Kenya the first week has already passed

Crazy how time flies!
We've only been here for 13 days and it already seems as if we've been here over a month and we've always been together as a group. It's really nice and warm here and I'm enjoying my time here even if it's very tiring and challenging bit it is quite good.

Here a few stories and then a couple of impressions.

During our first days in Nairobi:
We went to Prestige mall to exchange money, then we saw a little market going on in the mal and we thought we could go there...wasn't that good of an idea. ..it's so hard to say no or get away from someone who offers you something (at least it was back then). Then we went to the Junction where I was able to meet a dear friend of mine and I could visit here and here husband at least for a couple of hours. Now the crazy part: we took our bus back to where we were staying and on one crazy steep hill suddenly there was a truck stuck in front of us in the middle of the street ... and after a while we were 4 cars beside each other and then a Matatu came from the back and almost drove into us...we had to laugh really hard afterwards...our first encounter with a Matatu.

Now a couple of stories from Ringa:

Hospital, Market and Rain
In the beginning of our stay here I had stomach pain through which I couldn't really walk move or anything. So I decided to stay at home the next day, but Lena one of my outreach leaders came back amd said we should go to the hospital and check what the doctors said. So we went with Judith and this hospital is so much different to what I was/am used to bamick in Germany. If this would be in Germany this wouldn't be considered a hospital or doctors place even though this hospital apparently is one of the best in this area. Also I felt really weird as a Muzungu (white person) you get treated different, you get treated first and of course you stick out. Then after getting my treatment we went to get some food and then to the market. This is so crazy. Everywhere are people stand etc. you're being called to them because you're white and they try to sell things more expensive to you and I just felt really weird. Then suddenly everyone started to pack up and go away...we to went to a stand to stand under a roof. And then it started to poor ... and poor and poor...After around 20 min it stopped and we wentt to the Matatus and took one to get back. Matatu are crazy and if you haven't been in one you don't know how it is to be in ine...especially if it is full. Imagine an old VW bus with 4 rows and 14-20 (today 22+baby+3hanging on the side) people so it is packed and then you drive over bumps etc really fast... that's a Matatu

Door to Door Ministry
So maybe you want to know whta we've been doing here in Ringa/Oyugis. We've been visiting people and their houses and encouraging them and praying for them (this is called door to door ministry) and we've been now also going back to people's houses to build up the relationship and show them that we're not the white people that just do our thing and don't care about them. Now we're also being invited to people because they are starting to know us and some of them might of seen us at the wedding we've been invited to (the longest wedding ceremony I've been to 6-7h).
So we this week we were invited to our night guards home to pray for him and his family and bless them as a team. They were so kind to us and provided tea/chai for us and food -chapati- and we could pray for his wife and she was heald and didn't feel any pain anymore which was really cool! On our way back we  were invited to one mans house  who some of us met this past sunday to pray for his 3 months old son that was sick. We prayed for the child and were able to bless his amd his fathers house.

These are some stories. Much more has happened and it has been challenging for me but I know God is working in me and through me and eve. when I don't always feel him I know he is always there for me.

Market during the rain

rift valley on our way to Ringa

The Adventure Begins

SO totday we are leaving to Kenya for three months - it has come to the point to say Goodbye Germanyand Welcome Kenya.

The adventure started in Germany with our train ride to Munich where our plane is leaving from to Dubai. We met in 13 (our main base center) in Nürnberg to pray and get our last information before leaving Nürnberg, and then went to the train station to  get our train to Munich. But 7km before Munich central station our train stopped - very appruptly. And we ended up waiting for almost 60 minutes. At first they said, we'll have to wait 15min then 45 min, then they said we'dhave to drive back to Dachau and then catch a S-Bahn to Munich and then go to the airport from the central station. If this would happen we would only arrive in the airport at 7:55 pm and our plane was leaving at 9:30 pm so it would be very tight with check in and wrapping our backpacks. But at arround 6:15 pm the made an announcement that we were now driving to Munich -thankfully- and we would be able to be at the airport at 7:30 pm so we would still have enough time to wrap, check in and everything else.

Now we're aiting to board the plane and guess what - the boarding is delayed - we'Re suppost to leave Munich at 9:30 pm and we haven't checked in - it's 9:09 pm. But I know God will take care of everything and we will catch our connecting flight in Dubai to Nairobi on time, because he is in control!

God bless you where ever you are and whatever you are doing and thank you for keeping me in your prayers!

Some impressions from Nuremberg

view out of out "living room"

on my way to the YMCA

The Nuremberg castle

somewhere in Nuremberg

First Exhibition - "Mini-Outreach" - Lecture

So a lot has happend since my last post. I very sorry that I haven't posted anything in such a long time. I just didn't have a lot of time, a lot was happening and somedays I simply was to tierd to go out and post something.

So a little recap of October:

 - we got to know which outreach locations were possible

 - I had one prayer night

 - fasted for a week, to show God that I wanted Him to do something and speak to me

 - it was announced where we would go for outreach

 - participated in a "Nuremberg-outreach" with an organization which started at the sametime as the plans for the event "Awakening Europe" (July2015)

 - I took a group from YWAM to my home town to do a "mini-outreach" type of thing

 - had a lot of lecture and learned a lot about really awesome topics (for example How to be an artist as an missionary; Idedntity; Forgiveness and lastly the God Story)

 - we had our first exhibition

 - my sister came for a weekend and a friend came for a visit

SO I think you would probably would like some more detailed information.

I'm going to go to Kenya for an outreach - I'm really excited! It was my dream to go there and my wish, and I'm so glad I'm actually able to go there! I think I've also got everything for it. I bought a travel backpack (on sale) the rest of the clothes I needed (long skirt/dresses/T-shirts) I only need to get some more vacinations and Mallaria pills. And I know God wants to have me here, and really teach me how to love people the way he loves them and see them how he sees them - please don't get me wrong, but I know it could get really challenging but also really awesome!

Then last weekend I took 18 YWAMers and me to my home town to show them Salzburg but also serve my town/church. We organized and prepared a whole youthservice with the help of my dad. After a five hour train ride we finally arrived in Bad Reichenhall and were welcomed by my family and a couple of friends from church and a warm meal was waiting for us :). Every single day we had a delicious meal and we had different types of meat :D I was really happy that I could see my sister again after almost 4 months, and happy to see my parants again and of course meet friends (from church and other churches). I and the whole team are very thankfull for everything! We were very blessed by the churches hospitality and all the food! Andwe hope that we could be a blessing to the church and to the youth! It was an amazing experience for us - and for me to r able to bring some of my new friends to my home town.

So after this intense weekend we had a very intense lecture week, which was really good and interactive. Our speaker Mike Brown was speaking about the God Story and he gave us movements after each topic: "CREATION - THE FALL - THE PROMISE OF REDEMPTION - ABRAHAM - THE LAW - ETERNAL KINGDOM - JESUS - HOLY SPIRIT - JESUS RETURNS". It was good to see how simple you can make the Gospel but still say what is most important - and it was awesome to realize how the whole bible is actually foousing on Jesus the Messiah and how God promised that he would "fix it". That would give a sollution to how we can come back into his presence and the solution is Jesus Christ and He alone - nothing else. Actually today in church the pastor was talking about a very similar topic, and it just confirmed what we were learning. He basicly preached about "How can we know that the bible is true?" and he kind of just said, the bible is the only book that was written by 40 different people over 1500 years but still is talking about the same thing eventhough most of the authors didn't know eachother and sometimes they even were in completly different places. 

And this weekend we had our first exhibition in which we presented our different artworks. The fineartist showed their paintings, drawings etc. and the handmade theirs and the musicians theirs and everyone else theirs. We as the dancetrack danced our dance about the Gospel of Jesus. And mysister visited me for the weekend and we had a great time! I was so happy that I could spend time with her again, and just hang out! - You are just so important to me! and I am verythankfull that I can be your older sister and that we can become closer friends more and more! You are awesome! - Also a nother friend of mine came to visit and we hung out for the day and just chilled and it was great to have both of them over!

Back to this whole lecture week - I have to admit that this week something clicked and my head knowledge is slowly coming into my heart and I'm slowly understanding more and more something that had already started the week before in which I started to get ideas again for what to dance and so on.

But I have to say it's not always just fun and really awesome - eventhough most of the time I am having a great time here! Ihad almosttwo weeks in which I didn't really know what to feel or what to think, I didn't know what to pray, I started to miss my parents and especially their wisdom and knowledge And my grandma had to go to the hospital and eventually was laying in a koma for a couple of days. Let's just say it wasn't easy. But thankfully I have a great God who is always by my side, awesome friend here in YWAM and in many different places that encourage me and also pray for me and my family and also a great exchange student/sister who encourages me big time and of course my family!

Thank you for all your prayers! i really appreciate it and I am so thankfull that I am able to be here and learn a lot of new things about God.

It would be great if you could pray for good outreach preperation and also safe travels and that we will have an awesome rest of the time here!

Long time no see...

So it has been quite a long time since my last update! So much has happend!

So I am now living with 19 other girls/ladies my "103 Family" with 3 staff - it is really cool! We sleep on bunkbeds, share shelves, get a lot of bread - when I say a lot I mean like 2 sacks of bread every evening (from a local backery).

We also started to have lecture now :)

 - 3 topics
 - 3 teachers
 - in 2 weeks
 - with 1 basic message: invest in your relationship with God and go out and serve the people

it was really good, and I learned a lot and/or got to rethink a lot of things! For example: "Are you living a unvieled life?" or "Are you willing to get out of your comfort zone?"

Also I already had 2 "Art-intensive" weekends in which I was getting trained and challenged a lot in dancing and also had to choreoraph my testimony which was really challenging but turned out good in the end (I'm planning on filming it and then publishing it on youtube - but it will still take a while). We are also choreogrphing a dance to dance at an exhibition coming up in October.

The Adventure in Nuremberg has started!

This week I arrived in Nuremberg and got to know a lot of really cool people, from my dance-track leader, school leaders, to awesome staff and of course awesome DTS and room mates!

Yestersday, all the participants from the DTS arrives here - now it's only a matter of time to get to know everyone who is here. So far everyone I know is really nice and I am so thankful that I am able to do this DTS!
Also I have had great talks and walks with people and even was able to help people find things they needed. Thanks be to God that I have a fairly good orientation around town fast.
And tonight I also slept with Tilly in one bed after we had a great talk and also continued talking laying in bed - it was tight but awesome :) ;)
I also could help the staff with a few last preparations (I can actually feel my body now :D) and I am excited for what is to come the next days and today - as it is starting later today.

I just pray that God will take care of us as DTS and that he will protect us while He's working in us. I would be greatful if you would support us in prayer!

The Lord hears your cry!

Lately I was struggling with my thoughts, they were going in every direction but not in the one I wanted them to go - I'm not sure if anyone can understand what I'm talking about - anyway in my desperation before I went to bed i cried to God that He may help me. Then in dream shortly before I woke up I got a few passages in the Bible that I want to share with you.

"So do not fear, for I am with you;

    do not be dismayed, for I am your God.

 I will strengthen you and help you;

    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand"

         ~ Isaiah 41,10

"This is what the Lord says - the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel -to him who was despised and abhorred by the nation, to the servant of rulers:

'Kings will see you and stand up, princes will see and bow down, because of the Lord, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.'

This is what the Lord says:

'In the time of my favor I will answer you, and in the day of salvation I will help you; I will keep people, to restore the land and to reassign its desolate inheritances, to say to the captives, ˋcome out´, and to those in darkness, ˋBe free!´

         ~ Isaiah 49,7-8

" ˋYou children hasten back, and those who laid you waste depart from you. Lift up your eyes and look around; all your children gather and come to you. As surly as I live,´declares the Lord, ỳou will wear them as ornaments; you will put them on, like a bride.´"

         ~ Isaiah 49,17-18

"Though you soar like the eagle

    and make your nest among the stars,

from there I will bring you down,

          declares the Lord."

         ~ Obadiah 4

"You should not wait at the crossroads to cut down the fugitives,

nor hand over their survivors in the day of their trouble"

         ~ Obadiah 14

"...And the kingdom will be the Lord's"

         ~ Obadiah 21b

To me it was a real encouragement, and I hope it is or will be to you too. And I want to encourage you to cry to the Lord when you feel desperate and don't know where to go, what to think or do next. He will hear and hears your cry of desperation and He will give you an answer.

P.s.: a short UPDATE:

- I now finally know where I'm going to stay in Nuremberg

- I've got all my necessities

- feeling pumped to go to bible school

Final preparations

In two weeks I'm going to start a Bible school program with YWAM in Nuremberg, Germany. I'm very excited for the time there and what God will show me.

The Bible school is called "Marriage of the arts" (MOTA) and is a Bible school connected with a variety of arts (For more information about MOTA please visit mission-live.com/mota/ ).

I chose this Bible school because they have a dance track. Dancing is a passion for me and I just love it. I have been taking dance classes in different styles since the age of 3 and now I want to learn how to use it to serve and connect with people from different countries but at the same time also try to bring God's love, mercy and grace to those who are willing to receive.

But before this adventure starts I have to make some final preparations:

- work 

- buy the last necessities

- and pack

Thank you for all of your support in prayer and helping me with my final preparations!

God bless you and have a blessed day ;)