An Unexpected Journey

When I saw this movie for the first time at midnight opening night, my breath caught as I listened to this exchange between Gandalf and Bilbo. I had had a very similar fight with God about six weeks before the movie came out, and felt like I was watching the dialogue between me and my Maker. I was so comfortable in my life where I knew everything around me. I had Charles, my trusty C230, to take me wherever I wanted to go in the greater Portland area. I knew my turf, and I was comfortable with it. I had no desire to leave. 

Yet, I knew it was true that the world is not in my books or maps, and I wanted to learn and grow as a person rather than become stagnant. The only option was out and away from what I knew - my Shire-like Hillsboro, Oregon. What terrified me most was the thought of never coming back. Bilbo voices that, and Gandalf's reply is even more frightening. 

God made me no promise that I could come back after a year or even two. In fact, it seems he wants me in Germany indefinitely. He's building me a life here, and it's changing me, growing me. 

Yesterday I slept in late with the help of my rolladen - dark shutters that keep out the noon day sun so tired teachers can sleep past the sunrise. When I finally got up, I cleaned my room after a week of enjoying lazy days of my three week Christmas break (boarding school bonus). In the late afternoon, I made my way down the hill into town where I joined the stream of English speakers on their way to the theater to watch The Desolation of Smaug "in the original English." We packed out the theater in anticipation of a film on the big screen not dubbed in German. 

Nothing makes me miss my dad more than a good Tolkien film adaptation, but I kept my head above the homesickness and enjoyed every minute of the film. As soon as it ended, I followed the bells to the Lutheran church and entered at the final stroke of six for dress rehearsal for the local choir concert. Sitting in that church listening to Bach on the organ, I realized that my own unexpected journey has taken me so much farther than I could ever have dreamed. 

I am not the person I was when I left, and I still don't know if I'm ever moving back. What I do know is that my unexpected journey is the greatest adventure imaginable. I never imagined that I would ever sing in a local German choir and befriend a dozen women who could not speak my mother tongue. Even though I couldn't understand the majority of the songs in the concert, I loved being a part of a Christmas concert that celebrated the birth of Jesus.

I look forward to continuing to celebrate my Savior's birth this week, and I hope you'll do the same. Frohe Weihnachten!

There are Cats in Germany too

German word of the day: Katze.

Katze means cat.

There are cats here in Germany. They are as cute and flighty as katzen (that's the plural form) in America. It's such an ordinary thing to see a cat running across the street or stalking around our windows - perhaps even running in our house when we're lufting. I used to see neighbors cats making themselves at home in my backyard in the states, so seeing them here makes this place seem a little less foreign. Cats in Germany are just one of the many similarities I've found between my old home and my new one.

There are certainly differences that are hard for me to get used to - the lack of Trader Joe's and Starbucks being at the top of the list. However, these things are barely inconveniences in light of the blessings I've found in living here.

Those of you who know me well may have caught the significance of that last statement - I'm okay without Starbucks because what I've found here is so much better.

Day by day, I'm learning more about my new home in Germany, and I'm discovering that it's a wonderful place to live. I like living close enough to walk to work, the grocery store, the bank, and the post office. I enjoy the cozy feel of a small town that's nestled into forested hills. I also have a fantastic working environment where I'm encouraged and uplifted regularly. I enjoy reading emails from the communications department because Doug makes me laugh (side note - I love working with and teaching so many fantastic Canadians). I love meeting with Jill because she gives me constructive feedback for my teaching. I smile whenever Allison walks into the office because I know she's about to make my day better by just being herself. My students are another amazing blessing of this place; I got half a dozen hugs when the bell rang seventh period Friday from students scattering across the globe for the next three weeks.

My greatest struggle in adapting fully is not knowing the language which is why I'm looking into ways to learn and practice German regularly. Portland will always be my heart's home, but I am living in Kandern now; I want to be fully present where God has planted me for this time. That doesn't mean I have instantly stopped missing things about Portland - I still want a Trader Joe's to open up in town, and I'm pretty sure I could keep a Kandern Starbucks in business by myself - but I do want to celebrate the things I enjoyed in Portland as well as the things I have now in Kandern.

For example, I loved driving out to Hagg's Christmas Tree farm every year of my life before this one to cut down our tree with my parents. I never want to forget the sense of accomplishment I had the year I sawed it down myself. This year, we all chipped in a few euros to have a pre-chopped tree carted up to our house. My housemates and I then spent last Wednesday exchanging gifts and decorating our new family's tree. I even got to bring in another one of my favorite traditions on a whim. Every Christmas morning growing up, my dad would read Luke two before we opened presents; my housemates humored me while I read the advent narrative before we opened our presents. Our Garni family then revealed our secret Santa gifts, and I was overjoyed to find that Dayla had not only bought me a wonderful warm new scarf but also got me a Christmas tree made out of words. I'm so blessed to have new family here who know me well enough to know that I would be delighted by such a fantastic book related decoration.

I'll notice more and more differences between life here and in the Pacific Northwest over the Christmas break, I'm sure, but I'm excited to see the similarities in how I can live life and celebrate my Savior on either side of the Atlantic.