Settling back in

I’ve barely landed back in Germany, and I’m jumping right back into the swing of things!

Visit!

Abby (my friend from high school) and Chris (her boyfriend) came to visit, which was really exciting. I got to show them around town, and we hung out and did silly things.

We found this toilet sitting outside someone's house. It was Sperrmuell time!

Chris (evil masked bandit) tied Abby (helpless maiden) to the train tracks. Creepy!

Redecorating

Rachel and I decided we wanted to make our bedrooms more homey. We wanted them to feel like our own, and we didn’t exactly feel that way by using whatever linens we could gather from the various hiding places in the house. I for one never felt like my bed was quite my own when sleeping under a bright orange and red duvet cover. I prefer more subtle colors, like blue. I like blue. I had tried covering the orange with my blue fleece blanket, but it never quite worked.

So Rachel and I went to Lörrach with Andrea Field; she originally took us there to look in a fun little jewelry shop, but when she found out we were looking for new duvet covers she helped us find a place that sold some for a reasonable price. We found some that matched our rooms perfectly! And it’s hard to match my room perfectly because my walls are yellow and lavender. Strange, I know, but I kind of like the yellow. It reminds me of sunshine, which is good because we don’t see much of the real stuff in the winter.

I like my bed now! It even matches my map of Europe and the random giraffe poster from the elementary school!

The chair on the left was previously in the living room, but now it actually matches my room! This half of the room looks great - you just can't see the yellow wall from that side.

Hiking

I hiked up to Hoch Blauen yesterday, because what would a weekend be without a hike up a mountain? There were some hang gliders up there; I think it must have been a Verein (club).

Hang gliders preparing to fly

This hang glider takes off. Free as a bird!

After watching 3 men launch their gliders, I sat down to read a book while roasting my arms and legs in the sun. There were clusters of them floating around in the air – every time I looked up from my book I saw another!

They floated around for a couple hours. Must be a great view up there.

Reading

My relaxing reading started on the plane with All Quiet on the Western Front. I finished that up on the mountain. Yesterday I went to the local bookstore and ordered the German version of the same book (it was originally written in German). It’s called Im Westen Nichts Neues (Nothing new in the West). They didn’t have that in stock, but they did have a kids’ book I wanted! I had grown up reading the Three Investigators series, and there’s a German version – Die Drei ??? (The Three Question Marks).

Die Drei Fragezeichen (The 3 Question Marks): Feuer in Rocky Beach (Fire in Rocky Beach)

It’s a kids’ version – 8 years old and up! I can understand everything, though I have to look up a few words in each paragraph. I’m making significant headway – I’m already on page 55!

Church

In some churches, you go away and come back and nobody notices you’re gone. I didn’t feel that way today when I stepped into the FeG Kandern. They noticed I was back, although I think part of the reason was that I was interviewed for the church newsletter, “Pinnwand.” Just before leaving Germany, the pastor’s wife had sent me a questionnaire, which I filled out in German and sent back to her that week. She proofread it, and the edition of Pinnwand was published last week. Several people came up to me today to comment on it or to thank me for playing violin in the service.

Here's my interview. If you can read German, click on the picture to make it bigger. If not, read the translation below.

Here’s a rough translation of my interview:

My name is Jill Musick and I play music! I was born on October 29 near Chicago. After my graduation from Wheaton College in 2009 with a Bachelor of Music Education, I came to Kandern. I direct the orchestra and give violin, viola, and cello lessons at Black Forest Academy. I’ve been coming to FeG Kandern since August 2009. I am happy to come to church and feel comfortable here.

1. What have you laughed about recently?

I laugh every day! Sometimes I laugh at the jokes of other teachers, my students, and Brian Regen, but I mostly laugh at myself. For example: Last week I painted while climbing, did oil changes, and played Tuba. Funny, isn’t it?

2. With whom and why would you change places for a week – just for fun?

I would like to change places with a Gelber Sack factory worker. I am curious what happens with the yellow sacks each month! [Note: Gelber Sacks are the recycling bags here]

3. Can you remember how you came to Christ?

I became a Christian as a child. Every evening my parents read the Bible to my brothers and me. We discussed the Bible and I understood the Gospel from an early age.

4. What is your pet peeve?

I can’t stand it when people chew with their mouths open.

5. What book, besides the Bible, has especially helped you grow as a person?

“One Thing you Can’t Do in Heaven” by Mark Cahill, and “Mere Christianity” by C.S. Lewis

6. Where is your favorite place to sit in the church service?

I like to sit in the middle – near enough to see everything.

7. What would you do if you had an unexpected free evening?

I would go for a hike, play violin, and read a good book.

8. Who is a role model in the faith for you and why?

My parents. They have shown me how to live their whole lives for Christ, not for themselves.

9. What do only a few people know about you?

I’m planning to run a marathon in September. [I think lots of people in the US already knew that, but I hadn’t really told anyone in the church. The subject just didn’t come up.]

10. What is your greatest dream for the future?

To follow God with my whole heart, wherever He leads.

11. Do you have any tips on how to make prayer and Bible reading more interesting?

Pray in a group. Listen to God. Wait on God, don’t be hasty. Memorize Bible verses so you can always reflect on God’s Word. If you don’t feel God, know that He is there, whether or not you feel Him.

12. What would you do with a million Euros?

I would set up a scholarship for MKs so they could study at American colleges & universities.

13. What makes you happy?

I’m content with the small things: Spending time with friends, hiking with friends, books, music, smiling, laughing, animals, etc.

14. Whom would you like to say a special “thank you” in this space?

My parents, but they don’t understand German and aren’t here! [although now they can read this] I think God for my parents. I think God that He brought me here.

15. Which of these questions was the hardest for you to answer and why was this so?

No. 2 because I’m already happy. I want to stay in my own life. Also No. 1 because I always laugh, but I don’t know why!