Encounters, Volunteers, and Doctors

Hello everyone,

This is Josh. Meg has been giving all of the updates since we began our blog, but this week I thought I would give it a shot.

In the last couple of weeks things have really been on fast-forward. The football team that I have been practicing with is really starting to pick up. Meg and I went bowling with one of the guys from the team and his girlfriend last weekend. It was a great chance for us to meet a couple our age here in Estonia. They were a lot of fun, and we hope to be able to see them more in the future and continue to build a relationship with them. We also have recently met an Estonian girl who was excited to not only get to know us, but to also "swap" languages with us.

This week there is a volunteer team in from Houston, Texas. They have really been great to work with and get to know. We have spent the majority of the time walking around lifting up certain areas of the city. They will also be helping with the Franklin Graham Hope Festival that is here this weekend. Please be lifting up this event. One of the couples on the team has a son who is transferring to NSU to play QB!

We have also made a few trips to the doctors recently. Next week I will go for ultrasounds to try to figure out what is going on with my stomach. Meg also has been having some pains in her jaw area. Hopefully that will go away with some anit-biotics. We covet your prayers for us during this time.

If you have any questions for us, do not be afraid to e-mail, facebook, skype, etc.

"I was like Hulk Hogan, except not green..."

I've mentioned that we've been playing quite a bit of sports here. On Monday we went and played soccer. I think I mentioned that I'm really bad at soccer. I was dribbling the ball, and had an accident. I kind of stepped on the ball, and then that leg kind of slammed into the ground, and then that knee kind of popped, buckled, and went the other direction than the rest of my leg. Kind of a bummer. So I went to a general practitioner yesterday, and I'll be going to a specialist today to get an MRI. On the bright side, it feels a little bit better everyday. I can put weight on it and get around fairly well. The doctor yesterday thinks it's probably a tear, but I'm hoping maybe it's just partial, or something.

Another bright side, Josh has been feeling a lot better. We really appreciate your prayers on his behalf.

Tonight we go to a friend's birthday party. The same friend who provided the title for today's blog. We're pretty glad to even be invited. Birthdays are a pretty big deal 'round here.

Good things are happening with the football team; we've got high hopes.

Keep on praying!

Palun mulle "hotdog."

Things are blooming, AND green, AND there are leaves on the trees! Yesterday, I took an awesome walk through the park and ended up at the beach. It gave me one of those, "Wow, I live here!" moments. Those are fun.

Now that he's able to recognize a little more Estonian, it's dawned on Josh that half of the football team can't communicate to each other, at all. A third of them are Russians, a third Estonian, and a third English/Dutch, but practice is held solely in Estonian. So, there's a lot of confused looks, shrugs, and pointing. All that, plus two-thirds are learning the game for the first time. But, one way or another, he's getting to know some guys (ironically, many speak English quite well).

Minor victory of the week: Josh ordered a hotdog, entirely in Estonian.

In a few weeks, we'll have our first volunteer team coming to prayer walk sections of the city where we'll be starting our outreach ministry to prostitutes/trafficking victims. At the end of the month, Franklin Graham will be coming to Tallinn for the Hope Crusade. The tickets for that have already sold out, which is totally exciting. Please be in prayer for that, for the football team, and for one specific friend who we're hoping will come.

Funny things happen in Estonia. We were at a park beside the beach in Tallinn, playing basketball with some Estonians and some Finns. We invited a really tall Estonian guy to play with us. Turns out, he was a professional basketball player for the Estonian national team. That's the beauty of living in a small country. You never know who you are going to meet, and how that person might completely dominate you in a "friendly" game of basketball.

Along the line of random encounters, last week we had a really spiritual conversation with a group of Latter Day Saint missionaries from the US. We got the chance to tell them the differences in our two religions, and to share our testimonies of coming to faith.

Otherwise, Josh has been playing some American style football with the (one) Estonian team. He's getting to know the guys, and teaching them a little about the game when opportunities present, (as they don't have a whole lot of experience). Sometimes, as conditioning, they'll put a monstrous, pot-bellied man on their backs and run around with him. Once, a player dropped the football in the huddle and one of the other guys screamed, "FAMBLE!" and initiated a dog pile on the ball. It's all very professional!

Hopefully, in all of our weird activities and chance encounters, we'll get to know a few more people, build some deep relationships, and be presented opportunities to give the reason for the hope that lies within us. That's something to pray for.