Well I got my first parking ticket here in Latvia right outside church. They actually don't have my info since it was Scott runzo's car. I will figure out how to pay this instead of having Scott have an unexpected surprise.

Winter camp

Yummy !!! pig ears anyone

I was able to be apart of a winter camp recently with a church outside of Riga in Jelgava ( pronounced yelgava). There was about 30 kids that came so that is a good turn out for something like this. This camp was a blast to be able to hang out with the kids and just get to know them and them to get to know me. The kids were so easy going really fun to be with. One of the games we played was basically fear factor they had to eat pig ears . Well they got me to go up there and eat some of it WAY GROSS!!!

there is still sun

Today was a beautiful gorgeous day the Lord made!!! I saw the sun which I have not see the fullness of the sun since I left Arizona. It was a pleasant change to be able to open the shades on the widow to allow the sun to shine in the room. All is going great will update soon I wanted to share my highlight for the day.

Youth group

I had the opportunity to go and be apart of a youth night. This was amazing on so many levels. The first part of the night was a youth night party I was able to meet quite a few youth during the night. Also they even had me participate in a few games one I had to say everyone in the circle their names. Well these kids I had not yet even meet so I was just making up names. Then they had me put many cookies in my mouth and still be able to say some Latvian word, well I could never say it before we started i think they just looked funny trying to say the word so they had me keep trying . The night was a huge encouragement to be able to meet this kids. The second part of the night was a prayer night from 10pm-6am and kid you not this was double the amount of people than there was at party. There was realistically 70 youth there to pray and be in fellowship with one another how awesome is that!!! The only person who was not a youth was the pastor. The party had around 30 youth so a significant increase. This night greatly encouraged me to see the youth of Riga coming together to pray for 8hours.
Scott put it in a good way by saying we are youth planters instead of church planters. Coming alongside youth groups to help them really become youth groups and this got me excited as well. So like I said before that journey begins, I'm so excited as God is with me on this incredible journey.

Snow in riga

Here in czech

This is the amazing place where I was blessed to have spent Thanksgiving at. It has been such an enriching time meeting missionaries with Josiah Venture from Poland, Czech, Ukraine, Slovakia, & Slovenia. We had Thanksgiving here in this hotel that Josiah venture owns and uses it as a hotel to the public and also as a conference place for JV. There was all the normal thanksgiving food here since all Americans were in charge bringing a dish that like on thanksgiving.

Sorry that it has been awhile since my last update I was adjusting and then drove to Czech. Please be in prayer for the drive home tomorrow it is roughly a 20 hour drive.

I have a funny story to share with you all. One the way here Jaycee got pulled over somewhere in Lithuania for speeding . well the Police officer spoke great English and asked her to step out of the car. She comes back to inform us that she is getting a ticket and to retrieve her passport from the car. When she goes back the cops ask her to go into the backseat. So from the car we just she Jaycee in the backseat not sure if they were taking her away haha. I'm still not quite sure what that was all about except it was cold outside.

Almost there

I will be leaving for the airport in 2 in 1/2 hours. Today was good and hard it is bitter sweet saying my good byes. As I went to high school group at the very end this evening it was so amazing as many of the students came up and gave me hugs shared how much they appreciated me I felt so loved. The last couple of days have been good seeing how it is hard on both sides with the goodbyes has shown me how God has used me in these peoples lives. Well soon I will be in Wonderful Latvia.
Thank you all for your prayers during this time as I move to Latvia

I'm leaving !!!

I got my tickets praise GOD !!!!

I will be departing Phoenix on the 14th of November for wounderful Latvia. This is such a soreal feeling that I'm experiencing right now that it is actaully here, that I'm going. Thank you all so very much!!!

So here we go and now the journey really begins

Waiting

Through the last couple of weeks have been rather trying and hard. I didn't really think raising support would be as hard as it has been. I would not trade support raising for anything even though it has been trying God has shown so much about himself during this time. As I would stress out that I would not make my date or where the money would come from God continued to show that his timing is right. God has brought me this far and I do not believe that he will desert me now. This is something that I continually have to come to God and recognize and acknowledge to him that his timing is truly perfect. This time also has be great where I have learned more of the importance of coming before my Jesus and how I neglect sitting at his feet. During the last couple of weeks I have sat at his feet and he has walked beside me. Thank you for those of you who have encouraged me in many different ways you all are a blessing to have on my team as we go fourth together as a body, a community.

Even though I'm the one going we are all the community of christ and will continue even though soon I will not be as close as I have been.

Last night was my last time working for starbucks. This is really crazy cause I'm getting closer to moving to Latvia now!!! I worked there for a little over 2 years and now I have quit to tie things up and get ready before I leave. I was blessed by being able to work with some great people like that charater on the left.

We found some mud that we had to go through. over the weekend I had the opportunity to spend with my small group guys at the cabin. I had a great time playing poker on the porch and obviously taking Bill's truck through the mud. I've been blessed by by being able to be apart of these guys lives for many years. Right now as I prepare to leave it's hard at times realizing that I will not be here anymore for these guys but, it is a bitter sweet since I'm excited to see where the Lord takes them how they continue to grow. In a sense these guys feel like part of my family since I've been with some for 3 1/2 years and the rest for at least 2 years. I'm encouraged to see what God has in store for these guys and how they respond to him. Also I've been blessed to be able to have co-lead for the last year with Bill what an amazing guy. One thing I really pulled away from him was not to take life so serious enjoy life, He has joy that just overflows him just genuine down to earth guy.

I just got back from Colorado on friday night. This was an amazing time of intense training to better equip me for for work in Latvia. The training was better than I had ever imagined it could be. There was so much God was working in me through my time there showing about conflict resolution, stuff about myself, learning a deeper understanding of community.

We just started then next section of the mission training. This class is a 3 week session that is called splice. Splice seems to be dealing with community issues and how to reslove conflict between one another. As many of you may know the number one reason for missionaries leaving thier county that they are ministering in is due to conflict with fellow missionaries. Thank you for your prayers during these five weeks of training.

Let me give you alittle background about myself. I had the opportunity to go on a mission trip to Latvia with my High school group when I had just graduated high school this was in 2003. Well this trip was amazing but, I was truly just the beginning of things to come. Going in to this trip I was not thinking about this mission trip as anything really amazing. I think when I sit back I was going more or less to check out Europe God totally began to rock my world when came serving him. Well I went back as an intern for 2 summers in a row. As I was serving as an intern God was showing some amazing things just about ministry, himself, and the importance of serving him everywhere. In 2005 is when I really started toying with the idea of moving and doing minsitry within Latvia. I was to comfortable of where I was in my life I was content on doing short term trips for the rest of my life. well that’s not what the Lord had in store he was and is calling me move to leave everything all my securities and truley learn what it means to follow after him. Last year when I went as a leader with the high school group that is when the Lord made it clear to me that he wants me in Latvia. I had a good conversation with Scott one of the missionaries in Latvia well he began talking about the need for more missionaries and where he could use me. I could not just ignore this converstion I had so I began to pray and process through this for the next couple of months. then I began going through the process of joing Josiah Venture and this showed me that this is where God wants me.