I love living in Europe and there isn’t much I miss in the states, besides family and friends that is, but there are moments when “comfort food” is great! In the box my parents sent me there was Aunt Jemima pancake mix, Hungry Jack Syrup (in the microwaveable bottle), and much more… So yesterday was a holiday here in Czech so I slept in and then made pancakes and Starbucks’ coffee for my roommate and I. It was great! I’ve been getting some emails asking for my address here in Prague, so if you feel led to send any sort of “comfort food” to me, here you go:

Due to unwanted visitors my address has been removed, feel free to email me to touch base with me. Thank you.

Okay, I really need to study! Be a Revolution this Weekend!

Last night I was informed by a friend and co-worker that “MY BLOG IS BORING.” Wow! She was/is right! I have been disappointed that I haven’t been able to blog more about my first month back in Prague and about life in general. But when you don’t have internet and you feel like you’re kicking hard to just keep your head above water while you are studying one of the hardest languages in the world you have to make some decisions. As you have seen one of those decisions that I have made is to blog less until I get settled and get the net in my flat. On that note, this Thursday we should have the net rocking in the flat! Praise God! I am also closer to getting settled. (Please continue to pray for my shipping problem. Right now, it looks like I will have to pay the invoice that is higher than I was quoted. More out of the preservation of my stuff. Please continue to pray.) My roommate, Matt (a.k.a. Earnie), and I did another Ikea run. I hope that is the last one for quite sometime. I actually like going to Ikea, but what I don’t like is that it takes a whole afternoon to accomplish the deal. I have no car, so that means I have to take public and it takes an hour to get there via public. I hope to have another ZHTV episode up soon with a new tour of the flat. It has been interesting getting furniture and stuff in the last 3 weeks or so. I have never had to buy “real” couches and etc. I guess its growing up. Last night, as Earnie and I were putting together more furniture he said, “With all this furniture you really must be thinking you will be here for awhile.” It was a strange moment for me. I am settling down in Prague in a HUGE way! Well… I have to study some Czech and work on a prayer I’m sharing at church tomorrow… Blessings this Saturday!

Saturday = time with God (see journal and Bible), studying Czech (see notebook and grammar sheet to the back), a latte or two (see the huge mug to the left), and my iPod to bring some sanity to all of it via good music (playing today - our heart’s hero and the new david crowder band).

What you see here are the pictures from the day the movers came - August 23rd. They took it to the warehouse in Chicago and guess where it still is? Chicago. We have had a nightmare experience with shipping my stuff over. From extreme lack of professionalism to being over charged for nearly twice the quote it hasn’t been good! Please pray that this would get worked out. My dad has gone to work on it and I’m so thankful for his help, but as I said please pray that this nightmare would end and that my stuff would show up in Prague sooner than later in the state it was in on August 23rd. Blessings…

So this week was my first full week of language class. Meaning a full 5 days of enlightenment to the Czech language! Last week we had just 3 days. Anyway, class has been working me over! It has been really, really tough thus far and I’m only 8 classes into 10 months of this! After sitting in class for five hours each day it feels like someone has bored into the front of my brain cavity with a large drill! Sounds like fun doesn’t it? Once life levels out and I get the net in my flat (a.k.a. apartment) I hope to start a serious about living incarnationally and how learning a given culture’s language is essential for making a difference within the culture. It doesn’t matter if you’re a full-time missionary to Czech or if you’re a full-time missionary disguised as a mom, salesman, businesswoman, teacher or etc.!

I look forward to reflecting on what it means to become nothing for the sake of the Gospel by learning this culture’s language. Stay tuned for this new series… But anyway, the light bulb moment! Today when I was walking from my flat to Café Calma I looked over to the other side of the street and I knew what everything meant! Yeah! That’s right! Well, not everything but a lot more at least! I read what the stores and street signs said and I understood more than ever before! Then I was walking and new words I learned today in class actually were still in my brain! A miracle indeed! I thought, “Praise God I’m retaining it!” So there is this week’s light bulb moment! Pray for more of these moments as I study Czech full-time right now! Okay I need to get going, blessings…

I wish I could go the National Resurgence Conference 2008: Text & Context, but alas I’m on the wrong side of the pond! It’s a very cool promo video though and I look forward to listening to ALL the sessions for free on the Resurgence site! I hope to have the net running in my place by late next week, so hopefully the frequency of posts will increase. I am alive and well here! I just don’t have a lot of net time to write, blog, or email. Hopefully this will change soon. Nothing seemingly happens quickly around here! Blessings…

My Support/Info Video about what I do with American football here in Prague has had more than 1,000 views! Wow! That’s cool… I am taken back when I think of how small this world is because of technology and all the cool things I can do with my Mac! Anyway, click here to see all my videos that are up on YouTube and if you haven’t seen my football video here it is.

So I’ve been faked out two days in a row with my Czech class. I thought yesterday was going to be the first day, but it was just registration and a placement test. Then today I was geared up and it was just an “orientation” day. I’m pretty sure it will actually begin tomorrow. I had an encounter yesterday with the placement exam that was very “Czech”. I scored a 20 out of 50 on the written test; which wasn’t too bad for me. Especially since I haven’t really practiced since I left in 2005. But as I was finishing this younger guy that was helping with registration started speaking to me fast in Czech. I stared at Him with a blank look on my face! I have now been here a week and my mind is still registering Czech a little slow.

So I respond to him in Czech saying, “I don’t understand, please slow down.” He responded but this time it seemed even faster! So I said, “I don’t understand.” He then blasted me with the Czech shame game, “Listen do you want to be with the beginners and say ‘Dobre Den’ and ‘Ahoj’ and so fourth? If you don’t want to, you better speak something in Czech to me.” At that point my pride was hurt and I looked at him blankly and said, “Nevim.” Or in English, “I don’t know.” He then proceeded in shrugging his shoulders at me and scoffing at me. Ah, the scorn of a Czech. In his mind, I guess I’ve lived here for 18 months and I should speak better than that. I guess it didn’t dawn on him that if I was good I probably wouldn’t be there seeking education! Well, I have to get used to it. I’ve really been realizing as of late that my language learning is helping me follow in the way of Jesus…

…but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. (Phil 2:7)

Here’s to being made nothing for the sake of Gospel (1 Cor. 9:23)!