Travels.

     The last week has been a whirlwind! My friend Andrew from college who is traveling though Europe visited me so we decided to take a weekend trip through the capitals of Latvia, and Estonia! This is a trip that I have wanted to do since I got here, and I am so glad that I got the opportunity to go. Before we left I got the chance to show him around Klaipeda which was fun since I know my way around a bit now, its always fun to be a tourist in your own city. 

Being able to travel is an enormous blessing. I met so many wonderful people during my travels, and I always learn so much when I get out of my comfort zone. This past week before I left for my trip I got to have many wonderful conversations with students. The kind of conversations that remind me why I am here, why I love my job, and why I am a follower of Jesus. I can tell I consider Klaipeda home when I am sad to leave it for the weekend! Thank you to all of my followers and supporters. It is going to be interesting missing Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years this year but I know that I have a home here, and people praying for me all over the world, so thank you :)

Klaipeda

 Here are some pictures of our time in Klaipeda. These were taken at about 4:30pm, this is how dark it is at that time in the winter!

Latvia

Next we hopped on a bus from Klaipeda to Riga, Latvia where I had my first hostel experience, and my first time seeing snow fall from the sky! It was so magical until I realized how cold I was. It continued to be magical from indoors :) Latvian Independence day was just last week so we got to see some of the celebration while we were there. During the day we went on a walking tour which I loved. We learned so much about the history of Riga and saw many landmarks that I normally would have just walked by without knowing they were important. At one point in the tour I was leaning against a wall we had stopped by, and the tour guide told me that the building I was leaning against was the sight of the last execution in Latvia....not such a fun fact. 

It was incredibly beautiful to see the city freshly covered with the first snow of winter. I am in constant awe of God's creativity! If it took me 23 years to experience this form of beauty I can only imagine what else He has in store for me to marvel at!

A sweet little courtyard that looked like Christmas!

The steeple of this church has been replaced SIX times! There were a few reasons for its destruction but the most common culprit was being struck by lightening!

Estonia

Estonia was such a magical place. Tallinn was not really damaged by war like a lot of the other Baltic countries so it is really old, and has many original structures. This town is very Medieval, one day we had lunch at this restaurant called "Dragon" that is in the side of the old City Hall, it felt like a little cave really. They have no electricity, only candles, and they serve one meal, Elk soup and meat pastries. They had no utensils for the meal, and you could also fish pickles out of a barrel for free. It was an interesting experience that felt like a time warp. 

We did another walking tour in Tallinn and learned that it is pretty much an Atheist country with a lot of churches left over. They wanted to make one of the churches in town an Atheist museum but that never happened, thankfully. They also called themselves E-Estonia because they are so technologically savvy. Estonia is responsible for inventing Skype!

Here is the Estonian flag, the blue represents the sky, the black the earth, and the white hope. 

 The view from the top of the city. The water seen is the Gulf of Finland, and you can actually take a 2 hour cruise across to Finland.

We were lucky enough to stumble upon a Christmas Market in the town square, there is no Thanksgiving here so Christmas comes early!

 On the bus ride back home I had a few more hours in Riga, it was crazy to see that all the snow had melted so soon, the city had a different feel.

The blue dot is Klaipeda where I live and started this journey and Riga and Tallinn are labeled. Just to give an idea of the trip. 

NIDA.

         I praise God for busy weeks, for showing me my purpose, and then using me. I praise Him when I am exhausted at the end of a full 7 days with nothing but a week of gratitude to look back on. This was one of those weeks. Right as I got back from my beautifully slow vacation in England I was thrown back into work. We had so many fun and exciting things planned for this week, I just wasn't sure how I was going to do them all. Thankfully I work with incredible people who are always willing to help out. Together we pulled off a full week of activities, meetings, big events, conflict mediation, and a retreat! 

In the midst of a fast paced week I made time for a few sabbath moments and I am pretty sure that is what got me to this point in one piece. I am juggling a few books right now that are all teaching me how to better understand the heart of God. Quiet time spend alone, waiting for God to speak is so valuable to me. I am learning that these times can be found, or created anywhere, anytime. 

On Thursday night my RA's threw an All Hall event. It was a 007 themed Casino Game Night. We had many different card games going, a Photo Booth, fancy refreshments, and people dressed up for the occasion! It was a hit, I had so much fun seeing the creativity of my team and the way they worked together to pull it off. 

Friday afternoon we had a Professional Development lunch for all 12 of the RA's on campus. We do this once a month, it is a lunch that the RD's take turns making for the RA's and after they eat together I get the opportunity to speak to them about Student Development Theory. I love researching these different theories, and then turning them into lessons that can help the RA's in their jobs, and interactions with their residents.  This week we studied Moral Development theory and the different stages of decision making that all humans go through. 

This weekend was our semester RA retreat! I took my people to Nida which is 2 bus rides and a ferry away from campus for the night. Nida is a quaint little town on the Curonian Spit surrounded by the Baltic Sea. We rented an apartment for the night, had a lot of team bonding time, shared meals together, and took a hike to a lighthouse! I have added tons of pictures of our time together below. Having a team that works together so well is a huge blessing. We all learn from each other, and appreciate the gift and talents that each one brings to the group. It was nice to treat these people that I care about so deeply to a little adventure. 

One of our team activities for the retreat was an affirmation board. I was blown away by the comments left by my name. One in particular read, 

"Your faith is fascinating even for the non-believers." 

That was an Amen moment for me. Ever since coming to LCC and realizing that is isn't like the small Christian school I left in San Diego where everyone is on a similar page in the religion category, it has been my goal to share my faith through my actions and care for people, rather than my words. I have wanted to share Christ's love with people who don't believe without making them uncomfortable or imposing anything on them. This comment was the bit of encouragement I needed to realize that I can touch people with God's love by just being me. Practicing affirmation with my teams has made me want to be braver, and more intentional in affirming people in my everyday life. 

  

 007 Casino Game Night Event!