The End of Chapter One
I step on a plane tomorrow. And just like that, chapter one comes to a close.
What a wild ride it has been so far!
I came to Europe fourteen months ago chasing a dream for movements of awakening and revival and following a handful of strong impressions I had from God. Well... they're all happening. Just like he said they would.
Many times in the year that followed I was confused and troubled inside as I learned profound and difficult lessons about culture, worldview, and many other things, and as God worked to refine my character.
Now here I am in Vienna, and tomorrow I finally visit home for the first time since this new life began. Before this first chapter closes, let me tell you a bit about what we've actually been doing these two months and what I see God stirring.
Der Marsch für Jesus!
What a way to begin! Our first week in Vienna we were able to be part of a collaborative event called "The Jesus March", which was aimed at bringing unity to the apparently not-so-unified body of Christ in Austria. The crowd met in Vienna's central plaza and marched for two hours around the downtown district before returning to the center to worship and celebrate. I was moved by how bold and excited everyone was about their faith. As you see in the picture above, a myriad of colorful signs read things like "Jesus loves Austria", and everyone was shouting, singing and dancing. The event, which leaders had prayed- and city officials had doubted- would gather five thousand people, gathered instead twelve thousand! That's a huge crowd of Christians for post-modern Europe! For weeks afterwards, pastors spoke excitedly about that March as evidence that an awakening is beginning in Austria.
YWAM Austria Begins!
Building a ministry almost from scratch is exciting, but the beginning is surprisingly practical and not nearly so glamorous as I one might expect. Much of the beginning merely involved moving in and creating systems about how the YWAM community would function- things like cleaning, cooking, finances and food-shopping. Boring to talk about, but entirely the stuff of real life. We also began to build our base's identity, walking through the 18 core values of YWAM and assessing if we were walking in step with them. Another big chunk of my work is an area that I really love- networking. YWAM is part of the body of Christ and therefore works in relationship with the local and international Christian community. But in order to do this, we have to, y'know... know people. ;-) So we've enjoyed meeting and connecting with them- a few pastors and other local ministries- and also making friends in the city. One evening we had an Open House party, just to honor some of them and bring them together. At the end of that party, they spontaneously offered to pray for us. They blessed us and welcomed us to their city. We have been SO warmly welcomed here. Tough Stuff
We've gone through some battles, too. My purse got stolen one night- with my bank card, drivers' license, passport, and apartment keys in it. My purse was on a chair and my friends were watching it for me, and still the thief somehow got it. They say he must have been a professional. It was a very scary week that followed. The purse was never found, but a police report was filed and I was able to get a new passport from the US embassy. Though the church in Austria has welcomed us with open arms, the government apparently does not share their sentiment. Austria is a hard country for non-Shengen people to move to, with very few options for getting visas to stay. Our leader, Harald, has been wrestling the system trying to find a way for his Romanian wife and us non-European teammates to be able to stay long-term.
Now On a Bigger Scale... A teammate and I had the opportunity to be a part of a Pioneer's Retreat for a week in Norway. YWAM Norway created the event specifically to encourage and provide rest for those pioneering new ministies across Europe, and they paid for everything except travel. It was a wonderful time to organize my thoughts (there have been a LOT of transitions), recharge, and you guessed it- network! There were 65 people from 22 pioneering teams there, and it was amazing to get to know them and see how God's moving across the continent.
There is a ministry called Mission: Europe. They have almost exactly the same vision for awakening and revival in Europe as I do. I've talked with several of them on many occasions over the past few months, and every time we talk about this vision for Europe, I feel as though I've stuck my finger in an electrical socket.
Yes, God, you've got my attention. =)
I thought I would come to Europe sharing my big vision and pulling people on board. Instead, it seems God has already spoken it to many different people, and now its just a matter of us finding each other and moving forward. When I visit Norway on my way back to Austria this January, I am schedule to visit the Mission: Europe folks to talk, pray, and see what God has in store for us.
It begins!
This isn't just me. As time goes on and more and more people rise up with a vision for Europe, I grow more and more confident that God is indeed up to something huge. So... stay tuned. ;-)
