Jul
19
It’s one thing to hear about how a country is…and another to experience it first hand. Before arriving to Belgium, I had an idea of how this country would feel about God and religion. We even had Brad, AIA staff in Germany, come and share more about how Europe perceives church. It wasn’t until I saw the pain in our hostel owner’s eyes did I begin to understand the depth of hurt.
Europeans have been bruised by the church. The church, meaning the people. Here, the church has taken advantage of the people – spending money on building beautiful buildings, allowing people to sin as long as they pay a tax and literally abusing them.
One night, as always, we were sitting on the huge couch in our hostel, just chatting away about anything and everything. We’re all spread out throughout the room and our hostel owner comes over and asks me a simple question. “What exactly is Athletes in Action?” A little background on the relationship with him. I have been emailing him, probably since March or April when I was looking for housing for our group. Through emails, I got the impression he was a great guy and I was looking forward to meeting him when we got to Leuven. Although I did not really know him, I did through the emails and it would be nice to actually “know” someone in a foreign country. Then we moved into the hostel and our group kind of took over the place (there’s 15 of us). Each morning our group would have our quiet time spread out in the room or outside. He watched. How we interacted with each other, he watched.
So when he asked his question, he already had some preconceived notion about who and what we are. Apparently he had gone to our website before we came and had been wanting to ask that question since we arrived. Well, that simple question led into an hour and a half conversation, which covered a lot of stuff, but mainly the difference between religion and a relationship with God. A few people in our group were able to share parts of their story and the Gospel.
But seeing the hurt in his eyes when he talked about how a member of his family had been abused by the church, it broke my heart. That is not God. God is love, God is grace, God is mercy. God may allow us to go through challenges and trials to strength us and allow us to grow closer to Him, but He doesn’t take advantage of us. He may use us to accomplish something for His glory, but He doesn’t abuse us.
There are a lot of barriers we have to fight through. It’s not that the people of Europe don’t want to hear what we have to say – it’s just that they don’t know or don’t understand. What they’ve heard and experienced their whole life is so different from what we have to share. We’re not fighting against people, we’re fighting against years of hurt and pain.
Paul’s words in Ephesians fits perfectly with this situation:
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:12)
Please be in prayer for our hostel owner, that with the time we have remaining in Leuven, we are still able to make an impact on his heart. And please pray for the people of Belgium, that what they have seen the church to be, is not how God is.
Jul
7
Life is Better in Leuven
Filed Under AIA Track & Field Ministry
I feel like now that we have a “home” life is so much easier and smoother. We’ve been able to actually keep a schedule, meet people and hear their stories. Our first day here we went to a restaurant and our server found out we are from America and got so excited. I have seen her every day we’ve been here (the restaurant is 1/2 a block from our hostel) and tonight I invited her to come watch the soccer game with us. I just adore her! She is so much fun to talk to and hear about Belgium from. She was born and raised here in Leuven so I was able to get the inside scoop.
Yesterday we became very European…we rented bikes. It has been many years for many people since they’ve ridden a bike…I LOVE it! I feel like we just upped our status from mere pedestrian to cyclist 
The ministry has been good. Everyone is having lots of conversations with people. It’s hard not to when people hear we’re from America. Our team unity has gotten better (thanks for your prayers!) I really believe that being in one place and being able to stick to a schedule has helped a ton. Our team times are going well and I love how the conversations are going. God also provided a room for us to meet in for team times…we had been meeting in a park and it’s been hard to hear the music. We get to check this room out tomorrow.
Rachel and I explored the city a bit again today…saw a HUGE statue of Mary and baby Jesus. I know, I know, I really need to upload some photos. I promise to do that soon.
Thanks for your prayers…God has been answering them.
Jul
4
Finally…a Belgium Update!
Filed Under AIA Track & Field Ministry
Finally, some time to sit down and let y’all know what’s been going on here in Belgium! The flight over was long. I was confused when the flight attendant asked us to shut the window shade since the sun was coming up soon…just minutes earlier it went down. Still getting used to being 6 hours ahead of back home.
As with most trips, nothing goes as you plan. We technically didn’t have a SPECIAL for this tour, but the last four days seems to qualify as one. For our first day, my thought was to fly into Brussels, go to the track where our first meet was going to be held to shake out and see the facility and then get up to Gent where we were staying for the first two nights. We did all of that eventually, but a bus, a train, another bus, lots of sun, lack of sleep and lack of food later…we made it to the hostel. Needless to say, we had some unhappy campers, but they were troopers and I was proud of my team for pushing through and being flexible (at least on the outside).
We toured Gent a little bit and I had a chocolate waffle…delicious! Extremely rich, but extremely delish! On our second night there was a little music festival going on outside our hostel and we made a friend. A few people met a guy named Philip and we’ve kind of adopted him into our group. I don’t know his full story, but he is an interesting fellow with a HUGE servant heart.
Our first meet was held in Oordegem and the team did really well. Colin placed first in the disc, Mary placed first in the disc and third in the shot, Zara took second in the shot, Jazzy won the high jump and Katie, Matt and Blake all had decent runs (considering we’re still fighting jet lag and lack of sleep and too much traveling). There were about 900 athletes in this meet and the team was able to connect with both European and american athletes. It was fun to see some familiar faces.
I was able to finally meet the meet director who I had been emailing the past two months. It was good to put a face with a name. Another highlight of the trip for me was seeing all the beer at the meet. For some reason, it just cracked me up! One gentleman brought out beer to one of the workers (when usually it’s water).
After the meet, we caught a train to Brussels. Again, our “SPECIAL” continued. After we got to Brussels, I thought a 10-15 min walk would be okay. Well, I forgot to factor in the facts we were tired, we all had our luggage…and it was all uphill. Bless my team’s hearts! They’re amazing.
The only problem with Brussels is our team had to split up – ladies in one place, the gentleman in the other. Not ideal at all and it has caused lots of problems I didn’t foresee. Lots of confusion, lack of communication has caused a lot of the team to become frustrated. I pray our time in Leuven will be much better. We will be in this place for the next 20 days and we will all be in the same location.
Today is the 4th of July. Instead of getting a blanket, heading out to some park or my family’s cabin to watch some fireworks. I spent the day playing tourist in Brussels. My one thing I wanted to see was Manneken Pis. I know, I’m a weirdo, but I saw it and it was as I expected it…a statue of a little boy peeing. Then Rachel, our trainer and I played in down town Brussels while the rest of the group went where the Tour de France actually was being held. Being in a big crowd really isn’t my forte, so I much more enjoyed touring the city. We walked to the Royal Palace (kinda got lost, but took lots of fun pictures on the way). Then we went back to the Grand Place to watch the Tour de France. They had a big screen set up, so Rachel and I got some ice cream and popped a squat on the cobblestone and watched the race with a smaller crowd. I loved it!
We did some more walking around and came back to the hostel. While I was sitting talking with our director, out walks Philip. This guy came down to Brussels to hang out with us. Blew me away, but he must see something in us that is attractive to him that he would come all the way down from Brussels. Crazy!
Tomorrow we head down to Leuven.
Prayer requests for our team:
Team unity
The frustration clears up
Travel to Leuven
For Philip as he hears the Gospel multiple times and he hears over and over that Jesus loves him…that this seed would be planted in his heart and take root.
Apr
23
How Will We Respond?
Filed Under Life
Last Sunday, a woman went missing. She was a wife, mother, friend. The city rallied together to find her – passing out flyers, going to stores she had been to and trying to put a timeline together of her day (she went shopping at the Greene for baby clothes). Her car was found with a flat tire with the keys in the car. I did not know this woman, but friends of mine did. To be completely honest, my only involvement in the search efforts was prayer.
But as pieces of the story came together, I changed my prayer from “please let her be found” to “please don’t let this be what I think it is.”
While the cities of Dayton, Xenia and Beavercreek (and others) were frantically searching, she was sunbathing on the beaches of Florida with a new beau (that last part may be made up, but she did run away to Florida with another man).
My initial response (and I’m assuming many others) was anger. How could she not only do that to her family and her friends, but the whole area of Dayton? How could she just up and leave, letting everyone think she was abducted? I watch NCIS, CSI, Law and Order, etc…I know what can happen. Why did she let us believe that’s what happened?
Then I started asking different questions. What was going on in her life that she would feel the need to escape? What was she thinking that made her feel her life was so bad or boring or whatever to make her feel she needed to run away with another man and leave her husband, child, friends and community?
As my friends and I discussed it last night, my one friend brought up the point that sometimes sin is so enticing. Sometimes sin can look so appealing that we may not notice it for what it is. We can all be led astray because Satan prowls around looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8).
So my question now is how will we respond? Will we shun her? Will we forever see the “red A” painted across her chest? Will we forever speak ill of her behind her back? Or will we see her as our broken sister? Will we respond as the father did for the prodigal son (assuming she is willing to “come home”?)
Will we stop praying for her or will we pray more?
Apr
9
Talent Passing You By
Filed Under Life
I had coffee with a good friend of mine the other day. It was nice to catch up and hear about his world travels over the past few months. But I bet, if you didn’t know him, you wouldn’t see the brilliant musician inside.
Then I started wondering about the millions of people I see or talk to in passing. Sometimes I wish I had the time (and guts) to walk up to people and just hear their story…without them thinking I’m some creeper. People are intriguing and unless we start pulling billboards around behind us that posts our accolades, we never know what’s inside. We could be talking to someone who has been to the 2008 Olympics, or someone who is a three time Olympian or an amazing musician, (but have never heard them because they play too much crap on the radio) or, or, or…there are so many examples (many more outside the music and athletic world as well).
Big time professional athletes, movie stars and musicians aside…we don’t necessarily know the gifts and talents God has given people. Sometimes we don’t even know some of the gifts and talents our own friends have. I think it’s so amazing how unique everyone is and how when the gifts and talents that God gives us are pursued and developed, it’s like watching God Himself at work.
keep looking »