Switzerland: A Weekend in Wonderland

(By Jed)

I wonder if we will get our visas?

I wonder if we will have to meet my parents in Poland, should the whole country destabilize?

I wonder about Swiss cultural norms?

– Am I holding my fork properly? I wonder how to say thank you?

– Do I make eye contact with strangers, servers, police?

– Do Sandra and Walter know how blessed we feel by their kind and generous hearts?

– Have we honored and thanked them properly?

I wonder what this chocolate will taste like?

I wonder when this cathedral was built? How many people have met with Christ here?

I wonder how Seth is doing? Does he miss his daddy when he wakes up at 1:36am?

I wonder what it feels like to see the world as a Swiss citizen? What is the Good News to them?

I wonder who thought of making shopping carts that go up escalators? Seriously, clever.

I wonder if all my mates in Ukraine know I am praying with them during all this tension?

I wonder what going to church will be like in Switzerland? I wonder if we will be able to share our hearts across culture?

I wonder what part of our journey will encourage others to say “Yes” to you, God?

I wonder if I can find that yummy dough ball near the train station?

This has been my running dialogue with God all weekend. I love to wonder and I love when my wondering leads me to better questions.

Well, I found that dough ball… three of them actually.

We have our Visas!

Thank you, Tobias, Sandra, and Walter! You made our weekend in Solothurn so much fun. Watching Kim and Tobias challenge each other in Wii Marching band was one of many highlights! Your home is a place of peace, your hearts are filled with passion for orphans with special needs and your arms were wide open to us! Danke, Thank you, Спасибо!

Pastor Reagon spoke a fantastic word on standing in the tension of the now and the not-yet of the Kingdom. We pray for hope, freedom and healing; we experience these “now” moments, and yet our hearts long for wrong things to be made right. We pray for dignity and love to be restored to orphans with special needs. We cry out for the “not-yet”.

Our hearts were encouraged.

For my mates back home in Ukraine, I am praying through passages in Isaiah:

O Lord, be gracious to us; we wait for you. Be our arm every morning, our salvation in times of trouble. -33:2

He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly, who despises the gain of oppressions, who shakes his hands, lest they hold a bribe, who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed and shuts his eyes from looking on evil, he will dwell on the heights; his place of defense will be the fortresses of rocks; his bread will be given him; his water will be sure. -33:15-16

Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not! Behold your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come to save you.” -35:3-4 (I dare you to read verses 5-10, it will blow your mind and bless your heart)

I wonder what we will see and do tomorrow?

-Jed

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