That is me right now. “Why?” you ask. Well, I have the internet in my flat in Prague! Not only that but my new Apple Airport Extreme Wireless Base Station and Vonage line is up and going! What does that mean? It means I have wireless net throughout my flat and with the Vonage line I have an American phone number (my old cell number) to make calls in the States with. So now I have a corner of my living room that is filled with wires and glowing lights (see the pic). Beyond the obvious reason I’m so excited, I’m excited because it was easy. Yes it was easy. It feels like everything I have done in the last month has been hard. Like a constant reminder that we live outside the Garden, in a fallen world, where everything is working against us (see here). God graciously gave me a moment where something worked and it was easy! Praise Him. Praise Him as well for the hard stuff, like my shipping ordeal. Please continue to pray for it. It is still sitting in Chicago but the hope is that it would be out soon. God is good in the midst of even this. He’s teaching me a ton, and working and shaping my character through this. Very cool.

Those four words were the subject to an email I got this week and it was a little bit of joy! My good friend Andy Wojtowski knows how to bless a guy, here is what he wrote:

I just wanted to drop you a quick line and tell you not to order the new Driscoll book coming out in Feb. I just ordered 2 copies and one will be coming your way as soon as I get it. By the way it will be signed by Driscoll and his co author Dr. Gerry Breshears. Saw it on the resurgence site and thought of you. Hope this helps make your day a little easier with language classes.

“Yeah!” Thank you Andy! I was and am so excited by your kind act and I can’t wait to get the book. The only sad thing is reading is tough for me right now. With language school whooping my rear there are quite a few books I have on my bookshelf that are collecting dust. In time… You need to check out the Vintage Jesus site and order a bunch of copies of this book. I loved the topical sermon series that this book stems from that Driscoll did a year or so ago. In fact, this is a book I will probably buy a lot of copies to use as a ministry tool with nonbelievers. Thanks Andy for the little bit of joy!

I’ve wanted to posts these two pics for a week or so now and haven’t had a chance to, but here they are tonight! These two young men you see in the pics with me are two of my newest friends here in Prague. Jason is on the left and Earnie (Matt) is on the right. Jason works at another friend’s hostel (The Czech INN) here in Prague, but will be a co-owner of a new hostel opening up in the next year, called Mosaic House. Ernie works for a missions organization in a town about an hour away from Prague but is in Prague for at least 5 months (pray its 10!) studying Czech as well. Earnie also doubles as my roommate; so that means he has to put up with me! So anyway, one of my prayers was that God would bring some guys at my life stage into my life here and He has! He’s so good. I’m so grateful for the deep friendships I have with these two in such a short time! Love ya guys!

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 Cafe 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!