Texas time

time has been rough and exhausting but also touching, good and really blessed.
I cannot say that there would have been any other place than exactly this to work for his kingdom.

I am really glad that I managed everything. I mean, when I looked at all I had to do I went nuts, not knowing how in the world I could do it. On Wednesday we had our youth service Open house and I had to translate Travis' testimony. It was okay but like Wesley's it could have been a lot better. On Thursday morning we left for Bacharach and I sat in the front bus with Ralf to lead the way. When we arrived we had to climb up hill to Castle Maus. We took the tour through the castle and I had to translate everything. It really freaked me out 'cuz the woman who did the tour did not listen to me asking her to talk more slowly. She just ran through and I had to catch up with translating. It was really hard and I feel definitely sorry for our Texans because I didn't do it with a lot of happiness. After the tour we saw a falcon show. The eagles, the owl and the falcon were so pretty and they came right in front of my face which was a little scary. The falconer though was rude and the most unfriendly person I've ever met. I wasn't allowed to translate and everything he said made me want to say something back.
But I enjoyed the birds and took a lot of good pictures.

On Saturday we had Open house again and I preached. I was really excited because I started writing my sermon out of notes at 11 in the morning and I was done around 3! Open house started at 7 pm. Everything went well. Jamie gave her testimony and I did the translation which was really good, better than those before. My sermon was not as good as my first one but I think it was okay. I got it as MP3 so, enjoy it.

On Sunday I translated Samantha's testimony in church and also Toney who preached. It was hard but okay. I did my best.
Afterwards Ralf made me come up front and I thought I should translate him, but then he said: This girl did an amazing job. Yesterday she had the sermon herself, today she translated Toney's sermon. It is a good accomplishment to do such in her age and I think she deserves a big applause.
I've never heard such a big applause and I was honestly glad to be able to sit.
The Texans also did a cardboard testimony to the song Amazing grace (my chains are gone). I had to cry. This touched my heard so deeply...I cannot find words for it.

Last night we had a huge barbeque in our backyard and a lot of fun together.
I am really glad the most exhausting parts of the trip are done for me. I will have to translate one or two testimonies again and also at the goodbye party, but there is not so much pressure on me anymore to do right.

I have my oral final on Wednesday morning and I am excited and afraid. Today and tomorrow I have to study. But I am sure He will help me get through just as he has done with everything else.

classes, ultimate-frisbee, soccer and Jet

today was a really great day. I drove to church around 10 am but I actually had to park in my grandma's garage. I don't like it at all 'cause it is really small and there are lots of other cars or poles to hit. All went well though.
I stayed at the church all day long. At 11 Steve and I went to pick up Michael and afterwards I sat in church.
Around 3 pm we all took our stuff and went to the canoe-place at the Sieg river to play ultimate frisbee and soccer. Soccer was really cool because we played Americans versus Germans and although there were a lot more Americans the Germans seemed to win. Ralf and I changed the side and finally we 'Americans' almost defeated the Germans.
On the way back to church we got completely wet. I hate getting wet by rain but though I was covered with rain I was lucky that I arrived before the hail could hit me.
Yeah, hail in summer!

At 6.30 pm we had supper with JET. I had a lot of good talks with Jamie, Georgia, Travis, Britton and Shannon. Awesome! We laughed a lot. =D

okay, honestly I had planned on telling yall about the Willow Creek Congress for youth group leaders....but this was actually about 3 weeks ago!
I've been busy ever since and I really don't know how I'm going to get through all of this.

The congress was just wonderful, there was so much I could take out of it. We had wonderful speakers just like Erwin McManus, Phil Dooley, Darren Whitehead and Bo Boshers. They are awesome people and I never wanted them to stop talking. They really touched my heart with what they were saying and I guess I'll never forget this congress since it was the one I really felt God touching my heart.
So much to that or I'll never be done. =)

After the congress I had to prepare everything for one Friday of BIJ where Natalie and I had to do the topic. We had to talk about Iob and we chose to do it in a little different way, we actually made a play out of it with me being Iob. That was pretty awesome. =)

Then I also had to prepare for our band playing on the market square, to get everything for my appliance, to cancel my job for time reasons and to prepare the Texas days.
You see, I stayed busy all weeks long.
Now the Texans are here. Debbie and Gary arrived on May 14th. My grandparents and I got to pick 'em up at the airport.
On May 16 the band played on the market square and while we had been there the other texans arrived. It was awesome to see some people again that I've known before and also to meet new people. This is gonna be an amazing and blessed time!