Time to make you jealous...

I'm chillin' at the globe (a little e-cafe in the heart of prague) on a cool overcast afternoon and enjoying some of the best damn coffee i've ever had! Not to mention the prices beat any e-cafe in the states: 1.3 crowns a minute, which equates to about 4 cents. try finding that kind of deal on your block!

okay, enough bragging...i'm gonna split since i am paying. i'll write more back at the flat where it's free.

na shledanou
-mike

this is kate.

well- a shower, a shave, and a sandwich later- we are fine. i have to say here that the sandwiches can be quite nice! i mean, the bread you can find at the market for less than a buck is outstanding, the salami is fantastic and the cheese is top notch. i have been testing my skills of cooking with our gas grilled stove top and oven. the oven has not been figured out yet, but i can grill with the best of them.

also, i have been to a store called Tesco, and mother, believe it or not- you can find 'Old El Paso' taco shells, queso and tortillas. no lie! it has been interesting. i went to the market yesterday and bought some wine. (cz is the capital for beer and wine) of course, you must be 18 to drink here. so, i know i am short and look young, but i think he was wondering how old i was and asking me in czech. so i used my normal phrases..... omluvam se, nemluvim cesky dobre. (i am sorry, i don't speak czech well) then he merely rolled his eyes and wrote the number 18 on a piece of paper. i smiled and was like....no, no, no! (which means yes, yes, yes- i am over 18)

anyway, things are great. the teachers are striking on monday for higher pay, this happens every year but the government doesn't seem too worried. here's a stat- in Germany, teachers make 11 times higher wages than here. so, we actually do not start teaching until Thursday. we are spending our days making our flat nice and homey- it is working! we are also strolling the many historic places of Prague, being tourists. dad, if you come here- it will be a paradise. theatres, classical halls, and history written everywhere. the live entertainment here can be related to the amount of fast food stations there. it's incredible.

of course, we did eat McDonalds the other day. :)

alright, the news is now we may use the computer at our school. down the long dark hallway in the evenings. so, we are in business. we look forward to hearing from you. we love you and are thinking of you.

by the way...for all you hot Texans- it hasn't been above 75 and sunny since we have been here.

love us

Sorry it's been so long, but this is our first taste of web-time since our departure and we don't have much of it! We are alive and safe in a beautiful city. We don't live in the most beautiful part of town (picture the Harlem of Prague), but we're only about six metro (subway) stops from some of the most picturesque parts of Europe. Speaking of pictures, we hope to have some up soon, but no promises.

Things are well. Jet lag has been particularly challenging and we were without our luggage for the first four days (wearing the same pair of clothes 24/4), but God is good all the time. I have to jet, but hopefully we'll have access to our school's computer lab soon. Much love.

It's time for a change in scenery.



Next time we talk, it'll be from across the ocean.

Much love

Pictures from the Promise Land!!

We finally got the pics together from our recent excursion to the wonderful D-Land. Click on the link to the right and enter our little taste of the happiest place on earth!!

wow.

3 days. we are so thrilled. seriously, today was the day of logisitics. for example...how 12 new teachers moving abroad are going to find their way through Frankfurt, Germany airport- one of the biggest airports in Europe, with no guide. i swear we are going to look like deer in headlights. no, not really, but we are really excited.

first and foremost...d-land. have to say that Indiana Jones, for those who have not been there since '95 when it opened, are really missing out. it has to be one of the best rides in the world. i am biased....i am a fan. let me tell you...
you are in a open-topped SUV type thing. you go along the track and encounter lava, rats, a bridge that almost breaks, a huge snake that tries to eat your brain, some moving "creatures" along the walls, the Indian spit poisonous dart things (the first movie), and of course the big ball and Indy himself. Well, a clay like talking Indy- but he was still there. we rode it first, last, and a time in between. it was great. Another ride was the Pirates of the Caribbean- awesome as usual with singing! another, the Materhorn- supposidly refurbished- i couldn't tell the difference and i also remember it being much bigger and scarier. the haunted mansion was scary- michael's first time. and it had air conditioning- it was very very very hot that day. and there were tons of people.

good day. and our 12 hours there was thoroughly worth it.

we just had our final exam. our training is done. we have final ceremonies, a talent show for laughs tonight, and a couple days to pack up. Some things we need prayers for*

*Safety on the planes
Luggage, that it gets there (sounds cheesy, but could be a big problem)
Nerves
Joyful attitudes in the craziness
Peace, Patience, and Laughs

We love you. thank you for your thoughts and encouragement. talk to you soon.
lovekate

"Those who dance are considered insane by those who cannot hear the music". - George Carlin

Five days and counting until we leave for higher latitudes.

It strikes me as interesting how many times I've heard fellow teachers here at training admit, "My family/church/friends think that I'm crazy." I think in this situation, one is bound to get blank stares from at least some loved ones as you explain that you're moving halfway across the world to teach in a culture with which they have no prior experience. Perhaps one's self-doubt is proportional to the amount of nay-sayers you've come across. Most of our friends this week are walking around in a state of mild shock, exclaiming with disbelief, "We're finally leaving...I just can't believe that it's finally here!"

While I don't believe that we are any more prepared than our peers, Katie and I were discussing that we can believe the time has come. There's something overwhelmingly peaceful about knowing you're in the Lord's will. And as much as we'll miss our families and friends, we know that we are not supposed to be with them this year. I think one of the biggest blessings we have is a family and a support base that understand that fact. If it is indeed true that confidence is relative to support, than it makes sense that we're confidently stepping into this year. I know this sounds redundant, but we truly thank all of you for your support and hearing the music with us. For the few of you who may still think that we're insane...thank you as well. If we don't have some nay-sayers, we're doing something wrong.

Hello.

it's sunday. we are back from Disneyland, pictures to come later. we have been lounging all day and it has been great. Just wanted to let you all know that this time next week, we will be sleeping in our new home. we are leaving LAX around noon, and arriving in Prague about 1pm the next day. So, when you all wake up next sunday, at 6am US Central time, we will be home.

just some sunday perspective. have a great lazy and relaxing evening.
love katie

Today I've managed to acquire a rare comodity around these parts: free-time. That's right, good 'ole fashion do-whatever-calms-you-down-time and for me that entailed catching up on all the music news that has been passing me by. Now for practically all of you, excluding my loser music-nerd friends from college, this blog will most-likely be of little interest or practical value. So, feel free to walk away now and save yourselves a few minutes. For those of you who care or are piqued enough to read what will no doubt be an anti-clamactic rambling, I'm glad to have you aboard! On with the show!

First of all, let me say that I was stricken with grief this afternoon to find that one of my favorite bands, Penfold, has recently been disbanded. On a bittersweet note, they have been gracious enough to post their last show in mp3 format on their website for free download. It's worth the wait. For those of you who have not yet heard Penfold, let me caution that the live recording is of relatively low quality and you might be better suited at picking up their ep, "Amatuers and Professionals." I know I recommend a lot of music, but this is one of the best cd's I've ever heard.

Lastly (not enough free time = "First of all" shortly followed by, "Lastly"), I've just realize that I will probably have the pleasure of seeing another amazing band while overseas known as, The Spirit That Guides Us. Make note of the explicitly faith-based quality of the band's very name. This ever-changing crew consists of rotating Christian hardcore musicians from Sweden and surrounding countries, which as most of you know is a hot-bed for cultural athiesm. I think the two main things that intrigue me about this band is their passion and their willingness to have a thought-provoking and open ministry in a very post-modern and unwelcoming culture. They definately have something to say that's worth hearing. Sadly, I found out that the Crossroad's Holland team could've caught their show while in-country. I guess I'll just have to post a review:) Seriously, if you enjoy heavy music, give them a listen. If not, at least check out their song, "Real Life Motion Picture" which seems to be accessible to all musical tastes. A few last words from their site:

tstgu is ‘all about the spirit’. mentality, lifestyle and conviction go together with the musical drive. this becomes evident from the absence of persons, for example. no front individuals, but one front in which the music is at the centre and there is room for a changeable assembly. all this happens in a european frame in cooperation with various bands.

never break the silence unless you can improve it

-tstgu-


Thank you for indulging me these few paragraphs. For some reason, writing about music helps to stave off the anxiety that comes from the lack of opportunity to play it.

Disneyland is a go thanks to the unexpected help of a gracios donor!!

Pictures coming...

Here we have me taking my job too seriously and three students we had the pleasure of taking to "In-N-Out" for the first time.

We'd like to thank all of you for your valuable input on which Disney ride is best. We didn't really think it would turn into a rag-tag debate about how efficient Disney is or is not nowadays, but you just never can tell what you're going to get from such a rowdy crowd. We love you all and welcome all debates, no matter how trivial:)

Here is another IMPORTANT NOTE that may be more IMPORTANT and, in fact, may supersede our last IMPORTANT NOTE (has anyone every wondered what havoc would ensue if the "caps lock" key ever decided to stop working while you were in "caps lock" mode? Think of it...you'd have to use the "ctrl" button non-stop in order to make lower-case letters. Now THAT'S a scary thought): We may have the opportunity to hit up D-land this weekend!! No plans have formally been made, but we just found out that we have no obligations on Saturday. Of course, it will be a week before we leave the country, but we're hoping to tie up all loose ends beforehand so we can once again enjoy the splendor that is the magical kingdom (and check out this line-holding thingy).

I guess that's all for now. Our potential opportunity to ride Space Mountain has made everything else seem strangely irrelevant.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot. I've been reading "So Great A Salvation" by Ryrie in what little free-time I have and would highly recommend it. It's probably the most straight-forward book on "faith alone through grace" salvation that I've read yet.

IMPORTANT NOTE....... well, i think it's important.
just to let you all know, this website is a saving grace for us. it is so appreciated to hear from all of you. just as we are gone from there, we feel gone from you. this is a great blessing for us to be able to hear from you, be it humorously or seriously. so thank you to those of you read it, leave messages and spread the news to other friends that we could not possibly get to talk with much. it is so hard to keep in touch, via snail mail, or phones, just because of the inconvenience over there. this way we do not have to spend a full email spreading news and updates, we can have ongoing updates for prayer and news. we don't have the...."everyone really leans upon everything we say or do while we are gone" mentality. this gives an informal way for you to check on us whenever you wish. and for us too, with you.

so thank you. thank you for reading and commenting. it reveals our support network from you guys and that greatly encourages us. we are encouraged by your thoughts and silly comments. and even if we cannot email back right away, please know that we read EVERY comment and love them all.

ok. so that's it. thanks.
love katie

p.s. i really want to go to Disneyland. has anyone ever rode the Indiana Jones ride? i am serious, it is hard for me, (a foolish child at heart), to know that Disneyland is about 45 minutes away and we probably won't go because of time constraints. maybe i will survive through your comments about your favorite ride. "it's a world of laughter, a world of tears....."

We're back from our long weekend off. We spent a couple days with my grandfather in Thousand Oaks and one night with Katie's grandma in Santa Monica. I was able to see many people I had not seen in several years. Katie was able to meet most of my extended family (at least my mother's side).

Thank you to Grandpa, Micki, Tosh and Barbara for their generous hospitality and thanks to Grandma, Nick, Andrew, Aunt Lynda and Uncle Scott for making the long drive out to see us. It's kind of hard tying up all the loose ends before leaving the country. It kind of makes you realize how many people you love and how long it will be before you see them again. Thank you for your prayers. Know that you will all be in our thoughts.

lovekatieandmike

Here are a couple of pics for you. This is the church that we have been teaching at, Chinese Evangelical Free Church, along with a cute little picture of Katie and two of her students. This is the advanced-class father and son team from Taiwan that we've mentioned from time to time. Sam is the younger one in the back and John is the father in the foreground.

There were a couple of pictures of my class, but we haven't received them yet.

We love you all and are thinking of you.

-loveMikeandKate

Hi all.
It's 10pm here in So. California and we just ate Taco Bell. Both of us taught tonight and were hungry for some grub. what to do without mexican food next year????? pray for us, it will be a hard time.

well, training is fine. i say fine instead of great because it is Thursday and my body has never been more exhausted. (to my mom and nana- it is "working" healthy though) i thought it was going to be a high, this camp experience. i have found that the program is even more brilliant than i once thought. who me? yes, i underestimated the vastness of it all. the first week.....ESI-"You all will be exhausted and confused and maybe even a little annoyed." "ha ha", i thought to myself. little did i know that my ropes would break, my tree would collapse and i too would find myself ....even a little annoyed. the program works. it suffocates you with vital information that one has to retain, it breaks all normal amounts of sleep or free time into nothing, and it teaches you how to be a teacher.

ESI is greatly compared to the Peace Corps, but with Jesus and missions on their mind. i have been greatly surprised at their boldness as a Christian organization. they are not hiding, they are not sugar-coating it, they are a missions organization with a purpose to create, mold, annoy and suffocate believers into excellent teachers. their alumni return percentage is about 50%, which means that they are producing something great. they desire dilligence, heart, perseverance, and excellence among the teachers they send in their name. it is a true example of what Christ does with us. He teaches us dilligence, love, and heart among those He sends in His name, regardless if they are ready or not.

so, to my friends and family.... we are tired, a little sick, a little annoyed, confused, anxious, more tired, and excited. but we are also doing excellent...

Please pray for our students we haven't met. Pray for our "what the heck do we do when we get there" thoughts. pray for peace and a new light in the nation that will go before all of us and prepare the hearts and minds of those we will meet. pray for mike's allergies. (he had his hands swell up the past weekend and we do not know what from) pray for safety. pray for sleep time. and pray for us, for we miss all of you.

"now to Him who is able to do more than we ask or think....."
"for where we are weak, He is strong."
"every good and perfect thing comes down from our Father of Lights in whom there is no variation or shifting shadow."
"let us run with endurance the race set before us.....with our eyes fixed on the prize."
"all good things come to those who wait patiently on the Lord."
God is good- All the time. amen.

we do love you, and things are priceless.
lovekate

Sorry for the lack of consistent updates. The 15-hour days live little room for blogging. Nevertheless, we still recognize the importance of keeping those near and dear to us in the know. So, this is for you:

Fact: We've got only two and a half weeks until we blow this pop stand known as the United States.

Fact: We've learned more from our fearless leaders here than is humanly possible to process and retain.

Fact: Cafeteria food gets old...fast!

Fact: As far as my limited experience has proven to me thus far, teaching is one of the most rewarding jobs out there.

Well, that about sums it up. I'm sure we'll provide more detail as the noteworthy experiences arise. Now, I must go to a culture class so it won't be obvious that I'm an arrogant American (though you all know the truth;)

P.S. "Take the time to learn a foriegn language (besides Spanish). I myself never did and feel I've paid a price for it."

Bonfire night on Balboa Beach

Things are coming along nicely. I think we're finally getting settled into a loose routine and are slowly learning how to become quality teachers (only because we've had such great examples thus far). Last week was busy, but it went by amazingly fast and now we're enjoying a nice quiet Sunday afternoon together. I think the thing I'm enjoying most so far is both the variety and quality of experiences here at training. We've had outstanding teacher-training and we'll soon be TEFL certified. We've had great pastoral care and are really building relationships with faithful men and women of God. Fellowship has been incredible as we've met some very dynamic individuals who share a common goal and love to have a good time (ex. the picture above is from a bonfire we had at Balboa Beach last night-lots of waves, praise and smores). And the ministering is purposeful and worthwhile. This morning, after a worship service, we had the choice of attending one of four different workshops: dealing with temptation overseas, manuscript study of Mark, quiet times or "The Big Picture" of personal ministry. We chose the last option and heard from a Fuller Seminary professor about finishing the race strong as leaders in ministry. It was interesting. He noted that there are approximately 500 leaders identified througout scripture (Kings, Judges, Apostles, etc). Of those 500, only 49 are given extended treatment, which basically means they are talked about more in-depth then the others. And of the 49, we are only told of 14 who, without a doubt, continued to serve God until the very end, such as Jesus, Paul, Peter, Joshua, etc. While there may be more, as some simply are not given attention in scripture until their death, he concluded that only about 33% of ministers run the race hard to the end.

While this is not a completely reliable percentage, I'm okay with conceding that perhaps half of ministry leaders are distracted by more temporal things at some point in their ministry. And to quiet some immediate fears you may have, NONE of this presentation was directed at suggesting that these "wandering" ministers' salvation should be brought into question. Instead, he went on to emphasize how important it is to keep an eternal perspective in everything we do, so as to serve the Lord to the end and be priveleged enough to hear, "Well done, My good and faithful servant." Of course this is a simplified summary of the presentation, but that was the basic idea. Kind of makes you realize how much of our perseverance is a gift or grace rather than a work to boast on.

Our Beautiful Team!!