Paris Holds the Key To my Heart!

*song from Anastasia*

So today was our first official day in Rome! So let me tell you about Paris. We arrived late on December 23. We got delayed getting to our hotel, but the hotel was right beside the Notre-Dame and beautiful and great! The first day was basically our sight seeing day. We got on the 'Open Tour' Bus and saw all the big sites. The Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, the Invalids, the Louvre, and obviously the Notre-Dame. The big cool places, but it was Christmas Eve so we had to go back to the Louvre because it was closing by the time we got there. And then we went out for dinner and went to the Midnight Masse at the Notre-Dame, which was all in french. What an experience!

On Christmas Day we went is Disneyland in Paris, also called EuroDisney. It was definitely an unusual Christmas, but it was fun. Disneyland in Paris is basically the exact same in California, except that it was cold. And when you first walk in to Disneyland they have 'Main Street USA.' That was funny and fun. And then we went back to the hotel and crashed.

The next day we went to the Louvre basically all day, it is huge! And then that afternoon we switched from our hotel to our hostel, which was basically at the edge of town, so it was not a very good location and switching places was just tiring.

So then on the 27, which was our last day in Paris, we decided to walk to the Eiffel Tower, which was on the other side of the city. It took around 6 hours to get to the Eiffel Tower, however we did have a Starbucks stop on the way (I picked up my Paris mug from Starbucks!) and went to go see Napoleons tomb. It was a super long day, and we took the Metro back. So that was a long day, but we got to see the Eiffel Tower at night and take a ton of pictures!

And then on the 28 we went to Rome, which happens to be only yesterday for me. We waited at the airport forever, and the flight was delayed, and we finally made it to our hotel at around 1 am in the morning. So it was a very long day, however very productive for me because I read a book and a half in my bible. I am still very behind in my bible reading, but I am catching up slowly.

And God had been providing for us the entire time! I can't believe how faithful our God is. I can only say that God is good and deserves all the credit for the safety we have had so far. Please pray for us in Rome. Our group split up in the last 2 to 3 days, so it is just me and two other girls in Rome. We know that we must be super careful, but please pray for safety and wisdom on our behalf. And yesterday was officially our half way mark for Christmas break, so that is exciting. I cannot wait to get back to Bode and have routine and stability again.

And in a week from now we are moving again for the last couple day to a flat through the Church of God just on the coast by Rome. And then that'll be the end. I will try to update again in a couple days.

Thanks for all the pray! We are feeling it and God is certainly protecting us.
Happy New Years!
Jessica

The Dublin Adventures!

So, one country gone and two more to explore. I am now in Paris, and it is Christmas time. I just got back from a midnight service at the Notre-Dame and I am going to Disneyland on Christmas Day. But let me tell you about Dublin first:

We arrived in Dublin on Dec. 18 at around 6 pm. We went out to a great Irish pub with great food, and of course some beer and cider. Then we got up in the morning for our first day in Dublin. We got up on Sunday and decided to hit Christchurch for a church service. It was a crazy big, and beautiful, and amazing church. Then that afternoon we took a train to the coast and took pictures at a place called Howth, a fishing town on the coast.

Then the following day (Monday) was our 'sight seeing' day. We walked around Dublin (it is really not that big) and saw St. Patrick's Cathedral, Trinity College, Stephen's Gardens, and some stores. The grand sights! Of course I hit up Starbucks! Dublin is beautiful and if you have a chance, go see it! I would go back any day.

Then the following day was the shopping day! Found a pair of boots (needed some), and got some souvenirs. Us girls had a fun, and tiring day; finding the hidden gems, meaning stores, that Dublin holds! Then that night we went out again to Temple Bar, and to The Clarence Hotel, which is the hotel U2 owns and it is the hotel U2 lives in when they are not on tour.

Then the last day was just a chill day. Finished up some shopping, took some pictures, cleaned our apartment, and the guys made us supper! Taco's, it was great! And then we went to bed...only to wake up at 4 am the next morning and fly to Paris. Dublin was so amazing, in fact I found it so great I would live there. The people truly are as friendly as everyone says!

During our time in Dublin God was nothing, and is nothing, but good. He has protected and provided for us the entire time. Thank you for your prayers and support, we have felt them here. Our trip to Paris from Dublin was crazy. We had a 5 hour delay in Dublin, but still got onto our connecting flight from England to Paris. Then when we hit Paris we took the train to the Notre-Dame (our hotel looks out onto the Notre-Dame). The train was stuck on the tracks for an hour (someone committed suicide, so please pray for their family) and it took forever to finally get to our hotel. Tension was high and we were tired, and we saw fights break out and all, but God is good. We all got to the hotel safe and sound, and nothing was stolen. Thanks for your prayers again!

And now it is Christmas, and today (Dec. 24) we went and saw all the sights, and then we went to the midnight mass at the Notre-Dame. And now it is 1:30 am here in Paris, and it is Christmas Day. Today, being Christmas Day, we will be going to Disneyland in Paris. We all thought it would take our mind off of family, and besides, everything is closed in Europe on Christmas! And then on the 28 we will be flying on over to beautiful Rome.

The time is flying, and before I know it I will be back at school with only three months left. Life is crazy and every morning I wake up, and all I can think is: God is good, and to thank Him for all He has done for me. I woke up this morning (our first morning in Paris) and I could not believe that I was in this beautiful country. All I can do is thank God! I am so happy to be here.

Know I am missing you all so very much at this time. I love all of you and think of you many times a day. Mom, one day we will have to come here together. I know that together, we would have so much fun! We would have an amazing time!

Please continue praying for us: especially for calmness and peace. Tensions have been running high. Especially for me...I just get on edge easily, and everyone here can tell. Pray for safety, Paris is know for it's pick-pocketing. And that we all continue to focus on God and all his goodness and blessings.

Merry Christmas to all, and remember the reason for the season: Jesus!
Love you all!
Jessica

Last Day in Dublin

I don't have a ton of time to update, but I just want to ask for prayer! Tomorrow we are flying to Paris, and flying in Europe right now is sketchy due to crazy weather. Please pray that we get to Paris. We are flying from Dublin to Paris via England, and what is getting me nervous is England. When we came in Dublin, on December 18, all flights in the UK were cancelled. And England is in the UK, therefore making me nervous. So please pray pray pray! We will be doing to same here.

We are all having an amazing time, except that I am sick. But God is providing and protecting us each step of the way, He is so good and only God deserved the praise and credit.

I miss everyone back home, and am especially praying and thing about you all this holiday!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone!
Love you all,
Jessica

Let The Adventures Begin!

So today is the BIG DAY. I leave in an hour and a half: our group is being driven to the Friedrichshafen Bahnhof, and then we take the train to the airport. And by tonight, which is late afternoon for all of you back home, we will be in Dublin...hopefully relaxing in a nice apartment. I am just now starting to get excited, however there are some things I would love prayer for:

Our group is kinda random, which definitely makes the adventure that much more exciting, but please pray that we all bond well and that there won't be any drama. I know that if we all just stay focused on God, that we will be good. Pray that we are just patient and understanding, and that we can show God's love to each other.

Pray for me: that I do not worry and that I give everything to God. I have had trouble sleeping for a week now and feel nauseous most mornings, especially this morning. Also, please pray that I am understanding and not judgmental. I tend to be super sensitive and take things out of context. I am just super sensitive sometimes over the stupidest things, ask my brothers :P, and I know it's one of my weaknesses. So please pray for that. Plus I am more homesick then I thought I would be. I know that God is my all and my comforter, but please pray that I don't get too homesick!

Pray for safe flights. RyanAir is really strict with carry-ons, and we weren't planning on checking in luggage, but we are now. So that has made me nervous because we've already checked in but when we first bought our tickets we thought we would have no luggage checked in, so technically RyanAir can refuse checking in our baggage. So please pray for that.

And most importantly, please pray that we just stay focused on God the ENTIRE time. That if there is a problem, we want to always pray first and just that we can just uplift each other in prayer and support. I want us to be lights for Christ, since this really is our first time back into civilization. Bode is a nice bubble, and so pray that when we get out of out little 'Christian Bubble,' that God is still priority.

And as I am typing this out, my friend Kirsten is looking how much it will cost to go to Disneyland in Paris on Christmas, so I cannot complain and all I can do is praise God for His goodness, without Him and my wonderful parents I would not be here and I am so thankful for that.

I miss all of you back home,
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Jessica

PS I will try to update my blog every time we switch a country, so I will try to update when we go to Paris on Dec. 23! And if there are any amazing places in Dublin, Paris, or Rome that we HAVE to go see, just write in as a comment and I will see what we can do!

Christmas Time Is Here!

Well, like I always start these posts....time is flying fast. And it has hit an all new speed as I am officially done half the year this Saturday. On Saturday we are kicked out the building and can only come back on January 8, 2011! And I think, only a week ago I was back from my outreach. I guess I should start there.

My outreach was so great. I really wasn't looking forward to it, but it was a blast and God just reveals Himself is the craziest ways. We went to schools, had Konfi Kids - which are kids that go through Confirmation mostly just for money (they get a ton of money once they graduate) but not for God. We also had a Childrens afternoon and two open evening. Plus we did the Sunday Morning service. And this was only in three days....so life was crazy busy. We were running basically from 9 am every morning till 9 pm. And the best part: Nuremberg. We went to one of the most famous Christmas Markets in Germany in Nuremberg. I went to Starbucks...TWICE! Plus bought a traveling mug; don't tell my brothers :P And our God is nothing but faithful! Everything we prayed for happened. The Elders of the church realized you can a christian and have fun, and they also saw how important kids and youth are; I am so thankful our church knows that!

And since then, life has been non-stop. Last week we had a guy called Johan Shep in; he loved singing and playing guitar, so all of us obviously loved him! He taught about the life of David, and he was good. And last week was the never-ending singing week. We went Christmas caroling on Monday night, in the rain, for two hours. And the on Wednesday we sang for an hour at the Friedrichshafen Christmas Market. And last Saturday we had something called 'Advent International' where we invite people in the neighbourhood to come and listen to english Christmas music and a message. It was packed and the entire school went on stage, all 108 of us, and sang two songs like a choir. Fun, but enough singing for a lifetime! Ha ha, or for at least December...!

And Peter Reid, the principal here, is doing talking about the Life of Elijah this week, but tomorrow (Tuesday) is out last day of classes. And tonight we have our K-group Christmas Dinners. Tomorrow we have a memory verse test, Wednesday we are at the Stuttgart Christmas Market all day (more Starbucks!) Thursday we have a 'Morning of Silence,' Peter said he just wants us to have pure and content hearts with God before we leave for Christmas. And then Friday we have have 'PACKING DAY!' Which I think is actually pretty sad, because I have come to love my room and my roommates...plus I have a lot to pack :P ha ha. So the long process of packing and figuring out what to pack for three weeks for Christmas, since I am not considered a light packer in my family. Plus packing means more change, and I don't really want things to change. And then Friday evening we have our Christmas Banquet. Get to finally pull out the $12 dress I found in Vernon! It is black and sparkly...I'll try to put up some pictures in the next month. And then on Saturday at 9 am the adventures of Christmas starts!

So everyone is asking about Christmas...so let me tell you all: I will be getting to Dublin, Ireland this Saturday (the 18th) and we, being a group of eight students, (half guys half girls) will be getting all the Irish beer we can drink till the 23rd. Just kidding, I hate beer! Ha ha, and then on the 23rd we will be flying to Paris via England. We have a seven hour lay over in England, so we shall go out and explore for a couple hours. Then we will get to Paris and enjoy a lovely Christmas in a hotel right beside the Notre Dame, which happens to be around 3 or 4 blocks from the Eiffel Tower. It will be tough not to be home, but I guess I will stick with the next best thing: Paris. And then on the 28th the group splits, and then two girls and me will be going to Rome. We shall finish our holidays in Rome and spends New Years there, then back home to good old Bodenseehof. And when we get back we will have new rooms and new roommates! How exciting. :)

And God is just continually showing His faithfulness. Even with planning this trip, I prayed a lot about flights and hotels, and He is just so good. God is helping my just tear down walls of fears and helping me to continually give my life over to Him, step by step. I find that when you pray about little things and see God's faithfulness it is easier to give Him the bigger problems. And Kirsten, my good friend here, and me just really want God to be the complete focus this entire trip. God has everything in control and I know that with God with us nothing will be too big for us to handle.

And as I know that we only have three months left, it is hitting me how much I've been growing and changing. It also makes me realize just how close we have gotten here at Bode. These people here truly are like my family. And I am so happy I am not coming home yet, because I am not ready to come home. I know God still has more to do to me here and I know that I still have so much to experience before I come home and tell all of you guys about it! And as I write, know that I really do miss all of you back home. It is sad knowing that Christmas decorations are up and that your guys are making Christmas cookies and listening to Christmas music...not that I don't have enough sweets and chocolates here! But it will be tough. But as Peter was speaking last Sunday about Elijah, I realized that God is enough. For some reason the longest path is to get stuff from our mind to our hearts. I 'know' God is enough, but last Sunday it dawned on me that if I was a long in the jungle, single, working with a tribe in Africa...it would be okay. Not that that is what I want, but just the idea that God is enough and sufficient. And through Christmas, even though I am not home and I will be missing you all, it is comforting knowing that God is with me and that He truly is all I need, plus I will be with seven other people.

Keep praying that I continually turn to God first, that our trip goes good and that we stay focused on God through out trip. That everything goes smoothly the next three weeks away and that I don't get too home sick.

And I better get to finishing my last paper, and study for my last test this semester. I love you all back home and I continually think and pray for you.

Jessica

Oh, PS: We had snow here but right now, as I look out the windows into our back garden all I see is beautifully green grass. I am hoping for a Christmas with no snow, how exciting would that be!

CRAZY!

Hey Everyone!

So again, time is flying by and December is now here. We got snow a couple says ago, and so Christmas feels like is really is here. I can imagine home al decorated, and all I want is a day at home, sipping some apple cider at the dining room table hanging out with the family. I know that Christmas will be hard, but this really is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I have to milk it for all its worth. And right now I am in a vehicle driving to Herbruck to go out to my first outreach! It's super exciting. I am on a drama team and we have seven dramas we are doing; so it should be good. Although, to be quite honest, I am not too excited about the outreach. I have gotten so used to Bode, and it feels like home; however no Christmas decorations are up yet...but hopefully soon! And here is what has happened the last two weeks:

-We had Rob Whittaker talk about the early life of Abraham
-We had a bingo night, and the theme was 'old people' so we all dressed like old people. It was hilarious!
-We finally had thanksgiving dinner last Sunday night...it was greatly needed. However we didn't have sweet potatoes, which was sad.
-We had a scavenger hunt!
-We had George Verwer in, who started the missionary organization 'Operation Mobilization' or better known as OM. He was crazy and super passionate about missions and I thoroughly enjoyed him!
-This week, though I am missing a couple lectures, is Richard Dahlstrom. He is the pastor of Bethany Church in Seattle and he is talking about Exodus. He is super informative and talks about Exodus in a whole new light, especially the ten commandments. I kinds thought they were Old Testament and not too relevant, however I was very wrong and have now made it a goal to have a actual Sabbath day once a week when I get home.

And I will tell you all about outreach! Life has been crazy and I will try to continue updating. :)

Miss and Love you all

Travel Weekend

So this morning my mother and Tante, Hetty, left :( However, there was no tear shed...so that was good. I had a fabulous weekend with them!

They arrived Wednesday night at 11 pm here at school. And I got them settled down in their guest room. Then we woke up bright and early to start our "Weekend Madness" together. On Thursday we spent basically the whole day in Friedrichshafen, and then went out to the Bahnhof (Train Station) to eat. It was delicious and we had some great conversations about God, Guys, and everything else!

Then on Friday it was rainy and cold so we thought it would be fun to drive to Stuttgart, the closest main city, around 2 hours away. 20 minutes away from the city the entire highway got shut down and we were sitting on the highway for around 3 hours. We found out later a truck crashed into a tunnel and they had to get it our and everything. After grabbing a quick bite to eat in a small nearby town we came back home, which was kinda a disappointment. Then after 6 hours of driving we stopped at Meersburg, a small town near Bodenseehof, and grabbed some kaffee und kuchen (coffee and cake). So even though it was stressful, we still bonded and enjoyed the day together. Then for supper we grabbed some Thai, got comfy on the bed and watched 'Ever After.' I felt so at home, it was so something me and my mom would do at home.

Then yesterday, Saturday, we had brunch at school, and then took a boat to Konstanz. It is a beautiful town that wasn't bombed during the war so it is just one cobbled stone street after another. It was old and beautiful.

And then I woke up at the early hours of today to wake them up and carry down the heavy suitcases down the narrow and steep flights of stairs. We then enjoyed our last minutes in the Honeycomb room and departed. It was a wonderful time with my mom and Tante.

And then today was a super lazy day. Watched Glee (I have now caught up on the second season) and ate chocolate :) Now everyone is returning and life is going back to normal again...and this week the speaker is Rob Wittaker. It will be a good week, and I am so thankful that my mom and Tante could come. God is so good.

God is Good

So before I know it October passed by and November attacked me! Time flies by when your having fun, and obviously I am have a tremendous amount of fun, because time is flying by at the speed of light! Today is officially half way through the first Term of school, which means six weeks have passed. Travel Weekend starts tomorrow, so we are free from tomorrow, till Sunday night. Everything feels like home at this point and the idea of going home right now kinda makes me sad. Not that I don't miss you guys, I am just enjoying life here so much. Here are some more things that have happened:


-We had the son of the founder of Torchbearer School in, his name is Chris Thomas and he talked about the Road to Redemption
-Then we had a man, named Blain Reeves, who works at the Torchbearer in France and he talked about the Minor Prophets which was thoroughly interesting. He was great!
-And this week (it was only a 3 day week) Steve Volle, one of the leaders here at Bode, talked about Proverbs which was so great!
-I am now in 2 Samuel! I am sticking with the Bible Reading Schedule :)
-I am now reading a biography of Jim Elliot. The paper is due next week Thursday....I may be a little late for that assignment...
-We had our 'Books of the Bible/Memory Verse Test' I now know all the books of the bible in order and how to spell them. I know I aced the test!


And the most exciting news of all: MY MOM AND AUNT ARE COMING TODAY! It is 10 pm here, so they will just be landing in Friedrichshafen, which is a 20 minute drive from school. I am dying of excitement, and cannot wait to see them and give my mom the biggest bear hug in the entire world. They are only here for three days, so I hope to hit Konstanz, Munich, and Zurich. I want to also travel on my travel weekend. And I am excited to go out for every meal :P Ha ha.


And today I had a very interesting day, it was called a day of silence. From 12 pm to 5:45 pm we couldn't talk and just spent the day with God. I know what you are all think..'Jessica, silent?!?' But it was not difficult at all! Ha ha, God is so great and good and He is such a loving and merciful God. I know that, and He is taking burdens from me that I didn't even know I was carrying.


Also, I found this verse today and am going to start making it my 'Bode Verse.' A verse to meditate on while I am here. It is 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 which is the following:

Therefore do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

I miss you guys and love you all so much!

Remember God is good, and he deserves all the credit. It is only through His grace and mercy that I am here, and I am so thankful for that.

Jessica

OCTOBERRRR

So October is flying by and last Friday was the official one month mark. I can't believe how fast time goes and I am just trying to enjoy and appreciate every moment I'm here. Lets see what has happened this month:

-I did a 10 KM run
-we visited Neuschwanstein-which brought back memories of being there five years ago on my exchange trip
-we had out first guest speaker this week, a man by the name of Ken Needham. He taught about Hebrews
-I went to a flea-market just today actually :) I got some cool old looking books and a necklace
-I feel like there is a never ending amount of chocolate flowing in my room and in the school, meaning that I am eating a lot of chocolate.
-I have been going on ice cream and 'kaffee und kuchen' trips way too much :)
-I have had to memorize 6 memory verses so far
-We had out first test on Colossians. I think I aced it, like expected!
-I have handed in my first book report on 'The Pursuit of God'-which is an amazing read for anyone who wants to grow in their faith
-I took the song 'Tik Tok' by Kesha and changed the words and sang it infront of the school for the 6th Hour with my two friends Kirsten and Krista. We made the song 'Bode Style' with different names of the leaders in there. It was a pretty big hit.
-We had a dinner with the theme 'Sweden', so my friend and me painted the swedish flag on our faces with face paint. No one else went as all out as we did :)
-I went and explored a bit of Europe and went to Konstanz. It's a beautiful town right beside Switzerland that didn't get bombed during WWII, so it has the cobble stone streets and little stores. It's beautiful.

And that's all I can think about right now. I will try to update more regularly so I can remember more things....this is all I, and everyone in the computer room at the moment, can think of. I miss everyone and I wish I could have all of you visit!

I am loving the cards and packages I have gotten so far, so thank you so much! And right now the big highlight for me is Christmas. I am starting to book flight and looking into hostels. I want to go to Ireland (FOUND FLIGHTS FOR 12.99 Euros) and I am planning to spend Christmas in Paris. There is a group of around eight of us traveling. 3 guys and 5 girls. So the future is looking friendly :) and my mom and aunt are coming in 19 days...not that anyone is keeping track or anything!

I'll update in a week or so,
Talk to you guys soon.

Times Flying By

So, it's already been a week since I've last updated my blog...insane. Well, I have been going to Friendrichshafen and Immenstadt (for the best ice cream in the entire world!) and just hanging out. At the Bahnhof (train station) you get free Wi Fi if you buy a coffee, so it is the new hang out place. I have been enjoying the Kaffee und Kuchen hour around here a little too much, and I've been doing a lot of bonding too. It's been a blast, some highlights from this past week:

-Peter Reid finished his session of 'Walk the Talk' and it was deep, and God definitely talked to me through the lectures.
-Then on Saturday we went to the Apls, and hiked around the Swiss Alps, no big deal :)
-Heinz Spindler, the director, started lectures this week and he's talking about Personal Evangelism. He's really good and is good at drawing out emotions in people and reaching their heart. He's talking about letting God's love compel you and using God's gentleness to share God's word. He's informational and entertaining. He likes stories and I am learning tons from him.
-We started small groups this week, called K-groups. Heinz, and his wife Ute, happen to be my leaders. They are hilarious. And Bode's accountant, Nils, is also a group leader. He's quiet and reserved, but I know deep down there is a wild side to him...I'm gonna try to find it :P
-We have a bible study project, where we basically have to write a mini sermon on a chapter in the bible (they give us a list of 50 chapter that we have to chose from). So I'm reading the chapters and am praying that God will show me what chapter he would like to teach me on.
-We got to a sheet to chose a team (sing, drama, kids, or english teams) to join. The one team I didn't want to join was drama, just because I'm loud doesn't mean I am good at acting. But God has a sense of humor. I handed in my 'choice sheet' a day late and Andy (the head of outreaches) asked me if I could do drama team, even though it was my last choice, since they needed people there. My last choice....I guess I'll see how God's going to use me. :)
-Our book assignment this month is a book called 'The Pursuit Of God' by A.W. Tozer. It is deep and convicting, and it is stretching me to be a better follower of Christ.
-I'm memorizing bible verses (we have to memorize 2 weekly) and I need to memorize the books of the bible for the old and new testament, plus how to spell them! Our first test is in November
-And last, but not least, we have to read through the entire old Testament this year at Bode. So we have a reading schedule of eight chapters a day...so there is just a lot of reading going on here. Plus the first reading assignment for the old testament is due in November. A lot of reading and good conversations, and a lot of amazing food!

Well that's what's going on in my world. I am sipping my hot chocolate and listening to music here at the Bahnhof. International night is this Friday, and I am running in a 10 KM race this Sunday. I plan on walking half :P Oh, and I am running on a regular basis, I plan to gain no weight (MARCIA!).

I am having a blast and I'm not missing home yet...but I know I will soon enough. I am starting to send out cards here...but I haven't gotten anything from anyone (except Shane) I would love a care package...*cough cough* :)

Love you guys lots!

My Hike

My Alpine Experience!

Me climbing up the Alp! It actually was around this steep, but

we they had made stairs. I probably climbed around thousands of steeps.

It killed me!

The view from the bottom. We climbed from the left mountain, into the center,

so we were in the valley between the 3 mountains. Then we

climbed up to the top of the right mountain. It was beautiful.

Me, right after climbing the first half. :) It was beautiful

My friend, Laura, and me climbing down to the lake!

I was as good as Steve at hiking! :P Just kidding, he's amazing.

This was right after the first half of the lake. I ate lunch here.

Half way up the second half. The view was spectacular.

Just another beautiful view. Makes me want to sing 

the Sound of Music.

The little hut I climbed through. There was also a church a couple

meters after this. It was sweet.

This view was from the top; in front of the lake is Switzerland, 

and behind the lake is Germany!

This is my 'I conquered the world' pose. I really did!

Me, Grace, and Kirsten at the top of the mountain.

We had a blast!

The Experience was amazing. God created such beauty, and I got to experience it first hand. It was a treat!

Let The Games Begin!

So I left you guys at Saturday morning. So Saturday it rained!  It was so sad, so after breakfast we started our orientation and did paper work for visa's and everything. Then after lunch they gave us a bunch of options and I took the bus to Friendsrichshafen, the closest town. I went to a coffee shop called Aran with a bunch of people: Molly, Jamyie, Josh, Valentina; and shared some hot bread with this onion and cream cheese topping. DELICIOUS! It was sooooo good! Then my friend Josh saw a ice cream place, so we quickly left the group and got Eis (that's what they call ice cream in German). Then after dinner we had some more orientation, and the guys did a sauna evening. The girls just hung out, and I tried to start a dance party, but it didn't follow through; another night. :)

Then Monday, our first day of classes. So I got up at 6 am to go for a run...but the doors didn't open till 6 :30 am, so I joined aerobics but hated it! Then had breakfast and some more info in the morning. Then on Monday a group of us biked to Friendrichshafen (which is around 20 minutes) and Ursula (one of the staff here who took time off to volunteer and help out) took me and Josh out for coffee. The other girls went to Aran to do homework, but we all know how productive homework is with 10 girls...ha ha. So Josh, Ursula, and me walk around and went to a different coffee place. :) She's such a sweetheart and I know she will be a person I can turn to whenever. Then after dinner we had our first lecture. This week Peter Ried, our "boss" is talking about 'Walking the Talk' and he talked about how God's Good Plan Went Bad. Then the girls had a sauna night,  didn't go though. A sauna includes the following:

1) Stay in Sauna for 15 minutes until you are ready to die :)
2) Go under ice cold water for 1 minutes until you are ready to die....again!
3) sit in sofa chair and relax for 10 minutes
Repeat 2 more times.

Sounds killer, but supposedly it loosens you and you get the best sleep ever-Steve's words.

So on Tuesday, which happens to be today for me, I got up at 6 am and actually went for a run. Man, I haven't ran in a long time and I can tell! Then breakfast, and I accidently feel asleep between breakfast and the first lecture so I was 10 minutes late....and I had to walk in the room in front of everyone! It was really embarrassing. :( Today Peter talked about being 'Born Again' and what it means, and  on 'Sign of a Spiritual Life.' It was so good, he is such an amazing speaker! Then after lunch me and Josh went and biked to Immenstadt (oh, and by the way, my legs are killing at this point! I haven't biked or ran in years!) and got Eis. We got a Bananasplit with three scoops of different ice cream for 3.50 Euros which is like 4 or 5 bucks canadian. Then we walked out on the dock and I beat him at a game of giant chess (only because a man helped me at the end :P) and now I'm writing here. Tonight we're talking about Community Life and then splitting up the Guys and Girls. And then I am going to sauna, because I am in so much pain, but tomorrow I'm giving my body a break! I'll talk to you guys later!

Having a blast, and keep up the prayers; they're working!

BODENSEEHOF

So after all the working, worrying, and anticipating I'm finally here. It's nice to know what the rooms and people actually look like (instead of only hearing about it from Nick and Dave!) I feel at home here already and know that it will be a fantastic 6 months. I got to Friedrichshafen on Thursday around 5pm and then got to the Graf Zepplin Hostel. There I ran into 4 people going to Bodenseehof; Josh, William, Brooke, and Alissa. We all went out to dinner (I had Salami Pizza and Pepsi, I know....very German :)) and then when 3 more people joined us at the Hostel; Danielle, Tim, and Robbie, I went and got my first Spagetti Eis! It was so delicious.

The next morning we got picked up at 8:15 am and were some of the first people at the Bibleschool. I'm in a four room, and my roomsmates are from Germany, America, and Japan (a missionaries kid) so we are a very diverse room! Whatever, we all have Jesus in common, ha ha. They gave us snacks, lunch, and dinner. The food was so good and everyone is so friendly. It's weird though not knowing people, so your just going up to new people and I'm like 'Hey, I don't know you but wanna hang out...' ha ha, so it's the weirdest environment, but everyone is in the same boat.

So since I had the whole afternoon we played some beach volleyball behind the school, and I planned a bike ride to Kaufsland (which is like our Walmart) You can just rent out bikes here, and so like 10 of us biked to Kaufsland and I got towels, so I could shower! And it was so much fun and the weather is beautiful..I was almost sweating from the heat! Ha ha, and for once I was warm (unlike Edmonton, where I froze to death!)

Then after meeting my roommates and finishing my unpacking we got dinner, and after dinner we all sat down in the lecture hall and everyone stated there name, where they're from, and what they did this summer. 40% of the people here are from CANADA! Yeah, we are representing for you guys. There is a girl from Kenya, Ethipoia, Japan, and Australia. So we are a little diversified. And we met all the staff members.

After the meeting I played some games and then a bunch of us went down to the lake and looked at Switzerland. It was beautiful. Our RA's, Kristi and Justin, are trying to keep us off the computers...there were like 30 people down here yesterday evening on the computer, it was pretty crazy. I say do as much stuff as possible while your here! So I'm down here now before breakfast (it's actually around 7:45 am here) and my day is about to began. Breakfast is at 8:30! So, I'll keep you updated, and hopefully put some pictures up later today or tomorrow. See you guys later, wanna hear from you!

At the Edmonton Airport...

Well I'm on my way...here I go. Let the adventures begin :) The goodbyes are all done...which were very difficult. It's always hard to leave loved ones behind. Especially church, my second home and family. Thanks you for all the prayers and support from everyone, it means the world to me. I know that God is with me and am excited to see what He does in my life in the next year. Know that you are all loved and missed by me, and I want to hear what's going on in your life too, so send me messages. Also, I would LOVE to get snail mail, nothing like getting a hand-written letter on a day I feel home sick. Here is the address for the Bible School, so please send something, and I will try my very best to respond. :)

Mailing Address (for letters)
My Name (Jessica Meier)
Bodenseehof
Postfach 29 33
88023 Friedrichshafen
Germany

Mailing Address (for packages)-----MOM :P
My Name (Jessica Meier)
Bodenseehof
Ziegelstrasse 15
88048 Friedrichshafen
Germany

5 Days Remaining

So time has flown by and in a week Bible School will be starting. Actually in around exactly 168 hours I will be sitting down to the first dinner in Germany. Insane! There are so many emotions running through me. Excited, and nervous, and kinda scared to travel all by myself. I appreciate my mom so much already, but have a feeling that after traveling and trying to figure out where my hostel is I'll appreciate her and what she does for our family so much more. Ha ha. Well since I haven't even started packing, I should probably go start. :)

My Good Bye Party

So I know it seems like forever until I leave, but times a creeping by and before you know it, I'll be gone. So on September 18 I'm having a goodbye party at my place. You can come and go as you please. It'll start at 5 pm and go until the last person is gone. They'll be some snacks at my place, and hopefully and bunch of funny stories being told. It's my last Saturday in Canada, so I would love to see everyone there!

Working Hard for Bodenseehof!

So after a month of travelling everywhere from Wainwright, to Ponoka, to Red Deer, and just coming back from Vermillion for work, which is scooping ice cream, I'm thinking 'Why am I doing all this?' I'm such a homebody and just love being home, sleeping in my bed, hanging out with friends and family, and watching TV. (Props go out to you Erin for being so flexible and moving around so much!) Knowning that I only have one more day out at Rocky Mountain House (which ends up being on the same day as Dave's birthday) it's starting to hit me. Germany is something I've been thinking about and looking forward to for four years now (since Dave went) and all of a sudden it's only a month and a half away. My mom's calling Bodenseehof in the mornings now, and words like 'University', and 'applying a year early' and being thrown my direction. I can't belive it's coming so quickly, where has the time gone? And now that I just payed off Bodenseehof, and am coming to the realization I won't have as much spending money as I wanted, it's coming. One big adventure for Jessica! Now that I have some money, luggage, and four years of anticipation, I'm ready to start my adventure. Another month of working at the Water Warehouse, and off I go!