One blog, two blog, old blog, new blog.
I’ve finally finished my second blog—and once again, it’s about two weeks too late. But good things come to those who wait, right? 😉 Because the last few weeks have been a total blur, with each day fusing into the next, I have almost no idea which photos took place when. Therefore, I will be writing this blog in event segments rather than individual dates.
Creative Assignment #1
Each week, our students complete a creative assignment that incorporates both their faith and their individual art focuses. For the first teaching week, they were instructed to creatively declare their identities in Christ, using their talents to express the truth He speaks about them in His Word. Because these projects are very personal and some of our students rather shy, I must be sensitive and exercise tact when photographing. That’s why at times, I have just a few photos of only select students. Be assured, however, that each student brought an amazing first assignment to the table, and we as staff are so proud of them all.
Yvonne, whose specialty is crafting, created a treasure box of handmade props representing who she is according to God (such as a worshipper, a temple of the Holy Spirit, a godly woman armed with the Word, and a pure, beautiful daughter of the King).
Our lovely poet, Cynthia, wrote a spoken word proclaiming who God says she is. She has graciously allowed me to share it here:
Grateful for the creative minds of our students and for the creative weeks that followed…
Note: While we do have a ton of fun here, most of our time during the first two months comprises learning to function as a tight-knit group, attending Bible and mission courses, and preparing for outreach. By the way, we know our outreach locations now! They are Hungary, Latvia, and Estonia.
ExpLAURAtion
Just some more shenanigans by your favorite aunt-and-niece duo.
I take photography very seriously. It is, in my opinion, one of the most powerful forms of art, able to capture poignant emotion, minute detail, to uncloak the human condition in ways words can’t, to reach into the depths of the soul and display its contents in suspended, vibrant movement. Yes, I take photography very seriously.
So I really don’t understand where Laura gets the idea that I’m a “terrible model.” 😀
Don’t worry. She got her photo eventually…
…that one and many more. (See captions for Laura’s photo credits. 🙂)
RARE SIGHTING!!
After walking what felt like 500 miles and then 500 more, we found ourselves having walked 1,000 miles to fall down at Prater Amusement Park. Enjoy!
College Basketball Game
One of my best friends from wayyyy back in the day (2007, to be exact) is the cheerleading captain at the TU Wien, the technical university here in Vienna.
Maja, who is from Croatia, attended the Goethe Institut (German immersion school) with me in Michelbach, Germany, two summers in a row when we were 10 and 11, and we’ve stayed in touch for the decade since! How cool is it that now, when I am with YWAM Vienna, she is a student in the very same city!? Let me tell you: It’s cool. Anyway, Maja invited me and the rest of our team to a university basketball game a couple weekends ago. And while my coworker Sarah might be tiny and sweet most of the time, she’s a savage in the bleachers. As Shakespeare so eloquently puts it, “Though she be but little, she is fierce.” 🏀👊
Evangelism Training
Sam Haiser (head of Campus Crusade Vienna) and Jon and Magda Franks (lead missionaries for a local church) spent an evening with us to share their passion for evangelism. Sam explained how the hard truth of heaven and hell spurs him forward in his fight to save souls and then introduced the students to The Four, a series of symbols Campus Crusade came up with to help people share the gospel in under a minute. We now each have a silicon bracelet sporting the design below:
In short…
- Heart: God loves us.
- Division Sign: Our sin separates us from God.
- Cross: Jesus died on the cross, creating a bridge between us and God.
- Question Mark: What do you decide?
(You can read about The Four more fully here.)
Jon and Magda then explained one of their favorite forms of evangelism, which they refer to as “treasure hunting.” Basically, all you do for a treasure hunt is pray that God will highlight a specific person or group of people as you walk through an area and impress upon your heart whatever it is that might be burdening them. When you feel God leading you to someone, you swallow your fear of rejection, walk up to them, and ask how they are doing (or more specific questions like “What is your biggest dream?” or “Where do you find happiness in life?”). As the pastor of my home church says, people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. That’s the idea behind treasure hunting. Singling people out from a crowd can be weird and daunting, but sometimes that’s exactly what they need: to be seen and heard. If and when people open up to you about where they’re at emotionally or spiritually, you have the opportunity to pray for and bless them. It’s normal to get rejected. It’s normal to get rejected a lot. But when you find that one person who’s been on the brink and is desperate for a taste of God’s love…it’s all worth it.
We got to practice treasure hunting at the Vienna Marathon a few days after our evangelism training night—and God very clearly connected us with exactly the people who needed to hear from Him. 😊
Teaching Week #2 – Bruce Clewett on Discipleship
We held our second teaching week in a prayer room in the main train station. Because it was an open teaching week, we met some new friends in the form of guest students. Bruce Clewett, one of my favorite teachers from last year and an awesome man of God, taught about what it means to be a disciple of Christ, explaining that if we don’t make Jesus Lord OF all, He isn’t Lord AT all. He discussed how our image of God affects our relationship with Him and identified root causes for common warped perspectives (God as Santa Clause, an absent father, or a controlling puppeteer, to name some). Another concept that Bruce spoke about was intriguing to me even the second time hearing it:
Two wooden barrels are standing side by side. The only way to find out what each contains is to knock them both over and let the contents spill out. From one barrel spills a pile of jagged rocks. From the other drips honey. We are all wooden barrels. When life knocks you down, what comes out? Honey? Or rocks?
Shout-out to Bruce, who stayed incredibly focused and positive despite having the bag containing his laptop, Kindle, and teaching materials stolen his very first day here. We love you!
Prayer Walk
Once a week, we pair up and walk through the city, interceding on behalf of a people group or for a cause. On our first prayer walk, we circled St. Stephen’s Cathedral, praying for the Christian Church in Austria.
Bible Reading
During the second teaching week, we read through Acts, Romans, 1 Corinthians, and 2 Corinthians. It took us about five hours altogether.
Small Group
Every Friday, the girls have small group to check in and process the happenings of the week. We discuss topics taught in lecture and any challenges presented. We also pray for each other individually. It’s a great time of bonding and fellowship. Sisterhood rocks.
Young Adult Group and Church
Laura and I attended VIC’s Friday-night young adult group and had a lovely time of heavenly food, dog love, worship, prayer, and study. The focus was on Hebrews 3:1–6. Soooo thankful that Christ uses the most broken-down, fractured bricks of humans to create mosaic mansions. Even more thankful that He chooses to live in us and take care of us as His pride and joy. There’s no other builder I’d rather belong to.
As you can see, I was very happy about the dog. My happiness warranted both a selfie and a non-selfie, it was so happy. That said, my happiness only lasted as long as I could bear the putrid stench of sewer blasting me in the face with each dog exhale. Who knew such a sweet and fuzzy creature could emit such evil?? I guess there is truth to the notion of “too much of a good thing.”
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Church the following Sunday. One of the leaders calls the children up to give a brief intro to the day’s topic and to ask for prayer requests before sending them off to Sunday School. It’s pretty cute.
Creative Assignment #2
For the second creative assignment, the students were to find three to five Bible verses related to making disciples (or sharing the faith with others), come up with a short list of creative ways to disciple people, and then put one into practice. Again, the students have been amazing about letting me share their creations with you.
Yvonne printed a verse in many different languages onto rectangular slips of paper that she can wrap around large water bottles. She is able to give these bottles out to refugees and homeless people. She also created a t-shirt with Proverbs 31:25 so that she can wear her beliefs with pride and style.
Cynthia wrote the beautiful poem above, which she then sent as encouragement to three of her friends struggling in their faith.
Laura decided to use her photography to spread God’s light through social media. She’s been posting photos and verses regularly since. (I am honored to be featured in many of them!)
Even More Shenanigans
It’s a good thing that we are better with prayer than with hair because we #struggle. Valiant effort, though.
Here’s a spontaneous poem for your entertainment:
We prayed for a braid An attempt was made But alas The messy bedhead stayed
Yvonne’s 32nd Birthday
Once we got our hair to do something remotely presentable, it was time to head over to Yvonne and Richie’s apartment to celebrate Yvonne’s 32nd birthday! Such. Fun. We played a game called “Who Am I” (pretty sure I’ve been playing the last 10 years of my life), worshipped as led by Harry the Guitar Master, watched clips of Yvonne’s baptism and wedding (both of which happened this past year), and hugely overate. It was fabulous.
In case you’re wondering, four things:
1. Yes, Yvonne loves sheep. Yes, she has about a hundred sheep relics in her apartment, and yes, we did buy her another sheep pillow. Yes, she can literally count sheep to help herself fall asleep. Also, yes, that is a handmade marzipan sheep. You will find out what happened to that sheep in the next blog post. Stay tuned.
2. Don’t worry, we didn’t beat up Yvonne to make her cry on her birthday. She just got emotional watching her wedding clips. Yvonne is the cutest.
3. Backstory on her card, in which I wrote Happy Birthday you FANCY thing: Last week, I was trying to explain to Richie how the British expression “to fancy” something means to like it. Yvonne, overhearing the conversation, sidled up to Richie, batted her eyelashes at him, and said in the coyest voice imaginable, “Do you think I’m fancy?” Everyone in the room about died. I’m fairly certain Yvonne is incapable of saying anything that’s not precious, because shortly after that conversation, she referred to a slug (whose English name she did not know) as a naked snail, which then raised the question…is a slug a naked snail or a homeless snail? These are the questions that keep me up at night.
4. I should not be allowed near a Polaroid.
CONGRATULATIONS!
You’ve made it to the end of Blog #2. As a reward for your dedication and tenacity, here’s a photo of a tiny door cut into a bigger door. I guess you could say it’s…adorable. I love you all!!
BONUS PHOTO
If you love me enough to scroll all the way down to the very bottom, you deserve this exclusive photo of Harry showing the students an animation of the Sahara sand’s wind-journey from Africa to his car hood.
Ambria's Ambry 