I’m so excited to show you around Modling, Austria a bit. This won’t be a grand tour because actually today I went on a hike with Mallory and got lost in the forest. No worries though, because we’re back safe and sound. There isn’t a very good grid system in the woods. *smile*

Modling is just outside of Vienna. On Mapquest it says it takes about 24 minutes driving time to get into the heart of the city.

Here’s our house Quellenstrasse 9A. If you go up the stairs you get to the part that I live in with Mallory, Courtney and one of our staff, Renata. I don’t have a pic of Renata yet, but that will be coming. She’s an Austria woman who has a passion for prayer, music and getting things done efficiently. I’ve had to pray my way through some situations with her because of her perfectionism tendencies. She definitely knows how she likes things done.

Something I’m in charge of while I’m here is hospitality. I thought it was funny that this was my role because it’s something I love to do anyway. I take care of our guest speakers and their families as they come in and out each week.

If you go around the back of the house there are stairs leading to the basement where the guest speaker stays, Gerhard (another renter to the property) and Suzanne, who is another DTS staff member. She’s my mentor for these six months and I’m really enjoying getting to know her.

My IKEA bottom bunk provided for me. I added the fake Gerber daisies which remind me of the Colorado farmer’s market.

Here’s where we eat our meals. Guess what, another one of my responsibilities is to have breakfast options out on the table in the morning and to make coffee. One morning I was so tired I forgot how much coffee I had put in the filter. Needless to say it was a little strong. More like Starbucks strong. Good thing I’ve had coffee making training from my dad and Tra’Cee!

I went from having a little oven to a little fridge. I think I’d rather have the oven than the fridge. It’s hard to keep all the leftovers we want to store.

Here’s a bit of what you’d see if you walked around the center of Modling. I find that in most European towns there is always the infamous clock tower.

Another view from the Modling walking street. There are little cafes here and there and shops that we still need to go into. They were closed when we ventured down there on Saturday afternoon. Most shops close early on Saturdays, around 1 p.m.

It’s not the friendly King Soopers, but it made me smile that this grocery store is so bright! You can’t miss the Billa bag that spins around to let you know where to find the food in town. Our big purchases this weekend were laundry detergent, nail polish remover and food to attempt our own salsa. It didn’t turn out too bad. Very fresh. You become quite creative when you can’t find what you’re looking for.

Here’s a closer pic of Mallory (on the left) and Courtney my roommates. Mallory is from Connecticut and Courtney is from Washington state. We work really good as a team, which will be exciting to see how God has equipped us to go on our outreach together.

Life is getting easier every day! I appreciate your e-mails and comments. They bring a smile to my face. Tonight we sat down to dinner with Mike Oman who has been with YWAM for some time and now lives in Northern Ireland. He’s our speaker/teacher for the week to talk about the heart of Father God. I stepped back from our dinner for a minute in my heart and felt so grateful to be having dinner with this man and just the opportunity to be where I am at this time in my life.

I’ve found that I have to let go of my search for answers right now in my only 1.5 weeks of being here. And try to just be here. Some moments that’s easier than others. Today I had to give my computer to Mallory so I wouldn’t get on it until after dinner. I’ve been on it a lot, and found that it was a dependency and escape. Every e-mail, SKYPE call, instant messaging only made me hungry for more. As I’m away from those people I was surrounded with every day and could easily access on my cell phone brings to surface my dependency on other people for my security and acceptance. Yep, that’s just not going to work.

One of the symbolic activities we went through this past week with Hal and Brenda Young was nailing down to the cross these plastic trash bags we had made into shirts covered in stickers representing those ways we try to live our life on our own. Whether that comes out in anxiety, people-pleasing, perfectionism, dependencies, etc. With every pound I made striking that hammer to the nail I held onto: “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Chew on that for a bit. I’ve glossed over that so many times. That we are the righteousness of God. Not that I have to figure out a way to become the righteousness of God by doing good things, but that because I have a living relationship with Christ and have accepted Him as Lord and Savior, I am God’s righteous one. Praise Jesus!

I hope that will bring sweet dreams to you as you end your Sunday. I’m getting ready to end mine right now. It’s past 10 p.m. and it’s time to sleep. How can you pray? Pray for opportunities for student outreaches. Pray for figuring out transportation to this church I attended today that I loved. (I’ll talk more about that on another day!) Pray that I’ll get to see one of my former small group girls, Ashley, the weekend of Oct. 21-22. We’ll be close because we’re spending that week in Germany. I just need to work out the housing, food, and train ride back to Vienna details.

And keep me posted on how I can pray for you! Blessings to each of you!

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