A Christmas Reflection

Kara's house at Christmas time, originally uploaded by cutjas.

Hello,

It has been a busy couple of weeks for myself. I traveled to Budapest and spent time with my good friend Viktor and his family. I was back in The Hague for about 36 hours and then flew to Minneapolis, where I am now for Christmas.

There were many highlights in the last couple of weeks. Visiting my Viktor in Budapest was really special. I love seeing where people are from and meeting their family, also, Budapest is a beautiful city. We had a great time together and I really enjoyed his family. The highlight of the trip was going to a hot springs bath with his mother and godfather. It was a complete surprise to me. This was just what the doctor ordered for helping me to relax.

When I was back in The Hague, it was a real whirlwind. I was in the office all day, answering emails, and making sure all the last minute details were being covered for our Christmas Gala, which went fantastic. After racing through the day, I spent a nice evening at the Perriman’s house with our theological discussion group. We had dinner, had a good discussion about the “real” meaning of Christmas and then, after everyone had gone, Andrew, Belinda, and their son Samuel all sat around and had a nice chat to end the hectic day.

I arrived in Minneapolis just in time for a huge blizzard and tempratuer as low as -22 f (-30 c). I loved it, I know its sick, but I love winter and this is one of the reasons I wanted to come home for Christmas. The first few days home were crazy, running around trying to see all my friends who were heading out before the holiday. I had a great time, but got very little sleep. All in all my time home has been very good, I am feeling the support of all my family and friends in what I am doing in The Hague, and also being able to enjoy our lovely weather as well. I spent part of Monday running around taking pictures of our beautiful snow covered city, it was a lot of fun.

Now we are on the cusp of Christmas day and my mind is filled with thoughts of the last year and all that it has entailed. This time of year makes me look back both at my faith and at the calendar year. I look back to a year ago and wasn’t even sure if I wanted to move to Holland, and now I am pretty sure I would like to stay in Europe for a more full time position.

A year ago I was stressed out about relying on other people generosity to support myself, but now I see how God truly uses the whole body to accomplish his work in this world. I have been able to see how my friends who are working so hard in their jobs are able to partake in a ministry 4,000 miles away, blessing people they will probably never meet. It has been a hard and challenging year, but also one of the most rewarding to date.

I look ahead with excitement and anticipation as to what is in store for me next. I am constantly being challenged in my faith in God and my understanding of how God works in our world. I love being home, seeing family and friends, but also I can’t wait to get back to Holland to keep working. It has been a long time since I had this kind of motivation in my life, I can see that this is where God wants me to be.

I want to thank everyone who has prayed for me, supported me with money or encouragement or gifts. As I look back the most humbling part of this last year is seeing so many people believe in what God is doing through me. I am still amazed by how people have helped to bring me to this point. I pray for you all and will forever be in your debts. There is not a day that goes by that I don’t wish everyone who has helped out could see what God is doing through their gifts and prayers. Know that all your help is making a difference half way around the world.

Grace and Peace to you all in this Holiday Season,

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year,

Jason Cutshall

Seeing my purpose

B&W Street puddle, originally uploaded by cutjas.

Hey,

It has been another full week in The Hague. I went to a Delirious concert, enjoyed Sinterklaas, attempted to do some Christmas shopping, and was able to call home and hear how everyone is doing. Despite having a busy week, I was still able to play in my second SEV Football game, and scored my second goal in as many appearances. Needless to say I am having a lot of fun!!

I am looking forward to the next couple of weeks; I will be traveling a lot. First, this Sunday I am headed to Budapest, Hungary to see my friend Viktor. I will be there for 3 days, relaxing and spending time with a good friend. After that I am in The Hague for one day and then fly to Minnesota to spend Christmas with my family. It will be a crazy couple of weeks, but I am looking forward to seeing friends and family that I haven’t seen in a couple months. I can’t wait to take my sister’s dog Dakota to the dog park, go and get some good buffalo wings from Maxwell’s with a couple buddies, and have a good ole Swedish Christmas Dinner (no pressure mom).

In the middle of the week I went to see Delirious play here in The Hague. I haven’t seen Delirious in concert in a couple years and I had forgot, how much I like their shows. This sadly is their last tour, because they are breaking up and heading in new directions. The concert was entertaining and fun. There were some very moving parts when they spoke about their travels to Africa, India, and South East Asia. Hearing about how their “eye’s were opened” to some of the atrocities that are going on in our world and how they did/are responding to these as best they can. I was struck by their wisdom and intension to really think about how they can help people in these parts of the world.

The most powerful part was in the afternoon, during the Q & A time that Delirious had before the concert. For the most part this Q & A was quite boring, but one of the last questions asked to Martin Smith, The lead singer, was, “how do you lead worship, despite being tired and not wanting to do it.” Marting responded with a great answer, he said, “This is what I was put on this earth to do, how can I not do it?” Martin didn’t leave it at this, he qualified his answer with examples of how there are many time where he didn’t want to do a concert or something happened in life that would have taken his attention from leading. For me it was this simple answer of this is what I was put here to do.

I found this a powerful example, Martin knows what he is here to do and can cling to that. It is a powerful thing to know what you are put on earth to do. Whether you were put here to be in a band to make music, do accounting for an organization or a business, or run a food shelf. If you know what your role in life is, what your gifts are that you bring to this world. That is a powerful thing and it can help you to see through hard and difficult times. I remember a quote from Michael Jordan (MJ), he said, “One of my most peaceful time is when I am on the basketball court.” MJ gave many reasons for this, one of which is that this is what he was here to do. Compete, despite the fact that most people would crumble under the pressure of having to perform at the level he did, MJ thrived under the fact that this is what he was put here to do.

For me, it has been a journey to figure out what I am here to do…well more of struggle. I have know for a while what I am here to do, but didn’t want to acknowledge that. The last couple of months have been great, in the fact that I am doing what I am here to do. This doesn’t mean that I don’t have any questions, never waver, or am not freaked out about the future. What is does mean is that on those days I don’t want to get out of bed or feel as though I am accomplishing nothing. I can remember regardless of all that, all the externals, I was put here to do this and what else can I do other than what I am here to do? As I look ahead to what I am going to do next, I have found comfort that no matter where I end up I know what I am to do, lead.

I have been making friends here from all around the world, it has been a blast to one night hang out with a family from the Island of Curacao, then next talking with a couple from the Philippines, and finish it off with a call from my friend Rasmus in Stockholm. I have been learning a lot about different cultures and customs. One I learned was that in Curacao they have a dish called “cheese balls.” I was excited, because they were somewhat similar to “cheese curds,” but made with shredded cheese instead of a solid piece. I ate about 20 of these…yeah it was awesome!!

Thanks for all you encouragement and prayers,
Jason

Prayer requests:
Health – I am finally getting over being sick. I am a little worried that all the travel will take its toll on me, but pray I will be wise and get enough rest to sustain my health.
Sweden – I am having very good discussions with Kevin Johnson about next steps in life. The conversations have taken a turn into some deep areas of life. Pray that God will lead us in these areas to tackle some hard issues regarding my life and where its going.
Christmas Gala – Our Christmas Gala is coming together in a very smooth way. We have had a great response from people and all the details seem to be falling into place. Pray that it is a great party!!
Leading – I am in leadership in several areas now. Pray that God will protect me from any attacks and from myself. Pray that I will use wisdom and discernment in my life and leading. I am loving all that is happening right now and want to cover my bases when it comes to spiritual things.
Home – I am very excited to go home and see family, pray that it will be a good time with family and friends. A peaceful and encouraging time.

Illumination (a two month reflection and other stuff)

Illumination, originally uploaded by cutjas.

Hello everybody,

Well, as I have learned many, many times before that if you don’t slow yourself down nature has a way of doing it for you. This past week was relatively quiet, not because there wasn’t going on or because it didn’t have a lot to do, but because I was sick. I caught a little flu bug last Wednesday and have been fighting it ever since. I am sure you will all be glad to know that it did not stop me from have a good ole American Thanksgiving dinner.

Even though on Thursday I was in bed all day long, I mustered up the energy up and headed over to Kevin and Kathy Johnson’s for a big Thanksgiving feast. We had ten people, two dogs, and one well-prepared turkey. It was a blast of a day, where we played games, ate food and enjoyed some good company. We also had folks from all over the U.S., Minnesota, of course, Texas, and Georgia. It was fun to sit around and talk about the different traditions each of our families had.

Having this holiday also forced me to brush up on the history of Thanksgiving. It seemed that every non-American I met asked me what is Thanksgiving. It was refreshing to remind myself of where this all started and why we continue this day of thanks.

Also, last week I said, “good-bye” to my new friends Barry and Allie. They are a couple from the US, who I met at Crossroads and realized that Barry is from Minnesota (Plymouth) and was friends with one of my friends (Jason Smith, Brian Post). We hit it off right when we met and even though it was only a month that we knew each other I appreciated their friendship and the good times we had together.

It’s that time again, winter, cold, and sickness. I have been sick for about a week, I now have my energy back, but am still feeling flu-ish. It is always challenging for me to be sick, I hate not being able to think clearly and get my tasks done. Also, I never feel as though I am fully awake, which is equally frustrating. I spent most of the weekend in bed and read a little, but most of the time was sleeping. I wish I had a big spiritual reflection from this time, but I don’t and I don’t’ really want to make one up. I was sick, it sucked and I don’t like it, but I know that the rest has done me well and is serving as a warning to not over extend myself, as is my custom.

I have also passed the two-month mark and reflecting on my time here I am very pleased. It is hard to believe it has already been two months. My time here as been full, at first full of newness, then full of getting settled in my new position and making myself useful, now full of working toward my goals for my time here. I have not settled into cruise control, but life has become normal. I love biking everywhere and the friends I have here a growing very dear to me. Even though there is more change on the horizon, I am settled here for now and am happy to be where I am.

The work I am doing is going well and I am excited to see it continue into the New Year. I get to, my job is to, meet new people, plan parties, connect people together, start small groups and study…I love this! My role here really fits me well, it is challenging and rewarding, which usually goes together…but no always. I am very blessed to be working with a great staff of people, who are also becoming good friends and to be developing good relationships here in the community, from my small group to my Dutch football team, I have felt welcomed as a friend.

From the beginning I have challenged myself to bring what I have to serve this community and it is humbling to see how people have received who I am and to see how God has used me in people lives. I know that in the near future there will be new challenges and hardships, but I welcome them, for that is where the real growth comes. I can safely say that at the two-month mark I am doing well, enjoying my time here and look forward to the rest of my time in Den Haag.

Thank you all, Happy Sinter Klaas!! Happy Thanksgiving!!

Jason Cutshall

Prayer Requests:
-Finances: I am close to having all my money for this trip to be completed and to give me a bit left over to stay on my feet when I return home in May, but I still need around $5,000.00 more dollars to be totally covered; between now and May.

-Perriman’s: As some of you know my current host family is in the process of moving back to London. This is a big transition for them, and myself, so pray for Andrew and Belinda as they transition back to London and enter new jobs and a new church home.

-Small Group: I, along with Christiaan and Eva D. have started a small group here in The Hague, we had our second meeting this past Monday and it went very well. Our group is very open and we get along quite well. Pray that we will be challenged in new areas and that we would be focused on what God wants this group to be.

-Me: I am still a little sick and need my energy back. Also, details of life, I will be traveling a lot in December and it will be a busy month for me, I need good time management and rest. The future, what to do next, I know this will become clearer as I go on, but I need wisdom and discernment. Also, I am moving to the burbs of Den Haag that will be a transition for myself, because it is on the other side of the city.

Another Beautiful Day in South Holland

Prinses Mariestraat, originally uploaded by cutjas.

Hello everyone,

As my boss, Kevin, always says, “Its another beautiful day in south Holland,” normally he says this when it is cold and rainy, but today it actually is a beautiful day, clear sky’s, crisp air, and a bright sun. Riding my bike in to the office today I noticed in the clear blue sky some airplane tracks in the sky, it was a glorious scene and made the trip in a little easier.

This past weekend was a big weekend for myself. I played in my first ever-Dutch league football (soccer) match. Our game was on Saturday around 2:30, when the game started it was sunny and warming up…well during the game it rained once, hailed three times, and was friggin’ cold. It was a good game; I opened the scoring with a delightful header in the middle of the first half. Needless to say this made me the best friend of everyone on our time right away. We ended up tying the game 2-2. I had a lot of fun and am looking forward to hanging out with the guys more often. Hopefully, all my games go this well.

I know in my last entry I mentioned feeling a little homesick and missing Minnesota. Well that was cured on Sunday when it snowed here for about 7 hours!!! It was cold, snowy and gray, I loved every minuet of it. There is something special about the first snow of the year and this was a good one. Granted all the snow is now melted, that doesn’t matter, all that matters is that I got to see some snow, and bike around in it as well. My soul is now at peace.

This past Friday night I hosted a movie night at the Perriman’s house. Again, we had about 10 people and watched “Rainman”…definitely “Rainman.” I had never seen this movie before and I liked it a lot. The bigger piece was that we had totally different people show up, for the most part. That was good because I was able to meet more folks and grow the social circle here. We watched the movie and then sat around a talked for a couple of hours, until the last people left. I am hoping these Friday night gatherings turn into something more regular, to just get people together and hanging out.

Now for the weekly Basketball update, I was able to learn all of the kids’ names this past week, it only took me a little less than a month to do that. We had a practice, no game. The kids were very enthusiastic about playing. They are getting better and learning more every week. We are still trying to break the nasty habit of throwing the ball up in the air when a defender comes new you, but I will take what I can get at this point.

Walking away this time was a little different, technically this was my last time coaching, but I have decided to try and stay on and keep coaching if I can. I am growing attached to these little rascals, how could you not? It is such a break from normal life, going and running around with these kids, whether their biggest worry is if you got the same amount of candy as the other guy just got. There is something refreshing about that. I was able to reflect on the simplicity of life for those kids while I was walking back to the train station. Not to over idealize this, I realize they have stress, responsibility, and problems, as do I. But I haven’t been that excited over getting a piece of candy in 20 years, (except when I get Candy Dorhman’s home made caramels). That two hours has turned in to a little vacation in my week, where can shed off everything I am suppose to be and do, and just be a little kid excited to run around and get some candy.

Prayer requests:
Soccer: normally I don’t believe in praying for sports, I don’t think it makes sense, but God was with me this past weekend, I haven’t scored a goal in years, and it instantly tore down walls and opened up friendships. Keep praying that things go well, we all have fun and that I can be a good friend to these guys.

Small Group: We are meeting Monday nights, right now just getting to know each other and figuring out what topics we want to study. Pray that things go well and that we gel and grow as a group.

Living Situation: The Perriman’s are going to be moving back to London after the first of the year. I will be moving in with Steve and Michael Malon. Pray for this transition for myself and the Perriman’s as it will be a hard transition for them and hopefully an easy one for myself.

ME: I am entering a very busy time, as is everyone, the next month and a half. I will be traveling for about 15 days in December, planning a Christmas Gala, helping lead a small group, playing soccer; doing homework…do you feel bad for me? Just kidding. I love everything I am doing, but it is a lot. I need energy, focus and protection.

Thank you all for your support and prayers, I appreciate all the notes and care packages I have received.

Have a great week!!!
Jason

Sport Week in Nederlands

ADO Logo WEB[1], originally uploaded by cutjas.

This past week was filled with firsts, for me. My first time coaching a basketball team, my basketball teams first time playing a game of Basketball…ever, and my first time at a professional European Football (soccer) Match.

Let’s start with the Basketball team. I showed up to the gym with my friend and fellow coach Justin Powell. Our team as a little rag tag group of international students ranging in age from 8 – 10 years old. They come from India, Israel, USA, England, and Scotland. None of them have played organized Basketball before this team, which started 3 weeks ago. Our mission for the day was to prepare this team to play against kids that were older, more experience and basically a lot better.

We had about an hour of practice time before our first game and most of that was spent on teaching them how to set a screen. The concept didn’t really take at first and when the kids that were suppose to be using the screen to free them up actually were running away from the person screening for them, I knew this was a hopeless venture.

By this time our first game was about to start. I picked the first 5 to play and sent them out on the court like little warriors…well, more like sheep to the slaughter as it turned out. We lost, 20 – 2, but our goal for the game was not to win, but rather to get a shot off and we did that, so all the kids got a piece of candy at the end of the game.

We had a very basic defense strategy, stand under the basket, our basket, the basket we were defending, the basket the other team is trying to score on. As you can tell from the previous sentence, I had a hard time getting the kids to understand the concept of defense and offense. Eventually, we did manage to get a critical mass of our team under the basket, which I believed lessened amount of baskets scored against us.

The second game we didn’t fair much better, we lost 11-0. In both games our team didn’t give up, they didn’t pout, and they all kept playing hard, even though they had no idea what they were doing. It was a lot of fun. My favorite comment of the day was from one girl on our team, Phoebe. She told me that there were two boys on the other team that kept taking the ball right out of her hand. I informed her that this was legal and even encouraged by most people. She had a look of amazement on her face, and this was followed up by a comment from one of the mothers, who said, “well that seems a little harsh.” I realized there that we had a long road ahead of us in learning the game.

Still it was a great afternoon, I had fun, the kids had fun and even the mother’s had fun. This coming week we don’t have a game, but we are going to have a good practice, maybe we will learn that when a defensive player gets near you, its not the best option to throw the ball up in the air…

ADO Den Haag
This past Saturday I went to my first professional Football match it was ADO Den Haag vs Willem II. The game was fun; we sat near the Fanatics or Hooligans, as they are also known. ADO ended up losing in the final minute to an incredible shot, which we saw perfectly. The defender screened the goalie and the forward chipped the ball into the far corner of the goal out of reach of the goalie. At this point the air went right out of the stadium, it was a bad ending to a pretty good game.

This hopefully is the first of many games I will be able to attend. I went with a friend from the Crossroads Church, David Baak. After we went out and had a drink and listened to some good music at a local Pub.

Update:
I have found a new family to move in with. The Malon’s, I was over at their house for lunch on Sunday and it should be a very good fit. The house is further out than I live now, so transportation will be little more of an issue for me, but Steve (the dad) and Michael (the son) are both nice guys and I look forward to living with them. Thank you all for praying about this and I will keep you up dated on how thing progress.

Prayer Requests:
1) The feelings of being homesick are setting in. Nothing that isn’t manageable, but they are their.
2) I have been thinking a lot about my future and what is next. I am really unsettled about what to do after school and I hope that I can receive some direction and clarity in the coming months.
3) We start our new small group tonight, this should be a fun adventure I am very excited about doing this
4) I am in charge of planning a Christmas party for 20 – 40 year olds at Crossroads Church, we have a solid team of 9 people and things are looking good, but we still have to put everything together and pull off the event. Right now we are looking for a venue.

As always, thanks for reading, praying, and/or supporting me. I hope you are all doing well and I would love to hear from you.

Thanks,
Jason Cutshall

Keep on climbing

Staircase in Amsterdam., originally uploaded by cutjas.

This past week was jammed packed for me, I started helping coach a Basketball team for 8-12 year olds, I had my first practice for the soccer team I will be playing with, I voted, I went to a Willow Creek Leadership Conference on behalf of The International Justice Mission, helped collect boxes for the Christmas Child Program, I spoke, and participated in a Theological discussion Small group. Not to mention, meeting with the couple (Chris and Eva) that I am starting a small group with on Saturday, which was more fun than work.

Where to start? We have a new president-elect in the USA and that is always a good thing to get past the election. It was funny being over here in the Netherlands I had forgotten how historic it is that an Africa-American is going to be our new president. I was reminded of this from my father and pastor, who both lived through the civil rights times of the 60’s and my own personal looking back over U.S. history, regardless of political views or who you voted or didn’t vote for, this is historic that we as a country elected a Black man.

I continued my volunteer work with International Justice Mission (IJM) by manning a table at the Willow Creek Leadership Conference in Lelystad, just north of Amsterdam. It was humbling to see the response of people who were moved by the mission of IJM and want to get involved. There were Pastors and leaders from all over the Netherlands and people wanted to do everything they could to help, from Praying for the Mission to a group of young men who wanted to go and do a raid for IJM. I was very pleased to see how these people were willing to help those in need on the other side of the world. I am very excited to see what will happen with IJM Netherlands.

I was able to help collect boxes for the Operation Christmas Child and it was awesome!! Being able to see adults, kids, families come up and give gifts, which will be distributed to kids around the world. It was very touching. I remember two little kids a boy and girl, bother and sister, who were both so proud of the boxes they had shopped for and packed. They wanted to make sure that their boxes would be delivered to another child. It was very touching to see kids so young be so selfless and concerned for others. Needless to say this was a high point of my week.

Monday night I met for the second time with a group of people who are wrestling through theological questions. We shared a meal, which my friend Dirk and I prepared…mainly Dirk, but I cut vegetables. We ate food, had some laughs then engaged in a good teaching by Andrew Perriman. We covered many subjects and had some good conversations surround questions of theology and scripture. It was a good night of wrestling with tough questions of God, faith and life; we didn’t come up with a lot of answers, but had some profound thoughts along the way.

Sunday night we had a worship evening. Kevin had asked me to prepare some remarks for this service, nothing big just 5-7 minutes. The theme for the evening was wholehearted ness. I was very nervous, but have learned that if I am going to speak I have to distract myself right up until I am going to speak, that helps my nerves go away. I gave my talk; it was about the Shama (The Jewish Prayer in Deut. 6, Hear oh Israel, The Lord your God, the Lord is one…), the story of the widow who gave her last two coins (Mark 12:42-44), and some of my life. The basic point was that God delights in the simple daily obedience that we give him. As the widow gave her extremely modest tithe and Jesus us said, “…this widow has given more than anyone else…” I challenged us as individuals and a church to ask God what are our two coins we can offer to God. How can we make ourselves wholeheartedly available to God?

I was very humbled by the response of this talk. Its weird, when I was up there, I was so nervous, wondering why are all these people starring at me? Not knowing what people are thinking, I was very nervous and uncomfortable. After the service, I had people coming up to me and saying how much they appreciated the talk. How they found it very meaningful to them. I was even told that one man said, “that he went to the communion table for the first time in 30 years because of my words.” That was more than I could bear, I don’t know how to handle that kind of statement. I do not have an emotional category to deal with those types of compliments. Its two days later and I am still overwhelmed by how God moved in that service and worked through me.

I am not one who is looking to be in the limelight. After the service I started stacking chair, not because it was the humble servant thing to do, but because its what I know. It’s easier for me to go and stack chairs than stand in front of a crowd and share my heart. Those of you, who know me, know that I am more comfortable stacking chairs, swinging a hammer or sitting with a couple friends talking.

I do know that this is an area that God is challenging me to step out in and that despite my fears and nerves I have to be obedient. Whether people like it or not, its more about putting myself in a place where I know I have to rely on God and not just myself. This was a stretching and challenging thing for me to do, but I am glad I did it and I am looking forward to the next time I can share to see what God will do.

Well this was another good week in Den Haag. Till next time, “That’s All Folks.”

Jason Cutshall

Prayer Requests:
1) My cousin Zach is having knee surgery today, Tuesday nov 11th, pray for him and his speedy recovery.
2) I am part of a new Small Group plant, pray it goes well
3) We are planning a Christmas Party for Crossroads church, pray it is a good time of fun
4) Pray that God will continue to challenge me and that I will continue to grow
5) Pray for discernment and guidance as I figure out what to do next in my life.

Just a greek week.

Greek, originally uploaded by cutjas.

This week was a relatively quiet week for myself, which was nice and refreshing. I was able to catch up on sleep and get back to some work I still have to do for my degree. This week I was working diligently on my Greek homework. Trudging through it is a good way to describe my work. I have been averaging about 2 verses an hour, hopefully that pace will pick up. It is hard and draining, but I do enjoy the work.

It seems as though I have passed the “tipping point” and keep meeting more and more people. My social life is beginning to take shape as I meet more people. This is definitely a good and welcome thing. Being that I am in the small groups ministry here it is a necessary thing. I have met a couple and we are going to start a small group in Den Haag in the next couple of week. I am excited about that, they are a great couple and are very motivated to start a group.

We also had another International Justice Mission (IJM) meeting this past week. At this meeting we had more new people to help with the effort. I have to be honest it is quiet humbling to be part of this group. There was PR people, International lawyers, International journalists, and international businesspeople. Then there was me. Don’t worry I held my own, but it is humbling to see God bring all these people together for a purpose of Justice. We watched a part of the movie “Amazing Grace.” It was helpful in reemphasizing that freeing people from slavery is an essential task and I am growing more and more passionate about it.

I did have a shocking moment this past week. When I came out of our small groups meeting a guy came up to me. He said, “Are you Jason?” I replied, “yes.” He said, “I am a friend of Jason Smith and Brian Post.” Jason Smith was my freshman year RA at Bethel and has been a long time, somewhat distant, friend. I literally was in shock; this was the last person I expected to see. It was funny, I was speechless, which is not a place I find myself very often. Barry is only here for another month or so, but it was nice to make a Minnesota connection.

It is funny how you get in a mindset that everyone you meeting is going to be from another country or some distant land, then a person from your home pops up and it really shocks you, or at least it shocked me.

I also began playing Basketball this past week at the American School of The Hague also known as the ASH. It was fun, but I am so out of shape, I was sore for two days. I am looking forward to playing on a regular basis it is a very international group, most people are from America, but there are a lot from around the world as well. I am also starting this week to practice with a soccer team.

I know there was a request for some funny stories; I assure you all as soon as I embarrass myself, I will write about it and that for sure will happen. I find it funny how careful these past couple of weeks not to offend anyone or say the wrong thing. The funniest times are when people say things to me in Dutch and since I don’t know how to respond I just smile and walk away. This happens all the time on the bus or in line at the super market. I don’t know what to say, and feel like an idiot every time I have to ask someone to speak English for a simple conversation. I guess that’s all part of transitioning to a new culture.

I will say the church office has been one of the places outside of the Perriman’s home where I have really let myself be who I am. Ok, this is funny. The first week I was here in The Hague, I received a video of a worship band. The band was, to put it mildly, awful. I sent out a message to the staff saying, how much I appreciated they way they welcomed me and I wanted to share with them a little of where I came from. So I sent this link at the end of the email stating how this was the band from my church and maybe we could have them come over and play sometime. Here is the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-NOZU2iPA8

The staff loved it! And it was a good way for me to introduce my humor to the office.

Prayer requests:
1) I have been challenged by myself to structure my time better. Up till now I have had a lot of free time and now things are starting to get more busy. I need to create more of a set structure for my time to be more efficient.
2) Prayer time, I need to take advantage of the time I have to pray. It has been easy to get distracted, but I believe I have to buckle down and do some serious praying. Please ask God to assist me in doing so.
3) Small groups: Clearly God is moving people in our church to get more involved on an intimate basis with each other. Pray that we will be able to assist this as much as we can. Pray that as issues arise out of close relationships that God will be there to provide help and guidance.
4) Pray for protection for myself. As more gets put on my plate I will need protection. I know that things will get more stressful and I need covering to help deal with all that is to come.

I watched “Amazing Grace” last night and was moved by the fact that no matter what happened to William Wilberforce, sickness, people shouting him down, finances, loss of friendship. He kept pursuing this goal that God had called him too. I hope none of that happens to me, but I hope and pray more, that if anything does get in my way that God will give me the strength to press on through to the end.

Take care,

Jason Cutshall

Week 4

Prayer candle's, Amsterdam, originally uploaded by cutjas.

Hey all,

It was another full and exciting week. Honestly, I don’t know how many more of these I can take, just kidding. I love all these new experiences and wouldn’t have it any other way. Here is what went on this last week.

We had our “First Serve” sign up this past weekend. “First serve” was an opportunity for folks in our congregation, who are not serving, to have a chance to try out a ministry by serving once with no commitment. The sign up went well we had a good response of people who were interested in serving inside and outside of Crossroads church, which is very encouraging. Now the real work starts. We are organizing and getting people plugged in to their different service opportunities. That will take some work.

It has been good for me to help this initiative and see a positive response from it. I am excited to see people get plugged in serving and see how it changes them and changes our community. We heard a wonderful sermon from our very own Andrew Perriman about leaving our mark in the world. Andrew challenged us to be vulnerable as believers in the world and to make a statement about who we are as followers of Christ. This was a good word for myself and for our community here. If you are interested in listening to it, you can access the talk through itunes. Search for “Crossroads Church The Hague” or go to http://www.crossroadschurch.nl/ and you will find a link to the sermons. Be aware that there is a slightly “Dodgy” joke so you might want to be weary of letting small children and most barn yard animals listen to the sermon, other than that enjoy.

This past week we also had our “Thinklings” meeting. Thinklings is a gathering of Missionaries who wish to think through issues of the Christian faith on a more concentrated. The topic we had this past meeting was “What does it mean to proclaim ‘Jesus is Lord’ in a modern day pluralistic society?” I had a great time at this meeting; it was a fun exchange of ideas and experiences surrounding this topic. I presented on the church’s role in relation to “worldly power” and how the church as institution has to reject any type of power over positions that are offered to it by the world and that through this position of service as an institution the church will be proclaiming “Jesus is Lord”. I was challenged by several people on this topic and actually was able to change and refine my position a bit on this topic, which is what I was hoping to get out of this weekend.

We heard from people from all around Europe and even a professor from Trinity University in Deerfield Illinois. The weekend was filled with good conversations, challenging presentations and a lot of good time thinking. I walked away challenged, encouraged and very tired. I found this valuable because it is not that often that you can set apart several days to think about a pressing question. This was intense, but also was valuable for my work here in Europe.

Sunday went well I am starting to feel a little bit at home here. I can go to the Sunday service and I know people, I can see friends and people know me. I was happy to be able to walk around the service and the halls and see people that I could talk with and am getting to know. I am starting to “belong.”

With that belonging comes a level of responsibility. For instance, now that people know me, they can ask me for help, which I am more than happy to give. This Sunday I was able to help with the “Tear Down Team.” After the service we stacked chairs and packed up all the equipment that is used during a Sunday service. I honestly really enjoy this kind of work. I couldn’t do it every weekend, but I do like getting my hands dirty and doing some good ole manual labor.

While working I was able to meet Wim, a Dutchman who works with developmentally disabled children in The Netherlands for his full time job and helps tear down after the service on Sunday. He was a very gentle humble man this became clear right when I met him. We had a good time joking and working. I was impressed with his service mentality and his humble demeanor. This was a man who had spent his life-serving people, some of whom need a tremendous amount of physical help. I admired him and also was challenged by his life. While I don’t know if I could do what he does, I do know that I was challenged to do my part, the part I have been trained for and the part I am gifted in. This again brought to light my calling and challenged me to live out the life I had been called too, just as Wim was living out his calling.

Monday I spent the day with my good German friend Klaus. Klaus is a violinmaker originally from Hamburg, but now living in Berlin. Klaus had stopped by The Hague on his way to Paris to visit some of us CAI folks. Klaus is also a very humble man who loves people. Klaus is the type of person who has a friend in every town all around the world, and if for some outside chance he comes to a town where he doesn’t have a friend, just give him 5 minutes and he will have 10. Klaus has a way about him that draws people to him. He is not a big presence, but has a very gentle and inviting way about him, which is disarming and allows him to meet people everywhere he goes.

Monday was a great day. We went up to Amsterdam and met with a Swedish friend of Klaus’s, Michael. We spent a couple of hours talking, they were catching up and exploring what each of them had been up too for the last 2 years. I jumped in when I could, but mainly listened to their conversation. I had a good time making a new friend and hearing about what the two of them had been up too. We met in the YWAM café in Amsterdam, which if you haven’t been too you should check out because it was a magnificent café.

From there we went to the Graf’s house, also in Amsterdam. We showed up there and the beautiful chaos began. The Graf’s live in this tornado of a world that seems to work quiet well. They are some of the most hospitable and welcoming people I have met and today was no exception. We were there for 5 minutes when the invitation for dinner came; we ended up staying till 10pm (22:00). It was a fun night with great food, discussion, sharing, and prayer. Laina Graf is a professional caterer so a meal at her house is always a treat. I swear she could make dirt taste good. Fortunately, we had pork, rice, bread, and a few other things that were very tasty.

Both Phil and Laina have a way of probing into who you are as a person this causes me to reflect. As a couple they seem to be able to see things in you that are not evident when you look at yourself.

As Klaus and I drove back from the Graf’s to The Hague, I was reflecting on the day. I felt a distinct nudge toward Sweden. I keep meeting Swede’s, two now in one week. I don’t know if this is a sign from God or mere coincidence. I was sitting there on a highway from Amsterdam to The Hague, which was in itself not something I saw myself doing a year ago. What could be next in my life? This question I have been wrestling with over the past couple of months.

At this point I want to share some sad news. Two of my good friends have lost someone dear to both of them. Monica Holm’s father Bruce Elmer died this past week from cancer. Although, I never met Bruce, I know that Josh, Monica’s husband, couldn’t stop talking about Bruce since the day they met. Josh always raved about how Bruce’s abilities on the golf course and his generousness nature as a person.

I saw from a distance as Monica struggled with watching her father slip away over the past few months, virtually helpless. It was very evident that Bruce was a great man who loved his family and made a positive impact on those he met. I would ask that you keep the Elmer’s in your prayers this week, as loss is never easy. As the scripture says, “we laugh with those who laugh, and we cry with those who cry” and here we support those who mourn. Monica and Josh I want you to know that even though comfort seems distant you are not alone during this difficult time.

Danku wiel, Thanks,
Jason

p.s. I changed my settings so anyone can comment on this blog so feel free to share you thoughts, questions and/or challenges.

Prayer requests:
1) I am starting a ministry geared toward 25-35ish year olds. I need leaders and people who are interested in this age group. I am starting the process of gathering those interested. I wish that God’s spirit is driving this ministry and that we would be able to make a difference in people’s lives.
2) What’s next? Continue to pray about what is next for myself after graduation. There are lots of opportunities and I need some good discernment.
3) Monica and Josh Holm, as well as, the whole Elmer family for the loss of there father Bruce.

The Boil, The Computer, and The Assessor

Stain-glass window, Amsterdam, originally uploaded by cutjas.

This past week was filled with busyness. I came right out of weekend conference in Stockholm and had my day of misery (see last post). On Tuesday I was in the office all day and most of the night finishing up the artwork for the First serve ministry Fair we had this past Sunday. The First Serve Ministry Fair was a chance for people in our church to sign up for service opportunities within our church and within our community. It was a great success, but took a lot of work. I was in charge of making all the signage, graphics, and organizing all the ministry booths on Sunday morning. Thanks to some long hours and a lot of help from other folks we were able to pull off this event. I was happy with the way it went, which is always a good feeling.

During the week I was so tired. I have learned something about myself over the years. I learned that stress makes me very tired. I have friends and family that get stressed and can’t sleep, they are so restless; I am the opposite, I can’t stay awake, literally. As stress goes up my need for sleep gets out of control and this causes as much of a problem as not getting enough sleep. During this week I was pretty much sleeping and working, that was my routine. I also noticed that my body was taking a considerable amount of energy to heal from this boil I had contracted. All of this culminated with me sleeping for 10 hours Sunday night and then resting/vegging out all day Monday, but it was well needed.

This past Friday I made the short trip to Amsterdam for my formal Team Leader assessment with Laina Graf. This was fun to make the trip, I enjoy riding the train and I had a nice tram ride through the heart of Amsterdam, it was amazing to see the diversity in that city. I had a Three-hour interview with Laina and then was invited to stay for dinner. I did and am glad for that decision. Laina is a professional caterer and the dinner was incredible. I was also able to meet some of their friends and get to know their family better.

After dinner Phil Graf invited me to stay for his monthly poker game, again, I am glad I did. I was able to win 30 euro’s!!! This was fun, the game was myself, Phil Graf, one of phil’s neighbors and his coworker Vivian, then Stuart and Tione (Twan) who Stuart buys vans from. It was a good group of folks and we had a good night of fun. Seeing as this was my third time playing poker I was pretty happy to finish 2nd in that group. Honestly, my only goal was to win enough to be able to by my train ticket back to The Hague.
I ended up staying the night at the Graf’s and then headed back to The Hague the following morning. Once back in The Hague, I went to set up for the Ministry Fair and then went home to a shower and a good nights sleep.

I have noticed something that was new to me this past week. It’s been three weeks now that I have been gone and I am experiencing a little relationship withdrawal. I got a couple messages from friends lamenting that I am not around to hang out. Another one of my friends lost his dog (Norm, a 14 year old greyhound) and I was hard for me not to be around for these friends who I do miss.

I know that I am where God wants me to be and that this is part of the transition process, but it is hard and is something I will have to learn how to deal with. This experience has made email, chat, and online phones very important. The fact that I can communicate with family on a daily basis makes “not being there” a lot easier to deal with, still nothing can replace face-to-face.

With that said, I am getting to know people here better, I found a soccer team to play with. I was invited over to a Dirk’s house to watch Football (soccer) this evening. Last night I went with Kevin and Kathy Johnson out to a pub for jazz night. It was spectacular; the 5 piece Jazz band was really good and played an impressive show. It is funny how I am working on maintaining old relationships and starting new one at the same time, such is life though.

I did the announcements in front of church again this week it has been helpful to get some up front exposure to the church and for myself to get more comfortable on stage. I am currently working on a paper on the “Attributes of service” for a meeting we have this week called the “Thinklings.”

I have been monitoring my finances closely, as well as, keeping an eye on the current economic status of the markets. Who knew that being a missionary would also make me an amateur finance analyst as well? I seem to be doing well with money so far, thanks to folks at home and people here being so generous I have been able to keep my costs down, but I will still need to raise some more money to be able to stay until May 1st. Right now I don’t have a hard number, but I hope to be getting a better idea of that figure in the next couple of weeks.

I do have some prayer requests:
1) I am starting to move forward on organizing the 25-35 year olds in our church for social event, service projects and small group communities. Pray that God rises up leaders who have a desire to work with this age group. Pray that service projects arise and that we start to feel a sense of community around this age.
2) Pray for confidence. I have a lot to say, but have a big case of stage fright. I need/want to over come this, it will take time and effort, but I know eventually I will be able to speak that message I have.
3) Relationships – as some of my good relationships change and as I build new ones that I will be wise and diligent in my relationships.
4) Be praying for the IJM initiative that is beginning here in The Hague. There is a lot of passion around this topic of Justice and the anti-slavery movement, pray that we would turn that passion into action wisely.

I thank you all again for you emails, prayers, comments and questions. Its nice to have the interaction with everyone.

Take care,
Jason Cutshall

P.S. I did finish reading a book called “Murder in Amsterdam” this was a book given to my by my friend Steph (shout out!!). It was a really good book detailing out the contemporary cultural/political situation here in The Netherlands regarding the influx of new immigrants. The book was a good account of some murders’ of radical figures in the Dutch cultural/Political scene. I think that this was able to unearth some of the angst that is under the surface here in the Netherlands. I do recommend it for anyone who is interested in the challenges of multiculturalism/melting pots. This book raises a lot of good questions and takes a very objective reporter type approach, although I am not well versed in the Dutch pop Politics.

Heja Raz and Linds

Raz and Linds, originally uploaded by cutjas.

Heja (hello, in Swedish),

I had a jammed packed week. During the week Carolina (the youth pastor at Crossroads) and myself finished a rather nice flyer that we had been working on for a week or so. It was detailing out all the happenings at Crossroads over the next month and let me tell you there are happenings a plenty. The bulk of my week was spent working on the flyer. This had to be finished by Thursday, because I was off to Sweden on Friday.

I flew to Stockholm Friday morning for a conference put on by the Swedish organization EFK (http://www.efk.se/). The conference was focusing on the state of the church in Sweden. The conference was very informative and helpful in understanding the religious situation in Sweden. We saw several presentations by leaders of EFK about the history of, the present situation and future hope of the Church in Sweden, from a Swedish perspective.

EFK stands for Evangelical Free Churches. EFK seeks to unify the mission efforts in Sweden by unifing churchplanters and mission organization together to be more strategic. The state of the church in Sweden is very dire right now. One statistic that sums up the situation is this; in Stockholm (Sweden’s largest city at roughly 2 million people) there is 1 church for every 14,000 persons. That number is expected to grow in the coming years. What that means is that even if people were asking questions there really is no church presence there at all to join in the conversation.

There is a great challenge in Sweden, but there is also great things happening. We heard testimony of new people coming to faith in the existing churches. God is moving in Sweden. Even though Sweden is in one of its darkest hours, as far as, the church is concerned. I did go away inspired to see what God will do in Sweden.

If you wish to pray for Sweden the biggest needs are leaders and encouragement. After years and years of discouragement, the Swedish church leadership is very discouraged and needs help. This conference was the church reaching out to the world saying we need help here, as a church we are dying. It is a very humbling thing to have to ask for help for something, traditionally, you have done very well and that is where Sweden is. Traditionally they have been at the forefront of missions all around the world and now they themselves have become a mission field and are asking for help.

After the conference I was able to spend sometime with my good friend Rasmus and his lovely (and pregnant) wife Lindsay. It was very good to see familiar and friendly faces, Rasmus and I picked up where we left off, by having hamburgers and watching soccer. It was a good time to rest and reconnect with old friends, halfway around the globe. We spent Sunday walking around Stockholm and eating sushi. The trip was too quick, but we still cherished the time. If you think of it Rasmus and Lindsay are expecting a daughter in the next week or so, please keep them in your prayers.

The other major issue that was going on for myself was severe discomfort in my lower back. Since, last Friday I had been experiencing severe pain in my lower back. There was swelling and shooting pains. This baffled me the whole weekend, but the pain kept growing worse and worse. Until this afternoon, I had laid down for a nap and when I woke up I realized that this swollen thing had begun to discharge out of my back. At this point Andrew rushed me to the doctor and they diagnosed it as a boil, yes a boil! (http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/tc/boils-topic-overview)

At this point a little needs to be said about the Dutch medical system here. It is notorious for being quite brutal and that was the case. They don’t like to treat people unless its absolutely necessary and they don’t like to give anesthetic or antibiotics.

I knew things were going bad when the doctor said this, “ok, now we are going to spray a cooling agent, pause, ok, now I am going to make the incision.” At this point I almost stopped him, incision!!! Before I could I was experiencing some serious pain and could barley breathe let alone yell at the doctor. The Doctor cut into the boil and then began scrapping out the infected area. This created a sense of…well…pain.

As I laid their on the table clutching the wall with all my strength and shaking uncontrollably from the pain. The doctor said, “It’s a medieval disease, which requires a medieval treatment.” As you can imagine this comment did not raise my confidence in the doctor’s abilities. The doctor was kind enough at one point to pause, so that I could catch my breath, but then he went at it again and I laid their in the fetal position squirming and doing everything I could to not scream in agony.

In all fairness, the treatment was far cheaper than I am used too, but honestly I think I would have paid triple for it not to be so painful. I am feeling better, but I have to…well someone here has too, dress my wound each day. I can now say I have been through the hell that is the Dutch medical system and well it was an experience…a very very painful experience.

I was able to have a good laugh about it on the way home…after I stopped shaking that is. I wonder what the next week will bring, maybe an infestation of locusts or frogs will over run the city. One can only hope.

From one extreme to the other

Statue to the Unionization of Prostitutes in Netherlands, originally uploaded by cutjas.

As I woke this morning life began to feel more routine. It has been only a week and a half, but I seem to have arrived at a routine, which for me is a good thing. This past week I was able to sort out my main responsibilities and help out around the office as best I could. I am still getting settled, there is, however, no question that and if you asked me how to say “Schewingen” or tell you where this town is? I would have no idea. None-the-less, life is beginning to take shape here in Den Haag.

My main responsibility will be to help with the small groups ministry at Crossroads Church. I will be focusing on 25-35 year olds, helping them to get plugged into small groups, service projects, and helping to organize social events. I personally am very excited about this task and look forward to working in this area. Kevin, the lead pastor, has told me that this makes up about 40% of the church’s attendees and this group is motivated to get out and start serving the community.

I have lots of ideas of where to go with this ministry and what to do, but before anything can happen, I have to start meeting people. That is the focus of the next month for myself. I want to start meeting with people who are in and interested in that demographic. I do believe this is a perfect fit for my talents and passion.

Outside of work, I am going to be volunteering with the International Justice Mission Project (IJM) here in Den Haag. Crossroads and another church are working with IJM to help set up a Den Haag office. This is in its very early stages and is exciting to be apart of. IJM seeks to liberate slaves around the world through sustainable rescue and prosecution of criminals, specifically as a movement supported by churches. IJM seeks to be the justice arm of the church in the fight against slavery. If this interests you at all you can check out there website here: www.ijm.org or I have a link on the left hand side of my blog.

Personally, I was able to go be a tourist for a little bit on Saturday in Amsterdam, it was a lot of fun, but also a reminder of the tensions that exist within this culture. Not that every culture doesn’t have tensions or challenges, but I am here, so this is what I see. We took a short tour of Amsterdam, only about 3 hours or so. We saw a couple museums, got a brief history of Christendom from our own Andrew Perriman PhD (just so you know, he would prefer that I leave off the last three letters of his name, but I put them in for effect), and were exposed to all sorts of public extreme’s that characterize Amsterdam as a city.

The part of the tour that struck me the most was when we came to the oldest church in Amsterdam. Here you had a scene where the church was literally surrounded by prostitutes in windows. Outside the church was a statue commemorating the Unionization of Prostitution in Netherlands (pictured above). There was so many thoughts and emotions that this scene brought up for myself. I don’t know quiet how to express them here and now. What I saw was the physical church, enormous, powerful in architecture, daunting in size; it had a sense of untouchable ness by any human. This may have been the goal of the architect, if so this person did a fantastic job with creating a building that captured God’s overwhelming ness.

As you turn around you see windows, well doors, doors with windows in them. Dozens of them lined up right next to each other as storefronts; the street was curved so it filled your entire scope of vision. In the windows were prostitutes. In contrast to the church these prostitutes were extremely accessible. Regardless of any moral, ethical, or cultural judgment, what you have here is on one side a representation of a God who is seemingly untouchable and overwhelming, faced to face with prostitutes inviting and enticing.

This is our mission field. This is what we are called to serve and I am very challenged by this. I don’t believe this is a challenge for Amsterdam or even the Netherlands alone. Every city in the west has prostitutes, whether sexual or other, and more than not, every city has a representation of God somewhere in its town. For myself this was the rawest depiction of the gulf that the church has between itself and the world, which it is called to love and serve.

I have had little time to reflect on that event, but I will and I will keep in mind the gulf of reality that exists in our world between the church and people. I am excited to start my work here, to grow new friendships, charge deeper in my relationship with God and to serve the world around me.

I have had a week that has taken me from getting adjusted physically to getting unadjusted spiritually. As always I welcome your prayers, questions, and comments. Thank you all, again, for your support in all its forms and yes mom I have been eating my vegetables…vegetables made of chocolate that is!!! Haha.

The first few days...

20080929_IMG_0035, originally uploaded by cutjas.

The first few days here have been filled with kindness and generosity. It started with Kevin Johnson (the pastor I am working with) picking me up at the airport at 6am. It was nice to see a friendly face right away. The fact that he woke up and drove 45 min to come get me that early in the morning was very kind. When I got to the Johnson’s Kathy, Kevin’s wife, made us some fantastic omelets, which I enjoyed thoroughly. I have known the Johnson’s for about 7 years and this was a great way to start off my time in Den Haag (The Hague).

The second act was that of the Crossroads staff, they prepared a lunch in my honor, which some began to enjoy before I even arrived, because they could hardly hold back there excitement of my arrival…or they were just incredibly hungry. This was a time for me to meet all of the staff at both Crossroad church and the CAI European office. We had a great time getting to know each other and laughed a lot, which is always good. From there I sat in on a Crossroads meeting and was able to get a sense of what the church is hoping to do in the coming months. This was helpful to get myself in the mindset of their mission.

At this point I had been up for about 48 hours, with maybe a 2-hour nap in there and I was tired. We headed off to the Perriman’s house, which is where I will be staying for the duration of my internship. I was welcomed with joy, merriment and a bit of excitement, as they as here. Translation, they welcomed me with open arms. I got a quick look at my room and around the house, and then it was off to a dinner at Kevin’s.

Once at Kevin’s I got caught up on the Twins scores and was delighted/pumped to hear that they dominated the White Sox in all three games, yes, dominated. We then had dinner and I headed off to the Perriman’s. When I arrived Andrew and Belinda Perrriman were just sitting down to dinner, so I joined them and we took some time to get to know each other a little better, as I have met them before. I first met Andrew at a CAI conference, called Connect, over a year ago. We have been in a little contact since then. Andrew has visited Minnesota to visit with Greg Boyd, my senior pastor and then I saw Andrew and Belinda this past summer at the same conference. Where they offered me a place to live during my internship.

We had a good drink and some good laughs, then they went to bed and I went out and sat in the garden, outside my room. I sat there overwhelmed with tiredness, but also with the way I had been received here. The kindness and generosity of everyone was fantastic. Everything that everyone here has done has made my transition that much easier. I thanked God for where he had led me and prayed that my time here would be blessed and that I would be able to bless these people who have opened their lives to me in simple amazing ways.

It has been a few days since my first day, and I have been to a couple services, a grand party, which lasted until 330am and a trip to the beach. I am beginning to get my bearings here and my jet lag seems to be fading. I know this year will have its challenges, but right now I am in the honeymoon stage and it is very nice.

I will be praying for all of you back in Minnesota and around the world, as I hope you will continue to pray for me. Right now the biggest requests I have are surrounding how I will fit in to the ministry here. We are going to be meeting this coming week around this very topic. I have a few ideas, but we will see what happens.

Take care and God bless,
Jason

p.s. if you are on facebook look me up
p.p.s. please email if you would like: jascut@mac.com

Connect 08

Hello,

It has been a while since I updated and there has been a lot happening.  First off my total amount of support raised to date is around $8,000.00 US, which means I have enough to move over to The Hague.  Reaching that number has been a huge relief for myself.  I can now focus more on the ongoing support for the full 9 months.

Second, I just returned from Sopron, Hungary and the "Connect" Conference.  Connect is a week long conference for CAI, designed to help their missionaries connect with each other and receive from God.  The Key note speaker for the week was, my pastor Greg Boyd.  This was a special chance for me to see the message that God has given Greg touch others outside of our church community.  (If you are interested in hearing some of the talks from the week, you can download them from the itunes website, they are under "Connect" Podcast, Connect 08).

For myself the conference was a mixture of business and spiritual renewal.  I was able to nail down housing in The Hague.  Thanks to the incredible generosity of Belinda and Andrew Perriman I will have a place to stay, at least until January.  There is a chance that the Perriman's may be moving in January, but I will have ample time to find other housing.  I was also able to get a better idea of how I am going to be serving in CAI.  I have several options at this point and it will be a process of myself and the CAI staff deciding what would be best for my development over the next 9 months.

Spiritually, I received great teaching from Greg Boyd, Deb Hirsch, Linus Morris (founder of CAI) and several other CAI staff members.  Through the teaching, the worship, the prayer, and the community time I was able to regain my big picture vision of where God is leading me.  I am reminded over and over again how easy it is to get wrapped up in life that I lose sight of where I am headed.  God helped me to pick my head up and see what God is doing in Europe and where God is leading with in that work.  I have come back refreshed and renewed with energy and vision for the next year.

Prayer requests:  I still need more financial support.  I have reached an important goal of my initial sending off, but I need a sustaining amount for the whole 9 month term.  I was also struck by God to be in prayer about the next year.  This next year is going to stretch and test all of my being.  I am anticipating a very difficult year and I know God has a lot God wants to do in and through me, I want to be prepared for that.  Pray that I will be focused and mindful of God's presence everyday.  Pray that I will be able to reflect the Love of Jesus to all I come in contact with, for this is truly my heart.

Finally, I want to thank all of you who have and are supporting me, in all its forms.  I have truly been humbled by the prayer, money and encouragement I have received over the last 6 months it is almost overwhelming.  I can't put into words what it means to me.  I pray for you all that God will bless you in all that you do.

I want to say that this is not me going and doing ministry, but I see you all as partnering with me in the work God has.  I hope that as I move in the coming months that my connection with you will grow stronger and that God will be working in all of us.

Contacting me:

7130 Gerard Dr

Eden Prairie, MN 55346

Email: jascut@mac.com

skype: cutjas

phone 612-232-7145

please do not hesitate to contact me at all i would love to hear from you.

Thank you and Blessings,

Jason Cutshall

My support Letter

Dear Family, Friends, and Respected Acquaintances,

There’s a lot of wisdom in the well-worn cliché, “never say never” but, as we all know, wisdom like this is rarely wasted on the young.  It certainly wasn’t imparted to me as I made “my list” upon entering seminary.   Rather than a list of all the things I hoped God would let me do in ministry it was mostly a list to let him know what I’d never do.  I was never going to work in a church, be a missionary, work weekends and absolutely never “raise support.”  So, it’s as much a shock to me as it is to you that I want to share my decision to: join a church, on the mission field, for nine months and I desperately need your support.  (Never say never...)

Faith is a journey and my journey hasn’t always lead me places I expected or even anticipated.  I believed I’d be opening doors, but didn’t realize God would start with the doors in me.  I knew God was going to take me different places, but I didn’t realize the destination might actually just be the journey itself. I thought I was already free but am now discovering a new freedom in knowing what the creator created me for.  This journey is a gift to be given away and my quest has been to find how.  I’ve decided “how” is in serving the church.  However as I’ve prayed these last two years I’ve come to realize I would need a “where” as well.  My where is Crossroads Church in The Haag.

Crossroads church is a 10 years old thriving community of 300 believers in the Netherlands. This church has a heart for reaching out to their community through service to the community and the witness of their daily lives.  While at Crossroads I will be in assisting in several ministries that already exist, such as, Alpha, service evangelism and different dialogue based outreaches.  In addition to serving at Crossroads, I’ll be working in the European Office of Christian Associates International (CAI).  CAI is a church planting organization striving to plant Christ centered communities throughout Europe. Currently they have 28 church plants in different cities.  With CAI I will be assisting with organizational assessment of thriving churches to help understand their success and scalability to other church plants.  In addition I hope to aide in the strategic development of future church plants and supporting ministries.  After many years of anticipation and wondering, I can say with confidence, that I feel like this the next step of the journey for me.

Someone asked me this week what was the hardest part of this process.  I told him it was the support raising but not for the obvious reasons.  Its true, financial topics are never easy and I don’t think most people enjoy asking for money but that’s not really what’s difficult for me.  For me raising this support is hard because its where “the rubber meets the road.”  It’s where faith meets provision.  I can have this passion, belief, calling.... whatever you want to call it, but it means nothing if not backed and affirmed by the provision of God through my community.  My prayer is that as I try to muster the courage to stand vulnerably in front of you, saying here’s what I feel called to do, you courageously ask yourself, what do I feel called to give.  I can go nowhere without you.

Bluntly put, I need to raise $32,000, and that’s hoping the dollar stays strong.  The only way I’ll achieve this goal is not only through your prayerful and financial support, but your relational support as well.  Please pray for me and for Crossroads.   Please write a check as generously as you dare.   Also, would you please share my information with people you know? I really do pray that not only will you be blessed for supporting me, but you’ll truly feel apart of a work going on 4,000 miles away.  So, you have three options, you can pick any or all of them:

1) If you’d like to give me a one-time gift you can send it to:

    Christian Associates Int’l

    18950 Base Camp Road

    Monument, C0 80132-8009

    Reference my ID #50395 in the memo field of your check.

2) If you’d like to make an electronic donation you can click on the link in the top left corner of this page or go to:  www.christianassociates.org

3) If you’d like to talk about this adventure and what I hope to do in the coming year you can drop me a note at my blog, which is where you are now, and we’ll set up a time to get together.

Whatever you decide, please know that I value and appreciate what each of you have meant in my life and ministry and pray that we can continue to walk this road together.

Peace be with you,

JASON 

http://jasoninthehague.blogspot.com/

One Down

I have offically finished my last term paper for my seminary degree!!! It feels very good and is quite exciting. With that I have one major project down. The next step is fully starting to raise support. I have a support letter that I will be sending out in the next couple of days and then will continue contacting churches to seek support.

I had my 30th birthday this past monday and that was a lot of fun. Thank you to all who wished me happy birthday and to those who made it out to the party, it was a night to remember. I couple weeks ago I had the pleasure of driving around two members of the CAI theological team and sitting in on a meeting they had with Greg Boyd. This was an amazing experience to just sit and listen to the discussion that these great minds had. For most of the conversaiton I was just trying to keep up and it showed me that I have a lot more reading and thinking to do. This was a very encouraging experience because I was able to get a feel for where I could be of help with the academic side of CAI and it looks as though I will be able to make a contribution.

I have been challenged and excited about all that has unfolded the past month. Being approved by CAI, and getting a better idea of where I can fit into this organization has been a comfort to myself. With that it gives me a better idea of how to be preparing myself for what is to come. A lot is happening on the personal side of my life and that is good...lots of friends having babies and getting married, always cheerful events.

Prayer requests are:
1) That I would continue to be connected with people for support.
2) That God would continue to shape me and challenge me in these last months.
3) That I would be free from illness over the next couple of months.

I thank you all for your support in all its forms and continue to pray for all of you.

Blessings,
Jason

At Last I am approved

Hello everyone,

Sorry for not posting, but a lot has been going on.  I have been officially approved by CAI to be a short term missionary.  

Right now though I have started my fund raising and will be sending out emails and visiting church, organizations and possibly some businesses.  If you would like to support my work financially you can either email me at cutjas@bethel.edu.  If you wish to donate online you can log onto the CAI website (www.christianassociates.org) and go to the bottom there is a button "Give Now" this will allow you to pay by credit card or by check.  Just fill out your mailing info and then search for missionaries, my name should be located in the missionary sub category.  After doing so, you can also make this a recurring donation or a one time gift.

If you wish to mail in a check, you can send it too:

Christian Associates International

18940 Base Camp Rd

Monument, CO 80132

U.S.A

If you pay by check you have to make sure to put my account number in the Memo line or else the funds will not be distributed to me

my account number is:  #50395

That should be all the logistics for gift giving.

My personal update is that I have 5 weeks of classes left.  I have been working hard on my last paper.  Lift has been pretty busy as of late and mostly school and work, but now I have a lift of things to prepare for next fall.  This is all coming fast and is very exciting.  

Prayer requests are for focus and energy to get everything done.  There is a lot to be done, but it is very manageable.

Also if you know of person, business or organization that you think would be interested in partnering with myself or CAI in general, please pass on my email or this blog.

Thank you all,

Jason

8 weeks

Hello all,

I have been quite busy the last couple of weeks.  With work and class, which I only 8 weeks left.  I am very excite to be done, but I am also very interested in the class I am taking right now.  I am in a class on the Exposition of Deuteronomy.  I know it sounds boring, but it really isn't, this book is important for understanding most of the Old Testament and the nature of covenant relationships in general.  I am enjoying it a lot.  It has implications on how we are to live today, and what our relationship to God is based on and what it is to look like.

In regards to my progress with CAI, I am almost done with the application process.  I have an interview with one of their staff and then they decide if I am approved as a missionary for them.  I am looking forward to this interview, one because I love to interview, it is a sick pleasure of mine.  I love to interview and to be interviewed, its a great way to find out about people and about yourself.  Anyway, after that is finished I can proceed to raising money, wahoo.  I am for once also, looking forward to this part.  I am at a point where it is very exciting to see that people want to support me and be part of what God is doing.  This is the most exciting part of this whole process, because it is affirming to my current direction.

As far as my growth in this time, God has been working on me in the area of discipline.  Being a student is great and takes discipline, but as most all of you know, its not the same as having a full time job.  God has been challenging me to change some of my habits in life in preparation for being in full time ministry.  This has been hard, but as usual good.  It is always hard to change patterns in your life that have been there for years, but I am motivated and have a lot of support around me.  I feel as though my student days are winding down, my professional life it starting to gear up, it is an exciting time for me, one that I have waited for, for a long time.  

I do appreciate all you encouragement and prayers, thank you all

Jason

How'd I get here (part 2)

I just finished another quarter at seminary, only one quarter left!!!!  One class left!!!  I am very excited about that, in case you didn't know.  Back to the story.

I returned from CAI's staff conference very excited, but as I flew home, I began to get very anxious about the possibility of leaving my family and friends.  At the conference I asked everyone I met, "what was the hardest thing about moving to Europe?"  They all said, leaving family and friends.  The next month, as the summer ended and school started, this anxiety grew.  I began to talk with my parents and our missions pastor at Woodlandhills Church (Steve Schmidt).  He gave me some good advice about making such a decision and that was to get a prayer group.

I did this over the course of the next week, I got a group of people to start praying for me around this decision.  As obvious as this seems, it was great advice and I credit this with leading me to where I am.  If I hadn't had people praying for me, I don't think I would have had the strength to make this decision.  

As I started school, I had a very hard fall quarter (Greek and Hebrew at the same time), so there was not a lot of time to reflect on what I was going to do.  The decision, as important as it was, seemed to linger in the background of my life, which was being consumed by past participles and qal imperfects.  During this time I had a lot of behind the scenes prayer support from friends and relatives.  At this point I want to give a special thank you to the Mom's in Touch group at Minnehaha Academy, your prayers have meant a tremendous amount to me and I am so happy to know that you all are supporting what God is doing through me.

The quarter pressed on and the work load got harder and harder, moving to Europe seemed a distant dream that was going to stay there.  As the quarter came to a close we rolled right into the Christmas season and all the business that comes with that.  It was around this time, that I began to meet with people who had been praying for me.  One after the other, said, you have to do what God is calling you too.  Not telling me what the calling was, but I knew, in my heart I knew.  

It is a funny thing, I have never lived outside of Minnesota, my whole life has been in this glorious state, lakes, trees, rivers, lutefisk, I really do love it here.  When I came to the reality that I would be moving away, even for just 9 months, everything became a sentimental experience, Christmas with my family, my cousin's run in the high school hockey tournament (Go Hornets), New Year's Eve, these are all things that I have done with friends and family.  I was coming face to face with the reality that things are going to change.

You see right now, everything is known to me.  I know that at Christmas there will be good food and a great family around, I know that in February one of my cousin's will be playing hockey somewhere, and I know that on St. Patrick's day, Jason, Chris, Jesse, Anna and whoever else comes, will go and have a great time pretending we are irish for a day.  These things I know.  At this point I am being confronted with the unknown, going to Holland.  The unknown is what caused me the most stress.  I know this is what God is calling me too and I am going to go, but the anxiety comes from not knowing what is there.

Over the last couple of months I have received support from friends and family that has helped to solidify this decision to move to Holland and follow God's call.  I never knew how important it was to get the affirmation of your family and those praying for you.  Everyday I thank God for the people in my life who pray for me and encourage me to follow him.  This last year has been a shift in my life, a huge shift.  I believe that the anxiety I am feeling now, will get worse as september comes, and my sentimental love of this state and all it has to offer will reach ridiculous levels, I don't care.  I believe it show the depth of love I have for what God has given me so far, and I know that God has laid a foundation for what is next in my life.  That is the unknown.

Clarification

Just to clarify, I am not in the Netherlands right now.  I will be leaving in september of 2008.

How'd I get here (part 1)

To let you all in on how I ended up going to Holland I am going to do a several part series on the last year or so, trying to detail out how I got to this point.  

A year and a half ago, if you had asked me that question I would have said I was going to get a Ph.d and teach Old Testament Ethics at a college or university.  After realizing that I wasn't really cut out to be in a library for the better part of my life, I started looking for other options.  That led me to email Kevin Johnson a former pastor and current friend of our family, who was and is pastoring in Holland.

I have to admit at first I didn't think much of this, I was just testing the waters and didn't think much would come of it.  Well, the next thing I know I am getting called from the head of Christian Associates International (CAI) and having him talk me into attending their staff conference in Hungary.  Luckily, Kevin and I were able to sit down and talk when her visited home over the summer and things started to make sense.  The big hurtle for myself was I didn't really know the organization.  This was the first act of God that I saw.  After returning from a family vacation (to beautiful Sweden, ahh the motherland, and visiting our insanely generous relatives) I had two weeks to raise 2,000.00 for a trip to a conference in Soporn, Hungary.  Well, it only took about a week for me to raise the money, and the prayer support was overwhelming, for as many people that gave money at least double said they would pray and support me.  Needless to say I was quite overwhelmed.

I went to the conference very focused on what I wanted, I had questions and I needed answers.  I had organizational question, Theological questions, interpersonal questions...and on.  By the end of the week, I had all my questions answered and then some.  I was able to meet with a countless amount of missionaries and non-missionary folks that were attending the conference.  Then to top it off, this was the most warm and out going group of people I had ever been around, it really caught me off guard.

When I got back, I knew that this was where God wanted me and what I was going to do...well at least for a couple weeks.

Hello

Hello,

welcome to my new blog.  I am going to be writing about my experience in preparing for my move the Hague and then giving updates what life is like in The Netherlands.  Currently I am in the middle of my application process with Christian Associates International (www.christianassociates.org) that should take another couple of weeks, then I can start raising funds and support for my move.  Once in The Hague, I will be working with a church called Crossroads The Hague (www.crossroadschurch.nl).  I am very excited to be working with Kevin Johnson and the rest of his staff.  I have known Kevin for about 6 years and I am very happy to be ministering under his leadership.

If you have any questions or want to leave a comment please do so.  Thank you to all who have supported me I am looking forward to what God will do in the next year.

Jason