Slovenia story links -- please read!

Here are two links to the stories/profiles from Slovenia I wrote up. This is just a taste of the people who are in Ljubljana and involved in the church. My other story has yet to be finished and published, but as soon as it is, I will link it!

Thank you for caring and reading. :-)

Darja's story: "On Fear" http://www.eurasianazarene.org/wmeurasia/Default.aspx?tabid=288

Aleks' story: Snapshots http://www.eurasianazarene.org/wmeurasia/Default.aspx?tabid=283

es schneiet. (or something like that)

I had my first German lesson last Tuesday and it was a blast. A German family, the Langes, in Buesingen is helping me, and in exchange I am speaking English with them. This is a huge answer to prayer (yeah God!) and learning German from their old children's picture books is way more fun than the boring adult language ones. I'll keep you updated on my progress.

I learned some weather phrases and I've been able to use "it's snowing" WAY too many times this week.

It's day number 4 that it's snowed and the 3rd day of spring. Sunshine ... come back!

a tribute

thoughts of spring have now vanished with last night's snow, and today's freezing cold wind. brrr. hopefully the tree outside my window will make it through this horrible disappointment.

not to mention... both my blueberry AND my strawberry juices from Slovenia are officially gone. bummer.

starbucks

sometimes you just feel like Starbucks and when the closest one is 45 minutes away, it's an event. especially for volunteers who don't always have access to a car OR tons of extra money to pay $5/gal for gas. so, last Saturday, Elizabeth and I struck out for the mall (which we never found) and Starbucks. thankfully, we found Starbucks. vanilla lattes and caramel macchiato frappechinos make life fun. here are a few snapshots:

i love this song.

Alex... a high school MK here at EuNC sings this song by Philips, Craig and Dean. I love it.

My faithful Father, enduring Friend

Your tender mercy’s like a river with no end

It overwhelms me, covers my sin

Each time I come into Your presence

I stand in wonder once again

Your grace still amazes me

Your love is still a mystery

Each day I fall on my knees

Your grace still amazes me

‘Cause Your grace still amazes me

Oh, patient Saviour,

You make me whole

You are the Author and the Healer of my soul

What can I give You, Lord, what can I say

I know there’s no way to repay You

Only to offer You my praise

It’s deeper, it’s wider

It’s stronger, it’s higher

It’s deeper it’s wider

It’s stronger, it’s higher

than anything my eyes can see

our birthday-friday bike ride

last friday was our spring big-trash day. walking to working, i spotted a perfect engagement present for our newly engaged Verne and his fiancee Rachel: bike helmets. he was much obliged, we laughed, took pictures, and then he threw them out the window.

1.) Simone modeling Rachel's bike helmet for picture purposes.

2.) this is as far as the manly helmet went. it was too gross to go any further. they were throwing it out for a reason.

3.) Ali, newly girlfriended, can't make up his mind. Just order a cappuccino already!

4.) Jenn! (and our random Swiss passer-bys)

5.) Simone and Verne: the model look.
(Simone's: compliments of the EuNC volunteer car
Verne's: compliments of Simone)

we had fun.

Lord of the Rings

"You'd never seen it before?"

Yeah. And this weekend I did. We had an EuNC "Lord of the Rings" weekend marathon. I'm never a sit-in-front-of-the-tv-for-hours kinda girl. But I watched all 10+ hours of it. Sam was my favorite.

I liked it. Hehe, but even though it's fiction, some of it was pretty intense. By the end I was curious to go back through and count how many characters I actually saw die or be killed -- my television murder witnessing number shot up the roof.

But besides my millions of questions (which my fellow LOR viewers kindly answered) to clear up the story line, I took away hope. There was SO MUCH hope in that movie. Hope gained from others. Strength in community. The value of honesty and courage. Fighting for good.

But what stuck out to me was the hope. Maybe it's because I pay attention to everything regarding hope. Maybe it's because I need more of it myself -- and I'm mustering up all I can sincerely claim. But hope is a gift. Passed through by the Creator of all good things and Giver of good gifts. Passed around through community. Hope, even when a "sensible" look at life only conjures up despair. My hope wanes, your hope re-inspires.

Thus, what I am continuing to hope for most is restoration. And I believe that it will come.

"...there is always hope." ~Aragorn, King of Gondor

Ensemble

This year I knew needed to be a year of rest. The first year out of school it's challenging not to attempt to find your worth in what you do. Instead, better understanding value in who I am as loved by God. In Buesingen, it's also included resting from busying myself with "good" activities. Good activities like playing the piano for too many events. Doing that stresses me out. I want to play for enjoyment and praise, not just to please people and make myself feel important and needed.

Last Sunday, I played out of enjoyment. Every Saturday morning, seven of us (Swiss, Dutch and American) get up at 10 am and practice singing ensemble pieces for the Buesingen Int'l Church. I get to play. Sunday was our first song of the to sing together and not only was it fun, we worshiped.

(pictured from l-r: me, Petra, Iris, Sharla, Rachel, Simone, Alex)

"We Speak to Nations"

Hear the sound

The sound of the nations calling

Hear the sound

The sound of the fatherless crying.

Who will go for us?

Who will shout to the corners of the earth

That Christ is King?

We speak to nations, be open.

We speak to nations, fall on your knees.

We speak to nations

The kingdom is coming near to you.

We speak to strongholds, be broken.

Powers of darkness, you have to flee

We speak to nations

The kingdom is coming near to you.

We speak to you

Be free, be free.

Hear the sound

The sound of the nations worshipping.

Hear the sound

Of sons and daughters singing

We will go for you

We will shout to the corners of the earth

That Christ is King.

Ljubljana city center

Ljubliana is a city even I enjoy! (as a not-really-big-city-girl) The public transportation is easy to navigate, the city center is beautiful and there are coffeehouses and small cafes on every corner. I spent a week there and the 24 hour round-trip train ride was well worth it. Even if I did lose a little sleep...