eins, zwei, drei, vier, funf....

It officially has been five days since I have been living in Berlin. Time has definitely gone fast, and I am sure it will continue to pick up speed as I meet more people and become more acquainted with the culture. The last few days have been extremely busy with random activities. Saturday night we celebrated a teammate of Leah’s (my roommate, or more I am her roommate since I am on the couch) birthday and I met some new people there. Sunday was eventful because we attended a Bundesliga II men’s basketball game. It was a lot of fun. The fans were really into it and it was interesting because they played “We are the Champions” after they won, but only shortly after I found out that winning this series of three games meant they just didn’t have to move down to a lower league. So all in all they weren’t the champions, just not the worst I guess. Now that is something to celebrate. It made me laugh, but at the same time it was really neat to see how much passion they have. My dad always told me Germans know how to celebrate, and let’s just say now I believe him, among the drums, cheerleaders, and water being dumped over peoples’ heads. I can’t imagine what the World Cup is like here.

With Leah and some friends I met at the birthday party

Monday was a busy day, and another day of learning more about the culture of Germans. One thing I learned among many is that you don’t smile at strangers. I tend to smile at those who walk by, but clearly that isn’t the case here. They just give straight face stares back at me and I guess smiling at strangers has “TOURIST” written all over it. Oh well, lesson learned. So, some of my accomplishments today were opening a bank account, which was somewhat tough. They don’t use checks over here so that is interesting, but it is kind of cool they spelled my name Wörle. Too bad I have no idea how to say it over here though. After getting a bank account, I went and got a McFit membership. Although, you may think that this is being a member at the local McDonald’s, it is not. It is actually a gym membership. I chuckle every time I think of working out at McFit, and there is Mickey D’s here too, so not sure where the name came from because everyone here is skinny. I also drove on the train past the Berlin Wall yesterday, so that was cool; hopefully I get closer soon enough. Speaking of trains, in Berlin you can bring bikes and dogs on the train with you. Not sure about other animals, but I knew dogs were allowed when one started licking my leg today on the train. I tried so hard to play it casual, since I stand out enough the way it is, but if you know me I am not always too fond of little, unattractive dogs, and that is exactly what this was. I managed to let it bathe me, but the whole time I was cringing and praying that our stop would come sooner rather than later.

I am trying to pick up German, it is hard. Now I know how people feel when they say I talk fast. The only thing I get out of people’s sentences are numbers usually. I was attempting my German on Sunday though to a woman and I said tres instead of drei. Pretty embarrassing and the worst part is I don’t even know Spanish. I am making some progress though so that’s good.

On a more serious note though, I have been trying to really dive into the Word and have good quiet times while I have been here. Being away from the comfort of the States and all my friends and family has made me rely on the Lord in a different way. I have always been someone who shows love through encouragement, and when you can’t speak the same language it definitely challenges me to show Christ’s love in another way. It makes me have to be intentional and genuine with the people that I meet. At times, since I like to talk and process with people, it can be hard, but I know as time goes on things will get better. After being sad the first couple days, God has definitely given me a sense of peace and excitement about being here and away from the known. One verse that has encouraged me is, Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” I know that God has me here for a reason and I am going to trust His plan even amidst my fears and the cultural barriers that exist.

I haven’t found a team yet, so it is hard to start that part of my ministry. Soccer teams are going into playoffs and the season is ending, but I am hoping to get to some games and watch the different levels to see what would be a good fit. Once I find a team and my director returns from New Zealand, things will look a little different. Right now, it is all a big adjustment so I am just going where the wind blows, which as of tonight is to play at basketball practice with my roommate. They have tried recruiting me to switch over numerous times to basketball because of my large size, but I think they may change their mind tonight after they see how rusty I am. It is a fun workout though for now, and better than running on a treadmill at McFit. So that is where I am at in ministry right now. That is all for now though, but I’ll get back to you on how many air balls I have tomorrow.

Oh yeah, one more thing. If anyone is feeling wealthy and would like to come over to Germany for the Women’s 2011 World Cup this summer (hence the 2011), let me know. Seeing as my friends are limited as of right now and I need to purchase tickets in the near future, I would love a friend to go with. And don’t all you guys (men) jump at the chance to watch women’s soccer, because we all know it is the bomb.com. Sorry this is long; I am not a concise writer if you haven’t seen that by now, but good thing you can just exit if you want.