Hello from Portugal! Quick update on my life here. I am working with a church in Carcavelos, just helping them with different needs. So I am currently helping them organize their library and finish putting books in the system. Tedious but needs to be done. I had the chance to spend time with the church tonight in prayer and a short message. It was great! Also, some of you may know Dick and Sarah Robinson. This is the church they started. Uncle Herold and Aunt Irene they said they knew you guys in school!! Also for you JBCers they were missionaries we supported in chapel and I think they spent time on campus recently. Anyway. Im getting things ready for a camp in a couple weeks. Making a piñata. I'll post pictures soon!!

So today I tried snails. Not my favorite but the flavor wasn't too bad. It was just hard to get past the texture and idea of what I was eating!!

Coasts, Construction, Casa, Cultura, Children and Cascais

I landed in Lisbon, Portugal on Monday afternoon. It was a bizarre feeling. My mind is so confused by languages, mainly with Shqip and German words flowing through my brain, that when I heard the Portuguese my brain was like ...Spanish ....German? But I know its not Spanish even though its similar. Along with the language I felt a sense of excitement at the newness of being in a new culture and starting the next segment of my journey, but at the same time I felt funny.. like a part of me was still in Germany, a little piece left in Belgium and Austria, and even a chunk back in Albania. I guess that is what happens when you invest time and love.. a part of you stays in that place. It was a good feeling, but a hard feeling at the same time. When I planned this trip I wasn't expecting to become so attached, which is silly really.. but I guess I didn't budget love, friendship, and time into the plans.

Part of me is always surprised, not just by how MUCH I learn, but by the extraordinary life lessons and the order of events in which I learn those lessons. Basically, learning unexpected lessons in unexpected ways.

Me, Angelina, Kevin and baby Eva by the coast in Cascais

Back to my arrival in Lisbon. Its always fun when you are being picked up at the airport by people who only know you from a picture you've sent them. Its happened 3 times so far on this trip. Its like a game, you look around and look for people who: look like they are looking for someone, look American, etc. So this time I walked out and I thought I spotted someone.. so I walk a little bit.. look back.. and look around. Then I see them approaching me and I hear them say my name tentatively...Rachel?? Yes!! I reply. A sense of relief washing over me, I exhale as if I'd been holding my breath. Because there's always that sense of "what if I don't find them, what if they forgot?? What would I do?" But they didn't forget me and Kevin and Angelina were there to greet me! So meet Kevin and Angelina Mullins and their beautiful daughter Eva!

Eva

When we were in the car driving out of Lisbon to Cascais they told me a little bit about their ministry and the ministry I will be doing. They also told me that they were starting renovation on their kitchen the following day and to excuse the chaos. It didn't bother me and I told them I'd be as flexible as possible. Since the beginning of the construction I've learned a little about the culture here. Portugal is not time oriented which is similar to Albania but complete opposite of Germany. So the workers showed up later than expected, etc. It is also slow moving culture which corresponds to the non-time oriented. There was also a problem with one of the workers so they halted work for a day, so the Mullins' kitchen is in the living room right now.. so we are living in a bit of chaos and the length of time it is taking to finish the kitchen is putting a tiny bit of stress on them, especially with a baby and no stove, washing machine or counter-space in order to prepare food, etc. So I am trying to be a helpful as possible and keep praying for the completion of the kitchen. Also I was supposed to meet with some of the people whom I will be working with this summer and plans are moving slow to even meet with them to set up schedules. But I'm in the culture and some things cant be rushed. So I will wait and do the best I can. So I've been settling in and catching up on emails, etc and trying to reflect on what I learned on the BAD trip and continue digesting all of that. 

Side note, I was able to visit my friend Svea who lives in Durbach, Germany before I left to come here. I met Svea in Costa Rica when I was there two summers ago. She was there on an exchange program so it was really great to see her after so long. We went to Strasbourg, France one day because she lives about 30 minutes away. It was a nice day and we saw some historical things and then did a bit of shopping :)

Cathedral in Strasbourg

Sightseeing in beautiful France

Ice Cream In Germany with Svea

Vineyards surrounding Svea's hometown Durbach

I am excited about what God has in store for me in the next two months here in Cascais. 

Pray that God will reveal opportunities and that I will be bold and take them. Also that the language will come easily to me and for understanding and good communication. Pray for plans to be made quickly so I can start serving sooner!

The end of the BAD trip and pulling into Portugal

Team BAD minus our German comrade
 (he took the picture)

God is GOOD. He is more than good, He is mighty, faithful, powerful, real and not to mention amazing. I could go on describing his characteristics and the list would be immense. But these were just some of the ways God revealed himself to me over the past two weeks as I traveled with an amazing group of people in 3 countries visiting churches that are alive and growing.

Since I left Albania on May 28th a lot has happened, as I wrote in my last post I spent a weekend with a big group of people fired up for God and mission. I met some great people and then Team B.A.D. set off for our journey around Belgium, Austria and Deutschland (Which is the acronym for the BAD trip).

Indoor tennis at the Sports-Complex

We visited a Bible College in Germany and we were able to fellowship with some of the students to learn about their lives and their passions. One of their main tracts is a sports ministry since sports is such a big deal there. It was great to see their passion at work when we visited a Sports-complex designed for this type of ministry. They had it open to the public to use their courts, equipment and facility. They do camps as well and they participate in competitions. What a great way to do ministry and so practical.

Ropes course designed for team building,
the boys gladly tried it out!!

 We spent much time in the cars driving and getting to know one another and as a team we bonded really quickly. It was a blessing to be with such a great group of people, and I really feel like we were able to learn from one another and bless each other daily. It is hard to describe the feeling of community in our group. The two weeks we spent together felt like months.

   When we got to Belgium it was a relief, we had really bad traffic all day but we were greeted by a beautiful couple who run a missionary hostel in Brussels. They were so warm and welcoming, they brought us in and gave us tea and coffee and biscuits(cookies). They were so energized by receiving us into their home and we could feel the love pouring from them. Their ministry is there at the hostel and they shared with us about the mission field in Belgium and how difficult it is. We left the next day after spending the day sightseeing in Brussels and a worship session in the dining room of the home. It was a welcome and refreshing time of singing praises to God and spending time in prayer. We arrived in Liege later that day and had a wonderful meal with Luke, and his family. Luke is a Belgian and he is a pastor in the community. He had some crazy stories to tell, trials and trouble surround him in his ministry but he is still strong and faithful to God. He showed us the city and took us on a hike up a huge amount of stairs!! But the view was worth it. We spent the next day talking to another local minister who is British. We were able to sit down and talk about strategies and how culture plays a huge role in church planting and the different approaches that are taken.

Ann and Julia- our Jena housemates

After Belgium we traveled back into Germany to Jena. I loved this city. It is a University town with cafes everywhere, a river that you can wade in and lay out on the banks and enjoy the sunshine, people everywhere ..it was just cute. Ashley and I (who is one of the team members and also a girl I went to JBC with) were able to spend the two nights we were there with some women from the University. It was really great getting to know them and talk about how as Christians its difficult to live in such a city and go to University with only a small group of believers.

Enjoying a picnic after Church

We enjoyed Sunday morning with the Jena Church and we were packed into the room where they hold worship. It was warm and full but we worshiped our Lord nonetheless. They held a bilingual service and one thing I loved about this service was that they had a time for people to share. So members of the church would share a story, a song, a verse or whatever was on their heart. It was a unique piece of that church that I will always remember. The church in Jena reaches out to refugees who are in Germany from Iran and other Arab nations. The camps aren't always the cleanest or nicest so the Church and the missionaries there do their best to reach out to them and help them integrate into society and in the process invite them to church and to meet Jesus.

We also visited a church in Berlin and Steinheim and then Salzburg, Austria... and I'm sure I missed one or two. It was so encouraging to see God working in unique ways in each place we visited and to see the workers so passionate for their community to know Christ.

I learned a few valuable lessons on this trip. Well I learned a lot of them, but I will only share one or two!! From a sermon by Rocco who is the missionary in Jena I was reminded to wait. Simply wait on God and He will lead the way, he will provide and he will teach. But only when He is ready, so we must wait. But also from that, not to sit and wait idly, but to do work and serve in whatever place you are waiting. Which leads into another lesson which is to serve where you are and to put your whole heart into the service and commit to the work. I was reminded that relationships are essential to ministry, and no matter if I am serving in Austria or in my neighborhood at home- the only way to build a strong church is to invest in relationships and make disciples. God is bigger than culture barriers, language, money and whatever other hurdles may come our way.

I was truly blessed on this bitterly sweet short traipse around Belgium, Austria and Deutschland. I was able to see some amazing places, learn some history (in Berlin we had a guided tour by ours truly, Sascha, who was the German part of our group), witness God in action, and meet some amazing people.

Below are some highlights!! P.S. I made it safely to Portugal...and I will have to give introductions to my new hosts later : )

Brussels

Manneken Pis in Brussels. This baby was everywhere  in that city and when I saw
 the real thing I was severely disappointed at how small he was!!

Adam, Sascha (the German & one of our drivers/leaders),
 me, and Matt enjoying our Belgian Waffles

Ashley, myself and Matt being awesome!!

   

Part of the Berlin Wall

Overlooking Salzburg

Did I mention the food? It was amazing!

These boys were true brothers to me.
 Miss them and their sillyness!

We played Yahtzee. A lot. And I loved it!

 

Being Happy 

The BAD Trip

Guten Morgan!!

Hello from Deutschland!! I am with a great team traveling around Belgium, Austria and Germany to see different missions and churches here. Its been really neat hearing what methods of outreach each church uses. Over the weekend we spend time in workshops with a group of about 50 from both Germany and the States, and I think we had two who spoke Russian!!  We were able to visit a town called Koln (Cologne). There was an amazing Cathedral there, so huge and very old.

I will update more as we go. Today we are traveling to Belgium, pray for our safety and that we are an encouragement to those we encounter!!