and yet it remains today that i live in.

still a good two weeks away. 

still trying to remember how it feels to see streets made only from concrete and asphalt instead of stones and bricks.

still wondering how it will all play out.

still thinking that two weeks is a lot of time but goes by very fast.

still looking forward to being in the air again.

still enjoying kathys laugh and smiles when she notices that she did something worthy of it.

still imagining how maleaha will react when meeting her auntie and uncle for the first time.

still trying to prepare in some way or another.

still enjoying the taste of peanutbutter and honey on toast in my mouth.

still feeling the pain of holding granit crystals and i dance up the rock face.

still wanting the north face of harney.

still preparing an unpreparable lecture.

still wearing salmon colored pants.

still remembering the good memories and talks at 427 w. kiernan.

still haven't called.

still should.

still have a couple bikes.

still getting used to the new family and the idea of being here.

still like good coffee.

still have a scar.

still stoked.

still thanking Him.

still in my twenties.

still need to sweep.

still with much love,

israel

rabbit and the bear

neat how things develop... most of the time leaving or leading things in a different direction than we had originally planned.

...which i would say is more than likely better that way, leaving room for the unknown, for something we can expect, for miracles...?

as i wrote last time, the loans are paid off! YEP, that means, debt free... free to wander again...   not sure if it really means that.. but i feel definitely lighter without them. thank God for lifting that yoke!

i also wrote last time that i am coming back to the good 'ol usa.
at the time of writing it, there was still some uncertainty as of life here and how it is or was suppose to work out. to be honest, i was totally finished... beaten.. tired and dreary. but again and again talks lead to more truth and encouragment.
a couple days later, we talked with our marriage counselers and decided that 3 months be separated... again, was stupid and talked about other options.

over the last half a year, things have been harder with having the wrist operation, being unemployed (not being able to work), and not being able to visit family and friends again. i was pretty fed up with it all as was kathy.

we decided now that on the 25th of may, i will fly from Frankfurt to Spokane. the plan roughly includes staying there for a short but needed visit as well as seeing sam and beth in idaho before heading back to the black hills. i think it is best to leave the rough draft where it is... ready for change... ready for surprise... for adventure... and most of all, for trust.

kathy comes in july for the month and at the end, we fly back to germany together.

my ticket for america is bought. back is yet to come as well as kathys.

that leaves here just less than 3 weeks to get some things in order as well as to just enjoy and think again and again about what to pack. kinda hard when i don't know what i will be doing there. :)
next week is spent co-leading a seminary with moema (mamamöma) which i am excited for, followed then by a wedding, kathys b-day and then packing.

our cat is acting wierd the last day and we fear it may be the end times for her. particularly hard for kathy as we have grown so attached and have loved the mitzi katze. but oh so blessed we have been to share the last 10 months with her.

to end on a happier note. i am so excited for what God has in the next season to come... for the time in america and with dear ones as well as sharing those times with kathy.

email will stay the best way to reach me up to when i am in the states. then i would like to try and get a cell/sim card for the time there.

well.. til then loved ones!
let's meet up soon!


much love, israel

...and overcome we shall!

hey, this blog is rather a milestone than an update.

as of this morning after i made the bank transfer, i am officially debt free.

that means, the loans are completely paid off now!
i do not owe anyone money. what i earn are true earnings.

so, all praise be to God for this great feat!

as of lately, things have changed in a couple directions.

i started working at a café but was caught at a fork pulling me in a new direction.
so i quit the job and pursued a lead for teaching english.
i am, if i can really say this... hehe... an english teacher here as of lately.

there has been a lot of walls that my head has hit again and again and the time has come for a break.

we have decided that i am to go back to the states alone for about 4 months.

it is and was a drastic, or rather needed decision due to multiple reasons that i will spare for the time being.
but i am both eager and sad about it. but we are looking that kathy can visit around july.

this last year and a half has been filled with crazy moments.. both great and difficult, and the time has come for a bit of a refuel before tackling new business.

so... it is all still up in the air. i don't have a flight or money for a flight. the exact date is yet to be named but the time frame is at the end of may. living quarters are flexible but still unknown. where i may work is still up for grabs.. but to be completely honest about it all... i am totally fine with it!
i think i am suppose to fly to spokane first, see dear ones... then it is open for grace and trust.

thank You Papa for leading us and helping us through everything. i remember Jesus said that the world will be full of troubles. oh man, we have yet to really experience so much and can yet tell stories and times of troubles that we indeed have faced. but the key to it all.. or the best part is that Jesus has overcome the world. since we are to live and die in Christ, we too have been made to overcome. and overcome we shall!

so, thank you all for the prayers, support and encouragement in the long race to get rid of the loans. thank you too for the love and blessings i have been shown (i thank God for you). and though alone, i do look forward to see you all again. may God hook up the times and may we be open for it.

much much love and grace,

israel

new nebenbei blog

started a new blog to add to this one called:

translatedlove.blogspot.com

it will be more towards daily writings and photos. kinda to inspire a regular entrée for hungered.

dreams and life of dreams

i wish i had more pictures to add... they seems to tell a pretty good story. the weather lately has been steadily under freezing and i have had less desire to get out and photograph life.
it has been being spend more often indoors than out and leaves me with the healthy urge to get out, sleep in the cold and look for details in the cold hibernate of winter.
hopefully soon.

the job still has not started. seemingly due to that hibernate.
that "job" is suppose to be a café, serving cappuccinos and latte macchiattos to the neighborhood.
the wrist is now in working order... but still hurts off and on. mostly on.
in the mean time, well.. more like the last couple days, but since last friday i have been pursuing teaching/tutoring english. obviously no phone calls yet from the hung flyers in the schools and cafés, but an interview in a neighboring city at a company that does this professionally. maybe it'll be something. maybe more than this longly waited for café job that still hasn't called or written this last week....

i'm trusting God with this all and trying to be of good manor as i keep looking for work.
coming back to america seems to keep slipping through the hands as of this year. first it should have been Christmas... then may... and then it looks more to be for july planned. well... we'll see. the café job wouldn't allow for me to leave in it's high season for a month. it might be more like sept... pushing it again means quitting jobs and doing it regardless of most things! i wanna come back soon.

india is also in the thoughts. i met a friend for lunch today who was in nepal as of lately doing a doctor help program. he went on the describe the time there and more and more of my thoughts wandered deeper into the dream i had the night before of being back in northern india.

the loans are steady at 1000€. i have til october to pay it off. i've got 170€ saved up... thank God for grace!

coffee lately has been disgusting. i wondered why... if it was due to my lack of skill? or the lack of good coffee... the riddle was solved when i finally opened up my pack of christmas blend from starbucks bought on new years as we were in freiburg.
it was the best, fullest cup of coffee i have enjoyed since being in america/starbucks. haha... spose i'm just a coffee jerk with a hopefully good heart. :)

got to go and get a couple things done before kathy is back. scrub scrub scrub.

prayers:
K&I- more contact with the community (especially with the "faith in God" filled people),
health (wrist recovery too),
deeper unity together,
wisdom and finances for coming back to america and ability to travel around to visit dear ones while there.
K- energy for work as well as being married,
good time with good friends... more good friends.
I- the right job,
good time with good friends... more good friends too.

Much love from Allgäu,
israel

 

victory

hold on while i put more pellets in the oven...

victory comes in multiple ways i suppose.
conquering an oppressor.
following through or not giving up.
sitting up straight more than not.
being the one you are made to be.
maybe even a change of heart in the right direction.

i already started celebrating. not cause i got a momentary victory.. but a innerchange victory.

the espresso is cooking.

my ears are delighting in tristeza's hauntingly delicious tunes.

my belly is warm with grilled cheese sandwiches. the first being a bit burnt and the second a heavenly récipe.

love & war could have victories... both being unique. maybe one is there for the other, or without one, the other is not worth it... ?

deep theological thoughts are not the motive right now.

just...    enjoying being real. really loved. real to myself and not sticking to stress or boredom.
both by the way are deathly dangerous.

the coffee is getting done. just a smidge more i suspect.
it is coffee cooked on the stovetop as espresso.
interesting enough, mine is usually less thick though filled to the brim.

oh uh.. gotta check on it.

yep, coffee.
it is indeed thick... just not like pulling a shot. more like strong coffee.
strong, peel the paint off the walls, coffee. but not strickenly eating the enamel away delicious...

i took some pictures of my last hour and a half of activity. cooking, more cooking and the cat.

 memories of home!














lazy yet lovely furball.

a book worth reading.

 the start of a good meal.

 the first one done. stove was too hot. gotta learn from these things.

stove top yum yum.

















much love,
israel

which weekend was that...

sometimes i don't write because i don't have anything to say... nothing tasty enough to put words to for the rest of the world...

othertimes it is because there is too much to devour and not enough time to give a taste of any of it to the rest...

this time is about the latter of the two.

christmas obviously happened. really regardless of whether we would want or not.
and with this certain family date, time is spend eating, talking and trying to rest.

new years was very special for us this time around. we visited some friends of mine in freiburg.
it was almost more spontanious than not and was such a good time!!!
among our time there, we could hear some of ywam freiburg, catch up with old friends, drink starbucks and learn of new dreams. all in all it was a very well spent celebration.

the following weekend was busy for kathy as she worked the whole time. i can't really remember what i did in that time... probably a whole lot of nottin ;)
but during that weekend and since the time of christmas and new years, my heart was aching more and more for home. the original plan was to visit the states for the holidays, but becuase of the wrist, it didn't  nor couldn't happen.

at this point, (second week of january) i had some really rough times inside and needed to escape the bavarian/german life.

i packed my bag, cleared things up with kathy, and hit the road aiming for berlin. since the lack of money, i decided hitchin would be the right thing.
i left on wednesday hoping to spend some good 4 days in berlin and at the end of the first day found myself in stuttgart. for all those who don't have a map handy, that is not really so far and rather in the wrong direction. needless to expand on my frustrations of that time, i bought a train ticket, some starbucks and after a walk around the city, headed home again with my head low. it was not an easy day but at the same time i was excited to see kathy again for my unexpected return home.
we ate out. drank some wine and chilled.

later that night, i found a rideshare up that way and booked it. got up early the next day and enjoyed a ride up to berlin at 180km.

the weekend was good. it was good to be back somewhere familiar seeing those i once spend much more time with. i stayed there 3 days and took part hanging out at old places, seeing new faces and kindling the fire in my heart that still burns for that city.

the way home was to be hitchin though the man i rode up with was heading back at the same desired time. but me lacking funds again, and this time even more since paying the train ticket back home and the ride up to berlin. but then God tickled my faith once again and i was given 50 € for the trip back. i not only enjoyed the way back but a pizza and club mate (tea soda) on the last day in berlin.

the following weekend kathy and i were in a cabin near stuttgart for a friends 30th birthday. we spent two nights and three days chillin, drinking coffee, snow, a giant bonfire and cold snowing weather outside with lots of new people. a blessing of a weekend to say the least.

the next weekend, kathy was due to join a church retreat to play worship. it was for 12-13 year olds for their confirmation from the church. since kathy works some with cvjm (ymca- it is much different here in germany. they do lots of social work with the church), she was invited to come with. she in turn invited me to join and help any way i could.. but i turned it down from instinct and shyness. stupid huh?!
i have times when i shy away from good opportunities because of embarrassment or the language or other random cognative distortions. i decided spending time in the mountains somehow would be much better time spent. well... i tried, but couldn't find anyone to join me. at first, there would have been no room for me to join with on the retreat, but then a spot opened up. so, i did the math, fought my fears and asked God for His will in it... and went with.

i now am helping with the boys group on fridays with the ymca (again, it is very much more Christ oriented here in germany). it was a really good thing.

last weekend was my sister-in-laws b-day. i spent some of saturday alone on the border of austria playing in snow and mountains.

regarding some other things....

the debt is now at about $1,300 (1,000€). Praise God for His grace.
i borrowed 1,000€ from a friend here in germany, transferred it to my american account and paid off the debt in america. now i just have to pay him back what he borrowed me and it is finished!

my wrist is blocked somehow inside. we are still working on flexibility at the therapy and it is going too slow. i head up to the doctor on thursday for a check-up and we are all anxious to hear what it blocking or what has to be done to get it going again. (when i bend my hand backwards-fingers towards face-it goes so far, then not any more... not a milimeter. it seems that the piece inside that was repaired is blocked or caught up on another bone... :) we'll see in a day or so.)

we are looking to coming back to the states this summer. originally we thought may, but are looking at the options with work and may end up coming in july instead. if it be so, then we could stay the whole month instead of 3 weeks. we still need an auto to commute to family and friends elsewhere outside of s.dakota. the tickets are more expensive at that time but i figure they'll come down.

i am not working yet and at the same time am getting more opportunities to work in the future. we'll see how some of that works out before i satisfy your curious lil wonders.

outside it snows, the sun shines, rains a little, then snows some more... the whole time being windy.

i spend the days learning about mountaineering (reading) and practicing french and spanish.

kathy and i are now seeing a couple for counciling for our marriage. who ever said these things would be easy....

God has been providing funds for living and friends for chatting. i only hope to spend more conversations with american friends either in person or on the phone soon.


thank you all for prayers, thoughts and following this (at the moment seems sometimes boring) life of ours.
we are anxious to see what God is doing through these little/short teadious times in hardships or learning new things... supposingly getting us ready for the next steps of learning how to love ;)

much love,
israel

still missing granite spires, dancing like who cares after work, meeting with dear ones, making american jokes and having people understand them, my home culture, good cheeseburgers and real suv's. :)
love you all!