3rd Week in...weird?

Well hello everyone, or no one...ha. It's been yet another very relaxing and chill week. I haven't had much to do except for hang out really. Ha, I have done some homework, but honestly, I haven't even had that much homework to do. I have spent a bit more time hanging out around here in Neumann. That has been good. We did do our typical Tuesday night jazz outing on Tuesday, that was a blast. There weren't as many people this time, praise the Lord. So that was even better. Last night, I watched Fight Club with Altynai. That was a good time...for sure, how could you go wrong with Fight Club? Especially watching Fight Club instead of doing work? So yeah, all has been going well. Chapel yesterday was really good. One of the Theology profs, John Campbell spoke. He talked aobut labels and how we label everything. However, Christ doesn't. Christ takes off all the labels that everyone else puts on. Christ knows his people as people and not as some kind of label. Christ knows us for who we are, not for what we have done. He told this story about this DSG (drunk street guy) who came up to him while he was walking alone to ask for some money. He was upset for being interrupted in his thought. He gave him some money, then continued to walk along. However, he started to think. He started to feel troubled becase he realized that God doesn't view this person as a DSG, but this person is an individual to him. He knows the name of the person and he cares deeply about the person. He's not just another label, but he is a person, a human being. It was good to hear this because, we often do this. We often forget about how much our creator cares about people. We often just label people and then are off on our way. This isn't how it should be. We need to learn to view people as God views people. We need to learn to look through his eyes. We need to learn to love with his heart.

Shalom My Friends...

It's been a typical week here at LCC. Ha, for the second week and I already know what a typical week is. Seriously though, it's been a really good week. I haven't done much, just chilled out a lot. We went to the jazz club on Tuesday night for Mary's birthday. There were about 20 of us there and it was fun to just go out and hang. On the way home we walked and there was a beautiful snow fall. So beautiful. It was honestly like a winter wonderland...oh I love snow. It's been nice out lately. The weather has been good. It hasn't been too cold, but it's actually been pretty warm. Yesterday, I made dinner for Ricki and her roommates. She had to go back to the hospital on Tuesday to get her leg rebroken and reset...so she's been stuck in her room. It was good to go down and hang out with them. I always enjoy myself when I am down there with them. Basically what I am getting at is that it has been a really chilled out week. I'm glad for that. We are going out for Gerrard's birthday tomorrow...where?...I have no clue. We'll see where the road leads us. Yeah..this is my update for the day...

Since the last time...

Well, it's been a bit since I have last posted anything, so I suppose I should update a bit. I have decided that blogs are annoying and they should write themselves...along with e-mails...kidding, but seriously. Anyway, my first week of classes is done and now I am getting ready for yet another one. This past week has been good. I read more this past week than I have in a while (good thing I'm Christian ed...or I don't know how I would survive). Nothing too exciting has really happened this week. Abby and I went to a friend's grandma's apartment to have some tea and play with a guinea pig...exciting? No, but definitely a good time. We spent a quite a bit of time there and just hung out. It was good to be away from here and be chilling somewhere else without a huge group. We talked about our backgrounds and the differences between the states and here. We talked about our religious backgrounds and what we believed in. Then we got into a great conversation about the church and whether it was in unity or not. It was a really good conversation and we got pretty deep into it for the first time hanging out. However, it was incredibly enjoyable. After that, we went back to Abby's at Karklu (her dorm) and just hung out some more. Her roommates were there for a bit and it was good to see them and talk to them. After that, I came back to my room at about 11:30 p.m. and just chilled. Then on Saturday, we went to Palanga, which is a sea port city on the Baltic Sea. It was Abby, Ben, Gintare, and me. We walked out on the "bridge" aka..the pier and looked around, then we walked to a cafe in the town and got some tea and some food. After that, we yet again went back to Karklu. I didn't really hang out in Karklu, but instead, I walked back to my dorm and made dinner. After dinner, some of us watched the Italian Job. It was good to just hang out and not go out last night. A night just to relax and have some fun around here. Today, we went to the church service at LCC...I actually really liked it (not like I didn't think that I wouldn't like it). The pastor spoke about bringing Jesus back to the center of our lives. Which I think is a good lesson for most human beings because it is something that we often forget. We often put so many things in front of him because we have so much more to do. We have so many more things to think about. So it was good to hear that sermon. Then afterwards, Altynai made the study abroad students (the ones who were at church) lunch. We hung out in Neumann and ate lunch together and played card games. Yet again, another relaxing time. Abby and I then decided to do some homework afterwards (like good students) up in my room. After all this was done, I did more homework and then went to the grocery store to stock up hardcore. Ha, kind of. So yeah, that's pretty much all that has been happening. We'll see how many more of these posts happen...

Alright, here's the catch up of the whole day that I didn't blog...

Yesterday, I went to classes. Faith Theme in Pop Culture...I love it so much. That's the first class that I had yesterday. We are taking things that in "Pop Culture" and then looking at the Christian view on them. For example, we are reading the first Harry Potter book...I love it...and then we are trying to take apart why Christians were so against it when it came out. Also, I have to watch 6 episodes of the new season of Lost. I am not too excited about it, because I don't like that show. However, it's a pretty funny assignment. My Synoptic Gospels class should also be a good one. I really enjoy the Bible, so I shouldn't hate it too much? Ha. No but really, I am looking forward to it. The prof. seems really great and she seems like she is going to push us...so I am excited for that. Plus the class is 9 people and we almost sit in a circle...just like Christian Ed. classes back home...ha. After classes, Abby came back to Neumann to hang out and chill for a bit. We just sat in the POD and talked for a bit, then I decided to go back to Karklu with her for a while. We headed to Karklu and I ended up staying there for about 4 hours...then we headed to the Jazz Club with her roommates. That was a lot of fun. Her roommates are pretty cool...so yeah. Around 11:30 I made it back to my room...after being gone for like 8 hours...shocking? I think not. Now on to today...Well, I went to classes...now I am here...and I'm going to work on homework...exciting? I don't think so either. Overall, it's good for a change and I am glad that I decided to come here. There is so much here that I love, there's a lot that I am getting used to, there are some sweet people, and yeah...it's a good experience so far...let's see where it takes me...

So we started classes today. The three that I had I am excited for. I am really excited for Intro to Theology. The prof. loves discussion and arguments. So that will be fun. It will be cool to hear other people's view on the Christian worldview and their theologies about it. Also, my Intro to Lithuanian class was so much fun. Our prof. is awesome. She is very upbeat and she makes it fun. The first 15 minutes she spoke completely in Lithuanian. However, in those 15 minutes I did learn quite a bit. My first class of the day was Human Development, which also should be interesting. Especially when we get to the point where we are talking about how we were raised. It will be interesting to see how all the different cultures do different things. So I am also excited about that. After classes, I went with some people to get groceries for the week. We had dinner when we got back with the SA's and a girl named Kaita. She was cool and a lot of fun to talk to. So that was good. Then I just came back to the room and worked on some things and hung out with one of the interns for a bit. Since then, my roommate and I have been diligently working on things. Her more so than me, but at least I am working. It's been a good day...I am excited to see what my classes look like tomorrow (The Synoptic Gospels and Faith Themes in Pop Cultures)...

I'm here...

So here I am in Lithuania. I am real glad that I started this blog...three weeks ago and I am just now doing something about it. This week has been really good. It was good to say bye to people before I left, but it's awesome to be here now. All we really have been doing is orientation stuff. I got here a couple of days after everyone else, so I missed the introductions...but it still has been good. The study abroad students are so great. We have had a blast together and it's been good to get to know people. It's basically just been us in the dorm for the past couple of days. Which has been both good and bad. It would be good to get to know people who actually go here, but we will do that soon enough. Two of my roommates are here, but I have only met one. She is from Belarus. She's pretty chill and has a good taste in music...so I like her already. She has a boyfriend that goes to Purdue..so that kind of puts us in a similar category...the whole Indiana thing. Anyway, basically we have just been learning to get around the city and just hanging out. It's been an adventure so far. I really like Klaipeda. It's a sweet city. I wish that I lived in the off campus dorm so that I was closer to everything, but my dorm has it's perks...like I don't have to walk 20 minutes to class. So that is good. I have met some cool people in my dorm, so I am excited to see how the friendships turn out. I am really pumped for this semester to begin...
Well for now, I think we are going to go do some shopping for dinner. I'll try to keep this updated...ha.