Advent 2013 Week 1: HOPE

ADVENT

I love the season of advent.  It takes me back to my childhood.  Each week at church a family would read a scripture, share the theme of the week and light the candle.  What a thrill to be chosen to handle fire in church!

15 years ago we were living in Azerbaijan, working with World Hope.  Emma was just a baby; Kayli and Dillon were 4 and 5 years old.  I wanted to continue our advent wreath tradition, but there weren’t any convenient supplies to be found.  Under the cover of night, I went out with my trusty kitchen scissors to cut off small branches of pine trees and holly in the neighborhood to make our wreath.  I am committed to the advent wreath tradition!

I used to think that Advent meant remembering because it held such a sentimental place in my heart.  It is kind of like communion, but not in that way.  It’s a time of waiting.  Of expectation.  Both communion and advent look forward to the return of Christ. 

I’ve challenged myself to write a little reflection on each of the themes of Advent this year.  There are different traditions in the themes and the order in which they are celebrated.  I’m using the official Wesleyan Church order because, well, that’s my tradition: Hope, Faith, Love, Joy.

The First Week of Advent:  HOPE

December 1, 2013

My class at Taylor University buried a time capsule just before graduation to be opened at our 25^th reunion, which took place this fall.  I received my envelope last week.  I remember feeling so strange about writing a note to my future self.  So much was unknown for me.  Dave and I had been dating for three years and were heading on a missions trip to Central America for 6 weeks, then I had internship plans at a law firm that fall.  I had only mapped out about 6 months of my life, much less 25 years!  My letter is boring and bland.  I continue to be terrible at dreaming to this day. 

Dave also wrote me a letter, and skirted around the issue of our future relationship. He was a year younger than me, not quite ready to make a lasting marriage commitment.    He wished me good health and general pleasantries.  He closed the letter with a list of his favorite things including: 

• Tony Campolo
• The Sound of Music
• Riding bikes
• U2
• Taylor University
• The book of Acts – Do we live like true disciples?

It reminded me of so many of the reasons I fell in love with him. 

Then he scribbled this on the back:

But, I plan to marry you in about a year and a half.  I hope you bear my children and we live happily together.  (Don’t be mad if we don’t)

Dave had an optimistic hope with a side of caution.  He couldn’t control the whole situation.  I was the wildcard.  His hopes did come true, however, and it only took one year.

The best part of our hope in God is that we can count on all that He has promised.  The object of our hope is secure.  We can be confident that when our hopes are aligned with God’s word, they will be fulfilled.  When we grow in our understanding of who God is, and who we are in His sight, we see how He gives us positivity for the future.  We aren’t waiting for Christmas hoping in the way we hope for good weather or that our favorite team wins a big game.

As we wait for Christmas this year, let us align our thoughts, motives and hearts to all that God wants to do in our lives and communities.  We hope for His transforming power in our lives to shape us and use us for His good in this world.

Romans 15:13

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Little Girls

A little girl climbed up into the seat across from me on the Ubahn today.  Her mom lugging a backpack and stuffed animals sat beside her.  Both mom and daughter took turns straightening the blanket on her lovies.  She squirmed in her seat, trying to see out the window, finally getting her feet tucked under her bottom as a booster.  She squealed when she saw the Danube River.  She stretched her neck to see the tops of the curved UN buildings.  She pointed out the football field to her mom with excitement.

Her mom gently held out her arm as a brace every time the Ubahn came to a stop.  She brushed the hair out of her daughter's eyes.  They held hands and the mom rubbed her thumb over the pudgy back side of her little hand.  It was a tender moment.

I used to have little girls.

I held out my arm for them in the car if we came to a sudden stop.  We affectionately called it "the mom arm."

I brushed their hair back, and even pulled it back in a hair tie to prevent syrup tangles on pancake mornings.

I held their hands.

I loved my girls.

My little girls are teenagers now.  It's not as simple as it was then.  I can get distracted by their activities and relationships and regret for my weaknesses.  Today I was reminded that motherhood isn't just schedules and cooking and cleaning.  It's tenderness and listening and care.  I am still learning how to be a mom.  And I thought I was almost finished.

Stadtwanderwegs - Part 1

One of my favorite ways to explore Vienna is by its hiking trails. There are 11 circle paths laid out throughout the city, each one takes anywhere from 3-5 hours. Vienna has well over 500 kilometers of hiking trails 90% of which are in woods and nature.

My goal is to complete all of the Stadtwanderwegs (city hiking trails). And let me tell you why. You can get a pin! If you collect 4 stamps you get a silver pin, and for 7 stamps you upgrade to GOLD! That, my friends, is serious motivation.

Stadtwanderweg 4:  Jubiläumswarte
Last month my friend, Lisa, and I ventured out on Stadtwanderweg 4:  Jubiläumswarte. I was glad Lisa taught me how to look for the signs, as they are not always easy to find. Kind of makes for a fun adventure, though.

 At least the first half of this pond is accurately named:  Silver Lake

Such a typical scene. I see many elderly people out in nature here.

Some cheaters take the bus.

A highlight of the Jubiläumswarte trail is the tower you can climb to have a fabulous 360° view of the city.  For those of you who know me well, yes, I climbed to the top by clinging to the center pole.  I am SUCH a chicken when it comes to heights.

Worth conquering my fears

What?! The stamp has been stolen? Lisa and I both had looked up info on the hike and found an article that said this particular stamp many times is "purloined". I was very sad that I couldn't get my stamp, but hope this pathetic picture will convince them that I was there.

Post hike we stopped at Trzesniewski, a Viennese open faced sandwich joint with 9 locations where people usually order their sandwich (or two or three) and eat standing up. I skipped the Pfiff of beer you can order, coming in at a mere .2 litres. So funny to see people carrying their mini beer steins to their high top tables.  


Stadtwanderweg 5:  Bisamberg
On Kayli's final day before heading back to University, we took a family hike through the vineyards. A friend of mine described Bisamberg as a Garden of Eden, where you can pick fruit and nuts all along the path.  

Harvest Time

Not sure why my family was posing as superheroes.

We also found a lovely cafe along the way. The Austrians sure love their outdoor cafes.  We ordered two bowls of Ginger Pumpkin Soup to share. And then promptly ordered two more. Sehr lekker!



Stadtwanderweg 8:  Sofienalpe
My friend, Julia, invited us to join her for a hike and a picnic lunch on her birthday. I was so happy to join in the fun for more exploring. It was also lovely in this group to have a mix of English and German spoken throughout the hike.  

Fall crocus? On such a cold fall day it was surprising to see so much color.

The group ended up taking a shortcut back home, so I missed the stamping point. Someday I will have to go back to complete the hike. I am so thankful the hike took a different path home or I would have missed these gems.

Quite a mushroom collection

We also came upon the most unique cemetery I've ever seen. The deceased are cremated, then their ashes are buried at the base of a chosen tree. They become a part of the cycle of life and people can still have a place to come to remember their loved ones. It's so beautiful and serene. Some trees have family names, but some are according to themes.

Tree of Love - I think this is the one where Dave and I should be buried.

Which tree would you choose?

Stadtwanderweg 9:  Prater
My sister, Juli, came for a quick visit from Oxford, England, where she and her husband are living for his sabbatical year from his post at the University of Rochester in New York. She is used to rainy England so we didn't let the drizzly day bother us. As my friend and EcoTrek Fitness founder Cari Draft says, "There is no bad weather. Just bad gear."  

This Stadtwanderweg has the least amount of feeling that you are away from the city.  In fact, the trail takes you under the highway we take to the airport. At first I was disappointed by this, and yet I love the fact that Vienna has not allowed urbanization to take over this prime piece of real estate.

What a joy to spend the afternoon catching up on some serious sister time, sharing about our families and life experiences. Juli has travelled the world, shares my love of learning, and is someone I deeply respect. It was so life-giving to have her here.

Part of the reason why this hike took us nearly 5 hours...

Stempel Progress

Three and a half Stadtwanderwegs complete. I will keep you posted on my progress. One silver pin coming soon!

Finding Words

I love the power of the written word.

Words crafted into sentences. Descriptive paragraphs. 

Interesting blogs. Informative articles. Creative novels. 

I started this blog as a way to share our new life in Europe in a more personal way.  

There's Twitter for more universally connecting observations or thoughts, 

Instagram, my new favorite, for pictures of beautiful or hilarious things I see (but I limit myself to only one a day so I don't break Emma's rules) 

Fancy Stockings

and Facebook for more immediate and personal updates.

Sure, there's overlap.  I try not to say the same thing in all three places every time (one of my pet peeves). This blog is much more personal, a place for me to share more deeply about an experience or what I've been thinking. In some ways it's a place for me to work out what I really think about something.

I've never been much of a journal-er. My grandfather kept a diary, wrote just a couple sentences every day from 1907-1933. This blog is as close as I'm going to get to that. I fully recognize how lousy I am at it, this being my tenth post in almost as many months.

But sometimes I just can't find the words.

Like how can I possibly share with you about our recent visit to Auschwitz? You've seen the movies. Perhaps, like me, you've even become a little annoyed by them; "seriously, another WWII movie?" But people, let me tell you, more movies should be made, more books should be written, more stories should be shared and I must try to find the words to tell you about this place.

Before we went to Poland, we watched Schindler's List with Emma. Do you remember that Oskar Schindler's first factory was in Krakow? The women were accidentally sent to Auschwitz Birkenau for a scary visit before Schindler straightened things out.

I mapped out our journey and was immediately struck by the sheer enormity of the camp. Auschwitz, the first site, was an old prison the Nazis took over. Then they built Birkenau because they needed more room.  Auschwitz-Birkenau is the general term for the network of Nazi concentration and labor camps, established near the Polish city of Oswiecim (Polish name) = Auschwitz (German name).

Those are the outlines of the barracks at Birkenau.  Each one held anywhere from 700-2000 prisoners. 

The pictures I took of the buildings don't help me tell this awful story. They can't capture the suffering. Words fail me.  I find this sign to be the most compelling.

The only way I can even begin to understand how this could happen is that the Nazis did not view the Jews as humans.  I feel so challenged by this thought.  I hope I wouldn't have been a Nazi.  Of course I don't think I would have been an SS Officer inflicting cruelty.  But would I have turned a blind eye to the atrocities going on around me?  Would I have subtly just gone along with a system of injustice because my sense of self-preservation trumped any call to fight for those who were being oppressed?

Do I do that now?

How am I prejudiced?

How am I racist?

How am I standing up for the oppressed?

Sobering thoughts. I am challenged in the wake of the Zimmerman trial. Certainly the issue of racism has not been eradicated from our society. I am challenged when I hear derogatory comments about the Turks in Vienna.  

I am an American. I am white. I am wealthy. I have power. Perhaps that's why I associate myself with the Nazis.

How will I use my power?  How will you use yours?

Vienna Hair

I really don't want to be mean.  Being funny and being mean are awfully close together.  I just have to share this with you.  I dig the hair colors in Vienna.

Sure, urbanites + Europe = creative hair color.  

I know that equation.  The surprising thing has been the age factor.  

Middle-aged Women (urbanites + Europe) = creative hair color expression ²

Women just like me are the ones with the most colorful hair!!!  It's not just teen punkers.  It's my people! Here are my initial documented findings (wasn't quick enough with my phone to get the stripe of green lady on the bus or the purple headed woman out hiking):

clockwise from top left:Frau Pinky Tuscadero shops at Hofer, Ronald's sister works at BauMaxx,
Orange UBahn, Pretty in Pink on Strassenbahn

But yesterday I found the most impressive hair yet at the Praterstern station.  My search is over.

She was telling the lady in black all about her hair.  The long part was NOT an extension!  The lady was feeling it and tugging at it.  

I'm inspired!  I actually think a little stripe of green or blue might be fun.  It would be just a part of my European enculturation.  The voting is open.  What color should I do?

Things I Miss the Most

Notice that this list is about things.  Of course I miss people the most, so we're just going to jump over that category.

• Jalapeños - seriously I have not seen one fresh jalapeño anywhere.  Not even at the farmer's markets.  There are Birds Eye chili peppers, which are darn hot.  Plus there is one vendor at the Naschmarkt who sells habaneros.  But it's not just heat I'm going for.  It's that fabulous flavor of the mighty jalapeño.  I've heard there are a couple Mexican grocery stores who sell pickled jalapeños and I will definitely be buying a jar (or 4).  But next year I will definitely plant some jalapeño seeds on my balcony.  [Any Vienna friends who know where to find fresh jalapeños…I will forever be indebted to you!]

• Hmmm...

Apparently my list is quite short.  I mean, sure I miss my car, but it's kind of a pain to drive when public transportation makes everything so easy.  And now I'm in the groove of riding my bike to the store with my fancy bags I hook on the back, so I don't have to wrestle my groceries on the bus.

I don't miss my house.  I really thought I would.  Downsizing to a two bedroom apartment makes everything SO much easier.  We are grateful for our rooftop terrace, so we can still entertain groups.  In fact, we're having 20-25 study abroad students from Houghton College over for dinner on Monday.  We are REALLY hoping for good weather or it will be quite a tight squeeze!!  But you know?  You just make it work.  

The beach?  We have the Danube River.

Village Baker?  Being that the Vienna coffee house is listed as a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage site, it's a suitable substitute.  Click here to watch a BBC clip on the uniqueness of Vienna coffee houses.  But it is true that nothing can replace those Village Baker pretzels!!

Television in English?  Okay, we do get BBC and CNN news, which is tolerable only in small doses during unfolding critical news events.  We have become more intentional about what and when we actually watch TV.

I remember when we had lived in Baku, Azerbaijan only a few months having this huge feeling of frustration.  It was only when I had said "I'll be happy when..." for the third time in only one week that I realized just how ridiculous I was getting.  I was really going to let my happiness be determined by curtains (granted they were lace and the streetlight was like a spotlight on my pillow) and cupboards (granted the landlords had filled every cupboard with their things for storage so we didn't really have a place to unpack)?  It was a huge lesson for me to really consider in which things I wanted to place my happiness.  Yes, acknowledge the annoyance, but don't let it ruin me.  Dave's mom repeats a great saying, "I will let nothing rob me of my joy today!"  More and more do I believe it's in these moments of real life that we see the power of the Holy Spirit manifest itself.  Left to my own nature I can be a real complainer.

I guess I really am enjoying my new life in Vienna! 

Labor Day in Vienna

May 1 is Labor Day in much of Europe.  Even Google is celebrating:

I was excited to see a maypole show up in our neighborhood last week.  I can remember dancing around the maypole in elementary school.  Okay, dancing might be overstating it, it's actually more like organized walking around the tall pole holding onto ribbons that are attached to the top.  Lucky for you, I heard a band playing outside my window this morning, so ran out the door and caught the children in action!

(be sure to check out the guy playing the accordion)

Once wound, the trick is to unwind, which proved to be quite a challenge.

Labor Day is all about celebrating the protection of workers' rights.  It has become a day for protests, though.  And not just about labor practices.  We received this notice yesterday from the U.S. Embassy:

U.S. Embassy Vienna informs U. S. citizens residing in Austria that the
Chechen Community of Vienna will hold a demonstration in support of the
Boston Marathon bombing suspect...on Wednesday, May 1, at 4:00pm.

That is one cultural event that I do not need to attend.