A much needed update.

     The past few weeks here at LCC have been good. I am starting to genuinely think of this place as home. I am finally starting to know my way around, I am building wonderful relationships, and looking forward to things to come. These past two months have been so full of growth I can hardly believe it.

I was reflecting on blog posts, and pictures from before I left for Lithuania, and from some of my first weeks here. It is amazing how much the Lord has shown me about myself, this place, and others since I have been here. I told Him, as well as my friends and accountability partners, that this year (along with the rest of my life) is dedicated to Him and I am willing to go wherever He needs me. This isn't a time for pursuing selfish desires, this is a time to learn what my life looks like when God is in control.

He has opened my heart to so many new things, the Holy Spirit has called my attention to many parts of myself that could use a little work, and a lot of discipline. He has also put new dreams, and ambitions into my mind that I am currently praying for direction on. He has gifted me with an amazing team of RA's to work alongside with, as well as a wonderful group of young women to fellowship with through a weekly bible study held in my apartment! My cup is overflowing!

 "For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:10

The chapel series at LCC is focusing on suffering right now. This is such an important issue to focus on. Many students are going through hard things, or will encounter trials this year and might not know how to deal with it, or who to reach out to for help. Last week a guest faculty speaker taught some powerful words about suffering.

"Suffering is not taking all the rights we have, so we can identify this those who suffer."

"Suffering allows us to place out hurt in larger hands." -Henri Nouwen

Please keep the students of LCC in your prayers as they each deal with their own trials and sufferings this year. I am continually amazed by my students. They are so hard working and strong. My prayer is that I can introduce them to a God that can help them bear their burdens. 

Some homes from the neighborhood 

These homes may seem large but many of them house multiple families on different floors. 

My bike ride through the forest. Yes I was biking and filming :)

I had the RA's invite all of their roommates over for a potluck dinner at my house!

It was so great getting to know them all.

I went to the migration office to get my Lithuanian Visa recently. I had to take some photos where I was quickly instructed NOT to smile :)

The first of MANY coffee shop visits welcomed me with some heart foam!

 Last weekend I was honored with the opportunity to FaceTime into my two best friends wedding! Here is a little video I took from the other side of the world!

Congratulations Wyatt and Kristi!!!

Me watching the wedding in my pajamas at 4:45 am my time. 

I have been cooking more than I ever have before and loving it! But sometimes you have a bad kitchen accident and have to make a splint out of a kabob stick. My index finger is healing nicely. 

Some friends invited me to the Curonian spit with them after church last Sunday. We went to the beach and on the ferry ride back some of the kids fed the seagulls. 

Last week LCC hosted their annual Ugly Duckling Cup where the student compete in a raft race across our pond. They made their rafts out of wooden pallets and found objects like water bottles and Styrofoam! It was a REALLY cold day for a swim so I emceed the event instead!

Bike ride beauties.

    I have been intentionally setting aside time for myself to spend with God. Sometimes that is a slow morning, a quiet walk, and sometimes its bike ride through the forest. Here are some pictures from my most recent adventure. If you ride long enough along these majestic trails, that have helped me better understand ferry tales, you will be pleasantly surprised by the shoreline :)

 A WOODEN swing set!!!

A fallen tree.

Real Facts.

          Throughout all of the training I received upon coming to LCC I learned much about Lithuania as a country and some of the facts were quite shocking. I wanted to share them with you, my supporters, because they are the reason that I am here working at a Christian school like LCC. This University is a light in a dark place.

-On the "Positive Emotion Scale" survey Lithuania was almost last, 136 out of 138 countries polled. 

The survey included questions like, did you laugh yesterday? Did you get enough rest last night? Do you feel hopeful during the day? Ect.

-Lithuania has one of the highest suicide rates in the world.

-We have Russian and Ukrainian students living and studying in the same place, please pray that this can be a neutral and safe place for them.

-LCC was started to be a beacon of light!

       

 

These are some phrases that I have really been mediating on lately. This has been such an eventful week, yesterday was community day which is a big outdoor festival for all the LCC students. My team and I were in charge of the face painting booth! It started to rain at one point and we were left with this amazing double rainbow! My friend Amanda took this picture and it was too good not to share! The last picture is my official RD picture that is up around campus.

Cocoa at Kelsey's

    These are the nights that I LIVE for! Tonight I had an event in my RA apartment called Cocoa at Kelsey's. I wanted to have an open house at the beginning of the school year, and then once a month after that to welcome students into my apartment and get to know them a little better. Walking into the RD's apartment can be an intimidating thing, but hopefully not if you have preciously been welcomed in for some cocoa, and conversation!

When it first started I feared that no one would show up but there were rotating groups of 10 all night! People stopping in for half hours at a time, and some even showed up twice! We talked about where we were all from, how many languages everyone spoke, what they are studying at LCC, as well as some random funny stories. I was asked a lot of questions, and had a fun time answering them and sharing some of my life with my residents. I discovered some residents that I really want to connect with further and some that I probably never would have met if not for this event.

I am so excited to know a few more faces on campus, and to be someone they can hopefully now feel comfortable to approach when life gets tough. Tonight filled me with joy and reminded me that THIS is why I love being an RD. Living in community, learning from each other, and doing it all under the same roof!

She Reads Truth.

        During my first week in Lithuania I realized that I needed a new daily devotional, so I checked out "She Reads Truth" off of a friends recommendation. I started with a series called "What is the Bible" and have more recently been following a study called, "Sermon on the Mount."

The Sermon on the Mount is one that I have heard many times before, but it seems that I always need to hear it one more time. Going through a different point of the lesson everyday has been a great change of pace since it allows me to really focus on each topic for a whole day at a time. I decided to write about this particular situation because I feel that God is speaking directly to me through this experience. Everyday when I wake up and open this app/devotional I read EXACTLY what I needed to hear that day, and it has been happening EVERYDAY! I find it so amazing that a sermon gave hundreds of years ago is so extremely relevant to me today. Here are some of the things I have been learning and receiving.

Day 1: "Come follow me, and I will send you out to fish for people." 

These words of Jesus reminded me that He SENDS people places to do His work, but He always goes along for the journey. I really needed this reminded to give me hope and strength that I was in Lithuania for His purpose, and not my own.

Day 2: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of their righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." 

All of these were encouragement's of the work that I am doing at LCC. I was called and given permission to be gentle in my approach to telling people about the Lord and living a life that points to Him. I was called to be a peacemaker, even when people did persecute me for my faith. I am learning for the first time in my life to defend my faith and that is a humbling and stretching task.

Day 3: "You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on a stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house."

This was such an encouragement to let the light of the Lord within me shine in all situations in my life, no matter who I was talking to, or what they believed or didn't believe. I was placed here to shine for others.

Day: 4 "For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished."

I am servant of the most high King and I am only called to do what He tells me. He will handle the world, I don't have to. Anytime I think that I am responsible for things too big for me I have to remember this verse and submit to my Heavenly Father.

Day 5: "But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgement." 

Moving to a new country for an extended about of time can come with many frustrations and I have to admit that I have experienced a few moments of hurt and anger myself. This verse reminded me to let it go and start praying for healing within myself.

Day 6: "But I say, "Love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!"

This goes very well with the previous day. We will always encounter people and situations that make us sad or unhappy. Through my situations I have learned to pray for those who have hurt me and I am working on the process of forgiveness.

Day 7: "Let what you say be simply "Yes" or "No" anything more than this comes form evil."

I have discovered that this was a problem for me. In college I would always tell people that I would love to do something, or that I "might be able to make it" to an event when I was really letting them down easy because I had too much on my plate. I have had to learn quickly here at LCC to be straight forward with my intentions because that is a lot more reliable and respectable than trying to spare every one's feelings with false promises.

Day 8: " But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to the Father who is in secret."

I need to make space in my daily life to be alone with the Lord in private and be available to listen to His words.

Day 9:  " Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy"

I have had to take this command seriously. Since I am living a much simpler life than I am used to I have had to go without a lot of things I thought I NEEDED before. I cannot collect tons of home decorations to fill up my apartment with. I can't go grocery shopping for just any food I feel like that day. And I am learning to reuse my wardrobe many times a week. There is a lot of learning going on here.

Day 10: "And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?"

There are so many unknowns in my life, and in my future right now that I have to actively remind myself not to be anxious on the daily. I do not want to insult God by worrying about the beautiful plan He has already written for my life.

Day 11: "Why do you see the speck that is in your brothers eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?"

"There are no little sins, for there is no little God to sin against." I do not have the authority to judge anyone, that is only God's job and I need to give it back to Him.

Day 12: "How much for will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask of Him!"

I have needed a lot of help recently, help that I am not used to asking for. In my need I forgot to go to God first, but once I did, once I asked Him for the help I needed He delivered right away in exactly the way I needed Him to. If I needed a donation and friend would email and ask how my funds were doing, when I needed encouragement He put just the right person in my path. He CAN HEAR YOU!

Parade.

    We were in a parade this week! Klaipeda decided to have all of the cities schools come together for the first day of school. LCC participated in a BIG way! We carried the LCC flag, the staff and faculty wore their regalia from college, each country represented at LCC had a flag carried by a student from that country, and then all of the students followed behind. We walked with other schools through the streets of downtown Klaipeda, stopping traffic, waving at the spectators. It was a blast! The parade ended in the square where they had a concert to close! It was such a fun way to kick off the academic year!

This is Lasma one of my RA's this year!

For those of you who have expressed interest in helping me with specific support, or if you just want to give, I have created a Paypal account for every one's convenience. All you do is go to the PayPal website and then type in my email "Kelseybergstrom524@pointloma.edu" and you can easily donate there and I will get the support right away! Thank you all so much for having such faith in my time here. I can guarantee you I am working so hard and I can see wonderful things unfolding!