My Room

This is my room in Ireland! I have been blessed to live in a great house and have a spacious room at an affordable price! Here are the pictures! I plan to to some decorating but that is an expense that is way down on my list of need!

My closet and chair. And of course the holy flag of Sweden. ;)

The view from my window! Not amazing but it gets good light in the morning!

My dresser and bed! Luckily the room came furnished!

My nice big bed with my Gustav Klimt curtain. He is one of my favorite artists!

Sick Bay

Eoin and I playing when he was sick with the chicken pox

So I've been out of commission since Wednesday night. I just have the common cold but it has really beat me up. So as I've been sitting here in my room for the last 48 hours I've had lots of time to think, to read, to update my iPod and to think of all the things I miss from America. Truly I can do just fine with what this wonderful has to offer. But there are a few things that take my fancy and tickle my taste buds that are not found in Europe.

If anyone reading this is overtaken by the Christmas spirit of giving and wished to bless me with a little package from abroad I would be most stoked!

• Goldfish Crackers - The rainbow colored ones, cause the purple ones taste best!
• Cold Cream - Ponds or generic brand, I feel like an old lady using this but it is the best makeup remover!
• Extra Polar Ice Gum - The little blue dots are so fun!
• Suave Rave Pump Hairspray - Most of the hair spray here is aerosol, and I prefer a pump, plus the Rave smell reminds me of high school!
• DayQuil/NyQuil - The capsules not the liquid, medicines like this you have to go to a pharmacy to get
• Trader Joes Chocolate covered Peanut Butter Pretzel Bites - pure bliss!
• Bobby Pins - I think Goody or Conair makes the one with no slip grip, a style must!
• Dr Scholls For Her Comfort Insoles - I do a lot of walking here!
• and last any puzzles for playing with Eoin. He is 4 years old, so maybe nothing with more than 20 pieces.

Thank you so much for reading and if you want to send one one and any of these things please send to:

Aan-Sofie Guzik

46 Ardfallen Terrace

Cork City, Ireland

Good Day

Yesterday was a great day! I showered in my house! Went to tea with a lady from our church. The tea was in support of Cork Penny Dinners, a soup kitchen in town. At the tea, I met the Mayor's wife, Tanya Murphy and we chatted a few lines. Then I found a cute new store/boutique and bought a friend the perfect Christmas gift. Next I went home and started cooking a traditional Swedish dish. A potato casserole type thing, it turned out great! Then I went to the Neglia's to watch Eoin. He was in a good mood and sweet if not a little hyper! We played and did muscle therapy. I minded him while Mike went to a prayer meeting. He would stay in bed so to get him to settle down I had to lie in bed with him, I almost fell asleep! Then I came home and cleaned my room!

A wonderful day!

Christmas Ball

Well last night was the 1st annual Calvary Cork Christmas Ball.

It was so much fun! We have been planning this for weeks and this week had been especially crazy. But it all came together and was amazing! Rachel, Jacq and I decorated, the place looked stunning! We strung ornaments on fishing wire and lined the ceiling with them! We put lights all over and huge silver snowflakes that we cut from wrapping paper. We had a mini christmas tree with fake presents and loads of candle all over the place to give a wonderful glow! There were loads of people there and almost everyone got on the dance floor for a bit. Some never left! The food was fantastic and the musical events delightful! (Goo job Siona, Hannah, Rachel, Aden, Ian!)I ran around all night, watching Eoin, setting up food, cleaning up, talking with people, dancing, filling water, taking out filled trash cans, and I had so much fun!

This was a fundraising event too! We charged 10 euros a ticket and the profits went to Jacq who is going to Brazil in March, and Ian who is helping with the church in Waterford. They were able to get a good amount of money to help out with their ministries.

Mission Christmas Ball......Success!

I got home at about 1:30 am and slept till 12:30! I haven't slept that much since I was jet lagging!

Anyway, it was such a good time and I am so grateful everything went well.

My hair and makeup for the ball!

And God has been blessing me so much lately! I was able to get enough support to make it though January with paying rent and everything. I will be hitting the pavement on Monday to find a job. Some students from the bible college in Germany came to Cork to visit for 2 days, my parents paid to have them bring 2 suitcases of my things for me! Christmas came early! So now I have more wardrobe and shoe options! I feel so blessing in this week! Praise and thanks you God!

Technically speaking

Okay I haven't broken my resolution! It hasn't been a full week since my last post so it's still 2 in one week if not a calender week! >_<

Anywho.....

So today is Monday the official day off for all church ministry people. I had planned an elaborately productive day but since I have not had more than 5-6 hours of sleep the last 4 nights I slept till 9:48 am! I had leftover apple pie for breakfast (more on that later!) and read for a bit in my bed! I am in desperate need of a shower, but it's still not working. Everything else works in our house. Washer, hot and cold, toilet everything! But not the shower! I have plans to go to a friends tonight and bathe but I feel really icky this morning. So instead of going about town like I have been on my day off, I have decided to stay inside! Since I felt icky I thought a little home beauty care was in order. I did my eyebrows, face mask, pore cleansing and hopefully a pedicure this afternoon! I love days off when you can pamper yourself just a little bit!

I have also been working on my CV, what the Irish call your resume. I can't remember if I mentioned it in my last post but I am going to try and get a job at a coffee shop here in town. Just 5-10 hours a week in the mornings. I have some time in the morning (I don't go to the Neglia's till 3 p.m.) that I'm wanting to fill with something productive and profitable! Times are hard in this economy and my support isn't what I hoped it would be. But God has provided me with the ability to be able to work in Europe so I'm going to try it! Please be praying that I find a job!

Back to the apple pie!

The American contingency in Cork were all busy Thursday so we planned to do Thanksgiving on Sunday! So yesterday we all got together at the Neglia's. Rachel did the turkey, her first which was amazing!, and the potatoes and vegetables. Dawn did the sweet potatoes, pumpkin pies and ham. Chris and Nada brought bread. And I did the stuffing and a spiced apple pie!

Everything was so amazing! I tried a new dinner strategy too! I used to put only a little and my plate and then go back for seconds (maybe thirds!). This time I piled my plate and took my sweet time eating it! I would eat then push the plate aside then chat and such and then pull the plate back! This had the added bonus of not having to get up from your seat, which though it might sound lazy, sometimes you are stuck in the middle seat against the wall and can't get out easily. Then it's perfect!

So we had a great time, the food was amazing the pies were classic and the company was impeccable! We played a really fun game too! I forget what they called it but it was Bible Charades. The only thing was you couldn't do anything with any member of the Trinity. No God, no Jesus, no Holy Ghost. Some did abstract things like "Goodness and Mercy shall follow me all the days of my life" (that took us a while to figure out) to funny ones like the woman riding the beast and obscure ones such as the dog licking Lazarus' sores! It was a lot of fun!

This week is going to be a busy on as we have our Christmas ball on Friday. Tomorrow we shop, Wednesday I bake, Thursday we decorate and Friday we finish everything we haven't done!

So keep me in your prayers this week and I will we back on Wednesday or Thursday with another post!

Picture I took at the Cork City Museum. I am proud to be in Cork!

Pre-New Years Resolutions

So I have this blog, and I want to use it to just tell what goes on in my day. The problem is I never blog! But I think about what I would blog all the time! While I walk various places about town I write blogs in my head. Then I get home and forget all about it! The internet can just jack in to my brian right?!

So here we go, my pre-New Years resolution. To blog twice a week until the end of the year. (Depending on how that goes we'll see what my actual New Years resolution is!)

Blog #1 for this week:

This week has been busy and crazy! We had a children's ministry meeting on Sunday. I'm in charge of lesson plans and crafts. I have 4 completely done and 3 more in progress! The crafts are so cute! We are going through Mark and the Fruits of the Spirit. The craft for Jesus' baptism is a paper plate with a slit in the middle in which a paper man goes in and out of! up and down, up and down! I'm having so much fun!

My landlady has a 9 month old daughter and upon hearing that I

made excellent sugar cookies asked me to make some for the christening! I thought she was just saying that but she was serious! So I made 80 sugar cookies and decorated each on! And of course true to my obsessiveness, no 2 were decorated alike! I also made 100 oatmeal cookies, all crispy and buttery! 180 cookies! She paid me 50 euros! The materials were about 20E and so I made 30E!

Which really helped out cause Eoin had his birthday party this Sunday as well and I made food for that! Plus gifts and such, so really, making those cookies gave me the money for Eoin that I didn't have before! Praise God for providing in miraculous ways!

So Eoin's birthday was a Peter Pan themed party, so much fun! So I made "Hook is a CodFish" Smoked trout cheese log and "Tiger Lily's" Chicken Curry Teepee Sandwiches! I had so much fun shaping the cheese into a fish and decorating each sandwich as a teepee! And the party was a blast! It was actually a joint birthday party for one of my new friends Jacqueline! She dressed up as Tinker Bell and Eoin was Peter Pan, Mike was Captain Hook, Rachel was Wendy, Aaron was a Lost Boy, Ann was Tinker Bell #2, Ester was Tiger Lily, Shane and Katie were Pirates, and I was some semblance of a pirate with a striped shirt, red shirt and black boots!

And then in the midst of all this there was the flood! But I'm tired of typing! I'm not used to this yet! So I will get to that later today I promise!

Enabled & Counted Faithful #2

And let us not grow weary of doing good - Gal 6:9

“So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” Galatians 6:10

I have been in Ireland for 3 weeks now! After spending 3 weeks in Germany and 2 weeks in Sweden I finally made it to my final destination. On arriving here I felt such a peace and contentment wash over me. What a blessing to know that you are stepping in the will of the Lord. I am living with the Neglias, but as I write this I have just found a room in a lovely house and will be moving in on the 10th! I am lo

oking forward to settling in somewhere and getting to know more of the city. I spend most days either visiting people, going to church, shopping for the church, cleaning the church, working on Sunday School curriculum, minding Eoin, or baking! And I’m loving every minute!

The church does outreach in the city centre every other week and though it stretches my comfort zone I’m getting to really enjoy it. There are women's bible studies and prayer meetings in addition to Sunday and Wednesday service. The people are all so lovely and I am getting to know everyone. I have gone on a few adventures and house visits with promises of many more!

Keep reading to learn more! May God bless you!

The Neglias

My main ministry is serving this amazing family. I am so blessed to know them. The work they do is never ending but they do it all tirelessly and with such a joy it is contagious. I am happy to help in every which way i can. Cleaning, cooking, child minding and errands.

Eoin

The Neglia’s soon to be 4 year old son, Eoin (Owen) is a cute little red headed energetic boy. He is mildly autistic but is able to attend preschool, communicate verbally and play. There are of course many things that can upset him and little peculiarities that can take some getting used to. But he is an affectionate boy who loves to be read to, watch Elmo and swing outside. In just living with them I have been able to care for him at busy or convenient times. An extra set of hands to feed, bathe, dress, change, play, read and carry. Rachel, who has not gone to a prayer meeting or mid week service in years is now able to go while I mind Eoin. I am also doing physical therapy with him 1-2 times a day. Autistic children can have low muscle tone and muscle awareness. A therapist showed me some exercises to do with him. One of my main prayers in coming here was that he would like me and be comfortable with me. Praise God for answered prayer! He has totally bonded to me and even asks for me!

My Needs

Now that I got an apartment I am even more counting on the Lord to provide for me through you. Things I need to get like bedding, towels and appliances will require more funds at first. Winter is here in Ireland and I have little winter wear, a winter coat especially. I know that times are tough and that this isn’t the best time fiscally to be a missionary. But God is bigger than the economy. He is bigger than your pay check and bigger than my rent. Just $30 a month can get me food for a week. 20 people giving just $20 a month is my rent! If you can’t commit to monthly support a one time gift is always a blessing.

I know that if you were here you would want to spend your time, energy and a few dollars helping this church and the Neglias. they are so precious and are carrying on the work of the Kingdom just as you are in the States. I’m already here so you can live vicariously though me by supporting me!

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I have been so blessed to be able to serve God in the capacity that I do. I am doing my best to update regularly. Be sure to look at my blog as it gets more frequent updates! May God bless you and your loved ones! Thank you for praying!

Prayer Requests

• favor and blessing in my new place with my new housemates
• Boldness of Spirit in outreaches
• continued blessing in serving the neglia family and especially with Eoin
• blessing in forming friendships with the congregation and especially the women
• adequate financial support each month
• Praise God for all his faithfulness thus far

Contact Info:

Personal:

Email: aansofie.guzik@gmail.com

Blog: www.aansofieguzikmissionary.blogspot.com

Post: 46 Ardfallen Terrace, Cork City, Ireland

Calvary Cork:

Website: www.calvarycork.org

Send Support Checks to:

Calvary Chapel Santa Barbara

1 N Calle Cesar Chavez # 21, Santa Barbara, CA 93103-5608

Please write checks to Calvary Chapel Santa Barbara and place my name in the memo line

Website: www.calvarychapelsb.com

Getting Around to It

Okay, so its been more thank a few days since my last post, I was doing so well there at first.

Let's catch up before I do a big newsletter type thing.

Got to Ireland October 14th.

I am living with the Neglias. Mike and Rachel are the pastor and wife of the church here. I'm mainly here to be a special help to them and to get involved in women's ministry. I've been doing a lot of the former and a little of the latter. But hey, I've only been here 2 weeks so everyone is

still getting to know me!

This is my room

So mainly I spend my days doing small tasks around the house, playing and therapy with Eoin, and help out at the church with anything that may come up!

I am truly loving Ireland! I think a big part of it has to do with my finally being back in "full time ministry". Even ministry at all! To know that the small things I can do and do out of the abundance of my heart really helps someone is the best feeling in the world!

Every night I go to bed content and at peace, ready for the next day!

Me in Kilbritain on the coast!

I am writing and designing a spiffy newsletter so in the next day or too I will post again, with more detail. But let my leave you with some pictures of my adventures!

Me at the wildlife park Fota! With Zebras!

Me and the first rainbow I saw in Ireland!

Flying on a Jet Plane

Well I'm off to Ireland! I bought my ticket and I leave Tuesday! I am so excited and can't wait to breathe in that fresh Irish air, or should that be aer?

Anyway I'm going to be staying with the pastor and his family when I get there but I need to start looking for a place to live. Please pray that a good situation will come up. I will update more when I get there. There is not going on much now except packing, saying goodbye and delicious croissants with nutella!

Proof of ODC

Here is the proof of my official dual citizenship!

You can't smile in your pass photo but you can smile while holding it!

Still in sweden, going back to Germany on Monday with this beauty in my hand!

O. D. C.

Officially a Dual Citizen

Hurrah! I just picked up my swedish passport today!

The (short) Story:

I had (foolishly) let my passport expire, then went to the consulate in L.A. this summer to get it renewed. Unfortunately they told me that because I had dual citizenship as a minor I needed to as an adult (between 18-22) declare my interest in still being a citizen. Ok, no problem, lets do that. Wrong! They needed all these documents that my parents had in Germany! So I waited until I got to Germany (part of the reason why I left so soon, I needed to get this done) then my parents on I got the ball rolling. This was going to be a two part process. First re-establish my citizenship then second apply and wait for a passport. Only things is that the consulate in Frankfurt can't do this, the consulate general in Berlin has to.

Don't you just love passport bureaucracy!

So I had to either find time to go with my mom to Berlin or go to Sweden directly and stay with my grandparents.

So I'm in SWEDEN! And I got my passport now! After all this trouble, paperwork, traveling, waiting. . . God has really opened the doors and I now hold the key to living and serving in Europe!

Purging

So I like to save things. I like to save everything. I have to save everything.

I think it's a neurological condition, I wonder what Dr. House would say. . .

Anyway, I realize my condition and how potentially fatal it can be. So periodically I go though my things and get rid of my once precious and vital possessions. I decide to do this with the boxes I had stored in my parents attic. What I found was 4 boxes of mementos of my past. Scraps of papers, 11th grade essays, swimming caps, sugar packets and a billion postcards.

After 2 days of shunning the outdoors I am proud to say that I fit 8 years of my life in to 5 shoe boxes. boxes small enough to fit into 1 large box.

Needless to say I am quite proud of myself (an so are my parents)!

It feels good to go though things, let go of memories not needed, remember things I needed to and neatly tuck everything away where it belongs.

Go me!

Where is she now?

What Happened to Aan-Sofie?

Not much! I’ve been in Europe, Germany specifically, for 2 weeks now. My last couple weeks in California we so busy and chaotic so I was very grateful to be home and just sleep in my old bed! Mom and Dad were quick to plug me in though; the day after I got here I helped cook lunch at the Bible College! I’ve also helped out in the school’s cafe and other little errands. It has been a blast to listen to my dad teach one Sunday and to go to his classes. My mom is also teaching a class and it was a joy to attend!

My birthday was the 7th, so we had a little party with my old friends here and that was really great. I’ve also been able to get together with some of them for coffee dates. So much fun! Other than that, I’ve really been taking the time to rest, reflect and rejuvenate.

Passport Update:

Some of you may know that I’m actually in Germany to not only visit my parents but to renew my Swedish passport. This is turning out to be quite a process and unfortunately we can’t do it from Frankfurt (which is only an hour away). Our options are to go to Sweden or to Berlin. I’d would have to fly either way. So it looks like I’m going to Sweden! My grandparent live in the centre of Gothenburg and they can help me with the paper work. Plus I get to visit them! I will probably be there a week and I’m looking forward to it! Sweden is very much on my heart for the Lord. I’m hoping to get to meet people and pray over the city.

Cork Update:

Since I can’t go to Cork until I have my passport I am obviously not there now! I’m itching to go there and have just been praying for the city, the church, the pastor and myself. I will have to get a place to live on my own so I’ve been looking online at apartments and rooms; no luck yet. Please be praying that I find a good situation. Low rent, good location, decent room, and nice neighbors!

That is pretty much it! I’ll probably send another update like this from Sweden. Thank you so much for reading this and for taking an interest in my life of serving God. I pray you are well where you are and enjoying the blessings of God in whatever form.

Thank you again for reading!

And here are my prayer needs in short:

• Filling of God’s grace and spirit
• Passport
• Sweden trip
• Living arrangements in Ireland
• Financial support

I am a little toe!

Here is an excerpt from an article my mother sent me and it captures my heart for mission brilliantly! Just read!

God brought us all over here to get a job done, and as members of the Body of Christ, we all have a part—big and small—and Scripture says each part of Christ’s body is equally important. I wonder, however, if the stateside churches realize this equality of ministries. I wonder whether Christians at home are getting a realistic picture of missions when churches go overseas for short mission trips and accomplish only the flashy special projects. Yes, the team members come away excited because they were part of building an orphanage, or a bush house, or a school room. Yes, the missionaries and people who benefit are thrilled and grateful for fellow Christians willing to give of their time and money—but what about the small jobs that are not being accomplished because the mission does not have the workers?

Should the church's leaders not be helping its members realize that the small boring jobs are as equally important as the big exciting jobs? Could they not teach this lesson: God needs evangelists overseas and He needs plumbers; He needs church planters and secretaries? Otherwise, I am concerned that if mission-trip organizers continue to have the mindset that people won’t want to take a trip just for general handyman work, then the Church will believe that I am ‘just’ a support worker.

If that happens, missions will continue to have a huge need for support workers. Taking it a step further, the church may begin to believe that stateside church workers are of higher importance than overseas workers, which will mean missions will continue to have unmet needs for Bible translators and missionaries in all fields.

The trend would continue: Pastors are more important than church secretaries. Sunday school teachers are more important than mid-week volunteers. God did not intend that at home, and He does not intend it overseas. God values every individual and the role every individual plays in the Kingdom. I am a little toe, and God needs me!

God's Ways

Well! I am constantly amazed at how God provides for me. Once I start trusting Him there is nothing He can't do!

Friday, my last day of work at Starbucks, my last 2 hours and having just send the register partner on break took over up front. Along the line I see a familiar face but it's in the wrong place.

A women approaches and says "Didn't you work in Westlake? What are you doing here in Santa Maria?"

"Well I moved up here to work with a church!"

"What church?"

"Calvary Chapel Santa Maria!"

"I go to Calvary! I do worship at Calvary Chapel Malibu!"

{Both laugh and exclaim surprise}

Then I resume, "Well I'm actually on my way to Ireland to be a missionary and work with a Calvary over there!"

"Wow! That is amazing!"

"And. . .I have a prayer card in my car if you can wait a minute!"

"Ok, let me tell my friend"

Then a long line of customers come, I see her grab her drink and walk toward the door. I very nearly leave my post and run to my car but I stay and stay disappointing in missing and opportunity to connect with a new sister.

Just then she reappears and places something in my hand. "This is for your missions sister! Be safe and be blessed!"

"Thank you! Thank you so much!"

I quickly open my hand and there is $100! The first thing that floods to my mind is Hosea 14:8 "It is I who answer and look after you. I am the evergreen cypress; from me comes your fruit." A promise that God had given me a few weeks ago and now affirmed in such a miracle!

How incredible is our God! His ways are not our ways and He will care for us in what ever way He choses. He is not here to be glorified in my salesmanship of my self but to be glorified and praised in my humbly trusting Him. And His ways.

Live by Faith

Just do it. Just trust. Well. . . . yeah. But this then than and there is this thing. . . .

I don't want my ability to do ministry to be hindered by circumstances or money but it's hard to not get discouraged when things are happening. Or at least happening like you expected. I will trust that God will provide. I will trust that His ways are not my ways. And I will trust that He is in control, He is my defender, He is my refuge.

I am thoroughly convinced that it is the Lord's will for me to go back into missions and to go to Ireland to serve in Cork. I am determined to live and act like I believe it.

Officially a Blogger

Well here I go. . . I'm officially a blogger! This is my blog for all my missionary traveling adventures. Look for updates and pictures! Lots more to come!