Deutschland

May you find the path which will lead you to the highest and truest of yourself. Hope for perpetual discovery and trust Life. That’s all. –Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

View out the window from my room- taken by Amanda Crowe

          

        The snow-covered rooftops of Herrnhut are not so conducive to rooftop yoga and meditation… Hallo Deutschland! It’s all beautiful here- the white-blanketed hills and buildings, the quaint town with just a few cafes and grocers, kids in puffy jackets speaking German words to their mums and pops… And light is scarce as winter keeps sunlight on a strict schedule; however, contrary to what I anticipated, I love the snow. The winter weather keeps everything looking picturesque and I feel at home once again in a place far from San Francisco.

            I arrived on Thursday evening and explored the “the castle” for the first time with the other Marriage of the Arts DTS students. I found my room with several other girls and have had days already filled with such community… we’ve had prayer and worship, a Shabbat celebration in town on Friday night (a joining of backgrounds!), a lecture on preparing ourselves for the upcoming months of learning more about G-d, a game night hosted by one of the women staff, a photo-taking excursion to an abandoned warehouse… Already, I’m being challenged to go deeper into knowing G-d.

            All this said, you might be wondering how I ended up in Germany- indeed, I ask myself the same question! Last weekend, several big decisions were at hand. The choice was between internships, organic farming, or joining the YWAM (Youth With a Mission) community in Germany. Monday was when decisions needed to be made, and it was daunting trying to choose just one.

            I sat down on Saturday to do some discerning and was reminded of what I’ve wanted for a long time: solid time set aside to know G-d more and to live in a strong faith community. This was above all, what I was seeking. Ignatius taught that my deepest desires are G-d’s desires.. my answer was staring me in the face. An invitation. YWAM offered a Christian community and three months to dive into scripture, prayer, and my relationship with G-d. And after the “lecture phase,” another three months would be set aside for doing service and outreach in other countries. G-d, service, travel, a focus on using art (music, photography) to go deeper spiritually… I’d done the research and the program was nearly perfect. Though there were risks: the program had already officially begun so I would need to get to Germany as quickly as possible, it was six months long and far from the states, and I might not be 100% backed by people curious about setting aside so much time for spiritual formation. Yet it felt right. It was where I felt lead, and I was at peace.

            I accepted the invitation. Sunday night, I got a ticket to Germany (and found the most incredible deal... things were falling into place). Monday, I got a winter coat (hoorah!) and boots for the snow. Tuesday, final preparations were made. Wednesday, I woke up before sunrise and found myself inside the terminal at SFO awaiting my journey to Europe. It was a quick transition, yet didn’t feel rushed. It reminds me that G-d doesn’t always work on our time… Life changes quickly and we can trust. As Pierre Teilhard de Chardin says in the quote above, I’m “[hoping] for perpetual discovery and [trusting] Life” to the fullest of my ability. Cool Runnings and a big shout out to the latest Kairos Group that returned home last week. Live the Fourth.