Jump Start in Gaming

Happy Valentines Day and Feast of Sts. Cyril and Methodius! Did you know that the 50 Slovak Crown (about $1.25 U.S.) has Cyril and Methodius on the paper bill and Our Blessed Mother on the 100 Crown?

I just returned from a WONDERFUL weekend in Gaming, Austria where Franciscan University of Steubenville has a campus for studying abroad. God was so good this weekend. Our team went there to put on a seminar called 'Jump Start'. This program/seminar is formed to help people evaluate their family blessings, gifts-talents, spiritual gifts, personality type, ideal work environment, etc. and then put those things together to come up with a mission/vision statement for their lives and start planning to achieve some goals to make their mission statement for life a reality. After this weekend, I realize even more how special Franciscan U. is and how God is really blessing and calling people from there to work in His vineyard.

There were 25 students who went throught the program and they all seemed to be very thankful that we were there. It seems that Gaming is a place where the Lord really leads people to discover a greater awareness of who they are before Him and how He is leading them in their lives. I was happy to see how many people have decided to dedicate their lives to working for the Church, especially a large amount of people feeling called to work in a pro-life ministry or youth ministry. Come Holy Spirit! I spent some quality time with friends and my sisters in Love of the Lamb household. I was even so spoiled as to have Mass with Cardinal Schonborn and beer bread for our Lord's Day Celebration Saturday evening (just a couple of the many moments I smiled over the weekend). My Joy in Jesus is so full today!

Youth Ministry in Austria

Last month I was asked to lead a few of our team members to reach out to the youth/young adults in Austria, especially around Vienna. Immediately, God began to bring us many opportunities to serve the youth here. I attended a youth leaders meeting in January and found out that there are some really awesome people who love the Lord here and are trying to make a difference, but it is a slow and steady process in this land and these leaders are few and far between. We all prayed together and for one another, encouraging each other to keep reaching out to our Lord’s children here. Austria has one of the highest suicide rates and it is common among the youth here. We continue to battle a spirit of isolation in this nation.

One weekend our team spoke at a conference for youth leaders preparing to mobilize youth in Austria to go to Cologne, Germany for World Youth Day in August. I met some beautiful teenagers who seemed to hold onto every encouraging word I could give them about reaching out to their friends and helping them to know Jesus. This weekend really fired me up to continue to reach the youth in Austria. As we quickly approach the liturgical season of LENT, I have 2 big projects on the side of our regular team outreaches. Please pray for these projects!! I am helping to organize a performance called the "Living Stations of the Cross," which will be performed in the center of the town I live in. This could be HUGE in reaching the people of this city. Please pray that people are drawn out of their homes on Good Friday and that many people volunteer to put the performance together. Oh…and pray for me…I have never directed any type of theatrical performance in my life. I need all the grace I can get. I am also helping to catechize the members of the English speaking Church in Vienna called the Votivkirche. I looked forward to meeting this international community of young adults!! Come Holy Spirit and fill the hearts of the youth in Austria!!

Late...Exciting News!

Well, so much for trying to keep in touch through this blog. I apologize to those of you who have been looking for updates about this mission and have not found anything in almost 2 months. Hopefully I can make up for it.

While Angela was visiting over the Christmas season, we made sure to have plenty of time to catch-up on what God is doing in our lives and enjoy the beauty Europe has to offer. We had great weather and a chance to travel to visit Tomas and Zorka’s families in Slovakia as well as travel to London via Budapest, Hungary. Angela had to fly in and out of London, so I planned to travel with her on her way back so that I could meet my parish priest from Kansas who would be in London and with a fellow missionary, Antony Elliot. Antony is from the U.K. but is a missionary with Kerygma Teams in Ghana. Between Antony, Angela, and myself, we tried to find a cheap place to stay in London, which is almost impossible to do, but thanks to some old community friends of Angela’s who now live in London, we were able to have a free place to sleep and eat. God is so good! The VanScoy family in London graciously invited us to stay with their family for as long as we needed. The 3 A’s (Antony, Angela, and Ann) all had a wonderful time with the VanScoy’s and were incredibly blessed to meet such beautiful people who know, love, and serve the Lord in all they do!

Traveling through Budapest, Angela and I were blessed to feed the homeless, go to daily Mass in the center of the city, and evangelize 3 Jewish American men whom we bumped into and spent most of our waking hours in Budapest talking with them and sharing about what God is doing in our lives. This was my first time to have a chance to sit down and talk with Jews. These guys were my age and traveling around on their break from Medical and Law school. Ang and I were surprised to know that they could speak Hebrew and this is what lead us to discuss our religious beliefs. It was obvious that these men were searching for a God who could give them a reason for living. I was blessed to share about my Beloved Lord who cares for and loves all His creation. Wow…talk about a tremendous anointing that weekend. I believe each of us left each other with many things to think and pray about. I wish you all could have been a fly on the wall where we discussed our faiths!