August

In less than 48 hours, my summer in Italy will be a thing of the past. 

Something tells me that these memories will linger in a bittersweet way- the way you experience something you wish you could hold on to forever; and know at the same time you are cherishing it, that it is slipping away.

Italy is a sea of yellows, mazes that some might call streets, endless attempts at combatting the heat, and non-stop activity...

I plan on taking my pending separation in good stride and look forward to returning to Colorado. I am eager for familiar faces (like my brothers), local traditions (i.e. Lucile's), face to face, heart to heart conversations, and mountains that I can soak up and store away in the treasures of my mind. 

I am excited to take ownership of the ministry to which I have been led; prepared to share all that has been going on and ready to invite others to be a part of it. I am also anxious to return in the Autumn post- fundraising (Lord willing) and embark upon a whole new chapter. If we are creatures of habit, I wonder if my habit is change. I do so love mixing things up. 

Here's a link to a little personal video that will hopefully explain some of what has been going on this past year - just in case any of you are still in the dark. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9v-s5svw3M

July July July-aye aye

A scavenger hunt in Pisa during Beach Break

Chels came out for 7 glorious weeks - hands down the most incredible gift/blessing 

My Middle School group - performing our Native American routine

Our High School group from Hohenfels - rockin the Italian coast line

A Belated June

Sometimes living the proverbial dream is tough. Some dreams are nightmare-ish and some dreams stay with you long into the day. If I'm honest, aspects of life these days have been inclined towards the awful. I'm still "in it" - and therefore have minimal profound words or life lessons to impart. I can however, tell you what i've been up to this past month...

June went by in a whirl - somewhere between the countless hours spent on a bus taking kids back and forth to camp, the non-stop action at camp, and the pseudo-permanent change of residency of yours truly - i find myself in a land that is foreign and familiar all at once. For 6 weeks I am covering for a fellow Young Life staff member in Vicenza, Italy. Same job description but with a vastly different flavor. So far, it has been unbelievably great.

As far as camp goes - one thing's for sure: the redemption song was sung and many young voices chimed in. They may not have known all of the words but the melody was unmistakable. I really cherished the nightly tent times with my small group of girls. It was in those moments that vulnerability and honesty bubbled in our hushed voices and laughter. 

At the end of the week I would ask them how they wanted to be different after camp - some of their answers that remain with me are: 

"I want to learn more about God"

"I want to make God more of a priority in my life"

"I want my relationship with my family to be better"

I am digging the fact that God is giving me the opportunity to be a part of these kids' journeys. Maybe one day they'll be sharing their story of redemption with someone and say "One summer at camp in Italy..." 

May

This past month can best be described as a GIFT. At the beginning of the month I had the opportunity to travel to London with my God-send friends Carol and Lauren (a mother and daughter who are a part of the Hohenfels community) as well as with my long lost college roommate Jes. We stayed in a quaint bed and breakfast, saw the main attractions like good tourists ought, and most importantly: exercised and thoroughly embraced our British accents. It was disconcerting hearing English speakers at first – but a welcome relief after an endless battle attempting to decipher German.

Having Jes Vuk join forces with us in Hohenfels was a source of sweet encouragement at a time when it was direly needed. After one academic year here in Hohenfels, my initial vision and desire for the students has not expired; but it has grown cloudy with fatigue and redundancy. Please pray that I finish strong in the weeks ahead – especially during the month of June when we take kids to Beach Break. For 2 back to back weeks we will be on the Italian coast sleeping in tents, eating notorious camp food, and engaging in significant spiritual conversations with teens. I am teeming with confidence and excitement concerning how God will move in the 300+ campers’ lives this summer. Please battle for these kids in prayer –they will be coming with a lot of personal (intangible) baggage – how the King longs to set them free!

The most recent news I have to impart is that I’ve decided to fulfill my 2 year commitment with Young Life at a different installation. There are a number of factors that led me to this decision and it wasn’t an easy one. As it stands now, I will more than likely be heading to an Air Force community in Aviano, Italy. I am extremely excited about this next step and will be coming “home” (to Colorado) to fundraise before I embark on the next leg of my journey! I can’t wait to catch up with most of you – expect a phone call from yours truly sometime in August, or sooner if you’re lucky.

April

I’m not going to lie – organized sports intimidate me. Perhaps that is why I find myself drawn to individual athletic events – like running and seeing how many German pastries I can fit into my mouth. I can’t say how I got to be the long distance track coach for Hohenfels High School – except to say that I walked into the school gym one day and walked out an un-volunteered volunteer.

Last week during warm-ups I was definitely feeling dazed and tired after having just returned from our High School service project to Czech. Funny that God chose this moment to have Vanessa approach me. Vanessa and I have had a friendly acquaintance-type relationship since the beginning of the school year. I know that she comes from a less-than-ideal home life despite the exuberant façade she puts up and I know that more than anything she wants to be affirmed as beautiful.

Vanessa begins by telling me that she doesn’t know what’s wrong – her grades are fine, things at home are better than normal, and “a buttload of guys like me.” She tries to explain that she’s lost her pep and can’t figure out why. I ask her if she feels like something is missing. Vanessa thinks about it and slowly concedes, “Yeah…I guess so.” At this point we are walking up to the track field and tons of kids are around- they are yelling and it is rowdy; and there is so much I want to say.

“Well…” I begin, “I can tell you this: that you have never been loved more today by anybody than you are by God. And that love is what makes it all worth it – it’s what gives us purpose.” Meager words! How I long to tell her that the King is enthralled by her beauty, that if God stopped thinking about her He would cease to exist, that she is loved completely and wholly – as is. No strings attached.

“Yeahhh,” she replies, in a way that tries to sound excited but fails to convince me. The other runners are beginning to assemble and our talk has come to a close, but the memory of it lingers with me throughout practice. As I reflect on our conversation, I realize just how much I love opportunities like this. To think that I get to spill out of my own love relationship with the King by speaking words of truth when the enemy’s voice is so dominant- is a tremendous privilege. Please pray for Vanessa when you read this. Ask that she would know the deepest satisfaction that comes from walking with Jesus.

In other news, I am getting a roommate in the form of a single white Serbian otherwise known as Jessica Vukovich. She is a direct answer to prayer! She’ll be living with me for the month of May and will be an extra set of hands to serve and heart to love on students. I highly recommend the rest of you take after her example and come visit/help; or at the very least, fill me in on your lives because I miss you.

p.s. It’s official – I’ve decided to join Young Life staff for the next 2 years. Please be praying for direction as I am un-sure if I will remain in Hohenfels or venture to other enticing European countires!

March 2008

Pee Wee Herman.

Remember him? When I think of Pee Wee, I envision his trademark grey suit and his trusty word-of-the-day machine. But that's just me. I think Pee Wee was really on to something with that word-of-the-day idea. In fact, I've come to discover that the Holy Spirit will impress certain words or phrases on my heart at different times not unlike Pee Wee's signature contraption.

These days, that word has been: journey. I have been thinking a lot about this and am convinced that God is not concerned so much with the destination as much as He is about the journey. Step by step He leads us in our individual adventures. Time and again throughout the Bible God makes Himself known as a Shepherd leading His sheep. "He leads me beside quiet waters…He guides me in paths of righteousness," King David writes.

Consider the Israelites; while God was completely capable of sending a whirlwind to sweep them up and land them safe and sound in the Promised Land we see that He led them across the Red Sea and ultimately through the desert for 40 years. Elijah spent 40 days and 40 nights fleeing before he reached Mount Horeb and encountered God in a powerful way. The flood did not happen instantaneously; rather, God had Noah and his family in the ark for over a month.

I was recently discussing this idea of "journey-ing" with a High School girl named Bethany. We'd gone to Nurnberg for the day to shop with money we didn't have and in between dialogues on fashion preferences- life, relationships, and our futures were the main topics of conversation; specifically the idea of "ending up" somewhere. As if one day we will reach an ideal situation in an ideal location with our ideal circumstances. We agreed that this concept is not reality- and any ersatz of such a life was not for us.

When I asked Bethany what her aspirations were in life, she thought about it for only a second before replying, "To find love." The implication was that of the opposite sex in a committed relationship but I cannot help but pray that her eyes are opened to the romance that began long before she knew the meaning of the word. The romance that surrounds her and that beckons her every day of her journey. In walking step by step in my own journey, I am presently prayerfully considering staying on staff with Young Life in Europe. Would you please pray for direction for me as well as for confirmation if this is what I should do? I would love to hear any of your thoughts as well as the latest and greatest in your life. With love,Chey

February 2008

Have you ever been pulled at random from line when going through security at the airport? Where they direct you to a glass box and instruct you to wait your turn to be frisked? Minus the frisking part, that is the best way I can describe the season of life I'm in since having returned to Germany about a month ago. I'm on this journey, I've been hand selected, and I'm isolated from my fellow travelers.

I was recently reading through my journal from a year ago and found that I was continually telling God that I wanted to be alone - away from everyone and everything that I knew. (Sometimes the desires God puts on our hearts are mysterious and without explanation). It is sweet and simultaneously frightening having God answer prayer. Living alone in a foreign country put me in a bit of "social shock" the first few weeks I was back. Talking to myself has become commonplace and some might say laughing aloud at my own jokes in a silent house is cause for concern; but I'm not worried. At times I feel guilty for living the selfish life I do. I don't have to be considerate of roommates, don't have to act in the best interest of a family, and don't have to be concerned for anyone but myself. I realize it's a stolen season but it's great just the same.

Part of my new year's resolution is to stop repeating myself in things I tell people (it gets embarrassing) - but I can't help myself - where God guides, He also provides. I've come to know this firsthand not only in a tangible sense but also in a "my-deepest-parts" sense. He satisfies. Isaiah 58:11 summarizes it best: "The Lord will guide you always, He will satisfy your desires in sun-scorched places and will strengthen your frame..."

Currently, I am praying about the direction I want to take in some of the relationships I established last semester. Please pray for wisdom for me as I want to make the most of my time, energy, and resources. Pray also for young hearts that would hunger for more than what the world is offering them. Chances are I am missing you and more than likely I am transatlantically loving you. Thanks for praying for me as well as for your encouraging words and support. Chey