Begining Global Boot Camp

Tomorrow Hannah Jeter, Briana Yankie, Brad Oliver, Colin Weaver, and I will embark on the journey of Global Boot Camp for the next nine months. We don't know everything that this year will hold, but we know it will be transformational. We have been anticipating this time and preparing our hearts for God to do a deep work in us. Now the day has arrived and we will plunge into an intense season of learning and serving.
I know God wants to teach me greater humility, selflessness, and boldness along with many other things. I believe for all of us, we want to receive everything that God has for us and give ourselves fully to this process. The next nine months will lay a foundation for life and ministry that we will never forget and always be thankful for. I have seen some strong and solid young people graduate from this program if they allow the Lord to do what He wants in them. I want to follow in their footsteps.
This next season will be very full, but God will provide the grace to do everything He has called us to. So as we step into this time, I pray we would receive all God has for us and be full of His Spirit to pour out His love and truth on everyone we meet.

Germany Day 3

Even though I am now back home, I still feel it is important for me to update this blog on what happened the rest of the time in Germany. Basically, everything got too busy for me to be on the computer.

On our third day in Germany we left for a weekend trip in Berlin. We started out at 7:00 a.m. and took 4 trains to get to the city. It took a total of 4 1/2 hours to get there! We stayed in a youth hostel that the YMCA owns in Berlin. It is a location that the YMCA uses to host youth and leaders when they come into the city to do training and outreaches. The courtyard and entire atmosphere was very peaceful. It was like a place of refuge in the middle of a very busy and dark city.

We walked around Berlin for a while, stopping in small shops and markets. We ate at a chic restaurant called Oxymoron for lunch. The dining experience is very different over there. In the states, you have a waiter coming to your table every five minutes asking if you need anything, refilling glasses, clearing plates, and bringing the check as soon as you are finished. But in Germany, people take their sweet time. we were left to sit for a while, you only recieve a single serving of whatever you are drinking, and we waited patiently to finally get our check so we could leave. the differences stood out to Molly and I, but it wasn't unpleasant because we could sit in the beautiful weather, in a lovely courtyard and just enjoy that fact that we were in Europe.

The World Cup just concluded, but the Germany/Argentina match for the final four was going on on first day in Berlin. The city has a famous event for soccer matches such as this. In Berlin, an estimated 400,000 people gather on the "Fan Mile". They have pre-game events for the hours leading up to the game and probably 10 huge screens above the street every few hundred feet for people to watch the game. There were so many people there, and we were not even in the thick of the crowd. Germany won, 4-0 and we were glad to be fair-weather Germany fans. people were celebrating all night long!

We then went to the Reichstag, the House of German Parliament. We had an enlightening tour, in english! At the top of the Reichstag, there is a glass dome you can walk through and see the whole city. You can also listen to an audio tour describing the sights you see from the top of the dome.

The rest of the evening we spent walking around Berlin after we avoided a karaoke bar with "fightklub" written on the wall...oh our German adventures!

Germany Day 2

The morning of my second day here, I had a very peaceful time with God in the morning. I felt unhurried, undistracted, and undeterred. it was perfect to get to sit outside on the deck here and just listen to God and feel His pleasure.

When Jonka got up we had breakfast together. most of the time at breakfast we will have bread with a selection of anything you could imagine to put on it. cheese, meat, butter, marmalade, shredded ham, cream cheese, i can't remember the rest. We also drink juice typically mixed with carbonated water. I have begun to get accustomed to water with gas, but I often buy it without.

That morning, Julia and Felix took Molly and I sightseeing around the city of Detmold. It is beautiful, quiet, and quaint. The houses are very old and gorgeous. We saw the castle of Detmold. which has alot of history...and a lot of tapestries. They actually still have a prince here, but apparently he's just a regular guy who lives in the castle, but alao works a day job at a bank or something. We later went to see the Herman the German statue. Nic-named the little brother of the statue of Liberty, Herman the German faces France, declaring victory and warning possible foes. We walked up inside the giant green statue and saw a beautiful view of Detmold.

When we got ice cream, simply called ice here, later in the day I tried the Herman the German flavor (sweet, similar to caramel) and amarena (like cherry) I thought of my dad because he typically likes to try new flavors and such.
For lunch we tried Döner (doo-nah) which is a german-turkish food. a shaved meat sanwhich with a variety of toppings.

it's getting close to 11 p.m. here and I am fading fast. We have not gotten too much sleep, but I need to get through at least this day.

That afternoon we went to the meeting center for the CVJM. We got to be a part of a small group fpr girls ages 9-12. We sang songs...well they sang, we stumbled along...and they laughed at us crazy americans. the girls wanted to know if we knew miley cyrus, yes, the craze continues. We played games and heard a bible story about Jacob and Esau. The girls were fantastic and we loved getting the meet them. We later joined a group of girls about our age to do a similar program.

What is unique about the CVJM here is that they offer groups like this that you would typically see in a sunday school or church small group. They are the Church in this community and they offer these kinds of opportunities to especially younge people to learn and grow. I am impressed with this.

Later that night, I went with Ooli to a going away party for Meghan (the girl we met from TX). It has been amating to have new friends right away and to be accepted into their lives and such.

there are many unique things about Germany, but one is that the sun sets at about 10:30. whereas in TN it sets at about 8:30 or so. this has thrown me off a lot because I will think it is not that late, when it is really way past time to go to bed...like right now.

the next time I will describe our incredible 3 day trip to Berlin.

tschau!

Germany. Day 1, Part 2

Right now, it is a little after nine p.m. I'm sitting in the living room at my host home listening to a tuba player practicing somewhere outside through the open door. they have a sommerconzert this Sunday with a "brass choir" my host father and host brother are a part of. That should be fun!

This marks the end of day 5 in Germany. it has been a long 5 days, full, fast-paced, and wonderfull! it doesn't look like it's about to slow down either. we were given a very nice schedule to follow...the only problem is it's in German which we do not have quite a good enough grasp on to understand, but it's going fine.

So to continue describing our first day here...Lunch at Jonka's (Yahn-Kah) grandparent's house was a mazing because of the people we met. Feliz and Biette are two girls from here. Megan is and exchange student from Housten, TX who has lived here for the last year. And Agusto is an exchange student from Argentina who has lived in Germany for a few months and this fall will live in Iowa. Around our lunch table we spoke 5 languages altogether! My dream! It felt close to Heaven! Everyone, but Agusto, could speak english. Everyone besides Molly and I could speak German. Jonka, Agusto, and I could speak Portuguese. Agusto and I could speak Spanish with each other...aparently he refused to speak Spanish with anyone else. And I think Molly even used a bit of her French with Feliz. I loved it. I believe it will be one of my favorite times of hte entire trip. flowing in and out of different languages. laughing together. All these kids are our age. we connected immediately.

After lunch we went swimming at the local public pool with our new, international friends. We came home and got ready for our welcome barbeque with the staff at the YMCA...they call it the CVJM here. We went to dinner at Dorothy's home and were joined by Stephan, Julia, Felix, Thorsten, Katia, and Florian. All people who work with the Y in different locations. After the men fought about who would grill the meat (none of them wanted to do it... I thought about offereing, but that probably would not have been appropriate) we sat down to a delicious dinner. It was a good time to get to know them a bit and to laugh at our silly American questions. we have had many embarassing "crazy American" moments since then.

so those are the highlights for day one...wow, if I stay at this pace I might finish describing the trip by Christmastime.

Gutentag!

Halö from Germany

It is nearly midnight here, in Lippe Germany. I still don't know which time zone I am functioning in, but I am feeling well so far.

thank you all for your prayers! God is so good and He is moving in power already!

Molly and I arrived safely in Dusseldorf after a long flight where neither of us got much sleep. it was 7:30 a.m. here, but 12:30 back home...and we had a full day ahead of us. We were greeted by Thorsten who drove us to Lippe and Vireena and Daniel who are the YMCA exhange students headed to Nashville in place of us. it was so neat to meet them. they headed out on the same plane.

Thorsten drove us the 2 hours back to where we would be staying. Molly was hyped up on caffine and asked questions the whole way. my two cups were aparentlz not affectiing me and I fell asleep for a bit. we had our first surprise experience in germany when we tried to use a bathroom at a gas station and realized you have to pay close to a dollar to use any public restroom. since then we've learned nothing is free.

We arrived at the Weiber home, which is where I am staying. We met Yanka, the oldest daughter of Katya and Ooli (I have no idea how to spell most of these names, so don't hold me to it). Yanka is 17 and just arrived back from Brasil where she has lived for the last year through and exchange program. They also have a son named Gerrit who is 14.

After settling in a bit, we went with Yanka to her grandparents house for pancakes. They were so friendly and welcoming. Her grandfather sat shirtless the entire time, spoke german to us as if we could understand, and told us to go pick rasberries and cherries from their backyard. (side note...we have had so much amazing fresh fruit. such as straberries at dinner that some of our friends picked this morning. delicious. end side note.) More family and friends arrived and her grandmother made us pancakes, which were like crepes, while we sat on the deck. They but out every topping imaginable from yogurt (called quack) to nutella, applesauce, powdered sugar, fresh strawberries, even ice cream.

I think this was the most amazing lunch I've had in a long time, but not only becasue of the food....

Destination Germany

On Wednesday I leave for Germany.

I'm going with one other girl named Molly. We just met.

It is through an exchange program at the YMCA in which we will be learning from their YMCA programs and bringing updates back to our locations here.

When I was first presented with this opportunity it remained in the back of my mind because it initially felt random and I did not know many details. Now, as the trip has come to be a reality I am excited for what God is going to do during it. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I've really begun to see that this is a perfect time to travel. There are not many seasons of life with this flexibility and availability.

Adding this trip to Germany to my schedule has made it a very full summer. Pastor Dale was not kidding when he said to get your passports ready at the beginning of the year. Luckily I already had mine. I will miss my family, friends, and just being home, but I know this is my assignment for this time. It really worked out perfectly. They shifted the dates of this trip from mid-July. I knew at the beginning of the year that I was not supposed to go to Mexico or the DR for missions. I anticipated seeing what God had for me during that time instead. My Germany trip overlaps the dates for MX and the DR. I was also originally planning on going to barefoot the second week of July. That got moved because of space issues. Three major things God made work together perfectly so that I was free to go to Germany. That was a huge part of when I felt this was a journey I was supposed to embark on.

Here's what we know about the trip. We will be working with the YMCA's in 2 cities. We will be staying with a host family. We will be shown around by other young people who work with the YMCA. We will be helping with their kid's summer camps going on during that time. We will get to go to Berlin at one point!!! I also know I have to stay up all night Tuesday to help with the jet lag. I will be on a plane coming home on my 18th birthday (the 14th).

Many things about this trip will be a surprise to me. It will definitely be a journey to remember. I have great expectations for God to move mightily on this trip. I know He would not have me doing this if it was not in His plan for me. I can't wait to see what He does!

Please pray for me while I am there.

Pray for a divine connection with Molly.

Pray for divine connections with the YMCA staff and everyone we meet.

Pray for safety as we travel.

Pray for favor and grace to use this trip to its fullest.

Pray for God's wisdom and words of insight.

Pray for divine humility and servanthood to be the motivators of everything I do and say.

Thank you all for your prayers and support. i look forward to hopefully being able to keep you posted along the way! Danka!

The Journey of this Summer

"A man's heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps."
Proverbs 16:9

God knew exactly what He had planned for me this summer, and I am truly amazed at how it has come together. I had about three weeks to relax and enjoy summer days at home and with friends before the traveling began for this summer. A lot of the plans did not get solidified until soon before they were to occur.

The week of June 13-18 I was on staff at Barefoot Repblic Camp in Scottsville, Kentucky. The experience I had there taught me many lessons the Lord has already been trying to reveal to me. Barefoot seeks to unite kids and teens from all different socio-economic backgrounds together under the banner of Christ. Kids of all races and statuses come together to learn from each other and grow in love and acceptance. I learned so much from them too.

The first day at Barefoot, I learned yet again that my preferences did not need to come first. I learned to be flexible and do whatever was needed. If that meant organizing a supply closet which I had no clue as to how it should look, or babysitting young children while their parents led worship. I was there to serve no matter what it entailed. Hannah Jeter and I both looked at each other that night and acknowledged how God was testing our response to serve selflessly and without pretense. In some ways we would have preferred what the other was assigned to do, but I felt strongly that we needed to stay where we were assigned to fully embrace the lessons for that week. Every night, even if we were tired, we tried to be available to do anything, from wrapping sound system cords to cleaning a game field in the rain. We were going to give our all. It was worth it.

I know I felt, and I think we both did, a need early on for a divine love for everyone there. Some people were easy to get along with, and others were not...as life usually goes. I asked God to show me His heart for the campers and to reveal how to love them in ways they needed it in order to draw them to Him. I asked for endurance and began the race of a long week..

On the first full day of camp, I saw my responsibilities would include a little bit of everything...I'd wake up with the 12 girls and 2 counselors in our cabin, have breakfast, go to praise and worship, meet with the CREW for the day's assignments, teach dance class, run supply errands (sometimes driving 50 mins one way), prepare snacks, organize mail, answer messages, set up for games, watch the kids during worship, set up for competitions, clean up, and go to bed--eventually. I loved this! Being involved in these things allowed me to feel like I was a part of making the week happen. That I was helping make it possible for the students to encounter Christ, even if I was the one behind the scenes. Every role is important and every person makes a difference.

Later in the week I had opportunities to connect more with a few of the girls and staff. There was not time to go as deep as I would have liked, but that taught me to be thankful for the time I had and use it to its fullest. Many times the last few days, it brought a smile to my face to see the joy of the Lord on what goes on at Barefoot. Joy was in everything from worship to connections to fun times together. One of the main things I will take away from this experience is the opportunity to build relationships with the Body of Christ. I feel I began relationships that God will continue as He leads me where I am called.

I pray the seeds planted and watered would yeild a divine harvest. I pray God would shepherd the hearts of those who do not yet have a relationship with Him. I learned many lessons at camp. How to lossen up and not take dance too seriously when we should just relax and have fun, how to be patient and understanding with people, how to ask questions to understand people unlike myself, how to serve in any capacity that would bless others, how to pray more than I say, how to expect the unexpected, how to love beyond myself, and how to drive to Bowling Green.

Please pray for Barefoot Republic Camp. For provision and blessing on everything they do. They are changing lives through the power of Christ. And...pray if you are called to go...it will change you too.