Thanksgiving Football...

These are some pictures of a football game on Thanksgiving where I was up in Czech at the JV Conference. Ok, so Im not in any of these... I was inside, in the warmness, looking at magazines with Kristi Patty and drinking coffee, mmmm....but they are all of people I love dearly and consider family. So, here is a pieces of my life!












Brennan Runzo checking out the competition.












Anna being tough.












Caleb Patty getting a concussion. Can you see the elbow to the head in the background? Owch!













The whole group!

Hodgepodge: A lil of this, A lil of that...

Hmm...its been a while since Ive posted. Ok, last time I wrote was just before this English Weekend we were going to have. Huge opportunity, team coming from Germany, awesome potential! Well... it got canceled. But as that door closed another opened. The same weekend David and I met with the headmaster of the best school in Ljubljana (Catholic Private School) and practically got offered jobs! We will see what actually happens but he seemed excited to have us help teach English in his school! Oh and also, even though the weekend was canceled the team came from Germany anyway and we did some English stuff in the school and other events around Lj. We definitely had a lot of fun even though it was different then we expected!!

In other news... I just got back from Thanksgiving Conference in Czech. Seriously one of my favorite things. Ever. Its just GREAT!! Lotsa food, incredible people, puzzles, gingerbread house making, JV Kid talent shows, football, food, JV Kids, food, ...couldn't get better.

Favorite moments: Looking at magazines with Kristi while everyone was out playing football, talking with Amy Ellenwood, watching Gracie do the Rodeo Shimmy, Noah singing Johnny-Be-Good, the talent show, Starbucks in Vienna--Gingerbread Latte, Pictures below...































This is me with the famous Gracie Pitcher, yes, the rodeo shimmy!

Oh Im including a few other random pictures. Recently Ive been listening to some Rob Bell sermons called, "God is Green". And its all about how God cares for our environment and the world we live in. Well, Ive affectionately entitled this picture series "God is Green". Anna and I hadn't taken out our recycle in like...a month...late one night we decided to do it and it turned out to be my most memorable taking out the trash moment!













































In the Spirit of Thanksgiving Id like to say a few things Im thankful for. Im thankful for...

Bicycles, fall leaves, early winter snow, long road trips to Czech, Gingerbread Lattes, JV Kids, Cooking Magazines, candles, messages on my answering machine (especially from my family) blue skies, good books, Amy Grant Christmas, my Slovenia Family, hearing truth that changes me, my mom, home cooked meals, mash potatoes, getting an email, growing and trusting.

English Weekend...

This month one of the English teachers approached us and asked if we would be willing to organize a weekend English camp for the kids in the medical high school. She said, "I'm inviting you on one condition, that in the evenings you do something 'spiritual'. My students desperately need something in their lives and I don't know how to give it to them, but I think you do."

These students are all studying medicine and although we can't be overtly "religious"; we have chosen the theme "Body and Soul" for the weekend. We'll be talking about how people are more than just a body and that people have a need for both the soul and the body to be healed.

The dates for this camp are the 16^th-18^th of Nov. Right now we have 21 students signed up, but the school says 30 need to sign up before they OK the trip. Will you be praying for those last few sign-ups and for God to work during the weekend? The principle and several teachers are planning on attending too. This event has huge ramifications and could possibly open many doors for us in the future so we would really appreciate your prayers.

(PS-I totally stole this from Josh's update...THANKS!)

Sick Sick Sick...

Ive been feeling like Ive had a cold for a while. So, today I went to the doctor. Well, the diagnosis is that I have a double ear infection, a sinus infection, bronchitis, and angina--which i think translates into tonsillitis. I have some antibiotics and a bunch of tv shows to watch... Im suppose to stay home. So Miso...I guess I should have listened to you! Thanks for looking out for me!

Getting Ready...

Last night Kristi and Christina's Christmas Movie Night featured Miracle on 34th Street. There was, hot chocolate, sugar cookies, a fireplace with fire, and little kids running around the living room...

Its true.

Two weeks a go...in October...we got our first camp sign up. Unbelievable.

Kinda bizarre....but kinda cool....

So, I have this friend named Meta and she is learning the Czech language. Well, this one time we were hanging out I started showing off my Czech language abilities (you are free to laugh out loud at this point)....I know like two phrases...but at the time could only think of one. So, I told her my Czech phrase and she started laughing. Honestly, its a pretty normal response in my life when I try to speak Slovene, so it didn't phase me too much. But what she told me next was really surprising!!! She told me,

"Christina!! You spoke that Czech phrase with a Slovene accent!! You definitely did not have an American accent, it was purely Slovene!"

I was speechless. Kinda bizarre...but kinda cool...

I was impressed...

Yesterday the Jackson Girls, Sarah Vuletić (missionary in Croatia) and I went bowling. I bowled 113. The bumpers helped.