Grace that is Greater than All our Sin

"My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,

nor be weary when reproved by him.

For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,

and chastises every son whom he receives."

Hebrews 12:5-6

Guten Tag von Deutschland!! I have been in Leipzig, Germany, for a week now, having experienced more in the past seven days than I could even begin to describe. But, I will do my best to hit all the highlights and try to give them structure.

Firstly, I had left the States at 2 in the afternoon last Saturday, and arrived in Leipzig at my dorm almost 24 hours later, having taken 2 flights, a train, and a tram! Amidst all the jet lag and immediate immersion into the German language and culture, my bag went missing between my Chicago flight and arriving in Frankfurt, Germany. My first flight from Houston to Chicago ended up being delayed 45 minutes, so I had only 15 minutes to run to my Frankfurt flight. Although I made it safely, my bag didn't quite get loaded onto the plane. So, I arrived in Germany, having packed only a shirt, my computer, and some books in my carry-on. Needless to say, the Lord began testing me within the hour of my arrival in Europe, and He has been faithful to continue since that moment.

After four days of resting in His grace, and learning to do without, my bag was hand delivered to my dorm, fully in tact! None of my liquids had spilled and everything was accounted for. The Lord is faithful to provide, not simply material blessings, but the strengthening of our hearts in Christ, through His giving and taking away the material blessings.  

UNT German Class in Leipzig, Deutschland Summer 2011

After having settled a bit more (and cleaned up a bit with real soap!), I began my classes at the Herder Institute at the Universität Leipzig. I am taking 3 German speaking courses, one from the German Institute, and two from my German professor from the States. I was placed in a Sprachkurs (language course) after taking a 100 question German placement test. I have already learned a ton this past week, and am interested to see how my development in the language grows in the next four weeks! 

In order to help my German as much as I can in my time off, I've bought a Märchenbuch (Fairytale Book) in German to read aloud to myself at night. It has some great old German stories, like Hansel and Gretel, Snow White, the Princess and the Pea, and Little Red Riding Hood! Its certainly a keeper, and I hope one day to be able to read it to my kids!

Spaghetti-shaped Ice Cream with Nutella and Peanuts!!

I know that much more has happened here, but this is plenty for now. For those of you who are so graciously praying for me and more importantly, for the Lord's work in Germany, here are a few specific prayer requests that I have:

-I have not yet gotten settled into the routine here, and have been struggling with staying in the Word and keeping my heart and mind on Christ. Please pray that I will be obedient to Him in whichever circumstances He allows and calls me into. 

-The language classes are quite difficult, and can become discouraging if I am not careful. It is easy to complain about not understanding instead of continuing to try and learn. Pray that the Lord gives me strength and aid in learning the language, so that I can better advance His Kingdom in sharing the Gospel.

-Always keep the unsaved people of Germany in your prayers. Pray that they are receptive to the Gospel, that the Spirit will convict them of sin, and reveal to them that Christ is the true Messiah who has come to save us.

Thomaskirche (St. Thomas Church) where Martin Luther preached the Reformation in 1539.

Thank you all for your faith and love of Christ. Although I am far from you, I feel the Lord using your prayers as comfort and aid to me in my time here serving Him. 

To the One for whom and by whom all things exist, I praise forever!

Alles Liebe,

Carol