Oh so close!

Hey all!
I am almost at 100% on the fundraising front! Just a few days ago I was really starting to wonder if I would be able to raise enough to go to Hungary, but I received many gifts, including one huge one and am now around $1750 of my needed $1850 a month! God has done some incredible things that I am still trying to comprehend, and I can't help but be thankful. Also, this is just another of many lessons on the pointlessness of worry and stress. Thanks to all who have helped and will continue to help, and above all thanks for your prayers! The journey begins in less than a month, and I will keep you all updated! Finally, I am sending out monthly updates to email addresses, and would love to have yours to add to the list, so please send me that to my email, bkroeker@multnomah.edu.

Fundraising Update

Hey all!
So I am over halfway on my support raising and working hard and getting up to full support as soon as possible!
I have around $1050 of $1800 in monthly support, and I am getting close to $3000 of the $4000 needed for startup. This whole fundraising thing has been interesting, but in all a really amazing experience!
I am so thankful for all of the support that everyone has been willing to offer! It isn't always fun to ask others for money, but I know it isn't just about me on this mission, and its a great chance for others to have a part in God's ministry around that world. I think that has been the most encouraging thing over the past few weeks.
I have also been facing struggles. I find it really easy to worry and stress about whether I will get to full support and what would happen if I didn't in time. It is easy to fall into worry, instead of remembering that I have a God that is there and is faithful in all times! No matter what happens over the next few weeks and months and years, I know that he will take care of me.
Anyway, I could use prayer for peace as this continues, and also prayer that support comes in. Everyone has been incredible, and I have heard many people say "I can only do so much, I'm sorry,"
 and all I can think is, "Wow! If only they knew how much help they were being! Thanks!"
-Brian

Financial Support Update!

Hey all!
After meeting with a bunch of people in Klamath Falls a couple of weeks ago I am now at 40% of my total needed support! It was incredible to see the support that I have received, and I had a great time just catching up with people I have seen in a while. I feel blessed and thankful to have the support! I am now working on meeting with all of my Portland people! I could use prayer for strength and a lack of nerves. I am really enjoying the whole experience and the ability to meet with people, but I still get nervous and can put off things (turns out procrastination doesn't end with a college diploma). Anyway, getting excited! The plan is to be taking off in less than 3 months, so crazy!

Fundraising and the Like

Hey all!
I am planning on heading back to Hungary for 15 months in January! This means that right now it is time to fundraise, and I would appreciate all of your prayers! This last week I was able to go to Klamath Falls and meet with a bunch of people about support, and it turned out to be an incredible time. The support I felt from everyone was incredible, and even though I was a bit nervous before each meeting, I really felt God work. I have to raise $1700 a month and $4000 for start up cost, so its a good chunk of change, but I have really felt like this is where God wants me for the next year, and He has brought so many people into my life for support, I feel incredibly blessed. I will be contacting you all soon about how you can help if you want.
Also, a few prayer requests would be peace about everything that is happening. I am still quite nervous about spending over a year away from pretty much everyone I know. Also, prayer for patience as I continue to support, and trust that God will provide (I know he will, but I doubt sometimes... =).
I look forward to this journey! Here we go...

Video of Pictures

Here is a link to watch a video I made of a bunch of pictures! Enjoy!
http://youtu.be/o6nprEZjwOA

Home!

Made it back! After a way too long travel day I am back in Portland! I think I waited in about 6 lines to make sure I was legally moving around, all of which questioned my temporary passport...but alas! Time to battle against the age old enemy called sleep deprivation/jet lag. Time to take the next few days to digest and process my time in Hungary. Thank you all so much for your prayers and support! Its truly amazing to think of everyone that has supported this opportunity to serve in Hungary. I survived all the adventures with your help! Anyway, I could use future prayer as I figure out where God is leading from here, and I'll keep everyone updated whenever a decision is decided upon... =)

Adventures...

Yesterday was quite an adventure! I got to get out and see the city like I never have before! We went to the palace and the museum inside, where I saw something that was from 12th Century BC! By far the oldest thing I've ever seen...we saw parliament, St. Stephens Basilica, Freedom Square, and the House of Terror (a museum all about Hungary when it was under communism). We finished by having a celebration dinner for everyone that coached last week during the 11 and 12 year old camp. They are heading to the tournament in Poland today, so we had some delish jumbalaya! When we walked out to the van, though, we saw that two windows were broken and one had a hole in it. They had seen my backpack on the floor and decided it had something valuable in it, which they were right...thankfully I had all of my more expensive things, but they got my passport, and I was supposed to be leaving in a few hours. The van is also one that is supposed to go to Poland so it may be riding up with a bunch of duct tape. Anyway, the police came and got the information and today I have to make the rounds. First, the police department, then the US Embassy, then I have to figure out what my insurance covers, then I need to get a flight...so it will be an exciting morning...anyway, it stinks because besides the passport, the things that were taken have no value to anyone else. They took my Bible, journal, souvenirs from Vienna and Budapest, my espo sweatshirt, and a pen. Alright, that last one isn't important =) Anyway, I could use prayer for patience in this process and that I can get home in a reasonable amount of time! I don't think it will happen, but I was really looking forward to getting home for the MPC Youth Cowboy Dinner Tree trip, so I'm hoping God works a miracle there! I'll keep this updated as I figure out more about when I'm going back to Portland and all that. Its surely going to be an adventure! =)

Survival!

Well, we finished our 11 and 12 year old baseball camp last night, and boy were they exhausting! It turns out that those ages are always full of energy no matter where in the world you may be...It was a ton of fun though! 24 kids came to try out for the 14 man team that they will be taking to Poland next week for little league European championships. I got to learn a lot more about baseball and get to know the students, which is definitely my strength at this point! All of the kids are from 9 different teams around the area with about 7 or 8 of them being americans. It was obviously a lot easier to communicate with them and get to know them, but all of them had energy and laughed constantly (mainly at the wrong times of course=) so it wasn't too hard to have fun. The toughest part was easily the end of the week when the coaches had to decide who to take on the trip, and sadly 10 of the kids can't go which was tough to see. The others were excited which made up for it mostly, but its still not my favorite thing to watch...the week was a ton of fun and they got to hear the message of Jesus so it was overall a great time! It reminds me a lot of camp back home (Mountain Lakes and Island Lake) because its challenging to keep up with the kids, i end up with no energy, and it is totally worth it! I am going to put more pictures on facebook soon so check them out! http://www.facebook.com/brian.kroeker.90
Also, its crazy to think that I am almost done here, but its been an amazing and challenging time! I could definitely use prayer for peace as always, but i am not stressing as much as i was a few days ago! I'm missing all you back on the west coast but i'll see you soon!

Sunday

So today i got to go to church! it is interesting because unlike when i am in mexico, i have absolutely no idea what any of the words are! the words i know are igan (yes), nem (no), nem tudom (i don't know), kosconom (thank you), and jo (good), so everytime i heard or saw on of these i got really excited! The best part is just knowing that there are people here that are worshiping the same exact God that i am! Its really cool to actually see the global church and see with my own eyes what is happening. God is working and changing people everywhere, and its amazing to be a witness of that amazing and transforming love! anyway, we have a baseball camp starting soon and going to Friday so there probably won't be an update for a while...
oh and for those who understand this, the 2 pound philosophy didn't work...if you don't know what this means, don't ask =)

An Update...finally!

Hey all!
So I haven't really had any breaks or internet the last few days so its been a little skittish on the updates...but don't worry, this one will be long! =)

Its been a pretty interesting time here so far! I still have no concept of time and I am learning that the 3 most useful words are “I don't know” because a day could involve doing pretty much anything! We just finished up a camp for the Softball Junior National Team (under 20s) and it was a ton of fun! It took me a little bit, but the last two days have been especially fun as I became more comfortable and talked some to the girls. Some of them actually speak really good English, you just have to get them to open up! the coaching is interesting because I only know a little bit about baseball, but everyone was under the assumption that I had been a player and coach for many years...I am excited to learn how to coach baseball and grow confident in my abilities, but I am usually a person that is on the lower side of the confidence meter in what I do. I am working on trusting in God that I am where I need to be, but I could definitely use some prayer on that as well as other things I will get to later. I love the ability to play catch or run around for 8 hours a day. The day began around 9am with practice until 1pm when we would take lunch. Then we would do character development where we teach teamwork and show example from the Bible! The team is a national team but since we are housing the team we get to share some Jesus to them. Its a really cool opportunity to show them why we are here, and today Suzanne, the head coach of the team, was able to share her testimony! Around 4 we head back out to the field till 8 with a little more practice and a scrimmage of some sort. I loved this because I was able to play and actually get involved more in what was happening instead of just watching and learning. 

So the place that I am staying is a 3 story house called the training center. It can house around 25 people, although they can't cook hot meals for that many people or it would be a commercial building...so we eat out for lunches (the hot meal in Hungary instead of dinner) and the rest of the time we have bread, cheese and random sausage or bologna. Overall a pretty simple diet which has treated me well! =) We did have liver one day which I ate...a little bit, but its just not my thing. The field is about 15 minutes away and is actually in pretty good condition, and I am told its the nicest field in Hungary! Also, there are a few tall trees near the field that have become my best friend because it is 95 degrees or more, from 9 in the morning till 8 at night, every single day...I also can't seem to drink enough water but so far I'm still alive!

The main thing that I could use prayer for is peace and patience...surprise! =) I am struggling with the desire to quickly make my decision about spending a year here, even though I just got here. Everything I see is mentally put in a pro's and con's list. I have these feelings of confusion that I never anticipated when it came to whether I would spend a year here because not everything fits the expectations I had. Anyway, basically I thought I would come here, fall in love with everything about it, and get ready to roll for a year...but that is not how it works. I am not trying to be a pessimistic patty because there are many things that I love here and am excited about, but I feel myself putting pressure on myself to make an immediate decision. I know God is going to help me decide what to do with the next year/forever of my life. I would really appreciate your prayers, and honestly this could be the most typical thing for anyone that goes oversees on a missions trip, but its a first for me. Also if you want to email any encouragement/advice/anything feel free! I would really enjoy it! =)

Oh, and to end this on a positive note...the whole thing with my stomach acting up and hating me has been non-existent so far! I haven't felt sick or anything this whole trip even with the time change and long flight! A few years ago I couldn't go on a 15 minute car trip without feeling nauseous so this is a major praise and miracle from God.

The next few days will be more relaxed as we prepare for a camp of 15-16 year old boys. I am slowly starting to pick up confidence in coaching, but it takes a while!

I'll post some pics on facebook when i get the chance...

Thanks for the support!

-Brian

Made it!

I am in Hungary! Got in last night and had an incredible night of sleep after being up for 30 hours...plane sleep didn't really happen. I am feeling jet-lag-less so far cuz I already got to teach a little baseball! Its crazy cuz I don't really know what's going to happen on a given day, but I heard that is common around here... :) I am discovering that my expectations were different, but God is working and so far I am having a great experience! Tomorrow we are going to Vienna, Austria! Jet lag will probably hit sometime but this is an exciting chance so I'm going for it!
Please pray for the new group that is coming in for softball camp this next week and that I will be willing to do anything they ask of me willingly! Thanks!

On My Way

I made it to the airport! I only think I have forgotten one thing so far so I'm doing good... time to just relax for the next couple hours and watch Portugal and Spain play in the Euros! Not a bad way to start the day. Also, had a welcoming crew here at the airport! It was awesome but I didn't cry or anything, even though they REALLY wanted me to. =) I don't feel too stressed or anything and am getting psyched! Its finally happening! Pretty much every step I take in the next 24 hours will be the farthest I've been from home!

2 Days Away!

So it is just over 48 hours until I take off for Hungary! I am so excited and pumped, but there is a lot to do in the next 2 days in order to get ready...the main one is getting healthy. Last week I went to Canada with my youth group to a place called Esperanza, and while it was one of the most amazing experiences of my life it also ended with me sick...I could really use your prayers for this because I don't want to travel while coughing and with my sinuses backed up. Not just for health but that I will take it easy the next 2 days and let God take control of the small things that I don't need to stress over. I did get 12 hours of sleep last night which is definitely helpful, but I am still far from feeling healthy. Also, I am getting a lot of money support in which is very helpful so thank you to all of you who are able to help that way! Its truly a blessing that I have so many people supporting with prayer and money! Thanks again!

Pre-Trip Trip!

So this is kind of related to Hungary in that it isn't happening in the US, but my youth group is going to Canada for a missions trip this coming Sunday for a week! I figured people should know to pray for all 39 of us as we travel to Vancouver Island. We are chopping wood, making trails, and fixing up the camp so they can use it year round to reach the first nations tribes in the area. Our full job is to be enablers of the people at Esperanza (the name of the camp) as they show the love of Jesus to the local people and kids! Its from the 17th to the 24th, and then the 27th is when I fly to Hungary, so another prayer is that I don't get sick because of the chaos. The leaders of the trip are freaking amazing, though, so its going be a ton of fun serving along side all of the students I've gotten to know (and sometimes enjoy =) over the past few years and especially the last one!

History

So this is a little more in depth section about my journey to where I am now.

Growing up in Klamath Falls, I had a very narrow view of the world. The town is not very diverse culturally and everyone is fairly similarly minded (at least from my point of view). I loved it and I never wanted to leave! Life was simple, and I felt really comfortable where I was in my life, but I think God has some other plans brewing. I had a desire to go to Multnomah University to study Bible for a year and then go back to Klamath, but alas, I ended just staying for 4 years!
Portland really started to open up my eyes to more of the diversity in the world as so many cultures and beliefs are spread throughout the city. At this point I never had a desire to leave Portland for the rest of my life, and I fell in love with the area as a whole. I never had a single desire to go overseas, and I especially didn't want to become a missionary! While attending Multnomah I also got in a car accident with Erin (my sister) on the way back to school from Klamath and my struggles with fear and anxiety began to weigh me down. I would get nervous and sick just taking a car ride from my dorms to church (20 minutes), and this is when missions was the farthest thing from my mind. I didn't think I would ever be able to travel to another part of the world, but yet God still had his plan rolling.
Over the next couple of years I began to get over my struggle with certain fears and was dealing with it better by literally praying for whole 5 hour trips for God to get me through. Slowly, I began to put all of my hope in God and give up the fear to him, and that is when he brought it on my heart to go overseas.
Its kind of funny because there wasn't a specific person that said something or a discernible time where I remember saying "I'm going to be a missionary," but at some point during the missions conference last year at Multnomah I had a desire to go. All of a sudden every mission table I saw seemed like an amazing opportunity that I could go and get involved in! (As I've said before, this is really odd for me)
I have always known that I want to coach as much as I can in any possible sport because there are no other times I feel more connected to peoples lives. I got to coach the JV Basketball team at Triad (my high school) a year after I graduated and realized how much I loved it, but I haven't had many opportunities since. Because I wanted to get involved, and because I wanted to coach, I simply began to "Google" sports and missions. About 4 or 5 different ones popped up that looked interesting and after emailing all of them Operation Mobilisation (http://www.om.org/) was the one that got back to me. The sports and coaching ministry in Hungary really seemed to pop out. (here is a page with more info http://www.om.org/en/job/s1871) At this point I was nervously excited, but this is where God had me practice my favorite thing in the world, patience.
I was originally hoping to go to Outbound (a conference that trains prospective missionaries) in September, then it was bumped to February, but I was finally able to go this April! The conference was in Atlanta (farthest away from home I've ever been) and during the trip I felt almost no fear or anxiety! My stomach did really well and I never felt sick like I used to do when I traveled. It also made the whole pursuit of missions completely real and I realized that God wasn't just testing me, but that I was actually going to go.
At this point I was planning to go to Hungary for a year starting in August, but the team at OM decided that I should do a "Vision Trip" to see if I can handle some of the stresses of living overseas in a completely foreign context, so after we figured it all out we decided I should go for 3 weeks on June 27th! (3 days after I get back from my youth groups missions trip) Which brings me to now!
If you took the time to read this, thanks! Your the best! More updates coming...
-Brian

The Beginning

Hey! This is an opportunity for you to stay up to date on everything that is happening as I journey to Hungary to share Jesus through sports! I will be posting updated prayer requests, share stories, and post pictures, so check back! I officially leave on June 27th and come back on July 19th. This first trip is a "Vision Trip" which means I am going to see if I can handle the stress and anxiety that can occur in an international context. The goal is to return to Hungary for a year starting in January of next year. My first request for prayer is for the anxiety that I will be feeling as the journey gets closer, I have never traveled overseas before so I am a wee bit nervous. Feel free to ask any questions in the comment area!