14 mins

OK, so the time here is 07:08.I got up early to finish my Old Testament paper before I leave again for English camp. I swear I'm not trying not leave these things until the last minute, I did actually have this paper finished on Thursday, but them realised that I'd missed out like half of the big things that I should have put in it.

Writing this paper to begin with was such a chore; I felt like I was getting nowhere with it. I didn’t know how to start, what to put in the middle, or what conclusion I should put! And every time I sat down to do it, something for more exciting was happening somewhere else. After being away the whole week before, I already felt like I'd missed out on a whole lot. Not necessarily certain things that happened, just more spending time with people. With it being still early on in school, friendships and stuff are still forming. And I honestly felt as though I was missing out on a key time of school. I felt lost for a long time when we came back, I was out of the school routine. And people seemed a lot closer than when I left. Add in a cold, tiredness, and a lot of work to catch up on, and the result was quite a hard first half of the week.

But after I got over my cold, slept up, and sat down with my paper, I suddenly noticed all this things I had missed. It was like a light bulb went off on top of my head. And I couldn’t stop writing. Everything made sense. Normally reading things in the Old Testament just confuses my brain a little bit. But when I got into this paper, I just got it. And I totally could see how it all points towards Jesus in the New Testament.

Anyway, so this week I’m off again to English Camp. Part of me is excited to be going but another part of me just wants to stay here because I still feel like I’ve just got back. But I’m sure it will be an awesome time. Anyway, its not 07:22 and I need to get ready for breakfast and finish packing ... OK, I need to start getting more organised. Last minute packing is never good.

...

Credo

Tiredness has set in at the Bode. Everyone is walking around looking like they just want to go and have a nap. I’m feeling that too. My eyes are heavy, my brain is tired, and I feel like a cold is setting in. Great.

As I come to write this post, I’m sat here wondering where to start. I feel as though I have so much I want to out on here, but when I think back everything about the last week is just one big blur; the days have all merged into one big one.

I spent the last week in Switzerland doing an English Camp with 20 kids (...well, I say kids. They were between like 13-17, so more teenagers than kids I guess) who wanted to improve their English. There were 6 of us from school went to help out. I loved the week, and there were so many highlights of my time there, but after a few days of being there, all of us missed the Bode. I valued my time in Switzerland, but couldn’t help feeling I was missing things back at school. I don’t think any of us expected to miss school as much as we did. The morning we set of home (yep, I have been referring to the school as home now) we were all so giddy at the thought of getting back into Germany.

...But what were the highlights Steph?! You said there were highlights before you started getting all soppy about missing school!?

OK, so just general camp life was fun. Yeah, it was exhausting, but we had so many laughs with the kids. And though the camp did feel quite long because it was a full week, it gave us more chance to get to know the kids there. We got pretty close to some of them, and it was to encouraging seeing them by the end of the week asking more questions about the bible talks, and praying for each other in small groups. And because it was a small camp, only a small group of us went to help out. Spending a whole week with just 5 other people from Bode was class; we all got to know each other so well. On the journey there none of us really knew each other. We were asking questions like ‘so, Natalie, do you have any brothers and sisters?!’. But on the way home, we were chatting away like friends do, laughing away, and generally being giddy.

What else happened?! ...A farmer near the place near where we were staying shot at us. Yep, you did read that right. Well, he maybe didn’t shoot directly at us, but he sure did shoot his gun with the intention to tell us to get of his land. Us guys from school had a free afternoon one day, we had a bit of cabin fever from being inside all day, it was raining, and so what else was there to do but put on bin bags, and slide down some hills. SO much fun. Got a few bruises and some very muddy clothes, but totally worth it.

We also went on a sweet hike up a mountain. And the view, not joke, was AMAZING. You could just see the Alps for miles and miles. We sat and had lunch at the top, and an eagle was flying around, soaring through the air. It was quite a sight; it was flying effortlessly though the sky. Watching it fly I couldn’t help but remember the passages in the bible where God says he will lift us up on wings like eagles. How he does not grow tired or weary. He is strong and powerful. Standing at the top of a mountain, looking out at the greatness of His creation just reminded and confirmed to me how amazing He is. He made the mountains just though speaking words. He spoke and they appeared. I mean, can you get more powerful than that?!

Honestly, I’m struggling to think of other things that we did. We played a lot of games, did general camp things. I had my first real smore at a campfire taught by North Americans and they were pretty darn good.

Anyway, I’m back at the Bode; for now anyway. Next week I’m off again with the whole of the English outreach team to lead a camp somewhere in Germany. So this week on my agenda is catching up from all the I missed from last week, doing this week’s work, writing the assignment that’s due while I’m away, and planning some English lessons for the camp. Busy?! Yes. But its all good.

                                                                                                                                                            

didnt think so

Can it get much better than waking up and seeing this out of your window?!

Or going for a walk and finding this?!

Or hiking up a mountain and seeing this?!

No. I didnt think so.

They weren't kidding

Right at the start of bible school they told us that the first two weeks would drag, and then once we reached the third week, time would just fly. They weren’t kidding. And so I come to almost the end of my third week at Bode. Silly as it sound but I’m already dreading leaving this place in March; the final day here is going to suck, big style.

This week has been slightly more chilled. Now that people are settling into life here, more people are starting to just hang around at the school during afternoons, rather than head out places. And this week I feel I’ve chilled a lot. And it came to a point yesterday where I just needed to get out of the school, so four of us went out for coffee so my roommates birthday. We came across the cutest little cafe (...which we are tempted to keep on the down low!). It was awesome just to sit with these girls and just chat, there are some great people here and I love getting to know them. Because there are so many of us it’s almost hard to really get to know people. But then you head out with a small group and you can just chat and chat.

Anyway, so what has happened since I was last on here?! Oh my gosh, where to start...

We had a school trip last Saturday to Switzerland where we hiked up the Alps. It was such a beautiful day for it, and the view from the top was immense. Though reaching the point for the amazing view was hard work.

K-groups have started. Basically, the school is split into smaller groups of 12-14 people and we meet each Monday, chill out and share together. I got voted as one of our group leaders, not entirely sure how I feel about this yet. Part of me would just like to turn up rather than organise, but I guess God has other plans! And I’m also not too sure what my role entitles, time will tell!

Friday night was international night. We had a German style meal with all the staff dressed up in traditional German attire. The dining hall was all decorated and after that each country took to the stage to represent themselves. And yes, the rumour is true; I did in face rap about England! Maybe one day I’ll put my lyrics on here. Maybe.

Sunday I realised how unfit I have become and my need to stop eating the amazing chocolate they have here as I ran in a 10k race. My time wasn’t too bad, I got what I would aim for, but it was pretty hard going running the race, and 3 days post run I could still feel my legs. Not good. I need to find the motivation to run here to avoid serious weight gain.

We have also been put into our outreach teams. I think I actually put about that in my last post. Since them we have had a couple of meetings and stuff. I’ve gone from being totally overwhelmed about the amount of stuff we are doing, to really relaxed and excited, and back again. I leave with 4 other students and Justin, the guy who is staff and heads up the English team, on Saturday. I am pretty excited but it feels surreal that I’m going. I worked out than in the next 35 days I’ll only be at the school for 18 because in 2 weeks I’m heading out on another English camp in Germany. Part of me is gutted that I’ll miss loads of stuff that goes on at the school. But another part of me is excited that we get opportunities that other students won’t be getting. I’m torn.

Also while I’m away I’ll be missing the lectures by a guy called Ken (not sure of his last name!). And he is from England. Gutted. But he knew I wasn’t going to be around, so invited me and another girl out for coffee and cake today. It was really cool to chat with him. And it made me realise I want to get to know some more of the staff here.

What else can I tell you...hmmm?! I actually think I’ll just leave it there for now, lectures are starting again soon.

busy

I have little time to blog properly right now, but know that time is starting to fly by here. Life is so busy I have little time to stop and think sometimes.
We got assigned to our outreach teams this week and I got my 1st choice which I was so chuffed about. I'm on the English Team, so we will basically go to like a teen camp where the kids are learning English, and we help them learn the language whilst telling them the gospel, pretty cool huh?!
And I literally just found out about an hour ago that I'm one of the I think 5-6 people going to a camp in Switzerland in...wait for it...7 days time! And we are away for a whole week leading this camp.
My life just got a whole lot busier!

camp feeling

So it turns out finding time to blog is kind of hard. And each time I come to write something I don’t know where to start, so much happens every day here.

I’ve been here just over a week. It feels like I’ve been here about 5. And I don’t mean that in a bad way, time by no means has dragged, but I’m feeling settled, I’m getting a routine, and I’m getting to know the people here. But it’s still got that camp feeling to it a little bit, like I’ll be going home in a few days. But in reality those few days are actually a few months. That said I’m glad they are months as opposed to days, I love it here.

I’m currently sat in my room typing this. As I look out my window onto the back of the school I can see people playing football, I can see people playing volleyball, and I can hear a community. I’ve found it amazing how a group of over 100 people can come together with a mutual love for Jesus and just instantly get on. You don’t get that with other groups of people. We have a developing little community here, and I get the sense that if you give us a few more weeks and we will have some great friendships developing between people.

Our timetable seems slightly intense. We have 3 lectures in the morning, and then 2 in the evening after supper. There are some days which have exceptions, for example on Monday mornings we have a small group instead of one of the lectures, and Friday night is always free. But generally that’s what happens. We have quite a few papers to get written and handed in. I’ve already done 3 this week; my testimony, a purpose paper (basically explaining how it came to be that I am here what I want to get out of this next 6 months) and also a spiritual life survey, which asked us a few questions on our relationship with God at the moment, what we are struggling with etc etc. The last one Peter said we could hand in anonymously, and he wanted us to be brutally honest. So I was. It was actually really challenging to write, being truly honest with myself and then typing it out for someone to read.

Alongside the lectures we have 4 books to read and write reports on during the terms, learn the books of the bible in order, learn two memory verses a week, do a bible study project, read the whole Old Testament and write papers on different sections of the Old Testament once we have read them...I know right, it’s a good job we have a decent amount of free time.

I get the feeling that Bible School is a lot like other things, you get out of it what you put in. I read a couple of chapters of one of assigned books today after church. It talks about how you don’t just become a Christian and then immediately have a great relationship with God. And reading you bible all the time and studying it hard can’t create that either. Tozer in his book puts it like this, ‘The modern scientist has lost God amid the wonders of His world; we Christians are in read danger of losing God amid His Word’.

Moses knew God, but he prayed in Exodus 33:13 ‘Now therefore I pray, it I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight’. David wrote many psalms that sign of how he seeks to know the Lord more and more, and psalms of how he rejoices God speaks to him and reminds him of His awesomeness. Paul writes in Philippians 3:10 ‘...that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection’.

There is so much going on here, so many things to do, people to talk to, places to visit...but I don’t want to be too distracted from the real reason I’m here. I don’t want to become complacent with where I am, but continue to seek Him.