Wednesday, December 30, 2009

A look through 2009.

As I was sitting down for dinner tonight, I was thinking through all that happen last year. Was 2009 a good year, or a worth-while year? or was it a heart-breaking year?

2009 came with it's mighty ups and trecherous downs, I do indeed have to say. Some where I literally felt my heart stop beating a few times either from excitement or from complete pain. But at the end of this year, well with one day to spare, this year has been a blessing. One filled with so many lessons and learning what it is that keeps us ticking through this life.

One with my hearts broken. One with people using one another, and friendships leaving.... but the beauty in this year in 2009... it's what came after the heartbreak for me. I have prayed probably my whole life that God would give me a story, a cool testimony. And my God has done something more than that. He has provided me with a story that has taken over 18 years to write....there were nine months in the tummy. :)

But what I mean is through out history if there was one little detail messed up from how my great-grandfather traveled over the atlantic to find freedom from whatever it was that he didn't want to do in germany, then I wouldn't be here in Germany. I never would have been able to watch my God take my little life, and totally throw a curve ball with it.

Thinking through 2009, my God did things in my life that I never thought were possible. He restored more than three completely destroyed relationships in my life. He brought me to a place where I didn't have to run, but just learn to listen. Where I don't have to be a little girl, but where I am now the oldest. He's turn my tables, and is continuing to teach me how to communicate, how to love, how to pour my heart out EVEN when I might NOT get anything in return. He's teaching me grace and mercy for my family and friends.

My God? He's amazing. He's the only one who understands my Danglish. I am so blessed that the same God that took me out of Southaven where I could communicate, put me here in Lage, and can still understand my heart. He knows when I am sad, or just hurting, or deeply desiring something. I never have to try to figure out the words to tell him that: He Knows.

So I guess at the end of this blog, I am seeing that 2009 was a very rough learning process, but truely a reward that has become an ebenezer in this little life of mine. One day I hope to write down this life of mine. All that I have lived, but 2009 will probably half the document if ever completed. ;)

Until next year!

Saturday, December 19, 2009

The best day ever!

So I am going to start at the beginning with my wonderful journey to Hannover and back. :)

I woke up at six thirty this morning my time, got ready, and then ate breakfast with Doris, my Host Mom. (She's cool.) Then I ran downstairs into the basement to get my warm clothes because well i needed clothes. haha.

So then I ran back up two flights of stairs to my room, finished getting ready, grabbed my purse with my train ticket and then ran back down stairs to put on my boots and coat. (Notice I haven't once gone to the bathroom yet.) So then we drove, in the snow, to the train station here in Lage so I could catch my first train to Herford at 8:09. So it came at 8:12; stupid train.

Well I told Doris bye, and jumped one my train where I was on my own fighting through the german train system...alone...all the way to hannover. (2+ hours) So I made it to my first stop to Herford where there was a twenty minute wait until the train arrived. So I stood there in the cold...so about 5 degrees Fehrenheit. Rediculous! Intense.

Then I got on the next train where I thought I would never get to Hannover which I acutally did.... thirty mintues later. And then I got a txt message that said, "hey there is a car crash on the autobann, so i will be late." Great I'm already late, and now Julian, my german friend here that i met in the states is late too. So then I stood there by the Gleis (no idea what that's called in english...um...i seriously just looked this up on leo.org....platform).... waiting for Julian to come when this [ugly] man walk up to me, and said, "I just have to stop and tell you that you are just such a beautiful young lady." So of course, I smile and say thank you. He goes away, and then I continue to wait, until..... he comes back five seconds later to say, "You are certainly waiting here for your mother, aren't you?" Think fast Michelle.... don't tell him the truth that you are just visiting A friend... then he won't leave you alone... what to do??? I know! "Actually I'm meeting 'mein Freund' translated....my boyfriend." (Which he's not.)

So the guy..the [ugly] guy, looks me in the eye and asks when he is coming. Honesly I had no idea... he said he'd call when he got there... so i said, "in just a few mintues." And he responded, "oh i was hoping like three hours...i want to get some coffee with you. Can we?" Um... "NOOOOOO!" hahaha. "No, i am sorry i have to go meet my [boy]friend at another store..."

So then he went a way and i went to the entrance of the train station in probably the biggest city i have been to yet in germany. (ALONE) And i waited. And waited. And waited. And then I walked to mcdonald's to go to the bathroom, but i forgot that i am not in america anymore and you have to pay to pee. so i walk back to my postion at the entrance of the station. It's now ten till eleven. (we were suppose to meet at ten.) So i am thinking in the back of my head, "michelle you have been completely stood up. BUT! then I finally get a phone call, and see julian. So then we start walking and decide to go to the post office to mail a letter, and then go to get some coffee because it's stinking cold.

So then we talked in english, and then he would trip me up and talk to me in german, and i wouldn't notice that he switched languages. I hate that Ay. but it's funny at the same time. So then after we drank our coffee we walked through the city, looked at a little bit of the pretty buildings, and then met up with his english teacher, who also only talked to me IN ENGLISH. so then after that we looked at really expensive stores, but decided not to go in. And we then decided after two hours of just lolly gagging around that we would go back to his house for a little while and he'd show me his town, and i'd meet his parents.

So we went back to nordstemmen and then had some coffee, talked to his parents, and i played with his golden retrever. :) And i went potty at so two something. So then we decided to go look at his parents business, a fitness studio. Cool! then he should me his awesome private school, and then he invited me to go to dinner. So i said yes, and we went to dinner where he ate the salad and i ate the pizza.

So then we drove back to hannover and walked to the weihnachtsmarkt, and stood in the freezing cold to wait for my trian... by now it's -16 degrees celicus.... 3 degrees F. intense! So then I am finally on my train that came on time.... but some how got behind schedule...so i missed my next train back to Herford. I forgot that there were these really annoyed drunk guys that kept asking me to come to their party. they had over six beers with them, and this wonderful lady who lived in the town that we stopped in, and helped me find a new train to herford. so i get on the train to herford/bielefeld knowing that bielefeld would be just 30 min. from home... but then when i called me host mom she said no come through herford. so my train left herford 10 minutes before i got there with the new trian. so then i had to get off, and find a new one.

but before that there were more guys on the next train that kept asking me why i was so tense....who were also drunk and kept asking me if the guy beside me was my boyfriend...which was a guy that i didn't know. so they kept staring at me and asking me where i came from. booooo! so then when i got to herford they were like have a great weekend... yeah danke... and then i asked some guy with a brown mutze which gleis i was suppose to go to to get to lagge (lippe) my city train station but he could he my accent and said zwei...um..two. ughhhh!

so then it's only eight ten and i was to aufgeregt (leo.org) that i could think of what i was trying to say when i asked this other guy if i had time to go to the bathroom. ha he asked me if i spoke english.. which to i answered yes. and it turned out he is an englander who lives here in germany for the past few years. cool huh? so he said yeah you've got like twenty minutes. but then i couldn't find the bathroom, and had to ask. and the guy told me once again i had to pay fifty cents... but there was a line, and i didn't want to miss my trian so i went back up to the gleis to wait on my train. crazy.

and me and the englander started talking. and then we sat by eachother on the train and talked and asked every other sentecnce for the other person to use another word because we didn't understand each other. he then told me i should go back to hannover where he lived some day. hahaha. and then i found out his name was johnny, and then we talked and i was able to be funny michelle liek always because it was english. and then i got off my train and went home with my host dad, rolf.

In the car I told him this whole story and then, when i got home i told my whole family the story. and now i am sitting here writing it down for you...but then i'm going to bed!

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Christmas is a month celebration!

"You can see how much you are loved by every package that comes our way." -Mama.

My God is definitely challenging my heart, but still answering prayers. The family and I have had some very wonderful experiences. I am so honored to be with this family. So so so honored. :)

I really don't know what to write you guys. I want you to know that my heart is being restored, but before you can get there sometimes you have to go through the fire first. I am very excited about what lies ahead.

I know that my God has plans for this life. And I know that I am experiencing more now that most people do in a life time, and for that I am honored. :))

Christmas boxes came today.