Welcome to Thanksgiving Slovakia style.
I had much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving as I was blessed to join these fine people at the table of gratefulness, fellowship and yes fantastic food. Carol and Sarah(back left), both Americans, hosted this fine gathering with grace and hospitality. Lynette, front left, is also American but new in Slovakia. She and her husband Josef(not shown) have just started their new lives here as he begins serving as assistant pastor at a local church. Kara and Marc (front right) are Americans who have been serving in this region for 6 or 8 years and just had their first baby, Dominick. Marsh and his wife (back right)have also been in Slovakia for many years serving in a unique ministry outreach.

As you might expect, when there's a baby in the house everyone wants their turn. Here Carol gets her chance to snuggle up Dominick who found the whole evening rather boring. But even so, there are few things more precious than a sleeping baby. It has a real angelic feel to it bringing a calming, soothing presence. We were glad to have Dominick at the table. I eventually got my chance to harbor this little miracle and it was divine.

What better way to work off all that Thanksgiving food than a rousing game of squash. This is my first exposure to this game as I have always been more of a raquetball kind of guy. But those of you who know me well know that I never met a sport I didnt like. My friend Slavo is teaching me the game by running me all over the court. Thank you Slavo.

After the match Slavo and I meet up with his wife Katarina and son Simone
for a cool beverage. Both wife and son are learning a little english as I am studying my Slovak so we are able to keep the conversation going. It has been wonderful getting to know this great little family.

The next few photos are glimpses into one of the more impressive buildings in the "old town" which is the center and the hub of activity here in Bratislava. This is known as the Philharmonic building which is used for various forms of artistic expression including choir concerts. Enjoy my night out at the choir concert while I share some more thoughts about my faith journey. It is amazing how a change of scenery (such as moving to Slovakia) brings with it a dramatic change of perspective which ultimately gives way to a foundational shifting at one’s internal core. The battle against the mundane (the daily grind of duty and responsibility)suddenly becomes the struggle to establish a point of reference in a search for stability. While there is a sense of uncertainty and unpredictability in the temporal, there is also a larger story unfolding in a way not so easily recognized. I have come to understand with more certainty than ever that God is present and active in every believer’s life in ways we can scarcely see or understand. There is simply no life experience that God can resist being intimately involved.

Throughout my life I have struggled to see and believe this reality mostly because of my own preconceived and inaccurate views about who God is. I am convinced the truth is that God is present and active in every aspect of my life experience. Most of us struggle, however,with the notion that a loving God would allow anything bad or painful to befall us. Indeed this is a difficult notion which we must wrestle with. On the other hand it is amazing to me that I would have ever questioned the reality of a God endorsed trial or heartache especially in light of how clearly and plainly it is outlined throughout the Old and New Testament. This theme is so central and so massive to the story God is trying to tell in our lives that we tend to miss it for its enormity. It’s like standing 2 inches away from a very large painting and saying, “what is it, I can’t see what it is.” Being on this journey to a foreign land has beckoned me to step back from the painting for a clearer view. As I begin to move back I am shaken at my core by what I see.

First, I am amazed at how often I am deceived into believing that God has departed from me when trials or suffering arrives on my doorstep. This is an immature notion of my relationship with God. When I understand who God is (as much as my puny mind can comprehend) and see the story from His script, I know that God would use any circumstances and experiences in my life to achieve His purposes. This includes, along with the blessings of enrichment, pain, suffering, humiliation and even death. The decision before me is, am I willing to subject myself to God’s story regardless of how He may choose to use me. It comes down to 2 critical elements. Trust and obedience. Will I trust Him and will I obey Him? Second, I see how much I have been focused on the search for what my role in the story is. I tend to have this illusion that my role is more central or important than is really true. I am learning that my calling is to first get a sense of “the big picture” and then proceed from there. In other words, it’s not about me. I have not been created to be blessed, to enjoy all that God has created and to discover and fulfill my vocation. It’s not about me. It is not my story. This is totally and completely God’s story to unfold of which I am a small but significant part. But even in that I must understand and embrace the reality that my significance has nothing to do with my personality, my character or what I do and don’t do. Any significance I have is completely tied to and created by what Jesus did on the cross at Calvary.

To say that I totally understand this amazing sacrifice would be a gross misrepresentation of my true thoughts and feelings. God’s story is full of mystery and things I will never understand this side of eternity. And this is precisely where I have departed at times from God’s story to begin writing and living out my own script. There is a powerful anxiety that rises up in me as I encounter these mysteries because they can easily be mistaken as holes in the story. I personally struggle mightly with disorder, unanswered questions and what feels like a lack of direction or focus. But the reality is, this is what faith is all about. It is accepting that there is much about life I do not and cannot know. There are many things in life, my life, which I have no control over. It is resigning myself to the comforting and also scary realization that God is in control, in ways I do not understand.

And ultimately, this is not my story to tell. The story teller, who is also producer and director, has plans and designs that are so far above me there are no words to describe how far. So where does that leave me? It leaves with a dilemma. Either choose to attempt to write or direct a story of my own design or surrender to the grand and wondrous plan that God has lovingly and wisely designed. When I think about it in those terms, it seems like a no brainer. When I am living my life day to day with all its ups and downs, twists and turns, it’s a little more difficult to keep my focus on the big picture. All I can do is to continue to remind myself to step back from the painting, slow down and ponder the enormity of this great and mysterious story.

This is a tennis match at the almost new Tennis Center here in Bratislava. It is a beautiful facility with a retractable roof. There is also a hotel, fitness center, upscale shopping and dining all a part of the same complex. The most popular sports here are hockey, tennis and soccer, probably in that order. Two of my new Slovak friends got tickets and invited me to go. We had a great time watching some super professional tennis up close.

I continue to focus much of my time and attention on making significant connections with different people in Slovakia. I have had the opportunity to meet many new people as well as nurture the relationships already established. In my preparation to come to Slovakia the materials I was reading made it clear how important relationships are to this type of endeavor. Since I have been here the reality of this principle is so apparent. Relationship building is at the foundation and the core of everything I will do here. It is certainly the key to being successful.

Each thursday I go to the CS Lewis high school to play volleball with some of my high school friends after they get done with classes for the day. We usually have 15 to 20 people come to play and we always have a good time. This is the bi-lingual school so these young people are learning english everyday in school. Sometimes a few of us will then go to the mall for a movie or billiards. And sometimes a few of these friends will come over to my flat for the best popcorn you can get and a movie on DVD.

In some ways teenagers are the same every where you go. They love to be with each other, love to laugh and have fun and are deeply engaged in the process of discovering who they really are. In other ways, teens are different depending on what part of the world you are in. I still have much to learn about teens in Slovakia but the ones I know seem to be generally good natured, well adjusted people. They seem to be less outspoken than their American counterparts but not less confident. Most of these students get really good grades and put a high priority on knowledge. They also seem to be more patient ,generally speaking, than American teens.

It seems as though most people in Slovakia really enjoying playing or watching sporting activities. They are extremely patriotic when it come to their sports teams and athletic heroes. Its almost like a "us against the world mentality". Slovakia is such a small country that anytime they can compete on an international level and have some success its a huge morale booster for the people here because most of the time there is no international spotlight focused on this country. When Slovakia and the Czech Republic were still one nation they enjoyed regular success in international sports. Yesterday the country celebrated the 17 year anniversary of the defeat of communism here. It was also when the country began to split into the 2 separate parts.

Only a few people remained at the end of our volleyball session by the time I got my camera out. You've probably heard me say before what a privilege it is to be invited and welcomed into their world. I am hoping to begin having small group meetings with some of the boys on a regular basis. Its an exciting time here with so many great opportunities and things are beginning to take shape.