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.

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.

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.

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.”

It was.

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?

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.

That then got me thinking about people. Sometimes, because of choices we’ve made, the things we’ve done, we develop a film over our true selves, over our true beauty. It is difficult for people to see the person we were supposed to be – it is difficult for us to see that person – it is difficult for us to see that person in others. This grime covers the beauty within. We were all created in the image of God (Gen 1:27) yet because of the Fall, we add layers to hide that beauty.

I will be the first to admit that I strive to see the good in every situation and every person. Some situations and people are pretty easy; others I have to work really hard. But there is beauty and goodness within everyone and everything. I wonder how different things would be if we all strove to look past the grime to see what is really there.

My answer: I have no idea.

And I’m okay with that.

I’ve never been that person with a 10 year or a 5 year plan. I have a tendency to take it one year at a time. In the past 10 years, I have lived in 13 different places – 8 different cities and 4 different states…and I am planning to move within the next couple weeks (just to another city…still here in Ohio). Does that qualify me as a nomad?

The question I ask myself every so often is, “Will I ever settle down?” Again my reply: I have no idea. Don’t get me wrong, I would love to get married and have kids some day. I just don’t know when. I feel like my life is one big jigsaw puzzle. Every year or every couple years or even every month, God gives me a new puzzle piece for my life. Sometimes they fit with the other pieces He has given me and it makes perfect sense. Other times He gives me a piece that makes me ask, “What in the world am I supposed to do with this???” It’s not until years later that He gives me more pieces to make that one piece make sense and that corner of my puzzle becomes clearer.

Here’s the interesting catch…I don’t know what my completed picture looks like. God is holding onto the box cover, so I have to put the pieces together blind…figure things out as I go. At times it is frustrating when things just don’t make any sense. But then I am in complete awe when I see how two pieces given to me 7 years apart fit perfectly together.

God has a plan. He sees the final picture. He is walking this journey with me. That is why I put my faith in Him and take life one piece at a time.

Come they told me, pa rum pum pum pum
A new born King to see, pa rum pum pum pum
Our finest gifts we bring, pa rum pum pum pum
To lay before the King, pa rum pum pum pum,
rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum,

So to honor Him, pa rum pum pum pum,
When we come.

Little Baby, pa rum pum pum pum
I am a poor boy too, pa rum pum pum pum
I have no gift to bring, pa rum pum pum pum
That’s fit to give the King, pa rum pum pum pum,
rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum,

Shall I play for you, pa rum pum pum pum,
On my drum?

Mary nodded, pa rum pum pum pum
The ox and lamb kept time, pa rum pum pum pum
I played my drum for Him, pa rum pum pum pum
I played my best for Him, pa rum pum pum pum,
rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum,

Then He smiled at me, pa rum pum pum pum
Me and my drum.

Here is this little boy, wanting so badly to give a gift to his king. I can just envision the sadness in his eyes when he says all he has is his drum. He doesn’t feel he has a gift that is fit for a king, but since it is all he has, he gives it his all. He “played [his] best for Him.” Then when it was all over, “He smiled at [him].” pa rum pum pum pum.

Sometimes we may feel the gifts we have to give are not elaborate or “good enough.” But when we give it our all, when we don’t short change the gifts God has given us, there will be someone smiling at us – if not here on earth, then up in heaven.

I was at the inaugural Bowerman Award presentation, which is awarded to the most outstanding collegiate men’s and women’s track and field athlete. Porscha Lucas, from Texas A&M, was one of the finalists. She said, “I thank God for my talents, but I have to perfect my talents.”

God has given us all talents and we need to embrace and perfect them. Sometimes I envy other peoples’ talents and feel mine aren’t good enough…they’re not fit for a king. But it is my King who gave me my talents…they are my gifts from him. To truly honor Him, I will perfect them and use them to glorify the One who gave them to me.

Before and after shots of one of the rooms we worked on.

We all really enjoyed working with the people of Crisis Response and I almost mastered the art of using a roter zip.

When the rain settled after two days, we set off for our original house, which technically wasn’t a house. There were no walls nor ceiling and our job was to tear up the rest of the floor, but salvage what wood we could.

Another aspect of our ministry was working with Urban Impact. They created this thing called the Challenge Circle for the kids. While showing these kids love, they instill messages of staying in school and never quitting. We played a lot of four square and had a lot of fun with these kids.

We did have a free day and we toured the city. We saw the two levies that broke, and the Lower Ninth Ward, where most of the damage was done. We also visited a cemetery, which is highly creepy, but their graves are above ground so it was interesting to see. (We visited the cemetery where “Double Jeopardy” was filmed). There was a grave digger there who gave us a “tour”. The “tour” was complete with him showing us an empty tomb he was preparing and crawling into it! Many of us questioned whether he really worked there or if he was some random guy who came along to collect “donations” for his “tour”. The worst part was that we got locked in so he had to take us out another gate.

The evening was rounded off with a Tide win over the Gators (ROLL TIDE!) and bengiets at Cafe du Monde, a New Orleans dessert, which is very, very yummy (and really not that good for ya!)

All in all, the trip was a good one and hopefully I will be able to take an AIA Track & Field team down there to do some ministry. We had a good crew go down and there were a few times I laughed until I cried and couldn’t breathe (the best kind of laugh!) Please continue to pray for the people of New Orleans.