'There is no plane'

These were the words I heard as I was on the little shuttle bus to get on this apparently non-existent plane to England. I felt sick! Images of all the people I had been looking forward to seeing for so long went through my head. Noone was really sure what was happening, people were panicking and the thing I wanted most was just to get back that night. I'm not sure what happened to that plane but we were put on another plane the following afternoon, but that was cancelled last minute too because by that time the snow had reached Stansted. I thought it couldn't get worse! I had already missed a day with my friends in Southampton. It's funny how people react in these situations. Some people really get everyone else scared by rumours and crazy theories.
A group of us sort of bonded together and it was so great to be in a group- everyone looked out for each other despite being total strangers and it was good to have each others company, especially in the evenings at the hotel (very nice of Germanwings actually!).


There were a few points of hysteria when all we could do was laugh. In the end we opted to get a train because we couldn't trust that our flight scheduled for 7pm Sunday would go. So off we went early the Sunday morning for the trek to Paris. The 'fun' did not end though. The whole Eurostar situation was just horrendously chaotic. We breathed a sigh of relief when we 'landed' in London. What a surreal weekend. I could just cry with relief. I should add I could not draw out enough money for the train at once- so one of the women lent me a bit of money. Little things like this I see as God looking out for me. He didn't magic me back but he put people there to follow when I didn't know where to go, carry my suitcase when it kept capsizing, or to talk kind sense to me when I wanted to jump in a car and drive home!

I was really really sad about the Southampton thing but I was grateful just to be back, and I had a really nice day or so in London with friends from there.

The Christmas week at home with my family in Cornwall went by so quickly. It was lovely to spend time with each other. We ate a lot of good food...
...and appreciated Cornwall.

We also just lazed about inside and watched TV, including 'The Nativity' on the BBC. It was the most real portrayal I have ever seen of how Jesus came to this world. It is not just a 'nice' story!

I arrived back in Kassel today. There is a pretty big contrast in temperature to Cornwall! I'm super tired because I 'slept' at the airport last night so looking forward to catching up on sleep before I get stuck in here.
We're organising a New Year party for the teenies so pray for us to be inspired with creative ideas as we organise stuff in more detail!

Good times

It's already Thursday, time is flying by! I had a wonderful weekend with a good friend of mine, Irina. She's from south Germany. You might remember I visited her a little while back. We were roomies when I was in Germany in my gap year. I didn't really have anything on so I really relaxed and had a great time.


We discovered a gorgeous little town called Warburg. There was hardly anyone there so it was really quiet. The houses were beautiful and really really old. We also stumbled upon a lovely restaurant, all to ourselves. The market was really small but that wasn't the main attraction. The whole town was just so interesting.

Irina enjoyed seeing where I live and meeting people. We had a good time at 20+ meeting on Sunday. After going out the night before we were really tired so on Sunday evening we chilled and watched a dvd. On Monday we did some Christmas shopping and ate at my favourite Turkish restaurant. It was so lovely to have her around :)

I'm writing this with a numb mouth.. had the first 2 teeth out today! :(

This morning it was snowing really heavily, although in the last week it hasn't really snowed that much. It also isn't so deadly cold, yay!
Because of the expectation that I would be in pain today, I swapped and led last week at Mattenberg instead of today. Our theme was joy. We played the stamping on balloons game (take note though, use string not elastic bands to tie the balloons- really doesn't work!) and ate party burgers. I got the children to think about why we celebrate with particular joy at Christmas. I shared about why I personally have a lot of joy. I told them about how coming to know Jesus gave me a joy that freed me from trying to be the best, and changing myself to be accepted by others. It was sort of tough though because the girls were in a really giggly mood and kept interrupting and making it hard for me language-wise. I think though that God enjoys working through us, even if our efforts don't seem to be that great. I'd like to go again today but I'm going to see how I feel.


This photo isn't that clear but it is the view from my window this morning when it was snowing like crazy!

Not long til I fly home- I can't wait!

'Hi honey'

I used to be really scared of speaking on the phone in German, but have actually got a lot more confident lately. I had to call a lady called Heidi yesterday. I'm not sure what I was thinking, but instead of 'Oh hi Heidi', I said 'Hey honey'. Oh the shame! I'm not sure whether she realised what I said, but I did not dwell on it!
Thankyou for all the lovely birthday messages and cards etc. I've probably shaken hands with more people in the last week than in my whole life put together- that's what you do here when it is someone's birthday! I had a lovely weekend. During a film night on Friday the youth surprised me with an amazing cake:


On Saturday I went to a gorgeous town called Marburg with my house group.





It was really cold! But we had a nice time wandering around- really quaint. We ate well too of course.





Last week was pretty tough again at Rothenditmold. Just at the start for example, I was playing a game with a couple of children but was constantly having to interrupt it by pulling apart kids being really violent to each other. Then the one child ran out and wouldn't come back in because the other one had hit her earlier too. To me though she wasn't scared, she fully wanted all the attention. It's hard to spend quality time with the children, and deal with other difficult children at the same time. We're meeting up early tomorrow to pray before the kids come. In our own power we can't do anything really. We need God. We believe that he'll give us the strength to do what he has put us there to do.

On Thursday at Mattenberg we had a really vivid discussion about Jesus being light in our lives which are dark and messy without him; we ate and played in complete darkness. The kids were pretty glad for the candlelight afterwards!

By the way, I survived my first visit to the dentist here! It was quite fun actually. However, I have to get all 4 wisdom teeth out, oh dear!

Today I was back to school for a day! We visited a really nice village primary school a little way away, to get a feeling for what it is like there. We want to start up a new club there for the kids. The kids were really sweet and I enjoyed taking part in their lessons! We are probably going to start something up in the New Year. They are quite keen for some native English, so I will probably incorporate that in by telling a bible story in English, or sing songs with them or play games that encourage a bit of English vocab. That will be a new challenge but it is quite exciting.

Well I'm going to get to bed- I'm really tired after getting up at 6.15am to get to school on time. The poor children!

SNOW

The snow started in Kassel yesterday! The Christmas markets looked so beautiful! The markets were bustling with people, and such a good atmosphere. Yesterday evening with the snow we couldn't resist a hot Gluehwein (similar to mulled wine) to warm up.



The markets opened on Monday, so I was down there Monday morning of course! It was really dreary weather but the first wafts coming towards me of caramelised nuts, waffles, spiced warm drinks and other delicious things brought a big grin to my face. It's really exciting. I live basically one minute away but I cannot imagine getting bored of it!



It's been a really busy time lately, but I won't describe everything here! One of the highlights was the 'erleuchtet' meeting (for young adults across Kassel) on Sunday evening- there was a huge number there which was great. I sang again which was fun and for the first time played piano as well. I really enjoyed being a part of it. I should hopefully be getting more involved in music in church too. We had a meeting on Tuesday and I found it crazy (in a good way) that there are so many great musicians, that there isn't enough space to have everyone often!

Last week Rothenditmold was great- thanks for praying. We split the kids up for the story, and the 3 older girls I had behaved really well and we had a good time, and could even discuss the theme a bit instead of running after the little ones. This week was quite hard going. Some of the kids are so self absorbed/crave so much attention. I find it particularly hard with those who thrive on negative attention, because it's not like I can just let them be violent towards others/steal others toys etc. I get discouraged quite fast with this group. Pray for me to keep the bigger picture in mind and to have the wisdom to know how to deal with individuals with love.

Tonight it was my turn to lead the youth. They are such a good bunch! And man are they patient with me! I felt it was slightly bitty but overall I think what I wanted to come out, did. We had a good laugh together too, which is just great. I prayed beforehand that God would help me to have good conversations, and he did totally.

On Saturday it's my birthday! I'm looking forward to a day out in Marburg and then eating out in the evening. Apparently it's going to snow. On my birthday!

Good to hear from you still. Can't wait to see lots of you when I come home for Christmas.

'Oh you're the Englander'!

Somehow a week has already gone by!
I had a really really good evening at housegroup yesterday evening. It had been a while since we were all there.
Yesterday I slept in, which was wonderful. So good after, let's say, minimal sleep on the camp. It was really good but pretty hectic! The teens are quite a handful. We had fun but the hardest thing was a lot of the time battling to be heard/listened to. We played a lot of fun games. Some of our fun was on the theme of our image of God- considering what he is like and what he has to do with us. Hopefully spending this time with them will help our weekly sessions.



This is my best elephant impression :)


Here I am taking part in leaders 'chubby bunnies' trying not to laugh with a mouth full of marshmallows!

I had a really nice day on Sunday. After church there was a sort of church meeting about various news and things. I had to report about the kids group in Mattenberg. I was somehow really really nervous! But I feel like my words came out ok. After time hanging with the 20+s, I went for coffee at an old lady's house, with the 'guess who' idea again. That's where the blog title comes from. More than a couple of the other guests said hello with 'oh yes you're the englander'. Famous! It was a really nice afternoon. These things help me talk with people that I wouldn't do usually! Then in the evening my friend Steffi came over and we watched a dvd, and ate Cadburys Dairy Milk- oh yes. Special mention to my good friends Emily and Daniel Smith who sent me the greatest 'survival' package!! Complete with a load of PG Tips too- my first cup was such a good feeling- like a mug of contentment!

Last Wednesday the kids at Rothenditmold were a massive handful! It was a a huge battle the whole way through. They crave attention, don't listen, behave really badly and have little social awareness. At times we felt really helpless. Tomorrow it is my turn to lead, and I'm not exactly filled with confidence right now! It's just really frustrating.

I have yet to learn some more Turkish, but for the moment I have quite a lot to be doing, including my research proposal for uni which I haven't started yet.

In town the Christmas market huts and the Christmas tree have been set up already and starting to take shape... I'm so excited! The markets begin in about a week.
Great to keep in touch with you, keep the emails, letters and messages coming :)
Love Ruth

Lost

So last Monday I got on the wrong bus to housegroup...after a while the scenery seemed a little unfamiliar! Thankfully I had my phone with me and got picked up :) I also managed to get on the wrong tram the other day too- thankfully it did not take me miles away!

Speaking of lost, (wahey cheesy link!) I told the story of the lost sheep at Rothenditmold on Wednesday. I had some really great pictures to help me, and they listened relatively well! It was great that we had a lot of children again.. even if it was mental! Some of the children were really really difficult. On the other hand, there were also a handful of really good one to one moments.

On Thursday at Mattenberg I taught one of the songs with actions that we performed at Hallo Luther- they got into it after a while! Like in Rothenditmold we have also had a surge of kids, including some who had not been for a while coming back. I'm sure they all turn hyper as soon as they arrive! They were all really loud and hard to lead.

I had a really nice day yesterday. At church I met a girl called Steffi, who was really friendly. After church lunch she invited me for a coffee in town and we really clicked. I feel like she 'gets' me, if you know what I mean! Somehow I felt at ease and we chatted non awkwardly about all sorts of stuff, and laughed about funny cultural differences! It was just a genuinely really nice time :)
In the evening I had tea at an old lady's house with another family from church. There is a new idea at church called 'Guess who', where guests and hosts get matched up, to help people get to know each other. It was fun!

I ventured to the library with Annemarie on Saturday and got a big stack of books to help me get thinking about my investigate project for uni. I'm going to be doing something about the integration of the Turkish in Germany. I can't remember if I mentioned before, but I sort of started learning Turkish as well! I have a little book with a CD, which is helping me learn the basics. I just need to stick at it. It can be pretty mind boggling learning grammar points of Turkish, in German!

Today I went for the first time into this little tiny Turkish pastry place really close by. I reckoned I could get chatting to the person, and maybe ask where I could learn Turkish properly etc. However I think I was slightly ambitious with my getting to know subjects for my project... either she couldn't understand my German, or did not want to chat to me, because when I started to talk, she said 'what did you want? Goezleme?' Ha fail! My plan alongside chatting away was to buy something little and sweet... however I didn't realise until this moment that it was more of a food bar than a bakery.. with proper savoury food. So even though I wasn't hungry I bought Goezleme, this tasty spinach and cheese filled pastry thing!

I still go swimming now and then but I really should do it more often. I have been fed pretty well by lots of lovely people in the last few weeks!

On Thursday I'm off for a couple of days on our camp with the confirmation teens. It should be fun! We have to keep it very snappy, full and fun for them because they are generally pretty hyper too.

Kassel is getting ready for Christmas- As well as the mass of Christmas stuff in the shops, I saw the first lights being put up today. These trees have little lights wrapped around them. Can imagine how lovely it's going to look!

Ruth appears on German TV!

Paste this into your address bar for my 2 seconds of fame!
http://www.hr-online.de/website/rubriken/nachrichten/indexhessen34938.jsp?rubrik=34954&key=standard_document_40080929&mediakey=fs/allgemein/20101031_news_reformationstag&type=v

It's really good that Sunday's 'Hallo Luther' was covered well by the media. There was a good article and lots of pictures in the paper too. For those of you who aren't quite up to scratch on your German, the event was celebrating Luther and the Reformation. There was a lot on the whole day.
There were loads of people around! It happened to be a special weekend in Kassel anyway which meant pretty much everyone was out shopping. It was cool that the church was out in the open. A lot of people were interested in the history but a huge load of Bibles were also taken away, including around 700 kids bibles. I'm quite excited because God speaks through the bible. It was less about the conversations at the time but more about people's desire for God's word which they now have. It was pretty cool that I saw a family there from Thurs kids group who asked for bibles. The mum hasn't had one before. Cool! I showed her where she could begin reading. Exciting!
So as I mentioned before I was really involved in the afternoon kids programme. I have to say I quite enjoyed wearing the headset (!), except when it came off when I jumped off the stage with too much enthusiasm. It was really so much fun! We did a couple of songs every so often and at some points the tent was really full and I could see people waiting for the tram looking to see what on earth we were doing. I really couldn't help smiling. It was a joy! Even some serious people cracked out a smile and some of the older ones joined in with the actions, which was funny to watch. The kids participated really well. We just had a load of fun praising God. It was actually quite strenous. I had really bad pulled muscles in my legs for literally 3 days!

The last couple of times at Rothenditmold (the particularly challenging kids group) have been pretty strenous. Last week we were exhausted. We had 12 kids which is really great but they are the hardest kids I have ever met. It was quite a battle last week. It is frustrating because the kids would have such a great time if they behaved. They make it difficult for each other. They are really complex though and I think it will take a long time before they learn for example that each one is utterly loved and valued by God. That said though, there have been some really good moments amongst the craziness. Today I told the story of the lost sheep and they listened relatively well. There were some good one to one moments with the craft too. Pray for energy, and that God gives us a massive compassion for the kids.

I had a great time at housegroup again this week, and enjoyed a lovely afternoon again with a lady from church. We went for a lovely walk after lunch in the proper countryside. It was beautiful!

I read a verse yesterday about valuing others more important that myself.. pray for me that I might be able to do that a bit more. I've also found myself taking things possibly a bit too personally. Pray that I don't get discouraged, instead get encouraged by truth.

Still love hearing your news. I appreciate all emails/letters/messages/random facebook comments/visits!

Love,
Ruth x

Guest slippers

This is one of my favourite German traditions ever. It is so sweet! When you go to someone's house, it's quite common to take off your shoes and put on slippers which the host offers you, so that your feet don't get cold. I love it! Here is a picture of some of my lovely lovely housegroup as we met on Monday for an evening of amazing international food. Take note of the slippers!




And here you can see my bit for representing British cuisine... apple crumble! People liked it :)









I really appreciate spending time with my house group. It was especially nice in the holidays when I didn't have much on. Us ladies (plus cute child) met once for a yum breakfast which was a lovely time.


The weekend was busier which I enjoyed! Sunday was so great; a great service then I chatted to so many different people. So different from my first Sunday when I felt like a complete outsider! On Sunday evening we had 'erleuchtet' (illuminated), a service for 20s-ish people, from all different churches around. There was about 100 people there which was exciting. I sang in the band and loved it! The music was great. I prayed a lot that I wouldn't think about taking the credit but instead really worship. The days leading up to it I felt a cold brewing, but it never came! So grateful.

Today was the first session of the new confirmation group (they have this for a year and a half before getting confirmed, to learn more about being a Christian). I'm looking forward to getting stuck in with it and seeing the group form together. Today we played some fun 'trust' games to start (I'm in the middle of this picture somewhere!).

On Sunday it is 'Hallo Luther', a pretty big event organised by several churches here. It is to celebrate the Reformation and there is a load going on. It's going to be in the busiest square in the city. Our church is particularly involved in a family program with music, drama and the giving out of 1500 really great kids bibles. Please pray that through this there will be a huge interest in what the Bible actually has to say for people today. I'm involved in the music, singing and doing the actions for the kids songs. It is going to be pretty funny! One of the songs does involve some air guitar! Just picture that projected onto a big screen in the city centre. Haha!



This is the square on a normal day so you can visualise the venue and the place where I may become famous for my air guitar skills.





I had a lovely time this lunch time at the lady's house I visited in my first week here. I was thinking how much I have learnt since then and that my German has improved :) In case you're wondering how it went hanging with my new friend, it is happening on Friday, so not yet.
It is pretty cold here and I have been wearing what I would consider to be my normal winter clothes. Think I will have to invest in even warmer stuff for when actual winter comes!
Loads of love xx

German trains > English trains!

Not sure where this last week has gone! I've been doing little jobs but not actually sure what! I know I've had a couple of practices for a monthly event for young adults on Sunday night- really looking forward to that. I have to say I'm definitely more comfortable with the English songs- there's this one German one with so many words to fit in, massive tongue twister situation. Praying it will turn out ok on the night!

My highlight of the past week was going to visit my good friend Irina down near Stuttgart for the weekend. I went down on the train, which deserves the mention in the blog title. My seat had a pillow on it!! It was SO comfy! And the train was really spacious. Plus it was quite fun jumping over the chasm to the train door (and I thought some London tube gaps were big!). Anyway, Irina and I were roommates when I was in Germany in 2008. It was SO good to see her! I last saw her about a year and half ago at our other room mate's wedding. We chatted a huge amount. As well as laughing together she was a real encouragement to me. It was just really relaxing and good to have a change of scenery too. In the photo above you can see us together and below, me in front of an impressive building in rainy Stuttgart!

It obviously takes time for people to get to know me but I appreciated chatting with someone who already knows me really well. It has been generally so quiet here with it being holidays, and I've struggled a bit with this! I wasn't feeling too well the last couple of days too so that sort of added to the emotional mood. I felt lonely. It's already getting better though, since people are filtering back from holidays and today for example I had a really lovely morning with the other women in my housegroup, followed by kids club which went really well. We had a lot of fun together and I told the story of Jesus stilling the storm, complete with paper boats that we made! And tonight I think David and I are going to chill and watch a film. I prefer it like this, having a more social day! Thanks for your prayers, and keep praying that I make good friends. Actually I had an invite from a girl I met at church about a month ago so really looking forward to that. I showed I was grateful but didn't want to seem too desperate when she first mentioned it! In my head I was thinking 'yay, a friend!'!

The language side of things is weird, sometimes I'm pleased and know that I've improved by other times things just do not go well and can be really discouraging! Like at points in band practice last night when I didn't understand what we were doing a few times. People are totally nice but without blaming them I know it can be annoying!

Almost forgot to mention, I had my first ever visit to the German hairdressers. I did not lose my hair. Achievement!

It is good to hear from you from time to time, keep it coming!
Love and God bless,
Ruth.

Recycling is fun!

As I write this I'm chomping through a pack of Haribo- so many kinds here! I also got a bit too excited when I saw a Haribo advent calendar the other day. I've got better at cooking properly for myself, though today I had ran out of fruit and had a rather exhilirating combo of yogurt and oats for breakfast. The only prob being that I think the yogurt was a bit on the turn. I've been shopping now though :)
Youth went well on Thursday, it was fun. The quiz I made was quite entertaining though I think I only reinforced stereotypes by teaching them about the queen's speech and toad in the hole. I may have also painted a violent picture of us Brits as I explained that we burn Guy Fawkes on 5th Nov. I made scones which they liked though ashamedly I did not give a good enough demo because in the corner of my eye I caught some of them sandwiching the 2 halves together. No! And also worse was putting a wad of cream, then a bit of jam right on the top. Also no!

I am in some respects adopting to German ways. I love the Pfand system, I won't lie! This basically is a small extra charge you pay when buying bottles of water or whatever, then when you give them in at a shop you get the money back. I've been saving up loads of bottles so I well enjoyed having money off my shopping today. It's such a fun system. It actually makes recycling fun! (geek!) I'm also bringing in a rubbish separation system in my room. Yeah!
On Sunday I went to the African church that meets in our building after our service. It was really good! I was made very welcome and well enjoyed dancing. Can't help but move to the music! We also had some amazing food afterwards.
On Sun morning I got up quite late and bumped into some guy in the corridor on the way to the bathroom. This doesn't seem a big deal but I was in my froggy pajamas and anyone that's seen me literally as soon as I get out of bed- it is quite a humourous sight. So the guy said good morning and asked me where someone was. When I was in church I realised this guy was in fact the speaker. It was a special youth service where hundreds of youth were there and as he was speaking it crossed my mind that at any minute he could announce to the world/make a joke about seeing me in my froggy pajamas!
Yesterday I had a great day in Goettingen, a really nice city not that far away from here- see photos :) (more will be on Facebook soon). I got transport by going on a not-as-dodgy-as-it-sounds website thing where you find people who are going where you want to go and are offering spaces. It was so much cheaper than getting a train and quite interesting travelling with a complete stranger both ways. I had a great time walking around and enjoying the sunshine. The buildings are gorgeous, though many are literally skew, it was quite funny to see! Another funny thing I observed was the mass of cyclists and bikes everywhere- photo below is a very small tribute. (I almost gave this blog the title 'There are 9 million bicycles in...' but decided it was too cheesy. I've told you now anyway so I'm not any cooler!). I enjoyed much good German food there and then relaxed with a Thai massage! (Private joke- no dark corridors!) My back was loving that after swimming.
Yes I finally did go swimming! The novelty of a new costume helped. I enjoy it but definitely can improve a lot in fitness. I'm going to go again tomorrow. It was so great going on a fun excursion but the only thing is that it would have been so lovely to share it with someone. Though I have met a lot of great people, I haven't really got to the stage of that good friends yet.

It's the holidays so I haven't got much to do officially though I am still keeping myself pretty busy! I have still got Rothenditmold group tomorrow though (which went really well last week, working with my usual team).
I'm wondering what on earth winter will be like here. Today it was absolutely freezing! I may have to start on my winter clothing soon if it carries on!
My blog wouldn't be English without mentioning the weather :)
I hope you are well and thanks for all your news. I love hearing it! Just to mention as well that the first line of the address I gave is not needed- apparently it will get to me personally more quickly if you leave it off. So:
Kleine Rosenstr. 4
34117 Kassel
Germany.
Loads of love x

What a glorious day

Another weather-related blog title! Sunday was a glorious day. The meeting at church was filled with thanks and praise to God as we celebrated Annemarie's induction as new youth leader, and as we took communion and were reminded afresh of the life he gives us. It was really moving. I sang for the first time too which I really enjoyed. After the 20+ meeting which was good fun, the weather was so gorgeous that I had the urge to go out on a run! It was so good to get moving and enjoy the sunshine. It was so nice that when I got back I went out again with my camera. Hope you enjoy a few of the photos :) Since then I have been running a few more times with David. Think my body is appreciating the exercise! I decided that I will take up swimming as well, and bought a new swimming costume today to make sure I do!

Thankyou for praying and supporting me. God hears, it is so true! He is good! On Wednesday it suddenly clicked that I would have to lead the kids group on my own (the one that didn't go too well the week before!)- I hadn't properly thought that through before. Weirdly though I was quite calm and I had instant inspiration for a fun craft to go with the story, which they loved. I can only thank him. It must have been him because confidence came from nowhere, and somehow I had the words to have better control than last week. Amazing! It was still really hard work but much better. I'm looking forward to working with the usual leader again this week :)

On Thursday I'm leading Jesus to go (youth group) and doing an English evening. As well as hopefully having a lot of fun together, I'm planning to work in a few stories of my experience of God- I really want to be honest and be an encouragement to them.
I have also really been enjoying time with my housegroup- they are such a lovely group. We enjoyed some more Korean food on Friday again as well as laughing loads.

After this week everyone has 2 weeks Autumn break so that will be a nice holiday. I'm going to visit a friend in Stuttgart one weekend but apart from that I'm planning to do some exploring and visit some other cities perhaps! There is talk of a girls night as well with the youth, so that will be fun. Visits are welcome though, for anyone that fancies a spontaneous trip! No joke! Meanwhile though I have Skype up and running (had the first run with my parents tonight which was lovely but my English was pretty stuttered!) so just let me know if you want to organise a Skype date.
Keep in touch,
Much love x

It's definitely raining in Kassel

Not sure 'it's raining cats and dogs' really works in German! I have a free day today so it would be nice to get out and do some exercise (too much cake!). However, with this weather I may resort to running up and down the stairs- 4 floors is actually a good workout. Or rather to avoid being weird, and to get some fresh air, I may venture out wrapped up in raincoat and hiking shoes!
Last week was a good but challenging week. Thanks for praying for the kids group on Wednesday (Rothenditmold). I found it pretty hard to be honest. The kids are quite undisciplined and I wasn't really confident in keeping firm control. The story was good though! I enjoyed preparing wax crayon stick men drawings to accompany it, and they helped to keep the kids's attention, which was great. Overall though it was quite chaotic and afterwards I felt a bit discouraged to be honest, somehow a bit incapable. When I got back I had a major moment of thinking over what on earth I'm doing here. I know for sure that I'm going to learn loads and develop confidence over time, but I really want to do a good job for the sake of the children.
The kids group on Thursday (Mattenberg) was good fun- it's nice to be getting to know the kids a bit better. That area is quite multicultural which I love. I would love to see more kids from these different backgrounds coming along, and through that get to know the families too. It would be great if you could pray for how we can reach these people.
In the last week I have been well fed! On Friday I went to my 'guest' family for the first time and that was so nice. Yesterday we had a church meal- which was a good chance to get to know people better- and following that I spent time with my housegroup, eating yummy cake and later traditional Korean food!
On Saturday we held a kids day in Mattenberg. The confirmation teenies from our church did a lot towards it, and it went well. It was really good at the end to see a few parents come along to coffee time and a mini talk. Afterwards I went with a few of the youth to a big youth congress. That was quite exciting and I found the talk really inspiring. I slept very very well after that long day!
By the way I have weaned myself off naps! I'm doing a bit better on the stamina side of things. Language wise I'm feeling more confident, though there are of course the harder moments.
I think I may head out soon- the rain isn't looking so heavy!
Great to hear your news too, keep in touch.
Love, Ruth x

Breathtaking

I didn't have the words to describe the majesty before me. I knew the mountains would be quite beautiful but their beauty was more than I could have imagined. It was amazing to wake up to this most days (immense fog a couple of days!). We were staying in a lovely cosy wooden hut and it was so peaceful- well, totally except for our mice friends :) They sound really creepy scratching around and under your bed at night! A comedic moment to look back on would be when my room mate got bitten on the finger by one in the night!


There was 12 of us from church there for the week and it was a really relaxing time. I had my first experience of mountain hiking and I loved it! I thought I might like it but I didn't know I would enjoy it so much. Definitely really hard work (moments of 'what on earth am I doing?') but worth it. There was time to chill too and discuss the Bible. I was challenged about God's passion for changing us, for strengthening us, for giving us everything we need to live for him. He has demonstrated how passionate he is about being in relationship with us.
Unfortunately I was poorly a day and a half with a fever, which wasn't pleasant. To be honest I wasn't patient at all, I was annoyed! Though on reflection I am very thankful I could enjoy so much before that, and recover in time for the last evening and the journey home.

Today in church I had to go up to the front with 20 others who are also taking new positions of leadership. I was quite nervous, even just to introduce myself. But it's ok, apparently I said my 'Ruth'/'Root' very well! How funny. After church I went to a 20+ meeting and it was really good to meet some new people.

This week I have more responsibility than usual for the Wed kids group. Please pray for me. A simple task like telling a short Bible story is really challenging for me. Pray for the kids that come, that they'll have a lot of fun and be eager to learn as well.
Lastly, just to say I'm missing people quite a lot back home, London and Southampton. This comes especially as the new uni term starts. It's sad not being there too.
Thanks for all the prayer, the messages, emails, comments etc- it's good to be supported and I love keeping in touch with you. For anyone wondering my postal address is:


Friedenshof e.V
Kleine Rosenstr. 4
34117 Kassel
Germany

German love xxx

Time for a holiday!

Hi
This will be a short post for a change. In a few minutes I'm leaving for my first holiday! It definitely does feel a bit soon to be relaxing but anyway! It's with a small group from church to a hut in the middle of nowhere in the Alps- how amazing!! Apparently it is so beautiful. I definitely have my camera with me. We're going to be doing a lot of walking and also doing some Bible study together. It may bring back some memories of Longbarn with the basic facilities :)
I've had a good week. It has gone by so quickly though! Though I do have really odd patches I think I am feeling more confident with speaking generally.
On Monday I went for lunch at a lady from church's house and it was so nice! I made the tram ok :) On Monday also we had the first night of our housegroup which was really great. It's a small, very international group and was just an inspiring evening. I'm looking forward to it again in 2 weeks.
Jesus House, the youth mission, was our main focus this week. It was really great, so praise the Lord. Lots of youth came- on Friday night it was particularly packed out. It was held in a huge, beautiful church which is no longer used usually. A lot of energy was put into it being a nice place to be and it was a really good atmosphere. Every night put a different slant on getting to know God more, eg. 'is there anybody out there?', 'Love is everything'. The talks were really powerful and inspired the youth to live for God; the only way to know true life and joy. It was a good chance for me to hang out more with our youth as well. My official job was prayer/pastoral care team, which was a new challenge for me! I was a bit scared at first but it helped me to rely on God's help and boldness. I was able to have some good conversations and pray with people. Another cool thing is that yesterday there was a Brazilian guy there who can speak no German, so I translated my first German sermon! I have never done translation before so it was no way perfect. I enjoyed it but it was slightly stressing in that I was aware that I felt the responsibility of letting him know what the message was.
Both kids groups went well this week- not so many children which was ok, but pray that lots more come back. We had a lot of fun. Pray that as we have fun and get to know each other more, they will experience something of God's love. Something I've noticed is that there always seem to be lots of able, willing workers- which is amazing! Thank God for all these teams and pray that I can be a help and blessing to them.
Please pray generally that I develop some stamina- the other day I only had 8 hours sleep (yes hardly not much!) and I felt the effects! I have taken to having naps but I won't always be able to.
I love hearing your news so keep in touch. I better go, so hope you have a great week.
Love,
Ruth xx
PS A motivation for you to come and visit me- the ice cream here is AMAZING! SO yummy! David and I went yesterday with Franz, the intern who is just leaving. Thanks Franz :)

Welcome to Germany

I've been here for only 5 days and have experienced so much already. Thankyou for all the messages, well wishes and prayers- the support really means a lot. Things are going well! I'm settling in well and I'm grateful that I have been so warmly welcomed here. The people are really friendly and have been so kind to me. I have a lovely room above the church in the same floor as the main youth leader and the other intern.
This week I've been able to get a feel for what goes on here and what I'm going to be doing. It's exciting! We had a team meeting on my first day and I really feel a big 'Amen' inside to their vision. There is a lot going on but one thing is emphasised over all of that- to know and love God with everything. Following from that we want to long for what God does; his 'lost sheep'. Also important is the need to be biblically grounded, because God's word is powerful and gives us direction. The Pastor is really sound and loves God so much. It is reflected in his family life too. They have also really welcomed me.
I'm going to be doing a lot of kids work here. I'm involved in one group nearby for ages 4-8, who generally come from socially disadvantaged families. Another similar group that I've already been to, is for more 7-10 year olds. They will take a while to get used to me but it will be fun. They have a really short attention span but it's a good opportunity to show them that they are important, that God loves them and is interested in their lives. That is a big thing for anyone. I'm also involved in the older youth group (age 16-20). I pray that as we get to know each other more I can chat with them naturally about faith and life with God.
I'm getting to know Kassel a bit more everyday. It's a nice city. There are loads of shops!! So if any shopaholics want to visit me, you would love it here. There is also a really massive massive park with a beautiful house, and some gorgeous castles and loads of lovely wooded areas which are just amazing to walk through on a starry night.
Language-wise it has been a rollercoaster week. It's definitely tiring! I generally zone out by afternoon and pray every day for fresh energy at that time! It's definitely become easier the more I hear. In fact yesterday when I was at a pizzeria late night with the other intern and youth leader I was asked to say grace in English and I found it quite hard- it was really weird! Sometimes I can only laugh because I know my German sounds funny sometimes. It's entertaining for others as well at times! Sometimes though it is really frustrating when I can't express what I want to say. It's not so much for sounding good-though that would be nice of course- it's more frustrating with really wanting to express myself. There was a point yesterday when I just felt so overwhelmed and upset really because what I said just didn't do what was really in my mind justice.
I know that I'm going to learn a lot. Sometimes when I wonder what on earth I'm doing here, I'm reminded that God led me here and he knows what's going on. When I feel helpless, he will also use me in different ways, maybe that I haven't imagined before. I'm grateful for the boldness he gives me each day to do even the simplest of things.
Today was my first service at church! It was really great to be there- amazing to be worshipping God with 150 people in another language. I wasn't there for all of it because I was doing creche (someone was ill) which I was scared about but it was fun and the kids were lovely. It has really be wonderful to be welcome here, which I felt again at church. Lots of people introduced themselves and I've had some invitations to lunch etc to help me get to know people more, which is so kind- I have one tomorrow already- if you read this in time, pray that I can navigate being alone on the tram for the first time!
Just a quick one too before I go- there's a big youth outreach this week- every night Tues-Sat is a different topic designed for youth to bring along their friends and to hear about how Jesus is relevant for their lives. Please pray for the week if you can.
I realise this is pretty long now, so think I will finish. Keep me posted on your lives too, I don't want to miss out on your news.
Love,
Root (this is how you say my name in German, with a bonus rolled 'r'!) xx

PS Last thing, I promise! I just wanted to say thankyou for your prayers for Longbarn camp. It was so great. I hardly washed (!) but it didn't matter. I loved the week. The kids were a lot of fun and it was a joy to learn about Jesus with them. I'm so glad I could make it before flying out here.

Patience

Time is going so quickly! First a special mention of my closest uni friends who gave me such a fun and relaxing and restful weekend down in Guildford just before I started here- it was just what I needed so thankyou!
I'm writing this at the end of Week 2 of our outreach. It has been a challenging but exciting fortnight. Praise God for his goodness! Thanks so much for praying for us as a team. It has been one of the highlights- we have really bonded, had a lot of fun and been like minded in our vision. It's been so great being on a team where everyone is willing to serve. Most nights we have had fun relaxing and enjoying food! I'll put a photo on here so you can see us all in our fetching yellow t shirts!
Monday and Friday mornings we have seen increasing numbers of mums and tots coming to the park for playgroup. It's been so encouraging to see them coming back, and as well as enjoying it, being really open to chat. Much to my excitement, I have met a German lady and her super cute daughter who we see really often in the park. It's a great chance for me to practise my German, and she is so friendly to all the team. Though she is firm in her Muslim beliefs, she is so open and yesterday I had the chance to share a story of how God has really worked in my life. It was cool because it was natural; it just happened to come up. Lots of conversations are being had around the park. We get the feeling that many people know there is something more to life but don't want to submit to a certain religion. Pray for them to meet Jesus on a personal level.
On Wednesdays we have had great fun taking a coach load of people young and old to the beach. These are a really great way for people to enjoy community and get to know each other more. This week I was chatting to a lady who out of nowhere said she'd like to come to church.
I'm really grateful for God giving us the energy to do what we need to. It has been tough at times when tired to stay focused but we have been so blessed.
You may wonder why I titled this blog 'Patience'. There has been a particularly difficult group of children who keep hanging out at our cafe in the park. We desperately don't want to completely reject them, but show them the love of Jesus. This is quite challenging though when they show no respect, are completely rude, provoking and really badly behaved. We can't be walked over though, but it is a hard balance to get. It has really tested our patience and we need to keep praying about our attitudes towards them.
Something else that it would be great for you to pray about is Ramadan- the month when Muslims fast every day for a month (in the daytime)- which began recently. It is a really good conversation point and it has been really interesting chatting with the kids and challenging the about why they do it. Many Muslims who are liberal most of the time fast seriously- it's like they can try to gain favour from God through it. It's great that these sorts of conversations come up in the minibus on the way to Thorpe Park, or at the beach. Speaking of Thorpe Park, our driver for this trip and others is permanently dressed like Elvis! It's so funny. He's a kind guy though, charging nothing for helping us.
Last night we had an African music and bbq night and praise God, the torrential rain stopped literally just in time. Amazing! It was so cool to see families we have met and chatted lots with in the past couple of weeks come along. Pray for these families to keep being attracted to the community and to find out more about Jesus.
Thank God for a rest this weekend as we re-energise for this coming last week of activities. Pray for people not to disappear but to have a desire to be involved in long term things like coffee morning, Alpha, art group etc.
I'll put on a photo here taken last weekend at my cousin's wedding down in Taunton. This is a rare picture of the Redman family all together!
Thankyou for your prayer, and for comments and messages too. Love to you all x

First week in London

Wow, a week in London has already passed by! I'm here back to my other home- not Cornwall or Southampton, but the Isle of Dogs. For those of you who don't know, I have spent a lot of time here in my gap year with London City Mission, and on lots of visits since. I've grown to love this beautifully diverse place and its people a lot. I'm here on the summer programme working with the Mission at Cafe Forever, in conjunction with City of Peace church.
The journey here was long but I was really excited to be coming back, and expectant about what this summer might be like. Navigating the tubes across London to the island was 'interesting' and definitely gave me a welcome back with the rushing, the heavy luggage and the enormous heat. God definitely provided people along the way to help me with numerous flights of stairs and an extremely large bag (I can fit inside it, just so you know). Welcomed by dear friends, it was good to relax.
This week has been very busy as we have been preparing for our summer programme which starts tomorrow, Monday 2nd August (anyone else thinking it's really weird that it's August already?!). It involves three weeks of activities and trips, all with the aim of meeting and befriending local people and being open to share the amazing love of God and the transformation that it brings. Most of these activities will be based in the local park, where we have a small kitchen/hut which we have turned into a cafe kiosk. We want to be a positive influence in this community where there is much hurt and need. We want to spend time with people of all ages and show that we care for them.
We have got a great team of people, from all different areas of the country and which includes people who live here long term- remember Tom, Marlene, Carol, Josh, Moira, Nathan, Louise, Daniel and me.
If you are a Christian and would like to pray for all of this, we really value that. We need God. Please pray for us as we start, for organisation and adjustment of plans. Pray also for us as we meet people, that we will be open and bold, and genuinely love them. Pray that many will come and quality relationships will be built up, and that this will be true also of the people we already know; that they might even begin to ask questions about our love for God. This week it has been really nice to see children and parents and other individuals that I have got to know over the last couple of years.
I'll try and update this regularly so that you can hear how it's all going! On a side note, for those who may be wondering, I am flying out to Germany for my year there on 31st August (this is scarily close!). Please pray as I sort out some details, without being distracted from things here.
I had better go, I need to revise my nursery rhymes and get my play dough ready for our playgroup in the park tomorrow morning!
Thankyou for your love and support.