something new (testament)

some people might remember that i am reading the BIble through chronologically (more or less) in a year, and have convinced some others to as well.. so today we start in on the new testament (follow the link by clicking on the posts title), so if there is anyone out there who was reading along and fell behind, or wants to start up for the second part.. let me know. its more fun knowing who is reading along, so we can encourage one another and sometimes discuss what we have read..

other new things involve me moving this week within karlsruhe. i got a room at least.. so i guess thats a good thing. i am not too excited about it though. kinda an emergency solution. maybe it will surprise me, though. i'll send my new adress out per mail soon. if you dont get a mail by the weekend and would like my address, just leave me a message (or check the spam filter).

look inward

i thought i would offer a slight insight into how i am doing right now. basically.. i'm struggling to find the positive aspects with all the difficult things going on recently. i still don't know where i will be moving to next week (although i am now fairly confident i won't need to find a bridge to sleep under); the current project of teaching other missionaries the german language is stressing me out (why don't they study? why don't they go to language school?? i am sooo not a teacher); the long-term project is still so conceptual that i am having trouble believing we will ever get there (have i mentioned it yet? its to have a "open livingroom/cafe/meeting space/church/counseling center/ emergency center/youth club thing...maybe i should do a post on it seperatly); gram's health and my parents well being is on my mind (and i am too far away to really do anything but pray); my health is still unchanged; and there's this guy biding his time (17 months and counting).

and since i don't just want to gripe.. i will sit here until i come up with a good side. [insert long thinking pause] i have been amazingly reconnected with several old friends recently (asaf and gideon from my time in africa, uwe from the ministry in kassel i worked with is now in karlsruhe, i might get to see an old prayer friend from london soon) [more thinking] and also found ways to meet non-ministry germans (ie possible targets for ministry) through couchsurfing club, the apartment search, and the bike shop that fixed my bike for cake (twice). also.. i am almost finished with the old testament! woohoo. (now if i could just do a theology masters and my thesis on minor prophets...) [some praying] and i do believe God has a place in mind for me to live.


thanks for the prayers and birthday greetings. still waiting for that lamborghini to arrive.

apartment update (prayer request) II

so..i lost the apartment. the landlord called this afternoon while i was at steiger. they said there was nothing i could do to change their minds.
i still have to move out of this place.. sooo... i am looking again (as in actively.. have three appointments for tonight).

apartment update (prayer request)

so.. i just got back from an exhausting excursion. i went to meet my new landlords at 6pm.. i thought we would be making the rental contract (as did my new flat mate).... but instead, they gave me a form to fill out "selbstauskuenft" (personal information) with things like where i work and how much i make... and they asked a lot of questions. they seemed quite nice, but were worried as to the nature of the steiger verein. then they informed us that there are other interested parties for the apartment, not just me. oops. friends of friends or something. i am REALLY worried. i already told my flatmates here in chaosland that i am moving out (and have been getting the fallout) several weeks ago, and we found my replacement several days ago. soooo... if for some reason i cannot more into this new place, i still have to move out of my current one.. oops.

so i rode from that interview back up to steiger, and asked michael (the boss man) to take time away from his young sick son to write me a reference.. got a good one.. then grabbed some info letters and brochures about steiger, ate their leftovers, and rode all the way back to the new apartment to give them to the landlord.. and then came here. by the way, this is a record ot day in karlsruhe and i rode my bike for about two hours back and forth and back again.. so i am dead tired. but hey..good workout.

so.. please, pray that they decide i am a decent person and a qualified renter and let me move in next weekend!! otherwise i'll be looking for a comfy bridge to put my red sofa under..

i'm old now.

saturday was my birthday.. and not just any.. i turned *gasp* 30.

friday night andreas took me out for croatian food (meat and more meat) then we headed over to the "socks bar" where we hung out on the patio with about 20 people from steiger. at midnight the waitress brought out a free bottle of champagne to ring in the new year-of-cate. and people started opening bags and putting gifts on the table! i was surprised.. i didnt expect gifts at a party they had to buy their own food and drinks at. when the patio closed, we went to anja's for the after party- she lives around the corner. we got to bed around 6am...

saturday we were kinda beat.. can't imagine why.. so the plan of a day trip to strassburg or a kajak tour got cancelled in leu of hanging out in the garden and going for indian food. my favorite indian place had live bluegrass music (what the?!?!) so instead of the romantic garden, we opted for the quieter inside.. but that put us closer to the evenings buffet :-) my oh my.. i think i ate more than in the entire past year. it was soooooooooooo good (and kate: you must come here and eat with me- its the best paneek paneer EVER).

sunday the big news broke: Andreas is taking me to ENGLAND to a concert of Josh Ritter (my favorite singer of the past 3 years- check him out) in oxford... and since we'll be sooo close he asked if we should stay a bit longer and see london for a few days? uhm, YEAH. so in sep i will be europes happiest little travelor. any tips for what to see and do?? (i already found an adventure boat tour and my FAV shakespeare play at the Globe).

blast from the past

so.. i just got a call from gideon. if you know who he is, then you understand how friggen cool that is. we were at svp together in south africa after we each finished our dts (were we met at a confrence at ywam wooster..) he just called out of the blue. wow. now i most want to jump up and go film something.. and then go back to africa.. or both simultaneously..

swine flu?

so i am still sick.. and am starting to wonder if it's swine flu..
according to the symptoms i am only lacking one (dia...a) and after two weeks of blaaaaaaaaaahhh....

freakstock 09: hand on your heart

wow.. i am having trouble prosessing all the things that happend at freakstock well enough to blog them. it was a lot.

i guess the main thing was seeing people i care about again.. most i see 1-2 times a year, and there were quite a few i havent seen in 5-10 there!!! awesome. this year i worked in careport and translated englisch to german. (and occasionaly reversed) and i limited it to the 5 hours a day i needed to work... unlike most years where i do waaaay more. it was a nice break.. i actually got to go to praise and worship, the services, and a concert or two. i even got the chance to evangelise a guy from the town who came only since they got in free. we left off at him planning to pray every night for a week that God will reveal himself.

there were funny times- stories like hottie and the bavarian tract, the little girls mixed up word use, or how to translate noises.. and serious times- like planning the next convoy, roberts baptism, or the counseling sessions after the workshop i translated. i was doing the marriage seminar from diane bello... and there were arrrrgg times- when i didnt sleep enough, things took to long to set up, the food was cold before we got to eat, and certain As didnt come..

but it was an awesome time. God really provided a great freakstock (and a few yummy drinks, just in time.. i love coffee shops..)

on the way there the blessings started.. a girl decided rather last minute she'd drive and take me (even picked me up 30 minutes out of her way), and even stopped in gilserberg where i used to work. we got out and i spent half an hour talking to andy, my old boss, and his parents. they really need prayer.. he looked horrible. a short time later i got a call that i can have the two rooms in a flat i looked at and really wanted!! i move out of this place on sep 1.

i'll stop there.. just leave you with a brief thought on the motto:
hand on your heart.. honest to yourself, others and God.. where are you right now? what do you need?

box of love

today there was a little orange card waiting outside my room when i woke up.. it instructed me to visit my local post office, where the postman exchanged the card for a box of love from the states (or africa, depending on your point of view). some of my most treasured things were in the box.. toms of maine toothpaste, vanilla extract, cheerios, mexican spices.. and then some other surprises as well! from socks and cold-prevention medication (both of which i need right now) to starbursts and some guy named burt's bees (they swarmed)... i feel very blessed! thanks to my missionarys in missions support!