Holland or Netherlands?

We left for Amsterdam after school on Friday. We stayed at a Christian Hostel, they were playing Christian music when we walked in and all of the workers were volunteers-what a great ministry! They provided free dinner and we met people from all over the world. One of the girls we met was from Australia and she spent the next day with us. I loved talking to her, she was sweet to help me attempt an Australian accent; however, I couldn't escape the southern accent I have, she said I had too much twang.

On Saturday we went to Haarlem, Holland where we saw Corrie Ten Boom's house. This was by far my favorite museum I have ever been to. Corrie Ten Boom wrote the book The Hiding Place which tells her story of risking her and her family’s lives by smuggling Jews with complete faith in the Lord. During the tour, we saw where the actual "hiding place," was for the Jews. They hid in a small area behind a false wall in Corrie's bedroom.

Psalm 32:7 You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.

1 Peter 3:14 But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. "Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened."


You can go to www.corrietenboom.com for the complete story! It changed my life,the presence of the Lord was so strong there.

Not only does Corrie teach us to be strong in our faith but she is a great example to forgive as God forgave. She knew that everyone who had received God’s mercy had no choice but to show mercy to others; and she knew from her own experience that wasn’t always easy.

In her book The Hiding Place she tells the following story:

“It was at a church service in Munich that I saw him, the former S.S. man who had stood guard at the shower room door in the processing center at Ravensbruck. He was the first of our actual jailers that I had seen since that time. And suddenly it was all there – the roomful of mocking men, the heaps of clothing, Betsie’s pain-blanched face.
He came up to me as the church was emptying, beaming and bowing. “How grateful I am for your message, Fraulein.” he said. “To think that, as you say, He has washed my sins away!”
His hand was thrust out to shake mine. And I, who had preached so often to the people in Bloemendaal the need to forgive, kept my hand at my side.
Even as the angry, vengeful thoughts boiled through me, I saw the sin of them. Jesus Christ had died for this man; was I going to ask for more? Lord Jesus, I prayed, forgive me and help me to forgive him.
I tried to smile, I struggled to raise my hand. I could not. I felt nothing, not the slightest spark of warmth or charity. And so again I breathed a silent prayer. Jesus, I cannot forgive him. Give me Your forgiveness.
As I took his hand the most incredible thing happened. From my shoulder along my arm and through my hand a current seemed to pass from me to him, while into my heart sprang a love for this stranger that almost overwhelmed me.
And so I discovered that it is not on our forgiveness any more than on our goodness that the world’s healing hinges, but on His. When He tells us to love our enemies, He gives, along with the command, the love itself.”

Saturday afternoon we watched the most famous parade in the Netherlands, The Flower Parade. The floats were amazing, full of different designs and colors by using flowers! I wish I could have taken a picture of the smell as the floats went by-unbelievable.




After the parade, we went to the Keukenhof Gardens. I've never seen such amazing flower arrangements. There were tons of people walking around, taking pictures, laying in the grass by the pond, and smelling the flowers.



The tulip fields are what really amazed me. Rows and rows of tulips, it's as if God took his paint brush and painted them in straight rows.


Sunday Morning we went to the Anne Frank house. It was so amazing to be in her house and see the journal she kept. It really makes you thankful for the freedom we have in the world and in the Lord!

Sunday night Irmgart made us a "typical german meal" which was white asparagus with potatoes, salad and ham. The German name for this asparagus is Spargel, it is only available during late April to early June. It is grown covered in soil in order to prevent photosynthesis which prevents it from turning green and results in a sweeter and more tender taste. (thanks wikipedia) We sat outside on the balcony to eat. It was nice to come back "home" and spend time with her. She has been so sweet and spoiled us for sure. Can't believe this is my last week! We are wrapping up the things we want to do in Berlin and getting ready to say, "Auf wiedersehen!"

There are several things I'm looking forward to when I get home. I'm definitely looking forward to driving a car when I return. The other day, on the way home, I was riding my bike with a twenty pound back pack, two jackets strapped to the back, a purse around my neck, a loaf of bread in one hand, and a sack of bananas on the other. Two more days :)

Stewart taught me.

A dear friend of mine went to be with the Lord a few days ago. It's so comforting to know that He is in Heaven with the Lord!

While teaching 6th graders this morning, I couldn't help but think of what a teacher Stewart was to me. He did what every good teacher should do and that is to model to their students what is expected.

He modeled how to live a life pleasing to the Lord:

He taught me to barefoot-

"No matter what, if your toes catch the water, cling on to that boom with all your might-never let go."

What he really taught me was to cling on to Jesus no matter how many times we fall, we can always roll over and get our feet in ready to position to plant again. We must cling onto Jesus. He showed me how he continued to cling onto Jesus in his life by loving him with all of his heart, soul and strength.

Deuteronomy 6:5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

He taught me a 3-2-1 snatch :)

With tears streaming down my face, I'll never forget he looked up at me from the center while the boat was pulling out and said, "Look at the horizon Marianna, You can do it!" He reminded me that I couldn't worry about what was going on down below, I had to look up and do my part to the best of my ability.

What he really taught me was no matter what is going on around me, I have to keep my eyes on Jesus-with my arms stretched out and legs slightly bent to take the pull, we have to keep our eyes on Jesus! Stewart showed me this as he was always looking straight ahead to God.

Proverbs 4:25 Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you.

He taught me a step-off!

What I couldn't get through my head was when he told me the height from the dock to the water shouldn't matter, if I will just look at the boat and hold my palm open with the rope, then the boat decides when to pull the rope for me to step.

Not only did he show me how to be patient but now I see what he really taught me. No matter how big of a step I might have to take in life, it shouldn't matter because my arms are open to Jesus for HE will direct me in HIS timing. Stewart set this great example to be patient and wait on HIS perfect timing for decisions he made in his life.

Psalm 25:5 "Lead me in your truth, and teach me; for you are the God of my salvation; on you do I wait all the day."

He taught me how to do a boat-O

"The hardest part is in the end, after the sling. You have to use the boat as a resistance by leaning back with a strong back and let the boat pull you out of the water and don't break at the waist."

What he really taught me was to depend on the Lord with everything I have when it is hard because HE will get us through any circumstance, we just have to lean on him.

Psalm 28:7 The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.

He taught me to dock the boat...

"First things first, your target. You have to decide what your target is-keep an eye on this, then you can decide whether or not you need to put it in forward or reverse, turn right or turn left. Don't forget, always keep an eye on your target."

What he really taught me was to make wise decisions in life. Since we know what our target is (to walk in the ways of God and live a life worthy of the Lord), it's important to take each step in life with the target in mind-the target to live a worthy life for the Lord which Stewart showed us through his life.

Colossians 1:10 And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God.

He taught me how to have showmanship;)

In his speeches before practice he would tell us, "We should practice as if the judges are here watching us so when the event comes-we are ready"

What he really taught me was to do everything as if you are doing it for the Lord. In everything he did, he did it as if he was doing it for the Lord.

Colossians 3:22-24 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

He taught me the meaning of a pay-off :0)

"It's always important to acknowledge the "judges" at the end. It's what they think that matters for the prize at the end!"

What he really taught me was acknowledge the Lord in everything you do- for HE directs our paths! Stewart was a great example for this as he acknowledged the Lord in everything he did.

Proverbs 3:5-6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Not only did he set the example but he was encouraging. While walking through the elementary school hall today, the cheezy posters that say "You can do it!" "Rock on!" "Never Give Up!" "Learning is fun!" mean so much more to me now. He never failed to say one of these things after teaching me a trick or when pulling me off the dock. After every instruction, he would say, "Don't forget to HAVE FUN!" He truly showed me the joy we can have when we cling on to Jesus, stay focused on the Lord, be patient and wait on the Lord, depend on HIM, make God the target for our lives, and acknowledge HIM in everything we do.

Thank you Stewart for the example to make us better servants for the LORD! I love you and will see you soon!

Καλό πάσχα! Happy Easter!

Wow, only two and a half weeks left in Berlin. It's hard to believe I've been here almost an entire semester. Meg and I just got back from our two week spring break. Our first destiniation was Santorini Island, Greece.

We met up with Meg's wonderful Mom, Mrs. Terry. The island was beautiful, it looked exactly like it does in the movie Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.

We were blessed with great 50 degree weather! We went to the black sanded beach-Kamari however, it was too cold to swim.

We made our way to the other side of the island, Oia. The greeks were so nice and happy to help tourist in any way. We spent several days here exploring the island. Some of my favorite greek food was eggplant, fava beans, chicken gyros, and feta cheese on the greek salad. I'm not a huge fan of "greek" coffee but I'm a coffee snob so what do you expect?


One of my favorite things we did on Santorini Island was when we rode the donkeys up and down the island. There were three of us riding. A norwegian lady in front and Meg in the back. In the beginning of the ride, I couldn't stop laughing and screaming because it was pretty scary at first. Especially when the guide told me to lean back during the trek down. I must have been louder than I thought because Norway-lady who "didn't speak" english in the beginning turns around and says, "I'm sure you will survive!"

Anyway, I was a little sore after the 1200 steps the next day. We spent our last evening eating chicken gyros while watching the sunset. We rode a ferry to Naxos Island late afternoon. Naxos Island is not a very touristic island yet. Their main income comes from their agriculture. We stayed in one of the Terry's friend's Villas-20 minutes outside of the town. We woke up to roosters crowing and goats bleating. The Villa was located on a hill to where we could see the shepherds tending their sheep in the fields, the beach and the mountains in the background.


We made our way over to Filoti Village and ran into two nice men-John and John. They were so happy to meet Americans and named every famous actor they knew from movies they had watched. They invited us to their family's Easter lunch on Sunday. We met their cousins, brothers, sisters, wives, and children. They immediately had us sit down to eat. I was a little nervous when I saw the pig roasting.



When I managed to clear a spot on my plate, they continued to put another piece of lamb or fresh goat cheese from that morning. Eventually I had to say I was full-no more please! We spent the rest of the afternoon dancing and listening to greek music and "Opa's!"






We caught a 7:30 am flight to Athens airport where we met our tour guide. It was fun to see the Parthenon, old theaters, and ruins since we just finished teaching Ancient Greece the past six weeks. By now we were ready for some American food-Hard Rock Cafe! We found some greek candy, bookmarks, and pens for the students who won the polis competition.

One of my favorite things I saw in Athens was Mars Hill (Areopagus) where Paul spoke the Athenians because he was disappointed with the "idols" they had created. These are the steps leading up to that hill!



This is what Paul told the Athenians in Acts 17:24-28
"The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because He himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though He is not far from each one of us. For in him we live and move and have our being."

What a blessing! He is not far from us, we just have to seek after him and He is there!

A couple days later, after a taxi, plane, bus, and metro, Meg and I were in Paris! It was fun to hear this romance language after studying it in high school. We had a picnic in front of the Eiffel Tower with french baguettes then waited in line for 2 hours to go up the tower!



We met some nice french girls in the hostel where we stayed. I used the few phrases I could remember while trying not to laugh. I even answered one of the girls questions of how I was doing, "comme si, comme sa" which is "so-so." I only said this because I've always wanted to say that and I was actually doing really good. She was sorry for me though and figured it was because of another one of our roommates who snored througout the night which actually didn't bother me-haha.

Sunday night, I was glad to be "home." Irmgart was happy to see us and gave us bunny chocolate and flowers as a welcome home!

I'm finished teaching and now just observing all of the other grades. I'm excited to see how the teachers teach the younger kids who aren't quite "bi-lingual" yet.

Meg and I have made a list of things to do in Berlin since we have more time in the afternoons and the weather is above 32 degrees! May first will be here before we know it!

"Fish & Chips" and "Pierogi"

After school on Friday, Meg and I hopped on the plane for London! As soon as I stepped off that plane and heard their accents, I knew I was suppose to find my future husband here-well I didn’t but I still love their accents haha.




We met up with my cousin Julia who is studying at LSE, she showed us around the campus and met up with some of her friends for dinner. We rode the red double decker bus back to her flat and met her husband and puppy, Bergen.



Early on Saturday morning, we went to the Portobello Market-Notting Hill. We saw so many cute shops, antiques, and café’s. My favorite was The Humming Bird-a cupcake café. Because cheesecake is my favorite dessert, I chose the chocolate baked cheesecake cupcake with cream cheese icing-DELICIOUS. We spent most of the morning walking around; I was mainly interested in hearing the people talk in British accents. I felt like I was in a movie, I kept looking for Mr. Darcy It was fun to be in a different country where I could understand everything they were saying! Sometimes Meg and I found ourselves “playing sharades” as if the people didn’t understand us; we forget they know what we are saying because they speak English too haha.









We finished the day off with a plate of Fish & Chips to get the full experience



Sunday morning we met up with Meg’s teacher’s daughter, Christina at the Spitalfields market. This is the one of the oldest markets in London. The weather was even warmer than Saturday, nice and sunny!


We went to see the London Tower and Tower Bridge.

We walked along the river to St. Paul’s Cathedral which was where Princess Diana got married.

The bells were ringing, I was so happy to be in London!


We flew in late Sunday night to a snowy Berlin.
Here is a picture of our school covered in snow


Thankfully, by Wednesday it was beginning to warm up.

On Friday, one of the fifth grade teachers invited Meg and I to go and take a day trip to Poland! Because Berlin is so far north, the train ride was a little bit over an hour. Pretty crazy to be able to travel such a small distance and be in a different country speaking a different language! We ate spinach pierogi and cheese with sweet yoghurt pierogi, it was interesting. We were in Słubice, just a small town located on the Oder river, directly opposite the city of Frankfurt in Germany. It was fun to be in another country for the day!

Ich Liebe Dich!

Around me when I look, His handiwork I see; The world is like a picture book to teach His love to me. - Jane E. Leesen

A few Sundays ago, Irmgart told us we must go and walk on the Schloenssee Lake because it is frozen and it’s the thing to do. So before church one Sunday, we went to walk on the frozen lake! It was so much fun, there were people skiing, walking their dogs, and eating bratwurst.



This past weekend, we went to the Pergamenon Museum which was interesting since we are studying Ancient Greece, and we saw the Ishtar gate of Bablyon! We were so amazed since we are studying Daniel right now together. After the museum we did some shopping and saw a bratwurst stand! I thought the stand was so cute, he was wearing the grill like a fanny pack and then the umbrella was connected to the back. I had to get a picture. I had my first bratwurst-not my favorite, but when in Rome!

One night Meg and I decided we wanted to try to make one of our favorite desserts that we have had here in the bakeries. We made “Amerikaners” (German Vanilla Biscuit). They call them Amerikaners because the soldiers made them during WWII. We messed up on the icing, but Irmgart loved them, so we felt like they were legit.



We spent the following weekend exploring more of Berlin. We saw the Charlottenburg palace, ate at a cute café’ that is famous for their waffles, and found a marzipan store with a variety of chocolates! On Sunday, I turned 21! I woke up to a typical German breakfast Irmgart had prepared for me and Meg and her daughter Hanna helped me celebrate as well. We had delicious rolls and marmalade, cole slaw, different types of meat such as ham, turkey, and LIVER SAUSAGE. Eh-hem She gave me some flowers and some german chocolate!


This past Thursday, the sixth graders went on a field trip to the ice skating rink. I haven’t skated in a long time, but it was like riding a bike. While we were ice skating, it was snowing-just like a fairy tale. Here is a picture of Meg and I with our Teachers Karla and Susan.

**pic
We have learned so much from them, teaching is going good. I am in my solo month now and I’m really enjoying it. At the end of our Ancient Greece unit, we are planning for the Greek Olympics with different relay races and competitions. The students are really looking forward to this and so am I! We have divided the class into four city-states Athens, Sparta, Corinth, and Argos. Whichever city-state receives the most polis points throughout the unit will receive a “greek treasure” from Greece! Meg thought of this since we are going to Greece for spring break!

Amo l'Italia

Our Winter Vacation started on Friday, January 29th when the bell rang at 10:30am. Meg and I were excited to get on the plane to Italy! Venice was beautiful, we took a water bus from the airport to Hotel Vecielllo. The owner decided to give us an upgrade so that we ahd a waterfront view from our two windows.

I loved waking up to the boats docking and being able to see the mountains in the horizon. The first night we ate at Tratoria Storcia with a gift certificate from the hotel. We had a first, second, and third course meal. I had salad, pasta with veggies, and shrimp scampi and fried zucchini. The first few days it was funny when we mixed 'gracie' with 'danke' and 'thank you'haha.

The two days we were in Venice, we did a lot of walking around and exploring the area. I literally felt like I was walking through a maze. The streets were like alleys, some a little wider than others. I loved all of the bridges we would come to.

One of my favorite things we did was the Gondola ride! Alessandra was our Gondolian, he took us on a 20 minute ride through the canal.

We visited two islands, Murano and Burano. Murano is where the glass factory is located. There weren't many tourist at this time of year so it was nice and quiet. We looked at the different glass shops with jewelry, cups, sculptures, etc. Burano was my favorite island--I absolutely loved the different colors of each house with the boats parked out front. It must have been wash day with all of their laundry hanging out the windows. It was such a beautiful day to walk around this little town.

If I lived here, this would be my boat

I did want to share a praise report! The first night in Venice, I slept with my contacts--I know--I woke up with my eyes hurting and they continued to get worse the next day. So I kept praying because I did not want to have to see a doctor while in Italy. However, the continued to get worse so I went to the hospital which was only 2 blocks away! God was so faithful and gave me so much peace, the doctor spoke enough english to help me and said the only way he knew how to describe it was that I had inflammation in both cornea. (I think he meant infection) He prescribed me to some gel drops and cream and within 24 hours I was fine! The doctor visit didn't cost a dime, the Lord was so good to me!

On Tuesday morning, we flew to Roma! We stayed at Hotel Giardino right off of Via Nazionale which was a great central location to the Colloseum, Trevi Fountain, and the Spanish steps!

Spanish Steps

Colloseum

The bus routes were a little confusing but we got where we wanted to go. We saw the Museo Di Roma, Museo Di Roma Trastevere, the Pantheon, different Palazza's, ate a lots of great italian places. It was fun to be surrounded by a language where I could understand a few more words than just the basics. The weather was amazing, everyone seemed to be wearing big coats but we were so use to much colder in Beriln so we got to wear a few less layers!

We were in italy a total of nine days, I'm pretty sure we had gelatto nine times...okay ten. But we were in Italy, I mean come on. Friday, Meg and I went to visit her sister Sara Beth and Mary Hester in Arricia where they are studying. The palace that they are staying in that Auburn owns (war eagle) was so cute. We met the other 20 girls they live with and then went to a cute pizza place. Sara Beth showed us around the town, it was good to see some Auburn girls!

Saturday they came to Rome and we showed them our favorite gelato place with over 40 flavors!


My favorite place while in Rome was the Colloseum. We took some pics and tried to be artsy and photographers

I loved this one with the cross because of the sky in the background. What stood out to me is the three colors behind the cross, purple, blue, and white. Here is my interpretation: Starting from the left is white which represents purity and how I am washed clean by Jesus Christ. The purple representing royalty and I am apart of his royal family. He has promised me a crown and a special room in His mansion in heaven for eternity! And blue represents the Holy Spirit and the Anointing and it reminds me of where God is and how large He is! We have so much to look forward to in Heaven one day!!


We arrived back in Berlin to the snow on Sunday afternoon. It was good to come back and know what to expect this time. Irmgart had tea for us and made us a welcome back dinner. It was hard to get up as usual for a Monday after a vacation, but now it is time to buckle down for my solo teaching days coming up! Yay for sixth grade!

Sledding with Sixth Grade

On our Monday off, my teacher Karla took Meg and I around the city. She showed us some of her favorite places and took us out for coffee and cake! Germans love their cake, this is why I have started jogging in the snow 

Later on in the week, I got out of school early one day, so I decided to borrow Meg’s German/English dictionary and try and get my hair cut! I walked into the barber shop and asked if the lady spoke English. She said NO. So I was able to point to the phrases to make sure she knew what I wanted. We talked for about 10 minutes making sure she knew only 2 inches (I have the game of sharades mastered). She did a nice job but it was scary when her eyes got really big when some pieces were longer than she thought during the layering process. That’s when I got really nervous!

Wednesday night we celebrated Meg’s birthday with Irmgart and the other intern Andrea who is from the University of Kentucky. We went to a nice Italian restaurant which they have at every corner, it’s amazing. Irmgart was so helpful to translate everything on the menu for us.

This weekend was great, we started it off going to the Grune Woche (Green Week) which is an international food/homeliving/livestock/animal fair. We payed 7 euro and went to so many different booths from different countries all over the world. We sampled different types of food and drinks. Some of my favorites were the Switzerland fondue cheese and the Norwegian waffle with different flavors of marmalade. Oh and of course the gelato from Italy! After 4 hours of visiting the different countries, Meg and I were exhausted. It was kind of an emotional roller coaster because one second you really feel like you are in China, and then the next minute you are in France. CRAZY!



Meg and I with the Norwegian girl and the delicious heart waffle and marmalade!

The best part of my weekend was Saturday morning. I woke up because it was bright in my room!! That means the sun was shining and it’s the first time we have seen sun since we have been here! This has been the longest Berlin hasn’t seen sun in a long time-over two weeks! And according to the locals and what the news tells us, this is the coldest winter for Berlin on record! Thank you Lord for the sunshine! Meg and I took advantage of this and went to Mitte and did some shopping! We found the Ritter Sport Shokolade store where you can create your own chocolate bar with any type of mix-in! I got the dark chocolate with jelly bellies and yoghurt chips. Delish, I promise.


On Monday, my students were the only 6th graders that hadn’t gone sledding for good behavior. So my teacher let them go and I got to go down too! I only went once because I’m pretty sure I have bruised my tailbone…haha