This past a week was probably one of the most difficult for me mentally and emotionally. Before I left for my study abroad, someone showed me this chart of the stages of culture shock. First, everything is very new and exciting, the middle is a little draggy (this is where home sickness supposedly happens), and then the end is really exciting because you are trying to make the most of the time you have left- plus the thought of going home is exciting. I think this last week has been kind of that middle draggy stage for me. So prayers against home sickness would be very much appreciated.
We visited the center of German government.
We visited the East Side Gallery- a famous portion of the Berlin wall that is covered with artwork.
We had to say goodbye to some sweet friends.
On Saturday morning at 7:00am Joe, Emily, and I jumped on a bus to head to Prague for the week-end. Prague is only about a 4 hour drive from Berlin, and all three of us had heard so many good things about the city. So, we decided to check it out for ourselves. When we arrived in Prague, we found a place to eat some authentic Czech food before we headed to our hostel. I was a little apprehensive about the whole hostel thing, because I had never stayed in one before this week-end. I wasn't quite sure what to expect. It turned out to be a pretty okay experience, and I think any young person traveling should try it at-least once. We booked beds in a 10 person mixed gender room. Emily and I turned out to be the only girls in a room with 8 guys. I felt a little bit like I was living in a men's dormitory, and I saw a few too many men in their undies. In the morning, I would wake up to a chorus of snoring. However, ear plugs are like magic so all of the snoring didn't bother me too much.
We spent the first day of Prague exploring the Old Town Square. We had to cross Charles Bridge to get to the square from our hostel. There are something like 15 or 16 bridges in Prague all crossing thVltava river. St. Charles is the most famous, the most beautiful, the largest, and the most full of tourists. Prague is really full of tourists. And Americans. Apparently over 30,000 Americans live in Prague. Whose total population is 1.2 million.
Old Town Square
The entrance to Charles Bridge by night. You can see birds flying in the lighted area above the entrance
Our second day in Prague, we explored a couple of other famous squares and probably my favorite part of the weekend- the Mucha Museum. Alfons Mucha is a famous Czech artist, and his art is so beautiful. He was really famous and sought after while he was still living in the early 1900's. Usually to me, art is kind of cool, but not super interesting. Usually, art museums are not my activity of choice. Mucha's work is so colorful and the facial expressions on the women he paints portray so much personality and emotion.
We also took a boat tour later that night.
The third day in Prague, we visited the Prague Castle, relaxed by the river a bit, and then headed back to Berlin around 6 o clock.
The more and more I stay here in Berlin, the more and more I feel like God is opening my eyes to how much Germans are turned off from the gospel. It is not just that Berliners don't except the gospel- they are radically oppossed to it. It is really easy to feel like if I share what I believe, no one will hear me. However, at the same time God is reminding me that it is not my position to change the views of everyone I meet. I feel like so often, Christians feel this sense of duty and by consequnece, a sense of guilt if that duty has not been fulfilled up to our own standards. Though we are called to share the gospel, no where in the bible does it say to be discouraged if it seems as if no one hears you. I think for me and all of the other introverts out there, it is very easy for that sense of guilt (or perhaps 'lack of doing good' is a better way to put it) to feel overwhelming. In the modern church, contact evangelism and a type of 'extroverted ministry' one might say, are often stressed. However, to someone who is naturally very worn out by speaking to strangers (aka- the introvert) this standard of contact evangelism is daunting and not easily executed. By no means am I trying to justify hiding in a corner and not proceeding with the Great Commission, I just think for different people, the Great Commission can be executed in different ways. The point of me saying all of this is: for all of you out there that feel guilty for not preaching to the masses...don't. Yes, share your faith openly and without fear- but we are all gifted in different ways of doing this.
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