2 Weeks ago...

The past couple of weeks have been a real whirlwind. I have gone from The Hague to Madrid, Madrid to The Hague, then to Manchester, then back to The Hague, now to Kirchheim (Hessen) Germany. Wow, That is a full two weeks, and I loved every minute of it...well, most minutes.

Madrid was a great trip. Neither Cecily nor I had ever been there and I have wanted to go for a long time. We stayed with my friend Amy (http://www.christianassociates.org/Our-Staff/amy-swacina.html)who works with Oasis Madrid (http://www.christianassociates.org/Europe/oasis-madrid.html) a CA church plant. We also met up with April and Kelly Crull who work with (http://www.spaindad.com/) another CA church plant. We had a great time with all of them and we enjoyed touring around Madrid for a couple days as well. For me it is always helpful to see our church planters in their context, with my job it helps me understand their challenges better and helps me to get an image of how I can support them from my desk. Also, they are just great people and I love hanging out with them and swapping stories.

When we returned to The Hague, I had a sermon to preach(http://www.crossroadschurch.nl/messages). I had been working on it, but the next couple of days were dedicated to this effort. I spoke on Psalm 23 and enjoyed the talk very much, which may sound conceded, but its not. I felt as though God spoke to me through the words of David and in this time of my life where there are so many changes and uncertainties. The words of Psalm 23 have been a real comfort to me. Also, I feel as though my comfort with public speaking is growing, I still get incredibly nervous and anxious, but less so that when I started a year ago.

After I spoke on Sunday, Cecily and I went shopping for a suit for our wedding. I am hoping to buy a nice European black suit to strut down the isle in. This way it will be less like beauty and beast and more like beauty and the well dressed beast. After that I got on Skype to talk with my cousin Andy and his fiancee Jill. The week after I return from Germany I am heading off to Minnesota where I will have the pleasure of officiating Andy and Jill's wedding. I am so excited to do this I can't wait. But it did make for a very full Sunday.

Manchester England was a trip to connect with two people, Richard and Nick. Nick is one of our European Board members and Richard is a data protection Lawyer who is going to be helping us out with some legal advice, not counsel, advice, so then we can't sue anyone...haha, just kidding. Unfortunately, Richard had an emergency at work so didn't get to spend the days with us, but we all managed to make it down to the local pub for Quiz night, where we promptly won the losers trophy and were recognized as “the americans who have come to save us.” It was all in good fun and we had a great time.

The other highlights from England were our trips to the Lake district and a day in Wales. Wales was a beautiful drive, we saw an old half finished castle and then went to a very strange place. I forget the name, but it was a Mediterranean type city right in the middle of wales, it was kitsch and it was so weird. The Lake district on the other hand was simply Brilliant (as the english say). We climbed a 1200 foot mountain and over looked valleys, lakes, waterfalls and amazing green and brown pastures it was a truly spectacular hike.

When we got back from the hike, Cecily and I got on Skype and talked with a very nice man who agreed to rent his apartment to us for one year. We were both amazing and very relieved, in our own ways. Cecily shows this by bouncing all over the room, smiling, telling everyone, laughing, kissing, hugging, expressing joy wherever she goes. I usually say, “this is great.” smile once, maybe twice then move on to the next issue. We are a great couple!!

This was a big deal, our budget for an apartment in Arlington, VA was $1,000 per month, which most people laughed at us. When I started looking at apartments I realized why they laughed. We were looking at 1 bedrooms and studio apartments for $1200 - $1500. This was just too much for our budget and both of us were getting pretty nervous, but we just prayed and as Cecily's parents graciously kept look at apartment after apartment for us, they found this place. We got a 2 bedroom, kitchen, living room, full-bathroom, located ¾ mile from Cecily's school (so we don't have to use the car and save some $$$), we got all this for $975.00 a month!! It was a real miracle and both of us knew it. We had been looking for apartments for 2 months, Cecily's parents had been looking for 2 months, there are no apartments in Arlington for $975.00 per month, certainly not any 2 bedrooms, but sure enough Cecily will be moving into one on August 26th. Praise God.

This past month has been really special. We have been able to travel a lot and we will always cherish those memories and the friends we have. Yesterday we said good bye to our time in The Hague together. Cecily is moving back to D.C. To start school and I will be in The Hague till mid November. This chapter in our life is coming to a close and a new chapter is rapidly approaching. As quickly as you can turn a page we will be married and living in D.C. I can't wait!

Blessings to you all,
Jason

Psalm 23

Here is a link to my last sermon on Psalm 23. This is a reflection on Psalm 23 and is meant to help people learn how to pray through the Psalms. In this Sermon I try to unpack the depth of Psalm 23 and allow space for God to speak to us today through David's words.

I would love to hear feedback and interaction about this sermon or other Psalm experiences.

Thanks,
Jason

The Last week

July 10, 2010

Ok, I am back at it or at least trying. I had coffee with a friend of mine today and we were both commenting about how much writing takes out of us. I don't know if I am strange in this regard, but really, I have wanted to be updating my blog for the past year, but when it came down to it I never had the energy. Well, today I do. I think having some things in my life getting settled, with lots of others still up in the air, unknown. Whatever the reason, I am going to blog again today.

I have toyed around with different structures and styles of blogging and I think for me, the best is doing one week at a time. So here goes. My week.

We started off the week with our nations independence day. This is not the first, nor will it probably be the last time I celebrated the 4th of july outside of the U.S. This year, Cecily (my fiancee) and I celebrated by relaxing. We had thrown a big engagment party the night before and we just relaxed all day Sunday. We had lunch with some friends, went back and each took naps. Then we headed off to the beach to visit another friend and catch the sunset. It was a nice end to a very relaxing day.

Monday we had small group, as we do every week, this week it was at a couple's flat that is new to our group, they are from Liverpool and have the great Liverpool accents. Our small group has been breathed into with new life in the recent month. We have added 5 new people, 2 couples and 1 single. I love our group all the more. We have always had a transitional group, but through that the coming and going, the spirit of the group has remained, open, honest and supportive. We have good discussions about the Bible, faith, theology, our lives and then we always come around each other in prayer to end the evening. It really is a special time and one that is a lift to myself.

Tuesday we had the third of our four premarital counseling appointments. This one was a bit more intense than the other two, mainly because we went through the Premarital inventory that we each filled out. Question by question we went through our strengths as a couple, and our weaknesses, we went through our personal triumphs and failures. Even though Cecily and I had discussed most of these things before, I realized we had not discussed them in quite a while and I think some things that were starting to get buried have been dug up, thankfully, but now we need to keep working on them, and celebrating them as well. Needless to say, this was a draining meeting for both of us. Thankfully though Holland beat Uruguay that evening and all was good...wink*

Actually, we were both tired, and Cecily left on Wednesday for Poland for 4 days. The time apart has not been easy, but I am always a fan of time apart, with in reason. I miss her terribly, but both of us have had time to think and pray. Even though we talk on the phone a couple times a day, the separation is good.

While Cecily is in Poland living the dream, I am back here in The Hague. To celebrate my bachelorhood for a couple days I decided to eat some bad spinach and get food poisoning. Yes, this was not a good idea, but I did it anyway, and I paid for it dearly. I do not like getting sick and stomach sickness is the worst for me. Thursday I was sick all day, but I toughed it out till about 5pm, then I had had enough, and gave up, cancelled my evening appointments and just rested. Something I probably should have done at the beginning of the day, but if I did that then I wouldn't be stubborn now would I?

Friday I felt much better, but still was really weak, not have eaten anything for 24 hours. I spend the day getting my strength back. And what a better way to spend your time when sick, than watching movies. I watched two really thought provoking movies, “Unthinkable” (which you better have a strong stomach to watch) and “The Good Shepard” (no, not the one with Matt Damon, but the one with Christian Slater). “Unthinkable” was a movie that addressed a specific ethical question, basically, if millions of people's lives are at stake, it is ok to do anything to save them? Good question. “The Good Shephard” was about a priest who through a series of regrettable events re-discovers why he became a priest. Both of these movies cause me to think personally in very different ways.

The first was about the nature of truth, belief, and knowledge. Wrestling with what I know to be true, with what others know to be true, and how the relates, does it relate, yes the wonderful abstract questions of life. Is there a God? Well, there is and I believe I know who God is, and I believe that God is truth. I guess that settles that...

The second movie caused me to think back to the beginning of Seminary. Why did I go to Seminary, why have I become a Missionary? Where is my ministry going? What does God want me to do? I wrote down two questions in my notebook: 1) What is my fear? 2) Where is my doubt? I think with all the has gone on in the past 9 months, I have not been examining myself in certain areas. Along with writing I have not had a lot of energy to do lots of things I want to. Not that I regret moving to the Netherlands, or getting engaged or working through personal problems, but I severely underestimated their toll on me. So, like more people out of seminary I ran into the mission field with guns-a-blazing, only to be pulled down to earth very quickly.

Unlike the character of Christian Slater, I haven't had a series of regrettable events to wake me up. I have had tough times, be sure of that, but for me, the good things have drained me. I think for me this has always been something I struggled with. I expect the bad then good happens and I have such a hard time excepting it. Don't get me wrong I except it and deal with it. This is not a cry for sympathy or pity. I have had a great life, hands down. My question is why can't I except that fact, what is it that is keeping me from entering into the good things without hesitation?

Next Steps...

Hello everyone,

I have had a very exciting and life changing spring. I am engaged! On April 25th I asked Cecily Hutton to marry me and she said, “YES!!!” and then she cried, haha. I hope that is a good sign. We are both very excited and have appreciated all the prayers and support you have given us. With this engagement comes many changes. I will be married, which as most of you know will change both our lives completely. I will be moving to Washington D.C. this December. This will be a year short of my two year commitment to C.A. in Europe. Before I get into the logistics of all this, please know that this decision to get married and move to D.C. came with much prayer and discussion, and it was not entered into lightly. We both have peace about making this next step in our relationships and we both have peace about moving to D.C. for the next two years of our lives.

What does this mean for me and Christian Associates? I am pursuing a position with C.A. on our U.S. Operations Team. I would like to remain with C.A. My boss Dudley has known about the possibility of me moving back early for a couple months and he is very excited to help find a place for me on the U.S. Operations staff. I hope to have a position detailed out by August of this year.

What does this mean for all of you? For all my supporters I want to thank you for the money, prayers, and encouragement you have given me over the past couple years; from when I started my journey with C.A. through the present and hopefully continuing into the future.

What am I leaving behind? While I have been in Europe these past nine months, we have been able to accomplish most of what I had planned to accomplish in two years. We have cleaned up our Europe office and made it paperless. This means our office can be operated by laptop and is not confined to a rented office space. We have cut operations cost, which allows us as an organization to put more money into our church planting, and we have been able to hire more support staff, which will allow us to recruit, train, and support more church planters. The last task to wrap up my time is to find a replacement for my position. I have been praying from the start that God would raise up a European to replace me. I ask you to join with me in this prayer. My position is at a place where it can be performed from anywhere in Europe and that opens the door to many more people who could do this job. I am able to move back to the U.S. knowing that God has done good work here and that I am leaving C.A. Europe operations in a better state than when I arrived.

What is ahead for Cecily and me? We are planning to get married December 30, 2010 in Washington D.C. Cecily is starting graduate school this fall at George Mason University in the Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution program. She will be pursuing a degree in Conflict resolution and social development. We will be living in Arlington, VA for the next two years. After that time we are both open to the plans God has in store for us.

When I look back on the last year, I can't help but shake my head. I can't believe I am in Europe, I can't believe I am getting married, and now I can't believe I am leaving Europe. I truly feel as though I am on a journey in which God is leading me. I would never have envisioned this path for myself. I am excited about what is next for Cecily and me in our lives and ministry. I hope and pray that you will continue to join us in this journey.

Tot Ziens (Dutch way to say good-bye)
Jason Cutshall

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I am Engaged!!!

Yes, it actually happened I got Engaged!!!!

Spring time update

The last three months have been full of novel experiences. I have done everything from helping my girlfriend move from the U.S. to the Netherlands, all the way to attending a funeral for the four year old son of a friend of mine. There have been highs and lows, singular experiences and some that are becoming normal. One thing I am learning during this time is that my “normal” is changing rapidly and drastically. I believe God is at the heart of this change.
In the past three months, I have been stretched in the areas of preaching, pastoring and organization. In preaching I spoke on the topic of contentment in any circumstance, not a light subject for anyone, but two weeks before my sermon, I attended the funeral of four year old Ian; he was the son of a friend of mine. Around this same time the earthquake in Haiti happened. These were two very traumatic events that hit at both the personal and global level. This challenged me to grow in both preaching and in pastoring. I saw how God worked through the struggle in my own life to speak into others' struggles. I also witnessed God ministering to people in their trauma, grief, and shock. This was a tremendous time of growth for my faith and my trust in God. We may not always understand, but we know that God is good, all the time. I clung to this.
The organizational challenge came in the form of our annual global leadership conference, Summit in Portugal. I was in charge of arranging all transportation and accommodation for the 100-plus guests who came from three continents. This was a huge job and a scale with which I had not previously dealt. I was stretched in many practical ways: communication, flexibility, service and patience. Along with a great team to work with, we had a wonderful conference and again I saw God working. This time not in ministering to people, which did happen, but rather in the details, in the technical details. The week of our conference there were three strikes in Europe, two airlines (British Airways and Luftansa) were on strike and thousands of flights were cancelled. Also, all the air traffic controllers in France went on strike, meaning that all planes in Europe had to be rerouted not to fly over French airspace. This happened precisely while everyone was trying to get to Portugal. The potential was for a huge problem, but God stepped into this situation to get everyone to the conference. The story that sticks in my mind is this one: we had two people stranded in Lisbon, because their flight had been cancelled, and they had no phone, nor access to internet. Therefore no way to contact us. In the airport, they happened to run into one of our church planters who was arriving and had rented a car. They made it to the conference on time. It was amazing to see God at work in the details of our conference and again my faith grew in the ways God works.
Now I am back in The Hague and am looking ahead to the coming year. Cecily, my girlfriend, is here and we are enjoying being in the same city and discovering daily life together. I am focusing more on organizing our Europe office to get it to where it needs to be to service the needs in Europe. We are also planning the next conference, Connect, which is our global conference and we expect about 400-plus people to attend. Again, I am in charge of transportation, which will be a big job, but we have another great team with whom to work.
It has been interesting to reflect on how these experiences helped me grow in my relationship with God and also in my plans for the future. God continues to stretch me through work, and I learn daily more of God's ways. I am looking forward to seeing how God will work through our Connect conference, what ways Cecily and I will grow, and what new surprises God has in store for me in the coming months.
If you are interested in receiving my weekly prayer email, please let me know at jascut@me.com.
Blessings, Jason

Contentment in any Circumstance

Here is my latest sermon from 31/1/2010 at Crossroads church. I was speaking from Philipians 4:10-14.

End of the Year Update...in the New Year

As I think back over the past year I am truly amazed by where God has taken me. Thanks to all of you I am able to be living and working in Europe trying to build God's kingdom here. I am also amazed at the real and miraculous ways God has intervened in my life. I am convinced that this is where I am supposed to be and this is what I am supposed to be doing. As I look ahead I am filled with hope that we can create a strong church planting movement in Europe and see the churches here filled not emptied, but there is still a lot of work to be done and we have a long road in front of us.
Hopefully all of you got and read my October letter. I experienced a series of miracles when I arrived here in Holland. When I returned I felt right at home thanks to the community of Crossroads International Church who welcomed me back to The Hague with open arms and lots of help. If anything I have had to make sure to schedule nights to myself, because there is always something going on or someone to have a good conversation with. The church here has become a real family to me.
Along with Crossroads I have witnessed God working in my life in concrete ways. It has been confirming and faith building to see that God is providing for my physical needs here in Holland. Providing an amazing place to stay, a place beyond my wildest dreams. Providing me with an amazing group of friends that I can rely on like family and providing for me ways to share my faith and engage in discussions with people about God. As I look back on the last couple months there is not doubt in my mind that I am doing what God wants me to do and I am where God wants me to be.
I am enjoying the work I am doing, but we are in a real time of transition and severe budget cuts, as is everyone else. The part that makes this challenging is that I am new, my boss is new, and our C.F.O. is new so we are all learning the ropes at the same time. I feel as though I have been taking crash courses in international law, business and culture all at once. It has taken a lot of work, but that is what I like. I don't come home completely drained at the end of a day, but rather energized to learn more so that Christian Associates (CA) can run more efficiently.
There are challenges in the new year, my visa, our finances as an organization and personally, our systems and structure, these are all problems I will be helping to solve in the coming year. As I look ahead I am encouraged. We have made progress since I have arrived. We have a growing pipeline of people who want to be involved in church planting in Europe. This is all very exciting and encouraging to me and gives me great hope for what God is going to do this next year.
I wanted to update all of you on Loren. Loren is the gentleman who showed up at the Crossroads office my first day here and accepted Christ. Loren is doing well, his 6 year old son who is fighting cancer is doing better, he still has a long way to go, but progresses each day. Loren and I have met a couple of times and Loren has brought me on a writing group that he organizes. I have really enjoyed getting to know Loren and seeing how God is working in his life. Please keep Loren in your prayers, he is in a difficult position, with his wife not being a Christian and not being open to going to church. I am hoping that in the New Year Loren and I will go through the Alpha Course together to help him get a better understanding of the Christian faith.
I want to thank you all for your financial support and your prayers. I know times have been tough for everyone economically and that makes my gratitude even greater for your sacrifice, know that you are helping to build God's Kingdom. I continue to pray for you all and have appreciated all the support and encouragement that you have given me. Have a Happy New Year.

Blessings to you all, Jason Cutshall

My Sermon: Peace and Justice

My sermon is online if you want to check it out.

http://www.crossroadschurch.nl/

A life to live

Okay, its been about three weeks now. The honeymoon is over, I have two feet on the ground, life is rolling along. It has been so good to be back in Holland. It hasn't been all sunshine and tulips, but its been good. From being at church and seeing everyone to sitting alone in the flat where I am staying, its been good. Where I was feeling unsettled this summer, I feel settled here. Where I didn't feel like I had a clear purpose back home, I can see my purpose here. Now, its not just Holland or Europe. It's the fact that I have a job here. There is a need I can help with, there is a vision I can help make reality. It has always felt good to roll up my sleeves and jump in to build something, whether its a house with my dad or a vision with some missionaries in Europe. It feels good to be working toward a goal.

People have been asking if I feel different this time, because its for two years and not six months. I do, I feel more at home. I know that its only been three weeks and I even I am not that naive to think that I won't have my days in the future where I wish I was back in Minnesota, but I love it here. I have been trying to picture what my life will be like in two years, how different it will be. Two years will go fast, but at the same time a lot will happen, ups, downs, lefts, rights, its hard to picture myself in two years. Right now though, I feel very settled, I feel as though God wants me here. I think I have made the right decision and there is no regret.

I live in the center of town and its amazing. For a boy from Minnesota (88% white), being here is a real treat. I walk out of the building where I live and in 50 steps I am in the middle of town. I walk to work and I hear dutch, english, arabic, spanish, italian, russian, chinese and papiamento (shout out for Caroline and Johnny). I see people walking around from all over the world. There are men in top of the line business suits and three steps away a homeless guy. Moroccans and Koreans, there all here and they are all literally right out my front step. Not to idealize this too much, but for me, I love it. I view it as a taste of heaven, every tongue, tribe and nation, together. I have to be honest I love it, but it still shocks me every time I walk out on the street. I am just not used to such diversity, I love it, its almost like a dream everyday. I can't believe I am here. I can't believe this is happening.

This past week I have started to sit down and try to create my life. For the first time in a long time I get to design my life. Yes, I have a job and I have work to do, but my work is not all consuming, I HAVE A LIFE TO LIVE NOW. School was so all consuming all the time. I am asking the questions what do I want my life to be? What do I want my weeks to look like? I am very excited to do this. I can't wait to look back in two years and see what has happened. What a journey it will be.

Thanks for reading,
Jason

p.s. I changed things up a little on my blog. If you would like to receive my prayer email please let me know, jascut@me.com.

24 Hours

24 hours:
My day of departure started early, meeting my parents for breakfast at the Original Pancake house in Eden Prairie, MN. We had a very nice last meal: we ate, we prayed, we cried, it was lots of fun. One thing struck me in particular at breakfast. I started realizing this move was going to be hard. I think it was seeing my mother cry and not knowing why. She was not just sad to see me go, there was a deeper element there. I realized it as well. This was not like last year when I left for my internship. Even though I will be home for Christmas in two months, this was harder. As I thought more about why, I began to realize that this is the first time I am leaving Minnesota as a home and not knowing if or when I will return. That was it. I know that this move is good and that God is in it, but it is still hard to leave your home and not know if you will ever move back.

I mulled this thought over the rest of the morning and spoke with my mother about it as well. We hugged and she cried, but I assured her that no matter where I am in the world Minnesota will always be my home. The day pressed on and as I finished some last minute packing and I became increasingly more stressed about everything I faced: my flight, customs, my shipment of books, clothes, etc. I knew I was entering a period where I couldn't fully trust what I was feeling. I had to gut it out and go and not look back.

As my brother and mother drove me to the airport, I was actively trying not to think about any of it. I was trying to clear my head and pray for trust in God. We got to the airport and said our good-byes through my mothers tears. I left them, went into the airport, checked in and headed to the gate. I was flying from Minneapolis to Chicago to Dublin to Amsterdam. I knew it would be a long flight, but that is not what worried me. What worried me was having a one-way ticket. Countries typically don't like to let people in who don't have a Visa to live there and don't have a return ticket. I had neither of those things. On top of this from Chicago to Dublin to Amsterdam I was flying Aer Lingus, and who has ever heard of Aer Lingus outside of Ireland? I had not. Well, I was preparing for a long uncomfortable flight and lots of trouble at the customs desk.

Thankfully, this was not what God had in mind. The flight to Dublin was half full, which meant I had two seats all to myself, and I discovered if the Irish are one thing it is laid back, charming and fun. Hearing laughter and the sweet Irish accent for six hours was more relaxing than anything. Although, I did get a funny look from the flight attendant when I didn't order a whiskey with my meal, haha.

I landed in Dublin and some of the stress was now over . My experience with Aer Lingus had been restful and relaxing, God had provided for me. Now to face the real stress: the Dutch. The Dutch are all about rules and regulations. The whole country runs “by the book” and frankly that is one thing I like about living here, you know what to expect all the time. The problem is when you are not by the book, which I was not on this particular occasion. I was flying in with no return ticket and no resident visa. As we lifted off from Dublin this fear and anxiety gripped me. I started thinking, “What am I doing?” “Why am I moving to Europe?” “What have I left behind?” It wasn't sheer panic, but it was close, and again, I gutted it. I was on the plane and at that point the only other recourse would be jumping out, which I was less thrilled to do. Instead I turned to my usual coping strategy to relieve stress and fell asleep.

I was awakened by the flight attendant as we were preparing to land. I looked out the window and saw the cloudy, lush, wet Dutch landscape, and suddenly all the fears and anxiety I had experienced were whisked away in a moment and I was filled with peace and joy. I was at peace, I knew this was right, I knew this is what God had for me and this is what I wanted. It was a great feeling. I got off the plane and, maybe it was because I was so tired, but I felt like I was walking on a cloud. I headed off to Passport Control and got in line, the whole time thinking, “Okay, God, if you want me here this is your chance.” I walked up to the agent and handed him my passport, and he asked, “Business?” “No,” I responded, “I am moving here.” He looked at me, said, “Do you have a Visa?” I said, “No, I am applying for one.” At this point I fully expected to be brought into a room and interrogated about every aspect of my work, life, financial records, personal relationships, everything, but no, not this time. The agent looked at me, shrugged his shoulders, handed me my stamped passport and waved me on. I couldn't believe it, not only was this easy, but this was the fastest I had ever made it through passport control ever in Holland. God had provided a second time.

As I walked through the halls on my way to get my bag, I started thinking. Is Cecile going to be there? Cecile is a woman from Crossroads Church who was going to pick me up and drive me to The Hague. I hadn't been in contact with her for a couple days and was wondering if she would find me, if there would be anyone there. Again, I was preparing for the worst. I found my bag and headed out of the baggage claim to the main hall. As I walked through the sliding doors, I heard a loud, “Jason!! Welcome back!!” There were about eight people from our church there to greet me. They had made a sign, they had balloons and were taking pictures. I can't say how nice and encouraging it was to see these friends of mine whom I had missed all summer long. It was more than I could have imagined or hoped for. We caught up briefly, hugged and took some more pictures. I was really glowing now.

But the surprises were not done there. I got into the car with Cecile and Miriam and we started driving to The Hague, and after about fifteen minutes Cecile placed a box in my lap. I said, “What is this?” She said, “Open it.” I did and saw that it was an iPhone. I have wanted one since they came out three years ago, but I could never afford one. Now I had one sitting in my lap and it was free. I thanked Cecile and she said it was no problem, she got it from work from someone who had given it to her. This was a new level of kindness. Up to this point the provision that I had received was necessary: getting through customs, surviving my flight, the welcome was needed for my spirits but this, an iPhone this was just God saying, “I love you.” I felt like a kid on Christmas morning. This was a true gift, something I didn't need but wanted. It made me so happy to see that God cared about something so small and unnecessary.

At this point if my day had been over and nothing else good happened I would have been amazed, but this wasn't even close to the end. Cecile drove me to the apartment where I would be spending at least the next year. We walked in the front door and I said, “Wow.” The main floor was amazing, but then we went up to my level, yes level. Russell, who owns the apartment, had given me the top floor of this three level apartment. I had floor to ceiling windows, a balcony, a T.V., couch and Cecile and a friend of hers had gone out and bought me a bed and closet at IKEA. I could not believe it. My room overlooks most of the city and is located right in the city center. I was just amazed. I couldn't believe that this is where I would be living for the next year.

At this point Cecile and I ran some errands, going to the bank, getting groceries, going to IKEA again, and then headed back to the apartment. By this time Russell had come home and I had a chance to meet him. Russell is a great guy, very generous and lots of fun. We were talking and he shared with me how he wanted to share what he had with God. I told him? He told me? that when I lay my head down on the pillow at night and look up and see the cross on the wall, that I should remember that God is working here. I was so thankful to have a such a great place, and such a Godly man to share it with. I really appreciated meeting Russell.

By this time I was exhausted and ready for bed. As I laid lay down in my new bed, in my new apartment, I felt an incredible sense of peace and gratefulness. I could not believe everything that had happened.

The next day, I woke up and decided to go into the office to check things out and say hi to everyone. I grabbed my iPhone, threw on some tunes and headed out. As I was walking to work I was thinking about some things that Russell had said about his own conversion to Christ. Russell spoke about his journey as one that started with looking for God, then amazingly finding God in Christ, and then realizing that you need to put Jesus at the center of your life. To just know about Christ is not enough. I was reflecting on how difficult it can be to put Jesus at the center of your life. The challenge is giving up the control of your life and handing it over to Jesus. From there my thoughts traveled to thinking about what God wants me to do here. I know I have a job and I am volunteering in a church, but I was pondering how I am to build God's kingdom in my personal life. I thought about this and had a strange sense of peace about it. It will come.

I got to the office and met Jess, our office manager, at the door, and she showed me around the new office. Everything was different from when I’d left in May, but it was good to be back. I saw a couple of the other pastors and then went into my office and started catching up on some emails. After about ten minutes my internet went out and I couldn't get it up and running again. As I was scrambling to get my email to work the door bell rang. I answered it. It was a man maybe in his, 40s who walked in. I said, hello and asked if there was anything I could do for him. He said, “are you open?” I said yes and he came in. We ended up talking for about an hour or so. He, Loren was his name, told me about his journey to The Netherlands back in 1991. He told me about how he started searching for God after his daughter was born with mental and physical disabilities. He told me that when his seven year old son was diagnosed with cancer he started looking more intently. I sat and listened, but felt God very present.

When Loren entered the office, I had a strong feeling about him. I felt God's presence in the room and kept thinking that I was to ask him to accept Christ. As we talked I looked for an opportunity to ask. Finally, at one point I asked Loren, “So, where are you?” thinking that this would get the conversation moving toward what he believed. But Loren said, “Well, I want to be born again, but I don't know all the formalities.” I paused, was quietly shocked and then said, “I can help you with that.” I talked to Loren about how to make Jesus the center of his life. All you have to do is ask, there is no magic formula, no chant, no dance. I told him God was a relational God and desires to be in relationship with him. Then Loren prayed and accepted Christ.

To be honest I have only “led” one person to Christ in my whole life. I have heard of conversions and prayed for people intently who had become Christians, but this was the second person that I had the pleasure of introducing to Jesus. Loren and I agreed to meet up and continue to talk about Jesus and everything that he brings. Loren said he was going to be at church with his family that Sunday, so I told him I would meet him there and welcome him to our church.

After Loren left, I was absolutely energized. I immediately went and told the story to Scot our worship pastor, then to Caroline our youth pastor, then I sat in my office and literally was beside myself. I could not believe what had just happened, from the somber breakfast with my parents back in Minnesota 24 hours earlier to leading Loren to Christ in The Hague. I was overjoyed, but also in complete shock. I remembered a lesson I had learned earlier that summer on a road trip. I had learned that I was limiting what God could do to me by not stepping out in a way where God had to show up. Well I had been praying that I would no longer hinder what God could do to me. This was it, the last 24 hours, I had not lifted a finger and I arrived safely in Holland, to a big welcome. I was living in an unbelievable apartment owned by a strong Christian man. I had an iPhone and now, someone had come to know Christ through me. All I did was show up. Still as I write this letter, I can't believe my own story. I am shocked. It is awe-inspiring to know what God has done. I am also so encouraged and hopeful to see what God will do.

I want to thank you all for your prayers, support and encouragement, they paid off. All I ask is that you don't stop now. Things happen when you pray and step into where God is leading you. Don't stop, keep praying, pray for bigger dreams, pray more boldly knowing God answers our requests, and pray knowing God loves each and everyone of you so very much.

Thank you all,
Jason

P.S. If you can, please pray for Loren as he journey's on his new found faith.

Heading back to Holland

Hello Friends,
I’d like to give you an update of the status of my life right now. I have purchased my return ticket to The Netherlands and will be arriving in The Hague on October 22nd. I can't begin to tell you how excited I am to be able to move back to Europe and start working. Along with a plane ticket I also have an official job title. I will be the Director of European Operations for Christian Associates (CA). This is a big job and I am humbled that CA has offered this position to me. The powerful aspect of this position is that this is what I dreamed of doing when I was in Seminary and now it is becoming a reality. Due to the generosity of an attender of Crossroads Church of The Hague, the church where I served this past year, I have a place to live for 200.00 Euros a month. This was a huge answer to prayer. Everything is happening very quickly now and most all the details are falling into place. Looking back on this summer it seems like a blur. It began with the transition back to MN, then, starting to raise support, taking a road trip to California through some of the most amazing lands/beautiful evidence of God’s creation, officiating my sister's wedding, Graduating, doing some well needed camping, spending time with my girlfriend Cecily and celebrating my mother's 60th Birthday. The highlight of the summer has to have been officiating my sister's wedding, although, spending time with Cecily and my road trip are close second and third positions. Being able to perform the ceremony for my sister was a once in a lifetime experience that exceeded all expectations and I will cherish that day for the rest of my life.
Looking ahead at the next year I have a lot of work to do with CA, but first things must come first. I have to move over and get settled before I can be a productive part of the CA team. Along with this newsletter you should have received a timeline for my two years in Europe. This should serve two purposes, 1) helping to give you a clearer understanding of my role in Europe with CA, 2) to be used as a prayer timeline. There are conferences, goals, and dreams that I need prayer for, and I hope this will help you in knowing what areas of my work. Along with that graphic, I also have a prayer email that I will be sending out periodically with specific prayer requests. If you have not received this email and would like to, please let me know (jascut@me.com).
Other ways to stay connected with me are: My blogs: http://567real.blogspot.com/ - this is my everything blog, come find out what thoughts I am wrestling with. http://www.jasoninthehague.blogspot.com/ - this is my update blog, if you want to know what's going on in a month go here and find out. Also this is a good blog to send people to who you think would be interested in what I am doing or what CA is doing in Europe. Skype: Skype is an internet based chat/video phone service that is free computer to computer and is a great way to say “hi” and talk for free no matter where you are or I am in the world. My Skype name is “cutjas.” If you are receiving this letter and are interested in supporting me, financially or prayerfully, or know of someone who would be interested please feel free to give them my email I would love to connect. I have been very humbled by my experiences this past summer and continue to be as I look forward to
moving back to The Netherlands. I want to thank each and every one of you who has supported me financially, through prayer, or encouragement. Every dollar, every prayer, every kind word has meant the world to me and has helped to push me along in the calling God has given me. I will be praying for all of you in the coming year and I want you to feel free to contact me at anytime.
Thank you and Blessings,
Jason Cutshall

Injustice

I am done with my week here in Denver. This past week has been a lot of work, a lot of fun, and very encouraging. We all pulled some big days, 8 am - 8 pm for 5 days is a lot for any one, but it was good.

I have been sitting here in the Denver Airport letting the thoughts run through my head like leaves running down a stream, admiring and entertaining each one for a second then moving on to the next. I spent some time reflecting on the question, "what is the greatest injustice/crime of our time?" Aids, Slavery, greed. I was thinking about this in the context of what do I want to fight for in my life? What injustice do I want to try and make right? It is a big thought and a question to which we may not all agree on the answer, but I think it is an important question to answer for ourselves, because it till help to direct where are passions go.

I want to ask you, what is the greatest injustice in our time? And what are you going to do to try and correct it? It may help to see how we define injustice check out: http://dictionary.reference.com/

Peace,
Jason

What a summer

It has been quite a ride since I last posted. I got back from my big road trip, which was amazing. I married my sister Kara and her husband Ben, which was amazing. I friend Cecily visit, which was amazing. I got sick with the stomach flu and explosive diarrhea, which was amazing, but in a bad way. We had our Cutshall Family Reuinon, amazing. Spent a week at our cabin with a few close friends, amazing, and I got sick again with an infected bursa sac on my elbow. I could go on, I still have a wedding to go to, my friends form Sweden are in town and oh year I have to start packing for my return to The Netherlands.

Needless to say, its been a crazy summer, most good some bad, but crazy. Now that I am nearing the end of my time back in Minnesota I am looking forward to going back to The Hague. There are a few reasons for this, I miss my friends there, I miss Crossroads. Don't get me wrong the catch here is when I am there I will miss the people in Minnesota, I guess that's how things will be. The most pressing thing is I want to get to work. I am excited to get back to Europe and start helping with the work that is going on there. I love being home, but it has felt like living out of a suit case for 4 months and that has been very draining.

I have learned a few things this summer. The first is a lesson I have learned before...I am not invincible, I can't do everything. I know, I can't believe it either, but sure enough when I started getting sick this summer I realized it was mainly from being run down both emotionally, physically and even spiritually. I think that this has a lot to do with being unsettled. I have been in transition for about a year now and its taking its toll. I am looking forward to having a place to live that is stable, I am looking forward to having a job that I love and can build, I am looking forward to being stable for a while.

The second lesson, which I have also learned before is everything doesn't have to happen now. Time, we have time. I learned that if you give something time usually you will find the best way through, you will find the right words to say and you will be much more relaxed. This summer got going so fast, the pace of life was moving and moving I forgot how much time I have. I think part of this is being back in the U.S., but part of it is in me. I want to keep moving forward, building solving, growing and I will push and push to make that happen. This summer I learned the importance of slowing things down and taking my time.

I have had a great summer, lots of adventures and stories to tell. I have seen old friends and made new ones. The best part was I got to preform the wedding of my Big sister and a really good friend of mine, that I will cherish forever. I am looking forward to what is next, but a little wiser and a little more calm.

Jason

Prayer Requests:
1) I am still needing more support before I can return to Europe. Pray for God to provide.
2) Pray for me as I transition to Holland, it will be a big move.
3) Pray for CAI that the work of the Kingdom will keeping going forward.

The Week

Hello all,

This is the week, the week after my monster Road Trip out to LA for a training and the week before I do my first wedding, which happens to be my sister's wedding and she happens to be marrying a good friend of mine. This is basically the clam between the storms, not that the road trip or wedding will be bad or unpleasant, but they will be and were wild and crazy. Anyway.

The past month has been a good one, I continue to seek out supporters for the work God is doing in Europe and have received a lot of encouragement and support over the time I have been home. I have been extremely humbled to see money roll into my account, people signing up to pray for me and having lots of good conversations about what God is doing in Europe.

I am pretty well recovered from our monster road trip out to LA. The Staff Candidate Orientation went really well, I appreciated all the work everyone put in to make it happen. I had a good week of learning more about Christian Associates and meeting some new faces in the organization. I was also formally introduced as the Director of Operations for Europe, which I was excited to accept. I can't wait to get back and get to work.

Now that I am back I am in half support raising mode and full wedding preparation mode. My family has fully freaked out over the wedding so that means things must be close. I am getting very excited to see the big day actually come, it will be an event to remember.

To give you all an update on support raising. I have been able to meet with most all of my supporters, there are still a few I have to connect with. I have also been able to meet with and partner with a number of new people that heard about what I am doing through a Woodlandhills Church Spotlight I did in early June. It is always encouraging when people want to support what God is calling you to do. I will be meeting with the First Baptist Church or Minneapolis' mission board in late July and hopefully we can continue our relationship as well.

There is so much going on right now, but I do feel very relaxed. I guess this is that peace that passes all understanding that they talk about, but I am loving it.

Take care everyone. And as always if you want to connect or know anyone who wants to connect please let me know

Jason Cutshall
651.583.1496
jascut@me.com

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

London Calling

Hello,

Last week, I was able to go and visit my good friends the Perriman’s in London. It was a wonderful four days catching up, seeing some of the sights, and meeting their new church. When I returned to The Hague on Saturday, we had an exciting IJM meeting. Then on Sunday I had my official good-bye to Crossroads announcement. It was a good week; I had a lot of fun and a little work as well.

The last/first time I was in London, I did not have a good impression of the city. I mean it was beautiful, it had a long rich history, and who doesn’t love Bangers and Mash? There was just something about the city that didn’t sit well with me. That was not the case this time.

I stayed with my friends Andrew and Belinda. We had a great time catching up, taking nice walks and seeing some good British humor…well British humor. For me it was a very relaxing time to do some reading and thinking about the coming months and year. While I was there I was able to do two Strengths Finder seminar’s with the church that the Perriman’s are attending; one on Wednesday and one on Friday. They were a real treat. I enjoyed meeting the people from their new church and hearing about their ministry in London. I felt a real connection with what they were doing in London. These were all 20 something’s trying to see if real community can change their world. They are helping in homeless shelter’s, playing football (soccer) in the park with kids and are setting up a financial advice non-profit to help locals with their finances.

For me this was a great encouragement. These people have committed to living in community in London, specifically in a low-income area of the city. I had good conversations with several people from the church and with the Perriman’s as well. This weekend gave me a lot to think about in coming back to The Hague this fall.

I was able to visit some museums and did a lot of walking around Central London, the weather was amazing. I loved weaving through the endless streets and alleyways of London. I sat in several parks and gardens and reflected on the last year and thought about the future. It was a great time right before I leave.

I got back to The Hague around 5pm and went straight to Scheveningen for an IJM meeting. Actually, it was a celebration dinner. We were celebrating the fact that on that Friday IJM Netherlands was now an official Stichting (Non-profit). This night signified over year’s amount of work and vision now having come to a climax, what was just a thought a year ago is a reality now. It was a very special sight to see. Joining us were, IJM Germany, IJM UK and Scott Lewis, the Affiliate office director from Washington D.C. We had a good time of getting to know each other talking vision in Europe and also eating some good food as well.

I enjoyed getting to know Scott Lewis, hearing how he got involved with IJM coming from Youth for Christ. Scott joined IJM 3 years ago and talked about how fast IJM was growing even in that short of a time. I was encouraged to hear about what God was doing in and through IJM.

One other cool testimony that came out was how by pursuing IJM from the Netherlands, our team had actually opened IJM’s mind’s to the significant role affiliate offices can play in the work of IJM. With this in mind they have sought to develop more offices around the world. This was a huge faith builder, seeing how stepping out can really pay huge benefits in area’s you never dreamed.

This past Sunday Kevin brought me up in front of the congregation and I got to thank Crossroads and give an update of what I will be doing when I return in the fall. I was really looking forward to doing this. I am very grateful to Crossroads as a church for welcoming me, encouraging me and helping me grow.

As I look back on my time here, I am very grateful for everything that this community has given. I have had amazing experiences, made great friendships and been able to help with what God is doing here. The part that I appreciate the most is the encouragement. I have always had people coming up and encouraging me in the areas I have been stepping out it. Also, the church has been challenging me to step out. It has been a great place to grow.

I am beginning my last week here in The Hague, even though I will be coming back, it still will be the end of a great internship. I love looking back and seeing the friendships develop, see what God has done and be able to say I have made some lifelong friends, who will actually let me visit them!! Haha.

I do still have prayer requests:
1) Pray that my transition back to Minnesota will go well and all the logistics of moving home will go smoothly.
2) Pray about my support raising. I need to raise both money and prayer support. I am excited to start support raising. Pray that God will meet my needs.
3) Pray for my time in Minnesota that it will be beneficial and productive. I have a lot planned and need to keep on task the whole summer.

I have had a great week, I had time to relax, I was challenged and encouraged, also I got to express my thanks to the whole community of Crossroads. See you all in Minnesota!!

Jason