My Adventures from the Alps to Australia and Into Another Season of Life

A Drippy but Beautiful Saturday

2010-10-30T11:56:00.000-07:00

I just had a great Saturday a.m. with my youngest son. Kenneth invited me to have breakfast with him at his place in Corvallis. He had gone to the store before 8 to pick up fresh muesli, bananas and turkey bacon with no preservatives or additives. What a son!!!! :)

After breakfast we joined some friends at the Farmer's Market before Kenneth had his Starbucks shift at 11. I cherish these moments with my adult kids. I don't think I could be more blessed!

My Saturday Morning

2010-10-23T08:47:00.000-07:00

I have been musing over things of life this a.m. My world as I once knew it is changing for me. My kids are scattered from Sydney, Australia to Portland and Corvallis. I don't think I ever really prepared myself for the 'empty nest'. I know what I miss more than anything is not having meaningful conversation or someone to bounce ideas off. My dear sister-inlaw, Helen, suggested a blog, so here it is.

I just finished a book by Armand Nicholi...The Question of God. Nicholi has taken stories and quotes from CS Lewis and Sigmund Freud. It's an insightful read....
(Lewis) "believes the Creator is the source of all happiness and that most of the unhappiness and misery experienced over the centuries results from efforts to find happiness apart from that Source." He also says, "God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing."

The scripture I am holding onto this week is I Peter 5:7..."Casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you."

Two Weeks Plus of Epic Experiences

2010-07-28T17:14:00.000-07:00

Once again, I will share portions of my Australian adventures....This is day 16. I have enjoyed over 2 weeks of living with my daughter and her 4 housemates. Sarah and I have shared a small bedroom, and my daughter has generously given up her bed for me while she has slept on a mattress on the floor. While I have been here, I visited Sarah's "Connect Group". Connect is a small group of Hillsong students and church attenders aged 25-35. A dear friend of Sarah's treated us to an English High Tea at a vineyard in the area. Another friend who is from Oregon had us over for lunch my first week in Australia. I have eaten homemade Korean, Swiss/German and Burmese food during my stay in Australia. We took a day trip to Palm Beach and after lunch hiked up to a lighthouse. We have gone grocery shopping and hunted out the atm's in the area. I have attended services at Hillsong Hills campus, Hillsong SW campus and a small Burmese church that meets in a Baptist church. I have heard Sarah sing at the SW morning service, the Burmese Church service and the Women's ministries choir. I attended class with Sarah on Tuesday of this week and a chapel service.

When Sarah first arrived in Australia a year ago, she stayed with a very special family, the Ananins. Paul and Miriam are cousins of our friends the Dikihs. We enjoyed a meal and an afternoon with them in Granville. Sarah and I took the train from Bella Vista to Granville.
Eight days ago, Sarah and I went into the city of Sydney. We had a ride to Paramatta where we planned to take a ferry into the city. At the ferry dock we discovered our trip was delayed and we later learned it was because the tide was not high enough for the ferry to enter. While we waited, we warmed up at McDonald's with a cup of tea and then wandered around taking pictures in a park. When we got back to the ferry terminal, we visited with a retired Cessna airplane salesman who was presently teaching conversational English to young Chinese students. He also shared with us the history of Australia. The ferry finally arrived after 3 hours of waiting, but it turned out to be a very relaxing ride into the city. It was fun catching a first glimpse of the Harbor Bridge and Sydney Opera house. After de-boarding the ferry, we spent some time in the Opera House warming up in the beautiful restroom that had lighted toilet paper dispensers, beautiful sinks and hot water! We also checked out the gift shop. After taking more pictures, we walked through the Botanical Garden and ate in a little outdoor cafe just outside the garden. We spent some time under the Harbor Bridge watching people tour the bridge. We found out later it costs $200 to go on that tour. Before heading back on the ferry, Sarah and I had a glass of sparkling water and wine. As we boarded the ferry, the sun was setting. We were able to get some good pictures of the Opera House and bridge at sunset. When we arrived at Paramatta, we walked to the bus station and caught a bus back to Bella Vista. The bus took us practically to the front door of Sarah's house. Our trip to Sydney was a highlight for me. Sarah and I were able to have continuous good conversation and an excellent time to reconnect.
The next day, we drove to the Blue Mountains. We ate breakfast at a quaint cafe called the Common Ground. We hiked down into the canyon of the Blue Mountains, took more pics and drove to a park where we were told we would find kangaroo. After spending some time hiking around a park and almost ready to head back to Bella Vista, we saw two tour buses park and 50 or more people followed some tour guides to a clearing. Assuming they were also looking for kangaroo, we followed them. At 3:45, a family of kangaroo appeared. The mother, father and little Joey seemed to arrive almost on cue. After showing off their grazing skills, they hopped off into a grove of trees. The next day, a new student who is also a professional hairstylist came to the house to give Sarah a haircut. It was fun getting to know Cody and watching him do a masterful job cutting Sarah's hair.

On Saturday, I joined Sarah with her street team ministry. I was able to spend time with Sarah and a lady she has visited over the months. The lady named Linda is my age, but is pretty much house bound due to health issues and a difficult past. She is an intelligent woman and a retired nurse, but continues to live a hard life. She had tears in her eyes as Sarah and I left her that day.

It has been a blessing to meet Sarah's friends, teachers, and mentors. I was also able to spend an evening with one of Sarah's housemates having dinner at the restaurant where Sarah works. Sarah was able to take our order, serve our meal and visit in-between hosting the other tables. The owner of the restaurant treated me to an extra glass of wine and we were given dessert compliments of the owner. One of the chefs visited us at the table and the owner also invited us back to meet the head chef. They all shared their love for Sarah.

As difficult as it is to have my oldest child so far from home, I know God is working in and through her. She is totally in the center of His will. These last two weeks have been a gift from God!

My Life Down Under

2010-07-19T14:53:00.000-07:00

July 20, 2010

I had not considered writing a blog until a friend asked if I was writing about my experiences, so here it is.

I am in Sydney Australia, visiting my daughter, Sarah, while she is attending Hillsong International College. Sarah has an emphasis on "Worship" in her studies. She has been here for one year and 3 days. I arrived a week ago on July 12. Sarah met me at the airport. My sons, Jordan and Kenneth, and friends, Bruce, Linda, and Micah had dropped me off at the Portland airport July 10. I had a two hour flight from Portland to San Francisco, followed by a 14 hr flight to Sydney, arriving "2 days" later because of crossing the international dateline. I totally missed July 11 and will experience 2 July 31 dates.

It has been an absolute blessing and joy to be with Sarah and to meet her many friends. At times it has been down right overwhelming trying to remember names and the country each one is from. Sarah lives with another American, 2 women from New Caledonia, and a young woman from Switzerland. One night last week, we had Korean and Swiss German food for dinner. The Korean food was prepared by a former housemate who is from Korea, and the Swiss German meal was prepared by a young Swiss woman who had been visiting.

One of the biggest challenges is realizing it is winter down here and summer at home in Turner. It's hard to wrap my mind around "winter in July". I have so much to share in this blog, I should have started a week ago. It has taken a good week for me to overcome jetlag. I will continue as time allows.... :)

Home Again, Home Again

2008-11-29T07:33:00.001-08:00

Faithful Friends...

Thank you for the prayers, encouragement and support you have given me these last 5-6 months. I returned to Oregon on November 16. Believe it or not, I am still struggling with jet lag and getting back on a 'normal' sleep schedule. I am in the process of trying to stay focused, to wrap my mind around the fact that I am home with my amazing children, that we just enjoyed a great Thanksgiving, and it is almost Christmas. The funny thing as I started to take out Christmas decorations last night, I felt as though I had just packed them up and put them away. I feel as though I have gone through a time warp. In some ways, I believe I have. Since June, I have been on a very fast train and now all of a sudden, the train has slowed down.

I look forward to touching base with you, and sharing your life and my life from the last six months. One thing I hold onto that I have begun to make a Life Truth is: "For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, 'Abba! Father!' The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him." Romans 8:14-17 I choose to not walk in fear again, but to walk as a daughter of God who is my Heavenly Father. He loves me and His perfect love casts out fear. (I John 4:18)

Have a Blessed Christmas and New Year, knowing that God loves you!

With Love,
Elizabeth

The Last 4 Days in Beautiful Bulgaria

2008-11-03T02:17:00.000-08:00

I never dreamed a country could be needy, yet so beautiful! I love Bulgaria. The weather has been unbelievably warm for November, but the hearts of the people are wonderfully warm also! We have had amazing ministry times in the gypsy villages, at a seminar the local YWAM base put on, and at local churches. I have experienced so many things that at times I feel as though I could burst with excitement in wanting to share all that has happened.

I have stories to tell from unique WC challenges to the illegal climbing of Roman Ruins. ( the climbing incident was done in total ignorance of the possible consequences)

We leave for Milan Italy on Saturday, November 8 and return to Chatel Switzerland on November 9. I am posting pix of our adventures as soon as I get back to Switzerland and am able to use my own laptop. The pix will be on facebook.

Many blessings to you. Thank you for your faithful prayers!

With love,
Elizabeth

10 More Days in Romania

2008-10-17T05:22:00.000-07:00

Today is the end of a busy week. We started out on Monday by praying through the streets of Iasi during the Orthodox holiday commemorating the death of a female saint. For some it means standing in line for days to view her bones or kiss her coffin. For others it is a time of carnival and celebrating.

The last two days of the week were spent working at a boy's home for young men 18-30 who have been thrown out of orphanages or into the streets. A couple who has done a YWAM Crossroads works with them and feeds them. The founder of the home is a former Romanian soccer player who sensed God was asking him to minister to the needs of those who have no hope. It was a blessing to spend two days with these young men, work with them and pray for them.

Tomorrow we meet for brunch with an American couple who has ministries throughout the city. Tomorrow evening we will be having dessert with a lady from a local church and possibly go to a classical concert.

Please pray for our next adventure to Bulgaria that should take place in 10 days. We are dealing with some travel challenges.

Many Blessings!

A beautiful day in Iasi, Romania

2008-10-11T06:13:00.000-07:00

We left Constanta, Romania at 1:15 Friday afternoon and arrived in Iasi, Romania at 10:00 pm. It was a new train, but not a place for baggage other than between the cars. Our original seats were close together, but after several stops we discovered the upper level was almost empty. That helped to be able to spread out. When we arrived in Iasi, we took taxis to the base. I love it here. There is a peaceful feeling as you enter this centuries old home. I share a room with 2 other women. We have a deck off our room and a view of the city. We wake up to the sound of roosters crowing. On our way to the internet cafe today, we passed a prison, a beautiful park, a military institution and a university.

This week marks a special celebration of a female saint who died decades ago. The Romanians literally line up for days in order to be able to touch her bones at the church on October 14. There is celebrating in the streets including food vendors and folkdancing.

Our main ministry this next week will be praying for the city.

Sorry it has been so long since my last update, but I do not have access to a computer as often as when I was in Switzerland where I was using my own laptop. (I tried to cut down on luggage on outreach)

Love you all!
Elizabeth

Twas the Night Before Outreach and All Through Chatel..

2008-09-19T10:52:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned on my other update, we are having our last meeting this evening with our base director. The items I am storing here are in the attic. We load the luggage in the car and load the team in the van at 5:15 a.m. tomorrow. Our departure time is 5:30 a.m....dark and early! We arrive in Geneva at 6 a.m. and our bus is scheduled to depart for Florence, Italy at 7. Our bus ride should take about 6 hours.

We will be staying in Pisa for two nights. I hear that the leaning tower is kind of out of the way, but I will see if it works to get a picture of it. We fly out of Florence for Constanta, Romania Monday a.m.

That is about it for now. Thank you for your prayers and for the travel and outreach expenses that many of you contributed to.

God bless you. I will write when I am able.

With Love,
Elizabeth

The Last Week at Chatel before Outreach

2008-09-14T04:58:00.000-07:00

It is getting chilly in Switzerland. I am so-o-o-o-o-o-o thankful for the warm jacket I have. When I bought it in May, I really didn't think it would ever be cold enough to warrant such a warm coat. However, walking to church in Lausanne this a.m. confirmed a need for a warm cozy coat! We attended a French/English speaking church in Lausanne where the husband preaches and the wife translates. The church meets in a theater. Tonight I am attending the English speaking church in Nyon where I have attended before. It is a blessing to be on the other side of the world, worship the same God, and know His Holy Spirit is with us wherever we are.

The first three days of this next week, class time will be spent discussing outreach. We will have a special prayer service Tuesday evening. On Thursday and Friday, we will be cleaning our rooms, packing for outreach, and storing anything in the attic we will not need until it is time to go home in November. There will be many good byes this week as most of the people we have spent time with will be going to various parts of the world. New faces will be here when we return in November except for the permanent staff people.

If you did not see my class picture on facebook, you can see it on this profile page. The picture was taken the last day we met with Dr. Bruce and Barbara Thompson.

I do not know how often I will be able to add to this blog in the next 2 months as I am not taking my computer to Italy, Romania, and Bulgaria, and will be doing my communication mostly from internet cafes.

May God bless and keep you all.

With Love,
Elizabeth

My 9th Week in Switzerland

2008-09-07T00:15:00.000-07:00

It hardly seems possible I have been in Switzerland for 9 weeks, and it has been 10 weeks since I left Oregon! These last 9-10 weeks have been nothing short of amazing! I am so grateful to God for all of His provisions financially, His blessings of healing, the making of incredible friendships and the opportunity to see awesome sights in this part of the world. I realize more and more the magnificence of the very personal God I serve.

I shared in my news update about the 20th Anniversary we prepared for and celebrated yesterday at the Chatel YWAM base here in Essertines sur Rolle, Switzerland. It was a lot of work, but I know many people were blessed. Even though I have only been here about 2 months, I realized how many friends I now have from many parts of Switzerland, so it was a joy on Saturday to see "new old friends" once again!

We are beginning our last week of lecture. Our teacher this week is Bruce Thompson. I must admit, one of the reasons I chose Chatel was because of my acquaintance with Bruce and Barb Thompson, of hearing them teach, and of receiving blessing from them in the past. I so look forward to all we will learn this week.

I am strategizing my packing for Romania...I need to be careful to pack only enough clothes for a week and then count on being able to wash clothes when needed. I have visions of looking like Heidi as she went to visit the Alm Uncle....she wore all her clothes and didn't pack anything. We will be on three different bases with most likely 3 different routines for clothes washing, drying and daily routines....flexibility is the key! I also hear that Romanians may like to eat chunks of bacon lard with raw onions for breakfast. Thankfully, they also have yogurt and oatmeal! :>)

The picture I have on the post this week is a view of Lake Geneva from Vevay, Switzerland.

Blessings to all!

"Thou Art a God Who Sees"

2008-08-31T01:33:00.000-07:00

I am so glad I serve a God who sees me and knows my every need! I am thankful, I have His Word to hold onto and from which I can gain strength and when needed real courage.

If you read my newsletter, you heard about the wily weasels some people must contend with in Switzerland....it's amazing what one learns from spending time in another country. You also heard about the wedding with 400 guests on the yard of our base here in Chatel. The picture on this page is of yesterday's wedding reception.

Today is a quiet Sunday. It gives me a chance to catch up on my blog and newsletter. I will attend church tonight with friends in the town of Nyon. The new pastor at this church is from New Zealand. There are many English speakers in attendance there...you just need to figure out where they are from...New Zealand, Australia, England, America, South Africa or whether or not they are English speaking Swiss.

Tomorrow we are going to visit a castle....actually tour it inside and out. I have been to several castles since coming to Europe, but this will be the first time I have actually been able to tour the inside.

We have Tuesday as a day off, since the rest of the week will be spent cleaning the entire base inside and out. On Saturday, this base is hosting the community for a 20 year anniversary. That means we need to be spotless as is the Swiss style. I think we even need to check under our beds!! :>)

I will share next week the stories that take place between now and then.

Blessings to you!
Elizabeth

Keep Looking Up

2008-08-24T00:32:00.000-07:00

If I am learning anything these days, it is to "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5,6

I cannot tell you how absolutely beautiful it is here at Chatel. Unless you have seen the way God has put together the mountains, the lake, the hillsides, the wild flowers, the blue sky(much of the time), even the thunderstorms...it is hard to describe. I could have never believed that one place could be so amazing...and I am allowed to wake up to it every single morning! I would love to share it with you all. I will forever carry memories of this place in my heart. Another reason why it is so special here is because I have met God in an entirely new dimension. I have been given this time to totally concentrate on my relationship with Him and His plan for my future.

Well, as some of you know, I received more directions to Burtigny than what I had embraced in my mind last week. Yesterday, I reached my destination on my walk over hill, dale and through the rain....thank God for the umbrella Sarah and I purchased one day last spring! (I really do miss my kids....just wanted to share that. :>) I met a friend for lunch on a bench in the woods and then we walked back to Chatel. I really am praising God for allowing me to succeed at this. As many of you know, I have struggled with fear in my life..but God is showing me new insights. You are familiar with the scripture, "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love." I John 4:18 I have been experiencing God's direction and I am gaining in my understanding of hearing His voice. Last Saturday, I went on my hike to Burtigny with limited understanding of how to get there...I only had partial directions. During the week I sought out more detailed instructions, and I reached my destination. It's like calling to God, waiting for His answer, and allowing Him to tell us great and mighty things that we don't already know.

We have an additional group of people here with us this week....a group of older and a little older yet. We are hosting the In-Touch camp. Some of the guests are those who have been involved in YWAM from years past and also those who are interested and want to stay in touch. We have 25 visitors with us..living, eating, and learning together.

I heard a quote this week that I am embracing..."You can't serve the LORD without Joy!"

Love you all...
Elizabeth

Over Hill, Over Dale and all the Way to Burtigny

2008-08-16T10:51:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness, this was a day! I had decided a while ago to try to walk from the Chatel YWAM base to the Burtigny YWAM base. I had a crude map plus some directions and a friend had walked it last week. How hard could it be? HARD and long is the answer. But I did make it! The short way was 1 hour 7 minutes....I walked through dark forests, mucky mud (It pulled my shoe off at one point.) touched stinging nettles, prayed, talked to a girl on a horse 2x ( was actually on the horse path, not the people path)asked a man who was jogging and got directions from 2 cyclists, plus a mother reading to her children before I arrived at the base.....2 1/2 hours later. Everyone who heard my story had a good chuckle...

We studied the Holy Spirit and Forgiveness in class this week. Our teacher was Reona Joly, a YWAM teacher since the 70's. It was a good week with new insight.

We also visited the chocolate and cheese factories yesterday.

Hope all is well on the home front....I am tired tonight!

Blessings!
Elizabeth

My 6th Sunday in Switzerland

2008-08-10T05:39:00.000-07:00

It hardly seems possible I have been here for 6 weeks. I am half way through with my teaching phase for this Crossroads school. I have learned a lot and experienced more than I had expected. There has been pain in the growth that has taken place, but as I shared with one friend, "No pain, no gain". I came here to learn and that is what I am doing!

We will be going to Romania for our 2 month outreach, leaving here on September 20. We most likely will be staying at the YWAM base in Constanta, Romania. There will be 15 of us leaving from Switzerland. We have 10 in our class, 2 leaders, 2 nannies for the children of students, and one translator. That is about the extent of the details I know.

As this is Sunday, it is a very relaxing day. Since most of us are English speakers, we attend the English speaking church service about 30 minutes away. We leave the base around 4:15 pm and return around 7 pm. We generally east breakfast at 8 am and have lunch at 1 pm. At the midday meal on Sunday, we pack a meal to eat after the church service since only 2 meals are provided for us on Sunday. This morning after breakfast and after checking my email :>), I had a visit and prayer time with one of the staff. Following that and since it is a beautiful day in Essertine sur Rolle, the lake is peaceful and Mont Blanc is gorgeous, I went for a walk. I passed the cornfields and the already harvested wheat fields. The corn looks like it is ready to be harvested. I saw something unusual for this part of Switzerland, and that was to see farmers baling and hauling hay. Hardly anyone works on Sunday with all stores except for gas stations and minimarts closed Sundays. It is also unacceptable to have clothes hanging on the lines on Sunday. (It is customary for us to hang the wash on the line if the weather is permitting. This too, brings me back to my childhood. :>)

For those who read my newsletter, you know that I took a ferry to Yvoire, France yesterday. It was a beautiful day in a beautiful part of France. I have so many pictures of many gorgeous parts of our world. I also am very thankful to my three children for the camera they gave me at Christmas and the laptop computer they gave me for my birthday before I left. I feel spoiled, but so blessed.

Last week in class, we were honored to have Donna Jordan as our teacher. She has been in YWAM with her husband since 1976. She taught on "Listening to the Voice of God". It was a life changing week for me. This week, our teacher is Riona Jolly. She too, has been in YWAM for many years. She will be teaching on Forgiveness. Each day is filled with new understanding from God.

I thank you for your prayers, encouragement and your support...don't stop! :>)

With much love,
Elizabeth

Three Day Weekend

2008-08-02T09:58:00.000-07:00

The three day weekend is in honor of the Swiss Federation Day we celebrated on Friday, Aug. 1. Today our German cook, Carston, decided to continue the celebration with Swiss flags, candles and a special treat of fondue for supper.

The thunderstorms yesterday gave way to a partly cloudy but pleasant day today. As I am writing, I can hear the sound of cowbells across the countryside. The cowbells can actually be purchased in a variety of sizes. IF I bring home a cowbell, I would choose a small one :>) considering the cost involved in flying with weighty luggage these days.

Our speaker for next week arrived today. Donna Jordan will be speaking Monday through Friday on hearing the Voice of God. Donna has been teaching in YWAM for years and is well known by the "old timers".

The flu has been moving through the base. I continue to take my airborne and trust I can stay well. I am running out of those fizzy little tablets. I need to check to see if I can find any here in Switzerland.

My children and our friends the Dikihs, Illiyns, and Stefaniks are heading out for Shasta and a week on the houseboat beginning Monday. I am trying to get them to stop at Starbucks in Redding so we can all skype! Otherwise I will have to be content with pix of their daily adventures!

As I said in my newsletter, if anyone is interested in seeing pix, I will email you a website. You have your choice of seeing pix from Norway, Chatel, Geneva or now the newest... Swiss Federation Day!

I am sitting in the classroom listening to one of our staff leaders practice worship songs. Matthias, from Nigeria, was up here a little while ago looking for me since he said he had not seen me ALL Day! He always has stories to tell.

Bless you All!!!!
Elizabeth

It's Another Beautiful Saturday

2008-07-26T01:07:00.000-07:00

At breakfast this a.m. about 7 of us were sitting around discussing cultural differences. It is interesting to live in community with people from different cultures, and to realize what is acceptable in one part of the world is offensive in another area. We discussed grief, standing in line, talking face-to-face, and personal property....it was very insightful. I love getting to know people from around the world!

Today I will be cleaning the bathroom and shower on our floor. I share this area with two couples, their nannies, a 15 month old, a four year old and my roommate. We each take on cleaning responsibilities for "our home".

On Saturdays, we have breakfast at 9, a sack lunch at noon, and an evening meal at 6.

I have completed my homework for this week, and I have written my newsletter, so following my cleaning duty, the rest of the day is open to whatever!

Yesterday, our small group went to a beautiful park, "Signal De Bougy". It's about 20 minutes away....we took a van, but it is also in walking distance. The challenge in walking around here is for me to not get lost. (For some people it is more of a challenge than for others...:>) I may have mentioned before that the road signs often go by the no. of minutes it takes to walk rather than miles. The thing is, the roads are narrow and are shared by cars, tractors and people. They also look a lot alike. You need to remember what cornfield you just passed from the wheatfield up ahead. I have ventured a safe distance that takes about 20 minutes to walk. I have memorized the cow pasture, cornfield and wheat field....so I have not gotten lost....I am becoming bolder so watch out, I may even walk down to the village of Essertine sur Rolle one of these days!

Until later....blessings to you all!

The End of the Third Week

2008-07-19T02:51:00.000-07:00

July 19 finds this another beautiful day in Chatel. Today would have been my mother's 97th birthday. I am so thankful she is at home with Jesus this year. Life was getting tough for her, but she continued to be a blessing to those around her. Those who cared for my Mom told me two months after she died that they still missed her. I do too, and often think while I am having new adventures in Europe, "O, I need to tell Mom about this..."

We toured Geneva yesterday with our teacher this week, Joe Portale. It was an amazing trip and I kept thinking, "I can't believe I am actually walking the streets of Geneva!" It is a beautiful city filled with history. We saw the home of Jean Calvin, walked the streets he walked, and visited the church where he preached so boldly. Geneva is the home of the Protestant Reformation, the Red Cross and houses a branch of the United Nations.

This weekend, my work duty is to help with breakfast and dinner on Saturday and Sunday. After today, weekends will be free!!! I chose to get these duties out of the way. My hospitality duties will last for the next 2 1/2 months Monday through Friday. I continue to enjoy preparing the guest rooms and meeting the visitors that come through the area.

We were presented with the Fundamentals of Christianity this week. We also discussed the challenge God sets before us to trust Him even when we might not understand what is happening.

Next week, we will be visiting the YWAM bases in Burtigny and Lausanne. Our guest teacher will be sharing aspects of worship.

Blessings and Love,
Elizabeth

My 2nd Week in the Beautiful Country of Switzerland

2008-07-09T09:54:00.000-07:00

Something that has surprised me more than anything is the weather here. Last week 6 out of 7 days were very warm and humid. One day was rainy, but almost a welcome change. This last week started out with very LOUD thunder storms followed by several days of cool cloudy weather. Today was a welcome surprise....the sun is back!

As I was doing my work duty cleaning the guest rooms, I was blessed by the sight from the room I was in. Lake Geneva was a beautiful blue and Mont Blanc was clear with no cloud cover and frosted with snow. This truly is an amazing place. I was cleaning the Tulip room today....don't laugh, it is covered with pictures of tulips and the sheets and duvets are a yellow tulip pattern. The funny thing for me was the guests who stayed there last night were two young men from Holland! Each guest room has a French door that opens out onto a deck. There are planters of bright pink petunias at each window.

We watched the movie "the Passion" today. Every time I see it, God speaks. Tomorrow will be a special prayer time for healing of past issues.

Our last student will be arriving tomorrow evening. She is coming late because the schools in the UK are just dismissing for the summer. She will need to stay a week after the rest of us leave in November.

I have some homework to finish.

Blessings to you all!

My First Week in Chatel

2008-07-05T04:15:00.000-07:00

The word Chatel means castle. It is a cluster of buildings..maybe 10-20 surrounded by farmland. The beauty is unbelievable here. In some ways it reminds me of my childhood growing up on a farm in Oregon, but Lake Geneva and Mont Blanc make this location "over-the-top" magnificent. I think the birds stop singing only briefly during the night. The flowers are gorgeous and tended by our base director's wife. Her name is Renate, and she is a great lady.

Since the bread making was going to take 10 hrs of my time each week, they took that duty away before I started and tripled my hospitality responsibilities. What is kind of funny is the fact for hospitality, I need to have a day for ironing. We iron pillow cases, sheets, and tablecloths. I used to iron for my grandma... so once again it is something from my childhood...interesting how God works, huh?!

God is doing some "surgery" on my heart these days. My base director, Thomas, told me that the crying has only begun....I bet most of you are glad you are not having to deal with my tears. :>)

On the 4th of July, the 8 Americans decided to have a bonfire and smores. One of the staff wives, Kim, had an American flag, tablecloth, "flat cookies", Swiss chocolates and marshmallows set out. (They don't have graham crackers or Hershey bars in this part of Switzerland.) It was fun, and the whole base was invited.

Tonight we are having a BBQ and the visiting Brazilian team will entertain us.

This a.m., my roommate from Madagascar and I cleaned our room, cleaned the bathroom and shower and then I showed her this quiet place to sit and pray. I prayed for our families in English and she prayed for our families in Malagasy. We both ended up crying. Simone speaks mostly French and broken English. You all know how much French I don't speak. It is a challenge to communicate, but we laugh a lot. :>) Simone is a pastor along with her husband in Madagascar. I learned this week that Madagascar is one of the poorest countries in the world. The GDP per capita in the U.S. is $43,500. The GDP per capita in Madagascar is $900.

I miss all of you so very much, but I also know so strongly that God put me in this place at this time. My greatest prayer need now is that I would truly learn to trust God my Father as my Provider and my Comforter.

Please let me know of your prayer needs! Lots of love to all!

Update on Facebook Picture

2008-07-01T23:02:00.000-07:00

The picture that is presently on facebook is the kids and me in the courtyard next to the main building in Chatel. I took the Norwegian palace off yesterday....a friend is giving me hints so maybe you will see all the pix soon. Class begins in 25 minutes so I will write more later!!!

Love you all!!

Our Introduction to Chatel

2008-07-01T03:58:00.000-07:00

First of all, forgive me for not having more pix....my son, Jordan, is sending me the instructions for getting the pix from i photo to my blog....I am still learning, but I did discover that some of the young guys around here are just learning too.

Some interesting bit of info is the fact the 'house' we live in is 205 years old....I will be sending a picture of this beautiful place asap.

My roommate is a precious lady from Madagascar. She knows mostly French so it is a challenge communicating, but we do have a a French speaking student here who is a great help. In fact the French speaking student is named Irene Ernst. We were both amazed since our name is German and she is Swiss....(I hope you don't mind my bits of trivia. Some of you know me well enough to say, "Leave it to Elizabeth to share a bit of trivia.")

Once we get going with the classes I will share something really spiritual. For now, we are learning about how God has brought us all here to Switzerland. We each have our own amazing "God story". I love you All and maybe one of these days you will even see pix. If you are on facebook, you could see my profile picture is in front of the palace in Oslo. The king and queen live there. Until my next post, God bless you!

The Autobahn and Beyond

2008-06-28T13:41:00.000-07:00

The Autobahn is a freeway-type system here in Germany that is known for its speed. I am glad Jordan is doing the driving and not me (the kids are glad too). It's probably a good thing I can't see the speedometer. We had an experience yesterday that none of us will soon forget...we were in stalled traffic somewhere between Northern Germany and Heidelberg for about three hours. A semi-truck with hazardous materials overturned on the Autobahn, backing up traffic for close to 20 miles. I counted 30 emergency vehicles, including firetrucks and hazardous waste vehicles. Those of you who are interested will need to ask Kenneth what he and the Europeans do when there is a very long traffic hold-up and no way of reaching a rest area.

We have been blessed to be able to stay with friends our entire trip from Norway to Switzerland. It's a wonderful experience to share with the body of Christ wherever we go.

In less than two days, the children will be leaving me at my Crossroads while Kenneth and Sarah return to Norway and Jordan and Andrew return to the U.S.

Greetings from Germany

2008-06-26T13:35:00.000-07:00

This still seems like a dream. We left Norway today and traveled through Denmark after riding an incredible ferry for 3 hours. This ferry was 9 stories high! We are in Hannover, Germany tonight staying with a friend we met at the Salem YWAM base. Julia is putting us all up while she is staying with a friend so we can literally take over her apt. Such a friend! She made a great dinner for us and now she and the younger set are watching soccer....pretty exciting to be in Germany this time of the year! We will travel to southern Germany tomorrow and meet up with two other friends.

It is amazing how much parts of Norway, Denmark and Germany look like the area around our home in Oregon.

Sarah and I discovered something about pay toilets in Germany today...this is indeed an adventure!

I really have taken a ton of pix...I need to get them on this blog! Until we meet again.....

We made it!

2008-06-23T04:24:00.001-07:00

Well, we have arrived safe and sound in Norway. Jordan and Andrew Dikih picked us up from the airport in Oslo yesterday, and we have had a lovely first night in Norway. Sarah and I had a great breakfast with the family we are staying with this morning, and we are about to head out to see the town of Tønsberg. (I am realizing I was raised more Norwegian than I thought.)Tønsberg is considered the oldest city in Norway. It is so beautiful here! We are blessed by everyone here. My son, Jordan, is an incredible host/tour guide. He truly has been blessed by his friends here and they are showing the same hospitality to us now that we are here.. We are so blessed! Miss you all! You are in my thoughts and prayers! (What is funny is Jordan wrote this blog originally and I am editing it so if any of you read this a few minutes ago, it just changed.. :>) Until next time,
Elizabeth

p.s. There will be pix soon...as soon as I learn how to download..Jordan is tutoring me

The Journey is About to Begin

2008-06-21T06:41:00.000-07:00

Why am I so tired? Probably because I got about 3 hours of sleep. Today is the day. Our flight takes off in about 10 hours. I just listened to the CD Sarah made for me. It is unbelievable and truly a gift. I feel like I am taking a little bit of home with me. Our friends, Travis and Bethany worked with her for hours to make it. I am eternally grateful.

We leave the house around one. I just "slept" in my cozy bed for the last time in 5 months. This is a strange place to be. My niece said, "It is kind of like being neither here nor there". I am leaving so many precious people to meet new people and new places...ok I guess I am getting a little too dramatic..after all it's only for 5 months. Right?! But as so many are saying, "At you're age, you are doing what?!" More to come.....

Celebrating Kenneth's 21st and Pulling it all together to leave on the 21st

2008-06-19T06:56:00.000-07:00

Today is my youngest son's 21st birthday. We are celebrating with Kenneth and then he and my daughter, Sarah, leave with me on Saturday at 4 pm. We fly to Amsterdam and then Oslo. My son, Jordan, and our friend, Andrew, will pick us up in Oslo. We spend 2 days there before beginning our road trip south. We will take a ferry from Norway to Denmark and then travel south through Denmark to Germany. The first night on the road, we will stay with our friend Julia Berns in Germany. (This is all too exciting..I really can't believe we are doing this!) We are also hoping to see our Friend, Christina Hoerner, as we travel further south in Germany.

My Au revoir

2008-06-11T21:18:00.000-07:00

Going Away/Birthday Party

2008-06-09T16:11:00.000-07:00

My children and friends blessed me with a party yesterday. God blessed us all with beautiful weather! I have an amazing support group backing me with prayer and encouragement! 'No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him' but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit." I Corinthians 2:9 That is a Word that daily helps me keep my focus as I try to tie up loose ends here and prepare for the days and months ahead.