Photokina in Koln (Cologne)

This past weekend I got to do something I never thought I would be able to say that I have done... I drove on the autobahn across Germany.  We went on a little field trip to the west side of Germany. The only way that we could go is if there were enough drivers, because there weren't enough staff coming to drive, so 4 of us qualified and got to drive these really nice rental cars on a ywam road trip across the country. We left friday afternoon and came home on sunday. It was about 7-8 hours away, so it was a long drive, but it was so much fun. As you may know, there is no speed limit so that made it even more fun! On Saturday we went to this huge photography convention called the photokina which is held in Koln every year.  So we hung out there for part of the day checking out the camera equipment, some galleries and of course getting free stuff :) That was my favorite part. I think we got some batteries, pins, red bull and popsicles. After we left the photokina we took the subway in to the city center area.  The town was so amazing, as soon as you get off the subway and come up to the main square there is this huge cathedral towing right above you. It is the biggest one in Germany, it was so beautiful. 

So we walked around the town for a few hours and took pictures and shopped before heading back to the church where we were staying.

It was so much fun.. This week has been really busy though since we got back. This saturday the actual Discipleship Training School starts and the rest of the students arrive. A lot of us will be moving to another room and some us of maybe even in to apartments in town, which would be cool too. So we will have photo assignments along with everything else, it will be pretty crazy from here on. I am excited though. 

So I made a video tour of the castle.. I am not a professional or anything, but you can at least get an idea of what it is like inside :)

 

Dresden

Yesterday I went to Dresden with 7 other girls. It was probably one of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen.  We left here around 7:45 and took a bus to Lobau where we caught a train to Dresden.  When I flew in I didn't actually get to see the city, because I took a train directly from the airport to Lobau, by-passing the city.  Anyway, It is very interesting there because during the second world war most of the city was bombed, destroyed and burned so there are theses really old buildings with back charred walls from the fires that have been restored and rebuilt and then there are these new modern buildings around them. But the old buildings are just beautiful. There is so much history in that little city. 

We walked around and took a lot of pictures. It was pretty funny all of us photo dts ywamers with our special cameras taking pictures of everything. Which worked out well because I'm sure anyone else with us would have been totally impatient because we paused to take pictures so often. I was kind of bummed because I didn't charge my digital camera battery the night before and so it died while we were there and I didn't get to take as many pictures as I would have liked with that one. But, I did have my regular film camera so I practiced using that and I am going to develop the film today. I really hope it turns out.  So I did take a few pictures on my digital which you can see, but there were so many more I wish I could have taken.  Its ok though because we are going back in 2 weeks for a free concert so I will take more that I can show :)

After we walked all over the city taking pictures we made our way back towards the train station and looked in little shops and ate dinner.

It was such a fun day, I love Germany and all the history. Its everywhere, even the town Herrnhut that I live in has a huge history.  So I am pretty excited to learn more about Germany's history and actually see the places I learned about in school, it makes it so much more real. Well I am off to take some more pictures and develop my dresden film...

Dance Party!

Ok so YWAM totally went up in my books.. they have dance parties..... Dance parties! What more could I want with my new shoes, except a dance party. I am so totally excited. There was one on Thursday night after the graduation of the group that just finished their dts. We actually got to hear their stories and see pictures from all their outreaches. It was really cool to see what God did in their lives and what they did in other people's.  It kind of gave us an idea of what ours will be like except ours will still be a little different since we are working with Pick a Pocket. We are actually going to have a simple moveable dark room where ever we end up going so we can develop our film while we are out there on the field.  I am pretty excited, especially since we will probably go some place warm. Its so so cold here right now. Castles are cold. But at least I can say I live in one, so that makes up for the coldness I guess. But yeah Dance Parties! Fun! Dance for Jesus! You know He would totally be out there busting a move with us. WWJD? He would dance with me :)

My New Shoes

Last week we had a meeting and what was shared and talked about, I got really excited about. The staff here told us about this organization that some of them started here this past April. A bunch of them had just finished their photo dts (which is what I am doing right now) and were like"what's next?"

Most of them were artists of one kind or another, passionate about art and believed in doing some kind of ministry through the arts, but weren't quite sure how to do it.

So they went on a retreat together to Scotland. While they were there they did a lot of praying and just sitting around trying to figure out what they would do. So one day they heard from God that they were to work with people in extreme poverty. They were all kind of shocked, because that wasn't what they were expecting. Many of them had already been to places on their outreach where they encountered people in extreme poverty and so they had seen what it was like.   They started this organization called Pick A Pocket. It is still very new and so they are still in the developing stages but here is a little about them from their website:

Half the world (nearly three billion people) live on less than two dollars a day.

Less than one percent of what the world has spent on it weapons supply each year could have provided the amount needed to place every child into school by the year 2000

Some 1.1 billion people in developing countries have inadequate access to water and 2.6 billion lack basic sanitation.

The GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of the 41 Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (576 million people) is less than the wealth of the world's 7 richest people combined.

Poverty: depravation of those things that determine the quality of life, including food, clothing, shelter and drinking water, but also includes such as the opportunity to learn and enjoy the respect of fellow citizens.

These facts can be completely overwhelming and shocking. What impacts you even more is when you are in a country that is stricken with poverty and you just see an ocean of people around you that have nothing to eat. It is one of the worst experiences to stand there and know we can do something about it and we don't.

As a group of young artists we decided that we would do whatever it takes to end extreme poverty.  We are taking our passions and talents and using them to bridge the gap between two worlds. We are representing the extreme  poor and bringing awareness to those who can do something about it. We are asking you to stand in the gap with us.

The girl, Liz, who was telling us about it was so passionate and direct. She made it very personal by telling us about people she had met and become friends with and then told us how they lived and how little they had.  It meant so much more than those commercials you see on TV about starving children.

Then she told us that our dts would be the first they would do this for, but on our outreach we will be working with Pick a Pocket.  They are going to use our photographs and our stories of our friends to help these people be heard and seen. Hopefully so that we can in turn put money back into the pockets of those people who need it so desperately.

That is where the name Pick a Pocket comes from. A lot of people don't understand completely what it means because in America its a term for someone who steals from your pocket. They want to help put money back into those people's pockets who got it "stolen" from them.

One of the things they do is called a 30 day challenge. It is were for 30 days you do not pay for any of the food you eat. They do that so you can identify what it is like for someone who lives that way. You should check out their webite and look at it a little more, I know I explained a lot, but on the website there are pictures and more info. It is http://web.mac.com/eliminationart/Site/Home.html 

Anyway I got really excited about this while they were talking, the whole time I had the goose bumps and was like wow, yes, finally. I feel like finally something fits with me. The best way to describe it is this analogy that I came up with while I was journaling.

I love shoes, I love shopping for shoes and finding cute pairs and getting good deals on shoes.

So I feel like for a long time I have been shopping for the right shoes. Sometimes I would find a pair that were really cute and I really wanted them and they looked really good on me. But when I wore them, I knew that if I bought them and wore them my feel would hurt and they really just weren't that comfortable. Then I would find a pair that were really comfortable and felt good, but they weren't me.  Then I would find this one shoe that I love and it feels good and its cute.. but, and yes this does happen, you can't find the other shoe! Basically I feel like I have finally found my shoes. They feel good and they won't hurt, they are cute and they look like me.

I feel like Ministry and Art are my shoes. Not one or the other, but both. I need both shoes for it to work :) And it does.

Today I got up and went for a walk before breakfast. We had the day off so I took my time and it was nice to not have a time I had to be back, except for Brunch which is served from 9-11 am. Anyway as I was coming back, I was just walking up to the castle when I saw one of the really cute sweet cats in front of me with this huge mouse in his mouth. He was headed toward the front doors of the castle which were open. He was too far in front of me for me to reach him before he got to the door and he walked in through the door and drops his special treasure right on the floor in front of the brunch table. Then he turns around and rubs up against my legs. It was really cute.  But then I had to move the mouse out before anyone else came down and saw it, because I'm sure there would have been some girls who freaked out. Plus we have 4 vegetarians and I'm sure that would have made their breakfast all that much better.

I was trying to find something to pick it up with and move it, but all I could find was some cardboard.  So I tried to scoop it up but it was all floppy and gross and I couldn't get it on there. Then the cat started putting his paw on it and holding it down on the floor and biting and chewing its head. I could hear the bones breaking and it was so gross, but I couldn't help but laugh. Eventually I got the mouse and the cat out the door to the front walkway thing. 

Then the cat started meowing really loud because it wanted to come back in.

It was pretty funny. I love cats. 

Making Cameras.. Fun!

I have only been here for a week and it feels like so much longer.  Its really good though, I am learning so much. This week we made pinhole cameras. We built them from random containers we had around. I used a little box that used to have medicine in it. You make the container light proof by taping it and then spray painting the inside black. On one side you cut a small hole which you put a piece of foil over that you have poked a needle hold into.  Lastly you make a shutter and put it over the little pin hole.  So basically we are making a camera like they invented hundreds of years ago.. pretty cool. 

So today I took my little camera out after loading it with special black and white paper in the dark room. I walked into the woods a little way and set it up and took a picture of the creek. You have to leave the shutter open depending on how much light there is. Its a little cloudy today so I left it for a few minutes.  I still have to go develop it in the dark room though so I am anxious to see how it turned out.

We also made solargraphy cameras. We made them the same way we made pinholes except they are made out of little film canisters. You put the same kind of paper in them and then take them out and leave them somewhere facing the sun. In three months we will go back and get them.

Instead of developing them though, you put them right onto a scanner and the somehow the picture shows up on the computer. Basically it will show you the paths of the sun everyday for three months, I'm excited to see how that turns out too.

Alright its tea time, I gotta go :)

The Castle

So as I mentioned.. I live in a castle. I really never thought I would be able to say that. It actually used to be an orphanage. It is 5 stories tall and I live on the 4th floor.

In the attic we have an art room, a music room and a prayer room. The main floor is where the kitchen and dining hall/meeting hall is where we have most of our lectures.

I have 3 roommates which I really like. Two of them are from here in Germany so I am learning how to speak the language which is fun. The other one is actually from Portland Oregon.  

So anyway, it is really cool and the property around is beautiful. There are lots of trails in the woods so its so nice to go out there for walks. 

So the Germans eat bread with everything. Its really good bread though. But yeah 3 meals a day.. you probably won't recognize me when I come home :) oh and the chocolate.. holy cow.. so so so wonderfully amazingly tasty. Actually I think I want some now....

PS. sorry for all the bad grammar and misspelling.. I do have jet lag you know.

I arrived in Dresden yesterday morning at 8:00 am. After claiming my bags, I made my way out to fin the train station where I had to take a train to a town call Lobau which is where I would be picked up. Its quite challenging to get around somewhere where you don't speak the language. At least here a lot of people know some english, which I was really thankful for.

So I caught the train to one place and then I had to switch to another train. The second train ride was about an hour long. I was a little bit scared at first because they didn't really announce the stops and I was afraid that I would miss mine. Plus I had a huge backpack that weighed 50 pounds along with a giant suitcase which weighed about the same plus another littler backpack which probably weighed 25 pounds. So here I am carrying around more than my own weight in Luggage in a foreign country alone. I am amazing.. it was a bit of a challenge. When I arrived in Lobau, I had to wait for about an hour to get picked up. I made misjudged the train schedule or something and had told them to pick me up around 12:30 pm, but I got there a little after 11:00am.  So I parked myself outside the front of the station sitting on my suitcase leaning against my back pack.  I got a few strange looks, but this is Europe I sure they are used to seeing that.

It was a beautiful day and so it was actually nice to sit outside in the sun.

So now I am here safe living in a castle with 2 sheep and a goat that roam around outside eating the lawn... as well as two sweet cats.  Yes I do like it here.

Germany so far

A New Beginning

A second chance, a new beginning, another chapter...whatever you want to call it, it starts today. Life is a journey. Its hard, sad and painful, but also wonderful, fun and full of love and excitement. Its finding your way through all of it that is challenging. What is it that I am called to do? Where am I needed? How do I get there? Well, that is what I am trying to find out. I want to find my Aurora Borealis. And I will. It may take me my whole life, but that is ok... thats all the adventure right? :) I am definately on an adventure.