i miss.

all the friends, and germany! and chilanga! heppy new year!

Merry Merry Merry Christmas everyone!!!!!!

It is glorious to be home with my family in MN! We are enjoying bright sunny weather [5 days straight sunshine.. I think it has been months since I've experienced such a phenomenon!], and lots of powdery snow! Today the whole family, nephew and his cousin in tow, went sledding at the local state park. We had the whole place to ourselves. It was beautiful!!

Christmas has been a lovely blessing. It's so precious to be able to spend so much time together with my family. It's certainly been a while. My nephew can even talk, and knows his animal sounds [boo says the cow] and, when asked where any particular family member is, will look around, find said person, and say "Oh, there he is!" He's soooo precious.

Sounds like it's hot chocolate time with the family. Then I'm making cornbread to go with our Christmas dinner. Mmmm, lovely, delicious, American cornbread. ;)

Many blessings to you all! Enjoy the blessing of a quiet day of hearth and home, and praise God from whom all blessings flow! He has been very good to us.

Love,a.

sherbert.

snippets.

i am going home in 2.5 days. that is strange to think about, but i am excited!

my Bible is currently bald- meli is currently constructing a beautiful new leather binding for it! hooray!

i miss sharon. :( and alisha, and all the other kids who've already flown away 'round the world to their homes.

it's getting quiet around here.

i'm going shopping tomorrow with my dearest bin.

i have been rather sick as of late, but such sickness is said to last only a week; and tomorrow my week is up.

christmas oranges are simply one of the most amazing things about this season.

i highly dislike packing, but shall commence in the morning and with dogged endurance intend to put an end to it shortly thereafter!

i have a new friend, who is very winsome, amiable, and quite the gentleman. his name is sherbert. [misspellation intentional.]

tonight i saw the charlie brown christmas with my friend karen. what a happy reminder that Christmas Is Not About Commercialism! it is about Jesus and the joy that He brings.

it is very cold here in germany. and it is very much colder at home in minnesota!

i'm going to the youth group christmas party here on saturday night. it is quite the event of the season, and i'm rather looking forward to it.

in 4 days i'll be waking up to the sounds of my nephew bustling in, ready for a new day at 7am on monday morning.

and i can't believe christmas is in only one week! :)

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken,
let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.

Hebrews 12,28

a thought.

But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
James 1:4

Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the LORD!
Psalm 27:14

Therefore the LORD will wait, that He may be gracious to you; and therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you. For the LORD is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for Him.
Isaiah 30:18

it's good to learn to be patient, and to wait contentedly in the Lord. may we be found abiding in Him and, by His Spirit, producing much good fruit!

"In returning and rest you shall be saved; In quietness and confidence shall be your strength."
Isaiah 30:15

it's almost time..

for thanksgiving!!

today at kids' club we made hand turkeys. we also tried playing lightning. you know, the basketball game? yeah, didn't work so much. but the kids really liked the turkeys! figured i might as well show them something we do at home for one of our special holidays. they wrote lots of cute things on them that they were thankful for. got a kick out of them asking me in german how to spell german words that i didn't understand. :) 

so, thanksgiving is this week! in the states, it's tomorrow. and here, it's on friday! for us anyway- the germans don't celebrate thanksgiving, and are actually quite intrigued by the whole idea! i was asked to explain the story behind it.. and i think i got it right.. but maybe a few legends got mixed in with the whole-and-nothing-but-the truth about it. pilgrims.. succotash.. indian corn.. plymouth rock.. sweet potatoes with miniature marshmallows [oh wait, maybe that's where i went wrong..]

SO friday is our big day. i will be peeling potatoes early in the morning, and later setting up the snack table, making sure everyone gets seated [there are 96 of us eating thanksgiving dinner together in the church coffeebar! if that isn't cozy, i don't know what is!!], singing with our choir [new addition to ccbc this semester, thanks to our girl Karen!], and in general helping to ensure that everyone makes their thanksgiving crafts and has a glorious time!

hannah and i have been having heaps of fun together of late, cooking and baking, practicing with our alto section, getting details figured out for thanksgiving, and making decorations and favors and other preparations for our ladies' christmas brunch next saturday [6th dec]! this week alone we've had one night of staff girls' dinner/cookie baking/crafting, a whole day of t-day prep, tomorrow more baking and planning, all day cooking friday, saturday spent with german friends in various fun places [christmas market anyone??], setting up and helping at the missions' fundraising bazaar [we made bags a few times this fall to sell], and so on and so forth!

among other notable items of late:

 it's been snowing a lot, and it's real cold outside! the first snow is always so b-e-a-u-tiful! the first ice is not necessarily quite so congenial.

i went to köln [cologne] last weekend with david guzik's prep for ministry class- went to the roman museum and the Dom [cathedral]. interesting, saw some cool stuff, it was really cold, but we had a good time. and had starbucks.

i got new shoes that don't leak! the very kind woman even gave me 10 euro off the sale price. wie lieb.

i am living in the wohnung again. it is very nice, very warm, and very unmoldy. sometimes lonesome, but then either i go visit the villa [about 20 steps from my front door], or the girls come over to hang out. it's nice.

there is a GINORMOUS christmas tree in the middle of the Halle! it seemed to me to be 20-some feet tall. it was being decorated with the help of an overhead crane. it's a beaut.

in fact, it seems as though well nigh everyone is christmas-decorating like mad! it's quite an enjoyable meander through the hillside streets above us. everything has taken on a very twinkly feel.

i go home in about 25 days!! i am really excited to see my family and be at home for a whole month!! hoping for a white christmas..

one of these days i'll quit being a bum and actually post some pictures. after i take them. after i charge my camera. until then, here's a little thanksgiving love!! xo. 

p.s. dear mom, please make the oreo/candy corn/malted milk ball turkeys. even without me. sigh. :)

Happy Happy Birthday!

Dearest Sweetest Bryce,

Happy Birthday #2!!!! You are such a great nephew and I miss you sooo much! I hope you and Andy had FUN on your birthday, and ate loads of cake and ice cream, and had fun with Maddie and Katie.

I will see you in just over one month, and I can't wait!

I love you!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Auntie Ann.

hymns.

well, just for fun, i sang a little bit tonight after hitting the 'record' button on garageband.

just a couple clips of hymns, in a little bit different fashion.

to hear the outcome, please visit here.

speaker's week.

But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength! 

They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not grow weary, they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31

This week is an interesting change of pace during the semester. All classes are put on hold for the week so we can gather together three times daily to hear from a speaker [and ultimately, the Lord and His Word]! I'm really enjoying it this semester.. it's technically my fourth speaker's week, but i missed the whole second one [hospital] and most of the third one [sick]. So I am glad to be here! It's always a great time to simply seek the Lord. And even if we don't remember that He's going to speak to us... He does. I'm glad it's based upon His faithfulness, not ours. I had kind of forgotten about it, but every single semester this becomes a really special week, and a lot of people gain specific direction for their lives, just from being faithful to wait on the Lord.

The above verse has been one I've known for a loooong time. But lately, it's been a very encouraging promise! I can't run this race and do everything in my own strength; I fall flat on my face after 2 or 3 steps. But as we wait on the Lord, HE renews our strength. So the end result is running without growing weary, and walking without fainting! I need that renewed strength. 

Gayle Erwin is our speaker for the first half of the week. I got to read most of his book, "The Jesus Style," in the past few weeks, and I was amazed at the simplicity of the message. Jesus came to be a servant of all. And therein is our pattern for life and ministry. Last night Gayle summed it up like this: We need to see Jesus, and know Him personally. As we know Him, we are filled with His Spirit, and the fruit of the Spirit is [among other things] JOY! We are filled with joy because we know Him, and because we are SAVED! Such genuine joy abounds and overflows in the life of believers, so that our natural response is to be like Jesus: to go and serve others. And when we serve others [instead of putting ourselves first], we are blessed. So we see Jesus- we're filled with joy- we overflow into others' lives- and we are blessed. Then we see Jesus even more clearly, and the cycle continues.

It was so good, so refreshing to hear these simple reminders, especially concerning the joy we have as believers. Sure, we're human, we go through rough times, life isn't a piece of cake. BUT we have hope!! We can be the most joyful people on earth! Are we??

Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD! Psalm 27:14

...In Your presence is fullness of joy. Psalm 16:11

wien team!

annie. allison. meli. sharon. katha. scott. [ohne maarten]

the goodness of the Lord.

v2. Thus says the LORD: The people who survived the sword found grace in the wilderness- Israel, when I went to give him rest.
v12b. Their souls shall be like a well-watered garden, and they shall sorrow no more at all.
v14. I will satiate [fill to the full] the soul of the priests with abundance, and My people shall be satisfied with My goodness, says the LORD.
v25. For I have satiated [fully satisfied] the weary soul, and I have replenished every sorrowful soul.

v26. After this I awoke and looked around, and my sleep was sweet to me.

Jeremiah 31.

look mom, it's me!

you needn't worry- i'm still alive!

kinder!

so we're back from vienna.. and now it's on to the next outreach opportunity!

a team of 6 of us from the Bible College will be heading 2 hours south tomorrow afternoon, to do children's ministry for a retreat with CC Heidelberg and another church from Sinnsheim.

please keep us in prayer as we go- there are 6 of us and about 60 kids, from ages 2-13! pray for creativity, energy, love, and patience. pray that our team will work well together, and that we can really connect with the kids and keep them involved during the 5 long sessions. and while you're asking, please request dry weather so we can head outside for some games too. :)

thanks! we're privileged to serve these churches, and look forward to a great weekend. may these kids truly see the love of Jesus in us!

But Jesus called them to Him and said, 

"Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. 

Luke 18:16

<------ p.s.- vienna photos are up!

home we are.

hannah and i made apple pie.

it's supposed to snow on thursday.

i like seeing everyone again.

endurance.

hi all,
thanks for reading, and for praying. our week here has been an incredible blessing. we've talked with so many people, both believers and nonbelievers. for me personally [along with my friend sharon] it's been a week filled with musical opportunities! basically, we've been singing all day long, all week. we've led worship during devotions and prayer times all morning every morning; we've spent a few afternoons playing on the streets, and led worship during a few evening events. today we just had our Erntedankfest [Thanksgiving Feast] - it went so well! There were tons of people here- the whole place was packed. we had all sorts of good food, and sharon and i did some special music. we played some of our own songs.. then a few worship songs.. then played for at least an hour while people had dessert and fellowshiped. everyone really was into the music, even a whole bunch of nonchristians. so we kept playing and playing.. the group of nonbelievers even asked us to play a song again [and could only remember that it talked about salvation! :)]
oh, and the other night we recorded our first album. it's called Austrian a Cappella. we recorded it sitting around the kitchen table in a 6th story apartment in Vienna, and in two hours we had a 14-song album! it's totally raw vocals and harmonies [some songs even learned and sung on the fly], and you can hear the table squeaking, and hear us laugh at our mistakes, but it's worship. the girls were so grateful to have worship music- you really can't get any here. so now they have 14 new songs! tonight during our first "show" they recorded a few more. everyone is asking for copies of "the cd" and another cd.
so it's been really cool and encouraging, and sharon and i are definitely going to record when we get back home to siegen.
but we do ask for prayer- we've sung so many hours this week, and especially this weekend, that our voices our almost gone! please pray for endurance for us. it's really tiring to sing and play that much, even though it's super encouraging, and fun. tomorrow we're leading worship for CC Wien one more time, and then we leave in the afternoon.
thanks so much! blessings! keep praying for vienna- the Lord is doing a great work here!! :)
love.a

punk rock?

So this week we've spent time every day on the streets of Vienna, talking with people about Jesus. We've done surveys, handed out tracts, had all sorts of conversations, and today Sharon and I tried a new tactic. Today we went to the University of Vienna [the oldest university in all of Europe, by the way, and the most beautiful one i've ever seen!], and some of our group went upstairs to the area outside the library, while the two of us stayed outside in this huge courtyard. There were lots of benches all around, and tons of people sitting, eating, talking, walking through, etc. We brought along a guitar and took turns playing and sang with each other [it's quite a blessing, I must say, to play with my little rose-of-Sharon!]. We had thought people might come along and listen, and maybe we could begin conversations with them through that.
Well, nobody really came, and we didn't know if anyone was even listening. So just as we were wondering whether we should move somewhere else or just give up the musical approach altogether, I asked Sharon if she knew a certain song, and began to play it for her. Meanwhile, a girl walks up, and told us to keep playing- she wanted to listen. After we finished, we started talking with her, and she asked us if we actually knew any drummers.. she's in a punk rock band and needs one! She was actually in the process of hanging up flyers. So we told her we actually were only here in Vienna for the week, but were given a flyer anyway, just in case.
As we're talking with her [Mano is her name], another girl walks up and said she heard us playing and singing, and wondered if we'd like to join her brit-rock band???
There's two band offers in one day. They told us we probably shouldn't play and sing out in the open like that, or else more people would ask. :)
Anyway, we ended up having a great conversation with these two girls, Mano and Marie-Kristin, and we invited them to the Thanksgiving fest [Erntedankfest] on Saturday at the church here. Both were very open and I hope they come!!
Later on today at the church we [Sharon and I] were asked to move here and be the worship leaders at the church. That'd be pretty sweet.. guess we'll pray about it huh?
Anyway yeah, 3 musical offers in Vienna in one day.. just interesting. Cool place. Huge musical center of Europe.. and lots of musical opportunities! :)
Good ministry so far. Thanks for praying for us!!
love,a.

servus!

here we are in wien! we've had lots of opportunities already to talk with people on the streets, hand out tracts and surveys, spend time fellowshiping with people from the CC Wien and another international church here, and worship and pray together as a team. our mornings are mainly spent praying for the city and different ministries and believers here, and our afternoons are spent on the streets, talking with people. each evening is different, but we've already gone to two outreaches [one street-evangelism outreach via painting, and another tea room outreach to foreigners], and last night we went to another church to hear a man from N. Korea talk about refugees and some cool ministry going on in that part of the world.
another girl, sharon, and i spoke with 7 people on the streets yesterday, 3 13-year old jewish kids, and 3 18-year-old goths.. please pray for these kids, that the Lord will touch their hearts and speak to them individually- especially to show them that there is a hope and a future in the Lord, that they can personally know the True and Living God!
thanks for praying! we're very grateful for your support.
also keep in prayer the outreach teams all over the world from the different CCBC campuses- hungary, germany, italy, and peru all have their outreach during this week. countless countries all over the world, including south america, all over europe, and even india.
blessings!
annie.

wir gehen nach Wien.

today our outreach team leaves for Vienna!

Please pray for us! We have lots of really cool opportunities to share the love of Jesus with people, in tea rooms and coffeebars, in church and on the streets, in subway stations and refugee camps, with kids ministry, leading worship, putting on a Fall/Thanksgiving feast, and spending lots of time in prayer for the city.

Please pray for protection, provision, wisdom, and many open doors to talk with people and minister to them. And that we'd have abundant love, joy, peace, and patience. :)

Thanks! Blessings!

And those who know Your name will put their trust in You;

For You, LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.

Psalm 9:10

prayer.

Sometimes we intellectually know something about God. "Sunday school answers" easily come to mind when asked to describe His character: He's good, faithful, loving, patient, etc.

But there comes a certain point in each of our walks where we must step beyond intellectual [head] knowledge, and truly know by experience that these common descriptions of His character are, in fact, true. Basically, we may know every fact about God, and still not truly know Him or His character. I can know everything about somebody, but until I develop some form of relationship or friendship with them, I cannot truly say I know them. So it is with God. I may "know" endless things about Him, but He calls me to Know Him.

Therefore, when I say that God is our Provider, our Healer, and the Hearer of our prayers, my statement is verified when He proves Himself to be so. And this week, He has. He does hear our prayers, and He does answer in His faithfulness.

Example 1: We prayed for a student's father to be healed of cancer for several weeks before his test results came. We trusted that whether or not the Lord healed him, He would answer our prayers in the right way, and provide for the family. The answer? No cancer.

Example 2: We prayed for another student to be able to fly home for Christmas, and to find a reasonably priced ticket. Simple request, maybe "too simple" in the eyes of many; nevertheless, we prayed it. The answer? She has a ticket.

Example 3: We prayed that the Lord would provide money for a member of our Vienna outreach team, after an unexpected bill came up, and left her without sufficient funds. The answer? After church on Sunday a friend came up to me to say hi, and as she left, put money in my hand with the simple explanation that it was for our outreach. How much? Exactly the amount we needed.

So, I can say that the Lord answers prayer until I'm blue in the face; but when I actually stop saying that, and start praying and trusting that He'll answer, it gives Him the room to do so. I know that He answers prayer. We serve the Living God! And He loves to take care of His children! As we know Him, let us also trust Him to be faithful, and praise Him when He is!

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

...Nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day. 1 Timothy 1:12

favourites.

Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow!

Hannah and the beautiful piano at the Halle!

Herbstfarben!

apfeln.

as previously mentioned, the fall is amazing. and so are fall apples. 

and what do you think the Bible College got blessed with this weekend? 

boxes of delicious, homegrown, handpicked, Siegerlander apples.

so lecker!

blessing!

SO this week the Lord put it on my heart to pray and really ask Him to provide for me. so i did.

He's also lately been putting on my heart the verse that 'you have not because you ask not'- so i need to start asking, even in silly little things that i don't think really count, or that i think aren't really worth praying about!

WELL- i asked the Lord to provide shoes. and if you know me, especially if you're my family, you know that i love shoes. i even have a certain younger sibling who likes to remind me of how many shoes i have, and that i probably don't need any more. i know, it's sometimes a little bit silly, but i love shoes. and cute shoes too! not necessarily practical ones!

so i prayed a practical prayer. i asked for practical shoes. i live in Germany. it rains in Germany. almost every day. [not quite, but sometimes it feels like it!] and when all of your shoes leak, have holes, or are meant for sunny summer days.. wintertime can be quite a troublesome thought.

so, knowing this, and using my God-given and Germany-instilled practicality, i knew i needed waterproof shoes that were comfortable enough to walk in a lot.

so i asked for a pair of shoes that were practical and waterproof and reasonably priced, and if at all possible, cute.

and today, He gave them to me!

they cost 4,50 Euro at the Halle [second hand store], they are made of leather, they are really comfortable, and they're practically new. and while He could have given me practicality-to-the-core shoes [aka ugly], instead He gave me cool ones!

AND- just to show me that He really cares about my silly little desires- He also gave me a cute [although not quite so practical] pair of shoes yesterday, just out of the kindness of His heart [and via the generosity of one of His daughters!]. :)

here is the evidence! praise the Lord!

Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him

How I've proved Him o'er and o'er

Jesus, Jesus, Precious Jesus

Oh for grace to trust Him more!

colour!

some of the best things in life:

Fall.

Fall Sunshine.

Fall Crispness of Air.

Fall Crispness of Apples.

Fall Crispness of Leaves.

and the best of all..

FALL COLOURS!

i'm sitting in the coffeebar, sipping a nice cup of tea, wishing i could be outside in the sunshine.. but instead i'll post. i guess i have been updating on a very irregular basis.. sorry! life is busy, ne?

yesterday we made sheeps [i realize this is incorrect, but so much the 'funner' way to say it!] at kids club! it was fun. some of the sheep turned out soooo cute. the kids are 7-11 years old, and some of them are slightly less ambitious and/or perfectionistic than others. when i get pictures from my friend meli, i'll post them. :) think very large noses, crooked feet, wool clumped in various odd places, and eyes spaced further apart than the ears. so precious!

this semester has been pretty diverse as far as job descriptions.. from secretarial work as the registrar's assistant, to playing games and making crafts at kids club, to cooking meals [we made enchilada hotdish today!], working coffeebar, planning and leading outreaches, leading worship [at the Bible college, youth group and all over germany], overseeing housekeeping, traveling around a bit, hanging out with students, staff, and other friends, learning and practicing german, and being involved with the church. i guess there's probably more than that.. but that's all i can think of for now. it's been super busy, but so fun! i am so blessed to have such amazing fellowship here!

tonight we have a girls' worship night. i'm really excited to spend time with the girls, worshiping the Lord. He's so good to us!

hooray!

mit lieb.

die Sonne!

For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts 

to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.

2 Corinthians 4:6-7

It's amazing how even in the busyness and chaos of life, the Lord can speak in His still small voice, and still enable us to be used despite our preoccupied minds! Life here is so busy; lately it's bordered on crazy. And yet He saw fit to remind me after a super busy day this week that the joy of the Lord is my strength. At the end of the day, in our emptiness and exhaustion, we need not worry about tomorrow; we need only rejoice in Today- that God has used me as His vessel.

Yesterday I had a pretty busy schedule with all different responsibilities; I figured it would be a busy "doing" day, and not so much of a "people" day. Somehow in there the Lord combined the two, so it was entirely a people day while I was doing everything I needed to accomplish. I had SO many good, deep, encouraging conversations; I heard countless people's testimonies and was able to hear about their current situations and needs. I was able to pray with people, to share my heart with people, and really witness the Body of Christ being the Body! Fellowship is so precious!! I was reminded by a friend that the most important thing is being still and knowing He is God. And really, what else is more important? He's so precious. In abiding in Him, He abides in us, and it's a joy, not a burden, to keep His commandments and love His sheep.

 The sun has been out lately! I love its warmth and the joy it stirs up in my heart; it feels like life is fresh and new again! So true it is that the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ has shone in our hearts, and made us new! Because of that light, we can be those fragile, little, cracked vessels in which God takes so much delight. We can spread abroad His light [through our cracks and deficiencies!] to this dark world. The power is His- because we really have none! In our busyness, we can find rest in Him. In our need, our lack, we can yet be used to His glory. In our weakness, He is strong- as He shines the light of Jesus through us. He left the 99 sheep to seek out the one lost sheep; and so ought we be willing to lay down our tasks and love the person in front of us, because of His all-surpassing and merciful love, with which He first loved us!

Amen.

for as long as the sun and the moon shall endure..

i love you chilanga!!!!!!!!

ich werde dich vermissen so ganz sehr.

black forest.

we are in the black forest, at black forest academy, in kandern, germany.

we have led worship 5 times already this week, and have 2 more sets tomorrow.

we= michelle, roelof, fabian, izzy, and me.

i am ein bisschen krank- throaty/cold junk. i took last night off, but still sang this morning. God's good.

we've visited Basel [Switzerland] and Freiburg [Germany] this week- nice cities. helped clean at CC Freiburg today.

tomorrow we have a long day- worship in the morning, hanging out at the school all afternoon [maybe going to German class!], then leading an extended worship time for the high schoolers tomorrow night. pray for strength and grace, and voice-endurance!

also please pray for the kids during this time- it's really a time for them to sit before the Lord, worship, pray, be prayed for, take communion, and enjoy His presence, as an end to their spiritual emphasis week. it's been a good week.

i'm off to bed! gute nacht!

i'll post pictures.. from lots of recent things.. sometime.

Lead, Lord, with unfailing love those that You have ransomed

And we will sing out as we go on: Our God is Faithful.

it's been really busy here! the semester has officially begun, and all the craziness therein.

I'll be gone for the next week- leading worship at CC Herborn's women's retreat this weekend, then leading worship with a team at Black Forest Academy's Spiritual Emphasis Week.

cool opportunities!

God is so good! oh for grace to trust Him more.

be still and know.

"When I cannot understand my Father's leading,

And it seems to be but hard and cruel fate,

Still I hear that gentle whisper ever pleading,

God is working, God is faithful, ONLY WAIT."

-Streams in the Desert

go!

my nephew's latest documented trick.

friends.

to celebrate our "last" day of summer [before semester work begins], my friends Andrew and Miriam hosted a barbecue yesterday!

about 12 of us enjoyed a feast of meats, salads, bread, apfelschörle, birne-melisse wellness getränk, and homemade banana bread and s'mores. so lecker.

afterwards with our coffee and tea we had a great time of prayer for the upcoming semester. it's such a blessing to be part of the Body of Christ, and especially to have friends like these! i love you guys. :) i also was awed by how the Lord put the exact same things on each of our hearts- twice i was going to pray about a specific thing, and someone else did it! sabine said the same thing happened to her. how cool that our God loves to bless us as we seek His face together!

here's a few pictures of the girls. [the boys were busy at the grill. go figure.]

love!

bini and miri!

the kathas!

dear deutschland.

It's been awful fun over here. Everyone is excited to see each other again.. our little "family" here is such a blessing!

Basically I've been hanging out with friends [and working on staying awake] for the past two days.

This weekend I head to Austria! Salzburg on Saturday, then head out Sunday to the Castle in Milstatt for the Missions Conference all week.

hooray!

And, if you haven't seen them yet, or noticed Jessica's blog, you should definitely check out 

The Official Madden Wedding Pictures at maddenwedding.michaelspotts.com. :)

p.s. Excellent German Find of the Week: they sell kefir here. amazing.

p.s.s. ich habe gelernt zu schalten! 

i made it.

i've safely arrived in Germany. thanks for all your prayers. the flight was thankfully quite uneventful, and my dear friends were there to pick me up. i am quite tired but can't really sleep, hungry but can't really eat, and i think rather dehydrated. but i'm here, hooray!

tonight is worship night at cc siegen. then sleep.

i'm thankful.

blessing.

Once upon a time, perhaps a year or two ago, I had a slight desire. It was for something that was very handy, and shiny, and nice. Yet it was not necessary, and I found that I had lived all my life [until that point of realizing my desire] without it; therefore I decided that I ought to be able to get along quite nicely without it. Besides, I couldn't really afford it.

Time went on. I applied my hand to the proverbial plow, and earned an honest living. Yet I still found little justification for making the aforementioned purchase; it was still desirable, yet remained unnecessary and rather frivolous. Such an amount could do much greater good elsewhere. No sleep was lost over this decision.

Fast forward to this evening. Following a nice family dinner and my brother's birthday celebration, I spy a certain young nephew of mine running toward me with a small, shiny object in his hand. He drops it at or around my feet, and I stoop to pick it up. My mind tells me that he should not have this sort of shiny object, then moves to bewilderment as to where such an object might have been procured by his 20-month-old hand; meanwhile, my mouth is asking him the same sort of question. Next I see my name on the screen, and hear a voice telling me, "It's yours, Annie!" 

My mind at this point is thinking several things, such as "I don't have one," "Whose is this?," and "It's not my birthday, it's Tyler's!"

After a few such seconds of such perplexity, the realization sunk in.

I almost cried.

My three brothers, plus Mary and Bryce, pitched in together to get me the very thing I supposed I would never have.

Currently feeling: grateful, undeserving, blessed, amazed, and still somewhat bewildered.

Thanks family. I love you.

And so, the Lord reminded me in a very tangible way of a particular promise in His Word which I read this very morning:

Delight yourself in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. -Psalm 37:4

For in so doing, we shall all live happily [and contentedly] ever after.

The End.

stop! stop!

And when these things begin to come to pass,

then look up, and lift up your heads; 

For your redemption draweth nigh.

Luke 21:28

nur eine woche!

That's right, folks. Only one week until I depart my homeland once again to the land of my sojourn for yet another five-month adventure. Practically speaking, this world is the land of my sojourn, and as such I am a stranger and a pilgrim therein. I was speaking the other day with a fellowhearted sojourner [although we'd only just been introduced] upon this very subject, and we took great joy in the fact that, at any place on this green earth, God can work in us, love through us. And so, after these eight weeks in this little bit of prairie, I'm off again to the woodland hills of Germany. I grandly anticipate these forthcoming months and the ensuing chapters of Storyland which they shall write. May I be found a willing servant, wise steward, and faithful witness.

I've been thinking today about life. It seems as though friends are being married left and right, and to all accounts my summer last year was continually ringing with wedded bliss. And yet, despite the glory of such momentous occasions, there are also funerals. Greg Laurie's son, Christopher, passed away last Thursday, and just this Sunday, the youth pastor at a local church, with whom I was acquainted and whom many of my friends knew well, was killed in a car accident. Both of these young men have so quickly [and paradoxically] passed from Death to Life and seen the face of their dear Savior, and for this we rejoice! Yet it's a vivid lesson on the brevity of life. "So teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom." [Psalm 90:12]

Among other sundry matters, I've lately been devouring a delicious bit of literature by L.M. Montgomery. Although the dear old films mayn't speak its name, I am greatly enjoying Anne of the Island, which, as you may well guess, is part of the well-beloved succession of Anne books, beginning with its namesake, Anne of Green Gables. I suppose this has really no impact on life or eternity whatsoever, but I'm always up for a wordy bit of fun. Many of the escapades treasured within this story are featured in the second film based on the series, Anne of Avonlea. Of course, the book remains much superior to the film and carries the theme more truly and rather differently, but both are highly recommendable and enjoyably pleasant, if for nothing more than a splendid lesson in vocabulary.

oh boy.

photo credit: tyler johnson

excerpts.

Quotes taken from An Old-Fashioned Girl, by Louisa May Alcott, written 1870.

[Perhaps, upon reading, you shall come to sympathize with me in fondness for this book, and enjoy its timeless wisdom and insight. -a.]

"Fashionable"

p. 12- That night she saw one of the new spectacles which have lately become the rage, and run for hundreds of nights, dazzling, exciting, and demoralizing the spectator by every allurement French ingenuity can invent, and American prodigality execute. Never mind what its name was, it was very gorgeous, very vulgar, and very fashionable; so, of course, it was much admired, and everyone went to see it.

"Rich"

p. 34- ...But he was a busy man, so intent on getting rich that he had no time to enjoy what he already possessed.

"Simplicity"

p. 42- "...The old fashion of simplicity is best for all of us. I don't want my Polly to be loved for her clothes, but for herself. The least of us have some influence in this big world; and perhaps my little girl can do some good by showing others that a contented heart and a happy face are better ornaments than any Paris can give her." -Mother.

"Young Men"

p. 171- Young men often often laugh at the sensible girls whom they secretly respect, and affect to admire the silly ones whom they secretly despise, because earnestness, intelligence, and womanly dignity are not the fashion.

"Sincerity"

p. 172- "Well, whatever you do, Will, don't have a great, costly church that takes so much money to build and support it that you have nothing to give away. I like the plain, old-fashioned churches, built for use, not show, where people met for hearty praying and preaching, and where everybody made their own music instead of listening to opera singers, as we do now. I don't care if the old churches were bare and cold, and the seats hard, there was real piety in them, and the sincerity of it was felt in the lives of the people. I don't want a religion that I put away with my Sunday clothes, and don't take out till the day comes round again; I want something to see and feel and live by day by day, and I hope you'll be one of the true ministers, who can teach by precept and example, how to get and keep it." -Polly. [emphasis mine]

"Service"

p. 172- "I am glad to give my best and brightest son to the service of God. I shall let my boys follow the guide that is in them, and only ask of them to use their gifts conscientiously, and be honest, useful men." -Father.

"Popularity"

p. 230- "My children, beware of popularity; it is a delusion and a snare; it puffeth up the heart of man, and especially of woman; it blindeth the eyes to faults; it exalteth unduly the humble powers of the victim; it is apt to be capricious, and just as one gets to liking the taste of this intoxicating draught, it suddenly faileth, and one is left gasping like a fish out of water," and Kate emphasized her speech by spearing a sardine with a penknife, and eating it with a groan. -Kate King, authoress.

update.

time is winding down at an uncanny [defined as strange or mysterious] pace. i've been home since june 11th, and now my departure date is a mere 2 weeks away!

home has been amazing. it's been incredibly busy, but i've been blessed with a great job and lots of hours, and lots of time with my family. we all went on vacation to northern wisconsin/minnesota in early july, and i've been able to attend many of my little [i refer to age, not size] brothers' soccer games, coached by my dad. this past weekend they won the district championship, so we're going to state on friday! 2 years ago their team placed second in the state tournament in a double overtime match. so this weekend should be exciting.

as noted in the previous post, i attended the Madden wedding in Appleton, Wisconsin, last weekend. it was a wonderful time, despite an almost 9-hour drive in each direction by myself. i noticed a trend in myself that after about 7 hours in a car by myself, intense boredom sets in, which generally results in some form of photographic adventure whilst zipping along the road at a good 70-mph clip. my time in wisconsin was a huge blessing; i was able to hang out with some other bible college grads from all over the Lower 48, meet a few new friends from wisconsin, and celebrate a very joyous occasion of a couple soon to be on their way to Anchorage, Alaska. most of you know Peter and Jessica, so i'm sure you echo my excitement on their behalf!

yesterday was basically my first day off at home [meaning no work, day-long projects, or long car rides] since i arrived, and it was amazing! i rode a bike to the library, and picked up my annually-read favourite book. it's Louisa May Alcott's "An Old-Fashioned Girl," and it's quite the most enjoyable and recommendable piece of literature i've ever devoured.

i spent a while yesterday posting pictures online from the past few months; you can view them on my picasa if you'd like.

tomorrow my friend jessica is coming over with her brother and sister-in-law and we're going to make Thai food! pineapple curry, here we come.

to those of you in germany, i'll see you in 2 weeks! i arrive the 6th of august. to those of you elsewhere, you're in my thoughts and prayers! may the Lord draw each of us ever nearer to His precious side. He is so good- He continues to bless my heart and blow me away with His grace. the epistle of 1 John has been speaking depths to my heart lately. all about Life, and walking in Love, and the Fellowship we have in Christ! oh so rich! i love the Living-and-Activeness of the Word.

Bis bald, und Gott segne euch!

annie.

three cheers for the Maddens!

this weekend, my dear friend Jessica Reid married her sweetheart Peter, and they are now The Maddens.

it was lovely!

it's not business, it's personal.

It holds true that when we commit our way to the Lord, He is faithful to use us and to teach us amidst any circumstance or occupation. I was just praying this morning that the Lord would prepare me for what's ahead, so that I'd be useable, and be ready to learn whatever He had to teach me [thinking in somewhat long-range terms, i.e. the next 6 months]. Soon afterwards, I headed out the door for a full day at work.
This afternoon, an older gentleman who is a very regular customer, came by in his gruff sort of manner, and really had no idea what to order. So when he asked for my opinion, I readily suggested my new favorite sandwich, made with a few personal twists. His face brightened up, and he told me that it sounded good. I brought it to him; he ate it, loved it, and told me so. [This pretty much made my day; to be able to share a personal idea with someone, and have them like it, is really encouraging.] Then after his meal, he pulled me over to his table, and asked me to sit down for a minute.
He told me how he had been feeling pretty depressed when he came in just that half an hour earlier. "When I asked you for help and you gave it to me, it changed my whole day." With tears in his eyes, he thanked me for taking the time to help an old widower like himself. I was able to sit for a few moments and talk with him about simple things like bread-baking and the weather- but I know it meant the world to him. And my heart was full with the blessing of being the hands and feet of Jesus.
How often I breeze by the main objects of ministry [namely, People], in the name of "getting things done." And how often I neglect to realize that even daily business is simply one opportunity after another to share my Jesus with the ones He loves. For all our "doing" on His behalf, we mustn't forget one thing: that the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost.

And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. I Corinthians 13:3

brethren, let us love...

By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?
My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.
And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him.
1 John 3: 16-19

This particular verse was a great matter of thought during a long, busy day at work today. For I encountered several believers and countless [likely] nonbelievers, and in several cases the latter "loved in deed" much better than the former. One particular group of older people came in, were very friendly [albeit rather needy in terms of service], and took an interest in my current situation. They asked if I was full-time at the restaurant, and I told them I was working for a couple months before heading back to Germany to finish my Bible College internship. At this they all smiled and proudly declared their accurate guess at my soul's position and Christian lifestyle. I thanked them for their business and well-wishes, and kept on working. Now, throughout my hard day's work, I received many very generous tips from my customers. Unfortunately, these rather vocal Christians ended up being a little less generous in deed than in word. Oh, I didn't mind so much about the sub-average tip; in fact, I expected that as much as they expected I was a Christian. But it spoke volumes to my heart; namely, this verse: "Let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth."

I think no less of my believing customers; however, I pity them for the reward they've chosen to opt out of. I am one of several believers at work, but there are plenty of nonbelieving, rough-around-the-edges kind of people with whom I work. There are also a few believers in name who are often spoken of in a negative light, particularly concerning their work ethic [often low] and overall likeability [not high]. Brethren, if we are going to "love" in word and in tongue, we had better be ready to "love in deed and in truth" before and after our self-assertion. Actions really do speak louder than words.

If they don't see Christ in us, they may never see Him at all.

more to come.

bine sent this to me! hooray for friends.

pictorial review.

the berry patch.

mum and i headed out of town early this morning in search of berries. 

we found a nice big patch.

and some sweet, juicy strawberries.

deutschland!!

the brothers and i were there in spirit [as well as watching live commentary online] to see germany win their place in the Euro Cup 2008 Final Match. [our heartfelt condolences to the döner lady!]
hooray!

encore.

Small-town summer evenings can't get any better.
Our town's Municipal Band played their Wednesday evening concert at the Bandshell at a downtown park last night. They play 7 Wednesdays during the summer, and hundreds of people come out to listen.
I think the main draw is neither brilliant talent on the band's part, nor their faithful, fearless, yet somewhat loquacious director, but generally the idea of enjoying the sunshine and a few old show tunes by the river at dusk.
Last night's program was pretty near and dear at times- Moon River, the theme from Chariots of Fire, Hogan's Heroes March, and little snippets of John Henry during the medley, among other less-familiar tunes. The director likes to feature the trombone section on every occasion, his favorites are the John Phillips Sousa [inventor of the sousaphone, you're right!] marches, and they always get a couple dozen kids to march around the benches during the infamous Kids' March [candy is involved]. Unfortunately, a good deal of the young marchers received a gentle reprimand from stage last night, for their expeditious completion of the pre-appointed route.
We also saw a nebulous attempt at interpretive dance.. or was it bird-watching?
The people-watching is superb, young and old birds alike. [The aforementioned birds were of the fowlish variety.]
so all in all, it's quite the miss-able opportunity, but if you really want [local] culture- you'd better head down to the hottest wednesday night spot on the prairie! bring your own bugspray- and head on over to our place afterwards for some home-roasted s'mores.

welcome home!

here i am. i love it here.
planes were delayed, a flight was missed, and a holding pattern in the sky was accomplished before my actual arrival to my lovely state. but the 24 hours of travel was well worth the wait and discomfort for the joy of coming home and seeing my family!
my nephew came over last night, and for a few minutes was not quite sure about me. but by the end, he was on my lap doing all of his facial expressions and noises with me! what a cutie! oh, and my little brothers are giants. with deep voices.
saw a few friends today, helping a couple move into a new house, then tonight we went out to the Hicks' farm for a potluck with a bunch of families. i was promptly greeted by a flying leap/hug by Tater Hicks herself. later i received the complete guided tour of the rabbit/sheep/pony barn by two very willing young ladies. the evening ended with a theatrical production [complete with ball gowns, high heels, and tutus] of the story of Esther. the best-dressed, we all agreed, was tiny Mallory, with a blue ballerina suit over pink sweats paired up with some very sturdy hiking boots.
it was good to see everyone again. it's definitely a different world here, and one that i've sometimes disdained, but at this point in life i find it very heartwarming to come home to such a place. yes, this piece of country is a bit backward by the world's standards, but it's family, it's memories, it's home.

post #100.

well, i did something that required Mutige [courage] this evening. i had tuna fish on pizza.
and somewhat surprisingly, it was extra delicious! there were other things on the pizza too, of course, including salad! top that off with some apfelkirscheschorle [apple cherry soda] and a good friend, and you've got one fun time on your hands!
da vinci's ist sehr gut und so lecker! [i spoke german and they still knew i was american. oh well.]

tomorrow we're going to München!
and wednesday i go home!

hospitality.

"Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;
not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;
rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer;
distributing to the needs to the saints, given to [pursuing] hospitality."
Romans 12:10-13

this verse has come to my attention several times in the past few years; generally i thought of it as a commendation to those who were of a hospitable nature, not necessarily a command to all believers. but that's precisely what it is- hospitality is a ministry: one which pleases the Lord and blesses believers and nonbelievers alike. i figured i probably didn't have this "gift" but since Paul is referring to everyone here, i realized it definitely included me. so in the past few months especially, i have been praying about this off and on, whenever it came to mind. i also began to observe how others practiced this ministry, and the simplicity in which it could be done.

one of the greatest examples to me was a certain friend who consistently practices this gift, gives regardless of personal abundance or lack, gives the best things freely, and takes no end of joy in so doing and so giving. i began to see beyond my little personal scope of "give what you have to and sigh in relief when you get the rest" and into the joy and blessedness of giving, and of serving, and of showing hospitality.

"Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: ... he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
Romans 12:6,8

how thankful i am for that grace, so freely given to us; for those gifts, imparted so perfectly and individually to each of us; and for the Spirit indwelling us, and producing such good fruits in us. i love how He works things into us that were before such impossibilities, such contradictions to our nature- and so naturally works them out in our lives, much to our amazement. how grateful i am for the fruit of the Spirit! when we see Him producing each new thing in our lives, we can once again be assured of His working within us, and for such assurance i am entirely grateful. To be found abiding, that is our goal- and when found abiding, such joy and thanksgiving and praise wells up within our hearts! what a loving and gracious Heavenly Father we have.

so, as i've been practicing the ministry of hospitality lately, i have been abundantly blessed each time i give, each time i serve, each time i step out in faith, each time i try something i've never done before! truly it is more blessed to give than to receive, and to obey the Word of the Lord is to take hold of Life Abundant! let us all seek to become more conformed to His image, more renewed in our minds, and more sensitive to His Spirit- and become ministers of His gracious hospitality.

"He has put a new song in my mouth- Praise to our God; many will see it and fear, and will trust in the Lord.
Blessed is that man who makes the Lord his trust, and does not respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.
Many, O Lord my God, are Your wonderful works which You have done; and Your thoughts toward us cannot be recounted to You in order; if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered."
Psalm 40:3-5

the end, part two!

well, sort of, i guess.

we made it through the dienerherzkonferenz! [servant heart conference] last week i spent the majority of each day in the "cave" [aka kitchen], chopping vegetables, stirring pots, listening to music from circa 1997, and cutting, washing, and spinning lettuce. a LOT of lettuce. practically like 25 cases.

it's interesting to note that the combination of mass lettuce washing and mass carrot grating produces a wonderfully orangey-brown coloration all over one's hands.

the conference went really well, and all of us serving had a great time. it was always a blessing to go to the evening sessions and let the Lord "wash our feet" along with the conference attendees. it was nice seeing some old friends, and fun serving alongside the staff and a few students who stuck around for the week. it dawned on me the other day that we really are like a family here at the bible college, and looking around at one of our morning staff meetings, i felt really blessed to know each one.

in other ccbc news, there are two new additions to the bible college family! Simeon Neil Waldrop and Aaron Schultze-Petzold were born within a few minutes of each other, this past friday. Nada and Julia were roommates in the hospital, and even in the delivery room! all are feeling well, and have arrived home. hooray for the kinder, and congrats to the happy parents!

this week we have been cleaning everything again, making and unmaking beds, doing lots of laundry, yardwork, mending, furniture removal, and much more! these past few weeks have been pretty exhausting, but we were reminded again today that it is such a privilege to be counted worthy to serve the Lord. and i was reminded this morning in the Word that HE is my strength! that is really good to know.

been having to say good-bye to some dear friends- chiara left last week, christy and the kathas left yesterday, anjulie leaves monday. but we will see them all sometime soon. and sabine comes back soon too! and we are going to go adventurizing!

i go home 2 weeks from tomorrow, and i am quite looking forward to it. i love germany dearly, but a little bit of home is always sweet. family, home, room, church, job, friends, nephew, music, wedding[yeah!].. it'll be great.

but before then, there's so much fun to be had! bis bald!

[and, in case you haven't heard, i burnt my hand. TWICE. with bratwurst. but don't worry, it'll be all right.]

the end, part one!

tonight is happy graduation night! the end of the semester has arrived! and the sun is even out, so we hopefully don't need to wear our winter coats for graduation this year.

next week: dienerherzkonferenz! [servanthood conference]

lobe den Herrn meine seele, und seinen heilige namen.

dear parents.

happy anniversary! 28 years is a really long time!

and happy mother's day, mom!

love,ann.

congratulations!

yeah max!

our favorite swedish burger joint.

sverige three!

our house during the retreat

the backyard view at mike and sofia's house

mai with her flower

stockholm on the water

chiara and i at the cute little cottage