Back home

ok, ok, ok, I know, I have let my blog slip, I apologize and I figured talk is cheap, blog already. Here it is.

Its hard to believe I have been home almost a month now. The time has gone super fast, I mean really fast, ok, fast, its gone fast. Between get home, dealing with jet lag, getting support raising materials together, contacting all my supports, celebrating my birthday, my cousin's birthday, my grandma's birthday, Mother's day and that was just the first week!! not joking.

Thankfully things have slowed down a bit, but not much. I have been able to catch up with some of my supporters and have loved talking with them. Its been great to hear how they are doing and to catch up on life back here in Minnesota (pronouced Minne-s-ohhhhh-tah). I have also enjoyed telling people about how my internship went this past year and letting them know about what is coming in the fall. I have found that just talking about my year is giving me so much desire to get back to Europe and get back to work!! That is a very good thing in my mind and the encouragement I have been getting from my friends and family has been almost overwhelming.

I was excited to come back home for a while and now that I am here, I remember, not that I ever forgot, but its so real to me how much I love this place. Yes, my family is here and I have friends, but being in Minnesota, I love it here, its beautiful, relaxing and peaceful. Even though I am very busy, it is calming and reenergizing just being here. I learned this past year, that you have your family, but you can have family all over the world, and I do, there is a big family of mine in The Hague and throughout Europe, but coming back home is different. There is something mystical about it...ok I digress.

One of the things I was looking forward to in coming back was heading up to the cabin. For me winter without snow and frigidly cold temps isn't winter, and summer without the cabin, isn't summer. Well, summer has officially started. I probably will write a post just on the cabin, but for now I say it is my holy place. If the world ended tomorrow and heaven started or continued, or whatever, I would be at the cabin (my theological side won't let me say this without qualification, so heaven whatever it is, is at its core, union with God, complete and perfect, I will leave it at that).

I am graduating this saturday! It is hard to believe and honestly It can't come soon enough. I was reminded by my mother to day to appreciate this moment. One of my struggles is I am always looking ahead, planning ahead and so many times I missed the moment. When not this time BABY. I am slowing down, smelling the flower, I found out today I get "hooded," don't know what it means, but I am pretty sure I get a sword and will become like a jedi knight or something, AWESOME!! haha. I have been looking forward to this day for 7 years, yes, 7 years. I can't believe its here, I think it is going to be a significant day, more significant than I am expecting, but time will tell.

I don't know, there is lots going on, money is coming in, people are so excited to hear about what God is doing, I miss all my friends in The Hague, Gouda, Rotterdam, Europe in general and can't wait to go back in the fall, I hear I actually have an office, that's right some respect!! haha, I think I will invest in a little hula girl for my desk, we'll see. Until then here is a photo of my holy place.

blessings to you all and be well.
Jason

Back Home

Hey I am back in Minnesota!

I have been back a few days now; long enough to enjoy Buffalo wings, Chipotle and a home cooked meal at my parent’s house. The last week has been quite a roller coaster ride. I went from saying good-bye to packing, to saying hello and unpacking in 48 hours. It was a real mind bender.

I remember lying in bed last Friday night and thinking, ten hours ago I was in The Netherlands. It was so surreal. Now that I have had a few days to settle in and get my bearings again I can start to sort through my thoughts and try to get a grasp on where I am.

It has been great being back. I haven’t been able to see a ton of people, but just being here, going to a lake and seeing my family this has been enough. I am looking forward to catching up with more friends and having a good Minnesota summer, but right now it’s nice to be home for a while.

Leaving The Hague was not as hard as I thought it would be, I attribute that to the fact that I will be going back in four months. Also, though I think that it is a tribute to the friendships I made there. They are the kind of friends that you could leave for four months or a year or more and when you saw each other again, it would be like you were never apart. I really will miss the church and my friends in Holland over the summer, but also I take comfort in knowing that our friendships have gone deep and are grounded in each other and that means a lot to me.

While I have been back I have been on my computer non-stop trying to write and finish all these support raising materials, Business cards, photo books, brochures and blog updates… It has been fun to think about the last year and also to think about how excited I am for the coming year. I am getting more excited each day and with each conversation, because each time I talk about Holland I see more clearly all the things God did, how much I have grown, and what is coming on the horizon. I am very encouraged for the future.

This past Sunday I went to my home church (Woodlandhills Church). It was such an encouragement, to be in the service, see my friends and just feel home again. I was able to see several people that I hadn’t seen since Christmas and even met some new folks as well. I was very encouraged when I spoke with our Worship Pastor Norm. Norm and I have a special relationship. Norm is about 6’6” and a big guy, with a heart of gold and a smile that could light up Manhattan. Every time Norm sees me he gives me a huge hug, I feel like a raggedy Anne doll, but its one of the highlights of being home. I don’t know what it is, but when Norm gives me a hug it’s like God is just pouring goodness all over me. I love it. I don’t know how else to explain it. When I saw my family, walked around a lake and got a hug from Norm, I was officially home.

I know this is a short update, but I have been typing for three days straight already…yes, excuses. I will be in touch with all my supporters, but if anyone else wants to sit down and talk let me know (jascut@mac.com).

Prayer requests:
1) Support Raising – there is a lot to do. I am aiming at getting 100/100. 100 people to give me $50 a month for 2 years and 100 people to pray for me once a week for 2 years. Pray that God would connect me to them.
2) Energy – I want to see everyone, it’s who I am, and pray that God would give me the energy to spend the time reconnecting with folks back home.
3) Pray for my sister’s wedding, I am officiating in July, ahhhh, pray for me that I can do this. Also, I am graduating!! Never thought the day would come.
4) Pray for my family and me, it weird thinking I will be leaving again at the end of the summer, pray for our relationships.

I want to thank you all again for reading, sending comments and encouragements, it means a lot. I will be staying in contact with Crossroads Church over the summer to I will try to keep and update about them in the blog as well.

Take care,
Jason