Extraordinary ordinaries:

  So I really had great intentions on keeping up better with this blog. I think in the back of my head I have been thinking that I had to have something spectacular and interesting to write about every time I posted and therefore I've been waiting. God is showing me, however, that it is often the most ordinary of circumstances and situations that can be the most extraordinary and memorable. So I will use this post to briefly catch you all up on some of the "extraordinary" things that have been happening in my life my first few months here in Germany.

  I am living here in our quiet little village, that just this morning awoke to a peaceful blanket of fresh snow. There is something about waking up to snow. You can almost tell it has snowed before even looking out your window, simply by the absolute silence that it brings. It isn't just silence, it's a peaceful silence, and I think there is a difference. I have many memories of waking up to snow at home. Our backyard and pasture stretches out and melts into the farmers corn field and all of it would be completely white, acres and acres of pure white snow. Some mornings, if I got up early enough, my dad would still be sitting on the couch with his coffee and a book with the fire crackling in the corner. The whole house was shrouded with a stillness that is hard to describe. Thinking about it now, it is easily a memory that at the time may have seemed ordinary but was actually much more.
   Our little village was the same quiet and carried the same peace this morning. The drive to church was beautiful. The fields, trees and houses had all been painted white during the night. The snow didn't accumulate to much, just enough to cover everything and make it actually feel like December. We loved it though. It is my first winter here in Europe, one I am sure to remember always. The houses here have been decorated and all display some kind of lights, nativity pyramids, wreaths, etc. I am learning that a lot of the traditions that we celebrate in the states originated here in Germany. Each town has their own Christmas market, some bigger than others. We went to our village's Christmas market and had some gluhwein and Annsley met St. Nicolas for the first time, he gave her an orange and some chocolates (she preferred the plastic bag they came in so we ate the treats instead ;) ) It was a  fun night.

  I am pretty much settled here and have the "big" things crossed off my list. For instance, I bought a car, got a cell phone (or a 'handy' as they're called here), insurance, visa, etc. and to top it off  I have found a job! God has graciously given me a way to stay here in Europe and to earn money! I am still hoping to be able to teach but for now I am content where I am. I am in a position where I come in contact with a wide variety of people each day. I am amazed at the differences between them and the stories that they share willingly or without meaning to through their eyes....this being the type of community it is, there are some pretty unique stories out there. I am new to this type of community and am learning a great deal daily. Along with familiarizing myself with the German community I am getting to know the American military community as well. I live in a place that has people from practically every U.S. state and countless countries, coming and going so frequently, all with different history and reasons for being where they are. I am learning about my own country while living in a different one, what a unique perspective this is. I have met people who have grown up in South Africa, are from the Philipines, Iceland, all over Europe and Asia and many other places. I love being surrounded by so much diversity and different languages. I enjoy asking the people I meet at work questions about themselves and hearing about their life. Most of the stories are what you would expect, but then there are others that you can in no way relate to. I am beginning to understand just how little I know and how much else there is out there other than what I have grown up experiencinig. Some people carry a burden and a weight that I have never had to bear. I will share some of these stories as time goes on.
  This is all I have for now. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers over these past weeks and months. I am loving life here and am so glad that I came. I do miss many of you and appreciate the calls, letters, and emails that you have sent.
  Until my next post...

                                               Merry Christmas!