Excitingly Crazy

Today is Sept. 28th. I was just told that one of our camps for 2008 is already FULL! That is encouraging to me, because it means that the campers enjoy camp and want to come back, and that God is at work! It also helps me remember why I am spending many hours in front of a computer organizing details, etc.

Is this culture shock?

Those of you who know me well know that McDonald's is pretty much the last fast food restaurant I would go to....I'm just not a big fan. So Thursday night I had a McDonald's cheeseburger (group peer pressure) and it was DELICIOUS!!! Why? - I don't know. Am I craving beef? And American culture? Perhaps it's a (minor) sign of culture shock?

Culture shock...people will tell you that culture shock is a process of fun-fight-flight-fit (or something like that). The fight and flight stages consist of being angry at the way things are done in the culture you live in, etc. If someone were to ask me if I am experiencing culture shock, I would say no. Probably partially because of pride, but moreso because I'm not angry. However, I realized/admitted over the weekend that I am experiencing culture shock - at least to some degree - but not in the "angry" way. For me, it seems to be more fatigue - it is physically and emotionally draining to not know how to accomplish seemingly simple tasks (go to the bank, get insurance, etc) and to not be able to understand the language around you - not understanding bills that come in the mail (that's 20 euro for what?) and to sit through meetings that are conducted in German (especially ones that last 3 1/2 hours). Also, the "quiet Kari" seems to be the side of my personality that is most prevalent these days. I think it's because I'm trying to absorb everything around me, and because it takes so much energy to be social, etc.

I don't mean to sound negative...things really are going well. And I think the fact that I am aware of these things and willing to admit them is a good thing....as is the fact that being aware of them then enables me to make conscious decisions to counter these effects of transitioning to life in a new place. I'm feeling tired? I need to go to bed earlier this week. I'm feeling like stepping out of my comfort zone takes too much effort? I need to do it anyways, so that I know that #1 - I am making the most of my time in Germany and #2 - that I am faithfully obeying what God has called me to do.

"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men,"

~Colossians 3:17 & 23

TEFL fun....

Monday and Tuesday I attended a TEFL seminar that GEM (Greater Europe Mission) did at their offices in the area. It was good to network/connect with some other TEFL people - there are so many amazing people here! It was also good to be reminded of stuff I've learned in the past, and to think of it in how it fits in my context here. i.e. - How can I use my TESOL background/education to help improve/strengthen our program here? How should conversational English be taught in a TEFL context? (TEFL - Teaching English as a Foreign Language refers to teaching English in a non-English speaking country - such as Germany or China, whereas TESL - Teaching English as Second Language refers to teaching English in an English-speaking country - such as the US, Canada, or Australia.)

Good stuff.

Immersion Course vs. Connecting

Last Monday was a day of relief…relief because of some decisions. As most of you know, I had been planning to do a German language immersion course this fall. Well, doing so would mean “relocating” (or a very long commute) for a month or two. It would also mean not getting as well connected around here, since a lot of the activities start up at the beginning of the school year (just like in the States). Not feeling connected around here was weighing heavily on me, so for that reason (and some others), after much prayer and deliberation I have decided not to do an immersion course at this point. I have started going to a German class that BFA offers for its staff two days a week, and I think I’m going to take a course at the Volkshochschule (a community ed program I think we would call it in the States?) that starts in October. I am also going to be part of a women’s German/English Bible study that starts this week. So even though I’m not doing much formal language study at this point, I am trying to be more deliberate about studying it on my own and getting plugged into the German community around here.

Last Monday I also received word that I won’t have to go back to the States to raise more support at this point. This is another source of relief and decreases my anxious thoughts! PTL for He is good, even when my idea of good does not match His!

Day by day I am feeling more connected here – a fact for which I am thankful. But it does feel like I am on a rollercoaster sometimes – which I’m told is normal.

It would be easier to connect with people if my phone worked! To make a long story short, my home phone has not worked since camps ended (over a month ago). I am hoping that it REALLY gets fixed this week, as it is beginning to frustrate me a bit, but it reminds me to keep things in perspective.

I am really trying to commit to putting forth the effort necessary to THRIVE here…no matter how long I end up staying in Germany, I don’t want to look back on my time here and know that I didn’t make the most of it. Pray that I have the strength and courage to do that…to build into the people I meet and to engage in the culture around me. As Jim Elliot said “Wherever you are, be all there.”

My Job Description

Many of you have asked me what exactly I'm doing now that camps are over...well, that's a hard question to answer. For the same reason it's hard to really list my "job description." Why is it hard to list? - because there are so many little things that need to be done for the camps to happen, and because you never know what a day may hold. At this point, we're still wrapping up loose ends from this summer, but we'll soon be jumping into the big projects for next summer. Here are some of the things I've done in the past week or so:
- Reorganized the garage (storage area) - which included taking apart shelves and putting them back together (as well as getting very dusty:)
- Making a list of all the tasks that will keep me busy between now and April - a whole flip chart page worth. :)
- Sorting through and reorganizing the linens that our summer staff use
- Collecting and reviewing staff feedback (general, cooks, activities coordinators, etc.) to help us evaluate our program
- Sat in on a budget review meeting
- Otherwise organized and evaluated information.

One thing is for sure - there's definitely not an opportunity to get bored or stuck in a rut! :)