scream!

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!?

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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?

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!!

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

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...

1. Be on my prayer team: a few prayer requests sent out once a week or once every two weeks.
2. 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.
3. 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!
4. 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.
5. 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).
6. 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

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!

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

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!

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!

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!

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!

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.

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.