Great Ending

Moms card here I did come! Lol

Not really. Mom and I went shopping and we did 7 shops in an hour and ate sushi and cheesecake the other hour. Don't mess with us! Debrief was actually helpful to me today. It talked about expectations and how the only expectation you should really have is the one for Christ. When all the let downs happen to your expectations, then you should know that those thing happen for reasons we don't understand but it will all be ok with Christ. Very Profound. :)

Side note---Chris looks like my buddy Mike from Cincinnati and it is really freaking me out. Like mannerism, laughs and looks. Creeping me out. Seriously.

So Far So Good

Totally have been exhausted the last couple days and haven't updated the world on Berlin. Friday was a fun day. After we sat through the tiring morning of "lecture" we got out kid assignments and went to the school to decorate. FINALLY things are starting to look like what I signed up for. No more evangelistic outlooks. Our room will be so much fun! I am paired with a girl named Laura and she is an early childhood education major and we have two kids to tutor. Why they stuck the preschool teacher and the early education major together I will never know! I think our smart thoughts should be separated! But since they are not, we will have the most fun group in the place! Everyone will want to be in our tutor group! Anyways, after we went to the school we went to the Berlin wall. It was actually fun. Well maybe fun isn't the right word. It was very rewarding. I was able to see where the wall ran and parts of the actual wall. There was a memorial set up in the middle of the no mans land that had wall parts, memorial for the people who died and models showing where everything had once been.

So call it the stupid internet connection here at the hotel but I now am FINALLY able to finish my last post. The Berlin wall, breath taking. So much history to learn and not so much time.

On Saturday we went to Whittenberg. There we say the church where Martin Luther preached

and is laid to rest. We rode trains to get to and from, which was a neat experience since I haven't

done that since France. While we were there, it was SO hot. Actually it has been incredibly hot for the whole time! It was 100 degrees today! Unbelievable. But the problem was that no one would give us ice. Culturally they don't use ice because it is actually bad for you. You know

those Germans doing everything the healthy way,

except for the whole drinking and smoking thing :) While in the museum/house of Martin Luther mom and I came across two enclosed rooms full of books.

Old books that no one can touch because they are so fragile and valuable. What I would give to be in there, looking at them. Man oh man. That night I was really wanting to watch Germany play in the World Cup for 3rd place but we had been in the sun all day and I was exhausted. It seems to be the trend. I have been more tired than I would normally be in the states, AND I am getting at least 10 hours of sleep a night. Crazy stuff.

Sunday was fun. We took a 30 min ride to a church in West Berlin. That was neat because I was able to see how their churches were set up. Sermon was long and the translating ear phones hurt, plus it was sooooo hot. Don't the Germans believe in air conditioning? This is insane! After the wonderful 5 hours of free time, we went and had dinner at the Elmericks house. It was so nice of them to open their home. Their kids are just so cute! We had fellowship, debrief and of course yummy food. I stayed up late however because I wanted to finish my book, The Last Song. It hit home too close. Made me cry, but so did the movie.

Today was a good day. We started English Camp!!! The whole reason I am here. And of course I would get a challenging student. She wasn't really wanting to participate but I think all and all out tutor session went well with both our kids. However, downfall of life. So many stairs!! I am so tired of walking and going up and down stairs. I better be losing some weight! I haven't had any fried foods or beer either! :( Hopefully it will help kick start my body into shape!

Tonight we are going shopping! Moms credit card here I come! lol just kidding. Or am I??

Has it gotten better?

Lets just say that I am here to do Gods work. Not preach Gods will and way. I am his hands and feet, not his voice. I guess this is where the missionaries and I don't see eye to eye. I have learned today that though I would love to be a missionary, there would have to be some stipulations. For one being that I will not be preaching and spreading evangelism. I will be his hands, doing the work he is not able to. Leading by example and showing love through my actions will be how I will lead people to Christ. Well maybe there isn't really a place for me to mission out there and maybe I am in the right major and international social work is my real calling I don't really know.

Today was an interesting day to say the least. We started off in workshop, which could have been fun except it was like school. We were learning about culture. Not just the German culture but also reflecting upon our culture back home. What is my culture? What have I taken from my culture and what have I left behind? I truly believe that you must be open to differenced in order to be culturally competent.

After the fun filled day of lessons and crafts, we had some free time! Mom and I ventured out on our own and went shopping. On her credit card! That I don't have to pay back! :) I love vacationing with her! She doesn't know where there is an H&M in Ohio so she was excited for me. (We won't tell her there is one in Kenwood). After dinner out in a cafe, we went on this prayer walk. There isn't much I can say about it except it was truly weird and I don't want to ever do it again. I believe that God sees the things happening in the world and he needs us to do something about it not walk around and pray on it. He gave us two feet to work, not sit.

But the room is sleeping and it is dark and I am loud. Tata for now! (Germany 1 Africa 3) :)

We have arrived

The time has come! We are in Berlin! After a long flight with NO personal TV (Germany 0 Africa 1) we finally arrived in Berlin. Honestly it wasn't as bad as I thought except that I really wished we knew the language. Just the simple things like "Thank you", "excuse me" and "please". Because of our jetlag I look a 2 hour nap which turned out to be worse for me in the end. I was sooo exhausted after the nap, I thought it was cold outside and not sunny so I left my glasses in the room. All of those things were false. Needless to say, it was a really rough 5 hour workshop today of learning the metro, history of the organization and seeing not experiencing the city. (Germany 0 Africa 2). Another thing is we received our schedules today, it is so structured. I am barely going to be able to shop at all. It is a bummer. Not as laid back. Again, Germany 0 Africa 3.

I am pissed, excuse my language, but the fact that Germany is playing Spain in the world cup today and I am so tired that I need to sleep makes me so mad. They are all partying right now but if I don't get sleep, tomorrow will be just like today and I don't want that. So everyone cheer for Germany! That way I can watch it on Sunday!! GO GERMANY!!

That is all for now. Talk to you all tomorrow! Lets hope God gives me the strength to not kill the members of my group and begin to enjoy Germany. It has some catching up to do.