Like a Good Neighbor

Last weekend we were digging a stump in the back yard. It was pretty hard work since the tree had been fairly large. We chopped and dug and chopped most of the day. As we were getting down to the end of the day (and our energy) I decided that we were probably to the point where we could start a fire under the stump and just burn it out. I was going to be grilling for dinner anyhow, so half the charcoal went in the hole under the stump. I soaked it in starter fluid while I was grilling the meat. After a bit I went back and threw in a match. It started nicely and I was thinking that it would be a nice evening by a fire in a hole.
Fifteen minutes later I wandered back around to check on the fire and saw that it was out. Hmmm...it had such a good start. Wow, the charcoal didn't even burn. Why is everything wet? Oh, I see. Apparently, my neighbor decided it wasn't a good idea for me to burn the stump.

It took me a while to cool off. I'm still looking for an opportunity to (with a Hungarian speaker) find out the issues are for my neighbor. Lord, help me be a good neighbor!

Nate's 15th!

A house full of friends and a lot of pizza!

The Week in Review 2 Dec 2011

Wow, this was one of those weeks where you feel like you got stuff done, but you're still wondering if it was the right stuff.

This week I'm still facilitating the online course for EQUIP, 'Intentional Living.' This is a really good group of students, so it's not a lot of work to help them interact with the material. We're in the third week of the course, so we've tackled 'Guarding Your Heart,' 'Ministering from Your Strengths,' and this week is 'Figure out the Big Rocks.' Next week will be the final week where we 'Connect the Compass to the Clock' and develop a rhythm for living an intentional life. One reason I enjoy facilitating this class is that it is an opportunity for me to reassess how I'm doing in these areas.

There were a couple of coaching calls this week, one in person and one online. Those are exciting times where I get to hear what God is doing in lives and how He is building His Church. Aside from the call where I get trained, I met with my 'peer coach' to begin our next module on Life Coaching and I met with a church planter who said, 'You'll probably be frustrated with me, I have not been very coachable in the past.' I wonder if he knows that I'm challenge motivated.

I was able to help with the ICSB middle school boys basketball team this week. Bill Babione asked me to fill in for him while he was gone, so I helped Ellis Vaughan and his son Samuel ride herd on 18 young men. Two of them happened to be Nate & John, which was nice. Nate touched the rim for the first time yesterday, so he was hopping around the gym making sure all the rims were the same height or something. =) It sure is fun watching your kids grow up.

Next week is looking busy with lots of reading/prep, coaching calls and training, plus two meetings for the Danube International Church elders (I'm one of them) where we're going to work on vision and direction for the church. Please ask that I'd be a diligent worker in the Lord's Harvest through the coming week.

The Week in Review 25 Nov 2011

Looking at my calendar, this has been an interesting week. But one that I like a lot. The previous weeks have been on the road, meeting new people, and having deep conversations over important issues. The role I find myself in is enjoyable to me and I think I'm well suited for it (by God's grace).

This week had many of the same elements as earlier weeks, but without the travel. Here's the report:

• Monday morning was a great conversation on anti-trafficking ministry, while that afternoon was a quick call on Roma ministry.
• Tuesday involved a call helping a young missionary sort through his calling/role.
• Wednesday was a call with a Lithuanian lady living in England working to develope a partnership between English and Polish churches to reach the Polish immigrants in England.
• Thursday was Thanksgiving (for which I'm thankful).
• Today was a call about developing a Christian community center in Kiev, Ukraine and helping an Albanian church planter think through how to refresh his relationship with God.
• Every day I'm facilitating an online course 'Intentional Living' through EQUIP, so I get to interact with new missionaries and pastors in the US on issues related to living with purpose

When I look at that list I'm excited that I get to be a small part of what God is doing in so many different locations, contexts, and lives. I'm thankful for the training I'm getting in coaching and how these people are being helped through that. I'm also thankful that I get to drive kids to practices and friend's houses and that I'm home each night.

Bragging

One thing that I really enjoy is spending time with my kids. Only half of their number live with us anymore. It was fun to spend some time with Matt in DC and Tim & Beth in Wheaton.

I’m hopelessly proud of my kids. It’s fun to be with them, I admire their spiritual maturity, and I love the people they are becoming. More than once I’ve had the thought, “Wow, I want to be more like him/her.”

Each one is different, so even with only three of them at home it’s never boring. This weekend has been full.

Nate was in the ICSB Middle school production of Aladdin.

John had a couple basketball games.

John making magic

Katie had her birthday party (a murder mystery that I got to host).

Today is the beginning of basketball season at ICSB, so we’re becoming a basketball family for the next few months.

Thanks, God, for such great kids.

Recent Family Pictures

 

The next 22 days

Looking at the calendar, I’ve got 22 days until I head back to the US for our European Division Leadership Team (EDLT) meeting and a very important time of ‘support team building.’ Preparing for that is pretty important if I want it to be a successful time. However I can’t lose these days with my family. I’m not looking forward to being gone for a minimum of five weeks, maybe more if I don’t find more partners.

The ‘felt need’ for the family is for me to make sure everything is working when I leave. The desktop computer is back from the repair shop and the Ford Galaxy went in today. Hopefully, everything will cooperate and we’ll be set by the time I fly out.

Time. That’s the one thing that I feel the most stress about. There is so much to do, but I want to make sure that I’m spending time with Kristi and the kids. Good time. Time where they know that I’m engaging with them, present with them. Picking them up after school, fixing dinner for the family, and making time to talk with them about what’s happening in their life.

Now that I’m thinking about it, I should probably be living with this attitude every day and not just the next 22.

Normal Day?

‘What is a normal day for you?’ Someone asked me that question a while ago and I found it difficult to answer. Well, here’s a shot at answering it by describing a little about today.

I started off by heading downtown to meet with a guy I’d never met. Howard is with Jaron Ministries and was in Budapest as part of the European Leadership Forum. A mutual friend wanted us to meet to see if there was potential for working together. We had a nice 90 minutes getting to know each other. I walked away with quite a few ideas about where we might be able to cooperate.

As I rode the bus back to where I parked the car, I started thinking about what needed to be done in the next two weeks. (The family flies to the US in 13 days.) My whiteboard at the office is full of tasks. My calendar has a few more personal ones for getting the house and family ready. I decided to try to work on both lists a bit today.

When I got home, the first thing I did was take the door off the house. This thing has been giving me fits. It would barely shut and I finally had to take it apart to figure out what the problem was. Only took a few minutes and several times on and off the pegs to get it sorted out. Now it shuts fine and that irritant is out of the back of my mind.  Since I had such success with one door I considered working on a second one before lunch. Unfortunately, the longer I looked at the closet door, the more I felt like it was going to take too much time for today. The door wouldn’t hang right anymore because the wood in the jamb had rotted away. Earlier I had taken out the rotted part, so now I’m percolating on how to repair it. I need to get it done before we leave, (and these are dangerous words) I’m just not sure when.

After lunch, I got back to work. I answered a few emails, but not nearly enough. Then I went to work doing prep for preaching when I get back to the US. I’m not sure how many times I’ll be preaching, but between that and telling people about what we’re doing I’ve got a lot of preparation.

The day was cut a little short because I’m trying to spend more time with the family after being gone for almost two months.

We went to see Katie’s class displaying their work from Hungarian culture class (gulyas, a folk dance, and dessert) and we capped off the evening at the Middle School Recognition ceremony. Here are a few pictures from the last few days and a cool video. I’m really enjoying being with my family. =)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back Home…for a bit

These three pieces of luggage held most of me for the past 53 days. I cheated a bit with odds & ends scattered around the car, but generally it was all in there.

Tim was laughing when I was up at 2AM the night before I was flying back to Budapest with stuff spread around the living room, trying unsuccessfully to make 65lbs fit in 50lbs of space. Well, actually 54lbs, the lady at the counter was very nice to me when she saw the stricken look on my face. When I unloaded everything back at the house I decided that I have too much stuff. I’ll be purging a bit more over the next 28 days. Yeah, that’s how long until the next trip. This one is with the family to the US for the summer. Way better. =)

I’m spending today reflecting on what happened over the past two months, the people, places, conversations, and thoughts that ran through my life. Hopefully I’ll be able to process everything well over the next couple of days. I’m also working on being intentional about the coming 28 days. What are the most important items on my agenda? Reintegrating into the family, tasks at the house/cars, people to reconnect with, items to follow up with from this trip, and plans for the coming months.

So far, my cogitation has given me one nugget. I lost about 25lbs over this trip (I wish the airline had credited me that in luggage). I was reading 1 Chronicles 11-12 about King David’s might men (esp. Benaiah in vv. 22-25).  David’s men had skill and devotion. They ordered their lives to serve him well in their capacities. Losing some weight is a good start for me. But what are the other changes I can make to be more focused and efficient in serving my Lord? Not exactly the thought I expected to consume me upon returning to my house, but there it is.

Graduation

Yesterday we got to attend a ceremony for the people receiving the Urban Studies certificate. I don’t know if you can see on the picture, but Matt was asked to share some reflections on he experience in the program. He did a great job (the other two did as well, but this one is my son).

We had a fun day hanging out together with Matt, Madi, Mom (Happy Mothers’ Day!) and Dad. Tim joined us later because he was presenting the colors for the grad school commencement.

Today we head to worship with Matt & Tim at their church, then a brunch at the school and the big event this afternoon.

Wow, I’m a proud Dad on Mothers’ Day.

 

 

I’m amending this post with a few more picture from the actual graduation ceremony.

The Culmination

Well, we're not quite there, but this is the last weekend for me in the US for a while. It certainly feels like LeadTeam and Mt. Hermon were a million years ago.

All the people, the places, the little incidents along the way. I loved living it all, but this weekend is the big event. Matt is graduating from Wheaton College.

Yeah, it only seems like yesterday that he was with us in Budapest. Then we sent him to Wheaton, he broke both his wrists his first Christmas home, then he is graduating. I’m sure there’s more in there but it’s kind of a blur.

As I’ve been thinking about this, I want to make sure I live this weekend well. Sure, there are still a couple more things to buy, bags to pack before Tuesday and I’m anxious to get back home. However, Dad & Mom are driving in, Madi (my niece) is arriving today, Tim is doing color guard for every event beginning tomorrow (Sat). All these people are  here and I want to enjoy each one, celebrate Matt, and soak in God’s faithfulness.

In the Middle

I’m looking at my calendar. Eight weeks back, I’m sitting in my office getting ready for a week of meetings with the other RG leaders from around Europe. That was a powerful week for us. We met our new International Leader (David Ruiz) and I believe God showed us a little more light on the way forward. Since that week, I’ve had a trip to Albania/Macedonia which was amazing. I think that God is bringing some interesting/powerful things together there. Missions from everywhere to everywhere. I also spent about ten days in Amsterdam with two overlapping groups. The first group was our RG City Team Leaders. These men and women are the real backbone of our organization in Europe. They are player-coaches who are bearing the burden of the added responsibility for their teammates in our 23 locations around Europe. We spent some time working on ‘exegeting our cities,’ understanding what is there and how God wants our teams to engage. The second group was part of our Church Planting Institute, so missionaries and national partners from around the continent. I had 18 guys I was hosting which was fantastic. Their stories, their plans, they blessed me and I think they were given courage to continue on in the path our Father has laid out for them.

I’m looking at my calendar again. Eight weeks ahead, Lord willing, I’ll be sitting in my office again after returning from a long trip to the US without my wife, Kristi. Next week will be LeadTeam, the vision/training event RG has for people like me from all over the world. I’m really looking forward to this one. I can’t say that I’ve been overly impressed with every event like this in the past, but I’m excited about what I think God might do in this one. After LeadTeam I go to Ohio for almost three weeks. I’ll try to connect with as many of the churches and individuals who support us as I can. I want to tell them about what God is doing in Europe and ‘introduce’ them to some of the people I work with. I am also trying to expand the circle of people and churches who are involved in the work in Europe, so I’ll be trying to make new connections and seeing if I can explain what I do before they get distracted. Following Ohio is California for a wedding of a good friend, Robyn Smith, who has been working here in our office for the past three years. She’ll be missed by us, but welcomed by Brad. Bethany really wants to go to Biola, so I guess I might have to get used to this trip. The next leg is the Chicago area. I’ll be doing more of what I did in Ohio, but have less of a ‘base’ to work from. It should be interesting. The bonus at the end is that I’ll get to see Matt graduate from Wheaton College, another very happy event which brings life changes.

So, here I am in the middle, recovering, trying to capture all the good from what has happened, and anticipating, frantically preparing for what my Father is bringing my way.

ICSB Basketball Tournament

This event is arguably the highpoint of the year for the school. None of my kids have ever been involved (other than Jonathan Edwards), but I will do everything I can to be there each year. I am impressed each year with the solid character of many of the players involved. 'Potential' is the word that keeps ringing in my head as I'm watching these young men and women play from their hearts.

Here is Matt Jackson's write up of the final game from his Facebook page (he's Ben Jackson's dad, one of those 'solid character players' I mentioned earlier). I can't relate it any better:

The Intl Christian School of Budapest (ICSB) boys won their invitational tournament, which is their championship, tonight at their home court, beating teams from Budapest (AISB), Kiev and St. Petersburg, Russia. In the past few years an intense rivalries has developed between ICSB and Kiev as well as with their cross town rival AISB.

Just yesterday the Kiev team beat our boys in the seeding round of the tournament by nearly 20 points. ICSB boys knew they were off their game but not sure if that alone accounted for the 20 pts. Kiev's 4 starting seniors put together a team seemingly invincible. Tonight's game was looming large.

Winning the opening tip, the ICSB boys came out strong and opened up a quick lead. ICSB's 6' 5" Andrew Neel and 6' 3" Jacob Mullett from the base line were UNSTOPPABLE. Kiev's star player #50 Matthew Atkins went down early with a knee injury and did not play the rest of the game.

ICSB was up at half time. Kiev showed life in the 2nd half but due to some great hustle and defense, especially by Jake Sanders, the Kiev Eagles stayed grounded.

Ben led the game in assists and boards but was nearly shut down in his offensive scoring. Still, his play was vital to the team's win. Ben and teammate Andrew Neel both took spots on the all-tourney team.

The celebrations were long, hard and loud as the ICSB student body, players and fans rushed the court as the clock ticked to zero. Spontaneous dancing, ear-splitting cheering students celebrating and parents crying all rocked the gym on Ifusag street in Diosd, Hungary. Wow! What a win! What a celebration! No USA state championship could muster the kind of energy we felt in that gym tonight!

Half-Price in Hungary

Last night we went to dinner with our friends, Norm & Michelle Smith. We had a great time and I took no pictures. Every year on the third Thursday of February almost every restaurant in Budapest sells everything on their menu for half-price. Yeah, that's kind of unbelievable. We heard about it last year, but it didn't seem like anything significant. Norm invited us to try it out with them. It was great. Thanks to Norm for making it happen. Next February...watch out!

Crazy Hair Day

This is Spirit Week at ICSB. Monday was Pajama Day. Tuesday was Superhero Day. Wednesday...Crazy Hair Day. John has been growing his hair out for a few weeks in preparation. Nate was a little undecided. The clippers came out and he made the choice: an off-center short Mohawk. John stuck with his plan: the longer Mohawk. Tomorrow morning Kristi will spray on the green to highlight their choices.

We'll see if these dos last through the basketball tournament this weekend. Go Bulldogs!

They said it was a Chili's...

We were in Vienna for the last middle school soccer tournament of the year. I had just returned from being gone for a week and wanted to really enjoy the time with the family as we spent the day together in the car and at the tournament. The GPS said there was a Chili's restaurant in Vienna on the way to the tournament.

The voice in my head said, 'This is wonderful! What a great way to make this a memorable day.' The sign on the restaurant said 'Chilinos', which must be Austrian for 'sucker.'

It was a memorable laugh together and the food was not as good as the price would indicate, but it was a good start to the day. We did get a little lost (which I hate) because the GPS lost the signal between the buildings, but after a few circles we found the right track.

Katie & Nate both had a good final tournament of the season and we picked up one more story for our family to remember.

Home & Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a family holiday. We are headed to Berlin to celebrate the time with Mike & Debby Edwards. There is plenty of snow on the ground and in the forecast, so it should be a great time on the road and in Berlin.

Emily, one of Matt’s friends from Wheaton, wrote a bit on a topic (Home) that I have thought about, but stuck away in the back of my mind/heart because sometimes it can be really painful. At the same time it is incredibly comforting. Go figure.

I didn't really think about 'home' too much when I went to OSU because I generally returned home every weekend. I wrestled with it a bit when we moved to South Carolina, but it was still possible to jump in the car for a weekend road trip back to Ohio.

Then came Poland. No return.

I read that you can never step twice into the same river. Ohio changed. I’ve changed. I can't return to that Ohio 'home' expecting it all to be the same...and my kids don't even have those roots to look back on. Recently, I was talking on the phone with Tim, who was acknowledging a bit of 'homesickness' in his heart. He said something like, “I didn't expect this. I'm an MK. I mean, where is home?”

I’ve got six kids, but I still can’t fully understand the life of a person who grows up in the home of missionaries overseas.

It adds texture to the idea of being a 'stranger and pilgrim' in this world when you've lived outside of the state where you were born. I mean, if you haven’t moved around, sold, given away or just thrown away your stuff…If you haven’t felt the raw void in your heart of a relationship that will never be the same because of the distance, how can you connect ‘pilgrim’ to anything other than Thanksgiving or John Wayne?

Home and pilgrims and all that stuff, it’s not about things, geography or language. I think it comes down to relationships. It’s not the house I grew up in or where I used to hunt quail with Dad. Home is not a house—it’s those few people with whom I’ve shared the deepest parts of my heart and life.

I'm slightly tweaked at Emily for posting this right before Thanksgiving. She uprooted things in my heart that were neatly tucked away. (Thanks, Emily =]) Matt & Tim and my sister with her family, they're all at my parents' house this week. Tim is probably hunting with Dad, too. (expletive removed)

As deep and sweet and painful (I'm crying right now) as those feelings are, they help me understand that the profound longings and emotions in my heart are not to be stifled, but they point me to Christ.