My Favorite Question

It's my least favorite part of the trip - the night before I fly back to Texas. The night full of packing (that I always put off), long talks (because technology won't help keep us in touch), and slowly starting to think about the life I have waiting for me.

The question that I was once asked, and that has stuck with me since the first trip, was by a local: "Are you leaving or going home?" My answer: "Both."

When I come to Belgium, I don't get culture shock. I do, however, when I travel to Ohio. I have a wonderful life in Texas, full of wonderful people and a wonderful job. My heart is in Texas. But, my heart is also in Leuven. I love deeply, which is both a wonderful and incredibly hard thing to do. And so each time that I leave Leuven, I feel like I rip out a little bit of my heart and leave it behind. Praise God, though, that He is big enough to fill the hole that I make each summer. Praise God that He has given me a heart to love deeply. Praise God for the passion to walk along side athletes as they deepen their relationship with Christ, and that we can share that experience with new Belgium friends and family along the way.

A Heart Full of Love

So begins my debrief process. As I have mentioned previously, there is a lot that I am going to be praying over and sorting through. Praise God for everything He has done on this trip, but because there is so much, I am not going to be rushing to get through it just to start talking about it. But, I don't want y'all to wait too long, so I want to share a journal entry that I wrote earlier this week. 

It is about love - the kind of love that the Lord pumped into my heart to have as I spent my summer loving and serving the lambs. A kind of love that sustains when the days are long, your brain hurts from thinking, as your heart breaks for lost sheep outside of the fold, when you don't feel like you can keep pressing on because you are just weary from bearing burdens, going into battle, and struggling alongside your family. A kind of love that I want to stay in my heart once I leave. A kind of love that I want to continue to pour out into the lives of those of y'all back home. A kind of love that the world can't explain.

So, without further ado, my journal entry:

A heart full of love.

• The sentimental kind of love.
• The loyal kind of love.
• The cheesy kind of love.
• The tenderhearted kind of love.
• The stubborn kind of love.
• The patient kind of love.
• The forgiving kind of love.
• The humble kind of love.
• The kind kind of love.
• The generous kind of love.
• The committed kind of love.
• The serving kind of love.
• The polite kind of love.
• The passionate kind of love.
• The honoring kind of love.
• The respectful kind of love.
• The mature kind of love.
• The playful kind of love.
• The brave kind of love.
• The merciful kind of love.
• The grace-filled kind of love.
• The covenantal kind of love.
• The elephant-hugs kind of love.
• The meal-making kind of love.
• The strong kind of love.
• The sacrificial kind of love.

The HESED kind of love.

First Corinthians 13.1-13

The Last Hurrah

Tonight was the last dinner that I would be making for the trip. With a meet tomorrow in Ninove, a debrief trip on Sunday, and then not wanting to leave leftovers in the fridge Monday night, this would be my final performance in the kitchen. But, because neither I nor this team can do anything less than our full effort, we ended with a bang and had a total of 21 folks at the family dinner table. For those of y'all counting, that's our biggest family dinner yet! It was a lot of fun to see all of our new friends at the dinner table, sharing our FPD's (favorite part of the day) and growing closer together.

With that many mouths to feed, things were simple - BBQ chicken, oven roasted broccoli, and oven roasted potatoes. Two and a half hours later, I had enough food to feed our small army.

The recipe is the same as the one I used for the marinated chicken breasts, with BBQ sauce replacing the salad dressing. 

Garbage Chicken

Appetizing title, no?

This is one of my favorite quick, easy, go-to meals when I'm just so brain dead that I just can't anymore.  There's very little work involved, which is always a plus.

Today was one of my favorite days of the trip - the tour of the University Bell Tower and the concert with the carillon player. This was my third trip up to watch/hear, and my favorite one; he played Debussy's "Clair de Lune" and I about cried. Then we went to the best ice cream shop in town (Crocantino) and had some caramel ice cream in a waffle cone. Every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father of Lights! (James 1.17)

The Foodstuffs:

• One pound of protein of choice.
• Shredded carrots.
• Peas.
• Mushrooms.
• Peppers.
• Zucchini squash.
• Broccoli.
• Brussels sprouts.
• Baby spinach.

The How-You-Do-It:

• Cut up your protein. Cook in skillet. Once cool, place in separate bowl.
• Optional - cook all of your veggies. Or, if it's hot outside (which could also mean living in a hostel with  no AC or fans), just throw the veggies in a bowl and put the hot chicken on top, letting the chicken slightly cook the veggies.

A Super-Late Check In

Hello, people of the internet.

I meant to get a blog update written about halfway through our trip to share a little bit more about how we are doing as a team. But, things don't go as planned. I apologize for the delay.

Truth be told, another reason for the delay is that I don't quite have the words to fully share how this trip is going. The Lord is doing so much not just through our team, but on our team as well. I don't think that I have ever been a part of something quite like this family. It is at times overwhelming, but at the end of the day, a beautiful picture of what the church looks like - twelve people coming together (most of whom strangers), joined by a love of Christ and sport, learning what it means to walk more intimately with Him, how to combine faith + sport, and striving to become more like Christ as we are called. It is hard, it is dirty, but the joy found in the process is worth it.

In the process of coming together as a family, we have added some sheep to our fold. They are all American athletes (retired or still competing) here for the European track season. It has been an honor and a privilege  to come along side and serve these athletes; a home cooked meal, the knowledge that there is a physio available (free of charge!) should something happen, and a group of people who earnestly want to be there for you are a powerful way to share God's love with folks.

We are now entering the last stretch of our trip, and I am starting the debrief process. It will probably take a bit to work through it all, but when I am done, I'm sure you won't be able to get me to stop talking about the trip. Then again, that shouldn't be a surprise when it comes to Belgium :)

Garbage Potatoes

It's our last Belgium-Wednesday. This makes me very, very sad :( I mean, I miss y'all back in the good 'ole US of A, but every time I come to Belgium, I leave a little bit more of my heart here. Good thing I have a God who is big enough to continue to fill up the parts of my heart that He asks me to give to others as I love and serve them. 

On to the food - PaleOMG is one of my favorite blogs. The food is delicious, Julie is full of sarcastic commentary on life, and the recipes range from Whole30-approved to cheat days that don't make you feel too sick after you indulge. Tonight's dinner is a baked potato bar from this recipe. You should definitely try this one out.

The Foodstuffs:

• Two sweet potatoes, or yams, with holes poked all over. Or, regular potatoes if that's your thing.

• Two tablespoons bacon fat.

• Two garlic cloves, minced.

• Half of a yellow onion, diced (I don't like onions, so I'm leaving this out).

• Half a pound of ground turkey (or whatever).

• Two tablespoons hot sauce.

• One teaspoon garlic powder.

• Half a teaspoon cayenne pepper. 

• Five or six cups of fresh spinach (or kale).

The How-You-Do-It

• Salt and pepper to taste.

• Preheat oven to 425*

• Poke holes in sweet potatoes and wrap in foil. Place in oven and bake for 45-50 minutes.

• Once the sweet potatoes have about 10 minutes left to cook, add 2 tablespoons of bacon fat to a large pan over medium-high heat.

• Add minced garlic cloves to the pan then add the onions.

• Once onions are translucent, add ground turkey and break up with a wooden spoon.

• While the turkey is cooking, add hot sauce, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper to the meat and mix.

• When turkey is pretty much done cooking, add spinach and cover to help the spinach steam, then mix with the meat.

• Add salt and pepper to taste, then remove from heat.

• When the sweet potatoes are done cooking, cut open and mash insides up with a fork. Then add the turkey mixture to the inside.

Another Blast From the Past

This recipe is athlete-tested, chef-approved. My favorite review is something that one of my athletes said on the 2011 trip: "I don't like vegetables and food mixed together, but this recipe made me change my mind." AIA BEL trips - changing the way people think about food since 2010.

The Foodstuffs:

• Four bell peppers (I like orange), washed and either cut in half or remove the stem and seeds.
• One pound lean ground beef (or whatever).
• One can of black beans (if you aren't feeling the ground beef).
• One head of lettuce, shredded.
• One jar of salsa.
• Sour cream or ranch dressing.
• Shredded cheese (colby jack or cheddar is always a good choice).
• Corn kernles.
• Brown rice.

The How-You-Do-It:

• Preheat the oven to 350*.
• Cook your pepper for 30 minutes. Remove and cool.
• In a pan, brown the ground beef. If you are using beans, rinse and drain them, and warm them through.
• Now for the rice. You can do one of two things - prepare the rice before hand and stuff it in the pepper with all of the other ingredients OR you can serve it as a side. Your call, just make sure you follow the cooking instructions on the packaging.
• Stuff your pepper! I like to end with sour cream and cheese on top, but follow as the Spirit leads you.
• Place your peppers back in the oven and bake for 10 minutes, or until the cheese melts. 

Meat and Potatoes

It's Logan's birthday today! The birthday boy has requested burgers and sweet potato fries. Sweet potatoes are apparently considered an exotic vegetable here in Belgium, and we were told that they were out of season. We planned to do normal fries, but the Lord helped us out and we were able to pull off a really awesome birthday surprise and blindside Logan with sweet potato fries at dinner!

As far as recipes go, you'll be on your own for the burgers. Go out, mix up some meat, smash it flat, and cook it over an open flame. But, because I have so many folks asking me how I make my sweet potato fries, here is how I do it:

The Foodstuffs:

• 1 sweet potato, cut how you like (long fries, rounds, little chunks, etc).
• Oil of your choice - olive, coconut, bacon fat.
• Sea salt.
• Pepper.
• Garlic powder.
• Onion powder.

The How-You-Do-It

• Pre-heat your oven to 405*F.
• Place your cut sweet potato pieces on a cooking sheet and cover with your oil.
• Season to taste with the salt, pepper, garlic, and onion powder.
• Cook for ten minutes, remove & shake tray, then bake for another ten minutes. 

Mmm..meat and potatoes.

Get Your French Accents Ready

It's everyone's favorite meal - Messy Pierre's!! If this is your first time to follow me on this adventure, Messy Pierre's were dreamt up on my first trip to Belgium during the scramble to save the food budget. I was in the mood for American comfort food, and I needed something quick. Sloppy Joe's came to mind, and the rest is history.

Two birthdays mean two celebrations - ice cream after lunch with Roel and then a Nutella cake after dinner for Jasmin. And Messy Pierre's. Oofa; I'm going to need to get up tomorrow morning and run off some of the birthday.

The Foodstuffs:

• One pound of ground meat.
• One red or orange bell pepper, chopped.
• Two carrots, chopped.
• One bottle mystery Belgian BBQ sauce.
• One can crushed tomatoes.
• Salt and pepper to taste.
• Buns.

The How-You-Do-It:

• Brown the ground beef. Add the sauce and tomatoes and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Add the vegetables, stir together, and simmer for another 15-20 minutes. 
• Serve on a bun, as a sandwich or open-faced (filling on top of an open bun).

Bon appetite, y'all! :)

Brinner

Breakfast for dinner. There is something about eating breakfast food at dinnertime that just makes everyone happy. We're having another meeting of the cultures tonight - crepes and breakfast tacos. That's right, I'm bringing breakfast tacos to Belgium. I introduced them to my Ohio friends back in college, so why not continue the tradition? Again, no recipe but here is our menu for tonight since everything is pretty straight forward:

• Breakfast tacos with eggs, salsa, and cheese. 
• Bratwurst. 
• Fruit salad.
• Oven roasted potatoes.
• Fruit + Nutella crepes. 

And there were no regrets given about the amount of food that we all consumed! :)

Tomorrow kicks off our days of back-to-back birthday celebrations - Roel + Jasmin then Logan on Friday. And a'int no party like a Belgium mission trip party!

Bringing In the Big Guns

After two weeks of frequent "athletics meetings", we are now downshifting and taking a break. Today was our first day off (with no meets on the schedule for over a week) since we arrived, and it was much needed. But, being athletes and never ones to turn down a good adventure, we decided to take a bike trip to a lake. Eighteen miles and some pretty pink sunburns later, we are back and borderline hangry (hungry + angry). It's a good thing that I had taco night planned for us tonight.

Y'all know of my undying love of Belgium, though there are some things best left to the professionals, like properly seasoned tacos. Sorry, Belgium, but taco seasonings are not on your list of strengths.

With it being taco night at Leuven City Hostel, I'm not taking any chances when it comes to seasoning the beef. While playing Russian roulette with the spices in the Dutch-only grocery store can be fun, there are times when you just cut to the chase and get the job done. Tonight is one of those times.

The Foodstuffs:

• One pound ground beef.
• One packet American taco seasoning (I packed accordingly).
• Taco shells (I prefer hard shells, but whatever you like is great).
• Taco toppings (rice, beans, cheese, avocado, salsa, corn, etc.).

The How-You-Do-It

• Brown your ground beef in a skillet and drain off excess fat. 
• Add the seasoning packet, using as much or as little as you like.
• Slowly add water (a tablespoon-ish at a time) and mix the seasoning into the beef. 
• With the heat on low, cook until the water has evaporated and the seasoning is evenly distributed.
• Make yourself a taco assembly line and have at it!

We are going to be doing a technology fast until Wednesday around lunch time (Leuven-time). So, the blog updates will return on Wednesday evening!

Carbo Load

What better way to get ready for a the KBC Nacht meet than with a comfort meal? Spaghetti, meat sauce, garlic bread, and salad is on tap for tonight's meal. And the regular post-dinner waffle and/or ice cream :) We have adopted some athletes into our fold - Matt, Heather, Dave, and Jaime. All are professional runners, except Dave who is currently celebrating his retirement from distance (ie: marathons) running. They are also all believers, and their presence has added a whole new dimension to our group. We have definitely been blessed by them, and my prayer is that we have been able to bless them a bit in return as well!!

This is another post without a recipe, as spaghetti is as about as easy as it comes to make. The only reason you'd have to get creative is if, say, you're me and allergic to Italian seasoning, having to make up your own sauce. Or just use high quality olive oil and lemon juice. Delicious!!

If you're gluten-free or paleo, put meat sauce over veggies and enjoy your meal that way, how I intend to be enjoying mine :)

Inside-Out Chicken Pesto

Sometimes you need to shake up the routine. This is one of those shake ups. And, 4/5 "Om nom nom"s, according to the flock :)

The Foodstuffs

• Two chicken boneless skinless breasts
• One cup breadcrumbs (optional)
• Two eggs, beaten (optional)
• One jar of pesto
• One cup mozzarella cheese
• Sea salt and pepper to taste

The How-You-Do-It

• Pre-heat the oven to 350*.
• Butterfly your chicken breast.
• Lay the chicken breast on a piece of plastic wrap. Sprinkle the top with water and lay another piece of plastic wrap on top.
• Using a meat hammer (or large metal can of food), flatten the chicken breast so that it is 1/4 of an inch thick. 
• Uncover the chicken breast and fill one side with pesto and cheese. 
• Roll the chicken breast up, jellyroll style, and secure with toothpicks. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Optional step: Place beaten eggs and breadcrumbs in separate bowls. Coat the rolled up chicken breast in egg then coat in breadcrumbs. 
• Place chicken breasts in a baking dish and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until chicken is cooked all the way through.

Yo Quiero Tex-Mex, Y'all

We are now OFFICIALLY settled in Leuven City Hostel for the remainder of the trip. Home is where the big, red couch is. Or, where the Tex-Mex food is :)

On my last trip, I tried a Tex-Mex dish. It was definitely one of my weaker showings as team chef. It could have been partly due to the fact that I spent a majority of the evening and night at one of the local hospitals with an athlete who got hurt during a training session. This year, we're going Chipotle-style in hopes that I can redeem myself. The initial post-dinner survey indicated that it was a strong showing, so that's good! :)

Chipotle-Style Burrito Bar

The Foodstuffs

• Corn or flour tortillas/burrito wraps (whatever size you like).
• One pound ground beef (or shredded chicken, pulled pork, or even fish).
• Black beans (topping).
• Corn (topping).
• Radishes, diced (topping).
• Green or yellow zucchini squash (topping).
• Tomatoes, diced or sliced.
• Cheese - cheddar is always a good choice, or colby-jack (topping).
• Guacamole (topping; buy pre-made or Google a recipe).
• Salsa (topping; buy or Google a recipe). 
• Sour Cream (topping).
• One box of rice (for a side or topping).

The How-You-Do-It

• Thoroughly cook your meat of choice. Set aside in a bowl.
• Cook your rice as instructed by the box. Set aside in a bowl.
• Put each of the toppings in a different bowl or on a plate. To save room, use large serving plates and group things together.
• Assemble your buffet line however you like. I'm a fan of tortillas, beef, rice, toppings, then end with the guacamole, salsa, and sour cream.

The Feet Are Officially Wet

Our first meet is officially in the books! Oordegem is always a meet that can be a little tough; jet-lag is still fading, legs are heavy, and the rust is still being knocked off. Things went pretty well for team AIA - two team members PR'd and one of our athletes took third. Woo! Now we are back in home sweet Leuven, enjoying frisbee with friends, Speculoos ice cream, and sunsets.

Because we have been traveling most of the day, and because on Sundays things tend to shut down (everywhere), we are keeping Sunday dinners simple. Tonight: chicken pasta salad.

Because I am cooking for an army, I'm going to try and food amount down to something that would provide three or four meals total. We'll see how it goes as the trip continues.

The Foodstuffs

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or three rotisserie chickens from the farmers' market!).
• 1 box noodles of your choice (I prefer the smaller ones, but spaghetti noodles would be fine).
• Four or five cups total of vegetables!! Whatever is in season, in your fridge that you need to use, on sale. Creative freedom! 
• Salad dressing of choice.
• Optional: Shredded parmesan cheese. 

The How-You-Do-It

• Cube chicken breasts into slightly-larger-than bite sized pieces. Place in skillet (grease that guy first!) and season with sea salt and pepper. Cook until pieces are no longer pink.
• Cook your pasta as directed on the box.
• While the chicken and noodles cook, start cutting your veggies. I split what I cook (broccoli, peas) and what is raw (peppers, cherry tomatoes, carrots). Do what you like here.
• In the biggest bowl that you can find, dump the chicken, pasta, and veggies in and mix together. 
• Allow your folks to add their own dressing and cheese. 
• If you need a gluten-free option, serve the noodles in a separate bowl, mixing only the chicken and veggies. 

Another Year Older

Happy 237th birthday, America! A day late, that is :)

Fun fact, since we're on the topic of independence days: Belgium as it is known today is actually a younger country than the USA. Who would have thought? On July 21st, 1831, Belgium declared independence from The Netherlands. To give you a timeline, Texas became a state in 1845. It's odd to think that being in an area that has such a rich history as Europe, that there are countries just slightly older than my state.

Learn something new everyday, I suppose.

To celebrate, we busted out the little grill that Roel has been so kind as to allow us to use and had a good old fashioned American bbq. Burgers (I think it was turkey) with all the fixins, steak fries, and oven roasted broccoli. Today's blog post won't include a formal recipe since everything is pretty straight forward and everyone has their own twist to making burgers. The next post will, though!

The trip is off to a fantastic start. After a nine hour stint in the Atlanta airport, we finally made it to Belgium and have been speed bump-free since. Jodi's passport prevented her from traveling with us (she came a day late), but she has made it to us safe and sound. Ask me to tell you about those first couple of days; you won't be disappointed. The team is now off to Oordegem for our first meet of the trip. We will be staying in housing at the track, so there won't be a new recipe up until Monday.

Tot zines!

Where Are Your Feet?

As I approach this trip, I find myself leaving Dallas and thinking to the time to come. To be honest, it takes very little to allow myself to slip off the road and into Dreamland. With a to-do list that won't end until the night before I leave, more and more of my thoughts tend to end up in the future. But, that also means that I am spending less and less time here, in Dallas, where the Lord has me presently.

Confession: I am a total control freak. A redeemed, loved, cherished by God control freak who has been changed immeasurably since I started walking with God all those years ago, but a control freak nonetheless. It goes back to my struggle against the lie that I find myself believing more times than I want to that God is not good, that the cross was not enough. It looks ridiculous as I type it, but in the heat of the battle of life, my flesh clouds my judgement and fall for the trick. When it feels like I am not in or losing control, I freak out and start playing God. The most slippery of all the slopes is going off to dream land, thinking about how things will play out (as I call all of the shots) and the series of events to achieve the goal at hand. I don't tend to be outright controlling; I'm much more skilled at behind the scenes things and slowly steering things where I want to go. Sorry if I just smeared any rosy picture of me that you had painted, but you deserve the truth. :)

My prayer for us, the team, is that we are where our feet are. At the moment, that means that we are scattered, planning for Belgium, but not in Belgium. The Lord has called us all to work here and now; we aren't promised Belgium. Yes, support can be in and yes, tickets purchased and yes, lives on hold for four weeks. But we aren't promised tomorrow. And when we are in Belgium, I pray that we are fully there. Our schedule is going to be pretty full, with meets happening at least once a week. I pray that we are not lost in logistics, but loving well in the moment.

Oh, Lord, help us remember our feet!

Keeping it Simple

Sometimes it's nice to just let the food do the work. Tonight is one of those nights - marinading chicken breasts and then cooking them. Quick, low mess, and always a crowd pleaser. I think that we are still trying to recover from our bike ride yesterday, and the workout that I did today with my two injured athletes was quite the butt kicker.

The Foodstuffs:

• Two boneless, skinless chicken breasts (beaten into submission optional).
• Bottle of your favorite dressing.

The How-You-Do-It

• Take your chicken breasts and poke holes all over to help the marinade flavor the chicken more efficiently. 
• Place chicken in a large plastic zip-lock bag. 
• Pour dressing over chicken and zip bag. Shake/mush the bag to coat the chicken evenly.
• Place bag in a bowl (to keep all renegade juices from leaking all over the place) and place the bowl in the fridge. I recommend overnight, but a couple of hours will do as well.
• After chicken has marinaded for a bit, remove from fridge and cook in a skillet until no longer pink.
• OR, preheat the oven to 350*F and cook for 35-40 minutes.

Serve with roasted veggies or a salad!

An Oldie but a Goodie

Yesterday kicks off our long week of meets: one on Wednesday night, one Saturday night, and one Sunday. Keeping the flock fed and ready can be tricky, but thankfully chicken and veggies are always good options when muscles are being repaired.

Some recipes are one-hit wonders, some fail in spectacular fashion, and some stand up to the test of time. This recipe is one of those recipes. It was the first meal that I made in Belgium, on our fist trip when we had to drastically overhaul the food budget ten days into the trip.

The Foodstuffs

• One chicken breast (boneless, skinless if possible)
• Sugar snap peas/snow peas
• Bell peppers, chopped (I prefer red/orange/yellow)
• Shredded carrots
• Peanuts 
• Rice (brown or white)
• Soy sauce (to taste)
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper (to taste)

The How-You-Do-It

• Cook rice as directed on package. 
• Cube the chicken breast into bite-sized pieces
• Pour a quater-sized amount of olive oil in a pan and let warm. Add chicken breast and cook until just slightly undercooked. Add more oil if the chicken sticks.
• In a larger, separate pan, add olive oil and let warm. Add veggies and let cook until just tender. 
• Add chicken to the veggie pan, along with the soy sauce. Cook until chicken is done.

To prepare, put rice at the bottom of a bowl, add chicken and veggies, and top with more soy sauce if desired. Garnish with some peanuts and enjoy!

How Do You Hug a Country?

Heads up: I'm about to get all "spiritual gifts" and charismatic on you. Which is a sentence that I never thought I would type. 

Two years ago, God gave me a dream and a vision concerning Belgium. Not an MLK Jr, "I have a dream"-dream, but a Joseph-sitting-in-prision dream. And a vision so vivd that I know that I will see it when I am flying into Belgium.

I'm not going to get into details about the dream here (though if you would like to hear that story, I'm more than happy to share in a more personal, not the internet, environment). But I will share the vision with you. It's pretty simple and lasted just a few moments, but it is something that the Lord continues to bring me back to, especially as we get closer to the departure date.

I am on the left hand side of the airplane, next to the window, watching the European continent below me. It's early morning, and the clouds are high and wispy, allowing for the early morning sun to break through and bounce off the dew below. I'm watching our progress on the in-seat TV. We fly over Ireland, then cut south and enter France. Finally, we reach Belgian airspace. The sun is fully up now, the clouds gone. My face is pressed against the glass as if I am trying to press through it. The grass is green with houses and livestock dotted among it. Then we fly over the cities outside of Brussels, seeing the hustle and bustle of rush hour. I start crying at this point; tears of happiness and relief. "How do you hug a country?" I ask myself. "I only have four weeks. How do I hug a country?" Then I wake up (or snap back to reality, depending when the vision hits).

As much as I would love to go around Belgium hugging everyone that I meet, that probably isn't what the Lord has in mind. I have a feeling that these hugs will include the Gospel, old & new friends, good meals together, long runs/high jumps, and sessions on the Big Red Couch. Not to mention lots of elephant hugs. 

2013 Meet Schedule

I know that we are still eight short weeks away from the start of the grand adventure, but here is what the month will more than likely look like:

• July 1st: Team meets in Ohio.
• July 2nd: Depart for Brussels
• July 3rd: Arrive in Brussels, train ride to Leuven
• July 6th: Meet in Oordegem
• July 10th: Meet in Liege
• July 13th: KBC Nacht meet
• July 14th: Meet in Kortrijk 
• July 20th - 21st: Belgian National Championships 
• July 27th: Meet in Ninove
• July 29th: Debrief day-trip to Brugge
• July 30th: Depart for US

As a team, we will not necessarily be competing in all of these meets. We will be doing our best to attend the meets that we don't have team members competing in, hopefully being able to support new friends that we make along the way.

Leaping and Weeping

For those of y'all who don't follow Desiring God, let me catch you up to speed: Pastor John Piper recently stepped down from the pulpit after 33 years of preaching, teaching, pastoring, and caring for his flock. He wrote a blog post in which he talks a little bit more in depth about his thoughts on this new chapter and what he is praying about right now. It is a fantastic post that you should honestly go read right now. Seriously, though, my blog can wait. Come back when you're done.

"Now is the challenge is: Lord, show me the new configuration of giving and getting and burden-bearing. I do not assume that in this life there is ever a season when these are gone - not if we trust God and love people. They just change. There is too much lostness and pain and ignorance in the world for coasting." - John Piper

One of my biggest prayers since laying down Belgium and my flock at Northwood Univ. last year was that the Lord would allow me to shepherd another one. He has answered that prayer not with one flock, but possibly two. The closer that we get to Belgium, the more excited I get. The Lord is allowing me to help shepherd another flock with a solid brother- and sister-in-Christ. He is also setting things in motion to help form another Bible study with a group of athletic friends. Slowly but surely, He is showing me how to leap and to weep with folks in a new chapter of my life. He is handing me back my staff and showing me a pasture (or two) of lambs to walk along side.

I feel as if I am standing in the sunshine, looking out over green rolling hills dotted with little cotton-puff sheep. And for once, I feel as if my armor fits. Bring on the bears, the wolves, the rain, the rocky terrain, the thorny bushes. I feel like for the first time, I don't feel like Moses before the Burning Bush, telling God that He has the wrong guy. For the first time, I hear the Lord directing me, and I don't think He's a little crazy. I am well aware of my weaknesses, but I feel confident in the strengths and gifts that He has given me. Because at the end of the day, I don't have confidence in my gifts, but the Giver of those gifts, who will be with me as I follow Him up to the High Places. 

T-Swift

"T-Swift? As in Taylor Swift?" you may be asking yourself. "Really, Rachel? A blog post about Taylor Swift? A blog post about Taylor Swift in your Belgium Track & Field mission trip blog?"

I have a point, I promise.

All my life, the Lord has spoken to me through songs and hymns. I grew up not having a solid example of what a personal relationship with Christ looked like, let alone meant. But, the Lord is faithful and pursued me until He placed me at Miami University (OH) where I at last found Biblical community. Until that point, our relationship looked very different to most - He met me not only in my reading of Scripture, but also through old hymns. I learned to pray by memorizing old school hymns - "Amazing Grace", "How Sweet the Father's Love for Us", and my favorite, "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing". While I am not musically gifted (I make a joyful noise to the Lord when I worship, not a sound, melody, or harmony. Noise.), I do appreciate music and have a special place for it in my heart.

Right about the time spring had sprung in my life, I purchased Taylor Swift's most recent album, "Red". It's good, fun, catchy, dance-party-while-you-cook music. Kind of angry break-up music, but with some humor to help cut the sting. To sum up, absolutely not grounded in Truth. And, for someone who has never been in a relationship, not the first album that you would think that the Lord would use in my life. But God is funny like that and has used her album to walk me into spring. But the Lord has used every single song on that album to walk with me through the healing and processing of winter. All Truth is God's truth, even the tiny pieces buried in pop-country albums.

As the wounds and scars of winter fade, so has "Red" from the top of my "Most Recently Played" list. Then the roster for Belgium began to settle and introductions were made via email. One of the get-to-know-you questions was about favorite music, and Taylor Swift kept coming up. I just had to laugh. Of course she would. Because the Lord is good and faithful, meeting my sentimental little heart everywhere I go. It would seem that my springtime soundtrack will be overflowing into summer.

"But on a Wednesday in a cafe, I watch it begin again..." - T. Swift

Different

"Different" seems to be coming up in all aspects of my life recently. People, such as my friends, family, co-workers, patients, and random guys on the dance floor, look at me and exclaim (literally, exclamations all over the place), "Rachel! You are/look/seem SO different!" At first, I brushed it off as a strange, kind of awkward compliment. It seemed especially strange coming from various guys that I know. I mean really, who tells that to someone?

But I was curious as to what people were seeing that was so different. As I remembered comments, they started to take on a pattern - what was seen as "different" were my giftings from the Lord. How He has created me is starting to look very, very different to the world around me.

One of my prayers from the beginning, and I mean back in 2010 when I first went on this trip, was that our team would seem different. Not just in the sense that we are a group of ten American athletes dressed in bright colors and carrying 15-foot long pole cases around with us, but that there is something special about us. I pray that our "different"-ness is really Christ in us and in our group, and that people would see that and want to know more. And experience it for themselves.

"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy." - 1 Peter 2:9-10

Yes and amen! 

Speculoos

If you hang around me long enough, you will hear me talk of Speculoos. It won't take long until I bring up my favorite Belgian-discovered treat, and I usually end up professing my love of Speculoos, not merely talking about it. I don't talk about my favorite chocolate bar (Lion Bar, found only in Europe) in the same way that I do about Speculoos. What puts Speculoos on such a high pedestal?

Before moving on, you should know something about me (if you don't already): I am incredibly sentimental. I attach a memory to just about anything - food, drink, person, song, clothes, random inanimate object, CrossFit movement - and like a little elephant, I don't forget that memory. Play the song "I'll Be Your Crying Shoulder" by Goo Goo Dolls and I'll tell you the story of how my roommate and I knew that we were meant to be friends. Show me a hockey puck and I automatically think back to the time I took a road trip with four hockey guys from Miami to watch a UFC fight in Columbus, Ohio during my spring break senior year. Venison reminds me of Dublin, Canadian flags of Italy, and French restaurants of the time I got lost in Frankfurt by myself coming home from a Christmas Market.

Back to Speculoos vs. Lion Bars. The first time that I ever traveled abroad, I went to the UK for three weeks and discovered Lion Bars. I tie Lion Bars back to the moment where I finally flew out of my little cage and didn't look back. It was a wonderful trip and therefore, Lion Bars are a wonderful reminder of that adventure. But at the end of the day, while my first time breaking out of my cage was incredible, it was missing something. I have since walked the streets of London and Dublin, and I think back to me. It ended with me, my happiness, my experience.

But when I think of Speculoos, I don't think back to just me; I think of God. Speculoos is distinctly Belgian in my mind, specific to the region of Belgium (the Dutch-speaking Flanders) where we spend a majority of our time. When I eat a spoonful of Speculoos, I remember the hostel where we hold our daily morning quiet time; cook meals with new friends from all over the globe; have conversations about God; live in Biblical community with a team of new brothers- and sisters-in-Christ that we just met. When I spread Speculoos on fruit, I think back to all of the lunches that I packed to keep me full at various track & field meets, meeting athletes from all over Europe (and Asia!) and sharing the Gospel with them. And when I get a particularly crunchy spoonful of Speculoos, I think back to the nightly Speculoos ice cream runs that we made after dinner, spending quality time as a little team. Speculoos, unlike Lion Bars, invokes memories that do not end on me, rather on God. Through a spoonful (or eight) of Speculoos, He reminds me of the adventure that He is allowing me to have, that He is calling me to join the fun and adventure, of the Great Commission.

When I started having strange reactions to flour/gluten in July of 2011, I had to give up Speculoos. I played around with my diet and came to the conclusion that I was sensitive to gluten. For a year and a half, I didn't touch anything with gluten in it. And during that same year and a half, the Lord asked me to walk away from Belgium and the memories that I had made. I operated as if the next time I would see Speculoos would be in heaven at the Wedding Feast. I mourned Belgium and I mourned Speculoos. But God, in His goodness, gave me back both Belgium and Speculoos. He is letting me return to Belgium and I can eat gluten (just not rye) without issue. The fast is broken, and the celebration has begun!

Spring

Today, February 6th, 2013, marks the exiting from a one year period of a season that can only be named "Winter".

This past season of Winter was a hard one. Granted, my only experiences of a harsh winter have come through books (the Little House on the Prairie series) or my four years at Miami (OH), so I know that I may not be the best judge. But, as a Texas girl, anything that isn't 40* and sunny in January is a bit harsh in my book.

The Lord has been speaking to me that Spring is next."Spring," I kept hearing, "Spring is coming." That was in January, and so I expected January to bring with it Spring. But it never came. All that came was a two day flu and an eight day sinus infection. "Soon, very soon," followed after the bout of illness. Again, it wasn't Spring; this time it was the smashing into tiny pieces two very large idols that had formed in my heart - the idol of having roots here in Dallas and the idol of ever separating from my dear friends. Praise God that He is a jealous God that will not have His beloved children chasing after temporary pleasures and fleeting happiness. He is a God who wants us to experience joy, deep and everlasting joy. But smashing idols is a messy and painful business, not Spring.

But now Spring is here. I don't know what Spring will look like, but Spring is here. And that means a time to thaw out after the hard freezes of Winter. Seeds are planted in the springtime, and what looked dead is suddenly bursting forth and flowering with new life. It is a time to tend the gardens, protect the lambs, and begin again.

My prayer is that Belgium (and the rest of the post-Christian western Europe) would experience Spring. I want the seeds that have been planted to take root and explode. I want the so-called (and accurately named) dead churches to be brought back to life. I want to see the part of the world that birthed so many wonderful theologians and missionaries impact the world again as it did in the past.

Spring has sprung. 

Support Letter

Here is my official support letter for the trip this year. Please contact me if you have any questions! 

I can officially announce, with great fanfare and much ado, that the AIA Track & Field: Belgium trip is happening this July! This year is already proving to be an exciting year. Our ten person roster is already halfway filled, and formal recruitment hasn't even started. As of right now it is myself, Jodi (AIA staff), two pole vaulters, and a hurdler. We have several other folks interested, including a student athletic trainer. As recruitment kicks off, I will be excited to see how the Lord fills our remaining spots, or if He decides to add more athletes to our roster.

Our adventure this year is lining up to be just that - an adventure. We are extending the trip to last the full month of July, as opposed to the three and a half weeks that it has been in the past. There are more meets that we are looking to compete in, including the Belgian National Championships at the end of the month. The total number of meets we are looking to compete in is now close to eight. The biggest adventure, and one of the biggest prayer requests, concerns my leadership role this summer.

First, a quick backstory: Athletes in Action holds an all-staff conference every two years. This mandatory meeting is for everyone on staff with AIA. They usually hold it at the end of July or early in August. This year, they are moving it up to the beginning of July. As a full-time staff member, Jodi is required to be there. At the moment, there are two ways this scenario can play out. The first being that Jodi puts in a special request to be allowed to not attend the conference and travel to Belgium on this project. The second way is that Jodi goes to the conference and meets up with the team when it finishes. Until she joins the team, I would be the one leading the trip. I'll be honest: that is very scary. But, also very humbling that she would think so highly of me to trust me to that degree. Our prayer is that Jodi be granted this special leave of absence from the all-staff conference, and if not, that He would prepare me to lead well in her absence.

Regardless of my position at the beginning of the trip, my role will remain the same as it has been the past two times I have traveled - team athletic trainer, team chef, team mom, co-Bible study leader, and end-of-the-trip debriefer. While 2012 was a tough year, especially tough when it came to walking away from my little flock at Northwood, I have realized how much I love and have a passion for teaching/shepherding athletes, a passion that I would not have realized had I not walked away from the trip and my old job last year. I consider myself very blessed to have another opportunity to return to the country the Lord has given me a heart for and to shepherd athletes again.

I also praise the Lord that my new job at Airrosti Rehab Centers has allowed me to take a full 31 days off from work with their full blessing and encouragement. I know that many people cannot say that about their employer, and I am very fortunate in that regard. Part of me still cannot believe it.

To wrap up, I have three prayer requests, the first regarding Jodi's permission to travel to Belgium and miss the all-staff conference. The second is for our team overall - that our roster would fill up, that everyone's support raising process would go smoothly, and that the Lord would begin to prepare us for the summer now. The third is that you would prayerfully consider partnering with me financially for the trip. I have a support goal of  $3,500 to reach by June 1st. This covers all airfare, in-country transportation, food, materials, gear, entrance fees to meets, and lodging. I would love to share more about my heart for Belgium, and for athletes, in person or via technology (Skype, phone call, ect). If the Lord does lead you to give, there are two ways:

:: Send me a check made out to Athletes in Action with my tracking number (#5571387) in the memo line.
:: Give electronically at https://give.ccci.org/give. Enter my tracking number (#5571387) and select the amount.
*Note: All gifts are tax deductible.*


Alles voor Christus,
Rachel

Lucky Number (20)13

Let's try this again...

Last year was rough. Scroll down a few posts for the recap of why Belgium didn't happen last summer. To sum up my past year, I would have to say: a CrossFit WOD (workout) involving a lot of burpees. So many burpees. Over and over and over and over again.

I also learned a lot about the concept of first fruits. Biblically, first fruits were given to the Lord as a sacrifice. They were given from the first harvest, the first livestock slaughter, and they were given with a joyful heart with thanksgiving. It was an act of trust to give back to the Lord your "firsts," trusting Him that He would provide enough to make it through the seasons. I laid down my first real job, first flock of athletes, first people group that the Lord has called me to reach, and various others. But this act of surrender is not about letting go, but of receiving. How much more can I now receive after I have obediently surrendered to the Lord? My hands were emptied, and the Lord doesn't take away for the mere act of taking. He is a good God who loves His children. He will always fill the empty space with Himself. And that is always worth the surrender.

I am excited for this summer. The trip is going to be a bit longer than in the past, running closer to a full four weeks as opposed to the three weeks that it has been. We are also pole vaulter-heavy again this year, meaning that I won't be at a loss for stories, as traveling with pole cases around Belgium provide plenty. And plenty of opportunities to make new friends.

Jesus. Sports. World travel. Cooking for friends.

The perfect July.