Christmas Meditation

I was in a meeting recently where someone shared the shepherds' account from Luke chapter 2. We got to the final portion of the passage where Luke comments to his readers in verse 19 that "Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart." I had always loved that idea of Mary contemplatively pondering what had just happened and her experiences, but I hadn't thought much about the contents of what she was actually pondering. The word "these things" in the text felt really general.

One of the key concepts we try to communicate when we are teaching bible study methods is to read multiple translations. What's interesting is that looking at Luke 2 in a few English translations, this observation didn't jump out at me. My meeting was in German, and so I had a chance to look at the text with new eyes. As I read the text, I noticed that the German text said that Mary "kept these words." Just that transition from "things" to "words" got me thinking, what is it that Mary is thinking about? What is she pondering? What "words" is Luke talking about?

As I asked this question, I looked back through the passage and realized that verse 17 gives us exactly the answer to this question. The shepherds "made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child." This is to say, they made known the "words" that had been told to them about the child.

As someone who has spent a lot of time with the Christmas story, this was really powerful. I always thought the shepherds' primary role was worship, which is still really important. It is an expression of God choosing the lowly and the outsider to celebrate and worship him at his birth. But looking more closely at this text in Luke, I realized that the shepherds had a role of proclamation, as well, and not just to the surrounding villages and people to whome they were connected. The shepherds told Mary and Joseph (though Mary is highlighted in the story) a confirmation of what they both had personally experienced in dreams and angelic visits beforehand. This message from verses 10-12, that Jesus is the Christ, the son of David, the promised Messiah, that will be for all people. This is what the shepherds said. This is what Mary held onto. Even the prediction of where he would be and how they would find him. All of it was a confirmation for her, for them. God was at work; this was his doing, and he sent them unexpected messengers to complete the task. These are the words that she pondered and treasured. This thing proclaimed by angels and shepherds. 

Brains and Sponges

Ellie's first day of kindergarten

This is a photo of Ellie on her first day of Kindergarten back in early January. In Austria, Kindergarten is the name of the pre-school/child care programs provided from birth through age 5, up until they start first grade around age 6. Ellie started attending kindergarten in German 5 days/week from 8:30 - 12:30 the day after she turned 3 on January 7.

Word cannot express how proud we have been of her for jumping in to this new experience with very little fear. Although she started the program not knowing any German and not knowing any of the kids in her class, she was excited and eager to play and learn. When Ellie was younger, she was very attached and struggled with separation anxiety for a long time. She was also very shy. But we have seen a lot of change in her in the last year, as she has learned to be apart from us and come out of her shell. She is really blossoming into an outgoing, sweet and friendly little girl who brings joy to many!

Sitting at the lego table

It has been so interesting and neat to watch her language acquisition begin. Her teachers at school both speak a little English, so they spoke quite a bit of English to her at the beginning when it was important that she understood what was going on. But they are doing this less and less, and it has become clear that she understands more and more simple sentences and commands in German, even after just a few months.

Ellie's English language skills have always been ahead of the curve, and she started speaking English so well so early, because she has always repeated almost everything we say. She was like a little parrot starting around 18 months old, and her vocabulary in English has continued to increase for this reason. (If you know Nate and I, this probably isn't a surprise. Knowing our personalities, we always assumed our kids would be bookish and very verbal but probably not very good athletes!)

Playing a game with her teacher

So far, her German learning seems to be progressing very similarly. She has started throwing around German phrases at home, even when she has no idea what they mean. She repeats German words and phrases that we say and is eager to experiment with the language. Unlike many adults learning a foreign language, Ellie is not afraid of making mistakes or saying things perfectly. She just tries and experiments and repeats. Her brain is truly like a sponge, soaking in and learning a lot of information very rapidly, and it's incredible to watch. I can already hear her pronouncing German words with correct sounds that are hard even for me to reproduce properly. Within a few years, she'll be speaking fluently with absolutely no American English accent, and I'll be jealous of her language skills!

We are so thankful for how God has blessed us through this kindergarten transition, a change that could have been difficult. We are praying that she not only acquires the language, but also friendships with the kids in her class. These friendships could lead to play dates, which could lead to relationships between us and the other parents. We are praying that Ellie will be a light for Jesus at her school and that God will use these connections to help us find community and share our faith with the families in our neighborhood. Please pray with us!

Moving Beyond Misconceptions

Since arriving in the U.S. for home assignment, we've encountered some misconceptions about our life and ministry in Austria, missionaries in general and Austria in particular. I do not fault people at all for having these misconceptions. It is, of course, no one's fault that they have not had the opportunity to travel to Austria or that they haven't been exposed to some of the realities of missions, life in Europe or Austrian culture.  I thought it might be helpful, in light of these misconceptions, to try and address some of these questions, in an effort to educate and raise awareness about our life in Vienna.

1) Austria and Germany are basically the same country. 
This is BY FAR the most common misconception I have encountered regarding Americans' perceptions about Austria. I understand Austria is a small country, but it is a unique country and culture. However, because we speak German, many Americans get confused and refer to us as being from Germany. Or they ask us what it is like in Germany. I usually say, "I don't know. I've never been there."

The irony is that Austria and Germany are two very different countries and cultures. In Austria, people from Germany who move there often butt up against quite a few culture norms and standards that are unfamiliar to them. We also speak a different dialect of German than most of the people living in Germany. Austrians even make fun of the Germans a bit for their differences or "quirks" and vice versa. Lumping them together would be like someone saying that Canada and the U.S., or even the U.S. and England, are basically the same country, because they speak the same language.

2) Living in Europe is "glamorous".
I think much of Europe is beautiful, and we certainly live in a beautiful country and city. However, our everyday life probably looks like yours in many respects. We don't spend much time "playing tourist"; we have to work, run errands, buy groceries, do laundry, handle our medical needs and banking, and all of the other mundane things of life. Oftentimes, these tasks take more time for us living overseas than they do for someone in their home culture. In our free time, we often get together with friends for a meal or time together. Even though we live in a beautiful place, we still lead a normal life and nothing about it is glamorous.

3) Taking a vacation to another European country must be expensive and lavish.
Getting away from home as a family is something we value. Like most people, though, we live on a budget. When we plan family trips and vacations, we try to be careful about how we spend our money so that we can be wise stewards, while still having enough time away to get some rest. Living in Europe, this often means driving to a neighboring country or taking the train somewhere. A trip to Prague, Italy or Croatia might sound lavish and expensive to an American, but if done right, these trips are the cheapest options available to us (especially thanks to AirBnB!).

4) Language fluency is clear and measurable. You're either fluent or you're not.
We are often asked if we are fluent in German. This is a difficult question to answer, because we never woke up on a particular day and said, "finally, today, I am fluent!" Reaching fluency is something that is not able to be measured, and language learning is a fluid process. It is easier for us to describe our language ability, not in terms of language fluency, but in terms of particular situations where we are comfortable or proficient. For example, we could say, "Nate was able to preach in German 7 times during his internship," or "I no longer get nervous going to the visa office by myself," or "I have friendships in German where I feel like I can be myself and express myself".

5) Coming back to the U.S. is like "coming home".
I think I've written about this before...Many people greet us in the U.S. by saying "Welcome home!" While this is said with good intentions, it usually makes us squirm a little. Being in the U.S. no longer feels like our home and hearing the phrase brings up all sort of complicated emotions. Our home now is where our life is in Vienna, where we live, where our dog lives, and where our friends and church are.

6) Our home assignment time in the U.S. is a restful break.
This is a complicated one. Part of the reason WorldVenture asks us to come back to the U.S. is to take some time to rest and be back in American culture. We understand their reasons for this. The time here has been incredibly valuable. However, resting here has been a struggle for us. Traveling around, being away from home, lacking regularity and routine, staying in over 20 places over the course of 7 months...this temporary lifestyle is not very restful. It definitely has come with many blessings, but we don't ever feel fully at rest being away from home.

7) We are teaching Ellie German, and she's already growing up bilingual.
Many people are surprised when we tell them that Ellie doesn't know any German yet. However, our decision not to speak German with her has been very intentional. First, we want English to be our primary language at home so that we, as parents, can be most comfortable in our home environment speaking our native language. Second, our German is not perfect and never will be, so Ellie shouldn't be learning German from us. She should learn it from native speakers. Third, living in Austria and going through the school system, there is no doubt Ellie will become a fluent German speaker. We want to make sure she gets enough English in her life that she is truly bilingual and doesn't ever lose the English. Therefore, we are focusing on that first. She will start preschool this fall and be fully immersed in German for the first time.

8) It's easy to describe a foreign culture to someone who's never been there.
We get a lot of general questions about Austria, like "How are Austrians different from Americans?", "What is it like there?" or "Can you describe the culture?" These questions are so hard to answer, especially the longer we live there. Cultural differences are very complex and the longer I live in Austria and get to know more Austrians personally, the more I experience all of the different personalities that exist there, just like in every other culture. In every country, there is variance amongst people and for every "cultural norm", there are plenty of people who defy it. It gets harder and harder for me to fit Austria and it's people into a neat little box or tidy descriptions.

9) We live in the snow-capped Alps.
When many Americans picture Austria, they envision snowy mountains or scenes from the Sound of Music, where "the hills are alive". Yes, these places exist in Austria, but we live in the middle of an urban area in a city of 2,000,000 people. We do not ski, and we do not hike through the mountains regularly, nor do we spin in green fields like Julie Andrews, We only see the mountains a couple of times a year.

I hope these descriptions and answers shed a little more light on our life in Austria. We truly appreciate every question someone asks us about our life there, no matter how difficult they can be to answer.

German Classes for Those in Need

Imagine being forced to flee your country because of war, other dangers or religious persecution. Imagine taking with you only the things you can carry and the clothes on your back. Imagine, then, arriving in a foreign country that will be your "new home", without any support or connections and not knowing the local language.

This is the position that thousands of refugees are in when they arrive in Austria. They are attempting to integrate into a new culture with no tools or support at their disposal. Some come alone, hoping to pave the way for family members to come later. How do you begin life in a new culture, if you don't even know how to communicate with the people around you?

 Because language is such a crucial tool and one of the greatest needs of the refugees coming to Austria, the evangelical church there, in partnership with a Christian non-profit, is now offering free German classes. It's a tangible way for us as a church community to reach out to our new neighbors, showing them the love of Christ by offering them the help they need.

The current class, being taught in our new church building in Vienna, has 70 refugees registered for 4 different language levels. The refugees enjoy coffee, cake and good instruction while they are there. We pray that they come to know not just the language, but why Christians of all people are offering to teach them for free. We pray they would sense a difference (the Holy Spirit) when they enter the building.

Please pray for this new outreach. Pray for enough teachers and help to make these classes possible. Pray for God to work in the hearts of the refugees who come. Pray for God to be honored as Austrian Christians seeks to love their neighbor, just as Christ loves them.

Language Milestone

Before Ellie arrived on the scene, I tried to get as far as I could learning German. I wasn't sure what life with a baby at home would look like, but I rightfully assumed it would make language learning more difficult than before. And I was right. Because it is important for us that Ellie learn English as one of her first languages, and because being home with a small child takes up a lot of time and energy, I found that my German language opportunities in Ellie's first year were quite limited. I was often at home with her, speaking English to her.  As time went on, I definitely became concerned and fearful that I would regress, either in my language proficiency or my confidence in German, if I didn't do something to move forward or set some new goals. 

After our church relocation project wrapped up, Nate had a little more flexibility in his schedule and we agreed it would  be wise for me to go back to school for a 2-week intensive German class. It was a wonderful refresher and a challenging two weeks. Although it was exhausting, it was also very fun to be learning again and it jump-started me back into German learning. When I asked my teacher if she thought I could take the C1 level competency exam in German sometime in the fall, she encouraged me to definitely pursue it. (Actually, I asked her if I should take the level below it instead and she said, "absolutely not! That would be way too easy for you!")


So from the end of July to the end of October, I met regularly with her as a tutor and studied at home to prepare for the exam. It is a 4 hour exam, with reading comprehension, listening, writing and speaking components. Not for the faint of heart! You can read about the different language levels here. I was testing at a level described as "Effective operational proficiency or advanced", one step higher than the level needed to study at the University. It was a little intimidating, to say the least!

I needed 60% to pass and when I got the email with the results, I was standing in O'Hare airport on our layover to Minneapolis. To say I was excited about my 90% result was an understatement. To me, doing well on this test meant much more than acing a test. It meant that all my hard work had paid off, that I was still equipped for life and ministry despite being a stay-at-home mom, and that I could be confident in my abilities and not let insecurities hold me back. It was truly a gift from God, a confidence builder that I needed to continue feeling secure in that fact that God led us (not just Nate) to Vienna to minister. 

I wouldn't normally brag so much about an accomplishment like this, but I felt it was important to share to assure those who follow along with us that it's not just Nate who is out there, preaching, teaching and progressing. It is important to us that we are a team in Vienna and are both equipped with the tools we need to share the gospel. God has been faithful in this and I praise Him for it!

Learning Through Failure

As some of you know, I did a pastoral internship at our church here in Vienna. The experiences were so varied and challenging. In the beginning, I spent a lot of time learning and absorbing information. It was a lot of learning through listening and observing. This is an important first step, but at some point you have to jump into the pool and get wet.

The internship has been a chance to do that. At some point during the internship, I was asked to give a short devotion at the beginning of an all church meeting. These are great chances to share something and engage, without the larger time commitment of preparing a sermon. (Some will argue that shorter time constraints are harder, but that is another blog post.)

Me demonstrating the rubber band 

Up to that point, I had used a full manuscript for speaking engagements, where I wrote every word I wanted to say before hand. I am bad with a manuscript in English, but I felt I needed it in order to speak fluidly in German. This time around, for the devotion, I tried bullet points and I felt so much more fluid. I was able to just talk, instead of needing to read what was on the page. It felt really great.

So everything went well and I was feeling good. I talked about 1 Kings chapter 8 and Solomon's benediction after he build the temple. It is an amazing prayer. I talked about the constant need for repentance in our lives as Christians. I focused on the idea that at this very high point in Israel's history, Solomon talked so much about sin in our lives. Not just sin itself, but the beautiful cycle of recognizing sin in our lives, confessing it to God, repenting and turning away from those missteps and focusing our attention on God.

Or so I thought. The problem was...that wasn't what I was talking about. There is something special in German - prefixes. I talked about the Christian's need to continually "sich bekehren." Unfortunately, this does not mean "to repent" but instead it means repentance in the context of conversion... "to convert". I told them we continually need to convert. The word I was actually looking for is "sich umkehren." That's right, just one prefix changes the meaning from conversion to repentance. I have to be honest, I have made plenty of mistakes in language learning, but this one stung. That was a big difference.

In our training, we talked about a "rubber band" principle. Imagine that you have a giant rubber band around your waist. On one side, there is my expectations and on the other is what actually happens. When the distance between the two is small, the "snap" of a negative situation is minimal. But when I expect something, and something completely different happens, the "snap" hurts more because the two ends are farther apart.

Being at the stage in language learning where we are right now, these "snaps" happen less often than they used to. But when they do come, they can hurt more. We are required to continually put ourselves out there and take risks. When it works, it works really well! But when it doesn't, it can hurt.

One other thing that has been important for me to remember is that this is still actually learning! As frustrated as I can be with myself at a mistake like this, I will never make that mistake again. Language learning is tied to experiences. It takes humility to constantly place yourself in the position of learner. It is not easy to accept critique and input from others, but it is worth it because it is the only way to develop the language skills that we desire and need.

Failure in general is often considered wrong. In principle, we laud people like Edison who took so many tries before discovering the proper material to put in a light bulb, but it is different to personally put ourselves in a situation where failure is possible. I am noticing more and more that the longer I speak German, the less inclined I am to dive back into that role of "learner" or someone who doesn't know all the answers.

There is value in admitting ignorance and asking for help...spending time listening or asking good questions instead of just jumping in with our own knowledge or experience. There is value in being a learner and a disciple.

Back in the Classroom

Right now, I am in the midst of an intensive 2-week German class. It's hard for me to believe that it's been almost 20 months since I've been in the classroom learning German! Being back in a language course feels like such a familiar place for me, having spent most of our first year here in Vienna doing exactly that. It's like riding a bike...I haven't forgotten how to be a student!

I feel very blessed and thankful for this opportunity and experience. Everything came together for this course just a few weeks before I enrolled, and it clearly seemed like God's doing. The course had SPACE (there are only three of us!), was FREE (because Nate helped out this language school when it was first getting started), was SHORT (2 weeks, instead of the typical 4) and started at the RIGHT TIME, just when our church relocation project was calming down. I was worried that I would be disappointed in the course quality or materials, because I've had good and bad experiences in the past...but I have been blown away this time around. The course is moving very fast, because the other two students actually teach German in their home country, so we are focusing on advanced concepts. The teacher is truly gifted in her ability to explain grammar and language and keeps the class very interesting. Despite the fact that the course has been quite tiring, everything else about it has been perfect.

In my current stage of life, I stay at home with Ellie and speak lots of English (in order for her to learn English before she goes to school here). It has been hard for me at times to feel like my German is progressing, or even staying at the same level. It is opportunities like these that will help me improve my language, as well as my confidence, and be a better servant here in Austria. Please pray for more language learning and speaking opportunities for me in the coming months, so I can put into practice what I've learned!

Wir Sehen Uns

"You have to murder the language on your way to mastery."

This was the advice from our PILAT language learning teachers in Colorado before we came to Austria. In many ways, I think no truer words have been spoken to us regarding language learning. The deeper part of language learning, the part that goes beyond simple phrases like "please" and "thank you," "how much is this?" and "where are you from," is a never-ending journey of exploration and failure. We continually reinterpret German in ways that would be rarely said (if ever) by a native speaker. This is sometimes cute, sometimes frustrating, and sometimes just annoying.

One such example happened on Sunday with a gal that has been in Austria for the semester. She knew some German before she came and has grown in her German since being here. Once my brain has switched to German mode, it is far easier to stay there and keep speaking German, which is why we were speaking German with each other at church. I was talking to a few ladies in our church and she came by to say she was taking off and this was probably the last time we'd see each other for awhile. (Good byes are an occupational hazard here, and I try to do them well when I can.)

In the context, I said what I would normally say in English, just translated into German. "I will look for you in a second when I am done with this conversation." or "Ich suche dich in ein paar Minuten." Or something to that effect. I wasn't really thinking about it, I just said it. The two German-speaking ladies in front of me began to chuckle when they heard that. The student walked away totally understanding what I meant (she is American, after all) and I turned to the two ladies in front of me and asked what was funny.

She talked about how it was so endearing how some Americans speak German. We laughed about it for a second, but then I asked seriously, what would someone in this case would actually say? How do you express that thought? The interesting thing was I had to explain the context and what I was actually trying to get across.

The answer came, "wir sehen uns." which translates, "we will see each other" (German rarely uses the future tense, though it exists. Most technically future activities are expressed in present). After that I started listening to conversations, and I can't stop hearing that phrase. But if I had a worksheet with this specific context and a blank, I don't think I would ever come up with the correct answer. It is intensely context specific and not incredibly fundamental, but it is still the difference between being completely understood and only partially. It is the difference between making up my own way of saying something, and saying it the way it should be said.

You could probably teach this in a lesson at a language school, but divorced from the context, it is a coin toss if I would remember it or not.  As it stands now, I don't ever want to forget that phrase or that memory and our church member lovingly snickering at two Americans trying to speak their language. 

New Language, New Eyes

I have started trying to do more and more of my bible reading in German. Not all of it, mind you...English is still very much my heart language. But as I have gotten more and more comfortable in German, I have tried to do more reading in the language, as well.

One of the reasons for this comes from someone we know in Minnesota that taught ESL (English as a second language) to immigrant students in a local school system. She would see children in her class year after year that were newer in the community and language and watched them learn English throughout the course of the year*. One observation she gave was that the students that read at home were the ones that progressed much quicker than the ones that didn't.

Based on these experience,s I want to offer the following observations:

1. The bible uses specialized language to communicate key points. This is in no way a critical point, but more a point of fascination. Growing up the in church, I am used to the way the bible talks about things or biblical language. Because I have also had the privilege of studying one of the original languages as well (Greek), I recognize both the difficulty of rendering texts in ways that are true to the original and understandable to the reader. But often there is a collective translation history that we draw on and certain words are traditionally translated this way, even though they aren't in common usage.

I once heard a story that illustrates this point. A number of years ago, a missionary came to Austria and started learning German, while at the same time spent a good amount of time studying his bible to explore his newly acquired skills. He ran into issues, because he would learn all this vocabulary used in biblical texts, but they were old words that no one really used in every day speech.  He realized after a few funny looks and friendly comments that it would be best to separate out those old vocab words.

2. This can be a sign post to stop and take a closer look. As I am adventuring though the scriptures again, it is really fun to see how these new translations of such old words display the truths of scripture. I could get into long explanations of how this works, but that might get a bit boring. The central point of it all is, there are many times when I am forced to take a closer look at a text. Some texts that I would just gloss over, jump out at me with new passion and fervor as I read them in German.

Because reading in a second language requires more mental energy, I am forced to think deeply about what I am reading and put effort into understanding what I am reading. This is very helpful and rewarding.

3. Thought organization is key. Something that has been very apparent to me as I have learned German is that languages are not just different works pasted onto the same ideas. Languages organize thoughts in different ways. You can express things in one language that there just aren't words for in another. Or in order to express that single idea, other languages would need a paragraph that would just end up being an explanation of that usage.

This is a deeper level of language learning, but it is wonderful to see through new eyes, and learn to express ideas in new ways. Coming back to the scriptures, it is great to see how biblical ideas such as grace and justice are expressed in a different language.

Often I feel like I am just scratching the surface even after over two years in the language. There is so much to learn, but God has been gracious in allowing us to learn so much already.

*I must say here, anyone that has studied or taken classes in a language other than their native language has my undying respect! I can't imagine how challenging that must be, especially with out any real time to adjust to the language.

Great Moment at Bible Study

So many of you have said you enjoy reading my (Nate's) "Word of the Day" or "Phrase of the Day" that I post semi-daily on Facebook. Most of the time, this is just a new word that I learn and a way to have additional touches with the word. Part of this is because they say you have to have contact with a word at least 6 times before it comes into your vocabulary (the same is true in a native language as well), and I want to maximize the amount of contact I have with a new word or phrase.

But often times, there is a second reason that I post these words, and that is because there is a great story attached to them. Sometimes I am the star of that story, bravely carrying my new word into unexplored territory. More often, I am simply the "Dick Van Dyke" of the story, tripping over the same ottoman again and again.

Yesterday was one of those days. We were talking in small group about someone writing a card, and then someone else, in response to saying what would be in the card, said, "oh yeah, then you know schleim schleim" (it sounds like slime but with an "sh" on the front). Bethany and I both looked at each other and gave a collective "what?"

"sich einschleimen" is a verb that means to kiss up to someone or suck up. It has the same negative connotation that our phrases do in English. So in the context of the conversation, they meant "yeah and then you just fill in the card with things that butter them up."

First of all, can I tell you how much I love this word?! It is onomatopoeia (words that sound like what they are) at it's best! "Der Schleim" is actually slime or phlegm (another great word). This is just a fun word to say.

Second of all, it illustrates a point that I think is important. A while ago, I was using a language tool we have that is a series of question cards for starting a conversation. The question was: "If you could learn any language over night, what would it be?" The challenge with that question is that language learning is tied to relationships and memories. I can't disconnect my knowledge of the word "einschleimen" with the memory of last night, and I would say my language learning is richer because of those memories.

We will continue to have "wait what?!" moments for a long time, but this one was far more fun than embarrassing.

Nate's First Sermon

Nate reached an exciting milestone this past Sunday: he preached his first sermon in German! It was an exciting accomplishment and a testimony to how God has been working and equipping us for ministry here in Austria. I was extremely proud of Nate, watching him in front of our congregation preaching the word. Speaking for 30 minutes in German after only having arrived here a year and a half ago is something to be very proud of and Nate's hard work and dedication in language learning has paid off. As I watched him, I could really envision how God is going to use him here to impact many people, and it excites me to think of our future in ministry.

For this month update, Nate put together a brief video talking about his experience preaching, including some clips from his sermon. Take a look and enjoy!

Du oder Sie?

The title of this post would literally be translated into English "You or you?" That's because, like many other languages, German has both formal and informal speech. (Having learned Spanish in high school, this was familiar to me when we started German language learning.) There is a form of "you" that you use with kids, friends and family and a form of you that brings along with it more respect and that you use with those older than you, people you don't know, etc.

Sounds simple, right? There are only two categories, so it must not be complex. But it's actually not simple. When to use Du (informal) or Sie (formal) can be challenging to figure out and the last thing you ever want to do as an "outsider" is to use the wrong form and offend someone. It's something we need to be careful about.

For example, a 30-year-old could be referred to by a bartender with the formal "Sie" out of respect, but be offended because it makes them feel old. Or a recent college graduate could be referred to with the informal "du" and feel like someone isn't taking them seriously or treating them like an adult.

I recently read an article in a German language magazine about when and how to use formal and informal language, and the crux of the article was this: it's not easy! Language and culture are always changing, so the "rules" of etiquette 5 years ago could be different now and with each generation, perceptions of formal and informal language morph and change.

The article laid out 10 general rules for use, as follows:

1) Friends and family: always informal

2)  Strangers who are adults: always formal

3) Children and youth: informal

4) Students talking to students (no matter the age) and those in a sports club together: informal

5) Speaking to employees at the bank, doctor's office, or in an official office: formal

6) Speaking to police:  always formal!

7) The older person in the relationship always offers the informal language and then the younger person can speak informally back.

8) The person in the relationship with the higher status offers the informal language first, regardless of age (i.e. a doctor to a patient, professor/teacher to student, etc.).

9) At the workplace, no one should be spoken to informally by someone to whom they would speak formally.

10) If you're unsure, always wait until the other person speaks informally to you, before speaking informally to them.

This last one is most important to us! As foreigners, we need to be especially careful when communicating in ways that could be considered offensive. Because we are not readily accepted, we want to hold ourselves to a high standard and always go out of our way to show respect and courtesy. We want to impress, rather than confirm a negative stereotype.

Thinking about this reminds me of the idea of being "above reproach" as Christians. Just as we want to be careful with our German language use, shouldn't we be even more aware of how we use every word and live our lives, setting an example for others? We should give no one reason to accuse us and we should not put the name of Christ to shame (I Peter 3:14 - 16). May we live lives above reproach, always setting an example, showing respect and demonstrating love. By this, they will see Christ in us!

Photo credit: Yoel from morguefile.com 

Reformation Church History, or the Deep End of the Pool

Spring time requires a spring / summer illustration, so here we have it. I jumped into the deep end of the pool, and it was really refreshing and reminded me that I can swim...at least enough to not drown.

Two weekends ago, I took part in a class at the EVAK (Evengelikale Akadamie), which is an small evangelical bible school here in Vienna. I was graciously allowed to audit a block course on church history taught by the pastor of our church. More precisely, it was Church History III, which started with the reformation and Martin Luther in the early 1500s, went through the counter reformation and ended in the 1700s with the Pietistic movement.

As a block course, it took place over a single weekend. This made it more of a sprint than a slow hour-long jog for three months. It started at 3:30pm on a Friday afternoon and we finished that night at 9:30 pm. The next morning we started right in at 9:00 am and with a few breaks made it all the way to 4:00 pm that afternoon. If you are keeping track at home that is 12 hours (including meal and stretch breaks) of church history in just over 24 hours. It was the definition of the deep end of the pool, but it was really good. There were only 4 people in the class, which meant it was the perfect size for discussions and exploring concepts together.

No matter what language the class takes place in, the problem with history is that it is often boring. It is easy to have a big list of dates and people and just go through that list. The great thing about this class was we weren't just concerned with the dates and actions of the individuals, but also the main ideas that characterized their lives. In the section on Martin Luther, his view of justification was a huge topic of discussion for us. We looked at how he came to this view and how it has impacted generations of Christians.

This leads into another very fascinating part of the course for me. We saw over and over how major emphases of a specific reformer or pastor have stayed within the church for the last 500 years. We saw that we are not just an isolated island, but we stand in a great tradition of faith. This course was a great blessing to me, as well as a huge challenge. I am looking forward to more challenges like this along the way.

Photo credit: pedrojperez from morguefile.com

6 Ways Speaking German Has Messed With My English

One thing that is fascinating about crossing cultures is the mixing that happens. This whole process involves taking on a 2nd filter through which we view the world and there are plenty of times where it is easy to get confused...

1. Sentences: German sentences can keep going and going, and it really isn't that big of a deal how long the sentence is, as long as the thought remains the same. This is very freeing, actually. So even though English sentences need to be shorter and get to the point, I find myself constantly needing to go back and cut down my last sentence when I am writing in English. My German long-sentence-tendencies are crossing over.

2. Things that Aren't Really "Things": Certain events, objects or experiences we have here can be translated, but they just don't carry the same sort of emotional connection. The biggest example of this is Strassenbahn (street car / tram). Both translations don't really capture the essence of the object in my mind. Street cars are only in San Francisco and trams are usually at the airport between terminals. What we have here is different and the German word fits it the best. So we usually just use the German word for it, even when we speak English. It makes for some mixed sentences.

3. Word Order / Words : This one is tricky because it is so subtle. German sentences like to have the time before the place in a sentence. So every now and then a sentence like, "I went yesterday to the store"or "I need at four o'clock to call my mom" comes out of your mouth.

4. Forgetting Both Languages: My favorite moment is when I am talking about something and I can't think of the word in German, so I try to think of the word in English and I can't remember that either.

5. Figures of Speech: I have learned that I like to use figures of speech or metaphors a lot in my speaking and writing. This is great until you translate a figure of speech literally into German and your friend looks at you oddly. The other side of it is now I try to go the other direction and talk about a "donkey's bridge" in English and non-German speakers look at me oddly, as well.

6. When the German word IS the English word: today I was reading an article in German about reintroducing the "Wisent" into a certain part of Germany. So I looked up the English translation... which is wisent. That is the name of the "European buffalo." This also goes back to number 2 above.

I know there are way more than six here. Perhaps at the end of the day I am wrong and German hasn't "messed up" my English. I do think that it has made my life richer to learn another language. Sometimes when I am in a group speaking German it just hits me out of the blue - I am speaking and understanding another language! This truly is a blessing from God.

Share your stories of how speaking a second language below, we can't wait to hear them!

Explaining Backwards

As you can imagine with Ellie around now, life has been upside down. We love it and wouldn't have it any other way, but we haven't been updating the blog as much as we would like. But as we jump back into the language learning adventure, I had a quick observation to share.

I have started working with a new language helper recently on an exchange basis (an hour of English for an hour of German). Most of our language helpers and tutors have been paid up to this point, which usually saves some time because we don't have to do an hour of English along with the hour of German.

Now I am starting to do more exchanges and it is really helpful. My helper doesn't speak that much English. During our English times, I end up going back to German to explain a specific concept or answer a question about how something functions. This is good practice and helpful. It is interesting to look back at English through the lens of my newly adopted language.

However, sometimes it is just purely difficult to explain English grammar. This is because of the way we learn languages as children. We absorb them in a very natural context and the rules of grammar become like air to us. We breath it everyday but rarely stop to think about how it functions. So going back and explaining how these rules function is an interesting challenge. They say you never really understand something until you can easily explain it to someone else. I think explaining things with new tools makes it even more fun and interesting!


Photo credit: gracey from morguefile.com

The Nuance of Language

Now that we have moved on into the upper levels of German, we are venturing into the territory of language nuance. In this world, learning becomes less about straight forward words and definitions and more about how, when and why particular words are used to communicate feelings, thoughts and subtleties. 

For example, there might be a verb you can use to communicate the idea "I did my homework". But there might also be several other verbs to replace the verb "did" that sound better and add variety to your vocabulary. Some of those verbs might imply that you completed all of your homework, while others might imply that you simply worked on it. Some may imply how quickly or with what attitude you did your homework.

Another example is two words that overlap in meaning by 80 or 90 percent. We may be tempted to call these two words "synonyms" but in reality, that 10 or 20% of difference puts these words in different categories. That percentage of difference is more important that the similarity between the words. Sometimes, the words may be used interchangeably, but at other times, one word would be inappropriate in place of the other. 

The difficulty comes when the difference in meaning between two words is difficult, or even impossible, to explain. Here come the nuances. Some words you just need to experience over and over again in context to learn how to use them and when they are appropriate or not. You can't simply write the difference in definition down on a flash card and memorize it - you need to experiment with the word and then ask if you used it correctly. You need to listen for the word and mentally note the situation in which it was used by a native speaker. This requires patience, endurance and attention in social/language situations. This is especially true when we have just one word for something in English, but there are multiple words used in the foreign language you are learning.

It's encouraging to be at the stage where we have moved beyond basic grammar and vocab. However, this nuanced stage of language learning brings it's own challenges. It can be more difficult to notice and celebrate progress when the steps we take and advances we make are are now smaller and subtler. It requires a different level of focus and a less concrete learning strategy. It's another step in the long journey towards fluency. 


Photo credit: jdurham from morguefile.com

The Gospel in the Classroom

At the beginning of the language learning process, the topics of conversation were pretty basic. We learned to build sentences that you would find in most children's books. We talked about farm animals, daily objects and seasons. At that time, it was very challenging to be in a room with educated and fascinating people and discuss such basic topics.

Once we reached a level that was a bit deeper in the language, we could talk about more complicated topics in class. It was fascinating to ask deeper questions and hear the range of backgrounds and stories that many people carry with them.

The last few weeks of school, we discussed a pretty heavy topic in class, namely juvenile crime. The conversations tended to wander, and we were soon talking about what causes someone to commit a crime or kill someone. A few people in class put out the idea that only "abnormal" people commit serious crimes, especially crimes like murder. 

Through this conversation I had the chance to explain the Christian view of the source of evil and the possibility for evil that lays in every human heart. I find it a truly humbling part of Christian theology to recognize how much potential for wrong-doing lives in me. I ended my statement by pointing to the good news, and that it can't really be good news unless the reality is really bad. Basically, we don't need a savior unless there is something to be saved from. And this something is not just in the life to come, but also in our daily lives here. It was interesting to share this in class and to hear other reactions.

This conversation was difficult, but it was also very interesting and rewarding. I think it is all too rare for Christians to have honest conversations about faith with people who don't agree with them.  And it was a stretching experience to discuss these topics in German. I hope and pray I have more opportunities like this!

Last Day of Class (for a while)

Last Friday was our final day of formal language classes for a while. It was bittersweet as we said thank you and good bye to the teachers we have worked with for so long. It is amazing to think of how fast the last 12 months has gone and how much we have learned.

So the question out there is, "what do you do now?" The answer is complicated. We are working on self-study tools like flash cards (my favorite app is Anki), duolingo.com, livemocha.com, and homework sheets we get from our private tutor. We will also meet with our tutor and language helpers during the week to increase our conversation and communications skills. We'll transition towards learning more about cultural values and practices. This dives into my (Nate's) background and degree at Moody, and I am very excited to continue to explore these concepts. And it is possible that I will take another course in the spring after our little one arrives just to keep sharp on my grammar.

We are nervous and excited to start this new chapter in our learning. Would you pray for us?

Light at the End of the Tunnel

A wintery fall has come to Vienna, like many parts of the US, as well. Leaves are changing and falling from trees and the air is crisp. I personally love this season. As a warm-blooded person, it is nice to move out of the dog days of summer and be able to put on sweaters and long pants. I also love making tea and feeling cozy warm instead of sweltering hot. I am getting carried away here, but you understand where I am coming from.

Another part about fall here in Vienna is that it  brings back all kinds of memories for us. We arrived last October and began getting used to life here. Since then, a lot has changed. We have learned and experience so much. It is amazing how God has provided for us. We are so thankful for all the people who have welcomed us with open arms and helped us to understand this new and different world and for those that continue to lift us up back home in so many ways.

Thinking back to those first weeks and months here in Austria, I don't think I could have possibly imagined what it would be like to be where we are today. To be honest, I had a lot of doubts and fears that went along with this. Most of these spanned the unknown between imagination and reality. By that, I mean that we had spent a great deal of time preparing for this transition. We had attended hours and hours of training, read books, and talked to so many different people that had been through the language learning and cultural adjustment process. It is one thing to talk to others or imagine what it will be like, but it is an entirely different thing to strap on your big-boy-boots and get to work. As I think back on that person and that time, I really believe we had no idea what this was going to be like. This is the reality in most areas of life, but after a year in the middle of this transition, I have seen this sharply. My perspective has changed, and yet I am still me. My marriage doesn't feel completely different, but the miles behind us have driven us closer together as we have shared defeats and victories together.

The key phrase here is, "I couldn't have imagined." I couldn't have imagined what the last 12 months would hold for us. And now we stand on the edge of another big step: finishing up "formal" language Formal here is in quotes, because with a second language you never really stop learning.  But we will move out of the phase of ministry where our primary goal is learning language and culture and move into the next phase. We'll be talking more about this in the coming months, and we covet your prayers about this, but I (Nate) will hopefully be starting an internship in an existing church here in Austria.

This will be a chance for us to work within the existing church and get some valuable ministry experience before we join up with a church planting team in the future. We'll also have the chance to learn from those that have been in fruitful ministry for a long time here. Needless to say, I am really looking forward to this next stage! But I also know that there is no way I can truly know or imagine what lies ahead.

In the face of all of this, we can finally "see the light at the end of the tunnel." It is both very exciting and a bit odd. It feels like so long ago that we left the States, and even longer still that we began this process. God has been so good and faithful to us. Join us in celebrating what he has done in the past and the wonderful future he has for us! To HIM be the glory!

Photo credit: nazka2002 from morguefile.com

Our First Bible Study

Bible study in our living room last Thursday

Last Thursday evening was our first official bible study meeting in our home. Up until the moment the evening began, we didn't know who would join us, what kind of a group would come together and what the dynamic would be. All we know is we had drinks, snacks and a clean living room ready for whatever would take place that night. But God answered all of those questions and blessed us with a great discussion, a good-sized group of people and an encouraging beginning to our study through the book of John.

We had four young adults join us, and we are already hearing of more who want to come when they are available. In fact, one of the participants has already invited an unbelieving friend to come this Thursday who is open to reading the bible and has questions about faith! This is exactly our goal - to create an environment open to dialogue about God, Jesus, scripture and faith. God is already working to answer our prayers and bring just the right people to join us.

Outside of Sunday morning church services, this is our first experience studying scripture in German. Please pray for us! It is definitely a stretch for us to discuss deeper topics in our new language, as well as find the time to prepare well for each week's discussion. It can be frustrating to want to share something with the group, but not be able to find the right words (or think of them too late, after the conversation has already moved on to a new topic). Please pray for clarity of thought when we participate and that God would give us humility as we make mistakes and step out of our comfort zones.

Please also pray for the new people that will be joining us in the coming weeks. Pray for them to gain a deeper understanding of who Jesus is through the gospel of John and through our discussions. Pray that they would see the sincere faith of the other people in the room and desire to experience that personal relationship with Jesus for themselves.