Baptisms and Kełbasa

Sunday, to say the least was truly amazing. Words cannot describe how great our God is. The day started with the men getting together for workshops and then breakfast. After that was time to worship and finish the last teaching session. The time before the last teaching was great for me to just to refocus and see God moving. There is nothing better for me than to see men get together to understand what it means to be a Christian man and to grow spiritually and mentally as men.

After that there were 3 baptisms in the river. I am going to see if I cannot upload some videos of them but if not, they were amazing. We had a picnic and then had some fun games for the men. The rest of the day consisted of the guys packing up and getting ready to go, but before they left we had one last meal. An open fire pit for some roasting of kełbasa. It was yum yum delicious!

After that we got to go over to Daniel and Edyta's house to play UNO Attack (the polish version) with Kuba, Kuba, Ula and Evalyna. This was some good times to just try and connect with others. I am so amazed at what God does.

One thing that really hit me the most today, was that though I have only been here for over a week, I feel like I have been here longer. And that is a good thing because it feels like home. The people are so caring and friendly, the food is amazing and God is present among here. I guess the only thing that is different is the amount of deli meat and bread I have consumed over the past week, but that is nothing to complain about.

Keep praying for spiritual growth in us but also the Polish people, the Kenya group and the Kenyans. Be sure to check out what Mi2 Kenya is doing, because they have some amazing adventures ahead of them as well!

Love you guys and thank you for continuing to read and pray.

-Erich

P.S. We get to sleep in this Monday morning...Hooray for that!

10K & Picture Day

Yesterday morning started with a 10K at 6 AM. I about DIED! I haven’t run that hard in months, and definitely haven’t been up before 6:30 AM since arriving in Poland. What a great way to start the morning though...

Although yesterday was filled with activities for the men’s conference (archery, shooting, soccer, rock climbing, etc.), I had a rather relaxing day. I mainly went around and took pictures of all the activities going on. It was fun to just stop and watch for a while. I needed that.

Our night session included the auctioning of poster sized pictures taken in Afghanistan. The funds raised from the auction go to support familiar groups in Afghanistan, which build wells, houses and schools for the community. Some of the pictures were being bought for close to $400 Zloty (about $125 USD). This was just another very neat experience.

Today is the last day of Kafas. Keep praying that men leave here changed and ready to embrace their roles as godly men.

Take care. I hope you have enjoyed your day.

-Dane

PS - Check Facebook for pictures from yesterday:

Mud on my Boots

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, on the call to discipleship, said this:

It is NOTHING else than bondage to Jesus Christ alone, completely breaking through every programme, every ideal, every set of laws. No other significance is possible, since Jesus is the only significance. Besides Jesus nothing has any significance. He alone matters.

What a statement. In a time when we put so much joy in things of the earth, it is refreshing to hear someone (over fifty years ago) remind me that that nothing else matters. Our joy is found in desperately clinging to the cross. It’s our salvation and our reason to celebrate. I hope that touches you similarly to how it touches me. It’s just so humbling, to realize that we are desperate people in need of a savior more than anything else.

Today is the true beginning of Kafas (men’s conference) here at Zakosciele. It was quite a crazy morning. First, at 7 AM, a team drove over sixty miles upstream to begin a Kayaking journey. They actually are just now returning (at 6:30 PM). Sounds like a pretty manly activity, until you hear what happened next.

At about 9 AM, I left with a group to go “wade” through a creek (Erich was the smarter one who stayed behind). The creek ranged anywhere from ankle deep, all the way up to our thighs, not to mention the fact that the water was about 50 degrees. Anyway, we went close to 2 hours in the water, just walking down stream. My feet were frozen, so I couldn’t even feel my step.

We finally arrived at the point we got out of the creek and, come to find out, it was literally a swamp. Guys were sinking in mud past their knees. It was ridiculous. After getting through this, we hiked for a while and ran across a ‘villa’ that was used by a former communist president of Poland. It was beautiful.

We continued the journey, and eventually landed in water again. We walked through the creek for about 40 minutes this time, but as we were finishing, I stepped into a mud-hole and sunk. Water was up to my chest. After throwing my camera to someone else I was able to get out. It was quite the adrenaline rush.

Not much else has happened this afternoon. We’ve been waiting for the conference to begin, so I had some good time to sit back and read. Erich is playing bass for the band tonight. We have a man from Savannah Christian Church in Savannah, GA here to speak. It will be great to hear a message in English and I’m excited about what he has to present.

Hope all is well back home. More updates to come after our “manly events” tomorrow.

-Dane

Kefas Starts

Cześć! Just wanting to give you an update as far as what has been going on the past few days. Although camps have not started, we have started to get busy in a good way. The day before we had an all staff meeting with Proem. In this staff meeting we gave a little bit of our testimony and how it is that we got to be here in Poland. It was really good to see all the faces that are part of Proem and to see how they prepare for the summer. What was weird was the asking of our ages and if we were single. Our best guess behind them wanting to know is so they can get us hooked up with girlfriends and therefore keep us here longer.

After that we helped with some kids for about 1/2 an hour and then headed into Tomaszow to meet up with Chad Blanchard. We stayed in ...i cafe (the cafe that is part of the church) and got to talk with a few people. One of the funnier situations occured when an inebriated man came in and got in the face of one of the guys we were talking to. He was asking for money, and when none was given he started to ask if we were really Christians. It was a funny but eye opening experience. I think this is one of the things to expect when having a cafe on the front of the church, and from Kuba's explanation, this kind of thing happens a lot.

We met up with Chad and then went over to Chad and Amy's apartment for dinner. Dinner consisted of Pizza (again, but this time it was even better!), fresh strawberries (yummy), chips and salsa and popcorn. Of course this was not all at once, but was a good night to just hang out and talk with Chad and Amy. We also got to watch the UEFA champions league championship with Robert (another guy on Proem staff). This was just a great night of fellowship and just helped make the transition to Poland better.

Today marks the first week of us being here. I think we are well adjusted and getting used to everything. We just got back from a bike ride to the supermarket in Inołodz and realized that it would be better to go to Tomaszow to get food and snacks. Price and selection would be much better. But all that aside; tonight starts the all men's conference (Kefas). This will go on throughout the weekend and will be full of activities and teaching. As I type, we are about 30 minutes away from registration starting. Let the fun begin!

Please keep praying that Dane and I are being spiritually guided and filled. Also pray for the Mi2 Kenya team...they are doing some amazing things in Kenya.

A lot(y) of Złoty

Poland here: Happy Mother's Day!!! Here in Poland Mother's Day is celebrated on May 26th every year. So, to all you mom's, here's a special shout out to you!

Dzien Dobry! Jak sie masz? We're doing great. We just wrapped up a day of exchanging money (dollars for Złoty), exploring the Tomaszow Markets and aiding in teaching English to preschoolers. 

After a morning of 'weeding' the volleyball court, we went to a local school to help teach English to some preschoolers. We taught them food, such as cheese and pasta. The English teaching did include coloring inside the lines (and outside for Dane).

After lunch, we went into Tomaszow to exchange money and explore the markets. While there, we also ate our first Polish cheeseburgers and pizza. Both were VERY GOOD.

Part of our day consisted of meeting with John Crozier (who is overseeing us throughout our experience). We dove into scripture a little, but mainly shared about our journeys to this point, as well as his expectations for us. It was a very needed time, and gave both of us more peace in regards to our roles this summer. It served as great clarity, and energized us to step out of our comfort zones and experience this summer "head-on".

It's been such a joy communicating with each of you back home. Your encouragement has been fantastic. We do want to clarify though that in the next week or so we will be cutting a lot of interactive connecting with everyone back home. With our role clarification we will be taking on more duties and experiencing less down-time. We love you all, but we want you to know it may take longer to get back in touch!

Thanks for your prayers. Please continue praying for our dear friends down in Kenya (www.mi2kenya09.blogspot.com) and for Proem ministries right here in Poland. The church is growing daily, but prayer is a crucial part of that.

We love you! Dzienkuje!

Happy Memorial Day

Happy Monday and Happy Memorial Day in the states! I wish you could have seen the fog over here this morning. I looked out the window and couldn't see ANYTHING. It was pretty neat to watch.

Unlike yesterday, today was a very ordinary day. We got out of bed and after a quick breakfast went immediately to working. Erich helped move some tables and clean (after the wedding and women's conference this weekend), while Paweł and I re-painted basketball goals. He's been a great guy for use to get to know, and has been very helpful with our transition.

After work was finished, Erich and I sat down to study some more Polish. Right now we're working on verb conjugation and basic words that deal with food and drink. A sentence I taught myself today was, "Lubię grać soccer. (I like to play soccer)" It's extremely tough to learn without a class or anything, but it's a fun process.

We also watched the second part of The Truth Project tonight. Very interesting. Tonight's lesson talked about Philosophy and Ethics. The part the really caught my attention was when it was stated that, "The Ten Commandments (and the rules of the Bible) were not created because God flipped a coin that landed on 'lying is bad' rather than 'lying is virtuous'. Lying is considered bad because is counter to God's nature. I had never thought about it in that way, and it pointed out attributes of God I had never realized. It was also neat to be reminded the importance of renewing out mind through study and knowledge daily (Romans 12:2). We as a church get so wrapped up in feeling God, that we forget the importance of learning what he has said through our study of his living word.

Anyway, I'm off to bed. Dobranocs!

-Dane

By the way tomorrow is Mother's Day here in Poland. Don't forget to get you Mom a special gift!

Mówię trochę po Polski

Dzień Dobry! Erich przy pśmie! It is so good to get on here and blog since I have gotten to Poland. A lot has gone on since we have arrived. In Dane's last post he mentioned that a wedding was going to take place on Saturday. When the morning came and it was looking overcast. There was constant back and forth from the bride as to whether to have the wedding outside or inside. Obviously they would want it outside but with the weather being up in the air, it was a back and forth decision. Dane and I, however, had the privilege to go and kayak with the youth from Tomy church. We started in Tomaśzow and kayaked for 4 hours in the warm/cool slightly drizzled air to Zakościele. There was a small crack in our kayak and it leaked some water in. We had our stuff in a garbage bag, but that did not help when there was a small hole in it as well. My camera got a little wet, and now it is not working. I am going to try and set it out in the sun to see if it will help any, but for right now it is not looking good.

Today (Sunday) was an amazing day. We went to Tomy church and got to worship. After that we then went to spend the day with John and Zaba. They had invited us over for lunch. The food was amazing and the hospitality of them was so wonderful. We then got to sit around with their guests David and Edyta along with their children David, Tomek and Zosia. After eating, drinking coffee and playing some crazy English/Polish Uno, we then went to Sława and got to see an old bunker that was built during the war. We then went to have some amazing ice cream and then headed back to camp.

There are a few things that have just amazed me this trip so far. The way that God is moving in this place is one of them and the friendliness and hospitality is another. We are going to try to get some money exchanged next week and take some bikes to a supermarket to get some fresh fruit and other things. Camps will be starting up in a few weeks, which it is great to have this down time to really get prepared for the insane times as well as to build up a great relationship with the staff.

Other than that nothing is new. Our sleep schedules have been adjusted and the weather is great! What more can you ask for than that?!?!? We hope that everything is going well in the States. Until then...

We're HERE!

We're here!

This is Dane. We have been in Poland for roughly 30 hours now. Enough time to land at the airport, drive to the campgrounds, sleep, play volleyball with some Polish children, and spend a day cleaning camp for the wedding being held here tomorrow. So, I'm just getting a chance to sit down and blog.

It's been a rough, but encouraging day. It's so hard to be here and not understand the conversations going on around you. The staff here is great, and know more English than I could imagine, but I miss knowing what everyone around me is talking about.

The food has been great but is going to take time to adjust to. We have to go from eating our full-course, stuff-your-face-full meals on directives, to eating much smaller but healthier meals at the camp. Deli sandwiches are the food for dinner and breakfast, while lunch consists of soup, pasta and maybe some meat. It's very interesting, but good for me.

Lastly, we're very exhausted (be praying for that). It's been a long day of cleaning and setting up for the wedding tomorrow. We finished right as the rain came in tonight, so we're trying to rest for a little in the room.

Hope everyone is doing well back home. Let us know if we can be lifting up anything. Do zobaczenia!

-Dane

Another interesting fact: the sun rises at 4 AM here, and still doesn't set until like 9 or so... 

Directives Slideshow

Check out the Mi2 Directives slideshow at www.youtube.com/mi2internships

Tennessee Bound...Almost

You can stop squinting your eyes, the title is correct. 12:30 tomorrow afternoon, all of us Mi2ers are meeting together. All of us will be together in the same vicinity. Actually we will all be together in the same van and cabin. I am excited. When 12:30 comes around tomorrow, reality will set in and I will know that this is real. I know that God's hand has been amongst this trip from the get go and I feel that God has been preparing me for this trip for a long long long uber long time.

I am excited, but not as excited as I think I should be. For instance...I just got finished packing and am now just eagerly waiting for tomorrow to come. But I am excited about getting together with everyone else. But once we start to board that plane, I know for sure that I will be excited. I guess you can say that I am now anxiously counting down, but to be honest, I have been counting down since day 70.

As I leave this, I want to just thank you guys for your prayers and financial support. We, Dane and I, are so grateful and cannot get enough of you guys. So we still have a special surprise for you guys. It will be unveiled, shortly...

z miłości, dziękuję.

~Erich

Financial Update

It's Dane again... I just needed to give a quick update:

FUNDRAISING IS COMPLETE!!! God has provided and all the trip is paid for. What a blessing! I was worried I wasn't going to be joining Erich in Poland this summer (just kidding).

But seriously, thanks to all who faithfully and willing gave. I appreciate you more than you know. Dzięki!

It's all a mountain of clothes...

This post is quite a bit shorter; just a brief update:

It's Monday afternoon. Erich and I are about to have our FINAL weekly meeting before Directives. It's almost here...

We're both excited and blessed to be embarking on this journey. I can't really put into words how I feel right now. Everyone keeps asking, but I'm not really sure what to say other than "expectation-less".

It's going to be a long week of finalizing my packing and saying goodbyes. I got a good start on packing last week, but I hope to finish by Thursday night. I started with a large mountain of clothes, but have continued reducing the load. I think I've got everything down to one suitcase, so that is quite a relief.

Please keep praying for the people we will encounter this summer. Also, pray for our hearts, that they are open to the work that will be done in them. We know we will be changed, but we also know we need encouragement along the way.

Lastly, only a few more posts until we reveal our surprise. It's an electronic way for us to keep better in touch with you all. But it's so much more than just that. Be prepared.

We love and appreciate what you are doing. I want to leave you with this:

"As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry"

-2 TIMOTHY 4:5

Single Digits and Girding Loins…This is not a band name!

9 more days! That is right people, 9 more days until our program starts!!! We are in the single digits! Although we are 13 days away from flying out of the country, we are 9 days away from all of the Mi2ers getting together and doing some crucial team building. I cannot even begin to tell you how excited I am. It’s really amazing how all of a sudden everything is starting to sink in and take hold. Granted that the speaking Polska is not taking hold, it is at least starting to sink in. Hopefully after some cultural immersion, the language will start to take hold and Dane and I will be able to have minimal conversations besides saying, “Dzień dobry” “prosze” and “jak się masz?”

What has been really cool though is that for the past couple of weeks God has really been opening my heart to some deep convictions and thinking. Under this deep thinking, God has been revealing to me some amazing concepts based on Ephesians 6. I feel that these particular verses are what will become a catalyst to our 3 months in Poland. No doubt do I feel it already, but the attacks will be greater once in the field doing what God wants us to do and not what Satan wants us to do. That is why it is crucial to put on the FULL Armor of God, and treat each day as a battle. Frankly, each day IS a battle. I know that I have already started to feel it within me, the battle of worry and self adequacy. And the fact that I am battling these lies and temptations that Satan is constantly bombarding me with makes me want to even more go into battle with my armor on.

Last night as I was reading, I came across 1 John 5:4 and this verse helps correlate the mindset of putting on the armor in Ephesians 6 and the fact that we are in a battle.

Ephesians 6: 10-20 (ESV) Finally be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In ALL circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly as I ought to speak.

And then after reading this….1 John 5:4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the VICTORY that has overcome the world-our faith.

I put the word VICTORY in all caps because it is what stuck out to me. Victory can only be won once admitting that there was something we were fighting for in the first place. John says that our faith is what has overcome the world, and our faith is part of our spiritual armor! It is our shield, and as Paul said, “In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish the flaming darts of the evil one;” I look at that and just rejoice in the truth that the gospel can speak and how penetrating and deep it can be. I think of the victory that we have won over the world, and that our shield of faith is defending us from the flaming darts of the evil one. Praise God…*Selah

And so I know that as Dane and I prepare for this 3 month journey that we will have to constantly be putting on the armor of God. There is one part that I love in Ephesians 6:14. The ESV version says to fasten the belt of truth, but in the NASB it says to “gird your loins with truth.” Every time that I read that I say to myself: “I want to gird my loins with truth!” Ha Ha, and then of course I laugh.

As I started to finish typing this, I just realized that at this time, in 2 weeks Dane and I will be landing, or have already landed, or may be on the approach to landing (ALL due to delays of course) in Warsaw. That is CRAZY to think about. It seems like for me that it was just yesterday that I was applying for the trip. And now here we are. I think of all the encouragement and support that family and friends have given me. But I am constantly trying to keep in check that I am not getting the glory and that God is. And everything and anything that I do, I pray that He gets the glory, and that all He does is use me. Keep praying for our mental and spiritual preparations and that the funds will come in.

As I leave this, I think of our faithful blogees. That’s right, you guys who keep up with this, even when we are not on our trip yet! We have an amazing surprise ton unveil very very very soon. In fact this surprise is so amazing that I can 110% guarantee that you will not even guess what is. I’ll give you some hints though your attempts at guessing will be feeble. It’s not a puppy that we will be taking with us to Poland. It is not edible. It will be colorful. It will be AWESOME and OUT OF THIS WORLD! And you might cry. Seriously…you might cry.
-Erich is out, once again.

Getcha Popcorn Ready...A Little Surprise For You

Cześć. Jak się masz?

This is Dane. I'm practicing Polish and back to blogging. I've been keeping my personal site up to date, but have been slacking over here. In case you're interested, you can check that out at web.me.com/dcdelozier. I should be uploading pictures there once we get this ball rolling. You know what I mean?

My last day of work was yesterday. What a relief? I'm finally able to truly focus on preparing for Poland. I guess I can look back and say that I've been completely blessed with this job the past 3 years. Serving coffee has paid the bills, developed relationships and guided me to where I am now. Even through the difficult times there, I can still be joyful because of the meaningful moments.

Yesterday at my Louisville church, our speaker shared a much needed message about engaging God's presence. He shared Paul's message given in the midst of Mars Hill (the Areopagus), addressing the Athenians. Paul is describing the Unknown God the people of Greece worship (the one who does all that their other gods can't do). He says:

"The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. And He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should SEEK God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and FIND him. YET HE IS ACTUALLY NOT FAR FROM EACH ONE OF US..."

So, this God, who did all, controls all and whom even the Greek scholars recognized as more powerful than all their Gods combined is APPROACHABLE. I think we so often forget that. We ignore the fact that He is in control and if we honestly seek his presence we will find him there, and we will find Him closer than we expected. He will reveal himself in the right time (as he did with Moses), but we shall see his glory to the extent our HUMAN capacity will allow.

Though that is quite off the topic of Poland, it is a huge struggle for me (and most of the world) to grasp, so I thought I would share. He is approachable. Practice that this week, and see what you discover.

In terms of Poland, preparations are going steady. I've got a LONG list of things to take care of, but I think by next week I should be there. It's such an enjoyable process for someone as analytical as me. Some of you may think I am crazy, but to organize things, make lists and start checking things off brings so much refreshment to my life. Alright, stop laughing.

Funds are close. I've been blessed to the extreme, but am praying God has one last push for me. I know He is capable, and I know doors will open if they need to.

Please keep Erich and I in your prayers these next two weeks. This is going to be quite a transition, and to be honest, I think we're both already a little sick of each other (just kidding, it's been great so far). We've got a few more preparations to make and may be needing as much relief as possible.

As always, please keep praying for ProEm. This is an outstanding ministry and they are truly blessing the kingdom. Keep the leaders and the people they encounter close to your hearts, that doors open and new life is found.

We appreciate all that you "blog-readers" are doing to support this trip. As a result, we have a little surprise in store for each of you. Starting on the next blog, we give our first hint toward the surprise. All I have to say now is that it is MONUMENTAL! LOFTY! AWE-INSPIRING! Just plain FANTASTIC!

Stay updated. Keep in-touch. Do Widzenia!