For Tonight.

*this is a blog on my thoughts and present feelings. Stories from Germany will come later.*

Tonight I am sitting here by the fire. My tummy is full of heart shaped waffles, homemade apple sauce and blackberry jam and I have walked from Oma and Opa's house to Alexa's parents house in the snow. My heart is full.

I stood on the driveway in the dark and looked up to God in the snowy heavens and smiled up at him. I know I am a perpetual optimist but how could I not be? I realized tonight that I have been living in Europe for the last several months, I am vacationing in Germany and I am doing things I have always wanted to do. It is snowing and while I am warm and full I can not think of scary or troublesome things. So I let my mind wander and it passes by the usual landmarks; where will I work in the future, will I be able to go back to camp, if I do what will it be like? Will I always wander about like a gypsy? These things didn't bother me as usual. I didn't find any concern in them because God is with me in the snow, the cold and the uncertain times. I am living in places most people only dream about and I am visiting countries most people only read about. Sure I'd like the life forecast but I understand for the time being that God is only asking me to stand in the awe of his Glory and look up at the snow.

I think eating great waffles helps but I am more sure that being content with where I am and trusting God completely is what makes this part so nice. I hope to hold on to this feeling when I am back in the trenches and the snow won't stop and and I want spring and I feel like a nomad without a real resting place. But I will look back to tonight and in my mind it will wander back to this place and I will feel the cold snow on my face and the warmth in my heart.

East Berlin, Germany

Where I am sleeping these nights was once way off limits to me as an American. I’m not talking pay money for a visa, I’m talking cross that line and get shot, off limits. Also I’m not talking centries ago, decades ago, I’m alking since I was a child. I am talking 20 years ago, East Germany. The history of this place is so recent, these families here were at once time restricted from so many things. They couldn’t have nice things, buy new items, eat whatever they wanted. Can you imagine that? Yet it was so real. I think I would have been there when the wall fell, I would have been shouting for freedom for the East Germans, if I had been more than 6 years old.

Makes me wonder what injustices are going on today that I should fight for.

Arriving in Berlin was great. We walked around for about an hour until our train came to take us home. The snow was gently falling on Germany’s capital as we walked. Just a little over a month ago some of the worlds greatest leaders were standing in the same places that I was as they honored the people who helped with the collapse of the wall and those who gave their lives trying to escape to freedom.

speed

What is faster than a speeding bullet,
Happier than a puppy and
More content than a partridge in a pear tree?

Sonya driving on the real live German autobahn!!

Alexa arranged for her friend Patrick to pick me up from the airport Weeze—great name :D We had to take the autobahn to get to the train station. . . he totally offered to let me drive. I was so scared at 100 kmp but he told me I was to slow . . . so I picked up the pace and went to 160 kmp, yet he said I should go even faster! So 180 kmp. Kazam, so fast! Like a lightning bolt. Mario Andretti and Jeff Gordon couldn’t keep up with me.
Then once we were at the train station we passed . . . drum roll please . . . a starbucks!! I had just been thinking about that place :o) Patrick bought me a hot chocolate with ginger bread flavoring, yummy. Ahh, what a great start to my holiday. Thank you Jesus for adventure and keeping me safe. Beilfield here I come!
I am so excited to see Alexa. I have dreamed of visiting her since we lived together in Honduras, almost 6 years ago! Yowzers. Did I mention I got a hot chocolate not coffee? —Imagine if this was with caffeine, ekk, I could run faster than this train if it was. And it’s the fastest train in Germany.
Tonight will be nice.
Tomorrow will be great—Berlin with Judith #2 who I haven’t seen since I left Honduras on that sad day at the airport . . .

Top 10

favorite things from Scandinavia tour
*no particular order

Spanish
Ferry
Sauna
IKEA
Contact with new friends around the world
Laughing with Ben
Food
Helsinki/Turku
Home
Trains

Hopefully soon to be home.

Never thought I would be so excited to see Norway and hear Norwegian. The train trip back home has been long and . . . well long. You se I've had a dream of going to the WORLDS FIRST IKEA since I was first in Scandinavia. To go to Älmhult, Sweden was a dream. When I found out I was doing a recruiting trip through Scandinavia and had one extra day on my ticket I knew where I would use it. So early monday morning we started our pilgrimage to Älmhult.

It was magical. I was inspired, impassioned and invredibly exausted :O) A dream come true for me.

It really is quite an IKEA town -- hotel, resturant, the store and conference center/offices. It's a cute town. Reminded me of Mayberry. At the train station we asked the ticket lady for help (after we picked up our stuff that they watched behind the counter for free) to plan our return journey with the hopes of not having to get a hotel for the night. So instead we got a night train and this is what it was: (current time almost 4 pm)
4:45 train to Hosselhom (or something like that) arrive 5:50
11:53 train to somewhere till 5:23 am
6;23 train to somewhere till 8ish
then train to Oslo then train to Hokksund then car home!!!

We are on the last leg now and hope to arrive at home around 1ish. We'll see! We've crossed over into Norway and everything is beautiful and covered in snow!

Tales from Stockholm

We met up with the Bolivian pastor, Pastor Edwin Soto and he graciously opened up his house to us in teh center or Stockholm, just 7 minuets walk from the train station. The Swedish Conference of SDA's own a building that houses three churches, Finish, Swedish and Spanish. It also includes the Soto's apt, offices for the church, Conference offices, la voz de esperanza and other type things, a second hand store and I'm sure other things that I don't know about. I would compare Stockholm to NYC in diversity of people and business, only Stockholm shuts down earlier in the evening.

The Soto family was great. They all treated Ben and I like we were family. THey not only opened up their small apartment to us but a Brazilian friend who was getting baptized with his twin, his brother stayed elsewhere for the weekend.

As far as Spanish goes I hadn't spoken that much in at least two years. Perhspas since I lived in New Jersey with Maria's family that summer I did my internship in the city at the Salvation Army HQ. I told the children's story at church, gave a testimony and explained the school at the AY (Adventist Youth) meeting then I gave another testimony at the baptism of the two young Brazilian men.

It was great. I loved the adventure of it all. I am glad however that my university profesor wasn't around to hearme talk at the AY meeting! Euwph. Bad, rough and mixed with French! I told my top 3 stories, childrens-1 mango = 2 mangos, AY- Esrom literature and baptism God planning our lives/the baby birth. My best story was the last one. Perhaps it was because I was finally getting back in the swing of Spanish or because I did not thing much about it or I relied so much on God to tell it through me.

There were people from all over, Argentina, Brazil, Spain, El Salvador, Honduras, Peru, Bolivia -- it was amazing, expecially because it is so cold in Sweden! The church normal has 50 members. After church we had a lunch cooked by the CHilians, last week was by the El Salvadorians and Houndurans. Next week is the Bolivians. The afternoon was AY which lead into the baptism. It was such a nice afternoon. Supper was light for all those who went to the baptism.

By the end of the day I was exausted! I was tired from the tips of my toes to my eyelashes. So after all the activities of the day Ben and I figured out our next adventure and played a bit on the internet . . .

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Open waters towards Sweden

So much always goes on on these misadventures of mine. . .

My agent was from Turku met up with Ben, without checking email that told date and time. Thankfully GOd had me stay at the strain station and Ben arrived! We played in Turku all day doing many things, shopping at a second hand store, playing at the apple store, visiting a church over 250 years old, exploring an old village museum with houses set up from back in the day, hanging out at a cafe bar on the street, drinking lots of OJ, being told we are wonderful people by a random Finish guy, wondering the streets, sitting inside a warm theater with free toilets and eating mandarins from an outdoor market.

That night Lisa, the principal from Touivallina picked us up and took us to the school. Wow, Fins are so open hearted and hospitable. They might as a whold be shy , quite people but they treat you well and are kind people. It was fun to be back at a high school. I gave the am and pm worships and talked at two english classes with Ben. We were getting to know the students then it was time to go. On wednesday night Aila, the French teacher took Ben and I into Turku while she ran errands then she took us to a sauna. My first real sauna. She said I was brave to face all the heat but I told her it is like being at home in Texas or when I was living in Tchad.

Thursday we took a morning train to Helsinki, the capital, the train had electricity issues on the tracks so after a delay of a bit more than an hour we were at another station on our way. We played all around the city. We were by the presidental palace when a diplomat arrived and there were all sourts of soldiers and a band, playing sweet music. We explored an outdoor and indoor markets, big old church, natural history museum full of stuffed Finish animals and skelitans and we missed the boat . . . that's right for the first time in the most literal sense of the word I missed the boat . . . so back to the train station and back to Turku to take the am ferry. . .

That's where we are now, on the silija line ferry to Stockholm. We meet up with the Spanish SDA pastor when we arrive. I'm pumped to use my spanish all weekend. We will see where God leads us this weekend.

ps perhaps I would have fallen off if we hadn't missed the boat. . .

FINLAND

Wowzers. I am in FInland! How did that happen? It is one of those places you just never really dream of going. At least I never did! I am at the high school here called Toivolinna. They are 30 min outside of Abo, Turku if you are going towards Helsinki. Helsinki is on the agenda for tomorrow. Check out the school at http://www.toivonlinna.fi/.

I arrived in Turku yesterday and by God's grace found Ben without using internet or cell phones! So old fashioned :) We puttered around Turku. Found some cool thrift store and an old church. We then arrived here at the school last night. It's been a day filled with students, worships, english class and excitement. I'm off to put out some EBS fliers and then off to a sauna with a new friend.

Disco's and drunk youth.

I've definitely slept better nights. I'm in a room with three other girls here on the ferry. There was a disco above me (I bought the cheeper ticket) but I did not know about the sad group of Finnish or Swedish youth who would choose to stay up all night sitting outside my door drinking their tax free beer.

Down side to the ferry. Youth who drink to much.

On board Silja line ferry:

Sweet action! It's a piano bar (actually it is more a jazz band stuck in what is kinda like a hallway with a bar off on the other room). They are playing some sweet jazz with a snare drum, upright bass, trombone, piano and singer. It's kinda like they are in the hallway of the boat, but I would rather pretend it's my living room. There is the sweetest old couple up dancing. Really it's like they are dancing in the hallway. I feel as though I'm an intruding on their special time. I hope to travel on a ferry with my husband and be white haired and dance the night away like young lovers dancing the night away.

I should tell you before I forget . . . I sang karaoke in Stockholm Center (Stockholm's version of Grand Central Station). I sang ABBA's Mamma Mia, it was some sort of promo for Play-station and things. It was fun.

Here I go again. . . my my.