May 12, 2010

Lets Start Talking

The LST team made it in last night- we have Emily and Jacob Holloman this year. Jacob was here with LST last year, this is Emily's first time in Germany. Our information meeting is tonight, please pray that we will have a good turnout of possibly readers!

Things here have been busy getting ready for the LST folks to get here. Its kind of weird, thinking that was me 2 years ago. I like it though.

I had an uh-oh moment last week. It was Mothers Day, and being the good daughter and granddaughter I am I ordered my mom flowers and my grandma a candle. My grandmas candle said something like, "Miss you love you, see you soon" something to that extent.... problem: See You Soon... Not a good thing to say to someone who didn't want you to leave! I have been the completely random one in my family that will show up on special occasions, birthdays, holidays (mothers day), unexpected to say hello. Anyways, apparently I got my grandma's hopes up that I would pop in for a visit. She had seen on my facebook status that I had moved my plane ticket (to Sept 7th) and then got the card that said see you soon, so she was hoping I would show up! I called that afternoon, and she kept asking me, "Where are you?" I was very confused at first and then I remembered, I would sometimes just hop the fence and sneak in the backdoor and be sitting in the living room when she walked by, or sometimes I would wait at the door and call and tell her there was a surprise at the door. Once she really understood I wasn't there anywhere, I could hear the disappointment in her voice and then I remembered.

Just made me a bit homesick, I love being able to surprise people like that, and for them to expect it and me not be able to follow through just kills me. Alas, it wont be long and I will do it again, but never the less it makes the current time that much harder.

So there is my update- LST starts tonight, readers are slow right now, everyone is on Holiday or getting ready for Holiday so I only have a few appointments this week.

Be good and do good!

Sarah B

If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people together to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea. ~ Antione de Saint-Exupery

May 10, 2010

2 Years

Its hard to believe that I was here 2 years ago! Sunday we celebrated Mothers Day, which was the first weekend I was here for LST 2 years ago. Its crazy to think of everything that has happened in the past 2 years.

The LST team comes in tomorrow, hopefully the ash cloud won't be a problem and they will get here as planned!

Yesterday I went to a baptism coffee, one of my friends had her baby baptized, and there was a coffee that afternoon. It has been interesting seeing some of the traditions here. It was nice to sit around a living room and listen to everyone sing and celebrate together. Made me miss my family some, but at the same time it was comforting to experience such a loving family too.

Maybe this is because im from a small town in Oklahoma, but I always knew that there were people all over the world. They function, just like everyone in Oklahoma does. Its just weird at times, different. Not wrong, not good, just different. The differences are nice.

Be good and do good!

Sarah B

Its not hard to find the truth. What is hard is not to run away when you find it.

May 6, 2010

Focus

I am really not a fan of money. It seems to dominate not only my thoughts these days, but also my dreams apparently. Good dreams though, for the past few days I have been having dreams that I am fully funded! Great! However... I'm not, and then reality hits! Uhhh money!

Im torn at times, do things as I normally would, or dont do things because they cost. Tomorrow for example, I am visiting my friend Janine in Dresden for brunch. That is a $20 ticket (well, euro) for the ride there and back, and then brunch, so about $30 total. In the evening we are doing dinner, and then after EBS we are watching a scary movie- so drinks, snacks, and salad stuff for supper. There is at least another 15. So thats almost $50 euro in 1 day. Small things, but I wonder, should I be going to visit Janine, should I be hosting movie nights and what nots if I can't really afford it? And then I remember, thats why im here! I am here to encourage my brothers and sisters, to provide fellowship with people, to share the love of Christ with folks.

Oh what a tangled web we weave. I know that was out of context, but it seems to fit it its out of context :). Saturday is cleaning at the church, and then singing, Sunday I have a coffee in the afternoon for Miriam. Monday is getting last minute things ready for LST and tuesday the LST team gets here! Crazy crazy!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone! Be good and do good!

Sarah B

I'm going to a special place when I die. I always want to make sure my life is special while im here. ~Payne Stewart

May 3, 2010

Oh the Daily Life

Sometimes its hard being here. Sometimes. My brother is about to graduate from college, my nephew is marching in a big parade next weekend, my niece just turned 1. There is so much going on that I feel like I'm missing. At the same time however, there is so much that I am able to experience here. Tonight was our monthly English Movie Night. We watched The Pursuit of Happyness. Great film which of course led to a great discussion. We had a nice size group this time, we had 8/9 (Karen came in for the last 20 minutes and the discussion). We were able to have a great talk about what happiness is, how we reach, and what our obligations are to others.

Tomorrow we are going to hand out LST materials downtown. Going to be a fun day! I have readers in the afternoon and then working at the church building with Jan.

You know, I was making banana pudding this morning for movie night, and I was really worried about it as it was cooking. The instructions said to keep stirring for 20 minutes, and it had been 17 and the liquid was not getting any thicker. However by minute 18, it started to thicken and was just right on the 20 minute mark. Crazy! In life, we put everything together, and God has the recipe. I dont know about ya'll but after a while, I start to wonder if its the right combination, and then sure enough! Tada! God's a great Ta-Da'er!

Just my thoughts... Be good and do good!

Sarah B

To me, there are three things we all should do every day. We should do this every day of our lives. Number one is laugh. You should laugh every day. Number two is think. You should spend some time in thought. And number three is, you should have your emotions moved to tears, could be happiness or joy. But think about it. If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day. That's a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you're going to have something special. ~ Jim Valvano

May 1, 2010

Whew that was a busy week!

Last week was CrAzY!!!! There has been so much going on lately and so much that is about to happen it is literally a whirl wind!

Friday I met with a new contact, Evelyn, she is 27 and has traveled all over! I am excited to get to know Evelyn, she seems to have a great spirit and is open to the message! She said she believes in God, but doesn't believe God is lives in a building so she has never gone to church but she reads and studies some on her own. Im looking forward to our time together, we seemed to really hit it off last week! She is coming to read on Monday and then staying for dinner with the Rhodes and I, and then staying for Movie night! We are watching Pursuit of Happyness, which is always a great film anyways!

Today was May 1st, which used to not mean much to me, other than finals should be done! May 1st in Germany though, is May Pole day! You know, the pole that goes up in May! They do that here! At around 1 we went around the corner and the parade started of the schools and some of the community businesses and what nots, bands ect. We walked along with the parade up the street, to where the May Pole was being put up. Around 2 the started to put the pole in, which was made by our neighbor who is a major craftsman in this area. After that we walked home!

Each community does their own thing, if they do anything at all, but we happen to live in a pretty close neighbor hood that has kept up the tradition! It was a great turn out! After that we came back and had coffee out on the terrace and then grilled for supper!

Tomorrow is church and sport. Monday will kick start the crazy-ness again. Im going to get another round of letters to go out. Funds are still in a high risk area.... I needed 15 commitments of $100 and I have gotten 3 personal commitments so far which is great! So I still need 12 commitments from churches or people so im hitting the grindstone again on Monday and get some more letters out! The first round just made it to churches last week, so hopefully they should be reviewing the letter I sent within the next week or so. Please continue to pray for funds and that the means will come to allow me to stay here and continue the work!

So thats all for today. Just thought it was time for an update! Im glad the sun is back (for the most part)! The darkness defiantly took a toll on me, more so than I realized at the time! My mood has defiantly picked up and the homesick days are much better.

Be good and do good!

Sarah B

Every individual matters. Every individual has a role to play. Every individual makes a difference. ~Jane Goodall