First Week In Germany, Bielefeld
It is crazy to think that I have been in Germany for one week. The week leading up to leaving was so good. God was preparing my heart and spirit to leave. I felt filled with the Holy Spirit, and though I knew little of what lay ahead of me I was ready to go.
First week here...
I am living at a host family: the Harders. They are an amazing couple with a 4 month old baby, she is very cute! The rest of my team is living at different host families. This makes communication a little tough, but we have now got German numbers and a phone package, so I am hoping that the rest of our time here it will be easier. We are partnered with a Mennonite Church called: Christusgemeinde Brachwede. It is a church of about 140 members, and they all are related to each other. I mean it they ALL are related to each other.
There are 5 people on my team, our team leaders: Jolene & Adrian and their baby Sofia, Annika, and myself. The couple already knows German fluently, but as for me and Annika we barley know how to say"Hello." So different members of the church have volunteered to teach us German 4 hours a day!! What an amazing gift! So we have started learning German and are trying to understand this difficult language. This takes up most of our week.
Where we have seen God at work...
1) Like most flights our luggage had to be under 50 pounds and our carry-on under 21 pounds. Before we left for the airport all of our luggage was over 50 pounds on the scale, and none of our carry-ons were under 21 pounds. Actually our carry-ons were so big that they could have counted as luggage. But when you have a baby and are going away for 7 months and have to take all the material that MB Mission gave you, what are you suppose to do? At the airport all of the scales said that our luggage was under weight, they never asked to weigh our carry-ons and they didn't care that they were too big. When going through customs in London, we were really worried. There was a very strict lady making sure everyone's carry-ons were under a certain size (once again ours were not). Standing in this line we were all worried that we were going to have to pay extra. Then we were randomly selected out of the line to go to the front of the line in a different area where there was no one else, and no strict worker measuring bags. Thank you God!!
2) We were flying with a 9 month old baby. She slept for all take offs and landings!! Praise God. She also slept for about 8 of the 9 hour plane ride. Everyone who was praying for her, thank you for God answered that prayer.
3) I have been so tired everyday, and I was feeling that God wasn't giving me any rest! I have been home only to sleep these past 4 days. As I was reflecting on the week and Matt 11:25-30 with my team, I was reading that God says that "I will give you rest."
During that time I was sitting there thinking "God you haven't given me any rest yet" then I started to remember. Every morning before I leave the husband at the house that I am staying at asked me if I was able to sleep, I always tell him yes (well I am so tired still from jet leg and being busy everyday). He looks at me with unbelief saying that their baby was up all night screaming and that sometimes the neighbours wake up because she is so loud (her bedroom is right beside mine).
After reflecting back on this it was so obvious that God was giving me rest during the night. I believe that He has been closing my ears so that I am able to sleep!
Thank you Jesus!!!
4) I have had to navigate the bus and train routes here in Bielefeld. Well anyone who knows me knows that I get lost with English directions! I am pretty sure that God made Goggle Maps because He knew that I was going to start driving soon, and I would need all the help that I could get.
I have had lots of help trying to figure out the bus system. One time this week I needed to get somewhere in 30 mins and I knew that the next bus didn't leave for 25 minuets and that I was going to be very late. All I remember thinking is " God you are somehow going to have to get me to this place on time." Then from behind me I hear "Stephanie, Stephanie!" It was a 17 year old girl from the church that I have only attended once. She asked me where I was going and amazing enough I was going to her house. She took me along with her through a faster and way more complex bus line and I arrived at here house with 2 minutes to spare.
You didn't think I had only one bus story did you?
Another day Annika and myself had to get from a new place in Bielefeld to a newer place in Bielefeld. Once again I really didn't know how to get where I needed to be and neither did Annika. But we got on one bus, then another. Once again in my mind I was thinking "God we are so going to get lost!" Then we heard from behind us "Annika, Stephanie."
We looked around and on that bus was a woman from the church that we are going to. She asked us where we were going and we told her, she then said "press the button right now and get off this is your stop." She then walked us to the place that we needed to get to, as it was still a 7 minute walk away. If she wouldn't have spoken up we would have been in a totally different place then where we needed to go.
What are the odds that in a city of 300,000 people, the two times that I was going to get lost or be late, I ended up bumping into 2 different people from a church of 140 people. I know that God had orchestrated it all. And it later made me feel guilty. Where was my trust in God to get me where I needed to go? He even had done it once for me this week! Why would I think that He would allow me to get lost now when I needed Him.
Transit by myself the beginning of this week was stressing me out so much! But it is getting easier to go to a new place and not worry if I make a wrong turn or if I am going the wrong way. Because what is there to worried about when "God directs the steps of the godly, He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand." (Psalm 37:23-24)
God has very practically held my hand this week and guided my in a new city where I don't speak the language.
Prayer Request:
1) Praise God for all the ways that I have seen him at work this week. He is so marvellous and good!
2) Language lesson, they are intense and are making me really tired.
3) Energy
4) That my eyes will be open to what the Spirit is already doing in this city! And I will see where God wants me to join in.
Thank you for all of your prayers!
