weihnachten

es ist soweit
auch ohne schnee,
die sonne scheint.

weihnachten, zur erinnerung
an jesu geburt,
soll freude bringen
in jedes herz.

lasst uns die tage
bewusst machen was es heisst,
nicht nur relaxen
sondern wie wir diese Liebe
im nächsten jahr umsetzen können.

Frohe Weihnachten, gesegnete Tage im Kreise von vertrauten Leuten.

look back

It feels like years, but it was the beginning of the summer when I left Fresno to go back home. I was really excited about what would come and still it wasn´t to easy to leave Fresno and all the friends and memory’s I had made! On my way to Germany I was able to visit some friends in Kansas and spent some wonderful days at their house and on their farm (as you can see on the picture), thank you Joni and family. To close my stay in the US I went to retreat in Missouri with all the other fellow VSérs. It was great to hear storys, see the whole picture and kind of have a closing to the service I did (thank you Scott, thank you Carol).
But then I was off to Germany again and was happy to see my siblings and my parents at the airport. My mind wasn’t in Germany yet, but the wedding and the reason I flew home in June was right the following day. It was awesome to see so many close people the next day and be part of such a wonderful day, but I had quite a culture shock that day. Still it was fun J!
Then summer came and it was quite some fun I had being back home. Spending time and catching up with with friends, hanging out and playing beachvolleyball on a lot of great summer days, living at home and adjusting to beautiful germany and what has changed since I left. There were just so many opportunities of things to do every day and I just enjoyed it. In August I went to italy with a group of Mennonite kids. We camped at the beach for two weeks. We had an awesome time, many laughs and the group was just great. But it wasn´t all fun this summer, my brother went to PA for a year and a half to do his alternative service and my sister moved to spain to study near Valencia for a year. So I had to say Goodbye to them.
And not long after that school started for me in September. It has been quite different then the last years, transitioning back to studying. But it´s fun too and I enjoy learning a lot of knew, cool and not so cool stuff! But i´m really busy with it and so I don´t have to much time for other things. I´m really looking forward for Christmas break in three week, cause I get to spend the holidays with all of my family (except my brother) and after that I will go snowboarding for a week with two of my close friends (thanks for bringing me back to enjoy the snow so much deVoogd´s).
I wish you a wonderful Christmas season and God Bless