This Too Shall Be Made Right

I went to a Derek Webb concert a couple of years ago. The guy is talented, but for some reason when his songs come on my iPod, I seem to next them--except one. I heard this song awhile ago, and thought that the lyrics said it best. If you don't want to read them all, please read the last stanza. These words speak a lot of truth. Here are the lyrics to "This Too Shall Be Made Right"

"People love you the most for the things you hate
And hate you for loving the things that you cannot keep straight
People judge you on a curve
And tell you you’re getting what you deserve
This too shall be made right

Children cannot learn when children cannot eat
Stack them like lumber when children cannot sleep
Children dream of wishing wells
Whose waters quench all the fires of Hell
This too shall be made right

The earth and the sky and the sea are all holding their breath
Wars and abuses have nature groaning with death
We say we’re just trying to stay alive
But it looks so much more like a way to die
This too shall be made right

There’s a time for peace and there is a time for war
A time to forgive and a time to settle the score
A time for babies to lose their lives
A time for hunger and genocide
This too shall be made right

I don’t know the suffering of people outside my front door
I join the oppressors of those who I choose to ignore
I’m trading comfort for human life
And that’s not just murder it’s suicide
This too shall be made right."

I can no longer turn the other way. How am I any less blameless than the oppressors if I don't stand up for what is right?

I'm home? Really????

I'm home. Really, I am here. This is not a dream. This isn't some sort of alternate reality. I am actually here--in America, in my favorite state, with my family and friends, back to home. I've said that to myself over and over and over.... because I am trying to convince myself that this is real. To hug my mama and daddy, to laugh next to my sister, to sit around the table at Borders with my friends, to eat dinner with my family... all these things I have been aching to do, and now I have finally done them. No more of this virtual life. I don't have to see my friends and family through a video camera with skype. I don't have to find out about important, life-altering news through facebook or gmail. This is real!

I have been officially back in the states 24 hours now and have some (but not a lot, yet) time to think. It's hard to grasp the fact the day I've been longing for has come. My heart went home before me, so it's nice to be reunited. Some people ask me how it feels to be here. What emotions am I experiencing? My answer is simple: my utterly blissful joy outweighs any other emotion. Yes, I have plenty of emotions stirring under the surface. At the moment, they are all being held at bay because I want to enjoy every moment of this. I told my friend Nikki yesterday that I don't think I have ever been this happy in my life. Sounds a little extreme, right? Well, it's the truth. I can't believe I am here.

When "reverse culture shock" attacks, I'll be sure to write about it. For now, know that I am happy to be home! I love you America!

Wrapping it up..

Well, I've returned safely and soundly from vacation. I have to admit--Bavaria and the little of Austria I saw are INSANELY beautiful. It was picture perfect. I really hope to go back again one day. I spent 5 full days traveling. We stayed in Munich all 4 nights of our trip and used it as a base to visit the surrounding area. We had 3 days of sight-seeing: Day 1--Dachau concentration camp and Regensburg, Day 2--Schwangau, location of Mad King Ludwig's castle and the Alps, and Day 3--Salzburg, Austria.

Dachau was one of the most sobering places I've ever visited. The videos, pictures, and stories of the camp make you wonder how humans, in their right mind, ever treated anyone like that. The camp was the first one built under the Nazi Regime, and it served as a model for the camps to come. Regensburg holds a bridge that dates back to around 1135, used by crusaders who wanted to cross the Danube and head to the Holy Land. Neuschwanstein castle was as magical as I expected it to be. Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty would be right at home. The Alps were as breathtaking as I remembered them when I saw them on my previous visit to Europe... and Salzburg. If you've seen The Sound of Music then you've seen much of the city. Mozart was born here, and the city is full of culture and beauty. I definitely want to see more of Austria after visiting here.

On a completely different note, I'm now down to 3 full days left in Germany. Lord willing, I'll fly out to Paris early Friday morning, spend the weekend there for debriefing, and fly to the U.S. on Monday morning. It's hard to believe that my five month trip to Germany is coming to a close. It's been hard; it's been rough at times, but it's been worth it. God has taught me things about life that I would've never learned in the comfort of my life at home. He needed to remove me from everything I knew, from everyone I knew, and show me how much I need Him. It's been a life-changing experience.

As this long weekend approaches, I would like to ask for your prayers for safe travel. All the Hands-on teams located in Western Europe will be traveling to Paris on Friday, and either back to the U.S./back to their European locations on Monday. Please pray for our flights and trains. We really want to return back home safely! Can't wait to see you all.

pictures to come.

Vacation

It's hard to believe in a little over 2 weeks I'll be home. I'm seeing the end of my last full week in Dresden. I feel like these last 5 months have been twice as long as most because, as my teammate Jennifer put it so perfectly, when God is teaching and changing you, time passes very slowly. We've got much lying ahead of us in these 2 weeks. First off, we're going to have to finish ministry work. That specifically involves saying good-bye to our conversation partners. We have four with whom we regularly meet, and we'll have to say bye to them all. I hate this part of leaving. What's even weirder is the fact that I'll probably never see any of them again. After we leave them, we just have to pray that we made some sort of impact on their lives and that they won't easily forget us.

You may be wondering why I won't have a full week in Dresden next week. Well, we do have a full week here in Germany next week, but that full week won't be in Dresden... because we're getting to go visit Bavaria for 5 days! For those who don't know where Bavaria is, it's the largest state in Germany, located in the southeast corner, and its capital in Munich. Most of the stereotypes people have for Germany come from Munich--including lederhosen. We'll see sites like Neuschwanstein Castle (the one Walt Disney used to model the Cinderella Castle), Dachau concentration camp, and maybe even a little of Austria. I cannot wait to see what some consider to be the most beautiful area of Germany. We'll let you know what we think--but I have a feeling that seeing the Alps on a crisp and clear day probably won't be disappointing. 

In other news, our language tutor is recovering very quickly from her stroke. She has now moved out of the hospital and is in rehab. This is great news, but it also means that we probably won't see her again. We will continue to pray for her, and thank you all for your continued prayers for her as well as my team and I. I'll be back to post pictures of next week. Cannot wait!

This is STILL not Mississippi

Here's the rest of my list of differences. Be it a European thing, a German thing, or just a Saxony thing--it's different than what I know back in the good ol' Mississippi.

24. You have to pay or tip to use most public restrooms.

25. You have to ask for your ticket to pay at a restaurant.

26. Their ketchup here is usually a lot sweeter than ours.

27. Peanut Butter isn’t used much. Even worse, PB&Js… thought of as weird. As a major fan of peanut butter, this hurts a little.

28. Warning: their water served in restaurants and in plastic bottles—do not, under any circumstances, drink it. It’s almost always carbonated. Even if you get "still water," it may "still" taste funny. Oivay.

29. Smiling at people for no reason apparently makes people think you’re “of weak mind”?

30. Dresden is not the fashion capital of the world--that’s for sure. :)

31. They don’t have any get-everything-you-need-in-one-stop stores.

32. Their mustard is full of horse radish (which I particularly like).

33. Public Transportation is absolutely amazing all over the country. Trams, metros, trains, buses, ferries...

34. Not only do you need to watch out for car traffic but also bike traffic!

35. When you are paying for a meal, they bring a change purse to the table with them and make your change right there.

36. Indecent exposure in movies—nothing to bat an eye at in Germany. Violence in movies—only if you’re old enough! Backwards, huh?

37. Their calendars start the week on Monday.

38. They have a shelf milk option that’s very common—you can keep it for as long as you want. You don’t even have to refrigerate it. That is, of course, if you don’t open it.

39. Speaking of refrigerating, they don’t refrigerate their eggs at the grocery store. They let them sit on the shelf.

40. Their chedder cheese is white?

41. Many German buildings, even those with 4 or 5 floors, have no elevators.

42. Even when the road is clear of all moving vehicles, people still don’t cross if the Ampelmann (the pedestrian crosswalk symbol) says not to.

43. The option for having an apartment without a kitchen is quite common.

And lastly,

44. ..... prostitution is legal.

Outside a bathroom in the mall.. 50 Euro cents first, please!

Wow, I must be of weak mind.

The Ampelmann says no, so we don't go.

Hamburger

Well, I have to admit, this past week was superb. Within a dot over a week, my team and I went to Berlin, Hamburg, and Prague. I wrote a little about Berlin in the last post. It was an unplanned, decided at the last minute kind of outing.

Our experience in Hamburg was fantastic. It was nice to see what western Germany looks like. Yes, the wall fell 20 years ago, but there are still differences between the East and the West. Hamburg is quite an international city, and it was nice to hear English on their metros. We talked to several university students during our 2 full days there, and we even had one join us for dinner and games our last night! His name is Ivan, and he is from France. He's been to America before and thoroughly enjoyed it. He had a great time playing Connect Four and the Wii. It was a good trip!

On Saturday, our supervisor's wife took us to Prague. Let me tell you--it did NOT disappoint. If you ever have the chance to go there, do it. I would say it's the most beautiful city I have visited. We spent all day there, taking pictures, shopping, and watching an interesting "Zombie Walk." I hope I can go back there one day!

This week is back to beautiful Dresden and time for us to focus our efforts on the local University. Also, please keep our German "tutor" in your prayers. She suffered from a stroke on Friday (she is 86), and she is still in the hospital. We visited her today and she seems to be recovering well. I can only pray and hope she will fully recover. That's all for now. Tschuess!

German word:

die Gesundheit--health

Hamburg Rathaus

Hamburg city

Prague Church of Our Lady Before Tyn

View from Charles' Bridge

View of Prague

Prague Museum

Geburtstag

Hello to all!!

Just wanted to say a big thank you to those of you who sent me cards, facebook messages, emails, etc. to wish me a happy birthday! I had the opportunity to go back to Berlin on a beautiful day and for a beautiful price. AND I was able to use my brand new Nikon D60 to take some more pictures (Thanks Mom and Dad.. and Caitlyn)!

I am currently in Hamburg, learning some tricks of the trade from a family who lives here. We're hoping to take some tips about talking with University students back to Dresden. When we return on Thursday, we'll have Friday in Dresden and then we're off to Prague for the day on Saturday. Looks like we'll be all over the place these next few days! More details and pictures to come later. And I haven't said this recently, but thank you for your continued prayers.

Victory Column in Berlin

My homemade strawberry birthday cake

German word:

Geburtstag--Birthday