Our Journey

2009-07-26T13:57:00.004+01:00

Another Sunday here in Siegen, and the weather is beautiful today! Earlier today we went up to the top of a hill where there is a small airfield and we watched the planes take off. It was fun to do something a little different.

Last week we also had an adventure as we traveled about an hour south to Frankfurt so we could go to the zoo! It was so nice to have a break in the daily routine here and relax a bit. The zoo was really fun, too!

Now that we're back in Siegen, we're realizing the weeks are counting down quickly, and before we know it, the new semester will be here. Nick is still working hard on studying for his class, and I'm working on finding projects to keep me busy too. Fortunately for Nick, I've been baking a lot lately, so he's enjoying the fruits of my labor! It's fun though, and I'm glad to make him happy. :-) Our last doctor's appointment went really well; we had been nervous for it, but the doctor reassured us that everything looks great and that the baby is growing and healthy! He/she is almost 15 weeks along now, and we could see his/her squirming and kicking in the last ultrasound (SO FUN!). I can't wait until the baby can hear us; we still have about 5 weeks or so for that though. And I should be able to feel the baby moving around soon! YAY! I think this is going to be another huge, unexpected blessing we get have while here in Germany.

Summer is here!

2009-07-13T20:03:00.005+01:00

So yeah, I'm pretty much terrible at updating our blog, but here goes another try!

Summer is fully here, but you wouldn't know it by the weather! Today was the first day in over a week that it didn't rain, and it was a beautiful one too! Nice, warm and sunny. Nick is busy, busy studying harder than ever. He wants to be sure he's ready for teaching Apologetics next semester, so he is really determined right now (which is good!). As for me, I don't really have anything I have to do, which is good and bad. It's nice to be able to take a break, but at the same time, it makes the days way too long, which in turn causes me to think about everyone and everything back home. ::sigh:: That's okay though. In just 4 short weeks, we'll be off to the Missions Conference in Austria (hopefully) and then only 2 weeks after that the students will be here (HOORAY!). I know the fall semester is going to FLY by. It always did when I was in school, and even when I wasn't, so I'm sure it will now. Also, with doctors appointments and a growing belly, I'm sure I'll have my fill of excitement in a couple months! I can't wait!

Here's a pic of our baby at week 9! I should be somewhere around week 13 now... next appt. is on Thursday so hopefully we'll know more and even have some more pics!

May is here, and soon to be gone!

2009-05-08T09:00:00.004+01:00

Only 5 more days until graduation! This semester has flown by, and finally when we feel like we've gotten the hang of things around here, the semester ends! It has been an amazing 3 month, that's for sure. We've learned so much, not just about each other, or the students, but about God. The Lord has been so good and faithful to us, it's almost unbelievable! There are so many great memories I have from the semester, with the students, the trips we went on, the classes, and even just how we learned our jobs here.

The next couple of weeks here are going to be nuts, and I'm bracing myself for it! School ends this next week and then the following week the church will be having a conference. So there will be alot of work to do amongst the business. But, no matter how crazy it gets, it's always a blessing! To be here serving makes life very blessed for Nick and I. We love it! And we still can't believe God called us here!!

April already?

2009-04-01T20:36:00.003+02:00

Is today really April 1st? Man, the last 3 months have been jam packed!! But that's a good thing. This last weekend we actually got to go with the interns and a couple of the staff on a trip; we went to the town of Wittenberg (where Martin Luther is from) and to Buchenwalk Concentration Camp. It was a MUCH needed break from, everything. I unfortunately been battling a flu, and now and cold, and at the middle of the semester, all of us on staff needed a respite from the daily tasks. We not only got to see history in front of us, but we really had a great time together, just resting, with fellowship, and hanging out. We got to see see much of the beautiful countryside... it kinda reminds me of northern Virginia or Pennsylvania with all of the rolling hills. Oh, and by the way, SPRING IS HERE! It's so amazing to me. I'm not used to that, especially coming from Rochester where spring doesn't hit until it's summer.We have sunshine, flowers and singing birds! It did rain a little bit on our first day, but fortunately, we were inside on a tour of Martin Luthers home and the school he taught at for most of that. As part of the tour, we walked through the village all the way down to the church where Luther had posted his 95 Thesis that were a vital part of the Reformation and the start of the Protestant church; we actually saw the very first Protestant church!! I hope that Nick and I can walk in the boldness that Luther and other leaders of the Reformation had. After the tour we found this neat Italian restaurant that had amazing food! MMMmm. The Italians know how to cook a good meal, that's for sure. After dinner, we made our way back to the hostel and hung out with each other for awhile before heading to bed. The next morning on our way back, we stopped at the Concentration Camp, and wow, I don't know how to explain what we experienced. It was a moving experience and I'm glad we had the chance to go there, although it was very difficult emotionally. As hard as it was to witness such a tragic piece of history, it's a reminder to me that the devil is still on the prowl to destroy and steal lives and that my mission is to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with those who don't yet know His saving grace. I know that many lives were stolen in that camp, but I know the God I serve is a just God and wanted every single one of those souls with Him for eternity. I just hope that I continue to do my part while on earth, so that more of those souls are with Him in the end.

A New Day

2009-03-17T11:57:00.004+02:00

Tuesdays is my day in the coffee bar at school; today it's been mostly quiet, which is really nice. Last week was insanely busy for Nick and I, so it's great to just sit and be still for a moment. Another great thing happening is that is actually feels like spring here! The flowers are coming out, and the sun is showing its face more often everyday. I was walking to the school this morning, savoring the fresh air and listening to the birds, and I couldn't help but reminded of new life. I love this time of year, not just for the sights, smells and sounds, but for the simple reminder that God makes all things new. After such a busy, stressful time here, the Lord reminded me of how every day He has good things for me.

Below is a picture of Nick when we went on a walk along the Sieg River in the town we live in. It was so nice to get out side and enjoy some fresh air!!!

It's finally Friday

2009-03-06T12:57:00.003+02:00

It's rainy and cold today in Siegen, but it's also Friday and we're ready for the weekend. Life has been so busy here, but we wouldn't have it any other way. As Nick would say, "We're living the dream," and truly we are. When I sit back and think about how amazing it is that we get to be here in Germany, serving the students, staff and ultimately the Lord, I am totally blessed. Nick and I are learning so much, not just about Germany, the culture here, the students, but more importantly, the Lord is showing us more about ourselves and how He is working in us to make us complete. Sometimes it's hard... sometimes it's real hard, but at the same time, it really is a huge blessing to be here. Our days are long and filled with many challenges, but Nick and I have already seen our faith grown so much. The Lord truly is faithul. He is so Good. He has provided for our every need and more. I have had the blessing of being able to take the German class at the Bible college and it had been a blast! Next week we are having a midterm, and it's probably going to be the most delicious midterm ever - hopefully! The test will be our class making pizza, but of course, we can only speak German, so if I want to be sure to get a yummy pizza (and a good grade) I will need to know what I am saying. I can't wait! Another exciting thing coming up is that in a month and a half we are going to be leading an outreach team to Belgium with about 4 or 5 students and we are getting excited. Please pray for wisdom as we plan this trip; we want to be sure that we choose the right places to stay and towns to visit. We actually just received an email from a missionary in Belgium that wants to meet with the team while we are there, so that's exciting.

Wartburg

2009-02-08T15:12:00.007+02:00

Nick and I spent the day traveling to the Wartburg and back with the students and most of the staff. The Wartburg is the castle that Martin Luther was taken to where he translated the Bible; by the way, there are castles all over the place here (the Bible above was actually Luther's!). Once we got to the castle after the 3 hour bus ride, we had to hike up the side of the mountain the castle was on! Phew. I was glad to get to the top; I can truly say I understand why putting a castle on top of a hill is good for defense. Once we got to the castle, we were taken on a tour where we got to hear so much history. It was so interesting. There was one room we went to called the Singer's Hall (I think). Back just a few hundred years ago, 6 of the most reknowned singers entered a contest that was held in that very room. All the singers in the contest decided that whoever lost the contest would be executed! AH! I don't know about you, but I would pretend I didn't even know what singing was. After the tour, we were let go to wander and explore the castle, both inside and out. In the slideshow attached you'll see a pictures of Nick and I peeking out of the door of the actual room Luther translated the Bible in! Woot. After we ate our packed lunches, we all headed down to the town of Eisenach and spent a few hours window shopping, getting coffee at a small cafe, and just enjoying the day. We found one shop that had a bunch of coo coo clocks; they were so fun! I felt like I was in the movie Pinnochio. Nick and I also enjoyed eating a REAL German sausage we bought at a stand in the street - Mmm. I never expected I would like sausage so much. After a few hours, we all headed back to the bus to warm up and shortly thereafter start the trip back to Siegen. What a great day!

God is so good!

2009-02-04T13:18:00.003+02:00

Today marks the second day of classes for the students (yes... I know, I've been terrible at updating what we have been doing). It's been amazing to be part of such a great team here. We all come from such different places; it's neat to see the skills that everyone brings to the table. Nick has been having a great time starting on some new projects for the campus. He finally gets to "swing his hammer for the Lord" as he would say. It's nice to have some more purpose here as well as we have our assignments for the semester. I'm really excited about what I get to do, more than that, I'm excited to grow in my faith along with Nick and be a part of this ministry here, raising up ambassadors for Christ. Today, I had the privilege of sitting in the Women's Discipleship class, where we will be learning about the names of God, showing who He is through what He has done. And Nick went to the Preaching & Teaching class that David Guzik is teaching and he loved it! We both are still in shock that we get to be here, serving the Lord in such a different way. I know that we are both going to be very busy over the next few months, as well as stretched, tried and broken. But all of that is good for us.

"...Count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing if your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing." James 1:2-4

Busy Bees

2009-01-21T11:41:00.002+02:00

WOW! Life got busy quick for us. On Monday, the pastors starting arriving for the conference, so we've been working hard. That night, Nick and I were invited to join some of pastors and the directors of the school and his wife to go out to dinner. We went to a place called Cafe Del Sol... don't let the name fool you, it wasn't a Mexican restaurant. They actually service more pizza than anything else. While I had pizza, Nick ventured out and tried Germany's favorite dish call "schnitzel" and he loved it! Another first for Nick happened on Monday, he drove in Europe! The cars are all stick shift, so I'm going to have to learn while we're here. Please pray for me that I don't crash into anything!! We had a great day on Monday followed by such a fun night. One of the pastors sitting next to us is from Ireland; he was hilarious, but also genuine. It was a blessing to see up front pastors who have a joy for the Lord and sincerety in who in they are. Yesterday was a VERY busy day. Nick helped serve the pastors by bringing the lugagge to the rooms and helping out in the kitchen doing dished, and I got to learn how to do the coffee bar and chop veggies. Unfortunately I chopped a small piece of my knuckle, but all is well. Last night, some of the girls that are on staff here and I got together and had a girl's night; we had so much fun. Then, shortly after I got home, the pastor that is staying in our apartment arrived and we ended up talking with him until after midnight; we were so encouraged by him! Nick and I are so blessed to be here. :-)

A Day in the Life

2009-01-14T16:48:00.007+02:00

It's another great day here in Germany and it's starting to warm up a bit, which I am so glad for. The past few days have also been a bit busier for us. On Monday, we got the chance to help Carsten (a guys who works for the second hand shop the church runs) pick up some of the furniture being donated to the shop. It was fun to see more of the city here and even go into German homes and get a feel for what they are like. At one house we stopped at, there were two little boys whose ages were about 3 and 7, and as soon as they heard us speaking english their eyes got huge and they followed us all around! It was cute. When we stopped for a lunch break, Nick and I had our first German meal called "Bologna Nudeln" (basically noodles with a meat sauce - very yummy) at a small restaurant outside of a store similar to a Walmart. Yesterday we went to the Bible college, aka "the Villa", and helped prepare for the the Pastor's Conference next week by making beds, doing laundry, and mopping and sweeping the floors. Then, last night a group of the staff got togther for a prayer meeting. Unfortunately, I couldn't go since I caught a bad cold, but Nick went and had a great time with everyone. Here's a picture of the Villa and the bridge that is next to is is actually the Autobahn.

Gute Nacht! (Goodnight)

2009-01-11T00:16:00.000+02:00

It's our third night here in Germany, and it's cold! There's only an inch or two of snow on the ground, but the air is frigid. We should be sleeping right now, but we still haven't recovered from jet lag... hopefully it won't be too much longer until we adjust to the time change. Change is something we're experiencing a lot of. Almost everything is different! Our major concern right now is the language barrier. We are trying to learn the language, but it is diffucult. We have successfully gone to the grocery store twice, so we have food! It's been fun getting used to our surroundings. About 80% of the city we live in was destroyed in the war because of it being a mining town; it was one of the major suppliers of iron and steel. But the German people have done well in restoring what they could; the building we live in is actually over 100 years old. And just around the corner from us is an old stone church, from which we here the bells ring all throughout the day and night. The Bible college is a good 20 minute walk from where we are living, so we're definitely getting our exercise. It's fun to see the different shops they have along the way. There is a bakery right next door to us... we'd like to get some bread from there but we don't know how to order yet! Hopefully, some of the German students won't mind teaching us some phrases once they get here. We have about 2 1/2 weeks until the students arrive. Until then, we plan on getting acclamated with our surroundings, and getting to know the Bible college staff that are already here. I think this next week, life will start to get a bit busier for us. The week after next, the Bible college is hosting a Western Europe Pastor's Conference and I'm sure it will be exciting to be a part of it!