la di da.

well, i can't really remember what's been keeping me so busy, but it's been a lot!

friday all day was spent organizing, gathering things, and going on a lovely barbeque picnic in the german hillside.

saturday i had a wonderfully relaxing day in my home, and then came over to the villa for dinner and games and fun.

sunday i took two groups of students and staff down to calvary chapel Herborn. i led worship with a couple other guys, and the rest came along for the ride. i've been doing  a lot of driving lately, which is fun and good for me- i feel really quite confident at driving stick. the drive home sunday night was crazy, it was raining so hard.. but the Lord got us safely home at last.

monday i had the morning off so i could go to devotions without responsibilities! :) it's always great to have a break and be able to just receive for a while. worked coffeebar afterwards, which i always enjoy, and led worship with ludwig and a couple others at monday night class.

yesterday got some organizational things done pertaining to the worship ministry here, there, and everywhere, followed by staff meeting and a lovely evening at sabine's house.

today i've been studying for my class- first class is on friday!! i am really looking forward to it. there are 7 students signed up for it so far. need to study some more... after i finish blogging. also had a fun lunch with aan-sofie at ikea today. and tonight is women's discipleship class at miri's house.

tomorrow [thursday] night i'll be playing music and leading worship at the Straßencafé that CC Siegen does once a week downtown. i haven't been there yet, so i'm looking forward to it.

friday is my class in the afternoon, and then i'm working coffeebar all night.

this saturday we're going on the annual Koblenz trip, which includes 7am departure, 2-hour bus ride, boat ride up the Rhein River, hike up a mountain to the Marksburg castle, then come back down the hill and river to Koblenz for a leisurely afternoon in the city. i like this trip, despite having been on it about 3 times already. it's a great way to get to know the students. we're praying for good weather!

and i'm really excited to announce that Pastor Nick is back!!!!!! i missed all 3 services sunday because i was in herborn, but i'm super glad that he's back and feeling better. got to say hi to him yesterday real quick. currently trying to find the podcast from sunday, because i heard it was great.

i'm pretty sure i'm going to london and bristol for outreach...... more to follow.

also looking ahead to the CC Herborn women's retreat, October 2-4. should be good!

ok off i go! lots of love from germany. 

p.s. here is a picture of the cute church across the street from my house. the church bells ring every 15 minutes. one ring for quarter after, 2 rings for half past, 3 rings for quarter-to, 4 rings at the hour, followed by a different sound of bell that says what o'clock it is. :) it's quite handy indeed. i'll try to take better pictures of my apartment soon too!

AND my brother Tyler comes to visit in less than 5 weeks :)

tschüüüüüüüüüüß!

blog neglect: guilty.

today's the first day of classes. we've had a really busy weekend, full of orientation, introductions to the church.. plus i've been cooking, working coffeebar a couple times, and leading worship.. tonight will be my 4th time leading worship in 3 days- twice saturday, twice today.

please keep us in prayer- everything has been so busy and pretty stressful so far. and a lot of the staff are getting sick too. :( pray for our physical health, and also that we'll have adequate time to rest and spend time with the Lord.

my class starts next week [this friday is the all-school bbq].. haven't had much time to work on it since i've been here, but that'll come after today! i would post pictures of my cute little apartment.. but i can't find my camera cord. i know it's in my house, and i searched everywhere.. but found it not.

the sun is shining today, and it's mahhhhvelous. i'm so tired. i think i'll take a nap in the grass.

alles klar.

well, i've been in deutschland for 5 days. it's always so exciting to come back.

tonight i led worship at cc herborn, which was a blessing. it's so fun to hang out with old and new friends there, and to worship with them, of course! i've been meaning to get out there for months.

still no permanent home for me, but i'm happily installed in the villa until further notice- in my old "cupboard" room.

it was amazing to be back at cc siegen again this morning. saw and hugged and talked with so many people, and soaked up the worship and the word and the fellowship and the sunshine. 

tomorrow we're back to work preparing for the semester. looking forward to it. most staff and interns are here already, with a few more coming in the next couple days. only a few students here so far, with the rest coming by friday. orientation is saturday, and classes begin monday.

and i got to see my dear friend michelle! she was visiting germany this month, is now back in peru, but we got to hang out right after i got here for an evening and morning. :) it was great.

so many ministry opportunities are already flying at me for the semester. if you think of me, please pray for wisdom and discernment to say yes to the right things, and to decline the unnecessary things.

time for bed. gute nacht ihr alle!

eure ann.

when peace like a river attendeth my way..

updates!

this afternoon i wrote my latest missionary update. if you don't receive them already, but would like to, please let me know!

also finished my class syllabus- i'm teaching Worship Leading [WO327] on Friday afternoons this semester. and helping with Choir on Wednesday mornings. gonna be good.

my mom and i made some delicious salsa this morning. it's been a good, productive day.

only 4 more nights in my own bed!

dress.

i can't help but share my latest online find. i love dresses, especially vintage-inspired dresses. if you concur, check out shabby apple!

monday.

it's Monday afternoon, and exactly 2 weeks until i depart again for Germany! i'm very excited to head back, but having had a longer-than-usual time here this summer, i'll miss home and family when i leave. nevertheless, on y va!

we just returned from a family vacation [aka Extreme Biking Adventure] in the northwoods of Minnesota. we rented a little cabin on the shores of Lake Itasca, in Itasca State Park, which also includes the headwaters of the Mississippi River. the river is pretty small up there! we walked across it on a log rather hastily, to avoid death-by-mosquito-bites. we biked and canoed and paddle-boated and explored and hung out in the park for a few days.

on Saturday, we packed up and headed northwest to find my great-grandparents' homestead [my mom's dad's parents]. the buildings have recently been knocked down, but we were able to see the land they farmed, and some of my mom's favorite spots to explore as a child. it was great to be up there again; i hadn't been in that part of the state in probably 10 years.

Saturday afternoon we headed into Bemidji, where we met up with some friends at the Calvary Chapel there. i led a worship seminar there all afternoon for their worship team, and was really blessed! i enjoyed meeting all of them and sharing the common ground of worship ministry with them. after hanging out in our hotel room Saturday night, we headed back to CCB for church on Sunday morning, where Tyler and i got to lead the church in worship. it was another sweet time.

the Lord really blessed me as i served up there this weekend. i had been pretty sick on Friday, and was beginning to stress about being able to do an adequate job with the seminar, and especially about having a voice to sing with all weekend! He was so gracious, and enabled me to pour out as i walked in obedience! it was a great lesson in "stirring up the gift that is within you" - especially when you feel like you don't have anything to give. God is always faithful, and i am always blessed to serve Him!

now we're back home, and getting back into the swing of things. i think time is going to fly by in these next two weeks! a couple more weeks of work, a couple birthdays to celebrate, one last time at church, packing, and as much hanging out and enjoying my family as possible are on the agenda.

one new thing i've been checking out is LibriVox- an online audio resource of public domain books! some friends told me about it months ago, and now i'm hooked. you can listen [for free] to a vast array of literature from 1923 and earlier. and it's not just for listening- anyone can also record chapters or even whole books and submit them! it's always been a dream of mine to record "books on tape" - maybe i'll have something up there soon. i think a huge plus would be to have a grandmotherly british accent.. but i'll have to make do with minnesotan.

le jardin.

Devil's Gulch.

it's a lovely drive between here and sioux falls, south dakota. the buffalo ridge, the prairie, the windmills, the huge fields full of ripening corn, beans, and wheat. and there's a mysterious little brown sign along that road that says "Devil's Gulch."

i have for quite some while wondered what this Devil's Gulch might be. is it just a "historical marker" next to the road? is it a state park? is it something exciting?? today was the day to find out.

happening upon the sign on the way home, i gave into fancy and headed off towards the spot. a nice little drive down a couple dirt roads led me to a parking lot with a few signs and a small cabin, and a path headed downhill. soon i was on a bridge looking straight down a gulch [like a small ravine], and could hear a waterfall off in the distance.

so i headed down the stony path, around trees and over boulders, and came around so i could see the waterfall in the distance. another path led me back to the road and right to the waterfall itself. after exploring a bit, i headed back to the car.

then i read the sign. it turns out Devil's Gulch is indeed a famous spot, for in 1876, when he was on the run from the authorities, Jesse James leapt the 15-foot ravine on horseback and evaded capture!

photo credit: Wikipedia

such a feat, thought i, is not easily repeated. 

so i enjoyed a trip-trap through the woods in flip flops and a skirt, and headed back down the road, 

Frappuccino in hand.

never fear..

i'm still alive! i realized i've only updated twice since i've been home. needless to say, it's been busy, but it's been a great time so far. our family has spent a lot of time together, doing this and that, and it's been very nice. i am also working at the restaurant [along with all three of my brothers and my dad, and sometimes my sister-in-law too!], which is the same old place as always. it's such a blessing to have a guaranteed job when i come home! i can't complain.

this weekend i'm leading worship at a Children's Ministry Conference at CC Sioux Falls, South Dakota. i'm really looking forward to it. i've been to the conference several times, but never led worship while there. i feel quite honored to have been asked to come.

right after that, it's back home and off to a wedding, and the next day maybe to the cities for the continuation of a soccer tournament.

my nephews continue to grow far too big, far too fast- but they are the sweetest little boys. every day is a new adventure with bryce, as he continues to quickly grow from toddler to child, and every day i get the same sweet smile and chuckle from brennan.

there's not a whole lot else going on. i have a very interesting-looking geranium plant in my bedroom, which probably would appreciate to be outdoors. nevertheless, it has remained alive thus far - about 3 whole weeks!

here's a few pictures from our trip up north over the 4th. [yep, i'm still a poet.]

good night, world.