always something new

my little friends are always busy...

Throughout the day Caleb and Lucy have been singing lots of little Sunday School songs that have really ministered to my heart. Thanks, kids. And thank you, Al Smith.

I turned around to see why they we lagging behind, and this what I saw. 

our backyard!
We are so grateful for neighbors and landlords who love kids.

little lady

"Ned"

friends from church came over for a Mexican meal

love that profile 

Ready for anything.

FYI, facebook friends, I put a little note on fb for you to read more about our week...

a new name

The old "there and back again" reminded me a lot of our days of deputation traveling and adventures. But now we are there.  So until I think of something a little more descriptive, we are "there" now.

Sunday afternoon walk

We discovered a beautiful walking path at the edge of our village. And we found a couple more little farms with eggs, apples, and veggies for sale. I love this place. 

that country air

Our little dorf has a population of about 700 people and 100 cows. We live just a few houses down from the cow barn, so we stop there on the way to the playground and see who's peeking out her window. They're really friendly and pretty cute, as far as cows go. And we don't even smell them anymore! Almost every evening at 6:30 we walk over and get our fresh milk, still warm from the afternoon milking. It doesn't get any fresher than that! 

first sips - now they're hooked

and don't forget the fresh bread from the bakery!

my tool guy

We've all had some real life lessons in tools, smashed thumbs, and ikea instructions. 

building his own bookshelf

the Wynveen upper lip

and it's done!

We celebrated by opening the very last Kinder book box. Every time we open a new box of books, they both stop everything and look at every single book.  I had been dragging those boxes out a bit, spending my ensured hours of quiet sparingly. Wouldn't you?

clarity

I have two big answers to prayer to share. First of all, the doctor. We've been praying for years that God would lead us to a dermatologist in Germany that would provide the kind of care that I received back in the US - preventative examinations (and early surgical treatment when necessary) for malignant melanomas. Well friends, come and praise our great God with me. We did not find the kind of care I had received in the US. I believe we have found better. (With all due love and respect to my dear, excellent doctor in the US!) I'll not bore anyone with medical details, but on four major counts they have more precautionary, proactive methods for early detection and treatment of cancer. Daniel's cousin Rebecca sent us a link about a year ago, we gave them a call, got right in the door, and come to find out it's a special clinic for skin cancers. No acne patients here. So yet again, God has shined his face upon us and blessed us.

And then there was the whole language school decision. We are enrolled! The classes sound well-suited to our individual needs. I start April 8, so I have a few more weeks to get the unpacking squared away. The schedule is perfect: I go to class from 9:30 to 1:30, pass the baton to Daniel, and he goes to his class from 2:00-6:00. And we have our evenings all together. I'm really looking forward to some school again - even homework. I think it's the motivation. I absolutely have got to learn German if I'm going to survive here. I came here knowing just enough to get the gist of things, but now I've run out of things to say. Every time we go to church I have so much in my heart that I want to say to these people, but always come up just a couple words short of getting the point across, not to mention all the grammatical errors. I can see the mistakes winking back at me in their smiles. It's this look like, "How nice that she tries to talk." I know it well. Anyway, give me six months, and they are not going to be able to shut me up after church. And Daniel will finally be the one pulling me out the door!

So really, will you praise God for all He's done in making our path bright and clear in these ways?

Unpacking is coming. The goals this week are the office and the decorations. If we can turn that last room on the left from a mountain of cardboard into an organized haven for study and work, every room in the apartment will be finished! And I'm sure the decorations will have no problem scattering themselves around the apartment. It's the holes that take time. The walls here are made out of some kind of stone or something. It looks great and it keeps the place really nice and quiet, but you have to get out your rock drill just to hang a calendar. So much for the quiet. Well that's my next few days. It's fun to see the place evolve into home.

something in the mail

the anticipation builds as Daniel fights with the lock

Ta-dah! 

But where are all the toys? A bit anticlimactic for the children. I think Caleb was expecting a jack-in-the-box-like phenomena with toys bursting out, the way we had been building up this event for the past 3 months. 

 the kids stayed busy all day long

beginnings

Our charming little house in Weissenohe, where we stayed for the first 7 weeks in Germany.

The kids and I know this village inside and out. 

 nothing like starting out the day by throwing the shutters open

 the view from our bedroom window

 good clean fun

putting down roots

Well, this time I am writing and repeating myself a little by saying it's hard to believe we've been in Germany for two months already! We are definitely still in the getting our feet on the ground stage of ministry in Germany, but things are finally moving along. God has provided a beautiful apartment in a little country village outside of Nurnberg. (And I could write pages more about what that statement really did in my heart, but all I can say now is that God is worthy of all our trust, and His love is steadfast and faithful.) Then things picked up quite a bit. The homes here come empty, and I mean empty. No light fixtures, appliances, cabinets, closets. So, we get to pick our own and learn all kinds of new stuff! For a week or two we practically lived at Ikea. I don't even know how many meals we've eaten in their cafeteria, but Lucy knows her way around quite well now. And Daniel's been to the hardware store so many times the car knows the way. Installing the kitchen was an enormous task, and it is almost finished! I have never appreciated a kitchen like I do now. After seeing all the work that goes into each little part, and after making do without a kitchen for a week, we will never take it for granted again. So, next came the container. Now that was a day we will never forget. For the past three months, that container has been a daily topic of conversation, especially when the kids ask about this or that toy. So anticipation was high. It was pretty much indescribable to hear that truck rumbling up our road. I think every curtain in the village must have been pulled back at the sight! We had plenty of help from men in the church and the people here who had things shipped along with us, but that's about all I can remember from the blur. And the kids having fun opening toy boxes. It was like Christmas, only better. There's still a ton to do before the last box is unpacked, and we're trying to think of all the fun things to do with cardboard for the kids. It's everywhere. Some of the boxes had smells of home that really made me homesick. And Lucy wore a shirt that mom had just given her for Christmas that really smelled like their house. And then there were the fridge magnets with pictures of family and friends. Those went right back in the box. But it's been so good for all of us to have real home again. Here comes cliche, but home is where the heart is, and our hearts are here in Germany now. 


This morning I was thinking about all the answered prayers in ways we never would have dreamed of. There are too many to count. We have sensed God's blessing and guidance in a new, amazing way. Our new neighbors, so friendly and already things in common to talk about. The way God provided a car. Our wonderful mentors, Jeff and Linda. Our new church and all the friends who offer their help with anything they can do. 


We sure do need your prayers! Sometimes I have no idea why He chose me to come out here and try to do something for Him. I am sure He could have found quite a few lower-maintenance Christians for something like this. But His grace has always been enough to give strength for today's struggles and hope for tomorrow's unknowns. If you only have time to pray for one thing, pray that I will have a steadfast heart and a faithful spirit. And trust me, God will know exactly what you are talking about.  


And if you have time for two things, pray that we'll know which language courses to take. Lots of options - time of day, level, intensity, form of training, location, and more. Glad we have so many options, just need some wisdom now to choose what is best.