I have been taken a missions class on; how to handle them, how to communicated, how to build relationships with those around you. I do live in a Westernize culture, but it is still different from my roots in some ways. There are similarities, but something’s will make you scratch your head as an “auslander”. I have decided to share the things that would put you on a most wanted list in Germany.
1. Start your car to warm it up for a while, without you in it. Let those fumes fill the air, and let the inside get really toasty. Then after 10 minutes go get in it and ride away.
2. Turn your heat on all day and night during the winter
3. Over light your house. Have more than a couple of lamps on at the same time.
4. Do not separate your trash accordingly…throw plastic in with the compost (that might get you put in prison)
5. Take a really hot shower
6. Tell them that global warming is a myth
7. In the Cashier line take your time, pay the cashier, and then load groceries slowly in the bags you brought.
8. Try to substitute your choice of a side on the menu for the one that is already given by the restaurant
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Das geht ab
I was able to go to another fair, but this time I had learned to avoid the rides that spun around for 10 minutes straight. Growing up we never really went to big fairs and now that I think of it I have never been to a circus. I think the reasoning was because my dad is very nervous around big crowds because he doesn’t want to get in trouble or do something wrong and my mom always thought the fair people who put together the rides were irresponsible and not to be trusted. If we ever did go to a fair or something with games and food we were only given enough for half a hot dog, so it was never a really fun experience.
We were able to go with some people from our church who are in our age group. We walked around the whole fair grounds and while doing so I picked up some different snacks and was able to try some horse. It is a food that you must try before you die. The pastor we work with enjoys digesting his horse with a good “high ho silver” at the end of his meal. At first I found it a little strange that we were eating every little girls dream animal, but then I realized I have probably eaten dog or cat in my life, so horse had to be better.
During our loop around the fair ground we saw a huge tent with a band. We decided to go back because it seemed to be where the majority of the people were going. This place was packed with huge picnic tables with almost every seat taken. We found a table and I noticed that there was a great dance floor. I could not pass up this opportunity to dance with Julia, while listening to some great 80’s and early 90’s music. While we were up on the dance floor, I noticed while we were dancing that there was a man all by himself. He was a pretty old bald guy dancing like Michael Jackson trying to bust a move. At one point during the night I noticed he was attempting the moon walk. These were not common songs that you would break dance to, it was “Ache Breaky Heart”, sung by a guy in a cowboy hat with a half painted white face like the mask from Phantom of the Opera.
Later while we were there, we were able to hear some classic German songs, to which all of the people sing and dance to. The ages were from very young to very old. We joined in and acted like we knew the songs and what to do, the key is to mumble in the same tone as everyone else and no one knows. At the end of the night I thought what a need there is for all of these people to hear the Gospel and the need for churches to do it. We assume that everyone knows the Gospel story and the truth the Jesus has died on the Cross to take away sin to anyone who believe in him. The problem is that those assumptions can kill the fervor for missions. I pray that God will send laborers into the harvest because the fields are white, that truth is continually displayed to me each and every time I see a large gathering of people.
We were able to go with some people from our church who are in our age group. We walked around the whole fair grounds and while doing so I picked up some different snacks and was able to try some horse. It is a food that you must try before you die. The pastor we work with enjoys digesting his horse with a good “high ho silver” at the end of his meal. At first I found it a little strange that we were eating every little girls dream animal, but then I realized I have probably eaten dog or cat in my life, so horse had to be better.
During our loop around the fair ground we saw a huge tent with a band. We decided to go back because it seemed to be where the majority of the people were going. This place was packed with huge picnic tables with almost every seat taken. We found a table and I noticed that there was a great dance floor. I could not pass up this opportunity to dance with Julia, while listening to some great 80’s and early 90’s music. While we were up on the dance floor, I noticed while we were dancing that there was a man all by himself. He was a pretty old bald guy dancing like Michael Jackson trying to bust a move. At one point during the night I noticed he was attempting the moon walk. These were not common songs that you would break dance to, it was “Ache Breaky Heart”, sung by a guy in a cowboy hat with a half painted white face like the mask from Phantom of the Opera.
Later while we were there, we were able to hear some classic German songs, to which all of the people sing and dance to. The ages were from very young to very old. We joined in and acted like we knew the songs and what to do, the key is to mumble in the same tone as everyone else and no one knows. At the end of the night I thought what a need there is for all of these people to hear the Gospel and the need for churches to do it. We assume that everyone knows the Gospel story and the truth the Jesus has died on the Cross to take away sin to anyone who believe in him. The problem is that those assumptions can kill the fervor for missions. I pray that God will send laborers into the harvest because the fields are white, that truth is continually displayed to me each and every time I see a large gathering of people.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Harvest Time
This season of “Harvest” is one of my favorite. I appreciate the smells, sights, and tastes of all that come from it. We’ve already carved pumpkins, gone to a harvest “fair” like the rest of the fairs in the world really, with cheap toys you wouldn’t even want for free, and body-rotting-delicious, sugar-coated EVERYthing; and we’ve even been given riper than ripe grapes right on the vine from a lady in our church whose parents own a vineyard.
I was reading in John 15 when Jesus says that He is the true vine and His Father God is the vinedresser. Every branch that doesn’t bear fruit He takes away; and those that do, He prunes to bear even more fruit!
He tells us “abide in Me, and I in you,” as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself. He says without Him we can do nothing, and if we don’t abide in Him we wither and are thrown out. We may wonder “really nothing?” As a self driven society we must remember that truly all that we have and do is from and for Him.
I’m trying to create for myself an all inclusive picture of what being a “disciple” looks like, as we see much alluding in the Bible to what we are to “do.” Many of us know it is nothing we can do, but that once we receive full belief through Jesus’ mercy poured out on our lives, we show changes that evidence a difference. Our fleshly desires war against our new desires, but when we abide in Him and His Word, we bear fruit. God relieves us through His Word which only makes sense when we actually read it, after trying to reason with things that cannot be reasoned with alone in own sin infiltrated thoughts.
It’s only when we abide in Him and His Word, we may ask and receive, bear more fruit, and can glorify Him as His disciples. Disciples produce more disciples, so in our pruning process we must help one another stand firm to prove that which is truly His!
I was reading in John 15 when Jesus says that He is the true vine and His Father God is the vinedresser. Every branch that doesn’t bear fruit He takes away; and those that do, He prunes to bear even more fruit!
He tells us “abide in Me, and I in you,” as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself. He says without Him we can do nothing, and if we don’t abide in Him we wither and are thrown out. We may wonder “really nothing?” As a self driven society we must remember that truly all that we have and do is from and for Him.
I’m trying to create for myself an all inclusive picture of what being a “disciple” looks like, as we see much alluding in the Bible to what we are to “do.” Many of us know it is nothing we can do, but that once we receive full belief through Jesus’ mercy poured out on our lives, we show changes that evidence a difference. Our fleshly desires war against our new desires, but when we abide in Him and His Word, we bear fruit. God relieves us through His Word which only makes sense when we actually read it, after trying to reason with things that cannot be reasoned with alone in own sin infiltrated thoughts.
It’s only when we abide in Him and His Word, we may ask and receive, bear more fruit, and can glorify Him as His disciples. Disciples produce more disciples, so in our pruning process we must help one another stand firm to prove that which is truly His!
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Let us drink with one another
Today I was able to partake in communion for the first time since being here. The thought did not occur to me that in Germany communion is a little bit different that what I am used to in the states. No, it was not with wine, we still had grape juice. I mean the way in which we partook as a “body of Christ”. I think I understand “being one body” a little bit better after today as well. They started the service, we read and sang together, then it was time to pass out the elements. We started just like it would start in the states with passing out the bread and we partook. After the bread the part came that would bind us together as a congregation, the drink. Julia and I are sitting in the back and realize they only have 2 cups. One was for one side of the room and the other for our side. Our side seemed to have a larger population of people. I saw Wilhms partake and then handed the cup to another elderly lady, at that moment Julia and I turn to each other and started giggling like little girls together. Then the thought crossed my mind if I could fake drink it or just drink it without putting my lips on it, to which my wife said, you can’t do that. For sanitation purposes they wipe it with a cloth at the mouth part, to try and ease your mind that it’s not germy. I don’t think if you sprayed the lip part with anti-bacterial spray it would make much of a difference, because we are all backwashing in one way shape or form. As the Elder passed it from row to row, it came time for me to partake. I was very nervous, it was show time, so I took it and thought, while in Rome do as the Romans do, and gulped it back. While I was drinking, I thought what would they do if I downed the whole thing? The thought made me laugh to myself and I knew I had to bury my head before Julia saw me laugh and had the juice go through her nose. When we were done, I thought how easy someone could say “they don’t have communion right”. I am guilty of that at times, posing American ideas of church on church. I continue to enjoy being in a foreign land that I am making home. It helps tear away “American ideas” and just truly following the Bible and what the Gospel truly is. It’s refreshing and very fun, the joy of missions. I would never trade these experiences in life for anything else. I can’t express how much fun Julia and I are having!
Saturday, October 17, 2009
First week of Work
Well I have completed my first week of work. I am working with children in a before and after school program that ranges from 1st grade to 6th grade. This week they had me go to training sessions in the morning and in the afternoon went to the school age center to work with kids. The last training videos they had me watch were mostly made during the Ronald Reagan president term in office. You can usually date the videos because the men’s and women’s lenses in the glasses were so large, when they were done using them you were able to send them to a 3rd world country and use them for house building materials. Another hint was that the jeans were stone washed and rolled on the bottom, and more perms than the eye can see. I could also date the videos because the high tech graphics. At the time it was pretty sweet to rewind everything really fast and put some fast piano music to it.
When doing CPR training, I told my instructor my manikin was ok and didn’t need attention or it was to unsafe and I am unable to give him CPR. That didn’t fly and I had to perform CPR on Adult, Child, and infant manikins a couple of times. Now I am CPR certified and First Aid trained!
A couple of my training course that I had to take, were also attended by Germans. The beginning of one of the classes the teacher made us do some Yoga like stretches and breathing. She wanted us all to get into a zone and close our eyes. I had to peak around the class to see what the German thought of this and she had a very dumb founded look on her face. She was half heartedly doing the stretches and had her eyes opened and with a look that seemed as if she was wondering why the teacher for food handling was making us “reach for the sky and breathe in and out slowly”. I took this class with all women about food prep and handling and at the end they all decided to do the next class at a buffet, you can only imagine how side track they got talking about recipes of their favorite dishes.
The Afternoons that I had with the kids was very fun and encouraging. It is great when you play basketball with little kids and they ask you if you played professional and are compared to an NBA player because I can bounce a ball between my legs. I just simply reply “No, I had to give it up early in life, so I could come here”. The kids are also amazed at my Lego building experience. I tell them it took time and some practice, but they can build like me some day as well. I have also had the great opportunity to share why Julia and I are here and have been able to have some great conversations. Please continue to pray for us as we work our Jobs and continue to work within the church. It’s great to see God continue to provide and bring people into our lives that we may be a light to and share the Gospel with.
When doing CPR training, I told my instructor my manikin was ok and didn’t need attention or it was to unsafe and I am unable to give him CPR. That didn’t fly and I had to perform CPR on Adult, Child, and infant manikins a couple of times. Now I am CPR certified and First Aid trained!
A couple of my training course that I had to take, were also attended by Germans. The beginning of one of the classes the teacher made us do some Yoga like stretches and breathing. She wanted us all to get into a zone and close our eyes. I had to peak around the class to see what the German thought of this and she had a very dumb founded look on her face. She was half heartedly doing the stretches and had her eyes opened and with a look that seemed as if she was wondering why the teacher for food handling was making us “reach for the sky and breathe in and out slowly”. I took this class with all women about food prep and handling and at the end they all decided to do the next class at a buffet, you can only imagine how side track they got talking about recipes of their favorite dishes.
The Afternoons that I had with the kids was very fun and encouraging. It is great when you play basketball with little kids and they ask you if you played professional and are compared to an NBA player because I can bounce a ball between my legs. I just simply reply “No, I had to give it up early in life, so I could come here”. The kids are also amazed at my Lego building experience. I tell them it took time and some practice, but they can build like me some day as well. I have also had the great opportunity to share why Julia and I are here and have been able to have some great conversations. Please continue to pray for us as we work our Jobs and continue to work within the church. It’s great to see God continue to provide and bring people into our lives that we may be a light to and share the Gospel with.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Detour
So as far as yesterday went, I hadn’t yet the opportunity to get lost in my new surroundings. I’ve always had ONE really frustrating experience each time I’ve moved, to discover roads that I’d rarely have taken on my own accord. Yesterday I made the notion that I’d wait to use the autobahn, and now day two of holding a new license, there was actually no way around it. After dropping Rich off for work, and thinking I had the whole morning to accomplish “my” agenda, I was thoroughly enjoying the breathtaking scenery of roads that are only suited for car commercials exposing the luxurious facets of the cars only our idolatrous eyes may gaze upon.
Well lo and behold, I had my first opportunity to encounter the new signs I now had to remember, and discuss the ‘Umleitung’ options with my fellow German roadmen. Whether I’m the new and ignorant American, or these Germans played a prank on me, I spent another involuntary hour in the car finding my way back to where I came from, and going in a huge circle until after three more people giving me directions for this detour, made my way more clear. Rich later said it sounded like a child’s storybook, as before I made it home I had come into contact with a construction worker, a store clerk, a taxi driver, and a ‘polizei.’ He also comforted that only this would happen to me, of which I believe is true. As I listened to the only CD we have in our little five gear auto, the words were quite ironic coming from the lips of David Crowder “just you and I,” referring to God and myself. It was true, a time to spend with Him that was unexpected, and the glory He’s adorned Himself with reflected in His creation of this beautiful country was the only redeeming factor to my madness.
I was able to observe the fall leaves that colored together reminded me of the frozen combination of peas and corn that I hated so much as a child. Random humorous circumstances can all too often turn out for our betterment, should we choose to see them that way. I must DAILY drop my agenda, not let the devil win in my anxious heart which fights for my own way or the highway, and let what comes, come as it may. I only feared my hubbie’s awe struck face were to tell him of the gas I wasted, but then again as our dear friend Michael here always remarks with a smirk; “Rich, what is the main point of ‘Calvinism?’ and to which Rich responds, “God’s sovereignty.” I told Rich if one of the greatest things we learn, relearn, and or remember from this internship with Michael is this ongoing reminder of God’s hand in our life, then we will look back with a smile and be all the more better for it:)
Well lo and behold, I had my first opportunity to encounter the new signs I now had to remember, and discuss the ‘Umleitung’ options with my fellow German roadmen. Whether I’m the new and ignorant American, or these Germans played a prank on me, I spent another involuntary hour in the car finding my way back to where I came from, and going in a huge circle until after three more people giving me directions for this detour, made my way more clear. Rich later said it sounded like a child’s storybook, as before I made it home I had come into contact with a construction worker, a store clerk, a taxi driver, and a ‘polizei.’ He also comforted that only this would happen to me, of which I believe is true. As I listened to the only CD we have in our little five gear auto, the words were quite ironic coming from the lips of David Crowder “just you and I,” referring to God and myself. It was true, a time to spend with Him that was unexpected, and the glory He’s adorned Himself with reflected in His creation of this beautiful country was the only redeeming factor to my madness.
I was able to observe the fall leaves that colored together reminded me of the frozen combination of peas and corn that I hated so much as a child. Random humorous circumstances can all too often turn out for our betterment, should we choose to see them that way. I must DAILY drop my agenda, not let the devil win in my anxious heart which fights for my own way or the highway, and let what comes, come as it may. I only feared my hubbie’s awe struck face were to tell him of the gas I wasted, but then again as our dear friend Michael here always remarks with a smirk; “Rich, what is the main point of ‘Calvinism?’ and to which Rich responds, “God’s sovereignty.” I told Rich if one of the greatest things we learn, relearn, and or remember from this internship with Michael is this ongoing reminder of God’s hand in our life, then we will look back with a smile and be all the more better for it:)
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Autobahn..- not so fast;/
Today I passed my German driver's license test. I learned something very inciteful; to study more than one time proves to be a good thing. I humbly admit I failed the first time, but only by two I have to disclaim. I feel a little more official as one who holds a new license in a new land, lets just hope I remember all the new rules! And as far as the autobahn goes, I think it's good if I avoid the passing lane there these first few months.
We went to our first mid week Bible study of which turned out to be cancelled due to the 'herbstfeiren' or fall break detaining many members. What was going to be our first 'hauskreis' ended up being a spontaneous movie night we imposed on our friends holding the what was going to be this 'hauskreis.' We watched "Marley and Me" for the second time; yet the first time 'auf Deutch.' They say this is good to do, to watch movies you know in the language you're learning, which supposively helps you much. Although very sad, I have to admit there is a lack of emotion emitted from a language that is not your own. It will be sometime, I believe, before we receive the eloquence that dresses communication when it is ordered just so. But the relationships we build in the process and the bit by bit we learn are all part of the road that leads to "Rome."
It will be built; we will learn this language:)
We went to our first mid week Bible study of which turned out to be cancelled due to the 'herbstfeiren' or fall break detaining many members. What was going to be our first 'hauskreis' ended up being a spontaneous movie night we imposed on our friends holding the what was going to be this 'hauskreis.' We watched "Marley and Me" for the second time; yet the first time 'auf Deutch.' They say this is good to do, to watch movies you know in the language you're learning, which supposively helps you much. Although very sad, I have to admit there is a lack of emotion emitted from a language that is not your own. It will be sometime, I believe, before we receive the eloquence that dresses communication when it is ordered just so. But the relationships we build in the process and the bit by bit we learn are all part of the road that leads to "Rome."
It will be built; we will learn this language:)
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