Some History

California is the Golden State and was first colonized by the Spanish Empire in 1769. Its motto is Eureka which means something like "I found it".
Missionaries founded about 20 missions along the coast which later became settlements and presidios for settlers and are today cities like San Diego, Santa Barbara, San Francisco or Ventura.
California used to belong to Mexico, then gained Independence and was the Republic of California. Later on after some wars California became a State of the United States.

In the 1840s after people had discovered huge gold reserves in northern California people started rushing to the State to find gold and make a fortune! That was the time when going West was very fashionable and people went on many adventures through the country meeting the unknown.

Meeting the uknown... that's were I find myself right now... going on adventures, seeing new things, exploring...

The First Adventures

Hallo da draußen in der Welt!
Jetzt will ich doch endlich mal von meinen ersten Abenteuern hier erzählen.
Fangen wir erst mal mit der Koffer Geschichte an: Als ich hier "zu Hause" ankam öffnete ich voller Freude meinen Koffer und musst dann feststellen, dass es nicht meiner war, sondern nur ein identisch aussehender Koffer einer anderen Person gefüllt mit rosa Kleidern. Der Schock saß, aber zum Glück hat Karen mir geholfen und somit haben wir, also die andere Person und ich Koffer ausgetauscht und jetzt seit heute habe ich meinen wieder.

Was die Familie, das Haus, mein Zimmer und das Auto angeht kann ich nur sagen dass es echt der ober Hammer ist! Das ist ein Segen durch und durch!!!! Gott, ich danke Dir!

Heute waren wir in Santa Barbara Downtown... wirklich wunderschön (Photos kommen noch). Es hat dann tatsächlich für 20 Minuten oder so geregnet, was ich total super fand, weil man ja eigentlich sagt: "It never rains in California!"

Sonst geht es mir gut. Morgen habe ich Orientation day, wo ich auch meine Kurse wählen kann und dann ab Montag gehts richtig los.

Auf zum nächsten Abenteuer...
Ramona

The Arrival

Hier bin ich nun... in Santa Barbara, California! Wow... bin gestern angekommen. Ich habe noch nicht so viel zu erzählen gerade.... aber mehr von meinen Abenteuern hier gibts sicher bald.

Das ist das Haus, in dem ich jetzt wohne... für 3 Monate!

The Power of Christ in you

This is to all of you who struggle and are in the midst of a fight or in front of a mountain or deep down in the valley. Let me tell you this: You are destined for victory! You are a child of God and victory belongs to you. So stop fighting on your own and take His hand... he will pull you through!

"I'll go, but I cannot go alone
Cause I know I'm nothing on my own
But the power of Christ in me makes me strong
Makes me strong

Cause when I'm weak, You make me strong
When I'm blind, You shine Your light on me
Cause I'll never get by living on my own ability
How refreshing to know You don't need me
How amazing to know that You want me
So I'll stand on Your truth, and I'll fight with Your strength
Until You bring the victory, by the power of Christ in me" (Casting Crowns)

Enjoy the ride - Winter Weekend 2007

Winter Weekend 2007 ist seit Sonntag zu Ende. Doch wie soll ich beschreiben wie es war, wenn es kaum Worte dafür gibt.
Winter Weekend ist immer ein besonderes Camp... ein besonderes Wochenende. Wir fahren für ein Wochenende in die Alpen. Raus aus dem Alltag, rein in die Berge. Es ist immer sehr intensiv...
Und so war es auch dieses Jahr. Fast 50 Jugendliche zusammen in einer Hütte in den Alpen. Tagsüber waren wir auf der Piste und konnten Gottes Schöpfung bewundern. Abends waren wir im Haus, haben Zeit verbracht, gegessen (Sahra und Rene, das Essen war mehr als großartig!!!), Nintendo Wii gespielt... aber dann kam das beste: Lobpreis. Unseren Herrn, den allmächtigen anzubeten, danach eine Predigt und dann Kleingruppen. Ich stand beim Lobpreis meistens ziemlich weit hinten und es war so ein Segen für mich zu hören wie alle zusammen singen, wir standen da wie eine Armee und beteten an.
Das Thema dieses Jahr war Freude und der Vers "Die Freude am Herrn ist meine Kraft"... was für ein mächtiges Thema... wow! Sich am Herrn zu freuen ist das beste, was wir tun können!
Die Gruppe war einfach großartig... da gibt es keine Worte, die diese Gruppe beschreiben könnten... so einzigartig, so viel Potential... so wunderbar. Ich liebe jeden einzelnen von dieser Gruppe... ich liebe zu sehen wie sie Entscheidungen treffen und weitergehen in ihrem Leben.

Alles was ich noch zu sagen habe ist: "I'll stand with arms high and heart abandoned, in awe of the one who gave it all, I'll stand my soul Lord to you surrendered, all I am is yours..." United we Stand!

His Way

"For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?" (Isaiah 43:19)
BAM... there it was. These two little sentences vom Isaiah who seem to express everything I have been feeling and thinking about lately.
I started this new year and I felt like everything was open and that about anything could happen. I felt that the Lord is going to do something amazing and great this year. I still feel that deep inside. But I do not focus on it. I only focus on the Lord and His plan for my life. And whatever he's planning for this year or the next months, I'm ready to follow. I'm ready to be obedient. I'm ready to be the girl He wants me to be.... aaahh... I get so excited when I think about His wonderful ways and how he handles things and I love His humor... Oh... I love the Lord.

Jesus, I love you so much, I can hardly express with words. It's you I want to follow all my life, it's you I look at. Jesus... I reach my hand out to you and say YES... I want to dance this dance with you for the rest of my life even if it will be only you and me forever.... I'm not afraid for I know you are my strength and a light on my path. Dear Jesus, my lover, my friend, my father, my savior.... I surrender...

Why they are like they are

I've been thinking a lot about men lately... well not the way you think now ... well maybe a bit, but more like why they are like they are.
Let me explain that a little. I''ve been thinking about why men hold back, whey they are afraid, why they don't stand their man... I could freak out. Society tells them to be super smart, super strong, super soft, super understanding and so on... and they try... but how can they ever fulfill an image that was not meant for them. Women: We've done a huge mistake... I mean not that it is our fault... the fault was made a few thousand years ago but what I mean is feminism... I mean those women who try to take over control, women who try to form their men, women who only want the soft parts. But that is sooooooooo wrong.
I tell you what I want. I want a man who is strong in the Lord, a man who knows who he is in Christ, I want a man who love the Lord with all his heart, soul and spirit. I want a man willing to rescue me and hold me, somebody strong, somebody I can rely on, somebody who lives the adventure with me, somebody who doesn't bring his question ("Do I have what it takes", Wild at heart, John Eldredge) to me, but to the Lord, somebody who is fierce and dangerous (in a good way), somebody who is willing to fight for me!!!! I don't want to take control, I don't want to always be the one pushing the relationship...
So men, this is for you:

"Too many men forsake their dreams because they aren't willing to risk, or fear they aren't up to the challenge, or are never told that those desires deep in their heart are good. But the soul of a man (...) isn't made for controlling things; he's made for adventure. (...) If you had permission to do what you really want to do, what would you do? Don't ask how, that will cut your desire off at the knee. How is never the right question; how is a faithless question. It means "unless I can see my way clearly I won't believe it, won't venture forth." (...) How is God's department. He is asking you what. What is written in your heart? What makes you come alive? If you could do what you've always wanted to do, what would it be? You see, a man's calling is written on his true heart, and he discovers it when he enters the frontier of his heep desires. To paraphrase Bailie, don't aks yourself what the world needs, ask yourself what makes you come alive because what the world needs are men who have come alive." (Wild at Heart, John Eldredge)