Spring has this really odd way of seeming slow-coming and being sneaky at the same time. The almost oppressive dreariness has made winter seem extra long in Berlin - little sunlight, brown trees, brown streets, brown everywhere, lots of rain.....kind of lends itself to a wintery despair. Right when I was about to just throw caution to the wind and ditch my heavy winter coat (which is now missing several buttons) no matter how freezing it is, spring arrived in all its glory. mmmmm sunshine. crocuses and leaves starting to come out. Perfectly blue skies, even in Berlin. Amazing what these gifts do for wintery despair.
So needless to say, I'm glad spring is here. The past month or so has been crazy busy and completely chill at the same time. Some weeks of intense work and lots of visitors, and some weeks of complete unscheduled "freedom."
Some highlights: Spring Break - having Michelle here, along with the rest of the Bradley gang. It was weird to have two worlds kind of colliding - but really neat to show them what life has been like for the past 7 months. It was so good to catch up with Michelle, talk about what we've been learning and still laugh at the same ridiculous things we always have....
Another very important highlight - the meeting of Michelle and Zack. I was so happy it worked out for Zack to come visit during Michelle's last few days here, and naturally it was very important to get the best friend "stamp of approval" :) I was braced for embarrassing stories to be shared, and they were, but I guess I endured the fire....and approval was given, of course!
Which all leads up to quite possibly the most important highlight of all - Mom and Dad do Berlin! They arrived Friday morning and left this morning at 7am. Zack got to come up while they were here and we made some *very important* introductions. We ran them ragged, doing crazy things like 3.5 hour walking tours and walking around palace gardens in the sunshine. They also gave him lovely insight to my disposition as a child - tree climbing tendencies and the like. Well, I guess it had to come out sometime.
Sunday, Dan, Zack and I ran the Berlin Half-Marathon! Dan was super-fast and has been a training hardcore, so naturally we didn't even start with him. Zack and I started waaaaay too far in the back though - we were passing people for most of the race (Not saying that we're really all that fast, but with 21,000 people running we were faster than quite a few). Around 20k, I slipped into the pit of despair because I was tired and my legs just really didn't want to move anymore. Zack was great and didn't leave me - even though I slowed us down quite a bit :-/ Every time we turned a corner I thought we were going to be close to the finish, but it was just another long stretch. I think I've lost all of my mental toughness from my racing days - I used to be able to push through the pain, but now it is just so easy to give in and fall into the pit of despair (especially after 20k). Post-race I felt mostly fine - making me think I could've gone faster and wondering what my problem was during that ridiculous last couple kilos. All in all though, I'm glad we did the race - it was really fun to run with Zack, and I'm hoping we can do more in the future - maybe even a full marathon one of these days! (I know I sound crazy for saying that after slipping into despair in a half!)
Got me thinking about how it is easy to slip into pits of despair just in life - to stop trusting God and in the moment, lose sight of that "finish line." To think I just can't make it - I'm too tired, too weak, I'm going to have to give up and give in to whatever temptation is before me. And it is all totally a lie - once I'm out of the situation or the storm has passed I realize how the whole thing wouldn't have seemed nearly as destitute if I had realized just how big and in control God is. Why do I doubt His wisdom, why do I second guess that He knows what he's doing with my life? Why do I forget that He loves me?
So like I look forward to the next race where I'll be faced with the possibility of slipping into despair once again, and hope to overcome it the next time - I want to be able to trust God in the future pits of despair of life - no matter how shallow or deep they are.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Monday, March 2, 2009
the Berlin team just got bigger!
After much anticipation (and even a pool betting on the date of her arrival) the newest member of the Berlin team is finally here!!
Our team leaders, Dan and Krista Trepod, welcomed their first child into the world on Thursday, February 26th! Their new little girl, Avery Elizabeth Trepod, is as sweet and precious as they come. It has been such a joy to be in this process with them, and to see how calm they've been through figuring out having a baby in a foreign country. Our entire team has been anxiously awaiting Avery's coming, and now that she's here the fun REALLY begins :)
It is really cool to see how excited Dan and Krista are to be parents. It is such a good reminder of how children really are a blessing from God.
AND I'm really excited that Krista is going to let me design her baby announcements! This is one of my all-time favorite kind of design projects. I've been missing design a little bit lately, so it is going to be very fun to do this project about little Avery!
wow, two blog posts within one week....I am impressed with myself! Maybe I'll be a reformed blogger after all (pun intended!)
Our team leaders, Dan and Krista Trepod, welcomed their first child into the world on Thursday, February 26th! Their new little girl, Avery Elizabeth Trepod, is as sweet and precious as they come. It has been such a joy to be in this process with them, and to see how calm they've been through figuring out having a baby in a foreign country. Our entire team has been anxiously awaiting Avery's coming, and now that she's here the fun REALLY begins :)
It is really cool to see how excited Dan and Krista are to be parents. It is such a good reminder of how children really are a blessing from God.
AND I'm really excited that Krista is going to let me design her baby announcements! This is one of my all-time favorite kind of design projects. I've been missing design a little bit lately, so it is going to be very fun to do this project about little Avery!
wow, two blog posts within one week....I am impressed with myself! Maybe I'll be a reformed blogger after all (pun intended!)
Thursday, February 26, 2009
after a long winter's nap.....
I'm BACK. I've been well-aware of my blog negligence for quite some time now, and it got to the point where I was feeling a little bad about it. It isn't that I have nothing to write about, but more that a slight perfectionist tendency combined with laziness prevents me from writing often. I'm afraid my writing will stink, so I just don't write (0 blog posts also means 0 boring/stupid blog posts), and among the other things swirling around in my mental to-do list, blogging just usually doesn't top the list. But alas, I aspire to be better. Maybe I'll live up to this goal....or maybe it will be another 5 months until I write, who knows....
Instead of try to catch you up on EVERYTHING that has happened in the last 5 months (blogger.com would probably just shut down from the sheer size of that post, not to mention no one would read it..), I think I'll just blab a bit about some recent developments in life.
Since writing last, I've been to Ireland, Spain, Gibraltar, and France and Switzerland (ok maybe only in the Basel airport which is on the border of Switzerland and France). Trips to Italy, Switzerland (for real) and Croatia are in the works. Needless to say, I've never been on an airplane with greater frequency. Traveling is just one of those fun little perks you get when you live in Europe. You can just pop into another country for a few hours....and I actually have a visa now, which makes the suspicious questioning by the German customs workers much less likely.
Contrary to what it might sound like, I'm not living in Europe this year so I can go cool places and up my "countries I've been to" count. What I am here to do, however, is to more deeply understand the mystery and beauty of what Christ did for me when he took my sin upon Himself on the cross, and then defeated sin and death when he rose from the dead. And from this deeper understanding should come an overflow of love and gratitude for God's grace that compels me to share said amazing grace with everyone I come into contact with. Sometimes my sin gets in the way of this happening...but God has been breaking through the walls I put up. This year has been certainly been pushing me in a ton of ways. God's sovereignty and complete self-sufficiency are taking on a whole new meaning as He teaches me about how sometimes I make Him small and people big...when reality is the exact opposite. I'm experiencing His steady presence, and finding more joy in reading His Word and spending time with Him in prayer than ever before. And He's been breaking my heart more than ever for people who are lost and stumbling around in darkness. I say all of this with the full knowledge that it is completely God accomplishing this work in me, not me being any sort of spiritual giant. Sometimes, in fact, He works in and through me in spite of me!
I heard some speaker at some conference (I've been to a few...)say that the people on your team (speaking about a STINT team I think) are God's provision for you and through our relationships we can, Lord willing, display and herald the gospel to one another. I've seen this already this year, in both giving and receiving grace and unconditional love from my amazing teammates.
There's one relationship in particular God has used to clearly communicate his love and unmerited favor towards me.
Get ready, this is going to shock some of you.
There is a particularly special young man, by the name of Zack Boren, who is a lawyer in the JAG Corp stationed in Mannheim, Germany. Because of his connection with the Berlin team from last year and several Northwestern University relationships on our team, Zack and his friend Jeremy spent the Thanksgiving holiday in Berlin this year. Shortly after meeting him at Thanksgiving, he sent me a message on facebook that was of considerable length - making me think, hmmm, wait, is he writing these to everyone on our team? I didn't need to be confused for long, however, because he took the bold approach (men, take note: this is a GOOD THING!) and let me know he was coming back to Berlin soon - with friends - but he wanted to take me to coffee and get to know me better one-on-one. Soon after a delightfully long chat over coffee we found ourselves talking on the phone a few times a week and more visits to Berlin were in the works. The next time he was in Berlin we went for Thai food and what had been brewing now became official - I have a boyfriend. !!!! :)
Let me explain, first of all, that this is kind of an unusual thing to happen during STINT. We've got quite a few "norms" in place that protect us from a lot of pain but also prevent us from dating most people we come in contact with during the year (namely nationals and other people on our team). Somehow Zack is the exception to all of these rules. He's not on my STINT team, and nor is he a national (He is, in fact, from my home state of IL!) So to say I wasn't expecting this coming into STINT would be a drastic understatement - but this surprise was and is one I thank God for.
So, how does Zack communicate the gospel of Christ to me? In a thousand different ways, but I could name a few here...I never feel like I have to work in order for him to care about me, he likes me just for who I am. His mere presence in my life is simply a gift I don't deserve, much less his kindness and affection towards me. His love for the Lord and for deeply understanding the truths of His Word encourages and challenges me. Though I know we are both far from perfect, the Lord is already using him to change me to become more like Christ. And that, my friends, is a beautiful thing.
so any more questions about this mysterious / dashingly handsome young man appearing in photos with me on facebook may be directed here - here is the story :)
Instead of try to catch you up on EVERYTHING that has happened in the last 5 months (blogger.com would probably just shut down from the sheer size of that post, not to mention no one would read it..), I think I'll just blab a bit about some recent developments in life.
Since writing last, I've been to Ireland, Spain, Gibraltar, and France and Switzerland (ok maybe only in the Basel airport which is on the border of Switzerland and France). Trips to Italy, Switzerland (for real) and Croatia are in the works. Needless to say, I've never been on an airplane with greater frequency. Traveling is just one of those fun little perks you get when you live in Europe. You can just pop into another country for a few hours....and I actually have a visa now, which makes the suspicious questioning by the German customs workers much less likely.
Contrary to what it might sound like, I'm not living in Europe this year so I can go cool places and up my "countries I've been to" count. What I am here to do, however, is to more deeply understand the mystery and beauty of what Christ did for me when he took my sin upon Himself on the cross, and then defeated sin and death when he rose from the dead. And from this deeper understanding should come an overflow of love and gratitude for God's grace that compels me to share said amazing grace with everyone I come into contact with. Sometimes my sin gets in the way of this happening...but God has been breaking through the walls I put up. This year has been certainly been pushing me in a ton of ways. God's sovereignty and complete self-sufficiency are taking on a whole new meaning as He teaches me about how sometimes I make Him small and people big...when reality is the exact opposite. I'm experiencing His steady presence, and finding more joy in reading His Word and spending time with Him in prayer than ever before. And He's been breaking my heart more than ever for people who are lost and stumbling around in darkness. I say all of this with the full knowledge that it is completely God accomplishing this work in me, not me being any sort of spiritual giant. Sometimes, in fact, He works in and through me in spite of me!
I heard some speaker at some conference (I've been to a few...)say that the people on your team (speaking about a STINT team I think) are God's provision for you and through our relationships we can, Lord willing, display and herald the gospel to one another. I've seen this already this year, in both giving and receiving grace and unconditional love from my amazing teammates.
There's one relationship in particular God has used to clearly communicate his love and unmerited favor towards me.
Get ready, this is going to shock some of you.
There is a particularly special young man, by the name of Zack Boren, who is a lawyer in the JAG Corp stationed in Mannheim, Germany. Because of his connection with the Berlin team from last year and several Northwestern University relationships on our team, Zack and his friend Jeremy spent the Thanksgiving holiday in Berlin this year. Shortly after meeting him at Thanksgiving, he sent me a message on facebook that was of considerable length - making me think, hmmm, wait, is he writing these to everyone on our team? I didn't need to be confused for long, however, because he took the bold approach (men, take note: this is a GOOD THING!) and let me know he was coming back to Berlin soon - with friends - but he wanted to take me to coffee and get to know me better one-on-one. Soon after a delightfully long chat over coffee we found ourselves talking on the phone a few times a week and more visits to Berlin were in the works. The next time he was in Berlin we went for Thai food and what had been brewing now became official - I have a boyfriend. !!!! :)
Let me explain, first of all, that this is kind of an unusual thing to happen during STINT. We've got quite a few "norms" in place that protect us from a lot of pain but also prevent us from dating most people we come in contact with during the year (namely nationals and other people on our team). Somehow Zack is the exception to all of these rules. He's not on my STINT team, and nor is he a national (He is, in fact, from my home state of IL!) So to say I wasn't expecting this coming into STINT would be a drastic understatement - but this surprise was and is one I thank God for.
So, how does Zack communicate the gospel of Christ to me? In a thousand different ways, but I could name a few here...I never feel like I have to work in order for him to care about me, he likes me just for who I am. His mere presence in my life is simply a gift I don't deserve, much less his kindness and affection towards me. His love for the Lord and for deeply understanding the truths of His Word encourages and challenges me. Though I know we are both far from perfect, the Lord is already using him to change me to become more like Christ. And that, my friends, is a beautiful thing.
so any more questions about this mysterious / dashingly handsome young man appearing in photos with me on facebook may be directed here - here is the story :)
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
spills and thrills
If you have known me for very long, you probably know that I like to run or do something active on a day to day basis. Maybe it is because I've been running since I was 11 so it feels weird not to, or maybe I just have a lot of pent up energy. Regardless, if I am completely sedentary for too many days in a row I start to get that itch to get out and move. Not to say I dont have my lazy days (especially when its raining!) but I hope I can stay active for a good long number of years.
I'm so thankful that there are places to run in Berlin that are safe enough (as long as I don't go alone at night!....oh wait, sounds like I'm back at Bradley, mmmm....) and not full of cars flying at me. While it is sort of hard to escape the "city" feel, my mainstay route for running has been this path that runs along a canal just a few blocks away from my apartment. Its cute, there are swans and other various birds hanging out in the canal and plenty of trees. Though our neighborhood tends to be on the dirty side - trash in the streets and graffiti everywhere, the running path is a nice little escape.
A word to the wise - watch out for the bikes. While the moving ones, with riders, are definitely a concern, recently the parked bikes have posed the biggest threat. A few days ago I was running with my entourage (aka teammates Dan & Dave) along the canal. As we're running I am completely not paying attention and suddenly I get clothes-lined in the side by a bike that is locked to the railing that separates the path from the water in the canal. This girl went all the way down...there was no graceful falling here. Luckily I had great guys there to comfort me in my pain....and then we ran all the way back, sometimes stopping to wipe the blood off my leg with leaves. (desperate times, desperate measures!) So no worries, I will heal...but at this point I have a large paper-towel bandage taped to my knee. Ah, life in Berlin...always interesting. Especially when you're like me, and you fall a lot.
Today was the national day of Prayer for CCC, so people all over the world involved with different ministries were praising God for who He is and asking Him to do big things in people's lives. Our team here in Berlin took time to pray together for the upcoming year of ministry and that students' lives would truly be transformed this year by Christ. Then we all kind of went off in separate directions to have some concentrated personal time with the Lord. I spent my time at this coffee shop called Balzac - which is nearly literally the Starbucks knock-off of Germany. I'm not kidding - not only is the atmosphere and decor nearly exactly the same, but the logo and signage is scarily similar to the 'Bucks. My drink there was deliciooooous - dark chocolate hot chocolate mmmmmmmm :) That together with a comfy chair, God's Word and my journal = delightful hang-out time with Jesus. Then a few of us rendezvous'd at a delicious Indian restaurant in that neighborhood. More delicious food. I think I'm liking ethnic cuisine more and more each day I'm here. Then we met with allllll the CCC staff in Berlin at the Keltner's (an amazing CCC staff couple who work with the FamilyLife) to pray for Berlin as a city, worldwide concerns, etc. And naturally, there was more delicious food there.
In addition, today was the inaugural use of our coffee pot in our apartment....finally, I can make coffee for myself in the mornings. mmmmmyes. Life is good :)
I'm so thankful that there are places to run in Berlin that are safe enough (as long as I don't go alone at night!....oh wait, sounds like I'm back at Bradley, mmmm....) and not full of cars flying at me. While it is sort of hard to escape the "city" feel, my mainstay route for running has been this path that runs along a canal just a few blocks away from my apartment. Its cute, there are swans and other various birds hanging out in the canal and plenty of trees. Though our neighborhood tends to be on the dirty side - trash in the streets and graffiti everywhere, the running path is a nice little escape.
A word to the wise - watch out for the bikes. While the moving ones, with riders, are definitely a concern, recently the parked bikes have posed the biggest threat. A few days ago I was running with my entourage (aka teammates Dan & Dave) along the canal. As we're running I am completely not paying attention and suddenly I get clothes-lined in the side by a bike that is locked to the railing that separates the path from the water in the canal. This girl went all the way down...there was no graceful falling here. Luckily I had great guys there to comfort me in my pain....and then we ran all the way back, sometimes stopping to wipe the blood off my leg with leaves. (desperate times, desperate measures!) So no worries, I will heal...but at this point I have a large paper-towel bandage taped to my knee. Ah, life in Berlin...always interesting. Especially when you're like me, and you fall a lot.
Today was the national day of Prayer for CCC, so people all over the world involved with different ministries were praising God for who He is and asking Him to do big things in people's lives. Our team here in Berlin took time to pray together for the upcoming year of ministry and that students' lives would truly be transformed this year by Christ. Then we all kind of went off in separate directions to have some concentrated personal time with the Lord. I spent my time at this coffee shop called Balzac - which is nearly literally the Starbucks knock-off of Germany. I'm not kidding - not only is the atmosphere and decor nearly exactly the same, but the logo and signage is scarily similar to the 'Bucks. My drink there was deliciooooous - dark chocolate hot chocolate mmmmmmmm :) That together with a comfy chair, God's Word and my journal = delightful hang-out time with Jesus. Then a few of us rendezvous'd at a delicious Indian restaurant in that neighborhood. More delicious food. I think I'm liking ethnic cuisine more and more each day I'm here. Then we met with allllll the CCC staff in Berlin at the Keltner's (an amazing CCC staff couple who work with the FamilyLife) to pray for Berlin as a city, worldwide concerns, etc. And naturally, there was more delicious food there.
In addition, today was the inaugural use of our coffee pot in our apartment....finally, I can make coffee for myself in the mornings. mmmmmyes. Life is good :)
Friday, September 26, 2008
same Amanda, different country....
so, 20 days later, here I am updating my much-neglected blog......but, I have news for you, my faithful blog readers (all 2 of you) - I am IN BERLIN! I live here now.....wow. The past week has been crazy, chaotic, tiring, and yet extremely eye-opening. There are so many things that have happened and details that could be proficiently laid out for you, but then no one would actually get through this blog entry. So, to pander to reader laziness, I will just make a few lists of my favorites, things learned, hard things, etc
Berlin is definitely in a league of its own as far as places I have visited. And I have most definitely NEVER lived in a place quite like this. Here are the early candidates for favorite things about my new home:
1. efficient, on-time public transportation. trains, buses, trolleys, etc - you can go nearly anywhere, its always on time, and American public transport doesnt even begin to compare.
2. street markets - there are several very large amazing Turkish markets in our neighborhood. Very cheap, delicious, fresh fruits and vegetables. mmmm mmm good.
3. Doner. a picture of deliciousness in a pita-like pocket. These are of the German Turk variety, usually cheap, and extremely filling. mmm mmm good^2.
4. cool architecture, amazing old buildings, and a city full of history. I can't say I'm exactly a history buff, but just being here is good motivation for me to proactive in learning more.
5. the fashionistas. The women here rock the cute scarves, boots, and skinny jeans - needless to say, I have much to learn from them.
6. Various delicious German carbs & sugar- schokolade croissants, new diversity of bread choices, the "elmer fudge" cookies (long story - but basically lets just say I once combined the character Elmer Fudd and the cookie brand Keebler Fudge), and of course - NUTELLA.
7. The path along the canal where I run off all my German carbs and sugar. There are swans, ducks, and sometimes trash strategically suspended in trees. This city definitely has its quirks.
8. While this is not necessarily something native to Berlin, it is definitely part of my time here - I'm loving getting to know my team. We are all really different, but it has been neat to see how those differences often complement each other. Plus they're just all pretty fun - as proved by our group watching of the Office season premier today during lunch and many spontaneous dance parties that have already taken place in the girl's apt.
Lest you think life in Berlin is a bed of roses, I'll cue you in on some of the harder things I've experienced since being here. These could also be taken as prayer requests if you're the praying type.
1. The language - I came here as the beginner of all beginners in the way of German knowledge. It is more frustrating than I thought to not know what is going or how to communicate with people. Often it makes me feel quite helpless, which is both hard and good. I hope it will make me depend more on the Lord because it is challenging my sense of self-sufficiency and control over my circumstances. Its been rough coming from my senior year of college where I knew how things worked, I had people that looked to me for guidance, I knew my surroundings like the back of my hand - and I knew the language. Pray I cling to the Lord while feeling like an alien most of the time here.
2. the constant opportunity for building community with my team members is awesome - but as an extrovert I tend to choose hanging out with friends when I should be investing time in other things - like my relationship with the Lord. I hate to feel like I'm "missing out" on things, but it could be very easy for me to become spiritually starved this year because I'm just constantly feeding my hang-out time quota. Pray I can find a good balance here.
3. Settling in is going slowly - we started with no lights, a pipe under the sink that was dubbed "Old Faithful" for its sporadic spouting tendencies, and a washing machine that may or may not work. Progress has been made after many long, tiring trips to IKEA, and as of today we have lights in most rooms, bed frames AND mattresses, and a bucket under Old Faithful (still working that one out...). Needless to say - we have more work to do, such as acquiring something to put the rest of my clothes in, which are currently in piles taking up 45% of mine and Katie's (roomie!) room.
4. I feel like I'm lacking on the boldness lately. We spent 3 afternoons this week at the Universities we're working at this year. Our agenda right now: check out the mensas (cafeterias), eat lunch with students, talk to them about whatever - whats fun to do in Berlin, what their lives are like, and their thoughts on spiritual things. In our visits this week, I just felt myself backing down a lot because I don't speak good German, afraid of sounding stupid, afraid of what students will think of me, etc..... back to my self-preservation ways. Yikes....Pray the Lord continually removes this spirit of timidity this year!
aaaaalrighty then. I'm sure you are tired of reading, and frankly now, I'm tired of writing. I feel this rambling should be a sufficient update on my life at the current moment.....and tomorrow, we're taking a day trip to Leipzig!!! Hurraaaaay, I dont know what is in Leipzig, exactly, but this means e-x-p-l-o-r-i-n-g! :)
Tschuss!
Berlin is definitely in a league of its own as far as places I have visited. And I have most definitely NEVER lived in a place quite like this. Here are the early candidates for favorite things about my new home:
1. efficient, on-time public transportation. trains, buses, trolleys, etc - you can go nearly anywhere, its always on time, and American public transport doesnt even begin to compare.
2. street markets - there are several very large amazing Turkish markets in our neighborhood. Very cheap, delicious, fresh fruits and vegetables. mmmm mmm good.
3. Doner. a picture of deliciousness in a pita-like pocket. These are of the German Turk variety, usually cheap, and extremely filling. mmm mmm good^2.
4. cool architecture, amazing old buildings, and a city full of history. I can't say I'm exactly a history buff, but just being here is good motivation for me to proactive in learning more.
5. the fashionistas. The women here rock the cute scarves, boots, and skinny jeans - needless to say, I have much to learn from them.
6. Various delicious German carbs & sugar- schokolade croissants, new diversity of bread choices, the "elmer fudge" cookies (long story - but basically lets just say I once combined the character Elmer Fudd and the cookie brand Keebler Fudge), and of course - NUTELLA.
7. The path along the canal where I run off all my German carbs and sugar. There are swans, ducks, and sometimes trash strategically suspended in trees. This city definitely has its quirks.
8. While this is not necessarily something native to Berlin, it is definitely part of my time here - I'm loving getting to know my team. We are all really different, but it has been neat to see how those differences often complement each other. Plus they're just all pretty fun - as proved by our group watching of the Office season premier today during lunch and many spontaneous dance parties that have already taken place in the girl's apt.
Lest you think life in Berlin is a bed of roses, I'll cue you in on some of the harder things I've experienced since being here. These could also be taken as prayer requests if you're the praying type.
1. The language - I came here as the beginner of all beginners in the way of German knowledge. It is more frustrating than I thought to not know what is going or how to communicate with people. Often it makes me feel quite helpless, which is both hard and good. I hope it will make me depend more on the Lord because it is challenging my sense of self-sufficiency and control over my circumstances. Its been rough coming from my senior year of college where I knew how things worked, I had people that looked to me for guidance, I knew my surroundings like the back of my hand - and I knew the language. Pray I cling to the Lord while feeling like an alien most of the time here.
2. the constant opportunity for building community with my team members is awesome - but as an extrovert I tend to choose hanging out with friends when I should be investing time in other things - like my relationship with the Lord. I hate to feel like I'm "missing out" on things, but it could be very easy for me to become spiritually starved this year because I'm just constantly feeding my hang-out time quota. Pray I can find a good balance here.
3. Settling in is going slowly - we started with no lights, a pipe under the sink that was dubbed "Old Faithful" for its sporadic spouting tendencies, and a washing machine that may or may not work. Progress has been made after many long, tiring trips to IKEA, and as of today we have lights in most rooms, bed frames AND mattresses, and a bucket under Old Faithful (still working that one out...). Needless to say - we have more work to do, such as acquiring something to put the rest of my clothes in, which are currently in piles taking up 45% of mine and Katie's (roomie!) room.
4. I feel like I'm lacking on the boldness lately. We spent 3 afternoons this week at the Universities we're working at this year. Our agenda right now: check out the mensas (cafeterias), eat lunch with students, talk to them about whatever - whats fun to do in Berlin, what their lives are like, and their thoughts on spiritual things. In our visits this week, I just felt myself backing down a lot because I don't speak good German, afraid of sounding stupid, afraid of what students will think of me, etc..... back to my self-preservation ways. Yikes....Pray the Lord continually removes this spirit of timidity this year!
aaaaalrighty then. I'm sure you are tired of reading, and frankly now, I'm tired of writing. I feel this rambling should be a sufficient update on my life at the current moment.....and tomorrow, we're taking a day trip to Leipzig!!! Hurraaaaay, I dont know what is in Leipzig, exactly, but this means e-x-p-l-o-r-i-n-g! :)
Tschuss!
Saturday, September 6, 2008
...aaaand we're back!
Confession: I stink at blogging! Sometimes I think the pressure of other people being able to read what I write scares me away from this thing. I much prefer facebook, where I can just stalk..err...check up on people, and write something short and halfway witty to them when I feel like it :) But I'm going to try to get better at exposing the world (ok a very small number of people who actually read this) to my thoughts, especially since this year will surely bring some very unique circumstances.
Since I haven't written in over a month (whoops...been a little busy :) I'll try to give you the reader's digest version of what has been goin on.
In early August, the fam (my parents + my sister and brother in law) and I took off for a much-needed vacation in pristine Estes Park, CO. Hiking was the name of the game, as I estimate we logged 500000+ miles on the trail ;) Last summer my dad and I attempted to hike Long's Peak, the highest Peak in Rocky Mtn Natl Park. Can you tell we like CO? 2 years in a row on vacay and I believe this year was the 6th time in my life.
Last year Dad and I were chased down the mountain by a thunderstorm, so this year we were back with avengence for a rematch. AND Jodi (sister) was along this time, which pretty much made us the unstoppable hiking trio. I'll spare you the gory details (this thing ain't for sissies!), but we were victorious in our quest! Other highlights included being lazy, reading, watching lots of Michael Phelps victories, and eating.....just as a good vacation should be. Check out the picture below for my dad, sister and I on the summit of Longs Peak!
By mid-August, my family had to return to the real world back in IL, but CO wasn't done with me yet. On their way home, my parents dropped me off at the Denver airport where they dutifully made sure I got on a bus with lots of other "kids" (yes, it was quite reminiscent of the first day of school). This bus was filled with other STINTers (where STINT stands for Short Term International) bound for Copper Mountain ski resort in CO.
As STINTers we share a common passion: to see students' lives around the world transformed by a genuine relationship with Christ. This summer, the week-long STINT briefing at Copper Mountain had been the light at the end of a looong tunnel of support raising for many of us. It was incredibly exciting and a bit surreal to actually be there. The fact that I was there meant a lot of the biggest hurdles had already been overcome - and now it was time to start acting like I am REALLY spending the next year of my life in Germany.
I'm going to try to give you an accurate picture of what this week was like:
Pictures below:
1. Our team at the commissioning ceremony at the end of the briefing - minus the Sfura family who was already in Berlin.
2. Just the laaaaadies :)
3. giant chair + team Berlin = bonding!!!
Since I got home from this delightful excursion (CO couldn't keep me forever) I have reached MORE than 100% of my support goal - which is just flat-out amazing! Looking back I have such a clear record of God's faithfulness and grace in allowing me to raise my support so quickly. Sure, there were some hard days/nights and it wasn't always fun, but I am deeply thankful to everyone who encouraged me, prayed for me, and have made sacrifices to give so my ministry can happen this year.
In the past couple weeks, I've had the chance to spend quality time with family and friends (I am so thankful for Bradley's semester starting up again and friends from high school who have drawn me out of my to-do list hermitage!). This time has really been such a blessing - good heart-to-hearts over coffee (mmmm) and sharing what is going on in our lives. I am excited not only for my year ahead, but for what the Lord will do this year in people's lives who are very dear to me.
while this maybe hasn't been the reader's digest version I was hoping for, at least I've pretty much caught up to the present day - I leave for Germany in just over 5 days! Tomorrow there will be a flurry of activity at our house as I've invited ALL of my supporters, friends, and family for a "sending off" party of sorts. Really just a way to see and thank everyone again before I leave.
I'm just about out of words for now - but if you're not tired of reading, you should check out my friend Erin Straza's blog - she's a compelling writer and a woman who clearly loves the Lord. I was honored to answer some questions for an interview she posted on the topic of "faith and risk." It'll let you in on a little bit of why I'm going to Germany for a year with Campus Crusade and what it means for me to live "dangerously" for the Lord.
Erin has been a wonderful encouragement to me in the short time I've known her, and she stands as one excellent example of the many people I've met through support raising that I never would have otherwise. So click, read, and then stay awhile - Erin is a much better and more faithful blogger than me ;) http://erinstraza.wordpress.com/
Since I haven't written in over a month (whoops...been a little busy :) I'll try to give you the reader's digest version of what has been goin on.
In early August, the fam (my parents + my sister and brother in law) and I took off for a much-needed vacation in pristine Estes Park, CO. Hiking was the name of the game, as I estimate we logged 500000+ miles on the trail ;) Last summer my dad and I attempted to hike Long's Peak, the highest Peak in Rocky Mtn Natl Park. Can you tell we like CO? 2 years in a row on vacay and I believe this year was the 6th time in my life.
Last year Dad and I were chased down the mountain by a thunderstorm, so this year we were back with avengence for a rematch. AND Jodi (sister) was along this time, which pretty much made us the unstoppable hiking trio. I'll spare you the gory details (this thing ain't for sissies!), but we were victorious in our quest! Other highlights included being lazy, reading, watching lots of Michael Phelps victories, and eating.....just as a good vacation should be. Check out the picture below for my dad, sister and I on the summit of Longs Peak!
By mid-August, my family had to return to the real world back in IL, but CO wasn't done with me yet. On their way home, my parents dropped me off at the Denver airport where they dutifully made sure I got on a bus with lots of other "kids" (yes, it was quite reminiscent of the first day of school). This bus was filled with other STINTers (where STINT stands for Short Term International) bound for Copper Mountain ski resort in CO.
As STINTers we share a common passion: to see students' lives around the world transformed by a genuine relationship with Christ. This summer, the week-long STINT briefing at Copper Mountain had been the light at the end of a looong tunnel of support raising for many of us. It was incredibly exciting and a bit surreal to actually be there. The fact that I was there meant a lot of the biggest hurdles had already been overcome - and now it was time to start acting like I am REALLY spending the next year of my life in Germany.
I'm going to try to give you an accurate picture of what this week was like:
- 350 people (most recent college grads) from all over the US who are going all over the world to tell students about the best and most vital news EVER with Campus Crusade for Christ.
- A lot of concentrated time with the amazing team I'll be working with for the next year - more on them later.
- lots of singing to our Savior, digging into the Word corporately and individually, digesting details essential to our year overseas (including some really fun stuff like healthcare and emergency evacuation plans!), and a plethora of prayer...
- several rowdy games of "signs" (if you're confused...its a college game :), snow in August, interesting run-ins with the hippie-esque Blues festival-goers, rallying around the tv for Olympics-watching....
Pictures below:
1. Our team at the commissioning ceremony at the end of the briefing - minus the Sfura family who was already in Berlin.
2. Just the laaaaadies :)
3. giant chair + team Berlin = bonding!!!
Since I got home from this delightful excursion (CO couldn't keep me forever) I have reached MORE than 100% of my support goal - which is just flat-out amazing! Looking back I have such a clear record of God's faithfulness and grace in allowing me to raise my support so quickly. Sure, there were some hard days/nights and it wasn't always fun, but I am deeply thankful to everyone who encouraged me, prayed for me, and have made sacrifices to give so my ministry can happen this year.
In the past couple weeks, I've had the chance to spend quality time with family and friends (I am so thankful for Bradley's semester starting up again and friends from high school who have drawn me out of my to-do list hermitage!). This time has really been such a blessing - good heart-to-hearts over coffee (mmmm) and sharing what is going on in our lives. I am excited not only for my year ahead, but for what the Lord will do this year in people's lives who are very dear to me.
while this maybe hasn't been the reader's digest version I was hoping for, at least I've pretty much caught up to the present day - I leave for Germany in just over 5 days! Tomorrow there will be a flurry of activity at our house as I've invited ALL of my supporters, friends, and family for a "sending off" party of sorts. Really just a way to see and thank everyone again before I leave.
I'm just about out of words for now - but if you're not tired of reading, you should check out my friend Erin Straza's blog - she's a compelling writer and a woman who clearly loves the Lord. I was honored to answer some questions for an interview she posted on the topic of "faith and risk." It'll let you in on a little bit of why I'm going to Germany for a year with Campus Crusade and what it means for me to live "dangerously" for the Lord.
Erin has been a wonderful encouragement to me in the short time I've known her, and she stands as one excellent example of the many people I've met through support raising that I never would have otherwise. So click, read, and then stay awhile - Erin is a much better and more faithful blogger than me ;) http://erinstraza.wordpress.com/
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
this is off the hook!
possibly at 80%?!! Lets just say it has been an incredible week or so!! All thanks to God, who clearly has been working miracles!
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