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!