Dancing Generation

Hello Readers!! I've been on the run with my host family since Friday (last day of school). We are doing a five day travel through Germany, which naturally means taking two hours to write a blog is not possible. Nevertheless, I woke up an hour before breakfast to make sure that you guys had at least some pictures and captions. I've learned this year that followthrough is just as important as the engaging initiative.

On the last day of school! To my suprise,
a good friend asked and was permitted to plant
a tree for the exchange students. I got to take the first dig!
You can see the tree in the back right, and also a piece of cake
that says 'Goodbye Genevieve' which a friend baked for me.
My class made a book with their pictures and they all wrote
something inside as a going away gift. We had breakfast together,
and I made a powerpoint of us throughought the year (Christmas Market,
Ice Skating, Volleyball tournament, chorus...) It was a really nice way to end the year with them.

Right after the last day of school, I got home and packed my bags for Dresden!

Dresden is called the 'Golden City'. When people asked me what I was doing

on the last day I told them that my host sister and I were going to Dresden,

they were thrilled. It is a 'must see' of Germany. This picture was taken from our

hotel, Friday evening. The drive took four hours so we only had time to freshen up and go

out to dinner.

Then the next morning we got up early at 8 to start our day. We saw this duck on the way. My host sister and Iwent down for breakfast, we found a table next to a group of four people. The hotel was very international, we had already met people from New Zealand, America, and China. But this group was from Italy. At the end of stay camp, I learned the first line of 'Enie Menie Miny Mo, Catch a Tiger by the toe' song from an American friend in Italian. The rhyme and rhythm was so cool, I asked my close friend (who is from Italy) if she could teach it to me. The song is about 20 seconds, and I know its about a doctor and apples.  A kid story. So, here was the table with four italians (I can recognize the language because I was there when Chiara skyped with her family in Italy), and you can guess what I did. I leaned over and asked, 'can you speak german?' they looked at me smiling with a question mark stare. 'english?' the man said 'little'. Then I proceeded to sing the song and they ALL smiled and laughed and sang the last stanza with me. The conversation couldn't go any farther than my 7th grade spanish (spanish is similar to italian) and their english. Nevertheless, it was so cool for me that I could make a connection to another land through a little rhyme song that I learned from a close Italian friend in Germany.

Picture of the Frauenkirche.

View of Dresden from the top of the Frauenkirche, here is a very informational website
that summarizes the history that dates back to the 11th century in a couple paragraphs. I urge you readers to take a glance, it is well worth it. http://www.frauenkirche-dresden.de/zeittafel+M5d637b1e38d.html
When I was walking through the small cobblestone streets, and reading all the small signs
on houses that were under historical preservment protection I was in absolute amazement. In comparison with Germany, the United States of America is so young! Our foundation was July 4th 1774, and the German history starts at the formation of the Celtics in the late BC's.

From the top of the church, we spotted a market!
You could recognmize by the top of the white tents,
I thought it would be a fruit/vegetable/fresh honey market
like they almost always are but this was a fabric market!!

Buttons.

Das Grüne Gewölbe Museum,
spent three hours there! Here is another phenomenally informational link!
http://www.skd.museum/en/museums-institutions/residenzschloss/gruenes-gewoelbe/index.html

In March my Host Aunt and Uncle asked my host sister and I what we wanted to do for a trip. At first I said the Sächsen Forest, because there is a HUGE rock park that dates back to the medieval age where they used catapults. But we figured the culture of Dresden was a better option. On the way back, we made a 'small detour' (2 hours)and they suprised me by going!

The Sächsische Schweiz

The Bastei Bridge
READ THE HISTORY
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bastei

I am writing this blog currently in Hartz, Germany. Right after my hosts siter and I got home, we headed out the next day with the whole family to Hartz. We are staying until Friday, I will update the blog on Monday after our journey is finished. I hope you enjoyed the pictures, feel free to comment!

Last week this verse has been on my mind. He is not far from us.
'And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:For in Him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring'. Acts 17:26-29

God Bless You, Peace, Genevieve

P.S. I'll be home in 8 days!

His Thoughts On Us Are Good and Uncountable

Hello Readers!

I've had a maximum of six hours of sleep per night for the last two weeks. This blog will follow a photo story book format, pictures with descriptions underneath. Before we get started, I'll show you my week in chronological/bullet order so you can get an idea of the insanity.

• Final stay camp in the capital Berlin, Germany.
• Visited the German Bundestag, similar to Congress, click for informational link:  http://www.bundestag.de/htdocs_e/index.html
• Met with Herr Lammert, President of Congress in the Congress Building, Berlin. I would upload a video but his speech was all in German. But it was AMAZING. I will take the time to translate it, when I have time.
• Took a bus tour with the other 46 scholarship winners from the North East AFS Region
• Went out to dinner at a phenonmeanl German resteraunt with scholars
• Went to a famous street in Berlin, renowned for their 'little stores' and strange architecture
• Went to Hamburg with my class teacher
• Visited the Minature Land, which covered Sweden, Old Western America, Austria, Germany, and the Scandinavian countries. Their next project will be done in 2020, we spent three hours there. Will also upload a video. http://www.miniatur-wunderland.com/
• Went to a Coffee Roast house, there were tours where the showed how they specially roast coffee (with tasters in between!) but we didn't have time.
• Visited a church that was built in the 13th century with a MASSIVE organ.
• Had my first goodbye party with a friend in Hamburg
• Printed out a dozen pictures of friends, cut them out, wrote on the back side a personal note or inside joke and put them in an envelope with a United States Postal Service sticker on the front which a friend shipped to me in October.
• Cleaned out my book case, unwrapped the 17 school books I accumulated through the year
• Wrapped presents for teachers
• Wrote a postcard to myself in German
• Wrote two letters to my previous host partner and his grandparents
• Took a part in the 9th grade debate team, I ended up being elected as one of the three Party representitives and won the debate! That was a huge day for me, nine months before I had such a struggle trying to communicate, and now I can formulate pro's and con's of political topics, in German!
• Went to the beautiful, ancient town of Lüneburg with my history teacher and her 7th grade class.  Here is the link: http://www.lueneburg.de/en/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-1288/ Please take the time to read it. Throughought the First and Second World War, this town was never hit by a bomb. Therefore the town hall is still standing after being built in the early 1200's. It has 260 rooms. Absolutley breathtaking.
• Packed my bags for the 'Golden City' of Dresden, Germany. My host sister and I are driving right after school for the three day weekend, then on Monday we're on the road again.

And people, this all happened in a little over ONE WEEK. So excuse me when I can't write anything in detail at the moment, leave a comment at the end of the post to let me know what sounds the most interesting to you. So, it is already mega late here and I want to be on top of my game for my LAST DAY OF SCHOOL TOMORROW!! Here are the pictures.

Standing in the door way of an old house in Berlin.
This picture is for you Mom, in Berlin with the hairdo
you told me I should always have :D

From left to right starting at the man drinking the water,
the American Embassy Representitive in Germany, (Red Sox Fan! He comes from Mass.),
Herr Lammert (see description at the top of the blog).

Beautiful zoomed-in perspective of  a church in Berlin,
the text says in Old German,
'Those that come with their heavy burdens to this place, shall find rest'.

Funky architecture of Berlin. Its' a street lamp if you can't tell!

Minature Land, my host partner from last year has a smart car,
and I love to joke with him about how small it is.
But look at the detail of the people, it was absolutley insane!

View of a Hamburg (or Minature Land? :) ) from the top of the church,
all of the houses were old, but especially the little row that are all crammed together.
Took a walk through and there were little book stores with nick-nacks,
which is called in German schnick-schnack :)

Organ. Do I need to say anymore? This picture was not taken with zoom.
Taken from three stories below, it was COLOSSIAL.

Nice lake view at my friend's house in Hamburg,
we celebrated the Goodbye party as mentioned.
I met with six other Americans that were all leaving
for home the next day, they're home right now!

If you read the link, you would know that this is Lüneburg.
It was a city built on the trade of salt. They had trade connections
to Asia, Finnland, Austria, Italy...

Larger view of Harbour Houses and Resteraunts

At the town market buying strawberries. :)

Hope you guys enjoyed the blog. Through all the craziness God is giving me His peace.
God Bless You, Genevieve. 

A Living Dog Is Better Than A Dead Lion

Went to a quilt show on Saturday, 250 Quilts, Quilters from across Germany. Here is one of the most impressive quilts on display. My personal favorite. Absolutley lovely, warm colors and incredibly made.

One of the 250 Quilts at the show, this one drew me in
more than the others. Haha, no pun intended.

Soo many fabrics to pick from!!

Hello Readers!
The role and repetitive use of youth in the Bible is essential for young people of the modern day. Purpose and a relationship with Jesus is not granted at a certain age or season of ‘more time’. God is not a respecter of persons, and I suspect He is not a respecter of age either. David was the youngest of his brothers, he was the ruddy sheep keeper that was anointed with oil from Samuel (1 Samuel 16:12). Samuel was dedicated by his mother through a covenant with God at a young age (1 Samuel 1-28). Isaac, bearer of Abraham’s seed, grew up with the Lord (Genesis 21:20). The role of God in their life, started at a young age.

The topic of youth has been on my mind. I have thought about my youth, childhood, and addressed my entering into the threshold of legal adulthood. In Germany, every fourteen to sixteen year old has the opportunity to celebrate, whether through the state or church, the entering into the adult realm of responsibility. Though they are not legally adults, they are to be introduced to a new level of adulthood. There is no government paid holiday in the USA that is similar to this. Therefore it is the parents personal decision, when to address their child as being responsible.

Personally I was raised as always being responsible for my actions. I knew that if I did something wrong, I was to tell my Mom and we would address the issue. If I played with Lego’s, I was supposed to put them back in the container when I was done. It was not the job of the next person that walked by to clean up after for me; I was the last one responsible for them. I’m grateful for my upbringing. This ‘clean up after yourself…right away’ part of me, has surfaced to produce some awkward moments with my host family here. I’ll explain to you our meal rules together: Breakfast is eaten at separate times, but the dishes can stay on the table for the last person who eats breakfast, who has to clean everything up. Coffee cups are set on the counter next to the kitchen sink, sometimes filled with a little bit of coffee left over. Lunch is eaten together throughout the week and naturally the last person has to clean up. Dinner is also eaten together, and the last person…has to clean up. 

Red Flower, Blue Horizon

This is a fast eater/lazy person galore, but I eat slowly so I always end up cleaning the dishes. I don’t mind doing the dishes, but I often think to myself as I’m scraping the leftovers into the recycling bin outside, that the rules are a little wacky. If everyone cleaned up after themselves or we decided to all clean up together, the job wouldn’t always fall to one single person. A lot of the time my host Mom talks with me after everyone else has finished eating and left, then we clean up together. Which is still weird for me, everyone ate, so everyone should clean up right? Another rule I don’t understand, the person who cooks for the family also has to clean up. Whereas in my family, the person who cooks gets to enjoy the meal and the family cleans up together. I learned that I am responsible for myself, but also have a responsibility to help others too.

Choose Ecclesiastes as your next casual read, and you will find the value of living in this moment. ‘For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion’ (Ecc. 9:4). Choosing God throughout your youth sets an unshakeable foundation for the future. I have enjoyed many fruits in my time here in Germany because God is first. I have reflected and gained strength from Hebrews 12:2 ‘Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.’ The word author according to the Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionary means, the captain. I can understand the difficulty for young people to give up the reins. We are young, capable, full of strength, and a lot of us are unaware that we are totally clueless though we feel we have figured it all out. 

Photograph of my host sister, to the moon!

As I have loosened my grip on the reins, and continually give them up daily, I remember the verse 1 Corinthians 14:33 ‘For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints’. When you have a question, ask Jesus and seek in His Word. He does not leave us without an answer. 

Photo taken at my school,
it was the 'Project Day', remember? The last-minute
prepare-four-hours-material day? Gotta keep your cool.

Last Sunday I also visited a concentration camp the Sachenshaus concentration camp, in Sachsen-Anhalt. What was done to the people was simply horrifying. I only included one picture with the memorial for all of the victims and a website for those interested in the history of this specific site.

http://www.orte-der-erinnerung.de/institutions/institutions_liste/sachsenhausen_memorial_and_museum/?L=1
Informational link to Sachens-Anhalt Concentration Camp website.
Visited on Sunday. On the opposite side of this wall,
 was a quote from one of the camp survivors,
'The future of Europe can not go on, without forgetting the
hate, murder, gasing and torture that has happened here'.

Glory be to God, Peace, Genevieve

 

Horses and Chariots

Hello Readers! Happy 40th post!

Real Bull Horns = Drinking Cup
= No thank you.

Last Saturday I went to one of the biggest midieval fairs in Northern Germany. There was funky live music, awesome food, hand crafted toys, and a totally shocking amount of people that were well equipped with the suitable clothing. I went with a couple friends who told me that the entrance fee would be reduced if you were dressed up. I quickly braided one of those wrap around your haid braids and placed the end over my forehead. I received some pecuilar looks on the way from the parking lot to the fair, but I got my ticket for six dollars cheaper. Plus, once inside, I was instantly back to normal in comparison to a lot of other people.



Mmmmm....fried rat on a stick with a jalepeno pepper!!
It was suprisingly dry...just kidding it was chicken :D

We learned a dance! The first minute or two, they are
telling the audience the steps and we were supposed to
do the steps along.

See what I mean? Not so bad having my little scarf.

The rest of this blog entry, I want to share a story and revelation with a mix of pictures from the medieval fair.

Not apart of the fair, but typical siding for houses in
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

As a child I found it easy to become captivated by the colossal trees in my back yard. With childhood amazement I imagined their roots stretching deep into the earth and kneading through the soil. I thought the trees were invincible. Shortly before I left for Germany in September, there was a hurricane. Although the storm only took a short time to plow through the east coast, the damaging effects proved to be long term. I vividly remember the sixty foot trees rattling in the wind, and swaying like weak seaweed in a tempest.

After the last wave of power wind and rain swept across our town, everything was silent. I was aware of the saying, ‘silence before a storm’, but that day I experienced that there is silence after a storm too. I walked to the end of the driveway to see massive branches laying on the ground, shattered into pieces. Trees teetered on power lines and laid across the street. A lot of them were split right down the middle. The mixture of downpour and high winds soaked the roots of the trees and they simply fell over. They lost their grip, their roots weren’t deep enough.

After Battle

It has rained the last five days here. To my knowledge, we are in no danger of a hurricane, but rain often has the power to replay the past in our minds. This exchange year has taught me a lot. One of the most significant is the realization of my source of strength. God always told the Israelites not to trust in chariots, horsemen, and iron. I can imagine the modern equivalent for an adult is a healthy bank account, a house, and a mode of transportation. But I do not have a house or a car to find my confidence or strength, so I had to evaluate what I relied on. A lot of my strength relied on my personal abilities. Abilities that seemed to flicker to nothing throughout this year. For example, I enjoy math because I can generally pick up on the theory relatively quickly. Unfortunately, I was not able to understand the mathematical terms and the lesson until this last month.

Asking my classmates was out of the question because they had to understand themselves first before they could explain calculus to me in simple German. It was a task I didn’t want to require of them. So I sat and tried to take notes in this class for seven months with somehow not being able to understand. Every lesson I was one concept behind, it felt like I was in a ditch with someone throwing the dirt on me. I do not need the credit at my home high school, but it felt more like a fight of principle. The teacher said if I didn’t need the grade, I could gladly read a book in the class. In fact, the last exchange student only wrote letters to her family. Nevertheless, I was not that student. I am Genevieve and I can do math.

Despite my efforts to flip as quickly as possible through my dictionary or German synonym book, I have yet to understand a lesson. This is something I really struggle with because it makes me feel incompetent. After excusing myself to go to the bathroom (and recollect myself), the Holy Ghost called this verse into mind.

‘Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.’ Psalm 20:7

A Medieval Rock Band

My ‘intellectual’ capability was a horse, my ‘memorization ability’ was a chariot. I found out in a short time not to rely on myself, because it was ineffective and unreliable. Here is a link to Dr. Jeffers, ‘I am a god’. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRZXHOf1ssk It revealed to me that in order to accomplish what Jesus wants me to do, I need His strength. I need to trust that He will come through with what He said, than to rely on my personal ‘ability’.

This brings me back to the ‘strong trees’. They seemed undefeatable,  but proved to be weak. God told the people of Israel, that they would shame themselves after seeing what they trusted fail them. With time, the human loses many abilities. So rather than wait until I am so drained from using my own strength, I choose to make Jesus my strength. In Deuteronomy 31:8 He promised to never fail us. He always comes through with what He says. I have experienced a part of a song I always sung as a kid.

Walk on a Thursday

'Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so ….I am weak and He is strong, Yes Jesus loves me’.

Continue the race, fight the fight, ask in His name and you shall receive.

God Bless, Genevieve