the first steps

I have officially begun my semester abroad, and I am wonderfully excited to see what the future holds. I want to share the highlights with you all. Unfortunately, so many great things have happened and I don't have much time to write it all down. I'm working on it, though, and I hope to catch you all up soon! For now, here is an update of simply my journey in getting here.

16.01.16

After a ten-hour flight overlooking the frigid waters and lands of Canada, Greenland, and Iceland, the plane began to descend to Amsterdam, Netherlands. I was preparing myself to rush off the plane in order to catch the next one to Munich, Germany. Germany; the destination I’d been dreaming about for the past six months. I couldn’t wait to get there and start the semester that would change my life. But as it turned out, Germany would have to wait a little bit longer.

We missed our connecting flight, and ended up having a six-hour layover, instead. We couldn’t leave the airport so we were stuck sitting on hard plastic chairs while the rest of our group was already touring Munich and delving into German life. 

Four more hours to wait and a few of us decided to explore the airport and find something to eat. Every kiosk we passed had some variation of tulips. Single flowers, colorful bouquets, or fake cloth tulips lined windows, and some stores even had tulip bulbs to buy.

Other special Dutch souvenirs included wooden shoes and waffle cookies.

Most airport shops had a selection of sandwiches and other food items, and I was surprised to see one sandwich common between all of the shops — an egg and bacon sandwich. This consisted of sliced hard boiled eggs and cold-cooked bacon. Since it seemed to be a popular food item, I figured it would be a cultural experience to try it myself. I didn’t like it.

My brief impression of the Dutch in the airport was that they are fast moving and very tall. Someday I’d like to be able to go back and make a better discovery.

Our plane left Amsterdam around 3:30, and we arrived in Munich by 5:00. We then loaded in vans and drove to Nuremberg, Germany, where we arrived around 7:00. It was an exhausting 24 hours of travel. I didn’t really see the city as we found the hostel, so I wasn’t sure what I’d be waking up to in the morning.

 I know this happened over a week ago... I'll try to catch up soon:)

Support Letter

Dear Family and Friends,                                                                                           July 1, 2015

            I would like to tell you about an amazing opportunity that has come my way. I have recently been accepted into a study abroad program in Germany for the Spring 2016 semester. The program is AMBEX (www.ambex.org), and is a partner of Corban University.

This past year has been an adventure—taking a leap of faith to study Creative Writing and History at Corban. I absolutely love it there, and am growing so much academically, socially, emotionally, and spiritually. However, I believe God has more growth of these natures in store for me in Germany this next year. I am incredibly excited about the prospect of this new adventure, and truly believe that God will make it all possible.

Let me tell you about AMBEX: AMBEX is dedicated to teaching students more about the world around them while they learn about God's presence in their own lives.

Some of the distinctives of the program are honoring the Biblical and cultural mandate to go out into the world, becoming cross-culturally literate, and expressing good stewardship of time, talents, and treasures.

The values include a “greater understanding of the key issues of a Christian worlview,” an appreciation for the reformation, and a greater knowledge of God and the world He has created.

The mission statement reads; “In fidelity to Scripture and to the glory of the person and work of Jesus Christ our Savior, AMBEX exists to teach Christian students the vital historical and theological foundations of the Protestant, Evangelical Christian faith, through a personal, comprehensive, and life-changing in-class and on-the-road academic experience, and through involvement in the European missions activities of local churches in Regensburg, Germany, and central Europe.”

About 20 students and a handful of professors embark on this journey together. We will take two weeks to rigorously study one subject and earn three credits. Then there is an independent travel week, and all students are allowed to go wherever they want in Europe (with a small group of other students). This pattern continues for the duration of the three months—earning students a total of 15 credits and 3 independent travel weeks. The courses are these: Christian Worldview and Apologetics; European Geography, History, and Culture; Theology of Reformation; Art History of the Western World; and Modern European Literature.

I hope the participation in this program will be invaluable to me, and that I will gain cultural experience, new knowledge of the world I live in, an enriched spiritual life, new friends from around the world, and new experience and understanding of the global church.

I’m asking for all of the prayer support I can get. I really believe this is something God wants me to pursue, and I would appreciate your help in getting me there! I ask that you be praying fervently for me as I search for funding, and as I travel to Europe to study intensely for three months.

Also, as incredible as this opportunity is, I am falling a little short on the financial side of it. Unfortunately, my scholarships from Corban do not transfer, and financial aid is limited. I am working very hard this summer at Subway, but cannot make all of the money I need. My financial need is about $6,000, which will go towards the tuition of the program.

If you wish to make a financial contribution (please do not feel obligated), you can donate here: www.gofundme.com/charlotteingermany, or send a check to:

Charlotte VanWerven

1537 Pine Street

Lynden, WA 98264

My deadline for raising my full support is September 1^st. As I said above, I also need all the prayer supporters I can get!

If you are interested, you can follow my adventure on my blog: charlotteischangingtheworld.blogspot.com

Thank you so much for your consideration and for being a part of my support team!

I hope you have an excellent summer,

Sincerely,

Charlotte VanWerven

Germany

Hey everyone:)

Recently, I have been given the opportunity to spend Spring semester 2016 in Germany; studying abroad with a program called AMBEX (www.ambex.org). I am working towards making the dream a reality, and would love your prayers as I try to get there!

I've been keeping incredibly busy this semester. Working at Subway. Writing a novel. Editing my play. Writing for Jesus' Economy (www.jesuseconomy.org). Spending a lot of time with family. Relaxing a little.

Long story short, I probably won't post very much in the next few weeks/months, but I will keep y'all updated on important information on my AMBEX endeavors, odd poetry, or anything else I feel like sharing :)

Happy summer!

p.s. Here is my Go Fund Me page if you wish to contribute financially:

www.gofundme.com/charlotteingermany

Loving the People

Some days, verses mean different things.  Sometimes they speak to us differently.  Sometimes, it has to do with context.


"Not that I am speaking of being in in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.  I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound.  In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.  I can do all things through him who strengthens me." 

PHILIPPIANS 4:11-13

Often, the last verse is all that is read.  Everyone who went through AWANA knows "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."  I think the verses before it have just as much meaning, though.  Paul is talking about how God gives us strength for everything, not just the hard times.  He will give us what we need in any and everything, even the good times.

These are a few of my favorite verses, and they have been on my heart today.  Lately, I have been feeling down, and have been on the side of the verses with being low, hungry, and desperately in need of God's love, which I wasn't letting in, though he was offering it as freely as ever.  Today, though, I stand on the other side, the side of abundance and plenty.  I feel like I'm on top of the world.  The strange thing is, nothing happened to change that.  Nothing tangible, nothing I can point right at.

I knew I was lost, and God gave me the strength I needed to get out of the rut.  He helped me through, he helped me to accept his love and forgiveness, and now, I ask for his strength to help me give it all back to him.  He has blessed me so greatly, and now I need to give this abounding goodness to the people around me, I need to love them like God loved me - unconditionally.

None of us deserve God's love, none of us deserve love from anyone.  But we need it to live.  We need God's love, because his love brings his grace and forgiveness.  Its a tough thing, to need something we don't deserve.

I hope these verses speak to you in some way.  This is just what they mean to me today; that God gives us undeserved strength all the time, and he gives it to us out of love.  And with that blessing of strength, we should love the people around us, and show them how wonderful God's love is.  If we could love all of the people in any and every circumstance, just imagine how different of a world this would be!

a little bit about me.

I have a brain.  My left brain works in the morning, and my right one takes the graveyard shift.  It keeps me up at night, turning me to my parmesan goldfish to keep me awake as I quietly type out the thought that interrupted my dreams.  I am the three a.m. snacker.  Food makes me stay awake.  I am the person who stays up because her head won’t shut down.  And I keep myself awake because I can’t let the thoughts pass away and be buried in the cemetery of my mind.  It’s too dark down there, and the chances of it coming back up are the same as a dead man rising from his own grave.  

I live in this constant fear that my ideas will leave me when I need them most.  I am afraid that the most brilliant idea I will ever have will come to me when I don’t have a pen and paper near.  I am what I write.  I write my ideas.  I am afraid of losing my ideas.  I am afraid of losing myself.

I am a skeptic.  And I question everything.  

I am extremely easy to read – my body language could tell you the nature of all my thoughts.  But it won’t tell you my thoughts themselves, because you’d have to ask, and I’d have to answer.  You could ask, if you wished, but I would be sure to lie.  And you will probably know that it is a lie, but you couldn’t get me to tell the truth.

I am bizarre.  I can be something one moment and then another the next.  I am not reliable.  Not constant.  I am a mess.  

But I am a beautiful mess, I think.

I am God’s mess, and He is fixing me more every day.

I have faith in that.

Busy

Life is busy.  Life gets hard sometimes.  I don't have all day to tell you what's on my mind.  But, I want to share my prayer that has been on my tongue for the last few weeks, and will stay for weeks to come.

Lord, slow me down.

Whatever I am spending time on,

It should be glorifying you.

And if it doesn't,

Please help me to let it go.

I feel overwhelmed and busy,

So I can't spend time on anything

That doesn't further your kingdom.

I am a mess.

So, please help me to glorify you in all that I do.

And please help me to stay sane,

And to be able to accomplish all that needs to be done.

Thank you for this life,

And all of the wonderful things I get to do.

But help me to not get carried away,

So that I will always focus on what matters most.

You.  Your kingdom.  Loving the people around me.

God, please help me to live for you

By loving the people around me.

No matter how stressed out I am,

I have a desire to see You through it.

Your kingdom come.

Your will be done.

I trust you with this.

Please help me to make it through.

My Hands Hold God's

There is something in the air,

The air that I breathe,

That fills me with the Spirit.

It is the air of fellowship,

The air of brotherly love.

There is something in the song,

The song that I sing,

That makes my heart beat louder.

It is the song of a heart that is claimed.

Claimed by the One who will never let me go.

There is something in the eyes,

That eyes that make me see,

That shows me the light of Your grace.

It is the picture of a cross,

A picture of sacrifice.

There is something in the blood,

The blood that courses through my veins,

That brings life to my soul.

It is the blood of Christ,

The blood that saved me.

There is something in my hands,

My hands that hold Gods’,

The love that God has given me.

It is the love that awakens me from death,

The love that lets me breathe.

I am filled with the Spirit,

I will praise the God above,

I can see the undeserved grace,

I live on the blood of Christ,

And

I have been loved by One who

I do not deserve.

And

I have been given so much

Extra.

I will love the people.

I will love God’s creation.

I will love the ones who live in sorrow.

The outcasts.

The sinners.

I will love everyone.

Because I have been blessed,

And I was blessed with a purpose –

A purpose to share

The love

That is in my hands.