April 27, 2010

Handing Out Cards

You have seen those people handing out fliers outside of a building before right? You kindly take what they hand you, and then walk off and drop it in the next trash can.

Today- I was semi-one of those people. The hander-outer not the thrower-awayer. Wr canvased downtown Leipzig with LST fliers and cards.

Putting up fliers was harder than I imagined- we had the pull tab fliers with numbers and emails. Most people wouldn't let us put those out. However I found a method that seemed to work pretty well to hand out the cards!

I would approach people with a confused face, "Sprechen Sie English?" which means, "Do you speak english?" . Most would take sympathy on me, and say yes. I would then pull out the card from my pocket- and immediately read their face. I would then attempt to explain that we had 6 university students coming from the states that would be here for 6 weeks and wanted to meet Germans and make contacts and they were offering free english conversation! At this point most people would start to shut down or back off- thinking it would cost something. I would then insert, "we have fliers (at this point handing them the card) with this same information, do you know where we can put up the fliers around here?" They would then be a bit more receptive and try to tell me where I could go. I would then ask if they were interested, stressing it was free and the students would only be here 6 weeks and most said they were or knew someone who might be and took the card.

This was not a fool proof method by any means, I got shot down numerous times! But we also got a lot of good leads so hopefully the Leipzig LST campaign will go amazingly well and they will have more people than they can handle!

Please continue to pray for both Chemnitz and Leipzig LST, next week we will cover Chemnitz with LST fliers as well!

Be good and do good!

Sarah B

Truth is more of a stranger than fiction. ~Mark Twain

April 25, 2010

April 24th

April 24th has finally come and gone. For about 2 weeks straight now, I have for some odd reason, thought it was April 24th!

We had a busy weekend! The singing concert was Saturday, we had 114 people at the concert which was great! Hopefully we will get some LST contacts out of it! This afternoon I was invited to a friends confirmation party. Confirmation is what the 14 year olds go through in the evangelic church here, most are baptized as babys, so at 14 they go through a class and take some tests and get to accept Jesus themselves.... Its a big deal here, so it was an honor to be invited! It was Steffi's little sister, Jessi. Just being at Steffis party a few weeks ago helped because I knew a hanful of the family, and then I have seen most everyone else there in pictures so I felt like I knew them too! They are such a loving family! Its so great to have friends like that here that bring us in and invite us to be a part of their celebrations! (Confirmation is one of the life mile stones here, you have your baptizing party when your little, your birthday parties, you confirmation party and your wedding so it is pretty special to be a part of it!)

So, that means the big kick off LST campaign is officially under way! Ads are running, free time is spent passing out fliers! I'm sooooo excited! Literally, im not exaggerating, I am excited to hit the ground and hand out invitations!

This week was really an amazing week! I finally feel like being here is significant. Ok, not that I didn't feel that way before, but the down time was REALLY killing me- like ive said before, idle hands are bad for me! However the weather has warmed up so working outside is do-able now! When I'm not prepping for readers I can work outside at the church or here at the sullivans! There is always something to be done! I love it! I meet with readers ever day of the week which always makes my day!

Lets see rough run down of this week:

Monday: Morning re-arrange my room and clean up for another bed (Morgan is coming in 2 months!!!!!); I have Silke at 2, Conny at 4 and then at 6 I am meeting the Rhodes and Yan at the church to work.

Tuesday: Hop the 9:30 train to Leipzig to hand out LST fliers. Do lunch with the Leipzig crew and the Rhodes; have supper with the Abercrombies and one of their contacts and come back.

Wednesday: Miriam and Tabita are coming for breakfast at 9 then I have a german lesson with Miriam after breakfast; team meeting; and then another german lesson with Marion.

Thursday: Laundry, baking for bible class and reading in the morning. Alfred at 2, Kerstin at 3 and then reading for Ceili, Ceili at 6 and Ladies Bilbe class at 7.

Friday: Haha Friday is an interesting holiday here, its Man's Day, well thats the best way to translate it. Ill be doing some research in the morning, I meet with Isabell to pick out a bible study on Friday at 2 and then back to the house to meet with a NEW CONTACT at 5! Ellen, one of the members here, was speaking with a colleague who said she wanted to practice her english and tadaaa! Friday night is free as of now....

Saturday is May Pole day. Yes, actual May Poles! Luckily, the area I live in is one that goes all out and is kind of known for their May Pole. Saturday there is a big parade and what sounds like a block party or street party for the neighborhood. It will be a fun cultural experience to see everything!!!!!


So thats all for now folks! Pictures to come soon! Be good and do good!

Sarah B

There is no security on this earth, there is only opportunity. ~General Douglas MacArthur

April 22, 2010

Whose name is in the tag line?

I know there have been a lot of posts lately, sorry about that, just things I feel need or should be shared.

We had our team meeting yesterday and of course we had to talk about funds. Where I sit today, I have $500 left in my overall account for this commitment. That is enough for 1 more month of me being able to pay basic bills in the states (ie student loans and insurance) but that leaves me no money here for rent, food, travel ect (and yes, travel is part of it trips to retreats, leipzig and dresden all of that none of which are horrible expensive but are nevertheless a cost of about 100 euro per month).

Anyways, I was thinking about why it has been so hard for me to ask people for money. Other than the fact it makes me HAVE to ask people (which those that know me know I hate with a passion asking for help because that means I can't do it on my own...) Anyways, I was thinking, ive raised thousands of dollars for Rotary, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Lambda, OC, a handful of organizations and causes before. This is different though. This is my name in the tag line.

In every other circumstance, I have been able to stand behind a name ie Rotary, BBBS, OC, Lambda, ect. Here, its just me and God. It puts a completely different spin on it. Just food for thought. I hated raising money for LST (oh yea thats another one!) because it was in direct correspondence with me, so what is it that repels that idea so much?

I mean, this is the one case where I should be going full force with no hesitation. I am raising money to help further the kingdom. That is so much more important than putting a bench in the park, giving kids mentors, or staying off probation (haha). Oh that stupid human part of myself that has a hard time letting go.

Thats all folks. Be good and do good

Sarah B

If money is the root of all evil, then what is the root of all money?

April 21, 2010

Where do you go to church?

I was sitting down just a few minutes ago, to catch up on my daily Bible reading and I noticed a little piece of paper in the crack of the maps in the back. I flipped back until I found the page again and pull out a little note, about half of a post it size piece of paper. Here is what it says:

Me: Where do you go to church?
Iz: I mostly go to a house church in wed. I go on Sunday to Bridegroom every now and then, where do you go?
Me: Del City C of C- want to come wed? Free supper!!
Iz: This week I need to be at mine, but next week?
Me: Your on!

Funny, but this little note took me back to the exact time and place I was when it was written. I was sitting in Vickie Wallace's Old Testament class. There were about 30 of us in there, and there was this freshman who sat next to me on the right, she always seemed so heavy... i dont know how else to put, like she had the weight of the world on her shoulders. Anyways, we struck up a friendship, she had just lost her boyfriend either first semester or right before coming to school to cancer and was having a hard time.

Just a simple reminder of how much we matter to God, how much everyone matters, so that means that everyone should matter to us too. She did come, by the way. And shes doing good now, about to graduate actually. We never know the impact of anything we do, be there good or bad. A simple, "I do see you, and I do care" can go a long ways.

Be good and do good!

Sarah B

Allowing the unexpected to happen is what helps fuel the fire in us all!

April 20, 2010

Leipzig EBS

Tonight I went to Leipzig to join them for their EBS (english bible study). I have been trying to make it for some time now, but with classes and readers I just couldn't fit the time in! I made it tonight though and I loved it!

Mark led a lesson over planting seeds, and then brought pots and seeds and we all planted seeds. There was only 1 visitor, Josh, a regular visitor that has been a Leipzig contact for years now, but nevertheless it was great! It was wonderful just to have fellowship.

Being here has defiantly opened my eyes to the way I live my life and the way I interact with the church. I was active in the church, but I wouldn't say it was a priority.

Not an evangelic priority anyways! I don't know exactly what i'm trying to say. I know I will be doing things a lot different the next time around!

Please continue to pray for funds.... I have 400 of the 2000 I need for June. I still need July and September as well..... The second round from Memorial will kick in around the end of September so that will carry me for a while. But these next few months will be crucial. Please continue to pray for funds, and if you know anyone (or church) that might be interested please don't hesitate to let me know!!!!

Be good and do good!

Sarah B

Don't wait for extraordinary opportunities. Seize common occasions and make them great! ~Orison Swett Marden

April 19, 2010

ESR & Buchenwald!











Okay so this will be a picture blog! The singles retreat this weekend was great! I met some awesome new people, I defiantly had a lot more fun this time! Not being jet-lagged actually gave me a chance to talk to people and participate in a real conversation! Here are a few pics from the weekend and a few from the concentration camp a few weeks ago!

There is one picture that says "Jedem das sein" that is the gate entrance to Buchenwald, each camp had some sort of slogan or saying on the gate- Jedem das sein literally translates "to each his own" but broken down, it also means, "you get what you deserve."


Be good and do good,

Sarah B

So long as we live among men, let us cherish humanity. `Andre Gide

April 15, 2010

So Much This Week

So much has happened this week I don't even know where to start!

I guess the beginning will suffice and we will go in chronological order!

Okay, so Monday I met with Silke, the one who could easily be my mom, we had a break through! We were reading about Judas' betrayal of Jesus and then the next lesson was about the passover when Jesus breaks the break and gives the wine. I think she finally understood that all of the stories we were reading went together! She made the connection that Judas was one of the people close to Jesus and that he had just betrayed (or done something really bad)! It was amazing to see her make that connection! Not to mention I was SUPER excited! She has been a tough reader, she knows how to answer but is not a believer and does not have much bible knowledge, but she can give me a bible answer, if that makes sense. She finally got it and gave a real answer on Monday!

Tuesday Ceili and I had a great reading in A Case for Christ. We talked about the reliability of the NT and the authenticity of Christ. Again, it was amazing to watch the wheels turn for Ceili. She believes and went to church and attends here, but has not yet made a commitment. To watch her learn and grow is great! We have some amazing conversations and she is really excited to get through this book and see what else she can learn! We are only 4 chapters in and we are having some great conversations and learning a lot!

Wednesday I talked to Lisa, my best friend from home who is going through a divorce at 24 and has a 2 year old little girl. To say the least, she is having a really hard time. We have talked about Christianity and church, she showed some real interest my freshman year at OC so I got her a Bible and encouraged her to read and ask any questions she had. It didn't take long before the topic was dropped, and in fear of pushing her away, I just let it slide for a bit. Anyways, when I spoke with her Wednesday I asked her if she had considered going to church, and she said YES!!!! She was just afraid to go alone, so I asked her if she would go with me when I came home and she said she would!!!! Of course, I encouraged her to go now, but she didn't want to go alone. Ive considered contacting some people at the church and asking them to go visit her, but I don't know how she would respond to that... im not sure it would be good lol. Maybe if they got to know her a little first, visited the place she works at, let her see they are normal people, and then have someone call or contact. Who knows....

Anyways woohooo!!!!

That brings us to today- thursday! Today was a busy day, I got up this morning and started baking for ladies class (lemon bars) and cleaning up the house. This afternoon I had Alfred and then immediately after Alfred was Maria. We had coffee and cake with Maria and listened to her play the piano some, she is an amazing musician! I'm kinda excited to introduce my mom to her! After Maria's I came back and got supper ready for Karen and I, we had supper and then it was time for ladies bible class. It went great, we are getting ready to start a new book which looks like will be pretty interesting!

Tomorrow I am going to Gesila's in the morning and helping her wash her curtains and put them back up, and then I am supposed to meet with Isabell so we can pick out a book to do a study with, but I might give her a call and move it to next week... Right after that we leave for the European Singles Retreat (ESR)! There are 6 of us from Chemnitz going, I'm very excited to get to see everyone and spend time with people!!! YAY!!!!!

So, thats all for this week! SOME AMAZING STUFF! God is good!

Be good and do good!

Sarah B

I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sail to ensure I always reach my destination. ~Jimmy Dean

April 13, 2010

Working Away

This is my first week without German classes in the morning. Let me preface this by saying I have a serious problem with being idle. I don't do well with idleness, bad things happen when I don't have anything to do! So, before I started taking German class I was a bit confused as to what to do with my time.

Now, however, time is a friend! With as many studies as I am doing with people, the free time is a nice break to prepare for each of these studies!

A run down of my day today:

Up and about by 8:30.
Breakfast at 9.
Caught up on the US news til 9:30 (I would like to know whats happened when I go back!)
Went over my calendar and collected the studies for this week until 10.
From 10-11 I prepared all of my LST lessons for this week.
At 11 I made some brownies for the afternoon.
From 11:30-1 I finished the brownies and read for my meeting with Ceili that afternoon.
1 was lunch.
1:30 I sat out in the sun and finished the readings (we did 2 chapters to make up for last week too) til 2:30.
2:30 I came in a got things ready to meet with Ceili and talked with Karen and her reader
3:15 Ceili came and we read until 4:30
At 5 I went up to the church to work.
5:30 Yan (pronounced yawn without the emphasis on the 'w') and Tiffany came at 5:30 and we worked until 6:20 when we had supper together at the church.
7-8 was Bible class.
8:30 Karen and I watched a movie together.
And here we are 2 hours later!

So a good day! Tomorrow looks just as busy with errands for later in the week! The European Singles Retreat is this weekend and I'm pretty excited to go! I went the first weekend I was here, I was still pretty jet lagged though, so I don't remember to much of it. Anyways, I am looking forward to meeting everyone again and hopefully remembering them this time! Chemnitz has a group of 6 going which is great! When I went in the fall there were only 3 of us, Karen, Janine and myself!

Please continue to pray for funds. I have mailed my next rd of letters out to churches. I am looking for 15 $100 per month supporters. That is totally a do-able number I just need the 15 commitments! Please continue to pray that God will open doors and funding will come in!

Be good and do good!

Sarah B

I read a scripture tonight during Bible class, I have read it before, but tonight, it struck a cord, I thought to myself, "Self, I hope one day people will be able to feel this way about you. That you will be able to live a life worthy of the calling you have received." Anyways here is the scripture, read this, and ask yourself, "Would anyone ever say this about me? Can I say this about someone I know?" I hope so.

2 Cor 7:2-4 Make room for us in your hearts. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have exploited no one.3 I do not say this to condemn you; I have said before that you have such as place in our hearts that we would live or die with you. 4 I have great confidence in you; I take great pride in you. I am greatly encouraged; in all our troubles, my joy knows no bounds.

April 10, 2010

Concentration Camp

I visited my first concentration camp yesterday, Buchenwald. I don't really know what to say about it. I am still trying to process it. It was not an extermination camp, it was a work camp but plenty of people still died there (the goal was to work them to death). I think the thing that got me the most was the "doctors office". New inmates would come in, and go see the doctor. If they were sick in any way or had already been tagged to die, while they were measuring them (one of those you stand under and the piece slides down on top of your head and then you step out) a slit would be opened from the next room and they would shoot them in the neck so they would never even see it coming.

I don't even have the words to describe.

I have some pictures ill put up later, don't worry nothing bad. If I didn't tell you it was a concentration camp you would never know, most of the place is in ruins there are only a few buildings stills standing.

On a happier note, today is Saxon singing! Tomorrow is church and then Joseph, who was a former AIM student in France somehow ended up in Chemnitz as an english teacher, is having his birthday and "come see my new apartment" party!

Oh yea, thats another german thing, when you move, you host your own open house type thing for people to come see your new place once your all settled! Kinda cool!

Be good and do good!

Sarah B

The world is a dangerous place. Not because of the people who are evil; but because of the people who don't do anything about it. ~Albert Einstein

April 8, 2010

Birthday







I celebrated my 23rd birthday in Germany. Such a weird feeling. I'm not a big fan of birthdays, i don't really know why, I just don't really like them and the intensity for this has grown over the years... anyways, yesterday i do have to say was a great day! It started with a lovely email from one my good friends in my inbox, and then we went to a castle later in the morning. We met up with Mark and Karen from Leipzig, Karen (my roommate), Tiffany and the Sullvans were all there too! We had lunch at the castle and then went through the museum and walked around a bit. Had a nice lazy day. After the castle we went and had ice cream down the road and then split ways to head back.

I got to talk to lots of friends and family which is always exciting. All in all, it was a pretty great day! A birthday to remember thats for sure!

Here are a few pics from the day!

Be good and do good!

And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk to blossom. ~Anis Nin

Sarah B

April 6, 2010

Easter



Easter weekend was a busy one!

Friday (which is a holiday, most everything was shut down) we had brunch with the Louks! That was defiantly a fun experience! I do have to say the Germans are very welcoming and willing to bring us in and help us get involved which is absolutely amazing! It is one thing to be here and live as an American, but it makes the experience so much richer when people bring you into their homes and invite you to meet their friends and family.

Thursday was my friend Steffi's birthday. In Germany it is tradition to throw your own birthday party. Steffis mom had called a few weeks prior and asked us to come on Friday as a surprise for Steffi. Steffi hosted coffee on both Thursday and Friday and usually you have a meal with family and friends, which was Friday night. Steffi again, invited us to coffee on either day, but we never responded to which we would come to (because we were a surprise for Friday night!). Anyways, we went Friday night for coffee and supper! It was great to spend time with Steffis family! Miriam also came with Tabita (Tabitha) and Alex was there. After supper and family had gone home, it was Steffis folks, Karen and I and Alex and we all watched the video from when her parents came to visit her in the states last year (she spent a year in Philadelphia as a nanny).

Sunday was Easter, as I mentioned in my last post, Easter is a lot different here! I had a conversation last week with Silke about Good Friday and why it was "good" if it was supposedly the day Jesus died. Monday was also a holiday, no school and businesses were shut down. I haven't been able to get internet in the house for a while, I have to sit at the window and pick up the Sullivans internet, anyways Sven, one of the church members said he thought he could fix it. So he came over Monday afternoon and we all had coffee (Karen, Sven, the Sullivans and myself) and cake. Then Sven fixed the internet!!!!!

Monday night we had dinner together as a team and then watched a movie. which leads us to today!

Most of my readers for this week have canceled because it is a holiday so they are out of town or have family visiting which means my schedule is pretty free. Today I am getting caught up on basic stuff, newsletters fundraising, reading ect. Tomorrow we are taking a day trip for my birthday!!! Aka I am avoiding throwing my own birthday party because I dont really like birthdays anyways! Thursday or Friday Karen and I are going to take a day trip to Prague!!!!!!!! Karen was supposed to be in Italy this week, and invited me to go, but she got sick and I couldn't go because it was just to expensive. However she is doing better now and offered to do a day trip so we are shooting for Prague!

So there is the week in a nutshell! Please continue to pray for funds, I am mailing out the letters today! Oh, pics are of my brother and niece Addisyn at her first birthday party and plastic easter eggs which they don't have here!

Be good and do good!

Sarah B

One person with a belief is equal to 99 with an interest. ~ John Stewart Mill

April 2, 2010

Brunch

Easter is a big holiday here. Most holidays are big here or that matter. What I mean by big is that most everything is closed today (friday) and Monday for Easter. Next week is even a week long vacation from school! Crazy!

That said, I was invited out to brunch with one of the familys from church. We all went, Karen, the Rhodes, myself, Marion, Joseph and the Louks (the family that invited us). So it was a fairly large group. We were going to new restaurant in town, its atop a new addition to one of the hospitals here, 12 stories high and huge glass windows!

So we left around 9:40 to meet at 10 for Brunch. Breakfast and lunch together. Yummy right? Indeed, there were all kinds of egg dishes (the Germans love eggs which is great because so do I!) and brotchen with all kind of jams and cheese. Around 11 we were all done....

Now a German meal usually lasts a long time. You dont rush it, if you go to a restaurant, you should expect to stay at least an hour and a half if not longer. So 11:15 rolls around and we are all sitting around and chatting. A few of us decide to step out on the balcony to see the view of the city which is amazing! I come back to my seat its around 11:30 at this point and someone says that lunch will be out soon. I think, "Ok that means we will be leaving in a few minutes." Oh no, we are staying for lunch too!

Apparently, brunch in Germany means both breakfast and lunch! It was crazy! It was amazing, the food was delicious but there was sooooo much food!

It was great to get to spend time with everyone though!

Last nght the Rhodes came over and we all had stew for supper and played a couple board games. those are always fun!

Yesterday was my friend Steffi's birthday, 20th, which is a big one here! Round numbers are huge! Anywho, we are going to what we think is/was a surprise party for her tonight! Oh, another cultural note, it is unacceptable to wish someone an early happy birthday! Its ok if your late, but not early!

Have a great weekend and happy easter!

Be good and do good!

Sarah B

Be a fountain not a drain. ~Rex Hudler