Unplanned Events and Journal Entries

It's been awhile and many events, both planned and unplanned, have taken place since my last post. By now us interns have been to two church services at New City Wien where we have helped out with set up, music/children's church, food preparation, and take down. We have been inside the glorious Opera House and watched The Magic Flute by Mozart for 3 euros. We have walked through breathtaking palaces and gardens fit for kings and queens. Vienna's scenery, class, eateries, and culture do not disappoint even the harshest critic.

While we have seen the beautiful parts of Vienna, a 5-10 minute tram ride from the touristy city center brought us to the heart of the city's prostitution and human trafficking ring. Prostitution is legal in Vienna and many women and children are illegally trafficked here from Eastern Europe and Africa. We sat down and listened for two hours to a woman who formed a ministry called "Hertzwerk" (Heart Work) that helps/ministers to human trafficking victims in Vienna. For two hours we heard of terror and joy, bondage and freedom, several of us needing to leave the room throughout the presentation to get air. Our hearts were enlightened and very raw after hearing many stories, both horrifying and wonderful. While ministering to these women on the street and in the brothels is not possible for us interns, we are able to help the ministry out in other ways during our time here!

An incredible "unplanned" event that took place last Friday was a benefit concert that was put on by some of our new Austrian friends to raise funds and awareness for their mission trip to Israel this summer. The event included performances by talented musicians studying in Vienna (piano, violin, and viola), learning a Jewish song and dance, and socializing with a common middle eastern meal (falafel, cucumbers, hummus, pita, tomato, fruit). I was blown away about a week before the concert when the main coordinator of the concert asked if I would like to play percussion! I was so moved by the offer and for me, it was a testament to God's goodness, the fact that he knows me, and that he has good works prepared in advance for me to do. This is something that I would never been able to orchestrate on my own, with so many elements fitting who I am. It was a wonderful night meeting with friends, making new ones, and sharing lots of stories over lots of yummy food.

I would like to share with you all a few journal entries. These are straight from my pages, so I have not corrected them grammatically, stylistically, etc. in any way, so please forgive me if there are errors that drive you nuts. For me, journaling is not writing a paper for a class, it is strands of thoughts written out attempting to synthesize and process.

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6/19/11

"We tend by a secret law of the soul to move toward our mental image of God. This is true not only of the individual Christian, but of the company of Christians that composes the church. Always the most revealing thing about he Church is her idea of God, just as her most significant message is what she says about Him or leaves unsaid, for her silence is often more eloquent than her speech. She can never escape the self-disclosure of her witness concerning God."

- A.W. Tozer, Knowledge of the Holy, 1

Who do people in Vienna think God is? An angry teacher looking for perfection and waiting to strike our hand when we fail or a loving father with open arms?

Father God, reveal your true self to Vienna.

People here do not know the tenderness of God, the comfort of the Holy Spirit, the peace that passes understanding which the world cannot give because it comes from Jesus alone. Purpose and life are entirely missing. Having everything yet having nothing. What God has shown me concerning himself, how I know him, how I am loved by him, the ways in which he has displayed his care and attention, these stories are what I am offering. These stories are testimonies to his goodness, his faithfulness, his existence, his love, his desire to be known, and his desire to deliver, heal, and free.

[brief explanation for this next part: the first Sunday Alli and I did children's church, Emma was one of the children]

Held Emma for half of service today. Snotty-nosed, teary-eyed, adorable redhead. First time away from her parents during a service and I - the never has babysat in her life, never done nursery, never done children's church woman - am the one chosen to take care of this little one. I sat down with her, holding her and bouncing her on my knee a little. After about five minutes of crying she stopped and was somewhat content on my knee. I couldn't help but think about a message by Bob Johnson when God gives him the realization that fishing with his nephews is just as glorious as casting out demons and healing the sick. Jesus held and blessed children. What I did today was glorious. I was pretty (surprisingly) calm while holding her and kept praying peace over her. Hope the child doesn't need Sozo [inner healing] after being separated from her parents (haha!). Afterwards her mom saw her and said, "You're hired!". I just beamed. Not too bad for my first time. :)

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6/26/11

Cafe Diglas. First large-ish drink I have ordered (on accident as is typically the case here thus far) - cafe latte machiatto. This is not Starbucks. This is class. Waiters in white button-up shirts with bright yellow ties or bow ties. Coat hanger, gold, at the front door. The scaffolding out the window does not belong here. Chandeliers that typically belong in rich people's mansions hang from the ceiling. In America one would automatically assume that such a thing was fake, here one would be shocked if it wasn't one of the finest crystals and materials dating centuries back. Back to the yellow ties - who could get away with such a thing? There is no questioning it here.

I have found it semi-difficult to reflect in cafes here. Everything is so new here still, and my mind tends to wander not to process, but to continually take in.

Alli shared a passage out of a book she is reading and it addressed the distinction between our agenda and God's. Often times anxiety comes from our progression and agenda not moving forward the way we might like. Perhaps it is the pace or maybe the steps are all wrong. We forget to check in with God, be at ease, and allow him to work out our days for us with us actively engaging. While I do enjoy the image of God driving the car and us in the passenger seat, I do feel that Jesus lets us drive sometimes. I think when we get off track we pull over at a rest stop and Jesus starts driving again. According to his purpose to benefit us, getting back on the right path may take awhile, or we may instantly find ourselves right back on track like we never took a wrong turn in our lives.

The fact that God loves us and is for us always allows us to choose to let go of how we think things should go and just come along for the ride. We are never giving the directions, but we are also never solely passive along the journey. And thank goodness - I would go brain dead. Thank God that our experience is not only Luke 1-8, but our experience and role is also Luke 9-24.

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Breakfast with the other interns: latte and plum cake!

In the Opera House after watching The Magic Flute

Concert Venue

Instruments for the benefit concert: violin, piano, viola, and percussion

So many falafels!!