It is wild to think that 2016 is already here, but we are quite excited about the developments that have started in this new season. Micah's sister and her family came and stayed at the house over New Year's Eve and we had fun getting to know one another, playing games, and having cook outs in the backyard. Much to Jonathan's delight we also set off some fireworks, his inner pyro was very satisfied :).
January 8th marked a special moment for our household, we finally were able to start Street Buddies in Linz!!! Going out on the street again felt incredible. The realization that Downtown Linz is much different than the Kai in Salzburg struck us rather quickly. Structurally all the bars are spread out in a rough circular cluster instead of lined up in one strip. Age range of the people out also seemed more varied. There were still some very young looking folks but I noticed a larger majority of mid or late twenties groups. Much to our relief the evening was relatively calm. We got to give water and paper towels to a couple people who were feeling sick and we got to have a lively conversation with a very tall Australian and his Austrian friend. More than anything I think I was just overwhelmed by Jesus' goodness while we were out. Previously while doing Street Buddies in Salzburg I had struggled sometimes with managing fears of awkwardness and fears of doing/saying something wrong and looking stupid. There were definitely times where I was way more focused on myself and my worries than on helping others. Earlier during the day before our first venture into Linz I had been praying and asking Jesus to help remove fear from my life. I also had been asking him to help me understand the verse in 1 John that says "Perfect Love casts out fear". Throughout our time on the street I experienced such a still quietness in my heart. Approaching people and offering help felt natural and enjoyable. It was like Jesus was chipping away at my self-focus and anxiety and reteaching me the joy of real love. I am looking forward to going out next week and seeing what God wants to teach me next!
Working alongside our organic dairy farmer friends has also been a lot of fun. Jonathan and Micah have been helping install a kitchen complete with stove, oven, and cupboards. I usually spend the day with the wife where we do cleaning, yard work, and sometimes she teaches me how to make incredible Austrian specialties in the kitchen. Yesterday she showed me how to make these potato dough desert dumplings that have small plums in the middle and whipped cream on the side. I also got to help with the milking process which was amazing!! At some point in my life I'm pretty sure I want to be a farmer gal.
Thanks for reading, and a wonderful new year to all of you!
-Rachael
January 8th marked a special moment for our household, we finally were able to start Street Buddies in Linz!!! Going out on the street again felt incredible. The realization that Downtown Linz is much different than the Kai in Salzburg struck us rather quickly. Structurally all the bars are spread out in a rough circular cluster instead of lined up in one strip. Age range of the people out also seemed more varied. There were still some very young looking folks but I noticed a larger majority of mid or late twenties groups. Much to our relief the evening was relatively calm. We got to give water and paper towels to a couple people who were feeling sick and we got to have a lively conversation with a very tall Australian and his Austrian friend. More than anything I think I was just overwhelmed by Jesus' goodness while we were out. Previously while doing Street Buddies in Salzburg I had struggled sometimes with managing fears of awkwardness and fears of doing/saying something wrong and looking stupid. There were definitely times where I was way more focused on myself and my worries than on helping others. Earlier during the day before our first venture into Linz I had been praying and asking Jesus to help remove fear from my life. I also had been asking him to help me understand the verse in 1 John that says "Perfect Love casts out fear". Throughout our time on the street I experienced such a still quietness in my heart. Approaching people and offering help felt natural and enjoyable. It was like Jesus was chipping away at my self-focus and anxiety and reteaching me the joy of real love. I am looking forward to going out next week and seeing what God wants to teach me next!
Working alongside our organic dairy farmer friends has also been a lot of fun. Jonathan and Micah have been helping install a kitchen complete with stove, oven, and cupboards. I usually spend the day with the wife where we do cleaning, yard work, and sometimes she teaches me how to make incredible Austrian specialties in the kitchen. Yesterday she showed me how to make these potato dough desert dumplings that have small plums in the middle and whipped cream on the side. I also got to help with the milking process which was amazing!! At some point in my life I'm pretty sure I want to be a farmer gal.
Thanks for reading, and a wonderful new year to all of you!
-Rachael