Mauthausen-Gusen

On our way to Germany last week, we visited the Mauthausen-Gusen Nazi concentration camp. This served as a slave labor camp in WWII where over 125,000 people were killed. This was labeled a "Grade III" camp which means it was intended to be the toughest camp for "Incorrigible enemies of the Reich". The purpose was to be extermination through extreme labor. We spent almost 3 hours walking through the camp and learning its disgusting and horrible history.

Howdy Howdy.

Finished month 2 of German Course yesterday. German grammar continues to befuddle me. However, I have to regularly keep myself from not losing confidence in language learning because once you're discouraged, you don't take the risk of attempting to speak to others and that's what I've found to be the best way to internalize the language.

Our Visa situation is not looking so promising...The Austrian government is unsure of how to deal with our group because this is a new program at Bethany and doesn't really fit into any of the boxes they have for foreign students. So we may have to look into some other options, one would be having to leave the EU (European Union) every 3 months. That would be a hassle and hopefully we can work out a better deal.

Our team has been making friends with the college-age group from an international church in Vienna. We had everyone over to our place for a get-together that broke out into a dance party. Countries represented were: Austria, Romania, Bulgaria, Kenya, Canada, Switzerland, Indonesia, Texas (it's a country in my book...) They're a fun group and also some crazy dancers...

I'm heading off now to Deutschland (Germany) for the OM team retreat in Bavaria. I'm looking forward to this break from our classes and to foster the friendships within the team.

Peace to you and happy Osternfest (Easter)


Jake

Fruhlingsanfang!

Man, life is sacred.

There's so much going on inside me these days, I'm changing. This period of my time in Austria is increasingly more sobering for me. I'm confronted with foreign concepts wherever I go. The culture, the language, the religion(s), the food, the history, the politics, the people, prejudices, stereotypes, nationalism, oppression, deep roots underlying society, seen and unseen. Not that I've never experienced many of these things before, but there's a higher level of sensitivity or awareness to them. I wouldn't know if this would fall under the ambiguous term 'Culture shock', but I'm definitely grappling with the uglier side of our human experience here in Europe...
But somehow at the same time, I'm happy inside. I feel safe. I'm filled with awe of the beauty of God demonstrated in nature and His relationship with mankind. I couldn't face the coldness of our world without out the warmth of the gospel of grace. It's what's bringing color to my world here. Hope. faith. love.

I'm so thankful that March 20th was Fruhlingsanfang (Spring-beginning)! The last two days were sunny and I fixed my bike and cruised through some towns around here. My roommate Jeff and I ventured to a castle nearby and I have some nice photos to share from that journey. Here they are:

Factions and fissures....

It has been mad gloomy over here for the last couple weeks or so. We got dumped on with snow 2 weeks ago and it just so happened that was the weekend we chose to go skiing. The area of the alps we went to got record snowfall and while skiing, we were able to see about 10 meters in front of us, at all times! So it was a bummer that on my first trip to the alps I wasn't able to experience the beauty of the range to the fullest, but it was still such a blast.
I finished my first month of German course yesterday. Or, ich habe gestern meine erste monat auf Deutschkurs gemacht. German is difficult because so many of the words look familiar to English words, but the grammar is challenging. But our first month in the course was merely an introduction to the grammar, we spent more time learning basic phrases and vocabulary. We had a diverse class, and I made some friends in our class with a couple Turkish fellows. One of the guys and I have only German as our language to communicate in. It's a good time. We're going to go watch some soccer this weekend...

I've had several chances to visit different communities and gatherings of faith here in Vienna. If you were to say you were Christian in Austria, 90% of people would take that to mean you are Roman Catholic. One of my favorite groups that I have connected with is a gathering of Catholic young people who are a part of an ongoing charismatic renewal in the catholic church. They are some very quality people and haven't made me feel like a nuisance for my limited German abilities, but rather welcomed me warmly. Another spot I've frequented is this community called UGW. It is an ecumenical gathering with various ages and religious backgrounds, with the focus on breaking down the denominational barriers in Austria in the name of Jesus. In my experience, I've seen that denomination is quite an important detail to people here and can (and has for years and years) cause(d) major division between different groups representing Jesus. This is heartbreaking to me, but this and other inter-denominational reconciliation movements to mend the tears in the Austrian church shed rays of hope. Also, look at it from the perspective from a young person in Austria; all the different factions and fissures don't give off a very attractive aroma to wanting to have anything to do with Jesus...

So, it has been interesting to see the places I've stumbled upon since being here.
I take every chance I can to get out and meet new folks. I am continually keeping alert and watchful for what is happening around me not taking for granted any friendship I make here, as well as acknowledging that YHWH is sovereign over all territories.

And we sing hallelujah to our king, and we sing hallelujah ruler over everything...


"The Children's Song" - Josh Garrels from Josh Garrels on Vimeo.

I wanna tell you about a beautiful day

I've been meaning to share about an awesome day that came about a week or two ago...

It was a Saturday and I had been spent the whole week volunteering at a new church building construction project in Vienna. A friend of mine invited me to a contemporary art exhibit in Vienna of all Austrian artists. So we took the train into the city and caught a bus that ran right along the Danube river and a steep hill overlooking the city. Like the feeling I get from most modern art, I left the gallery confused and inspired. The day however, was magnificent. It had been pretty chilly throughout the week but the sun was out and there was a soft comforting breeze.

From the gallery we traveled back into the city and stopped at a outdoor market called 'Naaschmart'. On Saturdays, it turns into a jam-packed flea market where anything goes, there really is no rhyme or reason to what is sold there. It was mostly Eastern Europeans who had stands there, but it was the most diverse sampling of people I have ever had to squeeze through! It was completely overwhelming. Some people find beauty in movie stars and celebrities, but personally, I am moved with awe seeing the deep wrinkles in the weathered face of a 79 year old Bosnian woman (for example). There was so much culture at this market and my inspiration level nearly topped out. Seriously, you only can stay there so long because of its chaotic atmosphere. Here's a few pics, however, they really do no justice to the real thing...


From Naaschmart we traveled to a small gathering of a messianic Jewish fellowship. We ate lunch there and everything was in German and it was the first time I was in an intimate setting by myself as the only American. It was very difficult to communicate, but it was a good experience for me to face. I began talking to an Austrian girl there who spoke english and found out that we both shared common interests and even knew some of the same groups and communities in the States (She was good friends with some of the Psalters, and also really into Shane Claibore) It was awesome hearing her insight into the Austrian culture and her point of view on the church in Austria. She told me of the complete gap in Christian communities of believers age 20-45. Anyhow, our little gathering was led by a Phillipino messianic Jew (don't ask me how that happened!) he gave a message and we sang a few songs in German, English, and Polish.

When the time there concluded, a Polish fellow asked us if we wanted to go evangelize, dance, and romance (those were his exact words) at a Polish Disco. I thought it sounded like a good idea, but we had to get going to our next destination. I think there's still hope for the Polish Disco someday... But instead, we headed on to a rougher side of Vienna with one of the guys who was at the fellowship. His name is Stephan and he works for the Salvation Army. He coaches a soccer team that consists of either young homeless guys, recovering drug addicts, and/or immigrants who are still trying to get on their feet. They play in a league vs. other teams of people in similar predicaments. Anyhow, they won the championship of the league and were having a celebratory dinner and award ceremony. We were honored to be invited to this gathering. It was so great seeing Francis, a young Kenyan guy, proudly beaming after he received his medal and trophy. He told me how he had been in Austria for 9 months, he had to leave his family in Kenya after all the crazy stuff went down last January. This was also a very rich experience.
(The dinner, some of the players, and Francis receiving his medal)

The day as a whole was jam packed with activities. But I really had the chance to thank God for this day. I had been feeling a slight uncertainty creeping up inside my heart about what the heck my time in Austria will look like. I acknowledged on this day that "No one whose hope is in the Lord will ever be put to shame." (psalm 25) All of my hope is in Him for my time here. I can trust Him and know that whatever happens, God controls everything. Over and over and over again, I find that this hope does not disappoint!

I got that Love-Joy-Peace-Righteousness in the Holy Spirit!

Some photos from the trip to Linz and a few from 'round town...

Spiritual sketch of Austria

Today we had the privilege to take a trip to Linz, Austria. It was roughly 144 Kilometers (90 miles) away from our base and our team traveled there by van in a heavy snowstorm. We made it safe and sound but it was our first driving experience out on our own. In Linz, we met up with the team leader for OM Austria (Operation Mobilization) and he presented to us some religious history of Austria and how that has played out in the current spiritual expressions of modern day Austria. I thought I would share a few facts about Christianity here to give you a depiction of missions in this part of the world. But keep in mind that in Austria, Christianity means something very different than what most of us would presume...

Austria Today
-Austria has about 8.2 million people and is smaller than Tennesee.
-71% of people are Roman Catholics (20 years ago it was over 90%)
-2nd largest religion: Islam with about 350,00 people
-Major growth in cults and esoteric groups
-Nearly 50% of all marriages divorced
-"World Champions" in alcholism and suicide
-4th richest country in Euroupe, 7th or 8th in the world

Evangelical Churches in Austria
-Today there are around 200 evangelical churches
-0.3%-0.4% of the population are evangelical, roughly 30,000 (twice as many as 20 years ago)
-Average church has around 30 members
-A rare commodity: Austrians in full-time Christian service
-In some rural areas evangelicals are still seen as a cult

Missionary work has been so difficult within Austria that that Austria has been coined the 'Grave of the Missionaries'.

I ask for your continual prayers for the people of Austria and for our team as we represent Jesus in our lives here.

Wein and Weiner Schnitzel...

(Stephanzplatz, famous chapel in the center of Wein, the black you see is from a bomb dropped nearby in WW2)

Wein (pronounced "Veen" in German) or Vienna in English was where we spent the entirety of yesterday. We familiarized ourselves with public transportation, which might I add, is extremely accessible and well thought out. For example, there are three different types of trains; the U-bohn (underground subway), the Schnellbohn (a commuter train lines that runs throughout the surrounding zones bordering Vienna), and the Strassebohn (street car, similar to the light rail). So we spent part of Thursday having to work in pairs to plan out our route to various locations in the city.

I have heard people say that most big cities generally are the same which makes sense because most are international hubs catering to a wide spectrum of ethnicities and millions of people. What was so remarkable about Vienna was the ornate architecture amongst the bustling city life.

It's something we don't really see in the states, buildings that have been around for hundreds and hundreds of years. It got me thinking about how, for the most part, my generation in the States is in touch with maybe two or three generations in their family line, their grandparents and maybe their great-grandparents. It's rare to find people who know (or care about) much past that. I'm curious to interact with folks here and get a grasp for familial history in the town we're living in. I'm sure it has its pluses of having a set family line and identity handed down from generation upon generation. But the downside of a deeply set history of doing things a certain way is the inability to introduce new things/concepts and almost an immediate opposition to change. Notice how the Pharisees couldn't handle Jesus' teachings because it went against the religious traditions of the time.

Anyhow, I'm absolutely inspired being over here. I am really hyped to start learning German (our course starts in February) and learning as much as I can in the time I've been given here. We just got bikes so I went cruising around this morning the quaint Austrian town of Stockerau. Later today, we were invited to a progressive dinner so we'll be trekking from house to house for a different course of a meal. I'm anticipating a full stomach, but nothing compares with the amount of Weiner Schnitzel I ingested last night!

(Me last night with a full belly of Schnitzel)

Gruss Gott!

Greetings from Stockerau, Austria!
I made it here on Sunday night despite several flight complications. At one point it looked as if I was going to be stranded in Amsterdam for an extra day because of a blunder on the airlines part, but fortunately a female teammate was along with and they assumed we were "together" so they put an extra effort towards getting me on the flight with her. I tried to tell them that we were only teammates but the Dutch airline attendant for some reason was really excited that we were "official". So they flew the two of us to Paris and then Vienna. It worked out, but it was very draining and I am still feeling the effects of jetlag.
Our team has been going through orientation the last couple of days and meeting the missionary team we'll be with during our time here. They're a pretty fab group with diverse backgrounds and ages. It'll be neat to come alongside and learn from these folks!
We cruised around Vienna last night getting a feel for the transit system and the city. The architecture is absolutely incredible and the train system is phenomenal. I haven't had much time to digest everything that's happened and even process the reality that I'm in Europe! I woke up this morning and had to remind myself where I was! Fortunately we have the evening free, so I am going to take some mental health time and chill out (after I unpack, that is).

So I'm going to take care of that, I just wanted to let ya' know that I made it.
Peace and Love,
Jake

one, two, skip a few, 99, 100!

I hit the 100% mark last week, officially allowing me to embark on this incredible mission ahead! It was absolutely phenomenal how the remaining support came in. The last two weeks were full of surprises, random anonymous donations, and divine "coincidences". It was cool to see this happen the way it did, because it has been a challenging faith-walk throughout the last 4 months. And the fact that I'm sitting here, about to leave in two days with all the money pledged, is so rewarding! There were definitely times when I grew faint-hearted and wondered if this was even going to work out. Thoughts would pop in to my head like, "What am I thinking? It's the worst time to be raising support with the economy the way it is." or, "What are you even going to be doing in Austria??" But I knew that I couldn't let discouragement drive me away from fully trusting Him this time. God was in control and that He would lead me as a good Shepherd. I had to just hide myself in Him, knowing that when I trust in Him with all my heart, lean not on my own understanding, in all my ways acknowledge Him, He would make my path straight. (proverbs 3.5-6) It was pretty dope seeing Him leading me each step along the way as I banked on His faithfulness. I don't know what Austria is going to look like, but I am settled in my heart that God has some awesome things in store for our team. The lesson of dependence on God when facing seemingly impossible circumstances that I learned through this season of support raising will most definitely come into play as our team seeks GOd to use us in Austria!
Yee Haw!

10 days left, 86% and climbing....

Ever since I hit the 75% mark and was able to buy the plane ticket (about 2 weeks ago) I have really started realizing, Oh snap!, I'm actually going to Austria! So I've begun processing all the logistics (not my specialty) and brain-storming, more like brain-hurricane-ing, everything that needs to happen between now and January 16th. Generally speaking, I'm a down to the wire guy, which could mean that on the night of January 15th, I will be frantically scurrying about while jam-packing my suitcase full of all those last-minute necessities. I'm trying to do everything I can to prevent that from happening, but I just know myself too well....

With the progression of the support raising, life has been interesting to say the least. I haven't worked since mid-December, but I haven't lacked busy-ness or business. I have been kept occupied with one art project after another! Whether it has been a 4x8 board of a name in graffiti, or a bedroom, I've been spray-painting my little heart out. The funny thing is I've made a decent amount of money off of the projects, which has been nice being that I'm unemployed and raising money! Here's examples of the art I've done:
"Emily" and "Alice"



I was having a tough time towards the last part of December. Christmas was great, being with the family was the highlight for sure. But I had been experiencing some anxiety and lonliness which all seemed to consumate on New Year's eve. I had nothing going on that night and was really hoping to do something fun. My few friends were either working or out of town. I realized how I don't really have an intimate community base here at home. I started feeling really isolated and disconnected and looking back in life, these have been feelings I have desperately fled from in the past. Anyhow, after a few more unsuccessful attempts to find something to do , I decided to stay in for the night. I remembered that the International House of Prayer (IHOP, not to be confused with the pancake joint) had a conference going on over New Year's with a live webstream. So I tuned into that, and no less than 5 minutes of watching the worship, I broke down. I don't cry a lot, in fact, I hadn't cried for almost 3 years before this month! But I wept. Man, it hurt so good. I needed to be where I was that night. I'm glad I didn't force my way into a situation just because I couldn't face being lonely. God is my portion. People just can't give me the fulfilment what I'm looking for, only God's love can. I'm a broken man and I want 2009 to be a year of resisting all the things that I turn to in place of intimacy with God.
Amen.

Jake