Psalm 71:14-19

14 But as for me, I will always have hope;
I will praise you more and more.

15 My mouth will tell of your righteousness,
of your salvation all day long,
though I know not its measure.

16 I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, O Sovereign LORD;
I will proclaim your righteousness, yours alone.

17 Since my youth, O God, you have taught me,
and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds.

18 Even when I am old and gray,
do not forsake me, O God,
till I declare your power to the next generation,
your might to all who are to come.

19 Your righteousness reaches to the skies, O God,
you who have done great things.
Who, O God, is like you?

Another Party in Heaven!-Bergen 1 Update!!! PLEASE READ!!!

Dear Loved Ones,

I am sitting by the window in our hostel, watching the rain come down, and it has just struck me how beautiful this entire week has been, as well as the week before that. Our time here in Bergen has been blessed by the hand of God, as He has so perfectly intertwined our four lives with the lives of travelers from around the world. He has made himself so undeniably present every moment of every day here, and my teammates and I are in awe that He would choose to use us as a part of His work.

We've just finished our second week working here at Intermission Hostel in Bergen, and the four of us can hardly believe how quickly it has gone by. Work was slow at the beginning, as we had only 10-15 guests for the first few days that Intermission was open, but over the past week we have had a steady increase in travelers. It has been an adjustment, but we've all loved getting the opportunity to meet so many new people.

In the past week, we have each had the pleasure of conversing with the most diverse group of people any of us have seen. Joy spent a few hours talking to Felipe, a student from Brazil who recently ended a difficult relationship. Liz stayed up till 3 am one morning talking religion and politics with a Russian man named Marat. Amy invited Kaz, a Japanese Buddhist, to eat dinner with us last night. And I have had the pleasure of getting to know Marie, a woman from Paris who is looking to attend Art Therapy school. God has given us the privilege of representing Him to these people, not only through our conversations and words, but also through the act of serving and cleaning up after these people.

We have also been privileged to get to know, over the past week, two particular hostelers that have come to mean a lot to us. Martin, an older man from Australia, came to us about a week ago and left only yesterday. Over the course of this week, he was bombarded with questions and excessive amounts of laughter from the four of us girls, but he ate dinner with us almost every night and let us talk to him about everything under the sun. Martin told us that he had come to realize that, while a career is important, there's got to be something more to life. We had the pleasure of sharing this 'something more' with him over the past week, and when he left, he told us that we had made the hostel feel like a home to him. We are committed to continually praying for him on his journey as he travels alone through Scandinavia.

The second hosteler whom the four of us have all gotten to know very well (in one short week) is Marcello, a 20 year old from Italy. He told us he came here 'just to fish', to escape the memory of his girlfriend's death in February. Over the course of the past week, every single one of my teammates and I have had separate open and vulnerable conversations with Marcello about our own struggles and how our faith has affected those situations. We have spent almost every night conversing early into the morning with Marcello, and he grew more and more curious about 'what we had' (in his words) as he spent more time with us. We have been praying feverishly for his heart to be turned to God, and last night, God answered our prayers. Joy woke Liz, Amy, and me at 4 in the morning whispering 'There's a party in heaven! A party in heaven!' She and Marcello had been talking and reading through the Bible, and he told her that he wanted to have what she did.

!!!!

Who could that be but the God of the universe?
Who could work like that?

It was beautiful. We are continuing to pray for Marcello, and we would ask for your prayers too. We feel so lucky that he will continue to be staying here until we leave as he looks for an apartment. Only God has brought us this far, and only God could have brought us Marcello.

Looking inward for a moment, I am also astounded by how the Lord has been working within our team and our relationships with one another. He has been bringing us closer to Him and molding our hearts to fit his mold, and it has been beautiful. Perhaps what is most amazing is how God has been healing each of our own hearts through the conversations we have been having with our new friends here. As we have been open and vulnerable with near-strangers, God has used those strangers to send His love and words of wisdom to our own hearts.

Friends and Family, this summer is going to offer more than any of us can realize.

Thank you for your continued prayers and support. We have been blessed with God's favor on this trip, in the small things like physical comforts, but in the big things as well, as apparent in Marcelllo's case. We look forward to keeping you updated on the rest of our time here.

In Him,
Stephanie Thomas

Backpacking Ministry Spreads to Geneva, Illinois

Funny story of how my sister in law, Krista, really wanted to support backpacking ministry--even if it's in Illinois. She said in an email:

I'm enjoying your updates and our Bible study was praying for you and Heather the other night. I saw a guy backpacking along the highway and thought of you so I went home and made him some food and took it to him. Tried to help him find a place to stay for the night but I don't know if he took me up on it...
Just as I was pulling away, my cell phone rang. It was my Mom saying "what are you doing on the side of the road talking to a strange man??!!!" I can't do anything in this town without my Mom finding out!

Calvary Chapel Budapest

Another quick update that I forgot to mention in my last post--On Sunday, Heather and I were able to attend Calvary Chapel Budapest. It was great to walk into a completely packed out and thriving church in the middle of the city. We introduced ourselves to the pastor and shared a bit about YHM. It was a great encouragement to see what God is doing in this city, and it was also great to simply be able to share with other Christians what YHM is about.

Budapest

We're hear in Budapest, and things are going well. We've gotten to know and hang out a little bit with Luciana, a girl from Argentina. Heather talked a bit with her about beliefs and religion and what religion is like in Argentina, which was great, but there wasn't much conversation after that. Pray for Luciana--that maybe we will get to share the Gospel with her. But even if we don't get to share the Gospel message with her, pray that she will see Christ somehow and that others will cross her path who will point her towards Christ.

Please continue to pray for the Swedish guys that we met. We haven't heard from them, and we were hoping to meet up in Budapest, but they haven't emailed us yet.

On a different note, I am nearing the end of the Fellowship of the Ring. It's awesome--and if you haven't read it yet, you should really get on it.

Don't forget earplugs

Just a quick word of advice: If you are traveling and going to be staying in a dorm room with a bunch of other people, make sure you bring earplugs. I thought that I had heard some intense snoring up until this point in my life. I've heard NOTHING compared to the snoring of some guy in our room.

Just thought I'd throw that out there...

Update from Bergen 1

Hi friends!

We are nearing the end of another busy week here at Intermission Hostel, and we feel so fortunate to be a small part of how God is moving through people in this hostel. The first week of business was pretty slow, with only about 10-15 guests every night, but we had a whole crew of French folk walk through the doors yesterday, so we had a great night of free waffles and conversation last night with the guests. The four of us Americans had the responsibility of the hostel all to ourselves yesterday, which made for an interesting afternoon when the fire alarm went off, and we hadn't a clue how to turn it off. Luckily, two students living upstairs were able to figure out the switch, and pride wasn't too badly damaged. Later that night we blew the fuse in the kitchen, but the friendly French guys cooking themselves duck and potatoes fixed it for us. The best thing about working in a hostel is being able to build relationships with people who stay for more than just one or two nights. We have especially been able to see God's hand at work in the life of Marcello, a young guy from Italy. For about five nights in a row, we have each been able to spend time with him, singing and playing guitar and piano, and sharing our faith with him. He has so many questions and curiosities about who we are and why we are so passionate about spiritual things. The other night, Joy and I went out with him to watch the EuroCup soccer match, Italy against France. Italy won! So we celebrated back at the hostel and eventually stayed up until 4 am. Joy was able to share the entire gospel with him. Two nights ago, he told us he was sad to know that we'd be leaving in two weeks, as he is planning on staying in Norway for two months. Please pray for his salvation! God is at work, but so is Satan, and Marcello is so open right now to accepting God's love.

I must admit, the adrenaline rush that kept us going for the first week is definitely slipping from us. I now feel the effects of staying up late and waking up too early. Pray that God will replenish our energy as a team and that we will have discernment about staying up to talk to people. Some of the best conversations and connections have happened past 12 midnight and later, but it is important for us to get sleep so that our ministry during the day may also be effective.

In some ways, running this place kind of feels like we're "playing hostel," and although it's a good thing that we're having so much fun welcoming guests, putting out breakfast, washing bed sheets, and cleaning bathrooms, it's also important that we continue to take our responsibilities seriously. As more guests continue to fill this place, it could be harder to keep our attitudes and positive and our energy levels high. The Lord has been so good to us, just pray that we would show that love from Christ to the people we meet! It's hard sometimes to know how to show Christ's love, whether it's through sharing dinner with travelers, loving people through actions and smiles, or directly confronting people's need for God. There is a time and a place for each kind of expression of love. Pray that we would be open to the Holy Spirit's guiding for which expression is most effective for each situation.

Thanks again for your prayers. Know that God is here in Bergen working! Love you all and hope your summer is full of God's presence.

In Him

Amy

3 Swedes in Prague

A quick update on something AMAZING last night! We had a chance to talk to 3 Swedish guys and we were able to explain the Gospel story from start to finish, and they just took it all in and completely listened to the whole thing. The one guy's grandfather just died a couple weeks ago, so he was really struggling to deal with that, especially because his grandfather was relatively young. Anyway, we just talked about religion and stuff in general and we were able to hear where they were coming from. Then they asked us what we believe. Heather and I got to explain the Gospel story all the way through, and then they asked us some really good questions--like "Have you ever felt God, or is it just something you believe?" and other questions that were very much related to life. All of their questions were extremely relevant questions, and questions that probably almost every Christian has had to ask in their life.

They said that they had never heard Christianity explained this way before, and the one guy (Marcus-it was his grandfather that died) said that he really respected what we said and it makes sense. He said he respected it because we base our life on values in the Bible, and he simply bases his life on his own values. They had also heard some skewed versions of the Gospel, and we were able to explain what the Bible says and explain how Christians have messed up living life the way that we're supposed to and how that has resulted in messed up versions of God. They seemed to respect that we admitted that Christians have often done a poor job of representing Christ, but that doesn't mean that Christ is any less that he actually is.

Anyway, the conversation was really really good and the guys, especially Marcus were very receptive and we had a great chance to listen to where they were coming from and explain our own beliefs. And, on top of all of this, they are going to Budapest next, which is where we are going, so hopefully, we'll be meeting up with them again.

Please pray for Oscar, Marcus, and David. They are really looking for something--especially Marcus. We were able to give him a Bible (we also wanted to give him Mere Christianity or Searching for God knows What, but we ran out) and he really seemed to appreciate it.

Pray that we can see them again in the next week. I hope this post makes sense...I'm kind of rambling, but I'm really excited. :)

Update from Bergen 2

June 11th, 2008

To those we love,

I write from the roof of our hostel, where a balcony overlooks the city of Prague - a sea of red clay roofs, forested foothills, and rain tarnished history (Its pretty dang awesome).

It's been a solid chunk of time since I last wrote, and unfortunately life doesn't seem to stop for one to write an email. In all this, I am finding that words are increasingly less capable of describing those that we have come to know and care for here in Europe, which seems sad, but very true to how impossibly large a person is, and how one-dimensional a word can be (some english majors might disagree).

In my previous post, I alluded to a German business man who had gone out of his way to help our team get to the hostel. He had given us his business card saying that if we had any other questions about the city, give him a call. Upon examining the business card of this enigmatic character known as Dirk, we found familiar language like "ecumenical" and "Evangelischen." Well, we met up with him over ice cream, and after hearing more about Dirk (how he is involved with an internation Christian ecumenical organization that works with something like 28 different countries, and in which he leads Youth organizations, how he hangs out with the Pope from time to time, and speaks five different languages), he asked if we would be interested in seeing the Turkish quarter. To this, Jen and I were like, "Uhh... Yeah!" As it turns out, before coming to find himself in his current position, Dirk was also a history professor. This being the case, what started out as a trip to the Turkish quarter, quickly became a grass-roots tour of Berlin, fully flavored by dialogue about our mutual faith. I cannot tell you how surreal our experience was... while some of our peers were working their caddy shift at the local country club, we sipped strong Turkish tea in a virtually untourested quarter of Berlin and listened to the perspective of an articulate and cultured leader in the European church. I think what has struck me the most since that night is how he served us, a couple of college kids from America, in complete humility and love.

I also wrote of our English friend, Kellie, who had traveled with us from Brussels to Berlin. In three days, this five-foot-two accountant became a surrogate member of our team -willingly joining in our meager meals and treks across the city (because we couldn't afford the metro), and all the while spreading among us her contagious laugher and accent. We had numerous conversations on everything from Faith to relationships, and by the time we parted, there was no question what we believed. She said when she gets back to London, she is going to start joining her family friend, Ruth, for Bible study, as our time with her lead her to believe that there are, in fact, still people with morals in the world, she was just looking in the wrong places.

Berlin itself was a beautifully historic city, and we were sad to leave the place we had come to love.

Prague on the other hand has taken its time to grow on us. Stepping off the train, one is immediately struck the forrowed brow communism has left both on the city and the people. In the less tourested parts, Prague has a cement presence that gives one a strong sense of forboding, and one does not come to find that they like the city until they have seen the castle, witnessed the hidden smile of the people, and hiked the hillside.

We have had a hard time meeting people while we've been here. There have been times when we are the only ones in the hostel, and when relationships are formed, our new friends have often had to leave the following day. This has been hard, and has manifested itself, among other things, in difficult group interactions. Our second night here was marked by a long and painful discussion about "feelings," which was necessary, but still hurt. I guess we have matured since birth, but this community is still a preteen, and everyone knows that puberty is accompanied by growing pains.

Tomorrow, we head off to Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic, on our traveler's retreat, which is meant to give us a breath from our two weeks of traveling, and I imagine working through group dynamics will be on the docket. Please pray that we learn how to better love and serve one another.

Having written about the difficulties, its easy to forget how God has provided. Today, because we had not met any one with whom to minister, the rest of the team and I traveled to the top of a mountain where we found trees full of cheries. There, shared lunch looking out upon the sea of buildings that is Prague, and the solitude and splendor of the moment fell. We found ourselves laughing together... and free.

In Peace and Love,

Jeff

Also,

Grace's blog at http://sharingcharis.blogspot.com gives another person's perspective on this whole adventure. Worth checking out, I would say.

Update from Bergen 1

Hello Friends and Family!

My teammates and I have now been in Bergen, Norway for a week, and it's been wonderful! We've hiked mountains, familiarized ourselves with the town, and toured the Leprosy Museum (not to be visited less than an hour before or after eating). We've enjoyed getting to know our two Norweigian hosts/co-workers as they've shared their churches, schools, and homes with us. And God has blessed us with the chance to be in one place in a while and rest our tired bodies.

However, it's not all relaxation and tourism. The hostel we are staying at, Intermission Youth Hostel, is also the hostel that we will partner with to work at for the next two weeks. Intermission is a Christian hostel open only during the summer months that is usually run by teams from various churches, schools, and countries around the world. This past Thursday was the first day the hostel was open, so we spent our week setting up and preparing for guests. The beginning of this week was marked by mopping, scrubbing, and cleaning bathrooms and kitchens, as well as transporting and putting together 60 plywood beds. One of our hosts, Jorgen, called us "immigrant workers".

Since Thursday, however, my teammates and I have been working in shifts to run the hostel. We take turns manning the reception desk, preparing breakfast and coffee, and cleaning and washing up after guests. It's been an adjustment as our bodies are getting used to night shifts and we're learning how to use the financial spreadsheets, but in all, things have been running smoothly. The hostel won't be very full until July and August when the traveling season is in full swing, so luckily the four of us (plus our hosts) can handle the guests that we have.

Despite our new schedules and busier days, the Lord has continued to press on our hearts the importance of meeting daily for team devotions. It is absolutely astounding how He has bound our hearts together and drawn us into Him, even over the past two weeks. We so deeply appreciate your prayers for team unity, as we can already see the results in our relationships with one another. We really believe that effective ministry must be preceded by strong team relationships, and we can see how the Lord is preparing us in this way.

Without your continued prayers, my teammates and I would be nowhere near the place we are today. We can already see the effects of your prayers as we find ourselves having more patience and grace with one another and with hostel customers than we would ever expect to have on our own. The Lord continually provides us with energy and peace in Him. Thank you so, so much for your thoughts and prayers regarding our journey. God is faithfully answering your prayers and doing His work in us.

We look forward to meeting more new guests in the coming weeks as we serve those who come our way. God has already brought students and travellers to us from places as far away as Brazil and the Philippines, and we know that He will continue to bring people to us from various backgrounds and countries. We pray that He will faithfully enable us to connect with those we meet and open ourselves up to them.

Thank you for your continued support! Your prayers and thoughts are really appreciated!

In Him,

Stephanie Thomas

Update from Amsterdam

Hello friends and family! It is a beautiful Sunday evening here in Amsterdam and I am enjoying a moment to relax. Life is fast-paced here. The once laidback activity of biking now requires full attention in order to avoid trams, cars, tourists, and other bikes. Busy schedules mean that Rachel and I rarely see each other, even though we are living in the same house. It's difficult to describe a typical day here, but most include working at the cafe, Bible or film discussions in the evening, staff prayer before each shift, and conversations with guests in between. The first few days here, Rachel and I were both a little overwhelmed, but as get the hang of things, it has been really great.

Each day some situation causes me to stop and realize what a unique opportunity it is to be here. At dinner Friday night in the hostel, my table had people from seven different countries. Three of those people were scientists in town for a conference, and after dinner we talked about God and the way their job shows them there must be a Creator. I have been surprised at people's openness in talking about God. Many have told me that they are "very religious" but go on to say that they don't really know which religion or its just something they believe and doesn't have much to do with their lives. It is clear that many people stop in Amsterdam in search of fulfillment, and it is amazing to be working at a place whos goal is sharing with guests the true fulfillment comes from a relationship with Christ.

Please continue to pray for us as we get to know fellow staff members and connect with guests. Pray for strengh when working early in the morning or late at night, boldness in sharing Christ, and patience in trying to communicate while not speaking the same language as guests. Also, pray for the city of Amsterdam; while there is much beauty in the cobblestone streets and scenic canals, there also seems to be a deep sadness hanging over the city. Thank you for your prayers already.

love, Hannah (for Rachel as well!)

Cesky Krumlov

We're leaving for Czech tomorrow to meet up with one of the other teams. Please pray that this retreat goes well. For resolution to any conflicts the team has had, to rest for them, and for wisdom for Heather and I as we meet with each of them individually and then as a team.

Itinerary Change

Just FYI, Heather and I are in Munich now, not Innsbruck, as our itinerary originally said. The Euro 2008 soccer tournament is going on, and it's based in Austria and Switzerland, so going to Austria wasn't really going to work out--as there were pretty much no places to stay and the city was going to be crazy.

Update from Bergen 2 team

June 6th, 2008

To those that we love,

Concerning Jen Parisi, Grace Urane, Justin Long, and Myself.

Things have gone as they could have expectedly gone... unexpected.
Unexpected in who we met.
Unexpected in where we stayed.
Unexpected on who would get on whose nerves first.
Unexpected in how we would relate.
Unexpected, because God is involved, and he keeps us on our toes.

The morning we left Amsterdam, we sat in on a church service. The church was described as charismatic by those who had referred it to us, and I pondered what that could possibly mean in a context such as Amsterdam.
It was charismatic, alright.
And, it was incredible.

After walking a labyrinth of hallways in the old building we had been lead into, we stepped into the small room where they held their worship gatherings. There was a courtyard whose doors opened up to the room, where children danced with purple flags, and adequate zeal, to the tunes of our worship. The children were the best way to describe that congregation of whites, blacks, teens, and Grandmothers. They held to their faces, lacking in lines of cigarette smoke and sun damage, a freshness and freedom unknown, or at least long forgotten, to much of the city. Probably half of the two hour service consisted of contemporary songs lifting up the name of the Lord - refreshing to say the least - and concluding with a translated dutch message that has stayed with us since. People worshiped with honest passion and reminded us that the church is not dead in Europe, and all places, certainly not Amsterdam.

None of us really knew what to expect of Brussels. It was in many rights a city of surprises. Our arrival was hailed in by deserted streets littered with rubbish, and a hike across the whole of the town to our hostel, which actually turned out to be a hotel. Although we didn't know what to expect of the city, as the location of the European Union, we did expect a bit more sophistication or "quaintness," but... lets just say its not the place to have your honeymoon. Anyway, we show up at our hostel and find that meeting people might be hard, as everyone is segregated to their own separate room. Furthermore, if we can't get to know anyone, its hard to share the gospel. Needless to say, God knew what he was doing.
With nothing to do, we walked to get dinner, hoping to meet some people on the way... We never met anyone. On the way back from realizing that our budget hardly allowed four people to get a cup of soup each, Grace lead us to a point that overlooked the whole city. By the time we had finished with the view, two guys with backpacks were standing next to us.
One of them had a Canadian flag stitched to his bag.
Yup... they were traveling.
As it turns out, they were two brothers from Canada, Jewish (only in the cultural sense, but very well versed), highly intelligent, and extremely friendly. We got along great. Aaron, the older of the two, is studying law and going into his second year of graduate school, and Jonathan is going into his second year undergrad studying philosophy (what do you know, I'm studying that as well).
With these two men, we went into the wee hours of the night dialogging about Sumerian law, the Code of Hammurabi (thank you Dr. Walton), Torah Law, reason, Judaism, and Jesus, and spent the following day traveling Brussels with them, sharing the gospel in great depth and honesty, and learning a whole lot about our Northern neighbors. It was truly an incredible experience - our words were not our own - and it became extremely clear that Wheaton had prepared us more than we ever expected to stand toe-to-toe alongside two very smart and worldly people, and say, "yes, we have learned that... and seen this... and in it all, this Jesus makes sense."
As they left for another city, we said goodbye, handing them C.S. Lewis' "Mere Christianity," and Donald Miller's "Blue Like Jazz," all the while feeling that we had really connected.
They were the first to whom we shared the Gospel.

In those first four days, we met numerous people, from Finland, Australia, Missouri, and other lands, and shared the gospel with almost all of them. A thing of great thanksgiving is that our team has been consistently forward about this message that gives us undying hope, and pray that that would continue.

It would be impossible to share with you all in brevity the things that have made these days memorable...eating at McDonald's (the euro menu fits surprisingly well into our budget), stepping off a train onto German soil and having a business man ask us if he could help without our even asking (it turns out that 1)we did needed the help because, unbeknownst to us, we were actually a 2 hour walk from our final destination 2)we would have attempted that walk if it had not been for him, and 3) he was a Christian), and finding that one of my fellow travelers is carrying a loufa and he is not a woman.

I will end with one final story. Kellie is a traveler from London who we met in our final day in Brussels. She is blatantly a spiritual seeker, and after dinner and a couple hours of conversation, has decided to travel with us to Berlin. PLEASE pray that she might be touched in this time beyond conversation, and come to know the Lord.
She is incredible and we have loved every minute of her accent, stories, and honesty.

For us...
Pray for our team dynamics - in a sense, the honeymoon is over and we are beginning to understand how each person ticks. In this humility is key.
Pray for rejuvenation.
And pray that God is glorified, and that people come to know Jesus.

In Peace and Love,
Jeff Smith

Update from Bergen 1 team

Here's an update from one of our teams--Amy, Liz, Stephanie, and Joy:
==========================
Hey ya'll!
It's been more than a week now since our youth hostel ministry team has taken off from Wheaton. And it has been one very long week! Our bodies have been tired and our spirits have been stretched, but God is so good! We have really grown together as a team. Our initial prayers were to be open and honest with each other about personal weaknesses, and over the course of this week we have become one body. I knew that we would become close, but it has been such a blessing to see how God has grown us SO close! A significant bonding time happened in Brussels Airport. We were on our way to Bergen, Norway, and we had decided that it would be cheaper and more convenient to sleep in the airport, rather than to find a hostel. So we had 15 quality hours together camped out on the airport's floor. I knew this summer would be economically limited, but I didn't ever realize the extent of our limited budget. Sometimes after spending the majority of our daily amount of money on a hostel, we ended up only having enough euros for bread and jam. But it's been good. We are learning more about what it means to trust God.

I have found this ministry especially unique in the way that we have met and talked with so many different people. In Barcelona, at a hostel 20 minutes outside of the city center, we met four young people from the UK, one of whom turned out to be a Christian! We had a great time getting to know them, and it was definitely a unique kind of conversation, opening the Bible to talk about the debate over evolution and creation, and often finding ourselves in agreement with another hostel traveler. Our new friend from the UK is named Kai. It would be great if you could pray for him, as he does something very much like us in his own time, speaking God's truth of Jesus Christ to people all over Europe!

This past week of traveling has been good, but very exhausting. It has been difficult to fully understand how to go about sharing Jesus with people when we sometimes only have one or two evenings with them. I've found that it is much more effective with people one on one. While we were staying in Spain, my teammate Joy and I were able to take a hike with a girl from Finland to a church called Tibidabo, which gave us a spectacular view of the city of Barcelona and the Mediterranean Sea. I was really excited about the chance to talk to Tuija on a personal basis, and I knew that we'd have a lot of time to get into some deep conversation during a long hike. When she told us that she was engaged and would be getting married in a church, we asked her about her church and eventually learned that she is also a very strong Christian! Praise God for leading us to people who have encouraged us as brothers and sisters in Christ.

Now we are in Norway. After five airports and two nights of very little sleep, we arrived to Bergen on Saturday. We are so blessed to be working here at the Intermission Hostel. On Thursday, June 12 the hostel officially opens. Until then, we will be setting up the triple decker bunk beds in 'the stable' for the guests and buying large quantities of supplies and food from a store kind of like Costco, called Big Cash. :) The four of us are teaming together with two Norwegian guys, Jørgen and Arne. They are so much fun. The majority of stores in Norway are closed on Sundays, so today after church, Arne and Jørgen cooked us rice porridge for lunch before taking us on a hike up Floyen Mountain. Bergen is gorgeous! Although it was raining a little, we had a beautiful view of the city from the top. Intermission Hostel is cozy, and it is nice to finally know that we're in the same place for 3 weeks. And... we're in good hands.
If you would like to lift us up in prayer, these can get you started!:
-Pray that God would give us boldness in speaking truth to people, truth as to why we are traveling and who is our God!
-Pray that we would continue as a team to confess to each other our weaknesses and our brokenness
-Pray that we would be present...not distracted by things at home back in the States
-Pray specifically for a couple individuals that we have met:
-Patrick, an Australian we ran into on the metro riding to the airport. We were able to share with him our belief in Jesus Christ, but we only had about an hour together. Who knows? God can work through anything.
-Troy, a guy from Canada who came up to us in the Brussels Airport and asked if he could hang out for the night. After he arrived, another guy from Ohio joined too! Troy is just finishing his travels through Europe alone. He seemed to be very thoughtful and open to new things. I wish we hadn't had the need to sleep that night - I would have loved to talk to him more!

Thank you so much for your interest in our trip this summer. We have already seen the bare dirt of Europe, and sometimes it hasn't been beautiful. But God works in brokenness, and we pray that He will heal the confusion and pain of the people in Europe, everywhere from the Red Light District of Amsterdam to the cold tile floors of Brussels Airport.
"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:4-7)

Peace to you through Jesus Christ!
Love you all,
Amy
(living in community with Joy, Liz, and Stephanie)

Prayer Request

So Heather and I are traveling to Switzerland tomorrow. We're both really excited because the hostel looks sweet. Please pray for safety and energy as we travel. Also, pray that we meet people in the hostel there that we talk to.

On a different note, if you think of it, please pray for healing in my back. It has started hurting again, like it did about a month ago, and it's pretty difficult to move around easily, much less carry around a 45 lb. backpack.

Grenoble, France

Bonjour!
Heather and I are in Grenoble, France. All of the YHMers have been sent off on their respective teams, so now it's just the two of us! Our time with everyone in Amsterdam was awesome, but very exhausting. Our time in Grenoble has been restful thus far (I slept until about 1pm today) and I think we're beginning to get our energy back after leading 10 other people across the Atlantic.

We had a bit of time getting to Grenoble, but things have worked out awesomely. We got directions from several amazing French people, one who even used his cell phone and called our hostel for us, another who gave us his number in case we got lost and needed help again, and another who took out his map and gave us very detailed and exact directions (and I got to practice a little French in the process--but mostly I just said "je ne sais pas"). I had even told Heather right before we met the map guy that if I only had a map to look at, we would be fine. Then, about 30 seconds later, this guy pulls out his city map.

We finally made it to our hostel, which is a little out of the way of the center of the city, but it's all good. We navigated the bus lines this afternoon and now here we are. Our goal today is to spend time in prayer for the other teams that are now all over Europe (Amsterdam, Brussels, and somewhere in Spain). We also need to find a grocery store because we went food shopping in Amsterdam for stuff that would last us about 3 days and of course left it all in the hostel. So, needless to say, we're a little behind on our food budget, but I think we'll be fine.

That's about it for now. Please be in prayer for all the YHMers and for Heather and I. We are both still trying to recover from a very busy time in Amsterdam. Pray for strength and rest. Also pray that God will show us how to best support the other teams wherever they are. Pray for travel logistics, as our next city is somewhat in the middle of nowhere I think. Pray also that we can meet travelers and build relationships and share the Gospel with them.

I hope you are all doing well! Please update me on all of your lives, too!
Miss you and love you,
Sarah