Austin and his two dates. 

Star Wars Hollywood Premire night... Jelly and I getting ready to head to the "Hans Theatre" 

Internet Land

Well hello blog, it's been a while, hasn't it.
Sorry I've been neglecting you, but I've been *rather* busy -
With friendly heart things:
Social nights, Pants on Fire week, Ultimate Frisbee, Snowboarding
and with Bible heart things:
Freedom (as studdied in Galatians), women and childbearing (1 Timothy), outreach at a hospital in Ramsau, "The Pressure's Off", long talks.
I thought I didn't miss you; didn't miss your flashing orange boxes and connections to the outside world, your access to cartoons and news and the lives of my friends.
But now that I'm back, I see that I did miss you...
But here I am, and there you are, and no hard feelings.

This is the picture I wanted to send from 2080's night. Had to make sure ya'll could see how way hot Janell looked in the 80's outfit.  

I'm going snowboarding this weekend on the Dachstein. We have to rent equipment and this is what they have to ride here in Austria. JUST KIDDING!!! (Dang that would suck) 

I wasn't going to put up any pictures from Dachau, but it was a big part of our travel weekend that I couldn't leave out. It's a very sobering thing and I'm really glad we went. The gate says "Work will set you free". Dachau was specifically a labor camp more than just a death camp, and so the entrance gate greets the prisoners with a mocking statement of propaganda and a reminder of what lies ahead. 

This one is for all you Capers friends. Does that woman not look so much like Zarkan? We took this picture very descreetly, but it was a challenge so I couldnt get a better one. Dah.  

So one night we sorta got confused ... the S Bahn is a ridiculous maze. Our tour guide warned us about it (and also made lots of jokes regarding 70's time warps and Japanese tourists...) Jelly and I sort got a little lost once (*caughs* or .. twice). We decided to document the first occation. 

Mmmm Munich is *lovely*. We liked it (and don't you dare say "I've seen better" ;)) 

Jelly and I took a free walking tour of Munich on our first day. Our guide was from Ireland and kept us laughing. We got to see basically all the important stuff and got a huge history lesson. 

Hey - it's Munich! 

Janell's room mate Katharine and I were pretty stoked about the beautiful view... 

Jenny (Pam's friend from Philometh) and Pamela . They went mostly 80's. I'll have to find a better picture - you have got to see their outfits head to toe. Pretty freakin hilarious. 

Brent and Jimmy [so hard to write that... I always want to say "Justinandjimmy]... they didn't go for the 80's part of 2080's, but stuck with the futuristic part... in case you can't tell, they're "space explorers". 

Jenna, Kellyn, Dana and Brittani from the Seattle area... I think they should have won an award for "best use of plastic wrap". 

2080's Night Pictures have finally arrived!! (for all those who I have told stories of this occation... stories of costumes and dancing and lots and lots of fun.) I only have a few so far, but I think these'll give you a pretty good idea of what it all was like. There are a few from the Discotech on the way, I promise.
So this was my costume. Courtnay called me her Futurama Girl. (I was also wearing the white leg warmers over my jeans, and my orange and white Lancaster shoes.)
The funniest thing is the fact that I really actaully do wear those clothes regularly.. just not in that combination ... or with tin foil... 

And It Get's Smaller...

Update on that last post:
Not only did we run into Hope that night, but after a mix up at our hostel involving us having to switch rooms the last night, we ended up in a room with her. Crazy.

Today's breakfast devotional was about being thankful. Louise (Janell's totally rad Australian lawyer roommate)shared it with us. I'm not going to explain what all she said, but her ending admonision was that we take today to just thank God in prayer rather than asking for anything and just see what happens.

Sounds like a good idea...
so make today a thankfulness day and let me know how it goes.

It's a Small World After All

(haha - you're never getting that song out of your head now)
But, really, the word just get's smaller every day.
Take tonight, for instance. Janell and I hopped over to Munich for the weekend (road trip rather than train trip. score) and after a long but fun day of a free walking tour, shopping, movie (in a cinema! in english! in germany!), and finding our own way on the tram, underground and city streets, we head into the St Augustine Brewery and who should we run into but Hope, the Canadian chick we roomed with in Cinque Terre a month ago. In Italy. The three of us are all studying in Austria (different towns) and somehow end up in the same hostels and the same countries on the same days.
Yup. Weird stuff. It's one thing to run into fellow Torchbearer secret society friends, but another to run into people you've met traveling.
Who woulda thought, hey?

Scrubbing Day is a Holiday...

and Holidays are the days that we like best!!
That would mean that every day is the day that Sarah, Trev and I like best. We're on lunch washup (I was oh so excited about this duty; I always wanted it at Capers)and after washing dishes and drying dishes and putting away dishes and finding more dishes we get to do the floors. Rachel brushes, Alisha squeegees and Sarah, Trev and I throw down a couple of big towels, stand on them and skooch around after Alisha till the floor is dry. It looks a little odd if you can't see what we're doing - if you were to walk by and only look through the window you might just think we have something wrong with us, but it's actually just the most fun part of washup you'd be witnessing.
And if it weren't for the fun times in the kitchen yesterday and today, I would officially be The party pooper of the week. Haven't really done much of anything, or wanted to for that matter.
But it's okay cuz everyday is a holiday...

Snippets from Today's Notes

[Today we had our first lecture from Eis Van Dijk, on staff. He is speaking on Galatians and so far it has been very encouraging. I hope this encourages you, too.]

-John 13:35- not about the rules, but love.
-Legalism is a killer. Grace is a life giver.
-Going to heaven is not the issue of the Gospel- it is believing and getting to know Jesus.
-The more you know Jesus the more free you are.
-it is for freedom that Christ has set you free
-The Truth will set you free. Know the truth so that you can experience freedom.
-The pressure is off; God says “how are you doing” not “what have you been doing”.
-Be open and tell people that you struggle and don't always feel spiritual. Don't pretend like eveyrthing is okay. It is NOT. Stand up and say (not to everyone) what is wrong in your life.
-Jesus says “Come to Me and learn from Me for I am humble in heart.”
-Rules and methods are Christian behaviorism, not true freedom. Titus 2:11-14. Colossians 3:10-11,17.
-“People, it's only about Christ, nothing about your behavior... only about who is Christ in your life.
-“Salvation is not me going to heaven, but heaven coming to me.

Go ! Now !

Read "The Heavenly Man" by Brother Yun.
And listen to "Muse" or "Capernwray Unplugged".
O wait, you cant. Not till I get home- then *everyone* is going to listen to it and love it. It's true.

This salt mine trip rocked; amusement park, discovery channel, and fairyland all rolled into one. The last thing we got to do was ride a little train thing. So rad. (Daniel, Janell, Me) 

For some reason we had to wear these hilarious jumpsuits to go into the mine. (Lisa, Sarah, Linea) 

Haaaa haaa the mines have slides not stairs! So cool. We got to slide down two of them. 

We had to follow our guide, single file, through tunnel after tunnel. I thought I would die from the small space, but it actually was okay. This picture turned out really weird, but I like it. 

On exiting the cablecar and walking to the salt mine we were met with this amazing view. 

Today we took a trip to a little town, nestled in the alps by a lovely lake, called Hallstat (I *think*... I'll get back to ya'll on that). It was so very cute. We spent most of our time touring a salt mine, the oldest in the world, that pretty much rocked. This is us on the cabel car on our way up... 

Behind the terrifying ski bunny is our climbing wall. This thing has quite a variety of routs ranging from 3-8 (don't know what that is in American ratings). All I know is that I tried a 6 and it kicked my butt. Last summer I think I coul have done it, but I am out of climbing shape. It's super good times - at least when I can't see the giant bunny... 

Christian, an Austrian staff guy, ollied Kellyn and Daniel not one but THREE times. They vollunteered for once, but he just *had* to land it right. Can you see them holding their breath? 

T-hof Friends going out to dinner. w00t!  

Synchronicity

"Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell what you have and give alms; provide yoursleves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart is also."
Luke 12:32-34 and vs 30b - "your Father knows that you need these things."
These verses I trust are familiar to all. We recite them and put them aside. It sounds good to say that you'll invest your life in things that "matter" rather than material things, but then we go on living as usual.
The other day I was reading these verses and didn't even realize they were one of those famous, classic passages because God showed me something totally different. He showed me trust this time. I had been confused on how to practically and actually "put my trust in God" or "give it up to Him" in any specific area. So I was reading, looking for something that would make sense.
And it came to this.
Do not fear, little flock, it is the Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
When Jesus speaks so gently, so understandingly in a passage about worry, it shows me how desperately He is trying to convey that "no really - listen! you really Can trust in God, place your treasure with Him, because it's not that He just wants to help you get by, but it is His *Good Pleasure* to give you what you need." How could I not trust Him?
Sunday night Toby gave a message on stress. (Which ended up being really focuesed on how stress comes from not trusting God, and from doing things For Him rather than letting the Holy Spirit to it)
Monday night for family group Linea gave a devotion on trust.
This morning Jill Briscoe spoke about joy and contentment that comes from trust.
I guess it really is true that when you ask God to tell you how to do something He'll tell you. And when you're a really slow human being who's stuck in her own little world, He'll tell you 4 different ways.
Maybe I should pay attention, hey?

Briscoe-isms

“so here we have Peter, Rocky, who wrote some epistles: Rocky 1 and Rocky 2. unfortunately, we have lost Rocky3”

“If you were smart enough, you could go shop for the right amount of minerals and create the perfect man for about $25”

“We are in austria so we'd better say something good about Mozart. Mozart was a real creep, but his music was sublime.”

“Jesus looks at Peter and says, 'buddy, I can see your potential. I've got my eye on you.'”

“is that scary or exciting? The answer is YES”

This week here at T-hof we have the incredible blessing of having Stuart and Jill Briscoe lecturing. They're so excited about God and about what we're capable of in our society and generation... It just makes me excited to hear them. On top of the Biblical learning and all that, Stuart is just so hilarious. British humor in the extreeme. Love it. That was just a little sampling of the kind of things he just throws in from time to time.
[Stuart's speaking in narrative style on "the life and development of Peter" and Jill's speaking on "the acts of Philippians"]

Daniel (Brit) and Josh (Canadian) ... both crazy.