The Brightest Spot

Overcome

2011-12-14T11:29:00.000-08:00

I'm looking over old pictures in some downtime this morning. The chai-hot chocolate is simmering on the stove and I am remembering the best and most overwhelming hike of my life. Not too far from Schladming, Austria, I summitted for the first time over two years ago.

Different life events are juxtaposing these images so strongly in my mind today that it's driven me back to...this abandoned but not forgotten blog! Of all places! (And don't worry, I got the hot chocolate from off the stove--thanks for your concern.)

These images make our world look so vast. So beautiful. So perfect and planned and lovely. There is so much depth. So much life. Uncertainty, certainly.

The astronomy class I have been taking with everyone in Winnipeg's favourite local astronomer, Vesna, has been showing me again and again how small and this world is. If we lived on another rock hurtling through the near-infinite, we wouldn't even consider our current home worth looking at. It is insignificant in almost every way--yet it's conditions are perfect for life. Though so small, our rock is a chosen rock, chosen by The Rock. Not the wrestler. My Rock, maybe I should say.

While both the vastness of our earth and it's smallness are falling on my open mind, I'm also listening to a new favourite song, "Take Heart" by Hillsong. Music has become increasingly important and meaningful in my life. This thread that barely anyone on this earth can fully hate, is something that binds us together and binds me to my God in an even stronger way. In a book I read in high school about a kid who hated the Mennonite village she lived in, the thing that still mystified her was when the town was singing together, bound by common words which hopefully had common meaning and significance behind them. I feel the same. When I listen to lines like:

"Take heart. May His love lead us through the night. Hold onto hope, and take courage again,"

I am moved. These words, in a soft and driving melody, encourage my heart, which sometimes seems so big and sometimes so small in relativity to the rest of this world and universe. The Lord's individual love and passion for me shocks me again.

"All our troubles, all our tears, God our hope, He has overcome.

All our failure and all our fear, God our love, He has overcome.

All our heartache and all our pain, God our healer, He has overcome.

All our burdens, and all our shame, God our freedom, He has overcome."

He has overcome. All the infinite, all the small. All passing trials, all seemingly lasting concerns. All weakness, all pride. All trials. All pain. Is dealt with. These are statements that are not relative. They are statements that are always true, in each situation, no matter the intensity of it.

Somehow, though I should feel small and insignificant and helpless, I feel none of that. I am empowered and anointed by the Lord, as all of you are. I am significant and I matter all the time, even if I had not a friend on the earth. I would be helpless without the help of the Lord.

I hope you feel empowered today, as I do, in knowing that God has overcome.

The Prince of Peace

2011-08-17T20:27:00.000-07:00

These last few days have been a lesson in trust, a test of faith, and a celebration of God's goodness. My friend was diagnosed with a serious brain tumour last week, and since that time I have seen the people of God rise up around him, and got to count myself one of them. This situation, so fast moving and quick paced, has also been characterized by the peace that only comes from God. Peace, so far from the nature of chaos and uncertainty, is emanating from my friend, and is bringing glory to God. Prayer answered.

Today Nathan had a biopsy on his brain to relieve fluid build up and to take a sample of the tumour, which, of course, is located in the medically inoperable midbrain. The prayers of hundreds of friends, family, and strangers were answered as the doctor performing the procedure pulled it off perfectly, and Nathan is awoke feeling well, full of humour. Prayer answered.

There are many more prayers waiting to be answered right now, but much relief each morning awaking to the knowledge that God "is all over this," as my friend Kara said. How He will choose to answer our prayers is up to Him, and His choices are made perfectly even when they look downright atrocious from our perspective. Still, I have seen God answer big prayers in big ways, and I pray with as much expectance as I can muster for Him to do it again.

He is God, He is good.

The Lord is my Shepherd, I lack nothing.

He makes me lie down in green pastures,

He leads me beside quiet waters,

He refreshes my soul.

He guides me along the right paths for His name's sake.

Even though I walk through the darkest valley,

I will fear no evil, for you are with me;

your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.

You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

Surely your goodness and love will follow me

all the days of my life,

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

{Psalm 23}

Pray for Nathan!

The One Day Roadtrip

2011-08-15T20:44:00.000-07:00

Today, in a span of twelve hours, I had a simply gorgeous time. My good friend Victoria/Dubs fearlessly lead me and two other friends into a mini road trip that took us to the exotic locale of Grand Forks, North Dakota. Peppered with chills (almost not making it across the border due to a forgotten passport) and thrills (finding a beautiful park in the middle of town and lying in the grass for endless moments), it was a full and tasty day.

Driving in the country is one of the most blissful ways to spend a day for me. I have half-dreamt of being a truck driver so many times, though I'm pretty sure that would take the romance right out of the road trip for me. I could have stayed in that car all day, speeding down the flat, straight roads that I love, past the green of the grass and the blue of the sky, which was accented so beautifully today by the sun shining through grey clouds. For some reason, I always find it prettiest outside when the sun is shining through grey clouds. It makes the greens greener, I am sure of it.

There are other reasons why I love being in the car. Cars are where the best conversations are born often. We chatted and laughed and (I) even cried a bit today as we talked our way down to the States and back. I was challenged and inspired all at once. Plus I had a whole lot of fun. Music, too, is a benefit of being in a car for hours. Album after album, song after song. Jussssst love it.

And now, to bed!

Best Latte Ever

2011-06-08T22:21:00.000-07:00

As almost always, it's been too long since last I blogged, but to anyone who still reads this, I hope this was worth waiting for.

If the past month had a title, and this one weren't so cheesy, it would be "Smelling the Roses." I think that's what I've been learning about--how to enjoy the between-moments of every day, what takes place before and after the events that one usually looks forward to.

My days in Calgary often consist of one planned activity: work. 12-4, 11-3, or some similar short shift that involves an hour transit to and an hour transit from the mall, that I may earn a little money and share the wealth of knowledge I possess on loose-leaf tea. So a 4-hour event becomes a 6-hour event, and you know what? I love it. I can honestly say that I have not yet been bored in Calgary, though often I have nothing in particular to do. I sit on the train and think, pray, knit, read, look out the window, or doze. I get a single chocolate from Purdy's on my way home to eat in no fewer than four bites, and I savor the flavor as I walk over Macleod Trail on the pedestrian bridge. I think about the people driving below me, where they're going, if they're having good days. My mind wanders.

It has been a beautiful thing for my relationship with God--I have more time, more solitude, and more quietness. I am encouraged by the different church bodies I visit and challenged by the individuals in them. I am questioned by new friends, and am comfortable with my old ones.

I bolt of the train last minute at unplanned times just to walk around and people watch. The other day I was training home from work and got off at a downtown stop and intended to walk to Prince's Island Park, my favourite place in Calgary. It's a beautiful park in the middle of the Bow River downtown, with walking bridges, so much green, tons of trees, and a little cafe. Benches are scattered around, ice cream stalls are set up, and it's just generally gorgeous. On this particular afternoon though, in typical Sarah fashion, I took a wrong turn and ended up making a long, circuitous circle with my steps. Back at the station, I saw a sign stating something that every second shop of it's kind states: "Best Latte Ever." This, I thought, must be tested. As it turns out, the home of the "Best Latte Ever" is a little espresso and wine bar on the second floor of Art Central, a kind of mall of galleries and art shops, home to local collectives and magazine offices. Oh, the places you discover when going nowhere in particular. The unfriendly barista at deVille coffee handed me my latte and informed me they were closing in 20 minutes, in a voice that begrudged me for being so bold as to ask anything of her in their last 30 minutes of business-time. I sat at by a window, ate my apple, drank my Best Latte Ever and thorough enjoyed it.

All on my way home from work.

I think everyone needs more time where they are going no where in particular. Wandering and meandering is such a therapeutic thing for me, though it is often regarded as a waste of time and unproductive.

What the dickens is it with our culture and being productive? Why must we accomplish so much each day in order to feel it was well-spent? Why is relaxation seen as laziness? I have come to thoroughly believe that we were not built for the stresses that we accumulate as we move through life. As we are "productive." Is it really productive to do so many things that you care about nothing that you are producing, only caring about your survival?

Smell the roses. Create time for in-between, where it is okay if you take a wrong turn and don't end up where you intended.

This is an exquisite time in life. In-between. Slowly putting things in order for the next stroke of life that adds to the full picture. Placing down the pencil and drawing, then erasing and trying again. Figuring things out does not have to be a worry. It can be exciting. It can be beautiful. It can be seen as God's faithfulness in guiding us, in showing us which doors are not for us as we grasp the handle and try to turn it. He will lead and guide, He will never forsake, He will hold us by the hand and hold us in His hands at the same time. And with Him leading, whatever I end up producing will be of the utmost beauty.

Sheila

2011-05-17T21:13:00.000-07:00

Today has been my second full day of life in Calgary. The last few weeks have been ripe with adventure as three of my girlfriends and I drove through the American midwest to California and then up the coast. I have a plethora of shiny bright spots to blog about later, but today, it's all about Sheila.

Sheila is my friend Jordan's, who invited me out here in the first place, aunt. She is the one I am renting a room from, and until today I had only really said hello. Though 7 people live in the house, there is not a lot of action on the main floor. The three Chinese exchange students live upstairs and so far I haven't seen much of them. Sheila's son works a lot and so I haven't met him either, and Sheila goes to bed quite early so I've missed her too.

Tonight, however, I deliberately plunked myself down on the living room couch once I got home so that I could maybe meet some of the people I share a house with, or have some other social interaction. Sure enough, I ended up spending the evening with Sheila, talking about her job as a lawyer's assistant, her passion for music and the country band she used to play in which, for the record, once opened for Paul Brandt. We went for a walk around sunset, and it was just good. Nice to get to know someone new in a deeper way than an introduction.

A bright spot.

A Day to Myself

2011-04-23T15:31:00.001-07:00

I decided to have a day to myself today. My family set out east for our cottage yesterday for the night, and (to their slight dismay) I decided to stay behind. Did I have any plans? my mother asked me. Actually, no. I did not stay behind for anything specific, only to enjoy life and the quietness of an empty house which I never find w

hilst living with 5 other people.

Last night, I pulled out my borrowed guitar for the first time since fall and played (that word may be a bit of a stretch, insinuating talent on my part which is not yet there) for about 3 hours. I spent time pulling up YouTube tutorials (rockongoodpeople makes some great ones!) and trying to copy strumming patterns and enjoying the pain in my fingertips and the frustration of bar chords.

Today has been completely lovely. After a morning coffee with my friend Brenda, I was inspired to go window-shopping for inspiration for my room, which I have been meaning to re-decorate all year. Once I return from Calgary at the end of June, I will surely have some time, and I am SO excited to get to it! Brenda is an interior designer and at the mention of re-decorating, whipped out her color wheels and that was it. I was exhilarated. I spent the next 2 hours walking through furniture and home decorating stores looking for inspiration. I actually found very little of what I want--simple but cluttered and eclectic. Lots of wood. A few patterned textiles throughout. I have a lot to do. My friend Claire recently showed me this blog:

http://theselby.com

It's a photographer who goes around and takes photos of peoples spaces and lives. Several pictures from his page were on track with what I want:

Back at home, I am looking to the kitchen, inspired by a Selby post to bake some bread. Will it happen? Who knows. Who cares. Anything is possible in a day to myself.

It Started So Well/John Mayer Saved the Day

2011-04-13T20:40:00.000-07:00

Today could have gone better. There were two segments of my day today: they are entitled study, and work. And they both started so well.

I met with one of THE nicest men in the entire world today, David Atem. He is an academic advisor at the U of W and moved here from Africa some time ago. I was not looking forward to the 15 minute meeting, mostly because I don't usually enjoy menial little tasks such as that. In the same way, I hate going to the post office, for example. Anyways, moving past my personal quirks, I actually enjoyed myself at that meeting, seeing this man's wide, wide smile when all we were talking about was psychology pre-requisites and major electives. I appreciated it a lot, as the rest of this "study" part of my day was sure to be quite stagnant.

And it was. Classic university student study day. Just not that awesome. But I had expected that, and it was fine. But then, segment two began, entitled "work."

Work started so well. I was in high spirits because the first 2 hours of bustling around behind a tiny counter shuffling 150 tins full of loose teas whilst battling against my co-workers for counter space felt like something of a study break. But then that wore off, and I shifted to survival mode--just keep serving tea, just keep making people smell your tea, just keep asking them if they wanted a cup of tea hot or cold for just $2.81 including tax. And it worked. I survived. In reality, I more than survived. It was pretty good.

But close. AHHH close. I learned how to close the tills for the first time tonight, some 6 months after starting my position there. Things went downhill when I did just an extraordinary sequence of stupid mistakes. And I felt dumb. And pissed off. And like I just wanted to go home, yet there I was, shoving bags of tea into shelves that had not near enough volume.

John Mayer was there for me, though. I don't like him when he opens his mouth to do anything but sing. When he sings, ahhhh. I'm just happy. And all through that crappy hour-long close, John Mayer was playing. And I survived. So thank you, John Mayer, for saving my day. Now could you please just act like the person you sound like you are when you sing? Then you could really save my day.

This is the first day I am actually searching for the best parts of the day, the first day it would be easier to spew all the miniscule things that drove me crazy. Yet one of the main inspirations for this blog is to intentionally find the best in each day.

Thank you, God, for nice people, thank you, God, for music, and that I say from the very bottom of my heart.

Ah release.

Looming Skies are Still Nice Skies

2011-04-12T21:10:00.000-07:00

Today was an in-between day. Over the hill of exam #1, which went well, the best part of course being when Dr. Kirit Patel whipped out Subway cookies for all as the exam began. Now, I am looking forward and plotting my studying strategies for my final exam on Saturday. But I didn't so much get down to studying, I just kind of prepared.

So today was a day of looming. You know when you look at the sky and can tell something is stirring? That there is to be a storm? And if the sky looks kind of green, it means a tornado is coming? This tornado is the next two days devoted to cultural and biological anthropology.

To indulge in dramaticism (that word is copyright Sarah Froese), that is the picture of my life right now. But hey, green skies are kind of cool. Kind of a Bright Spot some might say. My life had two particularly bright/green spots today.

The first? Well, that was at the offices of The Meeting Place today, where I work as a senior high intern. I was using a template from an old Pneumanautics calendar (the name of our senior high youth group... long story), when I realized that instead of Pneumanautics it said...

Peumanautcis. Poo-man-ot-kiss. A far cry from Noo-man-ought-icks. The fact that the youth of our church had these calendars for 3 months and nobody noticed was pretty hilarious. I had a good, good, good long laugh out of that one.

The second was after I got off intern-ing when I met up with my bestie, Jessica Isaak, for gelato. We went to G.G.'s on Corydon, an old haunt of ours in high school that I hadn't visited in over a year. I mentioned as we were waiting in line that G.G.'s reminds me of Brianna Kasdorf, one of our best friends from high school who neither of us often see anymore. We agreed, yes, G.G.'s does remind us of Bri, and we mentioned how much we both missed her.

Not ten minutes later, the door opens, and in walks Rudy, her dad, followed by each Kasdorf, and then finally, Brianna. It was actually ridiculous. We had a really great catch-up in the most appropriate of places. It was just super-bright and green. Loved it.

And those were the brightest spots of my day/the greenest spots of my pre-tornado sky.

Cooking Mama

2011-04-11T13:48:00.000-07:00

When I was in grade 9, I went to a friend's house. But this was no ordinary friend's house. This was my friend Meg's house--Meg, a girl I went through elementary school with and then saw no more. Meg, who never stopped moving from cool house to even cooler house with her family. Meg, with whom I wrote and performed "I Will Survive (In Junior High)" with when I graduated from Angus McKay with in 2003. It was this girl, who I didn't really know anymore, but delightfully, ended up hanging out with anyway, who asked me if I wanted to play Cooking Mama on a sunny afternoon.

I paused.

Cooking Mama?, I thought. Liiike, pretending? Like let's pretend to be Cooking Mama's? I pondered. I responed. "Suuuure," I said, and as I prepared to launch myself off the couch and head for the kitchen where I was assuming all this pretending would begin, she reached for the remote and flicked on the TV, and following that, she switched on the Wii.

Cooking Mama happens to be the best Wii game I have ever played? It comes to us by way of Asia, and involves little Mii's chopping, slicing, dicing, sauteing, stirring, and serving a variety of foods. All this and more, accomplished through skillful movements of the wrist, holding that little white controller, evidence of the world we live in today. Who needs to cook when you canpretend to cook?

I love to cook. I love it. And the legitimate joy and pleasure I found playing Cooking Mama all those years ago has transferred from the TV to actual, tangible food, just waiting to be chopped, sliced, diced, and the like for real.

Yesterday, as I studied, I was periodically distracted by Martha Stewart's home on the internet, marthastewartliving.com, of course. As I browsed recipes, then turned my attention to economics, then back to spring deserts, then back to state-led export oriented industrialization, a recipe for cayenne-rubbed chicken with avacado salsa caught my eye.

And I made it, and I made my parents eat it. My mom wasn't too keen to be honest. She loves the idea of me cooking, but in actual fact, she takes it kind of like my friend Joey does, with caution, or not at all. I have a long history of cooking disasters and fabulous mishaps, from the classing coffee-grounds-in-the-chocolate-chip-cookies to the strawberry-rhubarb-crisp...soup, to, in Joey and Tyler's case, the bad milk. But, despite all the stumbles and trip-ups on my path of culinary delight, there is reason to keep on keeping on. And one of those reasons was my delicious cayenne-rubbed chicken from yesterday. My brightest spot.

the salsa.

the yummy spicy chicken and the grease spots left by sizzling olive oil.

So a little while after all was said and done, something hit my bloodstream and made me go wild. I tried to convince Joey to go have an adventure with me, which was sure to be awesome... anything was awesome in that mood, let's be honest. And this is what he said:

(I set off alone to have an adventure, which ended up being me running around my house in my horrible/beautiful new Levis and fake glasses with a camera, and then painting and watching The Switch, with Jennifer Aniston. And it WASN'T lame, Joey Traa. It wasn't lame at all.)

A-Stack-of-Books Weekend

2011-04-10T21:21:00.000-07:00

Despite all the study that took place on this appropriately cloudy weekend,

both the real and the proverbial sun broke through on several counts.

One was an excellent op-shop run that was so thoroughly satisfying, it

turned the whole day to bliss.

Among other things, I left Regent's Value Village with

Jolly good show.

Guatemala and Development and Big Words

2010-09-26T17:33:00.001-07:00

As I work on my first ever university paper (I'm so sentimental), I stop and reflect... 337 words in to be precise. As I read and my eyes scroll through pages of notes and the writings of others, I wonder why I need to keep googling definitions of economic and development terms? After being in school for 3 weeks, shouldn't I know just some of them? Perhaps I should, but I certainly do not. I have been enjoying my international development class a lot, and my professor, Dr. Patel, is a really genuinely kind person who just seems more focused on getting to know all of us and sharing personal anecdotes than actually getting to the syllabus. So while this is all well and great, I don't know anything about international development as I write, except that I have my common sense on my side.

Or at least, I hope that it's on my side.

I'm writing about Guatemala and the development issues that plague it: primarily poverty, crime, and lack of education. It's a place close to my heart and in my own history, so researching isn't such a chore.

Back to work...

Love,

Sarah

What Kind of Heart Doesn't Look Back?

2010-09-21T21:00:00.000-07:00

I bought a new album by Sara Bareilles the other day and one of the lines in the song struck me:

"the car is parked, the bags are packed/but what kind of heart doesn't look back?"

This line really resonates with me. I am moving on with life, looking ahead and doing my best to live each day in the present, conscious. Yet, I can't say I never look back! There's a bit of a stigma around looking back, like you're some delusional loser who can't put herself into the present because of all the good times of yesteryear. I beg to differ. Everyone would agree history is important--or, if you are Mr. Andres, my ninth grade science teacher, HERstory is important--he always was one for gender equality. In this case that cheesy analogy does the trick though--as history is important, so my own story is important while in transit. I am moving forward but what has happened to me and what I have learnt from it is shaping parts of the path I am on.

I am, of course, referring to the events that brought on the conception of this blog: my ten months overseas at Bible school. Times in Europe, Thailand, and New Zealand flash back in my head probably daily still, and it makes me happy, but sometimes a bit sad too. I heard someone say the other day that without change nothing could get better, and this I know. School couldn't last forever, and not all of my relationships I made out there will last forever, but this is only because God has even better things for all of us involved.

All of this to say that I am happy to be looking back everyone once in a while even as I move forward.

Moving forward right now is looking like this:

-an intro to anthropology and intro to international development class at the University of Winnipeg twice a week. I am really enjoying the anth. class so far--the study of people in all aspects and in all places and at all times. Obviously, I haven't learnt too much yet, but I have learnt that close friends in North America tend to stand 2.5 feet apart while people you don't know so well stand about 4 feet apart. And that was just today! My how the knowledge is flowing.

-interning at The Meeting Place. So far, so great. I am also small group leading some grade 10 girls and I am really looking forward to it.

-job searching!

-I have been doing a lot of cooking and baking lately! In the last little while I've made ratatouille, roasted squash and sweet potato soup, and strawberry cupcakes with strawberry buttercream icing. I love it. Cooking more was a goal of mine coming home, and as for now, it's happening.

-coffees, teas, and generally just social hang-outs.

-other odds and ends, keeping myself busy. A little writing, a little art, a little organization.

Love,

Sarah

Beginnings

2010-09-07T21:43:00.000-07:00

This morning I woke up with the weighty knowledge that real life begins now.

First thing after breakfast, Daniel took me to the University of Winnipeg to show me around and help me figure out where my two classes will be.

Then, due to a flat tire, I booked it to The Meeting Place for the first day of my internship. And what a day! I am so anticipating and looking forward to this year. I want to see God work and move and teach and grow us as a group and as individuals. God's heart is so big and I know that within it is a plan for each of us. It may be that "real life" begins now, as in responsibilities and regulated schedules, but it's weight feels comfortable on my back, like a favourite knapsack. And yes, this is coming from a girl who actually hasn't started university yet, hasn't yet secured and job, and just had her first day of a year long internship, but it just all feels like it fits. Like God has placed the pieces of my life right now into a simple yet unique mosaic. The only burdens I want to carry this year are the ones that God places on my heart for others.

I also went to Bob and Hilde's young adult Bible study for the first time, and met a lot of new people. It was a really good time of meeting people I've never met and reconnecting with those I hadn't seen in a while. Then we cracked open the good book and read Acts 1, the preface to and very beginning of the early church. Acts always used to be my favourite book, and while I'm not sure if it still is, it is up there. There are so many things about it that I love--people throwing their whole lives into their faith and sacrificing everything for the glory of God, and the Holy Spirit at serious work are two things that come to mind first when I think of Acts.

Another first: I made ratatouille the other day. I had an evening to myself and cooked til about 10:30 pm, then ate dinner at a TV table while watching He's Just Not That Into You. I have so much fun hanging out by myself sometimes!

If you made it to the end of this post, I congratulate you warmly. It is just some ramblings, a little reflection on my day, and I don't really know why anyone would be particularly interested but you know what: just throwing it out there.

Love,

Sarah

I Live in My Home

2010-09-06T22:36:00.001-07:00

My house in Winnipeg has been my home for 15-odd years, but it hasn't physically been my home for the past 12 months, as in I haven't resided there or laid my head on my bed. Until now. I spent three hours today cleaning my room and moving back in to it. And it's exciting! To have a permanent residence once again. To not live out of a suitcase any more. I think I'm about to break the 10-night mark of how many nights I have actually slept in my bed since I've been home.

And now real life is starting. My internship at TMP starts tomorrow morning an I am so excited for that. I feel ready to be challenged and stretched and enriched and strengthened by my Lord. Uni starts this Thursday--I really am a big kid now I suppose. And a job? Looking. Slowly. So far it has looked semi-promising at Stellas Bakery on Osbourne and I plan to apply at SCU on Lag. Things are falling into place and life is regulating. Into an exciting pace though.

I love my life. I love my home. I love that I live here again now.

Do What You Love

2010-09-05T23:23:00.000-07:00

I am reminded again as I read my friend Beth's blog about an important lesson that she taught me while we were in New Zealand: spend your time doing the things that you love. My time gets sucked up with unimportant things so often when I am simultaneously always looking for the time to do the things I love. A novel idea: using my time wisely.

2010-07-24T18:21:00.000-07:00

a different colored piece

2010-07-09T22:31:00.000-07:00

{one of my last days in nz}

As I hit the 48 hour mark of being home, I'm taking stock. And what I'm asking myself is, how is this year going to change the rest of my life? How has it changed me?

Well, this is the way I see it. Coming home, it feels like I'm a puzzle piece that has been separated from my beloved puzzle. Since being separated, I have experienced much and changed and grown. Maybe only in the upwards direction though. Because if the shape of my puzzle piece changed, then this illustration would fail. That being because since I have been back at home, I feel as though I still fit.

The puzzle piece that is me fits into it's old home, but I am different yet. A different color or pattern or maybe I have grown vertically somehow. This is 3D puzzletry we're talking about. Crazy stuff. Do you follow?

Suffice it to say, I am a changed girl. And my goal now is to not revert back into the way that I was. Not like I am a completely different person, but I don't want to lose the progress I've made or shrink back.

One of my favourite Bible verses...I forget where it is at the moment...Hebrews?...says that God takes no pleasure in the ones who shrink back, but goes on to say that we are not the type to shrink back, but the type to stand up and be counted as those who love God.

So I hope that you notice something different about me. I haven't put my fingers on what's all changed exactly, but I trust and know that God has changed me while I've been gone.

And what else could I ask for, but for God to mold me with His own hands?

Love,

Sarah

turns out my heart really is at home

2010-07-08T10:55:00.000-07:00

I just arrived home yesterday. And yes, yes, I've been a bad bad blogger. But let me make it up to you. All those who read this blog, I will probably be seeing you soon! Why? Because after 31 hours of travel, I finally arrived in Winnipeg at 11:30 last night. I descended down the flight of steps just as I had dreamt of doing so many times to the raving fans below--namely my mom and dad, brother Dan and brother Matt and Jessica and her mother. It was fantastic. I was so happy to be back. And now I am. I slept in my day bed last night for the first time in such a long time and had a lovely breakfast this morning. Life is going to be swinging right back into the norm I am sure as I have a rehearsal for Amber Radtke and Jordan Loewen's wedding today, and the wedding on Saturday, and then starting at camp on Monday.

I praise God for this last year. I don't know if I will ever really finish processing it. So much has happened. I feel like a different girl. I feel like I'm picking up on more of the adventure of the world and the beauty that only God can reveal. I met a nice guy on my lonnnng plane ride from Auckland to Vancouver, and we talked a lot about Christ, and he sees a lot of beauty in the world without a relationship with Christ. True, yes, there is undeniable beauty. But through the lens of Christ, everything is better and more manageable and more hopeful and more serene and more adventurous. I am so joyed to be living for who I am living for--Christ, if you haven't picked that up yet!

I am planning on continuing this blog, although I may be changing the format a bit...which I'm kind of excited for. So if there are any of you out there who haven't yet given up on me, keep watching...

Love,

Sarah

Stupid Violent

2010-05-22T04:19:00.001-07:00

My friend Jaycia and I are in Havelock North for the weekend, visiting our billets from our ministry week here. What to do on a Saturday night in the area? Stay in, go to a bar, or go to a movie. Stay in? Nah, we did that last night. Go to a bar? Lame sauce. Go to a movie. Golden. Who doesn't like a good movie--relax into those comfy chairs and laugh a little, cry a little, and leave. We decided to see Robin Hood.

I knew the story couldn't be as innocent as the Disney one where Robin is a fox and Friar Tuck is a badger and Little John is a bear. I knew that in the real story there wasn't a "dee-dee-dee-dee-dee-da-lee-doh-doh" singing rooster narrating. I knew their weren't little bunnies running around hollering "wait fuh me, guyth!"

It was a depressing movie about violence and loyalty and neglect. I found myself watching scene after scene of slow-motion battles and ambushes and full-out wars thinking, "how stupid we are, fighting over what isn't even ours." We are willing to give up our very lives for the land we stand on, and most of us aren't content with that and are willing to fight for more. When really, it's all God's anyways. Everything we have is a gift, whether we acknowledge it or not--if parents know how to give good gifts to their kids, then we know that God gives amazing gifts to His creations.

And then we get greedy and claim ownership on our gifts and sometimes on others, and we fight about it. And when it comes to war and violence, people die over it. How many wars have happened since creation? How many people lose their lives over something that suddenly doesn't matter the moment they're dead? How many people every day have no more shot at receiving salvation because they died trying to claim a peace the world.

You can't take it with you. You can't take anything with you that you have on this earth. Nothing you can physically hold on to will translate. That is why God is the most important. He IS the reason that there is more after death; why their is life in the first place. We love because He first loved us. That is why people are of next importance--relationships are what is worth investing in, not things.

Thanks for the reminder, Robin.

Love,

Sarah

The Month of May

2010-05-17T19:53:00.000-07:00

Instead of flowers blooming and grass rising in the month of May, I am watching as the trees go from green to yellow to brilliant red and then hit the earth's floor. Double fall in a year is truly delightful. If not for the anticipation of winter, fall would possibly be my favourite season. As it is, summer remains my number one. Which makes the thought of going home in less than two months to the height of summer quite lovely.

Thanks to Jessica's countdown on my facebook wall, I do believer that I have 50 more days in the southern hemisphere. It's starting to feel short! Which is weird. I can guarantee this one thing: I will be a wreck the day that I leave. The group here is just becoming such a wonderful community and I am just truly really comfortable. I want to go home, obviously, and am really, really excited for it. But it will be very odd knowing that unless I make a big effort, I will probably never be back here again. I may make the effort, though. It is just unbelievable!

I bought a car about 2 months ago with three other girls for a whopping 800 dollars. Now that we finally have our Warrant of Fitness, registration, and insurance, we were able to take Jessie (our burnt red '91 Mitsubishi with ugly black fins) to Rotorua, a town about an hour away full of natural hotsprings. We went to a stream called Kerosene Creek and swam in it's sulfery warmth. It was pretty gross smelling and the water was nasty but it was warm and then it started raining, which made it all that much better. This next weekend I am going to Havelock North, about four hours south of here to visit my billets from ministry week, Peter and Jenny, the sweetest old couple ever. I'm really looking forward to chilling with them. We also have plans to go up to 90 Mile Beach and Coromandel, two other areas I've never been to.

On Sunday night we had an acoustic night, which was SO fun! We have a really lovely cafe here and we set up a stage and had people perform. We have such a musically gifted group! From an interpretive dance to Weird Al's "White and Nerdy" to our own Chillsongs United performing two original songs, it was fantastic. My friend Jordan and I did a cover of One Republic's "Come Home" which was SO fun! I've never really been in a talent show ish thing before, and it was so good. My room mate Sam also signed up me and my other roomie, Danielle, to sing a "love song." We didn't realize until the program was all made up and there we were, signed up to perform. So last minute we decided to go up and call up Sam and her boyfriend, Phil, and serenade them with L O V E. It was the BOMB. She was so embarrassed, it was brilliant.

That's all for now--I need to finish up my Bible study this week on King Josiah and then work on my outline for my study paper which is going to be on hell. Because I'm realizing I may not have a very biblically grounded view of it.

Love,

Sarah

The Edges of the Subject

2010-04-13T05:14:00.000-07:00

One of the most beautiful things, I have realized, are the natural details that happen around what was planned or anticipated. I read a quote by a photographer recently who said that he tried to capture the edges of the subject--what was beyond planning and position. This is so true in my life. I plan and work and play and dream and when all is said and done, it's the little things around the big things that make the memories. It's the stuff that wasn't on your mind originally that stays on your mind forever. On my missions trip to Guatemala, the fact that I was there is not the stand-out, but some of the things that seemed smaller at the time that are not big in my memory and life--meeting a little girl outside the city dump, moving dirt in burlap sacks assembly line style, having the best sick day of my life planning a team party. In my musical in school last year, the performances are the big anticipation, but most of the great memories are from practicing and getting ready.

My roadtripping these last days have been full of those moments too. Pulling over at junk shops, look out points, and running into friends. Making peanut butter and jam sandwiches with sticks instead of knives, and listening to the same mixed CDs over and over again. Making jokes and making better friendships and making new friends. Repeatedly running into fantastic blessings at church. Justine yelling "HUG THE LINE" while we drive because our Canadian minds tend to have us driving out of our lane. Conversation conversation conversation.

Life is good. I am inspired and so enamored and awestruck by God's creativity and lavishness and the huge gift He gave to us in creation and relationships. God says He reveals Himself through His creation and so He does indeed.

Never overlook the small moments or focus solely on the "main event." It probably won't matter most after all is said and done.

Love,

Sarah

In the Abel Tasman National Park. Day two of the hike.

Beautiful Justine.

Dancing among the willows. Typical.

Jessie, Jordan, and Katie enjoying themselves.

Hittin' the South

2010-04-08T02:10:00.000-07:00

A week ago today my two week break started. Nine weeks into school at Capernwray New Zealand, we all were temporarily evicted from our the Monavale homestead and left to fend for ourselves. This was fine with me, and me and my friend Katie, Justine, Jordan, and Jessie left for the South Island and haven't looked back.

We flew to Christchurch on Friday and slept in the airport for that first night in the South with like ten other people from school. It was a surprisingly good sleep. The next day we picked up our 25 dollar a day rental car, a silver Suzuki that we need to lean into when we go up a hill lest our speed slows wayyyy down. We hung out under a willow tree in Christchurch for about four hours that afternoon, it was lovely. Napping and sketching and walking. We stayed with Justine's friend's friend's roommate that night, a guy named Joe and his friend Caleb. We went to some slightly nasty bar with the sole intent of singing some karaoke. We did just that. Jordan and I sang a little Jo-Jo and Katie and Justine tackled Rihanna's "Umbrella." We went to pick up Jessie from the airport (she is Jordan's friend from home). One lost bag later that we didn't get to retrieve til 2 days ago, we ended back up at our host's house and collapsed into a lovely sleep. The next morning Joe and Caleb made us a delicious Easter Sunday breakfast and we went to church with them, which was great. Met very friendly people and went back to Joe's house for lunch. After that we set off for Kaikoura, a gorgeous little coastal tourist town. We spent two days there lazing around and walking the coast, seeing some seals. Then we went to Nelson for one day, stayed at a very cute hostel, and then yesterday we went to Abel Tasman National Park to embark on a two day, 30 km hike! We slept on the way yesterday night, and I had a terrible sleep, but it was still a really good experience overall, really gorgeous! And we took a water-taxi back and saw penguins swimming in the ocean! That was quite cool.

Tomorrow we head down south down the west coast. Will write back eventually!

Love,

Sarah

Here and There, Pt 1

2010-03-20T23:13:00.001-07:00

My my my. It has been a while since I've updated this blog. Quick update: Last week was hectic and overwhelming and busy busy busy, planning and giving a Bible study and preparing for Ministry Week. Which started yesterday. I am a very, very happy camper here in Havelock North where I am working this week. My friend Jaycia (also from Manitoba) and I are billeting with the sweetest old couple, possibly my third set of grandparents. Jenny and Pete are just wonderful people with many great stories and wonderful cooks--let me tell you, home cooked meals are such a great treat. I am such a foodie, and I must say meals are good at school but not at all like this. They are just TOO nice. Today Jenny asked what meals we miss from home so that she can make them this week and they took us to a beautiful beach today to meet up with some people from Celebration, the church we are working at and with.

The church is really cool. The congregation is small, maybe 90 people, and they are a very warm group. I felt really welcomed there this morning at the service, and the pastor spoke on the Kingdom of God and it was really good and challenging. Starting tomorrow we are beginning a Monday to Friday boy's club for 7-11 yr olds, themed "God's Superheroes." I'm quite looking forward to it, it will be pretty fun I am sure. Hectic, but fun. We are also doing elementary school assemblies, five of them, from Tuesday to Friday. Some evenings will be church stuff too--home groups, a prayer meeting, youth group. Fun stuff.

Love,

Sarah

19

2010-02-20T15:24:00.000-08:00

I am now a lady of 19 years. And birthday blues? Surprisingly, I didn't really even have to banish them because they didn't make an appearance. I had a really wonderful birthday out here and so many people contributed to it.

Here are a list of the things that made my day: my family group mom made me a cake and gave me balloons/a received a bouquet from my friend Claire/talking to mom and dad on the phone/many chocolate bars and a magazine from my roommates/many cards left on my mailbox or on my bed or at my door or given to me/two rounds of happy birthday being sung at dinner time/my friend Shannon paying for my movie ticket in the evening (we went to see Valentine's Day)/my friend Danielle paying for my smoothie at the movie/legit stargazing in the evening/all the birthday wishes i have gotten from friends at home. ALSO. My love for peanut butter and banana apparently precedes me, and some of the girls bought heaps of bananas and peanut butter and Nutella and we made frozen pb and chocolate covered bananas and had a dance party and pool party with all the girls. UNBELIEVABLE.

Suffice it all to say that I am blessed beyond belief. I am so overwhelmed by everybody's kindness and effort to make the day special. God is so good.

As for today, I'm hoping to get my testimony done, because I'm giving it on Tuesday, and I need to get my camp application done because I've decided that is where I want to spend my summer again this summer! So that must be done.

Love,

Sarah

Bibles, Breakfast, and Barbeques

2010-02-17T18:42:00.000-08:00

Hello all! I am going to try to update this blog more frequently now, because I have received really sweet messages from many of you wondering what's going on over here. Because I am only on the internet one or two times a week, I am hoping that my updates on here will suffice for the most part! Don't feel neglected or like I don't love you all, because I do--this is just the easiest way to get the most information to the most people I think.

SO. Here I am. In Monavale area, New Zealand. It's been nearly three weeks now and the routine here is getting very regular and home-y even, dare I say it. I just finished my first big assignment not even half an hour ago, a Bible study on Luke 12:1-7. It isn't for presentation, just to be handed in and graded. It went pretty well, I think. I really don't mind Bible studies too much--good thing, because I have another one due in two weeks on a passage in James. This next week I think all I have due is a devotional on some part of Romans 8, and I am giving my testimony to the group here on Tuesday.

My favourite day so far is Thursdays (today!). I love it because it is family day. In the morning, we have breakfast at 7:30 and then worship at 8:30, then two lectures that go until about 10:30, which is morning tea! So quaint. So we meet with our families on Thursday for tea and hang out. Then someone in the family gives a Bible study, today a guy named Mark gave one on a passage from Philippians 4. Then discipleship, which I love. It's kind of a mentoring time--a girl named Rachel and I have been matched up with a woman named Anli who used to work here. She immigrated from South Africa about two years ago and is very, very cool. So it's a good time to catch up, talk about stuff, and pray together. Then lunch, then free afternoon, then supper, and in the evening it's family time. Our parents, Craig and Sharon-Louise Good, plan something either by themselves or with us and then we go have a little adventure. I don't know what we're doing tonight, but I'm looking forward to it.

This morning I went out for breakfast with 8 other kids, and we left at 6:45! But for my first hot breakfast in forever, it was well worth it. I am really enjoying the people here and the relationships that are being built. It's a really great environment here.

Lectures this week have been on Genesis, which I find so fascinating. We have been talking about Genesis 1-3, about creation and the fall. We have watched some cool videos and heard really interesting evidence that has science beginning to point to intelligent design as cause for creation. One of the neatest things I learned this week is that in Job when God is speaking, He references who holds the cluster of the Pleiades and who loosens the cords of Orion's belt, talking about constellations. Apparently, in the last 50 years or so, scientists have discovered that Pleiades are held in perfect suspension and aren't moving at all, and Orion's belt is the fastest moving constellings--the cords indeed are being loosened by Someone. God called that one I think.

I started attending Raleigh Street Christian Center two Sundays ago as my home church while I'm here. It's been a really good thing for me to go to a church again, especially off of campus. Last night, some friends from here and I went to Dojo, their youth group's Bible study. They have about 60 kids coming I think, from all walks of life. They split the group into three for study--a kind of beginner, intermediate, and advanced, if I can say that. My friends and I went to the study intended for people who've been Christians for quite some time. It was about hell and Satan and where they came from and what the Bible says about them. It was so good! I met some cool people there, and we were kind of asked often what we had to say about certain questions based on the fact that we are Capernwray students. It was pretty cool. It is continuing next week so I'm hoping to go.

For my missions outreach for the next five months, me and two guys from here, Kyle and Matt, are going to help out/lead a small youth group in Hamilton, about half an hour away. Every Friday night we will be going and hanging out, planning events once in a while, and maybe doing some teaching. I'm pretty excited, I think it will be a great opportunity. I talked to the youth pastor of Raleigh Street yesterday about any suggestions he had and his answer surprised me--he said to not do too much--don't build up and grow a program that can't be sustained once we're gone. Don't get so close to any students that once you leave, they are at a loss and except shepherding from across the ocean. I thought they were really good and releasing points. He said to expect to learn more than I give, even if it sounds a little selfish. So tomorrow Matt and I are going to their kick off BBQ in someone's backyard. Should be good.

That's all for now, more later!

Love,

Sarah

Update!

2010-02-04T18:58:00.000-08:00

I write to you today from the coffee shop on campus at the school here in New Zealand! It's a relaxed Friday afternoon, and I've got no where I really have to be until Sunday morning, which is really nice. Anyways, I just wanted to tie up my Thailand ends briefly on here and let you in on some of what's been going on here...

The main things I learned in Thailand from God and the people in whom He dwells are about evangelism and about praying with faith and wisdom and expectation.

I am just excited to tell people about Jesus, as scared as I am. One of the guys on TREK has a powerful testimony that really got me--he grew up in Hillsboro, Kansas, which is like the BUCKLE of the Bible belt--it's a little Mennonite town fulllll of Christians. Despite this, he grew up without knowing what Jesus had done for him until he was in his late teens. A friend braved the friendship to share with him the Good News--and he responded and has been actively serving Jesus ever since with a strong focus on missions and evangelism! While it's nice to think "I will show them I am a Christian by the way I live, and they will just know about Jesus from the way I smile" it is usually not the case. We need to be bold and just TELL people about Jesus. Our friends will not be grateful to us for our sensitivity to them when we are being separated, sheep and goats by the God I failed to tell them about. There is so much value in showing people God by our actions, but there is a need no matter where you are to just be straight with people around you and tell them in love and compassion about the saving grace of Jesus.

Praying with faith, wisdom, and expectation is the other big thing I learnt. While I have always believed that Jesus hears my prayers and cares, I feel like I am scared to pray so many prayers because Jesus may not answer them. If I pray for healing for someone and He doesn't heal, that brings up a whole other set of difficult questions, for me and the people who know I prayed that prayer. And so I think that I, like many people, have limited God in my prayer life because of my fear and lack of faith that He will answer. In Thailand, they visibly see their prayers being answered often. I believe that it is because of the great faith with which they pray and their trust in God. Real, true, and raw. And the expectation that they pray with. God WANTS to save the Thai people and bring them to Himself, so when they pray that He does, why would they expect anything else? And then the MB church goes and grows by 20 percent in the last month. Prayer answered. And those prayers continue to be answered, inspiring me and convicting me to pray likewise--with FAITH.

And now I find myself in New Zealand. The flight went really smoothly--no huge fine this time! Things have been really great so far, everyone is really friendly and chilled out. It's easy to get to know people and I've had some phenomenal conversations with people already which is so encouraging. My family group is really great and I can tell it will be a lot of fun. I am excited for the assignments ahead of me too! Lots of Bible studies (5 this semester that I need to prepare and give 2) as well as a bunch of Bible memorization, a testimony, a devotion, and some other stuff. We also have mentors too--I haven't met mine yet, but I look forward to that too! We've all been placed in churches in the area to be a part of for the next five months which I am so excited about! I have only ever gone to The Meeting Place and I am eager for the chance to see how other people do church and maybe get involved. My group met with the pastor and youth pastor of Raleigh Street Church in Cambridge today, and it made me very excited! They have a great youth program and an active church body and it just seems vibrant! I will keep you posted on that.

I'm off! Love,

Sarah

Pictures from Here!

2010-01-27T18:10:00.000-08:00

The lovely TREK ladies, Sara and Carmen in their custom-built grass hut.

Playing games with the kids at church on Sunday.

Partying with the three church plants all together for Sports Day.

Monkeys and me!

Me and my pad thai. My first Thai breakfast.

Full to Overflowing

2010-01-26T02:29:00.000-08:00

Content. That is what I am. I like to characterize myself and my thirst for God, adventure, love, etc as content but never satisfied. I love where I am but I do not want to stay here. I want to push onward and delve deeper into what I don't know fully yet--and never really will--the goodness of my God. The love and grace He just lavishes on us.

Eph 1:7-8--"In [Jesus] we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that He lavished on us."

1 John 3:1--"See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!"

What if once we realized Christ loved us, we stopped there? "Good to know, good to know. I'm happy I have Christ to always lean back on in the hard times." Well, here's the thing: we all do stop there. I feel like it's safe to say that I speak for all of us when I say that at some point, we all drift into making the assurances of our Lord into our excuse to rest in comfortability. We lean back instead of pressing in and on into the current. It is the floating on the lazy river of an almost secular Christianity that has so much of the North American church missing out on so much of what God has planned for us.

NEWSFLASH: there is a little newty/lizardy thing in my room. I saw it on the wall when I opened the door, and then it scuttled across there onto another wall beside the desk. Then I moved the desk and tried to catch it, but it ran away again, then I found it again and tried to catch it, and it ran away AGAIN (so feisty!) and now I can't find it and I am oh-so-jumpy and keep feeling it on my neck. Seriously. Hate it. I don't know WHERE it could have gone. But I keep thinking about Parent Trap when Meredith Blake has that gecko thing crawl down her face into her mouth. What if while I sleep... NEVER MIND. Maybe it ran out of the room. It's possible, there is a crack under the door. The funny thing is that I am staying with people who do not speak English, and so I have been suffering alone with this problem. Oh, the joys of Thailand.

So now that that's out there, I will smoothly segue into an update of what my life has been like in Thailand. I arrived on Jan 16 early in the morning and was picked up by Dave Peters-Sinclair. He and his wife, Louise, have been missionaries here since January 2001 with MBMSI. I stayed with Dave and Louise for two nights before being invited to live with a girl who works as a translator for one of the three church plants, hers being the province over from Dave and Louise. So off I went, traveling there with my new Thai friend Uh-Oh (the girl who had me over for the week) and the TREK team (7 month missions experience through MBMSI) here in Thailand. The next week was fantastic. Every morning when we woke up, Uh-Oh and I would go to a coffee shop that had a little restaurant set up next door and have a leisurely breakfast of pad thai or fried rice and then an iced coffee while having quality God time. That girl is just in love with the Lord, and so are her friends. I was so inspired watching their church function as this community focused on loving God and loving others, both those within the church but especially those outside of it. Sharing the gospel is as common place as sharing the time with strangers, it seems. I was riding in a song-tow the other day (a glorified pick-up truck bed) with Uh-Oh and her sister Ann and my friend Art, and there was an older woman and a bunch of students on there and Ann just starts giving her testimony and sharing the gospel--I wouldn't have known except that Uh-Oh told me to start praying because they were sharing about Jesus--and these women were so interested, asking questions and getting phone numbers and booklets. It is amazing to watch the Spirit move here--the congregation at the church is so open to and reliant on the Holy Spirit. There is a lot of faith here, and a lot of fruit. In the last two weeks, the Mennonite Brethren believers in Thailand have grown 20 percent with 61ish new believers!

On Sunday I moved back to Dave and Louise's house for one night, and then to their pastor, a single Thai mother named Ajan (teacher) Nat, 's house. She doesn't speak English, and so I was kind of less than excited for it, but it is actually so nice. I have my own room and can spread out and relax, and she has internet so I can blog, email, etc, and she is just very sweet.

So all sorts of stuff is happening, but that's all for now folks.

Love, and goodnight,

Sarah

The Third Leg of the Year

2010-01-18T00:51:00.001-08:00

This is my third day in Thailand! I think this part of the year is kind of the third leg of my year, of four. So my year is like a deer... cause it has four legs. Anyways. After three months in Austria and 5 weeks of traveling Europe, I have arrived at my two weeks in Thailand.

BY THE WAY, last week I was with my parents and we had a truly amazing, spectacular, terrific, wonderful week together. It just fueled me up for the next couple months to have them around for just one week. We were in Florence together and that was very cool, followed by Cinque Terre for two days and then back to Schladming for one and then finally to Zurich, where I flew out.

So, wonderfully, I had no jet lag traveling and have slept solidly both nights so far. Just a quick update before I head out, it turns out a TREK team (MBMSI program) is here working with Dave and Louise Sinclair-Peters, who I have been staying with, and are heading back to another province for a few days, and their translator, Uh-Oh (yeah, for real. Though I'm sure that's not how you spell it), invited me to come. So I am headed somewhere called Banseng, or something like that. Right on the ocean and close to the monkeys, I'm told. I'm hoping to volunteer at a orphanage for HIV/AIDS positive girls. I've heard they just steal your heart, and I'm excited to go.

My role here to me is just going to be helping where I can. Either washing dishes or cleaning up for the people here, and kind of making opportunities for myself, such as volunteering at the orphanage! I am looking forward to hitting some markets and going into Bangkok sometime too.

I'm trying to very intentionally love people, and have love be the first thing in mind when I interact with people. I'm so self-conscious sometimes in new environments, but love is beyond that. Real love isn't worried about what people think or nervous about making a mistake.

The Spirit is so obviously working here in the hearts of the Thai people as well as the Burmese immigrants working at the factories around here. On the weekend the TREKkers and missionaries did evangelism all weekend and I believe 26 people came to Christ, and one went out to evangelize the next day! Some attended church on Sunday too, just one day after finding Jesus.

Stuff is happening here, and I'm so excited to be around it all!

Love,

Sarah

The Wedding Singer

2010-01-07T12:11:00.000-08:00

Oh my goodness I just watched The Wedding Singer while eating spaghetti from room service in my hotel room in Zurich. How good is life? Like pretty much I am nervous that I will die tonight because everything is going so right. Do you ever get that feeling where absolutely everything is falling into place and it almost doesn't seem fair? Well right now I'm pretty much just experiencing bliss. My parents will be here in 12 hours, I ate a hot, fresh meal which is a rarity, I'm in freaking Switzerland, I have complete privacy for the first time in 4 months and I just watched a hilarious movie.

As if I have never seen The Wedding Singer before. It is SO funny. Like hilarious. I laughed a lot. I just thought I should let all my readers know that I have just had the most relaxing evening in a while. So thankful.

Can't wait for morning!

Love, Sarah

Jumping into a New Year

2010-01-07T08:11:00.000-08:00

Welcome to 2010 and all that it will bring. God weaves so many unexpected things into our lives that we did not expect, and I look forward to stumbling upon surprises. My lifestyle these last few weeks seems to have been like that—discovering cities and spots I didn’t expect to love I did. I have flown around with only about 8% of my travel time planned out, a far cry from my instinct, which is to plan loosely, but you know what, it worked for me. Take a train, arrive at a destination. Pull out Tyler’s Lonely Planet book and find a hostel, go there. Explore the surrounding area on foot, inevitably meet up with some Bodenseehof-ers. Accompany the boys to McDonald’s or a kebap* joint. See things I’ve only ever heard about or seen pictures of. Make memories. Take a new train to a new place and do the whole thing over again.

Now, almost four weeks after I left Tauernhof, I have traveled in six countries and will see one more yet before I leave the continent. I have traveled in Austria, Germany, Italy, France, Belgium, and Holland. Monaco too, I don’t know if that counts or not, it’s the second smallest country in the world next to the Vatican. It’s ritzy and glitzy.

New Years Eve in Paris holds lots of good memories for me. Of course, we met up with the Bodenseehof kids and stood in front of the Eiffel tower from 9-12 in the evening. We watched the twinkling lights and then a really cool light show. After crossing back and forth through thousands of people like five times because we couldn’t choose which side the light show was going to be on, we did figure it out and had great views of the tower. Armed with mittens, a toque, a wine cooler, Toblerone, and friends, I was ready for the clock to strike twelve. The actual moment was a little anti-climactic though, in a humorous way. There was no countdown or anything, just all of a sudden the music stopped and so did the light show. And then we were all left to assume that 2010 was upon us, so we all shouted and cheered. After that, our group of 11 people formed an “impenetrable ball” where we all huddled in a circle and ran together in one direction to get through the crowd. That was a good time. I saw more crazy drunk people then I cared to count—or smell, for that matter, but they added to the atmosphere in their own way.

It took 2 and a half hours for us to get back to Gentilly, where the ladies house we were staying with was! It usually took us maybe 20-25 minutes. Hectic. We walked to a far-off metro station because the ones near the tower were jammed full so that there was a line out in the streets! We found one after 45 minutes of walking, and then wrestled our way into the metro when it got there—I got a MAD Charlie horse when I got pushed into a seat. Paris is insane. But it’s good.

However, by the time we got back to the house, I had only 3 and a half hours to sleep before I got up and went to Gare Nord (the North station) to meet up with Tim and Nathan, my new travel partners. I prayed that night that I would get more rest than my hours of sleep I was logging deserved, and you know what, I was more than energized the entire next day—didn’t even nap on the train!

In two days with Tim and Nathan we saw Brussels and Amsterdam. We went to this place in Brussels called Mini Europe which had to scale models of some of the most important buildings and things in Europe and every country in the EU was represented. Very cool. We saw the Atomium, a huge huge huge model of an atom that Brussels is famous for. In Amsterdam, I smelt a lot of weed and saw a lot of beautiful old architecture. We walked around for about two hours looking for a place to stay and finally succeeded, finding a good deal at a hotel up a very very steep flight of stairs. We met up with two other guys from school there, Daniel and Aaron, both of whom have Dutch family and had just come from visiting them. They introduced us to oliebollen, a Dutch New Years donut—so good!

The next day, all of us minus Tim who went to see a friend near Stuttgart before flying home, left for Paris once again. Our final destination was Marseille but we couldn’t get on a train that day, so we stayed in Paris for the night. Nathan and I had already seen it so we went for supper at a cheap traveler’s paradise—a kebap joint. We went to see Avatar, which was amazing! Fantastic movie. See it. Nothing better I could’ve done with a couple hours in Paris. More or less.

The last two days I have been in Istres, near Marseille (the second biggest city in France) at my friend Adrian’s 300 year old farmhouse. Yesterday we went sightseeing to the coast and a nearby town, and today we went climbing on some cliffs right on the ocean. It was beautiful. Adrian and Daniel are pretty big into climbing, so I tagged along. I climbed once and almost made it to the top. I was pretty impressed with my attempt, considering I really don’t climb much.

Other then that, just over 2 days until I see my parents! I can’t wait.

Love,

Sarah

*For those who don’t know, kebaps are a sandwich made with shaved roasted chicken or beef and a yummy sauce on a (sometimes) fresh baked bun with veggies. Addicting and cheap. And everywhere.

Nice is Nice

2009-12-29T13:03:00.001-08:00

I am in Nice--been here for three nights now, going on the fourth. It is gorgeous! One day in St Jean, a SUPER rich neighborhood around here, one day in Monte Carlo, Monaco, and shopping today with the Bodenseehof girls we met up with. We might as well have been stalking a group of 5 Bodenseehofers--we randomly met up with them in Rome and Nice like 5 times and then ended up staying at the same hostel in the same room (that last part there was on purpose). It's been really cool getting to know them and having 2 other girls to hang out with, and in this case, shop with.

Tomorrow we're headed to Paris, city of lights. Or city that never sleeps. Or something like that. Anyways, we'll be there for New Year's! Should be pretty spectacular.

Love.

Pizza Pies and the Coliseum: Must be Italy!

2009-12-23T09:52:00.000-08:00

It is now Dec 23, and I've been out of school and traveling for 11 days already! I met up with Mike (cousin) and Tyler (friend) and Mark (friend of friends) at Bodenseehof, the Capernwray in Germany, on Friday, and we set out for Venice on Saturday, intending to arrive in the evening. However, snow apparently just throws off and baffles all Europeans, so our last train from Milan to Venice was cancelled. So, because we really had no plans anyways, we embraced the adventure and found a hostel in Milan. Super bare bones with absolutely no charm and 19.50 euros a night, it did the trick. The next morning we saw the Duomo, the largest Gothic cathedral in the world, and went for some really good gelati. Then we spent three hours in the freezing cold, terrible train station because the trains were delayed like crazy. We all unanimously decided we hate the Milan train station. So we were very happy to get out of there.

We ended up in Venice about 7 pm on Sunday. It was GORGEOUS! More beautiful than I imagined. We wandered around looking for a place to stay and found a decently cheap hotel room that slept 4. The next day saw us wandering around seeing some sights and taking tons of pictures. I will try to put some up here sometime.

Yesterday, Tuesday, we arrived Rome! It's super cool here. We have walked around for about 11 of the past 24 hours I think, so my feet are a little sore. We have seen lots and lots of sights already... Spanish Stairs, Trevi Fountain, the Coliseum, Roman Forum, Pantheon, Palatine Hill, and random basilicas and things. Tomorrow is Vatican City day, and we are also transferring to a hotel tomorrow, which should be glorious!

Love,

Sarah.

Koenigsbrunn

2009-12-19T13:32:00.000-08:00

I actually wrote this a couple of days ago on Word and was waiting to publish it til I got internet and I forgot until today...so these are thoughts from a little while ago but they are my thoughts all the same. Enjoy!

"As I write this I am at my friend Anne’s house in Koenigbrunn, Germany in Bavaria. I left school 4 days ago I think and I’ve pretty much been moving ever since. When school ended on Saturday I headed over to Vienna with three girls from Tauernhof—Sarah Cosh from outside Toronto and Rebekah and Maranda from Seattle. It was fun traveling with them and getting to know them better.

It was my second time in Vienna and I really enjoyed it, cold as it was. We went to some Christmas markets, stayed at a nice (and cheap) hotel in a great area and, oh yeah, got conned by some man in a cape into going to this crappy “symphony with ballet.” Wow. We should have known better. He was wearing an ID tag and standing with a bunch of similarly dressed guys outside the opera house where we were intending to go. He told us that the standing room tickets which are like 4 euro were sold out and that the remaining tickets were not great, and instead directed us to this other show which was apparently the line-up that is played at Vienna’s New Years Eve celebration and people pay up to 1800 euro to go see it! It’s usually 36 euro for a ticket, but for students, only 18, and this guy could hook us up with the last 4 seats which all happened to be together. I can’t believe we did it. Yeah. The girls really wanted some culture so we went. And let me tell you, this place (we were also told it was where Mozart performed with his sister) was a glorified living room. About a hundred chairs were placed in front of a teensy carpeted stage. On that carpeted stage were three violinists, a cellist, and a pianist. Symphony was a strong, strong word to describe the reality of the situation.

As for the ballet, there was one girl prancing around a little bit, not on pointe might I add, which I think is completely impossible on carpet, and one boy ballerina who just hopped around and was much less than impressive. It was humorous, though. We laughed a lot at our misfortune and the diminutive performance in front of us. Audience members were laughing, falling asleep, leaving, videoing. What a joke.

After Vienna we went to Munich for one day and spent one night there at a woman who went to the school’s house, which was very nice. Then, yesterday I took the train to Anne’s house, not without a little adventure of course. According to me, Mering-St. Afra (where I was supposed to get off) and Mering (where I got off) are the same thing. So there I was, in the dark with my huge pack, off the train one stop too early. I tried to call my friend but the number didn’t work and then I was talking to a cashier at a convenience store and trying to figure out what to do when who should walk in the door but Anne. She anticipated my mistake, hallelujah. All is well.

Today I spent the day with Anne and Christine, my roommate who lives in a small town about an hour away, Polsingen I think it’s called. It was really fun, just talking, going for coffee, walking up like 400 stairs to a look out point, and praying together. They are some really special girls and I will really, really miss them both. Anne is planning on coming to North America next summer, and Christine has promised me to come summer 2011 to Winnipeg for a roomie reunion, which will be GREAT.

That’s pretty much all for now. OH YEAH, Anne and I also sped on the autobahn today. Changed my life.

Love,

Sarah."

Nomad

2009-12-10T11:47:00.000-08:00

Just to remind anyone who may be wondering, I won't have a (semi) permanent address for 2 months now--not until I am in New Zealand. I will post the address there in a while, but if you need it before it's up it will be on their website (capernwray.org).

And good news! I have been looking for a place to stay in Paris at the end of December for New Years and I found a really cool looking place today called MIJE right downtown. Brother Dan stayed there when he was in Paris and recommended it to me. It's only 30 euro a night, which is fantastic, especially seeing as it's over New Years. I am oh-so-happy with it. A couple of friends here are checking with their various connections too, so things are looking WAY up.

And that's all for now!

Love, Sarah.

P.S. There is a fantastic guitar player who lives on my floor and I will SO miss being serenaded to sleep by John Mayer songs. Legit.

The Final Tauernhof Entry

2009-12-09T12:07:00.000-08:00

This is pretty much a sign-off from Schladming, Austria. I have just over 48 hours remaining in my semester, and then I am out of here! How unbelievable--it has been 3 months already! The time has flown by. I have grown to feel pretty at home here, and even though I have always known how temporal the situation is here, I feel comfortable here. I will fill you in on some of my favourites and things I will miss.

Favourite Spots...

-The path along the Ennsrunde (the river the runs threw town). And the view of the Alps that I get no matter what direction I'm facing.

-The armchairs at the end of my hallway.

-aQi, the hotel across the street where we get heisse chokolade and internet access (also where we take pictures with David Guetta...yeah).

-The phone room, where I get to talk to some of the people I love at home.

Favourite Places to Spend My Euros...

-Spar. For all of your chocolate and grocery needs. My fave snacks: rice cakes, fruit, nuts, and, obviously, chocolate.

-The kebap place. SO DELICIOUS. I have limited myself to only one kebap. But wow. They're ridiculous.

-San Danielle. My roommates and my favourite place to go for dinner. Our final roomie date will be there tomorrow for supper!

-Train station. Where I make slightly major purchases.

Things I will miss... a few among hundreds

-Family style meals. Won't get those for a while!

-Seeing all these boys working with yarn and crochet needles. It's a phenomenon.

-Going on frates (friend dates. some of you will appreciate that more than others!) with all sorts of people from here.

Those are just a few pieces and bits of my life here. Pray for safe travel for me and to continually be in awe of God in all sorts of different situations. I miss everyone at home, truly and dearly, but I look forward to all that is ahead of me.

I will try to update somewhat while I am traveling, so hope to hear from me soon!

Oh, little travel update--I will be in Rome at Christmas, and Paris at New Years, and Zurich Jan 8 because my PARENTS ARRIVE THERE THAT DAY. WOHOOOOO.

Love, Sarah

Some Words From a Neglectful Blogger

2009-11-24T12:36:00.000-08:00

Okay, so first, a word to all of my dear and loved friends and family who read this blog and are often slightly disappointed to see that I haven't updated in weeks: I apologize. I really do not take for granted the fact that you care about what is going on in my life. I love and appreciate you, and know that a day doesn't go by where I am not reminded of home and people from home.

That said, here is an update: I love it here. I am learning a lot right now. I am learning about the simplicity that there is in relying on God and stepping aside from my pride and selfishness so that the Holy Spirit can finally do his work without me blocking him. Not that I do this now, but I try.

I used to worry and work to fit God into my schedule. What a brutal way to look at strengthening my relationship with God--fitting Him in. Wow, it makes me cringe. I am working at giving Him my best, daily, and not my leftovers. Not the my-eyes-are-half-close-and-now-for-a-chapter-from-1-Chronicles time I used to spend with God before bed. I love to walk here and pray and read and just be aware of His presence.

Last Wednesday was a day of prayer and fasting and silence--it was silent on campus from noon til 7.30, and it was glorious. I did a lot of walking and a lot of praying. I didn't hear clearly from God or get knocked down by lightning but I did truly walk with God all that day, and I just knew His presence in my life. It is so good knowing that my God is with me all day every day, good and bad, rain and shine. He is so faithful. That's another thing I was reminded of recently. As I finished reading 2 Kings on the weekend, I read about King Josiah, who I believe was the last king in Judah before it's exile. The book of the law was found during his reign inside the temple, and Josiah read it and followed it. Josiah saw what needed to be done to make the kingdom pure before God and he did it all. He took away all traces of idol worship, more so than any king before him since David. He renewed the covenant with all of the people and God.

Yet, God did not change his mind with the judgment he made before Josiah, that He would remove Judah from His presence because of their wickedness. He honored Josiah's faithfulness to Him by causing him to die before the kingdom fell, but the kingdom still fell because of their wickedness. God still preserved them, though, and the reason the Bible gives is for His own sake but also for the sake of David.

That story taught me three things. First, Josiah is a fantastic example of a radical and sold-out follower and lover of God. He saw what parts of his life and kingdom needed to be cut out to be honoring to God and he proceeded to accomplish these things--he took down the high places where the people offered sacrifices, and he removed "sacred stones" for idol worship and Asherah poles. How often do I look objectively at myself and see things in my life that I need to abandon or notice things that I should be doing to have a better relationship with God and then not make the changes that I should? Noticing problems is one thing, and following through is another completely.

Second, God is sovereign. He knows what needs to happen for His ultimate plan to be fulfilled. In this case, He had to punish His chosen people so that they could be purified and refined through trials. Had he left them, the king after Josiah would probably have been evil and do all of the evil things that his forefathers did, and Josiah's good works would not be remembered by the people, who were steadily getting further and further from God. He took them away from His good blessings to bring them back to Him. Don't judge the situation you are in by it's immediate effects--instead, trust that God has plans to bring us to Himself.

Third, God is ridiculously faithful. Through the time of the kings, God purposely preserved the family line of David for David's sake, because of the promises He had made to Him. God honored David in a really big way, long after David died. I was thinking about the same thing with Abraham too--Abraham didn't get to see all of even most of God's promises fulfilled in his lifetime, but now, thousands of years later, he is still remembered by millions of people, and he really was the father of God's chosen people. His descendants really do rival the number of stars.

Cool stuff.

More later, I promise.

Love, Sarah

An Update and my Vienna Trip!

2009-11-03T08:07:00.000-08:00

First, I realize that I haven't updated in a while. My bad! I really appreciate that people read it and are interested in what I'm doing, and I'm sorry that I'm not more on top of it.

So here I am, typing in the relative silence of the Eagle's Nest, the room where the internet dwells and we come to do homework, etc. I came up here to do a couple of things, and they are connected with some updates I would like to fill you in on--first, I had to finish writing out the devotional for my outreach group, which is going tomorrow to a school for our first outreach! We are talking to 12 and 13 year olds about their concept of God and the relationship that he wants to have with us. The dynamic seems to be interesting with the youth around here because most people are affiliated with a church but not so affiliated with God if that makes sense. They go through some of the motions but are not really passionate about God, their faith in him, or living their lives for him. So we're trying to spark some interest there, and I'm excited to have God working through us. I'm very aware of the fact that we likely won't see any change in kids, and they may not ask us any questions, but God can use our outreach to plant a seed or water one that he's already planted. I'm excited to maybe be a part of a step on someone's journey with Christ.

Second, I came to do some reading. I don't know if I have mentioned on the blog before, but we have daily reading requirements here--we are reading through the Old Testament. Not the easiest chunk of literature to get through, but it is a God-inspired chunk which sets it apart from Harry Potter and Shopaholic and makes it so worthwhile. I am now on 1 Samuel 9, and I need to be at 1 Samuel 16 but the end of today. My biggest challenge is to take my time reading--with some much today and so much to read, it is a handsome temptation to just skim through it. I try to not let it be an assignment, but time spent with God. I have been finding it kind of hard lately to buckle down and do it, so I will work on my self-discipline in that area.

I started on my Bible Study right before I wrote this. Next Monday I am giving a Bible Study on the armor of God (Eph 5:10-17). I am leading it for my family group--we meet every Monday and different people give Bible studies each time. It's supposed to last about an hour, so quite a bit of work needs to be done, but the good news is that I am a long-winded person and should be able to fill an hour. I was going to do my study on the early church but we just recently had teaching on Acts so I decided to talk about the armor of God, especially because God has been teaching me about it recently. Last week I was having a hard day--lies were filling my head that I was beginning to think were true--I'm no good and I'm inadequate and unworthy of all the good things that I have. I felt like I wasn't using my God-given gifts because I was scared of failing and I felt unknown. All of these thoughts were distracting me during a church service about spiritual warfare. Ironic. Afterwards I went and hung out with God and wrote and prayed and looked in the Bible. And as I prayed, truth flooded my mind and put to shame the pathetic lies that were running through my head. I remembered my identity in Christ. I later talked to my room mates about it and we had a great conversation about spiritual warfare and the armor of God. I had never experienced using the armor of God quite like that before. The belt of truth really was on it's game that day. Since then I've wanted to explore the armor more and learn more, so I decided to do my Bible Study on it.

I digress.

Last weekend was travel weekend in Vienna. It was beautiful! I traveled with a lot of friends from here, spending most of my time with Emily, Anne, Christine, Carlos, Markus, Dave, and Benny. It was a really good time of getting to know each other better and seeing a new place. I saw a bumpin' Annie Liebowitz photography exhibit at the Kunst Haus Wein, a museum in the Hundertwasser neighborhood, famous for the artist (Hundertwasser) who designed it. The buildings are all whimsical and Dr. Seuss-y. I saw my first castle where the Austrian royalty lived. The Hapburgs lived there--it is the castle where Mozart played his first concert at age 6 for the empress and it was inhabited by Marie Antoinette's blood family. We visited the Naschmarkt too, which was very cool--a huge market full of every food and scarves in every color and all sorts of things. Very cool. Traveling on the train was beautiful, the countryside here is just amazing. Wow.

That's all for now folks, I have an outreach meeting in five minutes. Thanks for reading and thanks for the prayers!

Love, Sarah

I Live on Coburgstrasse

2009-10-27T12:46:00.000-07:00

Some of you have been asking for my mailing address, so I thought I would post it on here. Thanks for reading! I will post soon.

Tauernhof Coburgstrasse 50
A-8970 Schladming
Austria

Love Sarah

Guitar

2009-10-20T07:49:00.000-07:00

I have my first guitar lesson in ten minutes! I am so excited. Hopefully I can actually learn this thing.

Today we started lectures on Acts with Hans Peter Royer, the director of the school here. This afternoon I cleaned bathrooms for two hours and then ran out of time to take the run I wanted to take. Such is life.

Tomorrow is sports day so I will do boxing again... and then will be sore like crazy for the next three days. I am already bracing myself for the pain. Last time I discovered muscles I never knew I had. I'm hoping we can listen to some music while we box. Silence is not near as inspiring as Eye of the Tiger.

That said, I'm out.

Sarah

The Depth of My Frugality

2009-10-16T08:39:00.000-07:00

Okay, so it has come to my attention that I am a very frugal person. I think it is because I am no longer surrounded my Mennonites (also because I am not earning any more money, only losing). It's been funny trying to explain to people what it means to be a Mennonites. It's actually been quite a challenge! My standard answer now is "it's a denomination of Christianity started by a guy named Menno Simons who didn't dance or fight. But now Mennonites dance and sometimes fight." For the most part everyone thinks that Mennonites are like the Amish, so it is a funny thing to explain to them. I got a postcard today from Jessica which made me smile a LOT. It is a picture of four old school Mennonite girls walking with their backs to the camera, wearing their bonnets and dresses and carrying lunch pails and it says "Mennonite Girls" and then "Ontario" underneath it, so I was telling people that's how I dress at home, I just go plain clothes for school.

But back to the topic of my frugality. A couple of examples are: I order hot chocolate without whip cream because they charge an extra fifty cents for it. I buy few groceries and just make them last forever. I am forever looking for cheap ways to do things and buy things (lately I've been looking on eBay for a fleece sweater because it's cold around here!). The best thing I did though, I did yesterday, unintentionally. Laundry day. I have this super great pair of American Apparel pants that I got (for an excellent price, coincidentally: 12 dollars), but they are teal. I figured I shouldn't wash them with my whites, but laundry costs 3.50 euros per load, so I figured, what the heck, just wash it all together. So I did. And now my white v-neck is a lovely shade of sky blue. And my socks are blue. And my yellow underwear turned green. But the overall dye job of everything is really even and so my first thought was how great it is that I have a whole new wardrobe! I quite enjoy the fact that the accident happened. I like the shirt better now then I did before!

As I mentioned before, it is cold now. Quite cold. It's been snowing the last five days, and it's been melting a bit but the air is chilly. I went for a run in the cold the other day, though, 45 minutes around a loop that goes along the river! It was beautiful and I won't lie, I was really impressed with myself.

But when the air gets cold, so do I. All I can think of when I'm walking in the cold are big woolen socks, fleece hoodies and my fireplace. I will miss that fireplace so much this winter. Wow. I bought a nice pair of fleece lined boots the other day and have been wearing them non-stop. They are soooo nice and warm. Hallelujah.

I just tried uploading some pics but it's going really slowly so I will do that another time.

Love, Sarah

Loving It

2009-10-07T08:52:00.000-07:00

So here I am, in the middle of my third week at T-Hof. It is a great place. The people are great, I'm making some really good friends, and while I miss home and everyone from it I am so very content to be here.

It's Wednesday today--sports day. So we could play ultimate frisbee, soccer, hike, orrrrrr yoga. Yeah. One of the guys here did this intense fitness plan thing and did yoga one day a week for a long time, and so he lead like 20 of us in an hour and a half of yoga. My legs hurt.

A man named John Allen is here this week from Britain talking about Ecclesiastes and Daniel. I am an unashamed doodler and have retired my computer for the week and am instead writing notes by hand with my nice colored pen pack I bought from a drug store here.

Free time has been full of hikes, fun times, a swing dancing lesson, and going into town. In addition, I've found it so so so important to take time to spend with God. I have daily reading and book I have to read as well. On top of that, the days when I have spent time in prayer and extra time with God have been my best ones.

Supper is really soon, so I have to go. This is a short-ish post, I know, but know that I am loving it here, God is really blessing me and I am learning to glorify him more and more.

Love, Sarah

Kelsey, Fern, and me climbing up a really intense mountain.

Schladming

2009-09-25T04:55:00.001-07:00

It's true, Kirstin and I made it safely to Schladming. On Saturday we flew to Toronto, then flew overnight to Zurich, then trained from the airport to downtown, the trained from Zurich to Salzburg, then trained from Salzburg to Schladming... that was the plan anyways. I guess I'm not used to European trains because the stops are SO SHORT. At the Schladming stop, we were donning our backpacks with suitcase in hand when the train doors closed and it started to move again! So we had to take the train to the next stop half an hour away and then get on another train headed back to Schladming. Luckily we had met up with two guys on the train also going to Capernwray when we missed the stop, and one is from France, so he helped us get back safe.

It's Friday, so I've been here five days! It took til probably the third day to feel at home and comfortable. It was a bit harder then I thought it would be to settle in but now I'm loving it. My room mates are really great, fun girls. The four of us went out for dinner yesterday in Schladming to an Italian place and it was really good bonding time--lots of fun!

Lectures this week were by a man named Tobias, and he spoke about Philippians. We went through verse by verse and talked a lot about how Christ is our life. How his Spirit envelops it and takes it over when we choose to offer it to him. That all we can do is be available to God for him to use us and work through us, and when he does, we need to remember that all we are are instruments that God graciously chooses to use. The speaker is a strong evangelist, and shares the gospel often and to everyone, which challenges and inspires me.

We split into groups today and started preparing for our outreaches. My outreach group is going to be giving a program for 12 and 13 year olds as schools in Schladming and surrounding towns. Our goal is to present the gospel and love of Christ is an exciting way. Though the immediate area of Schladming is 50% Protestant and 50% Catholic, most other areas of Austria have 80% Catholic populations. Most people belong to one of the two, but many see it as more of a background, not a lifestyle, or they don't truly believe it, their parents just go to church. It's an exciting opportunity for all of us.

We have a lot of time off here! The schedule is lectures in the morning, then lunch, then the afternoon off on most days, then supper, and then an evening lecture, and then more time off! We do have quite a bit of homework to do outside of lectures--about 8 chapters of the OT to read every day plus a short week-end paper on what we've read, and verses to memorize. We all have to prepare a devotional at some time or other during the term and give it after breakfasts. Mine is in mid-October. In addition we have a Bible study to each plan to share with our family groups.

That's it for now!

Sarah

A Lot of Goodbyes

2009-09-17T15:48:00.000-07:00

"It's not 'goodbye,' it's 'see you later.'"

-a bunch of crazy people who obviously never had to say goodbye.

Yes, when I have been saying goodbye to people, it is with the intention that I will see them later, but for the sake of my feelings and emotions (and I have some of those, trust me) let's just take a moment to wallow in the difficulty of the goodbye.

I've been saying several a day now for the last week and a half. Acquaintances, friends, good friends, and best friends--I've said it to almost everyone now. I've found that as I say it, it's not such a big deal, because I do feel like I'm just going to see them later. But once they are gone and I think back, "later" is code for "July" and "July" is code for "ten freaking months from now!" And suddenly later seems like an eternity away.

And so I want to emphasize to everyone I know that I will miss you and I so appreciate what you've done for me and the role you've played in my life. I have been blessed with such an excellent and varied group of best friends and I want to thank each of you (you know who you are).

As I go about my activities, everything seems to be reminding me of people already, and I haven't even boarded the plane! Today I was driving my van and listening to Mates of State, and I flashed back to the fantastic road trip I went on this summer to Chicago with Jessica and Bayn and Ty. The Re-Arrangers might as well have been our anthem album and it so reminded of cruising through Wisconsin. I drove behind an Intrepid car today and was reminded of my dear cousin Mike who drives the same kind. He is, as we speak, en route to Germany for Bible school. I had coffee with my friend Kate this afternoon and as we reminisced about the summer I thought about all the people there and how much I love it.

Now I'm just rambling. Okay. I'll collect my thoughts, just give me a minute...

In short, these reminders of the people I love are positive, beautiful things. I am not going to forget the people at home, and I hope you don't forget me. You will be in my thoughts as I experience new things and link them to old and good things in my mind. Assuming that you are someone I know and not a random who has found my blog, I am so glad that I have met each of you and that you who have played a larger role in my life have played it so well. I am not disappointed in anyone or anything, and I can leave knowing that the air is clear from me to you, no matter where I am.

And that makes the distance seem a lot shorter.

Sarah

A Week Today

2009-09-12T16:24:00.000-07:00

Today is Saturday. Next Saturday at this time I will be on a plane leaving Toronto headed to Zurich. That plane will travel through some time warp known as time change, and as a result, I will skip the night, arriving at what should be about 12 am but will be (I think) 6 or 7 am Zurich time. And such will begin my adventures.

The adventures I am referring to, of course, are the ones for which I created this blog. Bible school. Travel. New friends. New experiences. Challenges. Triumphs. All of these things I hope to share with you through this page. Not only do I want to keep you up to date on my circumstance, but writing things down is such a good way to process things personally.

Upstairs in my room right now, there are about five converters scattered on my desk--some two pronged, some three in a row, some three in a triangle. On the kitchen table there is a new laptop sleeve in a Best Buy bag. Written on scraps of paper throughout my house are lists of things that need to be done--get a new Bible, get a student card, pack, photocopy documents, contact this or that person... the list goes on. As my mind is in many places at once, I am relatively relaxed waiting for go-time.

There are a lot of uncertainties ahead of me as I leave for ten months, a lit of plans yet to be laid, but the skeleton of the thing is ready. Three months in Taurenhof Bible School in Austria. 5 weeks of travel in Europe. 2 weeks of volunteer work in Thailand. 5 months of Monavale Bible School in New Zealand. With this in mind, and taking deep breaths, I look forward to not only visiting all these places but immersing myself in each location and living there. God will guide me and his will be done. And I can't wait to find out more of what that is.

So please, check in on this blog every so often. I'll do my best to let you in on some things, and I look forward to hearing back from you.

Sarah

Schladming, the Austrian town I will be living in!