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...

quote-able

henri nouwen is pretty much my favorite.

"As you see more clearly that your vocation is to be a witness to God's love in this world, as you become more determined to live out that vocation, the attacks of the enemy will increase. You will hear voices saying, 'You are worthless, you have nothing to offer, you are unattractive, undesireable, unloveable.' The more you are called to speak for God's love, the more you will need to deepen the knowledge of that love in your own heart. The farther the outward journey takes you, the deeper the inward journey must be."
~Jesus: A Gospel

the prayer card that never made it.

(photoshop fun.) what do you think???

die mountains

whenever there is a chance to go the mountains, I take it. a no-brainer, right? especially when it's for free.

 

last week it was Engelberg, CH for sledding in the Alps. EuNC took their spring retreat (mostly to help the new exchange students settle in) and the volunteers were invited to join. so, last Tuesday, we all bundled up in our ski/snow gear and long underwear and went up to the Alps.

a cable car ride was provided by the school (for paying the student activity fee) and most of the afternoon I sat in a cafe, enjoying the sun, hot chocolate, Henri Nouwen and the fact that I was beginning to feel my toes again. (as soon as i had stepped out of the car, my toes were frozen. i decided that the "boots" i had brought were definitely water-proof, but as rainboots NOT snow boots. BR!)

right at the end we made an executive decision to visit an igloo hotel/bar. the furs covering the seats did not make things even a bit warmer and even the bathrooms were icy! ooooooh, not sure i'd want to indulge myself there. yikes.


mountains, always beautiful, add some snow, even more beautiful. add the skiers and you've got your typical picture of the Alps.

i really live in Switzerland. COOL. :-)

leadership conference 2007

last week it was Leadership Conference. a time when lots of people from around Europe come together for fellowship and learning -- 4 days straight.

i wasn't feeling well most of the time, but here are some pictures, anyway. :-)

theme: "Holy Churches Becoming Whole"
speaker: Dan Boone from Trevecca Nazarene
people: almost 140 from Azores, France, Spain, Holland, Denmark, UK, Germany, and more.

lots of cookies, coffee breaks, fellowship and reflecting on the story of Noah. it was really cool to come to LC as a part of the communications team -- we thrive on story and much of what i'm learning is through it -- and then to hear an old story be opened up to themes of redemption, waiting, trusting and being the loving people of God.

(oh, it was this week it snowed! thus, the snow picture.)

snow pictures

the view out the side window. welcome snow!!
the kindergarten behind our apartment ...

.rumor had it.

i think it was november 3rd. tiny, almost invisible snowflakes dropped from the clouds amounting to traces of white on the ground.

then nothing except spring temperatures mixed with a few cold days has graced our village. seriously, where did winter go?

last week, 100 kmph cyclone winds were predicted and my friend Sharla's Swiss husband, David, told us that winter can't come until the winds come.

they came and yesterday ... it snowed! and snowed.

"13 centimeters," Joe said.

"however much that is," i replied. he showed me with his hands and i translated it into 3-4 inches.

today, traces are coming down from the white sky again. winter has come. (finally!)

ou pale?

A French-speaking couple gave their testimonies in church yesterday ... the telling of the story of God in a real way, a real experience was incredible. He was from an atheist, very intelligent background and God revealed Himself as the Truth to him. They are on their way to Uganda as missionaries. Missionaries to the very unknown.

I remember, especially as she was talking, wondering if I would get a chance to talk with them. A French part of my heart felt connected, I think! Haha. But my self-esteem has been beat-up lately and all I knew was that they probably had too many conversations to have and what would they want to talk to me about anyway?

Fastforward to Monday night: I came out of my apartment to find my ride to Bible study and there they were again, except as soon as she heard my name she said, "Lisa? You are Lisa?"

"Yes."

"Oh, we wanted to meet you! We have been using your van in Kansas City... Thank you."

Right then, if it hadn't been dark, I'm pretty sure they would have seen my mouth hanging open. For one, I never expected to meet the missionary couple who had been in a bad accident and were able to take Vanna White (the van's name) for free. Second, I never expected that the ones I wanted to meet and talk with were one and the same!

God is surprising. He knows how to humble us in really unexpected ways. I was kind of in giddy shock ... I had dreamed (yeah, once a vehicle is part of your family for 16 years, you have dreams for it) that the car could possibly be a blessing to someone. It has, just in cooler ways than I expected. What next?

Pam said it's like the movie "Pay it Forward". I watched that for the first time a few nights ago. I agree.

waking up

Need a tip for waking up faster?

The night before, set an almost full glass of water on your nightstand (right above your head). Then when your alarm goes off in the morning, in your sleepy state reach to snooze and knock the water glass all over your pillow, books, and head.

Believe me, I had NO troubles getting out of bed today. Good morning sunshine! :-)

The love of God is greater far and than tongue or pen can ever tell.

Could we with ink the ocean fill and were the sky of parchement made.
Were every stone on earth a quill and every man a scribe by trade.
To write the love of God above would drain the ocean dry.
Nor could the scroll contain the whole though stretched from sky to sky.

Oh, love of God, how rich and pure, how measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure the saints' and angels' song.

Advent Banquet 2006

one pic from the Christmas-y night of fun.

1 December 2006

birthday pics

the girls preparing my beautiful birthday dinner!










from left to right:
Emma
Jenn
(me)
Elizabeth
Petra
Simone








Simone, me, and Petra in Schaffhausen with the backdrop of the Rhine at night

~birthdays~

I'm 23. My friends reminded me several times of this.

Tuesday was a good birthday. (You only turn each age once!)

Some 23rd birthday highlights:

• prayers
  
• cranberry-almond muffins (I LOVE MUFFINS!)
• the last 4 of 23 beautiful roses
• 17 birthday hugs
  
• tea with friends
• tea with myself and 2 amazing chocolates
• CANDLES galore!
• girlie food and stories
• an "almost" movie. maybe next week the devil will wear prada.
• an amazing phone conversation with my sister
• sleep

Thank you Jesus for love and life! And 363 days until the next 28 November...

***pictures soon to come***

Teams... gotta love 'em.

This week, a Work and Witness team showed up. (For those of you not schooled in Nazarene-dom, W&W is a team that comes to do work and pays for it! It's really an amazing concept.)

Providentially, at least for my kitchen, my dad met the leaders of the team at a meeting earlier in the fall and asked if they would bring anything in for me. Thus, the list began and two nights ago I got a GREAT fall gift.

• Brown sugar -- 10 lbs of it!! My baking adventures have only just begun. (Real brown sugar, contrary to what Europeans seem to think, is NOT colored white sugar!)
• Enough dryer sheets to make my tiny room (2 m. by 3 m.) smell fresh -- almost too fresh -- almost my own laundry room. :-)
• Over-the-counter Tylenol. Germans can't get it at Wal-mart, only at the pharmacy. That's annoying.
• Pecans and corn syrup for a pecan pie and pumpkin for all of my pumpkin cravings!!

Happy fall. Thanks to the team, it has arrived. As has TONS of noise above our heads in the communications centre, but for 2 weeks, we can handle it. I hope. :-)

Jenn

My sister is 18!!!

I miss you Jenn!

bored in Buesingen

it was one of those days.

i sat in the office all day, trying hard not to fall asleep as i watched the gigantic clock tick away at the kirche (church) across the street from the centre. the afternoon was better -- i made my first page design. it wasn't exactly what i wanted, but it was a good start.

but the day's activities just didn't kick it.

21:00 comes around and i'm in my apartment, full of energy, needing to get out, and sitting with that feeling. when this happens in Buesingen, sometimes it's helpful to be a kid and be crazy.

so we did. celebrating the first day of short term, we welcomed everyone on-campus who was willing to listen to our short-term ditty and our crazy antics. yes, this is what we do when we get bored in Buesingen.

needless to say, we kicked the boredom AND the need for getting out. plus, we made a few people happy.


(in the pic: me, Luci from Romania, Elizabeth (roommate and volunteer), Victor from Brasil, and Gemmeke from the Netherlands.)

P.S. there is an increasing lack of bugs in my life. woo hoo!

Swiss-German Spiders

Spiders ... in September they are EVERYWHERE here! Criss-crossing bushes, windows, doors, and my bedroom curtains; invisible webs find their way into many corners and unexpected places.

All different kinds of spiders grace the windows and walls inside and outside of our apartment and on campus. My roommate was pretty sure she killed at least 10 the other night in her bedroom. My window has a screen, but I'm pretty sure that my window is one of the only ones on campus. Europeans believe in fresh air, no air conditioning, and no screens on the windows. This is fine, until the spiders (and grasshoppers, moths, and mosquitoes) find their way into your room.

A little, fat spider has made his home outside of Kapellenweg 1 (my apt. building) and several bugs have met their demise in his web.

Last week, I discovered a five-legged creature hanging in a web by the toolshed. I wondered at his past encounters, supposing he started out with the conventional 8 legs... The next day, he was gone. (*sigh)

Winter and frozen temperatures will send all the spiders into hiding until next spring (except, perhaps, the ones hiding out in our apartment). That will be a good thing, except that means no more sunshine, swimming, or summer weather. Will the trade off be worth it?
We will see.

Swiss dumpster diving

Last Thursday we (the campus residents) realized that it was one of those days.

Twice a year, the Swiss people have a LARGE trash day. The night before, everyone down Junkerstrasse -- the main street here in Buesingen -- and the smaller roads put out great piles of "trash". When the students and volunteers catch wind of these days, dumpster diving is in order!

So, my roommate Elizabeth and I decided that the only right thing was to go out and look for some great accessories to outfit our apartment. She had just come back from discovering a shelf that fit perfectly into the door corner and a few other odd pieces, and we decided to venture out again. Mind you, it's dark, so until you actually get it into a well-lighted room, you may not be sure what you have happened upon.

Litzy, my friend from Spain, has a great picture hanging in her living room. Discovery: fall trash day 2004. Sonya, my friend from Russia, has a hand-me-down computer chair also uncovered in 2004.

So as for dumpster diving 2006, we came upon a great trash corner. Everything from brand-new silver window blinds from IKEA to a perfectly good trash can (for me), a street sign, aqua blue painting canvases (for Elizabeth) and a tube of pretty wrapping papers.

Oh the joy of diving in Switzerland! :-)