Give it a try...!

Update...

2009-01-31T18:17:00.000+01:00

Mmmmh... Maybe I shouldn't promise anything anymore... It's not that life in Germany is too boring... (sometimes it is, though...) or that there wouldn't be anything to tell. It's just... don't know. I'm spending too much time online writing e-mails or keeping in touch with people via facebook and stuff so I don't feel like blogging on top of that. On the one hand, I like the more personal contact with people, on the other hand, I LOVED living a more "reality-based" life with just writing a blog once in a while to let people know that I'm still alive. The truth is: I can't wait to go back to South America! For several reasons... It'll take some time though before I'll be able to go back. I'm planning on summer 2010. I guess I'll continue blogging as soo as I leave Gemrnay again. So if you want me to continue earlier - just make a donation for my flights... ;)

Until then... just write me an e-mail or hit me up on facebook. I didn't disappear. I just "moved".

I wish you a happy new week with higher temperatures or at least some snow!
maria

PS: The pic is from the 3rd of January at my Grandparent's house.

I'm back!

2008-09-10T22:17:00.005+02:00

I'm back to Germany and back to blogging. Don't know how often I will update my blog over here, but I'll try to do it twice a month. That should be realistic. Maybe more often when I got my camera repaired and feel like it. Right now I just wanted to let you know that I'm still alive and got back safely - with two suitcases weighing 33kg and 21kg and without paying anything although flying with Airlines like AirFrance and AeroSur. Thank you Lord! I only had some trouble at the airport in Cochabamba since AeroSur said TAM didn't pay for my seat; they had just reserved one in the business class. Until that problem could be solved (long and exciting story...), my original plane had left (and my chance of a business class flight...) but I made it just on time for the next and last plane that day. Grasping for air, I was just thankful for God's help. Since there was no time in the end, they didn't even complain about the 33!!!kg again. Even with TAM, I only had 2 pieces of 23kg for free. After calming down, I just selpt on all my 5 flights. I tried to read something ONCE, but gave up after 15min or even less. I missed "food time" twice and didn't count how often I missed the drinks. I was too exhausted.

I touched German ground on Thursday evening. My grandparents were at our house and my Grandpa even came to the airport with my Dad and my sister (see pic, "Who has the most intensive suntan?"). It was great to see my family again! Still haven't met my brother though, but we talked on the phone for about an hour just 2 days ago. Without them, I might not have come back... =) Well, on Friday I went to sign my contract at work and on Sunday I already started to work. Since that day, not too much exciting stuff has happened. I worked a lot (118 hours til yesterday to be exact) and only took some days off for a friend (and faithful blog reader) who came to visit me before going on a 4-week-800km-hike through France and Spain and another one's wedding. The one is still walking and I hope the other one is still happy with his wife!

Today, I started a new adventure called "practical training". It's a mandatory part for my teacher's degree and it's actually not that bad. Since I'm tired though, I'll write about that on Friday.

Happy Thursday!
maria

Good Bye Bolivia!

2008-08-10T01:44:00.003+02:00

We got back... after 6 nights in buses and two days waiting in bus terminals (Bolivians like to block their roads for any reason... and you better don´t play with road-blocking Bolivians... they might burn your bus...) or waiting in the middle of a mud road for the mud to dry or the trucks to get out of the mud anyways... It was an adventure! We were back at the university Monday morning. Tired but happy!

Now I´m busy doing 3 things at the same time. It´s so hard... last Friday night pizza, last Sabbath morning worship, last bearhug for this friend or that pastor... Tonight I´ll start packing suitcases. Will be hard to decide what to give away, what to take and what to leave in a bag with my family... I might need some things here again...

On Wednesday I´ll leave the university around 5am and will take off in Cochabamba around 8am. Hopefully, I´ll touch German ground in Frankfurt on Thursday 7:50pm after changing planes 4 times (in Santa Cruz, Asunción, Sao Paulo and Paris). There is one thing I´m looking forward to - wireless internet at home!

Till then, Í wish you a great new week!
Last greetings from Bolivia!
maria

PS: The pic was taken by Arturo on the Bolivian Independence Day (6th of August). The day before, I took part in the parade, carrying the flag of the education department. Never watched a parade in Germany... and already marched for Bolivia twice... Whatever. On the real Independence Day, some friends and I took off and had a great time in the mountains picnicking, singing, playing games, having worship out there and doing some photo shooting. This one is my favourite of the day. Unfortunately, Arturo is missing. Love you guys! Tenho saudade de vocês!

Good Bye Brazil!

2008-07-29T00:50:00.002+02:00

Dear friends,

Just wanted to let you know that we´ll be on the road tomorrow again. Last week was quieter but with the week of prayer, it was a great blessing for me!

Yesterday, we went to a waterfall with friends from the church and had a great time relaxing. Today, we´re already preparing our stuff... since we´ll leave tomorrow. Back on the road. Final destination Vinto/Cochabamba on Sunday. We'll stay in Santa Cruz for the weekend and a prayer request is that we'll make it there by Friday around lunchtime at the latest. Don´t know if I´ll have the chance of getting into the internet on the way, but I´ll keep you updated if possible!

Sorry for being in a hurry, but I have to get ready for a worship in another Adventist church here in Ouru Preto!

Will be back... hopefully soon!
maria

Picture Blog

2008-07-18T21:20:00.012+02:00

It’s become quieter here in Brazil. We’re in the “study phase”. Today, we’re actually fasting for the week of prayer and the sermon, Nailson will have in the Baptist church of his parents on Sunday. We already went to this church twice. Last Sunday, Nailson’s pastor from the States, who was visiting us for the weekend, preached there and yesterday, Arturo had the prayer meeting message and I sang in German. Theology students are never on vacation… and as long as you’re with them, they’ll find something to do for you, too :) but I love challenges so it’s fine with me. My worship in the Adventist church Wednesday night went well although I was pretty nervous about the language part. I’m improving with my portuñol though =)

I decided to do a “picture blog” this time to give you more than just one visual impression. We already have so many pictures though, that it’s hard to choose just 5 or 6. Arturo has a nice camera and is a good photographer, too, all of the pictures in this blog are his (used with permission). Did you ever see the flower of the cotton plant? Well, now you did! I didn’t know that is was that beautiful but it really is!

Maria on a horse… could you believe that? And I didn’t even fall off… lol, but one time, I almost did. First, I was riding this nice dark brown horse and had a saddle with a little stick that you could grab if you were about to fall off. The problem I had with that horse, were these thingies for your feet. You couldn’t make them short enough for my legs and so I was afraid of going really fast because I would always slip out. After losing my fear, I actually wanted to go faster though, so Nailson gave me his horse. He had tamed it himself and it really responded immediately. I only kicked it very softly… and it started to RUN! I wasn’t prepared for this fast reaction and wanted to grab that “emergency stick”… it wasn’t there… Must have been funny to watch me trying not to fall off – but nobody was paying attention so they missed the fun… =)

Nailson on a cow… just crazy! He first hunted and caught it with a lasso, got it down with his hands and then… rode on it until it threw him off. Cowboy!

Arturo… enjoying an orange coconut. Nailson climbed the palm tree like a monkey to get us these ones. We learned some things about coconuts, too. The “older” ones have coconut water with gas, for example. The ones that have already fallen off the tree for quite a while have little “apples” inside to nurture the new sprout. These “apples” have a funny taste. Spongy coconut. I like the little ones but the bigger ones taste strange.

Pastor Paulo… taking off first (with a flight instructor; tandem flight, not alone!). We actually weren’t in the air for a long time – but I loved it. Don´t know when I will get the opportunity to go again, but I would do it immediately. Running towards the abbyss - and then just taking off.

It´s already Friday again.

Can´t believe it! Last Friday, we had the reception of the Sabbath in a coffee plantation together with Nailson´s Grandpa. Afterwards, we walked up a hill and had a beautiful sunset. It was great. I would have liked to just stay outside and sleep right there.

Even if you shouldn´t have wonderful sunsets - I wish you a blessed and peaceful Sabbath to recharge you batteries, espcially spiritually!

God bless,

maria

Adventure Vacations

2008-07-15T23:39:00.004+02:00

I´m in Brazil. Actually, for already a week. We left Bolivia the very same day we got to the border and didn´t go to the school. We met Tara, Ruan and almost all the other volunteers in Guayaramerin though. It was great to see them again - even if it was just for lunch. Monday night, we spent in Porto Velho with Nailson´s sister and her husband and Tuesday night, we got here (Ouro Preto).

Since that night and today has happened A LOT!!! I watched beautiful sunrises (pic) and sundowns, heard monkeys sing, drank coconut water of I don´t know how many coconuts in a row (delicious! right from the tree), I went paragliding (and realized a dream with it), made sugar cane juice, went horseback riding (and overcame my fear of horses and actually loved it), went to worships in different churchs (Adventist, Baptist and another one) and even got to sing in the Baptist church, continued my motorbike lessons David started in the US (thanks Nailson!), dropped my camera while being in the back of a truck and broke the screen =(, learned a lot about all the different fruits and trees and got to see coffee and cacao plantations, ate a lot of rice and it actually ocurred to me, that it is pretty easy to cook for Brazilians (you just have to know how to cook rice and beans...), watched real cowboys at work and one of them (Nailson) riding a cow (crazy!)...

Tomorrow, I´ll have the Wednesday night worship in Nailson´s church. It is really not boring here and I actually don´t know yet, when I want to leave... I would love to stay for the week of prayer about the sanctuary, too (Arturo and Nailson will do it, starting on Sabbath). Sigh. Let´s see.

Hope to be back with a blog, soon.
maria

Almost in Brazil

2008-07-07T15:38:00.003+02:00

Hey guys. I don't have too much time, but I wanted to let you know that we're save and happy and almost in Brazil. We're in Guayaramerin and only waiting for Artuo's visa. Let's see how things are going. We might stay at the school outside of Guayaramerin if it takes some days to get the visa.

Death Road wasn't actually that bad anymore. They build a new road that is pretty neat (for Bolivian standards). Yeah, and we spent Sabbath in Rurrenabaque at the orphanage. That was really great and a real blessing to all three of us! So yeah, we have about 10 hours by bus left to our final destination and already 41 hours by bus behind us... we're almost there =)

Wish you all a blessed new week!
I'll soon be back with pictures!

maria

PS (some days later): This pic was taken on Sunday around lunch time after the guy with the 2 combat chickens, who was occupying this seat before, had left. Yep... on Bolivian busses, you can take your chickens without cages and without problems...

Bolivian Winter

2008-07-04T03:54:00.004+02:00

Did I ever tell you that we're in winter over here right now? In Cochabamba/Vinto, we normally have about 32 degrees (0 degrees celsius) in the nights... For some Bolivians that is FREEZING cold! During the day, we are in the 80ies (??) though (up to 30 dergees celsius). So I acyually like Bolivian winter here in Cochabamba! We're heading for La Paz this night though - and that will be COLD! I mean REALLY cold. Yeah, you see, Bolivia is not only heat and sun, but we still have beutiful flowers! Not to compare with the sad German winter!

I took this pic actually some weeks ago and in the meantime it got a bit colder, but you can still find these flowers all around. I like them!

Yeah, I actually wanted to tell you that we'll be on the road in about an hour, get to La Paz tomorrow morning and go "Death Road" tomorrow (Friday) during the day. On Sabbath, we want to stay at the orphanage in Rurrenabaque - and I'm really looking forward to that! I only heard that everything has already changed again tremendously. I want to see it! I know that in 2007 I was flabbergasted!!! when we entered campus! Everything had advenced so much in just one year!

So I hope to be able to tell you on Monday how everything went. Think of us in you prayers - especially because of this nice road... I have respect of it...!

Have a great weekend!
maria

The highschoolers are gone....

2008-07-01T16:22:00.008+02:00

...let's have a PARTY! Together with the guys of course!!!

That seemed to be the motto of the past 2 weeks. The picture was a little "private party" though and I actually got to eat gnocchi with mushroom sauce and GARLIC! And garlic bread! It was delicious! I mean it's nothing outstanding special, but since they don't use garlic in the cafeteria and they hardly give us any sauce, I was just happy about my garlic gnocchi =) It was Nailson's birthday and after walking around in Cochabamba a little bit and getting to know the Central Adventist Church there, we ended up in this Pasta Restaurant. We had fun! From left to right: Mexican (Arturo), Brazilian (Nailson), German (me =), Bolivian (Cathy) and Argentinian (Dario). I'll miss them when I'll go back to Germany. So yeah, the two guys on the left will take care of my safety during our road trip. Dario will go canvassing to Santa Cruz, so he won't be coming with us and Cathy is actually not a student at the university, but working for the Adventist Media Center here in Cochabamba. She was the "talk show host" when I was participating in the "Sabbath Bible Study Program".

Mmmh... I'll finish writing at the university since I don't have to pay anything there. The computer I'm using right now couldn't read my external hard drive though, so I ran back to the university computers (the ones that don't give me the option of uploading pics on blogspot) and put the pics on my USB-stick and came back... Well, I thought I'd better upload not only the pic for my last blog, but one more and so I started writing... Have to run and do some laundry though. Will be back with a report of the "party activities" soon.
___________________________________________

I did laundry for 1.5 hours and still didn't finish. Looks like I'll have another hour tomorrow. Whatever. Right now we have "final exams week", that means we don't have any classes, just exams. I only had one exam today though (Introduction of the Holy Scriptures) and it wasn't hard. Tonight, I'll go with Wendy (my classmate who went with me on the jungle trip), Dario, Nailson and Arturo to a seminar by Robert Costa. They'll have a baptism, too, including people from Nailson's church. I'm looking forward to it!

Back to the "party": The high school students went on vacation 2.5 weeks ago and a week later, everything started with some guys, invading the girl's dorm at 5am, threatening us to drag us into the shower if we wouldn't show up for worship almost immediately. We had some fun and a little water fight, but the girls decided to take revenge on Sunday morning! On Friday night, we had (for the first time this semester) the reception of the Sabbath together (guys and girls) in the yard of the guys dorm. It was really nice! We had morning worship together the whole week, too (the guys came over). On Sabbath night, they had some terribly loud karaoke event (I didn't go) and on Sunday morning, at 4am, the girls turned the boy's dorm into a battle field... I was outside and it really sounded like a war! They used fireworks to wake them up and showered them with all kind of disgusting stuff (paint, water, shampoo, baby powder, dirt...) afterwards. Crazy! On Monday (I think), they went again, but I didn't leave my sleeping bag. They intended to sing for the guys, but everything ended in a water fight again. On Wednesday night, when everybody was in worship, some girls got all the shoes from the guys and knotted them together... The guys were supposed to buy them back with chocolate... On Thursday morning, the guys actually came at 5am to sing for us and give us our chocolate. I was sleeping in the yard and since the girls had closed the main door of the hallway for the university students out of fear, the guys found me first and I got the first chocolate =) On Thursday night, we had a seminar about friendship - courtship and stuff, followed by social activities like funny games for couples. I actually liked it - because they paired me up with somebody I wasn't afraid of doing silly games with. I stayed to clean afterwards... and got to bed at 1am. Crazy week!

Poor highschoolers. They missed all the fun... =) Would have liked a little bit more sleep though! Whatever. The "party activities" were just one! aspect of the crazy past weeks, but I'm afraid I can't and don't want to tell you everything anyways... =)

For now, I'll jump into the shower and get ready for the seminar!
Have a great rest of the week!

maria

Crazy Weeks

2008-06-24T03:18:00.004+02:00

The past 1.5 weeks have been... just crazy. I've been flabbergasted, annoyed, tired like crazy, happy, sad... and on Sunday I slept till 10.30am! The first time since I got here that I slept that long. I got used to getting up at 5am or 6am at the latest every day - and I actually don't dislike it. Well, it's impossible to put everything into one blog though and the coming weeks won't be less intensive, I guess, since I'll go on a road trip all the way to Brazil with my two friends Arturo and Nailson on Wednesday or Thursday, visiting the orphanage in Rurrenabaque (I went on mission trips there with Miracle Meadows School 2006 and 2007), stopping at the school in Guayaramerin and not to forget the "Death Road" from La Paz down into the humid and hot Beni region. Well, I already survived it in 2006 and I'm hoping, we'll get a bus with good brakes... I'll let you know though which night we'll do this part of the trip (so you can pray for us), but it'll be either Thursday night or Saturday night. I'm planning on spending some days in Brazil and then going to the other orphanage to do some garden work-out or whatever they'll find to do for me. For my last week in Bolivia, I'll come back to the university and on August 14th, I'll be on German ground again. Back to reality. Back to work.

You still want to know what happened in the past 1.5 weeks? Well, I fear, I won't have the time to write about it a lot - but it started with Tara and Ruan (directors of the school in Guayaramerin) showing up on Friday, went on with my dear friend David (from the States) tapping on my shoulders on Monday morning when I was waiting in the line to get into the cafeteria ("DAAAAAAAVID!!! What the heck are YOU doing here?") and kind of ended with my laptop breaking down yesterday. I called my brother today, but we couldn't fix the problem this time. It needs some "special treatment" and since I don't want to lose my stuff and I don't really trust people I don't know and who don't understand German (everything on my laptop is in Geman), I decided to leave my laptop with "my family" here and wait until my brother can have a closer look at it. He studied that stuff and I'm really happy to have a computer specialist in the family since I don't have a CLUE how these machines work. Maybe it's even better to leave my laptop here and not to take it on the trip. Might be saver...

The only problem I'll have without laptop: I can't promise anything concerning blogs anymore. I mean I left you without a message for quite a while and I hope I won't do that again, but the computer I'm using right now, for example, doesn't allow me to upload pics and I don't know how to get my pictures from my SD-card to my pen-drive anyways, especially at the orphanage without Nailson's laptop. Whatever. I'll do my best and I hope I can upload a pic for this blog tomorrow and tell you a bit more about my eventful past days =) One is for sure though: I can use your prayers!! Not just for the trip, but in general. There is a lot of stuff going on around and in me at the moment. I haven't felt the need for prayer as bad as I'm doing right now in my whole past 4.5 months here! I don't see it as a bad thing though. I feel closer to God than before, too!

I wish all of you a great day or a good night =)
I hopefully will be back tomorrow,
maria

PS (one day later): One of the many pictures that caracterize these crazy days... David behind me on the left, next to him Ruan and in the middle his wife Tara. Sitting on the left: a former student of Tara and Ruan. Was an interesting day. I ran around Cochabamba with David to find parts for a van he was repairing in Santa Cruz. Felt like old times =) Monday night, all 4 of them took the bus back to Santa Cruz.

Nostalgia

2008-06-19T20:17:00.003+02:00

They moved me... =( Good bye room number 35. Two and a half weeks before I'm moving out of the dorm anyways. And they separated me and Virginia since there wasn't another room with 2 free beds =( I mean there are a whole bunch of completely unoccupied rooms right now since the high school students are already on winter break, but they are expecting a lot of other people for I don't know what seminars. Well, I guess I'll just have to make the best out of it. Unfortunately, the internet connection in my room returned just last night after having abandoned me for more than 2 weeks. Would have been easier to leave believing there was no internet anyways. I don't capture this signal in my new room =( Furthermore, I'll miss my morning sun. My new room is a lot darker and the sunlight doesn't really enter. Whatever... it wasn't up to me... but I'll give the new room and my new 3 roommates (2 future teachers and a theology student) a chance! Not everything changed for the worse though. We're having less space since the room is thought for one bunk bed but they put a second one in, BUT if you're holding our breath and manage to squeeze yourself through the gap between desk and second bunk bed, you have access to a bathroom and shower that are only for us 4!! I might not want to leave it in 2.5 weeks... =)

Taking off my wall decoration almost felt like starting to say "Good bye" though. Some days ago, somebody told me that he actually likes saying "Good bye". Mmmh... still didn't get the chance to ask him why. For my part, I would prefer not having to leave. When we were going from the university to Chapare by bus (about 5-6 hours, for the camping trip), I was once again fascinated by the nature over here. Just... breathtaking!! I took pictures and videos from inside the bus, but they aren't as great as they should be to do the original justice. Bolivia is a BEAUTIFUL country - and (apart from occasions like the story of my last blog) the Bolivians are really friendly and hospitable people. Since I was in a reflective and melancholic mood watching the mountains and lakes passing by, I did my homework for my language class and wrote a 5-liner:

Nostalgia
He perdido mi corazón,
En cada esquina del mundo un pedazo.
Nunca más en esta tierra
Voy a encontrarlo en un sólo lugar.
Estoy esperando al cielo.

Nostalgia
I've lost my heart,
In every corner of this world a piece.
Never again on this earth
Will I find it in one single place.
I'm waiting for heaven.

It's not a masterpiece of poetry, but it fulfilled the criteria of my homework: capturing the feelings of a moment. My wall decoration reflected this feeling a bit. It's funny though: being in Bolivia, I even lost a piece of my heart in Brazil. Having a whole bunch of Brazilian friends makes me want to speak their language better and to get to now their country better, too. Never thought this would happen, but thanks to the jungle hike, it did. Getting reminded of the "good byes" that are soon to come by nice friends and people with really good intentions several times a day ("Amiiiga María!! Don't leave!" "When are you coming back to Bolivia?" "Are you coming back next semester?" "Why don't you just finish here??"), I've spent some melancholic (to sad) moments lately. The good side of the story: it made me not just aware of the fact that this world is not my home, but it made me really FEEL it.

I guess we need these moments that make us feel uncomfortable in this world in one way or the other every now and then. I hope my Brazilian friend will change his opinion though, because I know he's looking for heaven and there will be no "good byes", at least not of the kind that we were talking about.

Hoping to see you over there, too.
maria

Curse and Blessing

2008-06-17T16:51:00.008+02:00

Hi everybody! I haven't written anything for a while, but I've at least called my parents... =) For the weekend, I went to live with Eufronio, Cira & family. I hadn't stayed with them for more than a month, so it was nice to relax "at home". On Sunday night, we watched the soccer game Bolivia-Chile. Unfortunately, Bolivia lost. It was kind of funny though... Germany is fighting to make it to the quarterfinals of the European Championship - and I'm not really caring about it but watching South American soccer....

Whatever... Right now I'm actually pretty... don't know... angry... disappointed... furious... confused... I'm sitting outside here on campus close to the sport facilities and there are 2 teams playing volleyball. The first time I heard that one team screaming "Heil Hitler" I thought I didn't clean my ears this morning, but they continued to scream "Heil Hitler" every time they scored. After some minutes, I couldn't bear it anymore and went over and asked them why the heck they chose this slogan. They said something like, "Well... Germany... you know..." I only had to tell them that in Germany, they would be chased off the court - at a public university as well as at a Christian institution. Whatever... They didn't seem to understand what I wanted to say and since they weren't in the right mood for a history lesson, I left them and they continued screaming even louder what I don't even want to write down. *sigh* Somehow I couldn't write anything for some minutes. I din't know how to go on with this blog either. It makes me sad because they're not just kids. They are some years older... including even adults. Future sport TEACHERS!!!! Last time I felt like this was when I was watching the high school volley ball team (boys) playing against the theology team some weeks ago. The high school guys had taped their numbers on their t-shirts - plus the Hitler cross... *sigh* I talked to somebody who seemed to be responsible for them... don't know if it changed anything...

I don't know why I'm writing about that stuff. I wanted to write about something completly different... Already uploaded my favourite picture of this past weekend... It's just... I felt I had to write it down in order not cry or explode. I love Bolivia and the Bolivians and I can put up with a lot, but this ignorance... made me cry now anyways... I don't want to make them appear in a bad light... I had to answer many crazy questions about "Germany and the Nazis" in the States, too. Well, I went over again and it seems like they're playing in teams that have given themselves names of different countries. If that's everything they can think of when it comes to Germany... even sadder... I should stop writing about it and go and talk with somebody afterwards. I wish them though, that they won't have to face a "Hitler situation" themselves... or the "curse" of having a past like that.

*sigh* How to go on? Don't know.
The pic is from Sabbath. I preached in "Nailson's church" and stayed with them the whole day. It was a great day. I like little churches with family feeling. And I like little girls =) This church has a whole bunch of them. The pic shows Nailson with 3 of his little friends and they LOVE him. Somehow, they immediately loved me, too, so I didn't die of boredom =) I really enjoyed my time with them and when I went "back home" at 10pm after even staying for "sports night", I felt so blessed that I was wondering why they (deans or university staff) don't encourage at least the responsible students to go and look for a church where they can be a part of, get challenged, help - and grow. Unfortunately, it's the complete opposite. You have to jump a lot of barriers to be allowed to leave campus for church on Sabbath. I mean I can understand them and some of their reasons and not everybody feels and thinks like me either, but it might be beneficial - not just for theology students - to become active and actually "part" of a church instead of just belonging to a church formally but occupying more a role of a visitor. Doing "special music" every now and then isn't enough for me. Mmmh... just some thouhgts. What about you? Do you prefer the visitor role?

However, I'm sad I'm leaving so soon. I would love to become part of Arturo's or Nailson's or some other little to medium size congregation. The disadventages of a traveller's life...

Still in a strange mood...
maria

Catch-Up-Blog

2008-06-08T16:45:00.003+02:00

Hey guys! Can you remember the first picture from Bolivia I shared with you (19th of February)? I thought it might be interesting how these Bolivians went on with their construction. At least I find it kind of incredible... seems like the future inhabitants of that one floor don't have the money for their walls... I was used to see houses in Bolivia that kind of don't have a roof, just metal bars sticking out of the last ceiling so you can easily build another floor on top of the last one if there is the need to or as soon as you have the money to do so. Well, I've learnt something new: if you don't have the money for everything but want your roof on top of the house... just leave out one floor and finish it later... I'm not an architect and I don't have a clue why the last two floors with the roof aren't tipping over - but obviously they have decided to stay up there...

What else? I remembered some things I promised you to let you know how these stories went on, so I decided to use this blog to catch up with these "opend ends".

Thursday night worship. Don't know if I already told you that they changed it to Monday - but I actually only finished my first series (4 topics about "Love & Co."). It was a really blessed time and it helped me to lose my fear of talking in Spanish publicly. I've still one worship prepared and ready with Power Point ("Letting go"), so if there should be a need - no problem. They asked me though if I could do a topic on nutrition and health, so I'm working on that one right now.
My sermon yesterday was a real blessing, for me and Arturo said for the church as well. He didn't ask me to preach about a special topic (like he wanted to at first) and didn't tell me anything about "his" church either, but prayed and just told me to talk about what God would give me. While stuydying for an exam on Thursday, I kind of had like a sermon topic in my had without thinking about anything related to it. It was one of my favourite topics though (summary statement: True community and growth are only possible if there is love combined with radical honesty), so it wasn't hard for me to put my heart into it. On Sabbath, Wendy did really come with me and for lunch, we were invited by a really nice and huge family (grandparents, their kids and grandshildren). In the afternoon, Arturo gave a short bible study for Wendy and another girl and we even stayed for the youth program. It was really a blessed Sabbath... and next week, I'm invited to preach in Nailson's church... He's Arturos friend (and since the jungle hike my friend as well) and didn't even tell me about it until last night. Arturo had told him I was about to preach in his church, so Nailson just anounced in his little congregation that I would preach there next Sabbath... I love these Brazilians... =)

I also think I didn't tell you yet that I'm not living with high school students anymore. I'm still living in my room in the part for the high schoolers, but all of my littly roommates were moved out for different reasons. Daniela went home due to health problems and was replaced by Fernanda, a 7th grader. After some weeks, the dean moved my two "grandchildren" to another room so they could have more supervision in the afternoon, especially with their homework. I lived just with Fernanda for 2 or 3 weeks, but some not so very nice things happened so that she at first had to leave my room and finally even the school =( Right now I'm sharing my room with Virginia, a young lady that is about to finish her degree (teacher) next Sunday. So next Mondax, I'll have 4 beds and more space for my clothes than I need =) Sometimes I miss my two little roommates but on the other hand I'm enjoying a clean room that I actually don't have to clean very often. Studying in the nights is a lot easier as well. Yeah, everything has advantages and disadvantages.

Another story is the "L'esperance orphanage" I wanted to work at for some time initially. Since they never wrote me again and I felt more and more comfortable here at the university, I didn't try to contact them again. Last week though, I got an e-mail that they could actually use my help. Mmmmh... July is vacation time, so I'm thinking of going there for a month if they think that I can be useful for a really short time period. Let's see.

Oh yeah... and I haven't been sick since the last time I wrote about it. I guess I've reached the state where I can eat almost everything the Bolivians eat. I eat apples without washing them, I drink whatever people offer me without worrying about clean water or not, I eat self made stuff you can by at the market, eat 80%-90% in the cafeteria (yep, the jungle hike made some difference... changed my tactic... I started to take my tomato sauce, garlic butter, honey, peanut butter... to the cafeteria - and the Brazilians don't mind sharing a table wih Nutella either...) and enjoying complete health. Even freezing in the mountains and the jungle for hours/days didn't give me a cold. I'm gaining all the weight though I had lost in my first two months. Whatever. I'm feeling great.

Right now, I'll go back to my books though, since I have my last two partial exams tomorrow and I don't want to feel stupid =) Have a warm and sunny new week - and fun with the European Soccer Championship!
maria

Lessons from the jungle II

2008-06-06T08:20:00.001+02:00

Jungle hike... I'll never forget these 5 days and all of us who went are still thinking and talking about it. Last weekend, I went on a camping trip with most of the students who live in the two dorms. We were a group of almost 200 people. It was a nice time. We had kind of a "jungle adventure camping site" all for ourselves (including 3 funny parrots - see pic) and the offered programm wasn't mandatory except for worships and church - that means we had a lot of freedom. You could play tarzan or volleyball, play in the river or in the beautifully soft sand, eat chicken or insist on you vegetarian diet... the kids had fun! I had my little tent all for myself this time, so I had a great time, too. I slept a lot, read a lot, listened to sermons, had time to talk with people. Stress was just non-existent. On Friday morning I craweld out of my tent around 10am. No bells. Just happy kids who were screaming at the top of their loungs playing tarzan and flying through through the monkeyfilled trees... =)

BUT: I won't be talking about that trip the same way I'm talking about the jungle hike. It was a great time to "recharge your batteries", but it wasn't necessarily a time you will be talking about for months and recalling episodes of it for years.
It's the same with life. Difficult times often make you getting closer to God. You would like to escape the situation, but looking back, you have a lot to tell: how God has helped you in the most difficult moments, how he has opened doors of steel, how you grew with the challenges, how everything worked out for the good... All of us need times to "recharge batteries", but without times that push you beyond your limits, you won't really grow and you won't have a lot to tell.

Alright. With the last two things that kept me walking on the jungle hike, I want to - more or less - finish my jungle experiences. I have more stories and comments about the hike in my photo albums and if you want to know anything else - let me know.

Third: The power of music made me forget the hurting parts of my body. I was surprised, but music really works. On Friday, I didn't feel like walking any further from about lunchtime. My feet were aching, my shoulders weren't any better and the path turned more and more into a mud trail for one. Because the group I had been walking with in the morning was just too big, I changed after lunch and stayed with my chaplain Wilson and all the crazy Brazilian theology students. After every hour of walking, we stopped for a 5 min prayer break. As crazy as the Brazilians are - they kept singing/shouting all the time and we sang/shouted one song after the other. When Wilson anounced it was time for a prayer break, I couldn't believe that a whole hour was over... without even thinking about my shoulders nor feet!! On Sunday, I sometimes used my MP3-player to just keep walking with the rythm. In the afternoon, when my feet were screaming for dry socks and shoes, I was singing songs with Rafael. One after the other. We stopped singing for a while to mourn about our sore feet and shoulders, but soon realized that it wasn't a great idea to pitty ourselves. So we went back to singing - Portuguese, Spanish, English - everything we knew, and made it to the "camping site" for the night in pretty high spirits.
If you never tried to sing when you are down, hurting or pittying yourself - give it a try! It might change your day and your whole perception of the things around you!

Last but not least: The aim prevented me from giving up. I don't know what the ohters were thinking about, but all of us had something we were looking for, something that motivated us to go on. For a lot of them, it was food. They hadn't been very creative with their menu and after 3 days, I can understand that you don't want to see any more peanuts with granola. You should have heard them scream when we encountered 4 cows on Monday around lunch time! Well, the cows didn't have to fear me =) I was looking forward to a pair of dry socks, a hot shower and my bed with my warmer sleeping bag.
Do you have something you're living for? Is it something that is WORTH living for? Without a vision, without an aim, it's pretty hard to face the tougher times in you life!

The hike didn't transform me into an angel or an all-knowing sage, but I had a lot of time to think and pray during these 5 days and I don't want to trade this experience for anything. And I don't want to trade my new Brazilian/Mexican friends for anything either!

Happy Sabbath!
maria

PS: If you're reading this blog today - I could need some prayers for tomorrow since I'll have the sermon in the church my Mexican friend Arturo is leading/pastoring. It's also the closest church for my (Catholic) friend and classmate Wendy, who went with me on the hike. We invited her and she said she would come! She's thinking about baptism but has some stuggles. She can use some prayers, too! Thank you!

Lessons from the jungle I

2008-06-05T22:29:00.001+02:00

I actually managed to upload the video I was talking about in my "jungle hike blog". I was trying to upload some more videos, but the problem is that the signal I'm using to get into the internet is very weak and it's constantly throwing me out. I mean at least every 30 minutes. With the slow connection though, it can take about an hour to upload a short video... Well, if it should work to upload more videos one day, I'll let you know. Uploading pics needs some time, too, but it's a lot easier. I already uploaded a whole bunch of pics of the jungle hike and of the beautiful nature of Carrasco National Park on facebook. Both albums are still under construction, but since it might take a week or two until I'll be able to finish them (I'm wating for some pictures from a friend) , I though I would already let you know that I'm working on SOMETHING when I'm not writing blogs =)

I promised you to tell you about the things I've learned on that hike. I'm actually in my week of my second partial exams (finals will be end of June), but you can't study all the time anyways and I've only 3 of 7 left :) So I figured out, I could afford to write a least one blog... =)

Looking back, I can't really explain how we all survived it without a big revolution or people who just refused to walk any further. Yes, we had some disputes on the way about the question how to go on (one single group, fast ones advancing and getting help for Glausinane...) but at the end, we all got out of that "mud hole" on the same day. I can only talk for myself what kept me going, but I guess there are more people who share my feelings about that topic.

First and most important: I didn't know the whole "story". I went on that trip because I didn't really know what was expecting me. I was walking in a pretty good mood on Thursday in spite of hurting shoulders because I didn't think we would be walking on Friday until it was dark and on Sabbath no matter what. On Friday, I was already only waiting for the next "corner" because I hoped, I would find the rest eating lunch behind it. Every time there was the hope it would be this one. Well, we ate lunch pretty late... On Sabbath, there was still the hope we would get out on Sunday, maybe not at 3pm like planned, but at least before dark. On Sunday, I walked the whole day in wet clothes and with hurting and wet feet (my feet looked pretty funny that night...) because Wilson had said something about nine hours in the morning and we were walking quite fast and almost without breaks. (We arrived at the place with the buses on Monday around 3pm...)
Sometimes it's good not to know everything. I wouldn't want to know the rest of my life in advance. I'm also happy God doesn't show me all my faults at once. And I'm glad I don't know exactly how the last days of this world will look like for me. There might be times when you would like to know everything - but often not knowing everything makes you give everything and push your limits without realizing.

Second: The group kept me going. I actually would like to go again with a smaller group of maybe 8 to 15 people and a little bit more time, but thinking about it - the size of the group made me go on. I didn't want to be the only one of almost 100 who gave up or was requesting more breaks, so I better kept walking and didn't even think about stopping. Furthermore, there were so many people who needed encouragement and even more who encouraged me (through words or their example), there was no space for depressing thoughts. Especially on Sunday, when I saw how the Brazilians were carrying their friend who couldn't walk anymore... wow, I can't really explain it, but their example gave me some unknown energy. I was still wondering about how God had turned my feelings for them upside down within just hours on Sabbath. However, there was this deep respect and the wish to help in some way with the new energy I felt. They allowed me to carry one of the smaller backpacks for some hours of one of the guys who was helping to carry Glauciane and I felt honored that they accepted my offer to help and didn't send me away because I was a girl.
As a Christian, it's almost suicide to try walking and fighting alone. I can remember a time in my young life when I was so arrogant to think that I didn't need the youth group of the church I was attending. They were so "wordly" and seemed to look at me as the "crazy holy one" anyways. God tought me a lesson with these guys I'll never forget! And with the Brazilian theology students, he continued my education in this area. Fellows, we need each other!!

There are at least two more things that kept me going, but since it's already late and I need my sleep, I'll tell you about them tomorrow =)

Have a good night!
maria

When God makes your day

2008-06-02T10:10:00.003+02:00

Wow... I almost forgot about the European Soccer Championship... I guess it's because I'm having as much fun as you guys over there on the other side of the big water. So don't worry Zack, I'm fine =)

Some weeks ago, I was invited to take part in a kind of "talk show" about the topics of the Bible study guide for the Sabbath school programm for the Adventist channel TV Nuevo Tiempo. Since it sounded like a challenge (talking Spanish in front of cameras), I accepted. They gave me two topics of the next quarter but at the end, they only needed me for one. Was enough excitement for me anyways... =) I didn't really realize what I had agreed to until I stepped into that building last Wednesday and saw a group of them on the screen already "at work" in the studio. There were two pastors (at least I think Christian is one??), the always smiling professional talk show host Sandra Katerinhe Monlina and a student around my age. Well, I guess you won't get out of it now, Maria... and before I could think too much about it, they had "painted" my face and Christian greeted me with a big "Welcome"-smile.

Seemed like he would take part in "my" show, too. I sent a quick "Thank you" heavenwards when somebody was already putting this little microphone on my collar in the right spot. With Katerinhe and Christian, I had already two people who are great at creating a realxed atmosphere. It might seem like an insignificant detail, but in that situation, I was so happy to have somebody there I knew at least a little bit. (Christian helped translating for the chapel building group in March since he speaks English and Spanish and that's how I got to know him and his family.) Before starting the first block of 14 minutes, we talked a bit about the topic and where we wanted to put our focus... and it seemed like 3 minutes and the first part was over. We talked a bit about where to put the emphasis in the second part... and before I realized it, time was up again. Wow. That was quick! I felt happy and relieved. We took some pictures and the group for the next topic was already waiting.

In a really good mood and eating my "sandwich with Oreo", I walked into the direction they had told me I would find busses that go to Quillacollo (I had taken a taxi to get there). When I got to the main road, I actually kind of knew where I was and I didn't have to wait a minute for the right bus to pass. I stopped it and off we were. 5 minutes later, I saw that we were about to pass a supermarket. Since I hadn't been to that one before and I still had some time, I made use of the Bolivian bus system and cried: "Voy a bajar." It was really worth the stop! I found German bread (you know, bread without much air and a lot of grain stuff), whole wheat baguette, cream cheese and Nutella! I know that Nutella isn't really healthy and not very cheap here either, but I decided to buy it just that one time over here. Heavy German bread with Nutella... delicious! Especially since the Bolivians don't really know what to put on bread besides butter and jam. I miss all the spreads we have and make at home!! Well, half of the stuff you can buy in that supermarket seems to be imported from the States: Starburst, Skittles, IGA Ketchup, Philadelphia, Bush's Beans, Peanut Butter, Cranberry Juice and Welsh's 100% Grape Juice... I actually grabbed a can of chilli beans, too, because they reminded me of my road trip across the States and were surprisingly affordable. I left that "IC Norte" in even higher spirits than I had entered it. I couldn't afford to buy everything I would have liked to (the Grape Juice really tempted me because the Bolivians don't seem to like sugar free 100% juices but without a fridge I reasoned that it wouldn't be worth it), but that didn't matter. I felt like the richest person on earth with my bread, cream cheese, beans and Nutella.

The rest of the day was great as well although not extraordinarily special. I was back in time for lunch, did some laundry before running to my classes, we had Wednesday night prayer meeting in the university church and afterwrds I packed my backpack for the camping trip with the dorm... We were to leave the next day at 5am - but I'll use another blog for that experience... =)

For now I will stop, thank God for making these 6 months really unforgettable and go to sleep since I'll have two exams tomorrow. May God give you days like my last Wednesday every once in a while, too.

maria

A week among missionaries in action

2008-05-22T16:30:00.004+02:00

I´m still in Guayaramerin and I most likely will finish this blog when I´m back at the university but I thought I'd start writing now so I´ll be able to keep my promise =) I also really hope, I´ll have the time to create some photo albums this weekend. I´m drowning in pics and I´m anxious to share at least some of them with you.

The past week at the "Centro Educativo Tecnico Industrial Richard Gates" (basically an Adventist boarding highschool with focus on different industries run my missionaries) has been really great. I actually enjoyed my week away from university. Getting up at 5am - WITHOUT any bells =) but most of all: getting to know people and a project I wanted to get to know for some years, talking and especially praying in English and another break from routine. I know I´m here to practice Spanish, but it was great to let it go for some days and mix the languages whenever you felt like it. Especially with my two (temporary) house mates it was funny. Keila is Mexican and Tara is American. Keila asks in Spanish and Tara answers in English. They actually do this language soup all the time - on campus, in the bus, in town... I loved it. On Sabbath the three of us sang "My Jesus I love thee" together in church (see pic) - one verse in Spanish, one in English... and one in German =) But there's hope for all who don't like langugages as much as I do: monolingual heaven!

What else...?
Well, there were some people at the school that really inspired me, especially an American family with 6 kids (age 3 to 17). There was another American family with 4 kids and a very young couple with 3 little ones (youngest one 3 weeks... born right there in the jungle). Somehow, hearing the word "missionary", the first "candidates" that are crossing my mind are young people who are kind of free to go where they want. Thinking about it for 2 minutes, I might include young couples without kids and not married people in general, but a family with 6 kids? Or being pregnant in the middle of nowhere? Mmmmh... Don't know, maybe it's just me, but I was kind of thinking: travel wherever you can as long as you're single; you might never have the chance of just taking a year "off" after getting married and for sure not with toddlers! I won't forget Amanda and Miguel and their three sweet little daughters nor Jenny and her 5 younger siblings or Tony and his family. They've taught me a lesson: a life as a missionary doesn't have to be over after getting married and pregnant. If God wants you to, it can start whenever you want!

I'm back to the university, back to my Brazilian friends, but there is something else I won't forget: belonging to God's family is just great! The message that I wanted to stay at the school for a week never got through, but they welcomed me anyways. They didn't allow me to use my matress but gave me a bed and treated me like a part of the "school family" right from the beginning. I got to share my experience of the Sabbath of the jungle hike for the reception of the Sabbath there, helped out with a maths class because Tara got sick, got to go on the weekly shopping tour with the cook and carry all kind of stuff... Keila insisted on me being a guest when it came to me wanting to wash her bowl and spoon - but sometimes I was just faster... =) It is really a privilege to belong to God's world wide family and whereever you go - there's something to do for you.

God's children are actually never out of work and as long as you work for Him, he'll take care of your needs! Keila, for example, went to town on Tuesday with her last 40 Bolivianos (a little bit more than $5). She doesn't get any money from the school and as a certified teacher, she could actually find a better paid job... but there in town, writing emails and chatting with friends, somebody she isn't really close to, enters the chat, tells her that God impressed him to send her some money, asks for the information how to send her money and disappears. She said this was not the first time something like that happened and I'm sure, she doesn't want to trade these experiences for anything!

I know that not everybody is supposed to leave his/her country to serve God in a far-away mission field, but if you get a chance to do it - and even if it's just short time - don't hesitate. It will not only broaden your horizon, but strengthen your faith, teach you to live just with the basics and humble you quite a bit. It's a worthwhile experience!

Being anxious to know what God has in store for my life:
maria

I'm writing!

2008-05-22T14:02:00.000+02:00

I'm writing! I'm writing... but have to leave for choir now...
I'll be back with the real blog in just some hours!

till later
maria

Back from the Jungle

2008-05-15T17:48:00.005+02:00

Dear friends - I HAVEN´T FORGOTTEN YOU!
I just had a lot to do (university, choir, volleyball team...) , didn`t have a working internet connection in my room, got a little bit lost in the jungle with a bunch of other crazy guys, girls and pastors and yesterday I went to Brazil (by plane and boat) to "renew" my tourist visa and "met" with a bag that I had left in Bolivia last year at an Adventist school outside of Guayaramerin. Opening that bag was like Christmas =) I mean I kind of knew what I had in there - but nevertheless! Well, I'll stay here till Tuesday and will be back at the university Tuesday night. I hope the internet is working by then again.

I've been actually writing many blogs in mind... unfortunately I never got to type them =( Right now I don´t know where to start and sitting in an internet cafe without having the peace I would like to have in order to think and write, makes it even harder. The most impressing event of the past weeks though was the "caminata" (sounds harmless... but was more like a 4-day killer hike that turned into a 5-day one) with the youth department of the Bolivian Adventist Central Mission. I've learnt a lot on that hike!! I actually can't put everything into one single blog and so I think I'll write at least 2 or 3 about it next week. I have 3 GB of pics and videos - but more important: I found new friends on that hike because God changed my heart. I mean they have been there all the past 2.5 months - I just tried to avoid them at every cost... the crazy Brazilians... but this hike showed me how arrogant and ignorant I was. I mean I had my reasons, but I'm happy God showed me that I was actually avoiding the best friends you can have. Friends you can trust you life! They might be different and I'll never have their temperament and scream like a gorilla in the middle of the jungle scaring every living creature in there, but I have watched these Brazilian theology students living their faith and living true friendship under really extreme circumstances. Singing while marching with blisters at their feet and carrying 2 backpacks because their friends had to carry a girl that couldn't walk anymore, giving encouragement although they would have needed encouragement themselves, rescuing girls who were about to fall down the abbyss... They've gone beyond their limits to help others. I've seen them putting their own life and health at risk. They have my deepest respect!

To give you a first impression of our "caminata" with the nice name "Caminando en las Nubes" (walking in the clouds) in the National Park Carrasco, I uploaded you a video of one of the many obstacles we had to pass. This spot was actually our first challenge on Sabbath. I would have liked to show you my new friends singing (that means shouting and screaming) in the bus on the way back, but I only have some pics and videos available right now. For those of you who understand Spanish and are a little bit more interested in crazy hiking oportunities, I've found 3 interesting articles about this trail. One general and short one, one about some guys who got lost there (just recently, some French guys got lost there, too) and one longer and actually interesting one. The short one is pretty optimistic... but it has some pics. We weren't able to start at "El Limbo" though; we needed 2 days to get there... but the nature changes fast under the circumstances there and roads just disappear under a avalanche of mud and stones within seconds.

Alright. I fear I have to disappoint you concerning the video (didn't work due to slow connection). I replaced it with a pic from Sabbath. It shows a part of our group that actually counted almost 100 people... Crazy size for such a trail... Whatever. I'll be back with a blog next Wednesday at the latest. Promised! I wish all of you a great weekend.

maria

Family... a present from heaven - part II

2008-04-22T10:22:00.002+02:00

I didn't plan on "part II" - it just happened.
On Sabbath, I was invited to eat lunch with a dear sister and her husband, who works in the library. They had invited 3 other friends and after lunch, they wanted to visit an orphanage together with the staff from the library. I was invited to join them and since I didn't have any plans for the afternoon, I did.

31 kids without parents or with parents who can't or don't want to take care of them. This little cute girl is the youngest one. She was left somewhere outside close to the orphanage wrapped in a blanket. She was still a baby back then and they found her because she was screaming like crazy. She's such a cutie... don't know how her parents could "throw her away". They might have had their reasons, but her timid smile makes your heart melt and hurt at the same time. She has a place to stay with people that love her - but one day she might have a hard time dealing with the fact that her parents didn't want her.

Well, we spent the afternoon singing, listening to stories from the bible, eating fruit salad and cake and playing games outside. We (the visitors) had fun, they had fun and before saying "Good bye", each one of them got a new pair of socks. I guess it wasn't my last time there since the library staff visit them on a regular basis. This afternoon showed me once again how blessed I am, having parents who love me and a family where I am at home.

Yesterday during evening worship, one of the (university) girls sat down next to me, laid her head on my shoulder and began to cry. I didn't know why and I had actually only talked to her once when she told me, that she liked my worships and that they had helped her. I let her cry but I had the feeling that she actually wanted to talk, so after worship we "hid" in the prayer room and I got to know her a bit better.

She's 18, first semester of nursery and doesn't feel "at home" here at all, but right after telling me about her problems with the other girls and in class, she told me about her family... and that she wanted a Daddy so bad. Her Dad had left her Mom when she was about a year. The last time she has seen her father is about 11 years ago. Her little brother has another father he doesn't really know either and she has a lot of unanswered questions: Why do others have their daddies but I don't? Why doesn't he want anything to do with me? Why can't I just move on? Why does it hurt so bad to see other girls with their daddies?

I couldn't answer all her questions but I could take the time to listen, allow her to cry without feeling small and weak, offer her my friendship and pray together with her. She declared me her Mom (at least for here since her Mom is far away in La Paz), so now I have a Bolivian daughter and a Bolivian grandchild (no, she doesn't have a child, but my 13-year old roommate Scarley calls me "Granny Marie").

I'm aparently not the only one who is looking for a "family" when far away from home. Scarley has her "whole family" here: aunties, mummies, sisters... well, and a grandmother... *lol* but if it makes her happy... It doesn't kill me to play the "Granny-part".

Is there somebody you know that needs a brother, sister, mother, father... or grandmother? Being thankful for you family and expressing it is step no.1, but don't stop there. Take it to the next level and use the opportunities God is giving you to be a true friend to the person who isn't as priviliged as you are. Pass the blessing on and... expect to be blessed.

I wish you a successful week!
maria

Family... a present from heaven

2008-04-18T17:52:00.000+02:00

I’m back to the routine… bells at 5am and everything, but last weekend has been great. I’ve been just 10 min by car away from the university and even returned on Sunday morning for 5 min to get some of my material to study, but it wasn’t the distance that mattered. Freedom was one point, but there was another one even more important to me: Being part of a family! Washing dishes, slouching on the couch, eating with just 1-6 persons, talking in a relaxed atmosphere with no time pressure because you already should be in worship, bed or somewhere. Being at home!

The week before, I had been sick. Especially on Wednesday I didn’t feel great. I felt dizzy, weak, had fever and could neither really sleep in the night nor during the day. Making me fresh orange-lemon juice meant some major effort. That was when I thought, “I wish Mummy would be here and make me some!” Later that day, when cutting onions and some tomatoes I thought, “I wish Daddy would ask me if I wanted some tomato-cucumber salad” (his favorite food ever).” I only would have had to say, “I’ll take some, thank you!” Adding with puppy eyes, “And could you make a bowl for me with extra many onions and lot’s of lemon juice?”

I’ve never felt homesick but especially when I am sick, I love to feel at home. That’s why I was so happy when Cira visited me that Thursday and invited me to stay the weekend with them. But even when I’m not sick, I need this feeling of “belonging to a family” at least once in a while – no matter where in the world I am. I love to travel and I’m thankful that wherever I’ve been, I’ve found places where I could eat breakfast in pyjamas and with my “night hairdo”, places where I felt free to be just myself. I know that friends who are like parents or siblings are a present from heaven. That’s why I’m so thankful for Cira, Eufronio, Leany y Abraham (see pic) and I hope they know how much I appreciate them.

Mummy! Daddy! I know that Lydia has to translate for you but I just wanted to let you know: I love you! You’ll always have a special place in my heart that nobody else can occupy. You were the ones who have always been there when I’ve been sick. Thank you for all the cups of fresh orange juice and hot sage tea! Thank you for all the talks in the middle of the night. And it’s these “little things” that make me miss you here on the other side of the globe. But you can sleep quietly and without worries – Cira and Eufronio are taking care of me over here. You couldn’t ask for better substitute parents!

What else to say?
Since I had my first mid exams in all subjects this week, I didn’t have much time for writing blog entries (although – honestly – I didn’t study a lot). Each paragraph of this blog is actually written on another day. Today, I went to Quillacollo to refill my fruit and vegetable depot and when I was done, I thought I would check if Cira was at home. They are about to move to another place even closer to the university, so they’re not always at home, but this time, even Eufronio and Abraham were there and about to eat lunch. I ate with them, helped washing the dishes afterwards, talked with Cira for about an hour and got invited for next weekend… It’ll be hard to say “Good bye” in August!!! A lot harder than in 2003, 2004 and 2005!

Did you ever tell the people you appreciate the most how much you love them?
Don’t wait until it’s too late.

Love,
maria

Count the blessings!

2008-04-11T14:37:00.005+02:00

I have a cold... the third time in less than 2 months... personal record!! This time was/is the worst one though. I could feel it on Tuesday, that it would be a "real cold", so I skipped my last two classes and headed to the market to get oranges, onions, lemons, pears, kiwifruits, apples, tomatoes and all that good stuff before I wasn't able to walk out of the dorm anymore. I was happy I made it back without tipping over... Today, I'm already feeling pretty good again. My voice is still fighting not to die completely and I'm still using mountains of tissue for my nose, but my head is feeling ok and the fever is gone. What amazed me - the deans just asked once if I had everything I needed and didn't even ask me if I wanted the doctor to see me. They allowed me to do my thing although this time I was actually really sick. They are improving... =)

In general, I have to say that my situation has improved a lot. There are still a lot of things I could complain about but I can see how God is giving me the things I need so I can grow and enjoy my semester here at the same time.

First, there are the things I couldn't really influence since I din't know enough about the situation. It's a real blessing for me that I am in "1st semester educational siences" and not in theology nor a teacher carreer. At first, I wanted to do one semester of theology but I feared, I would be a part of the female minority, having to keep the guys off... Now I'm really happy, I'm not doing theology...

Since I'll actually be a teacher, it would have been the most obvious choice to put me together with the teachers (who have their own institution that doesn't directly belong to the university UAB and is called INSA), but somehow I landed in "Educación" and since it was the easiest thing to put me in 1st semester (although I kind of belong into 9th or at least 7th semester), I didn't complain and was happy I would be an official student with just a visitors visa. What are the advantages of belonging to UAB intead of INSA? Well, I don't have to wear a uniform (blue skirt, white blouse) and I belong to the nicest church on campus with a sound system that doesnt't give me a headache (if the right people are in charge of it). Last Sabbath, we had the inauguration (see pic). It's a really nice building and since we use it for Wednesday and Friday night worship, Sabbath morning and Sabbath afternoon, it's a major improvement in my eyes. I never liked "the coliseo" - now "Church of INSA" - and the church for the highschoolers wasn't any better either (I attended it during my first 2 week here). The "University Church" is the best thing that could have happened to me! They don't have a real piano (..non of the churches here has one), but I can play the electric gran piano once in a while when I'm early for church and worship.
Being in 1st semester also has the advantage that the majority of my (male) classmates are significantly younger than me. They like me and I like them, but I don't have to "fear" them like the theology students...

What else?
It's a blessing that I'm living in the part for the high school students. Never thought it would be, but it is! My classes are in the afternoon, they have classes in the morning. This means that I have my peace in the morning and they can scream as much as they want in the afternoon. In the night, they cut down the electricity for the high school students at about 10.30pm, a time I really want to sleep if I have to get up at 5am. When I already enjoy a dark room, I can see all the rooms on the other side of the dorm bright and shining. Furthermore, my room has internet by accident...(at the head end of my bed)!!! I discovered it at Easter Weekend. It's not always working properly though, but I already can't imagine how I survived without it before.

The deans are trusting me more and more. They sign me my permissions for leaving campus in advance (like 3 permissions) and I can fill in the when, where and why when I need it. I can live with that because it means that I can kind of leave campus whenever I want without having to track one of the two deans down. Right now, I'm about to leave for the weekend (I'll spend it with Cira, Eufronio and family in Quillacollo) and for "over night absence" you need a special permission. Well, I told my dean where I wanted to go, she signed and stamped one of these papers and told me to fill it out myself. (Normally you need the person you want to visit to call or pick you up and all these official procedure steps.)

So I could actually go on and on, counting the blessings. They only thing that is missing is that they give me the keys to the dorm.... =) but I guess that won't happen. Even without keys though, I'm feeling more and more like a responsible person again and that's all I want.

Alright. I guess I'll hurry up packing my bag and heading into complete freedom :) Eufronio already payed me a visit to check if everything is alright or if I needed somebody to pick me up...
I wish you a blessed weekend and I'll be back on Monday!

And don't forget to count the blessings and thank God for each single one of them!
maria

The "No-Topic-Entry"

2008-04-07T11:34:00.002+02:00

Oh my goodness… They’re making some noise…! The reason for it? The „Director of Student Affairs“ is paying us a visit… to check our rooms for whatever. It’s not a „shake down“ (sorry for my Miracle Meadows vocabulary), just a room check. My opinion: it’s necessary! Some kids just don’t know how to keep their rooms clean. I keep telling my three little sweet roommates to put their stuff away, to dry wet clothes OUTSIDE, NOT to place their socks on the desk, NOT to spread their rice all over their beds when they have a „chicken with rice“-feast (the food in the cafeteria is vegetarian and they are actually not supposed to bring chicken inside the dorm). Yeah… so I’m happy that brother Zabaleta is actually taking these 2 hours or something to help to improve the situation. The kids like him so I hope it might really change something. At least for some time. Some are pretty horrified though… especially the high school girls who are not supposed to have cell phones during the week or whatever… One of my roommates has her cell phone charging in the middle of the desk… Well, I told her last night to give it to the dean. She wouldn’t listen and Mr. Zabaleta spares me some nerves since I was about to talk to her tonight about the cell phone story.

Well, I’m glad though that I took my laptop to worship today since we are kind of trapped here. My room is almost the last one in the whole dorm of about 130 ladies. That’s the bad part about this “checking rooms”-story, but since I thought I would have worship tonight (Monday is “my day”) I had taken my laptop, but they had invited somebody else. Fine with me. I’m prepared for next Monday :) and I at least have somthing to do right now.

What to do with the rest of a blog I started like this? I don’t know. I just know that I don’t have to fear anything concerning room check. Our room is a chaos, but MY stuff and MY bed are alright. Well… I’m curious though, what he will say about my “kitchen”…

Since I don’t feel like eating white rice twice a day (NO JOKE!), I started to buy my own food supplies when the Germans left. I have everything you need in case you don’t feel like eating in the cafeteria : peanut butter, jam, bread, nuts, raisins, ketchup, mayonnaise, ramen noodles, granola, tea, milk powder, garlic powder, juice, whole wheat crackers, oatmeal cookies, carrots, apples, something to boil water with, knife, spoon, fork, cups, pitcher… well, just everything you need to survive! I love my new freedom. I eat less than 50% in the cafeteria and 3-4 times rice a week for 6 months is ok... Last week I had my first breakfast in my room. After worship, I managed to sneak back into the dorm and had the most wonderful and quiet breakfast since I got here. Somehow it was like a historic moment and I had to take a picture of it. Since then, I started to skip the “cafeteria breakfast” more regularly…

I’m surprised though, how much stuff I get into my locker-sized closet! It’s really amazing. Shoes, clothes, “kitchen”, dirty clothes, toilet articles… it’s just a question of organization and always putting stuff back to where it belongs. On the other hand, I really like only having what you really need. Sometimes I wish I had taken this or that item with me from Germany, but somehow I survive without it and I love this experience!

Somehow this blog is a strange one. But I can’t really focus on anything useful since I have people asking me every two minutes what I’m doing and right now I have three of them staring on my screen trying to get what I’m writing about and almost driving me crazy (with the additional sound of girls trying to play volleyball in the hallway and others screaming because of heaven knows what). At least they don’t understand a word. Sometimes I like this school system here… =) although it’s pretty sad when I don’t know how to help the kids with their English homework because the assignment is already in bad English and I don’t want to correct the teacher…

Whatever. I guess I’ll stop here for now and write some more useful blogs when I have time and nerves to actually THINK. You got a kind of first hand impression though what life in this crazy dorm looks like. *lol*

Hope you have a great day with less noise…
Good night… that means good morning for some of you.
maria

Ever visited a prison?

2008-04-05T22:20:00.001+02:00

I know, it has been already 3 weeks that I’ve been to Santa Cruz, but I still want to dedicate one entry to the prison. For me, it wasn’t the first time in Palmasola (the prison of Santa Cruz... also see German Wikipedia). In 2003, I didn’t really know where I was going. All I knew was that the group wanted to visit the two churches in the prison with the missionaries Jenny and Heidi and that they had - obviously - survived previous visits. Since I love new experiences I said I would join them.

Everybody more or less knows how prisons are supposed to look like. Well, whatever image you have in your mind, Bolivian prisons are different. Pretty different. The picture shows the view over the part for men from the top of the church building. Yeah, it looks like a town within some fences and it doesn’t only look like it, that’s exactly what it is. It’s just a pretty dangerous town. There are pubs, a soccer field, churches, shops... You can buy and sell, play soccer or just hang around. To get in there, you either have to deal with some drugs or you have to pass a lot of check points where they search your bags, take your passports and stamp and paint your arm. This year I held the record with 5 different stamps/signs on my right arm because I wasn’t on the list they had sent there in advance. Green, blue, red, black… really nice and colorful. Just not very healthy for a white blouse on a hot day… So why did I go through all this trouble? Palmasola isn’t the safest place for a young woman! In fact, it’s the most dangerous prison in Bolivia. The police just guard the fences and might go in to get dead bodies out…

My first visit changed my curiosity into something I can’t really explain. It is this feeling when you know that you are a blessing to others but you are blessed so much yourself and humbled at the same time! It was incredible. There we were, in this town within fences, full of people I wouldn’t like to meet during day-time on the street and the faces of the brothers and sisters in the churches were beaming when they where talking about Jesus. Their stories where heartbreaking. Tragedy and joy so close together. Some of them acknowledged that they would have never found Jesus anywhere else, but what impressed me the most was that they were really waiting for Jesus to come back. I mean it’s not surprising that you’re desperately waiting for Jesus to return, knowing that you still have about 10, 15 or even more years left, but it showed me how comfortable I am on this planet earth. Am I waiting for Jesus to come back at all? Or just every now and then for 10 minutes?

This year there was a young man I will call José. 21, 5^th semester of some management career and he just landed in prison two months ago. He was a normal young student who actually didn’t drink much and wasn’t a jail candidate at all, but one night he got drunk and didn’t really know anymore what he was doing. He got angry with his best friend… and stabbed him. His friend died… I thought of the story of Ben Carson (don’t know if you ever heard of him… world famous pediatric neurosurgeon who almost stabbed his best friend being angry, too – but the belt buckle saved his friend’s life and Ben from going to jail). For José, the story ended differently... When he was telling his testimony, his voice broke. He couldn’t go on anymore. He still can’t believe what he did... but he is starting to understand what Jesus did for him. I talked to him a bit and he asked me if I had a bible for him. I had already met people in that prison who were asking me for money, but when José asked me for a bible, I spontaneously promised him to get him one and give it to Jenny before leaving Santa Cruz. On Sunday, I used my hours before flying back to Cochabamba to find a nice bible with concordance and to write him a letter. I’m praying that this bible will be a blessing for him and show him the way to a worthwhile life – even if he will have to pass a part of it in prison.

Then there was… let’s call him Jorge. I met him for the third time this year. He is the church leader in the part for men and he already impressed me when I met him for the first time in 2003. His face displays a peace… just incredible when you consider where he has lived for the past 8 years! He is one of these people you would trust your life even after only knowing him for a very short time. He’s in there for drugs… like most of the women and many men. I might see him again since he has three more years and I plan to visit the prison once more before I leave in August. It might be even scarier without my German friends, but when Jesus is talking about his true children he says: “For I was hungry, and you gave me food; I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and you took Me in; I was naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.“ (Matthew 25:35+36)

I’ve experienced what it means to these prisoners that there are people out there who didn’t forget about them, who were willing to take the risk to visit them. That’s what makes me going back! If you get a chance to visit a prison – do it! And expect to be blessed!

Love,
maria

PS: I will return to blogging more frequently!

Miracles still happen!

2008-03-21T17:46:00.000+01:00

Hi everybody! Sorry for not keeping you up to date but I've been pretty busy with my classes AND working with the group from Germany. I've been on the construction site several times and when I couldn't afford to spent the whole morning painting windows and doing other exciting stuff (like collecting trash all around the church), I helped in the kitchen. It was actually fun baking my own bread, but I didn't forget about my promise to tell you about my experience in prison. The group is leaving on Sunday =( but it'll give me more time for myself - and writing blogs - again.

Today I just wanted to tell you a short miracle story from the construction site.
The day before we went to Santa Cruz, this young man in the picture fell off the roof while he was working up there, BUT it wasn't one of the one-floor churches we usually build. This church has two floors!! Furthermore, the spot where he fell was the very spot where he normally cut the bricks. It wasn't just some nice lawn! I wasn't there when he fell, but they told me, that the Bolivian workers carried him to a car on a tarp and immediately drove him to the hospital. In the evening, when the group came back, they were very worried. They hadn't heard anyhthing from the hospital yet and feared the worst (wheel chair, death...). Eufronio didn't feel like eating supper. He said that they had never had some bad accident like that one while he had been in charge of the church construction program of the Bolivian Union.

We started to pray for Joachim in small groups and just when we were about to finish, the door opened and somebody told us that a miracle had happened. Joachim was ok. He could move everything, had absolutely NO external injuries and was just a little bit sore. They kept him in the hospital for a day but couldn't find anything. I met him on the construction site on Wednesday and he said that his back was still hurting a little bit but nothing else. On Thursday, they took him back to the hospital for a check-up and said he wouldn't have to come again if he had no further problems. Today, I took this picture. He was back to work, smiling his timid smile.

He is a WALKING miracle. Considering the circumstances, he could/should be in a weel chair right now (...or still in hospital with at least some broken bones and serious injuries). We are praising the Lord that this is not the case. Tomorrow, we'll have the inauguration of both churches - and he'll be there on his very own feet, smiling and giving testimony just by his presence that we have a good and almighty God.

Miracles still happen. Don't be too timid too pray for the impossible because God is the God of the impossible!

Happy Sabbath to everybody!
maria

Weekend of freedom

2008-03-13T14:22:00.002+01:00

Hi! I`m about to fly to Santa Cruz with the group from Germany. 4 days without any crazy rules. I never knew how precious freedom is!!! Well, now I know!
Yeah, I feel really great. Survived my 4th diarrhea attack and right now I`m enjoying complete health. I wish all of you a great weekend. We`ll visit the prison in Santa Cruz on Sabbath. If you want to pray for my save return - would be great. It`s a bit scary to go in there, especially the part for men, but I`v already been there twice and I know what a joy it is for this people to celebrate church with foreigners in a place where even their own countrymen don`t visit them voluntarily. So this weekend is all about freedom and not being free and I just advice you to appreciate you freedom and fight for it if necessary!

I`ll tell you about the prison and Santa Cruz afterwards!

God bles,
maria

Eventful week

2008-03-09T17:05:00.004+01:00

Wow. So much has happened this past week, I didn’t even manage to write an entry. Well, to cut a long story short: I survived my first week of the semester and I actually really love my classes. I don’t need any credits so I don’t have any stress. I can work at my own pace and decide which assignments I want to do and for which ones I don’t have time. Furthermore, it’s really nice to have a Christian perspective on education for at least one semester. I’ve always wished that something like “bible class” would belong to my curriculum. Now it does. I feel a bit old though because I’m the grandma out of 40 (only “Grandpa” is older) but that’s ok. Concerning denomination, our class is mixed. I guess half of it is Catholic, some are different kinds of Protestants and the rest is Adventist. Nobody claimed to be an Atheist though. I’ve never been in a class like that. Germany is somehow different…

On Monday, I was told that somebody was looking for me but they couldn’t find me. I thought it was some guy who wanted to spend time with me so I didn’t care, but an hour later they called me again. EUFRONIO!!!! I was so happy to see him again. He had been in Europe with his family and they had just returned on Sunday. They live in Quillacollo (that means just around the corner…) and he was the responsible person for the construction sides all the years I had been the cook (and many more) of the German group that builds 2 churches here in Bolivia every year. He is smaller than me, but a godly man full of energy who seems not to know any problems. At least whenever I had a problem (with the refrigerator or whatever), he knew how to fix it. And his big genuine smile can fix the worst mood anyways. His wife Cira helped me a lot in the kitchen in 2003 and 2005. I really love her, too! They invited me to visit them whenever I feel like it. I guess I’ve found my family in Bolivia. Leanny (19) and Abraham (20) are great siblings anyways. Thank you Lord for giving me a family far away from my own!

The next very important event was Wednesday night the arrival of exactly this German church building group. I’ve been the cook of this group in 2003, 2004 and 2005 and it was great to see familiar faces again. They’re a small group this time (17 people) but it doesn’t matter. I finally got some real bread and don’t have to eat rice twice a day for at least 2 weeks! I addition to that, I got the permission to leave campus without a permission as long as I’m with the group. Since the three couples of the group live in guest rooms in the girls dorm, I don’t even have a problem anymore to get into the dorm when the doors are locked (since they have keys). I feel just great. I feel free! On Friday, I went to the construction side with them since I only have classes from Monday till Thursday and yesterday, we went for a hike in the mountains (see picture). The majority of the group drove back, but Eufronio and Leanny asked if anyone wanted to walk back with them… =) I really enjoyed that Sabbath!

My body didn’t get used to Bolivia yet though. On Friday during lunch on the construction side, my stomach already felt strange. Since I had promised to buy some food stuff for some people of the group, I went to Quillacollo after lunch. Somehow I managed to find everything and to even carry all the bags to the bus, but some hundred metres away from the main entrance of the university, someone got off the bus… and I jumped out, too, and breakfast and lunch found their way back outside… After I got off the bus, I threw up again, but felt a lot better afterwards. Diarrhea followed. Well… I’m so happy, that all the 5 times I’ve been to Bolivia before, I’ve never had any serious health problems. This time is the first time I’m not responsible for anything so I can afford being sick once in a while. I immediately drowned the diarrhea with my cola-charcoal mix though and I’m already fine again.

Yeah, that was a short summary of the past week. The best one here so far =) I feel blessed, thankful and free. I hope many more like this one will follow, but for now I have to dedicate my time to some ordinary jobs like washing clothes by hand and doing homework…

Wish you all the best wherever you are,
maria

All things work together for good...

2008-03-02T17:22:00.000+01:00

Wow. Looking back on this weekend, God’s timing was just perfect. It might sound strange to you and it didn’t feel great at all yesterday either, but everything was perfect!

I’m about to rewrite this blog entry though because I realized that I was (again) more writing about how awfully terrible yesterday was than about how everything worked out for the (…my!) good. Yep, I was sick. It started Friday night with a sore throat and after church on Sabbath my head felt like exploding and I think I had a bit of a fever, too, since my eyes were burning. I had already skipped supper on Friday and decided I was better off also skipping lunch on Sabbath. God (had) provided a perfect meal for me though. On Friday, I had bought some food (granola, herbal tea, apple juice, crackers…) for the first time I’m here, but they didn’t have fruit in the little shop across the street. So going home from church on Sabbath, I decided I would just stick to tea and apple juice. When I entered our room, the grandmother of my roommate Daniela was there and gave me a whole bag of apples and peaches. I was so thankful!

Being sick, I was also able to skip Sabbath afternoon and evening activities without terribly complicated explanations. The dean was so nice to just ask me if I needed anything and then accepted my assurance that I had everything I needed and that I didn’t need any pills or a doctor. Actually, I would have loved to join the others. They were going on a hike in the mountains and the weather was beautiful, but I had my reasons why I preferred not to go this hike… When the girls had finally left around 3pm, I just enjoyed the silence. I cooked some more tea, used it for giving my face a steam bath since my nose started to act up, slept, drank tea and water and around 5pm, I had the idea to take my (Therm-a-rest air) mattress and my sleeping bag and to sleep outside in the patio (see pic).

When the girls came back, they looked at me like I was crazy, but I didn’t care. They could scream and slam doors inside the dorm; outside it was just half as bad. When they went to supper, I ate an apple and crackers, drank some apple juice and still felt a bit sick and weak but completely content. Before they returned, I crawled back into my sleeping back outside and stayed there… the whole night. It wasn’t as easy as it sounds, but God knew how much I needed that night outside so I guess he blinded the deans’ eyes when they locked all three doors. My roommate Daniela had tried to convince me to come in before (without success), but I’m so thankful she (nor anybody else) didn’t tell on me. I actually didn’t know that they would lock all three doors, but I found out one by one. God had made me taking everything I would need outside before though. Toilet paper, mp3-player, tea, a flash light, mosquito repellent… and most amazingly: that thing you get in the plane to cover your eyes with so you can sleep in spite of light.

It was a clear night and I enjoyed listening to a sermon and watching the stars at the same time. When I wanted to go back in to the bathroom, I realized that the door to the part of the high school students was locked. The middle door was locked as well, so I tried the door of the part for the university students and was happy to find it open. I tiptoed into the bathroom and crawled back into my sleeping bag. I watched the stars, talked to God and suddenly felt that my nose was completely ok. I was so happy and thankful that I didn’t mind the terrible beginning of the day anymore. It had been worth it! I felt free!! Around 4am, it started to rain. That was when I found out that they had locked the third door, too. There was one spot with kind of a roof though; just wide and long enough for my mattress. It was the spot where we do our laundry. The only problem: the terribly bright light there that you can only switch off from the inside. That was when it dawned on me why God had made me take that “cover-your-eyes” thing outside (for actually no apparent reason).

Today, it rained the whole day, too. It might sound like bad weather, but I discovered that it isn’t that bad after all since it means that nobody is outside on the soccer fields and sport facilities. I got to go on a walk there for over an hour, taking an apple, peaches, oatmeal biscuits and crackers with ketchup for lunch and listening to part 2 and 3 of the sermon series I had started last night. I almost feel completely healthy again, but even more important: blessed and strengthened to start into a new week and into the adventure of being a real student at UAB.

I wish all of you a happy and blessed new week, too. And don’t forget: "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:38) Sometimes it only takes a day and we can see it. Other times, it takes (a lot) longer. But God is faithful! I’m trying to trust him. I’m getting better =)

Have a great week,
maria

Happy Birthday, Schwesterherz!

2008-03-01T01:04:00.003+01:00

This post is not about Bolivia, but about a very important person in my life: my dear "little" sister Judit. She is one of the lucky ones that managed to escape the destiny of only having a "real" birthday every 4 years and today is her "special day": Alles alles Liebe zum Geburtstag, kleines Schwesterherz!! Miss you! I wish you all the best from the other side of the globe!

My parents were so nice to bless me with 3 siblings and I don't want to miss any of them. Sometimes it's hard though, to show the people you are living with every day, how much you love and appreciate them. My "middle" sister made a remark in her first mail I got here in Bolivia: "Do you know that the last e-mail I got from you says March 2007?" Wow. Guess she is right. I mean in Germany, we live next door within one house, use the same bathroom, kitchen, piano... but do I really let her know how much I appreciate her? Maybe I should just send her an e-mail through the wall from time to time to let her know that I love her.

Judit doesn't live at home anymore, at least most of the time. It's her forth year at a boarding academy in Austria and she'll graduate this year. Unfortunately, I won't be able to attend her graduation. I'm proud of her anyways. Judit, keep going forward without comparing yourself with your older siblings all the time. I'll be always there to help you where I can, but risk going your own ways. You've already started and that is good! You've have grown into an independent young lady who knows what she wants and what not. Thank you for the fun times we had (e.g. in the States... see pic) and the talks about God, guys and goals. Thank you for sharing your sorrows as well as sharing your joy. Thank you for not just being a sister but a friend as well!

I wish you all the best for you finals and for finding the right place for the time after. I wish you a growing relationship with your heavenly Daddy and that He may guide you the right direction in all important decisions in this new year of your life. Welcome in the twenties =)

Love you!
maria

PS: For the rest of you: don't forget to let the most important people in your life know how much you appreciate them! I want to improve on it...

Running away from stress!

2008-02-28T17:36:00.002+01:00

Hi folks. I still didn’t figure out how the Bolivian w-lan works… Sometimes I have access to it but most of the time not. Well… Right now I’m sitting in front of the “Laboratorio de Hardware” (again) to find out why it isn’t working this time. Unfortunately, somebody has decided that it is siesta time or whatever because the door is open but nobody is in the office. Who cares. That’s Bolivia and I already got used to that part of life here.

My week so far was great. The cola finally solved my diarrhea problem and except for the nights (still the shouting-girls-and-slamming-doors issue), I really can’t complain. Concerning the nights – I’m working on it. The deans offered me to move to the part for the university students, but I chose the authority to do something against the noisy nights instead (since there are girls who want to sleep but don't have this kind of authority). With God's help I hope, I'll be able to help the girls to get at least 7 hours sleep per night…

On Tuesday, I finally made it to Quillacollo. I decided to do that trip on my own so I wouldn’t have to wait for anybody and I could explore my new surroundings without stress. I actually really like the Bolivian bus system. It's not only cheap but very efficient. You just wait for a bus that goes the direction you want to go, stop it and there you go. No bus shedules and normally you don't really have to wait either. It's very cheap anyways; the only problem could be the savety of the vehicles...

Yesterday though, I went to Cochabamba with Rodrigo (a funny/crazy Brasilian) and Denis (a quieter guy from France) because I didn't feel comfortable to go to town alone. I guess the picture doesn't need an explanation who is who... (yes, there are white people in Brasil). We had a great time although none of us really knew where we where and where we wanted to go. We took a whole bunch of different busses and taxis and at the end, Denis and I left Rodrigo because he had to wait at some office and Denis and I didn't feel like waiting in the sun for hours. I nevertheless burned my neck. At least some color =)

What else? I sarted to go jogging instead of going to supper. It has helped me a lot to get rid of mental stress and not to get angry with the girls in the night. I take my mp-3 player and just run and enjoy the beautiful view of the mountains. Maybe I won't get used to everything over here, but I'm determined to make the best out of all the rules. I won't skip supper every day I guess, but when I feel that running is more important than food, I'll go for running. Today I actually have time for both so I'll say "Good bye" for now and head off to my room to get my sport shoes.

Whatever is bothering you, I encourage you to look and pray for ways how to cope with the situation in a healthy way if you can't change the circumstances. May the Lord help you to develop you personal (stress) coping skills.

maria

PS: The internet is somehow working again.... at least at some places on campus...

Keep smiling! The sun is shining!

2008-02-24T19:33:00.004+01:00

Hi everybody! I survived Friday and Sabbath with all the loud meetings… Actually, I skipped the Friday night meeting and stayed outside talking with my Heavenly Friend – and infringed another rule. Somehow I didn’t care about that though. I needed it so bad and I had already disrespected the “everybody has to be in the dorm at 4.30pm on Fridays getting ready for Sabbath”-rule (without knowing about it) so that one rule more or less didn’t count anymore. I WOULD HAVE GONE, if I could have stayed a little bit outside after, but right after the meetings, the deans lock the dorm. Actually, I didn’t completely disrespect this “everybody has to go to a Friday night meeting” rule since I could hear everything outside. I didn’t hear the kids singing, but the voices of the guy/choir that came out of the speakers were not to escape from (without leaving campus I guess). And I could count how often the sound system went completely crazy trying to destroy your eardrums for good. Mmmmh… somehow, there are so many rules here… oh my goodness! For the teens I think they are ok… but I kinda know what’s good for me spiritually, concerning food, bed times… These rules are rather counterproductive… well… I better stop. I actually didn’t intend to start complaining and I definitely don’t want to become sarcastic.

Besides all the crazy rules here, there are a lot of things I like about Bolivia. One thing hit me about an hour ago. I was outside with my roommate Daniela, doing my laundry (by hand…) and talking and after a long time I thought, “For how long have we already been playing with soap and water??” I could only guess that it must have been something like 1.5-2 hours. The only thing I knew was that it didn’t feel like lunch time yet. I use my watch here a lot less than back home or in the States. The feeling for time is somehow different. More relaxed. It might change when my classes start but for now I’m still enjoying my kind-of-holidays.

Oh, and my diarrhea is really getting better. Since the soft treatment (just charcoal) didn’t help this time, I went for the hardcore one (charcoal and cola) before allowing a doctor to give me the killer treatment (antibiotics and stuff). Cola is just great. I guess it’s simply killing everything in your stomach. I think antibiotics kinda do the same, but they continue killing everything in your bowls including the good bacteria. That’s why I try to stay away from them. I’ve been successful doing that for about 14 years and I’m really thankful that I’m feeling better and don’t have to go for the killer pills just because of some stubborn diarrhea.

I finally got some combs, too. I didn’t manage to buy one last Friday but I remembered that I got a little cute one in the plane. This Friday, I actually wanted to do some essential shopping – including pics of myself for the university – but I wasn’t able to get some Dollars changed (here at the university they told me to come back later since they had no Bolivianos yet and the ATM-machine off campus looked pretty destroyed). In the end, it didn’t matter anyways since I couldn’t go to Quillacollo (closest little town) because some Bolivians were on strike for something and the roads were blocked (one reason, why they couldn’t get through with the new ATM-machine). So I just walked to Vinto and when I found out that the cameras of the only photographer in the village were in Quillacollo, I spent my few Bolivianos on cola, nails, combs and toilet paper. Back to my room, I opened my beautiful set of combs. I had bought the set because I thought I would take a few in case one breaks. Well… I won’t have any problem with broken combs. They bend like they’re made out of rubber… Guess I’ll stick to my nice little cute plane-comb…

Whatever happens – I hope and pray that I won’t lose my sense of humor =) I already accepted the fact though, that I won’t be able to adjust to everything and I think acknowledging this will help me to enjoy my time here more. Adjusting to the States and my job there was easy compared to UAB and Bolivia, but once again I experienced it to be true, that bad days only make you appreciate the good ones more!!

Sending you a smile and some sunshine of a really good day:
maria

I just love teens!

2008-02-21T21:51:00.000+01:00

I’m still alive! I don’t plan on dying soon… but you never know… The day of my last blog entry was actually the worst one (concerning health). My head started to hurt when I was still writing, then my bones felt like falling apart and one minutes I was hot and the other freezing. I don’t like doctors very much, so I tried not to make a big deal out of it since everybody here is so concerned about my health. Another girl didn’t feel well that day, too and they sent her to the doctor. Now she is on I don’t know how many pills… It’s nice to have people around you that care about you, but sometimes it can be too much… Well, the next day I just went back to sleep after breakfast when the girls were at school and I’m feeling a lot better! The only thing I didn’t get rid of yet, is my diarrhea.

Mentally, I’m feeling pretty good though. Today I had my first worship in Spanish. I volunteered to take the Thursday evening girl’s dorm worship on a weekly basis and I’m happy I did it. It was a challenge to talk like 25 min in Spanish, but I used Power Point and had them do some talking, too =) I hope I’ll need less preparation as time goes on though (at least concerning language) since my classes will start in 1.5 weeks. I’ll see…

Oh yeah… there is another (crazy) decision I made: I’ll live with the middle/high school girls… At least I’ll try. The girl’s dorm here has two parts – one for the university students and one for the middle/high schoolers. They have the same entrance, but are like two arms. Since there were no university students when I came and I didn’t feel like living alone (…that’s just not the best way to practice a language…), I lived with three lovely but pretty loud and talkative 10th graders for the first week. We were actually living in the university part because they were still repairing stuff in the other. Today, we moved into the real “high school part” and I said I would be willing to be kind of a mentor for girls who needed it, but I would love to have quieter company.

Yeah, and so I got three new room mates (see picture). One of them asked if she could live with me (Daniela, a 10th grader who loves her sleep, too), but the other two also seem to like me. They are the “babies” of the dorm (6th graders) and they decided to call me “Granny Marie”. I like them. They can be hyperactive, but they obey. At least most of the time =)

Why I made that decision? Mmmh… hard to say. I don’t care how terrible teens can be, I can’t help, I just love working with them. The other reason was that a lot of kids here don’t have a really Christian background. They may be Catholic or even Adventist, but they haven’t experienced what it means that “God IS Love”. Since this dorm only has two deans/dorm staff who work on a two-shift schedule, there is not too much time for personal interaction if you have to take care of 46 teens at the same time. As a dean, you are predestined to be the “bad guy” anyways. I prayed that God would show me what he wanted me to do in Bolivia. He gave me the “university student status” and I believe he brought me here 2.5 weeks before my classes actually start for a reason.

I’ll let you know how the Thursday worship and “living with the high schoolers” stories go on. For the first 4 weeks, I decided on a series about value and the different aspects of love and I’m praying that God will show me how to go on after that.

Thank you for your prayers, e-mails and encouragement. I appreciate that very much, even if I don’t answer immediately.

God bless,
maria

Welcome to Bolivia!

2008-02-19T22:38:00.003+01:00

Hi folks. Thought I would drop you some lines and give you the picture I promised you on Friday. It’s the third internet café I’ve tried and I think I can risk uploading at least one photo here. Yeah, this funny house got my attention on Friday when I was about to leave campus. I looked at it and thought: Welcome to Bolivia!! Bolivians have strange ways of building houses. This is just one of them.

On Sabbath, we were in the cafeteria for lunch when it started to rain. Rain in Bolivia is something special, too. It normally doesn’t last very long but it’s more like somebody up there in the clouds emptying whole buckets of water than a nice and gentle summer rain. Well, sitting in the (new) cafeteria and looking up, I realized that the roof wasn’t done yet… The walls were painted, the kitchen was functioning, the windows were in, the sound system working; even a big flat screen had been already installed in one corner. Unfortunately, half of the roof had still big gaps… including right over the screen. Apparently no problem for Bolivians. They got some garbage bags out, climbed up there and wrapped the screen. They moved some tables, got some barrels to catch the water from the worst “waterfalls” and as the big puddle nevertheless started to become a lake, they saved the sound system, too. Welcome to Bolivia again =)

As you might have already guessed: I’m feeling better; that means I’m actually in a pretty cheerful mood. I thought I had beaten diarrhea with charcoal, but started again today… I didn’t drink any (self made) juice in the cafeteria since Friday night, just boiled water and herbal tea. Last night though, I thought I might try the juice again… Whatever. It isn’t that bad and I want to get used to the bacteria here anyways. I don’t want to have to take care of what I eat and drink for 6 months.

Concerning privacy and loud kids, it’s getting better. I discovered the prayer room and different places on campus where I can be actually alone. The Director of Student Affairs (a really nice person!), who was helping me getting started here the past days, talked to the deans and told them about my experience with teenagers and willingness to help out wherever possible. (I guess he told them my age, too… people over here think I’m 17 or something. When I tell them that I’m in university, they give me two more years…). So now I feel treated like 25 instead of 17… and I frankly spoken… I like thas a lot better… =)

There is more good news:
I’M A STUDENT! A really registered one with a long number =) I’ll study “Licenciatura Educación – Comunicación y Lenguaje”, that means I would be a language teacher if I would do all the semesters. Cool!!! Thank you Lord! And thank you Sergio Zableta (Director of Student Affairs). I spent half the day in all different kinds of offices, but it was worth it. I didn’t think they would let me study kind of officially with a tourist visa. I was hoping, I could just sit in some classes, help here and there, use the library and enjoy campus life. God gave me more than I asked for =)

I encourage you to tell God your wishes. The great thing is that if you are willing to take His answer, they don’t even have to be modest. I’m convinced that He wants to bless you in a greater way than you can imagine. Looking back and thinking about my struggles trusting God about the “Bolivia thing” in January, makes me humble and thankful at the same time.

I wish you similar experiences. Expect to be blessed!
maria

I`m here... I`m trying to adjust...

2008-02-17T16:59:00.000+01:00

Wow. I’ve been here for just 3 days and I’ve gone through all kinds of different emotions. The only feeling that’s still missing is homesickness I guess... but that wouldn’t look like me. Problems don’t make me homesick that fast. I love being in different places too much for giving up that easily. It’s crazy though. I’ve only experienced this kind of emotional merry-go-round once (or whatever you call it… sorry, don’t have good dictionaries here…); it was during my first days at Miracle Meadows School in West Virginia. Felt similar, just different… =) I can’t actually explain and describe everything, but one mayor problem I’m dealing with right now is lack of freedom. Since university hasn’t started yet, I’m living with the high school students…

That makes it even worse, I guess, but even without the “high school rules”, I’m not allowed to leave the campus without permission… I got a special card for that where the dean writes in what time I’m leaving, what time I’ll be back, where I’m going and what for. Oh my goodness. I can’t even go to the internet café across the street without permission. I’m not used to that!! When I was here three years ago as the cook of a German group that builds chapels in Bolivia, I could come and go as it pleased me. On Friday, I violated the rule. I didn’t know about it and just left for a walk after breakfast and went to write emails and my blog before lunch. Well… in the afternoon I got my toilet paper and water bottle WITH permission… Lack of freedom includes a locked dorm in the evening (don’t know the exact times for every day yet) till breakfast. I don’t have a problem with getting up at 5am, but I wanna be able to go outside to have my worship. I’m not 15!

On the other hand, it’s kind of necessary. It’s not bad that people know where I’m going. I’m not in Germany. Peter’s dog got poisoned last week. He says they’re prepared for everything because over here, people first poison your dog and then break into your house a week or two later. They’re looking for a new dog right now… Locking the dorm prevents the wrong persons from coming in and getting my camera and laptop. Well, I’m not the person who wants to go partying in the night anyways, but I nevertheless love being independent. Let’s see how this story goes on…

Other problems I’m facing are diarrhea, the incapacity of Bolivians to manage their sound system in church and other meetings without giving you a headache, hyperactive teenagers that love to chat, scream and slam doors the whole day until 11pm and later (don’t know how they get up at 5am…), lack of privacy, guys, lack of silence… But besides that… I’m great. I can use your prayers though =)

I guess – and hope! – I’ll adjust soon. In the meantime, God gave me a lesson to learn: how to deal with negative feelings in a positive way on the one hand and when to express which problem to the right person at the right time on the other. These are to areas I want to grow in anyways. I don’t practice dealing with really negative emotions very often since I’m an easygoing person that normally adjusts to new situations pretty fast without mayor difficulties. God blessed me with a positive attitude and outlook on life, but learning how to deal with tough emotions will only help me to grow. The other problem I have is that I like to deal with everything myself. I hate to bother people, to ask for special permissions and especially in a new environment, I don’t express how I really feel. It’s also not very easy for me to do that in Spanish; to find the right words to explain what I really wanna say. Well, but that’s what I’m here for… =)

I’ll wish you a positive attitude for this day and for those, who don’t have it, the courage to speak up for yourself. Have a great day:
maria

I`m here... I`m fine

2008-02-15T17:48:00.004+01:00

Hi everybody. No pics yet because I don`t have half an hour to wait for it uploading (I`m serious...!) but I`ll find a way to give you some impressions. I actually found the perfect pic for my first full day in Bolivia but I`ll share my thoughts about it with you next time. For now I just wanted to let you know that I`m fine, enjoying the sun, even enjoying waiting in front of or in offices for hours (wow... nothing to do! Just sit and relax! Just great!) and now Î`ll try to change some money and if that is not possible I`ll be at least able to buy some toilet paper (yea... everybody in the dorm here has it`s own...) with the 30 Bolivianos I have left from last year. Maybe I`ll even get a water bottle and a comb (forgot it in Germany...). Well, the world seems to be almost perfect when all you need is a comb, toilet paper and a water bottle. And that`s the way I`m actually feeling like. I got to send an urgent mail with a corrected term paper to my youngest sister, a sign of life to my middle sister and older brother (they`ll tell my parents and grandparents that I`m ok) and now I`m feeling like I could even live without a comb or the water bottle (...don`t wanna live without toilet paper though... but I guess my three very nice collegues in my room would help me out till I get some...).

Alright. Have a great weekend. I hope I`ll be back with an entry on Sunday.
maria

Good Bye Germany!

2008-02-13T17:10:00.005+01:00

Spring is coming (pic is from our garden yesterday). I am leaving =( I'm looking forward to Bolivia, but I don't like skipping spring. Sometimes, you just can't have everything though =)

One hour and I'll be on my way to the airport... O my goodness... I guess I still haven't really realized that I'm really leaving for 6 months. I mean it isn't that long... but nevertheless. There was just too much to do, I had to work each day from Sunday till today and even now I still have 3 or 4 little tasks to complete. I'm looking forward to slow down over there. South America is a great continent to practice slowing down!

Whatever. I don't have very much time but I just felt that there had to be one last entry from Germany. Since I'm actually not in a writing mood either, I won't try to produce silly stuff just to write something.

I wish you a great rest of the week! I hope I'll be able to write my first entry on Bolivian ground soon. Till then: God bless!

maria

Chestnut Ridge Church

2008-02-10T14:03:00.000+01:00

This is not Chestnut Ridge Church (CRC), but the Protestant church in our little town. (CRC pics here.) I took this picture on Friday on my way up to the hill when I was anticipating the sunset. CRC is much bigger, but a nice stone building, too. Since I was talking about "my church" yesterday, I thought it might be a good time to also say some words about CRC because I already mentioned it several times and linked it to my "English Input" section, too. Before going on though, I wanna say that I'm actually not really qualified to write about CRC. I've only been there once and if I give any false information, please Billy (or whoever else): correct me! I don't claim to know everything about it, but I just want to give you a personal impression so you might understand how I came to appreciate their sermons.

I don't like big churches. That's what I told the friend who invited me to come with him to CRC on Dezember 24, 2006. I prefer the "big family size congregations", but I didn't have any plans for that Sunday so I said I would love to join him. I was curious about that church he was so enthusiatic about. He had been a student at West Virginia University (WVU) in Morgantown himself and knew CRC when they were still a congregation of less than 100 people. Well, I was looking forward to some additional spiritual input, I hoped to get that Christmas feeling far away from home and I love to "broaden my horizon" anyways. So I didn't care about CRC not being an Adventist church and off we were to Morgantown.

On our way, JP told me about how everything had started. Living room setting and the vision of planting a church. In December 2006, they had just moved into a huge new facility they had especially built for their needs. When I was a teenager, I had been part of a growing church, too. We moved from 3 families in a small living room to a bigger kitchen, to a little special room and finally to a room for about 60 people. It was a great time, but when I was about 18, everything started to fall apart. Accusations replaced productive outreach and I remember some meetings that were pretty sobering for a harmony seeking adolescent. Honestly, I was curious about this exploding church. What did they do? How would it feel? I mean... did they only preach about love or what made the difference? I couldn't imagine the "just love"-theory. Wouldn't have looked like JP. So I had to wait until we got there.

A nice huge stone building with an even larger parking lot - and loads of people eager to get inside. A lot of young people! At the doors, there were beaming faces who greeted and smiled at you. They seemed to be old friends of JP because they almost broke his ribs bearhugging him. Inside, I felt a little bit lost because everything was so huge. I felt like I just entered a concert hall, but somehow it was different. If I would have been there on my own, I guess I wouldn't have looked lost for more than 3 min and somebody would have asked me if I needed some help. Then I saw the cookies and coffee (coffee... please throw your prejudice overboard and just read on...). I don't know how many different kinds of coffee, cookies and pastry they had. Everything for free, of course. I wasn't hungry but I noticed the pleasant atmosphere it created in the lounge. It just invited you to stay after the service to talk and get connected.

On our way inside the auditorium, somebody gave me a candle. That auditorium was huge! I'm bad at guessing but it has more than 1000 seats for sure (maybe even 2000)! We sat down and waited for the service to start. I knew the music wouldn't be very "conservative", but I had decided to not let that disturb me. I loved the message and the way it was presented. Yes, it was somehow "professional", but it didn't feel like a show. It felt real. Pastor Tim and Pastor Bill didn't try to play young, I guess they're just young at heart. They seemed honest and didn't try to pretend that they were perfect. At the end, CRC made me the greates Christmas gift of 2006: singing Silent Night with hundreds of candles in a dark auditorium. I sang it in German and felt at home far away from home.

After the service, we were standing in the lounge, I had a look at their library, watched the people around me, got introduced to a bunch of them and saw all the people I had seen on the stage walking around and talking to people, too. It felt like I could have walked up to Pastor Tim if I would have liked to or ask the people at the info point if there would have been any questions about anything. We even got a tour around the builing with its different floors and confusing hallways. That was when it hit me: WHAT A VISION! A lot of rooms were still under construction, but I got a glimpse of how that church worked. A big church needs "cell groups" and this facility wasn't designed to just host some services on Saturday and Sunday. Church meant community, meeting needs, using talents, encouraging people to get involved, creating a place for growth and reaching out to the unreached in your neighborhood. They like to emphasize that church is not about the builing but the people and they really mean it. By then I knew I had been to the first big church I liked.

Back to the woods, I checked out their homepage and learned even more. Their vision has grown with the task. Besides h2o, the WVU campus ministry, they already have 2 daughter churches. Pastor Tim came to Morgantown with the vision of planting a church. Now they're aiming on reaching WV for Christ. I started to listen to the messages online and there are three things I like about them: they are easy to understand but challenging, they're bible-based and practical at the same time and they're easy to remember because they have a logical structure and a clear conclusion, challenge or appeal they aim at.

So yeah... CRC is not an Adventist church (I understood that they are an independent church, somhow belonging to Great Commission Churches and Great Commission Ministries ) and we (as Adventists) have things we share with them like the baptism of faith and other aspects we don't agree on. Nevertheless, I included them in my input links because they have been - and still are - a big blessing to me. If you need a Christ centered message with relevance in your everyday life, go ahead and check out their media section. If you have more questions, get an account on theRIDGE social network or check out their weBLOG section and ask people who actually attend CRC. You could also watch their "all about us" video. Maybe just one more thing: I'm not saying I want to see CRC copied in my/our churches. What I wanna say though is that I would love to see dead churches finding a vision and transforming into living ones!

I hope you'll get inspired as well as challenged just like me.
Have a great rest of the day!

maria

The Potluck Church

2008-02-09T19:47:00.000+01:00

Before leaving, I wanted to try the different options of uploading and embedding short videos. I don't know if I'll be able to upload videos in Bolivia because it took a while to get this one online, but I thought it wouldn't hurt to try it anyways. Here you go with the video I chose for today:

The viedo is 3 weeks old, but every other week it's the same: our church stays together to eat, talk, sing, pray, go on a walk and just have time enjoying fellowship. With the pastors and dear brothers who come to us to preach, we are known as the "eating church" with the best potluck ever. We might be a small congregation, but I haven't found a more delicious potluck anywhere else I've been to. Not even in the States... I'm sorry guys! If I'll ever have to plan my wedding, I would ask my church to take care of the food =) At the end of the year, we have our annual picture retrospection and more than 50% of the pics show people eating or in some connection with food. The Germans say "Food keeps heart and soul together" and there is something true about it.

Food shouldn't be the only thing that keeps a church together though. It shouldn't even be the main reason but it definitely has its place. There is one more thing I appreciate about my church: we are like a big family. There are the very young ones who just discovered how much fun it is to run and walk on your own and we have the "grannies" and "granddaddies" who unfortunately can't stay for every potluck because their strength is limited, but we take care of each other and make accomodations wherever possible. An armchair for brother X or hearing devices for sister Y - and you don't have to chase the young ones out of the armchair.

We are a family, but it's open for everybody. And I really mean EVERYbody! Blue hair, strange pants, "ultra-conservative" or "neo-liberal" - doesn't matter. Everybody is invited (including potluck, with or without contribiuting to the meal). I mean "the family" is setting the rules, but I've rarely encountered a unified congregation with standards on the one hand and such an unjudgemental attitude on the other. The strange thing is, judgemental people don't stay with us for too long. Either they change or realize, that we aren't the perfect church either and continue their search.

There are even more things I appreciate about "my church". We are a funny bunch of people. We love to and smile and laugh. Our services might be traditional, but they're definitaly not stiff. Smiling is not banned to the "afterglow" and our elderly folks are the worst at teasing you... So better bring some humor along when paying us a visit. If you're sad or in a bad mood, you don't have to put on a fake smile though. You might jeopardize your bad mood, but you'll find an open ear for you sorrows and they will find their way into our prayer book if you like them to. I will miss my church in Bolivia but I know that their prayers and thoughts will with me.

There's only one problem... distance. No, not when I will be in Bolivia since prayer doesn't depend on distance but here in Germany. If you don't speed, you need about an hour and that's just too much time to be really active together. I can't attend any youth or prayer meetings during the week and outreach together is hard, too. The closest churches are within (less than) ten minutes driving distance but it's hard to give up a family that you love. Well... I will see what will happen after I come back from Bolivia, but this blog is to everybody from my church who reads it (or will get it translated): Thank you for your love, your advice, your smile, your hugs, your prayers... and the incredibly good food =)

And just some little advice to anybody who is not part of such a family yet (it may be small or big, that doesn't matter): Search and pray for one. You need others to grow and they need you!

I wish all of you a blessed new week, but a special great week to my dear brothers, sisters and friends at SDA (Seventh-day Adventist)-Church Schwann, Germany.

I love and will miss you,
maria

Musical Memories

2008-02-08T19:12:00.000+01:00

Two days ago I was writing about things that remind me of friends. There's something else that reminds me of people: songs. On Monday, somebody sent me a song that somehow fit the stuff we had just been talking about, at least the atmosphere. I guess I won't ever be able to listen to that song again without thinking of this friend.
On December 7th, 2007, I wrote my one and only MySpace blog entry about this phenomenon:

"I know my Redeemer lives. I know my Redeemer lives. All of creation testifies..."...and I see myself sitting downstairs in Tollgate church in Dr. Calhouns Sabbath school class. It is amazing how certain songs bring memories back to my mind and then I just have to close my eyes to feel the wind playing with my hair while biking home from university or see Arizona's red rocks flying past the truck window on the one side and David driving on the other. Since my mp3-player is broken and I don't feel like buying a new one right now (the "Project Bolivia" eats all my money), I haven't really listened to music lately. It's been something like two months maybe.

This week though, I took my laptop to university and because people were talking in the "Common Room" at the English department I took my headphones and clicked on "JP's praise songs" and thought I would be able to do my Portuguese homework now. Negative. "I wanna be your hands. I wanna be your feet..." Wow. Has been a while since you've been jogging, Maria! (It was my "jogging song" this summer.) "Here I am to worship. Here I am to bow down..." How I miss song worship with JP! "Every time I fall a little bit harder. Every time I fall..." How is Natalia doing??? Where is she at? And I see her dancing with a broom in the cafeteria. "I will be here for you. Somewhere in the night. Somewhere in the night." Hey Danielle! Haven't talked to you for a week or so! Hope you're alright?!? "You are holy. And you are mighty. You are worthy..." Can't believe that it's been more than 1.5 years now that I learned this song sitting around a campfire in the middle of the Bolivian jungle.

After a while I switched to other songs so I would get my homework done but tonight I deliberately listened to some of these songs again. It's just great. I love how God created my brain. Music is like a preservative for me. It reminds me of people that are dear to me, captures feelings of certain situations that can't be put in words and makes me thankful for everything that God has already done in my life. Well, and I just decided to create my personal "America Memories CD" =)

Reading it again I was like: "Wow! True, I didn't have an mp3-player just two months ago." It's another story, but God got me an mp3-player. Four times the storage capacity of my old one and I didn't pay a penny for it! I was so happy about that little black thing and I really wanna use it to strenghten my relationship with him. The last four days though, I didn't feel like listening to anything. I felt more like talking to God wherever I was and so I did. Tonight I didn't go home right away either, but climed up the hill on the other side of our little town to have a better view of the sunset. That's how I got the picture. It was a beautiful sunset and a perfect way to close my last full working week in Germany. Walking home, I could already see the stars and I couldn't help but start singing:

You are Lord of Lords, you are King of Kings,
You are mighty God, Lord of everything.
You're Emmanuel, You're the great "I AM",
You're the Prince of Peace, Who is the Lamb.
You're the living God, you're my saving grace,
You will reign forever, you are ancient of days.
You're the Alpha, Omega, Beginning and End.
You're my Savior, Messiah, Redeemer, and friend.
You're my Prince of Peace and I will live my life for you.

And that is actually THE song, that reminds me of my year at Miracle Meadows School in West Virginia and a whole bunch of people at once... =)
Well, enjoy God's great invention of music AND you're not forgotten!!

Happy Sabbath,
maria

"And friends are friends forever..."

2008-02-06T21:38:00.000+01:00

I got this teddy bear for my second or third Christmas. I actually don't remember it, but there are some cute pictures where a little girl is trying hard not to fall into the Christmas tree, carrying a huge teddy that is as big as herself. In December, this teddy got something to take care of: bed shoes, a self-made Christmas gift of one of "my grandmas" at the retirement home.

Packing 2 suitcases for 6 months normally takes me a while. That's why I just start early enough so I won't get stressed out the last day realizing that I forgot about the charcoal pills (they help with diarrhea) or other essential stuff. And to be honest, I love packing suitcases =) There is a German saying: "Vorfreude ist die schönste Freude" (the pleasure of anticipation is the best pleasure). Why should I wait for that to the very end?

And now back to my bed shoes. My first suitcase is packed. My backpack kind of, too. Now it's time to decide what to put in my second suitcase and that's when I thought of my bed shoes. I hate having cold feet and Bolivia doesn't mean that it's warm everywhere and all year long. Cochabamba is about 8360 ft (2550 m) above sea level and during our summer (their winter), it can get pretty cold in the nights. Yeah, so I decided to take them with me. If it were some ordinary thick socks though, I wouldn't take them. But they are not! They were made especially for me and I know I'll make sombody incredibly happy, when I write her a letter from Bolivia, telling her, I'm wearing her/my bed shoes.

I like stuff that reminds me of dear friends, family members... or special grandmas! My room is full of little things that remind me of people. The little American flag on my desk, that postcard from Teneriffa, the 41 ounce Starburst bag (that is 1.16 kg of my favorite American candy!), the 3 tealight holders on my couch table, the little transparent box with the sugar hearts that says "Love" one it, the original Korean chopsticks, the pen from Jamaica, the mini cup from Canada... (you guys know who you are!!!)

Sometimes I go on a "prayer journey" around my room and mentally fly from contry to country asking God to take care of my friends. I'm about to make new friends although it's already hard to keep in touch with all my old ones. It might look like I forgot about you, but I hardly ever forget about friends! That's another reason for having started a blog. My time is limited, but I want to let you know what's going on in my life; I want to share the blessings God gave me and encourage you to seek His friendship, too. He's the best friend anyways! He doesn't forget about you and he is eager to talk to you whatever time of the day (or night) it might be.

If you want to be included in my "prayer journey" and you didn't give me something to remember you yet, just write me a nice postcard and I'll find a spot for it in my room! If necessary, I'll get all the irregular Portuguese verbs off my closet doors. You are more important! And if you also want to be taken around the world... well, the most secure place for that would be a little card in my Bible =)

Anyways, I wanted to let you know that I appreciate you very much. Your mails, messages, prayers, calls, comments... but especially in these times of very fast ways of communication, I have to take care not to cut down on my communication with my heavenly friend. I'm working on making and KEEPING this priority no. 1 and I encourage you to check your priority list from time to time, too. Boyfriends (or girlfriends...), for instance, tend to have the potential of becoming no. 1...

May my heavenly friend be your best friend, too.

Love,
maria

"And friends are friends forever if the Lord's the Lord of them.
And a friend will not say 'never' cause the welcome will not end.
Though it's hard to let you go in the Father's hands we know
That a lifetime's not too long to live as friends."
M.W.&D.D. Smith

About jolly ducks and other reasons for joy

2008-02-05T20:22:00.001+01:00

Today I had some hours between work and classes and great plans for this time. I wanted to get gifts for my friends in Bolivia, check some things with my bank, look for mosquito repellent and stuff... Well, I just forgot that I was in the South (of Germany) and that they cared more about "Fasching" (the German carnival) than the eastern part where I'm originally from. All the stores and banks were closed and I even wondered if we had class (but we did). No gifts, no mosquito repellent - instead I got to walk 20min because public transportation didn't work properly anymore, I got wet since it was raining and I took some pictures. This little jolly duck was one of them.

Actually, it was an American duck and it wasn't easy to get it because it was a pretty hyperactive one, too. Trying to fly, chasing her older sister, hiding behind her Mom, falling, getting up and starting all over again. I watched her for a while. It was so cute. A happy, furry, bouncing, yellow-orange something in the midst of a grey and rainy scenery. Normally, I don't like rain that much because it makes everything look so... yeah... grey! Especially in towns. As a kid though, I guess I liked rainy days a lot better. Jumping into the puddles and getting all dirty was fun. I mean it wasn't me who had to worry about getting those clothes clean again...

Sometimes I wish I could be a carefree child again, forgetting about all the sorrows and burdens of adult life. Today though, I didn't envy that little girl. I felt pretty content and happy myself, despite of being wet and a bit tired. I just stood there, enjoying the scene and watching her having fun. It was actually last night that I realized that 5 of my 7 finals were already over and I hadn't gone through a panic-depression phase yet. I remember my last finals in July... I couldn't get myself to study, called people instead and was more frustrated afterwards than I had been before. Finally, I wrote an email to a friend I knew I could just write what was on my mind. Chatting with that very same friend last night, I realized that I actually felt more energetic and happy than before my finals had started. Wow!! That's not typical for me! I think I already wrote in one of my first postings that I'm not a very organized learner and I would lie if I would say that I've changed yet... but... anyways: THANK YOU LORD!!

I've really felt Him guiding and strenghtening me during the past two weeks. There was this Spanish translation exam last Wednesday, for example. We got 4 German short stories a week ahead and were allowed to prepare them. For the exam - we were told - we would get one of the 4 texts. When I was translating them, sweating over funny sounding Spanish constructions, I had the feeling we would get that one particular story. It wasn't my favourite one, but I just had this strange feeling without any rational reason for it. I prepared all 4 texts but paid special attention to that particular one. For the exam, our teacher put the sheets upside down, mixed all 4 texts and made each one of us take one. Lotto!? I assume you can guess which one I got... THANK YOU LORD!!

January is over and it feels like my "Goal for 2008" already has a positive impact on me. It's not the first time, but one of my favourite passages in the Bible became alive again. "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let you gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer an petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 2:4-7, NIV) Oh... and because I was talking about the little jolly girl, here another one, "And he [Jesus] said: 'Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18:3, NIV)

Anyone wants to join me checking out how high the puddle water can splash?
Rejoce!
maria

PS: Billy is back from his week in the wilderness! Here you go: Billy's blog

Light in the dark

2008-02-03T22:36:00.000+01:00

This morning, when I looked out of the window, it didn't look as beautiful as on December 23rd (pic), but I nevertheless knew that it was kinda cold without even checking the thermometer. Why would I care? Well, yesterday, our VW Golf let us down. We were about 40 miles (64km) away from home when the gas pedal didn't have an impact on the speed anymore. Nice feeling! Last time I experienced it, I was on the "Autobahn" between two big trucks. This time, I was on a little country road and could pull into a forest path and the car even rolled to a little parking lot where it finally quit working althogether. We called the ADAC (German automoblie club) and waited for one of their "yellow angles" about an hour. It's was pretty cold and already getting dark but my sister and I were happy and thankful that it happened before we got unto the "Autobahn". The ADAC-guy then told us that it was the alternator (and since it was dark by then, we could even see the battery light glowing a little bit after he had jump-started our car). He couldn't repair it and there was no way we would have gotten home with a dead battery. Yeay... another 90 min in the cold and dark forest until the tow truck came! Somehow, we survived it but since our parents are at my grandparent's with the Passat for some days, we will be without a working car till Wednesday.

That's why the temperature below freezing point bothered me this morning. I had to bike to work today... Well, I love the outdoors and I love to tell people that there is no such thing like bad weather. There're only bad clothes. I remember my colleagues in West Virginia calling me crazy because I loved to bike to the bank and the supermarket (30 min one way maybe) no matter what. I mean it was faster than running around campus, searching for a) an available car and b) the keys to it... When I got ready to leave today, the weather was just beautiful. Clear blue sky. I enjoyed the ride! I even regretted not having taken my camera with me since I passed a flock of sheep and they already had their little lambs. So cute!!! Then I passed the horses and the little zoo with the deer. Wow. If there wasn't the way back in the dark, I would immediately forget about bus and car.

But there was the way back! I had never done that route in the dark before. At least not in the winter at 9pm when it was REALLY dark! I actually don't care about it that much, but since my parents do, they always find a way to get me home without me biking through the woods and vineyards in the night. It's just half an hour by bike but today it felt longer. I guess it even took me longer since I didn't go that fast. I just didn't feel save racing down the hills without seeing a lot. My little lamp seemed like it wasn't a big help but in the end, it got me home save. I even didn't run over that dark dressed jogging guy. The only thing I had to do was to really pay attention. I was listening to a sermon, but I have to admit that I only got about 50% because I was staring on the path.

I remembered Psalm 119:105. "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." (NIV) Another verse of those ones you learn in children Sabbath school right after you learned to walk. It is so true though. God gave us a light for the dark and not so dark sections of our way, but often I just want Him to give me a flood light. I don't even feel like switching that little light on because it doesn't seem to be of great use. I don't feel like paying attention because I know God could just show me everything if he wanted to and it would be way easier for me. I have bad news. My experience shows me that God wants me to put effort into finding my way. He shows me enough so that I don't HAVE TO rund over that runner, but he wants me to use my light. Sometimes I might only see the very next step and I might have to slow down, but even that little light will guide me home. I encourage you to take Psalm 119:105 seriously. God's word is not just a dusty old book. As I'm working towards my "Goal for 2008", I feel an increasing need for this lamp.

May it shine on your path, too.
maria

I have more grannies than you! =P

2008-02-01T17:56:00.000+01:00

I've been at work today again... It was a quiet morning. One of the few ones... So far I didn't tell you what I'm actually doing in the retirement home. Well... I'm not a registered (geriatric) nurse and so I'm not allowed to do all the medical stuff, but besides that I do everything that needs to be done (washing, feeding, helping people to get dressed...) Some of the residents are still pretty independent, others are in bed all the time. Some know exactly who you are, others are constantly meeting new people. When my Mom was trying to talk me into it, I didn't wanna do it because I thought I wouldn't like it and one of the worst things that can happen to you is a job you don't like but which is about taking care of people. Finally I promised her, I would at least give it a try... and now I really like my job. Yeah, you DO have to clean up some mess kind of every day - but I got used to it and don't care about it anymore. So what did I learn?

I never thought that it would be that much fun :) Working in a place like this, you develop a special kind of humor. It's not about making fun of people, but you have either cute, hilarious or comic situations almost every day. It's not easy to understand this humor for an "outsider", but as soon as you encounter somebody of "your trade", you have stories to share...
Since my Mom and I work at the same place, we have to share a lot now. Poor Dad. Poor middle sister. They have to listen to our stories pretty often. Sometimes I think, they can't stand them anymore, but I enjoy this "common denominator" with my Mom. We've never had so many conversations before and I learned to respect her job a lot more and to appreciate her as a colleague. (My Dad still has to wait for this a year or two... he's a teacher, so there is still hope... =)

I learned that it makes a difference to your day when you can make a difference to somebody elses day. Hey, and if you even get paid for it... there's nothing better that can happen to you! Honestly, I've been blessed by this job in many ways, but one blessing a "paper-job" could have never given me are relationships. The picture is actually already 2 years old, but the two people in there are still the same. One of them is my "special grandma" and the the other one is her "darling" or "sparrow" =) (strange, I know, but it sounds as weired as if Germans would call their loved one "honey"). Today, she gave me body lotion and told me to take it to Bolivia so that I won't forget her. Before I went to the States, she gave me some chocolate for the trip. I wrote her (and some others) for Christmas when I was in West Virginia and my Mom told me that some of them were really moved that a young and busy girl didn't forget about them. Sometimes, it is sad when a loved person dies - and it is even more disturbing for some residents there, asking themselves who will have the next heart attack. They appreciate a friendly and energetic young person more than I would have imagined. Last week, one of the older ladys told me that she liked me because I was always smiling and friendly. Having to be there is sad enough, she said. A smile actually doesn't cost anything but your own bad mood.

And there is one more thing, working with elderly people made me aware of: the character you formed when you were young will survive every other ability you might lose when you get older. Bad character traits might even get worse! Impatience, intolerance, lack of compassion, being demanding... might have a longer life than your memory. I mean as a young person, you tend to push uncomfortable thoughts about the aging process away or are happy to be able to look forward to Jesus coming back within your life time, but your willingness to work on your character now might save some people like me a lot of trouble... Actually even the opposite. The facility I work at is a Christian one and we have people who are early birds and pray for us staff before they even eat breakfast! You can be a blessing if you learned to be patient, tolerant, compassionate... And believe me - you definitely need these character traits in a retirement home to not go crazy yourself! (Well... and they might be pretty convenient for heaven anyways if there is not enough time anymore...)

This wasn't an exhaustive list about what working in a retirement home has taught me, but it were 4 of the more important aspects. I also learned a lot about the job of a geriatric nurse itself, but I would have never expected to like it that much. God can change your heart when you're willing to change your mind - and just try it. I knew I had a passion for working with young people, but God showed me that I shouldn't ignore the older ones either because he loves both and he never intended to have the different generations separated like that. We can benefit a lot from genuine and open minded interaction between old and young! And it might make us young ones a bit wiser because we can see what counts in the end. I wish you a "special grandma", too. It's really nice to be called "darling" at 7am when you wake a person up and are still tired yourself. I will miss it in Bolivia!

Happy Sabbath!
maria

I am rich!! And so are you!

2008-01-31T22:17:00.000+01:00

I think I already mentioned that I work in a retirement home. Right now it actually feels like I'm living there... How does somebody who is majoring in education and intends to be a teacher even thinks of working with elderly people in the first place? Well, it wasn't me who had that idea. It was my Mom and I'm so thankful that she talked me into it!! (She had to do a lot of convincing though...) She is a geriatric nurse but didn't start the training until the age of 47. Last year (and just before turning 50), she finished it. She has my respect for going back to school at her age (and succeeding!!) and my affection for giving up her first job (pharmacist) to stay at home and take care of us 4 kids. Yeah... and now she even got me the perfect job!

I started working there in December 2004. Back then, I didn't know it would be the perfect job for me - but God knew and he got my Mom to not let go till I tried it. One thing that is perfect for me is that my working hours are pretty flexible. I choose my classes each semester and then just let my boss know which days I'm available. The even more convenient thing is that although I'm actually only allowed to work (...that means get paid...) 51.25 hours a month, I can work more and they just transfer the amount of hours I worked overtime to the following month. For non-Germans that might sound strange, but in Germany we have so called "400-Euro jobs". You don't pay any taxes as long as you don't get over the 400 Euro per months. Just one Euro more and you'll have less in the end due to taxes. You actually have to work A LOT more until it makes sense. Yeah, so that's why I only get paid the 51.25 hours. My wanderlust is pretty expensive though. I wouldn't be able to afford it with a "normal" job. However, with this job I can work overtime and still get paid when already on the other side of the globe. Since they're always looking for staff and they seem to like me, they're always anxiously waiting for my return. After my first three months in the States, I had to come home for visa stuff. Two days after I got off the plane, I was back at work. Within the 2 months I had to stay at home waiting for an interview at the embassy, I worked for 4 months. Next week, I'll start working for April... that's why it feels like I'm living there =)

Well... initially I didn't want to talk about money. It's just one part of my "perfect job". Right now it's a pretty important one because flights, insurance, university... for and in Bolivia cost quite a bit, but I actually wanted to write about what working with elderly people has taught me. I guess I'll put that off for tomorrow though and stick to "materialistic blessings" for today.

What amazes me about God is that he provides us with so much more than we need. We've never been a rich family. At least not in the European/American sense and in my perception. I haven't felt poor either, but when I was about 15, I wanted to go to a Christian boarding academy but we couldn't afford it. I envied classmates that went abroad for a year and so I kind of formed my own definition for "rich people": they have their own house, at least two cars and can send their kids to private academies and abroad. 2002, we moved... into a lovely house next to the woods. 2003, I went to Bolivia for the first time and didn't pay a cent for it. My church even gave me some money so I was able to buy a suitcase, get the vaccinations I needed and donate the rest of the money in Bolivia. In 2004, we got a second car when my Mom started the training and then my little sister got accepted at that very same academy I had wanted to attend (well, she had the advantage of 3 older sibling that could help sponsor her...). This year she'll graduate.

I guess I was wrong. We WERE rich!!! Pretty rich! I just had not seen it before... Two mission trips to Bolivia I didn't pay for followed in 2004 and 2005. In 2006 and 2007, God gave me the means to pay for the mission trips myself. I was even able to pay my little sister a flight to come and visit me in West Virginia. One lesson Bolivia tought me is that you're rich when you're able to give. That first time there, I gave away an amount of money I had never donated before. I had just graduated and was a "poor student", but God had given me the money and showed me that there were people who needed it at lot more than I. It was the first time in my life that I felt INCREDIBLY wealthy - to the point that I was ashamed of not having felt that way before. Another lesson God has been trying to teach me since I was a teenager, is to tell him my wishes, but to trust his timetable. I was planning to go to the States for a year when I was 17 - didn't work. I was about to go to Venezuela as a volunteer after I gratuated - God sent me to Austria last minute (how boring! they speak German!!!). Looking back, I can understand better why and I really appreciate God's guidance. And he didn't ignore my wishes. When I surrendered my plans to him and agreed to Austria, he gave me Bolivia (while I was in Austria).

So whatever your wishes are: tell God. If you don't have the money to realize them? Tell him, too. He wants you to talk to him. And then trust his guidance. It might be a "yes", "wait" or "no". He might find a sponsor for you for that mission trip you want to go on or he might give you the right job a year before you even know that you need it - or he might give you something better... later. He doesn't make mistakes. It's just a lot easier to admit that he was right after everything turned out good (and that can take YEARS sometimes). I'm still learning. And I'm glad God didn't give up on me yet!

Have a good night!
maria

(pic: Rurrenabaque,Bolivia 2006; kids at the orphanage we started building houses for)

Cazy day and Bolivia update

2008-01-28T18:50:00.000+01:00

I know, I should be either in bed or preparing my next exam but I have to tell you something (...or two things... or three...) really quick. Actually it might take more than just 5 lines and to be honest... I don't care :) I'll be able to sleep on Feb 13 in the plane =)

Yeah, today was kind of a crazy day. I had to work late shift yesterday and didn't come home till 9pm. This morning, I had to get up at 5.30am since I had early shift. The only problem: right after work, I had an exam that I didn't really have time to prepare for since I also had a lecture on Friday. Well, I studied yesterday morning and studied... more than half of the night. I know it's not too healthy but I at least got 2 hours of sleep. I actually got up at 5am, went through the "getting-ready-rountine" - and there's something strange I've realized lately: early shift is good for my morning worship. Somehow it might be that when I have to get up early, it feels like I don't have too much time and getting ready only takes minutes instead of half an hour. So I had my little worship, got all my papers together, put some new music and sermons on my mp3-player and left the house to catch the bus.

I don't know what happened, but on the first corner I felt like I just HAD TO JUMP. I don't mean like jumping once - no, bouncing down the street like a little child with too much energy. Some song from Jaci Velasquez in my ears, I started skipping in the middle of the road. (I was glad it was dark and early so nobody saw me and called the ambulance or police...) I just felt like the happiest girl on earth without a particular reason. I don't know, God just gave me that great mood on a day that could really use it. At the bus stop, I chose more quiet music so I wouldn't wake up my fellow early birds that looked like still half alseep. When I got off the bus, I started humming and I didn't stop till I got to the nurses' station. I was first and my "boss" (= responsible collegue) asked me who I would like to take care of today and so I got to choose. Around 10am, my Mom called and said she would come earlier and take one hour of my shift so that I wouldn't have to run to be on time for my exam (we're working in the same retirement home and she has late shift today). Thanks to my Mom, I got to take a train earlier and I sat down with my papers and Spanish dictionary.

A guy sitting just across asked me if I was taking a Spanish translation exam today. We happened to be in the same course, but he had missed the class last week due to sickness. So I gave him the texts we had gotten last Monday (in preparation for the exam) with my personal translations and once in a while we changed papers. The exam was EXACTLY that terrible text that costed me my sleep last night. When that guy saw the text, he just looked at me with this "THANK YOU SO MUCH" smile and I was so happy that I had been able to help somebody out. When I was done with the exam, I almost jumped out of the building and arrived at my Portuguese class with such a big smile that it would have been enough for ten. As soon as I sat down tiredness kicked in though, but the upcoming exam of that course kept me awake. On my way back home, I listened to a message given by Bill Walker (Chestnut Ridge Church). Nothing too theological, but pretty practical and stuff that somehow sticks to your brain and heart (that are two things I like about the Chestnut Ridge Church messages).

Well... the best part is still to come :) At home I checked my emails and had 3 answers to 3 mails I only wrote yesterday. First email: I can stay without a student visa at the University in Cochabamba (I won't be an "official student", but they'll arrange something for me so I can improve my Spanish on an academic level anyways). Second mail: my friends in Argentina said I can come in May, visit them and they suggested that I should use them as a "base camp" for travelling around the country a little bit (I need to leave Bolivia after 3 months and re-enter as a tourist and I wanted to combine that with getting to know other contries in South America besides Bolivia). Third mail: I asked "L'ESPERANCE"-orphanages if I could volunteer at their facility close to Cochabamba for 2 months (June/July) and it'll be most likely a "yes" (it only has to go through the official process). Looks like a schedule for 6 months Bolivia to me =) THANK YOU LORD!!!

Alright then. I don't want to say too much more. I guess I'll still study a little bit and head off to bed a little earlier tonight (...) since I'll have early shift tomorrow again. Just one more thing: I'm amazed about today. Yesterday, it looked like it would be a pretty stressful and not so great day, but God gave me one of the best days I've had in a while. It was just great. One blessing after the other. I know, not every day looks like that, but give God the chance to make you jump each day. Especially on the stressful ones. (You know, exercise kills off stress hormones!) God loves you. He forgave you all the stupid stuff you did. He cares for you and gave you the power to do right. That's enough reason to whistle and smile (and not to worry what others could think about you odd fish...;) Give it a try. Sing a song or jump around. Make faces or hug the old lady next to you on the train. You might be even older than 25... Who cares?

May God put His joy into your heart.
Love,
maria

(pic: me, my little sis and one of the kids at the scout camp my two sisters and I were cooking for in 2005, Austria)

Broken connection

2008-01-25T21:13:00.000+01:00

Our internet loves to quit from time to time. Since I came back from the States last April, it got into the habit of taking some time off on a more or less monthly basis. Somehow, nobody really seems to know why. This time, it even managed to persuade the telephone system to join and together they refused to work again until a nice guy came over and gently touched and talked to all the boxes and cords for about an hour (no, he could neither answer my question about what had been wrong nor about why it was working again...). So yeah, we were almost without connection to the rest of the world for 3 days. If it would have been just me, I really would have been whithout any connection. Well, I would have had a reason to visit my neighbors :) but my parents and my sister are more up-to-date than I and so we were able to call my brother with the cell.

I can't imagine that we didn't even have a phone when I was in elementary. No word about cell phones or computers. At least not as a Christian citizen who -obviously- was not in the communist party (former East Germany). Crazy how fast things change. And crazy how much we depend on phone, internet and cell. It was funny (...well, actually it wasn't...): When I realized that the internet wasn't working anymore, I asked my Dad to call the company. When he tried to, we realized that the phone had let us down, too, so my Dad called my brother and he called the "phone guys". They told him that we should take that one box to a service point and get a new one instead (...didn't make a difference by the way...) No problem, I said. I'll just check when they're... oh no! No checking of opening hours without internet... I don't know how often I wanted to use the internet but stopped in the middle of the thought or sentence because I realized it wouldn't work. No online-dictionary, no e-mails, no way of checking that term I didn't know. Why? No connection!

Sometimes the same thing happens with me and God. Unfortunately not exactly the same. If it was exactly the same, it would mean that I put all my efforts into rebuilding that connection once I realized it wasn't working. That's not the case. At least it hasn't always been in the past, but there is something else about this connection story: the more you use it, the faster you realize that it's defective. And that refers to internet, phone and cell phone as well as God. Cell phone? I don't care about it since I've never had one and don't miss it. Phone? Well, I probably wouldn't realize that it was broken very fast. Sometimes I go a week or even longer without calling anybody. Internet? No day at home without it. It's my means of communication. Skype, e-mails, facebook, MySpace... And where is God on that scale? For me, somewhere between phone and internet I guess. The problem is that you can get used to not having something anymore, too. However, I know my life as a Christian without a connection to God is a farce. It unfortunatelly has been one more than once. Theoretically, there's nothing else I long for more than a closer and closer relationship with Him. The internet story tought me though that the difference between God and the internet is about how much effort I put into fixing the problem. Crawling under dusty desks to find out which cord goes where, getting up an hour earlier to go to the service point, reading instruction manuals (I'm a "try it first" person... normaly no reading of that stuff)...

It's about time I put the same effort into rebuilding the connection to God when the line is getting bad or even disconnected. I once more realized that my goal for this year is the right one for me. I'll continue working on it and I'm happy for the time-out I'll get in Bolivia. No obligations and just one task: improving my Spanish. It's really up to me what I do with these 6 months. I pray that God will help me not to get caught up in rushing from one event to the next appointment (I'm excellent at getting involved and busy...). I'm also looking forward to (a lot) less internet and more personal interaction. Bad for you but good for me :) May it benefit my connection with God, too!

I wish you a quiet and blessed weekend.
maria

PS: I just read in a blog of a friend (one I've actually never met - at least not yet - but I like his blog) about an interesting way of strengthening your relationship with your heavenly friend. Wilderness experience. Just nature, God, I and silence. If there's no connection then that might be PRETTY silent! Scary thought but I hope I'll get the chance to do something like that one day. I have already been looking for opportunies for a while but in Germany it's hardly possible. Bolivia wouldn't be bad, Norway would work, too, but the other problem are family and friends who wouldn't be able to sleep of fear that something might happen to me... Let's see. Oh yeah... and if you wanna read for youself: Billy's blog or under the weBLOG section on Chestnut Ridge Church. Entry of today - more coming, I guess, after his return.

(pic: Morning in New Mexico and favourite pic of my almost coast-to-coast road trip with David a year ago)

I miss my fly!!!!

2008-01-21T21:45:00.000+01:00

Today I came home from university and I waited for my fly to show up - but it didn't. I miss my fly!!

Well... maybe I should start with that super-sunny weather yesterday. I love snow but I don't like the cold and definitely dislike the short days, especially when they're also grey and rainy. I can't imagine that God ever intended it too bee like that. In fact I'm sure he didn't. In winter I'm actually waiting for 2 things: snow and spring. I love this picture because it combines both. I took it in our little garden in February 2006, just before I left for the States. This winter, we didn't really have snow yet, but I won't complain since I got my 5 snowflakes in supposedly good cold Germany on December 26th as a belated Christmas gift from above. Instead of snow, we already have the flowers out :) Yeah, and yesterday we had just great weather. I left my balcony door open so I could hear the wind and the birds outside. I crawled into my fleece sleeping bag, did my Portuguese homework on the couch and even thought about jumping into my hammock (yeah, the one in my profile pic), but I feared I would fall asleep in there. And then, all of a sudden, I had this fly buzzing around my head. Hey, the first fly of 2008!!! Spring isn't that far anymore! It seemed to follow me the rest of the day. Couch, desk, computer... it was always there. At some point it started to annoy me and I got my fly swat out, but somehow I just couldn't kill that poor fly. I mean I guess it was as happy about the great weather as I was. How could I punish that fly for enjoying the first really sunny day of 2008?

I know. Sometimes I have strange thoughts.
Today the weather wasn't that great. No sun. Thick clouds. And wind. So when I came home, I hoped my fly would greet me but it didn't. It had disappeared just like the sun and I actually was a little bit sad about it. It suddenly felt like it was - again - a long way to go till spring.
If I would have to pick a favourite season it definitely would be spring. I love the colors of fall, the snow in winter and the warm evenings in summer but spring is just the best. Everything is starting to live again. The forrest behind our house is turning from brownish-grey to green, the big cherry tree in front of my balcony is loaded with white blossoms, I get my bike out of the garage and can forget about that crazy bus schedule and the daysies start covering our lawn like a carpet. I love it! It amazes me how God created nature. Everything seems to die in fall - but there's still some live in that cherry tree!

Well, I could squeeze a hundred of "moral" lessons in that "fly-story" but I don't want to put more in it than there was to it when I was mourning about my fly. Sometimes it amazes me though how little things can be that either ruin or make our day. A rude comment, that not given encouragement, a broken cup, an annoying fly or a genuine hug, that prayer on the phone, 5 snow flakes and... a "spring fly" :) Yeah, sometimes it might be the very same thing that lets you smile at one point, but frustrates you even more some other day. There are people who are experts at that... We tend to call them difficult. And now I'm moralizing without initially wanting to, but maybe you can be a "spring fly" for somebody today. Or tomorrow if it's already too late. I want to challenge you and myself to not just buzz around your best friends. Try that "difficult jerk", too. He or she might get out her fly swat but if you ask God for help, he'll show you a way how to get through to that person, too.

Happy buzzing!
maria

Trust (part II)

2008-01-20T16:12:00.000+01:00

In my last blog, I was reflecting a little bit about trust. When I got up the next morning, I found a message in my facebook inbox from a friend who is living in Austria. I met him last year in November at a Youth Congress here in Germany. We sat next to each other in a workshop and talked a little bit. He had just arrived in Austria and didn't speak German yet, but we nevertheless shared some thoughts during the break, switching back and forth between English and Spanish. With this facebook message, he sent me a link to his testimony. Since I like stories (in general) and especially stories about how God leads people to find Him, I just hit the "play" button and listened to his testimony while putting stuff away, cutting my nails short enough for work (retirement home) and getting ready to leave. Wow. Amazing story! Can you imagine that somebody finds Jesus just because he is interested in literature and "has" to read the book "Job", simply because it is the only piece of literature on a "most famous poetry"-list that he doesn't know yet? It's truly an amazing story about God's love to each one of us. He cares and it doesn't matter if we don't care about Him yet. If you have some minutes to spare or some little jobs to do where you don't need your brain that much, I encourage you to listened to it. It's in English with German translation. Here you go: Rolando's testimony. Or you can read it in the North Atlantic Union Magazine in the December 2007 edition (pages 10 and 11).

Well... but what does that have to do with trust?
Rolando said one sentence that caught my special attention in my current situation. "The more I trust Him, the happier I am." It is so true but sometimes it's so hard to put into action! And the problem is - you have to try it yourself to experience it. You have to let go. You have to jump to enjoy skydiving! Almost every time I think about "trust", I remember my first time (indoor) rock climbing. I was visiting some friends in Carinthia/Austria and one of them talked me into trying "climbing up walls". Well, getting up that wall for bloody beginners wasn't that hard (you could almost WALK up there), but then he told me to stand on top of that thing with my back to him and the abyss and to lean backwards until I would overbalance. "I CAN'T DO THAT!" I screamed down. "You can!!" he screamed up. "Let me come down like I got up here!" "Come on! Try it. Don't you trust me?" Of course I trusted him... well.. did I??? It took me 2 unsuccessfull attempts to finally just fall into the rope. There was that quarter of a second when I wanted to scream, but after that, "falling into the rope" was actually fun. Hey, there was a person down there that I could trust... trust my life! A reassuring experience.

In his testimony, Rolando also quoted Proverbs 3:5+6. "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." (New International Version) I don't know for how many years I've already known that verse by heart. 18? Or even 20? Not sure but definitely a lot of years. Why do I often still feel like kicking and screaming when it comes to trusting God 100%? Maybe it's because I already went rock-climbing with Him, but I didn't try skydiving or bungee jumping yet. I feel like I'm trusting God, but when push comes to shove, I realize that I don't feel comfortable trusting him in THIS area. God loves to push us beyond our limits though and I actually love it, too... at least afterwards...

Is there anything that holds you back from trusting your heavenly Daddy (for that's what he is) in that particular area? I feel a lot more peace since I gave that Bolivia story completely to him. I'm still waiting for an answer from the university, but I'm not going nuts anymore. And amazingly enough, Rolando's testimony came just the morning after I had felt sick to my stomach about that uncertainty again. God is faithful. I know that this won't be my last "trust issue" with Him, but I hope that next time I'll just read my own blog and jump!

Didn't give trusting him a try yet? I'll encourage you to let go. Dare to jump and you'll have a story to tell. My one will continue. I hope yours, too.

Blessings,
maria

PS: Thanks Andy for the pic (May? 2003)... and making me fall into the rope.

Bolivia and trusting God

2008-01-18T00:24:00.000+01:00

Another reason for starting a blog (besides that "Give it a try-story") is my upcoming 6-months trip to Bolivia. I thought a blog might be a convenient tool to keep people updated on my joys and trials in that beautiful country.
My plane is taking off Feb 13 at 10.30pm (Central European Time) and I can't wait to go on board, sit down and just relax. The only problem: I still don't know exactly what I'll be doing there... I know it sounds crazy. Less than 4 weeks left and still no real plan of action... Well, it's not that I don't have ANY clue, but somehow stuff went wrong with the e-mails I wrote to several people at the Adventist university in Cochabamba (UAB). I've been almost going crazy, searching the internet for ways to get a hold of a person in charge - and no responses! I mean last year in August, I was told by a friend who had talked to the vice director of the university that I could come and just take the courses I would like to take (being education stuff, Greek and/or Hebrew). So far so good. But how to apply for a student visa without a document of confirmation from a university or school? Yesterday, I finally got an e-mail from sombody who kind of is in charge, but he told me that one thing I needed was a student visa... Great... 3.5 weeks left (including 6 finals just before I'll leave). Letters from Bolivia take at least a week... WOW... I felt my stomach turning upside down when I read the e-mail. So close... I just wrote him back and now I have to wait...

Going to UAB has been a dream of mine ever since I went there on a mission trip in 2005. It was my third time being in Bolivia and I had already fallen in love with the country and its people. I was about to add "Spanish" as a minor to my 2 majors (English and maths) so I knew I would have to improve my Spanish someday somehow somewhere. After staying on the UAB campus for 2 weeks, I knew what MY choice would be.
BUT... was it God's choice, too? I still don't know. In the process of fullfilling another dream (2006/2007, working as a dorm staff and teacher at Miracle Meadows School in West Virginia, a school for "at-risk youth"), I got introduced to 2 other projects in Bolivia besides the ones I already knew. Circumstances led to a change of my plan of action but when these circumstances changed back to "original", my plan did, too. Well... and now I'm waiting and trying my best not to go nuts.

It's SO hard to REALLY trust God sometimes. I mean even if it means that you might have to give up one of your dreams! To be honest - I couldn't give everything concerning Bolivia to God for quite a while. What if he wanted me in the jungle at a project run by Americans? I don't wanna have any Americans around me in Bolivia! I wanna be forced to speak Spanish day in day out!! I desperately need to improve in order to pass the advanced Spanish courses when I come back! What if God forgets about that...? (Stupid worry... I know...) I finally made the decision to trust. 100%. It's hard but I guess it's worth the trouble. Sometimes it means redeciding 5 times within an hour. That's where I'm at right now. I hope I'll improve but it's already turning into curiosity sometimes.

Yep. That's what I actually wanna be: just curious about where God is leading!

To be continued...
maria

(pic: Bolivian natural flag; Cochabamba/Bolivia, April 2005)

Goal for 2008

2008-01-16T19:17:00.000+01:00

I'm not a person of New Year's Resolutions. I've done them (seriously) once or twice but the only thing that I was able to turn into a habit as a result of them, was tidying up my room on a more regular basis. It's not a bad result though. Most people wouldn't believe me if I told them I was PRETTY messy. Well, just ask my Mom. I almost drove her crazy when I was a teenager. I mean I was ABLE to be organized when I CHOSE to be... but what for? I knew where my stuff was and nobody else had to know!! I think it was 2004 when I started the "becoming all tidy, disciplined and organized"-project. The organization and discipline part didn't work out the way I wished it to... but my room looks a lot better now!

So this year I'll try something different. (Yeah, I'll give it a try... lol.) I've formulated a main goal. One area I want to focus on, to work for and to grow in. Not just a habit but something were there is no limit to improvement. I want to "stay connected with God".
By this, I do not only mean a 5-min morning and evening devotion - I want to have Him as my invisible companion thoughout the whole day. I'm longing for radical and life transforming community and not just "a casual brush with a dusty old book" (David Asscherick). I wanna use all the resources I have to make Him the center of my daily life; my flash cards with bible verses when I'm waiting for the bus, sermons and songs on my mp3-player when I'm jogging or biking, my mini-bible when I'm in the plane or train... I don't understand this as a kind of a "sport" or just another way of "fixing my Christian outside appearance" but I've experienced "phases" like that before and they've been the most joyful times in my life. Last week, I listened to (the 4 available messages of) the "Beyond the Wall" series twice (Chestnut Ridge Church) . In the evenings I automatically grabbed my bible to read the book of Nehemiah and during the day I caught myself praying for my friends in the different parts of the States while staring at a map of the USA on the wall in class. I don't want to start not paying attention in class... =), but...

...I want things like talking to and about God, asking for his will, enjoying "holy" stuff (sounds so terribly pious...) become natural to me. THAT'S my focus for 2008. I only figured out that the input is incredibly important for the output and that it's easier to deal with feeding my brain the right stuff than to only struggle with correcting the output (= frustrating mission impossible). Yeah... so I guess I'll go ahead and just let you know once in a while how that experiment is progressing!

I wish you a still fairly new blessed 2008!
maria

(pic: Looking forward, looking ahead; Bolivia, April 2005)

Give it a try...!

2008-01-15T23:06:00.000+01:00

Well... that's one of my mottos and it's why I finally got a blog. If it works? Don't know. If it makes sense? Don't know that either, but nowadays it just feels like you have to have a blog... or at least you should have tried it once. It's a nice tool to share thoughts though and to keep people up to date when touring around the globe (= one of my favourite hobbies), but don't expect too much. I'm not a witty or extraordinarily gifted writer (although I love formulating thoughts in a written way), I might not be a very faithful blogger either and English is not my mother tongue. So don't get frustrated with my grammer or me maybe switching between German, English and Spanish in the future. You're always welcome to leave a comment though.

I hope you'll be blessed!
maria