Week 1

A week in the life...it's hard to know where to even begin, so I'll just list some happenings and highlights:

-chocolate. waffles. tea. European food. Need I say more?
-as a gross generalization, Belgians are extremely helpful and nice, and their English is fantastic.
-getting to know all the great people I'm living with- they're awesome, funny, and have so many stories.
-after a few days with those absolutely fantastic people I'm surrounded by/learning with, recovering from jet-lag and such, I needed some introvert time. Taking a morning alone to tour the Musical Instrument Museum, followed by leisurely wandering the streets of Brussels, was incredible!
-classes on: Belgium, team development, cultural measures/differences, a pastoral approach to evangelism, culture shock...
-writing my first ethnography (observe, make a hypotheses, analyze/"prove", repeat. This week I observed the Roma/Gypsy beggar women in downtown Brussels.)
-worshiping with St. Andrew's Scottish Church. (Want cross-cultural? Go to a Scottish church, in Brussels, full of everyone from Africa, to Ireland, to US, to Japan! 3 of us even got to spend a few hours eating/socializing with their 20s-30s group afterwards)

That's probably enough random tidbits for now...more pictures and stories to come!


Meanwhile...
Japan is, of course, very much on my heart and mind. Below, a video from my team in Japan. This is Ishinomaki: the city they are focusing on loving and serving, the people they know.

Then and Now from Paul Johannessen on Vimeo.

Zaventem

I'm trying to stay awake a little bit longer before I give up and fall asleep, and the next few weeks will very likely be very busy. So, here's what's up so far! I arrived (travels included: a pigeon strutting right past me in the Newark airport, spending my 6 hour lay-over with an awesome guy named Jose who was about to study abroad in France, and having one flight delayed because United ran out of ink cartridges- haha!) safe and healthy, and am getting settled into our dorm: the OM ZavCenter in Zaventem, an adorable little city/neighborhood outside of Brussels. Oh, and of course getting to know the 15 or so people here, who are an absolutely fabulous bunch (to stay awake, we spent our first day exploring Zaventem, then took the train into Brussels for just a bit before dinner. Which was perfect in the overcast, 48-ish degree weather). Tomorrow our classes begin, I should get a better idea of what I'm doing the next 4 weeks, what church I'll be connected with...and who knows what else! Prayers for my classmates/colleagues and I are very appreciated!

the bedroom view...














sampling the beautiful architecture...




























Special thanks to my roomie Katherine, who definitely gets the photographer of the day award.

Bon Voyage!... to me : )

Tomorrow I head out for the completion of my training: a 1 month Cross-Cultural Ministries Internship in Belgium! I'll do my very best to keep you guys updated, and hopefully have a few pictures up later this week. This picture is obviously not Belgium since I'm not there yet: it's from my flight to Tokyo last summer. However, I think the icy view is very appropriate: as silly as it sounds, the biggest "worry/fear" my brain keeps coming back to today is: I'm going to freeze my butt off! : )

Prayer is, as always, welcome and very appreciated!
-for good, strong relationships to grow with the 10 others at the training, our mentors/leaders, the church I get connected with...
-for health, strength and perseverance, especially the next few days as I begin adjusting to the time change, weather, and culture shock.
-for a good attitude and open mind to soak in every second of this month: learning from everyone I come in contact with. As a dear lady told me this morning- keep my eyes open for God: His presence, His work, His amazing providence, His beauty (or something along those lines).

And now...time to start this journey off right: with a good night's sleep!