WWWW March 20, 2012

“Ok, here’s what we’re going to do. First, we should stand round in a circle – has everybody found their place? Good. Now, you reach out your hands to grab somebody else’s hand, but make sure that you hold two hands of two different people… Done? Good. Our objective for now is to undo this knot”, explains Tim the rules of our welcome activity. The biggest difficulty? At any moment, you’re not allowed to release your grip on the hands you’re shaking. On the other hand, it’s the best way to welcome people whose names have slipped your mind and to greet them again with a hearty handshake! Tonight we’re in the Sweet Surrender’s office and since a lot of us have showed up for 4W’s, it seems that there’s not much space left in the room… But who cares? We’re having fun, even though we’re squeezed and tied up in a new Gordian knot in the cramped office. After some effort, we find our way back to the initial circle.

Andrea leads us in worship, and I like these moments on Tuesday when I can just be here and praise God with other FoFers. Karoline prepared the word section – she wants to share with us one of her favourite Bible passages: Matthew 6:33-34. “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” It’s reassuring to know that even though our lives are far from being blissful and easy, no matter what happens God is and will be our provider if only we choose to put our trust in Him. One student notices that the promise of these verses doesn’t lose touch with everyday reality – for Jesus admits that each day brings its own trouble. What he offers isn’t a free from trouble existence smelling of roses and filled up with entertainment – but still, he guarantees that we can count on Him in every situation and, as a result, we have all reason to await future with hope!

After the short discussion on Matthew, Theresa asked us to turn a couple of pages in our Bibles to find Matthew’s last verses, in which Jesus gives us his Great Commission: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20) This time, we are to particularly focus on two key words, namely “go” and “all”. Jesus doesn’t want us to stay in churches and hang out only with Christians. We are to be his representatives in the world, a task implying that we spend time with those who haven’t heard yet of His Good News.

Tuesday night is when my soul gets some good spiritual food. Join us next time!

They are listening attentively...

...aren't they?

The One Where They All Get Crazy About Laser Tag

March 9, 2012 will be always remembered as the day we crossed laser beams – we went to Kinepolis (a leisure centre on the outskirts of the city with a multiplex and other attractions) to play laser tag! Everybody had two chances of becoming the laser master – one “solo” game in which everyone played against everyone and one team game, which saw two teams of terrific players struggling to get the higher score.

Tim became the ultimate champion of the second game, earning his Red team 5775 points. Too bad the final score was in the favour of the Greens...

Some of us felt as if they had rediscovered their second identity. We should have been born in the Star Wars era...

All ready for the battle?

4 W's February 21


The temperatures are on the rise and the winter seems pretty decided to let go. This Tuesday we met for 4 W’s in a bit unusual circumstances – as Sweet Surrender was booked up, we were promoted two floors up.

For welcome… well, actually, there were two “welcomes”. Kent, who joined us that evening to share the Word, showed us this clever little game where one has to cross out sticks arranged in rows. There are two players who play on turns: during your turn, you can cross out only one stick. You can’t let your opponent cross out the last stick in a row, otherwise he gets to cross out the whole raw, getting all the points. There is one good reason for which everybody should practice before the next week: Kent pledged himself to buy a ‘”kebab” to any person who would beat him!

Jocelyn (from Taiwan) debuted as our “welcome specialist”. She distributed sheets of paper and asked us to write vertically our names on them. To each letter of our name, we were supposed to find a word that describes us in some way. Sometimes having a long name can be really upsetting, especially if you don’t carry a Thesaurus on you…

For the worship part, Theresa asked us to do the same thing, but instead of looking for words to describe our own character, we were to find some that would describe God’s.

Kent led the word part. As he put it, he wanted to “give us some of his cooking so that we could taste it and see whether we would like him come back to have him cook some more”. That was an ambitious dish that he had prepared for that evening… an overview of the whole Bible story! On sheets of paper with the books of the Old Testament (subdivided into three groups: historical, prophetical and didactic), we were to discern the key themes for each and every one of them, and distinguish the thread that links one book to the other. Certainly not an easy task, but it helps to look at the Bible from a wider perspective.

The last part, witness, was Tim’s debut. He spoke about his latest discoveries inspired by 1 Corinthian 9:19-22, where Paul says: “For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. (…) I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.”

After the meeting at Sweet Surrender, we went to the railway station to share some food and hot tea with the homeless.

Touching Lives

Breaking into groups

A thermos or two...?

The temperature was 20 degrees Fahrenheit (-7 deg C) outside and only a bit warmer inside.  A group of students met under the departure sign in the train station and formed three groups.  One group approached a few people at the back of the station who were seeking shelter and warmth in the one of the few buildings that is open late and allowed them inside.  As a young college student pulled a sandwich out of her purse, a young man pulled a thermos out of his pack and poured hot water into a plastic cup with a tea bag in it.  Another guy, knowing the importance of sugar with tea, followed the cups of tea to offer a teaspoon or two of sugar.  The people seeking shelter and warmth in the train station welcomed the sandwiches and the hot tea (with sugar).   One lady after receiving some bread and tea, broke off a piece of bread and asked everyone in the group to share it with her.  A slice of bread was passed among the group standing with this lady.  The bread was broken in fellowship together followed by prayer, “Lord, please help this beautiful woman see that You can help bring about change in her life.”

After breaking bread together

On the ride back to the dorms, students were asking questions:  Where do we go from here? What can we do next? How do we help people change?

Hot tea and sandwiches

These students dove into something that took them outside of their comfort zones, and looks like it could go further.  One gal at first didn't want to come to the train station, but in the end said that she was glad that she came even if she felt afraid.  It was great to be with these students who took a break from warm dorm rooms and studies to reach out to those in need, showing the love of Christ.  And the best part of all?  The idea to do this came from the students themselves!  Cool, eh?  Maybe you can join us next time.....

Murder Mystery Dinner !!!

It was time for our 27th High school Reunion!

We had a great evening seeing old classmates, friends, and enemies... and what they have done with their lives.

Unfortunately one person wasn't liked by many and it cost him his "life".   

(Who died???? see pictures below)

Who was the murderer ?? 

Was it the math team captain who is now a financial wizard with millions?
The valedictorian who refuses to let anyone top her? Ever.
Or possibly the class president who is now a U.S. presidential hopeful? 

(see below)

(Nick Nixon - class president and Nancy Nixon - class V.P)

(Joe - the jock, Natalie - the cheerleader)

(Pamela Abdul - the pompom captain)

(Mike Majesty - the prom king and Mallory Majesty - the prom queen)

(Cindy Crawfish - the class flirt)

 

(Judd Jenson - the class stud) 

(Bailey Babble - the class gossip)

 (Steve Spielson - audio visual squad leader)

(Molly Ringworm- the drama queen)

(Bobbie Bright - the valedictorian)

(Randy Reporter- the newspaper editor)

 (Byron P. Keaton - the math team captain &.Myra S. Keaton- the math team cheerleader)

(Terry Johnson - the hall pass monitor)

(Sally Sax - marching band & Danny Drums not in picture))

(B.A. Barricade - the punk)

(Sam - Student Counsil)

(Micky - Honor Student)

(David - Math Team Member)

(Christi - band member)

 After everyone got reacquainted the lights went out!!!! When they came back on this is what we all saw......

Steve was DEAD!!!! 

Nick tried to revive him ... but it was too late.

After another hour of talking with each other, sharing evidence, and sharing others dirty little secrets, Terry was able to conclude who the killer was.

It was .....

Molly Ringworm- the drama queen !!!

It was truly a reunion none of us will forget !!!

 

 

 

 

4 UUs (as in... unbeatable underpinning)

This Monday winter seemed to be bent on laying its claim on the dark weeks of January by unleashing its charges of snow, but it lost its spirit on the very next day after the attack – with the streets all covered with muddy slush and the humid blows of wind, “nice” is the last thing one could say about the atmosphere outside. And so, we were few to meet at Sweet Surrender for our weekly meeting with God and each other. Karoline initiated the evening by suggesting a game of names. As we were beating time with our hands, one person was saying their name and somebody else’s name to the rhythm. When you heard you name, it was your turn to call out one of the players… but the real difficulty wasn’t to know each other’s names (this we did), but to fill in the limited time between one clap and another. This challenge can really wake up your brain after a day of work at the uni.

After the warm-up, Andrew suggested that everybody exchange a couple of words in private with God. With silent music playing in the background, it was one of these extraordinary moments when one tunes out all the other voices in their head just to stay focused on the one of the Creator. What is he for us? Everything we’ve ever needed. The Provider. The Father. The One that never gives up on us. The Merciful. The Deliverer. The Reason for which we live.

Unfortunately, it turned out that our speaker wouldn’t be able to make it. But we still had a blessed time listening to Esther sharing her reflection on God’s amazing grace. To illustrate it, she cited a passage from Psalm 78 verses 38 to 39, where it says that even though “the people’s heart was not steadfast toward God (…) he restrained his anger often and (…) he remembered that they were but flesh, a wind that passes and comes not again”. We came to a conclusion that grace is simply something that we, humans, are by nature not capable to understand. There’s always this feeling that we should earn forgiveness, whereas the reality is less complicated – it’s there for free, and we’ve only got to ask to obtain it.

I don’t know what about others, but as for me, when I went out to face the cold winter, I felt charged with positive energy burning inside me, as if I had drunk the best mulled wine ever!

PWCGHM !!!!!! - Polish World Championship of Gingerbread House Making

There was a spark and then all was dark!!!!! 

That looks perfect!

Very detailed wall work!

Top secret design

  

Yes, in the midst of the PWCGHM the electricity went out.  Later when interviewed, Eirik commented that he had seen such things happen in other homes, but this had never occurred in his own home. In the end he determined it was due to the extra charge in the air from all the creativity going on this year for the PWCGHM!  To make things more interesting, of course, only part of one gingerbread house was already baked.  This meant that other homes were only “half-baked” or not baked at all.  Oops!  I see that I’m getting ahead of myself.  Let me step back a bit. 

Cutting out the parts

House in the raw!

The night started out with 3 teams being formed.  Each gathered in different parts of Ytterlands’ place to design and plan their gingerbread house.  Next the dough was rolled out, plans traced and dough cut out.  Some teams did some creative finish work on the wall pieces and each cut out at least one door and window.  Creativity was strong that evening, as one gingerbread home was even planned without front or back walls, another had a fence, dog and tower, while another had a Christmas Tree!  

Adding the color

Glue you too!

Once the electricity was back on, our gingerbread consultant, Eirik the knowledgeable of all things gingerbready, melted a batch of sugar that became the glue that held each part of the baked pieces together (& a few fingers too!).   Then the evening took on color as white glue-like frosting was added to the gingerbread houses along with dark and white chocolate and colorful candy pieces.  The effect of each home is hard to express, so I’ll let the pictures do the rest! 

The champions!

The team that worked straight through the dark making sure their walls were ideally designed and created before being baked was the winning team composed of Laurie, Kriszti, Piotrek & Kaja!  Congrats!!!  Thanks to all who came for a great time and to Eirik and Coralanne & cucumber for hosting us!!!!