fairly bad in the summer. So, I'm hoping that Sara will remember to remind the rest of us to pack some deet!

Anyway, I'm off topic. Camp is going to be amazing....I'm getting more excited about it every day. Camp will be for 5 days and 4 nights. We will have morning and evening sessions each day and games/activities in the afternoons. We'll be focusing on such topics as worship, prayer and the authority of God's word. What a privilege it is to share on such amazing topics in a place where God is primarily an afterthought to so many....

Ok, so apparently I'm supposed to answer some questions. To dig in, I will start with a pic from Tallinn in 2007:

1) There are way too many situations that cause me to feel most alive; however, I'll boil it down to just 1 for now...maybe two. One of the first env

ironments that come to mind is hiking in the Rockies in Autumn. The combination of crystal blue skies, snow-white mountain tops, golden aspen leaves and 60 degree temperatures during the typical afternoon are, for me, an echo of heaven. Here's a taste of what I'm talking about from the Maroon Bells...

2.) Hmm...who would play me in a movie of my life?? Since I get to choose, then I'm going with Denzel Washington b/c I would love to be able to say "My Man" the way he does in American Gangster...

3.) Best song ever. Seriously, there's no way to really answer this. How to choose:

- I could go with any number of praise songs (currently it would be Glory to God Forever by Fee)

- I could go with something Classical like Pachebel's Canon or Handel's Messiah

- If I were merely focusing on the two songs that ALWAYS put me in a good mood when they rotate through my ipod, I'd have to go with the first minute of Sweet Child O Mine or Paradise City. Seriously, I can't believe I didn't like those songs when they first came out.

However, I think for now, I have to go with U2's Where the Streets Have No Name. Unbelievable song that seems to never age. As almost all other songs fade in and out of favor with me, this song is always in...

4.) There are so many things that I want to see happen in Estonia. I want to see our team be a team that is focused on serving - even in the midst of no running water, language barriers, camp food and whatever other frustrations come our way. I want to see a generation of teenagers in Estonia come to know the God of the Universe in a personal way. To understand that they are loved without condition by the same God who died on a cross for them 2000 years ago. I want to see everyone on our team get out of their comfort zones and realize a potential that can only be experienced when stretched beyond what is believed to be possible...

2009-05-28T08:57:00.000-07:00

Thank you for all your support and prayers! I am off for my summer break from teaching and very excited for the trip… here are my answers to the questions!

1) When do you feel most alive? Why?

I feel the most alive when I wake up after a good night sleep to a warm cup of coffee. Both of these are calming for me and usually happen on either less hectic Saturdays, school breaks, or my free summers (one of the many great benefits of being a teacher). Then, I’d go for a run with my ipod when it is a sunny, slightly breezy day. The fresh air and the beautiful nature remind me of amazing creative God is and how this is one of the many things He has made for us to enjoy.

2) If they made a movie of your life who would you want to play you? Why?

I don’t really have a broad range of movies I watch nor do I really know who any actors are. I like to stick to watching Disney flicks, chick flicks, or comedies. So the ones I could think of were Cameron Diaz or Ellen Degeneres. They both can be goofy and light hearted.

3) Whats the greatest song ever written? By who?

Okay, so I love all types of music and my preference of music continues to change. For about a year now I have been a huge fan of Eddie Kirkland…my favorite song is “How He Loves”. This is one of my favorite songs because of how poetically it describes God’s love. Last summer, this song was one of my favorites when I was running barefoot on the white sand on the deserted beach of Destin Florida.

4) What do you hope to accomplish while in Estonia?

I have never been on a mission trip so I am extremely excited to show God’s love by pouring into the high schoolers. I know it will take a lot more than my own strength and abilities to accomplish this and I will need to fully rely on Him for that. I am hoping to spend less time focusing on myself and my everyday life and more on their needs. I know God will use this experience to help me grow as a person and my spiritual walk with Him.

my a's to the blog q's!

2009-05-27T22:11:00.000-07:00

like calder, this is also my first blog post ever. i have had some time to think of my answers now, so here we go!

when do you feel most alive? why?

being a broke college student i am always looking for fun and inexpensive things to do. after dinner tonight, a friend and i spent the longest time trying to throw a deck of cards across a room without the cards flying everywhere. i found myself laughing harder than i had in a long time. the times spent with good friends doing the simplest of things is when i feel most alive.

if they made a movie of your life who would you want to play you? why?

this was probably the easiest question for me to answer. i have been a huge owen wilson fan since i saw him playing roy o'bannon in shanghai noon. i have seen just about all of his movies and i always find him entertaining. i think his laid back personality and sense of humor is similar to mine, so i think he'd portray me well!

what is the greatest song ever written? by who?

back in january of this year i came across a musician on the internet by the name of noah gundersen. i was immediately drawn to his style of music and voice. i would say his song "moss on a rolling stone" is the greatest song ever written. i completely identify with everything he sings about in the song. it's almost as if we had a conversation then he set down and wrote the song.

what do you hope to accomplish while in estonia?

being a college student and just three years removed from high school, i would like to connect with the high school students and be relevant to them. i want to share with students how nothing is more satisfying in life than having a personal relationship with God. high school is a time of making difficult decisions, i pray that the team and i will be the inspiration they need to grow closer to God and maintain a relationship with him for the rest of their lives. i can't wait to encounter all of the great experiences God has waiting for the team in estonia.

My answers!

2009-05-27T17:22:00.000-07:00

Hey friends! I am grateful for your prayer and support so far for this mission trip. Our team members (David and Grant) came up with some questions for us to answer. I hope that by answering some questions, you will get to know a little bit more about me.

1)When do you feel most alive? Why?

Definitely when I am doing activity outdoor like running in the park, throwing Frisbee, canoeing in the river. Also listening to praise and worship music also lift my spirit up.

2)If they made a movie of your life who would you want to play you? Why?

Well, I never thought about that. I would like Jackie Chan to play me b/c he does have an accent kinda like me, LOL, and he can do some Karate kicking and Kung Fu fighting.

3)What is the greatest song ever written? By who?

Bless the Broken Road by Rascal Flatts. It is a beautiful song and I can relate to it.

4)What do you hope to accomplish while in Estonia?

I pray that God will use me for his purpose and not my own. I pray that by doing activities the Estonia students and getting to know them. I will be able to build an authentic friendship with some of the students and encourage them with their walk with Christ. I hope that my faith will grow as a result of spending time serving others.

Because I'm so interesting...

2009-05-26T07:11:00.000-07:00

If your Memorial Day weekend was as great as mine, then you're probably not too excited about being back at work today either.
This morning I've:
Checked my e-mail on 3 different accounts.
Read 76 blog postings on Google Reader.
Read about the interesting lives of all of my friends on Facebook, and...now I'm posting on this blog.
Maybe by noon I'll be ready to do some work.

Anyway, here are the answers to my questions...

1. When do you feel most alive? Why?
If you've talked to me for more than 2 minutes I've probably mentioned East Asia in our conversation. My heart is there and my time spent there was probably the best time of my entire life. Living in East Asia changed me like nothing else I've ever experienced. There is just something special about learning to trust God for big things when you feel so small in a place with 1.3 billion people. Everything about East Asia makes me feel alive. I love the people, the food, the places, the experiences...yeah, pretty much everything.

2. If they made a movie of your life who would you want to play you? Why?
Hmm...thats a hard one. I'm a big fan of both Julia Roberts and Reese Witherspoon. I like that they're both super southern, funny, charming, and yet down to earth. But if they're making a movie of my life...then I'd probably take pretty much whoever is available.

3. What is the greatest song ever written? By Who?
I LOVE music. I wish that I had been taught everything in school set to music. I would have remembered alot more. That being said, I can't think of one greatest song. Songs to me have so many memories. I associate them with good times, bad times, friends, events, and experiences. I am a big fan of hymns and can sing you at least the chorus of almost any song in the Baptist Hymnal...so the greatest song ever written would probably be a hymn.
I like How Great Thou Art and Be Thou My Vision. Final answer.

4. What do you hope to accomplish while in Estonia?
I hope that even if I can't offer anything on my own or do anything for my team or the people that I meet there, that God will still use me. I hope that I come home better than I went. That I learn something or grow in some way. I hope that my love for Christ will be evident in my actions and my attitude and that the people I come in contact with in Estonia will be impacted by Christ through me.

I hope everyone is having a great, short week!
Rachel

My answers to blog questions

2009-05-25T09:23:00.000-07:00

My maiden voyage on a blog ever, and am just hoping this thing connects to the main page when I am done!

1. When do I feel most alive? Why?

Being outdoors, in a mountain range, really opens my heart, mind and spirit. I also love worship though, and by that I mean everything from singing worship songs to listening to great teachers, to small group meetings. That's great stuff!

2. If they made a movie of your life, who would you want to play you? Why?

I have sat here for a minute, trying to get an answer for this question, and honestly, I have no clue. A better question is why would anyone want to do a movie of my life? I am a desk jockey. Do you want to watch a movie about a guy sitting at his desk, talking on the phone and sometimes sending emails? All day? Case closed.

3. What's the greatest song ever written? By who?

This is easy. I think the greatest song ever written is Amazing Grace, written by John Newton, in late 1772. Only God would want to take a slave ship captain, change his heart, and give him the words to the greatest song in Christendom. That's love.

4. What would you hope to accomplish in Estonia?

We know there is a joy when we simply put Him First. The fruit of that joy is peace, gratitude, happiness, and love. I can't wait to get over there, and be a part of all that we share in that experience. I have never been on a mission trip which only focuses on Christ, and strengthening our walks, as well as those we go to serve. This trip is such a privilege and I really can't wait to see what He has in store for us!

2009-05-22T07:34:00.000-07:00

Hi all! I thought I would get the ball rolling on the new questions...so here they are!

1)When do you feel most alive? Why?

I feel most alive when I am doing something outside. Growing up in Colorado, the mountains are a great place to feel alive, but anything from taking a walk, to biking, to camping or climbing. Snow skiing is probably one of my favorites!

2)If they made a movie of your life who would you want to play you? Why?

This is a tough one since I am not too into the Hollywood scene and I am pretty sure I don't know who very many actresses are. But, if pressed I think I would say Keira Knightley. She does a great job with different roles and can be silly or serious. Plus, who won't want a girl that can pull of playing a pirate to play you in a movie!

3)Whats the greatest song ever written? By who?

This is such a hard call! I love music and pretty much love a very eclectic mix of artists and genres. I would probably have to go with U2's City of Blinding Lights.

4)What do you hope to accomplish while in Estonia?

My main goal for Estonia is to serve until I cannot physically serve any longer. I want to walk away knowing that I gave everything that I have to these students. I also want to dig deeper in my spiritual walk, further up and further in!

Questions for the Group!!

2009-05-20T07:44:00.000-07:00

Here are some questions that are intended to shed some light on each of us so that our support team can know us better....

1)When do you feel most alive? Why?

2)If they made a movie of your life who would you want to play you? Why?

3)Whats the greatest song ever written? By who?

4)What do you hope to accomplish while in Estonia?

A Growing Heart

2009-05-20T07:33:00.000-07:00

A couple of days ago we had a group meeting to spend some time together, share and to brainstorm more on what activities we will do with the teenagers in Estonia. Here's a tentative list of the events for the trip:

Tentative Schedule

Thu July 2: Depart Atlanta

Fri July 3: Arrive Tallin

Sat July 4: Get our bearings, finish up any last minute preparations and meet our hosts from Risttee.

Sun July 5: Worship at Risttee and final prep for camp.

Mon July 6 - Fri July 10: Adventure camp. 5 days, 4 nights of camping, hiking, games as we pour into the 45 teens signed up.

Sat July 11: Hanging out in Tallinn and final team dinner that night.

Sun July 12: Depart Tallinn and head back to Atlanta.

Perhaps the biggest part of the meeting was when a couple of us shared our stories. These life stories, or testimonies, consisted of hard times, good times, and times when life was so confusing and crazy that going forward was the hardest way to go. It seems to me that many of us go through stages in life where we do not know what the outcome will be, but given the resources at the time, it seems like the thing to do. Hearing the guys share that night enabled us to identify with them in a soul-filled manner and I could tell the group's heart as a whole is growing together and bigger. It is kind of funny how God can place people in you lives that you can identify with so clearly but, at the same time you might had never met them if you were not pursing your calling.

Team In Training

2009-05-14T05:17:00.000-07:00

1 Corinthians 9:25 says, "Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever."

If you're reading this blog, you may be asking yourself....How does one prepare or train for facilitating an Adventure Camp in Estonia?

Here's a sneak peek into our last "training" session...

Our team is lucky to have Stuart as our fearless leader. He's making sure that our team has very strict training. So glad that our training could be caught on camera.

We had a great time last weekend at a cookout at Calder's house. He's a great cook! It was fun to have a team social where we could just hang out and get to know each other better.

Here is our team. We're feeling a little outnumbered by the boys.

Support Letters!

2009-05-13T15:48:00.000-07:00

By now most, if not all, of our support letters are out amongst the masses. I have to say, this being my first mission trip, it is a pretty awesome feeling knowing the group is out publicly professing our obedience to God's call. The uncertainty of whether we will meet our financial goal and the numerous amounts of prayer that are being lifted to God for guidance, support, courage, and strength (to name a few), have created a platform for personal growth and also have laid the framework for a solid group of friendships.
I remember when I first felt the desire to go out on a mission trip was about two years ago. I was in my small group and we started talking about how amazing it would be to go into another country and culture and not only help others but also develop our ability to be well-rounded Christians. In an area as diverse as Atlanta, I feel it is wise to be able to reach out to those who are different from you, especially new Christians and youths. The initial trip with my small group fell through for various reasons and since then I have still had that desire on my heart. I continued to wait for the right timing and environment to go on a mission trip and then back in January I met Jeremiah (who already was connected with this trip) and through him and Stuart (our fearless leader) I was able to hop on board for this trip. It has been an interesting journey so far and to think the biggest aspect of it, the actual trip, has not even happened yet!

Dinner at Calder's

2009-05-08T20:52:00.000-07:00

Tonight was such a fun night at Calder's house! When we first got there, the grill was heating up and our group was slowly arriving. It was great to see everyone again. Our group is so dynamic, we really do not cross paths during the week. As everyone gathered inside, we told stories of traveling, work, Muddy Buddy races, and other activities that have filled our life since we last met. I went outside with Jeremiah, and Stuart where Calder was cooking up a grill full of chicken and veggies. We told him how good it smelled and looked and he humbly replied, "guys, this is an experiment, I rarely cook here, let alone use the grill. On top of that I just hope the propane lasts long enough to finish cooking!"
Well not to long after that the chicken was done and it was go time! Out on the kitchen counter was potatoes with butter and thyme (I think), corn and seasoning, watermelon and strawberries, a couple different kinds of bread and for the appetite teaser...chocolate cake. The "food experiment" as Calder called it turned out to be amazing! The chicken was cooked to perfection and the baste that it was cooked with soaked in just right.
During dinner we discussed a little football (go Tim Tebow and the Gators) and also some of our pasts and what we have learned from them. Our journeys all rang a familiar chord though, in that through our experiences, our passion to seek Christ has all led us to meet. After dinner we met and discussed some current events within each of our lives and also our favorite meal(s). My favorite meal was at this Japanese steakhouse up in Charlotte. Another interesting meal was that Grant actually ate a sushi roll that was named after him!
At the end of the night we took some group photos which will soon be posted. More great news to come. Thanks for reading and please pray for us as most of our support letters are in the mail and circulating! God Bless!