Slovenia & Beyond!

I am reminded daily of what a joy and privilege it is to live...

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 07:14:28 -0500

I am reminded daily of what a joy and privilege it is to live and work in Celje, Slovenia. I took an hour long walk this morning and the song “God of this City” started playing through my ear buds. Tears welled up in my eyes as I passed the Celje fountain, where as an intern, almost 2 years ago, I felt a connection and special place in this city. And here I am today living in Celje and just 2 weeks shy of my one year mark as a full time missionary in Slovenia. God is the God of this city and he is up to some crazy things. He is definitely moving and working in the hearts of young people.

On March 4th I received my Slovenia residency permit. This card is more than just a visa. It represents that I reside in this country, that I LIVE here and have permission to until Feb. 18, 2015. I don’t know if I actually will stay until 2015, but God knows and that is enough for me. I want to do as Colossians 3:23 instructs, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.”

I live here to serve the Lord and my prayer is that people will be able to see His light in my life and that I will be able to be fully devoted to the God who loves me and to boldly proclaim his love and truth.

“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” -Colossians 4:2-6

Here is the “Come to Camp” video I made yesterday...

Tue, 05 Jun 2012 04:36:17 -0500

Here is the “Come to Camp” video I made yesterday (June 4, 2012) in the style of “Songs in Real Life.” Fusion camp is so soon and I am just so excited!!!

"Never underestimate the importance of simply being physically present in the place where God wants..."

Tue, 05 Jun 2012 04:34:32 -0500

“Never underestimate the importance of simply being physically present in the place where God wants you.”

- Martin Wiersbe

Here’s a video to celebrate one month of living in lovely...

Fri, 01 Jun 2012 17:03:35 -0500

Here’s a video to celebrate one month of living in lovely Slovenia!

I’m wishing (I’m wishing) for the one I love to find...

Mon, 28 May 2012 12:15:04 -0500

I’m wishing (I’m wishing) for the one I love to find me (to find me) today. @shaunakopra (Taken with instagram)

Dear Slovenia, Thank you so much for delicious Čivapčič. Love,...

Sun, 27 May 2012 13:33:53 -0500

Dear Slovenia, Thank you so much for delicious Čivapčič. Love, gwynne (Taken with instagram)

Here is a photo from a Fusion event last Saturday. We played...

Sat, 26 May 2012 16:02:02 -0500

Here is a photo from a Fusion event last Saturday. We played “Ping Pong Assassin” in the mall here in Celje. Everyone playing wrote their name on a ping pong ball, then the balls were put in a bag and everyone drew a ball. The name on the ball was who you were to “kill.” Everyone scatters amongst the Saturday shoppers and the kids in the sladoled (ice cream) line to try and hide or be the great hunter that goes boldly for their prey. Once hit with the ping pong ball, a player “dies” and must return back to home base….I was tempted just to hide in H&M and do some shopping. Much to my chagrin I was assassinated within the first 30 seconds of the game the first two rounds. The third round, however, I lasted a whole 5 minutes. wow. I must be a pro. We had a no running rule. I mean, this is smart considering the densely populated area. Humans are pretty solid and if you accidentally run into one, they will fall down. Foiled by the law of gravity yet again. Anyway, I say all that to say that it is really hard not to run when the lion hunter makes eye contact with you and you know you are the tastiest looking gazelle ever. “RRRUUUUUNNNNNN!!!!” repeats over and over at an ear piercing volume. I’m pretty sure the bright yellow shirt I was wearing was a poor choice when playing an assassin game. I was the weak, bleeding leg wound gazelle right from the start. I didn’t have a chance. Plus, I think some of these kids must practice at home or they have had a lot of experience with target practice.

It was a really great time and we even had a girl show up who has never been to Fusion. Score! Afterwards we made our way to the church for pizza and volleyball where I provided the sweet jams and maybe an impromptu dance performance to a Backstreet Boys songs. Three cheers for boy bands! Hip Hip Horray, Hip Hip Horray, Hip Hip Horray! What can I say? Improv is everywhere.

Butterfly in my cup. You help to wake me up. Take a look,...

Mon, 21 May 2012 05:36:00 -0500

Butterfly in my cup. You help to wake me up. Take a look, I’ll read my book. Kuba kafe! (Taken with instagram)

Team Slovenia! What a good looking bunch.

Mon, 21 May 2012 05:26:40 -0500

Team Slovenia! What a good looking bunch.

I arrived in Graz, Austria May 1st. Johnny, Brooke, and Kinsley...

Mon, 21 May 2012 05:25:45 -0500

I arrived in Graz, Austria May 1st. Johnny, Brooke, and Kinsley picked me up and we drove to Celje, Slovenia. My new home. May 1st will be my missionary anniversary. Wow. I have been in Slovenia for 21 days now and I still can’t believe it. I find myself looking around and thinking, “Really? I’m actually here?”

On May 2nd, we left for the Czech Republic for the annual JV family conference. Dave Patty talked about being “Found by the Father” and the great love that our heavenly Father has for us. It was an amazing week of leaning into God’s word and spending time with a lot of wonderful people. Some highlights include; corporate worship led by the older JV kids, going to the Czech circus on JV family day- yes there were horses, and camels, and a really weird clown, spending time with dear friends who live in Slovenia and other parts of the world, playing Star Wars mafia with the JV kids, and the JV kids program. The performance they put on at the end of the week was awe inspiring. I was floored by their talents and ability to put on this whole show in a weeks time. Amazing! I love the JV family and am so happy to be a part of it. It was a bit overwhelming, especially as I was simultaneously getting over jet lag, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I had prayed that the Lord would provide all my funds in time for me to go to conference and He made it happen. I look forward to many more JV gatherings! Thank you JV for making me feel so welcome!)

Saying Goodbye From March 26-April 27th I was in Palmer, Lake CO...

Sat, 19 May 2012 14:57:22 -0500

Saying Goodbye

From March 26-April 27th I was in Palmer, Lake CO attending missionary training. It was a wonderful time of learning practical methods of how to learn a language and diving deep into heart issues of how I handle conflict and what it means to live as a missionary, part of this is knowing how to say goodbye well. I arrived back in Lynchburg, VA very late the evening of the 27th and then was in my dear friend Erin’s wedding the next day, where I was able to see lots of friends and give them one last hug before flying over an ocean. Then on Sunday I said goodbye to my sister and my parents and I drove to Washington, DC. I flew out the next day. Saying goodbye is hard, but I know I am right where the Lord wants me. I am very thankful for modern technology and will be able to keep in touch regularly. Yay for facebook!

Hello! I have now been “across the pond” for 2...

Tue, 15 May 2012 09:43:41 -0500

Hello!

I have now been “across the pond” for 2 weeks now! wow. The first week was spent in the Czech Republic at a JV family conference (more on that later), and then the last week I have been in Celje, Slovenia, my new home!

Before I start updating all about life in Slovenia I wanted to go back a few weeks and talk about SPLICE, the 3 week Spiritual, Personal, Lifestyle, Interpersonal, Cultural, Endure/Enjoy training I went through in CO. I lived in Palmer Lake, CO for a total of 5 weeks so I’m pretty sure I can add it to the list of place I have lives. 5 weeks in CO, yes!

PILAT was full of practical language information and I used parts of my brain that I haven’t accessed since I was in college. I had to think, a lot! SPLICE was not so much about head knowledge, but rather exploration of the heart. SPLICE is all about diving right into heart issues and exploring what makes a person tick. A big part of the training that I actually really enjoyed was the conflict management stuff. I am not the biggest fan of conflict, I mean, who really is? However, I learned a lot about myself that will come in handy in full time ministry. I learned that I am the “Teddy Bear” style of handling conflict which means that I like harmony and unity and don’t like to confront in fear of losing a close friendship. There’s a lot more to it, but that’s the basics. There’s a lot more that I found extremely helpful about SPLICE and I am so thankful that JV requires all missionaries to go through it. My favorite part of the 5 weeks is the friendships that were formed. I met so many amazing people and got to connect with some friends as well. With all of us being missionaries in training it was easy to connect immediately over common experiences. When I arrived at training I still needed 30% more of my support. How wonderful it was to share the process of all my support coming in with my new friends at training. They were praying for me and asked daily where I was and how much was left. The body of Christ was so alive while at training. I was so happy to report to them all when all of my support finally did come in and there was great rejoicing! God did so many amazing things at training that I am extremely grateful for.

I was also able to spend time with my friends, Danny and Evan, who I interned with last summer. They are both living in CO right now. Evan is actually raising support to come back to Slovenia right now and I am positive he would appreciate your prayers. Evan and I were also able to have lunch with our friends the Cravens and the Lillpops. They are two couples who live in CO and are raising support to head over to Eastern Europe. The Cravens are going to Latvia and the Lillpops are headed to Poland. I went through JV orientation with these two lovely couples and it was great to see them again.

Also, while in CO I had the wonderful opportunity to meet up and have tea with one of my supporters. I had never met her before! I actually went to high school in Germany with her husband, Jonathan and he is now in the Army and they are stationed in CO so I was finally able to meet Jessica, his wife. It’s a small world, right? It sure is! It was very encouraging to meet up with a support and share face to face with her what I had been learning at training.

I am so thankful for PILAT and SPLICE! And now I am in Slovenia!!! Thank you so much for your love and support. More stories to come…

The past 2 weeks I have been in Palmer Lake, CO attending PILAT...

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 09:47:00 -0500

The past 2 weeks I have been in Palmer Lake, CO attending PILAT (Program in Language Acquisition Techniques). Josiah Venture requires all missionaries to attend this training. Before going I wasn’t sure what to expect. I knew we would be learning how to learn a language but that was about it. After two weeks of training I feel entirely more equipped to go to Slovenia and learn Slovene. The couple that wrote PILAT over 40 years ago were an inspiration with their story of how they were missionaries in Vietnam to the Jeh people. What a life they have lived! They are so passionate about language learning!

Here are some highlights from the past two weeks:

*All the other missionaries in attendance were a breathe of fresh air. There were 17 adults taking the training and we all bonded and felt like family by the end of the two weeks. There is just something about meeting other missionaries and having that special understanding and life perspective. One young couple is going to India, another young couple and their kids are going to Cambodia, one single is going to Columbia, another single to Lesotho (a country within South Africa), and another single is going to China. I will be praying for these dear friends and know that we will stay in touch and if we don’t see each other on this side of heaven, we will definitely get to share stories when we are all together in heaven some day.

*We were taught and showed many models on how to learn a language. I was in the group that learned a bit of French in order to be shown how the models work. I was quite shocked at how fast I comprehended what was being said in French, a language I have never studied. It made me even more excited to learn Slovene! When I get to Slovenia I want to take walks all around the city and meet people and tell them I am learning the language and get their help. I am going to get a language helper to do the language learning projects with.

*Another amazing highlight is my friend Evan, who I interned with in Slovenia last summer, lives in Monument, CO which is like 5 minutes away from Palmer Lake. He is in the beginning stages of support raising to go back to Slovenia. We have been able to hang out a lot the past two weeks and that has been a great encouragement. I am praying for him that his support comes in with supernatural speed and he is able to get back to Slovenia by Aug/Sept.

The past 2 weeks was such a blessing. I learned many things and am pumped about applying them in the Slovene setting. Many friendships were formed, great conversations were had, and many games of Settles and other games were played. Thank you Lord for this special time of training in my life. Today begins the next stage of training called SPLICE (Spiritual Personal Lifestyle Interpersonal Cultural Endure/Enjoy). As the people at MTI put it, “Moving from one culture to another, with all of the accompanying value differences, is similar to the process of splicing together the strands of two pieces of rope. Splices are never invisible, but, as any sailor knows, the completed splice becomes the strongest part of the rope.”

So stay tuned or the SPLICE update. I will meet more missionaries and glean many more things from the teachers at MTI. Again, I am so very thankful for this time of training and preparation.

On March 9th, 2012 I had a Silent Auction for Slovenia. My mom...

Sat, 07 Apr 2012 13:09:21 -0500

On March 9th, 2012 I had a Silent Auction for Slovenia. My mom was in town and so she helped create some yummy treats to serve at the event such as veggie squares and of course, stuffed mushrooms. Stuffed Mushrooms have been in attendance at every one of my events for Slovenia. It was become tradition! I always think of Fiddler on the Roof when I think of the word “tradition”. Basically I can relate anything to a song! Anyway…to prepare for the event I created some print based designs and some acrylic on canvas paintings as well as a very unique acrylic on wood with bottle caps. It was a blast putting all of these pieces together. Also, since the event was shortly after valentines day and as Slovenia quite conveniently has the word “love” in its name, we were able to adorn the house with Valentines Day Decor. Thanks Slovenia for having such a great name! Many friends came out to the event and bid on the various items. There was a Dinner with the Gardner Girls, a wine basket that my mom put together, some hair items that a friend was kind enough to donate, 3 half hour photo sessions from my near friend and amazing photographer, Amanda (these were won by my two engaged friends in attendance. A great price for engagement photos!), as well as some baked goods. All in all the night was a great success! Total, $700 was raised and it will all go towards Slovenia and Josiah Venture. Thank you to all who came! Here’s to LOVE for the beautiful country of sLOVEnia! : )

Here’s a photo of the 3 Gardner Girls before the big 30th...

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 16:39:30 -0500

Here’s a photo of the 3 Gardner Girls before the big 30th birthday party we had on March 3rd. I was the bartender for the night, mixing delicious martinis, and we borrowed a karaoke machine and sang the night away.

My sister turned 30 on March 7th! Wow, 3 decades old. I love my...

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 16:31:00 -0500

My sister turned 30 on March 7th! Wow, 3 decades old. I love my sister and am so thankful to have her wonderful, beautiful, encouraging self in my life. My mom came to visit from the 1st-the 10th and that was a precious time to have all 3 of the Gardner Girls together. We celebrated Sarah by going to a SPA in Wintergreen, VA. What a treat to have an hour long massage and be up in the peaceful mountains of Virginia with two of the most amazing women I know. Then we had a huge Party on the 3rd where my mom and I made tons of food and I tried my hand at making Cake Pops for the first time. They turned out super yummy! Then we celebrated even more on the 7th. Mom and I woke up EARLY to have breakfast ready for her before she headed off to school. Yes, even teachers have to go to work on their birthdays. We made yummy pancakes, some of them heart shaped, and bacon! And of course, we had coffee! Later that afternoon we “surprised” (she knew we were coming) her at school with Chick Fila for lunch. We ate with her and the other English teachers. Then later that night we had a small dinner party with just a few friends. My mom and I cooked pretty much all day and loved every minute of it. We both love hosting and cooking, especially for our dear Sarah. I love you, sissy! Happy 30th!!!

This is the video from Winter camp that just happened last week...

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 10:27:13 -0600

This is the video from Winter camp that just happened last week in Slovenia. I am so blessed to be a part of this team and I look forward to Summer camp and attending Winter camp next year. Please pray for the youth of Slovenia and for the ministry happening there.

January 20th-22nd, my sister and I traveled to DC to visit our...

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 12:41:02 -0600

January 20th-22nd, my sister and I traveled to DC to visit our dear friends, the Barnes, and to have an event for Slovenia! We were able to see friends that we knew while we were in Germany and we met a new friend. Karly, who just moved to DC, is the sister of Danny, who I interned with this past summer. What a small world. The whole weekend was wonderful. First off seeing friends is a blessing, but the Lord also blessed that Saturday with snow. I have always had a special relationship with snow. I love the pure white and sweet cold and beauty of it. My birthday is in December and for almost all my birthdays, even one I had while living in Tucson, AZ, the Lord blessed me with snow. When it snows I feel like the Lord is saying, “Here is a small gift for you telling you that I love you.” With Virginia having such a mild winter this year, it was nice to actually wake up to snow sprinkled trees.

The event for Slovenia went very well. Terri’s inspiration for food and decor came from LOVE to celebrate sLOVEnia. This country name really works. It was so much fun presenting about my love for this country and how God has called me to serve there.

Thanks to all who came! Much love!

My support letters have been signed, addressed, stamped, and...

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 16:23:15 -0600

My support letters have been signed, addressed, stamped, and SENT! What a process. A necessary step to being a missionary.

Guide to mailing out support letters:

1. Acquire addresses of family and friends.

2. Address all envelopes.

3. Make sure to SIGN your support letter. I specifically asked the design center to not put the hand written font of my name on the end so I could sign by hand all of my letters. Instead when I got my letters, I forgot to do this (I was so excited to just go ahead and fold the letters and stuff envelopes) and went ahead and wrote the hand written notes I planned on writing for each person. I didn’t notice I forgot to sign the actual letters until half way through my list. Oops. Now I must apologize to all the people with last names A-M. Good thing I signed the hand written notes. : )

4. Stuff main envelope with letter, response slip, response slip envelope and a personal note (if this is something you desire to include).

5. Stamp the envelope. The post office had PIXAR themed stamps so, why not?

6. Put in a mail box!

All of the response slips are returned to the Josiah Venture home office and so my dear friend Sarah, receives them and then scans them so I can see the progress. It has been so amazing to be a part of this process and see how the Lord provides. I have not worried one bit about the amount of support that must be raised before I return to Slovenia. I know that the Lord is in charge of it all. Thank you so all who have supported me through faithful giving and prayer. I am happy to report that 29% of my monthly support has been raised. Praise the Lord!

Now to write thank you notes and include my prayer card. : )

December 4-8 my sister and I flew to Dallas to spend time with...

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 23:29:01 -0600

December 4-8 my sister and I flew to Dallas to spend time with family on our mom’s side, The Wood Pile. Our grandparents, 2 aunts, 2 uncles, cousins, and 2nd cousins all live there. It was amazing to see them all! I was able to finally meet little baby Max, Bauer, and Hamilton. They are the cutest!

Also while there my aunt Kathy and uncle Randy hosted an evening for Slovenia at their home. My mom made a ton of amazing food and most of my family in the area were able to attend. I was able to share a presentation all about Slovenia and my internship this past summer and what I will be doing upon my return. What a blessing it was to share face to face with people I dearly love all about my love for Slovenia and the calling God has placed on my life. I am blessed beyond belief for the wonderful family and clear direction the Lord has given me. Here’s to a quick return to Slovenia!