Beautiful memories

I'm currently blogging through my summer mission trip to Germany! If you haven't yet, read this!

I'm going to skip the next couple of listed journal entries, and provide pictures from my second and third days in Germany instead. I apologize in advance for the alignment of the photos--Blogger is not my friend. I'd like to get to the meaningful entries and updates and share the things I experienced in my heart, not just the fun activities (which were still awesome!). However, because I am too chronological, I have to show you pieces of everything before I get to the rest!

6/30/12, Saturday
Day 2 in Germany

We began the day with a delicious traditional German breakfast spread

 

French press coffee, Broetchen, different assortments of cheese and meat.
I even tried liverwurst and really liked it!

Next the Holts took us to Luebeck, by way of back roads so that we could enjoy the beautiful scenery of Schleswig-Holstein. Everything was so green and perfect. Here's Luebeck!

The devil outside the Cathedral

Scott wouldn't let us go in until I hugged the guy!

Luebeck was spectacular! A cool town with lots of history and awesome architecture. We went to the Marzipan store--Marzipan everything! After we walked all over the town, we went to the beach (we were in the Baltic Sea, I believe) in a place called Scharbeutz. It was so nice to enjoy the sun (and it not be 100 degrees;), and then we ate at a seafood restaurant and finished up the evening with ice cream at sundown.
Here is Scharbeutz!

The water was frigid!

7/1/12 Sunday
Day 3 in Germany
I couldn't believe it was already July! Scott made us more delicious food (he was always cooking amazing dishes) and then we set off for Pluem, where Andrea's parents live. Her dad was very nice to speak to me a little bit in German, and he later was confused if I was American or French. Apparently, my accent sounded French to him--interesting. Here are pictures of their adorable home and amazing view from their backyard!

Our journey of the day was kayaking! We put together a fold-up kayak belonging to the Holts so that Katie & Scott could launch it from Andrea's parents. Meanwhile, Andrea & I went up the river to rent a kayak and met our counterparts at a fork in the water! Long story short, the kayak Andrea & I were in was not near as easy to maneuver as the other one, so we we opted for only 2.5 hours of total kayak time, and met Katie & Scott by car at a precious little cafe nestled into the river.

Happy Kayak-er! It was my first time, and Andrea let me sit in
the back so I could learn how to steer with the pedals!

Enjoying coffee, cocoa, wurstchen and cake!

It's literally right on the river! Also, I was freezing!

Here is the excerpt from my journal entry that Sunday evening. Thanks for viewing! I'm really missing these experiences, but being able to post about it is helping me to keep it sharp in my mind.

"I am looking forward to having the day alone tomorrow in the city. I need some time to spend in communion with the Lord, reflect on my experiences, and prepare my heart for the rest of my trip. I'm praying tonight for opportunities tomorrow to engage Germans in conversation about the gospel. May I be so bold and may the Lord guide my words. It's raining right now, and it's really wonderful sitting here beneath the Holts' sun room listening to the drizzle and being awed by the lightning. I am so content."

Welcome to Hamburg!

I'm currently blogging through my summer mission trip to Germany! If you haven't yet, read this!

After a brief "early life crisis," as I deemed it, involving the usefulness of my degree in Entrepreneurship if I ever actually decide to open a ministry/outreach coffee shop, the Lord gave me a renewed spirit of diligence and productivity. I'm hoping for continued strength in that through tomorrow, since I have quite a bit to accomplish. The Lord is good, and I want to be faithful in living completely for him in whatever I do.

I'm also having some serious travel lust right now--looking at pictures (mine & others) of Germany, Austria, etc. while enjoying a nice beverage and some delicious jazz. My heart is so full of joy at recently hearing about the salvation of a teen of mine from this summer (a former atheist), Praise the Lord! However, at the same time I find my soul aching in a way I can't truly describe, though if you've had similar experiences you surely know what I mean, to return to this land where I feel so "at home."
Amongst the mixed-up mash of feelings, I am also trying to be steadfast in keeping Jim Elliot's words in mind, "Wherever you are, be all there." Here's an awesome video that helps remind me God has called me to this awesome city of Denton, for now. (My roommate and I had a discussion earlier this evening about reaching out more and ministering to our neighbors in the apartment building. We've both been feeling the Lord prompt us in this lately, but only discovered the mutual desire this evening. God's cool like that.)

 I'm trying to determine how to begin posting excerpts from my journal / online updates from this summer. I'm not sure if I should go the verbatim route, or choose pieces to elaborate on. Which stories do I tell you more about? Which do I leave as a list? So much uncertainty. 

For tonight, here are my list-like, word-for-word experiences from the first couple days in Hamburg. Pardon the awful writing and random German words. I was excited to be there! If you want to hear more about something I briefly mention, just tell me and I'll happily elaborate in my next post :) This is one of the only listy entries, so better recollections to come! Promise. Italicized words are added after-the-fact (now) for clarity.

"6/28/12
   29
I scratched out the date in my journal--I originally had my days incorrect for awhile because I was a little confused by losing a day in the 7-hour time difference. ;) 
Hamburg Day 1 with Katie
Yesterday was my day to arrive in Hamburg and be met by Katie, Andrea and Scott. Andrea and Scott were the couple that graciously hosted me for a week so that I could visit Katie while she was doing her internship in Hamburg! Blessed by wonderful travel mercies and incredible hosts! Spent a lovely evening at their adorable home soaking in the German weather, eating Turkish pizza and enjoying my feet on the ground. 
Today- SUCH A FULL AMAZING DAY. 
Jotting down notes to remember--too exhausted for much else. Though I didn't experience much jet lag at all, we started our day at 6:00 a.m. and didn't return home until midnight. Caught train, grabbed a breakfast pastry (ordered auf Deutsch!), saw the world's most amazing park in Hamburg, went to the HB Rathaus, walked around the mall, ate lunch at an outdoor Weinfest (ordered again!), took the train & bus to Stadtpark with the help of a wonderful girl named Vanessa, enjoyed park and napped. I did a lot of park-napping. It was incredible. Rode the bus & train back with the help of a nice man, it rained, met Andrea's colleague Svenia--SO SWEET! We had Eiss, Italien dinner, saw Repperbahn (Red light district), took the boat tour of Hamburg -- all auf Deutsch but very cool! Katie and I barely caught our train back, made the connection, and I talked to a jolly fellow in German. Scott picked us up from the Kaltenkirchen station and I'm pooped! Tomorrow-- Lübeck!" 


Okay, sorry if that was painful! Here are pictures of things I mentioned :) 

In the greenroom at the Holts' home! 

Holt House from the front!

Backyard view!

Holt House

Above 4 photos are all from the park!

Inside of the Rathaus (City hall)

Rathaus from the outside

Lunch at the wine festival

A very happy Katie at lunch

Chillin' with Katie on some steps overlooking the river (above)

With Svenia (who took us to the Reeperbahn & the Harbor tour)

Reeperbahn -- Prostitution is legal there, so it was very different
to see a police station on one corner with women lined up on the next

Going back to Germany

It's been quite awhile since I've utilized this blog--almost 5 months, actually! I last posted about taking an electronic break, which was surprisingly incredibly enjoyable and effective. Once I disconnected myself from facebook, I found so much more time to focus on the Lord, be productive, and I didn't even feel the desire to return. The only reason I reactivated my facebook after over three months was to stay in communication with all the new friends I made this summer in Germany.

Speaking of, I was in Germany for almost seven weeks! It was amazing and wonderful and incredible and all things good in life, and I did not want to return to Texas. At all.

I have decided that for the next few weeks I'm going to post excerpts & elaborations from the journal I kept during my trip. This actually wasn't my idea, but was an inspired suggestion from this wonderful friend and blogger. :) It will help me to remember the experiences I had, the lessons I learned, and enable me to share it with you in the most tangible way possible. This summer was an incredible time of community with the Lord, as He was the only constant I had in my life, so many of my journal reflections are cries to God or depictions of what I could feel Him whispering to me. There were many times of elated joy, and some times of overwhelmed sorrow (though they were far outweighed by enjoyment). I will share all of this with you! I'm not sure yet how the format will go, but we'll see when I post my first blog. For now, I will leave some pictures. Happy viewing! 

With my lovely friend Katie Johnson on my first full day in Hamburg, Germany!

She took me to some incredible places, including this park.

I will detail that first day or few in my next post, with more pictures, of course.

Probably my favorite picture from my entire trip... It really sums up who I am.

Here I am, with Hamburg in the background. So elated to finally be there!