Steiger kids

I cannot believe I am halfway through my time here in Germany! I feel as though things have just begun and I'm finally getting in a groove. It has taken much energy to keep the kids engaged morning and night. I have a variety of ages and languages I am working with. Fortunately, I have one translator but I wish I had more! I am getting a lot of use out of my Spanish though! I work with one girl from Belarus and one from Poland. They are so sweet and have been such a help to me. The children are learning all sorts of new games, English phrases and worship songs:) in the midst of all this I have Asher( my girlfriend's son who I am nannying) with me. He is my little sidekick and he is doing a great job of training me for what motherhood is going to be like lol. I really love the kids I am working with and despite the language barrier at times or the stress, we have all become really connected! I am going to miss them when the summer is over.

During the duration of the school I have a few chances to get away for holiday. I recently just got from Paris! It was such an amazing experience! Ever since I can remember I have dreamed of going to France. I have pictures throughout my house and it is something I have always said someday I will go. Fortunately I have a girlfriend who lives in Paris so I was not only able to experience all the touristy things but I was able to be in the culture and enjoy the French culture. I love the French spirit, long meals, late evenings of music conversations and of course food... It's a very free, warm culture. The Eiffel Tower was quite amazing. I was able to climb up it and see it all lit up at night. I enjoyed getting lost in the quaint neighborhoods and stumbling across cute cafés and shops. I am so thankful for the beautiful experience in France and hope to return there sooner rather than later!

Greetins from Germany! I am getting to do some really great things here in Germany but it also has been a humbling experience as well ( missionary preparation lol) cold showers... Lack of internet... No control of schedule, Ect. On weekends we do outreach in Dresden. We spend most of the day there walking the streets and hanging in the park building relationships. We then invite these people to a cafe which had been donated for our use. Yesterday was the first day we opened the cafe to customers. We got there early in the day and started decorating and setting up. We sold different food and drink items. My restaurant serving and managing experience came in very handy! It was quite interesting working and trying to organize everything with people who spoke all different languages! We had quite a good turnout. The cafe is on a very busy street and so the music really drew everyone in. We finished the time of music by inviting the people to a Bible study that we shared immediately after. Some people stayed around and listened. We are excited to see how God is going to use us! Children's ministry is going pretty well. It has been quite tiring since it feels like I am with kids all the time:) I am getting a chance to practice my Spanish a lot and I am going to start studying Portuguese! (They are many Brazilians at the school) I have been able to make some wonderful friends and God is really using this experience to stretch me. Thank you for all your prayers!

I arrived in Germany safe and sound! I was very surprised by how smoothly my trip went. I was somewhat nervous about my travels but all the details came together and I really had a great trip. The first week was very busy here for me as I was preparing for the school to start. I was also trying to get adjusted to the seven hour time difference. We have about fifty adult students here at the school. They are from all differnt places aroun the world. I am really enjoying the multi cultural experience! I have ten children in my program. They are really fun! I have two translators to help me. I'm hoping by the end of the summer I will know a little bit of Portuguese, German and Russian:) Somehow we are all able to communicate. On Saturdays we do out reaches in the near by city of Dresden. Steiger ministries has partnered with many local churches and there is a cafe downtown which we will use as a place to invite people to. Dresden is a city full of young people. It's very alive and active so we are hoping to use our music, dramas and sporting activities to draw people in to hear the gospel. Many of you have been praying for my health and I am really thankful for those prayers! The first week was somewhat difficult with my diet but I have been able to find some great organic stores and I have most things that i would typically use in the States here. I have very limited internet access so I will try and post when I can! Last week I went to Poland for the first time and I was asked to drive because I am one of the few who know how to drive manual lol. It was quite an adventure! This week I will be going to Prague for a bit and the following week to Paris. Thank you again for all your prayers! God is really moving here and I am so thankful I am able to be apart of all of this!

It's time to catch up!

It has been quite some time since I have updated my blog...Life gets away from you sometimes! I am going to attempt to summarize the last two years of my life in a short post to get everyone up to speed with where I am at:) I wrapped up my time in Mexico City and headed back to Minnesota not sure exactly what was next. I had no job lined up, no agenda, just knew I was suppose to be back in Minnesota. My time in Mexico City was amazing, hard and life changing. I met so many wonderful people and I was able to have some crazy experiences! In short what I did in Mexico City was teach at a private school helping them develop an English program. In my free time I attended UNAM for language school and I also volunteered at a home for girls being rescued out of trafficking. God used these different experiences to prepare my heart for what was next. When I came back to Minnesota I partnered with my sister to begin a non profit to bring awareness about sex trafficking in the United States. It has been quite a journey this last year learning what it takes to start and run a non profit. There have been many highs and lows on this journey! Here is our website if you would like to see what we are up to: www.united1front.org I am wrapping up the school year and preparing to head to Germany for the summer! I will be working with Steiger Ministries. I am very excited for this next experience. It's crazy the journey God is taking me on. It by far has not been boring! Sometimes it is hard to understand the plans of God but I have come to learn to trust and follow His leading. He is a faithful and good God. I will begin to update this blog more periodically about my travels and opportunities in Germany. Please keep me in your prayers and thoughts!

Josh is home!!

I am so excited that Joshua is finally home! Unfortunately, I am not there to enjoy him, but it is so nice just to know he is finally back and safe. Joshua was gone for about a year overseas with the military.
It was really hard for me to say goodbye to him when he left because I did not know the next time I would see him. I knew I was probably going to be moving down to Mexico long term and I was unsure the next time our paths would cross. Josh is one of my best friends and throughout the years he has been one of the greatest sources of encouragement and inspiration to me.
I am so thankful for technology. Skype was a saving factor this past year. I was thankful for the hours of conversation I was still able to have with my brother. Even though were thousands of miles apart we were still able to stay in touch quite regularly and encourage each other on in what we were pursuing.
This year went by so quickly! I cannot believe he is home. I have seen Josh grow so much this past year. I know life was not always easy overseas and at times it was difficult being away from family but I know God did some awesome things through him and in him. Josh I'm so glad you're home. Proud of you and of all you have accomplished!!!

Treasure...

Today as I was doing my devotions I was listening to a song by desperation called Treasure. These lines from the song jumped out at me:
"I would run for a thousand years
If I knew every step would be getting me closer
I'd swim to the ocean floor
For my Lord is the treasure
My Lord is the treasure "

Why did these lyrics stand out? Let me explain...

Many of you probably haven't realized how difficult these past few months have been for me. Life has been insanely busy and I have not been able to send out updates as I would have liked. I will give you a glimpse of my schedule these past few months. Monday-Friday, leave my home at seven, teach eight to three. Leave school and head to language school from four to seven, catch a bus and hopefully be home by eight thirty. Weekends were spent planning lessons, studying the language, helping at church, ect.
I am the type of person who likes to keep myself busy but I have realized being busy in a foreign country is a little different then being busy in the United States where everything is familiar. It was not so much the crazy schedule that got to me but the fact that everything was so new and everyday I left my house it took all my energy to push through the demands of being in a new country. Needless to say, these past few months have probably been one of the biggest challenges I have ever taken on.

So back to the lyrics. Treasure, what is my treasure? What do I value? What drives me to do what I do? Today I was once again reminded of why I am back here in Mexico. I believe it is very easy no matter what we are doing in our live to loose focus and get discouraged. Maybe we feel that what we are doing is not making a difference, maybe we are not seeing the results we thought we should have been seeing, or maybe the task at hand seems overwhelmingly difficult?
I have felt all the above. I am having to put these feelings in check and remember what is driving me: I will do crazy things, difficult things as long as I know it's bringing me closer to you God, because God you are my treasure you are the one I am running after. Everything I am going through is bringing me closer to you.