The End of the Year

As the end of the year is drawing closer and closer, I can't help but reflect back on this previous year and our time here in Austria. (It also helps that we do a yearly report). There have been many highs and lows throughout the year but overall I have really enjoyed it. It is exciting to think of how much we have learned in this past year. However this evening I have been thinking been thinking much more about what our next year will look like. As relationships have developed in this past year, I have begun meeting more and more with various youth girls. I have had the privilege this week to meet one-on-one with 3 different wonderful girls from the youth group. After every meeting I have come away thinking about a few different things. 1. How blessed I was growing up having Christian friends not only at my church but at my school as well that were able to build me up and support me. Just about every youth I know here, is unaware of any other believers that goes to their school. Just today I was meeting with a youth girl and she was talking about how lonely she feels at school. That she is exhausted always standing up for what she believes and constantly experiencing teachers and "friends" that are trying to tear her down or make fun of what she believes. Sure that is something that I experienced going through High school, but only a couple times, definitely not something that would often happen. I often forget what a blessing that was. 2. How doing things with your hands, pretty much always will get girls talking. Baking cookies, making supper, doing a puzzle, making crafts...it doesn't really matter what. It is awesome how God can use such simple things to bring up conversations about Him. 3. That these girls long to be heard. They want someone to listen to the things that are going on in their life. Not someone that will give advice right away or scold or praise them for their behavior but someone that will simply listen. 4. These girls long to better understand God and the Bible. This is exciting for me to see and hear. They do not settle for reading something and completely misunderstanding. They search for the truth and ways to better explain what they believe or what the Bible says to their friends. 5. I love my job. I absolutely love that it is work to bake cookies and talk about Jesus, that it is work to read through a Bible passage and discuss it, it is work to be there and support these wonderful girls that I care about so much. In essence, my job is to be me. :) In this coming year, I am so excited to see how God will continue to use me in this area. I know lots of things will change with us adding a member into our family but it doesn't change the fact that God will continue to use me, especially in the lives of the youth here in Austria.

Holidays

This last Thursday we were able to celebrate Thanksgiving along with all of the rest of you. :) We were able to get together with a group of Americans and their spouses that are currently living in the Innsbruck area. Even though it was not the same as spending the holiday with family, we still had a great time. Seth got to play in a Thanksgiving skit for the kids as a little pilgram boy...don't let the apron confuse you, they ran out of costumes. We were able to enjoy all the traditional Thanksgiving foods although apparently the Turkey was hard to come by but they managed.

After Thanksgiving (and a little before) our holiday focus began to switch to Christmas. This being potential our only Christmas in Austria we didn't want to spend much money getting all the decorations so we decided to make most everything (although we didn't try making a tree). This last weekend I also did a Christmas crafting in the afternoon with 8 youth girls at our house! It was so much fun to share about what our families normally do for Christmas. It is surprising to hear how different some of their traditions are...like putting up the Christmas Tree on the 24th. They also don't have the tradition of stockings here so as they saw me making our stockings, it took the girls a while to understand but then they all wanted to make one. :) They enjoyed it so much that they asked me to bring all the supplies to the Lighthouse this Friday so that they could make more things. It was a very exciting and enjoyable time for me :)It's beautiful to walk around the city now, the whole old city is decorated with Christmas Lights, Christmas Markets, and the biggest real life Christmas Tree I have ever seen. I'll have to take some pictures and post them later.

Also this week I started the women's connection group through our organization. They pair you up with a woman that has a lot of experience with being in ministry oversees. The plan is to skype once a month and have it be kind of a mentoring relationship. A time for me to talk about whatever is going on in life, ask advice (or not), and then be prayed over. Even though we have only met once, it was a great experience and I am very excited for this relationship to continue and develop. 

Please be praying for the coming weeks as we have no idea when this little one will be deciding to join us. We are wanting to continue being busy up until the baby comes to help us not get impatient but it is difficult to commit to things and then have a back up plan just in case the baby comes and we are not able to follow through. So far though I am really glad that we have been keeping busy, it helps the days pass by a lot quicker. Also be praying for Seth as he has a cold right now, that he will be all healed up for when the baby comes. We appreciate all your love and support!

Alyssa