Coffee Time

Coffee Time is a daily honored tradition in Germany. Each afternoon, around 3, everyone takes a little break and enjoys a cup of coffee.

I like coffee, I am not a person that has to have it every day, but I do enjoy a good cup of coffee. More, I have found I like coffee because generally while drinking coffee I am with a dear friend, family, or someone who is important to me in some way. It is the quality time I get to spend with this person that makes me enjoy the coffee its self.

I say all that to say that I have come to really enjoy the daily coffee breaks! It is a nice pause in the day to just shoot the breeze.

Today is a lovely day, we are having coffee out on the terrace and I am looking forward to it!

The weather here as started to cool off once more, we had about a month of "summer" and now it is fading back into fall. The current temperature is 74, which is great!

Ill try and post a picture of coffee time if I can remember to take my camera!

Be good and do good!

Sarah B

Live life fully while you're here. Experience everything. Take care of yourself and your friends. Have fun, be crazy, be weird. Go out and screw up! You're going to anyways, you might as well enjoy the process. Take the opportunity to learn from your mistakes: find the cause of your problem and eliminate it! Don't try to be perfect; just be an excellent example of being human. ~Anthony Robbins

Productive Day

Today was pretty busy. We have had storms the past few days, so I haven't been sleeping that well. Thunder used to not bother me... but apparently I'm not used to it anymore so every little rumble wakes me up! Im a bit sad about that! Anywho, I had a reader at 10 here at the house, one of the older ladies that I really enjoy reading with. She always has great stories and insights to share.

After her, I ran to the bakery and bought a sandwich for lunch and picked up some fruit for my next readers and headed off to the church. At 11:30 we (Tiff and I) had our new readers come. We had a great reading session and just a good time talking. They are a young couple, 23, and are very open and interested in the Bible.

At 12:30 we parted ways, I stayed at the church and cleaned up a bit, my next reader was 1:15, so I had lunch and then pulled a few weeds in the extra few minutes. I met with Kerstin then, we had another good reading. We are moving out of the gospels now and getting into Acts and Romans.

At around 2:30 I went of to the Rhodes house and we talked about the winter trip we are planning. We are shooting for a week long trip with the young adults in the congregation. We aren't sure on the details yet, it will be another month before we can have it nailed down for sure and get some prices. Looks like it will be fun though, we are looking at France, Spain, Italy and Switzerland for some of our stops. We have 3 possible routes planned out now, we will just wait and see on prices for each.

After that meeting I came back and checked in with Morgan. It was nearly 4 then, so I came back to the house to answer some emails. I relaxed for a bit, catching up on the news (which I usually do at lunch everyday) and some Law and Order. I made a plan for the weekend as far as the menu. Mopped the house then a quick trip to the store while the floor dried then back to fix a bite for supper. Cleaning out the fridge and about to vacuum the house! The end!

Its nice to have a full day! I feel productive on those days! My next project is the garden at the church, it has some crazy vine that has covered everything! Next week I will be fighting with the vine. Until then, the battle with the slugs continues!

Be good and do good!

Sarah B

If you are not making the progress that you would like to make and are capable of making, it is simply because your goals are not clearly defined. ~Paul J Meyer

A Good Laugh

There is nothing like a good, slap your knee, cant catch your breath, laugh! Good times! I didn't get that good of a laugh, but never the less it was an unsuspected one which is just as good as far as I am concerned.

Ive been trying upload photos for over a week now, it just takes soooo long! ill just save you all the time, check facebook, they are all on there!

Yesterday was a good day. I met with a reader at 10:30 downtown and then had some free time so I took some fruit and flowers to one of the older ladies in the congregation. Grabbed a bite for lunch downtown and then back to the church for a reader at 2. I came back to the house and had coffee with Joseph and Morgan at about 3:30 and we chatted til nearly 5. Around 6 i went back up to the church and weeded some, then bible class at 7, back to the house by 8:30-45. Chatted with folks, played a game of monopoly online and went to bed. Good day!

Today and tomorrow look to be a bit slower. Friday is pretty busy though, already have 3 readers scheduled and I have 1 more im working on for Friday.

Be good and do good!

Sarah B

I really do believe I can accomplish a great deal with a big grin, I know some people find that disconcerting, but that doesn't matter. ~Beverly Sills

For You I Will

I wouldn't do this work for anyone but the Lord.

Be good and do good.

Sarah B

This is a song I heard my freshman year during the World Missions Workshop. It stuck and I have always remember it. It was shortly after this that I realized I had a calling to help people and made people my passion.

If you say say go, we will go.
If you say wait, we will wait.
If you say step out on the water
And they say it can't be done
We'll fix our eyes on You and we will come.

Your ways are higher than our ways
And plans that you have made are good and true
If you call us to the fire
You will not withdraw your hand
We'll gaze into the flames and look for you.

I Don't Know How To Sing...

I went to Leipzig this weekend for worship on Sunday. Morgan, Sven and I all rode the train over and met Mark and Karen there. They had an LST walk in not long ago, a lonely woman. She is from Russia and doesn't really have any friends. She recently starting reading some of the LST material. She came to worship Sunday night.

We started off with some songs, and as we picked up the EBS (english bible study) folders that we sing out of, I realized there were not enough for everyone (all 6 of us!) to have one, so I scooted closer to her so we could share. She said, "No, I'm not going to sing." It took me off guard, so I said ok, and settled back into my chair. Karen asked her, "Why don't you want to sing?" "I don't know how to sing..." Then of course Mark piped up, "Thats ok, I don't know how either!" And we all got a good laugh and so she decided she would try.

We started to sing a few songs, and we also had a few english hymnals. We were singing, "Oh God, you are my God, and I will ever praise you.... step by step you lead me, and I will follow you all of my days" Well, the way the song is written, you sing the first 2 lines, the chorus the 3rd line and then the chorus again. Of course, our new guest didn't know this. We also didn't have a real song leader among us. So when it was time to transition to the next line before the chorus, we all kind of waited to see who would start it off. Keep in mind this was maybe a second at most- but our guest, she just kept right on going with the chorus! Of course we all immediately jumped in and just went with it!

Wow! here is this woman, who has just walked in and hardly knows any of us, says she doesn't know how to sing, and she is singing the gospel songs that we have heard all of our lives as we all sit there. I have to admit, I felt a bit, I don't know, ashamed isn't the right word, just disappointed in myself I guess.

Its different being in Europe, in the states, if someone doesn't know something biblical, including myself, you don't announce it, you just do your best to figure it out and then maybe ask someone on the side. But not here, people have no reservations asking questions and wanting to understand! Its truly amazing!

Wow.

Be good and do good,

Sarah B

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, "who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous?" Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people wont feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us, it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. ~ Marianne Williamson

World Cup Fever

Just to state the obvious, soccer is HUGE here! While Germany put up a good fight last night, they did indeed loose to Spain. However they did make it to 3/4th place which is still pretty neat!

That said, I am on my way out in a bit to purchase Germany shirts. They are on sale right now, and they will go away never to be seen again before I leave. Germany is not big on national pride, it is still kind of embarrassing for some of them, so they dont fly flags or wear shirts that have the littler german flag on it. Not even striped socks or ties with the colors... which may seem odd... but it makes sense. Crazy crazy. So, im going to get the germany stuff before it is gone.

In other news, everyone and their mom is gone. Morgan and I are here alone, together :). She is staying at the sullivans and I am here. The Rhodes get back next week, and then Karen the week after.

Yesterday I met with #2 of the 3 new LST contacts. He wasn't to excited about the BIble aspect of what we do, but he was very interested in practicing english, so maybe he will come to some of our english activities!

Things are starting to pick up again, readers on and off throughout the week! Morgan and I are going to Gisela's today for coffee which is always exciting!

Sven and I had a conversation last night about when to give up- when there is no more home. While we were watching the game of course... I like to think there is always hope. There is always a chance. Every little bit you can do, it helps! It makes a little difference for that one person. So, no matter the size, if we see a need, we fill a need.

Be good and do good!

Sarah B

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. ~Margaret Mead