Hans and His Three Wives

Hans and His Three Wives, take a look at the first book in my series on my life in Tchad, Africa. I finally put it to press last night. I am extremely excited about the outcome and have been spurred on to finish the other two books; Tchad, Africa, which is a book full of beautiful photographs of African people and its landscape and A Year in the Wilderness With God, which is about the four students missionaries who spent a year in the, well, in the wilderness with God. It's a compilation of all four of our blogs and letters home, complete with pictures. That one is taking a very long time to finish, but I have hopes of completion by early May. Tchad, Africa should be ready for press in April, with hopes of people buying it as a coffee table book.

With Hans and His Three Wives, I hope I can do the experiences justice.

Light.

Sometimes in life you just need someone to hold the candle for you. You need a friend to loan you a bit of their faith. You need a friend who is willing to loan you their tooth brush a friend who didn't forget you. You need someone who will help show you the way out of the darkness.

I am thankful to my friends who have carried the candle for me when I couldn't see where I was going and loaned me a bit of their faith. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Now it's time for me to carry the candle and loan out a bit of faith. So if you need some, you can borrow mine.



Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

fashion at its. . . well, it was there. . . somewhere. . .

sometimes i wonder if i was given the natural abilities to be fashionable. i have some friends who look cool no matter what they put on. while i was living in southern village my second senior year at Southern Adventist University my roommates all had that great ability. i hope i have learned from them all at least a little bit. the first day of 2010 found myself being put to the test. alexa's great tante esther had lived in
the flat where alexa now lives, she died two years or so ago. but everything was left exactly as it was until alexa moved in. so she pushed some things to the side so she would have room in the closets for her clothes. with great joy and excitement alexa, judith and i put on our own little fashion show. i tried to be fashionable whether i was sporting something amazingly 80's or trying to make something a bit more modern. here are the photo results of our discoveries.



alexa in all fur.



judith rocking any look


the thumb smile

me developing my how-do-i-tie-my-shoe face

this is the anne of green gables set


Basically we rocked all the outfits and left the world wanting more.

The forrest in Orelinghausen, Germany

I went for a walk.

It was a walk through the forrest. I simply love how in Europe they are called forrests, and not woods. It seems so much more romantic and breathtaking magical. We walked a long ways while I was there. We took different routs, saw different things. Perhaps it was because I had been in a dark country the days leading up to my holiday and I had been feeling especially gloomy that while I was in the forrest my imagination seemed to take me away. I could play for hours in there. My heart was soaring high and I felt that God had given me the forrest to help renew my heart again. I was able to leave the forrest with new ideas, new hopes and lifted spirits. I highly recomend a walk in the forrest. Who knows perhaps we will see each other there. I sure hope so.>

So it's true, I am a child at heart. I can't help it, really. I think if you were walking down an old cobble stone street in Germany that has been hosting feet since the 12th century and you saw a dinosaur chair you also would want to sit down and have a bounce.

Berlin, Germany

The wall that was supposedly never being bult that seperated families and friends for 20 years.
Brandenburger Tor with the Christmas tree from Norway.
the American Embassy is to the right and the JFK museum is to the left and back.
Check point Charlie looking from the German Democratic Republic side of Berlin aka GDR aka occupied Germany aka East Germany
Looking from the American side. This is where the 16 hour stand off was with tanks facing each other. Thankfully no shots were fired.

Schloß Brak

My castle exploration was top notch! Alexa and Anita chose to wait out in the auto because they had been in before. Oma and Opa went in with me. We stayed together through the paintings and artifacts.

The exciting part was not that I was walking on and touching walls and floors from the 12th century. The exciting part was when I explored on my own. I was able to explore so much on my own. At one part after Oma and Opa had gone on their way, there was a door propped open with a sign that I couldn’t read because it was in German. I don’t know what it said but I went in anyway . . . instantly I felt the cool air around me coming in somewhere from the outside. I saw another door closed but figured if it’s not locked go for it. There were downward stairs. Thus down the stairs I went until I arrived in what was once a function dungeon! I dashed back up and explored more. I was alone! Alone in a real castle. So of course I explored with an uninhibited imagination. I secretly climbed up the small brick/stone stairs that wound their way up to the tower, passing rooms that opened up my imagination. Being unable to read signs I found to be a feeling of pure joy! I never new if I was trespassing or snooping where I shouldn’t be but at all times I went nevertheless. At parts I found myself scampering or running up the stairs to see what was next or I would slowly go to enjoy the feeling of mystery. The top was beautiful, I was able to see very far. Once the top of the tower was able to satisfy my mind's eye I realized that the only way out must be back the way I came in!

My adventure then took me back through the passages where nobility once walked, through rooms where nobility had once danced. I soon found myself face to face one again with my night in shinning armor. I quietly whispered a hushed adieu and continue on my way to the castle doors.

I was a bit sad to leave the castle and wished with an honest wish that I could have played dress up and had a friend or two with me. But alas I will always have my memories and the hope of a return to the castle.

Sunday 27 December

Shall we talk about the tragic confusing life of Karl Junker? His house is quite interesting. It has a personality like a person who “looks interesting”, then you hear them speak and listen to their stories and you wonder to yourself. They are a bit overwhelming and a bit heavy/hard to be around at first. Of course all of this is based on appearances and the initial getting to know them. Once you hear their story you hear their past, their reason in life, their passions, things start to make since, they start to show their beauty. Perhaps it’s their internal beauty, but I think it’s the beauty of who they are and you find the key to see the full picture.
I first saw the house without any previous knowledge and was overwhelmed and a bit creped out. It was dark, overbearing and

simply strange. All that work and he never even used all of the rooms in the house?! But then I “got to know him”. I heard his story. He traveled as a young man and studied art, architecture and this was his personal contribution to the world. Sure he lived 20 years or so by himself simply carving and painting, without a companion, but perhaps that is simply what is the missing link, it is the part that we don’t understand in his story. What if he loved someone and it was for her that he made this house, this contribution to the world, but she never came or she died or she loved another man?!

I’d like to go back again with my open mind and heart. I think I might see and feel differently. I suppose I learned to not judge a house by it’s decorations because behind every carved door there is a story.

Taco Bell for pete's sake!