Home At Last

I made it home!

The flight back was great. I sat with Mary Grace and Mattson, and we talked, napped, watched movies, etc. for the whole 8.5 hour flight. Then Mary Grace ended up being on my flight to Charlotte! We had a great time just talking about how excited we were to see our families, going over memories from the trip, and thinking about future plans at Furman! We parted ways in Charlotte, which was sad, but we were both exhausted and ready to be home. My whole family met me at the airport! It was so good to hug everyone. I joked around with Roecker while waiting on my bags, which was fun.

One of my bags didn't come in, and I saw an airline worker across the way. I stood there for a few minutes thinking, Ok, how do I ask about my bag in French? and formulating a question. Then I remembered I was in Alabama! (And thankfully my bag made it the next day!)

It has been so wonderful to be home. I love spending time with my family and enjoying the Christmas season!

This is the end of my Brussels blog! Its crazy to look back on all the memories made. I am so thankful for my time in Brussels, for the dear friends I made, for the places I got to see. There are so many wonderful experiences that I know I will never forget!

I will be picking back up my "regular" blog from this point on. 

So long, farewell, Brussels!

Last Day

What a week! This last week in Brussels has flown by. I cannot believe that tomorrow morning I get on a plane and fly home! I am so excited to see my family, but it is kind of sad too.

Besides exams, we have done a lot of fun things. Our whole group has really tried to spend a lot of time together. Its so bittersweet to leave, but all the "family dinners," as we call them, and hang out times have been full of memories, laughter, and good times for all.

Some of the best parts of the week have been Grand Place, last waffle, last frites today, last kebab tonight, our family dinner last night, and lots of time with friends!

So Long, Parliament!

I finished up work last week. It was so weird to go to work knowing it was my last few days! It went by very quickly. On my last day, I was able to do the normal things, including lunch at my favorite sandwich shop! Seriously, I love this place. Sandwiches are only 2 euros, and they are delicious!

Last sandwich!

I also attended the meeting on Belarus and Moscow that I wrote about before. The rest of the day I just spent in the office, doing the usual things. When it was time for me to leave, the MEP said goodbye and very kindly wished me well. Then I said goodbye to Kasparas, and I walked out of Parliament as an intern for the last time!

My desk :)

It was not my last time in Parliament, however. On Thursday night to celebrate her hard work, Cameron's office invited us to their office for a little party! It was so fun to meet her supervisors and just spend fun time together in the EP.

Last time going to work

This weekend, I am mostly going to be studying for my final exams, but we are already planning some fun in order to make the most of our last days in Brussels. And this time next Saturday, I will be on a place going home!

Amsterdam

Last weekend, I went to Amsterdam! I was really excited about this trip for a number of reasons. There were only four of us going, which waas nice. It was jut a quick trip, and we were taking a train, so it was less stressful. And, most importantly, Amsterdam was home to two very special people - Anne Frank and Corrie Ten Boom. I was really excited to be able to see both of their "hiding places".

The city of canals!

When we arrived in Amsterdam, we settled our stuff in the hostel and then wandered around town for a while. We had a recommendation for lunch from our friends Leah and Sey. We found our way to Singel 404, and boy, I am so glad we did! It is a really popular place, so we had to wait a little while for a table, buti t was worth it. I had a really good goat cheese, pine nut, and honey sandwich. It was really rich, but so good!

So excited to be with Cameron, Mary Grace, and Allie!

Then we made our way up the canal to the Anne Frank Museum. There was a short line, so we didn't have to wait long. The museum is so well done. Quotes from Anne Frank's diary are engraved along the walls. There is place where you can learn a little more about the Holocaust and the Frank family. Then I made my way up through the various offices, reading more about the people who hid the eight people in the Secret Annex. After that, I climbed the steep stairs, walked through the bookshelf, and went into the Secret Annex. Otto Frank requested that there not be furniture displayed in the Annex, so it is empty. I was surprised by how big it was. It certainly wasn't huge, and it would definitely get crowded with eight people in there all the time, never being able to leave. But still, it was bigger than I expected. Anyway, it was amazing to walk through these rooms and see traces of the families left behind. After leaving the Secret Annex, I walked into a room that explained what happened to everyone who lived in the Annex. There was also a video of one of Anne's friends who survived the war but was able to see Anne just before she died. In the next room, there was an interview with Otto Frank being played that was really moving. The whole museum is excellent. If you are ever in Amsterdam, please go.

Love the canals!

After leaving the museum, we walked down the canal, stopping for some window shopping, and meandered to Leidesplein, where there was a cute Christmas market. After taking a few pictures, we headed to the Van Gogh museum. I have never been a huge Van Gogh fan - I know, I know - but I loved this museum. It houses pictures from people who influenced his style, and it shows his change in style over time. It was incredible. I loved his earlier pieces, in particular.

Christmas market with Allie

After we left the museum, we grabbed some soup and apple tart for dinner and then made our way back to the hostel.

First thing in the morning, we grabbed breakfast and then jumped on a train to Haarlem! After a short train/bus ride, we walked into town. We couldn't tour the Corrie Ten Boom house for an hour, so we just walked around and shopped. Finally it was time for our tour. The lady led us up to the sitting room, and we all sat down. She told the story of the Ten Boom family in such a nice way, almost as if she knew them. The whole thing was very intimate and friendly. Then a man guide led us up to Corrie Ten Boom's room where the hiding place was. Essentially, they bricked in a false wall with an entrance through a cabinet in the room. Now there is a hole in the wall to show what the inside of the hiding place looks like. It was really amazing to stand there looking at the hiding place and hearing the story of what went on there. The rest of the house holds pictures of Corrie's life. It was really amazing. My favorite part was how the guide emphasized Corrie's message to people after the war - forgiveness. One man touring with us said, "Its hard to think that someone could hate a people group." The guide immediately said, "That is true, but Corrie made it a point to share with everyone the importance of forgiveness." He then shared the story that Corrie told in one of her books. After speaking in Germany, a former guard at Ravensbrook came up to her and told her that he had recently become a Believer. He said, "I know the Lord has forgiven me, but I want to ask your forgiveness also." Corrie recognized the man from her time in the concentration camp, and she froze. She did not want to forgive him for the things he had done. She prayed, "Lord, You are going to have to do this for me." And slowly, he hand raised to meet his. As they shook hands, Corrie was filled with joy. This was her message to people after seeing her sister die, her father die, and being imprisoned in a terrible concentration camp. She really was an amazing woman. Again, if you haven't read The Hiding Place, go get it right now and read it!

Inside the Hiding Place

After leaving Corrie's house, we stopped for lunch at a great place with the nicest waiter ever. (He gave us water even though he is only supposed to give that to us if we had ordered wine or something. We had all ordered hot drinks, but still, it was so nice!) We just talked and laughed and imagined our futures (haha!). Finally, it was time to make our way back to Amsterdam center. We meandered to the hostel, grabbed our bags, and stopped at a cute bakery for a snack. Then we walked along  a canal to the train station. We boarded our train and talked during the entire three hour train ride back to Brussels!

Loving Haarlem with Cameron and Allie!

It was such a fun weekend, and a fabulous last trip in Europe! I cannot believe that in just a few days I will be home!

Return to Diosd!

I have no idea how to write about Thanksgiving without rambling on about how wonderful it was.  Since I couldn't go home, I went to my "non-USA home"! That's right, I went to Diosd, Hungary.

My dear friend Bea!

I got in really late Wednesday night. Andras, the pastor and planter of Paulus, was kind enough to pick me up from the airport. Esther came too, which was wonderful! We did the whole squeal-hug-jump-up-and-down thing when we saw each other. (Sidenote: I have never been as cold as I was waiting for the Kazars. Thankfully, I didn't have to wait long - I was actually in the wrong place, but Esther found me - but still, it was FREEZING!) Anyway, it was very nice of them to come pick me up. When we got to their house, Sarah was up, and Hannah had even waited up for me! We talked for a while, ate some of Esther's Blotkake (school project), and then we all headed up to our respective beds.

Sweet Dori

On Thursday, Sarah and I ran to the grocery store and got most of our supplies. They didn't have sweet potatoes, and Sarah said she hadn't been able to find them anywhere. We decided to check one more place. We said a prayer in the car, got to the store, didn't see them, and decided to ask just to be sure. The lady smiled, started walking, and showed us a smile pile of sweet potatoes from Israel! These miracle sweet potatoes were sent to us from God! We returned home and started cooking for the Thanksgiving celebration that would occur on Friday (They invite Hungarians, and since they have to work on Thursday and Friday, a Friday night gathering makes more sense).

Love this girl!

That evening, I went to the Kiss' house! It was so good to be with my Hungarian family. Beni and Lilla have both grown, they have a beautiful new bathroom, and we ate soup and palacsinta (my favorite)! It was so fun to spend time with them again.

With Ildi, my "anya" and friend

On Friday, we got the house ready and finished cooking. Esther and I decided to wear matching outfits, which was fun. People started arriving around 5, and it was so fun to see so many of my dear friends like the Ancsan family, Dori and Fanni, Alexa, Regi, Eni, the Bodis, and so many others. We ate and ate and ate - best stuffing of my life! It was so good. And we all just sat around and talked. It was so nice!

Adult Table

Youth Group Table

On Satuday, I went and helped some of the women decorate at ICSB for the women's craft event taking place the next day. The room looked BEAUTIFUL, and it was so fun to hang Christmas decorations. I went to dinner at Sanyesz and Esy's apartment that night. Zoe and Joachim were as adorable as ever, and it was fun to talk and catch up. When I got back to the Kazars' house, Alexa and Regi were spending the night because it was her birthday! We got to laugh and sing and be silly.

We are so silly, but we have so much fun!

We all got up on Sunday and headed to church. That afternoon, I went to the women's event for a while. There was a good turn-out, and I saw a women and her daughter who had been in my group for English camp this summer! I couldn't stay for the whole time, so I said goodbye and headed to the Paulus house to help set up for the youth group Thanksgiving that night. Helping with that was just like being there this summer. I wanted to stay so badly! But I had to leave to catch my flight.

Women's Craft Event

I loved being in Hungary for Thanksgiving. It was so good to see my dear friends and catch up with people. I love Diosd, and I was so thankful that I could spend time there. Catching up on life and the ministry was such goodness for my soul.

Prayer Requests: Belarus and Moscow's Children

I am sitting at work, and I need to post the blogs I have written about my last two weekends, but I just got back from a meeting. It was a human Rights Focus meeting that played a few documentaries about post-Soviet society. First, they spoke about Belarus, as Irina Bogdanova, the sister of a candidate in the last Belarusian presidential election, and Marina Adamovich, the wife of a candidate in the previous elections, were present. These women shared their stories as well as details about December 19, 2010. A photographer was there with his exhibit on the families of those arrested as a result of the elections. Then we watched a movie about December 19. It was very powerful to see people who were speaking out for a fair government, who were raising their voices, be arrested, leaving their families with literally no word as to their whereabouts. Men and women stood outside prison gates just for that moment when the gate would open for a car and they could try to get a glimpse and see if their loved one was there. Ms. Bogdanova told a story about how thirteen teenagers were on the street, going to buy bread or milk or something, and they were randomly arrested and beaten. They were given no reason why, they themselves had no reason why. It was just another example of the persecution of the government. Hearing these stories was heartbreaking.

Even more heartbreaking than those, I think, was the documentary they showed about children in Moscow. Since the end of the Soviet regime, somewhere around 4 million children fill the streets of Moscow, homeless. The video showed them sleeping on metros, living in dumpsters, etc. A number of these children said their papers had been stolen from them, so they had no where to go, no way to escape the life they found themselves in. A number of them talked about how they missed their mothers. These kids look for any way to escape the realities of their life. They have no money, but they have found ways to get high (that was the most horrifying, terrible scene, I thought). They drink themselves to oblivion. They attack other people, trying to get food or money or something. They steal from homeless adults, taking their clothes. The depravity of this lifestyle I cannot explain. I sat watching with that yucky feeling in my stomach, wanting to throw up, to hide my eyes, to get their faces out of my head. It is so void of hope. Honestly, this is going to sound extreme, but I felt Satan's hand all over their lives.

So I sat there, crying, and I prayed for them. And I ask you to pray for them, even right now as you read this. Who will tell these children the Good News? Who will offer them hope? Pray that God's light would shine on them, that He would speak to their hearts, that He would send someone to tell them about His love for them and His salvation and His plan and His dreams for them.

Pray, too, for places like Belarus. So many are fighting against injustice. Please pray for the families of those who are imprisoned. Please pray that God would work in the hearts of Belarusians at this time, that they would seek His face and His peace and His hope. Please pray that here, too, God would send workers to spread His name and the freedom that comes from knowing him.

I know I probably sound very dramatic about these things. But having just watched those movies and heard personal testimonies and seen photographs and read letters written from prison, my heart is heavy for these people. And I serve God, whose heart is even heavier for His people, who is not content to leave them forsaken, but who has SAVED them, and who longs for them to know His love. And I also know that the power of prayer is great, and that no matter what else I could do, praying will do more.

Carried

My mom's boss and one of the men I most respect and admire in the world wrote on my Facebook wall today. The first phrase that he wrote has been sticking in my mind all day: "May the Hand of God carry you all the day long."

What rest. What peace. To me, that phrase sounds like the epitome of what it means to be cherished, to be loved. And right now, that sounds so good it brings tears to my eyes.

I have allowed myself to be busy, to rush, to worry. I have placed things in my own hands instead of leaving them in God's. I have hurried from moment to moment, planning and fretting and figuring. I have lived and lived and worked and worked and rushed and worried. Thankfully, God has hushed me to remind me of the truth.

I learned this summer that I want God's will more than I want anything else in my life. And that still holds true. But a lot of times in the hustle and bustle of every day living, I jump ahead of where God has called me now, in this moment, to the problems I foresee in the future - problems that, when I get to them, may not even exist any more. This way of living is just exhausting. In the last few weeks, I have been able to slow down a little (work was calmer, I wasn't traveling), and God has been reminding me of some things.

First of all, I am His. Above every other "title" that the world has given me (or perhaps that I have given to myself), that one, of belonging to Him, is the most important one, and really the only one that counts.

Secondly, I run myself ragged trying to be responsible and do what I think needs to be done, and God stands there with His hand outstretched, shaking His head, perhaps smiling a little at my foolishness. But He always snatches me back, stops me in my tracks. I am Martha, so often, trying to fix everything before it can go wrong, trying to be God for various people and circumstances and occasions. And God constantly has to say to me what He said to her - "Sara Beth, Sara Beth, you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed - or indeed only one." Then He continues, "Come, choose what is better. Give Me these foolish things that burden you, and I will give you rest. I am the potter, and you are the clay."

What abundant life! What joy and rest and peace and freedom! I can rest and let my Father do His will.

So may the hand of God carry you all the day long.

Brussels for the Weekend

Last weekend, while not a typical one of my semester abroad, was probably one of my favorites! OK, I say that about nearly every weekend, but this last one was great for a very different reason.

I stayed in Brussels. I have a number of papers due in the next two weeks, including a 20 page one for my Nazi Germany class and 13 pages for my Intercultural Communications class. I also had a paper for Furman due on Saturday afternoon.

Friday rolled around, and a few of us decided to adventure to the Parliament Library. We made our way to our workplace, which felt weird since I wasn't dressed in work clothes and I had my backpack. We discovered where the library actually was, and walked into a hidden gem! Seriously, it is great!!! The entire ceiling is made of windows, so natural light comes pouring in. There were rows of tables for you set up at, or a couch area if you so prefer. Its great. Not too crowded, reminds me of the Furman library in the morning. We all settled in and got to work.

Around 1, we took a lunch break and headed to my favorite restaurant in Brussels: the Parliament sandwich shop! Not only can you get sandwiches here for a grand total of 2 euros, but they are delicious! It was a great lunch break, and then we headed back to the library until 5 to get more work done.

On Saturday, Cameron and I ventured to a cafe nearby to work for a while. That afternoon, we continued working at our apartment until around 6:30, when Mary Grace, Cole, and Sey came over for dinner! We cooked pasta with pink sauce (thanks a million to Mrs. Short for sending that over!) and just sat around the table for a while, eating and talking and laughing and just relaxing. That is probably one of my favorite nights in Brussels. It was perfect. After a while, we moved to the living room/board room and turned on the TV. This has been done a grand total of twice before Saturday night. The first time was the day we moved in. The second time was really random, Allie turned on a show about tigers? We didn't really watch it, but it still counts, I suppose. We found a few English shows, which was nice.

While it was a weekend full of homework, it was also really enjoyable to spend a "normal" weekend in Brussels. Dinner with friends is always great, and it made me look forward to more fun times, both here and back at Furman.

Fall Break

I have no idea how I am going to talk about fall break. It was far too wonderful to fit into a blog post! Sorry, I am warning you in advance that this will be a long post!

Adair, Leah, me, Cole, and Theresa at the top of the Reichstag

The 10 Days of Incredibleness began when our whole Furman group boarded a plane for Berlin. Cameron and I sat next to an interesting and nice Belgian named Dauwe. We talked to him the whole flight, which was nice. Anyway, we made it to our hotel that night and settled in. I loved our hotel! It was so charming!

Tri Delts with Poseidon

I won't go through everything we did everyday, but I do want to mention my favorite parts of Berlin. Walking in the Brandenburg Gate area, seeing the lines that represent where the Berlin Wall once stood, was so cool. There is a great Holocaust Museum right next to the Gate. It is exceptionally welld one, and it offers a wide array of personal stories of Jews during the Holocaust. It was very moving.

Brandenburg Gate

I also really loved the DDR museum! It was like taking a glimpse into daily life in the German Democratic Republic. I was very impressed with how the handled the history. For so many people, life behind the Wall is their past, and for many it isn't a very happy one. The museum did a great job of displaying the past in a tasteful way that was almost nostalgic, just as most people around the world look back on earlier times in their life. At the same time, it sisn't hide the difficult parts of life or the extensive use of propaganda. Anyway, it was a great museum. we all had fun trying to dance the Lipsi and exploring the model apartment.

MG and I being silly in front of the Reichstag

We also visited the Stasi museum. We had read the book Stasiland by Anna Funder, and it was amazing to see many of the things we had read about in her book. Our tourguide through the museum was also interesting, and he told us many of his own experiences growing up in East Germany.

Adair, Allie, Shannon, and I goofing off in front of the Victory Monument

I also got to see Robin while I was in Berlin! That was so fun. I am so glad I got to see her and give her a big hug!

THRILLED to be hanging out with Robin!

There are tons of other incredible parts of Berlin, but those are the things that stand out most in mind. On Tuesday afternoon, some of us borded a plane for Rome! We arrived really late and went straight to bed. First thing in the morning, we headed to Vatican City. We snagged a bunch of "golden tickets" and got in line for the papal address! It was really amazing to see the Pope. Even though I'm not Catholic, I have enough Catholic background and enough appreciation for Church history to recognize the significance of this figure. It was cool to hear him speak and to be blessed by him (along with my future children, sick family members, and any relics I had brought with me).

Inside St. Peter's Basilica

After the papal address, we explored St. Peter's Basilica. Wow. I don't even have words. Michaelangel's Pieta has always been my favorite pieta, and to see it in person...The whole building is incredible. We then took a break for the best gelato ever. Soon it was time for our tour! we heard the history of the Sistine Chapel and wandered through the Vatican Museums. The tour ended at the Sistine Chapel. It is so crazy to see things in person that you have heard about your entire life. The Sistine Chapel was in many ways different than I imagined. It doesn't really feel like a chapel anymore, mostly because everyone is talking (despite the signs saying, "Silence Please") and taking pictures and it is super crowded. But it was still incredible. Seeing the Judgement Day painting was incredible. Seeing all of Michaelangelo's work made me appreciate what he did even more, especially knowing that he did all of the actual painting himself and it only took him four years!

Sitting on the Spanish Steps

That night we headed to the Trevi Fountain. I may or may not have burst into a few Lizzie McGuire songs (actually, I kept saying in Rome how I wanted my "Lizzie McGuire moment," you know, where I was mistaken for a pop star? Haha). The next day we explored the old parts of Rome. We went to the Colosseum, which was very emotional. Seeing it and knowing what happened there was very moving. I am really thankful that I got to see the place where so many were killed for their faith. It was hard, but so good at the same time.

Cross at the Colosseum

After the Colosseum, Mary Grace and I wandered through the Roman Forum, the temple of the Vestal Virgins, and many other ruins. Then we met up with the group and walked to Piazza Trastevere for lunch. I had some of the best pizza of my life, and it was even better sitting on a fountain looking at a beautiful church. Then we headed across the river to the Pantheon, which I loved.

Green door outside the Pantheon

Afterwards, we headed to what became my very favorite part of Rome, Piazza Navona. There are artists everywhere displaying their work and painting, musicians play, and the fountain bubbles in the background. It was such a cool area. I walked around for over an hour, looking at art and just taking everything in. It was perfect. After a great dinner, we headed back to the hostel to pack up.

Artists on Piazza Navona

We took a train on Friday morning to Florence. We grabbed some breakfast and then went to the Uffizi museum. It was so cool to see paintings I had studied in my Art History class (Mrs. Badham would have LOVED Florence). The Birth of Venus was perfect. After the museum, we grabbed a great (and cheap!) lunch and headed to the Academia Museum. Now, I loved the Uffizi, but if you have to pick, choose the Academia. Wow. There was a Bartolini exhibit that I could have spent hours in. Bartolini has been one of my favorite sculptors since high school, and to see his statues with their eloquent facial expressions is to understand a little of the person he was sculpting. It was incredible.

The "Orphan Fam" in Florence

After the exhibit, we walked out and there in all his glory was the David. Oh my gosh, y'all. I just stared. It is more breath-taking than you could imagine. Mary Grace, Anna, Adair, and I sat and stared for almost an hour. There is a reason the David is so famous, and he is worth every bit of his fame. Incredible.

Pont Vecchio

That night we grabbed dinner at 13 Gobbi (translation: 13 Hunchbacks). It was so good! So fun to laugh and talk and joke around. The enxt day we got up, grabbed breakfast, and then hit the markets for a little while. Then we made our way into the Duomo. This church is so beautiful! After the Duomo we grabbed lunch, and then Mary Grace, Adair, and I headed to the Santa Maria Novella, another stunning church. then we headed up to Piazza Michaelangelo. This was quite a hike, but worth ever bit of it! On the stairs leading up the mountain, there are the stations of the cross, which end at the monastery on top of the hill. the view from the piazza was breaktaking. So beautiful! Afterwards, we wandered up to the monastery and poked around the chapel there.

Enjoyign the view

We then met up with everyone for another fantastic dinner. It was such a great trip, and I loved every minute of it. Leaving on Sunday was definitely difficult, but in the words of Anna during her toast to the trip, "We'll always have Italy!"

No Equation

I was reading a book review on Amazon.com, and I saw numerous comments such as, "(blank person) shows what it means to truly be a Christian," or, "(This person) lives the way all Christians should."

Somehow that rings wrong. And I think this person would probably agree with me here. Following Jesus does not mean leaving your home and living in some third world country and healing the sick and teaching people jobs and raising orphans. It might look like that. But it doesn't necessarily mean that. Following Jesus does not mean living in your hometown all your life, getting married, having 2.5 kids, working in an office every day. It might look like that in your life, but that isn't what it means.

So what then does following Jesus mean? It means a lot of things. Above all else, it means loving Jesus first. And that means wrestling, it means saying yes to Jesus above what your old self tells you, it means trusting what you know to be true versus what you feel, it means not settling for your dreams and ideas of your life but looking to the greater, fuller, marvelous dreams that God has for your life. It means you look for direction, take one step, wait to hear the next step, and then you walk once more. It means you work in a bank all day if that is where God leads and it means you take care of that money with a smile on your face and a song in your heart because you know the God you serve. It means you attend university if that is where God leads you and you study and learn as much as you can with all your might because you are in God's plan. It means you choose hard things, you sacrifice your last 20 dollars because you know that your money is not your own but it is God's. It means you live with anticipation, knowing the end of the story and blessed that you get to see how it unfolds. It means that yes, people drive you insane, but you are not content in that so you run to Jesus with those feelings and thoughts and you praise that His power is made perfect in your weakness.

Following Jesus is a complex thing. It is so simple when you get down to it, yet it is so hard when you are constantly battling your old self (even though that self is already dead and gone). But through it all, through the struggle and overwheming-ness and exhaustion and crying out to Jesus, God is looking on in delight, because He loves us. He loves making us new. He loves revealing Himself to us through these things. He loves that we did not choose easy and chose Him instead. He loves watching us come to terms with what it means to follow Him, and He loves revealing His plan to us. He loves teaching us to love Him more. He loves teaching us what following Him looks like! And that, that is what it means to follow Jesus. There is no formula, no equation, no check list, no answer key. But what we have is better than that, because we have God Himself.

This Has Gotta Be the Good Life

I went to London last weekend with Mary Grace to visit two of my dearest friends, Olivia (henceforth referred to as Liv or Livy or some variation; she pointed out that 'Olivia' is only used when it is something serious, which is true) and Julie (aka JuJu, Jules, etc)! We had SO MUCH FUN!!!! I love all of them so much, and when we are together, it is like all that love comes together and explodes in hugs, laughter, great conversation, jokes, dancing, singing, etc. Truly, its the best (the only thing that could have made it better was if the rest of the Wonder Week crew had been there! Missed y'all, Kare, Hil, Laur, Carolyn, Kristin, and Katie!).

Liv, MG, Julie, and I in Hyde Park

On Friday, we left really early and met up with Liv and Julie by 8:30. We hugged and screamed in the courtyard of the Royal National Hotel and then made our way up to their room. They had class, so MG and I grabbed breakfast and then napped on their beds. The girls came back, and we visited with some guys on the trip, and then we hit the town! We ate at this perfect cafe called In Season (go there! So cute and good and inexpensive!). Then we made our way through Trafalgar Square (had an interesting time trying to sit on the lions...that never ended up happening, haha), down to Big Ben, across the river, and found a wine and cheese festival. We walked around and spied pumpkin cheesecake. Of course, we had to split a piece! And it was delicious. Then we headed up to Westminster for an Evensong service. Wow. That was beautiful! It was soo cool to be a part of it. The choir was incredible, and their voices were all echo-y in the huge cathedral which made them sound even more ethereal and heavenly. After that, we headed to this pub called The Globe (yes, after the theater) with Allie and talked and laughed over fish and chips! Yum!

Big Ben!

We headed back to the hotel for the night, pushed the beds together, and all piled in together. If you are a girl, you know exactly what I mean when I saw that those are the best times. I don't even remember all that we talked about, but it was perfect.

Love JuJu!

Saturday morning, we all got ready for our day. As Mary Grace was straightening her hair, the fire alarm went off and we had to evaculate (we may or may not have had something to do with setting the fire alarm off in the 1000+ room hotel....we'll never for sure...). It was hilarious, but we finally made it down to breakfast. then we headed to check on tickets! There were no good tickets for anything we wanted to see, which was disappointing. But we decided to stop by the Les Mis theater just in case. The manw as really grumpy, and everyone had turned to leave, but Julie and I spotted a "Standing Tickets, £10" sign, so I asked about it. "Oh, yes, you can buy those, but you have to stand up for the whole (2 hour and 50 minute) show," he said. We looked at each other and immediately began pulling out our money. Les Mis!!! In London!!! For £10!!!!

Fire Alarm! We'll never know...

We joyfully made our back through Picadilly to Hyde Park, where we had a wonderful picnic enjoying the sunshine. After a while, we wandered down to Harrod's where we ate some incredible fro yo, looked around in awe (or overwhelmedness), and rode the Egyptian escalator to the voice of the live opera singer. In honor of Carolyn and our love for Victoria and Albert, we headed to the Victoria and Albert museum! We didn't have long, but it was fun to look around for a while. We grabbed a double-decker bus back to Picadilly. We headed to Chinatown, stopped in at Four Season Chinese restaurant, had a hilarious experienec and some delicious Chinese food, and then headed to Les Mis!

My beautiful friends

The show was, in a word, incredible. I loved it so much. We were all spellbound. Afterwards, we of course went to meet the cast! I think we were all slightly euphoric when we walked home, singing and talking and laughing and dancing a little too. It was perfect!

So Silly

On Sunday, we headed to all Soul's for church and then to Camden markets. Camden was very interesting, kind of more punk than I was expecting. But it was still fun! We grabbed some lunch and ate in the hotel room so I could get my things before boarding the train back to Brussels. I hated saying good bye, but knowing that Liv and Julie are coming to Brussels next month made it ok!  All in all, it was a perfect weekend. Thanks, Julie and Liv, for everything! Love you both!

Glory Glory Glory

God doesn't need me.

A major theme in life since becoming a Believer is God's glory. From what it means to how it is displayed to it being the point of my life, I have constantly learned things about God's glory.  Frequent questions I ask myself are: 1)How can I glorify God? and 2) What can I do to bring Him more glory? And this weekend, sitting in Inistioge in one of the most beautiful places I can imagine, I realized how wrong those questions are.

God doesn't need me to glorify Him. In fact, I cannot give Him any more glory than He already has! While yes, I want my life to please and be an expression of His glory, it doesn't give Him more glory. He has the glory. When Jesus lived the perfect life, died on the cross, overcame death, and broke sin, that is God's expression of glory. He already has all the glory simply because of Who He is. Yes, God in and of Himself is glorified because of Who He is.

And so I cannot do anything to bring God more glory. God doesn't need me to do that. He can't have more glory because He already has it all!

I constantly find myself trying to live up to what God has done for me. After all, He sacrificed it all. And He did it for me. So shouldn't I live a life that is worthy of that? The funny thing (well, not so funny, really) is that I can't. I can never be worthy. When I was preparing to be baptized, Daddy asked me, "What would you say to God if, when you got to the gates of Heaven, He asked, 'Why should I let you in here? What have you done to earn this?'" I thought about it, and as we talked, the answer became clear: "In all honesty, Lord, You shouldn't let me in here. I have done nothing. But You did it for me, and because of Jesus' sacrifice, You forgave me." That is true. Yet I still find myself pushing myself harder, pressuring myself to "earn" God's love, to be worthy of the sacrifice that He made for me. Even though I know the truth, that there is no way I can ever live up to it, that is where I find myself time and time again.

Now a new part of that struggle has been realized. I can't bring God glory, because He has already done it. All I can do, all that I can do, is love Him. And that does not mean living a perfect life, because God knows that I can't and He does not expect that of me. What it does mean is chasing after God first and foremost. It means not settling for what I feel but trusting what I know to be true. It means wrestling and not giving up and not taking the easy way. Loving God means I fail but in my failings I don't despair; instead I rejoice at the God I serve! It means I choose life in every thought and action.

No, I am not enough. I am not worthy. But God looks at me, He sees me for who I am, He sees the dirt and filth and shame, and He smiles and says, "You are Mine. I love you. And see, I am doing a new thing! I am making you new, and I delight in that! You are not enough, but I AM."

And so today, again, I choose to trust and walk in Him and live in the freedom of loving the Lord.

Ireland

And my European travels continue! This weekend, I went to Ireland. Let me tell you, this is something I have dreamed of my whole life. Ever since I was a little girl, I have imagined visiting Ireland and what it would be like. So early early Friday morning, Mary Grace and I boarded a plane for Dublin!

Standing by Liffey River

We arrived at only 7:30 am, local time. So dropped out things at the hostel, and then we immediately hit the town! First things first, we went to Queen of Tarts for breakfast. If you ever in Dublin, do not miss this! Not only was it charmingly decorated, but the food was incredible! I had the best scone I have ever eaten. Yum!

Raspberry tart!

Next we wandered around Dame Street for a while, up through the Temple Bar area, including a stop at the best bookstore! Then we headed back to the City Hall for a free walking tour. Dave was our tour guide, and he started off as a very entertaining guide. We heard a brief history of Ireland, as well as some fascinating stories about the places we visited. Our first stop was Dublin Castle, followed by an interesting wall, on up to Christ Church Cathedral, and then a break for lunch. Dave was getting a little too political on us, spouting a lot of anti-capitalistic ideas about the financial crisis that we really not what we wanted to hear, particularly on vacation from our internships where we talk a lot about the financial crisis in Europe! So we went with them to Trinity College, but then we split apart from them. We wandered around Trinity for a while and then headed to St. Patrick's. There is a beautiful park outside St. Patrick's that was fun to walk around in. And the inside of the cathedral is beautiful as well! Jonathan Swift is buried there, and it was interesting to see many fascinating stories and details written on plaques around the church.

This gate was built to hide the slums from British aristocrats visiting the British who were ruling Ireland at the time. It serves no purpose except to pretend that the slums don't exist.

After St. Patrick's we headed along the Liffey River to the O'Connell area. We stopped in at the famous Post Office where on Easter Monday, April 1916, the Irish rebels announced that Ireland was an independent republic. After wandering a little, we freshened up at our hostel and headed to O'Neill's for dinner! We split fish and chips, and it was delicious! Plus the atmosphere of this traditional Irish pub was fun. Then we wandered down to another pub where we heard there was free music and Irish dancing. We sat at the bar, ate dessert, and "split" a Guinness (I only could take about two sips). The music eventually started, and it was fun to hear people sing along. It was getting late, and we had been up since the wee hours of the morning, so we called it a night before the dancing started.

St. Patrick's well

You can find this "Door of Reconciliation" in St. Patrick's. Sons of two feuding families chased their way throughout the town, and one barricaded himself inside the church. The one outside finally said, "I am tired of this. Let's call the end of this feud and live in peace." The one inside didn't believe him, and so to prove himself, the one outside the door cut a hole large enough for him to stick his arm through to show he was serious and had no weapon. This is where the phrase, "chance your arm" comes from!

On Saturday, we got up, had breakfast, and then parted ways. I headed to County Kilkenny! The train ride was beautiful, and when I arrived to Kilkenny City, I hurried to meet my bus to Inistioge! That bus ride was perfect, winding through a number of towns and alongside a river. I departed at Inistioge, and the town was so beautiful! My family originally came from The Rower, which is 8 miles from Inistioge, too far by foot with no bus going there. I was very sad that I did not get to find my ancestor's graves or see the area where they actually lived. At the same time, Inistioge is beautiful, and it is the nearest town, so I'm sure my family spent time there as well! It was a perfect afternoon. I wandered around the town for a while, but I spend most of my time by the river, next to the Ten Arch bridge. There were a few cows and sheep, and the river trickled over some stones near where I was. I just enjoyed the day, had some much-needed time, and even got to sing a little!

Ten Arch Bridge in Inistioge!

Inistioge Town Square

Eventually, I headed back to Kilkenny City. This area reminded me of Bruges in some ways because it was a smaller medieval town with a similar feel. There is a castle and a huge park and a number of churches. St. John's Church in particular was neat to visit. I wandered around Kilkenny City for a while, and then I met my train back to Dublin. Mary Grace and I met up and headed to the O'Connell area. We grabbed a quick dinner and then just wandered around, taking in the sights. Finally we made our way to a pub with some more live music (but wasn't too rowdy - we were both tired from our days of travelling!). We sat at a table in the back and talked and laughed and listened to the band play good Irish standards like Mustang Sally and Rolling in the Deep. (They actually did play a few Irish standards, but it was funny to hear them sing unexpected songs too.) Eventually we returned to our hostel to go to bed, and the next morning we returned to Brussels!

Kilkenny Castle

Old church in Kilkenny

It was such a nice and relaxing weekend. Dublin was fun to visit, and I loved Inistioge and Kilkenny City! I really want to go back to Ireland to visit other areas like Donegal and Galway and The Rower. I'm already trying to talk Mama into going there in the next few years! We added it to the five year plan (you know, the one we made up just so we could add this trip to it!), so hopefully it will happen! Ireland, here's to you.

Last night in Dublin

Normandy

We went to Normandy last weekend. What a paradox!  As we walked along the sites of World War II battles, the sun shone down in the best weather we've had since being in Brussels. It was truly the most peaceful weekend, yet we were learning about devastating battles...

My apartment at Pont du Hoc

On Friday, we loaded up in the Furman bus for the 7.5 hour drive to Normandy. We were all fairly excited and in high spirits. There was lots of talking, lots of laughter, lots of napping, and lots of reading for school. Eventually, we made it to Bayeux! We dropped our stuff at the hotel, and then Sey, Cameron, Mary Grace, Theresa, Leah, Connnie, and I went to this great pizza place for dinner. Yum! Such good food and hilarious conversation!

Saturday morning we met our tourguide Claire and loaded the bus for our tour of Normandy. We went to a German cemetary, which was interesting. Then we headed to Utah Beach, home of one of the invasions. What a cool place! Not only was it wonderful to stand by the ocean again (!!!!), but it was incredible to think about American soldiers leaving their ships and storming the beaches.

Utah Beach

After a while we stopped for lunch. We grabbed sandwiches, pastries, and drinks, and then we headed to picnic on the beach! Talk about ideal...So perfect. We headed to Pont du Hoc and saw where the Americans attacked the German bunker. We got to tour inside the bunker, which was interesting. Afterwards we headed to Omaha Beach, where soldiers stormed the beach to push back the Germans. Incredible. Then we went to the American cemetary - wow. The graves are endless. Row after row of soldier who sacrificed that I might be free. I just can't get over that. This was particularly moving because those men where my grandparents' family and friends. I'm so thankful, words cannot even express it.

Omaha Beach

American Cemetary at Normandy

On the way home, we stopped at these German guns, but the field was so inviting that I had to have some frolic time! I just want to build a house on this spot and give tours to Americans all day and drink my tea overlooking the ocean...Sigh.

Frolicking. So wonderful!