Jess In Belgium

look who's back, back again!

2010-11-29T19:14:00.004-05:00

friends!

it has been a long time since i've posted. oh so much has gone on since i last posted in may. summer was full of interesting, great, and hard experiences. overall, i moved away from belgium. it was a sad time.

the great news is that i'm going to continue ministry in Catalunya Spain. there are lots of things to share, but little time right now. i'll be back on to share about the time during the summer, my re-entry experience, and how this new stuff all came about.

stay tuned! in the mean time check out my Christmas card in the previous post.

anyone have any ideas on wether i should re-name the blog, and if so, what to?

let me know :) hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!

Christmas Card 2010

2010-11-29T19:07:00.001-05:00

Christmas Captions Christmas

Make a statement with Shutterfly Christmas photo cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

life

2010-05-13T11:31:00.005-04:00

Well, looks like it has been a month since I've been on here.

Recently things have been just ok for me. We got through the big party, which was a huge success! Yay! I think I have a slight feeling of how it feels to plan a wedding and then the day go by in a blink. Crazyyyyyyyyyyyy!

Right now I'm focusing on doing a good job as we end the school year. We have just a few more clubs left. I will be attending a Young Life conference next week. I don't know what to expect at all. I don't know if it is going to be more a meeting/business or refreshment or what!? Usually we have an idea. This time we are a little in the dark. In any case it will be fun seeing and being with everyone! I'm excited!

I've also been working on the summer camp. Lots of thinking of ideas for activities, coordinating with the American team, and hopefully next week booking some places/specific activities. My goal is that this be my BEST camp. I'm going to do EVERYTHING in my power to make it great!

Right now I'm randomly staying at some peoples' house. It is quite strange. I'm here to be with their teenagers. There are 4 of them; Lizzy 18, Sadie 17, Kristel 16, and Kyle 16. They are American and quite nice. Their parents asked me to come and be present while they are away for this long weekend. They want to make sure that they don't get into anything bad. I didn't know them, so it was quite awkward. But, things are going well right now. We've had some good conversations, watched some shows, watched a movie, had dinner together, rearranged one of the girls' rooms....and I'm sure there is much more to come. This will be a fun experience to talk about.

Other than that I'm really stressing about finances. I don't know what to do. Some people have not been able to continue supporting me and I haven't gotten enough new supporters. Please please please please pray for support through August. I know the Lord is faithful!

Last but not least, please pray that I can continue to have some good times with the kids. My times have been significant and I'm so happy about them!!

Until the next time!

P.S. The pic is of me on a typical Tuesday "in the office."

tuesday

2010-04-06T16:54:00.002-04:00

today teddy and i went to the camp site where we will be having our summer camp. it was a spectacular day!

we got to see the building, its layout, what there is around it, and then we took a few hours to read about activities around the area and even went to some places.

we will have a challenge placing the guys and girls on separate levels. these buildings are so random! we will also have to see what type of activities we will be able to do since everything is so expensive!!

it costs 15euros to rent a bike and do a bike ride for half the day. that means 15 times about 60. CRAZINESS!! plus we want to go rafting or kayaking and that is almost 25euros per person. pray that we get some good ideas and that we will be able to give these kids THE BEST WEEK OF THEIR LIVES!! knowing Jesus in a cool way with cool people :)

happy day!

town videos at night

2010-03-30T05:50:00.002-04:00

here are 2 videos of my little town in the dark. it is just a little part since i realized it was way too dark to make a video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5hEJqfLZKI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Joo_7UniulY

life is good. spring is pretty hectic, so im not surprised this one isn't any more calm than the others.

enjoy sharing these videos. hope they give you an idea of my world!
xo
Jessica

blurb

2010-03-10T05:58:00.002-05:00

today is a beautiful day!
im enjoying the sun and the absolutely wonderful smell of the flowers sitting on my dining room table. ahhh flowers make life beautiful too :) ohhh and that smell is amazing!
trying to get a lot done today. we have club on friday!!!

videos from ski camp

2010-02-25T17:51:00.003-05:00

here is a list of videos you all can check out from camp :)
enjoy ...comment on here, on youtube, or on FB!
xo
jessica

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyVHCQrUS40
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0JeLrhBjc0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V37HSWrf46I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9veNXw_yrw

back from ski camp

2010-02-23T11:54:00.002-05:00

well hello hello!
we just got back from ski camp late on sunday night.
i took video of several things throughout the week. it will take some time to upload everything on youtube. bare with me!
i will work on that this week.
hope you enjoyed my update. there is SO MUCH more to share, but i like to keep my updates to one page. please ask questions if you want to know more. that i what im here for.
thanks for your support and prayers.

bisous,
jessica

Video Blog #5

2010-01-13T12:38:00.001-05:00

Just received a care package in the mail! yayyyyy
Sharing it with you guys. "The fabulous bag of prizes!"
We did that in the U.S. at YL. I had someone translate and we do it here in French! mu ha ha ha ha

check out the video blog at this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZzx5GerQDQ

hope you are having a great week! please keep in touch :)

videos of kids

2009-12-03T18:00:00.004-05:00

wow it has been forever!

believe it or not i did make some videos. i just never posted them. ill post these for now!

below is link for a video of a boy explaining why he likes JV and how he has benefited from being a part of it. sorry he is speaking french. and there is no translation!
click on this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t042QJwIKVI

you can also watch 3 different kids sharing what JV means to them.
click on this link to view it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNav_x_Kwvg
again this is in french :s

happy watching!!

update

2009-10-14T18:42:00.003-04:00

hi there!

thanks for reading my update and thanks for connecting to my blog.
hope you would like to keep connected through these forms of communication i have established.

message me on here, email me, write me, call me, facebook me! id like to hear about what is going on in your world too.

as a supporter what do you want to know, what do you want to hear, what do you want to see, how would you like to participate? please feel free to share this with me.

thanks!

jessica

yo estava praticando mi espanol!

2009-10-09T19:47:00.004-04:00

yeah thats right
i went to spain last week for several reasons.
to have a spiritual retreat.
to hear from God.
to meet Jonathan's family: Elena, Judith, Noemi, and Lidia. For over a year I said I would go visit :0 (Jonathan is the Area Director of Young Life in Banyoles/Barcelona)
to speak with some Godly people, exchange ideas, get advice, soak it in.
see a new place: Banyoles, Girona, Barcelona, and Besalu.
get some things accomplished without being interrupted or distracted.
to work and get things done, but not constantly think about YL.
get myself right with God before trying to give give give.

these things were a success. HOWEVER i got sick the day i arrived home. ive been working but i have felt miserable. ill work for like 2 hours then have to lay down. i hate it! this is not me at all! especially after the week i had. i was so excited about all that i got done. had even scheduled when i was going to do things when i got back home.

today we had club. this morning i didnt really know what i would be able to do. it crossed my mind to just pass my ideas on to someone and have then do the games, but i didnt want that at all. if iim responsible for something im going to get it done. good thing i was well enough to get through the whole evening. even right now its almost 2AM and im not so tired. i know im still sick but i feel a lot better than i did before.

well you should check out my latest video blog from la playa!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1T7v00KpJzs
let me know what you think :)
xo
jessica

CONNECT WITH ME!!!

2009-09-19T07:07:00.003-04:00

how do i get more people to read this? i am way more motivated to keep this updated. so i want more people to connect with me!!!

today is an absolutely beautiful day here. i wish you could come and visit for the afternoon. i woke up to the nice sunshine, had a yummy breakfast- pb on toast with bananas, it is warm out, ill go later to get a gift for a friend. tonight im having dinner at an old friends house. it should be fun, but it will also be a little strategic.

should be nice!!

this photo is of us in the corn field. we took a walk while at our leaders retreat.

internet usage

2009-09-18T04:19:00.005-04:00

im really into this video thing. i made one earlier this week but never got a chance to post because i was limiting my internet/computer time. it felt quite freeing to be able to do that. now im back on for a short time, but ill start up normally on monday.

here is a picture of our group at the leaders weekend. 13-15th sept.

see newest video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBWHBliRcEI

whatchya doing?

2009-09-05T11:16:00.001-04:00

here is the newest blog taken on thursday

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hqA3ktDOpk

hope you like!

possibly the solution to my blogging delinquency

2009-08-31T17:40:00.003-04:00

does anyone know how to upload a video on blogger EASILY? i tried to upload this and it wasn't going through. maybe i had to wait a really long time?

anyhooo this will work for now. click the link to see my newest blog-video style!

questions? comments? thoughts? would love to hear what you think

jessica

click hereeeeeee!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZAUAMFCsRw

confusion

2009-06-11T18:32:00.002-04:00

can not really understand what God is trying to do with me right now.

why am i scared of staying? why am i scared of going back? what the heck? why do i want to stay? why do i want to go back?

my list of pros and cons for both has not helped me.

if you read this, will you please pray that i get some CLEAR guidance? also that once i have that guidance that i will not be fearful of what it will require to make it happen?

thats what is going on right now. wish i had some answers.....

hola hola

2009-04-02T04:36:00.003-04:00

hi yall!

i decided to not stress about writing once a week because i think there are only about 5 or so of you that actually read this.

last post was in portuguese hehehe. ive been really wanting to use my portuguese. while i was in spain a couple weeks ago i was talking with some brazilian girls and completely made up words that were half french half portuguese. it made me realize that i need to speak it more often. A LOT MORE OFTEN.

while away i also realized how much i love europe. i love living here. i love belgium....but especially THIS week. the sun has been out since saturday!!!! blue skies and warmish weather. i think God is very slowly giving me puzzle pieces i need to put together in order to make a decisions....whenever THAT is supposed to happen.

have a happy thursday! i cant get over the fact that it has been so nice :)

infinite possibilities

2009-03-11T17:17:00.002-04:00

something i wrote for my portuguese class. basically a blog post in portuguese. hahahah love it! sorry some of you won't be able to understand. i know there are some mistakes, but im waiting to get the correction back. dad, im sure you could email me with the corrections as well.

Possibilidades Infinitas

Aqui eu estou em Wavre, Bélgica, uma mulher de 26 anos que trabalha com adolescentes belgas. Eu amo absolutamente o que eu faço. A pergunta é: Para quanto tempo faço isto? Tem muitas outras coisas que eu gostaria de fazer.

Como vou saber o que eu devo ou não devo fazer? Como posso fazer uma decisão? Eu gostaria de retorna para à escola e de começa um Masters. Eu gostaria de modar-me para Brasil. Eu gostaria me casar. Eu gostaria de viver em Portugal. Eu gostaria de continuar aulas de portuguese Eu gostaria de aprender como tocar o piano. Eu gostaria de viajar o mundo!

Com todos estes sonhos, esperanças, e desejos eu poderia fazer muito. Mas, onde posso começar? Eu amo a Bélgica. Eu aprecio verdadeiramente viver aqui. Desde o momento quando eu chegei aqui, eu comencei a aprender muito sobre mim mesmo. Eu tenho aprendido mais de quem eu gostaria de ser e sobre quem eu não quero ser. Este tempo na minha vida moldou-me. Que bênção é ter tido esta experiência?

A partir de agora tenho ainda um ano e quatro meses de vida na Bélgica. Me sinto como tenho decidir tudo agora. Eu sei que muito pode acontecer em um ano. Entretanto, eu gostaria de esta preparada para minhas etapas seguintes. A maior pergunta é: Como posso manté a fé no meio da incerteza?

A fé não é algo que eu levo muito leve. É algo que eu construi a minha vida envolta. Segundo Dictionary.com, a fé é "a confiança em Deus e em suas promessas feitas por Cristo e as Escrituras e que os seres humanos são justificados por ou salvo." Eu tenho muito fé. Mas, as vezes é difficile guarda-lo. Se nós não temos fé, ou algo para pôr a nossa esperança, por que estamos vivendo? Eu acredito na Bíblia e que ela diz. No livro de Mateus existe uma história de um homem cego que Jesus cura. Em um ponto Jesus coloca a suas mãos nos olhos do homem cego e diz "‘Seja-vos feito segundo a vossa fé.’ E os olhos se lhes abriram" (Mateus 9:29-30 (João Ferreira de Almeida Atualizada)). Ele deu ao homem sua vista! Essa história é apenas um dos muitos casos em que Jesus revela quem ele é.

Em uma outra história, mas uma vez ele é esta fazendo um milagre e esta com o seus discípulos quando eles lhe perguntam porque ele não poder fazer algo acontecer. Jesus diz em Mateus 17:20 "Por causa da vossa pouca fé; pois em verdade vos digo que, se tiverdes fé como um grão de mostarda direis a este monte: Passa daqui para acolá, e ele há de passar; e nada vos será impossível." Precisamos apenas ter um pouco fé. Parece muito fácil dizer, mas não é muito fácil de pôr em ação.

Eu tenho que ter fé que o Senhor sabe exatamente onde ele me deseja. Tenho que largar o fato que eu penso que eu tenho que controlar tudo. Não é realidade. Se eu continua a ter um relacionamento com Jesus (ler a minha Bible, ora, estar companhia com outros cristãos, procurar sabedoria, etc.) Deus me direccionara no bom sentido. Eu continuarei a orar para que ele me dara as respostas no momentos certos.

more since jan

2009-02-19T09:06:00.002-05:00

things are better since my last update. not anything exciting. i still feel like things are just going and im not as enthusiastic about life right now. that is the complete opposite of what im usually like. talked to a belgian last night, who has lived in the states for a few years, he said...well youre its belgium in february. i guess that reassured me that it wasnt just a problem i was having but maybe it is just the weather, etc.

im hoping to get a spiritual boost soon! how? i dont know.

thanks for your emails! i still have to respond to some ppls.

the most significant thing happening is ski camp. we leave tomorrow!! i hope that i can still be passionate about the kids that i work with. that i can give. please pray for that.

also my computer is no longer here :( it is pretty sad.
i hadnt backed up my stuff since probably august. i know i know. but its just the way it goes. my brother says he is more than likely NOT going to be able to retrieve any files. but we can PRAY FOR A MIRACLE!!!

other than that i dont know what im going to do in the mean time. ill have to figure that out after ski camp.

thanks for reading! sorry no pics :(

the month of february...

2009-02-19T08:45:00.002-05:00

howdy!

this month has been so busy. i have been occupied every day of the month. it has been fun, but im definitely looking forward to march when things will calm down.

i went to my second to last training in england. i travelled on the same day that they had the blizzardy stuff. yeah...it was crazy in london. my train was only 20 min late. i ended up waiting at the station for some friends that were arriving from paris. it was cold in that station, but i thought if i needed to get a cab to the hostel we had to stay at, i would do it with 2 other ppl.

their train was 2hrs late!! ahhh i know :) so then i learned that our training would not happen that day because everyone was stuck somewhere. we had lunch at the train station and then i went to the hostel to sleep. i had only gotten 1hr and 15min of sleep the night before. i know what you are thinking, dad. it just happened.

we had a great time as a smaller group since many ppl couldnt even get out of their own airports in their respective countries.

on that wed night i was able to watch the show, wicked with some yl friends to celebrate my b-day! well, i was celebrating my b-day. they didnt know it was soon to be my b-day ....hehehe not until we were about to part.

on sunday my roomate laure made my favorite belgian dish...mmmmm RABBIT in a beer sauce with apples and raisins...hmmm hmm good! she invited the 3 friends i wanted to come over AND THEY CAME!! it was a really good time :)
these are french speaking friends ive been praying for! please pray that we can continue building our relationships.

that evening i went to go pick up my friend, Rachel, from the train station. she came to spend my birthday with me! it was so good to have here and see what my life is like in Belgium. she was able to visit with the people i work with, see some kids, and do a bit of site-seeing. plus she did some incredible friend things for me...like she did my hair! my nails! and brought me some pretty cool goodies that were a huge surprise! im thankful for her!

Belgium Update Jan '09

2009-01-30T18:44:00.000-05:00

I can't believe it is almost February! Can you? Wow, Christmas came and went.

I'm so glad to have had an experience of Christmas in Belgium. However, right about now I have a feeling of wanting to go home. I wish you all knew how I really feel. Sometimes I feel so humbled and privileged to be here. At other times I feel like I'm trapped, which is definitely not the case despite my emotions.

January has been a tough month for me. I've been feeling quite down. Actually, I thought I was out of this "funk" until Saturday. Uhhhgg. That is how I feel!

Everything in ministry is going well. I truly do enjoy being here. It is just hard to explain my mixed feelings. Some people think it's due to the weather. I think it might be that I sometimes I need to "be the kid" and not always feel stuck being the leader. This is where I ask you to send me a little message. I surely miss EVERYONE. That is probably part of it as well. Last year at this time I was able to see many of you, even if it was only for a few minutes. Honestly, I didn't think I would miss everyone as much as I do. We get so comfortable with the people that surround us and don't realize how it feels without them there.

I share this so that I can be transparent to you. My hope is that if you too are feeling down; remember to lean on the Lord. We are called to be obedient to the Lord no matter the circumstances. This is a season that is here and in time will pass. We must stand firm! But it's hard!

Sorry I don't have much to offer this update. Hope you are all well and that you are blessed this year of 2009. God has big plans for all of us! I pray that we are patient, obedient, and confident in our Savior and his will for our lives. Pray for you who receive this update. Thank you for your year-round support and especially your year-end giving!

Blessings,

Jessica

blog: jessinbelgiumyl.blogspot.com

I've included a page from an "Our Daily Bread" book....just something reassuring to think about.

January 18

All things work together for good… to those who are the called according to His purpose. ~Romans 8:28

When a cowboy applied for an insurance policy, the agent asked, “Have you ever had any accidents?” After a moments reflection, the applicant responded, “Nope, but a bronc did kick in two of my ribs last summer, and a couple of years ago a rattlesnake bit me on the ankle.”

“Wouldn’t you call those accidents?” replied the puzzled agent. “Naw,” the cowboy said, “they did it on purpose!”

That story reminds me of the biblical truth that there are no accidents in the live of God’s children. What seems like a tragedy from the human standpoint can actually be a providential means of blessing.

Does everything seem to be going against you? These apparent misfortunes are not accidents. The Lord allows such things for a blessed purpose. So, patiently trust Him. Someday you will praise Him for it all!

–R.W. D.

GOD TRANSFORMS TRIALS INTO TRIUMPHS.

e-newsletter pics

2009-01-27T19:45:00.007-05:00

hi there!

just wanted to share some background on the photos us put in the january update.

the first photo is of us girls preparing dinner before club. we made some type of soup/stew. very very yummy! that is probably another thing i can put on my resume :) hehehehe teaching teenagers how to cook. they get so caught up in following the exact directions. that is just a little proof of their inexperience. in cooking...you go by what it looks like, taste likes, feels like..hehehehe. it was a fun time of being together in the kitchen and then taking some pics while in action.

the second photo is on my sled ride down the mountain of the austrian alps. it was pretty amazing! im so glad i went to serve another YL region. i had the wonderful opportunity to goof off and be a kid again sledding down the ginormous mountains.

thank the lord for that opportunity as it helped me take the first step out my "funk."

its so late....gotta sleep. thanks for reading!

car and cold

2009-01-07T17:39:00.003-05:00

ohh boy my car. it didnt start on monday when i was on my was to portuguese class. so i missed it :( uggghhh what a bummer. :(

so it got working and i thought it was fine.

on tuesday (yesterday) i used it to pick up a girl after school. it was fine.

i didnt want to drive to class this morning because i was afraid there would still be ice etc. plus the traffic stinks already in the morning. i was going to take the train.....ended up not doing that. luckily i didnt go outside because my car didnt work anyway. i went to leave this afternoon and it didnt work. try out some things to make it work and it didnt happen.

sheesh! ill be taking the train everywhere tomorrow, which is fine besides the fact that each ride is at least 1hr. booohoooo. i do prefer taking the train but they arent as convenient as getting your car...you know!?

so thats the deal. dont know when or how ill fix the car yet. maybe saturday. that is the first day ill actually have time and not have to miss or cancel ONE more thing :(

goodnight!
yes, i guess i can put mechanic on my resume now. ;)

austria

2009-01-07T05:53:00.002-05:00

i realize that this is not something ive been making a priority. id like it to be very much.

who actually reads this? i was hoping to write a little every week, but it seems like ive only been doing every 2 or 3 weeks. id like to continue however would like to know that people read this.
_____________________________________

today i was supposed to go to my last french class, but it was WAY too cold and im afraid of going too far in my itty bitty car on these not so very good roads that are not plowed and VERY icy. ive been home working which is great! but i do feel bad for not going.

next week im going to austria...but to get there it will be an adventure. marissa and i will be travelling together. at least that is a plus! we fly out really early on wednesday to rome and then from rome to munich. in munich, lyndsey will be picking us up and we are driving to mittersill. or something like that. apparently it is 2-3hrs away. we will be there providing child care for our old region. (well we split and their half is the other half!)

im bummed that we wont be near salzburg because i really wanted to do the sound of music tour. i guess ill have to do that another time.

you know when your time flies by and "the end" seems near you get more antsy about going places. all of a sudden i feel like i have to get so many cities and countries checked off my list. I LOVE TO TRAVEL. hope that i will be able to do some fun travelling soon.

tootles. j

mum

2008-12-17T18:15:00.003-05:00

you know...when im driving i always think of these great things to blog about. now that im at home and in blogging mode, ive forgotten what i thought was so great.

i guess ill just share that i get to see my mom in 6 hours. that is pretty amazing! i mean. how neat is it that you can be on one continent and then a few hours later and a thousand miles away you are on another one! i love it and i cant wait.

i know we will both be really tired the next few days, but man oh man is it worth it!?!?!

can you tell im excited! :)
ok gotta go. hopefully ill remember the things i was wanting to blog about. cheers!
-moi

germany

2008-12-07T16:45:00.004-05:00

well today was the end of a long stint of busyness! wooohoo fewf we got through that.

i was in starnberg, germany from wed through friday. on friday stayed in munich until saturday night. im glad i didnt book flight out of munich on friday because the trains from starnberg into the city were LATE. germans area NEVER late. something big must had been up. we were at the train station in starnberg for over an hour waiting in the COLD for our train. some people were were with had to make their flights, plus we were waiting for quite some time. so we broke up and took 3 cabs to a different train station where we took the train to where we had to go.

that night (friday) i went out to eat with some work friends. i stayed the night with them at their appartment in munich. we got to sleep in! training was very tiring...mostly wednesday because i had only gotten 3hrs of sleep the night before and was in munich by 8:30 that morning. that whole day was one thing right after the other. all in all training was great.

the best part of the trip was experiencing the christmas market in munich! it was so neat to smell the mulled wine, the sweets, and the savory sausages, etc. it was absolutely beautiful! i had never been to a christmas market, so that was a nice experience for me. the only thing that wasn't the best (but didn't really bother me that much) was the fact that it felt like black friday!

so now im back in belgium. had a LONG meeting today to plan ski camp. wanted to blog for a few minutes and then im crashing. tomorrow ill be working in the office instead of it being my day off.

tchus

stay connected

2008-12-01T17:46:00.003-05:00

if you know me...you know i take pictures of EVERYTHING! and I LOVE using my timer. hehehehehhe yes

(picture of our group minus Aurelie)

we have been having a bible study on sunday nights with guys and girls from this area age 20+. it has been really good! every sunday i wonder, man why did i commit to helping lead this? then once we get into the study i understand.

this is how we are with jesus too. we dont want to go to him. we thing its a drag. we're tired. we're busy. we're not worthy. we have no time. once we are at His feet we are filled and humbled. why do we get that initial feeling of blahhh? i think it has to do with the fact that we don't keep that relationship up with him. like a friend, like a family member. if we aren't getting the recent news on how things are going, we lose contact. we lose connection. we feel further and further away.

he has our best interests in mind. let's not forget that.

"seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well." matthew 6:33

STAY CONNECTED!

Christmas begins!

2008-11-22T14:53:00.002-05:00

we put up our Christmas tree today (satuday)! it was so great!!!!! laure and i wanted to do it so that we didnt have to spend a lot of money. she doesnt want to stay in belgium and i dont know how long ill be here. we saw fake trees for like 60 and 90 euros. PRETTY RIDICULOUS!

today was the day we had time to spend looking for a tree and decorations. since there are no real trees available right now we decided to go with fake. (ive never had a real tree before...one day!)
we found a tree and ornaments for not so cheap! we ended up having a beautiful tree for under 75 euros. that is pretty unbelieveable granted all things here are outrageously priced.

we put on some Christmas music and had a great time sharing in this experience of putting together and decorating our tree!

i was also able to put up the nativity scene that used to be my grandfather's. he used to put it up every year! when he passed away in May, i asked my mom if i could have it. luckily no one else had requested it. so, now it is here in belgium! from brasil to the states (but not put up) to belgium!

its been a hard year, but i think i might do a resume of the year at the end of december. hope you are well. thanks for reading!!!

sunday

2008-11-16T10:19:00.002-05:00

ugly sunday....went to church, had lunch, went to the gym for 20 min, oh and in between lunch and the gym i took a wonderful 1 hr nap. now im preparing for tonights study!

just wanted to ask for you to pray for me. i have a lot of work to finish for training and i dont want to be stressed right before. ive gotten a good head start, but now im slowing down and am no longer motivated.

thanks!

long time

2008-11-02T18:08:00.002-05:00

hey there!

oh my goodness...i cant believe i havent blogged in a MONTH! that is so incredibly long. this month has been pretty awesome! of course it was busy, but busy isnt always bad.

i know that november will be quite busy as well because i have to prepare for my training. there is so much to get done. i will have to really work on managing my time.

tomorrow is technically my day off, but i know i will try to get a few things done for work. from tuesday through thursday i will be in holland for a regional meeting. im excited to see my collegues and friends!

ive signed up for twitter. ill be researching it a bit more before i get the word out, but if you read this and want to follow, please do!

a bientot!

back to blog!

2008-10-01T17:26:00.002-04:00

well friends it has been 2 months since ive written anything here. while i was in the shower thinking about what to write or even just updating my blog, i thought...hmm no on ever mentioned "hey are you gonna get back on your blog." so im wondering who is really reading this.

in any case. i hope to get by in the swing of things with this. there is so much to tell.

for now i will just tell you that i will be going to my first Beglian funeral tomorrow. if you read this, please pray for my JV friend, marie, whose father passed away unexpectedly of a heart attack last wednesday. -will keep you posted

also, a girl i knew from McLean was murdered last week. all of this is very unreal to me. i have mixed feelings about both marie's father and gini, whom many of you probably knew. i just cant imagine all this. maybe it is better that i cant. that im in a way naive to all this and experience it from a far, even with marie's dad.

i dont know. well goodnight

la suisse

2008-07-16T18:31:00.001-04:00

here we are, most of the leaders, however missing roselie and kiki. they stayed behind with the injured young'ens. this was right in front of one of the many BEAUtiful waterfallls. this group was excellent. we had/have a great team :)

back from camp

2008-07-16T07:19:00.003-04:00

hi ya'll! well we are back from camp. its been a week. can you believe it?!?! we had a splendid time. i just got the DVD of almost all the photos from several cameras. ill be taking some time upload them on my picasa website. that will take quite some time as there are about 2500 photos or so. yeah! tell me about it.

today is a typical day in belgium. rainy and gloomy. as i was looking through the pics i became a little bummed. more than usual. i know that ive gained a lot of weight being here in belgium, but man...I CANT STAND IT ANYMORE! i feel completely stuck. i wish you really knew how i feel. on days like these (almost everyday) all i want to do is stay in my room and work or sleep. that is what i do. i dont have the motivation or energy to go work out or do anything. nor do i have the funds, but you have to have the will first.

anyway if you are reading this, please pray for me. id like to "get back to normal." to a point where i can appreciate myself and not feel that i have to hide myself all the time.

stories and pics to come later......

thanks for reading and not being critical of me when im being vulnerable. hugs all around wishing for some sun!

ONE WEEK!

2008-06-23T03:59:00.002-04:00

hello! we have one week before camp!!! wow :)

this week will be busy with getting office stuff squared away and preparing for our american team to come visit. this will be a good good time for us all. i just know it. please be praying for camp and for our kids.

i went to two of my girls' baptism yesterday. it was excellent. how neat is it to hear teenagers talk about their faith and tell about how and why they decided to serve the Lord. there was a bbq after. i stayed for that then went to spend some time with noora. she was alone this weekend.

saturday night we went to play volleyball with some of the people from the big youth group in brussels. if you imagine a church with a youth group...this is like that...but....it is many little churches youth that get together on wednesday night. anyway, volleyball was nice. then we went into the city to grab a bite to eat. it was a nice time of getting to know some new people.

tomorrow is my french class picnic. we will all bring some food to share. i have no idea what ill take.

thats it for now!

memory

2008-06-17T02:09:00.002-04:00

hi there!

its been a good few days. yesterday got together with roselie and malia to put rooms and teams together. it went very well!

last night i pulled out my video of the going away party my friends had for me. IT IS FANTASTIC! of course i decided to watch this at 12:30 last night. i havent watched the whole thing because i figured i should get some sleep. but that just leaves some fun for a later time.

thanks for all of you who came! it is so good to be able to watch it and hear what you have to say! especially now, a year later!

have a blessed day!!!!!!!!!!

PRAY PRAY PRAY for healing, etc.

2008-06-08T18:17:00.002-04:00

please pray for elizabeth's (my sis in law) father. he is in the hospital from a stroke. i dont have anymore details.
thanks
j

May '08 Update

2008-06-08T18:09:00.002-04:00

It's JUNE! Can you believe it?!?!

The month of May was quite difficult for me. For those of you who don't know, my mother's father passed away on 13 May. Luckily she was able to spend his last days with him. You may ask, "Jessica, how are you dealing with all this being so far away from everyone?" My answer to you is God's love, faithfulness, peace, comfort, strength, and so much more. All I can do is rely on the Lord. I've been studying Lamentations 3:22-23 which states "Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." May you be engulfed by HIS unfailing love!

The Past:

Just before being really down, my little (or not so little anymore) cousin came to visit. She came to see what this ministry called JV is. We did so much! Between touring and "living a week in the life of Jessica," Lauren was able to participate in Study Camp 2008. It was very neat to see her naturally hanging out with all the Belgian kids! My bonus was spending precious time with family.

The Semi-Present:

We are finishing off our year with 2 more clubs then right off to summer camp! Things have been rather busy this spring. I just got back from my last training of this school year. It was held in Munich, where we were able to take a bike tour of the city. It was very fun!

The Future:

I am so sure this summer will fly by. For this month I'd like to ask for you to commit to pray for us.

Pray for:

Good weather during camp 1 July to 8 July
Safe travels to, from, and during camp
Our US group that will be integrated with JV during summer camp
Leaders' preparations; good ideas
Volunteer leaders' exams (happening the entire month of June)
Another van that we can borrow for the week or funds to rent another van
Wisdom, courage, discernment, in speaking with kids
Intentional relationship building time with kids
Cohesion amongst the entire group
Roselie's knee to heal
The speaker, Nat Winston
Good health for all, but especially for leaders and staff

Thanks for faithfully reading about my work in Belgium. I'm blessed to be here! To read an encouraging story about my newest friend Laurence check out my blog from 15 May. My cousin, Lauren took part in a Bible study with Perrine and Rebecca. That Thursday before Study Camp all 5 of us prayed for the kids at camp, specifically Laurence!!!

Until the next time!

Jessica

P.S. The picture is of Perrine and Lauren while we were waiting to go into the Corrie ten Boom house in Haarlem. Also, the kids have made another site where they post pictures. http://picasaweb.google.fr/Jeunesse.et.vie

ANSWER TO PRAYER

2008-06-04T14:50:00.001-04:00

yes! if you read my newsletter one of my prayer requests was for another van!

guess what?!?!?!?! GOD IS SO GOOD! we have a van to use. can you believe it.

the power of prayer! thank you all and thank you lord!

passion paris was FANTASTIC!!! ill blog about it later. im pooped :) xoxox

may newsletter in june?

2008-06-03T01:21:00.002-04:00

fyi

yes you may have noticed that my newsletter went out on the 3rd of june. it really is for the month of may. look out for the june edition at the end of june....the regularly scheduled time.

thanks for keeping up with this!

beauty of life

2008-06-02T07:37:00.004-04:00

oww this one is incredibly adorable!! ahhhh i want to squish her cheekys.
look at veronica and her great grandmother! now that is cool :)

the rest of the month

2008-06-02T07:08:00.004-04:00

its been a hard hard month.
so ill skip onto the things that are happy thoughts....
there is so much i could tell you.
recently got back from munich. was a great time. now finishing my french class.
going to see chris tomlin, david crowder band, etc. (passion) tomorrow in paris.
yeah i get to do another fun thing!
i received some fun pics from a memorial day BBQ at my brothers house.
here is a cute pic of dad and veronica!
ahhh i want to be there :)

when the going gets tough it gets tougher

2008-05-15T18:29:00.004-04:00

i think ive figured out one of the millions of things God is teaching me.

tuesday night my mother's dad passed away. its really sad because with this grandfather i didnt get to say good-bye. i mean, i said "good-bye" the last time we saw each other in december 2006. although i didnt know when or if i would see him again, i was so sure that it would happen. its been really hard. with the passing of my father's dad exactly 2 months ago, not being around for my family, not saying good-bye, and actually mom and tia ana (my aunt) were supposed to be visiting me. that never happened. so things have really stunk around here. no pity...i mean, who said this life was easy? when the going gets tough it gets tougher.

so back to what God is teaching me. im being taught that He has me right where He wants me to be WHEN He wants me to be. in the midst of this sorrow i feel there is SO MUCH JOY. not regarding my grandfather or his death, but the life of a girl.

Laurence is a girl who was invited by Perrine to Club. one friday after school perrine and laurence came to my house and helped me prepare dinner before club. she came another time a few weeks after that. she has stopped by with perrine after school to say hello. this weekend we had study camp and laurence was there! i got to spend some time with here and get to know her. good good times. today perrine told me that laurence made a decision this weekend at study camp. she decided to follow Christ. i haven't gotten a chance to talk to her yet, but we are both super excited to see one another tomorrow. here is the best part....rebecca and perrine have this devotional book thing that they do every morning. apparently laurence texted rebecca asking her for one of those books!!!! she wants to use it and read the Bible!!!! i CANT tell you how much joy that brings me. not just about laurence, but to hear and see the girls talk about it. they are amazed! we had been praying for this and specifically the thursday before study camp we prayed specifically for laurence!!! praise God!!!

thank you thank you thank you for being a part of this! as i write this my eyes are no longer filled with tears of sorrow but with tears of joy.
pic of laurence at study camp (furthest left)

scream!

2008-04-30T07:45:00.003-04:00

today is another down day :(

it really stinks...i hate to feel this way.

mom and tia ana are not coming anymore. they are with vovo. things are not going well AT ALL. luckily lauren is still coming. i hope that she will still have a good time visiting places. im sad that i cant show mom and tia ana around.

tomorrow is our bbq and i have a feeling ill still be in this bad mood. pray that it changes. really, i just feel like screaming. just too many things going on. God help!!!!!!

RAIN OR SHINE!?

2008-04-29T11:29:00.003-04:00

this saturday marked my one year anniversary! cool huh?

laure (my roommate) and i had a BBQ on saturday in this woodsy/park area. it was really neat. we had around 25 people come. im glad my friends were able to come out to eat, drink, and hang out together. i really felt at home.

on sunday it was another GORGEOUS day!!! UNBELIEVABLE!! thank the Lord! i went to the phipps' house to hang out in the evening. when im at their house i always think im in the States. even when i talk i say..well here or "why did he/she come to the States?" hahahaha quite funny. they are great to hang out with and i really appreciate having them right up the road.

yesterday and today were back to typical belgium as it rained. unfortunately ive noticed some rain coming in from the roof. dunno how, but it does. luckily it is not a lot and hasn't ruined anything yet.

our leaders/committee BBQ is on thursday. it is supposed to rain, so it will probably happen in doors. whats new?!?!

even though things are going well, today i feel blahhh. i kinda just feel like being home. not wanting to do "this" today. oh wait...i dont have the choice ;) i cant pin-point it but its just a weird feeling. i know its a mix of a lot of things that are going on that i cant control. but if you are reading this, will you please pray for me? its crazy that in the highest of highs you can feel so low.
ok gotta run..the girls are gonna be here at 7 and i gotta prep. until the next time.

p.s. picture is of me, laure, and johanne (one of laure's friends) in a town right near to mine

away for the weekend

2008-04-18T06:32:00.006-04:00

hey!!! this weekend im going to holland for a training wknd. actually its for our volunteer leaders. we have a great group going. someone from the US will be coming and teaching us how to give a talk. this will be excellent for our volunteer leaders. we would like to encourage them to give the talks during club! plus it will give them more of a look into YL.

hahaha dont you love this silly picture. mom and tia ana (my aunt), and lauren (my cousins oldest daughter), are coming to visit! it will be a fun time. yay! they'll get a taste of my life and ministry here AND be tourists.

lately

2008-04-15T11:04:00.003-04:00

hi..its been 15 days since ive written and things continue to move quickly and very well!

ive been back logged on email since ive had wonderful opportunities to be with kids! how fantastic?!?! so i havent forgotten those of you whom have emailed me.

mmm i just finished eating some marshmallows that some friends sent to me a few weeks ago :) yummy!!!

tonight at 7pm there were girls that came over for a Bible study. its been neat to get to know them better. i think they are really enjoy being together and learning about who they are in Christ.

just had my second to last unit exam. woohoo! i think i did pretty well. the oral part is on thursday. the best part of today is THE SUN!! it is absolutely beautiful. boy i wish it were always like this.

ok more later...bizzzzzzzzz

so much to say

2008-03-31T17:22:00.002-04:00

I've been slipping on updating my blog. please forgive me.

well i haven't had school for a week and will not have it this week either. i have much to study as i will have a test when we get back and then an exam. yes one right after the other. so ill be studying at the end of this week.

since there hasn't been school, I've been busy with meetings and reading. i sure wish i had more time and that it wouldn't pass by so quickly.

i must say, life has been so incredibly good. i know its because of all your prayer. the lord is faithful! i cant really explain it, but i DO feel comforted, at peace, loved, etc. thank you for praying! it has surely changed this difficult time.

i find myself without words to explain all that I'm thinking and going through this month. I'm still satisfied in the Lord. what does that mean you ask? well, I'm just content with my life. i feel that I'm being used exactly where I'm to be used. I'm doing important work that i can see the product of. i do feel as though I'm getting attached this place.

for Easter i ate one of my girls' house. i was sitting at the kid table....of course...i still haven't graduated from that table....LOL. no jk jk i chose that. they are my life! i love being with them! anyway..so i had asked the kids if they would remember me in two years. and they said yes DEFINITELY. its hard to think that I'm gonna leave them and i wont be able to see what they turn into or who they become.

anyway-there is so much to say. i wish there were some people here to hear what all is happening here.

love on some kids-it will change YOUR life, not just theirs

club last friday!

2008-03-11T11:02:00.002-04:00

its been a while. just so you know....

things are going excellently. im still satisfied in the Lord and am amazed by how He is blessing me and the ministry.

of course everything is not perfect, but why dwell on bad things when there are so many great things to reflect on?

we had club on friday! it was SO MUCH FUN!!!! i made taco salad for 20 people. that was funny. most of them didnt know what it was, but they thought it was yummy! one more meal success. thank God because each day we have club more and more people sign up. do you have any ideas for good, fun, easy things to make for 20 people? im running out of ideas and im only one person. who knew this would be part of my job description! hahaha

after dinner i was the one who led the games. we played several things that they either had never played before or that they havent play in quite some time. right after that we sung and then had our message/discussion.

good good times. please continue to pray for the wavre club. it is booming! if it continues to grow we will not be having it at my place. we had over 30 kids!! more importantly that the kids are learning about Christ.

im starting a Bible study next week for kids that are interested in knowing more, exploring their faith, going in and figuring things out. its in conjunction with the youth group (ask me if you dont know what im talking about). this study is different then RPJ, the study i have with rebecca and perrine. that is a discipleship time. this is really just opening the bible with them and figuring things out. I NEED WISDOM and WORD IN FRENCH!! pray for that please :)

ok well i have a lot to get done and we have a leader meeting tonight so i gotta get running.

have a great day!

represent

2008-03-06T18:06:00.004-05:00

i dont understand.

here everything is going incredibly well! i cant even tell you. the encounters ive had with new people, the relationships that continue to grow, the ministry that is booming..... Lord, things are great, but what about the funds?

what do i do? i dont know where else to go. i dont want anyone in the U.S. to think that im keeping in touch with them to ask for money. that is definitely not why i keep in touch with ppl. i know that ill be back and that is where my home is, so i need to have people and friends there.

anyway, if you know anyone that has a heart for missions, teenagers, europe, anything..... and that would be my advocate, I NEED ONE!!! represent us, represent what God is doing here in Belgium.

i dont know what else to say. i just feel like when things are great, something always goes down.

the newsletter issues

2008-02-25T15:02:00.007-05:00

FYI- i dont know how you are receiving my newsletter, but when i preview and edit it i'm very careful to make sure it looks right. i mean..for those of you who know me, im a little bit of a perfectionist with this stuff. communication, ya know was MY MAJOR and MY JOB!

so i apologize for what the program does to it. when i get it in my Inbox the paragraphs are centered! what the heck?!?! its not supposed to be like that. anyhoo. gotta get back to work. thanks for reading this if you still are!!

God is good and im so excited to be seeing God work in the lives of my Belgian friends!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! can't you tell?!?

if you are reading this and didnt get my newsletter than please check your SPAM folder! i found several responses from my last update in my spam folder.

whats really in your head?

2008-02-25T11:48:00.003-05:00

hey hey-

its been sunny here and boy does it change things! ive been working on my training assignments. im going to training on wednesday and will be back on sunday. if the weather stays like this belgium might not be so bad ;)

great news...noora, my finish friend said that she would do the weekend retreat with me. that means im going. i was debating on whether or not to go...since im old. but she is psyched and really wants to go. that confirms that i should go! she came to ski camp and loved it. i hope that she really soaks up what she has been hearing.

on another note, benoit, a guy that goes to the church in bierges hung himself on Friday. i cant believe it. its so freaky. i know ive said this several times, but ive NEVER heard of so much suicide until i came here. his wife found him in their bedroom. LUCKILY their 10 year old son was at their grandparents house!

PRAY FOR BELGIUM!!!! miss the States and everyone, but loving the weather here!

bisous- jessica

Bon Anniversaire!!

2008-02-11T16:02:00.000-05:00

11:30pm February 8th, 2008, Praz de Lys France: sad that I was not in the States to celebrate a HUGE birthday with my friends and family.

12:00am February 9th, 2008, Praz de Lys France: the girls in my room start singing happy birthday! the girls in the sorrounding rooms hear, they run in the room singing happy birthday!

i've never heard so many people singing happy birthday to me all at once....AND in FRENCH!!!! it was amazing. i went to feeling so blahhh to wow! this is neat, these girls are the best! i got emotional. it was wonderful!

here is a little clip of the end of happy birthday in french. these were most of the girls. enjoy!

Belgium Update Jan '08

2008-01-31T19:48:00.000-05:00

Dear Friends and Family,

It's 2008!! Oh my, can you believe it? I can’t! I never thought I would make it through high school then through college. Here I am out of college, out of corporate America, living in Wavre, Belgium. Who woulda thunk?! J

Once again, thank you for a wonderful year of support! I am incredibly blessed to know you. While in the States last month, I became incredibly discouraged as the month home to fundraise went nothing as planned. Nevertheless, our faithful God is providing as you continue to support me in this mission!

A rocky month it was….my month began with death and ended with life! It’s amazing how God sees us through our trials, struggles, difficulties, sorrow, and happiness. The other day I was reading Hebrews and was struck by the first verse in chapter 11, “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” It is very neat to be on the frontlines seeing the lives of Belgian teenagers change. I hope you see how you are impacting our future!

When I get discouraged, I need to remind myself that I’m right where I’m supposed to be. How do I know that?! Because God continues to provide! He wouldn’t just throw me out to the wolves now would He? No! He is a caring God. Hebrews 10:36 says, “You need to preserve so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.” He has everything all planned out. We just need to follow His guidance and have faith. If it were only that easy all the time, huh?

May you be encouraged to persevere, do His will, follow His guidance, and have faith!

Hugs and love,

Jessica

Current happenings and requests:

Ski camp 2008: This Friday, February 1^st to Saturday, February 9^th. Pray for snow, for changed lives, for good relationships, for the speakers, for safety on the slopes, for fun times, and a safe travels to and from.

JV Interclub: February 16^th. All clubs come together and have one club. It is a lot of fun for everyone as the kids get to be with their friends that they seldom see. Pray for Nat Winston, the speaker.

Wavre Club: Through June. Pray for deeper relationships, for the desire to know more about Jesus, pray for fun times, good weather, and unity within the group.

Young Life Training: February 27^th -29^th. Pray that I will get all my assignments done! Pray that this time together with others will be productive and encouraging.

JV Day: April 5^th. A day trip to the beach with all the kids. Road trip!!! Food, club, and fun! They love it!

Study Camp: May 9^th-12^th. Pray for a good group, for new kids, for the kids who need to be in this type of environment to come.

New Young Life branding: Very soon!

READ THE NEXT BLOG!!!!

things to consider...

2008-01-30T04:36:00.000-05:00

Be on my prayer team: a few prayer requests sent out once a week or once every two weeks.
Be a fundraiser: just as if you would fundraise for anything else. We've all done it. Tell people what Young Life Belgium is all about. Meet the need.
Be a donor: donate to YL Belgium at giving.younglife.org. I must raise another $1,1,00/month. Don't ever think any amount is too little. $10 & $20/month adds up!
Do you know anyone... that has French experience?: we need some help! If you know anyone that has a heart for kids, missions, or Europe, please have them contact me.
Did you get the e-update?: If you'd like to get the e-update (which is above) and you have not, please email me at IHEARTYLjpereira@europe.younglife.org. (remove IHEARTYL).
Pray over the general list on the e-update.

I've loaded two short videos of hanging out at our Pirate themed Fall Camp in October.

dreams

2008-01-25T18:54:00.000-05:00

its late, but i felt like blogging....

i havent dreamt in a long time and recently i have been dreaming every night. weird dreams. nothing really scary. Thank God! do you think they mean anything? why am i dreaming so much and what do my dreams mean? the night before last i woke up to hear a male voice say "Jess!" what does that mean? it was 5AM, no one was here. i can't hear anything up in my room from downstairs anyway. anyone have answers?

tonight had dinner with adriana, ray, susan, claudia, ioana, gerald, and his mom. then went to visit with marissa and liesl at the phipps house. it was a good time of reflecting on this month. get a little pep talk...

tomorrow is our big assemble generale. im supposed to say a little something. dont really know what to expect but i hope it goes well. ill probablly start in french and then just switch to english. if i talk the whole time in french everyone will think im so dumb. i dont like how people label/categorize you by the way you speak in their own language. no! im not dumb, i just can express myself in your language...thank you very much!

ok goodnight to all. and thank you for reading my blog. fo shizzle ;)

we got some S-U-N wahoo!

2008-01-22T16:13:00.000-05:00

someone must have been praying for some sun here in belgium!! it was sunny all day today! THANK GOD :)

some prayer requests:
-BIGGIE.... pray that the kids will get over the fact that we are restricting cell phones and limiting ipod usage. this is huge! in the US it is normal to give it up for a week, but this will be the first time. the kids are gonna have a COW!!!
-pray for an office for Jeunesse et Vie (Young Life Belgium)
-pray for all the kids going to ski camp (we don't know a lot of them!)
-pray for kids to understand the messages, to begin a relationship with Jesus Christ.

***photo of Roselie and I at the Young Life All Staff Conference in Florida.***

je déteste la pluie

2008-01-21T11:31:00.000-05:00

rain rain go away DON'T COME BACK ANOTHER DAY! blahhhhhh

pray for snow while we are at ski camp. 2 Feb-9 Feb 2008.

REUNITED!

2008-01-20T07:41:00.002-05:00

my dad got away from florida for a hot second!! woohoo!! he came to say goodbye to me the day before i left to come back to belgium. AND to see he FIRST grandchild, Veronica. im SOOOOO glad you came dad! Thanks.
below is a family picture of us ALL! usually we do a family picture, make it in to a Christmas card and send it out. so many normal things just got put to the side after this month. i wish things would have just been the same...but then again that wouldn't be a "normal" life now would it?

So, yes, i'm back in belgium! the conference was FANTASTICO! lol it was a hoot. i'm so thankful i was able to go. before the conference i was able to spend time with my aunt and uncle in tampa. thank you very much for having me! i wish i could have spent more time with rod and kim, but anytime is enough.

we had club on friday! went to church this morning. and now im studying for a huge french exam on tuesday. this may be the first time i fail something!! ahhh. ive missed so much. and even the other students say they arent prepared.
pray that i can learn this stuff. not to just pass, but to really learn it. i mean, that is the whole reason im taking classes, duh! lol maybe ill take this section over again next year.

Ski camp is coming up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! kids are pumped. they get a whole week off :) we leave on the 2nd at 1AM (that is really the night of the 1st)
a la prochaine!

Lord Help!

2007-12-27T00:20:00.000-05:00

Bringin' back old memories! Well, this December...has been royally CRAPPY. I don't want to even get in to it because that would keep you here for more than 5 min and the point of this is to be short and to the point.

I've included the photo to remind me of spending time with my family ALL TOGETHER. This was our silly Christmas picture from last year.

Wish my dad was here this year. Elizabeth is about to pop any day! My neck is killing me..for the past 3 days. I haven't done much fundraising because a MILLION family issues. I'm stressed. I'm sad. I'm upset. I'm happy. I'm lonely. I'm frustrated. I want to go back to Belgium. I think I've wept more this month than the past 7 months living in a new country by myself.

How do I raise more funds when I have to be with my family through all these struggles? What do I do when I go back? I'm scared. I'm trusting, but afraid. Lord HELPPPPPPPP!

thanks everyone!

2007-12-18T13:27:00.000-05:00

hi everyone. i know since i just sent out my newsletter everyone will be checking my blog.

its already the 18th of december and i leave in just a few weeks. today was the day that EVERYTHING hit me. i came here to fundraise. yes, to raise funds to share Christ with kids in Belgium. it has been absolutely crazy with getting together with people and hard times with the family.

thanks for checking my blog. if you want to stay up-to-date you can put this on your RSS feed.

glad to be home, but excited about going back and do what ive been called to do!!!

Thank you for your prayer and financial support!

(pic of my grandparents....i was able to see them again!)

VIDEO WORKED!

2007-12-12T12:49:00.000-05:00

since blogger video worked, im posting this video from when we girls were able to be together in august. it was a WONDERFUL time. i was browsing through the radio and this came on! ive never been so proud :) enjoy

things are busy as i am now beginning to meet up with people to visit and give an update.

2007-12-04T10:29:00.000-05:00

im home now. its been really different than i had expected.

here is what has been going on. actually it was an email to laure (my temporary roommate) with some edits

________
yeah everything is crazy here. duane, elizabeth's brother (my sister-in-law) passed away on friday night. today is the viewing (there are two) and wednesday is the funeral.

my grandfather is out of ICU but still in the hospital. we think he might get transferred to this rehab/old folks place really soon.

my grandmother is getting worse daily. she has Alzheimer's and my dad is still in florida taking care of her by himself. it is so sad because she is like a little kid. so he has been down there for over a week now watching after her. who knows what is going to happen now. he cant leave them alone.

my grandfather in brasil is better. he was not in the hospital for long. thank god! my mom is still here.

as for me...its weird being back. i got really emotional at church. it was neat to see familiar faces. but malia and rachel were so right when they said that life goes on without you. and that is so hard when your heart is burdened with wanting to help all these lost souls and everyone here is just going on with their day to day lives. WAKE UP PEOPLE!! thats what i want to say. WE NEED TO CHANGE THIS WORLD!

im still having mixed feelings about being in both places. but now they are different. if i had stayed in belgium i would not be living this craziness which is good. if i had not come i would not be experience this part of life. this "difficultness", time supporting family, time being with family when everything seems to be falling apart.

on another note. it is FREEZINGGGGGG here. a lot of very cold wind. yes, i think it is colder than belgium.

i have so much to do and its already the 4th!! oh my goodness! today is gonna be a long day. im gonna go to the viewing and then watch all the kids in the family while the parents are at the second viewing.

my french is going to be horrible. but i knew i wanted to write a lot and get it out so i wrote in english. this is not confidential information so if you feel inclined to share more details, you may.

i am soooo fat. i weighed myself after 4 or 5 months. yeah..i gained 8 pounds. THAT IS A LOT!! i wont be going to the gym here so i dont know what ill do to lose the weight. blahhhhhhhhhhh!

i know the power of prayer and am blessed to have people petitioning God for me. there is so much to pray for, so i wont be specific.

today was great!!

2007-11-16T21:06:00.000-05:00

once again it is really late here.

today was an AWESOME DAY!!! wow :) for the past week ive wanted to write about how much i like it here. besides the cold weather, which i know is just as bad in VA, everything is great. ive been able to make some really cool friends.

life has been up and down. i guess without that it wouldnt be such an adventure. as much as i think about the things that have recently occurred i continue to think about my purpose here in belgium. i thank god every day for what He has done for me. He has put me here and everything is happening because of Him. i dont know what the future holds for me and that is very scary...especially for those of you who know me well...i like to have a plan, a schedule, a vision. not for just the week, but the month, the year and so on. anyhooo im still learning to put my faith in Him because if he takes care of the birds how can He not take care of us? PLUS He has plans to makes us prosperous and successful.

so...the valley sucks, but you cant be on the mountain till youve passed through the valley.

pic worked!!!! wahhooo...its of some girls at the fall camp :) love it!!!!!!!

hugs and kisses

march for Sadia

2007-11-13T11:56:00.000-05:00

this is a link to a page that was made in memory of Sadia whom I lived with at the Murrus for 2 weeks and who was killed by her brother on October 24th, 2007.

It's in French. There is an organized march planned for tomorrow in Charleroi.

http://sadia12.skyrock.com/

frontline internet campus

2007-11-12T10:20:00.000-05:00

man! fronline internet campus IS SOOOOOOOO COOL!

i am so thankful for it. belgium is great and all, but i wish people would really take advantage and realize how precious worship and church is in the US. we are very lucky there and often dont realize it. it is VERY dead here.

it was amazing to feel like i was there! and all along ive been telling my friends how much i miss worship, hearing a good sermon, the fellowship. i definitely felt i had it last night. i REALLY felt connected.

its neat to be a part of the internet campus, but the coolest part is that it makes me more passionate for the people here in belgium. oh they are missing so much. the only way they can get it is if we bring it to them! ITS INCREDIBLE!! i dont know how to explain it. i am excited about going to frontline in person on the 2nd of december!..you dont even know!!! :) :) :)
..............................
today i didnt have my meeting with malia :( but she was able to spend time with the boys.

so i went to school. then had a supplemental french time with some women in my french class. then came home and rested. now doing bills and working on some stuff.

will be going to the gym soon. things are a little less stressful for the moment, but i still have to memorize my verses, finish reading my books, and respond to what i have read.

picture upload thing not working. ..OF COURSE.
BELGIUM REPRESENT!!!

today

2007-11-10T14:46:00.000-05:00

club was fun last night
we had 15 kids for dinner at 6:30 and then we had club at 7:30. we played games, sang, then talked about being pro-active. one of the 7 highly effective habits for teens.

today i went to Mezi's house. i am going to spend an hour a week speaking, playing, and teaching her son english. he is really cute. after that i came home and just loafed around. i loved it. man did i need a day to do nothing! now im on the computer chatting with some kids.

tomorrow i plan on going to church, coming home to have lunch, then cleaning after the bazarre from Friday, and reading. im sure ill do my french homework late in the evening.

i had a great talk on msn with emilie! her dad doesnt want her to come to JV because we arent catholic and he thinks she needs to do the catholic stuff. she said she doesnt go to church because her parents dont go...they dont believe.. and the catholic church is boring. (anyhoo it was a good talk)

20 more days until i go home!

thanks for msgs

2007-11-08T19:57:00.000-05:00

thanks everyone...
for your emails and messages. it means a lot to me to receive your thoughts, concerns, and encouragement.

i was washing the dishes on tuesday night at the murrus and thought of when sadia and i would do the dishes together...things are still weird, but definitely getting better. her body was being sent to pakistan for burial. (the spookiest part is: they sent her body in the wedding dress that had been bought for her to wear)

also still feeling weird about katelynn and duane. please pray for a MIRACLE! we serve a BIG God. he can do BIG things.

only two ppl :(

2007-11-06T20:21:00.000-05:00

its really late here. today was such a productive day! i love when i REALLY get things done and can check them off. yes i had a good day because i worked hard, got a lot done, and best of all love my job.

i think when you absolutely enjoy what you are doing and know that youre truly making an impact that is just right where you need to be. woot woot!

HOWEVER!!! im a little discouraged. seems like on 2 people are going to be on my prayer team :(

end of oct. beginning of nov.

2007-11-02T10:29:00.000-04:00

well this week is all saints week and the kids have off of school. i was hoping to get back on track with all the work that has been piling up. since my parents were here and i didnt have internet things have been on hold. now everything is back on track except when my computer decided to croak again! grrrr. Dennis i need you ;)

for now i can deal with it, but i hope that everything can be fixed while im at home. what do you think dennis? will you spare a couple hours to give my computer a check up?

last weekend was camp and it was GREAT! however there were many people who were sick. yup, so i got sick too. this week hasnt been so bad...just lots of tissues everywhere, lots of tea, cough drops, etc. you know how it goes.

lee corder also came last thursday with rick beckwith. it was a good time of sharing about the ministry and some visions for the future.

ill be studying today, tomorrow, and sunday for my BIG french exam on monday. it will be 3.5 hrs of what we have learned since september. doesnt sound like a long time but when you learn like 2 or 3 things a day it is A L O T!

Priscillas birthday is on Sunday so ill be going to the murrus house for her birthday lunch. she will be 14!! she is getting so old :) the lunch will be a sit-down lunch with both roselie's family and sergio's family. that means like 40 some people!

fall camp TODAY! prayer requests

2007-10-25T20:26:00.000-04:00

going to fall camp today
pray that it will go smoothly. For the leaders, the clubs, the activities, the traveling to and from, the cooks, the preparations, for changed lives, for kids to see Christ.

Other prayer needs:

For peace, forgiveness, wisdom, and comfort for our team after the death of Sadia.
For Duane, Elizabeth's brother whom we recently has cancer.
For the Moore family. As well as Uncle Paul, Aunt Robin, Sarah, and Kellie as they deal with Katelynn's death on Wednesday. She is also part of my extended family.
The small study that we are having on Thursdays: "arpijei" (we are keeping it small to get things going)- The girls are very excited! I think we have established good ground work and trust. They have expressed to me how comfortable they are with sharing with one another. Pray that this time is a time of really digging into the Word and learning how to seek after the Lord.
Clubs- that it is animated, fun, interesting, and that it is about God and not about numbers or putting on a show. Pray that the kids feel welcome and will invite their friends. Also, that they will be encouraged by what Sergio will be presenting.

news on sadia

2007-10-24T19:33:00.000-04:00

recent news...posting what i sent out to you all.

was going to send a normal update. this is more important. thanks for your prayers.

somber and still awake,

jessica

________

Dearest friends and family,

Oh, how precious is a life. Today has been a day of mixed emotions. I received news of the death of a friend of the Murrus. She was a 20 year old Muslim girl that went to high school with Sarah, the Murrus oldest daughter. She had some family problems as she resisted her arranged marriage. She wanted to live her life as she wished. Sadia was striving to work in the law field. To escape from her family she was staying at a women’s shelter in Brussels and commuting to Charleroi where she took classes.

This June Sadia lived with the Murrus for 2 weeks where I spent quite a bit of time with her. We had some good discussions on the difference between being Christian and being Muslim. During this time both she and I were studying. She was studying for her exams and I was preparing my YL papers. Sadia was very energetic, fun, caring, and full of life. We would message each other on MSN to arrange a time to go downstairs and have lunch together. For our breaks from our work we would arrange to play JungleSpeed with Priscilla and Anthony. Sadia was very proactive. After finishing her exams she talked about finding a job and finding a place to live. It was most imperative she stay away from her family who were searching for her.

For two weeks, Sadia would wake up; put on a ball cap and a long jacket to disguise herself, and Sergio would drive her to school to take her exam. Often they saw her brother outside of her school. Luckily, as far as we know, he never saw her. After her exams, Sadia returned to the women’s shelter where she could only stay for a few more weeks. That time seemed to be good for her as she found a new school and a different city to be in. We talked over MSN a couple times. The last time we talked she wanted to invite the Murrus and I over for dinner at her new place.

Sadia really cared for the Murrus and definitely recognized everything they had done for her. She told me several times how thankful she was for them. They helped her a lot, and not just this time.

When we were talking about moving I had thought about her being my roommate. I know we would get along so well, however I was afraid of her family situation and how that would affect me. I never brought it up, but I did think it would be cool.

On Monday, Sadia was shot at two times by her own brother. She was in critical condition in intensive care. Early afternoon today she passed away. It is my understanding that they would rather see her dead than to dishonor the family.

I share this with you because this is REAL! I lived with Sadia. Sergio was like the father she was lacking. She knew exactly what the Murrus do as their career. She cared for them and they cared for her. I didn’t think this would affect me as much as it has. So often we don’t realize how precious our lives are. We MUST share The Truth! The time is NOW!

Please pray for healing, forgiveness, wisdom, and peace.
Love from a broken hearted team,

Jessica
(photograph of Sadia and Sarah at Priscilla's voice recital)

whats up..move, RPJ, club, family

2007-10-03T18:00:00.000-04:00

i FINALLY moved! yup thats right. i have my own place! all though my stuff is there, im not sleeping there yet. it still feels like just a building. i feel alone there. pray that i can make it my home soon!

mom is coming on saturday...hopefully dad too!!! pray that they have a good trip here. also that it stops raining.

for my house...things are ok so far, but it is hard to fit everything that i need in my budget. i need to buy things for the house but will have to wait for another several months. the stuff that i have now i have managed to get second hand from an xpats site here. thats basically an online yardsale. all great deals.

tomorrow ill be getting together with the girls of "aRPiJei." that is what they decided to call it. pretty cool. anyway, we are going to start our actual study. will keep you posted. please pray for rebecca and perrine. that they will grow from our time together, from what we are studying, and from their application of what we learn.

club is on friday at my place!! pray that it goes well and that the kids will see Christ in us and what we are doing. pray that the night is only about the Lord and not anything else.

THANK YOU FOR READING THIS AND PRAYING!

last weekend

2007-09-27T14:03:00.000-04:00

what do you know blogger was being stupid and not letting me upload pics. so i waited until today!

ok back to last weekend. i woke up at 5:15 to leave the house by 6:10. walked down the gravel road(huge rocks that kinda hurt your feet) to the train station to catch the train. took two trains and arrived at the airport at 7:45. my goal was to try to get on the 8:50 flight to munich. once i got to the ticket counter the woman said i would have to buy another ticket if i wanted to get on the earlier flight!!! ahhh so i checked in and waited for my flight at 11:10. we were supposed to start boarding at 10:40. all in all my flight was delayed and we didnt leave the gate until 12:00.

while all this is happening barbara (YL Area Director in Spain) and Anna (intern in spain) were waiting for me. i was supposed to meet them at 12:30. they were so kind to wait for me.

after taking two trains and having someone pick us up from the train station (luckily we didnt have to take a taxi) we arrived at the training. it was great to be with everyone.

now i have some assignments to do on top of everything else that is going on here. good assignments of course!

the pic is of my new haircut :) ill be letting it grow out again.

KIDS!!!!

2007-09-25T17:37:00.000-04:00

ahh im pooped right now. should have been in bed an hour ago. just a quick not to say how excited i am today about seeing kids.

i was walking in town near my new house with someone and i saw timothee! he is one of our club kids. he fell at school and twisted his ankle so he is walking with crutches. before that i saw joseph (another club kid) at the house im moving in to.

THEN i was walking back home (to where i am now) and passed by one of the schools. it was just on the way and it was not planned at all. so i saw clementine, said hello, and met her two friends (amelie and virginie). we had a little convo and then we said good bye. while walking again i saw perrine! we said hello and made plans to see each other tomorrow. so tomorrow perrine and rebecca are coming over to have lunch, chat about our bible study, and to study for school.

i just think it is so cool how i saw 4 kids today!!!!!!! and this was not planned! God is so good :)

anyway it was a fiasco of day, not to mention this weekend. ill write more tomorrow while the girls are studying.

j is out...

prayer requests

2007-09-18T18:24:00.000-04:00

hello!

leaving tomorrow at 6 to walk to the train station to catch the train to the airport. hoping to arrive at the airport at 7:30. my original flight leaves at 11:10 however i am going to try to get on the 8:50 flight.

either way ill be in munich at 10:10 or 12:30 where i will meet ana and barbara. boy am i thankful we are going together. we have to catch the train in munich to starnberg which is over an hour trip. then we have to take a taxi from the train station to where our conference/training is. uhhhh what a long day it will be.

please pray for:

safe travels to and from
no travel anxiety
smooth transitioning between modes of transportation
safety in general
a good training overall
that i get some type of sleep
that i can get my presentation squared away
that the presentation will go well and will be well received (for saturday at the leaders weekend)
when i get back i can catch up on all my email and homework.

club tomorrow- pray for a fun time, a good turn out, and for changed lives

2007-09-13T17:47:00.000-04:00

i got my hair cut!! woot woot.... 5 euros. he he he yes thats right. it was either that or wait until december when i get home cause im not paying what it costs here to get a hair cut. RI- DICULOUS!

also, TOMORROW is our first club! yahhhhhooo. ill share what happens on saturday.

Vovo's 90th birthday

2007-09-10T17:09:00.000-04:00

Oh my goodness! It worked :) wahhooo.

This at Vovo Pereira's (grandfather) 90th birthday service at his church in Boca Raton, FL. I wish I could have been there. They were all up until like 2:30 in the morning! Miss my family.

these days

2007-09-10T11:43:00.000-04:00

blogger isnt uploading pictures again! ahhhhhkkkk what the heck? i have several mini posts to put up. ill keep trying, but this is like the 3rd day in row that it is not working.

yesterday i went to cornerstone international church. it was really cool. i liked it a lot. right now it is the best international (english speaking) church that ive been to. but, i've only been to two. im still going to go to other international and french churches. i hope to find a "home" international church and a "home" french church. i haven't felt fed at any french churches yet. im pretty sure it is because of the language.

i had class today with my new teacher. it was fine but different. i like the other lady better.

next week im going to munich. itll be my first time there. i really don't like german, so i'm sure it will be difficult for me to navigate over there. christophe will be picking me up from the airport here in brussels then we will go directly to the sea-side where we will have our leaders weekend.

french class

2007-09-09T14:46:00.000-04:00

I have French class 3 mornings a week and really like it! My commute is a 10 minute walk. I will be moving to my own place on the 1st of October. Wahoooo! Right now I am living with my new friend Adriana. Everything here has been wonderful. Even though we will be living 5 minutes walking distance from each other, I will miss our time as roomies.

forever

2007-08-25T10:07:00.000-04:00

it has been forever! man!

so here is some info on moi.

I'm going to be the aunt of a baby niece!! wahoo.
I'm getting ready to take french courses in Wavre (where I'm going to live)
school starts (for the kids) in the next couple weeks
I'm still catching up on email...like always
i took 4 girls to Paris with me on Thursday! it was great :) pictures to be posted in the next several days
had a leaders meeting for the Wavre club! it went well!
will be in my own place between the 1st of October and the 5th
going to live with Adriana in Wavre until i move into my house!
things are going a lot better than before
am SO appreciative of everyones prayers. 1,000,000,000,000 thank yous! He hears us!!
the weather sucks here, but hopefully it will get better for September
we have a calender filled of things to do. so if someone wants to visit let me know well in advance. after my birthday would be better...thats February 9th!
going to a birthday party tomorrow for Mathias (Roselie's youngest nephew)

gotta run for now. its been non-stop here since last week. bisous!

MERCI! mille fois

2007-08-07T11:40:00.000-04:00

Just sent off my newsletter. I get so excited when I push the send button :)

I check it is off my "to do" list! (just being honest)
For real, I mean all month I have so much to tell, but don't want to bombard everyone. So I have to be selective in what I write AND hope that it is something you want to hear.
Telling you what is going on here is keeping you informed..I mean the only reason I'm here is because you have made it possible.
There are fantastic things happening and who wouldn't want to be involved. It is like feeding the hungry. Who wouldn't want to say they were involved?

So, with that...I'd like to sincerely thank each and every one of you for your financial support, prayers, patience, love, and commitment! THANK YOU!!!!!

I'm not all about pointing people out because I am thankful to everyone, but special thanks to Rachel who weekly, if not more, sends me a card from home :) It really means a lot!

To see pictures from camp click here: Jeunesse et Vie Summer Camp 2007

Picture: of me in the Grand Place on Belgium's National holiday (like the 4th), smiling at you saying THANK YOU! missing everyone

sticking it through

2007-08-03T13:07:00.000-04:00

I've been going to this small group on Tuesday nights in Brussels. It's pretty cool because I only knew one person and met everyone else. Adriana, who is Romanian, invited me to this English speaking international group.

This month we were studying James. Here is ONLY one verse that I've been reflecting on.

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials. —James 1:2

I'd also like to thank Nilsa for sending me a devotional that was exactly what I need to read/hear. The graphic and the next two sentences are from her. I hope that you too are blessed by these words and verses.

If we embrace adversity, accepting every pain, then we will learn what we should know; our grief will turn to gain. —Sper

God chooses what we go through; we choose how we go through it.

P.S. This group in NO WAY substitutes the group I come from in the States. I like this group because we can share, discuss, and learn. It is a good place to keep me growing, though I lack the close friendship. Miss you all!

everyday, something new

2007-07-30T06:12:00.000-04:00

Well, when you think it can't get any worse...think again!

So, my car's power-steering light has been on since I got the car. We (the previous owner and I) thought it was just a matter of filling the fluid. Unfortunately neither him nor Sergio could find where to put the fluid. Yeah, really strange.

Yesterday while at Grandma and Grandpa's I asked Olivier and Grandpa to see if they could find. No luck! Then Grandpa decided to check online. He found this one discussion thread that mentioned a "capteur d'angle d'attaque" and "300 euros." Now do people see why I just want to go home to what I know?!?! I mean every freakin' day is something new.

We only checked one source, but I was so fed up last night that I didn't want to do any more research on it. I just spent 410 euros fixing the timing belt and some other belt.

That's the latest news...the pic is from the wedding most of us went to at the end of June. This is Nath goofing off. The kids in the youth group did most of the serving of the appetizers and drinks.

Leuven

2007-07-26T08:20:00.000-04:00

It has been 10 days since my last blog. Please know that I attempt to add a photo to each blog because I LOVE PICTURES! With that, blogger loves to malfunction when I have something really good to say or a picture to go with it. Anyway the pics give you a better idea of what is going on.

This past week Mary, Angie, and Anjanette came to visit. We did so many things! It was great to see people from home. The best part was that they got to see how and where I am living. They were able to see the little things that are frustrating. Boy am I glad a few people know what I'm talking about now.

The picture from above was from Leuven! It is an awesome town :) So cute. Since I can say I'm still in my third month of culture shock..I must add one bad thing...there was one thing I was missing...a boy. Yes, that's right a boy to walk around with, to hold my hand, for some smoochy smoochy! LOL. Hey I didn't say I didn't appreciate it how it was. I'm just being honest and putting out my feelings right here in this blog :) One day, One day!

ga ga ga GRADES!

2007-07-17T11:06:00.000-04:00

Attention folks!!!!!! for those of you who know how long it took me to get my butt into gear after packing, moving, and transition, you will be glad to hear that i got an A- and a B+ on my papers!! wahooooooooooooo.

im a little frustrated with my grad work that is ahead of me. it isnt clear to me what exactly and how i need to be doing things. please pray that i receive guidance on that. im hoping that i can just take the YL courses while im over here and then i can resume my education when i get back to the US.

p.s. ITS SUNNY AND WARM HERE!!! (for now)

back from Switzerland

2007-07-16T18:05:00.000-04:00

so i'm back from Switzerland! we arrived late on saturday night. it was a fun time, but the trip there and back was long. we drove about 9hrs both ways.

most of our time was spent in the rain....blahhhh. but whats new? our last two days of camp (thursday and friday) were the best! it was excellent. and saturday was a beautiful day to return home. we drove through france, germany, and luxembourg.

this is a picture of one or our hikes. it was drizzling in the mountains but raining down in town.

im excited to say i actually got a tan. BUT who knows how long it will last because im back in belgium.

the biggest news is that in 10 days ill officially have been here for 3 months. definitely feeling the downhill of culture shock which i have expressed to many of you. yeah basically everything sucks and i just want to go back to what i know. not very many people are understanding me, i cant be myself, i have no friends, i cant just hang out, i have to worry about money all the time. i wonder if this is how life is supposed to be.

there are a few things that keep me going (besides God and my relationship with Christ)... some friends are coming in to town at the end of this week. wahoooo!!! people that actually care about me, that will rely on me, that need me, that support me, that know me. second, im still going home in December! amen for that! i am dyyyyyyyyyiiiinnnnnnggggg to see my friends and family. i want to go back to the life i know. i life i spent so long building. the place where i can help others and others can help me.

most of you know this is a little out of my element since im always chipper, happy, and excited about life. id really like to see myself out of this somber state, so if you need something to pray about, this would be a good thing. thank you :)

NEWS and Updates

2007-06-27T06:54:00.001-04:00

Let me clarify....we are not staying that that ginormous hotel in Gstaad. It would be nice, but it isn't happening! I just wanted to give you the link for you to check out the surrounding area and read a little history about the hotel. It's pretty interesting.
I have SEVERAL emails I still need to reply to. Please bare with me again as I respond. Sorry to keep you waiting.
I'm going to a wedding on Saturday morning then going to babysit until Sunday. This Sunday I hope to go to Liesl's church to check it out.
There is this cool thing going on here next week called Serve the City. You can check it out at www.servethecity.be. I might volunteer one day. If so, I'll give you the scoop on it.
The house deal is 100% official!!!! I'm gonna get it :) wahooooooooo Now I'll just have to stay put until I can move in. I can't wait to be there!

Birthdays

2007-06-27T04:48:00.000-04:00

Blogger never works when I want it to. (Well at least the uploading a photo part) This was really supposed to be up last night. Technology...sheesh!

So, this weekend we celebrated Anthony's birthday. We went to his Aunt Franca's house to have lunch. We got there right after church at noon. We had appetizers, then a break, then lunch, then a break, then cheese and bread, then coffee and dessert. It was a great time of being with family and having good food. I am glad that I can be a part of a family celebration. The night ended at 7:30 p.m. The only bad thing about the get together was it was on Sunday...and Dad, you know what we like to do on Sunday afternoons after lunch ;)

Last week we celebrated Sarah's birthday. The picture is from her birthday evening last Saturday. Photographed above is Sarah(21), Anthony(19), Priscilla(13), their little cousin, and their childhood friends Jem and Ben.

The best part of these meals is that I get to help cook! I love cooking and it is great that I can cook for a lot of people.

Please pray: car

2007-06-14T14:42:00.000-04:00

I don't know who reads this or when you read it, but....

The car situation is in discussion. We are working out the transaction. Will you please pray for guidance in making the right decisions. For wisdom, that God gives me the right words to say. For the long term situation, expectations, etc. BIG BIG issues to deal with. Feeling lots of negativism, not towards me, but not liking it at all. PLEASE PRAY!

Feeling strange and unsettled,

Jessica

Evermore

2007-06-13T16:41:00.000-04:00

(eating paella at Euroferia)
hey again...I should really be working on my papers :0

Club on Friday was great! It was a "light" Club where the kids take a break from studying for exams. We watched Freedom Writers and then discussed it. Two of the girls from Study Camp showed up!! Wahoo.

Praying for a car and finances with that situation. Here is an excerpt from an email I sent someone which sums it up.

:::Right now I'm praying for a car that is reasonably priced and in good condition. There is one that I will most likely purchase but it $1500 over what we had originally budgeted. Everything is so expensive here and the exchange rate is hurting me. In any case, I know the Lord will provide! He has brought me here, so He'll get me through the difficulties. :::

Thanks for reading this and for your prayers. Be encouraged by this song!

Evermore by Hillsong
Lost for words with all to say
Lord you take my breath away
Still my soul, my soul cries out
For you are holy

And as I look upon your name
Circumstances fade away
Now your glory steals my heart
You are holy
You are holy
You are holy Lord

Evermore my heart, my heart will say
Above all, I live for your glory
Even if my world falls I will say
Above all, I live for your glory

Euroferia Brussels 2007

2007-06-13T16:18:00.000-04:00

Liesl and I FINALLY got to hang out this past weekend! Wahoooo :) It was so much fun. We went to Euroferia Brussels 2007. You can google it and check it out online. There were several Brasilian boothes. Yes, I was so in my element. Salsa music, Spanish, Portuguese, latin food, Spanish food....hmmmm!

We also stopped by the Grand Place to pick some things up. Saturday night Liesl cooked a yummy dinner. Boys: currently accepting applications... please take a number. On Sunday we went to the International Protestant Church of Brussels. It was good, but I've begun to feel right at home in the all French services.

This weekend was an incredible confirmation of where I need to be. I could go on and on and on about it. Wow, God uses everything to teach us and show us His will for us.

Pressing on,

Jessica
Listening to Evermore by Hillsong. It is a beautiful song. I thought I would include the words for you. See next post...

the right time

2007-06-07T19:41:00.000-04:00

I got a letter from a good childhood friend of mine in the States yesterday. She said that she has been reading my blogs but was waiting for more details. I think I'm getting better at giving more details about my feelings, but would love some more input. Please let me know. As for now, I think this blog will be the most interesting.

Well, I guess this is an excerpt from my testimony aka life story...

Once I got to college I told myself and others that I wanted to be married by September of the year I graduated (now now, you know I don't share my age, so just go along with it). Ummm yeah!??! That did not happen. When I graduated I knew that I was not ready for marriage. All I wanted to do was get my life in line. So I worked, which was awesome! (he he he Viv gets annoyed with that word) Then all I wanted to do was get to Belgium.

During my time working in corporate America and the year I spent fundraising, God taught me a lot about myself and who I want to be. Yeah, I thought I knew. I wouldn't be who I am today if I hadn't gone through what I've been through. He teaches me everyday.

Now that I am in Belgium I feel even more a desire to be married. No, it isn't because all my friends are married. I know it isn't gonna happen right now, but I feel like I've gotten to where I need to be. Not really sure how to explain it. Maybe like running a race. When you get to the finish line and you take a few strides in a circle and then you put you hands on your knees, hang our head down and breathe heavily while you try to catch your breath.

Anyway, I know there is an incredible amount that God is still teaching me. I can't wait! Will He send me a mate?

HAHAHAHA sorry I just wrote that last sentence because it rhymed. Seriously, will He send me someone? Do we ever really know when it is "the right time?"
P.S. The picture has nothing to do with this blog besides ME! Me being happy drinking green tea :)

latest news..........drum roll please

2007-06-07T18:53:00.000-04:00

yes yes, it is true! i am going to move in to the house that we have Club in!!!!!!!! Yippeeeee :) Not sure exactly when but sometime before October 1st.

I know many of you have been praying about this for me. I appreciate it! God answers our prayers according to His will. My team here has prayed A LOT about the situation, but we have been praying for His will to be done. We prayed specifically for it in a Leadership meeting on Tuesday and we got word of the news on Wednesday!!!

I'm thrilled and will have plenty of room for guests =p

WE CALL. HE ANSWERS.

correction and EXCHANGE RATE!!!

2007-06-06T11:27:00.001-04:00

hi there :)

correction on the blog below the 10,50 euros is round trip so really it is 5,25 euros each train ride.

mom let me have the few euros she had left over from a previous trip and that is what i've been using. i don't have that money anymore so i finally had to exchange dollars for euros. (we've been waiting for me to get a bank account)

i got $50 exchanged and got back 35 euros!!!! that is so bad! i'm gonna be so poor by the time i leave here. you know what i could do with $15?! oh my goodness. i don't know how long it will take me to get over this shock.

have a headache today and really need a tan! have a good one

I took the train by myself

2007-06-05T08:51:00.000-04:00

For those of you who have emailed me within the past two days....

I was at another staff couple's house and their computer crashed. Please be praying that they can get everything back. It is such a time consuming matter and Teddy has a class he is teaching tonight that he must prepare for. Anyway, I couldn't check email.

Bare with me as I reply to all the emails while I was not connected to you virtually!

I took the train for the first time yesterday!!! Wahooo that was great. I'm slowly integrating, making this my home, and being more independent. I'M EXCITED! But, I am so thankful for the Murrus and all they do :)

P.S. It is so incredibly expensive here. I took the train to Braine l'Alleud from Charleroi and it would be 10,50 Euros. That is like $12 for one freakin' train ride. How ridiculous?!?! So, visitors please take note of the ginormous price difference. (I got a pass which turns out being 4,50 Euros per train ride anywhere throughout Belgium)

skyblog like myspace

2007-06-03T17:13:00.000-04:00

Missing these girls and so many others. XOXO

Picture taken at my going away party.

Not photographed Ann Marie, Danielle, Jill, Kimera, and Kelly.

Here in Belgium the kids do this thing called skyblog. It is kinda like myspace/blogging. Below is a link to one of the girls' skyblogs. The link takes you to the page with some of her pictures of Study Camp. They are on this page and the few pages after. P.S. the words are in internet slang. Don't get confused, French isn't really like Dutch!

http://tokiohotel6280.skyblog.com/10.html

For just one interesting picture click on this link!
http://tokiohotel6280.skyrock.com/photo.html?id_article=960703002

Enjoy :) comments welcome...

Other stuff

2007-06-01T10:36:00.000-04:00

Here is a picture of Elise studying at Study Camp.

Summer Camp is only 5 weeks away! We have so many kids coming that we are praying that God provides more vehicles for us to take the kids in. We are still praying for a few more key girls to come.

Roselie and I started discussing room assignments, but we will have to wait and see if there are a few more girls that really need to come will come.

I'm listening to Kari Jobe and HIGHLY recommend you checking her out. Listen at www.karijobe.com. My favorite is Pure (the first song that plays when you go to the site). GO LISTEN!!

Other updates:
***No policeman yet...boooo. We are still waiting.
***We haven't discussed car issues in a week or more. Don't know what is happening with that. It's in God's hands.
***Still don't know about the living situation for September. Keep praying!

Study Camp May '07

2007-06-01T09:51:00.000-04:00

This past weekend was Study Camp! It was great :) I was able to meet a lot of kids. After breakfast the kids would study for 90 minutes then have a 30 minute break. That is what they did for the entire 3 days. During breaks, us leaders spent time with the kids. We played soccer, ultimate frisbee, badminton, volleyball, foosball, cards, ping-pong, and just chatted with them.

I was very excited that the kids warmed up to me and I didn't have to feel like I was being an annoying American. They wanted to see pictures of America, so I showed them a few slideshows on my laptop. The best part was that I spoke a lot of French and asked the kids to correct me. We figured out words that we were unfamiliar with in both languages.

When everyone arrived I was intentional about meeting or at least saying hello to most of the girls. I didn't get a chance to say hello to everyone. However, the last girl I said "hi" to was Angelique. She looked so down, upset, tired, and not happy to be there. I even mentioned it to Anthony, another leader.

On Friday night as we were preparing for bed, one of the girls Clementine (13 or 14), from another room came in to say goodnight to everyone and told us that Angelique (15) was talking on her phone with her boyfriend and had some pills with her. Apparently she took several pills and the girls saw, then they didn't know where she went. So, we had to try to find her. Luckily she was just outside smoking. Phewwwff! Yeah, apparently she had just spent a few days in the psych-ward for depression...I don't know the complete story. She met her 35 year old boyfriend there.

She slept in on Saturday and then came out to start studying. Angelique had told Teddy (one of the leaders) that she did not want to have anything to do with God and she was going to go to her room during Club time. During our first Club she went to her room and then came back out to study. On Sunday during Club time she stayed at her table "studying." The studying tables were right next to where we have Club, as a matter of fact, in the same room!!! Yeah :) So, God was definitely working in her. By Monday Angelique was smiling, chatting with others, laughing, and almost able to be a 15 year old girl.

At the end of camp I got everyone's MSN address. It has been so cool to have the kids IM me! I haven't initiated any conversations yet. God has definitely been using me to be in contact with these kids. It has been neat to hear some of them open up with me as well!

Please be praying for Angelique and the other kids here that are unable to just be kids. Many of the kids lives are filled with crap and there is no running from it.

**Picture of the entire group including leaders and some teachers.

food for thought

2007-05-14T05:59:00.000-04:00

Many of you have asked about the police man....no he hasn't come yet :/ booooooo
I'm reading a few books right now, but I'd like to share a little bit about one in particular. This is for "churchies" and "non-churchies." So don't stop after you read the title of the book!

I'm reading Philip Yancey's "The Jesus I Never Knew." In his chapter on the Beatitudes, he lists Monika Hellwig's "advantages" to being poor:

The poor know they are in urgent need of redemption.
The poor know not only their dependence on God and on powerful people but also their interdependence with one another.
The poor rest their security not on things but on people.
The poor have no exaggerated sense of their own importance, and no exaggerated need of privacy.
The poor expect little from competition and much from cooperation.
The poor can distinguish between necessities and luxuries.
The poor can wait, because they have acquired a kind of dogged patience born of acknowledged dependence.
The fears of the poor are more realistic and less exaggerated, because they already know that one can survive great suffering and want.
When the poor have the Gospel preached to them, it sounds like good news and not like a threat or a scolding.
The poor can respond to the call of the Gospel with a certain abandonment and uncomplicated totality because they have so little to lose and are ready for anything.

I love how Yancey sums this up. He says "[...] poor people find themselves in a posture that befits the grace of God. In their state of neediness, dependence, and dissatisfaction with life, they may welcome Gods' free gift of love." NOW try to substitute the word RICH for poor.

Next, he asked himself if his own attitudes more resembled those of the poor or of the rich. I challenge you to question yourself as well.

1. Do I easily acknowledge my needs?
2. Do I readily depend on God and on other people?
3. Where does my security rest?
4. Am I more likely to compete or cooperate?
5. Can I distinguish between necessities and luxuries?
6. Am I patient?
7. Do the Beatitudes sound to me like good news or like a scolding?

Finally, he states “Dependence, humility, simplicity, cooperation, and a sense of abandon are qualities greatly prized in the spiritual life, but extremely elusive for people who live in comfort.”

Be blessed today! P.S. This beautiful picture was taken with the awesome camera my small group gave to me as a going away gift! Love you guys XOXO the flower is about the size of my thumbnail!!