I had a great time in Switzerland. Its really a crime not to come to this country – they have done so much to make life easy. Switzerland is a unusual place. The people have a down-to-earth mountain-people feel to them, and yet they are incredibly structured and organized. Imagine Beverly Hills in the Appalachian Mountains, and you get the picture. Visiting Switzerland is like a trip to the chiropractor – you find yourself getting aligned, adjusted properly, re-calibrated to the invisible Grid of life that Switzerland does so well in making visible.
The Foursquare Europe Team made me feel very welcome and embraced. Check out the gifts in my hotel room! They also gave me some glass napkin holders and were constantly asking me what they could do to serve me. I felt like a king! One thing that hasn’t changed about Pentecostal denominations is the language of gift-giving – they are fluent in it.
They also gave me permission to be myself – to speak how i wanted to, without doing my preacher voice. So i talked casually, invited participation, read some poetry (sTorm) with the visuals i have been working on.
Marc and Kathy Shaw were the people behind the conference and they did a tremendous job. 21 countries were represented and all were taken care of. Marc and Kathy are leaving Europe to pastor a church in Hillsborough, Oregon. It was obvious that their 16 years in Europe have built an incredibly strong ministry and many will be sorry to see them go. But go they must, and there will be reward and rest waiting for them.
I got invitations to many cities – Kosovo, Belgrade, Tirana/Albania. Dang – where will i get the time?
For those of you asking, the background music from the presentation was “Where is the Love” Black Eyed Peas (instrumental version) and the Swiss coffee time video at the coffee break was produced by my friends at the Fuse Factory in Lausanne.
Those of you I talked to about blogging – Typepad.com and blogger.com are the places to start. I recommend typepad if you dont want to get your hands dirty with html code and blogger if you would like to save some money and learn some computer language.
Reinhold Scharnowski came to visit me on Sunday on his new vice – a Triumph bike that he shares with his son. We went for a walk in the hillside and got a little lost before we found the trail again. So nice to see him again.
It was a great time, eh? I enjoyed everything you had to say, and now the Foursquare Missions Director (Mike Larkin) from the US wants his own blog… Exciting times. Thanks again…
Great time, enjoyed your seminars, look forward to Bloging as well. I am going to build my blog now. Hope I can host you in Albania. Chris Dakas
Great time, enjoyed your seminars, look forward to Bloging as well. I am going to build my blog now. Hope I can host you in Albania. Chris Dakas
Hi Chris,
Typepad.com is best, and most people go for the middle range service. i have the top one – which enabled me to delete your extra comment, and mess with the html code to sharpen up my site. But the middle one is fine – and you can always upgrade at a later time.
Have fun.
“Marc and Kathy are leaving Europe to pastor a church in Hillsborough, Oregon.”
I live really close to Hillsboro…I wonder what church they’ll be pastoring…do you happen to know?
Hillsboro – so thats how you spell it? A Foursquare church with 1700 people.
Yep.
A Foursquare church, huh? So the Google was right about Marc and Kathy. Wasn’t sure… 😉
Thanks!
Hi Amber,
Church’s name is Evergreen Christian Center… We start there August 1. Will terribly miss living and being in Europe. Now our home. We’re bracing for and praying for help with culture shock on re-entry. Where ya at?
Hi Marc & Kathy,
we´ll terribly miss you guys here in Europe. Thanks so much for all you´ve done for us, how you pampered us and made us grow… Wish you both the very best for your bright future and let you go willingly so that many people on the other side of the world will get the chance to gather – grow – go with your help. Lave ya so much.
Hi Andrew,
thanks for suffering with us Foursquaries in the Swiss Alps… great presentation, great thing you do. Thanks, TallSkinnyKiwi!
Hi Marc and Kathy…… Glad to hear that you are headed for the northwest. I am now retired (not totally) from the PUD and living in the Spokane valley. Sue and I are fellowshipping at Life Roads Foursquare. Our pastor (Brad) told me that you were headed for Evergreen in Oregon. Very glad to hear it.. Hopefully will see you soon…….Love, Les and Sue
Hi there computer man
It was so good meeting you although I need to get a respond from you for my invition so you can come in Kosova.
Blessing
Pastor Skender Hoti
P.S You are cool man
Hey,
Chris Dakas here, still trying to build a blog,
no time to sit down and work. When you come and
visit us in Albania maybe we can sit together and
work on it. I am in the States right now but
scheduled to return in March.
Chris Dakas