These are a few of my Favorite Things...

The pictures is Thanksgiving Dinner with some JV friends...
Im Thankful for life. For newness and rest. For joy and hope. For times when I have to wrestle. For friends that know me. For family. For worship. For Truth that changes me. For hugs. For laughing. For the Josiah Venture talent show. For my apartment with green walls. For coffee. For a trip home to America. For pilgrimage. For the sunshine. For autumn leaves. For sweators. For piano music. For my couch. For white chocolate peppermint mocha's. For european chocolate. For anticipation. For Jesus' life that gives me life.

A Thanksgiving in Czech

In Czech last Wednesday, many Josiah Venture families gathered to spend the week together. I am still amazed at the incredible family Ive been given here in Europe!! Throughout the week as a family we played card games, worked on puzzles, ate amazing food, watched family home movies, had a talent show, and laughed a lot! Oh we have a new team member! Her name is Erin Thomas and she is out in Kranj with Joel and Amy. Here our some of our new team pictures! Below are some pictures from the Talent Show. Yes I am in the background of one of the Dances! Kiley Jackson and Bekah Patty did a Pipi Longstocking song and dance. And then we had the 3rd annual return of "Pink Henry"--Nathan and Gracie Pitcher did a fun Dance! We laughed a lot that night!

Girls Retreat

Did I ever tell you that Anna and I led a girl's retreat? We took our Bible Study Girls to the Slovene Seaside. We sent them off by themselves to think, pray, and spend time with the Lord. It was a really great weekend of reflection and listening for the voice of the Lord! In the evening we went to a fancy resteraunt and ate amazing food. The next morning we went home. It was short but really refreshing and needed for our group of girls.

Junior Highers

Once again we had another event for our junior highers. This time the theme was Art and Expression. I still feel like we are at the newness stage of this ministry. No one really knows anyone that well. Im trying to figure out what I have in common with junior high girls to talk about. But Id say overall it went well. I brought out my huge supply of beads and taught girls how to make jewelry. While other kids did random art projects such as clay, spray painting, and charcoal drawings. There has been one girl that I have started to feel a connection with and her name is Nika. She is actually in Meagan Jacksons (daughter of the missionaries I work with) class at school and so Ive met her a few times before. She is a lot of fun and speaks English really well for her age! I hope we become friends! Above there is a picture of Nika and I. And then one of me with my "team" for the day. AnnaMaria, myself, Ursa (oor-shuh) , Meagan, and Nika (knee-kuh).

Harvest Parties...Lots of em!

So recently I was asked to help with the junior high ministry that we were creating. Im not giving up highschool, but I am adding junior high. Im actually working more with the leaders of the group. Its a bit of a transition because Im so used to highschoolers and Im trying to figure out my new role and all... but Im really excited about it. Anyway, We recently had both a junior high and a highschool Harvest Party. Enjoy the pics!
Below is a picture of one of our leaders-Matjea (red hair) with one of our junior high girls- Ursa. We dunked for apples. And just did crazy junior high games!

Highschool

Here was the Highschool Party.... We of course played weird games: marshmellows and coke...gross!! We Carved Pumpkins. And just had a lot of fun hanging out. It is definitely easier for me to do the highschool group because I know the kids so well and its what I have been doing for the past few years.

Guess what? I have a new apartment!

Ok ok Ive lived here since June, but we finally painted and bought furniture!!! Take a peek!










Anna and I painted with our new friend Ana. She goes to Art school and she was the girl for the job. This is my kitchen/dining room....Living room......



And have I mentioned our incredible landlord??? Not only is he a cook from Italy who also has a place in Naples, and let us paint our apartment however we want, but he also looks exactly like Captin Jack Sparrow.... dreadlocks down to his waist and everything.