Day 5 (Prague, CZ)

Tada! Here it is the first blog from overseas! I'm sure you all are just antsy waiting for all the hilarious fiascos that have ensued. However, this blog isn't going to be about those just yet...

...This blog is going to be about wandering.

But before I get to that, let's start at the beginning: The scene is me alone in Hermia (my car) driving to work at Red Robin late last summer. I had felt for some time that I was supposed to be doing something great for God this summer, but could never put my finger on exactly what He wanted of me. I'd been squinting for so long trying to see the details of what God had in mind. (Mostly to make sure it all looked safe and profitable before I committed financially and emotionally to this enterprise.)

I was driving and praying aloud, getting pretty flustered considering I was trying so very hard to just do what God wanted and why couldn't He just make it clear already? I finally gave up. I said something like, "Fine. I'll just stop looking and if you want me to do something then I guess you'll let me know..." I wasn't driving 2 minutes past that point that it hit me clearly.

I had been given a love for the people of Prague. I always knew that, but somewhere in the squinting I had lost the big picture, the people. If God wasn't giving me a clear calling and opening to another people, then why was I doubting the love He had already put in my heart? I remember breathing a sigh of relief and laughing myself to tears as I thought how incredibly complicated I had made the most simple thing. I was going to Prague.

*Fastforward*

Since then it really hasn't gotten much clearer. Of course He opened the door for me to receive help from a mentor and several literary resources, but it was simple faith and focus on the big picture that has brought me to my current place: sitting on my bed in a rowdy hostel in the suburbs of Prague, CZ.

While this is not the most likely mission trip I've already been severely pruned, haha, I wish I could say easily. In the past 5 days God has showed me where I'll begin.

Day 1: God showed me how faith really works. Through several instances of the Holy Spirit's wisdom and occurrences that I could not explain, He's showed me just how much He can begin to use me when I really trust Him.

Day 2: God introduced me to holiness. The thought of being holy is common enough in my mind, however it has been reinvented these past days. Through experiencing peer pressure and the easy pull of social norms I more clearly saw the stark contrast between a lover of Christ and the world.

Day 3: God encouraged me about my own spiritual walk. Without having spoken evangelistically with the girls once they identified me as a Christian. While this may not seem like a lot, it really encouraged me as it can become so easy to think that you haven't grown in the Lord in so long. God opened the doors and all I had to do was follow through the doorway.

Day 4: God pointed out some more blind spots. There are several which have become evident however I'll only mention a few. The morning of this day I woke to find some of my property thrown away on accident by the loud cleaning crew. God let me see my own anger and evil reactions. Also, later that day He let me see just how much tunnel vision I had grown to accept. Seeing the demonstrations and opportunities open at the Globe Theatre, I saw just how much I had come to accept defeat in my goal: to combine excellence in theatre with reaching the lost.

Today: Today has been interesting...to say the least. Coming to the pension has been a breath of fresh air compared to stuffy London, however it is not all that safe to breathe easily yet. My first dinner I overheard several students talking about how they were going to convince another student to drink while abroad and how it was silly that he didn't already. He is a diabetic. God is showing me just how much lies ahead and I won't lie--it's intimidating. But God commands us so many times over in His Word to "be strong and very courageous." I've learned so much thus far and can only hope that the pruning continues and perhaps even helps to show others the love of my Christ.

In short, I've learned that this is not the vacation from struggles into a luscious white field to be quickly and easily harvested. This is the desert. And God has called me here to teach me and train me for what He has for me next. (Which, by the way, I have no earthly idea what it is)
I do love Prague but each day has and will be a training ground. I praise God that He's already fulfilling His promises and that, although I have none else, I have Him. And I have Him just as fully as I did in the States. And that gives me the courage to press on for the prize which is my Christ.

Pray for me,
~Elyz~

USA (Day -16)

So you all should know by now that Osama Bin Laden has been killed by the US Military. But that's not what this post is about.

This post is about my plot ideas for my upcoming screenplay which currently has no title. (I'm looking for feedback so please, please comment!)

I'll try to explain the general idea without giving away the good parts.

The story centers around a dying theatre company in (you guessed it) Prague, CZ. The theatre has been spiraling downhill because of the members' declining reputation as well as the declining economy in the struggling city. The previous cast and crew have left the theatre for more legitimate work and it has been kept up by a mostly homeless group of artists who live and work together in the theatre. We enter their world with a mysterious young Italian woman looking for purpose and, as far as we know, alone in the world. I won't give away too much, but the screenplay would highlight many characters in order to give flavor to the mix of artists. Each character has a story and will have a chance to show us how they got here before the end. Each character also effects the others like dominoes and changes the outcome, some for the better and some perhaps not.

That's all I can say without giving it all away. Haha, let me know what you think!

Na Shledanou!
~Elyz~