Deutschland Diaries

A Little Wisdom from John Calvin

2012-02-28T20:04:00.002-08:00

I love John Calvin. I have been reading through his book The Christian Life and am always amazed by what I read. Here's just a sampling of a passage read tonight:

"Whatever kind of tribulation presses upon us, we must ever look to this end: to accustom ourselves to contempt for the present life and to be aroused thereby to meditate upon the future life. For since God knows best how much we are inclined by nature to a brutish love of this world, he uses the fittest means to draw us back and to shake off our sluggishness, lest we cleave too tenaciously to that love....Now our blockishness arises from the fact that our minds, stunned by the empty dazzlement of riches, power, and honors, become so deadened that they can see no further. The heart also, occupied with avarice, ambition, and lust, is so weighed down that it cannot rise up higher. In fine, the whole soul, enmeshed in the allurements of the flesh, seeks its happiness on earth. To counter this evil the Lord instructs his followers in the vanity of the present life by continual proof of its miseries"

I could go on and on and probably type out the whole book, but instead, I'll leave you with that.

Goodnight :)

A Shout Out to Mom & Dad

2012-02-27T18:59:00.002-08:00

I still remember the first time I flew over to live abroad and the look on my father's face as I walked past security. I was 23 and about to go Au Pair in Basel, this foreign city I'd never heard of before until I booked my flight. I remember being fine until we reached security and my dad broke down crying on my shoulder, holding me tight. Of course this made me burst into tears as well and somehow, I managed to go on to my gate, occasionally looking back as I left the security area.

Fast forward four years later and it was the same scene, only this time he waited until I had gotten through security to start crying. My mother was the one who was a mess that time. Both times, even though I knew that I was going to do what I was meant to do, I still felt like the world's worst child for making my parents weep like that.

And, here we go, this time six years later, and I'm already thinking about that day at the end of July or beginning of August when I take off for Germany again. They both know this time is indefinite and at least for five years. But they also know I am called to this and tell me all the time how proud of me they are.

So, I just had to give a little shout out to my Mom & Dad who let their little butterfly continue to spread her wings and follow the call of Christ.

Check Out My Facebook Group

2012-02-26T12:52:00.002-08:00

If you're not a member, let me know & I'll add you! If you are, please read the latest update ;)

Alli at BFA

And check out this other awesome vid that The Antrims and I found today!

Faces at BFA

Why I'm Going in the First Place...

2012-02-25T17:58:00.002-08:00

Awesome vid on Missionary Kids @ BFA...Enjoy:

M-I-S-S-I-O-N-A-R-Y: what does it mean?

2012-02-24T14:16:00.001-08:00

I'm curious. When you hear the word "missionary" what do you automatically think? Be honest. I am sure your first thought isn't someone like me going over to work at an international Christian boarding school with MKs. It's ok. I'm not offended. Because honestly, when I hear the word "missionary" my first thought is the continent of Africa and some guy living in the bush with the natives. Or I think about all those missionaries that came through my church when I was a child and shared the slideshow with Ray Boltz's "Thank You" playing in the background. Or even being in GAs (Girls in Action) at church and making tin cans to put quarters in every week for our missionaries overseas.

And yet, here I am, six months from departure, doing this yet again for the 2nd time as a full-time missionary. Some of you have said to me, "I don't know how you do this support raising thing." Well, I'll tell you--I don't either. All I know is that this is what I know I've been called to do. There is not a shadow of doubt that I am going to where I am supposed to be. But I wanted to be honest with you all and let you know that I don't see myself as anything special. I'm just doing what I've been called to do just as you are all doing what you are being called to do. I'm not a Super Christian and I certainly don't feel any better than anyone else. No, no one has said any of that to me, but I just wanted to clarify because I know the stereotype that can come when you hear the M word.

I'm so thankful for you all. I just wanted to share a little of what was on my heart.

Have a fun Friday :)

Resting

2012-02-23T13:31:00.003-08:00

Yesterday was kind of a harrowing travel day. I got to spend some extra time with Lindsay and that was obviously beyond great. But by the time I made it to the Antrims I was exhausted and felt even more sick than I had earlier in the day. After catching up on some television, I made my way to bed and literally crashed as soon as my head hit the pillow. I don't even remember what I dreamed about last night and since most of you know I have pretty vivid dreams, that's kind of saying something about how tired I was.

It made me think about how tired we sometimes get from trying to handle life on our own. Ultimately, we know we should give whatever it is over to the Lord so that he can take care of it, but we still hold onto it and become exhausted doing so. Finally, we relinquish and it's only after we do that that we feel the release and are able to truly relax.

I recently was able to let go of a few things I'd been holding onto in my life. I didn't realize how exhausting it was until I let Jesus take it from me. I can't explain the peace I experienced, but I'm sure if you've been there, you know exactly what I'm talking about.

"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28

Tomorrow...

2012-02-21T17:16:00.000-08:00

I get to see this girl

And be with these kiddos

Yay, Reading Week is here! PA here I come!

The Weekend Was...

2012-02-20T07:18:00.000-08:00

FUN. Ok so obviously you've seen I've been on a blogging kick as of late. I guess it's from spending so much time away from it that I've finally got the "bug" again. Also, there's just been a lot going on in life w/my walk with God that I can't not share it (Melissa & Caroline, was that grammatically correct?).

Also, we've just been doing a lot of fun stuff as of late. Last weekend we had our Gal-entines Day in the city and this weekend we started it off with a Veritas Forum event at Harvard, where we heard John Lennox speak about his views on miracles and science. He gave a great lecture and anytime I'm near Harvard I just feel smarter so it was a good boost of self-esteem on the intellectual front ;)

On Saturday, Sarah had a lil dance party at her family's winery and it was a great night of just letting loose and starting off our Reading Week right!

Enjoy some pics from the weekend...

God. He's Just Good.

2012-02-19T19:53:00.000-08:00

Ok I can't help it. I'm excited! Ecstatic, really. Obviously, you can see how much I treasure my friendships here at GCTS but I am also just really excited to see my friends in Basel again. Sometimes I still can't believe that God is opening this door. Every time I've had to leave that part of the world, I never know if I'll be back. Or I just assume if God is going to bring me back to Europe, he's not going to let me go back to the one spot that I completely feel at home. But God desires to give us good things!

"For everyone who asks, receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in Heaven give good things to those that ask Him!" Matthew 7:8-11

This week I have continually been reminded of how much I am loved by my Father. Truly, abundantly, unconditionally, loved. On two different days, I received emails from friends in Basel that I hadn't heard from in a while saying how excited they were to see me again. It was a blessing to read and it was kind of like God was saying to me, "See? You've got so much ahead of you. Look at what's awaiting. Trust me. I've got this."

Check out some old school pics of my sweet friends that I can't wait to see again and how God continues to preserve these relationships.

A Tale About a Pigeon

2012-02-18T09:25:00.000-08:00

I'm sure if you've been following my blogs for a while, you have already read about this story I'm about to share. But I think it's quite relevant and kind of goes along with what this week has been like for me and what the future holds as well.

When I was living in Germany (I like how after August I will now have to say 'the last time I lived in Germany..'!) I remember waiting at a bus stop on the way to a meeting at church in Basel. It had been a rough month support wise and I hadn't gotten nearly enough in to pay bills. I was sitting at the bus stop silently panicking about how I was going to make ends meet.

And then I saw him.

A pigeon.

He was pecking at the ground, he looked quite stout as pigeons go, and he didn't seem to have a care in the world. He'd also nearly missed being hit by a passing car, but you know how pigeons are. They seem to have that last minute sense to get out of the way before becoming roadkill. As I watched him, I was immediately reminded of Matthew 6:

"Don't worry about your life. What you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn't life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the sky; They don't sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Aren't you worth more than they?" Matthew 6: 25-26

Calculating up my support over and over isn't going to make it come in any faster. Worrying that I won't get the designated amount I need by August also isn't going to make it come any faster. Yet, knowing that GOD IS IN COMPLETE CONTROL and cares more about me than stinky pigeons reminds me of who I put my trust in. If he provides for those rats of the sky (sorry but that's what I compare them to!) to get all they need, He is going to provide for me and you to get all we need, whether it's monthly support or whatever your need is.

Next time you see a pigeon (or even worse, a seagull..don't get me started on those nasty things!) be reminded of your Heavenly Father and just how much He cares about YOU.

Keep Reading!

2012-02-16T06:29:00.000-08:00

Melissa ran into me last night after reading my last post about Romans 5:3. Her exact words to me were, "Keep reading! There's hope at the end of endurance!"

So I kept reading. And she was right (Melissa is usually right). There is hope after we endure through suffering:
"We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces endurance, endurance produces character, and proven character produces HOPE." Romans 5:3-4.

But wait! There's even MORE! (Melissa, I actually read on so that you wouldn't tell me to keep reading again..haha). This is what the rest of the verse says:
"This hope will not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us." Romans 5:5.

So, what have I learned this week? Suffering + Endurance = Character AND Hope.

Amen.

Suffering

2012-02-15T08:58:00.000-08:00

This is what I've been learning as of late...

...when we suffer, it's because we're learning to ENDURE. Romans 5:3 says so:
"We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know suffering produces endurance."

Don't get me wrong. I don't wake up every morning and say "Jesus, please let me suffer so I can learn all about endurance." Maybe I should pray that way? I don't know. But it's not on the forefront of my mind. I'm usually pleading with Him, "Please let me have a good day and don't let anything bad happen and if it does please don't let it last long!"

In our suffering, we become more like Christ. I had a conversation with my mother, who, if you know her, know she is a walking Bible because she can quote just about anything from it. She learned that from her Nana, who was the same way. In this conversation, my mother told me that she once heard a pastor say that we are never more like Christ than when we are in the midst of suffering.

It puts things into perspective, that's for sure.

I am reminded of what I learned over the summer in Vienna. Jesus is building a mansion inside of us. And in order to do that, he has to get rid of all the crap. And to get rid of all the crap, he has to dig and strip and refurbish. My response to that when Lindsay was discipling us was "But what if I just want a shack and not a mansion?" Ha ha, I know. No, Jesus wants the best for us. In order to have the best, we have to be stripped of everything else.

And just when we think we're pruned, He continues to dig and strip us.

But just remember: SUFFERING. PRODUCES. ENDURANCE.

The Antrims

2012-02-13T10:00:00.000-08:00

As you all know, the Antrim fam are dear friends of mine who were with me at Rhein Int'l Academy in Germany 4 years ago. I am finally able to rejoice publicly with the announcement that they will be joining me again at BFA!! You can follow their story here:
The Antrims

This weekend

2012-02-12T07:57:00.000-08:00

The awesomeness started out on Friday when Mike Koerber, a recruiter from TeachBeyond (aka my missions organization) came to GCTS. He spoke about Black Forest Academy and other schools that they support and I was also able to give some insight into my calling to missions. I was able to talk to Mike and his wife, Sharon, afterwards and it really put my mind at ease about a lot of things I'd been semi-concerned about. Support raising and going to school full time is not exactly the easiest thing one can do!

Yesterday was my first venture for my Things To Do Before Leaving New England List. Caroline, Brie, Brittanie, and Kristen came along and we went to the Boston Public Library and got a TON of studying done. My brain was so fried when we left, it was refreshing to step out into the cold again! We took the T to Chinatown and got some yummy chinese food at China Pearl (highly recommended for those of you wanting to know a good place to go for Chinese!). It was also Chinese New Year so we got to see some of the celebrations going on at the restaurant.

Our plan afterwards was to go and see The Vow just down the street at the Boston Common AMC. Unfortunately, both showings were sold out and we decided to just go back to Caroline's and Brie's and watch Midnight in Paris. It's a Woody Allen flick and even though I've heard mixed reviews...I. Loved. It! The movie was the perfect way to end a really fun day with my friends.

I'll close with some pics of yesterday. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Random Thoughts in the Last Few Weeks

2012-02-09T18:50:00.000-08:00

3 months - exactly the time I have left at GCTS and New England. So I've decided to come up with a few adventures for me and my friends to embark on. Our first one takes place on Saturday. We're going to study all day at the Boston Public Library (yes, we're grad students and studying is part of our "fun") and then go and have some Dim Sum in Chinatown. After dinner, the girls are heading to Boston Common to watch The Vow. Guys are invited, too, but we're all pretty sure this is a chick flick only.

Brie, Melissa, April, April, Sarah, Lee, Caroline, Lyndsay, Steph - I don't know what I would have done without these amazing ladies in my life in the last few weeks. Talk about being abundantly blessed!

Super Bowl - we watched at The Baruchs. Lyndsay and I made oreo cupcakes. I was happy New York won. After living here and hearing nothing but "Pats Pats Pats" it's refreshing to hear nothing about them anymore ;)

Weight Loss - I'm back on the diet that kicked me into gear 2 and a half years ago. I've lost 12 lbs since the middle of January and am hoping to lose 40 total by the time I leave for Germany. And speaking of...

Germany - Support raising is going well. I'm still praying about people to contact and praying that God will continue to surprise me with His surprising blessings that never come too late! I'm excited about returning to the part of the world that I really consider "home."

And that's been the gist of what's gone on the last few weeks. I solemnly swear to be better at updating this blog this month!

Pics below of fun times:

Prodigal God

2012-01-19T08:52:00.000-08:00

I've been reading this amazing book by Tim Keller and can't put it down. Going through a few rough patches in my life lately, I read something in it yesterday that completely spoke to my heart:

"If you begin to sense your lostness and find yourself wanting to escape it, you should realize that that desire is not something you could have generated on your own. Such a process requires Help, and if it is happening it is a good indication that he is even now at your side."

Amen.

Goals

2012-01-10T04:34:00.000-08:00

I've been sick for nearly 2 weeks straight. The day after Christmas I got the stomach flu and had to cancel a trip to see my friends Heather & Lindsay & their families. Nearly a week and a few days later, I got a bad cold complete with fever and hacking cough. Needless to say, that is not how I wanted to spend my last weeks at home. However, it did give me some time to think and ponder on 2012.

I don't make resolutions. For one, I know I can't ever hold to them and usually I forget what I've resolved to do by week 2. So instead, I decided to set goals. Ok, maybe that's the same thing, but I feel like goals might be more realistic. I got on Pinterest and made a pin board of healthy foods and exercises I want to do. My goal is to lose the rest of the weight I started to lose 2 and a half years ago. I have about 25 more to lose and hope to have at least half of that off by the time I'm finished with classes in May.

Obviously, my biggest goal is to raise my support and my goal there is to at least have half raised by May. I'm grateful to those of you praying for me and who have given so generously of your funds. Really, this couldn't be done without you!

Here's to a new start in 2012 :)

Catching up...

2011-12-27T08:25:00.000-08:00

I have not been the best blogger this month. But I'm here to catch you all up on what you've missed...

Finals - I had one final and five, yes FIVE papers. I managed to finish them all before the deadline and enjoy Christmas break almost as soon as it got here.

Jacksonville - I'm in the South until Jan 10th enjoying some well spent family time and getting to see friends from Savannah and Ft. Lauderdale while I"m home.

Disney - I made my annual trek with my mother to see my friend Lauren perform in the Hoop de Doo Musical Revue at Ft. Wilderness. Beforehand, we all went to Epcot and had yummy sushi in Japan.

Christmas - was a sweet time with just the four of us, although it did feel strange not to have Bridgett with us!

Support Raising - please pray. And if you would like to hear more on how you can be a part of my ministry in Germany, please email (allistroud78@gmail.com) or FB me.

And now enjoy some pics taken in the last week :)

Not an Orphan

2011-12-06T06:47:00.001-08:00

I got to go home this past weekend to sing for my dad's choir concert at his church. While there, I was also privileged to hear my aunt Reina speak at our church's women's Christmas banquet. She told a story that completely spoke to my heart and something I've really needed to hear in the last two months.

Some of you know about Mindy Love, the little girl from Haiti who my cousins fell in love with while doing ministry there. Mindy Love was adopted into a family and her adopted mom told this story to my aunt. I think it has much to do with our relationship with our Father:

When Mindy Love was first adopted, she didn't know how to act. She would drop a toy and pitch a fit, throwing herself on the floor, kicking and screaming. Her mother would pull Mindy Love into her lap and hold her while the little girl kicked and screamed, sometimes bruising her mom. Eventually, Mindy Love would calm down and rest and just let her mother hold her. Then she would look up and say "Ok! All better!" and jump off her mother's lap and go and play again...

Isn't this just like us? We fight with God because we think we know better and want our own way. Yet, He holds us while we fight and then lets us rest when we give up. And then we decide we can do it all on our own again, jump off His lap, and go and play on our own. We act like orphans and are unsure if God really loves us when really we are children of a King who desperately wants us to crawl into his lap and cry out to him. I know that I am a perfect example of the aforementioned story. Always kicking and screaming, begging God to let me do things my way because it would get done better and faster if I could just do what I wanted. Then I ultimately make a mess of it and run back to Him when I'm at the end of my rope.

I don't think this pattern can ever change because of how depraved we are as human beings. We will always think our way is better, even when we don't want to admit it.

Thanksgiving

2011-11-27T10:34:00.001-08:00

This marked the last Thanksgiving I'll have in the States for a while. My friend Joel was gracious enough to host at his apartment in Boston. There were only five of us, but it was so much fun and very special to me to spend this last Turkey Day with people at GCTS who are like family. We stayed over all day, watched all 3 original Star Wars movies, and had a lot of fun just being together!

Sometimes...

2011-11-19T10:02:00.001-08:00

This semester has been stressful. Physically. Emotionally. Spiritually. I've needed to get away and find rest. True rest and peace. And so last week I made the decision to take a little getaway trip to see the Antrims in Pennsylvania.

I mentioned before about transitioning out of life in the States into a new life for next year and this family knows all about that since we served together in Germany 4 years ago. Last night we went and saw a play at the kids' high school and then came home and just sat in front of the TV doing nothing. It was the most relaxed I'd been in a while.

This morning I slept in until 10 and we went and got breakfast at a little cafe up the road. And now I should probably be working on assignments for class but I'm just enjoying the peace and solace of sitting on an oversized couch and listening to Ashleigh & Dale as they play on the Wii. This is what my soul has needed for a while. Just a time to reflect and pray and RELAX.

Ready for this weekend to be long and relaxing!

Support Raising

2011-11-09T13:05:00.001-08:00

...is not an easy task, but completely faith based. It continues to grow my faith daily as I begin this process.

Please let me know if you would like to hear more ;)

Alli

Transitioning Out

2011-11-08T15:12:00.000-08:00

I have six months left in Massachusetts and eight left in the States. I realized that last night. I also realized how much it has been affecting me.

Transitioning out is a tough process. You're excited for the future that awaits, yet you also realize that the saying good-bye part is coming sooner than you would like it to come. It kind of feels like a part of you is being asked to not exist anymore in the present but you have to because you're in that present. And the other part of you knows you're existing in the present but is ready to move on to what is next because you know what is there. You know what's expected and are ready to embrace it. But because of where you are, you have to take a step back and live where you are, reminding yourself that the people and places around you will be around you for the next six months and you have to stay here in that realization. Everyday you are awake, you know that the next day is just another day drawing nearer to the good-bye.

Not that everyday here has been cake. There have definitely been struggles and as most of you know, it's the process that God has used to keep reminding me of His infinite grace and how big He is. But I still love my friends here and the ones that have walked with me in those struggles are the ones that I am already mourning the loss of. I know that I will see them again, that's not a question. It's being in each other's lives on a day to day basis, watching the struggles and hardships, sharing a lot of laughs, tears, coffee, frustrations...and then one day you wake up and these people that you've spent all this time with, these people that know you better than a lot of other people, are gone and you have to start all over again in a new place, a new life, a new chapter.

The journey here has been rocky but at the same time I look back and I can smile because of who I got to share that journey with.

What I'm learning...

2011-11-05T08:46:00.000-07:00

My strength is pretty poor compared to His

My heart is wicked and unjust and in need of His Love

Self-pity is a big form of pride and of that I'm guilty

Acting like an orphan and despairing is relying on myself and not on a Father who wants me to put all of my trust in Him

What does it really look like to trust Him?

Just because something didn't turn out the way I wanted it to, that shouldn't mean that my whole day is ruined

He loves me. No matter what. Even when I screw up. Which I do all the time.

He longs for me even when I don't long for him.

I need Him

He rejoices over me

When I feel shamed, that isn't from a loving Father, but from the enemy, who wants me to believe I am awful and have to fix it on my own.

There is a difference in guilt and conviction

Jesus. Loves. Me.

No matter how hard I try, I will never live up to the expectations I set for myself. It's impossible.

He is enough. Period.

Pruning will never be an overnight miracle. It's going to take the rest of my life because of the brokenness I live in.

Henri Nouwen

2011-10-29T11:04:00.000-07:00

If you've not ever read anything by this man, go now and pick up one of his books. This is what I read recently & it spoke so much truth into my life.

If you are being sanctified right now, just remember it's happening for a reason.

"You must avoid not only blaming others but also blaming yourself. You are inclined to blame yourself for the difficulties you experience in relationships. But self-blame is not a form of humility. It is a form of self-rejection in which you ignore or deny your own goodness and beauty.
When a friendship does not blossom, when a word is not received, when a gesture of love is not appreciated, do not blame it on yourself. This is both untrue and hurtful. Every time you reject yourself, you idealize others. You want to be with those whom you consider better, stronger, more intelligent, more gifted than yourself. Thus you make yourself emotionally dependent, leading others to feel unable to fulfill your expectations and causing them to withdraw from you. This makes you blame yourself even more, and you enter a dangerous spiral of self-rejection and neediness. Avoid all forms of self-rejection. Acknowledge your limitations, but claim your unique gifts and thereby live as an equal among equals. That will set you free from your obsessive and possessive needs and enable you to give and receive true affection and friendship."
Henri Nouwen

Time Management

2011-10-14T21:48:00.000-07:00

I've never been good at it. Ever. I can't seem to think back on a moment in life where I knew that I was managing my time wisely. Today was one of those days. I had a project due at midnight tonight. I started it at 2:30pm and finished at 8:30pm. I have to admit, I do kind of like the anticipation of procrastinating because it helps me actually finish. I know that's not really something to brag about and I know that I should try and learn to manage time better. With support raising literally right around the corner, I really have to focus and find the time to manage myself better.

Any suggestions?

Germany...For Real

2011-10-10T07:03:00.000-07:00

So this has been in the making since I got back from Austria & I couldn't say anything until I got the official word, which was today....

I'm moving back to Germany next year to teach at the Black Forest Academy (BFA) in Kandern, Germany. I'm not going to be far at all from where I was previously, which excites me even more. I'll be teaching music and drama to Middle Schoolers and will be raising support so yet again this little blog will change names & be about my support raising efforts as I prepare to go on the mission field again.

What about seminary? I'll have 4 classes left to take and I can do those on SemLink (distance learning) and still graduate when I was supposed to graduate all along.

Hands down, best early birthday present ever!!

Stay tuned...

Hawelka

2011-10-09T15:08:00.000-07:00

There's a cafe in Vienna that is pretty famous. It's called Cafe Hawelka. This was probably my favorite cafe this summer. The roomies and I frequented it a few times for some delicious bread and jam and of course the coffee. There's no menu at Hawelka. You simply tell the waiter what you want. I woke up this morning craving a semmel and apricot marmalade, which made me think of this wonderful place. I sometimes still think it's hard to believe I can't just pop out the door, hop on the Strassenbahn, and walk down Kärtnerstrasse to Hawelka and Stephansdom and all the wonderful things in Vienna that I miss right now.

I'm learning a lot lately. I'm learning that God isn't finished with the pruning inside of me. I'm coming to find out that there's a lot of junk left that I still have to let go of. And I may never see the end result. But it started this summer. And it is a process I love and hate at the same time.

So, since I can't go to Hawelka, I decided to just post a picture of our last breakfast there the day before we left Vienna. Try not to crave ;)

Wondering...

2011-09-24T09:18:00.001-07:00

...if I should change my blog to a Posterous blog.

Thoughts from any of you that read this?

This is Exactly What I Needed...

2011-09-20T20:12:00.000-07:00

Thank you to my sweet friend Cathy who wrote this blog...I hope it brings you peace as it did me:

Cathy's Blog

I Remember

2011-09-11T07:41:00.000-07:00

The night before 9/11, my friends and I had gone out for my roommate, Erika's birthday. Her actual birthday was on September 11, but for some reason, we had decided to celebrate the night before. We went to the Cheesecake Factory in City Place and then went back home for drinks. Everyone went to bed that night not thinking that the next day, our world would be changed forever.

I didn't go to class the next morning. I think I might have not felt good or was just using up one of three skip days to chill at home. I signed online and was still trying to wake up when I saw the pictures of one of the World Trade Centers on fire. Underneath the picture was a caption that read "Commercial airline flies into World Trade Center." Honestly, my first thought was "What idiot would do that? Was the pilot asleep?" Right after that, my mother called me and told me what was going on. I remember feeling numb and knowing that I'd never forget this moment in my life. I think this was the first time I ever remember not feeling safe in my own country.

I tend to think of 9/11, especially when I'm in an airport going through security, knowing that the reason security has been so guarded is because of what happened. I think of it when I'm walking off the plane and how ten years ago, people could actually meet you at the gate and not at the front of the airport. Even now, it's still eerie to see a picture of New York City with the towers still rising above and knowing that was "before 9/11."

A lot has happened in 10 years and there are many experiences I've forgotten about. But I'll never forget where I was and what I was doing ten years ago today.

Cape Cod

2011-09-07T12:25:00.000-07:00

This last weekend I went to the Cape with a few friends from GCTS. It was probably one of the most relaxing weekends I've had in a long time. We didn't do much of anything but sit on the beach and read and catch up with each other's summer stories. On Saturday night, Nathan made his famous stromboli and we played a few games. On Sunday night, we all grilled out and had more friends stop by for dinner and then a bonfire on the beach. I even managed to grab a sleeping bag and sleep outside for a few hours. All in all, it was a great start to a new year here and I was so blessed to have shared it with some pretty great friends!

How Was Austria?

2011-08-29T11:32:00.000-07:00

This has been the question I've been asked the most since we returned nearly 3 weeks ago. It is a question I both love and hate at the same time. I love it because I hear "Austria" and a billion wonderful thoughts come to mind. I hate it because I know there's no way to describe the time I had in a few short sentences. We went over all of this during debriefing before we left and when we returned to Philly. But it's still hard to put into words. I hope I'm not coming off too aloof about it or like I don't want to talk about how glorious it all was. I guess I'm just still processing it all. Sometimes, I wake up and I still feel like I should be able to walk outside and down to Stephansplatz. Other times it feels like I've been back for ages.

I don't really know how to end this post other than to say to please keep praying for me and for my other teammates as we continue our transition. I don't think I'm alone in this process because we are all transitioning differently. I've noticed I've become more reflective and pensive about it and I want to share in the joy that it was with my friends and not feel like it's such a dreaded thing to talk about.

Oh yes, Irene did hit but she was so weak that it only caused our power to go out for a few hours around here. After having been in numerous hurricanes most of my life, this was one of the more tame ones I've lived through :-)

Summer's Gone

2011-08-25T13:24:00.000-07:00

Well almost. I'm sitting in the Atlanta airport waiting for the next 3 hrs because my flight to Boston was delayed. Obviously, I've had time to reflect and internalize, something that I really learned to do in Vienna over the summer.

I miss Vienna. I miss the summer there. And I know I've not even been back a month yet, but it already feels like it was another world in another time. I thought I might be over reverse culture shock, but I"m not because yesterday I went to Wal-Mart & was wondering why my aunt wasn't bagging her groceries...and then I remembered that we don't bag our groceries in the States. Duh.

Soon I'll be getting back into the groove of school and life at seminary. It all went by so fast this summer. I still feel like I was just getting on the bus to get to Philly.

Here's to you Summer 2011!

Not Guilty

2011-08-22T14:28:00.000-07:00

Mom & I went to the beach and then stopped by Reina's to see Jay & Diana before they left for their big move to California on Friday. Jay is starting grad school out there at Stanford. So proud of him :)

Towards the end of our visit, Mom & Reina were talking about something while I was surfing some really great clothes. I only caught the last of the conversation but Reina, as always, said something quite profound. It is Jesus' love that compels us to want to go and talk about Him. Well, I don't know if those were her exact words, but pretty close anyway. This is what I'd learned this summer and Reina summed it up in a short sentence. That should make us all breathe a sigh of relief, you know? Just because we shouldn't be guilted into "having to do something for Jesus." It's because of the way He loves us that makes us want to talk to others about Him.

I would never want to be guilted into going out and doing something for God. No. I want to go because I am compelled to go.

But more about "going" later...

Saturday

2011-08-20T14:06:00.000-07:00

Tammy came to Jacksonville last night and it's been such a relaxing visit since she's arrived. I had my Supporter's Dessert as well and was able to share some precious moments from Austria with a few of my supporters. I even made a German Streusel cake and apparently it turned out great which was a shock to me since I have zero baking skills ;)

Today we got up, worked out, and then sat around the house drinking coffee and catching up. It was so nice to just sit and have a conversation with my dear friend that I don't get to see so much. Then we headed to the pool, laid out for a bit, and finished off the afternoon with YogaBerry (sorry Kim Brown! I caved!) and a pedicure. Tonight we're going out for drinks.

All in all, it's been a perfect day.

A Week

2011-08-17T17:33:00.000-07:00

I've been back now in the States for a week. Actually, a week and a day since we landed on Tuesday. I'm still very tired during the day, but have been filling the time with some hard core workouts thanks to my trainer Kim Brown. I forgot how sore I get doing these types of exercises but I'm glad that I'm able to fit them in (even if I can't feel my arms anymore).

I'm still trying to keep the same type of schedule I had in Vienna as far as retreat times go and so far, I've failed all but one day. It's so easy to get caught up in the old regime of things and I was hoping that wouldn't happen. I still have 8 days to get that into place before I fly back to Boston.

Here's our latest family photo taken at my mom's bday party the other night :)

Flannery O'Connor

2011-08-14T19:28:00.000-07:00

A great quote was given to us during our Sonship Retreat a few weeks ago. I'd like to share it with you:

"All human nature vigorously resists grace because grace changes us and the change is painful."

As we go through life we are always going to be bombarded by change. It's only through grace, and God's grace alone, that we can learn to ride the waves of change in a healthy way. It's never fun and even if you are one - like me - who doesn't mind change, it still disrupts us and the path that we think we should be moving on at that specific time and place.

I'm sure we're all of us going through some type of change right now. Changing schools, changing jobs, changing friends, or, like me and several others I know right now, changing back to a home culture.

These past few days have been full of change. Some days have been easy, other days have been painful. And it's through the painful days I've needed to rely on Him even more.

I hope you'll do the same.

Reverse Culture Shock

2011-08-12T08:08:00.000-07:00

This is something I'm not a stranger to in the least. It happens when you return from a period of time from another culture & country & are trying to get used to life back in your home culture. Yesterday, I was sitting at Barnes & Noble w/a friend and saw someone walk by in a Jacksonville Jaguars tshirt. My first thought was "Oh they're from Jacksonville!" and I got excited and then remembered that it didn't matter because I was in Jacksonville and not Austria anymore. Also, when I first entered Barnes & Noble I was a bit taken aback at how BIG it was. I know some of you are probably thinking I'm exaggerating or at worst "being dramatic" but 2 months, as short as it sounds, really is a long time. And I had been shopping in bookstores that were the size of convenience stores. Amanda texted me yesterday to say she'd almost had a nervous breakdown going to the grocery store because of how large it was as well. I'm glad to know I'm not alone right now!

Jet lag is still very much present. I slept in til 11:30 yesterday and felt fine up until about 7pm and then wanted to crawl into bed. It was 1am in Austria and I could feel it! I managed to stay up til 11 and slept til 7:30 this morning. We'll see how long I last today.

It's my mother's birthday today and we're celebrating at Reina's tonight. It will be Bridgett's first formal family celebration. I guess I totally forgot to mention that the weekend I was in Prague, my brother proposed and he & Bridgett will be getting married on June 2!

I'm having some quiet retreat time right now at Barnes & Noble while my mother is off meeting with someone about Premier. I miss my little window at the Starbucks on Kärtnerstrasse. But this table at B&N will have to do for now.

More later.

Thoughts From the Airport

2011-08-10T15:13:00.000-07:00

We landed yesterday in Philly after some delays in the air. However, my teammates and I didn't mind since we were bumped up to Business Class & were quite comfortable :) It was quite hard to say goodbye in Vienna and very hard to say goodbye to my teammates today. When I got to my gate here in Philly, I was on the verge of tears and didn't know why. I then realized this was the first time in 2 months that I had been without Allie, Amanda, Brie, & Eva. We of course had our retreat times once a week where we were alone for a good 4 hours, but that was different. Because at the end of those 4 hours, we'd reconvene and go out for dinner or watch a movie or do something together. And here I was now knowing that, other than Brie, I didn't know when I would see the others again.

I'm in the throes of reverse culture shock and it's weird to hear english spoken everywhere. When we were coming back from the airport last night to WHM, I looked out the window and my first thought was "Oh there's the Donau" but it wasn't of course because we weren't in Vienna anymore. It is still hard to believe that I'm not within walking distance to the Graben or Stephansplatz. That I won't be going to New City Wien on Sunday. And that I won't be sharing in the precious community I've had this summer.

I'm about to board a plane headed for Jacksonville. At this time I am extremely jet-lagged and want nothing more than to climb into my bed and sleep.

Please keep reading this blog if you like. I'm still going to update and obviously, I had to change the title of it since I'm not in Austria anymore. But I figured Going Places was an appropriate description of the path my life seems to take me :)

Auf Wiedersehen, Austria

2011-08-07T22:55:00.000-07:00

I'm about to get ready for one last Austrian breakfast with the other girls. We're going to Hawelka, a famous cafe in the 1st district and one that we've frequented a lot in the last 2 months. Then we're taking in the city one more day before coming back to the apartment to be picked up by the team. We're going up to Kahlenburg, which looks over the city and then to dinner together at a heuriger. Tomorrow we fly out at 7:55am, connecting in London, and landing in Philly at 3 in the afternoon.

I still can't believe I won't be here tomorrow afternoon. Yes, I'm excited about seeing family, sharing stories, catching up with friends...but at the same time I'm sad to leave the life I've known here for 2 months. And although 2 months doesn't sound that long, it was long enough for each of us to build memories with each other, to get to know the people at our church, the kids at English Camp, and the city of Vienna.

I'm grateful that God granted me this summer here and that it is yet another tool He has for bringing me back to a continent that I love.

So long, Vienna. Thanks for the memories.

Debriefing

2011-08-06T14:33:00.000-07:00

We spent the night outside of Vienna in the town of Bad Vöslau last night, reflecting on the summer and what we went through here. I can't believe that in nearly 48 hours, this will all be over. This summer that I waited to happen has happened and on Tuesday we'll be flying back to the States. I have loved every single minute of this experience. Even in the conflict, the tears that were shed, and the days when I wondered how on earth I'd survive living in the same space with 4 other women, I still count this summer as one of the best.
Here are some pictures taken in the last week here:

Yesterday

2011-08-04T00:41:00.000-07:00

I meant to write a blog for everyday of my last week here but we've been so busy that I just realized this morning I needed to catch up on one!

Yesterday was one of my last days in the city. I woke up and went to meet a friend from New City Wien at Starbucks. Usually on the Strassenbahn I either read or listen to my iPod. However, yesterday I just watched the city and my neighborhood pass me by. It's definitely little things that I will probably remember and miss the most. We have an on running joke among us about the "Tram Man", the automated voice we hear on the Strassenbahn whenever there's a stop coming up. Apparently, I do a pretty good imitation of him or so I'm told ;)

After meeting up with Tabea, I went back towards our district and met up with Brad & Stacey for one last discipleship session. It was hard to believe this was my last time doing discipleship this summer. It was a great time laughing and just sharing all I felt I'd learned this summer.

Amanda and I met up at the hammocks by Museums Quartier. There's this display there until October that is about 4 stories of hammocks that you can go and lie down in for as long as you want! It overlooks Museums Quartier and is quite relaxing. I read for a little while and then took a short nap before heading for the University. Amanda and I wanted to get a few pictures there because we'd heard how beautiful it was. We then made our way towards Votifkirche and went inside as we'd yet to see it. Our last stop was getting a coffee at McCafe and talking about how we were going to have to say our goodbyes soon.

We met up with Allie and Brie at Karlskirche and went to take a look inside. Unfortunately, they were holding Mass and we all felt a little bad about wandering around while services were going on. Brie found a room to pray in while the three of us went back home and ate dinner.

Last night was a night we'd all been looking forward to for a while. There's this really fun bar at the top of one of the buildings in the 1st district called SkyBar. It overlooks the city and there's a great view of Stephansdom lit up at night. The five of us went with Lindsay and her friend, Whitney, and sat and talked for a good hour or so. It was a gorgeous night outside and I got some great pictures of Kärtnerstrasse.

We're all pretty tired this morning and we have a major cleaning job ahead of us. Tonight we are hosting a Dessert Night for the church at our apartment so our place needs to be spic and span. Tomorrow we leave for our Debriefing Retreat and will be gone overnight. I'm hoping today I'll get one more chance to walk around my favorite parts of the city. Pictures to come later.

One Week Left in Austria

2011-08-01T08:43:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting at Starbucks off Michaelerplatz (I probably just butchered that spelling) across from the Spanish Riding School. Today is our Retreat Time and I started it off at "my" Starbucks on Kärtnerstrasse. I got a seat by the picture window which is my favorite spot. Quite fitting since this is one of my last times there. From there, I walked along the street to Stephansdom and sat inside, listening to music and reading from 1 Corinthians. It was pretty sacred and I spent a long time just pondering a lot of "stuff." I left Stephansdom and then headed down to the Jewish Quarter. There is a big memorial there to the victims of the Holocaust, listing all of the concentration camps where Austrian Jews were killed. We had visited this on our first day here in Vienna, but I hardly remember that as I was severely jet-lagged! I walked back to the Graben, one of my favorite spots and then down Michaelerplatz to the Starbucks where I'm sitting now. I'm a/b to meet up with the girls at the Rathaus for dinner and then a drink at Museums Quartier. I know that this week is going to go by very fast because that's just how time has moved here all summer. But today was peaceful and just like Saturday, I enjoyed some much needed "me and God" time. Tomorrow we're going to pray at the Int'l Christian School of Vienna and tomorrow night will be our last Family Night. It's all very bittersweet but at the end of the day, I'm so grateful that I had this opportunity. More to come later ...

Savoring

2011-07-30T07:09:00.000-07:00

Today was a day I took for myself. I left the apartment around 11:30 and headed into the 1st District. I walked along Kärtnerstrasse and went into all 3 H&Ms, Pimkie, and a few souvenir shops. I ended up having lunch at the famous Demel Cafe and then strolled back to the tram stop across from the Hofburg. I decided to have a latte at one of our favorite spots here, BlueOrange, and then headed back home to start preparing for the Game Night at New City Wien tonight. It was a perfect day and one I've been craving to have for awhile now. I know I won't have much longer here and God only knows how much longer I'll have to wait before I return to Europe, so every single minute of every day left I'm trying to savor and take in as much as I can.

Schladming and Sonship

2011-07-29T11:40:00.000-07:00

We just returned today from a five day retreat in the Austrian Alps town of Schladming. Schladming is an hour from Salzburg and is situated in the heart of a ski village. It reminded me a lot of the village I used to live in in Switzerland. So yes, it was gorgeous and beautiful and I fully expected Julie Andrews and the seven children to come skipping down the mountain singing "Do-Re-Mi" at any moment.

For five days we were holed away in this little hotel with no internet, no phone, no connection to the outside world...and it was wonderful. We had 6 intense sessions of Sonship with Jeff McMullen, a Sonship director from World Harvest who came over to lead the retreat. If you've not heard or done Sonship, I encourage you to check it out on www.whm.org. I was shown the Gospel in a whole new light. There were many tears, many realizations, and many aspects of my life that I've come to see are idols of my heart. And it hurt to admit that. You don't tend to see what your idols are or that they even are idols until you come face to face with them.

Probably the most convicting talk was the talk on Confrontation and Forgiveness. As you all are probably aware, I hate confrontation, hate confronting anything, and run from it whenever there's a chance. But I've had to confront this summer twice and both times were not easy. Yet, I learned that the Gospel was bigger than my fear of confronting someone else. The talk this week gave me the confidence and peace of the cross to overcome that fear. It was truly a blessing. We are in a continual process mode of how to take what we've learned this summer and apply it to everyday situations when we come back.

The week wasn't just full of intensity. There were also many laughs and fun times with each other. Yesterday, the interns took the Hunter kids and Jeff's son, Ewan, into Schladming and up the mountain to do a Ropes course. We then went to another mountain and rode go carts down an Alp. It was crazy and something I probably won't ever do again, but it was fun and I can say that I rode a go cart down an Alp! This morning we went to an indoor water park and went down a slide numerous times as well as swam before we packed up to go back to Vienna.

This next week marks our last in Vienna. I'm going to enjoy it to the fullest. Here are some pics from our week:

Tomorrow

2011-07-24T05:29:00.000-07:00

We are leaving for our Sonship Retreat in Schladming. It will be a week of intense Bible studies, fellowship times, and reflection. I'm glad we won't have internet or phone for a week so that we can truly "retreat."

I leave you with a few pics taken in the last week...

In the last week..

2011-07-23T11:39:00.000-07:00

...we have done a lot!

Monday-was our last German lesson and afterwards, Inge, our instructor, went with us to a Sri Lankan cafe near our apartment. If you've never had Sri Lankan food it is DELICIOUS!! After lunch, we had our retreat time and I headed to Starbucks and then walked around the 1st District

Tuesday-we took some of the older kids from English Camp to a toboggan run here in Vienna. I went down at least 4 times! On Tuesday evening we had our weekly Family Night at the Hunters and our theme was Raclette and The Sound of Music! I will never tire of that movie!

Wednesday-Brie and I met up with an English Camper and her mom, grandmother, stepfather, stepbrother, and cousin to tour the Natural History Museum. Afterwards, we ate at a Viennese brewery. It was so great to be able to talk with the family and hang out as this was what I had envisioned on this trip!

Thursday-was Bible study and Thursday night we had roommate game night. We played Telephone Pictionary, Story Hour, and Balderdash.

Friday-Brie and I went to an old cemetery where Beethoven is buried with Ewald Ring and his family. Ewald is a Gordon-Conwell grad and is from Vienna. We had a great time with them! Last night Lindsay came over and made fajitas and sangria and then we all watched Baby Mama together.

Today-I slept in and then went to Schönbrunn Palace to take a tour. It was beautiful and I enjoyed hearing more about the Hapsburg family and their empire. I had a wonderful time afterwards window shopping and venturing to parts of Vienna alone that I hadn't made it to yet.

Monday we will leave for our Sonship Retreat in Schladming, a little town about 3 hrs from Vienna. I'm looking forward to this but at the same time, I know that when we get back on Friday, I'll have just a little over a week left in this amazing place...

Pics from Praha

2011-07-16T14:17:00.000-07:00

Alli's in Prague!

2011-07-15T12:17:00.000-07:00

We were given a weekend off from our internship and so the five of us all went to different places. Eva is in Brussels, Allie in London, Brie stayed in Vienna with friends who are visiting her from Deutschland, and Amanda and I took the bus up to Prague. We've been up since before 6am this morning and that was after neither of us getting to bed until after midnight. However, we walked all over the castle grounds and did some fun shopping in the Old Town today. Tomorrow we're taking a tour of the city and might possibly hit up a few museums. Pics to come soon.

1/2 Way Point

2011-07-12T14:40:00.000-07:00

Exactly 4 weeks ago today we left for this adventure. Arriving to Vienna we were wide eyed (and jet lagged) and excited with anticipation to get this summer started. We've been through a lot in the last month. The excitement of being in Europe is still fresh on our minds, but we've also been living life together in community. We came into this apartment as five independent women with completely different personalities. And yes, they've come to a head more than once. But in the end, I have discovered these amazing new friends that I laugh and share joy with but at the same time can cry and be myself.

We have 3 1/2 weeks left. I plan to get as much out of this internship as is possible in the remaining time here. But at the same time, I don't want the adventure to end so soon. You can definitely pray for me as I get ready to return, but that I would also be able to live out this adventure with Him in the most exciting ways possible!

This week...

2011-07-10T13:23:00.000-07:00

...was the busiest week I've had in quite some time. We did an entire week of English Camp with 40 Austrian kids and had a team from St. Andrews Pres in FL come over to help out. It was such a blessing to watch these kids being loved on and them loving on us as well.

On Friday, we went to the Prater and had a picnic and played on this AMAZING playground there. European playgrounds have no rules and get away with a LOT...which means a LOT of fun :) Check out that slide...!

Saturday, the roomies and I took a day trip over to Bratislava, Slovakia. Bratislava is a small town but worth the visit. It was a former communist city and there are several buildings that you can see across the Danube that have that "communist feel" to them. We climbed up a large hill (in 90 degree heat!) to the castle that overlooks the city and before that, had a traditional Slovakian lunch.

When we got back to Vienna, we headed to the Stephansdom Cathedral to hear Handel's Messiah. It was beautiful and the music was stellar. However, this morning we were dragging and I think we are all grateful for a slower week these next few days!

1st Day of English Camp + An Austrian 4th of July

2011-07-04T14:28:00.000-07:00

Today was our first day of English Camp as well as a big 4th of July celebration at the Hunter's w/the St. Andrews team. Will write more later. Extremely tired! Hope you all had a great 4th!!

It's the Simple Things

2011-07-01T13:56:00.000-07:00

Today on my way to babysit, I stopped at this literal hole in the wall at the Schottentor tram stop. It's called Kaffee Kuche (Coffee Kitchen) and it has the most amazing melanges I've found in Vienna. Lindsay introduced us to it and it is this little stand that is quite popular with the university students. The coffee there is truly better than any I've had (and I get coffee at least once a day here).

Tonight Brie and I went over to Karlsplatz and watched Charlie Chaplin's The Immigrant in front of the Karlskirche in Resselpark. It was rather cold outside but the view of the church behind the movie screen was simply beautiful. The movie was free and quite entertaining (and no translation needed since it was a silent film!).

So you don't have to come to Wien and spend a lot of money on entertainment...at least I didn't today :)

These are a few of my favorite things...

2011-06-30T02:33:00.000-07:00

...walking around the 1st district
...melanges in random cafes
...people watching at Starbucks on Kaertnerstrasse
...seeing the Opera House as the tram rounds the corner
...smiling every time I see the point of St. Stephans
...one on one with roommates/teammates
...finding bargains
...eating at the Naschmarkt
...worshiping at New City Wien
...speaking German
...public transportation
...retreat time with Him
...meeting new people
...taking pictures of literally everything I come across
...finding myself in love once again with Europe and German-speaking countries

Pruning

2011-06-30T01:48:00.000-07:00

In the last few days I've felt it. I know that there is a specific reason for Him bringing me all the way across the world. As much as I'm here to minister, He's ministering to me, too. Pruning is never fun, nor is it ever easy. But it's necessary for us if we're ever to be the person we were created to be. I read this today in Hebrews:

"No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields the fruit of peace and righteousness to those who have been trained by it" Hebrews 12:11

Well, that's the truth if I ever heard it! Of all the days to read a passage like that. Yesterday, I blatantly said to God "I don't want to be exposed over here. I don't want my teammates to see me being mean or pouty. So I'm just going to hide it." And right away, this is what I got from that "You hide it all the time. So if you keep hiding it, how am I ever going to transform you into what I created you for?!"

I'm going to be blatantly honest: Pruning sucks. It hurts. It's certainly not something I am enjoying right now. But in the end when the "fruit of peace and righteousness" finally spring up, it will be something that was worth it.

Oh and also--just because I'm being pruned in this absolutely beautiful and gorgeous city certainly does not make it any more fun or exciting. In fact, it probably hurts worse because I'm out of my comfort zone. But when I return, I hope to be a different person because of it.

Comforts from the Cross

2011-06-26T02:54:00.000-07:00

I cannot say enough about this book. I have been reading this nearly everyday since before arriving in Austria and then everyday here. Today I read something that really hit home:

"We are so frequently misguided about God's plans. Day by day we measure our progress toward anticipated goals; we judge God's faithfulness and our performance by the proximity of the desired accomplishment. 'Is everything progressing as it should?' 'Am I getting through this rough patch?' 'Are my kids achieving?' ' Am I paying down my debt?' 'Is my boss finally appreciating me?' And then the kids fail (again!); foreclosure looms; we discover that the boss not only doesn't appreciate us, but he's actually considering demoting us. 'Hold on!' we think. 'This isn't what I signed up for. This isn't right. I've followed God. Where is he now that I really need Him? What happened to all the plans we made together?' We suffer because we mistakenly believe that God's goals and our goals are identical. Into this confusion and sorrow, your Savior, who isn't insensible to your pain, speaks. 'I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world'." (John 16:33).

I'm pretty sure everyday I think I've gotten it right or that I've figured God out. I think about the future. My goals, dreams, aspirations, getting frustrated that I haven't accomplished what I think I should have accomplished by the age of 32. If I could just remember that His goals are certainly not the same ones I have set up for myself. THANK THE LORD!

Fun on a Friday Night

2011-06-25T02:41:00.000-07:00

Last night we went to a benefit concert for a friend from New City Wien. She put on a magnificent performance and Eva & Brie also participated in it! Afterwards we went to the church for falafel and pita and some great laughs together. Here are some pics from our evening:

Julie & Eva playing together

Brie jamming on the box drum

With our awesome and amazing German teacher!!

Living Life

2011-06-23T01:26:00.000-07:00

The last three days have gone by so fast that I forgot to post on our week anniversary here. It doesn't seem like a week. It seems like we've been here much longer, but in a good way.

Tuesday night we had our first Family Night w/the Hunters and Lindsey. We ate tacos and then had family worship and played Apples to Apples. We ended the evening with an episode of Modern Family.

Yesterday was our first Discipleship time w/our mentors. Stacey is my mentor and I felt so blessed to be so open with her upon our first meeting. We had breakfast at a little cafe in the 10th district of the city and I got to share my heart with her during our time. It was great! Last night we all went to see The Magic Flute at the Opera House and afterwards had Sacher Torte at the Sacher Hotel. We ended the night with the movie Hitch.

Living life with these four other women has been great so far. I am loving our times together and our life in Vienna. Here's a few pics from yesterday:

On the Way Home...

2011-06-20T15:09:00.000-07:00

So Allie and I heard that one of the store's on Kaertnerstrasse was having a 50% off sale today. Since sales are few and far between in Austria, we both jumped on it. We told our other roomies we'd be back in time to help cook dinner and that we'd only be gone an hour and a half. Well, this was before we saw H&M next door to Mango (where the 50% off was taking place). We spent some time looking in there and finally left about quarter til 6. We were doing good on time and hopped on the tram, thinking that even though it was going in the other direction, it would make a loop. (Looking back at when I lived in Switzerland/Germany, I should have remembered that most trams do not do this!).

After a while, I told Allie that this was not going to be as we thought. We ended up on the other side of town at the Prater! There was nothing we could do and so Allie called Eva to let her know we'd be late for dinner. We walked through the park until we started noticing the familiar rides from the Wurstelprater. We saw the sketchy rollercoaster and both of us laughed about how we had no idea whether or not the lap belt had locked. Then, Allie looks at me and says "Wanna ride it again? We're already late!" It didn't take much coercing at all.

We rode the sketchy roller coaster (named the Super Acht) and still aren't sure if that lap belt locked or not. But we were laughing the entire time and then on the U-bahn home just about how random it all was. We got home close to 8pm, the roomies had already finished dinner. I felt a little bad about not being there to help cook but we washed dishes and besides--how many times can you ride a roller coaster on your way home?

...and the world passes me by

2011-06-20T01:43:00.000-07:00

On Mondays we are to find a spot and have our quiet time with God. I woke up earlier than usual this morning to shower and have breakfast and then walked from our apartment down to Kaertner Strasse. At first I went to Aida Cafe and thought that might be a prime spot. I ordered a Melange (traditional Viennese coffee) and got out my journal and Bible. However, the chair I was sitting in was not so comfortable and I couldn't justify spending the next 3 hrs there. I decided to give in to my American roots and went to Starbucks. I know, I know. I'm in the coffee mecca of the world and I went to Starbucks. Does it make it better that I am sitting by a huge picture window facing the Opera House and the Sacher Hotel?

I've been reading through Comforts from the Cross today and the chapter I read was on suffering. I was reminded of the people I know right now who are experiencing loss or hardships. I was also reminded of myself and the way I whine and stomp my feet when things don't go my way and I like to call it "hardships" when really, it boils down to the fact that God is still pruning me. A few things stuck out to me as I was reading:

"Jesus is more interested in our eternal cure than he is in our temporal relief."
"He is not capricious, picking petals off a daisy: 'I think I'll help them, I think I won't'."
"Hang on to him in faith...somehow in some way hidden to your weak eyes, your suffering if making a way for that to happen...you will see something you never could have imagined."

When I want answers, and I always want them right away, I will remember what Fitzpatrick says: "Jesus is more interested in our eternal cure than he is in our temporal relief." Because what I think is going to be the best cure or answer for me may be the worst decision I could make for myself.

As the world passes me by next to this picture window, I'm reflecting on what that means for me. I hope you will, too, for yourself.

Wurstelprater

2011-06-19T02:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Amanda, Allie, Brie & I went to Wurstelprater. Wurstelprater is an amusement park set within Prater park that used to be hunting grounds for the Habsburg family (if you don't know who the Habsburgs are, Wikipedia has a whole page on them! Worth looking at!). It is famous for the Wiener Riesenrad, a ferris wheel that you can eat dinner on! We didn't do that as it's quite pricey (100 euros!), but we did do a few other rides which were awesome!

Our first ride was this sketchy looking roller coaster. You be the judge:

It was fun, but as soon as we got on, Brie turned to me and asked "Does this handle lock?" talking about the lap handle. We're still not sure if it did or not.

We then went on this ginormous swing that was 300 something feet in the air. It was a beautiful view of the city (and possibly Germany, Slovakia, and other surrounding countries!).

There was another ferris wheel that only cost us 3 euros and gave us a great view as well.

Our next ride was like the Tilt-a-Whirl or Mad Teacups on crack. I never get sick on rides but this one made me queasy. No pics of that ride.
Our final destination was this restaurant we'd heard about called Schweizerhaus (Swiss House). They're famous for pig knuckles. Yes, you read that right. None of us got pig knuckles. I enjoyed the true Viennese treat of Wiener Schnitzel

It was raining when we finished dinner, so we headed home and had a relaxed evening of checking email, skyping, and phoning family in the States.

This morning Amanda, Eva, and I were the first to rise and had a leisurely breakfast and devo time. Our church service starts at 5, so we don't have to be at church til 4:15 which is nice. I think all of us have adjusted to the time change, but it's still nice to have time for relaxing :)

Enjoy your Sunday!

Lazy Saturday

2011-06-18T03:01:00.000-07:00

So today was the first day we had off since arriving in Vienna. We all agreed last night that we were going to just CHILL this morning and not have any major plans. It was glorious to sleep in until 10am and feel REFRESHED! I got up, made some coffee, enjoyed some devo time, and checked email. I was hungry by that point and just finished some delicious eggs. I love the eggs in Europe. There's definitely a difference in taste and they are even more yummy!

It's overcast today but I'm about to go on a run and then we're going to Prater for the afternoon. I'm loving this day already and I haven't even gotten out of my pajamas!!!

Groceries & a Street Festival

2011-06-17T14:45:00.000-07:00

This morning we got up and Lindsey took all of us interns grocery shopping. It was so fun to be back in a European grocery store! I was fondly reminded of shopping with Anne in Germany 3 years ago and even purchased a few items that reminded me of our grocery trips together :) We had orientation again at the church and even saw the spot where Mozart composed The Magic Flute! Tonight we went to a street festival and then went back to Brad & Stacey's for chips & salsa, a fire pit, and an unbelievable view of the city! Brie & I stayed a little longer and played Apples to Apples with Stacey, Lindsey, the kids, and some family friends of theirs. We're now all chilling in front of the TV watching Friends at our apartment and enjoying a relaxed night. It's been a wonderful last three days. The pics below are of the street festival and our time on the terrace of the Hunter's apartment. Gute Nacht!

Savannah Stroud 1998-2011

2011-06-17T01:06:00.000-07:00

Pics from WHM & Our 1st Day in Wien

2011-06-15T23:24:00.000-07:00

Relaxing in the "puton"

Allie, Caroline, & Kristen at the bonfire

First glimpse of St. Stephansdom!

just something gorgeous in Vienna (I didn't find out the name of the building or the statue but I really liked it!)

We're here :)

2011-06-15T07:28:00.000-07:00

The plane flight was smooth, the transition from Heathrow to Vienna was just as smooth, and now I'm sitting in my living room in the apartment I'll share with four other girls for the next two months. It still seems surreal right now. I honestly feel as though I'm in a dream.
Our apartment is pretty sweet. Three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a huge kitchen, washer/dryer, dishwasher...yeah, God is good!
We're going out with the rest of the team here in Vienna tonight for dinner and then coming back home for a much needed night's rest! I have yet to sit down on my bed yet for fear I'll crawl into a ball and go to sleep! As tired as I am, I cannot wait for the rest of the summer to begin.

And we're off!

2011-06-14T09:09:00.000-07:00

So the past two days have been a whirlwind...literally! I got into Philly around 2pm, grabbed a bite at the train station, and then hopped on a train for Jenkintown and the Sending Center. It was so good to see all of the interns I'd met in February as well as my fellow Vienna girls!!

On Sunday evening we had a fantastic Philly Cheesesteak dinner on the terrace and played a round of Apples to Apples. You will relieved to know I found a puton here at WHM ;) Pics to come later!
We crashed when we got to our host home and were blessed with a delicious breakfast the next morning along with an amazing cup of coffee!!

Monday we left for the SPADE Retreat Center outside of Philly and had two intense Bible studies. We also made a life map which was extremely therapeutic!! Monday night we had a cookout and bonfire (this is my 3rd bonfire in a week!) and then some of us girls went back to our room and shared our life maps with each other.

We returned to the Sending Center today around 10 and had a prayer meeting with the WHM staff, sharing our hopes for our different internships. Right now, we're killing time before we have lunch and then the Kenya & Vienna interns are going to the airport!! This time tomorrow, I"ll be in my new temporary summer home!!

Pictures of our weekend to come soon but for now I need to go grab food and then get ready to leave!!

It's almost farewell time..

2011-06-11T12:28:00.000-07:00

Last night my friends and I got together at The Lobster Pool in Rockport to share one last meal together before I head off. The Lobster Pool is a fantastic seafood place with great views of the sunset. After we ate, we enjoyed a bonfire and roasted marshmallows. It was such a fun time and I had a blast getting to visit with my sweet GCTS friends! Tonight I was supposed to go see New Kids & BSB in concert together in Boston. My friend Kristie had scored me a free ticket. But it's raining pretty bad here and all around yucky. I also am not keen on driving Yetta the Jetta too far anymore. Oh and the one little detail I've left out--I haven't finished packing. Or started for that matter. Last night we got back late and then played Rock Band and by the time I got back to my room I was exhausted.

Tomorrow morning I leave bright and early at 7:45am on a bus headed to Philly. I'm hoping to meet up with Eva, one of the other interns, at the train station and we will take the train to the Sending Center together. I can't believe it's almost here. In three nights I'll be sleeping on a plane and waking up in a part of the world that I adore.

Enjoy some pics from last night:

A Puton

2011-06-08T14:37:00.000-07:00

I'm about 4 days from leaving Massachusetts now. Nothing's packed yet, though I have spent the last week moving rooms and am finally (almost) settled in a new room at the end of the hall. My new place is spacious and has more of an "apartment" feel to it. I like it.

One of the best things in my new set up is this awesome "mushroom chair" I got from Trevor & Steph. I can't think of its actual name, nor could I think of it the other night when I was explaining it to Melissa & Christine. So I called it a "puton." The name stuck and so now any type of comfortable chair is aptly named a "puton."

Every morning I've been able to have a cup of coffee, sit in my puton, and read Comforts from the Cross by Elyse M. Fitzpatrick and Hinds Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard. Both books have spoken to me greatly and I can't seem to put either down. I love snuggling up in my puton with my coffee and my books and relaxing this week. I feel like everyone should find a puton. Maybe it doesn't have to be a chair. It could be a couch. Or just a place that you can relax. Wherever or whatever you make of it, I hope you find a puton for yourself and take time out to breathe.

A week from tonight...

2011-06-05T19:37:00.000-07:00

...I'll be with the other four Vienna interns in Philly. I can't wait to reconnect with them and talk about our summer together.

It's almost here. In nearly a week I'll be boarding a plane to Vienna!!!

Summer

2011-05-27T09:40:00.000-07:00

It finally came to Massachusetts! The highs have been in the 70s & today it hit 83! After the longest winter I've ever experienced, this weather is a much needed welcome as I was a little homesick when I returned from Florida last week.

In other news...we leave for Vienna in 17 days. 17! Here's a link to the GCTS website for the OMP Uttermost Part Trips featuring me & Brie. It also has a link to an article on the site that was done about us last week.

Enjoy your summer day!

GCTS VIENNA TEAM

Pics from a Mini-Vacay

2011-05-13T14:30:00.000-07:00

It's been a great little vacation so far. I've enjoyed the beach, hanging out with my family, and seeing old friends. Yesterday my parents and I took a short trip up to Savannah to see Stephen Dobson & Sheldon Pinckney in The Savannah Tenors. If you live in Savh or near Savh YOU MUST SEE THIS SHOW!! Anyways, we met up w/Tammy for dinner & then enjoyed a great performance! I head back north on Tuesday, so I'm enjoying every last minute before I go.

Here's some pics from the last few days...

Jax Beach on a beautiful day!

Me & Mom on Mother's Day

Mom, Mamaw, & me at lunch at The Beach Diner

Tammy, me, & Stephen Dobson after seeing him perform in The Savannah Tenors

Laura & me after breakfast at Cracker Barrel before heading back to Jax!

Florida

2011-05-10T13:59:00.000-07:00

As much fun as I'm having living in Boston, it's nice to be back in the South for a while. As soon as I landed on Saturday, we headed to the beach. Never mind that I left my bathing suit top at school (it got thrown on the floor as I was rearranging my carry-on!), that's what Target is for!!! So after we stopped at Target, we got to the beach and I fell asleep in the sand for about an hour. I had gone on a total of 5 hrs of sleep the past 2 nights due to a paper I was writing (it was finished yesterday at 3am!) and so I was pretty exhausted! For dinner we had some yummy seafood at a little hole in the wall at the beach that my parents love.

Sunday I spent a wonderful time w/my mom, dad, and Aunt Hattie in St. Augustine for Mother's Day. We ate at Casa Monica and then walked around St. George Street. It was absolutely gorgeous!

Yesterday Mom & I met up w/Mamaw at the best restaurant ever for lunch and then I went to Boot Camp w/my favorite trainer, Kim Brown!! Last night we had a good ol' southern meal of fried chicken, homemade french fries, cole slaw, and biscuits. YUM (although I had to opt for the healthier version of grilled chicken & kale b/c of the extra lbs put on this semester :( ).

Today I've done nothing but catch up on Glee and relax since I haven't had that kind of a day in months! Tonight we're going to hear the new coach for the Miami Hurricanes speak and I'm extremely excited about that!

Obviously, it's been a busy but restful time at home so far. I'm enjoying this time before I head back to Boston and start gearing up for Vienna!

Pics to follow soon...

$5,275...

2011-05-05T17:48:00.000-07:00

All I have to say to everyone who reads this blog is--

GOD IS GOOD AND YOU ARE ALL APART OF THIS!!!! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!

39 DAYS, 21 HOURS, 26 MINUTES AND I LEAVE FOR AUSTRIA!!

"If you hold the rope, I will go into the pit..."

2011-04-27T08:31:00.000-07:00

The two pretty girls beside me & Brie are Melissa (on the left) and Lyndsay (on the right). What a blessing they are!! In our OMP class, we were asked to choose two rope holders to be praying for us daily while we were in Austria. A "rope holder" is a term that comes from missionary William Carey who said "if you hold the rope, I will go into the pit." Melissa and Lyndsay have both promised to do just that while we're gone. We're even going to be Skyping with them a few times to pray! Lyndsay also has a heart for German-speaking Europe and it's so great to be able to share our hearts with her and Melissa!

I just checked my Countdown Widget on my computer. According to it, we have:
48 days, 6 hours, 43 minutes, and 59...58...57 seconds until we leave for Vienna... :)

The Hills Are Alive

2011-04-18T21:09:00.000-07:00

I have to thank Allie Dyar for this entry I'm posting as her latest post made me want to write it.

Europe has been on my heart and mind since I was a child watching that movie with the mischievous nun and the seven children singing perfectly on pitch. You know which one I mean, of course. I remember being captivated by those opening scenes from the movie and how beautiful it was. I often wondered if a place like that really existed. And what was Austria?! I wanted to go to this magical place one day.

My senior year of high school, I was chosen to play "Maria" in our school's production of The Sound of Music. It was my dream come true. And it was so much fun!! And it only made me want to go to Europe even more.

When I was looking to be an Au Pair after college, my top choices were England, Austria, and Switzerland. And I only chose Switzerland because it had more au pair choices and it was next to Austria and I knew if I was going to be living in Europe for a year, I was going to finally go to Austria. That following summer, my parents came over to visit me and we went on The Sound of Music tour. It was the cheesiest, most American tour you can imagine...but it was everything I ever wanted to see!!

I really feel like God did use that movie to spark my interest in doing mission work in Europe. It may sound crazy, but I know He can use anything and any circumstance to bring us where He wants us to be.

I leave you with some pics of The Sound of Music tour from the summer of '03. Enjoy!

A Song Worth a Listen...

2011-04-17T12:46:00.000-07:00

I'm on the Worship Team at my church in Gloucester, Mass and for the last 2 weeks we've sung this awesome song, Forever Reign. Click on the video above & you'll see what I'm talking about. I think my favorite line is:
"You are God, of all else I'm letting go"
I wish I really put that into practice every minute of every day. What a solid truth!!

Enjoy your Sunday :)

Brie's Blog!

2011-04-14T14:32:00.000-07:00

GO HERE! for my friend Brie's blog about Vienna.

We also got our flight itinerary today from Philly to Vienna. It's getting closer and closer!!

Passports

2011-04-11T11:03:00.000-07:00

I got my new Passport in the mail last week. It's the one on the left (if you couldn't already tell). The one on the right now has a hole punched in it signifying it's expiration. I know it's silly, but I absolutely loved my old Passport. I'm sure that's such an "American thing" to say, but it's true. I had it for ten years and used it for the first time when I went to London in 2001. My goal upon getting it was to get every single page stamped before I got a new one. Goal accomplished. I hope this new one is used so much that I have to get extra pages put in it before it's expired.

62 days before its first usage...

72%...

2011-04-06T12:15:00.000-07:00

..is God's way of saying "see? I got this!"

In a mere 68 days, I'll be on a plane headed for Vienna. A friend reminded me the other day that this time last year, I had no idea I would be doing this, much less attending seminary.

You would think by now I would have learned what it means in Jeremiah 29:11. I'm always learning something new about what it means to walk in faith.

72% down, 28% to go...

Church Movement in Europe

2011-04-04T16:52:00.001-07:00

Go here for a really cool video on the church movement in Europe !!!!

Thoughts on Love by Charlie Sheen

2011-04-04T08:32:00.000-07:00

No, don't blink. You read that right.

Occasionally, when I get a free minute, I do go read People Magazine just because I am a pop culture junkie. It's sad and I know it but alas, it's just what I do ;)

Today there was a short article on Charlie Sheen. I must admit that in Middle School I was big fan of his Major League and Hot Shots movies. But as I'm sure you all know, the man's kind of hit a new kind of crazy. While I think that most of this might be an act, I'm pretty sure he's not far from being diagnosed with some sort of something soon! Anyway...the article was about his most recent one man show in Chicago and he had a friend come on stage and interview him. When asked about his two "goddesses" (seriously, if you have no idea what I'm talking about here, just Google it and I'm sure you'll get a plethora of sites and statements on them), Sheen replied "the definition of love is that they have not disallowed everything that makes me happy."

What a sad, sad definition. But how true it is of our society and even our relationship with our Creator! I know that there are many times (including several times in the last week) that I have wondered why I wasn't given a specific "desire" that I thought I had to have. My goodness, if He gave me every single thing I asked for, I'm pretty sure I'd be miserable right now because there have been so many times those "desires" and 'wants" were merely flashes in the pan and I know I wouldn't want more than half the stuff I'd thought I would.

Again, this post doesn't really have any relevance to my Austria trip, but I figured it would be a good read anyhow :)

Blessed

2011-03-31T10:02:00.000-07:00

I find it funny that I still tend to doubt myself when it comes to raising this support that's due for Vienna. Every week I'm amazed at how much money has come in and who gave what. I think that I'm more amazed at my friends who are in seminary with me because we are all on such tight budgets, yet they have given so wholeheartedly! Today was my 50% deadline and I'm officially at 65%! Crazy. There's nothing that's impossible with God, that's for sure.

Please keep praying for the remainder of the support to come in in due time...or I guess I should say in HIS time :)

Visit with Old Friends

2011-03-22T20:23:00.000-07:00

Three years ago, I lived in the little town of Weil am Rhein, Germany about 10 minutes from the Swiss town of Basel. I spent 2 years here teaching at Rhein Int'l Academy and learning what ministry abroad was all about. During that span of time, my roommate, Anne, and myself became friends with the Antrim fam. We taught their kids, Jordan and Ashleigh, and were always over at their house for dinner or to watch The Polar Express and eat cookies! Some of my favorite memories of being abroad are with their family.

The Antrims live outside of Philly and this past weekend I was able to go and visit them for the first time in nearly 3 years. We had SO much fun catching up and reminiscing. We went into Philly on Saturday and on Sunday we did the Hershey tour. On Sunday night, Cherie made Swiss raclette and it was so good! I'm so thankful to still keep in touch with such wonderful people! Here are a few pics from this weekend:

Just the Way it Happens...

2011-03-15T18:23:00.000-07:00

I got my weekly phone call from WHM yesterday regarding my support. I'm supposed to have 50% raised two weeks from Thursday. The call was a little discouraging. I didn't have it yet. I needed to call, email, whatever I needed to do to get more in. And obviously, I definitely needed to pray.

So...I had to go up to the Missions office after I got off the phone to drop off a copy of my support letter for them. I was a little bummed about my support statement and immediately began to think the worst, even though just an hour before, I had been thinking about how excited I was to get this opportunity. On my way to the Missions office I ran into a friend of mine. He asked me how I was and I told him about my phone call with WHM. Almost immediately he said "I'll give you $100!" I thought at first he was just joking around (we are all poor seminary students after all!). He wasn't kidding. He was serious! And that happened literally 5 minutes after I'd been wondering what I was going to do if I didn't get all of my support in. Yep, that's how God works. That's exactly how He does things. When we least expect it, He steps in and provides.

I leave you with 2 links to 2 videos. One is a slideshow on the website for the Vienna Team and the other is a short video Brie found on the Greater Europe Mission website. I encourage you to view both :)
Vienna Website Slideshow
Brie's Movie from GEM

Another Team Member Blog!

2011-03-14T13:30:00.000-07:00

This is (the other) Allie's blog. Allie goes to Covenant College in Chattanooga and I am so excited about sharing in this experience w/her this summer, as well as with Brie, Amanda, & Eva!!

Enjoy Allie's Blog

40 Days

2011-03-08T19:09:00.000-08:00

It starts tomorrow. This year's Lent is going to be a little different than others. I don't want to give up something just for the sake of giving it up. So I prayed long and hard about what needs to be taken out of my daily routine for the next 40 days. As most of you might (or might not) know, I've lost about 70lbs in the last year 1/2. Since coming to seminary, I've been quite tempted with desserts. They're just always available and sadly, I feel my willpower slowly disappear. It's not something I crave, but it is something that I have tended to gravitate towards after a meal. Sitting there with my friends and talking, it's easy to get up, grab a cookie, sit back down and continue talking.

What does this have to do with me going to Austria? Well...maybe not much of anything. But I know that I need to bring discipline back into my routine, not just with the sweets, but with studying and socializing as well. And since I'm taking a course for the OMP for Austria this semester and it requires a plethora of reading and paper writing, it's best to really start learning to focus on what's important.

So I guess all of that to say, I need to bring discipline into my routine for Lent and take out laziness and procrastination. And since Lent ends the week before Finals, I don't think I could ask for a better way to start out this Lenten season :)

So often we forget...

2011-03-05T09:42:00.000-08:00

Reading Tullian Tchividjian's blog is one of the best things for my soul, especially in preparing to do what I'm doing. I think it's easy for me to forget the simplicities of the Gospel. For some reason, it's easy for me to forget that I'm loved in spite of the way I think & act. Here's just a sampling of what was on his last post:

Because Jesus was strong for me, I am free to be weak;

Because Jesus won for me, I am free to lose;

Because Jesus was Someone, I am free to be no one;

Because Jesus was extraordinary, I am free to be ordinary;

Because Jesus succeeded for me, I am free to fail.

Can't get much better than that :)

Starting an Adventure...

2011-02-28T14:10:00.000-08:00

Last fall, I was introduced to the OMP (Overseas Missions Practicum) at GCTS. The OMP gives students the opportunity to do a missions trip either with a team already set up or to make a trip up on their own. I knew immediately that this was something I was on board for when it was presented. When I found out that there were no trips headed to the European continent, I began doing research and got hooked up with World Harvest Mission www.whm.org. My friend Brie, who also has a heart for European ministry, was interested as well and so long story short--Brie and I will be headed to Vienna, Austria on June 14 to work with a church plant, New City Wien! We will spend 8 weeks ministering and assisting with our other teammates--Amanda Arfsten, Allie Dyar, and Eva Holder. We met Amanda and Allie this weekend at our orientation with WHM. It was an instant click and made me even more excited about this summer and the opportunities that await.

So...for the next 6 months, this blog will be updates of support raising and ministry in Vienna and I hope you will join with me in prayer and excitement about all that I'll be experiencing. Life abroad has always appealed to me and I know that this is just one more step in furthering the plan God has for me.

I encourage you to check out the WHM website as well as New City Wien's website:
www.newcitywien.at

Also, Brad & Stacey Hunter, who are the head team leaders in Vienna have a fantastic blog and it's definitely worth a read:
www.5hunters.blogspot.com

Below is a pic of the four Vienna interns: Amanda, Allie, Brie, & Alli!

A Wagamama NonValentine Dinner

2011-02-15T12:15:00.000-08:00

The night before Valentine's Day, a bunch of us got together to celebrate at Wagamama. Wagamama is a Japanese noodle bar that first got its start in London. In fact, outside of Boston, there aren't any other Wagamama restaurants except in the UK, South Africa, Australia, and some parts of Europe. Ok so now that you have the history of the restaurant...

Anyways, we had a great time just eating and talking and laughing a lot. I am blessed beyond blessed with my friends here at GCTS! Enjoy some pics from Sunday night:

Carrie, Nathan, me, Joel, Sean, & Melissa

Melissa, Carrie, & me

April & me

What a sick bunch we are...

2011-02-11T16:06:00.000-08:00

My friends and I do everything together...study, eat, hang out...and get sick. When living and going to class in such small quarters, it's bound to happen.

It started 2 days ago. I was sitting in NT Survey and felt the tickle in my throat. Sean said he was getting a bad cough at the end of class. I ignored it, went and enjoyed a great dinner w/ Nathan, Jessica, & Brian, and by the end of the night, the cough was much more apparent. Normally, I go to the gym every morning at 6:30 w/a group of people and when my alarm went off yesterday, I knew it had gotten much worse. I called into work to tell them I wouldn't be coming in and thought by my 2pm class I'd be better. Nope. Even worse.

By 4:30pm, it had spread from Sean to Melissa, to me, to Nathan, to Joel and so on. I was supposed to go to a class tonight for my Overseas Missions Practicum (OMP), but instead, I'm trying to fight off whatever this is so that I can be in the OMP class tomorrow morning. I have some pretty great friends, who, even when they're feeling crappy too, still take care of me :)

We all need to be better by tomorrow. There's a Settlers of Catan tournament and Sunday night we're celebrating Valentines together at Wagamama in Cambridge. So this thing has to go. Soon.

Please pray for a speedy recovery for us all.

Snow

2011-02-03T17:44:00.000-08:00

According to Webster - SNOW: atmospheric water vapor frozen into ice crystals and falling in light white flakes or lying on the ground as a white layer
verb: "be snowed in": be confined or blocked by a large quantity of snow

I've seen more of this substance than I ever thought was possible. Sometimes, I walk to class wondering if somehow I've really been going to school in the North Pole. We've had a snow day or delay every week for the last month. Yesterday, I nearly went stir crazy. Classes for Spring started on Monday and my first one of the new semester was to be yesterday at 1:15. Instead, I sat in my room reading and catching up on my J-term class. It was a good day to be productive, looking back. But I'm ready for a routine. I guess I can tell that I'm growing up. Normally, I'd be praying that everyday would be a Snow Day. Even when I taught school, I'd always hope for at least one snow day. Well, my prayers have been answered...two years later. I'm getting more snow days than I ever wanted. Yes, it was fun at first. Building a snow man, sledding on cafeteria trays, drinking hot chocolate and watching movies....this was the first week of J-term, before I realized exactly how much work I'd have to do and how often I'd have to shovel out my car. I will say that my guy friends are all pretty awesome and have offered every time to shovel out my car or scrape the ice off my windows (thanks Joe, Sean, Nathan, & Dan!).

But after a month of this, I'm really ready for it to end. The snow is pretty. And it's nice to look out over campus and see the trees and hills covered in it. I just wish it didn't hit us all at one time. The shoveling, de-icing, scraping, etc is frustrating all the time. I'm pretty sure all of my Northern friends reading this are chuckling since it's just the beginning of February. I know we're getting more of it. I just need to vent about it!!

BLIZZARD!

2011-01-13T20:54:00.000-08:00

After Wednesday's snowstorm, I can proudly say I have experienced all types of weather. Hurricanes, tornados, earthquakes and now a blizzard. Even after living in Switzerland & Germany, I have never seen this much snow accumulate so fast. The "fun" part was digging out my car this afternoon after class. Luckily, it was a group effort and Yetta the Jetta is now ready to be driven.
Enjoy pics of my super fun snow day with my GCTS friends:

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2011-01-01T16:00:00.000-08:00

Ringin' in 2011 with some fun friends from GA!

Emily

2010-12-31T06:46:00.000-08:00

This is Emily Rainey, my friend Heather's baby. Emily came to Heather and her hubby, Ken, in April and I got to meet her during my visit to Georgia over break. Isn't she the cutest?!?!?!

Life at GCTS

2010-12-28T10:30:00.000-08:00

A few pics of funtimes with my friends in Mass...Enjoy!

Me with Jess & Christine Hunkler...I knew these girls from my church in Switzerland/Germany & they are students now at Gordon College!

Monica, me, Brad, & Jonathan on Halloween

With some of my GCTS family on Thanksgiving Day

Brad, me, and Nathan outside of Sam Adams

Christmas Tree lighting @ Quincy Marketplace in Boston

Back to Blogspot

2010-12-28T09:25:00.000-08:00

Wordpress is just too hard for me to figure out...call me a blog illiterate but I really had no idea what to do on it...so, here I am back where I had my first blog. If you want to read it, please go here: http://www.allisonraestroud.blogspot.com. It chronicles my entire European adventure from 2006-2008 and is aptly titled "The Europe Diaries."

I'm in Jax right now and supposed to be working on my Greek but it's really too hard to focus and study b/c I'm not in a good study environment. My parents are taking down Christmas stuff, the dog is barking, the tv is on...I know I'd be better going to Barnes & Noble but really, I just want to relax and enjoy this last week of Christmas break.

I hope you all had a Merry Christmas. Please enjoy the pic below of Savannah Claus. We won't go into how long it took to get this picture. Never have I seen a dog who knows when the camera is on her and turns the other way.