Three Questions

In preparing for our upcoming move to Lithuania, there have been a few questions that seem to reoccur. I'll do my best to answer some of those here.


1. How long will you be in Lithuania?
Short answer: at least two years. Long answer: we aren't entirely sure yet, but we hope that a two-year initial commitment will provide us with the information and experience we'll need to fully answer that.

Since before Alisha and I even met, we both had felt a call or deep-seeded longing to serve others abroad. The idea of traveling the world and leaving it a better place for our having been there has shaped the decisions and direction of our marriage from the start. We have both seized opportunities to journey abroad and locally to prepare.

We also plan on visiting friends and family next summer while school is out.

So, to start, we are committing to two years. We also have the option of staying longer. This is something we are hoping to feel out this next year.

2. What will happen to your band, The Ragamuffin Stampede?
The Ragamuffin Stampede has always had a pretty fluid approach to its lineup, with a tradition of being "joined by other ragamuffins as needed."

So I am very excited that the group has elected to continue after Alisha and I leave. I love the idea of starting something that can exist beyond its creator and it will be exciting to see how the group grows and develops without us.

It should also be noted that Alisha and I fully intend to continue using music and art to build bridges while in Lithuania.

3. What are you looking forward to the most?
There are little things that we are looking forward to (Josh - trying all kinds of new condiments; Alisha - accessorizing winter outfits) and there are anxious to learn (Josh - language classes; Alisha - will the cat we are inheriting be friendly?), but the big things that excite us cannot really be ordered.

We are excited about the relationships we are going to build. We are excited about starting a new chapter in our marriage. From a career standpoint, we are excited about the breath of fresh air that will come from working for the same cause at the same level. We are excited about applying what we've learned while living in the Valley of the Sun to a new context.
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We are working on putting together information and support packets to give to friends and family. We'll put together a mailing list soon for anyone who would like one.

Paz.

Leave all things behind and come, follow me

When you stand at the top of a high dive, you are faced with two choices: dive in or climb back down the ladder. Either way you're going down -- one way leads to safety and predictability, the other to adventure and excitement.

When we started our dialogue with LCC International University, we began to climb the ladder. Nearly a month ago, we jumped when we said, "Yes, we will serve." Now we find ourselves in freefall -- a time of uncertainty, anticipation, and exciting discomfort.

This is the place where Alisha and I live right now. We find our emotions swinging from excited to anxious to overwhelmed several times a day. As we race toward the water, we know our lives are going to change drastically and the only thing we can do is embrace that idea and enjoy the moment.

In other words, a haphazard liberation.

This last weekend, Alisha and I held our second fund-raiser yard sale and, while the process of sorting through things is quite draining, the sensation of freeing oneself from earthly possessions is liberating. I walk into a room in my house and can think, "In a couple of months, I will be free of these things. I will be free of anything that would prevent me from mobilizing for Worthwhile Adventures. I will be leaving one life behind and entering a whole new chapter in a very drastic, dramatic way."


We are in free-fall and there's no turning back.

But that liberty does not come without sacrifice: we are also taking leave from friends, family, pets, items of sentimental value, our community, predictability, and culture. For Alisha, it means saying goodbye to hard-earned possessions such as her 1950s deluxe KitchenAid mixer and sewing machine. For me, it means stepping away from playing music with those who have become my closest friends.

"Come, follow me."

Those haunting words are what led us to jump in the first place and we are excited to see where they lead us once we hit the water.

Light, Light, Light!

When we move to LCC International University this summer, we are officially going to be serving as Resident Directors in one of the dorms. And any of you who have lived in a dorm will probably have a good general idea of what that looks like.

In this role, we will work to raise up student leaders (RAs), build community, and resolve conflict -- easier said than done when you consider 25 countries are represented at LCC and most of those students live in the dorms. No small task, but we've spent the past year living in an intentional community and we're excited about the unique opportunities community living provides.

So that's what our visas will say.

But there's more to it than that.

We are also going as ambassadors representing our friends, families, community, and, most importantly, all who seek to follow Jesus and live out their faith in a humble, authentic way.

But there's more to it than that.

We are going as disciples, with open minds and open hearts, ready to experience the divine in everyone we meet.

But there's more to it than that.

We are going as artists, with hopes of using our creativity, whether it be visual, musical or anything in between, to build bridges that can cross cultural barriers and allow unlikely relationships to flourish.

But there's more to it than that.

We are going as peacemakers and justice-seekers, having already been asked to join those on campus who are fighting the issue of human trafficking that seems to be extra prevalent in this part of the world.

In truth, our hope is that these are roles we've already been learning to fill during our time in the Valley of the Sun. And now it's time to take the light that has been kindled here and shine it elsewhere.

Lithuania!

As promised, here's more information on our upcoming adventure।

Our destination is Lithuania! About the size of West Virginia and the first country to declare its independence from the former Soviet Union in 1990, Lithuania will be our home for at least the next two years.

Why Lithuania? Because we have been selected to work at a spectacular liberal arts school called LCC International University.

Here's a brief description from the school's Web site:

LCC International University is a nationally and internationally recognized liberal arts institution in the city of Klaipėda, Lithuania. Established in 1991 by a joint venture of Lithuanian, Canadian and American foundations, LCC has distinguished itself in the region by offering a unique, future-oriented style of education and an interactive academic environment.

Our next blog post will talk more about what we'll be doing after we arrive। In the meantime, please tell people about this blog -- especially those who know us and/or would like to support us।

-j-

Distant Rumbling

Life has not been without Worthwhile Adventures for us the past couple of years -- rather we've not felt the need to blog about them.

That is about to change.

Although we're not ready to go into great detail just yet, we can tell you a new journey is on the horizon and it will be of the long-term variety.

We're planning on using this blog as a way those who wish to join and support us can stay connected and invested. So check in often and spread the word about this blog -- there is a distant rumbling you won't want to miss.
-j-

Czeching back in

I've no idea if people have been to this page since our trip to the Czech Republic, but I feel this an appropriate forum to post that we will be presenting our trip/experiences at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 3, at Trinity Mennonite Church, 4334 W. Vista Ave., Glendale.

We will report on our trip in a sweet Question/Answer format with Pastor Hal and there should also be some photos. If you have any questions about our trip, post them on hear and I will pass them on to Hal.