Köln

We got back to Herrnhut last night around 8:30, after a long day of traveling across snow covered Germany. It's still snowing here, and I am very glad that the weather waited until after our mini-outreach to get so cold and wet.
It has been a good week of outreach. We spent time praying in the streets, in the Dom (Cathedral), taking with, praying for and giving hot coffee to the homeless and the prostitutes.
We stayed at the same church that our leader had stayed with when he was there last year-the community there has gone through some drastic change since last year--they had become a Christian cult. Now they are in a place of seeking healing, and a biblical foundation in Christ. It is hard to see the pain and brokenness of some of the people we met with, but it is also good to know that God is working in that community. I get excited at the prospect of knowing that we can send future teams there, and that they will be able to share in the change that will continue to take place in that church. It was good to be able to serve and pray for them, as well as share a meal with them this last week.
We have only a few more weeks here--three or four of lecture and outreach preparation, then Christmas, and a few more days before the teams head out! I know these weeks will go by more quickly than I want them to, and it will be a hard transition to be with our seven person team for the ten weeks we are gone.
God is continuing to work on my heart through all of this--I'm learning more about who I am and what I want to do in the next couple of years. I am thinking and praying about coming back to Herrnhut to join a ministry to open a cafe here, continue learning German and who knows what else! I am excited for what is to come, and definitely appreciate your thoughts and prayers as I wrap up my time here in the German portion of the DTS, and determine what will happen in the spring when I am done.

Adventures

Leah and I had a sweet adventure to Prague-we had an interesting ride with the Quick Bus (nauseating,) a trek up to the castle, the Lenin Wall, and a cozy hostel. Prague is a big, beautiful city, and I am so glad that Herrnhut isn't a big city...

I'm really struggling to put into words the things that I am thinking, feeling and experiencing. I don't know that I am 'learning' anything that is especially new, but there are good words that I hear that help direct my thoughts and actions. What is more challenging for me is simply being in a place of waiting and expectation on the Lord. It's hard. I don't know what more I can do, or how to move forward.

Our speaker this week has been calling us to lay down our rights at the foot of the cross. I know that I have so much, that I love the life, family, friends and things that He has blessed me with, and I know that I need to offer all that back to God. What will it look like to give everything over? To hear from Him and know where to go and what to do? All I can do is pray for the strength, courage and faith that what He has is perfect.

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We have mini-outreach next week. It's going to be a crazy adventure. Ten hours across the country by train, worship, evangelism, and the guidance of God. Please keep my team (and all of our teams) in your prayers, and I'll do what I can to share what God does with our week of ministry with you all when I get back. Oh! and I'm missing Thanksgiving this week- I hope that it is a sweet time with family and tasty food :-) We will be celebrating the following week.