G-Blog

Summer Encounters with God.

2009-11-01T09:40:00.000+01:00

I was 15 years old when I first went to Youth Camp. To say that I was totally unprepared for the experience would be an understatement. It seems that year the camp was desperately short of staff for Kids camp. They we’re so in need of staff that the DYD, we called them D-CAP back then for “District CA President” which was short for “District Christ Ambassador’s President”… yeah, DYD is much better, called his mother-in-law for anyone who might have a pulse and was a Christian to come help. A short time later I found myself on a Greyhound bus bound for Marianna Florida and the West Florida Camp Grounds.

After that amazing experience where I saw kids as young as nine years old being saved, filled with the Holy Spirit, and called into the ministry I was hooked on Youth Camp. Every summer afterward I would go and spend as many weeks as I could as a staffer at kid’s camp then a camper at teen camp. When I was old enough I would spend five weeks during the summer at camp as staff for both kids and youth camps.

It was at camp where God changed my life so amazingly. I was baptized in the Holy Spirit at youth Camp; I was called into the ministry at youth camp; and I was directed to Southeastern to prepare for the ministry at youth camp. Perhaps you or a member of your family had a summer encounter with God.

Unfortunately many of our Missionary Kids do not have an opportunity to have a those Summer Encounters with God. During the time they are on the field there is no youth camp, and when they are back in the states itinerating they are traveling many long miles with their parents to help raise their budget to go back to the field.

Anna and I are so excited that in July of 2010 we will be having the first ever Southern Europe MK camp! As you can imagine it can be quite a logistical challenge to coordinate a camp for the various countries where we have MKs. The cost of getting the kids to camp can be quite a challenge as well. However our Area Director has approved a special project account for us to be able to help our Missionary Kids with events such as camps, retreats and ministry trips.

Can you help a missionary Kid have a Summer Encounter with God with a onetime gift or a monthly pledge? Could your youth group or kids church “adopt” an MK and sponsor them for their Summer Encounter with God? Perhaps there are some people in your church willing to help. If so, you can donate through your church, please specify that you would like to help SEMK (Southern Europe Missionary Kids) Account # 2509156 (class 60) 9373. Or you can call Contributor services toll free at 1-877-840-4800. When you call be sure to give them that huge account number 2509156 (class 60) 9373.

Through your financial help and fervent prayers, we believe that this July 2010, many MK’s will have a Summer Encounter with God! Thank you!

Staying Connected

2009-10-27T12:04:00.003+01:00

In an effort to communicate with our friends, family and ministry partners we have migrated our email newsletter management to Mail Chimp. If you would like to be sure that you continue to receive the our latest news and updates, or if you have an alternate email address you would like for it to go to, please complete the form below. Only your name and email are absolutely necessary, but the other information is helpful to Anna and I as well. If your email is already on our mailing list, when you submit the form it will result in an error stating that your email is already on the list. Rest assured that this information is only accessible to Anna and myself and we will not be sharing it with anyone. Thank you for taking the time to respond.

Here is the link http://europeyouth.us1.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=1bdc6cd2a8f99797bc49b369d&id=b604fd2ae6

Another Season of Transition

2009-07-14T23:59:00.000+02:00

The last few months have been very busy. We recently completed another term of language school and the children are now finished with school for the summer. Thank you for your prayers for our Southern Europe retreat in Italy. It was a wonderful opportunity to meet our missionary kids and their families. In a short weekend the MK’s shared with us their desire to have camps, retreats and ministry opportunities.

We continue to form friendships with our neighbors. As we listen to their struggles we are able to show His love and pray with them. One evening while talking with my dear neighbor, she asked how a loving God could allow pain and suffering. She said she knew I would tell her the truth even if it was hard to accept. It was an amazing opportunity to go through scripture with her and allow the Spirit to reveal the truth.

We now enter another season of transition. Language learning will continue, but now we begin to organize and plan ministry for the upcoming months. There are many areas that need prayer. First, the school that our children attend, Evangelical Christian Academy (www.ecaspain.com), is in need of teachers. If you have a burden or know of someone who has a heart to work with missionary kids this is a great opportunity. Next, we need wisdom, creativity, and funds as we plan retreats, camps and missions trips for our MK’s. Finally, we believe that God has brought some amazing families in our lives that need Him. Pray with us that their hearts will continue to be open to receive the truth.
~Anna

The Mission Field Needs YOU

2009-06-05T16:03:00.002+02:00

In Madrid there is a school for Missionary Kids called Evangelical Christian Academy (or ECA for Short). If you are a teacher and you love Missions and MK's ECA can use you! You wanted to know how God could use you on the Mission field right? Well here's how! Contact ECA through their web site http://www.ecaspain.com/eca/ or drop me an email for more information!

Sunday at the Police Station.

2009-05-17T22:38:00.004+02:00

Today started out like any ordinary Sunday... running around at the last minute to find a kids lost shoe, ironing the shirt that's more wrinkled than Methuselah, and rushing out the door 5 minutes late. We've only been to this new church a few times so we use the GPS (affectionately named Tommy)to get there and back. (Being a country boy, I don't do Cities very well).

We get to the church, park and find a seat. The sermon was a Narrative delivered by an Argentine lady in the role of a little girl. It was well delivered, and I even understood it was about David and Goliath! When we left the church things got a bit more interesting. (You're wondering about the police station part aren't ya).

We got to the car only to discover that someone had smashed one of our windows and ransacked the car. The made of with Tommy, Josh's Nintendo SP and a bunch of games he just bought yesterday at a Rastrillo (think community yard sale), and my ipod recharger / play thru the radio thing. On a side note, when we leave stuff in the car it's well hidden, event the cables and mounts. But now we'll leave nothing in the car.

You know, Christians are awesome people, and our Missionaries are super awesome. I asked Mark Cannon what I should do. This dude, who is suffering from kidney stones by the way, asked help from two other christian brothers and the three of them escorted Anna and I to two police stations to file the report (turns out you have to go to a different type of police depending if your, mugged, robbed, etc.) In the mean time Ellen Cannon, Marks awesome wife, took the kids home and fed them Sunday lunch/dinner. When Emily Cannon (Mark and Ellen's beautiful daughter) found out that Josh had his SP stolen she gave him her SP... dudes, I almost cried. Then one of Josh's friend's, Stephen Jolly, came over and gave him a game!

So tomorrow we call the insurance and file the report and see what's covered, and then try to get the window fixed. But in spite of everything, God is in control.

Remember when I mentioned the clutch died on the car a week or so ago? That same day when it was repaired I met our neighbors. Today he came over and helped me with some stuff around the house and his kids played with ours and Anna and I visited with them for a few hours at house! God is opening all kinds of marvelous and wonderful doors. So a window got broke, so Tommy was kidnapped (GPS-napped?) and I'll get lost every time I look at Madrid, so what? God is at work, and he's opening some really cool doors.

Missonary Adventures (Part 4)

2009-05-07T19:22:00.003+02:00

What does your intrepid missionary do when his STL vehicle is in the shop and cup cakes must be delivered to a classroom full of ravenous, foaming at the mouth, first grader, Missionary Kids? He improvises, overcomes, and adapts!

Here you see your missionary displaying his indomitable spirit as he shows of his custom made Cup Cake Delivery Device (CCDD) made from high quality material that was liberated from a nearby dumpster and attached with zip-ties. The only thing needed to complete the CCDD is a little duct-tape.

However the maiden run of the CCDD was postponed. Just as the CCDD was to roll into action, two of our AG Missionaries (Shawn and Deb Gaylen) drove in and rescued, I mean, picked up Anna to safely deliver her and the goodies to the famished MK’s.

But seriously… what did missionaries do before STL? We’ve done a lot of walking, & bike riding over the past few days. THANK YOU STL, youth pastors, pastors and Students for all you do!

God at the Panaderia

2009-03-25T14:01:00.000+01:00

We rejoice over the opportunities for ministry that have opened in our little town. In October I ran out of bread as we were preparing to go on an outing to a castle. Tony & Josh went to our local bakery, but the bread wasn’t ready. Tony began to help the baker and talk with him while he waited. As he was preparing to leave a Spanish lady walked in and heard his Spanish and wanted to know how long he had been living in Spain and where he was from. She then asked if he would be interested in coming and possibly helping at the English school she recently opened. She soon called us and we scheduled a time to meet. The school was started so that children in the community could come and receive help with English grammar and conversation. Since January I have been teaching a small group of Spanish children age’s 11-13 English conversation two nights a week. Tony tutors teens one night a week. A wonderful friendship has been formed with the director of the school. My friend is a wife, mother of three children, successful professor and attorney. It would appear that she has a wonderful life. Recently she shared personal heartache her family has experienced. With tears in my eyes, I listened as she poured out her heart. She said I was different than her other friends and wanted to know if the Assembly of God has helped me. It was the perfect opportunity to share with her about Jesus. The hour was late but she looked at me and said, “Anna, I don’t think it was an accident that I met Tony in the Bakery that day, it was His plan that we meet.”

I stand in awe at how God orchestrates every step we take. We have recently moved and found that our friend lives around the corner. We are also building friendships with other Spanish families in the neighborhood. Please agree with us in prayer that the Spirit will continue to lead us and that we will continue to find favor with our neighbors.

Another reason why your prayers matter to us.

2009-02-16T18:14:00.003+01:00

Because we are US citizens and we've registered with the US embassy here in Spain, we receive notices via email from time to time. Here is a portion of the latest one we received.

On February 8, the Spanish Supreme Court banned two Basque political parties, D3M and Askatasuna, from participating in the upcoming regional elections in March.
On the morning of February 9, a bomb, believed to be the work of the Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA) terrorist organization, exploded at the Campo de las Naciones in Madrid. There are also media reports of violence in the Basque region the night of 6 February when commuter trains and buses were set on fire.

ETA remains active in Spain, and further attacks are a possibility in the period leading up to the March 1 regional elections. ETA generally provides advance warning of its attacks and has historically avoided targeting foreigners, instead directing its attacks against the police, military, local politicians, and Spanish government targets, as well as attempting to disrupt transportation and daily life; however, foreigners have been killed or injured collaterally in ETA attacks despite advance warning. Two examples of this are the Barajas Airport bombing in December 2006, in which two Ecuadorian nationals were killed, and the bombing at the University of Navarre in October 2008, in which 17 students were injured, including one American student. In addition, bombs have been used as part of criminal extortion of businesses, particularly in the Basque region.

The risk of “being in the wrong place at the wrong time” in event of an ETA action is a concern for foreign visitors and tourists. U.S. citizens living or traveling to Spain should remain vigilant, exercise caution, monitor local developments, and avoid demonstrations and other potentially violent situations.

While this may not have even been reported back home, it kind of hits close to home for us. We live about 30 kilometers from where this took place, and we often go to Madrid for doctor's appointments, government appointments and the like. Thank you for your prayers. We know that they make a difference. We know that the Lord hears you and everything is in His hands. Your prayers literally make a difference in our lives and in the lives of other missionaries all over the world.

Missonary Adventures (Part 3)

2009-02-13T17:21:00.002+01:00

Back to our story...

My first post ended like this.

"Since this appointment is what keeps us legally in Spain, as we were driving away from the police station I called our legal representative Silvia so that she can make another appointment for us.

As it turns out, God had some cool things planed (doesn't he always)..."

I explained the situation to Silvia she asked us, "Where are you now?
"About 2 kilometers from the police station on our way home." I replied.
"I'm at the police station now, come back and we can at least get the kids done." She said.

So we turned around and saw Silvia at the corner near the police station and we dropped off the kids. Unable to find a place to park after about 20 minuets I double park and we call Silvia to check on her and the kids.

"Tony, come back and bring Anna to the door. I talked to the people inside and she can sit inside in the heat and wait." Silvia informed us. So Anna, feeling a bit better told me to drive her to the station.

I drop off Anna at the station and Silvia and the kids were waiting for her by the door. Again I go off to find a parking place. I prayed, "Lord, I could really use a parking spot close to the police station. And the Lord provided it. It was a space about two inches wider than the car between a truck and a van. Since the mirrors on our STL car fold in, I was able to get in the parking spot, but it was difficult for me to get out of the car.

Twenty min. or so later Anna called and said, "Come get us." "What's the matter baby are you feeling sick again?", I asked. "No" she replied, "We're done!" "Done? How can you be done? There are over 300 people in line before you?", I asked. "Come get us and I'll tell you in the car."

So I squeezed the car out of it's tiny spot and in five min. I had Anna, the kids, and Silvia in the car and on our way out of Madrid. As I drove Anna filled me in on the rest of the details.

Apparently Silvia knows everyone at the police station and she just took their papers and walked to the front of the line. She took care of all the paper work and even finger printed Bekah when she was scared of the police (they had rubber gloves on and she thought they might try to do a blood draw).

The Lord is so wonderful. Had we missed the appointment it would have been 2-3 months before we could have gotten another one, and as missionaries it's important we get that National ID card with our residence number. God had everything in control. He had Silvia at the right place at the right time, and she was able to take care of everything. Isn't God cool?

Missonary Adventures (Part 2)

2009-01-23T21:34:00.002+01:00

Well today I was supposed to tell ya everything else that's been going on but I must ask your indulgence for another day or so. Today we moved into our new house that has considerably less fungus :) It was quite an experience since we just had to dump stuff into boxes and suit cases.

We found out last night at 7:30 PM (Madrid Time) that we would be able to get the new house, this was fantastic news, since there was some doubt on this issue when we met with the landlord the night before. So today the movers came. A BIG shout out to the Madrid International Church Masters Commission Students who came out and lent us a hand and to our incredible MA Ashely. When she saw the all the mold in the house her response was, "You've been living in this!" (Ashley's a tough cookie, and if it grosses her out, it's pretty gross."

More later, we are dead tired, still a bit under the weather and desperate for a shower. If we can only find the box that has our clean "unmentionables" in it...

But it's all good. God is so wonderful to bless us with a clean, health place to live in.

Missonary Adventures (Part 1)

2009-01-22T09:24:00.003+01:00

Oh, the glamorous live of a missionary! I say that tongue-in-cheek because some people think that a missionaries life is always full of adventure and excitement. While I can honestly say that our missionary journey is never dull, the exciting part is not often what some may imagine. Here's some of our recent journey...

For the past month I've had this cold that hasn't been getting any better, I finally went to the Doctor and found out I had a upper respiratory infection. He gave me some big gun antibiotics to knock it out and soon as I started feeling better, Anna gets the "fungus". I say "fungus" because we think the cause of our illnesses (cold/flu symptoms, muscle cramps, general "blah" feelings) is that our house is moldy. During a time of big rain the roof leaked and the ceiling got wet. Since then we have this mold farm growing in our bed room. All around the windows and in the corners of the room, it's pretty nasty and damp to boot.

We reported it to the landlord who had some guy come out and spray some smelly stuff on the roof. Weeks later, still mold, still damp, still sick. So we find that a house is becoming available in our area and we give our notice to vacate this house so we can move into the new house... more on this tomorrow.

Meanwhile, as part of our visa / residence process we have to get finger printed to get our national ID cards. This is done by appointment. You receive a letter in the mail telling you what day to come get it done. So you show up and wait in line with hundreds of other people some who have been waiting in line since 10:00 PM the night before! If your at the end of the line and they decide they are done for the day you have to reschedule your appointment for months later. So pretty much it's an all day affair.

Anna and the kids had their appointment on the 20th of this month. We get their at 9:30 (the place opens up at 9:00) and get in line behind 300 or so people. It's extremely cold and the line is moving slow when Anna gets dizzy and has to sit down. The only place to sit is in the muddy ground. She tosses down the blanket she was holding and plops down. She insists she's ok and so we stay in line occasionally moving closer and closer to the gate that lets us into the police compound.

We're about 50 yards from the gate when Anna finds a relatively clean piece of wood to sit on (about 2'x3")I turn around to talk to Bekah and when I turn back to Anna she's lying down on the wood. Our conversation went something like this...

Me - "Anna we need to get you home."
Anna - (in a feeble voice) "I can make it..."
Me - "Baby, your laying down on a tiny piece of wood in a sea of mud and filth, we need to go home."
Anna - (in a feeble voice) "I can make it..."
Me - "We are going home."
Anna - (in a feeble voice) "ok..."

We get her to a mostly clean piece of mud in the parking lot near where I can pull the car up to pick her up. The area is blocked off except for police vehicles and we are parked about 6-8 blocks away. Lizzy stays with Anna and I rush back to the car with Josh and Becka.

While I'm away the police keep coming up to Anna who is sprawled out on the pavement and they keep asking her (in Spanish) "Are you ok? Do we need to call an ambulance?" And Anna (in her Yoda Spanish) is telling them "Yes, Are you ok. My Husband go get car." (We are still learning past tense verbs and she was forgetting to conjugate her response).

I finally get to the car and head down the closed road when the police stop me and ask me what I'm doing. Please keep in mind we've only been in school for a short time and I think I said in my Tarzan Spanish, "Mi mujer esta infermo." Which means "My woman is sick" (In Spain that is the correct way to refer to ones wife). He let me pass and we get her in the car and start to head for home.

Since this appointment is what keeps us leagaly in Spain, as we were drving away from the police station I called our legal represntive Siliva so that she can make another apointment for us.

As it turns out, God had some cool things planed (doesn't he always)... Wanna know more? Stay tuned tomorrow!

Points to pray for:
Health
House
Language

It's still Christmas!

2009-01-02T10:12:00.003+01:00

In Spain Christmas lasts a long time. It starts on December 22nd with the national Christmas lottery called El Gordo (The Fat) then there is Christmas and it all ends on January 6th which is El Dia de Los Reyes Magos or Three Kings Day. In Spain this is the traditional day that children receive gifts from the three kings. These guys are more popular than Papa Noel (Santa) but in recent years children are getting some gifts on both days.

It's different to see everyone flocking to the stores in droves to clean out the toy departments after December 31st. Every time we think it's safe to go to the store we get caught in the Christmas rush!

Happy New Year's Eve!

2008-12-31T13:11:00.003+01:00

In Spain one custom at Midnight on New Year's Eve is to eat one grape at each sounding of the clock at midnight. The stores even sell little cups that hold 12 grapes each. So tonight the Gryskiewicz family will be practicing a new, New Year's eve tradition. How about you? What do you do on New Years Eve?

And now for something completely different...

A few day's ago I sent out or E-newsletter. We had a lot of "bounce backs". If you haven't received our news letter or if your email address has changed please let us know and we'll update our distribution list. Many times we can not share on our blog or Facebook what the Lord is doing due to sensitivity issues, but since we have more control over who gets our news letters we have more freedom to share what the Lord is doing.

Be Blesses and have a great new year!

Welcome Ashley!

2008-12-01T18:32:00.005+01:00

A few weeks ago the most awesome MA (Missionary Associate) arrived in Spain! Ashley is from our home church in Panama City, Florida. We've known her since she was in Middle School and have had the privileged of being her youth pastors. Now we have the privileged of working with her in Southern Europe.

Ashley's official title is "Missionary Associate to the Youth of Southern Europe". In that capacity she will be helping us to pastor our MK's in Southern Europe as well as helping us plan and take care of all out AIM teams that will be coming in. In addition Ashly will be active in Children ministries in Southern Europe and will be the Children's pastor at IC: Madrid.

Once again, welcome Ashley!

If you are interested in the Missionary Associate program and in giving the Lord a year or two of your life feel free to contact us or check out the Missionary Associate web site.

2008-10-18T16:12:00.003+02:00

Today we went on a little family adventure. Since we've been here we haven't had a moment to go and learn about and experience Spain. So today we went to the Manzanares el Real. One of the best preserved and restored castles in the Madrid area.

The construction of the castle began in the year 1475, at a time when Madrid had little more than 100 houses and about 300 citizens. The castle has a quadrangular plant with four towers on the corners. Three cylindrical towers and a larger one known as Torre del Homenaje (Homage Tower) with a squared layout. Each of the three cylindrical towers is crowned with smaller towers, and the "Homage Tower" is finished off with another smaller octagonal tower. The body of the castle has sides of 30 meters and the cylindrical towers have a diameter of 6.5 meters at the base. The central courtyard (called Patio de Armas) is surrounded by corridors with arcades as an example of the late Gothic style with Mudejar influence. Finally, the castle is surrounded by a barbican wall with a single entrance through a beautiful gate facing the west side and flanked by two solid towers. All the walls of the barbican have arrow loops in the shape of the cross of Jerusalem.

The castle of Manzanares el Real appears in the movie "El Cid" (1961) featuring Charlton Heston and Sophia Loren.

(I'm not that smart, I looked up all that info online)

Every Day is an Adventure...

2008-10-14T21:49:00.002+02:00

Every day is an adventure. Just going to the grocery store we learn something new! This time we found out that they have Spanish Chitlins!

That's Lamb intestines wrapped around two crosses sticks and fried. Dude, they are sticks! As in the kind you go out in your yard and get sticks.

I like to try new things, but I think I'll pass on this one for a bit...

Back to School

2008-10-13T19:16:00.002+02:00

We had a few days off from school. Thursday and Friday were holidays. In Alcala where the school is located is the home of Miguel de Cervantes the author of Don Quixote. It is widely recognized as the first modern novel and is the second most translated book in the world (the Bible is the first). Anyway, Thursday was the celebration of Cervantes christening so the entire town was converted into 1500's Spain. There were booths with vendors with historic costumes and everything.

So today classes were back in session and boy did they hit us hard with the homework. Time to go back to work. My next assignment is to "Escribe que haces un dia normal". Please forgive me for not putting the stresses over the letters but my keyboard is having issues I need to resolve. Enjoy the pictures.

We Passed!

2008-10-09T20:52:00.003+02:00

Anna and I passed our final in our language course Vuela 1 and graduated to Suena 1. I'm proud to say I was in the top seven of our class! I should probably point out that there were only seven students in our class...

Our new class has about 15 students from around the world, the class we just completed was tough but it, for the present, it puts us ahead of the curve. The classes are taught in Spanish and if you have a question it's answered in Spanish. They say immersion is good. It must be, becasue it seems that Spanish is sinking in to my dense skull.

The above picture was taken just before our "graduation" ceremony. In the center is Soraya our conversation teacher. To the left Shawn and Deb Gaylen missionaries to college students and on the right Anna and I.

Our Container Arrived!

2008-10-02T22:25:00.004+02:00

Our container finally arrived! We had a lot of help unloading it from the Masters Commission at IC: Madrid, and a bunch of Spain Field Missionaries. A big thanks to Kevin Prevost, Jon & Bonnie Cooper, Shawn & Deb Galyen, Dana Santiago, Ellen Cannon, and Jacki Jenkins

Unloading went without a hitch. Our house is small, but we didn't realize how small until our stuff got here. Our queen size bed was too big to go up the stairs so we had to be a bit creative to get it in. In some photos you can see some of the kitchen items that we brought with us. Those items are very expensive or unavailable here in Spain.

Pirates of the Spanish Main!

2008-09-30T21:21:00.003+02:00

So here is the saga of the our shipping container. It's a long and tragic tale, not for the faint of heart. Read on if you dare!!

We went with a company we will call Bob. Bob said the truck that we would load all our stuff (winter clothing, bed, etc. etc.) would arrive on Tuesday. On Monday I called Bob to confirm that the truck would be there on Tuesday. (We had asked a bunch of folks from our church to come and help us and all our utilities were going to be turned off on Wednesday morning.) Well, apparently Bob forgot to book the truck and was less than forth coming about that little detail. With a flurry of phone calls and lot of sweat and tears, a truck was booked for the Wednesday and the closing of the utilities postponed to the next day and all of our help graciously rescheduled to come the following day.

On Wednesday a truck did arrive as promised and our wonderful friends loaded the truck in less than an hour.

Fast forward to the end of August. Our container is shipped from the US and arrives in Spain on Sept. 4th. Our lawyer here in Spain begins to work on having it cleared from customs. Because it is a container full of personal items, there should be little paperwork and no import fees.

Apparently Bob booked the "worst company in Spain" (words from our attorney) to receive our container. We'll call this company "Stanley" Instead of writing "Personal effects" on the paperwork for customs Stanley puts "For Resale". Stanley realizes the mistake and crosses out "For Resale" and writes under it "Personal Effects". Guess what? Customs didn't buy it and hit us up for a TON of import tax.

Weeks of our attorney throwing paper at them ensue. Add to that a trip to the US Embassy and the Spanish immigration office in Madrid, several missed classes at language school and blizzard of paperwork from our offices in the US.

The final resolution was that we were given clearance from our freight fund from our home office to pay the ransom to have our possessions released. It should (Lord willing) get here tomorrow at 10:00.

During this process the Lord has taught us a lot about patience, and that there are indeed things we can live without. (Although I highly recommend a real bed instead of an air mattress on a hard wood floor.) Did this work out the way we had planed? Nope. But it didn't catch God by surprise. He is a God of grace who loves us and gives us the strength we need every day.

And now for something completely different.

A huge thanks to all of you who have responded with Bug Bite remedies. I've been using them! From Hydrocord-a-whatever-it-is to ammonia I've been using them! Apparently I'm alergic to what ever is biting me. I had a few new bites last night. One was on the Elbow. Now I have two elbows on my right arm. Thanks for all your tips and most importantly your prayers!

~Tony

Tomorrow is Our First Final

2008-09-24T18:37:00.003+02:00

Do you know how long it has been since I've taken a college exam? Well we have one tomorrow. I expect Anna to do well since she is the studious type. I, on the other hand, stay mostly confused during most of the class. The smiley face above captures that look exactly (well I have curly hair and he's bald, but you get the idea).

The grammar teacher told us the grammar part of the test should last about two hours, after which we have the conversation part of the test with our conversation teacher. The longer we talk the better our score. Ordinarily talking long wouldn't be a problem, but when your vocabulary is that of a 5 year old... it might present some difficulty.

On the other hand, our teacher said we are all doing well in class. Normally the A1 class only gets to Chapter 6 in the book, but we are the first class to ever finish the book.

Well I gotta go cram for the test.

Here's a question for you. What do you call someone from the United States of America? Someone from France is French, someone from Japan is Japanese, how about the U.S.A.?

Oh other highlights I want to mention more about later:

I had the privlidge to speak at the International Church of Madrid.
Our Stuff is being held up in Customs.
We had a few more "care packages" arrive as well as a card signed buy a lot of our Youth from PC 1st! Thanks guys that was such a blessing!

There is Spanish then there is Spanish...

2008-09-18T20:23:00.005+02:00

As I've mentioned in previous posts, Anna and I are taking Spanish Classes at the University of Alcala. Prior to coming to Spain all of our exposure to the Spanish has been Latin American Spanish, and in some ways there are some huge differences.

If your familiar with Spanish then you know that Spanish verbs conjugate like this:

Beber (to Drink)
Yo Bebo (I Drink)
Tu Bebes (You Drink)
El/Ella/Usted Bebe (He/She/ Drinks)
Nostros Bebemos (We Drink)
Usted Beben (They Drink)

There is also another tense that we use in the Southern US all the time but is very rarely used in Latin America but is often used in Spain. It is Vosotros form. Going back to our example it looks like this:

Beber (to Drink)
Yo Bebo (I Drink)
Tu Bebes (You Drink)
El/Ella/Usted Bebe (He/She/ Drinks)
Nostros Bebemos (We Drink)
Vosotros Bebeis (Ya'll Drink)
Usted Beben (They Drink)

Then add to that, many words we learned from our Lain American Spanish are not the same!
Coche - Car
portatil - Laptop
Ordenador - Desktop Computer

And this one really threw me! Torta in LA Spanish is Cake... here in Spain... it means Slap! I'm sure glad I didn't walk into a Pasteleria and order the Mocca Torta to go!

Thank you West Florida!

2008-09-11T22:57:00.003+02:00

Thanks to the wonderful provision of our Lord we now have our Speed the Light vehicle!

A lot of people have worked very hard for this to happen. Our West Florida DYD Scott Lingerfelt, who crosses the district with a passion to see lives changed through the power of the cross. Our home church, Panama City First Assembly of God and Lead Pastor Phil Edwards and Youth Pastor Ryan Johnson, for all their love and support. Not to mention all the Pastors, Youth Pastors and the incredible, awesome, youth of West Florida!

We love you all an appreciate your hard work and sacrifice. From all of us, a heartfelt "thank you". Every time we get in the car we thank God for all of you.

Our First Care Package!

2008-09-10T19:09:00.003+02:00

Today we received our very first care package from the States! It was full of all kinds of treats from home. Kool-aid, Microwave popcorn (with cheese!), Mac & Cheese Packs and Pop Tarts! Stuff that is very hard to find here and if you can find it, it will be quite expensive.

All of us express our heart felt thanks to Cheryl, Ron & Brittany Hartzer for their kindness and generosity! We love you guys!

A special shout out to Britt, one of the special young ladies in our youth group back home!

And about that exciting news I mentioned in my last post... you'll just have to wait until tomorrow :)

A Plague Upon us...

2008-09-09T23:05:00.002+02:00

Being from Florida we are use to mosquitoes and other biting insects. (Mosquitoes are so big in Florida they might as well be our state bird!). Bugs really never bothered me in Florida, I guess I don't taste very good (too much garlic in my food I suppose). But here in Spain the bugs must love garlic. Something has gotten into our house the past few night and really made a meal out of us, and boy does it itch! If anyone has some advice on how to treat horribly itchy bug bites we are all ears!

In other news some very exciting things have happened! But I'm not going to tell you what just yet (I know, I'm a stinker). As soon as we have a moment I'll let you in on some cool stuff the Lord is doing and had done! I gotta get back to conjugating verbs...

Second day of School..

2008-09-04T23:30:00.002+02:00

...and our brains are melting. Well it feels like that anyway. All four of us newbie missionaries wound up in the A1 class (beginner class). In addition there are two girls from Holland and one from Serbia and another from Korea. Since it's a small class there will be a lot of interaction and we can be salt and light! Pray that we'll have opportunities to share the gospel with our fellow students and teachers. And pray that our brains will hold out. Each day we cover about four weeks worth of material.

School Starts!

2008-09-02T22:05:00.002+02:00

Today Anna and I, along with new missionaries Shawn and Deb Galyen and veteran missionary Ellen Cannon started language school! Due to an accident on the road, traffic was backed up for quite awhile and we were late for class. Everyone at the school was taking the placement test to see which class they would be in. The Test consists of 100 multiple choice questions (in Spanish) a short essay (in Spanish) and then an oral test where one of the instructors has a conversation with you in Spanish.

The good news is I was the first one to finish the exam! The bad news is I only knew one answer on the test (I think). I'll definitely be in the A1 class (beginning class). Anna did really well. She was one of the last ones finished and even had a conversation with one of the teachers.

Tomorrow we find out how we did and begin our classes. Well, the others will anyway. Today I found out that you have to register to pay sales tax on your car. The car dealer where we are getting our STL vehicle from tried to complete the transaction but could not do it because we had not registered to pay the sales tax (It never occurred to us that we had to!)

So tomorrow I get to play hooky and pay taxes... I think I'd rather be in school.

Prayer Points:

That we can get our STL car by Thursday so we can use it for our long trip to Tarragona, Spain where we will be having our Missions Orientation.
Our Attorney will be going to the Government offices tomorrow to straighten out our Visa problems. Her name is Silva, please pray that God will give her favor and wisdom.
That we can learn Spanish for God's glory (Especially me!).

Please Pray

2008-08-25T22:44:00.002+02:00

We have a few challenges that have popped up that we would really appreciate your prayers on.

The first is our residency paperwork. It seems that the official here wants an original document that is still in the possession of the Miami consulate. This particular official really seems to dislike us and is making thing difficult. We need that document very soon or we don't know what will happen to our residence status. Please pray for favor with the government officials and that we can get that document in time or better yet, complete the process with out the document.

Second, we have everything we need to get our Speed the Light vehicle. Please pray that there are no hitches when STL transfers the funds internationally to the dealership and that we can get the vehicle registered on our temporary residence number. In the past it hasn't been a problem to get a vehicle on a temporary number, but we just had a missionary get denied.

Finally, we start school on September 2nd. We will be going to the University of Alcala. They have been teaching the Spanish language and Spanish grammar since 1499 so I'm fairly confident they can get Spanish into my thick skull. Please pray that we learn the language well so that we can spread the gospel effectively.

Thank you so much for your prayers, it means the world to us! If you have a moment please feel free to leave us a comment so we know your praying.

Survivor (Part 2)

2008-08-19T19:30:00.003+02:00

Much of our time so far has been learning how survive and completing the visa process. Grocery shopping and cooking are one example. When Anna would go grocery shopping in the states, she would get everything she needed at one or two stores. Now she has to go to three or four to get not only the best price, but to get the item she wants. Everything is in Spanish (we are, after all, in Spain) so she had to learn the difference between Cebolla en Polvo, Ajo en polvo, and Albahaca

The adventures don't end at the grocery store. Anna has been learning how to cook all over again. She has to convert Fahrenheit to Celsius and lean to cook with different ingredients. The stove she uses has very cryptic markings for temperature and it likes to get very hot very quickly. A few times our dinner has been "well done". But she has really gotten the hang of it in the past week and our meals have been outstanding!

In other news, Rebekah lost her first tooth! Here she is posing with a flower she bought for one of her friends.

A Few Changes

2008-08-13T16:15:00.002+02:00

I've made a few changes to the blog. Updated the look a bit and discovered that no one could leave posts without being a blogger member. I've changed that, so now anyone can leave comments, however I've added the moderator feature to cut down on spam. So feel free to leave any comments. We love to hear from you!

Survivor (Part 1)

2008-08-11T16:21:00.010+02:00

Most of our time in Spain so far has been spent adjusting and surviving. Having the power turned on, learning our way around (our GPS has been a blessing!) learning what is what in the grocery store and even learning how to cook all over again.

Today was spent trying to find our language school in Alcala. We eventually found it and picked up our applications. After that we went to a grocery store and did the weekly shopping. The milk is fresh and doesn't last very long, and the bread turns into a brick if left over night. So far its been quite the adventure.

Here are some pictures of our journey to Spain.

A House!

2008-07-31T23:22:00.006+02:00

I don't know if I have ever been this tired. It's 11:15 PM here in Spain and we've been going hard at it all day.

To start off our day we finally got all our paperwork together and we were able to register with City Hall.

Josh went and spent the day at IMM where they were shooting Buddy Barrel's 60th Birthday Party! While he was having a great time eating pizza and cake, we were at the house putting together the kitchen table and chairs and the girls bunk beds. I really missed my Dewalt cordless drill....

The house was still without power until a wonderful dude showed and up waved his magic cordless drill and then we had power! As soon as we had power we rushed off to the local Carrefour (sort of like a Wal-Mart) and bought three fans. One for each of our bedrooms! Homes don't have AC like we have back in the states. You can but air conditioners but they run from €200 on up.

We came back and finished up the girls bunks, had a little dinner and cooled off a bit(I miss ice too!) before we ran to the grocery store and to Jon and Bonnie Coopers to pick up an air mattress. Anna, Josh and I get to camp out on air mattress until our container arrives in a few months. But its all good my friends we are in Spain! We can't wait until language school starts!

I used up my entire one semester of college Spanish in the Madrid airport. Then Mark and Ellen Cannon showed us this youtube video and we could relate. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

We're Here!

2008-07-30T22:43:00.001+02:00

We arrved in Spain this past Friday! Our flight was fairly uneventful and the children managed to sleep a bit. Anna and I, however, still haven't mastered how to sleep sitting up. We were met at the airport by Missionaries Mark and Ellen Cannon and their son Tim. They, along with all the other missionaries that we have met have been so kind and helpful to us.

The house we are renting was supposed to have the power turned on today, but... it should be on somewhere from 1pm to 4pm tomorrow.

We're still jet-lagging so we'll write more later.

Blessings!

Visa Blessing

2008-07-03T02:55:00.001+02:00

Our visas arrived two months earlier than expected! We drove to Miami and picked them up and we now have a departure date! We will be leaving July 24th from Atlanta. Our visa are only good for a very short time so we must hurry and get to Spain. We're still not quite where Springfield wants us to be with our budget, but we are trusting the Lord for it all to work out.

In the mean time its pack, pack, pack!

Please pray for our transition and for our Spanish!

How to Start!

2008-06-14T00:19:00.002+02:00

Thank you! Thank you to all those who recently partnered with us in our Missions Adventure. Several have asked how to begin their monthly contributions. Here are four easy ways you can start.

· By Internet – Go to https://secure1.ag.org/contributions/index.cfm and in the area labeled “Ministry Name” type Gryskiewicz then click on the search button. Then simply follow the instructions on the screen.

· By Mail – Either by check or credit card. Simply mail the check or the Credit Card Authorization Form to "Contributor Services at 1445 N. Boonville Ave. Springfield, MO 65802". Please make out any checks to AGWM and include our Name and account number (2509156) on the memo line. If you are contributing by check in a few weeks Springfield will send you a receipt with a new contributions envelope!

· By Phone – Simply call Contributor Services at 1.877.840.4800

· By Your Church - You can also give through your local Assembly of God church. Give in your churches offering with the check clearly marked “Missions” with Tony Gryskiewicz and our account number 2509156 in the memo line.

Once again, thank you for your support!

Great is Thy Faithfulness!

2008-06-10T20:39:00.000+02:00

“But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3: 8-9

A beautiful miracle occurred at our District Council. For the first time that we can recall, all West Florida missionaries were called to the front, while the congregation was given faith promise cards. The ushers brought the cards to Bro. Trask and he called out the amounts and gave the cards to the appropriate missionary. We tried to keep a running total, but could only get an approximate because many were increased pledges. We stand in awe! Due to the tremendous outpouring of support we nearly have all the funds Springfield requires. Praise God!

We ask that you continue to pray for our family. We are in the process of sorting and packing. Trying to decide what is a necessity and what is unneeded can be challenging, especially in the eyes of our children. The next few weeks will continue to be an emotional roller coaster for us as we say farewell to our family and friends. As you pray for our family, please pray for the hurting and hopeless across Southern Europe. It is our prayer that they will discover the hope that can only be found in Jesus.

Gmail - Historic Simulcast with The Truth Project - gryskiewicz@gmail.com

2008-05-21T14:29:00.001+02:00

Historic Simulcast with The Truth Project

It has been said that the evangelical movement is three miles wide but a quarter inch deep. This should help anyone grow deeper in the Lord.

17% Left to Go!

2008-05-12T20:24:00.002+02:00

Things are really starting to get busy. Not only are we doing the itineration thing, but now we are doing the packing, cleaning, rent the house, thing as well. We are so close to getting our budget! We only have 17% left to go.

If you have not done so, would you consider partnering with us monthly so we can get to the mission field?

If you would like to know how, please follow this link http://www.worldmissions.ag.org/donations.cfm/

A Lesson from the Moment of Truth

2008-04-22T17:35:00.002+02:00

I first found out about The Moment of Truth from TV commercials. Nothing about the show appealed to me and I thought to myself that TV has hit another all time low. Then in and issue of Plugged in Magazine (a fantastic resource from Focus on the Family) they reviewed the program, specifically the episode that Ray uses to share the gospel. Take a look and let me know what you think. And if you like it. Share the youtube link.

FOXNews.com - Is Oprah Starting Her Own Cult?

2008-04-19T01:47:00.001+02:00

FOXNews.com - Is Oprah Starting Her Own Cult? - Celebrity Gossip | Entertainment News | Arts And Entertainment

Please pray for Europe Missionaries

2008-03-29T07:21:00.003+01:00

This article was taken from The Assemblies of God News Service.

Assemblies of God News Service

Missionary incomes evaporating
March 28, 2008

In the United States, Americans are wincing as gas and oil prices continue to soar. As gas costs increase, so do the costs of producing and transporting goods. Many Americans are now feeling more than a slight pinch in their budgets, especially those on fixed incomes.

However, few if any "fixed budget" Americans are feeling the impact of the current economic crisis more than world missionaries. In areas such as Japan, South Africa and especially Europe, missionaries have watched their financial support evaporate at an incredible rate.

But this isn't a case of missionary supporters not faithfully sending in pledged support (though every dollar now counts more than ever), it's the fact that the U.S. dollar continues to fall at an alarming rate compared to the currency of other countries. For example, in Europe, where the dollar is the weakest, a euro was worth $1 in 2000. In 2007, it had risen to more than $1.36. Today, a euro converts to nearly $1.58 ($1.5794). So, not only are missionaries facing inflation and rising prices in Europe (and other regions) just as those living in the United States are, but the support they're receiving is worth less and less.

To put it into perspective, if a missionary left for Europe in 2000 with a (fictional) budget of $1,000 a month, it converted to a budget of about $1,000 a month. By 2007, that same $1,000 (not counting inflation) was worth a little more than $735. Today, just a year later, $1,000 would convert to about $633 - again, not taking into account inflation (which would take another significant bite out of the amount). Next month, next week or even tomorrow, it could be worth even less - and if the trend continues, will be.

"This has become one of the biggest financial challenges our missionaries have faced, probably since the times of the Great Depression," states Greg Mundis, AG World Missions regional director for Europe. "It's also a time of incredible stress and an extreme testing of one's calling - many are in desperate need of the Lord's intervention."

"What's important to realize is that as our missionaries' finances disappear, it's a real challenge to keep focused on their mission rather than just surviving," explains AGWM communications director Randy Hurst. "Unless individuals and churches come alongside our missionaries, especially in Europe, and increase their monthly support, many missionaries won't be able to continue the work they are called by the Lord to do."

Mundis explains that missionaries' budgets are built to withstand inflation until they return to itinerate every four years or so. But the speed at which the dollar has dropped in its exchange rate in some regions was impossible to predict, and therefore, has been devastating to even the "healthiest" of budgets.

"I believe this is a critical crossroads for many AG missionaries in Europe. They suddenly find themselves facing mounting debts and possibly even the end of their ministries in Europe," says Mundis. "Yet, I believe that God can do the miraculous - snatching what the enemy intended for evil and using it for His glory - my faith is committed towards that end!"

For more information about AG World Missions, see its Web site at http://worldmissions.ag.org/. To help support or provide additional support for missionaries in Europe or other "dollar-challenged" parts of the world, see http://ag.org/top/contributions/index.cfm.

Author(s):

Dan Van Veen

Our Miami Experience - By Lizzy (13)

2008-03-18T20:15:00.001+01:00

In Miami we had to get some copies of documents, so Dad and I had to walk across half of downtown Miami. I didn’t even have my walking shoes on! The first thing we had to do was walk through the Spanish consulate building, go down the elevator and walk to the Publix that was across the street.

When we got to the store the copy machine was out of order, and it was the only copier the store had! Since Publix’s copier was out we had to go behind the Publix to the post office. We got to the post office and the copier looked just fine, until we looked at a little blue sign. The sign said that the copy machine was broken! So once again we were looking for a simple copy machine. Someone told Dad and I that there was a Kinko's store a couple of blocks away, so we set out walking again. All this walking took us through an ally and quite a few busy streets, but we finally got to the Kinko’s store. Thank you God! Because inside the store was plenty of copy machines! We got copies of everything. No, two copies of everything! After we made the copies we had to walk back to the consulate to give copies to the consulate people, so we could work on sending off our visas. To top everything off I had a cold.

The Race is On!

2008-03-15T03:46:00.001+01:00

We are a little late on getting this newsletter out because our letter from the Ministry of Justice in Spain arrived and our days have been filled with getting our documents certified by the issuing state and making our way to the Consulate in Miami. 1,200 miles later we are home and reflecting on our Miami experience. Sunday, March 9 we had two wonderful services in Georgia. We left early Monday morning for Miami. We arrived in Miami just in time for rush hour traffic; thankfully we made it safely to our hotel. Early the next morning we arrived at the Consulate. As we presented our documents, we were told we didn’t have enough copies and that they we would need five separate money orders to pay the visa fee. Tony and Elizabeth went to a nearby Publix to make copies and get the money orders. They made it back and we were cleared to go to another room and wait. Everything appeared to be going smoothly until they got to Rebekah’s passport. Her picture was too dark, and unable to be scanned. Therefore her passport was rejected! Off we went to the Miami Passport Agency. We had the passport expedited in order to receive it prior to 3:00 so we could return to the Consulate before it closed at 3:30. After waiting a while one of the guards offered to find out why it was taking so long. He found out that an endorsement was left off Rebekah’s passport and they had to reprint her book. It arrived at 3:45. So we made the necessary arrangements to stay another night in Miami to complete the process the next morning. We went to the Consulate early the next morning and they saw us before their scheduled opening time. We completed the process without any further problems. Our documents should be in Spain already.

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”(Rom. 8:28) Although there were some unexpected issues, God was with us every moment of the trip and we found favor with those we encountered. His grace carried us through each circumstance. We were able to stay calm and work as a team throughout the ordeal. Thank you for praying for us. Your prayers do make a difference! The race is on….the clock is officially ticking. We must receive the remainder of our support by the time the visas arrive in order to receive final clearance. Will you continue to agree with us in prayer that all will be accomplished in God’s perfect timing?

Getting Closer....

2008-02-12T17:11:00.000+01:00

We are on pins and needles! Our monthly report should be sent to us any day now. That should tell us where we are at on our budget! Every day we get a bit closer!

Speaking of needles , in preparation for our move, we had to have some shots. needless to say the kids weren't too excited about it. But I did manage to get some pictures using my phone. Here's one the kids took of me.

Why we don't use MySpace

2008-01-22T16:46:00.000+01:00

Everybody is doing it, everybody is on it, why don't we use it? It would be so much easier for people to stay up with our "blog" and what's happening in our lives. So why don't we use my space?

Well for us it's pretty simple. We've spent all our ministry caring & discipling teens. That also means helping them avoid things that have a very serious potential of hurting them, and in our opinion that also include Myspace.

Rather than get into a long, drawn out dissertation on all the reasons why, I'll just let this link do most of the talking.

The Dead Kids of Myspace

A Message from Anna

2008-01-16T03:28:00.000+01:00

(Note: As many of you know Anna had to be rushed to the hospital at the beginning of this month. Here is Anna's response to all your kind prayers, emails, and notes. Thank you for praying!)

Dear family and friends,

We are so grateful for the outpouring of prayer support our family received last week. Your prayers and encouraging words sustained us through a difficult time. With each email we received we were reminded of the Faithfulness of our God. Thank you for taking time to respond in our time of need. Know that your encouraging words are cherished and read over many times.

When I was admitted to the hospital my white blood cell count was high and my blood pressure would drop every time I would stand which would lead to me fainting. I was given antibiotics and told it would take 2-3 days for the count to return to normal. The next morning the doctor said that my white count was down, but he still wanted to do further testing. After a long day of testing I was released with Potassium tablets because by potassium was low. I am still tired, but thankful to be home with my family. Next week I have more lab work to make sure my Potassium is at a normal level. Please continue to pray that all lab work results will be normal.

We love and appreciate you all so much.

Please Pray

2008-01-04T05:38:00.000+01:00

Just a quick note to ask for your prayers. This morning Anna passed out at home and hit her head. When we got to the ER she passed out when the Triage nurse was examining her, and they rushed her on back. The results of the tests showed that her white count was high and when she would stand her blood pressure would plummet (causing the fainting). She’s been admitted to the hospital here in Panama City. It’s got the Doctors stumped because she has not other symptoms. Please pray for Anna that God would heal her, and that we would both be salt and light during the process.

Tony

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-26T01:00:00.001+01:00

From us to you we wish you a blessed and glorious Christmas! May the Lord richly bless you as you follow hard after Him!

Sowing Seeds

2007-12-11T00:56:00.001+01:00

One of the joys in ministry is seeing the seeds that you have sown take root, grow and bear good fruit. Since our last news letter we had two such moments occur. The fist took place when we were at First Assembly in Brandon, where one of the young men who was a part of our youth ministry is now the Youth Pastor! We are so proud of José Reyes and how he is being used by God. The second occurred when one of “our girls” came to the house and showed us the engagement ring she had just received hours before! Congratulations Emily and Delford!

What happend to November?!

2007-11-27T18:24:00.001+01:00

Boy November flew by! It's hard to believe that a year ago we were approved for Missions by the Executive Missions board. Where did the time go?! Itineration is some sort of weird space-time continuum thing where time seems to fly by and and to creep slowly at the same time. Strange... but true.

We're gearing up for our first published newsletter (being sent out by a newsletter company). It's a lot of work, but we want to stay connected with our partners. Lets us know if you don't get one.

Tony

A Time for Everything...

2007-11-20T17:08:00.000+01:00

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven. Ecclesiastes 3:1

Winding through the hills of North Georgia, admiring the beauty of fall I’m reminded of God’s promise that there is a time for everything; a season for everything. What a joy it is to travel and find so many likeminded believers who partner with us to reach the youth of Southern Europe. We consider it a privilege to serve Europe and be an extension of each of our supporting churches. October has been an extremely busy month of travel (over 5,300 miles). It’s tiring, yet we press on, knowing His call is greater than our comfort. Trust that whatever season of life you’re in; you are there by divine appointment. Be strengthened and encouraged knowing that our family prays for you consistently.

We extend our sincere thanks to all who sacrificially support this ministry each month. If you are not currently supporting this ministry, would you prayerfully consider adding our family to your missions family? The youth of Southern Europe are waiting. “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" Rom 10:14-15 NIV

A Peek in the Window

2007-11-13T03:33:00.001+01:00

When we say we pray for you we mean it! Every night we pray generally for all our partnering churches and individuals, but we also pray for you specifically. We have two bags. In one bag are cards with the names of our partnering churches and individuals and in the other missionaries we know and support. Each of the children picks out of the first bag and then one child will pick out of the other and during our family devotional time we all pray.

This would be a great place for you to leave prayer requests if you have any!

Blessings,

Tony

Ten Day Tour

2007-11-07T03:52:00.000+01:00

We just got back from an incredible ten day itineration tour! We started from Panama City then to the Atlanta area where we met some incredible Pastors and Churches. One such place was Rescue Atlanta where the Pastor is Mel Rolls. It's a church that ministers to Homeless and at risk children in the heart of Atlanta.

After Atlanta we were off to "Little Havana" in Miami , FL to Casablanca Christian Center where Eddie Rivero is the Lead Pastor. But before we got there we stopped at Polk City for the SHIFT Youth retreat where we were the guest speakers. While there we were also guests at Florida's First Assembly of God (That's their name and what they are) for their Missions Convention.

After a great service at Casablanca we were off to New Life Assembly of God in Pembroke Pines, FL where Sister Maria Khaleel is the Pastor.

Time doesn't permit to tell of all the wonderful people we met and how gracious all our hosts and hostesses were. It was a humbling experience to see God working so mightily in so many places in so many diverse ways. If any of you read this let me say publicly... Thank you!

God is so Cool!

2007-10-23T00:54:00.000+02:00

When we received monthly report from Springfield there was a pledge from a Pastor in Lynchburg, VA. We've never been to Virgina... So where was this coming from? So I tracked down his number from the ministers directory and gave him a call. It turns out that the Lord impressed him to sent money in to Springfield telling them to pick up the newest missionary. To make a long story short it was us! He received a report back saying that Tony (with this horribly long last name) had revived the funds and he began to pray for us every day! It turns out that they are snow birds and live in Zephyrhills, FL in the winter and we will be in Zephyrhills the same time they are! We'll be getting together and meeting in December. Isn't it so cool how God works out things?

2007-10-10T22:58:00.000+02:00

We will be sending out our E-newsletter shortly. We'd like to have your help making it better and more informative. Please feel free to leave feed back on how we can improve it, and what kind of information you'd like to see it contain. Also feel free to comment on the layout, style, etc, etc. It's a work in progress but with your help I'm sure we can make it great!

Welcome!

2007-10-10T01:22:00.000+02:00

In an effort to keep the lines of communication open with all our prayer partners and supporting churches and individuals we're trying something a bit different. We've jumped into the 21st century and opened a real blog. Please feel free to leave any questions or comments or just drop in to say "Hi".

Thanks for your prayers and support!

Tony

This is a Test

2007-08-02T21:41:00.000+02:00

This is a test of Blogger. I'm attempting to embed this into our existing website

G-Blog

Summer Encounters with God.

Staying Connected

Another Season of Transition

The Mission Field Needs YOU

Sunday at the Police Station.

Missonary Adventures (Part 4)

God at the Panaderia

Another reason why your prayers matter to us.

Missonary Adventures (Part 3)

Missonary Adventures (Part 2)

Missonary Adventures (Part 1)

It's still Christmas!

Happy New Year's Eve!

Welcome Ashley!

Every Day is an Adventure...

Back to School

We Passed!

Our Container Arrived!

Pirates of the Spanish Main!

Tomorrow is Our First Final

There is Spanish then there is Spanish...

Thank you West Florida!

Our First Care Package!

A Plague Upon us...

Second day of School..

School Starts!

Please Pray

Survivor (Part 2)

A Few Changes

Survivor (Part 1)

A House!

We're Here!

Visa Blessing

How to Start!

Great is Thy Faithfulness!

Gmail - Historic Simulcast with The Truth Project - gryskiewicz@gmail.com

17% Left to Go!

A Lesson from the Moment of Truth

FOXNews.com - Is Oprah Starting Her Own Cult?

Please pray for Europe Missionaries

Assemblies of God News Service

Our Miami Experience - By Lizzy (13)

The Race is On!

Getting Closer....

Why we don't use MySpace

A Message from Anna

Please Pray

Merry Christmas!

Sowing Seeds

What happend to November?!

A Time for Everything...

A Peek in the Window

Ten Day Tour

God is so Cool!

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This is a Test