goodbye America, hello Amazing Race...??

WE MADE IT!!! We're are doing well, enjoying resting at the comfortable Malenovice.

Our first couple days:

As we landed we were greeted by the other interns and Josiah Ventuer Staff. Soon after we started off on our version of the Amazing race. Our team consisted of 4 girls... 4 really competitive girls :-)

With the aid of some trains, buses, trams, metro, and some good old fashion running we made it from one side of Czech to the other in 3 days.

The experience was nothing short of amazing. More details to come.. probably... but it's dinner time and that's something we're not willing to miss.

-Lindy for the MaryLindy team

Next time we post we will be 9 Time Zones Away

This will be my last post from the states. We leave via a Luftansa flight tomorrow afternoon. I just wanted to take this opportunity to let you all know how much Lindy and I appreciate the support that you have given us as we have prepared to go. We really can't express how blessed we have been. We have recieved so many encouragements and prayers. I also wanted to thank those of you who came to our going away party. (And especially thank Matt and his family and everyone else who helped put it on). It was really good to have a chance to officially say good-bye. Please keep up with us as we embark on our adventure :) We so value your prayers just as we so value the relationships we have with you.

-Mary-
(maybe Lindy will post on here sometime... we'll see :)

The Back Story...According to Mary

Lindy and I found out that we were going to Slovenia sometime in February. When we each found out we left messages on each other's phones, screaming in excitement. Both of us were still juggling school and work so after mailing in the required documents Slovenia was forced to the back burner for a while. (I did change the background on my desktop to a picture of Lake Bled though :).

A few weeks later we began the letter writing process. We each wrote personal letters to family. Next, I sent out letters to 15 local churches. Then came the GSCC barrage, 6 hours later on a Sunday we had 165 letters, response forms etc. in the mail, phew! (Thanks Matt, Jenn and Kristin for helping us :). Last came the letters to teachers, co-workers and friends at school. Then we waited. Support came s l ow l y... The end of March came and neither of us had passed the 25% mark. I asked everyone I knew to pray.

Despite the crazy odds of getting over $4000 more in by the middle of May, Lindy and I felt peace about the situation and each still felt confirmation that God wanted us there this summer. Support continued to come slowly, and we began to call all of the people we sent letters to (over 200!!). We got a lot of answering machines. Meanwhile the stress of finals for Mary and work for Lindy brought us to our knees many times as we struggled to find time for "Slovenia Prep" when we had papers and shifts keeping us so busy. So many people were faithful to pray for us during this time and the Lord taught us a lot about prayer and faith and trusting Him. Every time we wondered if it was His will that we get all of our money in, He seemed to bring someone to each of us to encourage us. He used the sacrifice and generous gifts of a few people in the beginning to remind us of His faithfulness.

The last week of school for me was crazy: finals, packing, checking all my girls out of the hall, saying goodbye to friends and fellow RAs, still making phone calls about our upcoming deadline, still worried about the $3,000 left to come in. God is faithful. I made it home to some much needed rest. I had the opportunity to catch up with Lindy and spend some good time with her. Every day God was teaching me more about Himself, His faithfulness, His wisdom, His unchanging nature (I re-read The Knowledge of the Holy by Tozer). The more I focused on who God is the more peace I found. I realized that I will never be disappointed by trusting in God, even if things turn out different than I expected. If I follow God's plan, whatever it may be, I can have peace. God's plans, like Himself are wise and flow out of His wisdom and goodness and desire for my best interest. Enduring peace set in with one week till the deadline. I had the privilege of being prayed for in person by several people of great faith who I look up to. We continued to pray boldly and trust that the Lord would provide.

Through the generous and often unexpected support of peers, co-workers, arents, church family, our church corporately, as well as support from my own team mate (!) I saw all my money (plus $300 extra) come in by the deadline. $2500 came in in one week! Praise the Lord. He gets all the glory for that amazing work.

Lindy still had $900 to go. We continued to pray that the Lord would provide 100% for her as well. We waited. As we went into the last weekend before she had to wire money to the office in Chicago (this past weekend), she still needed $700. After the first service of Commissioning weekend, a woman, who we didn't know before, said she was touched by Lindy and felt that God wanted her to give money to her. She handed her a folded up check. When we opened it a little while later we were shocked to find out that the woman had handed her a check for $500! Our God is not intimidated by the barriers we face. He is more than able to provide. Over the course of the rest of the weekend more money came in for each of us, and Lindy ended up going over $300 as well.

Praise God for His willingness to bless His children. Early on, when I was stressing over our lack of financial support a friend from school reminded me that sometimes God chooses to bring in support at the last minute to teach us to trust Him and remind us of all that He can do. This sets us up with a strengthened (super-charged)faith as we go into our time of service for Him. Amen to that. Now that we have seen the Lord provide in no less than miraculous ways, we are prepared to see Him work miraculously in student's hearts. We are going into the summer with that amazing work fresh in our minds and on our hearts. God is faithful again and forever. Praise Him with us.

Mary

for the MaryLindy team :)

I can't really bring her with me

Here's the Hynes way of testing the weight distribution and strap tension on a pack. Convieniently I have a little sister (Elizabeth, 10) who weighs the same as my limit. Hopefully my real pack won't be that awkward to carry or as giggly...ha...little sisters :)

Eight Days From Now...

Eight days from now, May 28th, 2007, we will:

-Experience the privilege of going through airport security
-Have our backpacking packs packed (say that 10 times :)
-Pray that my bag meets the weight limit (I am a notorious over packer...just because it is harder to decide what to bring than to bring everything)
-Have tickets and passports in hand read for our glorious non-stop flight to Frankfurt (only 9 1/2 hours, international travellers know how nice that is :)
-Say good-bye to family and friends for three months
-Begin the adventure God has set before us with eager anticipation and ready hearts

We are so excited, Lindy and I have exchanged quite a few looks asking, "Is this really real?" Eight days from now we'll know it is. Stepping on a plane makes things seem more real. At least officially real, whatever that means. God has done so much in us and for us these last months to get us to this place. Later I'll share some of the back story... until then

In the peace of Christ,

Mary for the MaryLindy team