visa isn't just a credit card

so today i got up at an hour i usually associate with "oops! i should get to bed!" in order to be at the foreign services office before it opened, to get in line to get on a list to get in another line to get a number to wait to get in to see someone about renewing my visa. then i waited till 11 to get called. could be worse.. the rocky-mountains-hippie-type guy next to e didn't realize that he needed to wait in that second line until after i got called.

so i go in and am met with the question "do you have proof of being a freelance artist in social service??" uhm, nooo.... [she looks cross] "well then, do you have the other paperwork filled out?" uhm...no..... [she looks more cross] "do you have insurance?" oh yeah, sure, here.. [me give apropriate paper] "and are you single?"

this was the turning point. "engaged??" noo.. he hasn't been to see my father yet. [she looks at me questioningly] it's important to me that we fly over and he meet my family first, and ask for my hand.. but even though he's alluded to it, he won't say when he's planning to, if at all yet... "ooooh, such a romantic one!" [she looks all shinning eyed] "ja, then it's not an issue how long i make this out for, it it? the two of you will be happily married soon. why don't i just say two years? ja?" [two years is the maximum]

ACL Forum 08

this weekend (starting thursday) was spent at the ACL Forum, as the last weekend of april every year. it's basically a conference of/for people working as christians with the downcast of society. this year there were (only) about 60 people from 22 organisations present.

the overlying topic of the main seminars and the weekend was "meet God in the stillness." the speaker is from a christian community on the north sea, and had some great points to make. there was also a lot of time left to practice what was said- we were asked not to speak till lunch!!

the workshops this year were also pretty cool. the first day i went to "bibliodrama" which combined Bible stories, theater, and counselling... quite cool. i will be implementing it this week at street group. see how it goes! saturday we met as regions.

in the free time i had great conversations, found out alot about the other organizations, was encouraged. also, played frisbee golf and sat at the bonfire.

i feel built up, encouraged, and full of ideas... so now i should go: time to implement!

people news

hans showed up again on sunday. i guess that's a good thing... but the things he shared with me about his current situation were not as good. and he hurt my feelings with some of it.

willi stopped me on the street yesturday, drunk and drugged. he said a lot that made no sense.. but he also said i am one of the few people he can look up to.

peter is still in the hospital, but when we visited yesturday he was laughing and thinks he will be out in a week or so.

marty is moving in to the hope house for a month. he's 19.

detlev is still on the logos hope and doing well.

dirk asked me for the first time in three and a half years about getting him into therepy.

cate is going to a conference. then she has to try and renew her visa.

word on the seat

this weekend i had a lot going through my mind. well, actually, i have been having a lot on mind for a few weeks now.. ok, so i usually do- but i mean more than normal...alot of plan making and speculating. and i was sitting in a place where i can pray really well, thinking and mulling and praying about these things.. and i opened up a book laying nearby, stuck my finger in, and read:

"these things i plan won't happen right away. slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. if it seems slow, do not despair, for these things will surely come to pass. just be patient!they will not be overdue a single day! " says the Lord.
habakkuk 2:3 LB

followed by"

"God who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion."
philippianss 1:6 NIV

pirates of the weser

this weekend was hijaked by a pirate known to many as only zadock. he sailed in on friday and demanded i hand over the richest chocoloate brownies this side of the atlantic. i managed to fight off his advances until monday, when he finally broke me down and took the brownies, sailing away again to karlsruhe..






so for anyone who is still not sure what is going on here... i have a boyfriend. his name is.. andreas and he is from karlsruhe, which is unfortunately very, very far away. (almost 6 hours on the fast train) he is a strong christian from a good family, and absolutely wonderful to me. this weekend he came up extra to take me to the production of shakespeare's "measure for measure." we also ended up at the flea market where he bought us two swords... thus why we put on bandanas and ate at the pancake ship and talked like pirates all afternoon.. (ironically we realized after the fact that we also had swords the first time he was in bremen.. but those were made of balloons..) hey, to each his own. ;-) now if i can only get him to wear my leather jacket more often...

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