Matt's Many Adventures

Hello again,

I have recently completed a training session in Peachtree City Georgia, called Sharpening Your Interpersonal Skills(SYIS).  As an introvert, I was a little overwhelmed the first couple of days of training. I did enjoy meeting new people, who are also missionaries. Most of the missionaries at the training were either in Africa, or were going to africa. It was encouraging to hear that others had heard of TWR and even mentioned how they appreciate media ministry. I even got a chance to practice a bit of German with a lady from Germany!

I would say that the training was helpful, and it will take me quite some time to digest all that was discussed. After a week of attending training for almost 8 hours a day, I am pretty tired, and look forward to catching up on sleep. As part of the training we were given a workbook. I believe that the workbook will come in handy in the future. I plan to work through the book over the coming months.

I will be home for only a few days, before I make a quick support raising trip. I will be meeting with a church, as well as a friend of one of my friends. Please pray that God would give me the words to share with the church as well as my friend’s friend.

These next couple of weeks are going to be really busy as I will be in my youngest brother’s wedding, and then head off to Ohio to be in a friend’s wedding. This doesn’t give me a lot of time to pack for Austria, so I will need to start packing very soon.

Some other exciting news, I have been able to Skype with one of my future roommates. I will be living in an apartment within walking distance of public transportation. I am very thankful to not have to worry about finding a place now. Please continue to keep me in your prayers over the next couple of weeks. My time in the US will be ending shortly. I am very excited, but also a little nervous.

Thank you for all of your prayers,
Matt

Hello again,

Over the next couple of weeks I will be doing some flying and traveling, so I wanted to post something funny that I read from a book called The Tin Soldiers by Andrew Schwab. So here they are:

1. Ticketing agents. Have you ever met a polite ticketing agent? If you have, it means they were just beginning their shift.

2. Flight attendants. Sure, they can be king and helpful. But really, they are just toying with you, acting as if they have been put there to serve you. In reality, though, they will poke and prod at your psyche, flaunting their power, nit-picking you about the 1/2 inch your seat is reclined, or how you are not allowed to use the restroom because the seatbelt sign is illuminated (even though your abdomen is about to burst). They will assault your comfort with comments on how your bag is not pushed far enough under the seat in front of you, even though they know NO BAH can actually fit in that space. Oh and sir, it will be nine dollars for those four crackers and five hunks of stale cheese.

3. Baggage handlers. Have you ever watched them “handle” bags? There is a reason why they are called “throwers” in the movie Fight Club

4. Gate agents. No, you cannot board sir. You are in zone 476. I have only called zones 1 – 475.92. And yes, you must gate-check you cell phone, wallet, and keys. And yes that means they will most certainly be lost. Have a nice flight

5. Pilots. Have you ever noticed they all tell the EXACT same joke at the EXACT same moment of EVERY flight. That is not coincidence. Nor is the subtle southern accent. Creepy.

6. Baggage Claims Office Attendents. While usually cheery, do you ever notice that there is never one iota of urgency in there attempts to locate your bag? No promises are made. No insight is given. No real information about the whereabouts of your lost bag is provided. You are left to panic for 2.7 days, which will pass until somehow miraculously, the bag is delivered from beyond. If you smell the bag, you will catch the faintest hint of sulfur.

7. The Security Line. Sir, please remove your belt and shoes and hat and skin and eyebrows and lips and arm hair. Sir, you have selected for a random screening. Please follow me while I unpack the entire contents of your bag and spread my germs all over them. Sir, please stay behind this line or we will have to put you in airport jail. IS this your toothbrush sir? I am going to have to run it through the x-ray machine. Sir, please do not cross the line. Now, I am going to have to ask that you lay on the conveyor belt while we pat you down and do an MRI, sir. You may need to fly standby on a later flight, sir.

8. Parking Shuttle Drivers. They always whistle. They always listen to jazz. They always have vacant, white eyes. They always have distant, vague, yet somewhat hopeful commentary, like just under the surface of their “have a good trip” is a promise that it will be your worst nightmare, and they will be laughing themselves all the while. They are, in fact, undead and zombified.

9. Connecting Gates. I don’t know why we even bother to hope that our connecting gate is nearby. Of COURSE it’s in terminal Q, a fifteen minute walk, or a seven minute train ride away. And of COURSE you only have four minutes to get there.

10. The “Arrival” Platform. My conversation with my ride, when I arrive at my destination, usually go something like this:

My Ride: “Where are you?”
Me: “I am just by the Delta sign by baggage door 127.”
My Ride: “I have driven by there nine times. There are no humans standing there.”
Me: “I have been standing here for an hour!”
My Ride: “Oh wait, I am on level Alpha, you must be on level Zulu.”

On a more serious note, last week I gave a defense of my theology paper for the EFCA License. The defense went well, and now I have to finalize some paperwork and send it in. Thank you for all of your prayers.

Matt

Well since today May 2nd 2013, is the 150th anniversary of Stonewall Jacskon’s flanking march during the battle of Chancellorsville, here’s a song for you.

Hello again,

I was recently reading through a devotional book, and came across something that sounded like it might be fun to work through to see some of the ways that God has designed me, and the interests that He has given me. With the ultimate goal of seeing what goals I should be striving for, and how I can better spend my time serving Him. I will be breaking things into 4 different categories; gifts: character traits and skills, passions/interests: things I love/enjoy/and maybe can’t do without, things that are stupid, and goals/dreams. (Some of these can also be funny.)

 

Gifts: Character Traits and Skills

• athletic
• musical
• good with math
• analytical
• laid back
• good imagination
• determined
• flexible
• good-humored
• thinker
• quiet
• problem solver
• enjoy learning

Passions/Interests: Things that I love/enjoy/and maybe can’t live without

• baseball
• the American Civil War
• music
• reading
• computer games
• sports
• studying theology/apologetics
• computer programming
• mountain biking
• hiking/outdoors
• hanging out with friends
• sudoku
• german
• games
• the Colorado Rockies/Avalanche/Mammoth
• linux
• military history

Things that are stupid 

• boy bands
• pop culture
• gun control
• english grammar
• analyzing a book I just want to read to enjoy (aka english class)
• the New York Yankees
• twitter for the average person
• celebrity gossip
• having 100s of tv channels with nothing worth watching
• football players dancing when they score a touchdown
• General Sherman

Goals/Dreams

• To use technology to reach people with the gospel
• Become fluent in German
• Create a Civil War game for the computer
• Go Downhilling at least once
• Make it to the top of one of the mountains in the Swiss Alps
• to play lacrosse

I am still processing how to realize some of my goals, and recognizing which of my goals will glorify God, and what is a selfish goal.

If you have some time, you might enjoy looking at some of these different categories for yourself, and see how God has put you together.

 

Until next time,

Matt

Hello again,

 

It has been way too long since I last updated my blog, so I am way overdue. A while back I mentioned writing on some of my heroes.

As some of you may know, I am a big fan of reading about the American Civil War, and enjoy visiting different battlefields. I’m not really sure when I started getting interested in the Civil War, but I think it started when my parents got me a coloring book of uniforms used in the Civil War. One of my favorite generals in the Civil War happens to be Robert E. Lee, the leader of the Army of Northern Virginia.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lee was the son of “Light Horse Harry” Lee, a famous officer during the American Revolution in the year 1807. Two years later his father was put in debtors prison, and when Lee was only 11 passed away. When he was 17 he was accepted into the West Point Military Academy, and graduated second in his class specializing in Engineering. Shortly after graduation his mother passed away. Lee married Mary Custis the great-granddaughter of George Washington. Through his marriage with Mary Custis, he received Arlington House, which was later confiscated by the United States Government, and became a cemetery, now Arlington National Cemetery.

At the outbreak of the war, Lee was offered a position as the head of the United States military by General Scott. Like many of his time, Lee viewed himself as a citizen of Virginia first and a citizen of the United States secondly. Fearing that his state would join the Confederacy, he knew that he would be unable to fight against his own state. He regretfully resigned his commission in the United States Army, and went back home hoping to serve his state in peace.

“With all my devotion to the Union and the feeling of loyalty and duty of an American citizen, I have not been able to make up my mind to raise my hand against my relatives, my children, my home. I have therefore resigned my commission in the Army, and save in defense of my native State, with the sincere hope that my poor services may never be needed, I hope I may never be called on to draw my sword…” ~Robert E. Lee

Lee was revered by both sides in the war, and in fact at the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia at Appomattox Courthouse order his men to salute Lee and his men as they stacked their arms.

Lee has served as an inspiration for me as an example of how to live as a godly man. I am always amazed at his simple faith in the providence of God. I recently discovered a free ebook about Robert E. Lee written by his son, as well as letters written by Lee. I look forward to spending more time reading about him.

I will finish with some of my favorite quotes of Robert E. Lee.

“We failed, but in the good providence of God apparent failure often proves a blessing.”

“You cannot be a true man until you learn to obey”

“My trust is in the mercy and wisdom of a kind Providence, who ordereth all things for our good”

“I cannot trust a man to control others who cannot control himself.”

“It is well that war is so terrible — lest we should grow too fond of it.”

“In all my perplexities and distresses, the Bible has never failed to give me light and strength.”

 

Thank you again for all of your prayers and support,

Matt

 

This is my favorite scene from the movie Gettysburg

 

Hello again,

This post is a little late now, seeing as Christmas is over, but I wanted to provide a little bit of history behind the song Stille Nacht. I found the information at the Stille Nacht Gesellschaft (Silent Night Society).

In 1816 an Austria priest by the name of Joseph Mohr wrote the text to Silent Night as a poem. On December 24th 1818, asked Franz Gruber, the organist of the church to compose a melody for 2 vocals and a guitar part. The complete reason for wanting the song written for guitar is unknown, but some believe that the organ had stopped working so they needed a song they could sing without the organ. The song was a big hit with the members of the small catholic church in Oberndorf.

A famous singing group from Austria the Rainer Family Singers picked up the song, and began singing it around all of Europe. Then in 1839 they began a tour in America. In 1859 John F. Young wrote an English version of the song silent night. As you will see below the words to the song where modified, but also the song was sped up from a slower meditative song, to a more lighthearted song.

Here are the original words to the song in German, and their translation into English:

1. Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!
Alles schläft; einsam wacht
Nur das traute heilige Paar.
Holder Knab im lockigten Haar,
Schlafe in himmlischer Ruh!
Schlafe in himmlischer Ruh!

1. Silent night! Holy night!
All are sleeping, alone and awake
Only the intimate holy pair,
Lovely boy with curly hair,
Sleep in heavenly peace!
Sleep in heavenly peace!

2. Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!
Gottes Sohn! O wie lacht
Lieb´ aus deinem göttlichen Mund,
Da schlägt uns die rettende Stund´.
Jesus in deiner Geburt!
Jesus in deiner Geburt!

2. Silent night! Holy night!
Son of God, O how he laughs
Love from your divine mouth,
Then it hits us – the hour of salvation.
Jesus at your birth!
Jesus at your birth!

3. Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!
Die der Welt Heil gebracht,
Aus des Himmels goldenen Höhn
Uns der Gnaden Fülle läßt seh´n
Jesum in Menschengestalt,
Jesum in Menschengestalt

3. Silent night! Holy night!
Which brought salvation to the world,
From Heaven’s golden heights,
Mercy’s abundance was made visible to us:
Jesus in human form,
Jesus in human form.

4. Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!
Wo sich heut alle Macht
Väterlicher Liebe ergoß
Und als Bruder huldvoll umschloß
Jesus die Völker der Welt,
Jesus die Völker der Welt.

4. Silent night! Holy night!
Where on this day all power
of fatherly love poured forth
And like a brother lovingly embraced
Jesus the peoples of the world,
Jesus the peoples of the world.

5. Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!
Lange schon uns bedacht,
Als der Herr vom Grimme befreit,
In der Väter urgrauer Zeit
Aller Welt Schonung verhieß,
Aller Welt Schonung verhieß.

5. Silent night! Holy night!
Already long ago planned for us,
When the Lord frees from wrath
Since the beginning of ancient times
A salvation promised for the whole world.
A salvation promised for the whole world.

6. Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!
Hirten erst kundgemacht
Durch der Engel Alleluja,
Tönt es laut bei Ferne und Nah:
Jesus der Retter ist da!
Jesus der Retter ist da!

6. Silent night! Holy night!
To shepherds it was first made known
By the angel, Alleluia;
Sounding forth loudly far and near:
Jesus the Savior is here!
Jesus the Savior is here!

Silent Night has been translated into over 300 different languages and dialects.

I hope you enjoyed reading a little bit more about the history behind the song silent night.

Thank you again for all of your prayers and support,
Matt

It has been a long time since I have written a blog post, so I wanted to show you some pictures of my family’s new puppy, Tesla. My parents adopted him from the animal shelter the day after Thanksgiving. When we first got him, he was sick with the Parvo virus, and the vet wasn’t sure if he was going to make it. But after a week of treatment, he recovered from the virus and has been getting more active every day.

Here are a couple of photos of the puppy.

 

 

Now, you may be wondering, where on earth did we get the name Tesla from. Nikola Tesla was a very famous scientist and engineer who lived from 1856 – 1943. He was born in what is now modern-day Croatia, but at the time was a part of Austria-Hungary. In 1882, he began working for Thomas Edison, but after a dispute over promised pay not being delivered, Tesla left the Edison Company. After leaving the Edison company, Tesla began working on using AC (alternating current) as a source of electrical energy.

This created a problem, Edison believed that DC (direct current) was far superior to AC, and began a series of attacks on Tesla trying to scare people away from AC, by doing public electrocutions of animals. Fortunately these tactics didn’t work, and much of our own electrical power in the US is owed to Tesla.

Tesla eventually settled in Colorado Springs, Colorado where he conducted many experiments with electricity. One of his most famous inventions was named after him, the Tesla Coil.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hopefully you are not too bored after reading a bit about Nikola Tesla. As an electrical engineer, I am amazed by what he was able to invent.

Anyway, I am thinking about writing over the next couple of weeks, about some more famous people, that I myself look up to as heroes. But seeing as it will be Christmas in a week, I will try to post in a couple of days, the story behind the song Stille Nacht (Silent Night), one of the most famous Christmas Carols to come out of Austria.

Until then bis später,

Matt

Almost everyone likes seeing some pictures right? Here are some of the pictures I took during my trip to NC. (Warning, contains many pictures of battlefields).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally, last but not least the video that was filmed while I was in NC is now finished!

Hope you enjoyed the pictures.

Thank you,
Matt

Hello again,

It has been quite a while since I have posted an update here. I have recently returned from a trip to the TWR headquarters in Cary, NC. I had the opportunity to work with our global media coordinator to work on a video to share with potential supporters and churches, letting people get to know a bit more about me, in a more personal setting. I should be getting the final product in a couple of weeks. I also had the chance to meet with other TWR veterans, one of whom, spent many years in Austria, and was able to give me some helpful tips about life in Austria.

I also was able to get a good reminder of what the overall need that media ministry is able to meet. Face to face evangelism, is the most successful form of evangelism, but there are times, when face to face evangelism is not possible. Media can reach a larger audience of people, than one person could ever hope to talk with. I was reminded that while TWR currently broadcasts in over 230 languages and dialects, there is still much work to be done. There are still many people groups, who do not have the gospel in their own language. While it is exciting that so much is being done, it is a good reminder to continue to pray that God would be able to reach out to those who do not have access to the gospel yet.

Finally, I had the opportunity to visit with one of my supporters and go on a trip into Virginia. As some of you know, I am a Civil War nut, so I enjoy visiting Civil War Battlefields. This time, I was able to go to one of my favorite battles, the battle of Fredericksburg. This year will be the 150th anniversary of that battle. It was crazy to think that 150 years ago, the area where we were standing was full of men shooting at each other.

We also went to the battlefield of Chancellorsville, and were able to see the spot, where one of my favorite Civil War generals, Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, was shot by his own men. When we saw the spot where Lee and Jackson hatched their plan to flank the Union army, I found myself wondering what it must have been like living then. One of my dreams for many years was to be able to do a Civil War reenactment, just to see what it might have been like to live then.

Well enough about the Civil War, I would really appreciate your prayers right now for strength, and courage to make phone calls. Our pastor has been preaching through the book of James, and on Sunday he talked about the importance of prayer. It has been dawning on me, that making phone calls is a form of spiritual warfare. I have found it so hard sometimes to just pick up the phone, and talk to people to set up meetings. I have to say phone calls are one of my least favorite activities of the whole process.

Finally, today I have created a facebook group, to try and keep people updated, specifically for asking for prayer requests, but also for making myself accountable to others to sit down, pick up the phone and call to set up meetings.

Oh before I forget, I am hoping to go to the Luftwaffe Oktoberfest at Holloman Air Force Bass this weekend. It will be a cultural experience, and I hope to get a chance to try to practice a bit of German.

I will try to post some pictures from my trip this weekend (warning may contain several pictures of battlefields).

Thank you for all of your prayers!

Matt

Hello again,

I have returned from my trip to the midwest. I am thankful that I was able to meet so many people. After eating in restaurants for the last three weeks, it feels good to eat a home cooked meal again. I am grateful for all the encouragement after giving my presentations. So many people came up to me after and thanked me for presenting. I am still amazed that God has been enabling me to speak in front of a group of people. For a long time, I could never stand up in a large group and talk. Only by God’s grace am I able to give a presentation in front of a large group. I am also grateful for those who have said they will keep me in their prayers. It means a lot to me to know that people are praying for me.

Thank you as well for your prayers of safe travel. We did not have any major incidents on the road, (and we didn’t get mad at each other , just had my parents making fun of me while I worked on my German ).

I wanted to share with you a passage that I read this morning in Mt 14:44-46:

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, 46 who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.”

It was a good reminder of the great worth of being with God for all of eternity. It should be worth so much to us, that we are willing to give up everything to gain it. I was reminded of how so many times, I get caught up in things, instead of God. I need to be willing to give up all of these things and give God control of them.

I hope that you have a great weekend, schönes Wochenende!

Thank you again for all of your prayers,
Matt Willy

Hello again,

I am currently in a motel room in the city of Arkadelphia Arkansas, updating my blog, and going over my support raising presentation. This Sunday I have been given the opportunity to share during the evening service of a church in Silver Lake, Wisconsin. I would appreciate your prayers as I am a bit nervous about it.

I have been in Arkansas for the past week with my parents and younger brother, helping my younger brother move in a get ready for graduate school. He will be working as a graduate assistant for Ouachita Baptist, and getting his masters at Henderson State. It has been fun seeing some of the area. I’m starting to realize that maybe Las Cruces isn’t so hot after all .

Tomorrow we will be on the road again heading out to Wisconsin, visiting my dad’s old church and some relatives. Then we head over to Illinois to visit with family, and speak at my grandparents and aunt and uncle’s church. Please pray for us for safety on the road, and that we wouldn’t have too short of tempers with one another.

Thank you again for all of your prayers and support,
Matt

Here is a video that the president of TWR created for me.