Finished

Dear Reader,

My trip is coming to an end as I head for the States tomorrow. It has been a long, adventuress, exciting time. God has opened my eyes to many new things. The past couple days I have been in Split, Croatia. It is pretty nice here, I mean if you love the old buildings and an incredible veiw of the sea you would probably enjoy it. :) Anyway, last Friday, in Bosnia, I went to a school and talked with some 4 classes, like I did in Czech. I went with Josh so it was nice to have another American there to answer questions. Then on Saturday the Bosnia team, with a few exceptions because of sick kids, came over to Split for Thanksgiving. I know, I get TWO!!! HAHA. It was a lot of fun connecting with everyone and enjoying the holiday. Then yesterday we had church, which was in English! Then I got to see the city. It is gorgeous. Today we painted. One of the missionarry couples just moved about 40 minutes away and we had to paint there appartment. Tomorrow I get to go back in town to hopefully some touristy stuff and then I head out in the afternoon. Thank you for all your prayers but please continue them for a safe journey home. And that I don't go completely insane because I have a 16 hour layover in Frankfurt. AHHHHHHH!!! Anyway, thank you for reading and being apart of this incredible journey.

Shay

The End

As my trip is finally coming to an end,

I can see home just around the bend,

I will always remember these amazing days,

And how the Lord led me in all my ways,

He opened my eyes and taught me great things,

To hold close and remember through everything,

And now with knowledge in my head,
And a little wisdom in my heart,
My journey seems to not yet be finished,

But rather my life is now ready to start,

Tag On

Just a tag on today's blog. Please pray for me as homesickness is really setting in today. The people here are great, its just I really miss home. Please pray as that I have more to learn and do and don't want to miss it but seem to be overwhelmed with sadness. I desire to go home but know that I need to be here. Please just pray that I can make it through strong with the joy my Father blesses me with. Thank you again

Shay

Sorry its been so long

Hello,

I am really sorry it has been forever since I have last posted something. Well here it is. I got to Germany last Thursday morning. I got to see Munich on friday. Saturday was a relaxing day, and I also had dinner with an older missionary couple. Sunday I played guitar again for worship, then I watched kids during a seminar, then I went to another church service. Monday I got to help move some furniture and then I headed here (Bosnia). Bosnia is really different. I went from Munich which is a huge city to a town of about 30 to 40 thuosand. Yesterday I got to attend a language lesson with Josh (the single I am staying with) and attended his party for his english class dealio. Ya thats right, dEALio. Anywho, today is another fairly chill day. I got to have breakfast with the gys (Trent and Josh), and I am having dinner with the Nettletons tonight. The Nettletons are the son and daughter in law of the first couple I stayed with in Czech. They have two kids, Ariela and Luka. Anyway, hope you enjoyed catching up. Thanks for reading.

Shay

Alone

Just over two weeks,

It's been an adventure so far,

I'm somewhere new again,

Now loneliness sets in,

I sit on my bed,

The water inside rising to my head,

Vision goes hazzy, eyes turn red,

A tear drops,

Alone,

I can't control the feeling,

It's just so hard by myself,

But then I remember,

He is here forever,

He has a plan for me,

So I am not alone,

There is still more to see,

More to learn, more for me,

I will press on,

With Him by my side,

So I'm not alone,

I have Him inside

Why Hello

Dear Peoples,

I have a lot to catch you up on. Well last Thursday was a good full day, but it was relaxing. I got to talk to some guys in the morning while we burned papers, then I got to have lunch with one of the missionary couples, next I got to play a little ping pong and go with Jason (the man of the couple I had lunch with) and his kids to the park. Then I went out to dinner with Phil Nettleton (to the same resuraunt I went to for lunch, I didn't want to say anything). Then we had conversation club. Now this was really good for me, I got my own group to talk to. As some of you know this was a HUGE step for me. I had to take charge and be outgoing. It actually went really well. After I got past the "Hello's" it got a whole lot easier. Then that night I was helping Phil on the computer for almost almost 3 hours!!! It was an......... adventure.

Now Friday. We had a team meeting in the morning, then prayer with the pastor. Then later that afternoon I started helping with the Bazaar, which is like a garage sale. It went pretty well that night. Then I played a board game with some of the guys who come to Majak every friday night. It is a whole new experience learning a Czech game with guys who speak Czech. Now two of them spoke very good english and were able to explain the game to me but if they weren't talking to me they were speaking Czech and that was weird. I have always been able to understand people when I play a game with them. We also had some dinner prepared by another missionary couple.

Then Saturday we had the Bazaar all day. It was raining so it was slower. Then Sunday we had church. It is one of the hardest things to stay focussed in a church where you can not understand one word that is coming out of the pastor's mouth. I could catch "Christo", and he would sometimes say "Let us pray" in english and then "Amen". Not a lot from an hour and a half sermon. Anyway, after that we had chili for lunch and just talked. Then at the English service that night I got to play guitar for worship. It was a new experience for me. It was good. Then I got to help out with the kids, which was pretty fun.

Yesterday I helped move stuff back up into the attic from the garage sale. I also spent some really good time just sitting outside by myself. It was really good for me just to sit there, freezing cold, with my Father. Then, for one of the English classes I made smoothies. Last week when I was in there they found out that that is what I do and they don't have smoothies here. So I made them. I think they liked them or they were just being nice.

Then this morning I went to prayer breakfast with the guys and had a good discussion. If you could pray for me, just that God would continue to use me and stretch me and teach me, I just don'y want to miss anything. Thank you. And now you are all caught up. Hope you enjoyed. Later

Shay

Poem for thoughts

The Author

As The Author gently strokes the pen,

He solidafies the words untill the very end,

The words He writes is a magnificent story,

Of life, love, and The Author's glory,

The Author and pen joined as one,

Continually moving until the story is done,

And as the pen is held in His hand,

The ink will never dry up like sand,

It will flow and flow from the tip of the pen,

Never needing refilled again,

And when the pages are filled,

And the story is finished,

What will be remembered,

Is how the pen surrendered,

To the will that was offered,

By The Gracious Author

Sorry its been a while :)

Dear Reader,

I apologize for not writing for a couple days now. Monday I went to the high school where two of the single missionaries teach English as a second language. I just went into some of the classes and spoke English to them. They see it as a privilege to be able to hear a native speaker, and some of the students had not heard any natives yet. So that is what I did. For four classes I just talked. I talked about America, California, Alcatraz, homeschooling, and a bunch of other things. It was kind of funny because the teachers treated me like I was someone of great authority. They were asking me if I wanted something to drink and them competing about who got me the best one. One teacher was even a little irritated that they didn't have a lunch for me. But anyway, it was a good and rather fun day just talking. After that, I went to Majak and sat in on some of the English classes there. The first class was about the same that I had been doing, just a lot less people. The second class was more like I was a student. But since I speak English good and am perty smarticles at it, the lesson was not very exciting, but it was still good to see it from a Czech's perspective.

Yesterday was a slow day for me. I had men's prayer breakfast in the morning, then I did some mopping and trimmed some bushes at Majak. I finished all that about 11:45. Then I GOT SO BORED! For a while there was only one missionary and me at Majak,and of course he had to work. So I shot some hoops, and walked around a lot. But then at one point I realized something, I was walking outside to sit down and cool off, when God shared with me something of great importance for me. I realized that there will be times when I am by myself and I want to talk, or do, or just sit with someone so badly. But in those moments I need to realize that God is all I need. He is m everything and I only need to rely on Him. He fulfills me. You see I always knew this in my head, but on yesterday I truly experienced it in m heart. And so I just sat down and prayed and I did not feel so alone. God comforted me just by being someone I could talk to. It was my revalation, if you will. Then last night was conversation club where people come and just talk for an hour just to practice their English. I felt like I was able to interact a lot better then last time. (So thank you for your prayers for me to become a little more outgoing, it helped. But I have still not broken out of my shell completely, so DON"T STOP!!!) Another prayer request for me is worry. I am constantly worrying about anything and everything. So please pray that I do not worry so my thoughts are not clouded with that, but rather full of what God is doing in and aound me. Thank you so much.

Well, today was kind of like Monday. I went to the high school and talked to three different classes today. Then after some lunch, I went over to the younger kids which is first grade through ninth grade. I talked with two classes there. Then after school there was a discussion time where the kids could practice there English. I went to both of those. So I was at school for a while today and can say I am pooped. But it was a good fun day just being able to share with the kids and be a "treat" for them to hear. Even though to me I sound boring, they seemed to enjoy it.
Thank you so much for reading, and please continue to be in prayer for me that God will use me, work in me, and stretch me in ways I never thought possible. God bless.

Never Alone

As I sit alone,
I need someone,
Someone to talk to, to hear me,
But then I realize, I'm not alone,
I'm never by myself,
He is here with me,
So many times I think I have to wait on Him
When He is actually waiting on me,
I want to hear is voice calling me,
I want Him to say my name first,
Wondering where He is when I feel so lonely,
But I have to call on His name,
He patiently waits for me,
So the question is, "Where am I?"
I have to make the first move,
"But it's too hard with all the distractions, I'm too busy!"
Wait, silence, here I go,
"Father, it's me, I'm here"

A simple poem

The Path

As I walk along the narrow path,
Always stepping but never fast,
I keep on moving with eyes ahead,
Always striving, never giving up instead,
But when will my eyes be opened,
To the people walking the other way,
I want to stop them in their tracks,
And plead with them to turn away,
But my eyes stay straight not looking around,
I walk right by them without a sound,
When will I step left or right,
To warn them about their dangers in sight,
I want to share the love I have,
Given to me by my merciful Dad,
Gracious enough to bless this man,
With a love so amazing I can't understand,
I want to stand in the their way,
And scream and yell till the end of the day,
Yet I keep walking towards the Light,
But when will I realize that they are in the dark,
Waiting for someone to stand and say,
"Turn around, walk with me this way"

Praha (As they call it here)

Soooooooooooooooooo, as you might have guessed, today was my day in Praha. I got to walk around the city with some of the missionaries here. It was a fun and fairly long day. They city was absolutely incredible. The fact that some of these buildings are older then our country is mind boggling. One of the best parts is there is this bagel place that gives refillable drinks, which is pretty non existant in Europe, so I was very excited. I did get to walk on the Charles bridge which is the bridge in Mission Impossible. It was, however, very lame because they were doing contsruction to part of the bridge. Are you aloud to do that? Its like a world land mark!!! Anyway, it was an all around AWESOME day. I do have some pictures for you today so you can see (and be very jealous). I do apologize though because the blogger site loads one photo at a time and very slowly. You can find a few pics on my facebook at www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=660015213#/album.php?aid=174735&id=660015213. Again this still went fairly slowly so there are not very many.
In regards to yesterday, since I did not post, I got to be part of a prayer walk. It was very good. It was interesting to pray for people I did not know, in a country I had never been, with people I had just met. But it was awesome. I know I am not going to be able to do anything in the lives of these people in such a short time, but rather feel I am here as an encouragement to the people who are already here. I can help in any way that I can. I pray that God uses me in many ways and can not wait to see what is in store for the rest of the trip. I was also involved with a Fall Festival. Now I was the guy behind the door who handed out candy when they "trick or treated." At first I felt like I wasn't doing much, just handing kids candy, but then I realized that this is these kids' only chance to trick or treat, and I was bringing them joy. Thanks for reading. Prayers ALWAYS welcome.

Shay