Thursday, December 30

I got up and drank some green tea, said good morning to Mark and his cousin and then headed outside to my little sanctuary for some time in prayer. It was absolutely beautiful outside! A light snow was falling, no wind and every tree branch was outlined in little snowflakes. I was going to sing again this morning, but enjoyed just sitting and taking in the calmness of the morning and praying. Eventually I got cold and went back inside to find the men had left for Berlin. I cleaned up the kitchen, went into the cellar and grabbed the dry clothes and brought them upstairs to be ironed. Then I spent some time watching Hallmark movie trailers. I really want to see the Hallmark “Uncorked”, but they didn’t have the right one online.

Eventually the girls got up and we congregated in the kitchen. We ate some toast around noon. I left the kitchen to find everyone had just moved to the couches, so I grabbed a book and started reading. Nancy made a fire so it was kind of cozy. For a late afternoon lunch we had soup.

After lunch, we walked out to check on the deer. Nancy said sometimes when the hay bales come they have twine on them and the deer antlers get stuck in them. One deer died last year because it got stuck. Several of the deer came over to the fence, so we were able to get pictures with them. Now I have proof of how close we got to them! J It felt so much colder this afternoon than it did this morning, so I was thankful when we headed inside. I was freezing!

This afternoon, we played connect 4, uno spin, and who is it? We painted nails and ate junk food. After the girls showed off their dance moves for their dad we went into the cellar to watch a movie. 

Wednesday, December 29

This morning I got up early and got ready to tackle the day. I headed outside for a private walk around the perimeter of the backyard.  I found a bench under a large tree and enjoyed sitting there, taking in the quietness and calmness of nature. I started singing and had a little time of spiritual renewal and worship. The words to “I Love You, Lord” really struck me this morning. I love singing, but I have to admit I was missing my singing buddies and harmony.

Mark and Nancy were in Berlin all day in, so the girls and I went for a walk, played dominoes, Wii Dance, and other games, and I ironed and ironed and ironed! J

For lunch, Nancy had made a delicious soup. I prayed before I began to eat and this time actually bowed my head (usually I pray in my head before I eat). The girls asked what I was doing so I told them and said I pray before every meal.  They started laughing. I couldn’t figure out why they found that funny. Then Gloria asked me to pray again. At first I was hesitant to do so because I didn’t know if they were just wanting to mock prayer, so I made sure they really wanted me to and prayed again, out loud. A simple, but heartfelt prayer and then resumed eating. Helena translated the prayer for Gloria. They didn’t say much afterwards about it, but Gloria kept looking at me and saying “you pray?” I guess it made an impression on her. J

For dinner, we ate Burger King. When I opened the door for Mark and Nancy, I was greeted by Mark’s cousin from Spain. I didn’t know he was coming! J I like him though and he knows some English. We were going to watch a movie, but it got too late.

Tuesday, December 28

This morning I got up and listened to some Christian music. It was wonderful to fill my head with words and thoughts of praise!

We left to visit some friends around noon. They live in Berlin, but on the weekend they go to their apartment in the country (it’s in a hotel). It is in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by woods: absolutely beautiful! The adults drank champagne and the girls and I drank a non-alcoholic beer-type drink. I’m guessing Mark or Nancy mentioned I didn’t drink to their friends because it wasn’t even offered to me. They had invited their neighbor over for dinner and he brought several bottles of different soft drinks for us.

There wasn’t enough room for all of us to eat at the same time, so the girls and I went to the pool while the adults ate dinner. They tried giving me directions to the pool and I thought I understood, but I don’t think we went the way they said to go. J We ended up walking out the garage and around to the front of the hotel to the reception area to get directions…in the cold…without our jackets. We walked as fast as we could! Nancy said the hotel was very touristy, so everyone would be able to speak at least a little bit of English. We finally found the pool area and changed into our swimsuits. It was painfully quiet in the pool area, so I didn't feel like we could make any noise. 

The pool was very nice and just shallow enough that I could stand (which was good because the girls both held on to me at different times). It was large and had an area where there were jets. The pool also went outside to another big pool area. Of course there was snow everywhere and the air was especially frigid, so we swam out there, looked around and promptly swam back inside. I was looking forward to swimming for an hour or so, getting some exercise and working on my strokes, but the girls were bored and didn’t like the pool, so we got out. The girls wanted to go back to the apartment. I asked them what they thought we were going to do once we got back and they didn’t know, but they were done swimming. We only swam for about 15 minutes, if that. 

We got back to the locker room and took showers, got dressed again and dried our hair. We handed in the locker keys and headed back upstairs to walk back to the garage. When we got back to where the car was parked, the door to the building was locked and we couldn’t get in. We tried the cell phone, but the battery died, so we couldn’t call Nancy to come let us in. So what could we do? We walked back to the registration desk. I told the girls we were “making memories!” 

We aksed the registration lady for directions. Long story short, we had to go back outside to find the building and ended up going into two wrong ones before finding the correct one, but the door was locked. By that time it was dark outside and the girls were cold! Helena finally thought to look at the business card and sure enough, they were registered on the door under the business name, not their last name. We rang and they opened the door for us. The girls were so thankful to get warm again.

We arrived and were served dinner: cow cheek, mushrooms and gravy, and potato balls. It was very good and very filling. For dessert, we had a type of apple crisp and vanilla ice cream. It was delicious! The girls watched cartoons for the rest of the evening. I looked at a magazine pictures, watched a little TV and prayed the time would go by quickly. The men smoked several cigars. I was thankful for fresh air.

Everyone was extremely nice and wished me a nice stay in Germany and hoped I would be able to stay for a long time. I never really understand how people can say that because they didn’t really get to know me at all. I have to assume (and pray) they saw the Lord in me somehow and were struck by that.

Monday, December 27

I think I was the last one to get up this morning. We played a little Wii (basketball and water skiing), ate some cereal and then bundled up to go walk around the little town. On the way we picked up the neighbor girl. She had to get dressed in her winter gear so we went into their courtyard where they had a big pile of snow. The girls started sledding down the hill and we ended up never going for our walk. We played for several hours. The neighbor dad and brother came out and we ended up having a huge snowball fight. At first it was everyone against the dad, but then the son switched to his dad’s team so it was girls against boys. Somehow only the dad could make snowballs so we started using shovels to dump snow on him in ambush and steal his arsenal of snowballs. It was a blast!

They have a pool in their backyard, so we took a break and went back there to see the pool then went to see the deer. About that time, Mark called to say the tractor was stuck and needed our help, so I pulled the son on the sled as we walked back to the house. Mark got the tractor unstuck and Nancy and I went to shovel out the back gate so food could be brought for the deer. We got that unstuck, then had to clear away the iron gate to the deer pen. The deer were so hungry they were coming right up to us, which Nancy said was very unusual. We had to throw snow at them to keep them from getting too close or getting out. Later, a big tractor came with a load of hay for the 14 deer. Nancy said they need to buy another deer so they don’t inbreed too much. I’m not sure what they’re going to do with the deer, but they’re pretty. She said the white one is very unusual.

I made a snow angel and then the neighbors left. The girls were making an igloo and wanted me to help, but I begged off and went inside with Nancy. The girls were soon to follow. We played monopoly, Wii Dance (I won three times, but didn’t beat Helena. I don’t think I hold the controller correctly so it can read my motions.), pick up sticks (I beat Helena twice and am VERY proud of that!!! She always wins! :)).

I got to skype the family and talk with just about everyone. The kids are getting so big!

Sunday, December 26

Today I woke up and got ready before the rest of the house was stirring, so I went to the kitchen with my Bible, made myself a cup of tea and at a banana with peanut butter while I read my Bible (the end of John 21). I had actually forgotten it was Sunday and was so thankful the Lord woke me up early so I could have some quiet time with Him. I was struck by verses 21-22 when Jesus is telling Peter how his death will glorify God.

“When Peter saw him (the disciple whom Jesus loved), he said to Jesus, ‘Lord, what about this man?’ Jesus said to him, ‘If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!’”

What a great reminder for me. YOU FOLLOW ME! Don’t worry about who might be watching, don’t worry about what other’s may think, don’t worry about other people and how they are (or aren’t) following the Lord…YOU FOLLOW ME!

After the rest of the family got up, we headed to Berlin to pick up Nancy’s parents and then headed to a friend's house. They live on a hill overlooking a lake. It was beautiful. Unfortunately, I didn’t think to take any pictures until it was dark. L 

We arrived at the house and didn’t eat for several hours. By then, we were all really hungry. We ate goose, potato balls and gravy, and red cabbage. I filled up on the goose.

After dinner we watched Caroline, the Halloween movie (3D) in German with English subtitles. It was actually kind of scary; very dark and sadistic. Then we played a couple Halloween board games then started watching a concert of older artists. The girls and I sat on the couch pretending to play instruments, tickling Gloria, and hitting each other with the pillow.

Gloria loves riding on my back, so I give her piggy-back rides all the time now. In the car on the way back to Berlin, Gloria and I played a game. She said something in English then I had to say it in German. They were simple sentences, but I still got to practice a little bit. We played the staring game and then a laughing game. If you laughed, you were out. I was tired enough that nothing was funny, so I won every time! J

Saturday, December 25

Today was an incredibly lazy day. We woke up late and stayed home.

We bundled up and went outside to the fresh snow. First, we headed out to the back gate to feed the deer vegetable shavings. I was expecting to show the food on the ground and see maybe one deer. However, when we were tromping back there, deer with huge antlers were already walking by the gate! And they just stood there! I walked right up to the gate and could have put my hand through and touched the biggest one, they were that close! There were 11 of them, in various sizes. The biggest one wouldn’t let many of the others too close to the food. Arielle scared them a few times, but they always came back. Nancy said the winter has been hard on them so they are hungry. I wished I had had my camera with me, it was so pretty, but alas, I didn’t. There will be other times.

We then headed back to the house, went through the barn to the other side to find Mark had roped a sled to the back of the four-wheeler! All three of us girls got on and held our feet up while he pulled us around. I was in the back and almost fell off a couple of times, but it was so much fun! Then we started shoveling.

The neighbors came over and Mark gave the kids another ride on the sled. We ate the goose Mark made today with leftovers from Christmas dinner. It was good! After I cleaned up the dishes, I went upstairs and had a few minutes to skype with my aunt and uncle and their girls. They got to meet the family and a couple of the dogs. We weren’t able to talk for very long, but it was nice to see them and hear from them. 

We went to the neighbors house for the rest of the evening. I was surprised to find it completely beautiful and modern inside! Lots of wood, beautiful furnishings and a nice open space in the living room for playing! It had the cozy homey feel with pictures of their kids everywhere! 

I sipped the wine I had been given VERY slowly (so not to be rude) and listened to the adults talk. I eventually got some water to drink instead of the wine. The girls came out and started playing the Wii. Before long, the two dads and I were also playing. The Neighbor dad and I were the tennis champions! They also got out a race track and the kids had fun playing with that (the dads too). We ate candy and pretzels and laughed. It turned out to be a very enjoyable time and I feel more comfortable with that family now.

As we walked back to the house, I was amazed at how quiet and peaceful the night was. I was really missing my night walking buddy!

CHRISTMAS (December 24)

Mark set to work preparing the rest of the food. Thankfully we didn’t eat raw venison, although it was still bloody in the middle when it was “finished”. I helped as much as I could.

Dinner was really formal so I got to dress up after all. I french braided Helena and Nancy’s hair, which turned out really nice. The family arrived all dressed up. Everyone looked great! Mark got out goblets and put a couple raspberries in the glasses and then champagne. He gave me the smallest glass there was, and really it was quite small. I don’t think I actually finished the whole thing. I drank a lot of apple juice. :) 

The first course was a broth to wet our appetite. The second course was raw salmon and kaviar with a special dip. We had to take a break after the second course so we could wash the plates to use for the third course. Mark made mashed potatoes with the Trϋffer mixed in and on top there were four fried quail eggs. It was really good; probably my favorite course. Several times during the evening, I was in the kitchen helping, but every once in a while Mark's brother would kick me out so he and Mark could cook. We took another break and then ate red cabbage, hashbrown patties, and venison. 

We opened presents before the last course which was dessert. At first Gloria came out in a santa suit and fake beard. She looked so cute and small. Eventually everyone started handing out gifts. I was so surprised at how many I received. Both the girls gave me homemade cards written in English. Mark and Nancy enrolled me in a German class. WOOHOO!

We went to the church for the 9 o’clock service. I couldn’t understand anything, but we sang a couple of songs and the pastor spoke. It was absolutely silent before the service started. No one socialized or anything. So different from church at home. We got seats on the benches, so we stayed warm. It was snowing lightly which made the roads slippery. Then we ate dessert, which was halved pears soaked in wine with some ice cream on top. I ate the ice cream first so it wouldn’t melt too quickly on the warm pears, but when I started eating the pears, my teeth started hurting. The pears also had a spicy taste to them.

After dessert, I started yawning and Nancy’s mom wanted me to just go to bed. Mark said everyone would be staying for a while longer so he gave me “permission” to go skype my family. I couldn’t get ahold of them, so I looked on facebook and saw a friend was online, so I chatted with her and then asked her to call dad and let him know I was trying to skype. Thank the Lord for the internet! 

I talked to mom and dad for a while and saw my NURSING LICENSE!!!! I’m so excited it arrived at home! Praise the Lord I passed!! After a while, Nancy came in and started talking to mom and dad and then Mark came in and was talking hunting. We ended up talking with them until the wee hours of the morning, but it was well worth it!

Thursday, December 23

Today we got right to work decorating the dining room and setting the table. Every year Nancy decorates the room for Christmas a different color. Last year was purple; this year is red and silver. Like one of the polish workers said, it looked grand enough for a king.

Mark arrived with the Christmas tree. He had to go to the woods to cut it down and actually found a tree he liked, but it was too big (like the tree in the front yard) so they cut it down and only took the top of the tree. Even then, they had to do some additional cutting at the top so it would fit in the house (and the house ceilings are tall!) We had to stand on chairs and use a hook to get some of the ornaments on the higher branches. We had to let the tree thaw before we could decorate it. There was water everywhere for a while. They don’t put lights on their tree, but literally hundreds of colored balls and other ornaments. Looking at the tree, it doesn’t look like there are that many balls on the tree, but I put a lot of them on and there are hundreds!

I made a card for the Weinholz family out of brown paper and wrapping paper. I was pretty proud of myself. I don’t really have a formal gift for them except the ornament mom sent with me, so I wanted to make a card to say thank you. The girls had some wrapping they did too.

Mark came home from getting groceries for dinner tomorrow. I guess I didn’t realize what a big and fancy meal they make for Christmas! We peeled dozens of carrots, several bags of potatoes, and pears. I then halved and decored the pears so they could soak in red wine. Mark is the head chef and definitely knows what he’s doing. He prepared the venison and pork and then put olive oil and this mixture of herbs (he had to crush and mix together with a stone) on them. Nancy ate pieces of venison raw! I couldn’t believe it. She said its okay to do, so I tried a piece. Let's just say I prefer my meat cooked. Helena agreed with me. Mark said we were going to eat the meat raw tomorrow. I hope he was pulling my leg.

Mark had some presents for Nancy he asked me to wrap, so I worked on that and listened to country Christmas music. We listened to Christmas music all day, most of it in English! Different artists, but usually the same songs with a little variation. Mark and Nancy both got the same gift for each other. I know this because I wrapped both boxes! I wanted to say something so badly, but I refrained. It’ll be fun to see their reactions when they figure it out. J After I got done wrapping gifts and cleaning up, we went downstairs to watch their family traditional Christmas movie. I can’t remember what the name was, but everything bad that can happen to a family around Christmas, happens. 

Correction

The other morning I ate QUAIL eggs, NOT squirrel eggs. Squirrels are mammals and can’t lay eggs! In my defense, I was told the wrong animal. Okay…I just wasn’t thinking. Thank you Bob for bringing this error to my attention…several times J

Wednesday, December 22

This morning I wanted to kill my alarm clock, but I got up and woke Gloria up so she could get ready and have time to practice her poem. Mark was up early this morning and made the girls pink vanilla tea. After the girls left, I went back to my room and Josh was online. It’s amazing how the Lord worked that out. Every time I have a computer question, he’s on facebook at 1-2 am! My antivirus protection was going to end and to update it, I needed to buy it. Well, I wasn’t about to do that, so he helped me download a different software and then delete my previous one so I wouldn’t keep getting update reminders.

For lunch I ate leftovers. I got to talk to Wendy and mom on facebook chat too. The girls got home and I ironed for a little bit. 

The girls got a snack and made tea and we played a game like LIFE (I think, but probably not the game I’m thinking of), but with wood pieces. There wasn’t a little bubble to push to roll the dice, there was just a dice. Helena won. Again. 

We changed so we were ready for the Christmas party tonight. Nancy had given me the impression it was a fancy party so I was prepared to wear my best, but then the girls started getting out jeans. I had Gloria call Nancy to double check the attire for the night and sure enough, it was sporty elegant. So we’re wearing jeans. I was kind of looking forward to dressing up a little bit. Oh well.

We arrived at the apartment for the Christmas party and there were white lights on the building from top to bottom, three stories. It was beautiful! The apartment was packed with people! I wasn’t expecting so many people to be there. The lights were dimmed, candles burning, people standing talking and eating. They had catered different soups and bread (spinach, carrot, Italian soup). They had white wine, alcoholic Christmas drink, and hot punch for the kids. Can you guess what I drank? J The punch was really good and sweet. I was surprised at how many little kids were there. I felt like an outsider at first, not knowing anyone and not knowing what anyone was saying. While we were eating some soup, a little girl was trying to put a stocking back where she found it, so I went to help. In the process, she started talking to me and I just smiled. Helena said she wanted to look inside the stocking. Oops! It was just decoration so there wasn’t anything in it, but still. I stayed with the girls so I wouldn’t look more awkward than I already did. 

We joined Nancy at the table and just stood there with a little grin on my face, hoping I didn’t look bored or upset. Then one of the hosts came over and put a piece of plastic on the dark floor. I was wondering what he was up to when he called to Mark that Lissy had gone to the bathroom on the floor. I started cracking up. Both Mark and Nancy quickly came over to clean it up, while I was trying not to give it all away, but Nancy saw me laughing and kept asking me if Lissy had really gone to the bathroom. I couldn’t answer her, I was laughing too hard. Mark grabbed some napkins and put them down on the “wet spot” to clean it up. At that point, they figured out it was just a prank. The host was laughing and gave me a high five. It was hilarious! After that, I felt comfortable.

They had paper on the table and pens for the kids to draw and play with, so the girls and I started playing hangman with different words and phrases. One of my phrases was “What is the meaning of Christmas?” Helena solved it and started to move on, but I made her answer the question. She was confused for a few seconds and then said Jesus was born. I asked her why HIS birth was so important. Why do we celebrate His birth and not someone else’s worldwide.  She responded by saying “some people think he is the Son of God.” I affirmed her statement, but added; “it’s not some people who think that. That’s what the Bible says.” I don’t think she really cared.

The girls were getting so tired. Lulu (Gloria) was sitting on my lap and leaning more and more on me. Just before we were leaving, the host turned up Christmas carols so of course Mark started singing. He’s constantly singing, but he’s got a great voice, so I don’t mind. I sang along, but not quite as loud. 

On the way home, we stopped at a little restaurant so Mark could eat something and we could eat some French fries. They like to dip their fries in mayonnaise instead of ketchup. GROSS! 

By the time we got back to the house, it was around 1:30am. I carried Lulu inside and helped her get her jacket and boots off since she had been sleeping and was too tired to move. She’s such a cutie!

Random thoughts: In Germany, it is polite to say you have to go peepee. 

Also, every once in a while I hear Gloria say “oh my goodness” about something. J It’s my little reminder that although sometimes I have a hard time communicating with her, she is still watching and listening to me and picking my habits up. 

Tuesday, December 21

This morning I got up, dressed, got the girls up and out the door, drank my tea, and said goodbye to Mark and Nancy. I opted to stay at the house because I had my own things to get done. 

This morning the internet wasn’t working, so I went to Mark’s computer to try to get online and that wasn’t working either, so I looked at the wireless modem and didn’t know what to do so I just made sure everything was plugged in right. I guess that did the trick because it started working again.

I listened to music as I hung the laundry up to dry and figured out how to start the dryer. Not sure what I did, but it started working. J I ironed clothes for a few hours and then worked on the computer for a while. I heard the weather in London right now is pretty bad. All the airports are closed. Germany roads are pretty bad, but I think worse weather is on the way: rain followed by cold temperatures.

Stacey had a two hour delay so we were able to skype for close to an hour and a half! 

I had just enough time to finish my journals and post them on my blog (a huge accomplishment in such a small amount of time) before the girls arrived home from school. Unfortunately, Mark and Nancy had taken both sets of house keys with them, so I couldn’t unlock the gate to open the front door for the girls. I was able to reach through the gate to open the front door so Helena could help me find the keys, but they were gone. We got ahold of Mark who told me how to open the side door. I felt like I was in a prison, looking out the gate at the girls trying to figure out how to open it. It was hilarious.

We played a game similar to Scattegories. We took turns picking a letter of the alphabet and had to think of a word starting with that letter for every category (country, name, animal, plants, food). We did it in German, so I had to use the dictionary for help. The problem was that the words I thought of in my head started with a different letter in German. It was interesting. Helena won, but only by 5 points.

Helena played solitaire on my computer, while Gloria worked on some school work and I worked on labeling body parts in German (leg, head, arm, feet, tongue, etc).

When Mark and Nancy got home, they set to work on dinner, making homemade Schnitzel. I’ve never seen anyone beat meat like Mark did. He cut the pork into thick slices, then took a special hammer and hammered the pork into flat pieces of meat. He floured the meat, dipped it into an egg and milk mixture, then covered it with corn meal powder before frying it in oil and butter. I helped make the rice. Dinner was wonderful! After dinner, the girls got goofy and put peas in the front of their mouth so Nancy could squish them against their teeth. It was hilarious!

I helped Gloria memorize a “phrase” (it’s actually a poem) for school. I read the poem and she laughed uncontrollably as my pronunciation. It’s so hard to pronounce words accurately, but I’m trying! I finally kicked her out the room so she wouldn’t laugh while I read it for Helena, but she laughed too. J Gloria also had to practice a short exercise dance to music. She thought it was funny when I got up and did it with her. Eventually the whole family was in my room. I was saved from having to read the poem again in front of the whole family. It's one thing to do it for the girls, but totally different in front of Mark and Nancy! 

Monday, December 20

This morning I actually woke up before my alarm went off OR the church bells. I woke the girls up and got myself ready before heading downstairs to make the girls lunches (I cut my finger while slicing bread) and myself some tea. I think they actually eat the food on the bus, but I’m not sure.  After they left, I went back to my room and played spider solitaire. I realized I hadn’t heard Mark or Nancy moving about, so I got up and got dressed because I knew Manwella would be coming soon. I let her in and tried some German on her. “Guten Morgen. Wie geht es Ihnen?” She seemed surprised that I said more than just good morning, so I was pleased. 

I went to the kitchen to find Lissy had pooped on the floor. After cleaning it up, I let the dogs outside. Usually Helena does that in the morning, but I think she forgot today. I started making myself toast when Mark came in and asked if I was ready for breakfast. As he was getting ready to start cooking, he saw my Bible and study books on the counter. (I had thought I would have some quiet time before they came downstairs. I’m going to have to have my quiet time right after the girls leave. That seems to be the only time I have to myself all day.) As I ate an orange, he told me about this book “The Shed” that he read about a girl who gets kidnapped and killed. Her dad loses his faith and has an encounter with “God” (the Father is a black woman, etc.) I'm not too interested in reading it from how he described it. 

Mark fried squirrel eggs (they’re so small!) which we put on toasted bread and drank jasmine tea. It was lovely! I love jasmine tea (and glad they do too because I forgot mine at home). 

After breakfast, I started wrapping presents (Nancy calls it packing). I’m not too creative, but I did my best creating bows (which I’m very proud of) and making them look fancy. I worked on that for a few hours. I had just enough time to check my email before Nancy asked me to help iron clothes. They iron everything! She has a drier, but only uses it on select clothing items. So pants (including jeans), shirts, dish towels, etc. get ironed. The water here is really hard, so the clothes come out really coarse, so ironing softens them again. It also makes my hair coarse.

We picked up the girls from school, stopped to pick up meat, and then went home. The neighbor girl came over and played for a while. I guess at school today, she shared that I was here, so her teacher wanted to know if I would come into their English class so the kids could ask me questions. 

Nancy made pork, potatoes with onions and gravy, and green beans with carrots for dinner. It was delicious! She said it was a very German dinner, but its what we eat at home, so I guess we’re more German than we thought.  J While Nancy worked in the office, I cleaned up the kitchen and worked on the computer. The girls were watching a show on nickelodeon, so Nancy and I wrapped some more presents, talked, and ate Spanish candy (candy with almonds in it). It was really good!

She asked what we do for Christmas, so I told her we celebrate in the morning and dad reads the Christmas story, etc. Here, they celebrate on the 24th and in the evening/late afternoon. I told Nancy it would be Stacey, mom, and dad for Christmas, but that’s what happens when change takes place. Change can be a good thing, although I will miss being there with them. 

Mark got home after the girls had gone to bed and brought with him a giant polar bear that lights up. I think its really supposed to go outside, but he wants it inside next to the tree. The LED lights are so bright! He also brought Lissy home with a new collar and leash. BLING! Its hilarious to see how he dotes on that bulldog. 

Mark also brought home some really rare seasoning. I can’t remember what it’s called, but it’s from Italy and grows underground. They use pigs to find it. You put little shavings onto your food. We tried some butter with it in it on bread and I was surprised to find I really liked it. 

Mark asked about the family and what they drink (meaning alcoholic). He wanted to know if my whole family was weird or if it was just me. J 

Sunday, December 19

This morning, Gloria and I woke up about the same time.The bathroom floor was heated, so we didn't get cold as we got ready for the day.  

When I got back to the room Gloria had joined Carlotta and Helena in their bed, so I got out my Bible and starting having my little Church service, reading from Colossians 1-2. I was struck by what Paul instructs the Colossian church to rejoice over. It was also an encouragement to be reminded that the Lord is always near me and will continue His good work in me despite my location. Paul was writing from Prison. I think I’ll survive a few months in Germany. J

Breakfast was bread and marmalade with juice, although by the time we ate, it was definitely mid-morning. The girls were watching music videos (MTV) so I joined them. I never realized how perverse MTV really was until I watched and heard a couple of songs. I didn’t last more than two songs. I got up and went back upstairs to finish getting ready.

By the time I was downstairs again, they were watching a movie on TV, one I had already seen (The Proposal), so Rebecca and I watched that while the younger girls played on the Wii in the basement. When the movie was over, Mark and Nancy arrived to pick us up. What perfect timing!

We stopped to buy some bread and then headed to Helena’s music Christmas concert. She was singing a solo accapella (the only one in the whole concert). In the car, I helped her warm up a little bit, teaching her some warm-up exercises from high school choir days. It made me miss being a part of an organized choir!

We arrived early and had to wait before the doors opened. They had a coat service where you could pay fifty cents (euros) and they would take your coat and hang it up. Nancy and I knew it would be cold in the auditorium, so we kept our coats with us. They had decorated beautifully. Helena sang second and did a wonderful job. She was the best performer that we saw because we left before the second act started. I was surprised at how many of the acts (violins, flutes, singing, cello, etc) were off key or not tuned together (in case of duets). The kindergartners did a little Nutcracker routine, which was so cute! 

We arrived back in town in time to get to the church for the last part of the Christmas singing. Nancy had said they weren’t professional singers, but they sounded great! You could hear each part of harmony, especially the men parts, which often you can’t hear. They sang some carols I knew (in German), so I sang along quietly in English. In one song they sang the verse twice and the second time sang it in English, so I really sang along! J

The church buildings foundation dates back to the 1600’s. It was renovated in the 1700’s and maybe another time and then three years ago. The renovations maintained the original design of the building. Only the benches are heated, so there is no taking off your jacket during the winter! We sat in the loft tonight so we were quite cold by the end of the service. I had been worried about them offering communion. I asked my dad and a friend how they thought I should respond, not knowing a lot about the Greek Orthodox beliefs. I guess they are similar to Catholicism. I would rather not identify myself with transubstantiation, so I was prepared to politely decline. Thankfully they didn't offer communion, so I didn’t have to worry about it. I simply enjoyed the music.

After the service, they had some goodies to eat and the winter Christmas alcoholic hot drink. I wasn’t very hungry, so I didn’t eat anything. I politely declined the alcoholic drink. The neighbor, who was taking orders, said there was a non-alcoholic drink for the children, so I asked for that. Mark came over and wanted me to try his drink, which he argued was different than before because it was sweeter. It just had more rum in it. Needless to say, I didn’t like it, but I tried the kindercider and LOVED it!! We all laughed together. It’s not like apple cider, although it is a hot drink and has cinnamon in it (I think). It’s a red sweet drink.

About that time, my feet were practically numb and hurt. I have to admit, frostbite did come to mind with images of black toes but I pushed them away. I talked with the girls and the neighbor girl. I think she’s the one who has been practicing her English at home so that when she saw me she would be able to say something in English. What a cutie!

We finally made our escape back to the house (although Helena had to help me walk, my feet hurt so bad) and warmed up. I quickly logged online to read messages and check to see if my family was ready to skype yet. One week is about as long as I can go without skyping them, otherwise I start to get a little homesick. When I eventually did skype, the girls came in and said hello and then Nancy and the rest of the family wanted to say hi, so I introduced Mark, Nancy, and the neighbor family to mom, dad, Wendy, and Janna. Mom told Nancy to work me hard and Nancy misunderstood her to mean I hope you’re treating her well (or something like that). I explained the comment to her later. Nancy sent Gloria up later to tell me she thought dad would like to see the African trophies since he’s a hunter. Gloria said her mom thought dad looked like an African trophy. I explained that comment too. J I’m learning to use my imagination when interpreting words and statements.

I also got to skype Jon and Chelsea! Jon was so persistent about wanting to skype tonight that I finally made a few minutes available. We were talking nonchalantly, when he said he had to show me something. The next thing I see is Chelsea’s hand with a ring on it. Needless to say, I freaked out. They’re finally engaged!!!!! I got the whole story and was very impressed! I’ve not heard an engagement story like that before.

I then was able to skype Devra and Kody for a few minutes before I accidentally shut off the wireless on my computer, but I didn’t figure that out until later. I thought the internet had gone down at the house. I was so disappointed!

Saturday, December 18

This morning we slept in and leisurely got ready for the day. The girls and I packed an overnight bag and waited until Mark got home with bread for breakfast. Today was Mark’s last day of teaching his hunting class, which he was very thankful for. We hurriedly ate a little bread with marmalade and scooted out the door for Berlin where we were scheduled to eat lunch with Nancy’s parents. 

Nancy’s mom served us a feast of lamb, stuffed avocados, green beans, a meat casserole, chicken, and salad. In Germany, they drink carbonated water, which I don’t care for. I prefer plain water.  When we were almost done eating, Nancy’s mom was putting the salad bowl back in the center of the table, but accidentally tipped my water glass. The water almost totally missed my plate and landed mostly in my lap. It was hilarious! Nancy and her mom were laughing so hard they were crying. Her mom was of course horrified, but I was laughing so hard, she got over it quickly. I guess I’m now officially part of the family. J Nancy said it was a good thing I don’t like alcohol because it could have been wine instead of water! I had wet jeans for a while.

After dinner, we watched Raising Helen on TV while we relaxed after eating such a heavy meal. My jeans dried and then Nancy, Helena and I went to the music school so Helena could do a sound-check for her Christmas program. We picked Mark and Gloria up at a store and then stopped back at Nancy’s parents apartment for some water so I could take some advil. We then headed over to Carlotta and Rebecca’s house for our slumber party. Right before we got out of the car, Mark asked me if I really wanted to do the sleepover. I wanted to say no, but the girls wanted me there, so I said yes instead.

We started the night by having a long pillow-fight. When the head became the target, I begged out since I really didn’t want a worse headache. Thankfully, it went away eventually. I escaped downstairs to watch Sweet Home Alabama with Rebecca. We ordered pizza and while eating, I was able to talk to Rebecca little bit. 

After dinner, we played Wii games/x-box. I just watched since I have no clue how to work the controller. Then they brought out the microphones and we had a sing-off. The only thing was, even though the songs were in English, they were all from the 80’s so I didn’t know any of them. For some reason, they like to listen to American oldies. J I guess I learned a few new songs.

Interesting observations: Germans highly regard physical fitness as attractive. Nancy said child obesity is rising as kids sit in front of the TV/computer, etc. and drink sugar without exercising. 

Friday, December 17

The Lord used the following quote to hit me upside the head last night.

“Our work isn’t to change the way these people live. It’s not to fight against a pagan idol anymore than it’s for Atretes (me, Lauren) to try to beat into their heads a belief in Christ. Our work is to devote our own lives to pleasing God. It’s that simple. We’re to devote our efforts to learning to think as God thinks, to see ourselves and others through his eyes, to walk as he walked. That’s our life’s work” (As Sure as the Dawn by Francine Rivers).

I realized last night that my perspective has been completely wrong. I had been feeling discouraged and morose on two issues; my lack of language skills and my seemingly lack of showing the love of the Lord to this family. I had been consumed with thinking that I need to keep my morals. I need to refrain from compromising my standards. I need to reach these people for the Lord. I need to work on my German. I can’t communicate with people effectively. I. I. I. I. Oh, God was in the picture, but He was in the background providing my little safety net.

What foolishness! God is not my puppet and I cannot save these people or change the way they live. Only the Holy Spirit can do that. I need to get out of the way so the Lord can do His work! My responsibility is to run after the Lord full throttle, learning to think and see as He does so that the way I walk will be evidence of His work in my life. Forgive me Lord for thinking I could change them on my own.

I got the girls up and ready for school, then got on the computer. I’m on the computer a lot (facebooking people, emailing, and journaling). I try to be careful not to be on too much when the girls are home, but they like to get online sometimes too or play games. I was talking on facebook to Nate Riese and was trying to get ready before the Manwella (the cleaning lady) came. Just before getting dressed, I heard knocking on the back door. I was still in my pajamas! But I let the Polish worker in. I managed to get dressed before Manwella knocked. I’ve started writing down names of people I meet so I remember them for later (I know I’ll see them again).

I updated my journal and blog, facebooked, drank tea and read in the kitchen while Manwella cleaned upstairs. I boiled a couple eggs and made an egg salad sandwich for lunch, then went to the upstairs sitting area. Thank you Terri Stakston for finding the free LiveMocha online German course for me! I started at the beginners level and reviewed everything. They have video dialog, grammar, vocabulary, reading and role play areas. It is really helpful, gives you the audio for correct pronunciation and exercises to practice, and then quizzes your understanding. There is a writing section where I have to write in German and then submit it and receive feedback from German speakers. I got a “Perfekt”! I’m so thankful to finally have a game plan for learning German! Thank you Terri!

The girls arrived home and watched TV, while we feasted on the desserts we made last night. The girls watch dumb soap operas (Marks words, not mine), but I can’t understand them anyway, so I worked on my Sudoku book. Mark arrived from hunting and then left again and Nancy arrived. They have a revolving door. Helena, Gloria and I taught Nancy phase 10 and then got hungry. I’m never sure how many meals I’m going to eat in a day. Sometimes it’s two, sometimes three.

Nancy and I made spinach spaghetti with a spinach salad. I’m not a huge fan of spinach, but it wasn’t too bad. I had a lot of noodles to kind of off-set the spinach and tomato topping. Helena and I don’t like tomatoes so at least I’m not alone in that area! I know this is off in the future a ways, but I’m looking forward to getting home and eating all the food I really like (real spaghetti with french bread, pringles, and all of the other great meals mom makes), whether it’s healthy or not! They eat so healthy here! I am getting used to it though.

I think Nancy enjoys my company, especially in the kitchen. We work well together and she enjoys teaching me new things or showing me how to prepare new foods I’ve never had before. It’s also a good time for her to teach me German words.

After dinner, they watched a comedian and I talked to Stacey for a few minutes. Then we looked at pictures! Wedding, baby, and pictures of their travels as a family. The girls were wilting, so Nancy sent them to bed and I did likewise. I get to turn the alarm off for tomorrow and just sleep.

Thursday, December 16

This morning, I woke up to my alarm and got up to wake the girls for school, but as I was on the stairs I heard Nancy. I guess my alarm clock is a few minutes slower than the church bells and when she didn’t hear me get up, she got the girls up. So, what could I do? I went back to bed. J My room was cold too, so I didn’t want to leave the warmth of my bed. We figured out later this evening that there was air in my room heater. Nancy let it out and it started warming up again. Yay for warmth! I hate being cold.

Nancy thought something was wrong with me because I went back to sleep. It was like this in Florida too. For the first couple of weeks I was tired all the time. Hopefully I’ll get my “sea legs” soon.  Nancy and I headed to Berlin to pick up Mark’s jacket for Christmas and then to the Paul Frank store for something with a monkey on it. Gloria loves monkeys! I couldn’t believe how expensive the clothes were! 

After eating at a Japanese restaurant, we headed back to the car. Nancy is really bad with directions, but she charges ahead like she knows where she is going. Knowing this, I made sure to know where we had parked, so when we came out of the restaurant she said we needed to go one way and I said another. She didn’t believe me but I convinced her to try my way. It was right. J We then headed back to the house. It’s so simple to say “we went home” but that means about a 40 minute drive. The girls arrived home and we headed out to piano lessons, only this time I drove. There aren’t really too many differences in driving here and at home, only the rules are more strict in Germany. You can get pulled over for not using a blinker! The country roads are a little narrow and with their big land rover, sometimes it can get a little tight. While Helena was at her lesson, Gloria, Nancy and I went to a couple different stores. These were cheaper stores than they usually frequent, so it was nice to see some lower prices. After picking up Helena, we headed back to Berlin for shopping at the mall.

I took the girls around (really just followed them) to different stores so they could purchase some presents for their parents. It’s hard to find authentic German trinkets because everything is like America. I could easily have been at West Towne Mall tonight. A couple things I find interesting: there are grocery stores in the mall and the strollers for small babies are like bassinets on wheels. I was so full from lunch that I didn’t really eat anything for dinner, although the girls ate Chinese. Gloria loves sushi (yuck). I had some chocolate ice cream though. It was really good.

We arrived home and the girl worked on homework and then we started baking. Nancy isn’t a sweets person so they don’t bake very often. The girls have to take a cake to school tomorrow, so we started with that. Then we made another cake for us. Then Nancy said because the oven was already on, why not make brownies while we were at it. You should have seen the girls faces. They were so excited to bake! Gloria greased the pans with butter, but used her fingers. She is hilarious!

The girls got ready for bed and I showed them pictures of snowy Kansas. They couldn’t believe how much snow there was! It’s been snowing again here, but the flakes are miniscule and fluffy.

Tonight I struggled with how bad my language skills are. I was feeling morose in the mall tonight when I couldn’t understand what people around me were saying or respond in kind. I keep trying to tell myself to give it more time since I’ve only been here less than two weeks, but sometimes that doesn’t help. I know part of the reason I’m here is so the family works on their English, but sometimes I feel bad that they have to translate for me. I am understanding more and more, but still struggle with speaking it. I felt determined to work harder on learning German so tomorrow I’ll study for a couple hours. It was nice to talk to a few people on facebook chat and vent for a little bit. I’m so glad so many people are praying for me!

Stacey is very faithful in sending me daily verses to encourage me. I love it. Tonight’s verses were from Isaiah 40:26-31

                “Lift up your eyes on high and see who has created these stars, the One who leads forth their host by number, He calls them all by name; because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power, not one of them is missing. Why do you say O Jacob, and assert, O Israel, ‘My way is hidden from the Lord, and the justice due me escapes the notice of my God’? Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable. He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might He increases power. Though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.”

I can’t see the stars tonight, but it is such a good reminder that the Lord is faithful and I am never too far from His presence. I love hearing about the Lord’s strength and might. I am so in awe of Him! 

Wednesday, December 15

Since I went to bed so early last night, I had no problem waking up to the church bells. The whole family got up this morning, because of school and workers were schedule to arrive at 8 to install a heater in the upstairs sitting room area.

I made the girls lunches, then watched Mark oil a new cabinet that was delivered last night. It is a set of three beautiful wooden cabinets that fit together. After getting ready for the day, I went downstairs to get tea and a banana, but ended up going back upstairs after getting it because Nancy was talking with someone in the kitchen and I felt like I was interrupting. The cleaning lady was here and some of the Polish workers were doing some things in the house, so it was busy.

I got caught up writing my journal, ate leftover goose, cabbage, and potato balls with Nancy, then read for a couple of hours until Gloria got home from school. Mark, Nancy, and Helena had their appointment at the new school, which lasted for an hour. It went well according to Nancy, but they won’t find out if Helena gets in for about six months. Mark wasn’t sold on the school, so they don’t know where Helena will end up going. I didn’t quite understand Mark’s reasons for not really liking it. 

Gloria arrived home and watched Nickelodeon while I read and drank tea. Shortly after that we headed out the door and walked to the hairdresser’s shop, which is down the road a little ways. On our walk, we met a couple of Helena’s friends, so we walked with them. I really wish the Lord would just give me the gift of tongues so I could just start speaking in good German. Learning it for the second time seems harder than the first. I wish I could take a class, because then I would be learning the language in a systematic order. I kind of feel like I’m jumping to different areas of the language, without making sure I have a good foundation.

There was a little boy at the hairdressers’ shop that was maybe 2 or 3 and he could speak better German than me! J When I sat down (at the hair shop) I realized Nancy didn’t say anything about paying for the haircut, so I wondered what I was going to do because I didn’t have any money on me. Nancy ended up coming to the shop to pick us up so she paid and everything was fine. The sun starts going down by 3pm, so by 4:20 it was completely dark!

We got back to the house and Mark was already there. For dinner I ate bread and lots of different kinds of meat and sausages. Mark was trying to teach me about the different sausages, but I seriously think they look and taste alike.

After the girls went to bed, Mark, Nancy and I went downstairs to the theater room and watched a movie (in English). The Hangover. I will never watch it again. More foul language in it than I think I’ve ever heard in one movie. You name all the bad/indecent/immoral/perverted items a movie could have and it was in it. I looked away so many times and tried to filter the foul language in my head. The saddest part was that they laughed at some of the worst parts! That makes it so hard to be a good testimony and yet still participate in some activities. I don’t want them to think I am completely “crazy,” yet at the same time I do. However, alienating myself from them this early in my stay here is not a good idea. I need to really pray for wisdom as to how to act and how to really take a stand. I feel very much like a little minnow swimming against a strong current, trying to maintain my morals in an otherwise immoral place. Before going to bed, I read from John 19 and sang a little bit to fill my head and heart with something uplifting.

It's supposed to get to -13 degrees celcius tonight, so it's getting colder.

Tuesday, December 14

This morning was the first morning I woke the girls up and got them on the bus. The church bells woke me up before my alarm went off. They ring for such a long time that I finally just got up and went upstairs. It is really cold up there so I woke the girls up as quickly as possible. Gloria’s hair in the morning cracks me up. It looks like Albert Einstein's hair. Both girls wake up pretty easily, but Gloria always looks at me and smiles. She makes me smile all the time!

I wasn’t sure what to make them for their lunches, so I waited for them to come down to the kitchen. They really like Nutella and this kind of meat that you eat raw. I don't care for it. I drink hot water with them in the mornings and then tea when Mark and Nancy wake up. They only use tea bags once, so I think I'll run out of the tea I like before the end of January. Mark had to write Gloria a note for school for something, but she almost forgot it! I got the girls out the door and went back to the kitchen to clean up a little bit and found the note. I quick ran outside and called to Helena so she came back and get it. Thank goodness their bus stop is right next to the house.

Nancy didn’t have to work today, so we “read” advertisements and I looked through the newspaper and found the article about the 17 year old in France who took 20 kids and teachers hostage. All he wanted was a gun so he could kill himself. None of the kids were harmed.

While Nancy was on the phone, I went to my room and started looking for tools to help me learn German online. I spent quite a bit of time taking notes, but didn’t have time to really study it before Nancy called me for lunch. We ate our pepper creations from yesterday. I was surprised to find they didn’t have as much flavor as I thought they would. We then went to pick the girls up from school and headed to Berlin for their dentist appointments. They go to the dentist every 3 months, but don’t always get a cleaning. Sometimes it is just a check up. Gloria had to get a filling and for the rest of the day she was clamping her teeth trying to get used to it. I don’t think they made it very even, but she’ll bite it down to a comfortable level. The dentist office itself is very modern, clean, and nice.

We went to the bank and to an outdoor department store to pick up a coat Nancy had ordered for Mark. They had reserved it for her, but when we got there it was the wrong size. There was one other coat ordered that was the right size and Nancy wanted to take that one, but the saleslady said she couldn’t give it to her because it was reserved and the man had come in and tried it on and everything. Nancy wasn’t too happy about that, but if the man didn’t pick it up tonight, then Nancy could have it. We then stopped at McDonalds for dinner and ate in the car. Gloria was saying that they couldn’t leave her with me at home because she couldn’t understand me. J We can both act out what we want; we’re getting good at that, so I think we’ll be fine. She is already getting better at understanding. It is so fun to hear them pronounce words in English. Nancy has said multiple times that she doesn’t like lazy people and people who can’t speak German well, so I’m trying my best to pronounce words correctly. She’s not aiming those comments at me, but I always pick up on them and try to do my best. I don’t think they realize how observant I am or how much German I actually understand. I think that is to my benefit right now. J

After eating, I thought we were heading home, but once again, we made another stop, this one to Mark’s dad’s house. Mark’s parents divorced and have both remarried although both couples are friends. His stepmom is definitely a smoker, but so it just about everyone else in Germany. His dad can’t stand American fast food restaurants, so we sprayed perfume and I chewed gum to help cover the McDonald’s scent. J Their house is full of abstract art that neither I nor Nancy understand. They live on the first floor while Mark’s brother and his two sons live on the second floor. Axel’s wife plays and teaches golf and is gone all the time. Also, her first son has ADD and her second son struggles in school, so Nancy thinks she is ashamed to be seen with them in public. It is so sad. Nancy was joking with one of her nephews that she adopted me. I’m taking that as a good sign that they like me and I am fitting in as much as I can (because I don’t drink, smoke, etc.)

Let me just say that Nancy is not a very good driver. She drives fine, but she gets road rage very easily and can snip at the girls quicker than when she is not driving. You can definitely tell she is used to having things her way because when she doesn't, she complains about it. Something as small as a parking spot not being available will get her tongue moving. She never snips at me though, so that’s nice. I rarely feel like an unwanted guest or in the way.

I started getting a headache so I rested on the way back to the house, took a shower, did devotions and went to bed by 9:30.

Other random information: Mark and Nancy own about half the town. The people joke that it shouldn’t be called Christinendorf, but Weinholz town. Nancy said it is kind of awkward to see tenants in the grocery store, etc. She said if she says more than a hello, they start complaining of little things wrong with the house. They have a lady who works as the middle person for them for all their properties, so if there is something wrong, the tenants call this lady.

It started snowing a little bit tonight. For some reason, I was expecting Germany to get the same amount of snow that Wisconsin usually sees in a winter, but it is much less! I’m kind of glad I’m here with a smaller amount, but at the same time, if it has to be sooo cold, I would want more snow. We can’t even build a snowman! The snow doesn’t stick together.

To date I have learned how to open and close the gate leading to the “garage”, how to boil water and make the girls lunches. I know all the dogs names and how to unlock the doors and I know where most everything is in the kitchen. I know how to say small things in German and how to greet strangers and say goodbye to friends. I am slowly learning the customs.

Monday, December 13

I woke up to the church bells this morning from across the street. Then my alarm went off and I waited for the girls to come in and get dressed. I was so tired that I said good morning and have a good day and went back to sleep for a couple of hours. I got up and got ready and went downstairs where Mark made me breakfast (toast with runny eggs on top). He used a ton of olive oil and salt, but it was still edible. At least I know how to make it now for the future and can maybe cook my egg a little more. They found the English news station (CNN), so I was able to watch the news while I helped Nancy get the soup for dinner ready. I cut the potatoes and carrots and did a bunch of dishes, which was nice because I was cold. She has the nicest and easiest peelers on the planet!

Stacey and I skyped for a few minutes because she had a two-hour delay before we had to go pick up the girls from school. The Midwest is getting hammered with snow, wind, and really cold temperatures right now. I’m kind of glad I’m here right now. It’s cold here, but not like it is at home.

We went to the girls school to pick them up because on Monday’s Helena has an extra class and would have to wait for the bus an hour. Gloria had the front of her hair in a pony tail so it looked like a rhino’s horn. It was hilarious, but she looked so cute. She really wanted me to meet her teacher. :)

We then went back to the house and brought Helena’s friend Janice with us. We ate soup while the girls talked about school. They talk a thousand miles an hour! Sometimes I just give up on even trying to understand what they are saying. Nancy gives me the jist of the conversation later.

While the girls played, Nancy and I made more food. I think she really enjoyed having me in the kitchen helping. She said she is so busy that sometimes she doesn’t have time to prepare the food, but since I’m here for a while, I can help and it will get done faster. We cut and washed yellow, red, and green peppers and stuffed them with hamburger, egg, paprika, onion, salt, and pepper mixture and put it in a big pot to cook. There were potato slices on the bottom of the pan so the peppers didn’t rest on the bottom and burn. While we were cooking, she taught me some German phrases and reviewed the colors with me.

We played taboo, although instead of playing it correctly, we used the cards to play Gestures. Nancy won, but I was only about 10 points behind her, granted I said all the words in English. I had to look up some of the German words before I could act them out. We also looked for any English to German books/tapes to help me learn German.

Sunday, December 12

I woke up early this morning so I could listen to a sermon online since I knew I wouldn't have a chance to go to church today or listen later. I started listening to a sermon by John Piper, but it wasn't really an exegesis on a text like I was looking for, so I searched for a sermon by Ravi Zacharias. I couldn't find an exegesis there either, so I listened to his “food for thought” on ethics and read Romans 2.

Helena then came in and said we were leaving in half an hour, so I quickly got ready and helped Nancy get everyone breakfast (English muffin with butter and thin pork strips, toast with peanut butter). I think it was the first time I felt full since I got here. We left the house and headed to Berlin to find the friends from Spain. We found them at the Sony Center smoking and drinking a traditional Christmas hot drink (wine, cinnamon, cloves, vanilla, orange peel, brown sugar, rum). Oliver had deduced from last night’s dinner that I didn’t like alcohol so he ordered hot chocolate for all of us girls. We walked around the sidewalk Christmas booths and froze. Obviously my shoes are not warm enough because my feet froze!

After saying goodbye to them, we went to another Christmas flea market where they had mostly antiques, but there was an indoor section, so we walked through there and then ordered drinks. The market was in between and around two churches (one French, one English? The king had two sons who chose different religions, so to ensure they wouldn’t fight over the church, he had two built). In front of one of the churches, musicians sang and played instruments. I ate smoked pork inside a bun. It was delicious!

Then we went to a restaurant in the market where Carlotta’s parents joined us for dinner. I ordered something safe and apple juice. After we finished eating we stayed at the table waiting for Mark's business partner and his brother to arrive. Mark keeps joking that I’m not actually from America because I don’t know anything about American pop music. Most of the music Mark plays for me though is music from the 80s, so in my defense, I wouldn’t really know it anyway, but that doesn’t count to Mark. He jokes that I’m really from an invisible Wisconsin in Norway. It’s hilarious! 

Everyone warned me that Mark’s partner was a womanizer. When they entered the restaurant, Mark told me to switch seats and sit by him. One brother was 71, lives in Orlando and is a radiologist. The other lives in Berlin, is 60, has long hair, obviously fake tanned, and makes advances on lots of women. I was nervous and everyone, including Carlotta’s parents kept looking at me and smiling in sympathy. Carlotta’s mom said if I wanted to I could always go sit down the table with them. I tried to avoid eye contact as much as possible. because he made me feel uncomfortable. Thankfully, there was an older woman in the restaurant that caught his attention. They ordered desert for everyone: ice cream, a pastry and warm plums. Then Mark got this alcoholic thing that you put on top of all of it. I liked it (without the alcohol), but was so full from eating so much. The brothers knew before coming in that I didn’t drink alcohol. My reputation is preceding me. J

There were so many people when we left the restaurant that we had to navigate through the crowd to reach the car. The girls thought my interaction with the business partner was funny. I just wanted to avoid him. It made me feel special when the girls stayed by me as we walked, talking and laughing.

I thought we were going home after that, but we ended up making another stop at the apartment of two brothers who live together (with one of the girlfriends). They own an advertising company and Nancy worked for them 15 years ago as a secretary. Their apartment is very modern, with art and lots of photographs. Mark showed me one professional photographer’s album and there were nude pictures in there of celebrities. AHH! I averted my eyes as quickly as I should. The girlfriend (who gave the book to her boyfriend) had inserted nude photos of herself. And that is deemed okay and even normal! I was and still am flabbergasted. He also showed me a picture of how Berlin used to be with the wall. Behind the wall was about 10 yards of sand with hidden mines, then another metal fence with barbed wire on top. They went to great lengths to keep people in the East side. It was amazing to see the picture because today I had seen all the new development that is the result of the wall being torn down. It’s incredible. There are bricks in the road to outline where the wall stood. It’s amazing to hear Mark and Nancy’s stories about living when the wall was still built and pretty much the only still-standing original war-time apartment building. It’s incredible how much history is one city!

Mark was telling me some of his beliefs. He believes everyone should test out and trying new things to find what works for you and makes you feel good. What a twisted point of view. No wonder society is as twisted as it is! While we were talking he said, of course you can’t just go kill someone. To which I interjected, “so there is a standard of some kind.” He agreed, but we didn’t get into what or WHO the standard IS. 

At the apartment, they made MORE food. I looked at Nancy and said “oh no, more food.” She said she wasn’t going to have any, so I felt free to decline as well. They had a microwave and a pan (more like a wok) that was built into the counter. I’ve never seen anything like it. They gave me a small glass of the hot wine concoction. I took one sip and then used it to warm my hands. I showed them my house from google satellite, which they thought was amazing! They started looking up everyone’s houses including the one Mark lived in when he was a foreign exchange student in Nebraska!

We were talking around the table and someone asked me if I liked Obama. I shook my head no. Then they asked me if I liked Bush. I was thinking, “Oh great, what am I getting myself into? These people know more about US politics than I do. I don’t know what to say and I don’t want to say yeah or nay for anyone.” So I politely said, “I am thankful for some of the things he did and other things, well, maybe I wouldn’t have done them that way.” One of the brothers wanted to know what I was thankful for. So I wracked my brain and came up with the strides he made with the abortion issue. The brother said he didn’t think any politician or man should make laws about abortion. He thinks it should be a woman’s choice. I wanted to ask him what he thought about the baby's choice, but refrained. So they asked me if I got pregnant and knew the child was not healthy, would I keep it. I said yes, which I think surprised Nancy because I know it surprised Mark. They asked me why and I said life is precious and if that happened, the Lord was giving me that baby. I wish I had tacked on “who am I to say I don’t want it and get rid of it…kill it?” But I didn’t. I was nervous just to say that much! (unfortunately)

Mark told me he is in charge of all of Brandenburg for hunting. He is in charge of the hunting schools, figuring out what the population is of different animal species and which ones need to be protected. He has the authority to arrest anyone, higher even than the police (who really aren’t respected here). That explains why he is so busy! He was in Mongolia for a speaking engagement on the environment and pollution and was given an honorary doctorate from that school.

I actually really enjoyed myself at the apartment. I talked to one of the girlfriends about the taxes in Germany. It’s over 50% of their income. They have a love/hate relationship with the taxes because they don’t like paying so much but if they were to lose their jobs the government would pay them to still live comfortably.

As we were saying our goodbyes, I was talking with the American brother. He said he has known the Weinholz’s for many years and they are a great family. He then added and he thinks I’m really good for them too just based on the little bit of background he found out about me. That was encouraging and surprising at the same time. Nancy told the second brother that I have four sisters and he asked if they were all as beautiful as me. I didn’t know how to respond, so I answered that I’ve been told we all look alike.

Nancy drove home tonight. I didn’t think Mark looked or smelled drunk or even tipsy, but I guess he knew he had too much to drink and drive. The laws here are very strict. If you are arrested for drinking while intoxicated, you lose your license for a year, have to pay heavy fines, and before you can get it back, a lawyer must vouch for you. Also, they have a point system here, but instead of losing points (like in the US if you get pulled over, etc.) you gain points. When you reach 20 points, your license is revoked for good. If you don’t gain any points for two years, your points are deleted and you start over again. 

We headed home and as soon as I got back to my room I got on facebook and saw Wendy had posted just five minutes early for me to get on skype, so I quick skyped them and then eventually we got the whole family on. I got to see everyone, including Meredith and Lincoln. Lincoln had a haircut! He looks like a such a young little man! So cute! I guess when Meredith saw me she pointed and said “Lolo”. I love it!

As I turned on the shower, the hose detached from the showerhead and sprayed water everywhere! Oops. 

Saturday, December 11

Mark and Nancy went hunting this morning with Mark’s cousin and two friends from Spain. Mark’s cousin Oliver was the interpreter since the friends don’t know German or English. I am still amazed at how many languages Europeans know and understand. It is incredible! I wish I had that gift for learning languages. I had just taken my computer downstairs and was looking at emails and facebook when someone knocked on the back door. I didn’t recognize who it was, so I quickly walked up the stairs calling for Helena. It ended up being Oliver, but we hadn’t met yet. :)

The girls and I played phase 10 (I think it’s Helena’s new favorite game) upstairs while Mark and Nancy entertained their guests, smoking and talking. The smoke smell was worse than usual. The house is large enough that I don't usually smell the smoke for very long, but when multiple people smoke, it's worse. 

About that time, the friends from last night (Oli, his wife and daughter Carlotta) came over. They brought out the beer and wine. The hunters had shot two little deer, so we all went outside and gave the deer their final honor (horn blowing) and watched Mark gut it. Carlotta had never seen it before, so she looked away a few times. It was kind of humorous. They asked me if I was okay with it, so I gently reminded them my dad hunts, I have gut deer before, and I'm a nurse. Mark gave several of the organs to the dogs to eat, threw the rest away except the liver. In Germany, you cannot gut the deer and leave the entrails in the woods. You have to carry them out with you and dispose of them. Mark then cleaned the liver, took the skin off, and cut it in half to check for blood vessels and worms. It was a good liver, so he put it in a freezer bag for later. To cook it, they batter and fry it. 

We headed out to the restaurant down the road about 5-10 minutes. The snow has been melting all day and so it was really wet and mushy. I guess I don’t have the greatest winter shoes (Gloria was making fun of the ones I was wearing) for that kind of weather. It has been overcast the whole time I’ve been here so far. I’m looking forward to some sunshine.

When we got to the restaurant, Mark gave out seat assignments. I was to sit on his left. At first I thought it was so that he could translate for me, but then I thought of the high place of honor it was. I worked up the courage to ask Mark if I could have water or coke instead of wine. He was perfectly fine with that, said I could have whatever I wanted. I told him he didn’t need to waste the wine on me. J Mark tried three different bottles of wine before he settled on one he liked. After we all had our drinks, Mark gave a toast and prayer. He translated for me after: thanking God for the safety of the Spain friends and especially for my safe arrival. Asked for an enjoyable meal and following evening, etc.

The waitresses wore a more traditional German outfit. Green dresses and bibs with a white blouse. When our food was ready, the lights over our table dimmed and they brought out the goose with a “firecracker” on it, doing fireworks. It was really cool! They served us goose (delicious!), red and green cabbage (I liked the green better than the red), and a potato ball (mashed potato mixed with bread and something else and formed into a ball). The potato ball wasn’t my favorite just because it had a different texture. Mark then ordered a shot of some strong alcohol drink (schnaps) for everyone…except me. J He said he didn’t want to offend, but that he didn’t order me one. I was perfectly okay with that! He had me take a teeny little sip of his and OH MY WORD it was so strong! He said it takes a year to ferment and get ready. They put it in barrels on a ship and it stays on the ship for one year, doing the back-and-forth motion of the ship rocking. After one year, they put it in barrels and sell it.

Mark also told me about some of his time in Nebraska, playing football (he was the field kicker) and wrestling (everyone was afraid of him. He was like a bull. Even broke a couple of arms, although not on purpose).

After dinner we went back to the house and I was updating facebook when Wendy and Janna skyped! It was so much fun to see them and talk for a little bit before they had to get to their alumni track meet. I showed them around my room and the second floor. They met Helena, Gloria, Nancy and Arielle (dog) and Lissy (dog). 

The house was unusually quiet when I got finished skyping. I couldn’t find anyone until one of the friends from Spain came up from the basement looking for Oliver (Mark’s cousin). Of course he didn’t speak English and I don’t speak Spanish, so I didn’t know how to help him. I went downstairs to find everyone hauling buckets of water! All the snow that had melted today was in the basement! I put my winter boots on to help and the water literally almost covered the toe part of my boots! There were a few spots in the flooring where you could actually see the water running into the room. We used buckets, towels, and dustpans to clean up the water and then their neighbor (a firefighter) brought over a pump and cleaned up the rest. About that time, everyone starting lighting cigarettes so I made my escape upstairs to my room where I found the girls.

Helena was still working on the word search I created for her, Carlotta was looking at a magazine and Gloria followed me in. She is my little buddy. She tends to find me all the time. They wanted me to play, but I really needed to get caught up on journaling, so I procrastinated as long as I could. In the meantime they got some of Nancy’s shoes and were pretending to be snooty, stuck up teenagers. It was hilarious to see the attitudes, actions, and tone of voices! Mark and the other men left to go join the Los Vegas-style gambling party where they played Texas Hold-em. Mark had never played before but ended up winning (100 euros I think). They drank a bottle of whiskey, another strong alcohol and lots of beers, and smoked 25 cigars (between 8 people)! It was incredible. Mark took a cab home.

While he was gone, us girls got ready for bed and watched a show in Nancy’s room of this guy who swallows objects and brings them back up again. In this episode, he smoked a cigarette without letting the smoke out, made a bubble out of soap and put the smoke in the bubble. He swallowed a game cube, moved the colors around in his stomach and brought it back up changed. He poured sugar down his throat, drank a glass of water, bent over and the sugar came pouring back out….completely dry! It made my throat hurt just to look at it!