Ponderances of a Visionary

PACT Week 4

2012-01-30T00:13:00.002+01:00

Can you believe it's the end of January already? This is the beginning of the third week of classes, and we've got a rhythm going now. It is also our fourth week of PACT, and that is proving to be challenging. Challenging, but in a very good way. We're being called out of our comfort zone. However, I have decided that I'm not going to stay uncomfortable. I'm going to do my best to learn and adapt. One way which we're being called out of our comfort zone is through telling strangers stories by and about Jesus. For this, we need prayers for both opportunities and for the boldness to make use of such opportunities. Soon, we will begin doing modules, which will help with the cross cultural simulation.

In other news, Casey's mom and 4 month old baby nephew came down to visit this weekend. We had fun playing and loving on the little guy. It was also her mom's birthday, so we watched a movie, ate junk food, and had cupcakes. Princess cupcakes, at that. After church today, they headed back to St Louis.

Finally, we continue to thank God for your support. Our list of people who receive (and, the analytics thing tells me, so do the people who actually read) this update continues to grow. Please, let us know how we can pray for you, and even let us know what's going on with your life!

One Last Semester

2012-01-14T03:44:00.002+01:00

The Academic year is about to start! Or, for Casey, already did. She did a Winter Session class, which meant she was sitting in class for 7 hours a day, for the past 5 days. She's done with the class, and now only has to do a few projects. In terms of the Spring Semester, enrollment is on MLK, Jr day, and school starts on Tuesday. Casey will have 5 hours of school, and I will have 9 hours, plus 2 hours for PACT.

Speaking of PACT, we had our first meeting on January 3rd. It was more of an intro night, learning more about what we'd be doing, and deciding on regular meeting days. We met this past Wednesday, but from now until the end of September, we will be meeting every Thursday night. We first got to enjoy a meal together. Then, we had a time of discussion, learning more about each other. We ended the night with a time of prayer, specifically focusing on our next 9 months together. Please pray with us, as we prepare to not only be changed, but also to hopefully make a change for the Kingdom.

Now, we mentioned in the last update that we had purchased Rosetta Stone. Well, we received it, and after about a week of trying it, we have decided to return it. As much as we wish to learn the language, we cannot justify putting so much effort (and money) into a language that we may never use. On a minor side, I really did not trust the pronunciation. Many of the pronunciations completely contradicted the way my German teacher, Herr Mehner (who was a German immigrant) taught me. However, we were brought to the attention of the Pimsleur learning system. I listened to the sample lesson on their website, and it sounded much closer to his pronunciation. Not to mention, we were able to find the Pimsleur German at the Joplin Library!

Thank you always for your prayers. Please let us know how we can pray for you as well.
Grace and Peace
Karl and Casey

New Years and New Things!

2011-12-30T23:57:00.001+01:00

Merry (Belated) Christmas!
We hope you had a wonderful time with family and friends this past week, and will continue to do so for the New Year's weekend. For us, due to work schedules, we were unable to make it to either St Louis or Albuquerque, However, we did get to call Casey's family and Skype with mine. We miss them, but are reminded of why we are distant, and that is for Jesus. Since we were unable to join them, we had Christmas lunch with our neighbors, the Browns, and a friend of theirs named Lance. It was great to be around friends to remember the incarnation.

New Year, New Things.

With the new year upon us, we have taken on several new items. First off, to aide in our learning of German, we have taken Rosetta Stone up on one of their email offers, and purchased levels 1-5. To all of you who gave input about language programs: thank you! We should have it by next Friday, and be on our way to learning (or in my case, relearning) Deutsch. Second, both Casey and I have opted to depart from Facebook. Thus my reason for the messages I sent to many of you asking for an email address and whether or not you wanted to receive our ministry updates. (If you misunderstood the questions, and only wanted to give me an email, I apologize. There is an unsubscribe button at the bottom.) If you would like to know more about my decision, please go to my post titled No More Facebook. Third, due to the increased amount of emails, we are having to switch from sending via Gmail to MailChimp. This will allow us to send out one email, rather than having to split up the update list into multiple groups. Not only that, but we can also use MailChimp to design semi-professional looking updates, as you can see from this one. Please bear with us as we tinker with the settings and colours and whatnot til we find one we completely like. Fourth, we have decided now is as good of time as any to switch from emailing via my personal address over to emailing from our joint email account. If you ever feel like talking to us, please feel free to email!

Great Encouragement

In light of deleting my Facebook, and requesting emails to be included in our update list, we have been greatly encouraged. Of the over 200 who have replied so far, only one has requested to not be included in our mailing list. (Now, again, if you misunderstood my questions and did not to be on this mailing list, I apologize. Please just click unsubscribe, instead of placing us in your spam folder. If you do that, your email and internet providers will start interpreting us as spam, and those who do want to receive this, will not.) For you showing a desire to partner with us in our ministry, we thank you. We appreciate whatever support you give, whether it's prayer, finances, exhortation, or even simply reading the updates. We thank you, and pray the Lord blesses you.

PACT

On January 3rd, we will be having our first official PACT Internship meeting. Please be in prayer for us, our teammates, and those who will be guiding us along on this journey. In a few weeks, we will write more in depth about the various "modules" we will be doing.

Until then, may the Lord bless you and keep you.
Grace and Peace
The Mitchells

Our Anniversary Trip

2011-12-12T15:56:00.001+01:00

Here's just a few pics from our trip to Kansas City for our one year. We were finally able to just rest and enjoy life. Casey said she felt it was the first real rest since the tornado.

We are thankful for you and your prayers. They have helped us get through this rough year.

And now, today, it is Casey's birthday!

2011 - A Long Year

2011-11-30T00:33:00.003+01:00

If I have learned anything this year, it is the sovereignty of God. We started off the year in February with "Snowpocalypse." This is the nickname given the blizzard which covered Joplin (and a majority of the USA) with 26"+ of the white stuff. Unfortunately, this wasn't cleared away completely until early March, if I remember correctly. Following this, was the May 22 - EF5 tornado that ripped through Joplin. 161 people lost their lives, countless lost their homes and businesses, and rebuilding is estimated at 5-10 years. The majority of the clean up from the tornado took place during the summer months, which saw a heat wave (and accompanying drought). This heat wave brought nearly 30 straight days of 100+ (or even 110+, with the heat index). We thought we were good for the year. However, last month we encountered two or three level 5 magnitude earthquakes, which at the very least, shook things on our walls and made the apartment sway. Add to all this that my Grammie passed away in August, and you can see how it was a rather long year (and we're not even in the final month yet.)

However, as I began, I learned about the sovereignty of God. Even with all the chaos and uncertainty of this year, I know He is still in control. The earth is still spinning, the sun is still rising (some days hotter than others), and creation in general is working as best it can in this fallen world. Lives are still being changed by the Gospel, more people are following His Son, and we are learning to love in more ways during these times.

And, speaking of love, in two weeks, Casey and I will be celebrating our one year anniversary! (Yes, we went through all this together in our first year of marriage. That is one way to get all the rockiness out firsthand!) The following week will be our finals week. We appreciate your prayers in terms of that as we finish up the school year and our final projects, and studying for our final exams. We get about two weeks of break, and then we begin our PACT Internship. I think that's all for now.
Until next time,
Grace and Peace

PS Oh yeah, Happy Belated Thanksiving!
PPS I also forgot that we were also in a minor car collision in August. Such a long year.

Fall Update

2011-11-01T15:34:00.000+01:00

Hey everyone,
We're a little over halfway through this semester. We've both pre-enrolled for next semester. This also happens to be our last semester! Yes, I talked to the Academic Dean, and he said he'll let me walk this May, instead of having to wait until 2013! Aside from this being a big deal in terms of getting a degree, it also means I get to keep a promise I made to myself: to graduate college before my little brother graduates high school.
We both have got our applications for the PACT Internship turned in. We now wait until the first week of December when we will officially find out if we're accepted. We both appreciate prayers for us in this regard, as well as for the coaching team who will be making decisions. If accepted, we will separate from our home church for approximately nine months, and learn what it is like to start a house church with about ten others. Throughout the internship we will do different modules, such as experiencing public transportation, or going to an international grocery. We will try to write at least once per each module.
In other news, we finally settled with the insurance company of the guy who hit us back in mid-August. It wasn't the outcome we know we deserve, but 70% is better than nothing (and we don't really feel like it'd be worth going to court over the remaining $400.) Thank you for prayers about this.
Finally, we are wondering if any of you have dealt with Rosetta Stone, especially the German version. Does it work? Is it worth it, or would you recommend waiting to go through language school?
That's all for now,
Grace and Peace
Karl for the Mitchells

No Longer a Christian

2011-09-21T16:02:00.001+02:00

I'm no longer a Christian. Actually, I'm not sure when I last was a Christian. However, due to a few lectures that I attended recently by Carl Medearis, I have realized this is the case, but never knew how to articulate it. Now, I still believe in Jesus. I still follow Jesus. I will never abandon Jesus. But this is the point. We are not told to convert people to our religion, to Christianity. Rather, we are to make disciples. Of Jesus.
http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
In light of this, if you read my blog(s) and find something to the contrary, I apologize. I thought about going back through all my posts, but two things went through my head: 1)This is going to take forever. 2)No, just leave it. It can help show how Jesus, my leader, king, and saviour, has shaped me.

In addition, if I have ever placed focus on Christianity, rather than Jesus, in my conversations with you, I apologize as well.

Let's stick with Jesus.

For more info, see an article by Carl Medearis: Here.

Changes like the wind

2011-08-05T17:19:00.002+02:00

Hey all,
Let's talk weather. I'm not sure where in the country (or world) you're reading this, but here in Joplin, the past 20-30 days have been nothing short of 100 deg temps, and when you add in the humidity, it's about 110. Sadly, there has already been at least one death in Joplin directly linked to the heat. Please pray for relief. Thankfully, the Salvation Army and other places are designated "cooling stations" to help provide relief and water for those that need it, especially the volunteers continuing to clean up the debris.

In terms of physical health, please pray for my Grandma. She's officially been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. She's lived a long, full life, but we'd sure appreciate if God let her stay with us a bit longer. For me, I crashed on my longboard on Sunday, and got some pretty nice road rash. We're fairly sure it will help soon enough, but prayer is always appreciated.

Now, on toward information about our internship: As previously mentioned, the internship to Macedonia would cost approximately $12,000. This would not be justifiable, in terms of being stewards of God's money. Therefore, we kept looking for different possibilities, and God brought an idea to mind. The church we attend, College Heights, has a program called PACT. It is an intensive, 9 month long, program designed to prepare workers for the field. Casey and I were planning on going through it anyway, so I asked the Missions Director at Ozark if it could count for my internship. We had a few meetings about it, and long story short, he said yes! Now, this will primarily take place here in Joplin. However, at the end of the 9 months is a 2 week trip overseas, which remains unknown to us until about a month and a half before we leave for said trip. I'll leave the whole financial appeal spiel to another post.
For now, adieu.
The Mitchells

Happy Father's Day!

2011-06-20T07:43:00.002+02:00

To start, we are on our way home tomorrow. Currently we are at my brother and sister in law's house in Amarillo. Earlier today, we were in Albuquerque, with my parents and little brother. Which brings me to the point of this post. Happy Father's Day to my dad, Mike Mitchell! He's a wonderful, loving, providing dad. I hope you all could be with your dad/father figures today. And, if not, remember, our God is the Father to the Fatherless. No matter if you had a dad or not, He is willing to accept you into His family, no matter what. That is grace. That is love. Oh how amazing and deep it is. So, thank you dad, and thank You God.

In other news, our internship to Macedonia might not happen after all, due to financial reasons. Due to the economic situation of USA/EU/world in general, the proposed budget would be approximately $12000, for the two months. We do not think that is good stewardship, and therefore have asked to see other opportunities, which would be more reasonably priced. I guess this also goes along with us trying to being open to God's leading. Please pray as we discuss this with NMSI.
As soon as we know more, we will let you know.

A Brief Respite

2011-06-15T05:56:00.002+02:00

For the next week, we are taking a break in Albuquerque. We are very thankful to be able to come and visit family, enjoy no humidity, eat good Mexican food, and, even more importantly, be able to get renewed and rested, physically and emotionally.
Here's an update on what has happened the past few weeks:
I (Karl) quit working at the restaurant. While I miss the people I met, including some of you who may be reading this, I am glad that I no longer am there. It was incredibly stressful, and I desired to do something more important in life. Now, I am working at an electronics recycling facility. Due to the disaster, we have been involved in cleaning up appliances and wiring in businesses and homes throughout Joplin. I am thankful for the job, and being able to play a part in cleaning up the mess, but it does take a toll as well. God has been gracious, though, and has given me a wife and friends with whom I can talk about what I see at work.
Casey also started her new job, working with behavioral disorder adults. She misses the preschool and the kids there, but is also glad to be doing something of value. She prays that she can help them to know Christ. Please join her in this prayer.
As for our internship, we have not yet heard the total cost. However, as soon as we do, we shall pass that along to you. In the meantime, we ask that you pray and consider setting aside money to help us reach the full amount. We thank God for you working alongside us.
Grace and Peace.

Joplin Tornado

2011-05-25T03:39:00.002+02:00

Hey everyone,

In case you hadn't heard yet, Joplin got hit by a massive tornado Sunday night. Over a third of the city is gone, death toll is at 122 and rising, and devastation is vast. We're still processing what's happened, while at the same time, we are under yet another tornado watch tonight. I just want to let you know that Casey and I are ok, and thankfully still have a home. Here's some ways to pray:

Pray for those who lost everything.

Pray for those who are not accounted for.

Pray for the volunteers, to have strength.

Pray for the Church, as we try to love the community, and live out the Gospel.

Along this last line, I want to say something. In this town and surrounding area, there are about 300 churches. However, with this tragedy, there has been one Church, joining together in unity. If you would like to help, check Red Cross, IDES, Convoy of Hope, or World Vision. Those are the ones I know for sure. If you want to know how to pray better (especially since I don't have internet constantly,) please go to: 24-7prayer.us/stories/110.

Thank you.

Grace and Peace.

New Jobs and Summer Break!

2011-05-19T14:18:00.004+02:00

Aside from the final I (Karl) will be taking in approximately 40 minutes, we are done with this semester! On Saturday, we will get to see many of our friends graduating, which will be bittersweet. Sweet we celebrate their accomplishment. Bitter because some are departing, and who knows when or if we will get to see them again this side of heaven. At least we have Skype! Well, considering Microsoft recently purchased that, I guess we'll see how long that lasts...hah.

Anyway, in other news, both of us have been blessed with new jobs! Just yesterday, Casey was hired to work with mentally handicapped young adults. She starts orientation today, and will be officially started next week or so. As for me, I was hired about a month ago for a electronics recycling facility that is opening in Joplin. We had our first work day this past Tuesday, and got two big clients already. With our new jobs, I can finally quit working at the restaurant. While I have been blessed to meet many fantastic people, including some of you reading this, through the restaurant, it is a very wearisome job. I haven't turned my two weeks notice in yet, so I hope to see all of you before then.

As for our internship, NMSI is still working on the numbers, trying to get the best idea of what needs to be raised. We trust that God will provide, regardless of how small or large the final amount is. In preparation for it, we are talking with some friends from Kosova, and trying to learn what the culture will be like, and what to expect.
Until we know more, thank you all for everything,
Grace and Peace

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T18:31:00.004+02:00

Today, we say thank you to our mom's! Or, as they say it in Macedonia, Среќен Ден на мајките! Yeah, we have no idea how to pronounce that either. However, both of us thank our mom's for everything they did for us as we were growing up. We appreciate their support and encouragement, as we moved from high school, to college, and now, to the field. So, with that said, thanks moms!!

Speaking of support, we thank those of you as well who have told us you would pray for us as we prepare, and eventually go. We also thank those of you who have already committed to partnering with us financially as we raise the funds to go on the internship. Hopefully we will find out an exact number this week or next. Until then, please continue praying as we prepare!
Grace and Peace.

An Open Door

2011-04-27T20:14:00.005+02:00

As we said in the last post, we were talking to several agencies about internship possibilities. Well, we have some exciting news! We believe God has opened the door to us to partner with NMSI on an internship in Skopje, Macedonia! We will be working with NMSI's European director and his wife, shadowing them as they go about their ministries. It will be summer of 2012, so not for another year, but that leaves time for preparation and support raising. In terms of prep, we will continue with schooling, and try to be as ready as we can be for working, even for the short two months we will be there. As for support raising, there are two main types we need. First and foremost, as I have said before, and will continue to say, is prayer. Pray for everything, from travel to culture shock, from our marriage to outreach opportunities. As we learn more about the country and the ministry we will be doing, we will give you much more detailed requests. Until then, if you think about something that seems like it would fit, please pray. The other part, as with any missionary, is financial support. NMSI is working the numbers currently, so we do not have an exact figure of how much we will have to raise. Thankfully. we already have approximately $1500 raised, from when I was originally expected to go on an internship. That will transfer to this internship. However, we ask for you to partner alongside us as we go to this other country and try to advance the Kingdom. If you or your church would like to partner with us, or hear more about our internship, you can keep reading here, or email us at kandcmitch (at) googlemail (dot) com.
Thanks for journeying with us!

Internship Search

2011-04-14T14:33:00.003+02:00

Hey everyone,
For the past two months, we have been looking around at different missions agencies, trying to determine which to go with for our internship. Many of you may know that we originally were both going to go through NMSI, with me going to Germany, and Casey going to Kenya. Well, as we've been married now, we're seeing if this is still our best choice. To start off, we are also looking into KontaktMission and TeamExpansion. Now, since neither of us have had much communication with TeamExpansion, we are not focusing too heavily on them. We're not altogether cutting them out of the possibility, but we don't feel that is our leading. With NMSI, we have the aforementioned relationship already established, and so are focusing on them, as well as KontaktMission, since we have met personally with both missionaries and directors of KM.

As we spoke to the agencies, we explained we had two main needs for our internship: 1. Must fulfill the requirements for my degree (minimum 2 months, under an English speaking missionary, who can provide leadership.) 2. Preferably a seasoned married couple who can give us both wisdom in regards to living and working on the field, but also wisdom about marriage.

With these two requests in mind, NMSI has presented us with a possibility of serving with their European Director and his wife, David and Brenda Aderholdt, in Macedonia. They have been missionaries for over 15 years, and would be excellent sources of wisdom. KontaktMission has not given us a specific couple yet, but they think there are a few in both Germany and Russia that would fit those needs.

Now, how can you help? Well, we can always use prayer. Pray most specifically for wisdom. Wisdom for both Casey and I, but also for the various agencies and the missionaries. Pray that we follow God's heart, rather than simply our own (or rather, pray that our hearts follow God's.) Pray for us as we near the end of our schooling here. We each only have two (small) semesters of school left before we are finished at Ozark! Finally, we ask for you to pray for our marriage, so that we continue to found it in Christ, and are able to be solid before going on our internship.

Thank you!

Forgiveness and Second Chances.

2011-03-11T22:03:00.002+01:00

Today is the day where not only compassion is shown, as the USA and the world reaches out to help Japan. Rather, it is, I believe, a day of reconciliation. A day of forgiveness. Once, the country I live in was attacked by another country. We retaliated with a fire bomb, rather than love and forgiveness. Now, though, as we see our fellow brothers having their land and homes destroyed, my country reaches out to heal rather than kill. So as we see the images and videos, and recognize the vast devastation, we pray. We long for God to end the hurting, and to bring healing to Creation. We ache for the New Jerusalem. But until then, we are his body on earth, and we reach out. Through extensions of the body such as Mustard Seed Global Fellowship, we can contribute monetarily to help the victims physically. But for those of us who have no extra funds, we can always pray. Pray for those who are physically lost to be found. Pray for those who have no power, water or gas to have hope, as the country gets systems back online. Pray even for the stability of nuclear power plants. And, if you are like me, and know you are unfortunately weak, then pray for others who are stronger and more resilient in their prayer to uphold Japan and the rest of the Pacific when you lapse. For we follow a God of second chances, who freely gives us forgiveness. Who are we to withhold forgiveness from others, to withhold compassion from the hurting?

So, church, pray.
(Later this month, I'll update on our continued search for a new internship. We're talking with NMSI, of course, but also with KontaktMission, and maybe other organizations. We need one to fit my degree requirements and to provide an opportunity for us as a married couple.)

Blizzards, birthdays, and bounds of blurbs.

2011-02-08T21:21:00.002+01:00

Greetings from snowy Alaska! Ok, not really. Here in Joplin, we got hit by that massive snow storm last week, and got 20" by Wed, and on Saturday got 3 more inches. Joplin was effectively shut down until Thursday, and still hasn't completely cleared off the side roads (including ours) yet. We're praying that MODot gets things cleared before we get hit with the 6-10 more inches we're supposed to get by Thursday.

In other news, I turned 23 on Saturday, and, of course, it was my first birthday as a married man. My wife was wonderful, and despite having to work for 8.5 hours, she made sure I enjoyed my day. No, I don't feel any older, but I do recognize that this time next year I will be a non-traditional student. Oi.

Speaking of school, one of the classes I'm taking this semester is Strategies for Teaching. The textbook for the class is called Creative Bible Teaching, written in 1998. To illustrate just how long ago this really is, take this excerpt:
"...Another meaning of the word 'focus' is relevant here. The word can also mean narrowing down something that is too broad to be dealt with all at once. The Internet is a wonderful tool for research and information exchange. The 'Web surfer' can find information on almost any topic that can be imagined. But the problem is sorting through the enormous quantity of information. For example, one search of the Internet, using what is known as a search engine, returned more than 500,000 results for the word Bible. There are greater than one-half million documents or home pages on the internet with some reference to "Bible." Five hundred thousand documents is an overwhelming number!...By using the words Bible study we received 20,000 results. That was still too many to be of much use to us, so we became still more focused and entered inductive Bible study. This time, we uncovered about 100 documents....We focused our search even further. This time we typed in inductive study of Hebrews. We received 17 results. Seven or eight documents were exceptionally helpful."

To put this in perspective, if you runs these searches on Google today:
Bible:
532 million results.
Bible Study:
13.3 million
Inductive Bible Study:
81,500
Inductive Study of Hebrews
35,800

The Internet is a vast tool. It needs to be used, for the Kingdom of Heaven, and not to numb our minds. That's what marshillchurch.org and missionsmisunderstood.com and davidmays.org are all about. Where are you in this picture?

Mawwiage, that bwessed event!

2010-12-14T17:21:00.003+01:00

Hey everyone! My fiance and I are no longer engaged. We're married! As of Dec 11, we are Mr and Mrs Karl Mitchell. The ceremony was performed by my mentor, Phil Casey. It was attended by family and friends from New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri (and I think that's it.) It was fantastic. And it's over! Now, we're finishing up our finals and getting ready for our honeymoon next Sunday (the 19th.) We thank you for all your prayers, and hope you continue alongside us as we move forward. We will be discussing with NMSI as well as others about future ministry opportunities.
Until then,
Grace and Peace!
Happy Incarnation, and Happy New Year as well!

And for your viewing pleasure,

Life Goes On...

2010-11-08T06:34:00.002+01:00

So, I haven't talked in awhile, yet again. Last time I talked to you, I had just got engaged. Well, as of today (Nov 7) we are 34 days away from the wedding! Yes! Unfortunately, in between are 33 days of school, with 4 major projects, and several smaller projects. So we move on. Aside from finishing up wedding preps, I've also taken the spot of Treasurer for Mwangaza International, an organization in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which helps give war victims a second chance at life. The president of the organization, Trésor Yenyi, recently released his first book called Journey into the Heart of Darkness. On Facebook, you can find out all about it and where you can purchase, here: http://www.facebook.com/TresorYenyi. I'm unofficially his publicist. I'm also unofficially his secretary and cultural guide as well, but that's another story.
Aside from all the above, I've preenrolled for school next semester, though I'll only be part time. I'll take 6-8 hours, leaving me with 21-23 hours. 2 of the remaining hours needs to be an internship, so please continue to pray for that, wherever God will lead us (you know, since I'm getting married and all...heh.)

She said, "Yes!"

2010-08-14T00:45:00.003+02:00

Not exactly sure where to start on this one, so I'll just work backwards. Last night, I asked my girlfriend, Casey, to marry me. She said "Yes." (Among other things..."Are you serious!?") Not going to lie, I'm pretty dang happy right now.

Now, how we got to that point? Well, we came home to Albuquerque for a week of meeting family and friends and doing as much relaxing as possible. Of course, that's not really happened, but I've been doing my best to be a good tour guide of my home town. Anyway, we had marked off the 12th as a day alone, so we started off going to Hurricane's Cafe for some breakfast. Then, we headed to Albuquerque's Old Town to walk around and do some shopping. After a few hours of that we headed to Tucano's Brazilian Grill for lunch. Following that was a short trip to the Albuquerque Art and History Museum, where we met a rather interesting curator. We then went home to have dinner with the family, since my brother and sister in law also came to town for a few days. After dinner and playing some games, and incinerating my little brother's RC car with fireworks, we headed to the foothills to watch the Pleiades Meteor Shower (I think that's what was going on.) Anyway, I decided that wasn't good enough. So I drove home, saying I had to use the restroom, when in fact I was running in to get the ring. Then, I drove her up to 10,000 feet, at the top of the Sandia Mountains. We stood there for about 15 or so minutes, in 55 deg weather, looking at the city lights below and the stars above.

She apparently was getting mad that I wasn't proposing, because I was too calm and she didn't think I was going to propose. She said "If you're cold, we can leave." (Genius here forgot to grab a coat when he got the ring.) So I kicked myself, and then pulled her close, and said "So, you're going to marry me, right?"
"Yes," was her response.
I replied, "You don't know how happy that makes me."
Of course, this didn't help her feeling angry at me, as she sarcastically replied, "I'm assuming that wasn't the proposal."
I said, "No, but this is." I got the ring out of my pocket, and got on one knee, and asked, "Casey, will you marry me?"
Then she backed away, doubled over, and put her hands on her face, yelling, "Oh my gosh. What?! Are you serious? Are you serious?!"
I, wasn't sure how to take it, so I just said, "Well, yea. Here's the ring."
She then came back to me, and said "Yes." Then, she continued crying as I hugged her.
I finally asked, "So, can I put the ring on your finger?" And it's beautiful. Here:

So as we move toward marriage, we ask for your prayer and support. We intend to serve God wherever, be it in Germany or elsewhere.
Thank you!

The Good Book

2010-06-01T19:18:00.002+02:00

The other night, I finished reading through the Old Testament for my first time ever. I started in January, reading straight through the Bible, in an attempt to see God's character and have a broader view of my faith. This seeing God's character was important, because as part of humanity, one who is the imago Dei, I need to know what that means (to be God's image). I think it is summed up at Psalm 145:8, "The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love." Yes, He sent devastation against the nations, and even Israel. Yet, as the broader view aspect of my reading came into play, I realized, "Oh wait. He gave them centuries of warnings and chances to repent. He told exactly what would happen if they were unrepentant, and they kept up with their idolatry and unfaithfulness." Yet, even with the punishment, He still gives the promise of hope and restoration, not only for Israel, but even for us, the Gentiles! Indeed, the Lord, the Lord, is gracious and full of mercy. I'm taking a few days to digest all 979 chapters before I continue with the New Testament. Though, I can't wait, because now that I know the background, all those prophecy fulfillments will be "Aha!" moments. Beautiful.

Confession of Identity

2010-05-11T18:54:00.002+02:00

You ever have a moment where you realize what you did? No, I'm not talking something like why you took the cookie. Cookies are good and meant to be taken. I'm talking something like giving up on life, and trying to reorient yourself in light of something devastating. This is what happened to me, when my internship (and future as a missionary) got postponed indefinitely. You see, ever since 9th or 10th grade, I had made my identity as "future missionary to Germany." When that got pulled away from me, I had no idea what to do. So I got an apartment, and started working 40+ hour weeks, saving up money, trying to figure out what to do next. My mentor and others wondered what caused my going off the deep end, pushing away all remnants of my past life, until one day, a couple weeks ago, the spirit just whispered in my ear one word: "Identity." What I thought was my identity had really been an idol, because I put it before my relationship with God. Now, though, with God's grace and the help of my mentors and friends, I'm getting this identity thing right. I am a follower of Christ, son of God, first and foremost. Everything else, including how I serve Him (whether as a waiter, student, or missionary) is secondary.

So now, I'm ready for school to start in the fall, even if I'm not completely motivated to return. I'll finish my degree, and then see where God has me go. Maybe I'll end up in Germany, or at the very least, as a missionary, afterall. But this time, it will be due to Him, using my desires, rather than me, having a false identity.

Moving Forward

2010-04-08T20:36:00.002+02:00

Since it's been over a month since I last updated, I actually forgot where I left you. I told you that I got my Ozark application turned in. Well, a week or two after that, they sent me a (re)acceptance letter. So while I am accepted, and can look at the fall and spring class lists, due to my not being a current student, I cannot pre-enroll. Once class I'm looking at taking is called International Campus Ministry, which will help me whether I end up in Berlin, America, or wherever.
In other news, I had a meeting with my missions minister y8esterday. He thinks it will be best for me to completely deal with my past (or, as he says "the stuff in my box"), before I move forward with my internship. I'm not sure how this will pan out exactly. I'll start delving with my mentor, and see what happens. Whatever the case, I pray God will help me sort out my issues, so I can be of utmost good to Him and His kingdom as possible.
Lastly, you should check out http://www.gointernship.tv. It's a 10 month, hands-on, leadership training program in Tulsa. I talked with the director on the phone today. Can't say I'm not intrigued...

Bringing Heaven to Earth

2010-02-25T22:26:00.003+01:00

To start off, thank you. For your prayers, encouragement, and blessing. It really helps steady my resolve to push forward. As an update, I've turned my application forms into Ozark, and so now I await word on continuing my degree.

I was reading Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell, and he says part of being a follower of Christ is bringing heaven to earth, and not just waiting to get to heaven. Now, I can see how to apply this in cases such as Haiti, or Africa, where we can send food or go dig wells. However, unless I've been completely blind and deaf, I am called to the modernized world of Western Europe. How do I bring heaven to earth there? I'm not of a profession which can shine into someone's existence. I'm just me. Maybe I'm making up excuses like Moses, but really, I have no idea what to do. Teach English, again? Well, I've done it, but I don't think I was that great at it. Really, teaching English is the only idea that comes to mind. If you look below this post, it offers a spot to comment and give input.
Please, feel free.

Grace and Peace.

Rejection

2010-02-13T18:13:00.002+01:00

Two things before I start-
1) Though I write this in very close proximity to Valentine's Day, it is mere coincidence, and is not about a female.
2) I'm not looking for pity, but rather prayer.

Over a year ago, I began the process of searching for an internship in Germany. Before I knew it, I had been accepted by New Mission Systems, Intl. Soon enough, I had a length set, as well as dates (at least the starting month to end month.) Then came the budget.
Letters went out, fasting was done, prayers were said...months went by, and only a tenth of the money came in. We decided to push back the internship, but money, both one-time donations, and pledges, didn't come. I came to accept that it just wasn't time yet. I had some things in my life with which to deal (let's call them for what they are - sins.) So I moved on, or so I thought...
There may have been other contributing factors, but when I realized the internship was indefinitely postponed, my motivation to finish school, or to have forward motion in my life at all, more or less died.
I got an apartment here in Joplin, and since then I've been on a journey. God knows I've been far from perfect on this journey. Sure, I gained some wisdom, but I gained some hurt as well. This journey, though, was my attempt at refinding meaning. Since I wasn't going to Germany, what was I going to do with my life?
Many of you knew I looked at various professions, from oil rig worker to wind turbine mechanic and so on. I slowly accepted, however, that none of these were going to bring me meaning. The other day my mentor called me out on how I've been. He said it seems I'm just floating along, waiting to see what will happen next. Well, as writers know, this could be considered my "inciting incident." In a story, this is basically a catalytic event which propels the protagonist, hopefully in the direction of making his story meaningful.
All this to say I finally was able to talk to some friends about the rejection I felt from not getting to go to Germany. Self-caused rejection, perhaps. Or maybe rejection is not the right word. Regardless, my life is starting to get refocused. This coming week I'm going to start figuring out how to reenter the collegiate experience, and, well, we'll go from there.

Until then,
Grace and Peace.

PS If you want to know what I mean about a meaningful life, check out Donald Miller's Million Miles in a Thousand Years.

Realizations of Worth

2010-02-01T21:25:00.002+01:00

So I've been reading Donald Miller books a lot lately, and so this post's thoughts and realizations are definitely influenced by him, and especially his book "Searching for God Knows What." Anyway, something I've come to realize is that I get my glory from God alone. Not from shoddy tippers (I'm a waiter, in case you didn't know) or even stiffers. From God alone do I get my value. Not from my $3.65 per hour wage, but from the God of the universe.

Of course, conversely, I also don't get my worth from really amazing tippers, or $15 per hour nights. In both the bad and the good, I get my worth, value, and glory from YHWH. When we figure this out, we also can realize it's not just us, but every other human being, every other image bearer of God, that gets their glory from God, too. It is then that we know that no matter our socioeconomic or any other status, we are equal. That is when we can truly love one another, I think. That is when we can truly reach out to each other.

But that's just my two cents.

Sabbath Tuesdays

2009-12-08T21:21:00.002+01:00

I'm not really good at alliteration, so I couldn't think of a cool title for this post. Guess you're stuck with "Sabbath Tuesdays." Which is today. Today is the only day off I have from work each week, unless something comes up. Such is life as a full time worker, I guess. In order to survive and keep breathing though, we all need a day of rest. Hence Sabbath. God was onto something when He came up with it. On this day I sleep in (sometimes to 1030 or 11, or like today, 12.) Then I get up, lazily getting ready. Then I take care of things, in a beautiful, non hurried, manner. Completely relaxing. I'm accomplishing things (such as blogging) yet at the same time, resting. Each Tuesday I also meet with a group of guys and my mentor, and we talk about the week and life. Then for dinner I eat with my home group. It's a day of rest and community. I sure hope you have a day like this every week. I think without it we can slowly become drones.

Remember, Christ once said "Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath."
Grace and Peace.

Moralizing and the Spirit

2009-11-03T22:33:00.002+01:00

So although I haven't spoken in quite awhile, I'm going to let Mark Driscoll talk. He's going to talk about John the Baptizer, and how he became the greatest man, ever.

Hopefully it's as thought provoking to you as it was to me. And please...put aside your anti-Calvinism/pro-Arminianism while listening. Really, he that is not against us is for us. Thanks.
Grace and Peace.

DRC?

2009-10-15T19:39:00.002+02:00

A few weeks ago, a friend, Tresor Yenyi, asked me to join him and Mwangaza Int. for a Christmas Project this December. He said they need someone to film the project, which would take place in 3 different cities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, over 12 days. My response was "Well, I doubt I'd have money for it." He said no worries, it shoud be all expenses paid. This is due to Mark Moore, and his chapel offering appeal. If you have 20 minutes, please take the time to listen to this: Financial Baggage. The result of that sermon was this: Thank you! (from Tresor) So here I am, wondering what to do. Since it appears God currently has the door to Germany closed (whether temporarily, or permanently, I don't know) I'm open to this. However, I don't want to go, just because I've been invited. I want to go only if it's what God wants.

I'll keep you updated on the project and if the offering appeal netted the needed $10000.

(In case you didn't notice, Christmas Project, Financial Baggage, and Thank You! are all links. Please check them out.)

The Start of a New Semester

2009-09-02T20:17:00.002+02:00

Well, the school year began last week (or was it the week before?) I'm not really sure, because I'm currently on sabbatical. I'm unsure how long I will be, but for the time being, I'm occupied by community, hanging out with international students, and work. I must say, I'm having a beautiful time. This semester at MSSU, there are about 40 international students, with 15(ish) being European, and more specifically, 8 Germans. I've been getting to know them, and also getting a crash refresher course in Deutsch. At times, it's been quite overwhelming, but I don't mind. It's been great. Two of the Germans I've been hanging out with alot are Sebastian and Yvonne, from Bremen (about an hour from Hannover by car.) We've grilled, had pizza, made pasta, played Carcassonne and Schikanier, gone to IHOP, Pizza by Stout, and more. Not to mention critiqued each other on an incomplete knowledge of the others language (in good fun, of course.) All around...it's been good.

In other news...I still believe God was telling me not yet for the internship I was set to go on this year. Now that it's moved to next year, I think he's now asking, "Why are you going?" As in, am I going because He said to, or am I going because it's my way of controlling my life and what I do? Definitely been an item on my prayer list. I pray I can go, but at the moment, I'm straining my ear to hear what he really wants me to do, rather than what I want to do. Pray with me, please.

Until I figure out what's going on, I'm out.
Grace and Peace.

36 hour fast.

2009-06-13T02:17:00.002+02:00

Grace and Peace to all who read:
Life is progressing here in little old Joplin. Work's work (though I could use a few more hours to pay the bills better...) and the community continuously amazes me, both here and abroad. So far this month, I've read Red Moon Rising and PunkMonk by Pete Greig/Andy Freeman, TrueFaced by three blokes I can't remember the names of off the top of my head, and I Kissed Dating Goodbye by Joshua Harris. These four books are great, and hopefully will help shape my life. I'm now reading Live to Tell by Brad Kallenberg, which is also proving enlightening, and helpful in thinking about evangelism in postmodern contexts.

But anyway, you didn't come here to read a list of books I've been reading. Rather, you came to read about what I'm entreating of you. As my supporters, I would like you to help me by, if possible, fasting this coming week with me. Don't worry, not for the whole week. I plan to fast for 36 hours, starting after breakfast on Thursday the 18th to the night of the 19th. (So for me, approximately 9am Thurs to 9pm Fri. This may differ for you, and by all means, differ.)

Next, you might be wondering, for what are we fasting? Well, basically, for continued support, as well as wisdom. Specificially:
-Listening to God's voice and guidance in regards to the apprenticeship, whatever that might entail.
-Wisdom for how to raise more support.
-Prayer Supporters
-Financial Supporters (I'm still at ~$1500. I need both one time supporters, and even more importantly, monthly. Please pray for this.)
-Continued opening of eyes, minds, and hearts of Germans and Europeans
-My preparations, including faith in God.
-Anything else of which you think.

Thank you all.
Love.

Pause.

2009-04-25T06:06:00.002+02:00

Hello All
The semester is almost over, and it's been quite some time since I last updated you! So, here goes. Due to the funds not coming in for my apprenticeship, I, along with several mentor type people, have concluded that I'm not ready to go yet. Therefore, I am going to wait, and focus on my spiritual growth, whilst raising the remaining $14,500. I will stay in Joplin through the summer, and on until the next, so I can become more involved in the spiritual community here, as well as in the community in general. They'll help me develop into the leader I need to be, and then some.
As for when my apprenticeship will now take place, I'm not sure yet. I talked to NMSI about the details, and they're fine with this turn of events. They too trust that something good will come of this, and so they're willing to put my funds on hold until I'm ready to go. I'm hoping I can leave July 2010, but we shall see. I hope and pray that in this time, I can connect with all of you more, and many others.
Please be praying for:
1. My patience.
2. My maturity.
3. The community.

Thanks for your prayers and support. I'll keep you updated on how things are going, but probably only once a month, or whenever something important happens.
Grace and Peace,
Karl

PS One thing I will be focusing on is praying for the state university in town (www.mssu.edu). Check out this: http://campusamerica.org/ for why and how.

Prayer Calendar

2009-02-21T17:07:00.005+01:00

Hey. For those of you wanting to know how to pray more specifically for me and my apprenticeship, I've slightly modified a prayer calendar from Matt and Angie Crosser. They and their teammates use this calendar, with modifications for their status (married/single) and their city (their city is Verona, Italy.) Anyway...if you print this out, and hang it where you can see it, I'd be forever grateful.
Viel Lieb,
Karl

Day 1 - My Single Life
Day 2 - My Language Skills
Day 3 - My Cultural Adjustments
Day 4 - My Team Relationships
Day 5 - My Boldness
Day 6 – My (German) Friendships
Day 7 - My Commitment
Day 8 - My Financial Support
Day 9 - My Discipline
Day 10 - My Faith
Day 11 - My Neighbors
Day 12 - My Neighborhood Shops
Day 13 - My Temptations
Day 14 - My Bible Knowledge
Day 15 - My Spiritual War
Day 16 - My Team
Day 17 - My Facility Needs
Day 18 - My City, Berlin
Day 19 - My Team Unity
Day 20 - My Influence
Day 21 - My Integrity
Day 22 - My Homesickness
Day 23 - My Worship
Day 24 - My Home
Day 25 - My Country, Germany
Day 26 - My Family In The USA
Day 27 - My Decisions
Day 28 - My Encouragement
Day 29 - My Health
Day 30 - My Spiritual Growth
Day 31 - My Willingness to Follow God

Note: Clearly this needs an update, as I am no longer single. Someday, I'll update it.

Vintage Church and Logos!

2009-02-06T22:32:00.003+01:00

Bible Study Magazine and Mars Hill are giving away 20 copies of Mark Driscoll’s new book, Vintage Church. Not only that, but they are also giving away five subscriptions to Bible Study Magazine and a copy of their Bible Study Library software! Enter to win on the Bible Study Magazine Mark Driscoll page, then take a look at all the cool tools they have to take your Bible study to the next level!

21.

2009-02-05T08:44:00.003+01:00

So I've survived 21 years as of today. That means nothing special as an Ozark student, but it's still a birthday. Let's look back:

I've made it through 14.5 years of schooling, plus kindergarten and pre-school.
I've done 2 missions trips, 8 weeks total.
I've been shaped, many times unwillingly.
I've learned patience and love.
I've learned tact (though I don't use it as much as I could.)
I've learned the importance of relationships, especially in connection to the Gospel.
I've seen how the Gospel can change lives and communities.
I've seen how God uses whoever He wants.

I could go on and on about what I've experienced and learned. However, my hopes and prayers are not about what has happened, but about what will happen. Thank you all for your support, and your prayers for whatever work God has planned for me.
Grace and Peace

Happy Christmas!

2008-12-26T04:46:00.002+01:00

Today I spent the day with Dan and Ann Quade's, at their parent's houses. It was truly a blessing. While it sucked not being at home with my family, they reminded me that God's family is so much bigger, and it goes everywhere. Anyway, I hope all was well with you, and that a Happy Christmas was had by all! And now, may you enjoy the closing of the year!

The NMC and a few Ponderings

2008-11-25T04:21:00.003+01:00

So this past weekend (Nov 20-22), I was in Tulsa for the National Missionary Convention. This year's theme was Getting Your Hands Dirty. The primary text used was Jesus' inaugural address, from Luke 4:16-30. To sum it up, Mark Moore said something along the lines of "If your church does not have a heart for the poor and the broken, and if it's not doing something about it, then it is failing at following Christ." (Not a direct quote in the least, but that's the gist.) Pretty powerful, and I definitely agree.
Anyway, while there, I got to reconnect with so many people! Like Rob Maupin, who ruined me for missions about 6 years ago, and Luke Greer, and Matt and Angie Crosser, and Mark and Corinne Wilson, and Matt Wimeth, and the newly married Mr. and Mrs. Tim Bacus, and several others. While the sessions and the workshops were good, the fellowship with friends such as those was the highlight. Also! I got to meet/hang out with people from NMSI. It was good to be able to connect with them and whatnot.
Aside from all that, I am staying in JoMO for this week, due to Sears and Black Friday. (I have the 4:45am-4pm shift! woohoo!) So, Happy Thanksgiving everyone, and happy 14th little bro! I even have a book report and a paper due right after break (well, that's what I've got left of the homework due postbreak.) But anyway... I'll leave you with two links. One to a fellow European missionary's blogpost, titled Myopic Missions. I found it quite interesting (the rest of his blog is interesting too, but this is a recent post.) The other is to FORA.tv. There is a video of a talk given by a former speech writer for President GWB on the Emerging Center of Evangelicalism.
I'm out for now,
Grace and peace.

An Answered Prayer.

2008-10-29T21:49:00.003+01:00

Ok, so I found something out yesterday. I have been accepted to do an apprenticeship in Berlin next school year!! Thank you for your prayers, and support. Unfortunately, I don't have specific training or departure dates at the moment, or even an approximate budget. I was able to talk to the missionary on the phone today, and just talking to him for half an hour makes me want to be there all the more.

Basic things which came up in the convo include these:
Language school: Possible through the Goethe Insitut (goethe.de) or Berlitz (berlitz.us). I'm really liking what Goethe has. It has an 8 week in and out of classroom program which has a very good turn out, apparently. Anyway, things such as that will be ironed out in the coming weeks, as well as what all I will do.
Possible activities for me:

Interacting with the worship team (including tech support. Considering I was Frontline's Video Tech, that should be a cinch.
Hanging out with Ben and Jasmin (the missionaries)
Discussing theology/missiology in the context of Berlin with them.
Learning to navigate Berlin by myself (and doing prayer walks in the process)
Dreaming up possible new programs and whatnot
Manual labor
And just plain living life with people, and loving them.

Anyway...as I learn more details, I'll fill you in. But for now...could you talk to Dad for me on a few bits?
1. Wisdom for those planning out the details and the budget.
2. For me to be able to focus on schoolwork not only the remaining FIVE weeks of the semester, but also all of next semester.

Thanks again.
Grace and peace
Karl

Announcement is closing in...

2008-10-15T07:31:00.004+02:00

So, as I had said in my last post, my NMSI application has been sent to them. Well, the past few weeks they've been on a Triennial Retreat over in Europe with all their missionaries from around the world. So next week, when they get back to the office on the 20th is hopefully when my application will begin to be processed. So, in light of this, PLEASE be praying for God to guide them in whether or not they accept me (of course, I really want to be accepted, but if that's not His will at this moment in time, so be it.)

In other news:

On Oct 16 is another dinner/movie with MSSU's International Club.
Mi madre's birthday is Oct 23! Happy birthday Mom!
Preenrollment begins Oct 27.
My older brother got engaged 2 weeks ago! So, congrats go to Erik and Alana!

So pretty exciting stuff going on...but for now, I'll just leave you with a beseeching for prayer in regards to my Apprenticeship.
Thank you!

NMSI

2008-09-27T01:38:00.005+02:00

Long time no post, yet again.

Today was the last day of the sixth week of school! This year is going so fast. I've been able to hang out with the International Club at MSSU a few times, which has been awesome. I've met some of the Germans, and I love it. (Pray that I can develop lasting friendships!) Aside from that, my job as Cashier at Sear's is going well too. About 15-20 hours a week so far, so not bad. I like it, and I get to practice talking to strangers. (Which is a definite needed skill for European missions.) Then, I've also been getting slammed with project after project. Such is the life of an Ozark student, though.

In other news! As of Thursday, I have officially mailed off/applied to work with NMSI (New Mission Systems International.) In case you haven't heard me talk about it, they are a missions organization with missionaries in Berlin. And I hopefully will do a (school) year long internship with them (the Seidl's.) Please pray for NMSI's wisdom when considering whether or not to accept me, and that everything can go smoothly if I am to be accepted. I'll definitely post an update if I'm accepted (along with info on what all that entails...such as a 8.5 Ft Myers, FL training next summer.)

Anyway, I've got a psych paper to write (by next Thursday. I've at least got the outline done...)

Thanks for lifting me up to Dad.
Much Love
Karl

Enter Junior Year

2008-08-19T23:59:00.004+02:00

Well, as of today, I have officially begun my 5th semester at Ozark. So far today, I've definitely re-entered syllabus shock. Plenty of reading (oi vey. Psychology has way too much!) and other assignments. Anyway..it should be a relatively easy semester, but we shall see. At the other school in town, Missouri Southern, there are 15 German students this semester! I really hope to get to hang out with them. Apparently we also have a German student here at Ozark, but I've yet to meet her, despite everyone informing me of her presence.

Other than that, it's been very good to get back into the close-knit community, and build new friendships with the freshmen and transfer students. Our floor seems to have a good group of guys this semester, so it should be fun. I've had plenty people talk to me about this summer, a few being more interested than others. It's been really great being able to share with them.

Aside from school and hanging out with the Germans at Southern, I'll be working (currently job hunting) in order to pay for school. Could you throw up a word to the Father for me, that 1)I'll get a (decent) job, and 2)I'll be able to work enough to pay for school? It'd be very appreciated.

I think that's about it for now...I'm going to be meeting with my mentor every Saturday, to work on stuff with him, and hopefully get well prepared for my internship next year.
Until the next post...

Greetings from the Mountains

2008-07-26T15:15:00.002+02:00

Hi everyone,
Ever since getting back from Germany, I haven't posted anything on here. I emailed you a week (or two?) ago about my uncle and his bad heart and the coma that doctors put him in. In case you haven't heard, he's out of it, and I'm pretty sure he's on his way to being out of the hospital soon. But please, could you continue praying for his recovery? Thanks!

Anyway, I've been mainly doing odd jobs since being home. Mainly yard work, and also last weekend, and this weekend, I've been at camp working as a dishwasher. As well, I've had the chance to talk to a few at church about my trip, including my youth group! And wow, God is really moving in that youth group. I think it's gone up at least 30 kids since I graduated high school. They took about 35 high schoolers to CIY this summer, and several came back and told me they want to talk about missions work. Specifically in Cambodia, with Rapha House. Praise God for a new generation of workers being raised up! And to think they want me to talk to them about missions...wow. (If you could pray that I am a voice of wisdom for them, I'd deeply appreciate that.)

I've got to run (we're about to serve breakfast) but could you continue to also pray for my internship plans (I'm still trying to figure out how to do my medical insurance for it.)
In Christ,
Karl

The End

2008-07-09T18:43:00.003+02:00

Hallo Jederman! Ich bin nach zu Hause!
Oh wait... America...English...sorry. I'm home again, and so far, so good. Our last party was cool, but none of the readers came, so that was sad. Other than that, I don't have much to report about from the last week in Germany. The flights home were good, and there weren't too many layovers. We had debriefing in Dallas, and that was good to do. I'm not sure what else to say for right now, so I'll just end here, and say thanks to everyone for their support, encouragement, and most importantly, prayers!
Sometime in the next week or two, I may post one of those really long posts that goes through the whole trip, but I don't know. I might just wait til I see you, and if you're interested, just ask!

Anyway, here's a few more prayer requests:

For follow up with the Readers to go well.
For my internship plans.

Ok, I'm out for now, so once again, thank you very much for everything!

English Service (and more)

2008-07-01T09:28:00.004+02:00

This past Saturday, I was able to go to the Harz Mountains afterall! (I missed my first chance due to sickness, but Randy, Tim, and I were able to go hiking this Saturday, and you can see pictures starting here.)

On Sunday, we had an English Service for church. There was an occasional German song, and most of the announcements and prayers were in German, but aside from that, we tried to do it in English. It was pretty cool, and even one lady I had been working with was able to come. She brought her two children, and so they asked her lots of questions during the service apparently. Hopefully she'll be able to return and get connected with the church members. She has lots of questions about the Bible and Christianity, with which I hope they can help her. (Pictures are here.)

Today will be my last day (at least for this trip...) to play soccer with the guys at the Burgschule. I'm hoping we'll be able to swap contact info, so when I return, we can go grab something to eat or drink and talk. (Pray for this, please?)

Thursday is our last party! And since it's July 3rd, we're having of a 4th of July party, on the 3rd. Pray that lots and lots of people will show up, please? We're really hoping to get people connected to the church members, so they can see what it's like being in a relationship with Christ.

On Friday is Freishiessen. Basically, it used to be a celebration where the winner of a shooting contest didn't have to pay his taxes for the whole year. Now, it's only your auto taxes that you can get out of, but still, that's a pretty good deal. Anyway, on Friday night, the 4th of July, there's going to be fireworks here! We'll get to celebrate Independence Day! Haha.

This will probably be the last post I do before we leave for home, so thanks for all your prayers and your encouragement. Can you please pray for the above things, as well as:

Continued team unity
Safe travel home (and no airport security issues.)
My internship (hopefully July 2009 - June 2010.)

2 Weeks

2008-06-24T13:12:00.003+02:00

Well, sad news. We only have two weeks left here in Germany, and then we fly home! It stinks, since that means we have to leave our new friends that we've met and got to know over the past month. Hopefully, when we return (not only do I plan to return for my internship, but David and Amanda plan to return to live here permanently as well) we can meet back up with the people we've got to know on this trip. The people I've been able to help have all been very nice, and their English is much better than any of them think, I believe. However, once we leave, I'm not sure how much English they'll get to use. I suppose the siblings could just talk to each other (but they're siblings, so who knows if that will happen...) Bernd will be taking another class from Katy, so I guess that's where he'll get his English. And then there's Tangnyun (a lady originally from Korea, but her husband and her moved back to Germany in 2000, since he was from Germany.) I'm hoping someone in the Christusgemeinde will be able to connect with her, so that she can continue working on her English, and she also has lots of questions about the Bible and Christianity in general.

Anyway, not too much left to do here in these last 2 weeks, but I'm sure we'll keep occupied. Here's some prayer requests that could help keep you occupied:

Continued team unity.
Connections to be made between our readers, like Tangnyun, and the church members, for further help in English and whatnot.
Our party this Thursday...Oldie's Night! (Ice cream floats will be served, I believe.)

Thanks for everything!
PS There's more pictures from Hannover and elsewhere on my picasa web album!

Finally Better!

2008-06-17T08:58:00.003+02:00

Ever sleep for 14+ hours a day? Well I just did that on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Ya, last week was not good in regards to my health. Thankfully, I'm finally better! I was even able to eat an actual meal last night and keep it down, and then after that, I went to the public viewing of Deutschland vs Austria. (Deutschland won, of course!) So first off, thanks for your prayers Second, please pray that something like that does not occur again. :)

Oh ya, since I was sick, I didn't get to journey to the Harz Mountains with my host family and their parents, who took David and Amanda. So maybe David and Amanda have pictures from that...

Anyway, since I've been out of it for most of the week, I'm not sure what to actually write about. Maybe about last Tuesday, when I got to go play soccer with the boys at the Burgschule, which was pretty fun, and I get to do the same this afternoon as well. I just need to lighten up my kicks (they're not all high schoolers.)

I really can't think of anything else, besides how sick I've been with headaches since past Tuesday to actually write about. How about future plans? Well, aside from this afternoon's soccer practice, I do plan to go to the Peine museum with Regina this afternoon. After that, I need to get back, clean up, and be ready for one of my readers to get here at 7 tonight.

A view of the weekend (hopefully) is a trip to Hannover! €27 is how much the ticket will cost, so if anyone is feeling generous... (yes, the 3 of us will be splitting it, but still, €9 is worth about $15!)

I think this is all I can fill in for the time being, so I hope your week goes way better than my last week!

The Refreshing Rain

2008-06-03T19:50:00.004+02:00

I'm not sure how many of you have been following the weather up here in Germany, but in and around Peine, it's been about 27 - 30 Degrees! Now, if only that was Fahrenheit, because it's not. That's Celcius, and so it's actually been about 80+ degrees. Add in about 60%+ humidity, and no air conditioning (Germans apparently don't believe in A/C) and you've got our conditions. Anyway, just now, God sent a beautiful rain storm, and it's cooled it down to about 20C (below 70F.) So this is a welcome downpour!

Anyway, I decided to update a few days early due to myself feeling under the weather (if you'll pardon the pun.) I woke up this morning with a headache and a sore throat. So for an urgent prayer request, please pray that I get better asap. (Note to my mom (and the various women who take care of me so well), I've taken ibuprofen, I'm getting enough rest, and enough water.) Tonight I was supposed to have a meeting with a guy at 7pm, but due to his wife's auto not passing emissions today, he could not come. So I've got some rest thanks to that.

As for my other readers, I met with one at 3pm today. She's 17 and attends the Ratsgymnasium (basically highschool). She speaks english well enough, but she'd like to improve her vocabulary. Her brother is 15, and he's a little shy, but I found out he loves soccer. And considering the upcoming EuroCup, we will definitely have stuff to talk about. Yesterday morning, I met with a woman who is originally from South Korea. She met her husband, who is from Germany, while he was working there, and in 2000 (2001?) they moved to Germany. She used to use english all the time, for work, but since moving, she hasn't had any need of it. So she'd like to refresh it.

I'm going to go lay back down now, so I'll leave you with some prayer requests.

My headache/sore throat to go away.
More readers to sign up soon.
Continued team unity.
We're going to the Burgschule on Thursday. We'll talk to some students about helping them with english.

Thanks!
Much Love
Karl

Spelling Errors

2008-05-28T09:39:00.001+02:00

Sometimes, stuff just seems funny. Take this sign for instance. I saw it, and knew I had to post it online. I mean, they can't even spell mispel! Ok, sorry. Too early in the morning and too soon after breakfast for me to even attempt to make jokes.

Here in Peine, it's been amazing. Well, technically we're in a village called Stederdorf. It's a beautiful little place, with green trees, colourful flowers, and awesome people. I've gone on several walks around the area, and I love it. Peine is nearby, about 5 minutes by car, and it's pretty cool too, but I haven't seen much of it yet.

Last night we had our two information meetings. Prior to our arrival, the church had put up advertisements in the paper and around town about LST, and about the info meetings. Unfortunately, for the first one, only 3 people showed up, and for the second one, only 2 people showed up. The good news, though, is that all 5 of them signed up for times to work with us! Aside from them, we also had 3 men sign up from when David, Amanda, and I went to visit Randy and Katy's language classes. So altogether, we have 8 signed up thus far.

On Monday I might go with Johannes, whose parents are hosting me for the first 3 weeks, to his high school. He'll talk to his teachers today about if that's alright, and if it is, I'll come in as a visitor, and explain what I'm doing (helping people practice their conversational english.)

I'm not sure what else to tell you for now, so I'll leave you with some requests:

That we have little to no culture shock.
That we are able to get more readers.
That I'm able to go with Johannes and talk to his classmates.
Continued team unity.

Thanks,
Viel Lieb
Karl

April Showers Bring May ...Hail?

2008-05-22T18:40:00.004+02:00

Yes, I just watched it hail. It's May, and New Mexico, and it just hailed. Not to mention just yesterday we got above 90°. Man I love this state.

Anyway, I leave in less than a day! I am a mix of emotions. I am psyched about going, sad about leaving, anxious because I'm the team accountant, and so on. Really, I just can't wait to see how God will use us.

He definitely used me last night. I was asked by my youth minister to talk to the youth group about my trip. I really had no idea what I would say, or if I could even talk past 5 minutes. However, the next thing I knew, I was being asked a final question. Apparently I spoke for over 25 minutes. I really enjoyed getting to speak to the youth about the trip and about missions in general, specifically European/German missions. They were really respectful, and for the most part, we actually stayed on track (yes, we got derailed a few times, but not too bad.)

I need to get some stuff done today...like finish packing, getting the rest of my essentials (body wash, deodorant, etc), and possibly contacting my teammates to make sure there's nothing else I need to worry about getting.

So as I go about doing this, could you please pray?

Continued wisdom in all areas (packing, travelling, etc)
Good travelling weather
No sleeping in tomorrow morning (Have to be at the airport at 4am!)
Team Strengthening/Unity

With that, I bid you adieu. The next update will be from Germany!
Mit Lieb,
Karl

Home!

2008-05-18T01:52:00.004+02:00

Don't you love getting home? Sure, it may take 10.5 hours to get home (if you take less than 15 minutes worth of stops) but hey, it's home! I love the southwest. Especially New Mexico. We have hills, canyons, deserts, forests, mountains, and everything. Dry weather. Beautiful, unending views (yes, visibility of over 50 miles is normal.) Basically, it just is amazing. If it looks like this after the fall, can you imagine how it looked like before?

Anyway, I will be home from now until 4am on next Friday. At that point, I shall be taken (hopefully with everything necessary for the trip...and nothing unnecessary) to the Albuquerque Sunport. Then, at 6am, I shall begin my venture! Oh how I cannot wait!

In the meantime, can you please pray for the following?

Packing wisdom
Final preparations go smoothly (i.e. Getting Verizon to put my phone on hold until I get back, getting the banks to not freeze my cards when they see me use them in Germany, etc.)
Continued team growth
More prayer support!!

Viel Danken
Karl

P.S. I've begun a new blog: Here. I'm currently experimenting with it, since it's WordPress. I like it, but I also like Blogspot. So I don't know, I may just have two separate blogs. This one for ministry updates for my missions update list (speaking of which, leave a comment if you'd like on it!) and the other for more regular updates. We shall see. For now, mi madre is cooking something, so I'm going to "investigate." Ciao.

Death.

2008-05-15T14:24:00.004+02:00

Please pray for The Wilmeth family, for the passing of their grandma.
Please pray for Massi's fiance and their families. He passed away this morning at 10am Italy time.
(Massi was the man with the bone marrow problem I mentioned awhile back. He lived in Ancona.)

1 Corinthians 15:55:
"O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?"

1, 2, 3, 4, Done.

2008-05-06T20:43:00.004+02:00

1 Project
2 Tests
3 Class days
4 Finals

I'm not sure about you, but I'm ready to reach the "done" mark for the semester. It has been a long one, and I'm ready for some rest. Which is funny considering that (might I add to the list?) I will have only 5 Days at home before Germany. 17 Days from now, I'll be on my way to Deutschland! Finally, after much expectation and planning, my first trip to Germany!

Could you pray for these things?

Spiritual health/growth.
Continued focus on the project/tests/finals at hand.
Final preparations for the trip.
Continued team growth.

Thanks for everything!
Karl

PS If you'd like to be put on my update list, just tell me.

T minus 35 days!

2008-04-19T17:15:00.002+02:00

Nearing the end of school is a great feeling, but it's also filled with stress. Oh how I cannot wait to be done with all my book reports, exegeticals, required readings, and other assignments. Then come the dreaded finals, and then... rest. Well, sorta. For me, I get 6 days of rest, and then lift off! My grandma (who is a bit of a world traveler herself) has graciously got me a ticket with her FF Miles to go from Albuquerque to OK City, instead of having to drive all the way there. There's one downside.... it leaves at 6:10 AM! At least I should get there on time with no worries. :)

Since I'm in the process of studying for an exam next week and taking notes on books that are due back by... tomorrow (?!), this will stay short. But first, would you go to the Father for my team and I on a few things?

Continued growth as a team. We're almost through the Training Workbook, but the end of that cannot come sooner.
Wisdom on what needs to be done and by when it needs to be done.
That the end of the semester will go smoothly, and all travel plans will happen.

Thanks,
Mit Lieb
Karl

Itinerary of the Accountant

2008-04-07T01:40:00.005+02:00

We received our flight itinerary. Here's our basic flight schedule: Leave on May 23rd from OK City at 4:38pm, and arrive in Houston at 6:04pm. Then, we leave Houston four hours later at 9:55, and arrive in Paris at 2:25pm on May 24th. After 5 hours in Paris, we leave at 7:15pm and arrive in Hannover at 8:45pm.

Thankfully we won't have to wait too long before going to bed when we arrive in Hannover, so that should help with our jet lag. But before we worry about any flights or whatnot, we have another team training weekend coming up. It's in Wellington, KS, and it's only for Friday night until Saturday afternoon. We'll be working on doing lessons, as well as parties ('social events'), and also information for the team accountants. Guess who my team's accountant is? Me. Heh...this should be fun. Good thing God has gifted me with a knack for mathematics, otherwise this would probably not turn out well. Anyway, I will be keeping track of all the money we spend in Germany, including exchange costs, daily food and transportation costs, and who knows what else. Yay! Really though, it should be fun.

Seeing as how we're only 4 weeks from being done with classes, 5 weeks from being done with finals, and 6 weeks until we're on our way to Germany, I've got several emotions running through my body. First, I'm incredibly excited. I am finally getting to be in Germany! This is awesome. Second, I'm nervous. Thoughts such as "What if we're not ready?" "What if we forget something?" "What if I lose the money!?" "What if I push someone away from the church?" and countless other frets are flying through my head. Oi. Third, I can hardly think about schoolwork. It's almost like senioritis, where you are so close to graduation that you have lost almost all your will to do homework, except for me, instead of graduation, it's Germany.

Anyway, sorry for the long post, but I thought you'd like to know what's happening. If you could, please pray for:

Wisdom with the accounting
Calming of nerves
Focusing of the mind on the present task (finishing with good grades.)
Continued growth as a team

As always, thanks for everything.

PS I'm still accepting donations if you'd like to either a)send me with some spending money or b)give me money for my internship which will be at the same church, but from June 2009 - July 2010. If you'd like to donate, leave a comment on this post.

An Update.

2008-03-21T05:49:00.003+01:00

Well, let's see. How do I put this? Plain and simple, straight to the point, no bars held, no beating around the bush? Or shall I do just the opposite, and make you scratch your heads wondering what in the world to what I might be alluding? Oh what the heck. 100%!! Yes, I'm at 100% funding for this summer! Hallelujah! Rejoice, for God is good!

In other news, I'm nearing the end of a very restful (if not unproductive in terms of catching up on reading) Spring Break. My church is doing a Living Last Supper tomorrow night (well, they did one tonight, but I decided to attend a Maundy Thursday Mass at a local Catholic church.) I've heard it's a really well done job.

Please continue praying for my team's preparations for the summer, mentally and spiritually. Also, Missouri and the midwest in general is having flooding problems right now, so please keep that in mind.

Thank you for EVERYTHING!

Ready for it??

2008-03-07T04:36:00.004+01:00

I've passed the 3 Grand Mark! I'm officially at $3058.35! Thank you to everyone that has helped thus far. Please keep praying for God's miraculous provision. Next Friday is Spring Break, and I look forward to seeing many of you. Maybe we can talk about my 2009-2010 Internship! Ok...maybe that's just a bit early. But really, Hallelujah! God certainly provides for His children.

I should get back to reading (as always, it seems.) So I'll leave you with this short post.
Have a good night!
Karl

Beautiful Feet

2008-02-26T18:12:00.007+01:00

This past weekend, I was given the opportunity to travel down to Ft. Worth for a weekend of homeless ministry at a place called Beautiful Feet. It's a ministry specifically to the homeless in Ft. Worth, and it's doing amazing things. They go out on the streets with a big old school bus, and pick up the people, and bring them back, feed them, clothe them, feed them spiritually, and then take them back.

We (I went with College Heights' College Age group...which is amazing in itself) also got to play for 2-3 hours on Saturday with about 75 Somalian refugee kids. My current profile pic on here is of a young boy named Fallim and me. He was so awesome! And here are some others:

This little girl ran up to me, asking me to spin her around, and so I did. After that, we went to play duck duck goose, and every time I picked someone, and then got to sit back down, she came over and sat down next to me. It was...dare I say it?...cute.

And here's another pic of Fallim!

In other news, I'm now at 75%, with only $900 left to raise!
Praise God!

Ice, ice, and more ice.

2008-02-20T16:11:00.004+01:00

First we get sent home early last semester because of a destructive ice storm. Then in January, we had a pretty rough bout with more ice. And just last week we had more ice. And the forecast tells of yet more coming tomorrow. Will it ever end? I suppose I find this more enjoyable than the overwhelming humidity during all non-winter months, but it's still tiring. Yet we march onwards...

For a quick update on fundraising: My page shows 2416, but a friend will be donating $300 once they get paid, and another friend is still saving up money that they will donate sometime in March. I'm suspecting that this will leave me at $500 remaining! My bones can almost not handle the excitement at being that close. I love it.

This morning, I called Marcus, in Ancona, and talked to him for about 25 minutes. It was really encouraging to talk to a fellow European missionary. After exchanging some prayer requests, we said "ciao" and I ran off to 7am Apologetics. One prayer request that is very urgent is one of the Ancona church members has something wrong with his bone marrow, and it's gotten even worse. Please pray for miraculous healing!

Old...so old.

2008-02-06T14:28:00.000+01:00

I turned 20 yesterday. So that means:

I'm no longer a teenager.
I'm halfway up the hill.
I think that's all that 20 offers.

Anyways, I'm only $54 short of 70%! I get goosebumps just thinking about how close that is to the goal. In order to curb my overwhelming desires to get straight to the summer, I've started watching a Vodcast (video podcast) called "RTL Aktuell", which is a 20 minute summary of the days news from Koln (which is 3 hours southwest of Peine). I can't understand more than 10% of it, but it's helping with my pronunciations.

Anyways, that's all for now.
Thanks for everything!

14% + 14 Days = 60%?!

2008-01-24T19:40:00.000+01:00

Yes. You read that right. In 14 days, God has provided in leaps and bounds. Through just a handful of supporters, He has brought me over the halfway mark, with time to spare! When I saw my funds go $300 over 50%, I could hardly keep it in. As I have sung out on many joyous occasions before, I sung out yet again:

Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;

Praise Him, all creatures here below;

Praise Him above, ye Heavenly Host;

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

And to think, I only have $1400 left to raise, and only four more months to wait until my first, and hopefully not near the last, venture to Germany! I can barely contain myself. Joy abounds in me! May our great Provider be praised!

And all the people said "Amen!"

14%!

2008-01-07T02:07:00.000+01:00

Greetings from Boatman 104!
I finally was able to move back into the dorm today. I've got most of my stuff set up, but I still have clothes to hang up, and books to rearrange for this coming semesters books. As I glance up at my bookshelves, I can clearly see something must be moved. But that's not important. Right now, what's important is deadlines.

Oh yes, the joy of deadlines. Not just any deadlines, mind you. Rather, these are financial deadlines, for missions. My 6 week trip to Germany this summer has one penny short of $500, as of right now. February 1st is when I need half of the $3500 for the trip, meaning I need to raise $1250 in just 3 weeks. April 1st is when the 2nd half is due.

Please, prayerfully consider going to my donation page, and let the Spirit do the number pushing. In the meanwhile, I have a week long Creation and Science course for 8 hours a day this week which will consume most of my time. Whenever I have a little free time, though, I will be revising my support letter.

Until then, I bid you adieu.
In His Service,
Karl

Er ist tot.

2007-12-23T02:40:00.000+01:00

My uncle is gone. He passed away about 4:15pm today. Please pray for our family, especially my Aunt Ann. This is two uncles I have lost, the other died December 2001.

Finals...

2007-12-07T23:47:00.000+01:00

Well, I've got one more week left! Here's what school work awaits me:
1. Bible Lands and Lifeways (online class) - 8 pages of map work
2. BLL - 5 Lessons to take notes on
3. Manuscript Sermon on Revelation 21-22 (This = my final for Homiletics. It's due by 5pm Tuesday.)
4. Principles Final - Wednesday
5. Life of Christ 4 Final - Thursday
6. BLL Final - Friday, but I'll take it before then so I don't have to take stuff home.

Oh...and a book for Principles.

Then...the long awaited Christmas break. I've got homework over it, but I'll wait 'til it comes to think about that.

Off to dinner. Ciao.

Ahh...home.

2007-11-18T01:19:00.000+01:00

After 14 hours of being in a car, I am finally home! I got in between 2 and 3 this morning, and due to how much I slept on the way back, I was wide awake. So I drove around the 'burque for about 30 minutes, getting some stuff at Wally World, picked up 2 Green Chile Double Cheeseburgers at Mickey D's, and revelled in the street signs that make sense, not to mention speed limits that make sense (as opposed to the speed limit on Joplin's Main St being 20 mph!) Anyways, I had a real breakfast burrito this morning, and it was absolutely amazing. I had it smothered in real green chile. Just glorious.

Anyways, I'm home until Sunday/Monday (after the holiday), so I'll be enjoying my break, for the most part. I unfortunately have 4 books to read (about 300 pages total, (maybe 400 pages).) I also have a sermon brief to write, and I need to memorize Mark 16 by Thursday the 29th. Also on the schedule is doing massive fund raising and support letter (re)writing. Speaking of this, I have some unfortunate news. Due to America's dollar continuing to drop in value, especially in regards to the Euro, my trip next summer has gone up in price. I must now raise $3500 ($200 more.)

Please pray that all the funds come in on time (I have $385 right now), as well as for all the missionaries currently in Europe, who rely on support from the states. I know several missionaries who are in the states right now, and this is a very real issue.

Thanks for everything! Enjoy the holiday!

Exegetical Done!

2007-11-07T16:05:00.001+01:00

Well, one huge project done (my Life of Christ 4 Exegetical Paper), and it feels good. Except this coming 10 days are going to be extremely busy:

Seminar this weekend
Sermon over 2 Samuel 6 next Tuesday
Principles of Interpretation project due next Thursday
Get packed for Thanksgiving Break

And I have to go to work for at least 10 hours each week. Oi vey!

Please continue praying for support, both spiritual and financial!

A Good Friday Indeed

2007-10-27T23:10:00.000+02:00

Yesterday afternoon, from 3:30-5:15ish, I played a pickup game of soccer with about 14 other guys. I haven't played an actual team game for...well, too long. Not only was this a break from endless studies, but it helped me remember that Jesus came to give us a life, "and have it to the full." (John 10:10).

But I digress. I have gathered about 11 books to work on my Life of Christ term paper, countless books to finish my Principles Project, more books to do a sermon brief due Tuesday, 4 books for my online class, and more and more books. In other words, I must leave you now, and continue toiling with academia.

Auf wiederschreiben! (Goodbye!)

RawTalk - Hardcore Christians Go Gaming

2007-10-20T17:58:00.000+02:00

God's funny. I started listening to the Christian rock radio station from back home (www.m88.org) this week, via the internet. As I was doing homework, they were talking about their recent RawTalk episode, from October 14th. It was about Christians using the gaming world as a ministry! The irony could not escape me: The week I decide to start listening to it, is the week that they spoke about something I want to do! So I'm sharing this with you, for those of you that may have qualms about me opening a video game center as ministry, or maybe you just want to know more.
You can either download the mp3 here: MediaFire
or go to the RawTalk page, and download from the website. On the list, it's under October 14, topic is Hardcore Christians Go Gaming, and you just click the arrow (under "Get), to download it.

Also, feel free to share with anyone!
Thanks for your support!
Karl

Visitor from Italy

2007-10-14T01:36:00.000+02:00

So the last time I wrote, I told you how Josh Furnal and I hung out for a little bit while he was in town. Well, last night, I got to go to Buffalo Wild Wings with Marcus Van Dorn! Those two guys are awesome. As a single guy, preparing for the field, they are incredibly encouraging to me, with how they able to serve as single men.

I have a lot of homework (still!), so I must get back, but I just thought I'd share that tidbit with you. Also, I have updated support letters! If you'd like a copy in print, email me your address, and I'll mail you one. If you would like to view one online (which you yourself could just print off...), here it is:
Page one
Page two
Note: You may have to zoom in to read it.

LATM and Seminar

2007-09-22T15:14:00.000+02:00

Good morning! I decided now would be a good time to write a little update on my job thus far, as well as tell about the seminar in which I am.

To start off, my job at LATM has been amazing! Well, I did have to inventory their stock of 40,000 books, cds, and tracts, but other than that, I love it! There are times when Phil and Ralph start speaking en español. Then I just try and pick up on whatever I can, which tends to go fairly well, considering I lived in Nuevo México all my life, aside from the time I've been in JoMo. As far as what I've been doing at work, I fold up and put into envelops thank you letters, do organizational stuff, and currently my main work is the new website, which hopefully will be up and running within the semester.

The seminar of which I spoke is Preparation for Cross Cultural Missions, which is a prereq for missions internships. It was all afternoon yesterday, all day today, and then another weekend in November. It pretty much outlines all the basics (and then some!) that you should know, in a massive notebook that has over 300 pages (well, they're not numbered, that's just what I'm guessing.) Everything we've covered so far I learned in Foundations for Missions, Missions Ministry in the Church, and Perspectives of the World Christian Movement. It's been good to have the knowledge refreshed, though.

That's all I can think of for now.
Keep me in prayer, mainly because I have only $130 out of $3300 needed, but also my workload. I need to find someone that will let me borrow their car on Sundays, so I can go to early service at church, and then spend the rest of the day at MSSU's Library (since OCC's is closed on Sunday.)

Beautiful Revelations

2007-09-08T07:23:00.000+02:00

I'm heading into the fourth week of my sophomore year here at Ozark, and it's been pretty good. I've gotten into the swing of things, with a very full semester ahead of me. I've been talking about a lot of stuff, to a guy who lived in Cyprus for the past year, and who's now back in the dorm. Specifically, once I graduate, what will I do on the mission field?

Well, he brought up some ideas that I had never even contemplated before! They were, as I have dubbed this update, "beautiful revelations." He asked what exactly are my passions. I told him soccer, and computers. I explained how I really don't want to teach English as a missionary. That's just not what I want to do, and I can serve God better by doing things at which I'm talented, and for which I have a passion. He said I should consider coaching soccer. However, I haven't played soccer in four years, so I don't think that would work very well, especially if I wish to make a living, or some level of support for myself.

This out of the way, we then moved to computers. He said that perhaps I should start a computer store, or repair shop in Germany. Well...that could work, but I'm not nearly as computer savvy as I would need to be in order to establish a business such as that. But! I have always loved computer games. And when I was home this summer for break, I learned of a new place in Albuquerque. It's called Ninja Monkey Gaming Center. Basically, they have 24 or so computers, an Xbox 360, a Nintendo Wii, and a PlayStation3, along with beverages (mostly energy drinks,) and plenty of snacks. Long story short, I want to start one in Germany!

Just like the Apostle Paul made tents to support himself, a fire burns within me start a gaming center in Germany. By doing this, I would not only be establishing a visible reason for my presence, but I would also be making a living. However, I have no idea the costs to start such a center... Good news, though!

First, I have a job! I'm going to be an Office Intern at Literature and Teaching Ministries for the school year. It's 10-15 hours/week, at $7/hour. The majority of this money will go for next year's trip to Germany, which the cost has gone up to $3300 (instead of $3200.) Speaking of the trip, I have a new link for online donation. Here it is!

The other good news is that I have at least four years until I get to the field, or am even ready to start planning such a business venture. I have to finish this year, and then go on my six-week trip to Peine, Germany. After that is my junior year, which will be followed by an internship, (also in Peine,) which will cost approximately $16000 after the exchange rate. (PLEASE PRAY FOR SUPPORT!) This will be followed by my senior year, and if needed, I'll do another semester to graduate with a Bachelor of Christian Ministry with the double major of Bible and Missions. But it doesn't end there. I think I should get at least a certificate in Business Administration, and possibly Computer Technology, before starting the center. That adds another semester, if not another year to that (a year or two if I decide to get an Associates Degree in either of those.)

As you can see, I have a long road ahead of me. I need a lot of prayer, and a lot of financial support. Please consider giving to my trip next summer ($1650 needed by February, and the other $1650 due by April,) my internship, and the possible gaming center.

I truly thank you for reading all the way to the end of this very lengthy update! I'm now going to bed.

May God bless you in your life, so that you may bless the nations.

Karl

P.S. I got to hang out with Josh Furnal, one of the missionaries to Italy, today! He was in town doing fundraising, and so I got to hang out with him for half an hour. It was refreshing.

Dual praise!

2007-09-05T21:09:00.000+02:00

First off- My cousin is back home, and is safe! Thanks for praying!
Second- A job at LATM for which I got interview last week, I just was called about. I've got the job! YES! 10-15 hours/week, $7/hour, $70-100/week = $400/month = money for Germany! Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

Cousin ran away...please pray

2007-09-01T05:41:00.000+02:00

This isn't related to my trip, but it's my family, so it's even more important.
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My mom forwarded this to me. My cousin's son ran away Thursday afternoon.
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Chuck and I need prayer for our 15 year old son. He ran away yesterday at 1PM. He was caught not doing school work and when confronted, rather than admitting his sin, he blamed the family for failing him and left in a tantrum. He is on a mountain bike. We live near Tramway and Comanche. He contacted 1 friend from the Office Depot on San Mateo and

I-25 to help fix a tire. He called us last night at 5:30 from a pay phone on Kirtland saying he was leaving on a bus for Colorado (not sure why Colorado). Please send this out to anyone that will pray for him or else that might see him. He is in APD's system and on the National Run Away list.

Kurik Brown 5'8
White/ Anglo
Red/ blonde hair and blue eyes.
He is built well, physically fit in appearance.
On a silver and black mountain bike.
Last heard from on Kirtland AFB.

Thank you. If anyone sees him, they can call 242-COPS or call Chuck and I..
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He needs help, and right now only God knows where he is (physically and spiritually.) So please pray.

Update/Report/Thing

2007-08-05T08:22:00.000+02:00

I'm posting this to plead for support. I know I trust God to provide, but I don't think God wants me to expect Him to have no cooperation from me in this fundraising business. So please if you feel led to give, please do so! To do a tax deductable, online donation, go here: http://www.lst.org/2007projects/reisenkarls .

Thanks so much, and God bless!

Shameless plug for a friend!

2007-05-14T01:16:00.000+02:00

This is a book written by one of the missionaries that I met in Italy. He's awesome, and you should buy his book! I would, except...I'm money-less.

Possibly...

2007-04-30T16:32:00.000+02:00

We may have found our 4th team member!

Preparations...support..all that jazz...

2007-04-25T10:24:00.001+02:00

Alrighty, I was hoping to get some major support from someplace, but unfortunately that's not going to work out. So, I'm definitely going to be doing a lot of letter writing this summer!

Support...if you'd like to help me in any of these areas:
1. Moral Support (Pretty much encouragement prefield, on the field, and when I return.)
2. Logistic Support (Handling details, not really needed for this trip. Maybe for my internship.)
3. Financial Support (Second most important support, other than prayer. Other than that, self-explanatory.)
4. Prayer Support (PLEASE pray!*)
5. Communication Support (Help me to stay in touch with America. For this trip, email will have to do. For my internship, snail mail would be really comforting.)

*Challenges that I may face that you could pray for:
-Physical
-Professional
-Financial
-Cultural
-Social
-Linguistic
-Educational
-National/Political
-Spiritual

Umm...also, Reentry support. But of course, you could just read The Reentry Team by Neal Pirolo, and learn all about that. Of course, that's also where I got these 2 lists. (Yes. I enjoyed it. And I hope someone close to me takes the time to read it.)

What else....umm....it poured here for about 12 hours or so. I played mud football. My shorts and shirt look like I rolled in the mud. Which I did. And it was amazing. And now, to bed!

Mixed responses

2007-04-18T00:53:00.001+02:00

I'm getting some mixed responses about whether or not I can start raising support. I'm told by some that I should start raising support. Others are telling me to wait until June. So for now, if you want to donate, go here. If you want to wait until June, that is fine too. I will make sure to update everyone on when I know that I officially can start raising support.

Of course, that is just the financial side of support. If you are willing to support me with prayer (which no agency nor person can stop me from asking for that type of support!), please do so!

Also, if you would like to be on my newsletter list (which will basically be me putting the blog in an email, and also having a link to the blog,) just tell me in someway, preferably by leaving a comment on here.

Thank you! Off to class now.

Missouri Christian Convention

2007-04-15T16:50:00.000+02:00

Considering how this is my blog for my travels, I guess that would include Friday/Saturday's trip to Springfield for the Missouri Christian Conventions. Frontline was to play in the teen sessions. Unfortunately, we didn't get to leave the school until Friday at 10am, and so we got there at 12:30ish. Now you see, this wouldn't have been much of a problem. Except the part where the first session was at 3! We had to set everything up in 2.5 hours. This usually is not a problem. Except this time, we had to use our projector and our screen.

In steps trouble. That stupid who knows how much it cost projector. We got it set up, but it was really blurry. So we moved it back about 10feet. It helped a little, but not really. We mess around with it for an HOUR and get it so it's at least not blurry. At least not blurry? What else was wrong with it, you might ask. Well, the fact that it only showed a quarter of the screen!! The upper left part of the stuff I was projecting. It was zoomed into that section of it, somehow.

This is where I have to calm myself in speech, because once I was able to sit down after the opening session, and try to fix it, it was fixed in 5 seconds. However, this guy that we're training for next year, he wouldn't move so I could fix it before the show!! AHHHH!!

Ok, and then during one of the sessions, the projector decided something on it's own. No joke, it SHUT OFF during one of the session! AH!

Then, we were going to Pizza Hut, and as I get out of the passenger seat, and everyone else was getting out of the back of the bus, a cup falls out. I bend over to pick it up before it blows away, and I stand back up. Right under the bus mirror. Can you say OW! I seriously thought I was going to black out. Those people mover mirrors feel like concrete coated in hard plastic! My knees instantly buckled, and so I just stayed crouching for about 5 minutes. The waitress was really nice though, so that made up for it.

After that, we went to it. It? Yes. It. The Bass Pro Shop of Springfield. The Granddaddy of them all! It's the second time I've been there, but it is so amazing! That also helped make the trip better.

There were some other technical issues, mostly in my video department, but I don't feel like recalling them all. Matt Proctor was the speaker, and so that was cool. On the way back, we stopped at Fuddruckers for dinner. Pizza Hut and Fuddruckers (and Bass Pro!) in one day? Can it get any better than that? I submit that it cannot!

But. On one final note. No matter how horrid of a trip it was, there is one redeeming factor: the knowledge that somehow, in someway, God will use it.

Italy Picture Links

2007-04-11T22:01:00.000+02:00

Since this is my trip blog, I figured I'd add links to my web albums for Italy. The links are on the left side, under "Links of Importance." Also, here's my trip summary, for those that haven't read it yet:

The first two days, we toured Rome, and I got to stand in the Colosseum, St Peter's Basilica, the Roman Forum, the Pantheon, and many other famous structures. As a history buff, I was ecstatic, elated, and ebullient all at once. Oh, I also got to stand in the prison that Paul and Peter were kept in! After Rome, we went to Ancona, and the following is what happened:

God opened my eyes to a lot of things, like the importance of relationship building, especially in that culture. One of the main things we did, other than hanging out with the Italians and helping with english lessons, was prayer walks. Although we didn't do any manual labor, the prayer walks gave an opportunity for us to feel like we were doing something. Also, the coffee house we hosted and video game party outreach were both incredibly successful, with bigger turnouts than ever before (21 Italians, and 28 Italians, respectively.) The trip also helped to relight my passion for Germany. Several Italians (in broken English) asked what I was going to do after college, and I told them be a missionary in Germany. A few said that they didn't like Germans because they're mean and cold people. So I hope I can help to change that.

Please pray for the ministry of La Via (the name of the facility the missionaries use), for the missionaries and their families as they build relationships with the Italians, and also for the Italians hearts to be softened.

Oops

2007-04-10T16:53:00.000+02:00

I made the mistake of having my blog set to German, but then I realized that's no bueno. Especially since most of my readers are Americans who speak English.

New Blog

2007-04-10T03:36:00.000+02:00

So I just set up a new blog, so that I can post of my exploits. Mainly to Germany (i.e. Peine!) I will keep everyone updated on my fund raising (which I found out that with LST, it can be tax deductible!), as well as other aspects of the trips. I will especially keep this updated while overseas. I have to get back to homework right now, but I'll try to update this semi-regularly.

I'll also try updating the profile and also the links and other stuff on here.

Ciao (or rather, Auf wiedersehen!)

ps The blog title "Ramblings of a Madman" is a joke with an Italian I met named Francesco. Oh, he's also written a book btw, so go buy it from him! Or through me! It's only $20!!!