Friday, March 11

This morning I went to the girls school to help Helena's class make crafts to sell at the Talent Show next week. Thankfully, the English teacher saw me enter the building and notified Helena's teacher that I was there so I had no problems finding the correct room. One of the mom's organized all the crafts and so I tried to understand when she was explaining how to make the crafts, but I didn't catch everything. I figured I would be able to figure it out based on the model she had provided. Finally she looked at me and asked if I wanted her to explain in English. I was so thankful she spoke English!!

Helena is in the sixth class and so this is her last year of receiving English instruction in school. Next year she will begin learning Spanish. Helena was sick today so I wasn't sure how many of the kids would be able to understand English. I was glad when one of the girls came over and I was able to ask her questions. More and more kids came over to listen and/or say something in English. It was fun talking with them.

Thursday, March 10

Tonight I went to the gym and had a great workout and was suckered into participating in a Sport Competition Saturday. I think I'll be running something, but I really have no idea. Stay tuned for more details. . . .

The legal drinking age is 18 in Germany. Most Germans don't drink to get drunk and are extremely cautious about getting behind the wheel of a vehicle after drinking. The repercussions for drinking and driving are severe. The limit is .5 on the breathalizer which would be equivalent to one beer.

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The Berlin zoo became famous when a baby polar bear was born and its mother tried to kill it. A man took the little bear named Knabe and raised it, going so far as to even sleep with it. When Knabe became older and more dangerous, they separated the bear and the man. A year later the man died from a heart attack. Thousands of people flocked to the Berlin zoo to see Knabe. As a result, when you drive around Berlin, you will see mini Polar Bears and around Christmas, there is a large Polar Bear downtown. Knabe is an adult now, but people still flock to his habitat to take pictures of him.

We went to the Berlin Zoo and I was amazed at how many animals they have there. The Zoo is literally in downtown Berlin. The habitats, both inside and outside, are much larger than those found in the Madison zoos (which is all I have to compare it to since I haven't been to many other zoos). They have monkey, bird, lion, and reptile houses with most of the animals being independently sponsored. We only had time to see a section of the zoo, but I know there is an Australian section. We were in the lion house in time to see them feed two lion cubs and a leopard. I also saw them feed other animals that I don't know the names to. They had an area in the basement where the bats and other animals that thrive in the darker atmospheres are housed. I got to see an Aardvark and rat kangaroos and many other animals I've never seen before. They had a monkey there that had multiple colors on its big nose, a baby orangutan, and gorillas; hippos, rhinos, and giraffes to name a few.

The grounds and cages are kept very clean. There was a gigantic playground for the kids, which was tempting for ME to play on. I'm excited to go back and see the other side of the zoo.

Friday, March 4

Tonight the girls and I went to the Kino (theater) with one of their grandmas. I understood bits and pieces because they talked so fast or seemed to be mumbling, but I was able to follow the story line. The movie theaters in Germany are similar to those in the States, with the only difference being there is assigned seating.

Wednesday, March 2

At Helena's voice lesson today, her teacher had me sing a harmony part with her. We'll have to practice more at home so she can learn to sing her part and not join me on mine, but I had so much fun! It made me really miss singing in a choir!!!!

Monday, February 21

I did NOT want to get up this morning, but there was no choice. That’s what I get for staying up until midnight three nights in a row. J The girls left for school and I checked email. 

I spent several hours this morning ironing while listening to John Piper and Christian music. One of the Polish workers found me and asked if I could unlock the cellar door. At first I didn’t understand what he wanted to do in the cellar. I started walking in that direction and saw his polish working partner make the motion for keys and then I understood. About that time, the secretary called to tell me when Mark and Nancy would be arriving. I felt important for a few minutes. : )

I finished the ironing and worked on the computer, then ate a quick lunch before heading to the airport. I found the airport without any problems, but I accidentally went into the parking lot first, so I had to figure out how to get out. Then when I went to the spot I had dropped them off, a police man was there so I went on my way. Mark called and said they were getting their baggage and then would be out, so when I circled around again, the police man stopped me this time. He talked and talked and talked and I smiled and smiled and smiled and said OK, thank you and left. I understood enough to get the gist of what he was saying, but as I drove away I said “I have no idea what you just said!” And for most of it I had no idea what he was saying. It was hilarious! I thought about telling him I didn’t understand, but he didn’t stop talking long enough. When I told Mark and Nancy later, they just laughed! Mark told us lots of stories from their three-day trip to Spain while we drove to the school.

By the time we picked the girls up and got back to the house I had a big headache so I took some medicine and layed down for a few minutes. When I got up, it wasn’t gone, but it was better. I sang with the girls for a few minutes before I had to leave for my class.

When I got there, the door was locked so I waited for a few minutes before seeing my teacher in a different room. At first it was just us three girls with the teacher, but then one of the male students arrived. We did a few listening exercises with telephone numbers, then spent a majority of our class time talking about time: how to say what time it is officially, how to write it, how to say it, etc. Most of it was review from high school German, but it was a good review. My teacher also taught us the numbers for the police and fire/ambulance. It was a good class. On the way back to the car, I talked and walked with the lady from Thailand. It was freezing outside!!!

When I got home, Nancy had my dinner all warmed up for me, so I was able to eat right away. I was so hungry I was shaking! After dinner, I ate some ice cream and skyped with one of my best friends and Dad. It was so much fun! 

Sunday, February 20

Last night Helena woke me up around 3am to say the dogs were going crazy and probably needed to be let out so I got up and let them out and then had to wait until all of them came back inside before locking up again and going back to bed.

We got ready for church, ate cereal for breakfast, fed the dogs as fast as we could and then hit the road for for church. Surprisingly, I understood a good majority of the sermon. After church, I had some tea and talked while the girls drew pictures. The girls thought it was boring. 

When we got home, we ate leftovers for lunch and checked on Merlin. After cleanup we sang to High School Musical. While we were singing upstairs, we heard someone downstairs. We were shocked to know someone was in the house with us. We couldn't figure out how they had gotten in! It ended up being Mark's dad, step-mom, and nephew. We ended up playing games, doing homework, and playing the piano. Then Mark's mom and step-dad showed up with an apple dessert so we got coffee and tea ready and got all the “tea sets” out. 

During tea, Mark's dad told the others that I can play the piano, so his step-dad asked me to play for him. If only they knew I can’t really play. J I just play the songs I know.

After cleaning up the tea/coffee/cake dishes, Mark's dad left and I made pancakes for the kids. The girls cousin specifically asked me last we saw each other if I would make pancakes for him when he was at the house next, so I fulfilled my promise. They were a smash! The rest of the guests left and I did round 2 of kitchen clean up before skyping with Stacey and the family for a few minutes.  

MY FRIEND IS ENGAGED!!!!!!!!!! I’m so excited for her! 

The girls watched part of Pirates of the Carribbean 3 and then I sent them off to bed and watched Minority Report. I stayed up way too late, but I couldn’t just leave the movie hanging. Of course, when I finally did want to get to sleep, it eluded me for a while. 

Saturday, February 19

The girls woke up before me this morning. We ate breakfast and then headed out to go grocery shopping. We ended up having to go to three different stores before we found everything on our list, but we had fun while we did it! It was fun to create a meal plan together and get all the groceries needed.

After we got home and put the groceries away, the girls spent a good half hour practicing piano and trumpet. I went back and forth between them helping as much as I could. I had a headache so I laid down until Mark's dad and step-mom arrived. After they left, I got to skype with the family and see Bobby and Kaleb. Dad did a polar plunge this morning with the police department so I got to see pictures. I was also able to get in some pictures with them, even if my face was just on the computer screen. I got to talk to Kody for a few minutes alone, finally! We talked in German with Gloria for a while and then discussed the political situation in Madison. 

For dinner, I made tacos which turned out pretty good, but the girls were distracted by the show “I Carly”. The episode on the TV upstairs was a new one, but wasn’t showing on the TV in the kitchen, so they ate fast and then left.

We ate ice cream and watched the Tooth Fairy. Gloria fell asleep so the girls ended up sleeping on the couch again. J

Thursday, February 17

For devotions today, I read Mark 1. I was amazed at how much the Lord did in one day! He called four fishermen to follow him, preached in the temple and healed a demon-possessed man and Simons mother-in-law and many others. Then later that night, goes out to pray and then starts his journey to the next town. He never wavered from his mission and worked tirelessly to accomplish his goal. What an example of work-ethic!

Wednesday, February 16

This morning Gloria had my water heated for me again when I got downstairs. I could get used to that! J

For devotions this morning I continued listening to John Pipers series Psalms: Thinking and Feeling with God, part 4. Today’s lesson was on Psalm 103 where David blesses the Lord. It was a great reminder of God’s covenant with us and how we “fear the Lord.” Very encouraging!

I spent quite a while polishing silver in the house: silverware, candle holders, etc. It was fun to watch the nasty discoloration disappear! J I’m so easily amused! It was hard work though . . . polishing really works your arm and back muscles.

Mark and Nancy left for Berlin, but Nancy left instructions with me on what to do for dinner: go grocery shopping and get whatever you want! J While Helena was at her voice lesson, Gloria and I went to the store and bought the fixings for hamburgers and a salad. As we were checking out, the cashier asked something I didn’t understand so I looked to Gloria and she answered. When I looked at the cashier again, she was giving me the weirdest look as if she had never seen someone who didn’t understand her. As we were leaving Gloria said she thought the cashier thought I was deaf. It was so funny the way she said it. Being deaf works too. J

When we got back home, the girls went to their little church “class” while I made dinner. After eating, the girls quickly did their homework and then we played several games while listening to Disney music.

As the girls watched the German form of American Idol, I read more of Jurassic Park. After my shower, I looked at pictures of Titus’ funeral. It was very surreal to see his casket and know that he is in it as the men carried it. 

Tuesday, February 16

I woke Gloria up 15 minutes early so she would have time to practice her presentation on bats. We all got ready, but the girls beat me downstairs. When I got down there, they had their lunches made. I went to heat up some water for myself, but found the water was already hot. Gloria was a step ahead of me and had already heated the water for me…such a sweetie! Today she did something I’ve been waiting for her to do…she asked if I would braid her hair for school. She even had a hair tie with her. J

For devotions this morning, John Piper did a sermon on Psalm 51: A Broken and Contrite Heart God Will Not Despise, the third part in his series: Psalms: Thinking and Feeling with God. I was struck anew by the outrageousness that God would not only “pass over” David’s sin, but mine as well! He passes over my sin so that God’s righteousness and divine forbearance might be displayed (Romans 3:25). David’s psalm is about more than his grief over his sin with Bathsheba, it’s about him requesting renewal from God; “he is passionately committed in being changed by God” (Piper). He asks the Lord to have mercy on him and to wash him thoroughly.

“It is fitting that Christians ask God to do this (I John 1:7-9). Christ has purchased our forgiveness. He has paid the full price for it. That does not replace our asking. It is the basis for our asking. It is the reason we are confident that the answer will be yes. So first David looks helpless to the mercy of God. And second, he prays that, in this mercy, God would forgive him and make him clean” (John Piper, A Broken and Contrite Heart God will not Despise, Psalms: Thinking and Feeling with God, part 3).

David acknowledges his sin is against God, that he deserves to be damned and that damnation would be justified (II Samuel 51:3-4). He asks for confirmation of his election.

“In verse 11: ‘Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me.’ I [Piper] know some say that Christians who are elect and secure in the sovereign grace of God should not pray like that because it implies you can lose your salvation. I [Piper] don’t think so. When David or I pray, ‘Don’t cast me away, and don’t take your Spirit from me,’ we mean: Don’t treat me as one who is not chosen. Don’t let me prove to be like one of those in Hebrews 6 who have only tasted the Holy Spirit. Don’t let me fall away and show that I was only drawn by the Spirit and not held by the Spirit. Confirm to me, O God, that I am your child and will never fall away.”

Lastly, David prays to be an effective evangelist in verse 13, “Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you.” Coupled with verse 15, “O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise,” David wants to use his brokenness over his sin and his praise for the Lord to reach unbelievers. This is my prayer for today. . . Please open my mouth Lord to declare your praise so others would see a glimpse of You and not me!

I had a quick peanut butter and jelly sandwich and then accompanied Nancy to the mall in Potsdam where we got my passport photos taken so I can stay in Germany longer than 90 days. We spent most of our time in TK Max and then ate at the asian restaurant, but this time Nancy had me order. It went pretty smoothly. 

After the girls got done with homework, we made banana bread. The girls weren’t too sure they would like it when they saw what the dough looked like, but I assured them they would. The banana bread took more than an hour to bake but it turned out perfect! 

Helena really wanted to skype with Meredith, so eventually we got to skype with Devra and the kids. Meredith either heard me or saw me and immediately grabbed the pizza and spoon and fed me more pizza through the computer. When I got full, she started feeding Helena. It was so cute! We asked her for more animal sounds so Helli could hear her and then asked her what a deer says. She said, “bang bang.” I didn’t know she could actually say it. It was hilarious!!

I did a second round of cleaning the kitchen. When I got back to my room there was a stack of clothes on the couch. I thought they were the girls at first, but didn’t recognize them. Nancy came in and said they were clothes that were too small for her so if they fit me I could have them. I love hand-me-downs!

Monday, February 15

Today is Valentine’s Day and Stacey bought me flowers! I know I'm loved. Valentine's Day entered Europe only about three years ago, so it's not really big yet.

As the girls were leaving the house this morning, I said “have a good day. I love you!” Helena turned and said, “I love you too.” Then she quickly tagged on “more!” Then Gloria said it, so we had fun trying to say “I love you….more!” It was such a fun beginning to the morning. Thank you Stacey! J

For devotions this morning, I listened to another sermon online by John Piper on Psalm 42 on Spiritual Depression. His main points were: 1. The Psalmist asks why (v9). 2. The Psalmist affirms God’s sovereign love in the midst of oppression (v. 8, 5, 11, 7). 3. The Psalmist sings a song to God of his life (v. 8). 4. The Psalmist preaches to himself (v. 5-6). 5. The Psalmist remembers past experiences and 6. The Psalmist thirsts for God (v. 1-2). The Psalmist does not plead for relief of his circumstances. It was a wonderful lesson on how I need to speak truth to myself and not just let myself feel like the Lord has forgotten me (v. 9).

I enjoyed playing through some of the hymns from the hymn book the missionaries lent me. It’s good for me to practice my sight-reading. I worked on laundry and then picked up the girls from school. After we got back, I checked and mom and dad still hadn’t called so I called them and actually got them! We got to talk about the funeral and Titus for an hour. I’m not mad at him, I don’t judge him, I don’t ask “why”; I’m simply sad that he’s gone. After composing myself, I went downstairs so Mark could give me a few instructions before they left. As they were leaving, Mark came over and touched my arm and said, “don’t be sad. It’ll get better.” I appreciated that he was trying to comfort me, since I was fighting tears again. 

I ate dinner while I helped Gloria with some English homework. It proved to be a little difficult because I would correct her sentences only to find out that’s how they learned the British English in school. Obviously I don't speak British English.

The girls stayed home alone while I went to my German class. When I entered the room, my teacher said hello and that they missed me last week so I tried to explain in German. I know I botched it, but he got the gist of it. We reviewed verbs from two weeks ago, and then worked on personal pronouns and family descriptions and how to combine all of them. It was a really fun class and the time went by quickly.

When I got home, the girls were watching TV. When I sent them to bed and tucked them in, I spent just a few minutes with each one. As I left each room, I had another contest with the girls on who could say “I love you more” last. It was a very nice end to the evening.

I went back to my room and was finally able to skype a good friend!! 

Sunday, February 13

I was encouraged at church because I could actually understand some of the sermon! I was able to share with the missionaries about Titus and then mention it to the others during prayer request time. There were a couple of new people at church that I hadn’t seen before, so that was also fun. I was able to stay afterward and talk over tea.

When I arrived home, the family was eating breakfast/lunch. They told me they woke up to the dogs barking and found Artus, Arielle, and Merlin fighting. Merlin was bloody and they didn’t know if she was going to make it!

We watched Ice Age 3, then I braided Gloria’s hair and then we headed out to Mark's dad's house for his step-mom's Birthday Tea. Mark's step-dad wanted me to sit next to him so he could speak German with me. I made a valiant attempt at speaking it back, but failed miserably! Thankfully, I can understand some things. We had an apple strudel thing, cherry cake, bread, and cookies. Mark's step-dad and I “shared” a large piece of the cherry cake, but he made me eat most of it. J I helped Gloria play a card game I didn’t quite understand. 

We stopped at Burger King on the way home and Mark quizzed me on music artists. I actually got them right!

When we got home, Mark, Nancy and I ate dinner and tried to figure out a weird movie in TV. I went up to call dad. I got a hold of them as they were in the car driving home. I got to talk to Janna and Dad while mom and Wendy fell asleep. Janna told me about the weekend. Praise the Lord many people heard the Gospel!

Saturday, February 12

I wrote out a list of chores that needed to be done today to get ready for Mark and Nancy’s company. Helena put on the cleaning song for Enchanted and we got to work cleaning the kitchen (after breakfast, which Gloria made for us), getting the dining room set up and peeling potatoes and onions.

I read and took a little nap while I worked through feelings of homesickness and wishing I was with my family at my cousins funeral. Thank you to those who prayed for me this weekend!

When the guests arrived, we stayed long enough to say hello and then the girl and I headed for the mall in Potsdam. Helena was nervous we wouldn’t find it, but we had no problems getting there. Getting back home though proved a little more difficult. We ended up going way out into the country and about 30 minutes out of the way, but we eventually got home. Everything looks different in the dark! We had fun at the mall going to different stores, eating dinner and ice cream, and each of us finding one article of clothing to buy. I finally found some workout shorts! Right before we left, we stopped at the grocery store and picked up some groceries we were out of and Sanella (shortening) for making banana bread. We wanted to make banana bread, but when we got home I realized I didn't have the recipe, so grandma sent it to me.

Friday, February 11

One of my best friends birthday was today! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

I worked on updating journals and my blog then worked through some verbs and how they change as you conjugate them. There looks like an insurmountable amount of verbs to learn, but I have to start somewhere. Hopefully I’ll get the hang of it.

After the girls got home, we were able to skype Stacey and just have fun talking. Right before she had to leave we said “love you”, but I tacked on “more” then hit the end button. She typed “I heard you.” The girls thought that was so funny!

The sun was shining so I convinced the girls to go on a walk with me. We talked and had fun and when they asked how far we were going to go, I said "to that tree.” There were trees everywhere! I had such a good laugh when the girls just looked at me and asked “which one?” Helena showed me a bench on the edge of a field and was nestled in a few trees. About that time Lissy went poop. The girls and I tried several tries to get a good picture. After that, I looked down to find Lissy had pooped on my shoe! The girls laughed so hard. When we got back to the house, we were cold and the girls wanted to play Solitaire. As I was collecting my study materials, I stepped in a wet spot on the rug in my socks and then remembered Lissy had peed on the carpet. Oh the joys of having dogs. :) So I did a load of my laundry.

For dinner, we made spaghetti. The onions were extremely potent and had all of us either crying or experiencing stinging eyes. After dinner clean up, we played Rummy in the dining room while listening to Disney songs and eating Reeses peanut butter cups. Helena loves the cleaning song from Enchanted!

Thursday, February 10

I’ve been very good about getting ready with the girls in the morning and being productive in the dining room after they leave for school. Devra couldn’t sleep so she was on facebook. It’s amazing how the Lord works! When I feel the need to talk to someone from home, he either wakes someone up or someone is already on. 

I also got to talk to a friend. He challenged me to memorize Ephesians chapter 1 in its entirety. So I wrote out the verses on notecards and put them in my purse so I can practice them when we’re out and about and I get bored.

Mark and Nancy were out working so I had the house to myself. I spent some solid time studying my Bible. Wendy had mentioned John Piper had some sermons online regarding suicide so I read through two of them and listened to the third. One of them talked about sin and how suicide is simply another sin. It is not unforgivable. There is only one unforgivable sin and that’s blaspheming the Holy Spirit by continually and willfully pushing Him away. One of the sermons used various Biblical characters to show that Christians throughout history have had moments of weakness when they looked on suicide with favor. Paul was the chiefest of sinners and yet God redeemed him and used him. Why did He let Paul travel the road of destruction for so long before changing him? To show His great patience He has toward sinners. Praise the Lord for His patience! The third sermon used the text of Lazarus’ death. The passage says Jesus loved Lazarus, Mary and Martha and yet, when He heard Lazarus was ill, he stayed where He was two more days. Jesus COULD have arrived and saved him from experiencing death. Instead, He allowed Lazarus to experience the joys of Heaven before stealing him back to earth to experience temptations, sin, and death again. God’s ways are not our ways; His thoughts are not our thoughts. So I choose to trust that He has an ultimate plan in allowing Titus to take his own life. He COULD have done several things to stop him, but He didn’t. And so now we mourn the loss of a son, brother, cousin, nephew, and friend. Yet we mourn not as those without hope…Titus showed fruit of his salvation, so I can have confidence that he is kneeling before the Lord of Hosts shouting at the top of his lungs. . . “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God Almighty.” How awesome would that be, to participate in such a continually joyous, lifelong celebration of God, but also to hear the multitudes praising the Lord with one voice!!!

Mom and I tried skyping before she left for work, but their computer was acting up, so I ended up calling her and talking over the whole week. I could have talked with her for another hour, but she had to get going. She did say though that she talked to a friend last night who said she was praying for me. Mom said many people have told her they are praying for ME! I know now why I have been able to deal with this like I have…I’ve had so many people praying for me. 

I some time ironing and skyping Devra and Meredith. It was so much fun! Meredith was chattering away and talking about pizza and staying with friends this weekend. I asked if she would make me some pizza at her little kitchen. She brought over a plate with pizza and a spoon and wanted to feed me bites of the pizza. I opened my mouth and got close to the camera. Devra said she was actually putting it “in” my mouth and not up to the camera. After almost every bite she would ask “is it yummy?” in her little “baby” talk. Gloria came in and together we asked her what animals made what sounds. Gloria thought she was so cute! Meredith even said Gloria’s name….such a cutie!

I took the girls to music lessons and sat in with Gloria during her trumpet lesson. While there I started memorizing Ephesians 1. After lessons, we stopped by the library and I got a new book. I felt pretty confident as I went around, paying for parking, etc. If only I could speak better German. It’s so difficult for me to remember vocabulary words, but once I hear them I know what they mean.

The girls wanted pancakes for dinner, so we mixed up a batch. I think this batch turned out the best. It was super good!

Mark couldn't go to the gym tonight, however, he called the neighbor and asked if I could ride with him. I asked Mark if it was okay for me to be alone with him. He said not to worry, Guito wouldn’t hurt me. I told him I wasn’t worried about that. Mark thought for a couple of minutes and then asked “oh you mean because of his wife?” I said “well, yeah his wife, but anyone really. I don’t want to give wrong/bad impressions.” Mark said not to worry, so I trusted him. I had rehearsed some German phrases to say to him, but they fell to pieces when we were in the car. We were the first ones at the gym. There were people there tonight that I’d never seen before, so it was fun to have such a large group. I was also thankful that the lady who speaks English was there. I was praying she would be since Mark wasn’t there to help me understand some of the games.

We ran laps, stretched, did some sprinting and jumping exercises, then played Frisbee. I’m so thankful my leg was feeling good so I was able to play all the games and have fun. We played dodge ball, a weird form of volleyball where you actually let the ball bounce before hitting it, and then broke into two groups. One group played street basketball while the other side did jumping, and a little “obstacle course” (for lack of a better description….I had the fastest time). When my team played basketball, it was three against four. I was with two other guys. We totally creamed the four-player team. It was so fun to play again and make baskets!

When we arrived back at the house, the Egyptian President was about to make his address to the nation. One million people were in the plaza to hear him say he was sorry, but he’s not stepping down. We'll see what happens now.

I finally got to talk to Dad tonight for about 40 minutes. Dad said the Goodews had mentioned they knew it must be hard for me to be so far away and they knew I wanted to be with them but couldn’t. I just couldn’t believe that even at a time like this, they would think of me. I was very humbled by that knowledge!

I checked my email before I took a shower and headed to bed. Aunt Becki had facebooked me to let me know she was praying for me as I was so far away. . . another reminder that no one has forgotten me. I am definitely loved!

Wednesday, February 9

For devotions, I did a study on “Hope” with suicide in mind. The hope the believer has in the Lord. I was reminded that there is no excuse for a believer to commit suicide. It is a sin but it does not make their salvation null and void. Praise the Lord for that! 

I studied German grammar for a while, cleaning up the kitchen and vacuumed. Nancy had some visitors around lunch time so I said hello and then went to my room. I got extremely hungry and was thankful when they left so I could eat lunch and finished cleaning.

I took Helli to her voice lessons. I was able to help a little bit with correct pronunciations of English words while I studied some vocabulary words. Right before we left, her teacher asked me something about German and I kind of just shrugged and gave a half-hearted ‘ja’. As we left the building, I asked Helli what he asked. She thought it was funny that I answered when I didn’t even know what he had asked. My response was appropriate for his question.

On our way home, we stopped to get some special sandwiches at a Turkish little restaurant, then stopped by the post office to mail my postcards. I wanted to find a different brush so we stopped by the Dollar Store and found one along with pink post-it notes. After eating with Nancy, I walked some glass bottles to the recycle dumpsters/containers. I spent some time labeling several things in my room with their German words. If I don’t consistently and constantly go over German words, I don’t remember them, so I’ve started labeling everything. Before I know it, my entire room will be pink. Gloria thought it was so funny that I was labeling everything. 

Tuesday, February 8

After getting ready with the girls this morning, I set up my little classroom in the dining room so I could study after the girls left. Unfortunately, the internet is not working properly again so I’ll only be able to review what I’ve already written down, which is probably good because I need to learn and memorize what I already have on my papers rather than just adding to it. 

I woke up this morning thanking the Lord for another day, but incredibly sad at the loss of Titus. I’m still reeling from the fact it was a suicide! It was good to be able to talk to a cousin about Titus’ death. 

Talking with Janna last night, she asked me what the spiritual implications were for someone who commits suicide. I told her we are to place our hope in Christ. This morning I spent a good hour studying “Hope” with suicide in mind. 

I spent most of the day doing various German studies, trying to learn how to make words plural. Grammar is so hard to understand, but I think it’s even harder for me because I was always bad at English grammar, so German grammar is proving to be even more difficult! 

For dinner, we made mini hamburgers with onions and some herbs mixed in with the meat, mushrooms and potatoes. Somehow the girls and I got on the subject of thinking of adjectives to describe each other. At first they were negative, so I made the girls think of positive adjectives. We laughed and just kept eating, so by the time we cleaned up, I was stuffed. The girls put their dishes in the dishwasher and while Helena took a shower, Gloria dried the dishes as I washed. It was fun! The girls said I made good pancakes and other baking goodies. 

After dinner we played rummy, I started gathering pictures for my presentation at the school.

I had to work through new emotions tonight. I'm so thankful the Lord is Sovereign!

Monday, February 7

Today I kept busy working on laundry, making chicken soup, and taking a nap.  

At about 2 o'clock this afternoon I received an email from my mom telling me that my cousin had died. To make the shock even more complete, the email said it was not an accident; he had killed himself. At that point, I quickly called my mom who was at the hospital with my grandma.



I had talked to my cousin just a couple of days ago on facebook!

I think I scared the cleaning lady when she came to tell me she was leaving. I was in my room sobbing! I tried to explain to her why I was crying. She was the only other person there and because I couldn’t stop crying, she came over and gave me a hug. I figured she would call Nancy after she left and I was right because when I called her later to tell her I wouldn’t be going to my German class tonight, she had already heard my cousin had died.

I cried all the way to the school, tried not to cry as I picked the girls up, and cried all the way back to the house. The girls were so sensitive and were quiet in the car and left me alone for a while at the house. Gloria especially seemed to be sensitive to my needs.

I think my cousin's death is even more difficult to deal with because it was a suicide. I never thought MY family would have to deal with suicide. And here it is staring us in the face. I can’t imagine what the Goodews are going through. All of us are still in shock and having to come to terms with the face it was a suicide. I am fairly confidence that he was a believer, so I find comfort in knowing he is with the Lord right now but the shock of his death is still settling in. I am devastated for the Goodews and for myself. It is so difficult to understand WHY he would kill himself. There were no hints that I know of that would have suggested he was contemplating suicide. He had just bought a house, was enjoying work, and was in great shape physically. He seemed to be making strides in his spiritual walk with the Lord as well.

I was able to talk to all the girls today and make sure they knew I loved them. I talked to Stacey first through skype chat, then Devra and the kids, and finally Wendy and Janna together on skype. All of us were still in disbelief. Dad drove up to be with the family.

As far as I know, grandma’s surgery went well today and her pancreatic biopsy came back with benign results, so Praise the Lord!

The weather has been cloudy, drizzly/rainy, and windy for close to two weeks, but today, on the day I received such sad news, the sun was shining bright! So while I was grieving, I was able to give thanks to the Lord. It's amazing how God works!

The girls and I ate chicken soup and toast for dinner and played Rummy. When Mark and Nancy arrived home, Nancy gave me a hug and I filled them in on the details I knew. They were very sympathetic and thankfully gave me space tonight so I could talk with the girls and work through the emotions of grieving.

I finally went to bed just after 9pm. Three late nights and lots of crying made me totally exhausted!

Please pray for my family! It is difficult to be away from right there, so please pray for me as well as I work through my emotions. Thank God for the internet so I can be updated often!

Sunday, February 6

The weather continues to be rainy, overcast, and windy. Thankfully today was slightly warmer than yesterday.

This morning I took my computer with me in the car so I could listen to Christian music and worship the Lord as I drove to church. It was my first time going by memory and not using the GPS, but I found it with no problems. The pregnant lady at church had her baby two weeks ago tomorrow. It was so much fun to see such a small baby again. He’s so cute! The sermon was over Genesis 1 and the 6 days of creation. I couldn’t stay for coffee/tea today because I knew my German family wanted to do something this afternoon and I had to get home. As I was pulling into the driveway, I saw in front of me the a family I met at the birthday party Friday night. It was so fun to recognize townspeople. They saw me and waved.

Before we left for Berlin, we ate a light lunch: bread with various toppings. Mark also made milkshakes for us. Their idea of a milkshake is actually a glass of milk with blended fruit in it. There isn’t any ice cream in it. 

We went to a little museum where popular wax figures are on display: politicians, musicians, important figures in history, celebrities, etc. We got pictures with the German Chancellor, the pope, President Obama, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, and many more. There was one figure that was in a case so you couldn’t touch it: Hitler. I guess at first, the figure was not protected and when people went by him they hit him enough times to knock his head off. There was a sign next to him that asked people not to even take pictures of him! Every other statue you could interact with, touch, etc. There was one section where they described the process of making wax figures. I wasn’t able to learn the whole process, but it takes a long time to make one. Tattoos are hand painted; each hair is human and is actually washed periodically. No pair of eyes is the same. It’s amazing! In the gift shop, I was able to find some postcards I liked for a reasonable price so I bought ten along with stamps for about 12 Euros.

We met Mark's brother and kids for dinner, then went to the Kino (movie theater) because Mark wanted to watch an African documentary. However, there weren’t enough seats available so we ended up going a famous coffee shop and having dessert and coffee. I was still full from dinner so I just tasted everyone’s dessert and drank water. Helena had fun using a rolled-up napkin as a microphone to “interview” me. It was pretty funny!

On the way back to the house I actually fell asleep, which was good because Mark and I stayed up late watching the Super Bowl! I got to skype Josh and talk to him for a while about fluff stuff. It was so nice to just laugh!

The Super Bowl didn’t start until just after midnight, but it was so much fun to watch American football and cheer on the Green Bay Packers! I only lasted until half time. At that point, I quick called my mom to chat about the game and ended up talking to two uncles, an aunt, and my grandparents for a few minutes. It was so much fun and was another reminder of just how many people are praying for me!

Saturday, February 5

I had such a productive morning! I got caught up on all my journals and listened to some great Christian music! 

We ate “breakfast” together around 1:30. At one point I walked behind Mark with a mug of hot green tea. I guess he didn’t see me and he backed up, right into my cup, spilling it all down my shirt. It was hilarious! Mark blamed it on me being a ghost because I move quietly. 

I got to talk to dad this afternoon for almost an hour. I was able to talk with him about my spiritual struggles and realizations as I read Scripture to convict me of my sin. It was so wonderful to talk to him about Spiritual things!!! 

Mark's stepdad asked how long I’ve been here. At first I said three months. When he heard that he made a comment about me being here for that long and still not knowing German very well. At first that kind of hurt my feelings and made me feel guilty for not trying harder to learn the language. This morning I had found an excellent free website that teaches German grammar. I think once I understand that and learn more words I’ll be able to form more sentences and understand better. So after talking with him for a few minutes, I went upstairs and took some more notes. I’ve decided that, starting Monday, I will get ready for the day with the girls, take my computer to the dining room and study German for two hours each morning. I am determined to learn this language!

Friday, February 4

After getting ready, I caught up on facebook posts and messages. A friend said he led a study on Hebrews 4 at his church. I couldn’t remember what Hebrews 4 talked about, so I took a moment to read it. It was exactly what I needed to be smacked in the face. That chapter talks about entering into the Lord’s rest. 

It was incredibly windy today! Nancy, the girls and I dropped off some papers at one of their secretaries offices and then went to the orthodontist where the girls had appointments to see if they would need braces or a retainer. We then went to lunch at subway…Helena and I shared a foot long sub and surprisingly, we wanted just about the same stuff on it. 

I was in my bedroom when Mark asked me to go downstairs. He sounded so ominous so I said “uh oh, what did I do?” He laughed and produced a letter from Grandma Simpson!!! I was so excited! It was so nice to get a letter, especially since I’ve been battling homesickness the last few days. Another God moment!

I took a mug of hot water and all the wrapping things downstairs so I could wrap a birthday gift for tonight, but had to go back up to get the tape. When I got back downstairs, I saw Lissy (the dog) was by the presents. I had the distinct feeling she had been drinking my water, which was on the floor. Just to be careful, I got new water!

I did the girls hair before we left for the birthday party. When we arrived, there were already a bunch of people there. Most were young couples from the town. As Nancy and I put our coats down, I mentioned that I didn’t know anyone. “Everyone knows you” was her response. At first I felt very awkward. Everyone was talking faster than I could absorb and understand, so I plastered a smile on my face. Mark, Nancy and I were given drinks…orange juice for me. It’s so nice to have everyone know I don’t drink. J 

I spent the majority of the evening with the kids. I ran back to the house to get rummy so they could play. We played the neighbor girls' guitar, danced and twirled together, and a game where I caught the kids and spun them around. The little neighbor boy loved that game! He was so light it was so easy to catch him. We then talked about special “freund/freundin”. I was surprised the kids were so open about how many boy/girlfriends they have and who they are. The little neighbor boy has four and one of them is me! J He’s so cute. 

We played a game of pool, three against three then started Toy Story II. I was exhausted! 

Thursday, February 3

Today was laundry day! 

I was so excited when the girls started picking up a new word from me: stink! J 

For lunch the girls ate left over pizza and I made a grilled cheese sandwich. Shortly after cleaning the kitchen, we made sugar cookies, which was a lot of fun! It ended up taking a lot more butter than I thought until the dough would actually stick together so we could roll it into little balls. I figured out the oven and they turned out really good, although maybe a little too crispy on the top. I think I accidentally turned on the top burner instead of the bottom. 

Wednesday, February 2

We drove to the beach again where we met up with friends again. While we were walking, we came across a playground that looked like a ship graveyard. It was so much fun! Helli and I climbed to the crows nest. I wanted to play more and thought Simon would enjoy playing, but the moms were calling us. 

We went to a café for hot chocolate and tea before saying goodbye. It took about three hours to reach Berlin. I read as long as the light lasted. For dinner, we went to Mark’s stomping grounds to a pizza place just around the corner from his mom’s house.

When we got home I unpacked and quickly checked my email and facebook to catch up on news from home. It was so nice to have so many notes waiting for me! It worked out perfectly to skype mom and dad so I got to tell them about the weekend. Nancy came in and was able to update them with real facts on what’s happening in Egypt. 

Tuesday, February 1

World update: There are one million people demonstrating in Egypt now. The President says the whole country can burn; he’s not leaving, although he sent his kids and wife to France and England with suitcases of money. The President himself isn't even in the country! He’s on some island on vacation while his country is in chaos.

I read this morning while the kids watched cartoons. It is so weird seeing cartoons I know in German. After breakfast we played rummy for a while and then Uno. I lost every hand.

We packed our swimsuits and left for a little indoor waterpark, complete with a slide that went outside before going back inside. We had to hike up a lot of stairs before getting to the mouth of the slide, but it was definitely fun! I had fun going behind the girls and calling out to them that I was going to catch them. They got freaked out and tried to go faster, but most times I caught them. J

I got my first taste of real Germany/Europe. The changing rooms weren’t separated for men and women, but thankfully there were changing rooms I could use. We swam and went in the outside pool for a few minutes, went down the slide several times, swam in the salt water pool (Roman style), ate chicken nuggets, French fries, and ice cream, read, and played with a ball. I took a little nap. 

We drove to a hotel where we met some friends from Berlin. We had the first round of drinks at their hotel. I had orange juice, then we walked to the restaurant which was built in the 1530’s and was a place for skippers to eat when their ships were in port. Ther were old mini ships hanging from the ceiling. It was really cool! I didn’t really know what I ordered, but it ended up being a meat wrap and gravy with mushrooms and some potato thing. It was good and extremely filling.

Monday, January 31

Today we went to Lubeck and walked around shops. Lubeck has a very old section of town that was originally like an island. Years ago, the only way to enter the old section was to go through a gate, but today there are roads you can drive on. Some of the brick buildings originated in the 1300’s. Lubeck is famous for its matzepan, a type of sweet. 

Lunch was at an outdoor market next to an ice rink. The pigeons were huge in this market! They get fed all the time by people like us, who eat and throw them crumbs.

We walked in and out of shops for hours. Mark met with a friend at a café. Since I couldn’t understand most of the conversation, I watched people out the window and recited verses in my head. I also had major hat hair.

I got the hiccups while we were looking for a jacket for Simon. The girls cracked up at how loud they were. Eating some ice cream took them away thankfully. Helena said if you get the hiccup that means someone is thinking about you. I guess a lot of people were thinking of me at that moment!

Sunday, January 30

After getting ready for the day, I spent some time reading my Bible (II Peter), studying the time, date, occasion for writing the letter, and the themes of the book. 

Helena wanted to read and then we watched the news: Protests continue in Egypt. 34 Muslin Brotherhood prisoners were released and bussed into wealthy sections of town to go do their crime (Nancy thinks it’s the presidents way of giving the people something else to think about rather than trying to oust him from office). The military is in control at the present moment, but the internet has been shut down along with the phones, at least 100 have been killed, and there is widespread looting. The country is in chaos.

I played Cranium with the girls and the sister of a friend of Simon’s from kindergarten. The kids played with play dough, I read, and then we played rummy and uno with Olie. It was a quiet day spent at the house, but it was nice down time. 

Saturday, January 29

This morning the girls came in while I was just lying in my sleeping bag. It was the first time since I arrived that they woke up before I did. They came in with fake guns and pretended to shoot me while I pretended to die. It set a good precedence for the day. We ate breakfast all together around the table which consisted of bread and jam with a variety of meats, and a croissant with chocolate inside. It was really good! 

We left the house for the beach where we walked along the Baltic Sea beach. We stepped in the water, threw ice, played tag, took pictures and enjoyed the cool, but calm and quiet atmosphere of God’s creation. As we walked through and between little stores, Helena and I talked about how she will help me with studying/practicing German. We walked with arms around each other as we talked, laughed, and she tried to explain “her” language (she made one up). The girls and I danced (twirling) while we waiting for the women as they shopped. 

Norway was just over 100 km away while New York was over 6000 km away. We ate dinner at a seafood restaurant, eating muscles for appetizers (which was actually pretty good), fish and potatoes for the main course. The fish there is very fresh and didn’t have a strong fish taste, so it was really good. 

After dinner, we walked round the little harbor looking at the small fishing vessels. It was much colder, but we watched the seagulls and once again I enjoyed the quietness of the little harbor. It was so peaceful as the fog rolled in. 

Back at the house, we ate ice cream and the adults talked about going to see a movie. While the parents were gone, I read while the kids played. When they got back, we drank some bubbled apple juice that naturally had about 4% alcohol. It tasted very good because you couldn’t taste the alcohol. J I showered, read, and went to bed.

Random thought:

Houses here are made out of red brick because of salt in the air from the sea. The town is known for its clean, cleansing air. Nancy said many sick people come here.

Friday, January 28

Today the girls went to school for a half day. While they were gone, Mark, Nancy and I packed for our little trip up north. I tried to get the ironing done so I wouldn’t have to worry about it when I got back and so everyone could finish packing.

On our way out of town, we dropped Mark’s car off at the inspection center (every car has to be inspected every two years). My muscle was hurting constantly when I walked so I was very sluggish. I also noticed a large bruise on the side of my right knee. To top it all off, one of my fingers was swollen and painful.

We arrived at Olie, Newien, and Simon’s house after dark. Newien had made a noodle and chicken dinner. I watched National Geographic World videos with the kids. After the kids went to bed, I bumped my finger and realized the pain was much worse (to put it lightly). I asked Mark if he knew what would cause the swelling and he figured I had somehow gotten an infection under the skin. He had me soak my finger in warm soap water for about half an hour, then pull the skin away from my nail. When that happened, a ball of white junk came out, proving it was indeed an infection. I soaked it for a few more minutes, then let it dry out. 

Thursday, January 27

This morning the girls got dressed in their school carnival outfits. Helena was a pirate and Gloria was a hippie, complete with a huge green afro. They both looked great! Nancy and I got ready and then headed to the school ourselves to get in on some of the fun. All the teachers were dressed up with the kids. There were some teachers who did special things with kids. For example, one teacher was Snow White and she had seven of the kids dress as her dwarfs. I saw belly dancers, pirates, police, clowns, hippies, techno/punk kids, princesses, cowboys, witches, etc. They had a little school rally where they performed a dance everyone learned. Then everyone went to their classrooms or to different classrooms. Almost every class had a special game or decorations or face painting they did. Helena’s class did a scary room. I never gained entrance because kids kept cutting me in line. I eventually gave up.

Gloria won the best costume award and 10 euros to the bookstore. She got her picture taken and a little blip in the school newspaper. Nancy was so proud of her! Before we left, Nancy talked to Helena’s English teacher. They will figure out a day for me to spend an hour in Helena’s English class describing life in America and letting the kids ask questions or practice their English with me. It will be a little different though because they learn British English in their schools.

The girls got out of school early so after picking them up I took a nap, ironed, and ate dinner before we headed to music lessons. While the girls were in their lessons, Nancy and I went to the library where I checked out two books this time. After lessons, Helena had a doctors appointment and then Nancy and Gloria had eye appointments. They finished with their appointments just after 7pm at which time we ran back to the car and drove back to the house so I could quick change and head to the gym with Mark and the neighbor who were patiently waiting for me. 

We warmed up by doing different dribbling exercises with basketballs, played Frisbee and did the different track and field stations. While playing Frisbee, I ran after the Frisbee at the same time one of my teammates did. I couldn’t stop in time to avoid the collision, so we ended up doing a little hug/dance before we got our balance back. I’m not sure what people said about it because I couldn’t understand, but I felt horribly embarrassed! Unfortunately, my already sore muscle got 10 times worse when I pulled it again while warming up so I was a lousy teammate when we played handball and I sat out when we played basketball. I don’t really know who was more bummed about that, me or Mark and the neighbor. The three of us were finally on the same team so I know the guys were disappointed when we couldn’t kick the other teams butt in basketball.

Tuesday, January 25

I had a very productive morning! I worked on my vocabulary lists for a about an hour while listening to Sovereign Grace Music, then got caught up on journaling and started blogging. 

Mark said I would go with him to Berlin. Look at the following link to find out more information about “Green Week”. http://www1.messe-berlin.de/vip8_1/website/Internet/Internet/www.gruenewoche/englisch/About_IGW_Berlin/Description/index.html In a nutshell, it is the largest international display of horticulture, agriculture, and food. It encompasses about 25 buildings in downtown Berlin. We walked around for close to four hours looking at the various plants, machinery, and tasting various foods. It reminded me a little bit of the ride “It’s a small world” at Disney because there were so many countries represented there! Mark said most of the workers there were actually from the countries they represented, but they could all speak German. Compared to the weekend crowds, there weren’t many people there, but there were thousands in the various buildings today. It was very similar to the Dane County Fair with the different kinds of animals and animal shows, except on a much larger scale.

For dinner, Gloria and Helena wanted to make pancakes. Gloria wanted to stir the batter and ended up spinning the bowl so the batter started spilling onto the counter. My reaction was to say “Oh my….!!!!” Her response was “goodness?” She was so cute….priceless! I say “oh my goodness” all the time that for me to stop halfway made her confused. J

Monday, January 24

This morning I woke Helena up and got her off to the bus. Gloria stayed home because she’s still not feeling well. I read for a little bit and then started putting together a list of German vocabulary words to start studying. In the book I’m reading, the main character is placed in protective custody and given a new life in Italy. He is very diligent in his study of the language. As a result of reading about someone else in a new country with a new language and reading about his diligence at studying, I have developed a little drive to study the language more like I should have been doing from the beginning. 

Gloria wanted to watch a movie so we watched "Tinker Bell" in English with German subtitles. Shortly after that, I accompanied Nancy while she went grocery shopping. We took the plastic bottles to the drop off machine and got money back. We ended up going to three different grocery stores before we had everything we needed. Nancy said there isn’t one store that carries everything.

I had about two hours to work on my adjectives and eat dinner before heading out to my class. Nancy made stir-fry and rice for dinner and rushed to make sure it was ready before I had to leave. I really appreciated that, but was too nervous to really eat my fill. The neighbors came over dinner. I spilled a fork full of food in my lap when I accidentally hit my fork out the bowl. I felt like an idiot, but brushed it off and kept eating. It was kind of funny though. J

The fifth student was at class tonight. I walked into the room acting more confident than I really felt. I was surprised by my take control attitude and introducing myself to the new student and talking to the teacher a little bit. Tonight we reviewed the colors, went over a bunch of adjectives, and worked on conjugating a few verbs. My teacher went over the dativ, akusative, nominative cases very briefly. I never understood those in high school and still don’t so I know what I’ll be studying in the next two weeks. I actually have a homework worksheet to complete, which includes writing out a few dialogues based on the pictures. I’m so glad I’m living with a German family because they can help me. J I have so much studying to do this week it’s not even funny, but I’m getting started on it right away…tomorrow. J

Sunday, January 23

This morning was another adventure at church. Thankfully I found the church without any problems and enjoyed good fellowship. However, on the way out of town, I noticed the gas tank was getting low and didn't know if I would have enough to get home so I decided to stop at the gas station. How hard is it to pump a little gas and pay inside? I figured I could figure it out. However, I didn't count on not being able to figure out how to open the little door that gives me access to the gas tank itself! Of course, my mobile wasn’t working, so I couldn’t call anyone for help. Finally, I decided to drive to the missionaries house and ask them for help. Thankfully I remembered the way and only had to wait a few minutes before they arrived from church. They looked at all the buttons and gadgets in the car and then the missionary mom looked at the gas tank door and pushed it. Whala….it opened! I figured with as many buttons as the car has, there must be a button for the gas tank too. Who knew it could be so easy! 

Helena wanted to read in what we’ve dubbed our “reading corner.” It’s really a wood bench under a couple of windows that let the most natural light in. We read for a while until Gloria came over and wanted me to do her hair. I spent an hour braiding her entire head of hair. Mark said she looked like a bleached black little girl. She looks so cute! She’s hoping it stays so she can wear it like that to school tomorrow. 

For dinner, Mark made spaghetti and the girls found great delight in concocting different salad dressings and having us taste test them. We graded them the salads on appearance and taste. Gloria won the appearance award and Helena won the taste award. 

Saturday, January 22

The best lazy Saturday ever! We read, ate, played, made homemade pancakes, and went to bed late! 

Friday, January 21

I didn’t really know how to do my hair today, so I used my hair straightener to shape it a little bit. It turned out okay. After I get some products, it will look better. 

Mark and Nancy were in Berlin all day so I was able to have a relaxing day at the house, working on laundry and ironing until the girls got home from school. I wrapped Mark's mom's birthday present, got the girls something to eat and showed them how to use the dishwasher. 

The afternoon passed very quickly and I spent close to an hour working on braiding the girls hair. It turned out so cute and the girls received many compliments. 

Helena didn’t really know how to direct me to get to Mark's dad's house, so she put the address in the navigation system. We arrived there without any mishaps. Mark's step-mom served us tea and we looked through a book of modern art. None of us girls really thought they were interesting, but Mark's step-mom explained a couple of pictures to us. I just don’t understand it and don’t get the appeal. It looks like nothing and should be discarded. She can speak quite a bit of English, so what German I don't understand she explains in English.

The girls, their cousin and I rode with Mark's dad and step-mom to the birthday party where Mark and Nancy met us. We said our hellos to everyone. Word got around to all the guests that I was the “companion” of the girls so people came over to introduce themselves. Everyone was very kind, but I felt way out of my league. It didn’t help that the girls deserted me to watch TV in the bedroom. I was very thankful when Mark and Nancy arrived.

Mark's step-mom and I ended up talking a lot tonight. At first she was speaking in English, but Nancy heard her from across the room and told her to speak German because I understand very well. She was wonderful! She spoke very clearly and slowly enough for me to understand most of what she said. I felt very comfortable trying to speak back in German. I really enjoyed talking with her and her friend. After introducing me to her friend, she told her I am very polite and that I speak very good German. I was encouraged by that. She said that I was welcome to go to museums with her and her husband. 

After leaving the apartment, we stopped to pick up Nancy’s car. The girls rode back to the house with me. Gloria developed a cold tonight that seemed to get worse by the hour. When we arrived home, we promptly went to bed. 

Thursday, January 20

I got my hair cut this afternoon. I didn’t know what kind of style I wanted, but I wanted something new and Wendy said to go short and go big. Nancy said I needed something a little “naughty”. I looked for days on the internet for a style I liked, but didn’t find one until I was at the hair salon and looking through the books with Nancy. After Nancy described to the hair dresser what I wanted, she left. I got a wash and head massage, cut, and styled. I really like how she styled it and I’m hoping I’ll be able to replicate it, but of course she put stuff in it that I don’t have, so it definitely won’t look exactly the same. Mark says it makes me look older and Nancy said I don’t look 18 anymore. J 

For lunch, Mark made me a little sandwich that consisted of raw meat mixed with onions and salt and pepper and some olive oil. It wasn’t too bad if it’s not spread on the bread too thickly. 

After the girls arrived home from school, we headed to Ludwigsfelde to drop Nancy’s mom off at the bus station and dropped the girls off at the music school. We stopped by the library and got some new books. I’m excited for the one I got. 

For dinner, Mark made pig thigh, sauerkraut, and potatoes. The pig was falling apart done and very tender and juice. It was delicious! 

After a little bit of kitchen cleanup, I got dressed for workout out at the gym with Mark and the neighbor. 

We were the first ones to arrive at the gym and I thought that would be it. Just us and the gym teacher, but more people steadily arrived. While we waited, we warmed up by playing a little bit of soccer. When more people arrived, we started jogging laps. We stretched together, with each person leading a different stretch. I thought we would play just one game the whole time, but it was more like a planned exercise time. We played ultimate Frisbee, worked with dumb bells, then set up various stations (high jump, jump rope, stretching, different ab workouts, weights, etc.), then we played a new game which involved throwing little balls to hit the big ball to the other teams side, then we played basketball! I love basketball and my team actually worked really well together. 

There was one lady who spoke really good English! She works for Rolls Royce and so speaks English every day at work! We were on the same team, so she explained the new game to me. She was surprised to learn I was 22. Even with my new hair cut, people still think I look like a teenager! 

Wednesday, January 19

This morning I fried an egg for myself and ate breakfast. Later, Nancy asked me to do some chores so I ironed a bunch of clothes, vacuumed the floor and couch upstairs, and did a load of laundry.

I took Helena to her voice lesson today and stayed to listen. She is working on two songs in English. It was interesting to see what her teacher teaches her how to sing. While we were leaving, I was telling her how to pronounce “Eden” from the song “Morning has broken.” She didn’t know what Eden was, so we started talking about the Garden of Eden. Once she knew what that was, she was able to tell me the story of Adam and Eve. 

When we got back to the house, Helena decided to go to the catechism class held at the priests house. When they got back, I asked Helli what they learned. She said they made little houses out of paper and listened to the story of the lame man whom Jesus healed after his friends lowered him through the roof.

Nancy went to a fashion show with a couple of friends (it's fashion week in Berlin) and was gone all evening. For dinner we ended up eating the rest of the fish sticks and potato (katoffin) patties. After cleanup and right before Mark came home, Gloria and I saw each other and at the same time gave each other a hug. Gloria, however, never let go, so I started dancing with her; sliding across the floor in my slippers as she held on. Dancing lead to me carrying her everywhere as she pretended she was lame.

Mark brought a new set of goblets home with him, so I helped him unpack them and then pack up an old set he was selling. Mark started re-arranging the entire dining room, moving display cases to different places (with the help of a couple of the workers). 

Tuesday, January 18

Today, Nancy and I went to the DMV (I don’t know what it’s called in Germany) to get new license plates for the Golf (the little car I’ll be driving). It was quite the process, similar yet a little different from the DMV at home. On our way to a shopping center one of the Polish workers called to say the oil and water in the Golf were mixing and so I wouldn’t be able to drive it until that gets fixed. 

We ate chinese food at the little strip mall. I bought although Nancy looked at me weird. While we were eating, Mark called and she told him I had bought lunch. He seemed surprised and asked, “Really!?” 

I asked Nancy why so many people take holiday in Thailand. She said its mostly because it is extremely cheap and it has a warm climate. However, she added that there is a lot of prostitution in Thailand, including very young girls whose parents force them to begin selling themselves at a very early age. It was so depressing to hear!

After lunch, we looked at some shoes and then went to Ikea where Nancy bought little couches for Gloria’s bedroom. Nancy was going to have the Polish workers put them together, but she and I started the project and ended up doing all of it ourselves! J They turned out really nice and match Gloria’s room perfectly!

We picked up the girls from their gym class and got to watch for a little bit. It looked like a lot of fun! 

Helena wasn’t feeling well after school, so she had a lazy afternoon and ate some crackers. 

Mark was describing some of their antique china and figurines and the company from which they are made: KCP (King’s China Productions) after Frederick the Great. Talking about him lead to talking about the masons, named after the Knights Templar, a group that developed more power than the Catholic Church so the Church tried to have the Knights exterminated. Mark said the two main goals of the Masons is to 1. Make sure no one is oppressed or under oppression from a king or government. Only God can tell someone to do something and 2. To aid society. They do this by collecting money to sponsor projects or other things, but the money is always given anonymously. 

Monday, January 17

This morning I was expecting to do some chores and hang around the house, but Nancy had other plans. We went to the city hall (Rathaus) to register me, so I am officially legal here! We headed to a neighbors house where Mark and Nancy store a few cars during the winter months. The neighbor gave us a tour of his entire house! It was really nice! I keep telling myself not to let the outside of houses fool me into thinking they are dumpy inside, but they aren’t!

Nancy was helping me practice introducing myself in German for my class tonight. Then when Helena got home from school, Helena practiced with me some more. I was studying some German words, but kept falling asleep, so I finally just took a nap. 

I was so nervous for my class!!!!!! I drove myself, so I was nervous about finding parking, finding the correct classroom, being able to understand and speak German, etc. I just didn’t know what to expect so I was nervous for the unknown! I found parking and walked to the front of the building. I was almost late and still didn’t know where the room was. When I opened the door, a man stepped out of a room, so I figured that was my teacher. I checked the room numbers as I walked toward him and sure enough it was him: Herr Dr. Knabe. I was the first student to arrive, which I was surprised to find out. I was nervous about speaking German and worried I wouldn’t be able to understand what people asked me, but I understood enough to get by.

My teacher is a retired German teacher, so he’s perfect to teach us. There were four of us tonight, but there is supposed to be a fifth. The other students have been here longer than I have though so they understand the language better than I do. My teacher asked me what I was doing here and since I didn’t know how to explain (in German), I told him I was studying German. 

In this first class, we went over some geography, objects found in a house, fruits and vegetables, colors, and how to address men and women. Some things were review for me, while others were completely new. I was surprised that Dr. Knabe didn’t give us more homework. This week we’re supposed to review the colors. Next week we’ll learn adjectives. 

When I arrived home, the family was finishing dinner. I was starving!! As I described the class, Mark got me food: meat, potatoes, and green beans. It was delicious.

After dinner, Nancy and I watched some television while Mark went pig hunting. The moon was very bright tonight so Mark could go hunting. He ended up getting a big one! Nancy looked at my school handouts and what we had gone over. 

Sunday, January 16

This morning I arrived at the right location for church, but found a large group of people on the sidewalk. It looked like they had just gotten out of church. However, I didn’t see anyone I recognized and couldn't find the little church group. I finally decided to just head home. 

After everyone got dressed and we ate a traditional Turkish lunch (flat bread with sausage), we were going to head out the door to look at some castles! 

Potsdam is very near Berlin and is known for its castles. A lot of celebrities live in Potsdam. We visited a castle that is located on the top of a hill. It didn’t look very large until we got up right next to it. There were statues everywhere on the roof of the castles and all over in the garden. The statues in the gardens are made of marble though and so were covered so the snow and ice wouldn’t crack them. The statues on the castles themselves were big!

The first castle we went to was Friedrich the Great’s, the Sanssouci, meaning “no worries”. Visit the following link to see a few pictures: http://www.germanplaces.com/germany/sanssouci-potsdam-sights.html Friedrich the Great is buried there next to his beloved dogs. His gardens are tiered with steps leading down to a huge fountain. As you look back up to the castle, on every tier there are glass windows where he kept plants during the winter months. The plants survived in their glass cases because they were in constant sunshine since they face south. We didn’t go in the castle on this visit, but Mark said we would come back.

There is a long walkway through gardens to Friedrich’s son’s castle, which is monstrous compared to his fathers. The grounds are extensive! Across from the son’s palace are two smaller, but still large and grand buildings. Mark said one was probably for servants while the other was probably for concubines. There are places where you can walk on the original cobblestone driveway. I can’t imagine being a horse and having to walk on those stones all the time. That would hurt!

We tried to go to an authentic German restaurant, but they were out of the really German foods, so we ended up going back to the house and enjoying the fire. After the girls went to bed, Mark, Nancy and I watched “Salt”. I’ve been wanting to see it, but it didn’t end how the previews had led me to believe it would. Good action though.

After the movie, I skyped mom and dad and talked to them for about an hour. It was so much fun! I’ve really been missing my family this week, especially since I didn’t hear from mom and dad. 

Saturday, January 15

Gloria was so excited to see the coffee cake bake and try it. They liked it!! Nancy liked that it was a fluffy cake and not heavy. The girls loved it! I wasn’t sure how it would turn out because the brown sugar is not packable here. It’s grainy like white sugar is in the States. It turned out like it normally does. 

After breakfast, I started playing the piano and then Helena came in and Nancy wanted her to play. She played some chords, then I gave her a piece of music to sight read. She did it and then started singing it. It was a lot of fun working with her. 

We went to Berlin to eat Chinese for lunch/dinner. We met up with the antique dealer and his wife, and his son and daughter-in-law. I ordered chicken and cashew with vegetables and ate the entire plate. I was full all night! I was really surprised when the girls started telling everyone that I made a really good coffee cake. I was pleased, but surprised they would bring it up. They also wanted me to count to 10 in Cantonese. It was funny.

Friday, January 14

This morning, I let the dogs out, then woke the girls up and promptly went back to my room and started reading my Bible (Daniel 7). Helena came in first and sat next to me on the bed. I said it was Friday and she told me that her teacher for her first class is at a competition so they get to do whatever they want. She was excited because she was going to take a book with her and read. What a little girl after my own heart. J 

After the girls left I caught up on emails and got dressed in my workout clothes. I did a hard ab workout…it hurt like crazy, but that’s good! Then I went to the cellar and jumped rope. I drank a class of chocolate milk and ate an apple with peanut butter for breakfast. 

When the girls got home, they wanted Vanessa to come over. Mark said that was okay, but Helena had to do 20 minutes of piano and those 20 minutes had to be approved by me. After that, Vanessa came over and played with the girls for a while. We finally settled on making spaghetti for dinner. Vanessa and Gloria came in and helped me. It ended up being an experiment spaghetti sauce concoction. We combined hamburger, onion, garlic, tomato sauce, some salt and pepper, brown sugar, and two different herbs. It wasn’t the best, but it was still good. 

After dinner, we made a Buttermilk Coffee Cake. Gloria loves baking, so she and Vanessa helped me again. We had to wait for Nancy to get home before we could add the baking soda she had bought. 

The four of us girls played Wii dance in the dark while wearing glow-in-the-dark bracelets. It was very fun! After Vanessa left, we spent some time reading at the request of Helena. The girls watched a TV show where celebrities had to do weird things, like put spiders in their mouths for a certain amount of time. I can't handle watching insects crawl on people. It grosses me out!

When Mark and Nancy got home around midnight, I finished the coffee cake and cleaned up the kitchen. Mark said he had a surprise for me, which ended up being four king sized reeses peanut butter cup packages! 

Thursday, January 13

This morning Nancy and I headed to our appointment with the personal trainer. We spent an hour doing stepping exercises, working with weights for our arms and abs, and stretching. It was a great workout! The trainer spoke some English so she would either explain the next workout or demonstrate it for me so I could follow. I was very thankful I am observant and a quick learner.

After showers and getting ready for the day, Nancy went to the office to get some work done and I ironed some clothes while listening to Disney songs and eating chocolate. 

The girls arrived home and we ate some homemade soup and bread then headed out for more music lessons. While the girls were in their lessons, Nancy and I looked at the Bibliothek (aka, the library). Nancy didn’t know this library was there, but it was really nice and had several authors and book series I recognized from the states, only in their German counterparts. They had an English selection, so I was able to check out an English book.

Today was so amazing with the girls! We interacted beautifully! We read together, got dinner ready together, ate next to each other, and later one of them came to tell me that when I’m a little better at German, she can give me short and easy German stories to read. She was such a sweetie tonight!