They WIll Know Us By Our Love For One Another.......

Last night's dinner and discussion I think as a team we received one of the best complements we could. There were five of us from the team and two students, of which only one was Lithuanian. It was quite a surprise that this student came. Not because she hasn't come in the past, she happens to be a regular attender. However, she usually comes with her boyfriend who really enjoys the evening because he likes to think and talk about deeper issues. She usually sits there quietly, speaking up every once in a while. It was a huge step for her to come by herself. Honestly, it never crossed my mind that she would come by herself, but we serve a big God who answers prayer and who does things that seem impossible.
Our topic last night was about being ourselves. Why we don't let people in and show who we really are. She spoke up for most of the questions and joined into the discussion. Half way through, Matt asked her what it was like to be a Lithuanian and come to dinner and discussion. (Most Lithuanians do not like talking about deep things or they don't have the chance/opportunity to.)
She replied by saying that when she started coming she felt warm feelings from us that she has never felt before. It was hard for her to accept them and the dinner that we offered. But now she can accept it.
It was really encouraging because it has been a prayer of ours that when students walk through the door they will notice that something is different. That they will feel loved like never before and ultimately that they would see Christ through the way we love each other and the way we love them.
May God get the Glory!

Crunch Time

I can hardly believe it is already May! Time has flown by this semester. There is about a week and half left. Oh goodness! This is a busy time for us, as we are trying to meet with students and continue to build relationships before summer. Most of the students will leave for the summer to go work abroad. We would like to have a solid foundation with these students so we can stay in contact with them while they are gone and hopefully pick right back up when they return. Please pray that we can finish this semester strong and be able to meet and connect with the students God has put in our path.

The Simple Life

How would I describe the life of a missionary in a few words? Adventurous - yes, living in a foreign country is always an adventure. . . unpredictable - yes, a missionary must always be ready to expect the unexpected. . . and ordinary! Truly, the life of a missionary is much more ordinary than many would imagine. We spend a good portion of our week doing "normal" things like shopping, cooking, and laundry. You have heard about many of the highlights of our ministry in previous posts, so I (Sharon) would like to take this opportunity to give you a glimpse into some of the "ordinary" in our lives.

Picture #1 - We walk a lot.

Picture #2 - We have diner at our friend's parent's house.

Picture #3 - This is Jolanta with her mom and dad. Jolanta is the campus director for Vilniius.

Picture #4 - Here we are walking again. (Note the popularity of man purses among the men on our team)

Picture #5 - Ok, so some things are not as ordinary. Matt and I have taken a Tango class to try to get to know some students at VDU. Unfortunately, our class has dwindled over the past few weeks. We are still asking ourselves, "Why did we choose to start by trying to learn one of the hardest dances?!"

Picture #6 - We watch sunsets

Picture #7 - Sometimes we take a bus or minibus instead of walking

Picture #8 - We spend time in the dorms

Picture #9 - And I'll end here with one last photo of us walking. We walk to each other's flats. We walk to church. We walk to the store. Even when we go to the dorms we have to walk a good distance to and from the bus stop. But that's ok. We've learned to enjoy walking. Some of our best conversations have taken place while we are walking.

It is hard to give you a clear picture of what life is like here - I hope you've enjoyed this small glimpse into some of our everyday life.