My Flight

My Class: 1st B

2008-11-21T19:49:00.004+01:00

From left to right: TOP ROW: Jan, Luka, Tilen, Pavlin, Andraž, Rok, Sara, Mirjam, Bor, Matevž, Simon, Jure
MIDDLE ROW: Grega, Jan, Nika, Lavra, Janja, Neža, Ana, Mateja, Ana, Ana, Ajda, Nika, Nežka, Alenka
BOTTOM ROW: Anže, Domen, Katja, Nina, Helena, Meagan, Julija, Lily (professor)

I really, really like my class! Everyone is so nice and we love hanging out together - at school, on the bus, before mass, at our school camp. It has been so fun to get to know each person and I'm sure that there is still lots more I don't know!
Oh, and did I mention I really, really like my class!

Meagan Jackson, the American!

2008-09-15T18:50:00.003+02:00

Being at a new school it is very funny to see people's reactions to the fact that I am an American. There have been many funny ones, but this is the best one!
Last week I was starting to get worried because my Math teacher would never call me to the board to do problems. He would even go in lines and when he got to me he would start another line. Finally I figured our why! One day my neighbor went to the board and when she was done my teacher asked her how to read something, which was my name. She was afraid she would mess up so said she didn't know and my teacher had to call me and ask me how to say my name. He forgot how to say my name! Hopefully he still remembers!

I'm a Škofijka!!!!! (what the kids from my new highschool are called)

2008-09-02T20:07:00.003+02:00

Yesterday I started high school! It was a great day! I think that this year will be great, but that I will have to work hard! I'm in a class of 33 kids from all around Slovenija (and from America (=). I'm taking Slovene, Latin, English, French, Math, Biology, Chemistry, Geography, History, Music, Computing, P.E. and and Ethics class called Religion and Culture. So it will be a lot of studying, but I will hopefully learn a lot, not only educationally, but also about God and me!
Have a wonderful school year!

This summer I...

2008-08-19T09:31:00.002+02:00

... went to an English camp at a castle in Austria with 6 of my friends from school
... was a translator in a classroom at another English camp for Jr Highers from Ljubljana
... went to the seaside with 2 of my friends (lots of playing cards and swimming)
... got schoolbooks for next year (it's always fun to see what I'll be learning)
... went on family vacation at a little cabin in the hills of Croatia
and I'm tomorrow I'm going to JV Kids' Camp. We will be on an island in Croatia (lots of swimming) and get lots of great Bible teaching!
My summer was great!

The End of Primary School

2008-06-26T16:33:00.010+02:00

The first thing that the end of school brings is graduation. I had a great graduation with my friends and the next day we went to an amusement park in Italy together. At my graduation I sang a song that I wrote to my classmates and everyone else there. It's written from my heart. Here are the words ...

They Need Hope

Her life is falling apart,
she looks to the only things she knows,
the friends and the boys around her.
She wants someone to feel close.
Everyday is the same,
she tries to fill her heart.
But she always ends up in the same place,
her life is falling apart.

Oh, dear God, she/he/they needs hope.
A way to keep living,
a way to go on
and a way to find happiness.
Oh, dear God, You are hope.
Please fill her/him/them with Your love,
give her/him/them Your strength and Your joy.
Give her/him/them hope.

His life is falling apart,
why did he make it such a mess?
Filled with drugs and drinking,
trying to find what is best.
He's running from the truth,
suicide rates are off the chart.
But he always ends up in the same place,
his life is falling apart.

So many hopeless people on this earth.
Looking, searching, wanting to find it soon.
Hope, they need hope.
You, they need You.

You have given me hope.
He is hope.

And the next thing the end of school brings are camps. All 5 of us that went to the amusement park will be at Castle Camp together and two more of my friends will be coming also. Please pray that we will have a wonderful week and that we will take a step closer to God!

High School

2008-04-21T18:38:00.004+02:00

I haven't written for a while- it's been a crazy Winter and Spring.
This February and March I had to decide which High School I will go to next year. It was a hard decision for me, as there were 3 I was choosing from. In the middle of February me and Daddy visited them. It was interesting to see how each one was different. And after this I felt pretty good about the private Catholic High school. It seemed like a good school and that they had good discipline there. There were a couple negatives though ... it's Catholic, I would have to ride the city bus for about an hour to get there and it costs 70 EUR a month to go to school there.
After fasting and praying and talking a lot about it with my parents I decided to go to this school. God has tought me a lot through this process, even though it wasn't the easiest one!
He has tought me that He will always be with me, no matter where I go and what I do. And He has tought me that nothing will happen to me that He doesn't want to happen. He has a plan and nothing will happen outside of that plan.
I'm still a little nervous about changing schools, finding new friends and taking more tests! =) But now I know that God will watch over me and be with me in all these situations!

All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
Psalm 139: 16

Birthday

2008-02-14T15:07:00.002+01:00

This weekend I had a great sleepover party with 9 friends from school and church. We had fun playing games with chocolate prizes and watching Freaky Friday. For dessert we had a fondue with lots of fruit. It was really great to celebrate my birthday with them, since it's my last year with most of them!

Pictures from My Party

2008-02-14T15:02:00.001+01:00

Eva, Ana and Zala eating homemade pizza

Daddy and Nina playing Guesstures

The Whole Group

Our puppy Aria

2008-01-26T09:56:00.000+01:00

Last Sunday we got a puppy! She's so cute and we're enjoying playing with her and having her become more comfortable at our home!

This is Aria!

She's already part of the family!

Pictures

2008-01-03T17:06:00.001+01:00

Finally! Here are 100 pictures to give you an overview of my trip! It was so wonderful! So much better than the pictures! =)

The pictures go pretty fast, so you might want to pause the slide show and just click forward. And if you want them to come bigger you can double click on a picture!

So, now you have faces too! Hope to get just a few more pictures on here, but I hope you enjoyed these!

I'm Back!

2007-12-12T16:18:00.000+01:00

I am back home after having a wonderful time in Africa!
So much happened- I got to play with kids, hold babies, sing songs, work in a garden, play blocks, see a hospital, watch someone building a building =), make a glass bead and so much more!
Here are two stories that are really cool:
The first one is about a little girl named Sooma. One of the mornings in Uganda we went to work in a garden that 18 children were in charge of. It was more of a field than a garden! So she took us there and we worked and talked to her for about 2 hours. Later that day I also talked to her when she was getting water. That night we went to play games and have devotions with the same 18 children. When Sooma saw us come in the door she came and gave me a big hug and just smiled up at me! It was so fun to have someone trust you like that! And I didn't even think about getting sick from the kids while there. They're so cute and sweet that God puts love in my heart for them instead of fear!
The second story is a something that happen at the church service I went to in Uganda. At the beginning of the service a man walked up and started to tell a story while crying very hard. He had grown up in the orphanage there but had later walked away from the LORD and started to work with witchcraft. He had come that day to ask for forgiveness and ask God to come back to him. He burnt the things that he had used for witchcraft and the elders of the church laid their hands on them and told him that God had forgiven him and that he was accepted by his Savior. It was really amazing to see this! It was also really cool that I wasn't afraid of any evil on my trip! I am so thankful to God that He was leading me and keeping my mind focused on Him!
A couple other highlights were:
* Reading Shadow of the Almighty by Elizabeth Elliot! It was so fun to read and see how Jim Elliot lives. While reading it I decided that I want to do everything for Jesus, not just something!
* Getting to know Hayley Ellenwood, Suska Jones, Laurie Doden and Steve and Nancy Longbrake better! They are really cool people!
* Listening to a speaker from England and realizing that I don't want to strive for God's love anymore, but know that He gives it to me!
* etc. etc. etc. =D
Thank you all for being a part of my trip for reading my blog, praying for me and thinking about me! God did amazing things for me on it!!
P.S. Pictures to come soon!

Psalm 61:7

2007-11-24T08:27:00.000+01:00

My prayer for the people I will meet in Africa:
May they be enthroned in God's presence forever;
appoint your love and faithfulness to protect them.

ONLY 3 MORE DAYS!!!!

2007-11-19T19:10:00.001+01:00

I can't believe it! I only have 3 more days before I go to Africa! I am so excited and nervous.
I thought that you might want to know a little bit more about when I'm going and stuff, so here we go!

The dates of my trip are:
11/26 Leave Slovenija Arrive Venice
11/27 Leave Venice Arrive Amsterdam, Leave Amsterdam arrive Ethiopia
12/1 Leave Ethiopia Arrive Uganda
12/7 Leave Uganda Arrive Amsterdam
12/8 Leave Amsterdam arrive Venice

I am so glad that I'm getting to go to Africa. I don't really know exactly what I'm going to be doing. I know that I'll be playing with kids and probably be working in a field. I'll also be writing a journal, so you don't have to fear that I'll forget anything! I'm also sure that I will take a lot of pictures!
I am really glad that I'm going to Africa, but I also know that I won't be able to do this without God's help. He has already helped me so much with earning and raising my money for the trip (I have earned all of it now! Yippee! =0) and teaching a lot about Himself. He has done so much more than I could even imagine.

If you are praying for me throughout my trip, these are a few things you could pray for:
That I won't be afraid of evil, flying by myself, getting sick and not knowing what to say to people.
That God would protect my mind from Satan's tricks and that I would have an open heart to the things He wants to teach me. Also that I would remember what I learn and not just forget it.
That I would be strong in Him, as my strength isn't very big!
That I won't worry if I don't know what's going to happen.
That I will grow in my walk with God.

I am so glad that you all have been a part of my trip by reading my blog! I can't wait to tell you the stories!

The Long Road to Hope

2007-10-19T13:40:00.000+02:00

This is a book by Jennie G. Dangers that I am reading for my trip to Africa. It is very interesting and I have really been enjoying reading it. While reading the first chapter I felt like I was reading my own story, as it talked about her moving to Africa when she was 7 years old (I was 8 when I moved to Slovenija). From packing and moving to the feeling you have when moving to a new country and continent, it was really fun to remember those days. You are really beginning a new life when you become a missionary.
I would really encourage you to read this book, but don't be surprised as I was. It's actually quite a big and thick book! *=)*

Science Experiments

2007-10-10T18:57:00.000+02:00

Did you know that if you mix citric acid, baking soda and water (sometimes vinegar) you get a freezer and a balloon that falls to the ground instantly? It's true (well you don't get a freezer but the container gets really cold), as we figured out tonight at our house. We had a fun evening of doing cool science experiments I had done at school and marveling at how God made everything work so cool! =)

Amazing Grace

2007-10-09T16:22:00.000+02:00

For He chose us in Him, before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love, He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will- to the praise of God's glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the One He loves. In Him we have redemption, through His blood the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace, that He has lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.
- Ephesians 1:4-8

This is one of the verses I decided to memorize for my trip to Africa. It's cool, isn't it!
God has shown me such amazing grace. He has forgiven my every sin and made me holy and blameless in His sight. I can't even imagine, me, a sinner that doesn't deserve even that God knows who I am, coming into the presence of God- a perfect God who is holy and has never sinned- and He looking at me and seeing no sins, no soot, no dirt, but just the wonderful love of Jesus and His blood that has cleansed me and made me clean. And then saying come here, my child, for I want to be your Father! He knows that I sinned. He knows that I'm not worthy. But He also knows that I have accepted Jesus and that I have been cleansed by Him. But He still wants to be with me and have a relationship with me! I was once blind- I didn't know how wonderful God's grace and love was- but now I see!

It's That Time of Year Again ...

2007-09-24T16:14:00.000+02:00

Yes, school has started. The great feeling that you get to talk with your friends, meet the new people and get all your new books is gone. The teachers are already talking about tests. Some- no, most- of them are already giving tests and giving you more and more homework.
So, what am I doing at this time of year? I'm taking as many tests as I know I will do well in, reading books, doing stuff early... you know what I mean!
But even though that's now very exciting, my life sure is. God makes sure of that!
School is exciting => my Math teacher didn't want to give me a 4(B) even though I was OK with one
Home is exciting => lots of people around, 2 younger sisters, yummy dinners, fun games to play...
Town is exciting => tours to give, stores to go to
Something else that is very, very exciting is AFRICA! => Although I do have work to do, it's fun and I can't wait to start studying James with the others who are going! =)
And the most exciting thing is GOD Himself => learning about Him through His Word (the most amazing book), praying to Him with new ways learned at Camp, talking to people about Him, sharing my thoughts about Him through poems ... I could go on forever!

Africa Adventure

2007-09-19T18:11:00.000+02:00

Two weeks. Two countries. Two compounds. Too amazing to describe.

This November I will have the amazing privilege to go on an African Adventure. I will be going to Ethiopia and Uganda with a leader, Laurie Doden, and two other girls, MK friends I’ve had since moving to Slovenia. We’ll visit the compound Project Mercy in Ethiopia and the compound New Hope in Uganda. The compounds consist of orphanages, hospitals, schools for all ages, dairy farms, irrigated farming and a lot more.
While there we will be helping out wherever needed. I am very excited to play with the kids and also see how the people live.

The main goals for this trip are:
1. to learn about God
2. to learn how people live in Ethiopia and Uganda and how the missionaries are helping them
3. to learn about me and what God wants to do in my life

I am also going to be learning and doing a lot before going, like memorizing verses, writing reports on the countries, writing book reports on missionary biographies and (unfortunately everything costs money) earning money.

If you would like to learn more about the places I’m going to, you can look on these websites:
http://www.projectmercy.org/
http://www.newhopeuganda.com/

To know more about me and my African Adventure throughout the next months you can email me at megshorses@gmail.com or keep visiting my blog!

JV Kids' Camp 2007

2007-09-15T18:37:00.000+02:00

JV Kids' Camp was a time of prayer
and kids with joyful faces everywhere.
A time of laughter and of great fun,
playing games where everyone won.

Queen Blue and Becca taught us many things
about praying and talking to God for a while.
We read from the Bible that when we pray
God's happy and smiles for us a great big smile.

With ZeTeO and Journey we sat on the beach
reading and thinking about what God wants to teach.
Prayer time with ZeTeO under the shade of a tree
realizing how God has changed me.

Praying not only with talking and words
but drawing and thinking a prayer in our hearts.
Learning that I can stand strong with God's help
and not fear all of conquered Satan's darts.

Diving for shells and starfish too
swimming with friends in the very cold sea.
Watching skits and having a great time
with people that understand the world around me.

Shhh, this part's a little secret!
Sleeping under the stars, us ZeTeO girls.
Reading the funniest book by far
and seeing an amazing shooting star.

Worshiping by the water, watching a beautiful sunset
singing a song of God's wonderful love.
Sitting back, resting, giving myself to God with no fear,
thanking Him for JVK Camp this year.

September 15th, 2007

JVK Camp this year was so much fun! We got to go to the Croatian seaside! I really enjoyed learning about prayer. We all really missed our friends that weren't there, but had a bunch of fun getting to know the ones that were there better. It was really a time I will remember with great memories.

Dictionary:
Queen Blue- Andrea Pitcher, a missionary that works with Josiah Venture
Becca- Becca McMartin in the leader of all the Third Culture Kids in JV. She is an amazing person!
ZeTeO and Journey- as JV Kids we are divided into groups by age. These are the two oldest groups.

My Summer

2007-07-16T11:19:00.000+02:00

God is amazing! This summer I have learned so much about how He really has a bigger and better plan than I can see!
On the last day of Jr. High Camp, my school friend saw a Bible in the hand of one of our leaders. This lead to the decision of her, me and that leader having a Bible study together. We have already got together a couple times and since our first Bible study we have gone through John 1 and part of 2 and watched a short video about God's love for us during the storms in our life. It has been so fun to see how all three of us, even though we are on different levels of life, Christian life and knowing God, learn so much from the same thing. And to see how God works in each one of us. I have learned so much about my loving God and how lucky I am to have known Him all my life- to understand the Bible and to have people that explain it to me. To know that I'm not alone and that when I cry out there's always Someone to pick me up! How can I be thankful enough for God's love for me?!
Last week I went to a Kid's Camp with three of my schoolmates, one of them the one I'm doing the Bible study with. Going into it I was doing it only for my schoolmates. I realize now that I should have been focused more on God and serving Him than being a friend, even though that is important. But God helped me and I learned so much about Him and I really enjoyed loving the kids He created! How could you not love 'em?!
Today I'm heading off to JV Kids' Camp! I love this camp because I get to learn about God and know Him better with wonderful friends that are like family! I get to play crazy games, learn crazy unimaginable things and goof off with crazy friends! What could be funner than that?!

Camps, camps and more camps

2007-06-30T16:13:00.000+02:00

The last week of school I got to go to a Nature Camp with my grade. We went to a beautiful place in the mountains where there is a big forest with lots of hiking paths! I got to rock climb and learn lots of cool things about the nature in Slovenija. It was a lot of fun, although staying in the same room with 5 non-Christian JR High girls for 3 days isn't always the easiest or most restful thing in the world.
The day I got of the bus coming from the mountains I got in our car and went back! We had a team training camp for all the teams that came this summer to help out with English Camps. It was really fun to get to know these Americans that came to help with such a big part of our lives and to get to know their lives too. It's so great when Christians gather together to praise and worship the LORD, especially when they are from different countries, different cities, but have all come together to do just that- bring God glory!
This year our family has the special privilege to travel to all the camps going on right now.
Our first trip was to Austria, to visit the Castle Camp. I had a great time filming, taking pictures and swimming in an awesome lake!
Stop #2: Celje Day Camp
There we got to help cut millions of peaches for a fruit salad. One of the girls from the American Team working there is a singer and we got to hear her sing! It was amazing!
Our last trip was to Portoroz, the seaside, where we were the last station in an Amazing Race! It was a lot of fun to swim and float in the sea and see all the teams diving for bottles!
So, that's all we did this week! Not much! =) In a week the next 3 camps will start, but we'll only be apart of one of those- Ljubljana JR High Camp. It's going to be at my school and quite a few people from our school are signed up. I can't wait, because I know that it will be a very fun week and that God will be working in everyones' hearts!

JH English Camp

2007-06-06T14:44:00.000+02:00

Last Thursday Johnny, Christian and David came to my school to advertise for English Camps. We are organizing a Junior High English Camp for kids from the ages of 12 to 15 at my school. The kids at my school- and the teachers- loved to have them in our classes! Now, only a week later, already 2 of my classmates have signed up! I know that God is going to do something very special this year!

The Lord has blessed me!

2007-05-30T14:26:00.000+02:00

MEAGAN(crying): I have so much to study and I don't think I'll do very well on my Slovene test!
MOMMY: All I and God expects you to do is your best!
Next day, the day of the dreaded Slovene test
MEAGAN: Thank you, dear Jesus!
After school
MOMMY: How'd your day go?
MEAGAN: The Lord has blessed me! The poem I had to 'interpret' in my test was one I'd already done with Katarina(my tutor). I did I lot better than I thought I would!
MOMMY: Yeah! I knew you'd do a good job!
A while later while Meagan is writing on her blog
MEAGAN: God is so amazing!

Meagan, Zlata si! (Meagan, you're golden!)

2007-05-29T16:59:00.000+02:00

This is what my teacher came up and said to me about a week ago. I had gotten the Gold Medal for a Physics competition. There are a lot of these kinds of things in Slovenija. First you have school competitions, then Regionals and the Nationals. You have to get a certain percentage of points to go on and for every different level you get a different medal (bronze, silver and gold). So now that you know what a Gold Medal is you will understand why I jumped all over the classroom, hugged all my classmates and called my mom and dad right away. I'm so glad that God made me who I am and that He's given me the chance to work really hard, but get a reward for my hard work!

JV May Conference

2007-05-08T16:46:00.000+02:00

This last week I was at a conference for all of JV. It was so much fun to be there! In the mornings we had Photography Class and Art Class. Joshua Longbrake helped us with our camaras and we got to take really cool pics with him. We painted some beautiful picture with Aubrey Peth by through water balloons filled with paint at a canvas and then sprinkling it with paint! In the evenings, The Journey led amazing worship and we got to play in the fun room named Grob.
This conference was also the last time for many of us to see our dear friends the Joneses, the McSheffreys and the Cuperys. We all shed many tears. These friends are like our JV brothers and sisters and we will miss them a lot.
Becca also planned special things for us like getting a JV Kid Yearbook with pictures in it, having snacks with her and doing a Murder Mystery (where she was the murderer! Yikes!). We also got to go to Midnight Movies, which actually showed until midnight!
Another special thing I got to do was go horseback riding with 4 of my friends. We rode through a beautiful forest next to a beautiful spring! It was a lot of fun!
Over all I had a great time at this conference and I got to learn a lot! I'm glad that I have such special friends as I have there! There's no place like JV! I think that Heaven will be a lot like this week was, only with out the goodbyes and tears! I can't wait!

Zeteo

In the elevator

Aubrey throwing a paint balloon

Joshua taking a picture

Hannah and her cool glasses

2007-05-08T16:45:00.001+02:00

Paint balloon splattering on the canvas!

Hayley took this picture! Am I not jumping high? =)

2007-05-08T16:44:00.000+02:00

Butt pods!!!

Hayley's picture of splatters- God's picture of me!

2007-05-08T16:19:00.000+02:00

I love ferns! I had a presentation about them in school and they're really cool plants! This is a young fern that hasn't undone yet!

A Time of Life

2007-04-15T14:19:00.000+02:00

It's really Spring here. The birds are singing, the flowers are blooming and everyone can't wait untill school's out. This Easter we really got to see new lifes being born. Not only baby animals, but also new lifes in Jesus. We celebrated Easter with our neighbors and really enjoyed celebrating Jesus' life and showing it to them. I'm so thankful that He is living now in me and loves Me. He reassures me that everything is in His hands and that He has power over the thing people think is most powerful-death!

We were blessed this Easter to be able to have our Grandma with us. She came here for Laurel's baptism, Easter and just to be with us. We had a wonderful time cooking German food and desserts, reading stories, making memories and just being together.

The last weekend of March, first weekend of April we went on a church retreat on the Croation coast and Laural was baptised there in the Adriatic Sea. I was so glad that she decided to be baptised and that she wanted to 'give here whole life to Jesus' (what she said in her testimony). I pray that she will know God better and better as she follows Him and that Kiley will make the same decision to follow Jesus and me and Laurel have!Nine other people were baptised besides Laurel! It was really and amazing day. Peoples testimonies were great and there was no doubt that Jesus' life had changed them. I know that God will work in these people's lifes and use them in amazing ways! It was really a time of celebrating life!

This is one of Katka Bordner's schoolmates that came to the Church Retreat to play bass guitar. But he went home a totally different person- he accepted Jesus as his Savior and is living a new life! We saw that not only one step on this long road of following Jesus was made (batism), but 2 people also decided to start the Journey!

New Blog!

2007-04-13T02:00:00.000+02:00

Hey everyone! I'm so glad you came to my blog! I hope that you enjoy reading about my life and what I'm doing!