A New Adventure

There I am!

My move to Athens is complete. Hopefully I can keep this site updated a little better this year. I just bought a digital camera in January, so that should make it a little easier.

Why I created this site...

This is a little more exciting than just a monthly newsletter(which you will also find at the bottom). This site gives me a chance to post some pictures and tell some stories.

My April Newsletter

Dear Friends and Family,

This will hopefully be the first in a long line of short summaries of what is going on in my ministry. I wish you could all be here with me to enjoy these experiences, but since you can not I feel it is my duty to keep you well informed on what is happening. Many of you know, but I received my degree this past December with the completion of student teaching. It was a wonderful experience, and it has brought me back to Europe to continue in a teaching role. Although I'm not in a classroom, my job is very much geared toward teaching.

In January I returned to England in order to continue on with youth ministry. Things did not turn out as planned, but it was great to be back in London with the Howards. They are a wonderfully generous family and I will really miss living with them. For the three months I was in London I coached a basketball for TASIS. Even though my activity when I returned wasn't as planned, I never once thought of retreating back to the states. I knew I'd been brought back to England for a reason, and I will never regret the decision to come back to Europe. Coaching was great and it was great to be around the kids I knew from the previous year. It's too bad I didn't get to stay with ICC, but those students are in good hands with the current youth team.

Through my patience and faithfulness I believe I was given the opportunity to come to Greece. The Douglas' are a family I knew in England and are the family that have been actively pushing for a youth program in the Athens community. They knew my situation in England, and offered me the chance to continue with youth ministry here in Athens. Host families are absolutely wonderful and you can learn a lot from their generosity. These families don't owe me anything, and yet they give so much. There are a lot of families in this community that are giving me a lot of encouragement, and I hope to provide something positive for their kids. Even though I'm going on this adventure alone, there are many people with behind me with their support.

Let me explain what I'm doing. I'm starting a youth program in the international, English-speaking, community in Athens. It's very different from a stateside youth group, and that is why this group brought me to Athens. There aren't huge numbers (for now), so it can be very individually based. I'm basically like a mentor or big brother. I have some pretty big ideas to act on next year, but I'm taking it slow for now. There hasn't been a program here, so I don't want to do too much too soon.

If you are ever thinking about or praying for me here are some things to remember. I hope to find some people my age to connect with here in Athens. Since I'm running this program on my own it could become lonely and isolating. Secondly, I just hope for the program to take off and do well. I want the best for these kids and my heart is in the right place, but I don't want to rely solely on myself. Lastly, I hope you know that by receiving this you are very much loved by me. I think about everyone frequently I understand that I have a lot of support from people I don't get to see everyday. That's the kind of strength that I have to rely upon all the time, and that is what helps me to see my faith grow continuously.

Miss you all,
Dustin

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