Brussels Update #3

Cassi and I are still plugging away at our list of things to do. She is leaving for Belgium in less than a month from now. She will be gone for 9 days on a trip to see where we are going to be and some of what to expect.

We have had to get some pictures done for a prayer card through our church. We have been coming up with strategies on how to get our debts paid. We are looking at ideas that include golf scrambles, yard sales, concerts, and a few other ideas. Cassi is the one that has most of the ideas right now. We have some support raising that we are starting. We are contacting potential sponsors in this journey. As missionaries it takes quite a bit of support from home to make it happen. If you feel like you would like to see if there is a way to help us along the way feel free to contact us.

There are many areas that we need help. We are not just looking for someone to open up a wallet to help us. We need strategic partners to help with things from the web, to stuffing envelopes, to donating items for a yard sale, to sponsors, to prayer partners. If you have a skill that you feel you would like to invest in an international church plant let us know.

Next week Cassi and I meet with a financial advisor to come up with a plan of how to attack this debt. Be praying for us to have the resources needed and the wisdom to find a solution.

This week we start meeting in our small group. This Sunday is the first meeting of many where we are going to really get to know our ministry partners that are going over seas with us. This is very exciting for Cassi and me.

Peace

5 Out of 6 Ain't Bad, Or is it?

I have not been doing much of a "normal" life over the last month and a half. It has been the busiest season I have had in a LONG while. That is good in the fact it means I am working. I will be writing a series about my time on the road with artists such as Buddy Jewel, Avalon, Michael English, Daniel Doss Band, and Casting Crowns.

Five of the last six weeks I have been traveling the country. I have seen some of the most beautiful scenes in nature and on earth. My job allows me to see THE most breath taking thing on earth week after week. The Mona Lisa, Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls, et. all pale in comparison. I am in front of thousands of people who 1.) recognize who created them, 2.) recognize their position in relation to Him, and 3.) return the ONLY thing they have back to Him in the form of praise. Have you ever really watched people worship? It is truly amazing. Maybe just to me and that is why God chose me to "stand and deliver" on stage.

Cassi has been busy holding down the full-time job and the house while I have been gone. This is the first Saturday we have had together in 6 weeks. We are going to Morton's Steak House tonight on someone else's dime. That is the best way to go!

We both are happy I am home now for at least a few weeks. The Casting Crowns shows are coming up soon. Pray for Chris and his wife that these last few months go smooth. I have already been called up and put on notice once for a slight scare.

Look here in the future for more Belgium updates and road reports.

Peace

Leaving Las Vegas

We are now at the airport heading back to Nashville. This was a great trip. Many students made decisions for baptism and also becoming Christians. One thing that struck me was what the kids in Vegas have to deal with growing up. They are definitely under attack. Again, please pray for these students specifically.

Peace
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Teens are addicts too

Tonight there were hundreds of lives touched and changed. Teens praying to get over addictions of ALL kinds. Don't be naïve and think that teens don't have addictions to be worried about. Please pray for these kids as they let God take over their lives. Tonight was awesome and emotional.



Peace



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It's what's for dinner

108 Domino's pizzas. Camp is good today.
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Inspiration Point

Overlooking a 400 foot drop at this camp. Good place for devotions.
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Two Heads are Better than One

Most of you all who read this blog are expecting to hear from my sweet husband Bryan. Incase you don't know who I am, I am Cassi Wolski, his better half. Just kidding! Since we have started the process of becoming vocational missionaries in a church planting team with our church (LifePoint Church) we have decided to share this blog to keep our friends updated. We will let you know which one of us is doing the posting to keep the confusion to a minimum. :)

During the process one of the things the church has asked us to participate in is a Strengths Finder test. We were given a book "Strengths Finder 2.0" by Tom Rath. It is pretty neat to learn your strengths and focus on improving those areas rather than focusing on your weaknesses. Here are the results. I look forward to blogging more in the future.

Bryan Wolski
Connectedness - People who are especially talented in the Connectedness theme have faith in the links between all things. They believe there are few coincidences and that almost every event has a reason.

Positivity - People who are especially talented in the Positivity theme have an enthusiasm that is contagious. They are upbeat and can get others excited about what they are going to do.

Belief - People who are especially talented in the Belief theme have certain core values that are unchanging. Out of these values emerges a defined purpose for their life.

Developer - People who are especially talented in the Developer theme recognize and cultivate the potential in others. They spot the signs of each small improvement and derive satisfaction from these improvements.

Includer - People who are especially talented in the Includer theme are accepting of others. They show awareness of those who feel left out, and make an effort to include them.

Cassi Wolski

Includer - People who are especially talented in the Includer theme are accepting of others. They show awareness of those who feel left out, and make an effort to include them.

Responsibility - People who are especially talented in the Responsibility theme take psychological ownership of what they say they will do. They are committed to stable values such as honesty and loyalty.

Positivity - People who are especially talented in the Positivity theme have an enthusiasm that is contagious. They are upbeat and can get others excited about what they are going to do.

Woo - People who are especially talented in the Woo theme love the challenge of meeting new people and winning them over. They derive satisfaction from breaking the ice and making a connection with another person.

Communication - People who are especially talented in the Communication theme generally find it easy to put their thoughts into words. They are good conversationalists and presenters.

Brussels Update 2: The Money Obstacle

The process of actually going over seas to be a full-time missionary has many steps. These steps are actually hurdles, and if you can't get over them, you can't go, essentially. The next immediate step for Cassi and me is a financial planning one and has 2 main parts.

One is raising support just as any missionary would have to do. Brussels is about the same cost of living as Manhattan, so it is very expensive. We have a meeting on June 13 to start this process and come up with a plan. There will be much more on this as it comes.

The second part is getting out of debt. This is the actual next step that Cassi and I are working on a plan. We have been in contact with a financial planner and will be setting up an initial meeting shortly. If you could see our financial picture you will realize what a literal miracle it will be for us to be debt free by 2011. I have been a professional musician for some time and that has a way of damaging your finances. :-)

For us and others who are or have struggled financially there are some great things in our manual (Bible). I keep 2 passages bookmarked with a dollar bill as a reminder.

Psalm 50:10-11
10"For every beast of the forest is Mine, The cattle on a thousand hills. 11"I know every bird of the mountains, And everything that moves in the field is Mine. 12 If I were hungry I would not tell you, For the world is Mine, and all it contains."

Haggai 2:7-8
7 'I will shake all the nations; and they will come with the wealth of all nations, and I will fill this house with glory,' says the LORD of hosts. 8 'The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine,' declares the LORD of hosts.

Wow God owns everything? Everything is His? He can allocate it where He wants then. Now you have to believe that if God ordains something he has the power to orchestrate it too. There is hope! Don't let money keep you from your saying "YES" to a calling.

Peace

Brussels Update 1

Busy weekend. We have visited with a lot of family. That has kept us away from the computers since our meeting we had with our church.

Big news though. We have been selected for our churches LifePoint Brussels team. There is still a year and a half of training, support raising, education, paying off debt, and much more. This will probably be the toughest thing that Cassi and I attack. Please pray for us through this process. We will be blogging about the process as we go.

Storm vs. iPhone: Take 2

I had a notification in my Application Center on my Blackberry Storm that new software was available. It is an app called Blackberry App World. This is basically RIMs attempt at a localized App world for the Blackberry. There are many apps out there for the Blackberry, but there has not been a good central location to find them.



Taking their lead from Apple, this App World makes my Blackberry so much better. Now I can search Apps that are free, top downloads, made from many different developers, all in one place. My favorite one was the free download from Pandora. I have been a Pandora user for a few years, but, to my knowledge, it was not available on the Storm until just recently. And yes, Pandora works fine even without built in WiFi on my phone. I was driving down the road and using it fine.



There are apps for Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Vlingo, games, GPS tracking of my phone, mobile CRM and many more. Ahh...this makes the Blackberry that much better.



Try the Blackberry, we have had Cut & Paste since version 1. :-) Actually the iPhone is still more slick and has way more Apps, but if you are one of the millions and millions on other networks (other than AT&T) get a Blackberry.