getting into the groove

October 4, 2008
Oh, my, almost a whole week since I have written. Well this was our first “normal” week where we have had classes, lectures, outreach planning, worship service, etc. Friday our reserved in the evenings for social night, so the committee (managed to be on that one, treasure at that because they must think I am good with budgeting, ha!!) Anywho, all students had to “dress to impress” and then we set the mood in our lecture hall with candles on the tables set up in a horse shoe shape, chairs on both the inner and outer circle. Everyone was greeted with a tic-tac, girls sat on the inside and boys on the outside. Then our night of speed dating started!! It was heaps fun, then afterwards, we played train wreck with partners. All the guys brought a tie and put it into a bag upon arrival. Then each girl selected a tie at random, the owner of that tie thus becoming that lucky lady’s partner. Yours truly managed to make it with my Canadian partner, John, as one of the last two couples! A dance party summed up the evening, then two girls and I went for a chilly stroll through the town. It started to snow last night too!!! Slushy, but snow!! We awoke this morn to snow covered mountains, not all the way down into the Shladming Valley, but the slopes were decently covered and still are at the moment as I look out the window. The leaves are changing here too!! It feels just like the North Carolina Mountains in the fall—golden and burnt red leaves, chilly gusts of wind, snow starting to make its appearance, and smoke chugging out of chimneys. Oh, and fruit on the trees all over town which my friends and I manage to climb and jump up to pick pieces of pear, apple, and plum (See I can budget, free fruit).

October 7, 2008
To catch up from last week, on Saturday, Rachel (Aussie) and Laura (Jackson Hole-ian), and I traveled by train to a nearby town for the day. It was so nice to travel through the mountains, see the outstretched farmland that was so vividly green in color as it contrasted with the white snow caps on silver, rocky mountains. We thought we were going to a town with a small castle, but upon arrival we were informed otherwise. That town, Wefren, was actually another stop up the line, but with time constraints, getting back for dinner that is, we decided to make the best of our day trip to Bishopshofen. We walked around into stores, the girls bought some things they had been wanting, and then we all delighted in a coffee and dessert at a little café. In Austria “ice coffee” is a regular item on the menu, however, this has a different definition than the coffee on ice we drink in the states. Here, it’s a coffee and ice cream parfait! A beautiful collision topped with whipped cream and a small wafer if the café you’re at takes pride in such a lovely treat. So then we caught the train back, and prepared for dinner.

Sunday morning started with a different start than normal. This morning, a few of us woke up a bit earlier than the others and went to the local church to lead the children’s service for the morn. It was confirmation day and so the church asked some Tauernhof students to teach the children that would not be in the sanctuary during the service. We sang songs, in German, played a few games, and constructed a tree that had a hole in the middle where each child would try to place his/her miniature Zachious after being spun around a few times blindfolded. If you haven’t figured it out yet, “the wee little man who climbed up in a Sycamore tree to see what he could see” was the Bible story taught. In closing, we sang “He’s got the whole world in His hands” in both German and English. The communication barrier is getting better with each day, but it has become almost discouraging at times.

I love children and not being able to hold a conversation with them has taken a toll on my heart. The principal here has two absolutely precious daughters, Ronja and Emily, and I nannyed for them last week. We rode bikes, jumped on the trampoline, played dolls and kitchen, giggled while performing a puppet show, and swung. Even though the time together was innocent and fun filled, it created a frustration and left me in a melancholy state because I was unable to communicate with them through words for the majority of the time. When Emily was upset over something that happened with the neighbor boy and when Ronja jumped into Emily on the trampoline and started to cry, I felt helpless because I had no idea what was going on inside the girls other than hurt. Therefore I felt incompetent and upset with myself for not being able to care for the girls the best I can. Even in the stores when the employees speak to me, I struggle to get out simple German words like “I am just looking,” or “Have a good day.” I try to practice and learn more of the language, but it just isn’t coming as easily nor as quickly as I wish it would. So, I sometimes find myself to the point where I avoid conversation other than “Gristy!” (Good day) in passing on the streets, don’t want to order at restaurants because I don’t even know what the menu reads, and shy away from spending quality time with children because I cannot verbally communicate. Pray that the Lord break this spirit of dismay in me. People are so wonderful and I yearn deep within that this place feels like home to me. It is home, but please pray that Satan not let verbal language hold me back from experiencing God’s beauty in this Austrian culture. Writing this makes me think about how often we depend on our words rather than our actions. Today in lecture the teacher used an often quoted phrase about sharing our faith: “Use your actions to speak of Jesus, and if you must, then use words.” I guess this can apply in general to connecting with people. Our actions do speak so loudly, so I challenge you as well to evaluate how much we depend on our mouths to speak what our hearts are feeling. Pretend that you are unable to talk when you come in contact with someone, now what? Can that person feel what it is you want to communicate non-verbally? How are we to interact? We must allow love to overflow, to take the place, whether that be simply holding that crying child, hugging your troubled friend, smiling at that clerk, or tipping a bit more for service. May the Lord help us to do the things the Spirit beacons us to do more than filling the silence with words that may be forgotten moments after they are spoken. We can read that God loves us in scripture, but doesn’t the vision of Jesus’ crucifixion, God’s only Son, for the sake of Love that we may eternally be united, Shalom, with Christ vividly display in your head before a particular verse that speaks of this radical gift of a Savior? Some people say “a picture paints a thousand words.” What picture are we painting when we move about in our day without using our words?