slava na boga!

Slava na boga! That means "praise the Lord!" in Bulgarian, and it is one of the default phrases I go to in pretty much every conversation that I have... especially when there is a language barrier and it is one of the only things I can say that will be understood. :)

It has been two weeks here in Bulgaria and our team has been blessed to be able to serve practically in a variety of different ways in the city of Kazanlak in nursing homes, orphanages, day cares for disabled children, and in a church in the Roma community. We are staying in the YWAM base that is launching here, and we have also had the privilege of helping out a bit there.

Here are a few of my most favorite times!

• Toward the beginning of our time in Bulgaria, we spent a few evenings on the streets meeting people and engaging in conversations about some upcoming church events. A friend and I met a girl who asked to meet up with us for coffee. Later that week, we met up with her and a friend and had a great conversation about everything, including God and how the country has a history of Orthodox Christianity. 
• We spent two days in a local orphanage, where many of the children have disabilities. We put on a program for the children who could attend, acting out Bible stories and singing songs with dance moves (think "Father Abraham" and "Who's The King of the Jungle?"). For the ones who were unable to attend, we were able to visit with and pray for them individually. 
• Most of our involvement in the community has been organized by the local church. They have church services three nights a week, and our team has been invited to be a part of the services in worship and in giving testimonies, which can mean our personal stories about experiences with God or sharing something that stuck out to us from the Bible. On Sunday I was able to share a reflection I had about Isaiah 58:11, which is: The Lord will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring.

Tonight a few of us are going to preform a few songs in the local village Christmas concert, so I am going to head off to get ready for that! 

Oh, and one more thing! After much prayer, our team has decided to go to Macedonia next. We plan to leave Bulgaria on December 29, and then stay in Macedonia for about two weeks. We are excited to see what God has called us to do there!

Love and prayers and Merry Christmas!

Meg

from Czech to Bulgaria!

Wow! I cannot believe that today is day 12 of outreach. It seems like way more and way less all at the same time. Our team has experienced so many blessings and has been able to invest in relationships since we left Herrnhut, Germany on Monday, November 26. We spent about five days in Cheb, followed by visits to various cities around Czech, ending with a journey to Bulgaria. Read on for the fun details! :)

We began on Monday by revisiting Cheb, which is on the border of Germany and Czech Republic. We met high school students during our mini outreach in October. It was awesome to reconnect with those friends and make new ones as during our daily cafe ministry times! Two nights last week we reached out to prostitutes in the region, offering warm tea, words of encouragement and of their value, and prayer. The women really are so precious, and it was such a blessing to be able to connect with them. We spent a lot of time in prayer and worship as well. 

When I was in Cheb in October, I was nervous to bring up God in conversations. God was gracious though, and the students I spoke with actually paved the way by asking lots of questions about what I was doing and Christianity. Czech is mostly atheist, maybe the most atheist country in Europe. This time around, I asked God to help me to be bold, and for Him to highlight opportunities for me to bring up faith in conversations, instead of relying on the people I wanted to talk about God to to bring Him up! God is so good, guys, and he did just that. I was able to be the one to bring God up, and sure enough good conversations followed. God really is doing amazing things in the hearts of young Czechs!

On Saturday, we left Cheb with some of the YWAM Cheb team to do a four day tour of the Czech Republic, connecting with various churches and student groups to share about YWAM Cheb, which is beginning its first DTS this coming February. We spent Saturday and Sunday in Prague (such a beautiful city!), splitting up into teams and visiting different churches and staying with families that have a heart for hosting missionaries. I was so blessed to be staying with a family whose ministry is encouraging missionaries! I felt God's love in the nightly conversations, the warm shower, a delicious breakfast and the donation they gave to our team in a letter that said "to open after you leave." I visited two churches, one of which actually meets on a boat and has a cafe inside! That one had maybe 40 people in college or in their 20s. 

On Monday, we left for Pilsen, the third biggest city in Czech. After a 3 hour train ride, we gave a presentation to a group of university students. It was fun to set up the presentation which included worship time, a PowerPoint, testimonies and info about the Cheb base.

On Tuesday, I woke up and quickly showered. I am helping out with hospitality on my team, and we realized we needed one additional chocolate bar as a gift for our hosts, who allowed us to stay in a room rented by Christians above a club. I had a fun time running quickly to a store to grab it with just  enough time to leave to catch our train! :) We spent 6 hours on trains and buses to Berno, the second biggest city in Czech. This time our leaders were busy coordinating dinner and such, so I was asked to help arrange the presentation. We had a great time and there was a great group of high school and college aged students. That night we stayed with families from the church. It really helps our team when churches offer this to us, because on those nights we don't have to pay and on top of that can engage in new friendships with our hosts!

And then on Wednesday, we began what would be a 33 hour journey to Kazanlak, Bulgaria! We spent about 12 hours on a train from Berno to Serbia, and then another 12 or so from Serbia to Sofia, the capitol of Bulgaria. After the wait, we spent 3 hours on a bus and then our friends who are starting a YWAM base here in Kazanlak picked us up in an epic blue van. After many days of ministry, presentations, carrying around our massive backpacks and traveling, it was such a blessing to have today to relax.

I will be here for the next 3 weeks! I am super excited to spend time in the local community. We are planning to help in local kids clubs and orphanages, in addition to partnering up with local churches in what they are doing. Our days are split up in three ministry times: morning, afternoon and evening. One of my favorite things about doing missions this way is that we are partnering up with long term teams, so the seeds that are planted will continue to be watered even after I leave. I love being able to come into a city and be able to see what God is already doing and how He can use the talents he has given our team to be a part of it!

If you are supporting me through prayer, could you please pray for God to continue to point out areas for me to step out in boldness for Him, and for a healthy time in Bulgaria? I would so appreciate it!

Love and prayers from the mountains of Bulgaria,
Meg :)

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Does God care about injustice?

This week was the last week of the lecture phase (part one of two) of my Discipleship Training School. We discussed worldviews as they relate to justice. In our lectures this week, we looked at the question: Does God care about injustice? 

And the answer: Yes, God cares deeply. The prophets in the Old Testament talk about God’s justice constantly. And we know that God’s character does not change. Here are just a few verses:

Micah 6:8

Amos – the entire book

Ezekiel 22:23-31

I think that one of my friends put it well during a discussion this week: If God is your thing, then justice is your thing.

So, this week we will be preparing for outreach. We will also be celebrating Thanksgiving (my mom sent some stuffing mix and a fudge kit!)! And then on Monday, November 26, I will begin the outreach phase (part two of two) of my DTS.

Here's my outreach team and our newsletter! :)

If you’d like to keep up with us while we’re out and about, we will try to update our Facebook page here.  I am not planning to bring my computer, so I anticipate that updates on my blog might be much fewer and farther between. I will do my best, though! Please feel free to keep in touch via Facebook and email. :)

Go God :)

This week was amazing! Our speaker was Dan Baumann, and he spoke on loads of practical things—living with passion, decision-making as a Christian, priorities—and he also shared some AMAZING stories. For example… he almost died by falling off the side of a boulder but was saved by three blades of grass, he was imprisoned in Iran, and then a funny story about how he can’t get change in a drive thru the normal way due to a problem with his arm in college… among others. He is hilarious, authentic and a good story teller. Here are a few things I took away from this week:

• Everything you do for God needs to come from intimacy with God.
• The Christian life is about discovering the love of God over and over again.
• I would rather live my life stepping out and leaning into what I think God is saying and trusting in His character than stepping back and waiting until I know that I know that I know.
• God is more committed to fulfill His will for my life than I am to find it.
• God wants to give us His dreams and then wants to walk them out with us.
• How can we give Satan so much attention when God is so huge?
• Instead of making a list of priorities, how about having God in the center of everything you do in life?
• Comparison has killed passion.
• Your passion isn’t based on emotions; it’s based on the cross and on commitment. When you buy milk the morning after a wonderful worship time with God the night before, are you just as passionate about God? Sure; there isn’t a shift of commitment when there is a shift of emotion.
• Concentrate on who God is, not your emotions.
• Be a thermostat (changes & everything around it has to change) not a thermometer (changes depending on the culture around it).
• The preoccupation of our lives shouldn’t be sin; instead, joyfully repent and move on.
• God will fix you as you focus on His priorities.
• You can hear God’s voice better by spending time with Him and including Him in your life.
• Trust God’s character more than your ability to feel peace.
• Trust God’s character over your experiences.
• If something happens and you don’t understand why, put it in the mystery of God box and by God’s grace, move forward in your relationship with Him.
• God’s biggest will for us is to love God and love people (always a good reminder!)
• What God wants to do today is based on how great He is, not based on what happened yesterday or how you feel.

And a piece of advice from him to consider – If analyzing doesn’t bring joy and peace, shut it off.

We had more great lectures on justice! I’m reading Sex, Economy, Freedom & Community by Wendell Berry and it’s totally making me want to live more sustainably by supporting a local food economy.

The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm. – Exodus 14.14

(what Moses said to people freaking out about the Egyptians coming after them before the sea parted)

Also, praise the Lord—due to great generosity I will be able to pay the remainder of my outreach fees this week! God is so good!

update on finances

Hi, friends!

I feel so blessed to have this opportunity to do this Justice Discipleship Training School. I am still so confident that this is exactly where God has me for these months. If you haven’t yet, you can read about my conviction to drop everything and do this here.

I want to take a moment to update you on finances. :)

• Through saved money and gifts, I have been able to pay for most of my school fees. I still need to pay 500€ (about $641 USD) for the remainder of the outreach portion of my school.
• I’m excited about the possibility of attending the Justice Conference! It is in Philadelphia at the end of February, immediately after my school ends. My school leaders changed the end date of our school to make space to attend. I would love to attend! In order to be a part of this, there are a few things that I will need to pay for (flight, conference fees and accommodation), and I estimate that it will be about $1000. 

If you would like to come alongside me and partner with me financially, I would be so honored! I have hooked up PayPal to my blog (see the button to the right!) for donations. Also, my mom is happy to receive checks to deposit on my behalf. I’m happy to answer any specific questions about finances, DTS or anything else. You can connect with me via Facebook or email (meghanecross [@] gmail.com). 

Thank you so much for supporting me via encouraging words, finances and prayer. I am so encouraged by your love!

highlights from week 10

My 10^th week of DTS is coming to a close. This time has been so full; it baffles me that everything that’s happened has fit into ten weeks! This week was particularly rich and inspiring for me. I would love to share a few highlights with you!

• Last night, I had the opportunity to meet an inspiring Canadian couple (Jay & Michelle Brock) that makes up the organization Hope for the Sold. They visited Herrnhut for about 24 hours and shared with my DTS about their calling to create documentaries about sex trafficking. I am so inspired by these modern-day abolitionists: they lead “normal” lives and do this in their free time. They aren’t filmmakers (read: no special training), but they make documentaries. Their first one has been used all over Canada for things like raising awareness about sex trafficking in high schools and for training for border patrol. You can watch it here. Also, Michelle’s blog about sex trafficking is totally worth checking out! (Sidenote: I love that this couple has the calling to do this together. They are a testament to how powerfully God can use a marriage to fulfill his purposes!)
  

• In this week’s lectures about justice, we discussed Sabbath economics: a holistic look at our lives and how we spend our resources—time, money, everything. The following bit may be overwhelming. If it is, I encourage you to ask "What is the next right step?" (I snagged that helpful question from Jay & Michelle's talk last night!). I have tried to include questions to get you thinking and helpful links. In our lectures, we discussed seven areas of life:

A picture of my notes to make all the words below a little less overwhelming :)

• Surplus capital – This is the money you have in your bank, in your pocket, etc. How is your money being used? Is the bank and are the stocks you have money in investing in and profiting in an ethically sound things? 
• Negative capital – Debt. We talked about cash advance companies and their exploitive nature... I thought of 38^th Street. Did you know that a lot of banks we use own a lot of these? I didn’t. After I post this blog, I plan to look up where my bank uses its clients’ money. It's next on my "To Do When I Have Access to the Internet" list. :)
• Giving – We discussed giving as a lifestyle and an art. When I stop to think about it, I can think of specific people who are creative givers. Who comes to mind for you? I would love to grow more in the area of artful, creative giving!
• Environment and green living – We were given stewardship over this earth. How are we taking care of the earth that God created? You can find out your environmental impact on myfootprint.org 
• Consumption – Looking at products for spiritual satisfaction is idolatry. We have the opportunity to develop an alternative mindset and, in this age of infinite information on the internet, to be conscious of where our products come from. You can learn more about consumption by watching The Story of Stuff and by taking a fun and interactive survey at slaveryfootprint.org. As someone who sometimes goes to Target with no intention other than to see if there’s anything to buy (I can't believe I'm admitting this in online), this topic challenged me. I also have had a hard time going to thrift stores and Goodwill for clothing in the past. This week is making me think twice about my aversion to pre-owned clothing.

If this is an area you would like to explore in your own life, here are some questions to think about before buying things:

• Can I borrow this item from a friend or neighbor?
• Is there anything I already own that I could use or repurpose instead?
• Were those who labored for this product paid a fair wage?
• Were their working conditions fair and just?
• How was the environment impacted by the production, transportation and packaging of this?
• Are the resources that went into this renewable?

• Solidarity – Standing as one with poor, oppressed and marginalized people. This means aligning your location (or maybe vocation? I kept hearing both), life, vision and hope with them. Where would Jesus spend his time where you live?
• Work and Sabbath – There is a time for work and a time for rest. We explored the Biblical idea of the Sabbath: setting a day aside and intentionally doing things and intentionally not doing other things in order to rest and spend time with the Lord. What do you intentionally DO on your Sabbath day? What do you intentionally NOT do on your Sabbath day? Being intentional about this is new for me!

• This week in our DTS lectures, we learned about worship. I thought of all of my creative friends and the worship team at itown... you guys would love this! This YWAM base is particularly creative... the other Discipleship Training School going on right now is called Marriage of the Arts and the people in it focus on different things: writing, music, art, photography, dance. To all my creative friends: you would love it here. ;)
  

In short, it was a wonderful week!

my community :)

Hello! Here's a picture of my wonderful community in Herrnhut:

I definitely encourage you to watch the flash mob with live music the other Discipleship Training School (Marriage of the Arts) did on their mini-outreach here. It's seriously so awesome that I almost cried when I saw it! For a comprehensive update of all the different things going on related to the base, check out the base blog here: http://www.ywamherrnhutblog.com/.

***

I have learned so much about community and seen the great value of living in community these past two months. We are called to live like Christ, and the chapters of the Gospel have the context of community. Jesus lived in community with his small group and with those who no one else loved. We are given a model of how the first Christians lived in community in Acts 2:42-47 & Acts 4:32-35... pretty cool, yeah?

A group of us have house church at the Justice House on Sundays--worship, a delicious homemade lunch and listening to a message from a podcast. As a group, we are pretty pumped about the topic of community, so today's podcast was about community. It emphasized that we are called to live in and invest in community, and it reminded us that we are also called to go out: the Great Commission calls us out into the world, meaning not always staying in the comfort of community. And this phrase really stuck out to me: godly people hold each other with open hands.

It got me wondering: Do I hold people with open hands? And then beyond that: What do I hold with open hands? What do I not hold with open hands? This can apply to so many things! Time, finances, life direction, people, so many things. I'm going to be chewing on this idea for awhile, I'm sure.

And I got this picture: our lives are like vessels. And we can decide which kind of vessel to make our life, ranging from a milk jug that is opened occasionally but mostly kept safe in the fridge to a beautiful fountain. And of course we can't keep giving if we aren't receiving... we can't and we don't have to, since God provides and it's only by God's power that we can give and love so much. Here's a good one by Mother Theresa: "I have found a paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love."

If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. - Jesus, in Matthew 16:25
 

cheb

Ahoj! Ahoj is Czech for an informal hello and is pronounced "ahoy," as in "Ahoy, mateys!"

On Friday night I returned from two weeks in Cheb ("Hyeb"), Czech Republic--my mini outreach! There is a YWAM base in Cheb that will have its first Discipleship Training School beginning in February, and we were able to meet the staff and a few of the students who may be in the school. Cheb is an amazing city. The architecture is amazing, and the people that I met are great.

That isn't to say that it's perfect--in fact, as a border town it is an area for prostitution and sex trafficking. Brothels are in plain view. They are called "night clubs," but function the same way. German men cross over the border, since sex is cheaper in Czech.

Twice our team did red light district outreach, meaning a few teams went out and spoke with prostitutes--offering prayer and warm tea in the evenings. Part of our team would stay back and pray over the outreach.

In fact, prayer spotted our entire time in Cheb. We did a mix of prayer and worship most mornings. I learned what a prayer walk is--walking through the city, asking the Holy Spirit to lead, and praying over the city. Sam Hofmann, our speaker for last week, led us in prayer in front of two brothels during the day. We also spent a morning in prayer over the city on a hill. God is so good.

We also had the opportunity to teach English classes in one of the local high schools. The students were awesome! We kept meeting up with them throughout our time in Cheb. I loved having friends to meet in cafés! One new friend invited a group of us to visit her town, which was just outside of Cheb :)

We got to talk about all kinds of things--boys, the sex industry in Cheb, how kids grow up too early there (sounds a little like the US, yeah?). Athiesm is super common in Cheb, so we had some cool conversations about God too.

Now I'm back in Herrnhut for the next four weeks or so! :)

discipleship training SCHOOL

Hello! Things are going well here. :)

In a week, I will be leaving for the Czech Republic for mini outreach. I am so excited!

So this YWAM thing that I am doing is called a Discipleship Training School. We have lectures during the week and read books and sometimes have presentations. Here’s a little bit about what’s up with my school: 

• Individually, we are reading the book of John once each week for the first six weeks. Then for the second six weeks of lecture, we will be reading the book of Acts once each week for a total of six weeks.
• There is a new speaker each week that gives lectures about a topic or two. Sometimes our lecturers are from the YWAM base, and sometimes they are from other YWAM bases. Our speaker this week was Mark Erickson from YWAM Finland. He spoke about intimacy with the Lord and intercession and used a story format. He is involved with YWAM’s mercy ministry, so he incorporated bits of justice as well. 
• For the justice lectures, the resources are the Bible as well as other media and books. There is a couple that is helping to staff my DTS (there are 5 staff people total), and they lead the justice portion. Right now we are reading Generous Justice by Timothy Keller. A friend of mine who is also doing the Justice DTS will be blogging about the content as we read it. You can check out her blog here: http://whereintheworldisapril.com/. She's pretty awesome!
• Throughout the lecture phase, each of us will be presenting at least one fifteen minute sermon. I did mine this week on community as it’s described in Acts. I definitely thought about emailing my pastor and asking for a few pointers!

Have a great week, friends!

mini outreach & outreach!

On Monday, a sign caught my attention in the bathroom at the castle. It had been there for a couple of weeks, but I hadn’t thought much of it until Monday. It was an informational piece about the Cheb (pronounced “yheb”) YWAM base and it was encouraging people to join in helping with the first DTS in February. I looked it up online and thought that I might want to visit it in the coming weeks, to see if it would be someplace that I would be interested in helping with. The region between Czech and Germany is the window of human trafficking from east and west Europe, so Cheb is located in an ideal place for working with human trafficking victims. I’m not sure what their plans are related to this, though. And then on Tuesday, I found out that my DTS will actually be going to the Cheb base for the mini outreach beginning in two weeks, for two weeks. !!! I’m really excited to learn more about what they are hoping to do!

This past week we studied the nature and character of God. I was reminded of how incredibly exciting and amazing God is all the time, and of how infinite all of his characteristics are. I am so lucky to be able to be in relationship with Him. My God is amazing. Seriously!!! :)

There will be two teams for the three month outreach that takes place after the lecture phase (I think we’ll be leaving sometime in November). One team will go to South Africa, and the other will go to Eastern Europe. We were asked to pray about it, and the team leadership will organize the teams based on their prayers and what we communicated about our prayers. There have been a few things in the past couple of weeks that have drawn my heart toward Eastern Europe, and I feel that that is where I’m supposed to be. God is doing amazing things in Eastern Europe, and I was able to hear about some of them from another DTS that returned from their outreach last week. Sex trafficking is big in Eastern Europe, which is the area of justice that my hearts breaks for the most. We’ll see what team I end up on! Your prayers for cohesive teams and outreach would be so much appreciated.

Love & prayers!

culture here at ywam herrnhut!

There is so much happening that it’s hard for me to pick one thing to focus on and write about. I’m in my third week of DTS. I absolutely love it. Maybe I’ll spend this post trying to describe the culture of my base.

Community – the structure is based around communities, and communities within communities. I’m a part of the town, the YWAM base, my DTS, my small group, the Justice House (where I live) and my church group. Right now I’m transitioning from trying out a church in town called Jesus Haus to a house church being held at the Justice House where I live.

Earlier today, I went to my next-door neighbor to ask her to help me open a can of soup because the house I bought a can without having a can opener. In case you don’t know, I don’t speak German. So I memorized “Haben Sie” (Do you have) and then brought my German-English dictionary opened to the page with the German word for can opener (too long to memorize when I have a headcold) and rang the bell. She knew what I needed as soon as she saw me holding my can and dictionary (ha). I found myself wishing I would’ve memorized the phrase “How are you?” instead. There were a lot of thank you’s coming out of my mouth and I tried to communicate with body language. I think she said I could come over for any reason, but I can’t be sure!

Bilingual – the base is completely bilingual with German and English. Because of this, and because all the Germans know at least a little English, I have been able to get by extremely easily with just English. Since there is so much going on, I haven’t dedicated much time to learning German. Sometimes I feel guilty about it, and it’s in those times I remind myself that my primary reason for coming to here is to learn about the Lord and how he sees justice and not to learn German. But as someone who loves languages and cultures, I hate to see this opportunity fly by without even learning the foundation of German!

Discipleship – we have one-on-one meetings with group staff. There are five staff leading the thirteen students in my DTS. My one-on-one is Mona, and she is incredible! She is the one who is leading our group. She is an amazing artist and a wonderful leader. I am excited to be able to process things alongside her.

Many Schools Simultaneously – this YWAM base is hopping! I went on a tour of the town and the tour guide told me that the Herrnhut YWAM base was the biggest in Europe. I haven’t really checked into that fact, but I’ll go with it! :) I am in the Justice DTS, but there are three other DTS groups on the base currently (Fire & Fragrance, Mobile & Marriage of the Arts). When I arrived, there were two secondary schools finishing up. Secondary schools are more focused schools that can be taken after completing a DTS. The MOTA (Marriage of the Arts) school is by far the biggest! They have 120 students and started a week after I did. I love that the average person here is artistic!! Most of our lectures are separate from each other, but sometimes we are together. For example, this week we have a visiting speaker who is teaching on Intimacy and Fear of God, and he is speaking to both my school and the Mobile DTS. As far as lectures go – we officially have two a day but usually there is at least one more event that is as wonderful and insightful as a lecture for a total of three!

Feel free to ask questions! I only bring my computer to the castle about once a week, so my responses might be a bit delayed, but I will answer. :)

first week of DTS!

So I’ve been here at the YWAM base in Herrnhut, Germany for a little over a week. It feels like home already, like I’ve been here for longer than just 9ish days.

Here are some bullet points that will help draw a picture of my life right now for you:

• I live in a house in town with 7 other girls as well as a couple, and all of us are doing the Justice DTS (Discipleship Training School). The boys live in a different house closer to the Water Castle.
• It’s about a 25 minute walk to the Water Castle from the Justice House (where I live). We have meals and class in the Water Castle. The walk is pretty—I go through town, down (or up, depending on which way I’m going) a hill called Slow Death and then through the forest. It feels like a fairy tale!
• There is a café in the water castle!!
• I had a few classes this week! We have had lectures about definitions of justice, prayer and God’s calling in our lives as made evident by talents, passions and interests.
• I’m in far eastern Germany, and it’s beautiful. I can see hills of the Czech Republic and Poland in the distance when I am walking down Slow Death (the hill).
• I pass a lot of huge slugs on my walks.
• It’s not humid here, which is a wonderful and welcomed change from Indiana.
• My weekday schedule: I wake up at 6, have lectures in the morning, do my work duty in the afternoon (mine is cleaning the Justice House) and then do whatever activity is planned for the evening (movie night, community dinner, worship service, etc.)
• My weekend schedule: I wake up a bit later, go to the Castle for brunch (brunch here means that you eat breakfast and then pack a lunch from the breakfast that is set out) and participate in different activities. Last night we had a BBQ to welcome new students. Yum!

It’s so neat to be in a community with people from different countries and with different Christian church backgrounds. Like I said earlier, I already feel at home. I am so excited for everything that the Lord is going to be doing throughout my time here!

Hugs!

Meghan

in the munich airport

A post I wrote yesterday morning while still in transit (more to come in the next few days!)--

8.23.12

9:37am

I am sitting here in the Munich airport and my computer says 3:37am. I’m on my third cup of coffee though (they are smaller here, so I’d say I’m rounding off my first American cup), so I feel awake enough!

It doesn’t seem like I’m physically in Germany. Except when I purchased a bottle of water (I couldn’t find a drinking fountain anywhere!), the woman spoke German to me, and more than just a pleasantry and the price. I felt so American when I said “What?” I wished I would have said, “I’m sorry; I don’t speak German yet” instead. Apparently she needed my boarding pass in order to sell me water.

The airport is designed a bit like IKEA and there is unlimited free coffee on my airline. Free coffee and paying for water? That’s the opposite of what I was expecting. J

I’m still not sure what I’m doing once I arrive in Herrnhut, so I’m off to try to find a phone. My parents paid for an international plan, but I’m fairly certain that I’m roaming on my international plan, which could be extremely expensive. Mom, I can practically hear you saying “Don’t worry about the cost! Just make the call!” but I have two hours and walking around a bit looking for a phone couldn’t hurt… maybe I’ll even find the elusive water fountains!

I am about 70% done with reading Is that You, God? by Loran Cunningham! That was my project on the plane, in addition to reading a few letters from family and friends. Is that You, God? is the story of the founder of YWAM and how it came to be. I usually don’t find biographies riveting, but I absolutely love this one! It’s incredible to read about the miracles—yes, miracles—that have happened on Cunningham’s journey being obedient to the Lord. I’m learning all kinds of “principles,” as he calls them. I can hardly believe how much knowledge and practical application is in this book. I can’t wait to arrive to my YWAM base and experience this first-hand!

in the airport

Hello! I can't believe that today is the day that I leave the US.

As you may know, itown church is currently doing 21 days of prayer. I began my day at prayer, and the hour ended with the prayer team praying over me. Some sweet friends were there and we said our goodbyes. I wasn't planning on crying, but I was just so overwhelmed with gratitude for the past couple years at my church home. My mom introduced me to itown and my life hasn't been the same since (in the best way possible)! I have been so incredibly blessed by all of the sweet friendships that have developed from my time there. Thank you, Lord!

Here are just a few of the cards that I've gotten. I love how varied the messages are!

So, I have a word picture for you. Imagine that there are two cliffs facing each other, like in the cartoons. I'm jumping off one and planning to land on the other. At this point, I am practically off of the first cliff, but I don't yet have much to physically hold on to: I haven't quite reached the cliff I'm landing to. Physically, that's a bit how it is of flying overseas. But I feel like everything else in my life is kind of like that, too! Socially: I don't have any friends overseas yet! Life-wise: I have no idea what I'll be doing after YWAM! YWAM-wise: I don't really know where I'll be living, what country I'll be in three or four months from now, or what the program itself will be like. Honestly, I don't know much. But I still feel convicted that is the right move!

I'll miss you guys! I'll post again as soon as I am able. :) 

die letzten tage

...I think that means "The Final Days." At least, that's what Google Translator told me! I had a to do list for my last month in the US with "Learn German" on it, but I haven't been able to cross that one off quite yet. ;)

I leave for YWAM 5 days from right now!! How unreal is that? My trip consists of a flight with three legs (Indy to Philly, Philly to Munich, Munich to Dresden) and a bus ride (Dresden to Herrnhut). If everything goes as planned, my journey will span approximately 19 hours. Germany is six hours ahead of Indiana. I will be arriving at the YWAM base around 8am Eastern Standard Time on Thursday, August 23. I am so excited!!! Prayers for smooth, safe and linguistically comprehensible travel would be much appreciated. :)

These past few weeks have been filled with incredible blessings. God has provided in so many ways through the people in my life. I am incredibly thankful that I serve a God that cares about details! We talk about this a lot at church, but it has been particularly amazing to experience this provision first-hand. From prayer support to emotional support to financial support, and all the way down to specific items I had been meaning to purchase for my trip, I have been cared for and loved through all kinds of support. If nothing else, the tangible items that serve as proof that my God loves and provides!

Do you like snail mail? I do! I would love to be penpals with you (yes, all of you!!)! You can write me at:

Meghan Cross
JMEM / DTS
Untere Dorfstr. 56
02747 Herrnhut
Germany

Here are a few pics from a surprise goodbye party thrown earlier this week by some sweet friends!

Love and prayers!
Meg

i love the people

I love the people God has placed in my life. From my family to friends to co-workers, I have been blessed beyond imagine. What kind of workplace encourages you when you put in your two weeks? Mine did! I love the people in my life.

Honestly, I have never been happier with where I am at in life than right now. So how could I pick up and leave it all? My great longing for comfort has been trumped by a deep peace. A deep peace that I am going where I am called to be. And I know that the peace that I feel is from the Lord. This is the first time that I've felt called to do something and I couldn't be more excited to be obedient.

Chances are that if you are reading this blog, you are one of the people that I care so deeply about. Thank you for your support and encouragement! :)

Oh and one more thing--you can learn more about what I'm doing here: http://dts.mission-live.com/! I am doing the Justice DTS.

on comfort

When I was growing up and learned about idol worship, I envisioned gold calves. As I became older, I learned that an idol is anything placed before God: money, fame, etc. I think a lot of us brush off the whole idol-worshiping problem as one that isn't our own. For example, I haven't been burdened with the temptation of placing fame over God.

But then I had a revelation. Here is the passage:

 "Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn't worship him as God or even give thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols..." - Romans 1:21-23

Here is the corresponding footnote in my study Bible. I answered the questions on paper, and I encourage you to as well:

How could intelligent people turn to idolatry? Idolatry begins when people reject what they know about God. Instead of looking to him as the creator and sustainer of life, they see themselves as the center of the universe. They soon invent "gods" that are convenient projections of their own selfish ideas. These gods may be wooden figures, or they may also be goals or things we pursue, such as money, power, or possessions. They may even be misrepresentations of God himself--making God in our image, instead of the reverse. The common denominator is this: Idolaters worship the things God made rather than God himself. Is there anything you feel you can't live without? Is there any priority greater than God? Do you have a dream you would sacrificed everything to realize? Does God take first place in your life? Do you worship God or idols of your own making?

After looking at my answers, I realized that they all had one thing in common: my personal comfort. And it struck me: an area I struggle with is personal comfort. I love being comfortable. I seek it out in almost every area of my life and I treasure the feeling of being secure and... comfortable. Who doesn't? I enjoy snuggling up in a pile of blankets, feeling emotionally safe in loving friendships and relationships, perfect weather (today I have been so blessed with weather in the 80s!!), comfort food, smells like lavender that make me feel cozy, the reassurance I feel after reading about God's love, music that makes me feel warm and calm inside, ordering food I am familiar with when I go out to eat... And I think in America, it is particularly hard to not have idols.

I don't think God is asking me to give up everything I enjoy. On the contrary, I realize that these are gifts--everything good is a gift from God (James 1:17). However, answering the questions from the study Bible and reflecting about the implications of those answers helped me to identify that comfort is a potential area for disobedience in my life: disobedience that could result when I value the security I find in comfort OVER the things God is trying to do through me.

Something my pastor says is that "God is more concerned with your character than your comfort." Yes, yes he is. And you give God the opportunity to move in your life when you take a step outside of the comfort bubble. God works through our weaknesses (2 Corinthians 12:9).

This revelation is one of the ways I felt that the Holy Spirit was preparing me for my current journey. And now I'm just 25 days away from being in Herrnhut, Germany!

i was accepted!

I was accepted into the Youth With A Mission (YWAM) Justice Discipleship Training School (DTS)! I am so excited. Praise the Lord!

Just in case you don't know too much about the YWAM program, I'll provide a brief explanation of the program in general as well as a description of my particular DTS. YWAM's purpose is to know God and to make him known. If you'd like to know more about YWAM, you can learn all about it here. The DTS that I am a part of will have the general DTS curriculum, PLUS it will focus on the issue of human trafficking. I cannot wait to spend three months at the base in Germany for the lecture phase: training, growing in faith and learning. I also can't wait for the outreach that will follow for three months after the lecture phase. The country for outreach is to be determined, so stay tuned to find out!

The YWAM base in Herrnhut, Germany started their Justice DTS a year ago. If you would like to meet one of the women who began it, check out this video.

As I'm preparing, I would really appreciate your support. The most powerful support that you can offer is prayer. Will you please pray that the Lord will bless this preparation time, as well as the school itself? Thank you so much!

a beautiful adventure

Sitting in my old room in my parents' home in a suburb of Indianapolis, I have a blank blog, hope, and a big white board for planning. I moved back home this past weekend, the first big step of faith on my journey into the next chapter of my life.

I'm looking to glorify God in all the areas of my life. Lately I've been particularly attentive to how I ought to spend my time, and on a larger scale, how I am to use the gift of life that has been given to me. Two books about purpose have been encouraging me on the topic of purpose: Rick Warren's The Purpose Driven Life and Richard N. Bolles' How to Find Your Mission in Life.

Human trafficking has been heavy on my heart for a few years, and I have been praying since March- God, if it is your will for me to serve you in the area of human trafficking, will you please show me what that might look like? 

About two weeks ago, He spoke to my heart, and the Holy Spirit offered the calm assurance that this, this, is the right step and an incredible opportunity to be obedient. I feel a physical calm in my heart, which is unlike anything I've felt with a decision I've made in the past. I feel called to participate in the Justice Discipleship Training School (DTS) at the Youth With A Mission (YWAM) in Herrnhut, Germany. This particular DTS focuses on human trafficking. It begins on August 25, 2012. I am so incredibly excited.

The journey so far has been a series of blessings.

• Two days after I felt moved to do this, my pastor gave a message called The Showdown. He said that whenever God asks you to step out, He will provide supernatural protection and supernatural provision. It was encouraging and comforting, and so fitting for the state my heart is in. My God always provides.
• I had been living with my sweet friend Emily, and our lease was set to be renewed a little over a week after I felt the conviction I shared above. It just so happened that another close friend, Kelsey, has been looking for a place to live and a roommate. Kelsey moved in with Emily the day I moved out. There is no way that the timing of my lease ending and needs being met is a coincidence. My God works in such awesome ways.

I am waiting to hear back about my application. If this is the direction that God has for me, I pray that the application will go through. If not, I'm praying for a closed door. Your prayers for God's will in my application would be much appreciated!