Alicia's economics lesson: a prayer request

For the past several months, Elsa has been trying to raise funds for the remodeling of the new church building. It's been estimated that we'll need $100,000 to finance the work, and as of earlier this week, over $88,000 had been contributed. Many prayers have gone up on behalf of this desperately-needed project, and all we can say is, "Thank you." To any of you who may have contributed, whether through financial means or prayer, we are grateful beyond words. Thank you for taking part in this effort and for allowing God to work through you.

This evening Rüdi told me when I was there to babysit his children that the money had been transferred from the U.S. and was now in the congregation's bank account here in Bremen. That is a wonderful thing. As soon as we get final approval from the appropriate office, we can begin the actual renovations, and we now have money to finance the beginning of the work.

One issue: the exchange rate. Mark, Karen, and I monitor the exchange rate almost daily. We try to transfer money when the rate goes down and wait as long as possible when it goes up. Of course we can't predict what the rates will do, but we try to make judgments based on what's been happening since we arrived, and right now it's not so good.

In the past two days, the exchange rate between the U.S. Dollar and the Euro has reached the second worst level ever, with only December 2004 being worse, from what I can tell from the charts. I just checked, and as of right now, 1 Euro = 1.3327 U.S. Dollars. That may not seem like a big difference, but it quickly adds up. Today when the $88,000 was transferred, we received only €66,000. That's 22,000 monetary units lost to the void of the exchange rate.

So, for my sake and the Abercrombies', as well as the building renovations, please pray that either the Dollar will strengthen or that the Euro will weaken. I know that probably sounds like a weird request, but it really is an issue we face on a daily basis, and life can be a lot more difficult when the Dollar is weak.

Still plugging along....

Well, now that about two weeks have gone by, I decided it was about time for me to post again. :-)

The past week and a half or so have been really busy. Last week especially I felt like I was going, going, going from the time I got up in the morning until it was time to go to bed at night. I was either in German class, doing German homework, meeting with someone for a Bible study, going to church, working in Jim's library, babysitting, waiting for a maintenance man to clean my hot water heater, or helping with plans for the new church building.

Though the week was crazy, there were a couple highlights. First, I've really enjoyed babysitting for Mimi and Rüdi. As I've mentioned before, they are two of the key organizers of the remodeling project needed for the new church building to be usable, and I don't mind babysitting for them if it allows them to participate in that work. Mimi's architectural expertise has been invaluable throughout this process, and Rüdi, who handles the congregation's finances and is known for his organizational skills, has mapped out a timeline detailing when certain projects need to be started and finished based on the time and money available. I wouldn't be able to do that work, but if I can take care of someone's children so that they can, I feel like I'm involved. Besides, there's just something about playing in a sandbox with children and catching them as they laugh and dive head-first down a slide that can bring a smile to your face.

The second highlight of the week came on Saturday night. Wolfgang and Helga invited me to attend the Philharmonic Orchestra with them here in Bremen. While I've been to several operas and professional plays through the years, I had never been to a Philharmonic concert. As the Germans would say, the concert was "WUN-DER-BAR." The orchestra played the overture to Franz Schubert's "Die Zauberharfe" (The Magic Harp); Carl Maria von Weber's Clarinet Concerto #2, Opus 74; and, best of all, Beethoven's 7th Symphony. The music was amazing, the clarinet soloist played beautifully, and the concert as a whole was well-done.

An update on the people I've been meeting with:

Ute: I have not heard from her in almost 4 weeks, so I've convinced myself she doesn't want to meet anymore. She's the one I said last time that I thought I'd scared away, though I've come to realize that maybe this just wasn't the time or method for her.

Mrs. Busch: I spoke with her this morning, and she said she's decided that she doesn't want to meet anymore. Her friend who she'd said was also interested has made the same decision. It's really tempting to feel like I've been rejected, but when I step back and look at things, what's really heart-breaking is that this person has rejected God, not me. I put all of this in God's hands a long time ago, though, so I'm going to let Him work through it. I had planned to pair Mrs. Busch with Cornelia because they are close in age and speak English at similar levels, so other plans will have to be made.

Cornelia: She still seems happy about meeting with me, though I think I'm going to have to introduce the Bible to our meetings in a different way since I now have no one with whom to put her in a group.

Kristina: It's been a week and a half since I last met with her, and she hasn't returned a message I left for her yesterday. I'm going to try to call her again today and hopefully make another appointment with her. She attends a church in southern Bremen (Lutheran, I believe) and doesn't have a problem with the Bible, so I'm hoping she's still interested in meeting.

Sylvia: I still have not met with Sylvia again. Last week she was sick, and she called me yesterday to cancel our appointment for today. She seems to still want to meet, so we'll see how it works out.

Soyoung: Soyoung is full of excitement and is eager to study the Bible. She's come to every church service for the past 3 weeks and even came to ladies' Bible class Tuesday evening last week, even though it's all in German. She got a job working as an au pair, and last Sunday she moved into the family's home. She's trying to get adjusted to her new living situation, but she's doing some reading on her own, and I hope to meet with her again soon.

Horst: Last week was our first meeting, and it was obvious to me that he was really nervous. He struggles with some self-confidence issues and doesn't think he can speak English well. So, last Monday we spent some time just talking and getting to know each other, and that seemed to help. This week we began a study of the book of Acts, and so far he seems very excited. He even told Elsa I'm a good teacher.

Please pray for all of these people and for me as I work with them. It's sometimes easy for me to focus on what I'm doing and forget that God's behind all of it. Things go much more smoothly when I let Him take control.

Just another day in Bremen....

Today was a good day, though a bit hectic.

This morning I went to Bremen's Universum with Cornelia, a woman who responded to the newspaper ad for English conversations. Today was only the second time I've met with her, and she's a bit hesitant about reading the Bible (which I'm seeing more and more among the people I've talked with), but she wants to work on her English, and she apparently doesn't mind hanging out with me. She wants to meet again next week, and I plan to take her a sample Bible passage that we would read to see if I can convince her that it's not as scary as she thinks. I'm also hoping I can be enough of a Christ-like example that she'll see something in me that she wants to know more about. After all, actions can speak louder than words.

Back to the Universum: it reminds me of COSI in Columbus, Ohio. They have all sorts of hands-on science exhibits and accompanying experiments you can try. Today there were lots of school children there on a field trip, but nevertheless, it was pretty interesting, though a bit loud.

I rushed home, ate a quick lunch, and then rushed to Jim and Elsa's for a Bible study with Jim. As part of a longer study that looks at the relationship between God and man and how it changed throughout the Bible, the past two weeks we've been talking about sacrifice, beginning with Cain and Abel's in Genesis 4. It's really interesting. I guess I haven't thought much about the idea of sacrifice in Scripture before. Things like how Jesus was both the sacrifice (payment for sins) and the scapegoat (taking away of sins) required in Leviticus 16 for the Day of Atonement. And the fact that the act of sacrifice itself is not all that important to God (Psalm 40:6-8). What God really wants from us is obedience that comes from faith and love for Him. Empty actions from someone just going through the motions don't cut it. It's the heart, the motivations behind the actions that matter. That's why Abel's sacrifice was pleasing to God and Cain's was not. That's why God spared Isaac after telling Abraham to sacrifice him on Mt. Moriah (Genesis 22:9-13). That's why God rejected Saul as king when he feared the people more than God (1 Samuel 15:17-26).

Jim also gave me some tips on how to prepare for several Bible studies. So far, these are the people I'm meeting with:

Ute (oo-teh) - I've met with her twice, but I think I've scared her away. She's not so keen on the idea of the Bible.
Cornelia - Also not thrilled with the Bible but still hanging around.
Mrs. Busch - Met with her once, and she wants to meet again. She also was not excited about the Bible, but she's come around (after I did some explaining). One of her friends is also interested in meeting with me, so perhaps next week I'll be adding another person.
Sylvia - We've met once for a very interesting Bible study. She's gotten mired down in difficulties with remodeling her kitchen (she explained in German and I didn't catch all the details). HOPEFULLY, we'll be able to meet again next week.
Soyoung - We met on Monday this week and will meet again on Friday. I'm really excited about our studies. She's very eager to know more about the Bible.
Horst - I haven't actually studied with him yet because he's been in and out of the hospital due to heart problems. He's Stefanie's half-brother and attends the congregation here, though, so he's not a stranger like some of the others I'm meeting with. We've rescheduled an appointment for Monday.
There's also a woman named Kristina I'll meet for the first time on Saturday.

Preparing for these Bible studies is really pushing me spiritually. It's testing my Bible knowledge. I can't share with someone else what I don't know myself. It's also showing me whether or not I can understand people and their needs. Each comes from a unique background. What Sylvia needs to study may not be what Soyoung needs to read. Please pray for these people that they might be open to God's word. Please also pray for me as I work with them that God might give me the words I need and the perseverance to keep trying.

After leaving the Springers', I did something I've been wanting to do for several months: I got a library card. Bremen has a large public library system, and the main branch is not far from my apartment. I finally walked through it yesterday after meeting Mrs. Busch for coffee, and I was impressed. The building has four floors, complete with an international library and a graphic arts library. They lend out magazines and have self-checkout kiosks. (Yes, I'm a big library nerd. And proud of it.) I couldn't get a card yesterday, though, because they needed my paperwork showing that I've registered with the police (so they can prove I have a valid address), and I obviously don't carry that around with me. So, the lady yesterday gave me an application to take home, and Jim helped me fill it out this afternoon. He asked if I was finally going to become literate, and I answered that, yes, I was gonna lurn me ta read.

Or should that be "reed?"

An American in the (uncomfortable) spotlight

The other day I became acutely aware of the fact that the rest of the world keeps a close eye on the happenings in American politics.

When I walked into German class Friday morning, two young women were already there. One, Nicaise, is from Cameroon and had joined the class the week before. The other was there for the first time, and I assumed that she was Muslim based on the fact that she was wearing a hijab.

I said hello and introduced myself, and after hearing my name the new student asked if I was from Russia. I sort of laughed and said that, no, I was from the U.S. Her facial expression changed when I said that, but I couldn't really read what it was saying. Nicaise asked her name and where she was from, and the young woman said her name was Heba and, glancing at me, that she was from Iraq.

At that point I wasn't really sure what to say, but Nicaise chimed right in. Turning to look at me, she said, "Your president is always wanting to start wars with other countries. How can he do that?"

I kind of sputtered for words and finally said that I'm not the American government, to which Nicaise responded, "Are you a Republican?" I avoided that one by saying that I'm not the president, and I don't make decisions for him. How in the world does a person answer questions like hers?

Heba still looked a bit uncomfortable, but other students were beginning to arrive and, thankfully, were taking a bit of the attention off of me.

But then the teacher began class and decided to look at the results of a survey presented in our textbook. The survey asked responders about various things they would or would not do for their jobs. Questions ranged from things like moving to a new town and changing the way you dress to forgoing time with family and friends.

Most interesting, though, was the question that asked if the person thought it was okay to have a romantic relationship with a boss and the fact that 9% of the people surveyed answered yes. This sparked intense feelings on both sides from my classmates, and at one point Nicaise (again) looked toward me and said, "But in the U.S....," to which the teacher said, "Yes, Alicia, what happened in the U.S. with Bill Clinton? And Monica Lewinsky, was it?" I couldn't believe it. I wanted to hide under the table. Everyone was looking at me, though, so I did my best to explain the story with as few details as possible and with the German words I know.

Later, as we began reading about Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard, a German woman who won the Noble Prize for Biology, the teacher turned to me and asked if I could think of any successful women in the U.S. As I took a minute to ponder my definition of "successful," he said, "Isn't there a woman running for president?" Nicaise piped up yet again and said, "Who? Condoleezza Rice?" That did not receive a good response at all. The teacher even interjected an "I hope not." I finally said that Hillary Clinton wants to run for president. Thankfully, though, my attempt at explaining why she is not actually on the ballot yet was interrupted by a new conversation concerning Germany's current (and first female) chancellor, Angela Merkel.

I think any of those three instances would have been stressful enough, but I really could not believe that all three happened on the same morning. It was the first time in my life I've wanted to say, "Did I say I was from the U.S.? I meant Canada."

Hey, I even like hockey.

Life in Bremen: a cultural experience in more ways than one

Since coming to Bremen in October, I've learned a lot about German culture.

I've eaten a lot of new foods; adjusted to not smiling at and greeting people I pass on the sidewalk; accepted the frenzy created whenever the Werder Bremen soccer team plays at home (and only a couple streets from my apartment, mind you); learned to expect banks and many stores to be closed for lunch between 12:00 and 1:30; and realized that abrupt and seemingly harsh and unsympathetic remarks from people are not intended at personal attacks on me.

I anticipated being confronted with things like that. What I didn't expect, though, was how much I'd learn about the cultures of other countries.

My German class has opened the world for me. From what I can figure, the 21 people in the class come from 17 different countries on 5 different continents. There are 5 women from the Ukraine, but the rest of the students are sole representatives of their countries. Only one person besides me claims English as their native language, and he's from Nigeria. A few others, like those from Albania, China, Spain, and the Ivory Coast, studied English at some point and can speak some, but for the most part, we're all connected by German.

Every day in class we wind up discussing something from someone's home culture. The Chinese woman is very vocal, and we've had several discussions about the food choices in her home country (they really do eat dogs, but only ones that are raised on farms) and frustrations she's experienced with the communist government. We've talked about the roles of women in the average household in the Ivory Coast. We've compared Spanish and German television programs. We've determined the proper way to slaughter animals so that Iraqis (presumably all Muslims?) can eat them. We've even had a rather unpleasant conversation about public health practices in Nigeria. All of this, by the way, is in German, which only adds an extra dimension of interestingness to the experience.

I've also been getting to know Soyoung, a young Korean woman who was in one of Mark's German classes. Her boyfriend, Sang-mo, was in Bremen for a visit a couple weeks ago, and he and Soyoung made Korean food for Mark, Karen, and me. During that meal the Abercrombies and I learned a lot about Korean culture, ranging from the requirement that young men serve two years in the military (Sang-mo just finished his service) to how to make kimchi.

And for the record, that night I ate my entire meal using only chopsticks, a first for me. That alone was a learning experience...for me, that is. For the others my feeble efforts were more along the lines of a comedy routine.