Accidental Lie

My last post (way back on September 18) said I would write more on Saturday. I didn't mean to lie, I promise! If you could see my planner (the little book that holds my life together), you might understand. Page after page of little cramped handwriting means a very busy life.

But anyway, here's a few updates, in the order listed in my previous post, for anyone interested:

-We're back in session at the Global Refugee Center!

 Things are going great at the GRC. This is our sixth week.

It would be fantastic to get more volunteers, but we're making do with who we have for now. The first week was full of tiny people crying for their parents, but now they're used to being in the day care.
I love these kiddos. But I think they know they have me wrapped around their fingers!






-My Basic Training for Soliya has ended... Advanced Training started today!!
I learned a lot in my basic training, but it was only about 6 meetings. I enjoyed getting the chance to practice facilitating, and I think I did alright.
I actually just finished my very first advanced training session. Let me tell you, it is great to have a training session a little later in the day and not one that starts before the sun is up!! Seems like I have a great group! Nine more weeks and I just may be invited to be a facilitator in the spring. Regardless, I'm learning a lot and enjoying the experience.




-Volunteered at a study abroad/world expo event on campus... I want to go somewhere asap! 
So here's a little problem... I was at this event and looking around and the Center for International Eduction coordination says, "You want to go again, don't you?" Well of course I do!! I think I'm a bit addicted to travel... Anyway, I've already made peace with the whole 5 year plan instead of the 4 year for my undergrad degree. One of those years was community college, and not all of my classes counted. Then I was a bit mixed up with my major. Upon figuring it all out and deciding on a double major in English and International Affairs and a double minor in Business Administration and Cultural Anthropology, I decided 5 years was acceptable. And I have been killing myself ever since. The fact that this past summer I took 15 credit hours and now I'm taking 20 is a testament to that. I have something like an internship lined up for next fall, so I won't be taking many classes then (I'm thinking between none and 1-2 online). UNC has this requirement that the last... I think it's 90 credits of the undergrad must be completed at UNC. So, if I study abroad again, I add time to my undergrad and may be looking at a 6 year plan. Oh, but it may be worth it! Considering it... Offer advice if you have any!

Now, last but not least...


-I got my official acceptance to teach abroad next fall!
I will be teaching English at the Vilnius school in Vilnius, Lithuania through ILP!! Yep. See? I knew I'd go back!


Now, I do have some other thoughts I've been wanting to post about, but that's all for now... I'm going to try my hardest to post again within the next week, but no promises! :)

Much Required

Upon returning to Colorado, I was consumed with wanting to go back to Lithuania. It was my every thought. I'm sure I got on my friends' and family's nerves talking about it. But it's where I want to be, where I need to be, and I have no doubt about that. With this massive goal in front of me, it's difficult not to be intimidated and overwhelmed. I know God will help me get there, but I am faced with the question, What do I do to get there?

During the couple weeks following my return to Colorado that I had before fall semester started, I took some time to relax and do things I enjoy like writing, reading, drawing. I also had to unpack (yes, that was a huge feat in itself... you should have seen my suitcase) and reorganize my chaotic room. Then I had to repack to move back up north to Greeley. After moving back to Greeley is when everything really started...

I began to feel the drudgery of life, as everything within me longed to be back in Lithuania actually doing something that mattered, but here I was in Greeley going to class, coming home, hanging out with friends, going to church. I felt like I was making a difference and doing something when I was in Lithuania. What was I doing here? What was the point? These were not good feelings at all. Soon came a very timely sermon titled "Actively Waiting," and I realized that more than anything, I needed to just stay involved and do all I could while I'm here waiting. So I took a deep breath and decided to focus on the now instead of the later.

However, with focusing on "the now," I began to see some things in my life that needed to be changed if I wanted to get to "the later." The first thing I changed was the consistency of my walk with God. I had a fairly regular prayer life before, but somehow it mattered even more now. I had to keep the communication lines open with God, praying without ceasing. Additionally, I had to get better with my Bible reading habits. I decided that the Bible should be read more than any other book on any day, and as a college student with tons of reading to do, that was a difficult task. However, although not easy, these things have been totally worth it.

The more difficult change came from weeding things out of my life. I began to notice some little changes that needed to be made, and the most difficult things about those was just developing better habits. The more consistent prayer life and Bible reading helped tremendously with that, as good habits took the place of bad ones. The hardest thing to remove from my life was relationships. Honestly, I had a few that needed to become less important to me so they'd be less influential. But there was one that had to be severed completely.

You may see it as drastic, but I see it as obedient. I was in a relationship that was getting more and more serious, and I honestly saw myself staying with him and marrying him. However, it became apparent that I had a choice to make. I couldn't stay with him and follow God's plan for my life. The two happening together was just impossible. As many ways as I tried to make it work in my head, it just couldn't in reality. I'd been praying about our relationship, but my prayers became more consistent, and more desperate as I sought a definite clarity during this time. Few people know the specifics of this, but finally, in frustration, I gave God a kind of list of demands, "If you don't want me to stay with him, do this, this, and this!" I know it's okay to pray specifically, but I did it the wrong way and in the wrong attitude. Still, God answered it in all its specifics within hours (when I had demanded "within a week"). Soon thereafter, I made the decision I needed to: I chose God over him.


Throughout this journey, part of a Scripture from my earlier Bible quizzing years has been constantly on my mind. "For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required." Luke 12:48

As I've prepared myself spiritually to move forward with God's plan for my life, I've also been making sure I'm on the right path to end up where I need to as far as with school, career goals, etc. Some great opportunities have opened up to me, and I'm excited for all that's happening. But I'll save that exciting news for the next post.

Kryzus Kalnas

Ever since I saw a picture in the "Looking at Lithuania" book we checked out from the library, I really wanted to go to The Hill of Crosses. Unfortunately, it's in Siauliai, which is over 200 km. from Vilnius. One of the other girls from UNC went to see it last week one day, and she said it was completely worth it. Friday was my opportunity, so I looked into bus and train schedules.

I left the hostel a little after 6 in the morning to walk to the train station. After asking a particularly helpful gentleman at the train station, I bought my ticket. My train left Vilnius at 6:45 and arrived in Siauliai around 9:20. I again asked questions and figured out how to get to the bus station, which was about a 10 minute walk in the rain. Luckily, I had my umbrella with me. After encountering more helpful people and finding out the bus I would take would leave at 10:25, I went into a shopping center and bought something I could eat for lunch later on. The bus ride was only 3 litas, and the bus driver let me know where to get out. The elderly lady I was sitting next to told me, "Kryzus Kalnas, walk there," and pointed at a road trailing off the main road.

I was a little concerned. It looked like I was in the middle of no where, I couldn't see even a glimpse of a hill, and it was pouring rain. I ended up walking with a Japanese lady who had gotten off of the bus as well. It was about a 2 km walk, and in the rain that was a lot worse. I don't think my friends and family in Colorado can quite comprehend the magnitude of the rain here. It's crazy! Even with the umbrella, I was soaking wet by the time I saw the hill in the distance.

Words cannot describe the wonder of that place. There are thousands, maybe millions of crosses. There are literally crosses hanging on crosses hanging on crosses. It's hard to even fathom. To me, it was a symbol of a solid, unwavering, undying, persistent faith tying together generations of people from several cultures and beliefs. It's simply amazing.

When I got back, I went straight to the church for music practice. It was our last, as camp starts on Monday. I have to say, singing in Lithuanian, a language I didn't know a word of before this trip, has been quite the challenge. But I'm getting there... I think.

Later that night, we said goodbye to Maryna, our new friend from Ukraine. AnnaRose and I walked her to the bus station, where she left around 10.

We then spent Anna's last night in Vilnius just hanging out and relaxing. We grabbed a snack and walked the streets until dark, so we could get some pictures of the Cathedral at night.

Back at the hostel, there were only three of us girls left. AnnaRose would leave at 4 the next morning, and Jessica would leave the next night. I would leave the next day to stay with the Millers until camp. We talked a little about our days. Jessica had gone with a couple others to the Soviet statue park and to a zoo. AnnaRose had gone to the castle at Trakai with Maryna. After telling each other about our adventures, we all said our goodbyes and went to sleep, content.

The Bigger Picture: A God Thing

From the very beginning of this trip, in fact from the very "planning stages"even, I've recognized it as "a God thing." If you've read my blog from the start, you know that, and you know exactly what I mean. It's just amazing how God has had His hand in the entire thing, guiding my every step, directing the whole journey.

For my fellow Christians, you'll know what I mean when I say, "the bigger picture," but I'll explain a little for some who might not. Again, I'll bring up Romans 8:28, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." We have all these little things in our lives good and bad, and even neutral (job promotions, deaths of loved ones, new classes, new friends, etc). But all these things don't just happen for their own sakes. God sees the bigger picture, and all these little things just contribute to His too-big-to-fathom plan, like pieces of a giant puzzle. So, for example, while it hurts that my parents aren't in church, God knew it had to be that way, at least for a while, so I would learn to stand on my own and have my own solid faith, so I can be more effective at reaching out to those in similar situations, and I'm sure for a plethora of other reasons I can't even wrap my mind around. That's what I mean by "the bigger picture," if that makes sense.

Now that I've given that definition/explanation of sorts, I'll tell you what I recently learned about "the bigger picture." I thought I had it all figured out. You know, I didn't just come to Lithuania for this study abroad opportunity. It was like God literally reached down and pointed out Lithuania and said, "This is where you need to be," from how everything worked out. And yes, as I received confirmation about coming here, it was also confirmation about being at the church in Loveland (TPOL - love you guys!). Coming here would make my summer about studying and about God. Those things alone were enough for me. I thought "the bigger picture" was pretty self-explanatory.

But what did I think? Did I really suspect I had God's plans and thoughts all figured out? Did I actually think that to be possible? Just when I thought I had it all figured out, God showed me another piece of this little thing I call my life. I was amazed with God before any of this, speechlessly astounded when this trip came together in the way it did, so now I'm just at a loss for words. I'm in awe, I'm excited and thrilled, and I can't wrap my mind around all this. This all reminds me of Isaiah 55:9, "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." See, what I "figured out" was only the tip of the iceberg. Figure out God? Impossible.

Now for my disclaimer: I don't have it all figured out. I know I'll get a ton of questions after this post, and I probably won't have most of the answers. But that's okay, because God has all the answers, and for now, I know all I need to know.

This post has already been long, I know, but don't stop reading just yet. I'm just getting to the good part...

When I was around ten years old, I began to develop an interest in foreign missions that I now realize was uncommon among my peers at that age. I just wanted to know things about other countries and the missionaries there. I had a map with missionaries' pictures on it, and I would take it into my bedroom and pray for them. By the time I was twelve, I felt undeniably called to somehow help with or work in the foreign missions field. After meeting Angie Clark, missionary to China, at a Kids' Prayer Camp, I became convinced that someday I would be a missionary. I thought of places like China, Uganda, and India. Still young, I didn't really begin seeking God's direction in this area, and soon, I let other things get in the way. For the next several years, I went on to pray and fast about it with great inconsistency as I struggled with a lot throughout my teenage years. From ages thirteen to eighteen, I had some of the best and worst times in my short life. I battled with self-injury, depression, and even thoughts and plans of suicide. At age fifteen, I was so far down that if you'd have asked me where I would like to go to college, I would have said I'd have probably killed myself before then. Of course, these dismal times were sprinkled with some good ones. I still enjoyed family and friends most of the time, and a lot of the time, no one even knew anything was wrong. For all this time, I tried and tried to get out of the pit I found myself stuck in. I tried to stop hurting myself too many times to count.

My point in telling you this is not to make you feel sorry for me or even to move you to any emotion. My point is to show you that not only did I lose sight of my dream, my vision, my calling, but I also lost sight of God. And without God, life isn't worth living.

When I finally surrendered and let God take control, everything changed. That was only a relatively short time ago, and this is a process, not an instant thing. But my life has been vibrant since then; there's really no other way to describe it. I'm truly living, and loving every minute of it. I see how God allowed me to grow and have some stability before reminding me of my former passion for foreign missions.

Right about now, I'm assuming my family and close friends back home are getting a little bit panicked. Take a deep breath and read on...

A few days ago, I was leaving the church here with the Millers when Shasta asked me if I would ever consider coming back to Vilnius and staying for a longer period of time. Honestly, the thought had only briefly crossed my mind before then, and I hadn't paid much attention to it. I don't remember exactly how I answered her, but I'm sure it was something like a hesitant "maybe." But the idea was planted, and even over a few short days, it's grown.

God has reminded me of my old passion and dreams for foreign missions, and He has reminded me of a promise He gave me involving this, the only time I've heard His voice audibly. It's like a fire has been started within me. All this, paired with the stories I've heard from the Millers, the excitement I've gotten from watching God work in people's lives, and the love I've gained for this city, makes me want to be a part of the awesome things God is doing here, not only for the next week and a half before I leave, but on a more long-term basis. I know this isn't just a me thing because I couldn't fathom something like this. I've been homesick since I got here, and everyone knows how much I love my family and friends back home. I wouldn't have come up with an idea like this on my own; it has to be a God thing.

But that's not even the whole story. The other part happened by accident. The background on my phone is an edited photo of arms with the word "love" written on them, in support of the organization To Write Love On Her Arms, which - if you don't know - is basically a non-profit organization for self-injury, depression, and suicide awareness and prevention.

I've always thought TWLOHA is a great idea, and I've wanted to be a part of something like that. I actually looked into interning with them in Florida this summer, but we all know how my summer plans came about. Anyway, Shasta happened to see the background on my phone, and she asked about it. After explaining it to her, she said, "We need something like that here!" And immediately the thought came into my head, "I could make that happen." But it didn't seem like a thought of my own, more like a thought whispered into my mind, which is sometimes how it happens when I feel like God is speaking to me. For that reason, I also think this idea is a God thing. Lithuania has one of the highest suicide rates in the world, and as such, Shasta is right, they are in need of something like TWLOHA to make a difference, even a little difference. And that little thought I had was true, I could be the one to start it.

Well, as long as that was, I've really only told you the condensed version of everything, if you can imagine that.

So now, after all this, I'm thinking I will be looking into returning to Lithuania, possibly even finishing school here as I have three years left, and I'm not even sure I want to wait that long. Of course, it won't be an over-night thing either. Right now, I can hardly take in the excitement and the huge-ness of it all. I have a lot of research to do on a lot of things, but in the meantime, I can assure you I will be praying and fasting about this, along with attempting to learn some more Lithuanian.

Like many other young people across the UPC, I've been told time and time again for as long as I can remember that God has something great planned for my life. Well, this just might be it...

I'd like to leave you with some relevant Scriptures that have been on my mind throughout this incredible journey:
Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct they paths."
Psalm 37:4-5 "Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass."

Week Two

This week flew by. It's really just been a blur.

Monday was pretty rough on us, especially those of us who spent the weekend in Tallinn and Helsinki. Our professor for International Marketing, Benas Adonavicius, taught his last class on Monday, and I was sorry that I may have seemed disinterested due to being to tired. After class, I headed over to the church for prayer meeting. By the time I got back to the hostel, I was ready for bed.

Tuesday, Maik Huettinger, from Germany, took over the International Marketing class. His teaching style is very different from Benas, but I can't say I prefer one over the other.

Meanwhile, in International Project Management, we started our second project, "Ässignment P". We stay in the same groups we had for the first project (my group is AnnaRose, Carolina, Rita, and I), and basically have to come up with the plan for a project over the remainder of the class. My group decided on "Vilnius Bike Tour," creating the plan for a tourist event a travel agency could offer. Also Tuesday, my computer gave me problems. This is why I haven't blogged this week, and this is also why I haven't been able to upload photos. (I'll add some later, I promise!) My computer wouldn't start. I took it in to a repair store, where communicating in itself was challenging, and found out it's a problem with the hard drive. While this is frustrating and less than ideal, being in another country, it's not the end of the world, and it'll be fixed by next week.

On Wednesday, our professor for International Project Management changed too, and now we have Vytautas Buda instead of Alfredas Chmieliauskas. Wednesday night, the Portuguese students cooked us dinner. I need to ask what it was called, but it was some kind of meat with rice and a sauce, and it was very good. Last night, we introduced them to tacos, bad tacos, but tacos nonetheless. A few things went wrong with the meal. The sour cream was more like yogurt, the avacados for the guacamole weren't ripe enough, and the salsa was sweet. But while we Americans thought they were less than apetizing, the Portuguese students and Maryna (the Ukranian girl) loved them. They didn't know what tacos were before, so we had to tell them that these tacos weren't even good. It was a good night all around though.

Again, I was at the church a few evenings this week. Out of everywhere I've gone, the churches, both in London and here in Vilnius, are where I feel the most at home. I feel blessed to be able to still find myself at church so often while away from my home church.

Speaking of which, I have to give a shout out to Colorado! They had their youth camp this week, and I've heard nothing but amazing things about it. So, great job once again, CDYM! I've heard it was the best youth camp ever, but I think it gets better every year, because we say the same thing every year. I also heard Dustin Turpin, a boy who is paralyzed from the waist down and in a wheelchair, walked! I know the youth in Colorado have prayed for this miracle time and time again, and it's wonderful that they got to see it!

While hearing these stories and all the wonderful things that happened makes me miss home and wish I had been there, it also makes me look forward to the youth camp here even more than I had been. It starts in a short ten days, and I'm sure it'll be here before I know it. Seeing the young people here and how excited they are about having a church and having a youth camp is touching. I can't wait to see what God is going to do here!

Last Weekend's Adventures

Saturday morning, I woke up to Anson knocking on the door and AnnaRose answering it. It was already 6:30, the time we agreed to meet in the hostel lobby to take taxis to the port in Tallinn. I had gone to bed less than an hour before, set my alarm to get us up at 6:00, and left my phone on silent. Consequently, AnnaRose and I had not gotten up on time. Neither had Caronlina and Rita, the Portuguese girls in the room next to ours.

We got ready within a few minutes and headed downstairs. The others had left already, but the man at the front desk told us another taxi was coming for us within five minutes. After waiting outside for over fifteen, we had another one called. By the time it picked us up, it was 7:10. The ferry was scheduled to leave the port at 7:30.

Of course, we got to the port late. I think it was about 7:28. The night before, I had bought my ticket online, along with four of the five people who had already left. Luckily, I was able to change my ticket for a ferry departing at 10:30 for 4€. The other girls bought tickets to depart at 10:30 as well, and we decided to leave the port and walk around Tallinn.

We got breakfast, consisting of coffee and muffins, and ate in a park. Then we went to some shops nearby. I don't think we realized how far we walked, because by the time we were heading back to the port, we found ourselves rushing to make it there. Carolina and Rita were just a little distance behind AnnaRose and I, and when we went in and got on the escalator, I saw them coming in the door. But then we didn't see them behind us again, and when we made it on the boat, we waited at the entrance for them until the doors closed.

Having never found them, we headed up to the top deck, hoping they made it on before us. This was the case, and we found each other again on the deck (where it was extremely windy, by the way).

The ferry itself was way more then I expected. I don't know why, but I was expecting something like the ferry I was on with my family in the San Francisco Bay. This "ferry"was complete with rooms you could buy to sleep in, restaurants, gift shops, a play area for kids, and a grocery store. The trip was off to a great start.

When we ported in Helsiki, I'll be honest, we had no idea what to do. I asked a lady in the port about how to get into town, and she told us to take bus 15A. We took it and got off at a bus station off of a town sqaure. From there, we walked around quite a bit, not having or finding enough of a map to even know where to go. Finally, I asked a couple of passersby if they had any suggestions as to what my friends and I should see, being in Helsiki for the day. They were more than happy to give recommendations for both an art museum and a couple old cathedrals.

In the art museum, again AnnaRose and I lost Carolina and Rita. We continued to the cathedral and walked around a little more before heading back to the port where we found both Carolina and Rita and the other five from our group waiting.

Once again, we were all tired, and we headed back to the hostel in taxis once we were back in Tallinn. The next day, we slept in, checked out at noon, and went into Tallinn with Maik Huettinger, the professor from ISM who joined us on our trip.

He took us to an Estonian restaurant some locals had told him about, and it was amazing. It was hidden off of a side street, and had a very warm and friendly atmosphere. The food was delicious, and differing from Lithuania, the service was friendly and helpful.

Our group of nine (ten if you count Maik), split up after lunch, and AnnaRose and I went with Rose, a lady here from Chicago. We went to a small souvenier shop, where we all got something for someone. Then we went to "Old Town Square," where we had passed a market earlier. Small booths filled the square with vendors selling crafts of all kinds, from dresses to table cloths to pottery, and more. Off to the side, a large crowd was gathered watching dances on a stage. Many people were dressed in traditional clothing, and it was a festive atmosphere. We heard that this event only happens 3 or 4 days a year, so we definitely happened to be there at the right time.

Rose headed back to the hostel, where we were supposed to meet Maik before 6:00, and AnnaRose and I walked around a little more until my sandal broke, and we headed back as well. When we returned, Maik helped me find super glue at a local grocery store, which has worked at holding my shoe together surprisingly well.

Again, we flew in to Riga, Latvia, a 40 minute flight. We had a layover there for a little over 2 hours, and Maryna, a girl from Ukraine, and I got dinner together and had some laughs. By the time we got into Vilnius, it was late, and we didn't get back to our hostel until after 1:00am.

The next morning would begin week two of our classes.

Week One

Somehow, this first week of classes seems to have gone by in an instant and lasted forever all at the same time. It's not exactly an easy or fun thing to be in class all day, but I'll manage. We've done so much in these four days; I'm glad we don't have classes on Fridays!
What notably stood out to me about this week is that we've all clearly seen a lot of cultural differences both in and out of the classroom.
First of all, the very classroom structure is different than at home. Back home, when a professor asks an open question for discussion, there is usually not a "right answer." As long as students contribute to the discussion and factually support their opinions and ideas, they are generally accepted. Here, professors will blatantly tell you, "No, you are wrong," seemingly without a thought, just because you didn't give the exact answer they wanted. While your idea might have immense value to the subject at hand, if you didn't take it directly from the professor's mind, you're not right. Additionally, things seem to lack a certain organization I'm used to. There was no syllabus handed out at the beginning of class, there was no rubric or guidelines for the presentation we had to give, etc. This all definitely forces one to adapt.
There are also differences in the cultures of the students. The majority of the students here this summer are Portuguese, followed by American. While the American students generally strive to be on time and focused, the Portuguese students lag behind a little and chat during classes. But I hear they're great to party with (although I'm not doing any of that). In how we answer questions, how we approach our case studies, and how we give presentations, certain elements and values of our cultures shine through.
Obviously we're all being exposed to every day Lithuanian culture as well. We've all shared several observations. Among things mentioned have been everything from the fact that Lithuanians don't smile often to the fact that there isn't much spice in their food. For both the Americans and the Portuguese students who are here studying, there has been a lot of unfamiliarity.
I think it's important to note these things about culture. It is also important to realize that just because these cultures are so vastly different, that doesn't make any one better than another. We're all different, and it is crucial for each and every one of us to give our best attempt at understanding and appreciating each other and the culture's we come from. This is not only something for the students studying here at ISM to do, but also something everyone should be mindful of.

And So It Begins...

Monday was the first day of classes. Pastor Miller drove me to ISM University in Old Town Vilnius, and the Millers' sons, Taylor and Tyler, rode along. At this point, leaving the Millers was like leaving a security blanket. I didn't know what the day would hold, but I went into it with an uncomfortable uncertainty and an extreme lack of confidence.

I got to the room where classes would be held, room 410, and no one was there. It was 8:30, and class didn't start until 9, but I expected people to be there already. I sat on a bench in the hallway waiting. Soon, people began to show up. There are five other students from my university, The University of Northern Colorado (UNC), and although I didn't know them, I recognized a couple of them. There are also a couple other Americans who immediately fell into place with us. Unintentionally, we ended up sitting in such a way that one side of the room seemed to be American, and the other side Portuguese. There were also two girls from here in Lithuania, and one girl from Ukraine.

We had a short introduction at the beginning of the class, and then our professor, Benas Adomavicius, dove right in to our "International Marketing" class. That class goes from 9:00-12:15, and then we go have lunch. After this, we have Alfredas Chmieliauskas from 1:30-4:45 for "International Project Management." In this class, we broke into groups on the first day and were assigned articles to read and give presentations on.

My group consisted of a girl from UNC, named AnnaRose, and two Portuguese girls, Carolina and Rita. Our presentation would be the following day, yes Tuesday, our second day of class, and we would be first.

I've found these classes to be challenging, not in an impossible way, but they definitely get you thinking. As a student who has not taken many business courses in management yet, I am most definitely treading in unfamiliar territory. However, although they are somewhat demanding, I am enjoying them very much. I'm just grateful for the opportunity to be here.
 

Lietuva: Arrival and the First Few Days

When I arrived in Vilnius, it was after nine o' clock at night, and I was surprised that it was still completely light outside. Getting off the plane and through the passport check was far simpler than in London. I got my bags together and proceeded to the exit with ease. When I went through the door from baggage claim, Shasta Miller was waiting for me.
I rode with Tony and Shasta Miller to their house where several young people from their church were still gathered. They soon left with a van-full of them, off to take them home. That night it didn't get dark until after eleven o' clock, and even then, the sky to the north had a highlight as if the sun refused to vanish completely.
Saturday there was a wedding at the church that had been thrown together in a matter of a few days. It was very simple, but very nice. Shasta told me about a tradition here where after the wedding, the groom carries the bride over a bridge, symbolizing that he'll carry her over things for the rest of their lives. They then put a lock, usually with their names engraved on it, on the bridge and throw the keys into the water.

Later that day, we went to a small Mexican restaurant, yes, Mexican. The Millers know the owner. He told me that there are only a handful of Hispanics in all of Lithuania. When we were finished, I met Giedre, a girl from their church. Giedre and I started at the cathedral and walked all over town. It was quite a day.

(This was one particular church we passed; there are many! Apparently Napoleon parked his horses here when he passed through Lithuania.)







Sunday we had church service, and although it had only been a week since I was in a Sunday service, it felt like a lifetime. It was great. Shasta sang songs in Lithuanian, and Pastor Miller preached a wonderful message. I also got to meet a lot more of the people from their church.

"Looking at Lithuania"

This has been interesting to say the least; it's been quite busy and hectic. In the midst of the liveliness, we found a bit of time to take a trip to the library.
My little brother (who will be going into the seventh grade in the fall) needs to do some summer reading to stay on track. I didn't think about looking at books to research Lithuania, but while we were there it dawned on me that I probably should. Up to this point, I had only been researching online for myself. So I ran a search and located a short, family-friendy book. I figured we could all look at it together, and of course, my grandmother was very glad about that.



The book I checked out contains brief history and information about the geography, the people, the cuisine, and more. We started reading it together, and it's been very informative and beneficial so far, granted the book is a little dated.
It's just about two weeks until I leave, so I think it's been a great idea to help my family learn a little bit more about where I'm going.

All Things Work Together for Good

My name is Denise, and I am a student at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley. In this blog, I will be sharing about my travels this summer as I study abroad in Vilnius, Lithuania. First, I'd like to share with you how this all got started...

At the beginning of this year, I decided I wanted to do something new and exciting with my life, and I wanted to do it soon. I needed some adventure. As far as I could see, I had two pretty obvious routes that could get me there: I could go on a missions trip through a church organization, Apostolic Youth Corps (AYC), or I could study abroad through my college, the Monfort College of Business. Regardless, I wanted something completely different in my life.

I realized I would definitely have to choose one or the other. It wasn't a matter of applying for both and going from there; it was a matter of which to apply for, as they both had sizable application fees and processes, and I knew I would only end up doing one. Being a logical person, I took to thinking and asking advice about my decision. Being a spiritual person, I took to praying about it.

Now, I thought my decision would be obvious. After praying, surely I would end up being swayed to a missions trip. But I wanted to pray about where to go too; AYC offers several options for summer missions trips, and I didn't want to choose one solely based on that I knew the leaders of a certain trip or that I had friends going on a certain trip. However, as I prayed, I didn't feel particularly drawn to any place. In fact, I hardly felt anything, an oddity for me while praying about foreign missions.

Then everything started falling in place for the study abroad trip, something I had hardly looked into at all. I came across a study abroad fair at my school and got some information. Of course, I picked up pamphlets for places like Australia, Italy, and Spain, places everyone wants to go. However, I also picked up a packet of specific summer programs the Monfort College of Business was offering. Of these, only one seemed possible; there was only one trip that was both in my price range and didn't interfere with other commitments I already had. This trip was to ISM University of Management and Economics in Vilnius, Lithuania. I remembered where Lithuania was from seventh grade world geography, but I didn't know anything about the country. I had no real desire to go there. Nevertheless, I added it to my list of possibilities and to my prayers.

As the application deadlines approached, I knew I had to make a decision. I had been thinking and praying for over two months, but my prayers had changed from being about whether I should do a missions trip or study abroad to where I should go on a missions trip. But still, to my dismay, I felt next to nothing about the missions trips. This really lead me to believe that I wasn't in a good place spiritually, but I proceeded with the only thing I knew to do and applied for the study abroad trip in Vilnius, Lithuania.

My grandmother, who raised me in church, was a bit skeptical about my decision. She knew I'd been praying about the missions trips and couldn't imagine that I ended up deciding to apply for a study abroad trip instead. "Well, do they have any missionaries there in Lithuania?" she asked. I promised her I'd look, but upon searching our church organization's website, I found none. I decided to withhold this information from her until I knew for sure whether I was even accepted to the program or not. A few days later, the news came that I had been accepted. I was excited, but also conflicted. I told my grandmother and a few others that I had been accepted, but I did not share that I had not found missionaries there.

The following Sunday, I went to the church in Loveland I'd been attending that semester. Being the oldest "youth" but the youngest "adult," I had been switching back and forth between going to the youth or the adult Sunday school classes. This particular Sunday, I chose to go to the youth class since I hadn't been in a few weeks. The pastor, Pastor Greg Albritton, taught the youth class, and before we started he said he would like to show us a video of the ministry work that some friends of his had been doing. He played the video, and I'm sure my jaw dropped as the word "Lithuania" appeared on the screen. Then the caption "2005-2010" came up, and I assumed they'd already left. When the caption "2011 to present" came up, in my doubting nature, I speculated to myself that the church was probably very far from the university in Vilnius, because this was just too good to be true. Then the caption "Vilnius House of Worship" came up, and all my doubts were silenced. I was simply amazed. For me, this was confirmation of more than one thing. First of all, I took it as confirmation that I did the right thing by applying for the study abroad trip. Second, I had been a bit unsure as to whether I should be at the church in Loveland, as I had been going to church in Johnstown during the fall semester, but this seemed to be so much of a "right place at the right time" situation that I could no longer doubt that either. Of course, I couldn't wait to share this news! I told family, friends, and of course, Pastor Albritton, right away. Through Pastor Albritton, I got in touch with the missionaries in Vilnius, Tony and Shasta Miller. I've included their website below:
http://missionlifelithuania.com/

When I look back and reflect on how this entire thing worked out, I am amazed. I never imagined that I would get an opportunity like this, and I certainly never could have guessed how it all fell together. Seeing the big picture of this, the only thing that comes to mind is a Bible verse...
"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28

 Vilnius, Lithuania