Europe needs God?

I first wrote this post about a year ago. 

I didn't publish it, neither could I get rid of it any time I thought about deleting it... 

So here it goes. Even if it's a year late and a year old. ;)

Münster cathedral in Bern

Up until only a few months ago I thought I had been born and brought up in a Christian country. Yes, Christian.
Because wasn't Switzerland founded by godly Christians 720 years ago?
Wasn't it founded through an oath of three men who agreed on uniting "in the name of God" and this union was to be - "God willing - of lasting existence"?
Isn't this remarkable act and what came of it even called "Eternal Alliance"?
Didn't quite a few great and influencial Christians come from, live in or transform this country spiritually (like Johannes Calvin and Ulrich Zwingli)?
Hasn't this country been incredibly blessed by God in innumerous ways in all the many years of its existence??
...And besides, don't we have hundreds of churches spread throughout our country?
Don't we all (or most) as Swiss officially belong to either the Reformed or the Catholic Church?
Don't we all grow up learning Christian hymns, songs and stories?
Don't we all regularly attend church?
So why shouldn't this be a Christian country?

(...What does it matter if belonging to either the Reformed or the Catholic Church more times than not means it's just a formal thing and we don't actually identify with the Church and our life doesn't look any more Christian because of it?

...What does it matter that knowing at least a few Christian hymns, songs and stories means knowing a few Christmas songs, knowing the Nativity story and maybe (maybe!) a few other Bible stories?

...What does it matter if regularly attending church means - for the great majority of the Swiss - they only see a church on the inside on official holidays like Easter and Christmas Eve (if they happen do have that tradition in their family, that is)? 
...And what is more, what makes a country a "Christian" one in the first place...?) 

-  -  -  -  -

It's hard for me to believe I used to think that way - and didn't know any better! And even now I sometimes catch myself thinking thoughts like that and realize this pattern has been planted deeply...
Of course it is so much easier to think of all your fellow Swiss citizens as Christians. I mean, they all grow up knowing about God, don't they?!
Oh my...
No! No, they do not!!! Not at all!! Or do I really think this is Christianity? True Christianity??

Yes, I have been deceived, probably by other "Christians." But mainly, I have deceived myself. I took comfort in telling myself that, no, of course God was not going to condemn the whole (or most of the) Swiss population just because they didn't truly believe in Him - He was surely going to be merciful and accept them for the Christian heritage of their country. Oh my, oh my... I now know and acknowledge this is entirely ridiculous and the exact opposite of what God's word, the Bible, says. This way of thinking is a lie!
And the truth is clear.

We are all sinners and have sinned. - Romans 3:23

We all deserve eternal death, which is separation from God. - Romans 6:23

God has made atonement for all sin. - 1 John 2:2

He has provided eternal life for all; all believers have it. - John 1:13 

Anyone who wishes to come after Him, must deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow Him. - Luke 3:23

 -  -  -  -  -

One of the things that really got me thinking thoroughly on this whole issue were some videos I watched a few months ago. My first thoughts when reading the titles of some of them (like "Post-Christian Europe") were,
What?! That is so rude how they are implying us Europeans and our countries to be non-Christian!! How inconsiderate! If any country or area is Christian in this world it would surely be Europe!
...Seriously, at first this hurt my feelings... But now I only think, never mind my feelings (!!) - and I know I was simply shutting my eyes from facing the Truth, which I thought was too painful to bear...

Yes, people here are lost.
Yes, people here do not know about God. They think they do, they see Him as some antiquated ideal who supposedly originated in the church (not the other way around!) and supposedly gives some weird people some kind of purpose in their lives. And they simply assume they do not need Him. They think if what they see of "God" in their lives or in the lives around them is really what He is about or who He is, then why should they believe in Him, let alone need Him? As is stated in one of the videos below, Christianity is deemed "irrelevant" to many here.
Yes, people here do not know hope, true hope.
Yes, people here do not know the amazing love of God.
Yes, people here are clueless about the meaning of the gift of God's own Son to us men. They might know that Christmas is celebrated because supposedly Jesus Christ was born about 2000 years ago, but they are ignorant of the fact that this was one of the most impacting and important events in all of history playing an undeniable and immeasurable role in their own lives (no matter how strongly they deny the truth of this or God's very existence)!!!

...Yes, Europeans and especially the Swiss (to me, here and now ;)) do need God.

They need to know His amazing love for them.

They need to know about their amazing Savior Jesus Christ.

They need to know hope, true hope that is found in Him.

They truly do.

GEM Europe Post Christian

750 Million (interviews with Germans)

Why Europe, Why Now

And now read this (I cannot believe I shut my eyes and did not acknowledge the truth of this, when I knew very well this was fact about my fellow countrymen!):

"The top 10 people groups in the world who are least responsive to the Gospel are all located on one continent. 

The Christian growth rate in this area in the last century was the lowest in the world. 

More than 400 million people here have never opened a Bible...in their lives. 

This is the spiritual state in Europe today.  

But what would it look like... 

... if I truly lived out my faith in Jesus  and loved those who don't know Him? 

... if I let God transform me?
... if I let go of my comforts?
... if I replaced my agenda with God's agenda? 

What would it look like if I truly lived?" 

(from What would it look like?)

What else do I need to say?
This whole issue is greatly disturbing, convicting and humbling to me... This is the truth, not all that stuff I used to believe...

It is a great responsibility.
And a great privilege.


Another link:
GEM Great Hope

This could be me.

If I wouldn't have been born a Swiss, what if I'd been born a Moldovan? Or a Russian? Would I ever hear the word "human trafficking" growing up? Would anyone ever warn me of trusting people who tell me they got a nice job for me? Would I know about the dangers of accepting a job offer abroad (because hopes of finding one in my country would be extremely bleak)? Would I go believing it would enable me to help earn money for my poor family back home? Would I - once there - be able to bear the indescribable amount of pain, humiliation, despair and loneliness this new "job" would result in - the whole thing being the worst nightmare and NOT AT ALL what I expected? Would I be able to bear, even survive, the hell I would have to live in, never knowing how long it will last? Would I ever get a chance of escaping the unspeakable horror of this day-to-day "work" that I would NEVER EVER have chosen for myself if I would have been granted a choice?
...And besides all of this, can I even begin to imagine what it would be like to go through any of this???

This could be me.

Would there ever, ever be anyone to come rescue me out of hell on earth? Would there ever, ever be anyone to love me back to life? To help me find an honorable job? To help me learn about life in freedom, without bondages? To pray for healing for my body, soul and spirit? Would there be anyone...??

Because, this really could be me!!!

And I know I would not want myself to be in such circumstances. Ever.

-  -  -

Yes, this could be me. - 
But do you know what?


This could be you, too.

-  -  -

The world needs to know 

My name is Tatiana. I was born in Moldova. After my studies at 19 years old there were no jobs for me in my country. One day a friend offered me a job in Austria. So I went with him. After passing the border, he took my passport and drove me to a house. There I was sold to traffickers. They beat me and raped me...for days on end. 

...I can't tell everything... 

Then they forced me into prostitution. They threatened to kill my family if I refused. I was violated...over and over. I wasn't allowed to leave. I didn't have money. I only got something to eat.   

Then I got sick. I was pregnant and they made me abort. And everything started all over again...

It continued for months. 

One day the police came. They questioned me but I am afraid for my family so I can't tell them anything. I can't stay here in this country. I can't return home. I'm scared. 

I have nothing. I am nothing.  

Today I know there are hundreds of thousands of girls like me... 

Please... Do something for us.

-  -  -

What can we do about human trafficking and forced prostitution? How can we help these people? How can we keep such horrible things from happening?

I honestly don't know.

The only thing I know is that whenever God reminds me of this and reminds me of the fact that trafficked people are just as human as I am, I pray for them and I pray about what this means for me, about what I can do - and I know God will answer. I'm sure because I know He loves every single one of these children and women who are held captive, are beaten and violated daily and have no way of escaping any of it. And He loves them more than I could ever love anyone and He loves them more than I could ever understand.

-  -  -

The following is Philippe Decourroux's very touching song "The Girls from the East" (with the Prague Philharmonics Musicians). Last March I attended a conference on Pornography and Human Trafficking (which are very closely connected issues) and Philippe Decourroux was part of it. I loved his humble but passionate way of performing his songs and sharing about his experiences in Eastern European countries meeting girls and women who had been sold into forced prostitution. Horrible stories but in a beautiful way this singer is bringing awareness into our often so ignorant society...

(Unfortunately the following translation of the song from French into English isn't complete - simply because I'm not sure about the accurate translation of the missing parts... But just so you get the picture, here it is anyway. :))

The Girls from the East 

They dreamed the way girls their age dream
They dreamed how you dream when you're 17
They dreamed of leaving their neighborhood, their village
And then one day to love and to have children of their own 

The girls from the East 

They dreamed of escaping their fate that's too hard
That condemned their mothers behind the wall
They dreamed of an escape to a thousand possible places
From horrible prisons and nightmares

The girls from the East 

Oksana, Marushka and the others
Fallen into a trap of barbarians - they couldn't know
Slaves in the mouths of those (...)
They were innocent
And they were made harlots by them 

I declare war on these cruel people. All those who deal with meat and all the vultures. Those who sell girls for a few dollars. And those who use them not wanting to know. I declare guilty those who do nothing. Politicians and respectable people who wash their hands of responsibility. I declare guilty all those repulsive (...) who still dare looking at themselves in the mirror. I declare war on this trade of shame. And the lives who get buried in horrible brothels. 

And in the name of the victims I appeal to rise
To denounce this crime against humanity 

Oksana, Marushka and the others
If it's too late for you
One day they will pay
Your tears and your torn bodies 

We won't give up, we won't forget 

The girls from the East
The girls from the East

Every single one of these people have an immeasurable worth to their Creator. They were fearfully and wonderfully made by Him and He loves them so much.

I pray for His heart and His compassion for them to grow in me.

It truly could be me.

Give it up

A few weeks ago, on one of my famous and much-loved walks with my Jesus, I realized I had recently started taking matters into my own hands concerning my blog... At some point in the past I had decided my blog was God's and I had determined to only spend time writing and editing it if God wanted me to. Also, regarding the content of my blog I had fully surrendered it all to God's will. Whatever He would want me to write about or publish, I would. ...But on that day while walking I painfully realized (or better, finally acknowledged) I had wandered off. Somewhere along the last few months I had stopped following all of this. - I had stopped following the Lord! I had thought I knew better!! Oh my...that was a hard thing to face and admit. But it was a good thing to then confess my sin, turn, and walk a different way! (Praise God!)
That night the Lord told me, "I am the blog writer." And yes, I resolved to let Him be that and get and stay out of the way myself from that day forward!!! However, this meant not knowing if and when I would ever blog again...along with realizing my mind had been spending far too much time and too much of its capacity on pondering my blog, which again was humiliating and a much-needed lesson to learn.
Thank You, my Father, for not allowing me to stay the way I am, but to ever lead me on into more of You and less of me. 
You lead me into more of Your blamelessness (1 Thess. 5:23).

So who would have thought (last of all me!) that I would be back so soon?! :) Funny how our God works and the ways He leads us on...
I don't know why I am telling you all of this, but tonight I would like to encourage you to let God have His way in your life. Do not hold on to what you think is best for you - let it go and trust in the One who is faithful. Be encouraged and fear not.

Perfect love drives out fear.
1 John 4:18

The Plan

source

This post developed in the last couple of weeks (it always takes a looong time for me to compile a single post!)... So part of it I wrote quite a while ago - and the further down you go the more recent it becomes. ;)

* * *

Since last Friday (May 6) I have...
a job!
And it's quite a scary thing. I'm still not fully realizing I will officially be a teacher standing in front of a class of second graders in August 2011. It seems like it's a task quite a few sizes too big for me... But. On the other hand there's something I know...
I know I am on a road.
I know the road is narrow.
I know I have a wonderful, incredible Guide right beside me on that road.
And He knows the map.
He knows everything that is still quite foggy in my perspective.
He knows what's behind the next bend in that road.
And He knows perfectly how much of what is ahead of me I need to know now.
So He chose to tell me I will be a second grade homeroom teacher for the next school year.
Wow.

* * *

A few months ago I first started realizing I had no idea what I would do with my life come summer 2011. I knew I would (God willing) finish my studies and graduate in "Pre-Primary and Primary Education." But what was to come after that...I had no idea.
So I started worrying.
But after a while of thinking through some possibilities of a future for me and of wasting quite a bit of energy in that activity, I decided I needed to lay my future in God's hands. I knew I had to stop worrying and let Him lead me. And I felt peace in my heart again.
For some months I did not think much of the time ahead and of where I would be led. I was busy with my studies - attending classes, writing papers, preparing lessons and teaching young students.

* * *

But then, I started thinking about my future a little more again...
And interestingly I had quite a few ideas of what I could do with my life once I would be done studying.
Looking back, it seems like every day I managed to come up with another great idea or plan of what could be done with this life of mine...
There were so many possibilities - plans, dreams and wishes of my own that all sounded so exciting!
There were so many roads to take, so many exciting ways of living, so many things I would have loved to do and see - SO many! 
So how was I ever to find out what was best for me?! 
And with that, with every new possibility or dream I came up with, my fears and worries increased.
After a while I did not know at all what to do with my life anymore... The more ideas I had the more I felt like I was lost and would never find out what truly was best. It was like there was just a heap of possible futures for me, a heap of dreams and ways I imagined my life to look like that I got completely lost in. And I was more confused about my future than ever before...

* * *

At some point (about a month ago - meaning early April ;)) God finally came into the picture again (He'd always been there, waiting for me to turn to Him and to learn to depend on Him regarding my future, but I had kept hiding myself behind those huge heaps and endless worries...).
He led me to a book called Appointment in Jerusalem by Derek and Lydia Prince. 
From what happened during the days I read it and how it perfectly fit in my life circumstances, I just know He wanted me to read it because He wanted to speak through it.
As the book is described on amazon dot com,

"This is the riveting true story of a young schoolteacher and her courageous quest to know God's will for her life. In Lydia Prince's search for God and her life's purpose, she is led to Jerusalem where she learns the power of prayer and experiences many miracles of provision and protection. Lydia rescues a dying baby girl and then miraculously survives many dangers, including gunfire, siege, and barricades. She enters into her true appointment from God and, in the process, rescues scores of abandoned sick and orphaned children from disease and death. Discover how God can remarkably use those who trust Him!"

From just reading that description you might be able to tell in what ways I was affected by this book! :)
...I absolutely loved reading it!! Countless times I saw myself inwardly nodding at what was described, being in awe at how I completely understood what was happening because I had been in very similar situations myself. At times I would silently smile or even laugh out loud because I could relate so well to what Lydia was going through and to her emotions and thoughts described.
I followed this woman's journey to God, and how she - after she had found Him und surrendered her entire life to Him - took step after step in obedience to her Lord Jesus and followed where He led her. Watching the transformation from a successful, rich and popular teacher who had everything one could ask for in this life (materially and socially) - to a humble, almost penniless woman depending entirely on God and being completely obedient to His's will and plan for her life - no matter what that would mean materially, socially and in terms of location - was so extremely astounding and inspiring...
And how it all fit in my life like puzzle pieces coming together and opened my perspective to God's purpose for my life was so intriguing and encouraging!!

* * *

There is one particular passage in the book that - from the very moment I read it for the first time - seems to be engraved in my heart. Something I don't ever want to forget I learned through this lady's journey... It is from a part in the book where Lydia (still being a teacher living in Denmark, but learning to live out her newly found life in Jesus Christ!) travels to Sweden for a vacation. During that time she is waiting for guidance from God concerning her future (can you see the "coincidence" here?! :)). She doesn't know which direction to go or what decisions to make. So on a Sunday she attends a church sermon in Sweden and there she receives her answer - from God Himself ;)...
Since (again!) I only have a German copy of this book (Vergässe ich dein, Jerusalem) I'll try and translate what that key part of the book (to me :)) says.

I stopped listening to him and forgot about the whole congregation sitting around me. The last words of the text he read constantly echoed in my mind, "...for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them" (referring to Ephesians 2:10). Little by little I started to awaken to their meaning: God already has a unique assignment for life for every single one of us.  

This was the answer to my question! I did not need to plan my life's work in any way. My job was to find out which task God had already designed for me. There was a particular assignment God had meant for me to do - a work no one else in the world could do. It was the greatest responsibility of my life to find out what that work was and to fulfill it. If I didn't perform the task it would be left undone. No one else could take my place.

- Chapter 5, Dr. Karlsson's Message

Such beautiful, beautiful words! They literally spoke right to my heart - it was exactly what I needed right then! :) I seriously believe they were written for me. They made such an impact!
...It was all well. My Father in heaven had my life already planned. I did not need to worry about it. All I needed to worry about was finding out what that plan looked like!
I did not need to decide which one of the many countless possibilities in life was the one I was supposed to choose. It was not about the possibilities. It was about the plan.
All about the plan.
The Perfect Plan designed by the Master Life Planner -
just 
for 
me.
Can you imagine?!
I love that thought! 
(Just like me you might have heard this many, many times throughout your life. "God has a plan for your life!" - Growing up in a Christian family and spending lots of time around Christians you get to hear this all the time. And it is true! But the plan doesn't just "happen" because you're a Christian and say you believe in Jesus... It's only if we surrender our own plans and our own desires and only desire Jesus and His will - and obey whatever He asks of us - that we will see this plan come to pass!)

* * *

So, the days and weeks following that memorable day of learning a new and awesome lesson, I prayed and prayed and prayed for the plan to be revealed to me. For the next step to be shown. For the way to open before me. It was a beautiful, exciting experience. I was (and still am!) so excited about this plan unfolding before my eyes!! For a while the word "plan" just seemed to constantly be in my thoughts! :)

...Then, on one beautiful late-April afternoon - my parents and I were just having my little nephew over at our house and enjoying every minute of it :) - I got a call... It was the teacher in whose class I did my last internship - and she told me of an open position at her school... 

And well, to make a long story short, I somehow ended up getting that job!! With doing hardly anything for it! It was just like...suddenly it was there - here you go, Salome! ;) 

My God did it all. 

He had already prepared that spot for me and He already decided this is the perfect thing for me for this time. And let me add that this job is just perfect for me - it is exactly what I imagined my first real job as a teacher to look like! Almost exactly (except for the fact that I'll be the homeroom teacher which is kind of intimidating...but at the same time it is probably a good thing because it will require more dedication and I just might need that added challenge! ;)).

* * *

I didn't think the answer would come so fast! I thought, ok, now God is surely going to stretch me like crazy. Now that I've surrendered my future to Him again, He's going to test my faith and make me wait... But well, I was wrong. :)

It is incredible.

He is incredible! :)

"Every good and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning." - James 1:17

* * *

During this whole time - but especially during the time I was waiting for God's revelation of the plan ;) - I was encouraged by a beautiful song I first heard a couple months ago. It's from the Swiss singer Philippe Decourroux (go here or here to learn more) and I've been listening to it many times in the last few weeks. 
(Unfortunately the song is nowhere to be found on the internet. I would love for you to be able to listen to it. The music by the Prague Philharmonic's Musicians is very lovely and just perfect for this kind of song... It's simply beautiful.)

J'irai

J'irai - où le vent m'emportera

I'll go - where the wind'll carry me

J'irai - où Ta voix m'appelera

I'll go - where Your voice'll call me

J'irai - jusqu'au bout de la terre

I'll go - to the ends of the earth

J'irai - sans jamais douter de Toi

I'll go - without ever doubting You

J'irai - j'irai là où Tu voudras

I'll go - I'll go where You want me to

Avec Toi

With You

J'irai - où le vent m'emportera

I'll go - where the wind'll carry me

J'irai - j'irai là où Tu m'envois

I'll go - I'll go where You'll send me

Jusqu'au bout de la terre

To the ends of the earth

J'irai - obéissant à Ta voix

I'll go - obeying Your voice

J'irai - même si je ne comprends pas

I'll go - even if I don't understand

Jusqu'au bout de moi-même

To the ends of the earth

Mais pas sans Toi

But not without You

J'irai - sans jamais douter de Toi

I'll go - without ever doubting You

J' irai - j'irai là où Tu m'envois

I'll go - I'll go where You'll send me

Jusqu'au bout de moi-même

To the end of myself

Mais pas sans Toi

But not without You

* * *

On another note...
Philippe Decourroux advocates for victims of human trafficking and forced prostitution with his music. I will dedicate a whole post to this horrific trade in the near future (and there you'll get to listen to him for sure)...
So stay tuned.
This is so important - because... 


"Il faut que le monde sache!"
"The world needs to know!"
Philippe Decourroux

Multilingualism - Mehrsprachigkeit

* * *

Wie vielleicht schon jemand gemerkt hat ;) blogge ich hier nicht mehr nur auf Englisch... Und ich sollte diese Änderung wohl noch etwas begründen:

Meine Muttersprache ist Schweizerdeutsch (also eigentlich Berndeutsch ;)). Sie ist mir sehr wichtig und ich liebe es, mich damit zu befassen. Auch Deutsch (Hochdeutsch, Standardsprache oder wie auch immer ;)) habe ich sehr gerne, wobei das aber erst seit ein paar Jahren so ist. ;) ...Während den letzten vier Jahren habe ich nun nur noch auf Englisch gebloggt, habe aber in letzter Zeit gemerkt, dass ich das gerne auch in (Schweizer-)Deutsch machen würde. Und darum habe ich das jetzt auch gemacht. :)

Ein anderer Grund ist der, dass ich gemerkt habe, dass ich hier gerne über Dinge schreiben würde, in denen es um die Schweiz geht und um Dinge, die hier, in meiner Umgebung und meinem Land passieren. Es wäre doch komisch, darüber nur in Englisch zu schreiben...!

Zukünftig werde ich wohl in Hochdeutsch und Berndeutsch bloggen – und natürlich auch immer noch in Englisch! Ich denke aber, dass ich nicht alle meine Einträge auch in die andere Sprache übersetzt schreiben werde. Aber wer weiss...? Wir werden ja noch sehen, was aus diesem Multilingualismus wird... ;)

Was ganz wichtig ist, ist dass ich diesen Blog für Gott mache. Ich schreibe nur, wenn ich glaube, dass es dran ist und wünsche mir, dass meine Einträge bewirken dass sich die Leser (du! :)) mehr mit Gott befassen, ihn erfahren und sich von ihm verändern lassen. Wirklich, es soll hier um Gott gehen und nicht um mich. 

Und ich hoffe und bete dass es das tut! :)

* * *

As you might have noticed a few posts ago, I started blogging on here in Swiss German... Well, there are several reasons for this change.

First of all - Swiss German (Bernese Swiss German to be exact ;)) is my first language. There is no other language in which I can as spontaneously express myself as in this one. This is the one I grew up hearing every day, the one I spoke my first word in (and many of the ones following, too ;)) and (to me) it's just one of the most beautiful languages. (I have always been convinced that the language spoken in heaven is Swiss German...and I'm still convinced that's true. Well...possibly people understand just a bit English there, too. ;)). 

Another reason for this change on here is, that I have come to realize I would like to be able to reach people with my writing who don’t speak English or don’t speak it well enough. I would like to be able to write for (Swiss) German speakers in their own language as well.

Added to that, I have a growing desire to write about the many great ministries and projects where you can get involved in serving the Lord. While I do know many great ministries in the English speaking world, I have realized it doesn’t make much sense for me to write only about them and encourage people to become a part in them when I know the Lord wants me to focus on becoming a part in and writing about things happening right here where I am, in my area and in my country. :)

And for one last reason...writing in German on here has just been on my heart for quite a while because for some things it just seems weird or inappropriate to only "say" them in English. ;)

I hope and pray this change (or better, addition) in languages on here will draw people closer to Jesus-no matter where they are or how much they understand of what I write. 
I trust God will lead me in this. I want this blog to honor Him and to bring glory to Him. 

In the future I will write entries in both English and (Swiss) German, others I will write in only one language. But no worries, 

I do not intend to stop writing in English!! :)

P.S. I hope this won't make it harder for you to follow my blog and you will keep on reading even though not everything might be understandable to you... I would appreciate your thoughts on it, though. Feel free to share! :)

* * *

Give up your life...

Katie Davis is a REMARKABLE young lady.
From the day that I first heard about her, found her blog and began reading it starting at the very first post, this girl inspired, encouraged and humbled me deeply... 
And she keeps doing so every time I go back.
She so beautifully and practically shows what it means to live this life we so often only claim to live...
She dies daily. 
Her life is not her own...but God's.
What an inspiring and humbling example!

"...Come with me on a journey...

A journey that started three years ago when I thought I knew what my life would look like...and I had no idea. 

A journey that has shown me more about the Father's heart and His extravagant compassion than I could have ever imagined. 

A journey that requires me to give more of myself every single day.

It's a journey that took me from a ten month commitment to teach kindergarten in Uganda to a lifetime commitment of bettering and serving this country. 

It's a journey that took me from trying and trying and trying to raise the funds to put 40 children through school, to running a huge ministry that serves 1.600 children...and their families. 

It's a journey that took me from being the temporary foster mother to three children to being the permanent adoptive mother of 14. 

...And the journey is not over yet." 

- Katie Davis (from the video below)

Here are two links to some recent posts on her blog. Please, take time to read them!
...There's  Jesus  in there.

- I want to see Jesus

- Whatever He wants

Special, extraordinary, surprising... & much more! :)

This week has been special! :) 

I now officially am a godmother to my adorable little nephew Laurin!!

It's so exciting - I can hardly believe it! :)

This is a dream of mine coming true!

Laurin and me on Christmas. :) (He loved chewing on the button of my cardigan!)

°

This week my brother-in-law, my sister and my niece came to Switzerland for a couple of weeks and I had the privilege of meeting this cute little girl and of getting to hold her for the very first time!!
Another dream of mine coming true!

Little Eliana and me at the airport in Geneva. :)

How exciting!!! 

My sister (on the right) and her family, my other sister (left) and I. :)

Thank You, my God.

I'm sorry, but I don't have more words for this. That's why I put up pictures to speak for themselves. ;)