The Beauty of Fall

Note: The picture above does not do justice to the beauty I am currently witnessing.

As my alarm clock goes off, my eyes suddenly open. Out the window, I see the grayish white sky of early morning. Five minutes later, the sky is a brillant blue and speckled with a few dainty clouds. As I stand up, I see that the trees surrounding The Monument are tinged with orange and gold. The hills around Kandern are covered with the beautiful colors of fall. Soon - too soon - these leaves will be gone. Until then, I will enjoy their beauty and the majesty of their Creator.

Tag der Deutschen Einheit

Yesterday was German Unification Day, so I had the day off. This day commemorates the two Germanies (East and West) becoming one on October 3, 1990. (The Berlin Wall "fell" in 1989.) I think to most Americans my age, communism is something we read about in our high school history books. However, it becomes more and more evident to me that there are still are communist(ic) governments in the world, and its legacy lives on in many other countries, affecting many people's lives. I think many of us tend to think of Western Europe and Eastern Europe. However, the other day someone referred to Western Europe (countries that never were communistic), Central Europe (countries that were communistic and no longer are, but still feel the effects of it), and Eastern Europe (countries that still are communistic or otherwise very controlling).

God has given me a heart for Europe. I know I don't understand the history of this region and how that history affects the people as much as I should - may God deepen my understanding and make me more sensitive to the spiritual needs of the people in Europe.

Dreiländereck

The area I live in is known in German as the "Dreiländereck" ("three country region" or something like that). It's the area where France, Germany, and Switzerland meet. Nearby is the Alsace region, which the German and French fought over for centuries. It is interesting to have such a mix of cultures nearby! In Cincinnati, you cross the (Ohio) river and you're in Kentucky. Here, you cross the (Rhein) river and you're in another country - either Switzerland or France, depending on where you are!

A few weekends ago, I went with some of my new friends to Weil am Rhein. In the picture below, we are standing in France, and looking back across the Rhein (which we had just walked across...on the bridge, obviously:) toward Weil am Rhein. BEAU-TI-FUL!!!!!!!! I love seeing God's majesty in creation!

(I have to give credit where credit is due - Meghan took this picture, not me. Thanks, Meghan!)

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.”