Just over a year ago, we moved across the world to serve in a culture different than our own.  We left the familiar to pursue an unknown path.    We have seen amazing places from historical churches and ancient cities to river valleys and Alpine vistas.  We have participated in new kinds of ministry.  We have traveled the continent, eaten new and different foods, and tried to learn and speak new languages.  This path has been full of new adventures and experiences for our family and we will, without a doubt, carry them with us for the rest of our lives.

And yet we both agree.  The greatest impact on our lives has been the relationships we have developed.  We have been blessed to meet students, friends, and colleagues in ministry from around the world who have blessed us more than we could have imagined.  In many ways, EuNC has become "home" for us this past year, not just because it’s the place we have lived, but because of the community we have experienced.  We feel extremely honored to have been able to participate in the work of God's kingdom through European Nazarene College this past year.  We continue to offer our deepest thanks to those of you who have prayed for us and supported our ministry financially.  We simply could not have committed a year of volunteer ministry without you.  Thank you!

Our last few weeks of ministry here included a flurry of activities.  Regan focused much of her attention on some administrative tasks related to course evaluation while Jason gave leadership to the final chapel services of the year and finished teaching a course on worship.  Carter hung out as much as possible with his college student friends and loved watching the World Cup!  We participated in a week of faculty meetings focused on planning, an all-campus work day, end-of-the-year parties, and of course, graduation!  It was an honor to hear the graduates express the ways God has been at work in their lives, transforming them throughout their college experience.  We will be watching with expectation for the ways God will work through them in the future.

Following graduation, Jason's parents came to Europe to join us and we were able to spend several days relaxing and exploring parts of Europe with them.  What a blessing it has been to have them come over and see first hand where we have been living and working!

As this chapter comes to a close, we find ourselves in transition.  In The Lord of the Rings, Bilbo Baggins sings a song as he leaves his home in The Shire that expresses where we are in our journey these days:

"The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say."

Tomorrow we will leave Büsingen and head to Kansas City.  And whither then?  We cannot say!  At this point, we are pursuing job possibilities - Regan in education and Jason in pastoral ministry.  In the meantime, we have decided to rent out our home in Olathe and God has again provided stable renters for the house.  This "frees" us up to take the necessary time to find jobs that are a good fit for us.  In the meantime, we will be based in the Olathe area as we transition into whatever God has in store for us next.  While one chapter is closing, our journey is not over.  With "eager feet," we anticipate the next steps of the journey as we attempt to walk faithfully into the future.  We appreciate your prayers on our behalf during this time.

We will continue to use this blog to provide family updates.  However, we will no longer send them through the Facebook Group "Veaches at EuNC."  If you would like to continue to receive posts and updates, you can do so via email by simply entering your email address in the box on this page (top right) and click subscribe or just check back often.  It is our intention to continue to use everythingveach.com as a site to share news, pictures, and information about our family. 

To our friends and family, thank you so much for your love and support.  May God richly bless you now and in the future. 

Grace and Peace,
The Veach Family

Summer in Kansas usually greets us with humid 80 – 90 degree sunny days.  Büsingen summer has been marked by lots of clouds and rain interspersed with a few mild, sunny days averaging in the 60s.  So, while it doesn't "feel" much like summer yet, this week begins the Summer 1 session of classes and we are definitely keeping busy!

Regan just finished teaching a two-week class called Language and Written Expression on campus.  The course focused on grammar and composition and proved to be very practical for students preparing for ministry.  She will teach it again this session in a directed study format.  She has also continued to provide support for the process of quality assurance by participating in follow-up meetings with lecturers after a course has been taught.  In these meetings, important feedback from faculty and students is recorded and made available for the purpose of refining the courses.

The beginning of June has also brought a week long series of faculty meetings designed to address issues of curriculum development.  The meetings include campus administrators, full and part-time faculty from the campus in Büsingen, and faculty from the 15 Learning Centers around Europe.  Amazingly, through video conferencing, we are able to connect everyone and make important decisions regarding curriculum.

Jason will begin a semi-directed study course in Worship with a campus student this week.  He has also kept busy working with the Spiritual Life Team providing guidance for the campus chapel program and pastoral care to the student body.  He preached in chapel on Wednesday, May 19th and working with a team of creative students, designed a chapel focused on Pentecost, which celebrated the coming of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the Church.  It was a powerful experience to hear the story from Acts chapter 2 read in nine different languages!  The reading climaxed with the beautiful words of Acts 2:21, "And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." Truly Christ’s Church is not bound by barriers of race, class, language, or nationality.  Thanks be to God!

Carter continues to grow and change.  His new mission on our daily walks is to search for snails, slugs, worms, and shells.  Since it is often rainy here, these creatures come out in full force.  He is fairly open to holding an empty shell, but is still a bit leery about holding a live snail or worm.  We have a common understanding that we just leave the slugs alone.  Yuck!  His skills in reading and writing are developing as well as he consistently sounds out and spells words even up to four and five letters long.  He has greatly benefited from educational workbooks sent to him by his grandparents and when working on them, he says he is doing his “homework.”  You can tell he has been living on a college campus!

Finally, we have had to say goodbye to three campus students who have finished their studies for the year.  This has not been easy, but has reminded us how much we have grown to love the students here.  Each one of them is incredibly gifted by God.  Each of them has a unique story to tell of how God is transforming them and equipping them to engage in his mission in the world. 

As we close in on our final weeks of volunteer service here at EuNC, we want to say a huge thank you for your prayers and support.  This ministry would not be possible without you.  We are not yet sure where our journey will lead us next, so we appreciate your prayers during these next few weeks. Grace and peace to you all!

The Veach Family

A lot has happened since our last entry!  April began with the celebration of Christ's resurrection and the beginning of the Easter season.  Because it was Spring break, the campus was quiet.  Some students went home, others had internships, and several took a ministry trip to Moncalieri, Italy.  You can read more about their trip here.  We stayed around during the weekend as Jason was asked to preach Easter Sunday at the Büsingen Church.  After worship, we hosted a lunch for the students and faculty who remained on campus as well as a few other friends and colleagues.

With the remaining break days, we decided to take a quick trip to Montreux, Switzerland which is situated on the shore of Lake Geneva near the French border.  The region is known as the Swiss Riviera and is truly beautiful.  You can read more about the trip here at Jason's personal blog .

No doubt most of you heard about the cloud of volcanic ash from the Eyjafjallajökull Volcano that made its way from Iceland to Continental Europe during the middle of the month.  It shut down air travel in much of Europe for several days, including Zürich International.  We joked a bit saying that we believed the Smoke Monster had gotten off of the island (Those of you who watch LOST will know what we mean!).  It did delay the work of a few people connected to the work of the college, but things seem to be back to normal now.

The last few weeks have brought warmer days with a mixture of cloudy, rainy days and bright, sunny days.  This has helped the trees and flowers come into full bloom.  We have taken several walks in the evenings on the trail that leads up into the forest behind the village.  There is a small farm behind the college that has cows, horses, donkeys, and even a couple of camels.  That's right, camels!  We have also taken advantage of the mild weather by having picnics on the bank of the Rhine.  Carter has loved feeding the ducks and swans.

Regan has been working hard to prepare for her upcoming class, Language and Written Expression.  She will teach a two-week session beginning in mid-May.  In addition to teaching responsibilities, she has also continued to work with the academic dean and the rest of the faculty in outcomes assessment.

Jason led a coaching group (small groups of students who meet once a week to explore particular topics) during April on pastoral rites and rituals.  The group explored some of the theological and practical issues surrounding baptism, communion, weddings, etc.  Jason also had a chance to preach the at the Gottmadingen Church.  During May, he has been working with another lecturer in giving leadership to a youth ministry course.  He accompanied a group of students on a field trip to Amsterdam, Holland and Gelnhausen, Germany to visit churches and observe their youth and family ministries.  He drove the van the whole way and logged more than 1800 kilometers (1100 miles)!

Finally, Carter is continuing to grow and change every day.  He has developed a routine here on campus.  His highlights include:  coffee break each morning with the students, lunch in the cafeteria, afternoon naps, trips to the slide and swings, Legos, books, and evening walks.  He loves to pray with us each evening before bed and always wants to pray for "three students."  Perhaps the biggest news in Carter's world is that he turned three years old on May 4th!  We celebrated with a birthday party in our apartment.  Some of the girls dressed up as clowns and surprised Carter!

It's been amazing to watch this group of students develop throughout the course of a year.  There are so many stories of God's guidance and shaping work in their lives.  We are enriched by the opportunity to journey with them as they develop their identity and life direction.  Their hearts are sensitive to justice, the poor, loving those who are different, and leading communities of faith.  What a privilege it is to be part of this time of their lives!

We continue to feel so grateful for the prayers and support of our friends and family which has allowed us to be engaged in ministry here in Europe during this year.  Thank you!

May God give you his peace!
The Veach Family

The darkness of winter is giving way to new light.  Spring has sprung in southern Germany! We were so excited the day the temperatures were above zero Celsius.  Then, when we hit “double digits”, it was another day of rejoicing!  The Rhein valley is a beautiful place in the springtime and on clear days, you can see the northern face of the Swiss Alps.  It’s truly breathtaking. 

Changes in the weather over the past month also brought fresh opportunities.  Regan was able to participate in the German Nazarene district Frauenverwohnenwochenende, or “women’s spoiling weekend.”  Saunas, swimming, amazing three course dinners, and a four star hotel offered a relaxing time for over 90 women.  It was a chance to play her flute in worship, practice speaking German, and attempt a new skill – belly dancing!  The event provided the perfect opportunity for women from the district to invite coworkers and friends to enjoy a weekend away for rest and renewal.

Back on the campus of EuNC, we just finished co-teaching a course named Faith Development in the Local Church.  Jason has also been teaching a directed study course on Worship and continues to give direction to the student-led chapel program throughout the season of Lent.

In the middle of this last session, Jason was able to spend a week in Barcelona, Spain teaching Old Testament.  Of his 19 students, twelve were onsite.  The rest were connected via webcam from various places in Europe including Madrid and Manchester, England!  Although the teaching hours were intense, the experience was rewarding and enriching.  Jason made many new friends and got to practice some of his VERY rusty Spanish skills.  He was also invited to preach at the Barcelona Church of the Nazarene, a growing and vibrant community of faith in the city. 

Regan and Carter flew in the second weekend to join him.  The pastors of the church and EuNC alums, Ignacio and Litzy Pesado, took the whole family on a tour of Barcelona.  We were able to visit La Sagrada Familia (church designed by architect Antonio Gaudi), La Rambla (a famous street in the city), and the Barcelona Olympic Village.  One highlight was to climb up to the Montjuic Palace at dusk.  The palace is seated high on a hill near the Mediterranean coast.  The view of the city was incredible!  Each staircase leading to the palace is beautifully landscaped and surrounded with fountains and waterfalls.  When the sun set, we joined thousands on the palace steps as the main fountain was turned on and the water began to dance, complete with colorful lights and classical music.  VIVA BARCELONA!  (For more pictures of our visit to Barcelona, click here.)

Carter continues to develop and change, being only a month away from his third birthday!  His hobbies still include puzzles, walking by the river, and swinging.  He has started to help the kitchen staff by clearing items off the table at lunch.  This is truly a community where everyone contributes!

As we prepare for the next few weeks, there is much to do.  After Easter break, Regan will be teaching a course on language and written expression and will continue to assist in administrative tasks. Jason will be preparing to co-teach a youth ministry course and will be preaching on Easter Sunday at the Büsingen International Church of the Nazarene and again this month at the Gottmadingen Church.  We have certainly kept busy during our time here but have loved every minute.

We are so grateful for God’s faithfulness.  He is working in the lives of these students and in His Church.  We are blessed to be able to participate in God's kingdom in this way.  To all of our friends and family:  Thank you for your love and support which makes our ministry here this year possible!

As Lent draws to an end and the journey into Holy Week begins, may we be transformed as we encounter again the glory of the crucified and risen Christ!         
                                                                     
Grace and Peace,
The Veach Family

We have officially begun the second half of our time here at EuNC.  It seems the time has flown by! After a short visit with family over the holidays (see previous post), we boarded a plane once again for the EuNC campus.  Thankfully, we built in a few days to settle and recover from jet lag before starting back into classes.  We were greeted with many familiar faces and VERY familiar weather.  It seems as though the snow just follows us from one continent to another! 

We hit the ground running.  Jason taught Introduction to Theology as a two-week course in January.  Following that session Jason led students taking credit for the annual regional Leadership Conference hosted by the college.  Regan assisted in the worship team.  Participants from all over Eurasia attended the conference which focused on spiritual formation and discipleship.  What an amazingly enriching experience!  The conference provided a chance for us to reconnect with some familiar faces. We were able to host Jonathan Phillips whom we got to know while on staff at Overland Park Nazarene and is now serving in Romania.  Our friend Randy Beckum, chaplain for MNU, led devotionals throughout the week and we were blessed to share a meal with him and his wife Lorie.  It was also a chance to meet new people from all over Europe coming together for many different purposes.  Some were pastors or district leaders.  Some were very involved lay people.  We met one couple from Poland that was new to the Nazarene denomination.  The church's work in Poland is expanding and this couple is being trained to lead there.  How exciting! 

Immediately following Leadership Conference was the annual all faculty meeting.  EuNC is structured with many professors living and teaching all over Eurasia in learning centers.  For example, our friend Tanya Canterella is the pastor of Moscow First Church, but also teaches courses at the Russian learning centers.  Her husband, Davide, is the coordinator of the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) field education program as well as a regular lecturer.  Therefore, both are considered part of the faculty and attended our all faculty meeting.  There were representatives from Ukraine, Russia, Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Bulgaria, and Romania.  This was a chance to make some decisions as a campus and reconnect with our sister school, MNU.  There were three representatives from the MNU campus in Olathe, including President Ed Robinson.  Excellent strides were made to connect these two colleges with common visions.

At the end of the three-day faculty meeting was a MUCH needed all campus “Snow Day.”  We packed in the vans and drove down into the Swiss Alps to Engelberg.  This little mountain village provided us with the starting point for a day of sledding and winter fun!  Carter especially enjoyed the classic sleds and riding with his Papa down the mountains.  We enjoyed the gondola ride up to a restaurant overlooking the mountain while sipping some Swiss hot chocolate.  This was no Swiss Miss drink mix!  

We are now settled into a "normal" pace of life.  Jason has been co-teaching Vocation and Personal Ministry and leading a directed study in Worship.  He is also preparing to teach Old Testament again, this time in Barcelona.  Both of us are preparing to co-teach Faith Development in the Local Congregation in March.  Jason is leading the chapel program into the Lenten season and will also be preaching at the Gottmadingen Church this coming Sunday (February 14) and the Büsingen Church on Easter Sunday.  Regan will be playing her flute at the German district women’s retreat. (In German it’s called the Frauenverwöhnenwochenende, which literally means “women’s spoiling weekend”.)

Carter is continuing his quest of learning every country and capital of the world.  His personality continues to develop and make us laugh.  Student at coffee break:  “Carter, do you like your peanuts?”  Carter:  “Totally.”

We are so blessed to have this opportunity and are enjoying the investment in students’ lives.  Thank you for your continued support and prayers!  Now if we could just get this snow to go away…

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Veach family!  We hope this season finds you celebrating the coming of the Christ who brings peace and hope.

We write this post to you after finishing a two week journey back to the USA.  We traveled home on December 17th and spent a week with Jason's family in Missouri.  We then finished up the visit in Kansas with Regan's family which included a celebration of her parents' 50th wedding anniversary.  On Sunday the 27th, we were able to worship with old friends at Christ Community Church in Olathe where Jason was asked to preach (listen here).  We also spent some time enjoying the snow from Kansas City's first blizzard since 1989!

Since we last wrote, Regan has continued to work with curriculum development and quality assurance.  The goal is that students taking classes in ministry preparation at the various learning centers across Europe will all receive the same quality of education.  Regan's role has been important in gathering and compiling feedback from students and lecturers.  Her ministry has been important in helping the school move forward with its goal of becoming one school in many locations.  She has also continued her important ministry of building mentoring relationships with the students on campus.

Carter has, despite the many thousands of miles of travel, adapted very well to our ministry here and has become an integral part of it.  He has continued to enjoy the presence of many college students who love him dearly.  One of his highlights over the past few weeks was running into Santa Claus on the streets of Schaffhausen, Switzerland.  Santa's little helper gave him a piece of sweet bread which he promptly devoured.  Another highlight was getting to ride the London Eye on a quick trip we took to the U.K. before Christmas.  Flights are short in length and cheap in price from here which made for an inexpensive little getaway for us in December.

Jason has since completed teaching a section of Old Testament on campus as well as an online section with some students from Albania.  He has continued to work with the Spiritual Life Team to provide mentoring and teaching on worship and discipleship practices.  One of the highlights of his ministry during the fall session was leading and planning spiritual formation during the season of Advent.  The theme was "Sacred Invitation" and focused on preparing to meet the Messiah of Christmas through a series of four Advent chapels:  Expect. Prepare. Repent. Rejoice.

The season of Advent also brought the unique opportunity for us to participate in the EuNC Advent Concert which included vocal and hand bell choirs.  These concerts are conducted annually as an outreach for the local communities.  The semester ended with the annual Advent banquet where we celebrated the goodness of God and said goodbye to our semester abroad students.

As we begin these next 6 months of volunteer service here at EuNC, we look forward to what lies ahead.  Regan will continue her current role and teach two more courses.  Jason will teach three more courses and continue giving leadership as chaplain supervisor. 

We give God thanks and praise for the work he is doing in the lives of students in Europe and we thank you, our family and friends, for your continued prayers and support which makes this ministry possible.  May God's grace and peace be with you in this new year!

In the past few weeks, so much has happened!  The pace of our quiet rural life, while still slower than our life before, has definitely picked up a bit.  Regan has completed two classes (English and Research Methodology) as has Jason (God's Mission and the Church and Intro. to Old Testament).  Both of these were completed as four week modules so the work was rigorous for both lecturers and students.  Regan has been working hard at developing an online portfolio program for the school to use in the future while Jason has been busy working with student leaders in planning, implementing, and reflecting on chapel worship on a weekly basis.  Throw in numerous meetings, choir (Jason) and hand bell practices (Regan), and the days fill up rather quickly.  Carter has kept busy learning the capitals of the countries in Asia (having mastered Europe) and has moved on to learning the bones of the body and using a computer!  We have all three kept very busy on the academic front and while the work, study, and schedule involved with our roles here has been demanding at times, it has been rewarding for all of us.

When we have not been working, we have kept busy connecting with the students, staff, and faculty through various social events.  Each Friday, the campus hosts an activity night that has included things such as pumpkin carving, table tennis tournaments, and movie nights.  Jason hosted a "hamburger night" for all of the guys on campus and was able to take a day trip with some of them to Munich during Oktoberfest.  Regan hosted a make-up night, went with a group of girls to a cinema broadcast of Tosca live from the MET in New York City, and took a Saturday trip with some girls to Ikea.  In late September, we were able to host a group of students enrolled in our photography enrichment class on a day trip to Zürich.  We also managed to squeeze in a trip to the beautiful city of Basel, Switzerland where we were able to take Carter to the zoo (his favorite animal was the elephant!).  Just this week we visited Singen, Germany where we climbed to the fortress ruins on top of the mountain that overlooks the German countryside.  On Sundays, we have tried to connect with the larger community by worshiping at the Gottmadingen Church of the Nazarene and the International Church in Büsingen. 

All of that brings us to this week and the name of this post:  Sabbath.  This week is "Autumn Break" and we have no responsibilities for seven straight days.  Other than hosting a meal for some of the students here on campus and a couple of day trips, we have slowed down.  Having finished our courses in the first two sessions, we have been able to rest and relax as we prepare for the coming weeks.  What a gift from God!  In a culture in which we answer the common "How are you?" with the perfunctory "busy," we are learning to live by a different rhythm in which God calls us to rest our bodies, hearts, and minds so that we may do the work he has called us to do with energy and grace.

We have been continually amazed at the wonderful ways God has worked to bring us here and our prayer is that we might continue to contribute to the work of God's kingdom in this place during the rest of this year.  We continually thank God for you, our family and friends, for your emails, prayers, Skype calls, and generous financial gifts that have allowed us to serve Christ and his Church in this place.  You are in our thoughts and prayers! 

Grace and Peace...

A small cart on the road contains pumpkins for sale.  The leaves on the trees are showing signs of turning.  The apples are almost ripe for picking and there is a crispness in the air each evening.   Fall is settling into the Rhine valley.  And with Fall, comes change. 

Change is something that is on our hearts and minds a lot these days.  It was just five weeks ago that we packed up (or sold) all of our belongings, left two full-time jobs, our families and friends, our home, and our culture in order to begin this journey.  We moved from the KC metro in the middle of the U.S. to a small village in Switzerland.  We have gone from pastoral ministry to the academic setting...from elementary school to college.  From packed schedules to a slower pace...Talk about change!

Since our last post, students have arrived on campus from all over the world and classes have begun.  Regan is tutoring a student in English and working with curriculum development and assessment.  Jason is lecturing and serving as chaplain.  We have enjoyed getting to know the students and staff and have developed some good friendships.

We are adjusting to small town life.  For example, today we walked along the Rhine and visited the local bakery for some fresh bread.  When we didn't have enough change to cover the bill, the store owner simply said not to worry and to bring it next time.  When Regan and Carter walked back with the change, she explained to Carter that Swiss money is called Francs.  Upon leaving the store, Carter said, "Danke (thanks in German) Frank!"  Close enough.   

All this to say, we fallen into a new routine and it's good.  That's not to say it has been easy.  Change never is.  There have been moments of frustration and confusion.  But even in those times, we have felt at peace, confident of God's presence with us.  Until next time...

This past weekend, we said our goodbyes.  Saturday evening many of our good friends were able to gather for a barbecue.  On Sunday, we had the opportunity to see old friends and speak briefly at our previous church (Christ Community), and then say goodbye to the church we've been serving for the past two years (Overland Park).  While we are excited for this new change, it was difficult to say goodbye to people we love!  Though, as one good friend has said, this is not "goodbye," it's "see you later."

On Monday morning, we left Kansas City, had a pit stop in Chicago (where Jason proudly wore his Cardinals hat), and boarded a plane for an overnight flight to Zurich, Switzerland. Our travel day was thankfully uneventful however it was long and tiring.  Carter did OK on his first transcontinental flight.  Once he finally fell asleep (about 11 pm), he slept until landing.  Since then, we have begun to settle into our wonderful on-campus apartment.  We have met some other volunteers and shared a meal and conversation with the Arnolds (rector) and other staff and faculty.    

This evening, we took the car out for a spin to the neighboring city of Gaelingen, Germany.  It was the first time Jason had driven a manual transmission in several years!  Regan will be learning on the farm roads in the coming weeks (months).  We did some grocery shopping at an Aldi-like store called Lidl.  With German-English dictionary in hand, we perused the aisles of cheese, cold cuts, and chocolate which provided for a nice dinner and dessert.  Of course, Carter needed ice cream so that was included as well.  Tomorrow begins the faculty retreat where we'll prepare for the students to arrive the following week.  Until later...

This past Sunday, we announced my resignation from Overland Park Church of the Nazarene where I have been serving as associate pastor.  This is a wonderful community of faith where we have come to love so many people.  Once we got home from church, we collapsed into an exhausted, emotional heap for about 2 hours and then got back up to go finish cleaning our house and prepping it for our renters who moved in yesterday.  Change is hard...