As the Leaves Turn...

That sounds like a soap opera title! But as the leaves do begin to change colour and the fall(Herbst) deepens, there are so many thoughts, happenings, reflections, questions that continue to occur that I’m never quite sure how to express them all in these “short” (Ha!) summaries of what’s happening where I am!

The past couple weeks have been a good few weeks, with a few frustrations but more encouragements, and although I know that “ups and downs” will continue to come along, it’s also nice when you begin to feel that a few things, at least, are beginning to “catch”!

On the apartment/home front, it’s still a bit “stop & go”, I managed to plumb my sink in (myself!) but, having found a friend(Jaric) who could connect the stove, we discovered that the stove I bought secondhand doesn’t fully work (only 2 burners) which wouldn’t be a problem as Jaric knows the guy from the secondhand shop and seems to think we can simply exchange it but, it’s now been 3 weeks since discovering it doesn’t work and yet we haven’t been able to find a time when he’s able to go with me to exchange it, which is frustrating!  But also, as it’s now just over 4 weeks since I even bought the stove, I’d like some help in returning and explaining the situation, so hopefully we will find a time soon!

On the other hand (there is ALWAYS another “hand” :) ), we moved my bed across this weekend and another friend(Gabriel) has said that he’s happy to help build some kitchen shelves for me (just need to find a time!), so it’s “just” the stove that I REALLY need before I can move in! I do apologise if most of my updates seem rather full of the “Wohnung Woes and Pro’s”, but it is rather at the forefront of things at the moment! But I’m pleased with how I think it WILL look, once things are in and tidied up, so although bits keep getting stalled, I’m also very excited at how close we are to having it done!

In other aspects, it’s been a good couple of weeks, with my German slowly increasing, bit by bit (Stück bei Stück) and the language classes going well.  Basti (the guy who head’s up the Caribuni family centre where the classes are held) and I have also initiated a bit of a “Language Cafe”, for people on the Datzeberg who are “Auslanders” (foreigners) learning the language as, aside from myself who is surrounded by native German speakers, most people who are learning have no opportunity to actually practice SPEAKING or UNDERSTANDING the language except in class.  We weren’t sure if anyone would be interested in coming along, but last Tuesday we opened Caribuni up for a couple hours in the afternoon for people to come and, over coffee, simply practice speaking with each other.  And people came!! We had feared that it would just be us two by ourselves, but we ended up with 2 of the Eritreans and 6 Syrians (3 from my class, a husband of 1, and 2 ladies from another language school!), as well as the Polish lady who teaches our class with her husband and eldest son, myself, and a German neighbor of one of the Syrians!!!  It went really well!  Someone had brought cake, we made coffee and simply played a simple game of introductions and then played foozeball (table football), but everyone seemed to enjoy themselves, and we were communicating with each other!  There was also a woman who works with the “Auslander Büro” (Immigration Office) who came, and will “pop by” regularly, to be available if people have questions or need help with visas or work permits, or general questions about living here. :)

We are hoping to continue them each Tuesday, and will also be looking at how/what we can be doing to help people feel comfortable and safe, “integrating”...is that simply a place to eat cake and play silly games? Is it to create a kind of homework/tuturing space? What might that look like? There are many questions about how to make it work and be the most helpful to people, but Basti, particularly, has been encouraged, because Caribuni has been trying for AGES to connect with the various refugee families on the estate, but have never had anyone come along.  Whereas, hopefully, it seems that through the language practice idea, we might find more natural connections happening?  Here’s hoping!

Another small way I am becoming “integrated” with the Polylux team itself is, that I have agreed to help coordinate the team’s “Herzstück” evenings.  These happen every other Saturday and aim to be times when the team can come together for some “Heart Space”.  Times to meet together and not just think or pray “outwardly” but also to take some time and look deeper to God inwardly.  Because many of the team are already fully involved in the various other projects going on, these evenings have had a tendency to get “missed” or “shuffled off” into whatever is easiest. But everyone recognises that they are actually key times for all of us to be connecting with God and with each other in these ways.  So, for my part, it should be quite straight forward, but it’s simply to have someone help coordinate them.  To make sure they happen, that people know when and where, and to help create, gather and facilitate various ideas of how we want/are able to connect with God in a more intentional way, on these evenings.  It’s quite a simple thing, but it’s my first “semi-offical” role within the community and is something that I feel that I can help build into.  I will also be stepping (slightly), back into a role of childminder, giving a few hours each week to look after the Ralf & Katharina’s daughter Ava, so that Katharina can become a bit more free to be effective in her leadership role within the team and also to enable her to pursue some discipleship opportunities with a couple of women who live nearby.

So all in all a lot of things are continuing/beginning to happen.  I still feel that there will be a bit of a “jump” forward for me, when I am actually living in my own place, because although I am LOVING staying with the Neumanns, and we have all been blessed and amazed by how familial(?) we’ve become, it is still “staying” in a temporary sense, rather than “living” in a permanent one.

Next week I head to Geneva for the 24-7 Prayer European Gathering which, as always, promises to be an amazing time of reconnecting with friends, sharing stories of who and what is happening throughout Europe and the nations, being encouraged and coming together to celebrate this incredible God who WANTS us to know him, and wants to love US in return?!?

The finances continue to fall into place with only the last hundred or so (per month) still needed, so THANK YOU to those who have given so far, and let me know if anyone else would like to “join in”! ;)

This month’s photos are bit of a varied selection, but will hopefully continue to give you all a picture of what “life” looks like here! :)

The local Reitbahnsee in the Autumn sunshine

The "Resident Cat" (not sure who he belongs to, but this is his "patch"!

The "Nazifrei" demonstration held in response to an arson attack on a local Syrian family

Doreen & Tobias

The Polylux tent at the demonstration - we wanted to be present to promote discussion, but without a political agenda

"What Makes You Angry?" - "Selfishness" & "reading about the 'cost' of the poor and the migrants" 

"What Makes You Anxious?" - "Populism, Extremism & Hatred"

"What Do You Wish For in this Place?" - "Friendship & Generosity", "Nazis to Go Away", "that people would listen better", "I wish that Datzeberg would be welcoming to Migrants"

Our 24-7 Prayer weekend

Our Prayer Room

Prayer Weekend

The brilliancy of colour in the midst of greyness and decay; beauty is present in the midst...

Some of the local buildings. Bright and painted on the front, plain and lifeless on the back...struck me as possibly a parallel(not just for Datzeberg) for the way we so often "put on brave faces" about our lives, creating "facades" to cover over the fear, the worry, the desperation that bubbles underneath...