don't wait for the bread to rise

don't wait for the bread to rise.
take nourishment for the journey, but eat standing.
be ready to move at a moment's notice.

don't wait for the bread to rise.

the story goes that the israelites used unleavened bread on the first passover because they didn't have time to let the bread rise and to knead it and "properly" prepare it. since then, the time around passover is the "feast of unleavened bread." yeast is eradicated from the house, because if even one bit of yeast gets in the dough, it can infect the whole thing. my decision to come to slovakia was (for me) an easy one. before i even knew it was for sure slovakia, my answer was YES! i didn't wait to wonder or question myself. i felt the holy spirit calling in that still, small voice. i felt it, i listened and i responded with joy. i answered my call before any yeast - any doubt, any discouragement - could infect the dough. god called me to a journey that was unknown by paths i had not trodden, and i took a step forward in good faith.

take nourishment for the journey, but eat standing.

i remember throughout last summer trying to think of all the foods i would miss. both of my parents made a variety of their specialties throughout the summer, as i did my best to get all the foods in that i would miss for the next year. many of the meals i had were packed in to a full schedule of saying good-byes, running from meeting, to packing, to food, to packing, to meeting, to cleaning, to food, to packing, to sleeping. did i mention packing? it was a rush (and would have been no matter how much time i would've had), but i got the nourishment i needed to leave home.

in chicago, we got a whole different kind of nourishment for our journeys. we met, as all of the yagms together, in chicago for a week of orientation, a week of spiritual nourishment. we learned logistical stuff, of course, but we were nourished with practices that would keep us together and focused throughout our years. perhaps one of the best "nourishments" i got, was learning how to be. yes, that's right. be. i am a doer by nature, but throughout my life i have been learning as well how to be. being in slovakia involves doing (i read with the kids, i teach kids about jesus and the bible, i give kids math problems, etc.), but it involves a whole lot of being, too. being in the youth group, being with people, being in the family. it is a lot of spending time with people, and knowing that and how to be it, is the greatest spiritual nourishment i could have here.

be ready to move at a moment's notice.

throughout this year, i have had a variety of experiences traveling. many of the experiences have involved at least two weeks notice (such as the service trip i just got back from in velky slavkov with our youth group). some have been changes to an itinerary once the trip had begun (such as visiting a fellow yagm, kristy, in her village in hungary while we were already there for another seminar-just tacking on a couple of days). and some involved deciding the day of (such as stef's and my day trip to terezín while we were in prague). no matter the notice (and whether or not i actually was given notice earlier and just didn't understand what they were saying is beside the point), i have done my best to be ready. in my effort to experience and know as much of slovakia (and central europe) as possible, when an opportunity arrises, if possible, i grab it as it flies by and go for the ride. so far, my willingness and eagerness to go with others has led to many memorable and meaningful experiences.

don't wait for the bread to rise.
take nourishment for the journey, but eat standing.
be ready to move at a moment's notice.