By His Strength

Well, things are definitely picking up in Brühl, Germany. We have hosted a team of three pastors from Nashville and are about to host a large team of twenty people from Georgia! I am sitting here now, waiting for materials to print for this large group. The Father is really moving and providing areas of ministry and relationships like we have never imagined!!

The pastors that were here last week were guest teachers at the Bible School and also preached in the local church. They were a real blessing to the students at the school and even were able to arrange for several students to do required 'Practicum' time in Nashville, working with their church! Amazing how the Father provides. My supervisors hosted three 'Lutherabende' (Luther Evenings) at their home where students were able to come, eat dinner and ask questions of the pastors. These evenings were a huge success and very encouraging to both the students and the pastors. It was amazing to see how interested and passionate these students are about reaching their communities with the Gospel.

My new friends from my building have been a huge blessing to me and I continue to spend time with them and know them better each day. I can remember asking the Father in November, before I ever flew to this side of the world, to bless me with at least three friends here quickly. Well, it's been six months that I've been here, and the Father has answered that prayer with more than I even asked for or could imagine! I am so thankful for my friends here and pray they know what an encouragement they are to me.

The group of twenty fly into town on Wednesday and it will be the beginning of another busy week. I truly enjoy my role of assisting and serving these volunteers when they come to Germany. It is a real pleasure to help these teams serve in this country and they are such a help to us and what the Father is doing here.

The days continue to get colder and colder but thankfully, it has stopped raining...for now. It really feels like Fall! However, I am missing the beautiful color change of the leaves at home and of course UT football!! All of you UT football fans, cheer 'em on to victory!

Thanks for your prayers, cards, emails and chats. I miss you all and love you a lot!

Eating my words!

Ok, so for those of you who have been following my sporadic, little updates, you know that I have mentioned being a little...bored or wishing I had more to do! Well, you can serve that on a plate with french fried potatoes because I am busy every day!! It's as if someone has just opened some gate or something. Most of my days are full of activity. Let me clarify, though. This is not a bad thing. It's just a...different thing. I am very grateful to have new friends to do things with and new responsibilities to consume my time and attention. The days and weeks are flying by!

Two people I am particularly thankful for are new friends in my building. God has been so good in providing me with two ladies in my building who actually want to be my friend. Ingrid and Martina are huge blessings from the Lord. Ingrid and I have had several meetings over the last couple of weeks and Martina and I met for coffee last week for the first time. They both speak English and Martina in particular wants me to help her with her English. The Father gave me an idea per her request that maybe I should lead and English club for people in our building! This would be a great way to meet people and get to know them better. Too, English is actually something I can do well!! I would love to take this opportunity to minister to my friends and get to meet some new people. This will also give me more contacts with which to practice my German. I was able to communicate with Martina in German some at the end of our coffee outing and it wasn't nearly as uncomfortable as I thought it would be. She is so sweet and patient. God is truly blessing me with more friends than I deserve.

The seminary where most of my friends attend, has resumed classes and my friends have returned to town. This has also presented opportunities to spend time with close friends who were gone all summer. I had missed them very much but have very recently had many outings with them. Vanessa came over and spent the night with me one evening then accompanied me to a colleagues house where I got a hair cut. My friend Evelyn had a Canadian friend in town for a week that I was able to spend some time with in Bonn just touring, goofing off and speaking English. It was a gloriously relaxing time. I was also able to visit the nearby town of Aachen where they had many concerts and vendors out on the streets because of the national elections that were just held. I was also able to visit the Museum of German History in Bonn with my friend Melli (in the above picture). She is a wonderful friend who helps me practice German. She attended the Bible School but has already graduated. Thankfully, she doesn't speak a whole lot of English so we are forced to communicate in German. I really like her and hope that my German will continue to get better so we can know each other even better!

Work has also picked up for me. We have been working on a new marionette ministry that we will try to use during the Christmas market and also in schools. There are three stories recorded in German that we are learning and practicing: David and Goliath, Noah's Ark and the Birth of Christ. So far, we have learned Noah and the Christmas Story. It's really a lot of fun but takes a lot of concentration and time to learn and perfect these stories. Our team has been getting together once a week to practice. I'm really enjoying this part of ministry.

And then I'm still trying to get my driver's license stuff all figured out. That's such a pain! I've been sent all over tar nation looking gathering different pieces of this scavenger hunt that will hopefully lead to a real, German license!! I'm not holding my breath. Things are coming along and it's forcing me to get out and do more things by myself. It truly forces me to rely on the Father when taking care of these things. And the more I do, the less intimidating this country becomes.

The biggest lessons the Father is teaching me are those of faith. Some times, I am completely overwhelmed by this life here and wonder if He chose the right one for the task. But He quickly reminds me, "My grace is sufficient for you. For my power is made perfect in weakness"-2 Cor. 12. There have never been truer words spoken. I find myself feeling weak and unable to do this task every day but find myself going through the day with His grace, strength and guidance. He is always more than enough! I know this now more than ever. He is here, in this place and I can't wait to tell you more of what He's doing. Thanks for praying! He is answering!

More Language!

Ahhhh!! Sometimes I feel that I will NEVER understand this language! I have been meeting with my tutor now for a little over a week. Well, a week and a day to be exact. I'm so thankful for the chance to speak one on one with someone. It's very good practice but I am perpetually frustrated. Every morning, I wake up and tell God I can't do it another day! He, of course, enables me to do it just one more day before I crawl back into bed, exhausted to do it all over again the next day. I am beginning to understand more but the speaking is S L O W! ! ! I know that will come the longer I am here but I just want to TALK!! This probably doesn't surprise any of you who know me. Me, wanna talk? Get outta here!

I must say that my confidence is growing with each day, however. And for that, I am so thankful. Initiating too much conversation is still difficult but I'm not as scared I was just a couple of months ago. And I don't know what it is about me, but people love to ask me questions. I want so badly to help them but often times I just don't understand them. We play the charades game and I smile a lot and try to be as helpful as I can but, it's just so frustrating! God keeps giving me opportunities and I am so thankful for that.

The vulnerability that comes from language and cultural struggles has certainly increased my faith and dependence on the Lord. Throughout my time here, I have prayed and clung to Him like no other time in my life. I'm so glad He is faithful and unchanging as everything else is shifting around and feels so unstable. I am truly able to find peace in His arms.

Fall is kicking in here and the weather is turning cooler. We have enjoyed some beautiful days and I look forward to the leaves changing and more of that crisp, Autumn air. One thing I miss, however is UT football!! It's just not the same in September without it. I know you UT fans are a little disappointed in our showing last weekend, but just be thankful you can watch the games at all. I still wear my orange on game day to support our Volunteers! You can take the girl out of the orange nation but you can't take the orange nation out of the girl!

Until next time...

And now it's September!

I can't believe it's September already!!! August just went by so quickly! I truly was able to do so many things in August and had a wonderful time. I spent a week with colleagues in Bavaria, visited Luxembourg and Holland with friends from home and learned how to make marionette puppets and present shows. It's been a busy month of 'rest'. The Father has been so faithful to provide me with that rest and now it's on to the busyness of the Fall and upcoming events.

I have resumed language study again, this time with a tutor instead of a class. I have only met with her once so far and she spoke very quickly and with an accent I am not familiar with. She said that I could ask her to speak more slowly when I didn't understand her. My answer to that was, 'You will know by the look on my face when I don't understand you.' And that is the truth. I have no poker face!! My confusion and frustration are there, reflected in the wrinkle in my brow, the intensity of my eyes and the hard line of my mouth. She will definitely know!! But, we are supposed to meet three or four times a week for an hour and a half each time. I am excited about this different style of learning and am hoping it will push me over the current hump I have encountered.

Oh, and I am still learning to drive! Well, I haven't been out for a lesson in a while but I only have this month to learn the material for the written test I have to take in October and I don't even know where to get the information to study from! This could be bad! So, I am praying that God will show me where I can find this information...in English so I can study. I would appreciate your prayer in this matter, also. Driving here is not something I am looking forward to. Actually, it makes me a nervous wreck!! I definitely need some divine intervention.

I have made a new friend in my apartment building and this is a wonderful gift. She lives on the 17th floor and God has totally brought us together for a reason. She is older, maybe in her fifties, and has four children who are scattered in different cities and countries. She lives alone and confided in me during our tea time Thursday night that she is often times depressed and lonely. I listened and truly felt her pain. The Father has provided for us to have each other and I want her to know Him more than anything! He is the only one who can meet our every need. She prefers to speak English and her life in the States for thirty years has made her feel she has more in common with Americans than with Germans. God is already moving in our friendship and I am thankful for the way He is providing for both of us. I pray that our friendship will grow and that she will find comfort in the arms of the Savior and experience His love in our relationship.

Well, I suppose those are the biggies to update you all on. Sorry, I haven't been faithful to update you more often. For those of you who know me well, this lack of consistency probably doesn't surprise you. I will try to do better in the upcoming months. Thanks for you prayers and concern and keeping up with me in this way. I miss you and am thankful for you more than you will know! Until next time...

Rest

Well, I suppose it's been a while since I've updated you all on what's going on. I just got back from a week long conference in Bavaria with colleagues from across Western Europe and am readjusting to the quiet life I have developed here in Brühl. Last week was a wonderful time of refreshing and learning from the Father. We enjoyed great teaching, wonderful food (German food rocks), and encouraging fellowship. During this conference, I was able to spend time with old friends and make some very dear new ones. All of this took place in a hotel nestled at the foothills of the magnificent Alps! It truly was a blessing from the Lord to be there.

Now, I am home in my little apartment wondering what's next. This week, I have friends visiting from the States and a we are having a wonderful time but I can't help but wonder what comes after they leave. The weeks of August are sure to be busy with another meeting after they are gone, then preparation for activities in the months ahead. And I know the Fall and Winter will bring even more activity but I am wondering where I need to be in all this. There will be no language school this month and many of my friends are gone on vacations or doing 'hands on' work for their seminary training. I believe God wants me to take this month to refocus and seek His face for the months ahead but I cannot help but feel like a bit of a slacker right now. Perhaps this is just the mindset of Americans. You know, gotta go, go, go or you are not worth your salt as a human being? The pace is much slower in Germany and I find myself often struggling to adjust to this pace. So, I am going to rest and enjoy my company and the time of no language training. I am hoping to begin study with a tutor next month. I believe this will be much better for my practice and my comprehension.

The weather is also beginning to cool and the days are becoming shorter. I am praying that this month would bring true rest and motivation for the cold winter to come full of activities and work. My time here is flying by and I truly don't want to waste any of it! So I thank you for your prayers and ask that you continue pray for me as I seek His face to find my role in this community. The Father has been so good and I do not doubt that He will guide me these next months as I desire to know His will. I believe this month of rest is just what I need as I was growing weary of language learning and other cultural struggles.

So the goals of August are: the conference in Bavaria with colleagues from Western Europe (check), rest, time with friends from home, practice more driving (yikes), rest and a little more rest. I must learn to truly be still and relax in the arms of my heavenly Father and thank Him for these times of inactivity. He is really teaching me so much. One cool think I am looking forward to is a trip to Trier. Trier is the oldest city in Germany and was founded before 16 BC. It is along the Mosel river and contains many Roman ruins so the history buff in me is overjoyed at the prospect of seeing this city!! I am taking my friends with me and as always, am looking forward to discovering more about this land in which I live. We are aiming to visit this city on Friday! Pray for good weather. Hopefully, I can post a few pictures of my visit to this ancient city. August is a good month for me to just be a tourist instead of fighting all the time to be a resident!! Should be fun!! I'll keep you posted!

July Adventures

I know it's been a few days since I've written and for that I apologize. This month has been some what of a struggle but the Lord has been completely faithful. I think spending my first birthday away from home and the cool, rainy, cloudy weather contributed to some intense bouts with culture shock during the first of this month. But God blessed me in some very specific ways during those days of struggle. He provided me with good friends, both American and German and allowed me to see Him in His word and experience His nearness through prayer. What an amazing Father He is!

The last few days have been gorgeous! It's been about 80-85 degrees and sunny! And I have had some wonderful conversations with friends in my language class and just new ones I have met. I have a new friend named Melli that I have been meeting with to help me with language learning and just to have fun with. She is the roommate and good friend of my friend Vanessa I have already written about. Melli is a German believer and speaks a little English which forces us to communicate primarily in German. She is so patient with me and allows me to struggle through what I know and corrects and teaches me. She has such a kind and fun-loving spirit and I cannot wait to communicate more with her in the future as God allows me to learn this crazy language. We had coffee last week together on a day when I really needed a friend. Yesterday, we walked around Bonn together, got ice cream and did some shopping with another girl from my class in the market. Next week, I will see her again on Saturday as we go to the German History museum in Bonn. She is such a blessing from God and I am so thankful for her!

Another adventure I have begun this month is learning to drive a stick shift! I have had some lessons in the States but they were all failed attempts and now we are on to round three! I have been once in some colleagues car for my first lesson. We went down from their house, into this field and I practiced for a couple of hours. I'm not gonna lie, I did pretty good for the first time out. I only killed it three times. Not to bad! And I got it all the way into sixth gear!! It was fast and a little scary because I was on a back road that I really should not have been driving that fast on. But, no harm, no foul! I am going to get back out again in the next week or so for another practice run. It's kind of exciting and I didn't realize how much I had missed driving. There is an element of control that comes from driving and I haven't had that in about 5 months or so. Crazy! I'll continue to update you on how this little adventure shapes up. The real test will be the autobon. I have actually ridden with someone who went about 130 mph on the autobon!! It was SCARY!! Trust me, I will NOT be going that fast (don't worry mom, I'm being careful).

I'll try to write again soon, before the end of the month and keep you posted on my crazy life. Hope every one has a wonderful weekend.

Uncomfortable is Comfortable

Well, I have been here almost three full months and it has been...interesting to say the least. The challenges of language learning and cultural differences still assail me daily but the Father is making me more "comfortable" in my new home across the world. I use quotations for the word 'comfortable' because I don't know if I will ever be truly comfortable during my two years here. I am truly learning what the word means as I walk with the Father in obedience to Him.

As I celebrated my birthday away from home along with the Fourth of July, I found myself being sad at my circumstances and uncomfortable with my life away from my friends, family and country. The Lord quickly reminded me that it isn't about being comfortable, it is about being obedient. I thought, "Seriously! This lesson again?!" But it is one I must continually learn. When I submit to the will of the Father, then no matter how uncomfortable my circumstances are, I can take GREAT comfort in knowing that I am being obedient in my service to Him. That is where a believer can truly find peace in the midst of trials and heartache. Sometimes, that is the ONLY truth that spurs the believer on when he or she is faced with the most difficult circumstances of life.

This past Sunday, I went to church by myself. This was not intentional. My friend, who is German and speaks English, was supposed to meet me there but our late night prevented her from coming. I received a text from her informing me of her absence as I was on the train headed for the church. I decided to go on since I was already half way there. I won't lie and say it was really wonderful or super amazing. It was uncomfortable and awkward. I thought about just leaving in the middle of the service. I was sitting next to people I didn't know, listening to a sermon in a language I didn't understand. But then, something wonderful happened. I looked up on the stage and there sat the elements of Communion! I immediately knew that God was giving me a gift this Sunday morning. As I sat in that church with German brothers and sisters and ate the bread and drank the wine, I was reminded at how big God really is and how big His family is. It didn't matter that there were language and cultural barriers between me and the members of that church. We are all part of a bigger family and love and worship the same Savior who gave His life to set us free!!! God reminded me of the real reason I am here. To share His love with people who so desperately need it! I left feeling overwhelmed and thankful for the love that was shown on that cross so long ago. May we never grow callous to that love. May it always overwhelm us to the point of tears and rejoicing. For we were once dead and are now alive in Christ!!

So, I will press on because of that cross. Even when I am lonely or frustrated, may the cross be my motivation and my reason for living. Some days are amazing and I thank the Father for them. He reminds me of His grace every day. I live in an amazing part of the world and experience His beauty multiple times during each day. But it doesn't take away from the pain of missing so many I love and care about. The peace that comes from walking with the Father far outweighs the awkwardness and discomfort I experience at times. I pray that you would also find peace as you walk with the Father each day! Thank you for your prayers and encouragement. It means more than you will ever know.