I am happy to report that I survived another week in the Austrian alps, well actually I guess it has been two weeks since I have blogged! Wow! How time flies!! I can't believe it's almost August!!!
Last week we went on a tour that was filled with glaciers and lots of snow. It was crazy! We had to tie ourselves together with ropes and harnesses to cross the glacier in case there were crevasses that we couldn't see that we could potentially fall into. It was an indescribable experience! But we were very happy each night because we stayed in hutts (aka lodges) the whole time, meaning breakfast and dinner were provided so we only had to pack lunches and we didn't have to carry tents. This week we were not so fortunate....
This past week was intense and in tents. =) Our first day we hiked around 7 hours and tented next to an alpine lake that we all took a dip in before having a lecture, dinner and hitting the sack. My pack quickly earned the name Patricia, who I like to nickname fatty patty because she is SOOO much heavier with the stove, extra food and tent in her.
Day 2 I found myself climbing an alp basically straight up (over this week this has become rather common), to then climb straight down the other side and climb straight up the next alp behind it. Because we never know where we are going and only know our next destination it can be a bit frustrating at times. But always rewarding at the end of the day with your big appetite and sore muscles. After we hiked up and down a couple of times we went through a mine and crossed through an alp to the other side... that was pretty amazing. (Patricia even joined me on that one!)
Day 3 we hiked several hours up and down and were given the opportunity to climb the highest alp in the SouthEast of the Alps (does that even make sense??)... It was tough, and I quickly became the cheerleader for a group of 5 of us girls and I am proud to say that all 5 of us made it up including Jeannie, a middle aged mom of 4 who is here at Upward Bound! It was a very rewarding experience.
Yesterday alone we climbed about 1000 meters up and 2000 meters down. My knees kill today and I better have some kind of muscle tone to show for it. ;) We hiked for 10 hours yesterday and were abandoned during devotions over lunch by all of our leaders and were distributed a note giving vague directions on how to get home and were told to be home by 6:30 for dinner. All in all I think we hiked for 10 hours yesterday and I am exhausted. That may explain why this blog is kinda blah and not very clear.
We have today off (WOOHOO!!!!) and head out again tomorrow for another tour of fun. This truly has been a stretching experience in every aspect. I think one of my favorite experiences thus far was during a lecture time this past week, Hans Peiter, the director of Taurnhof, showed up one night where we were camping and gave a lecture on prayer... it was so practical and has really changed my prayer life. Basically he talked about how Christianity is all about coming to Christ and then abiding in Christ. So every morning he invites Jesus to spend the day with him and then he always tries to think of himself as we and not me because Christ is always with us... so when we say I can't do it, we're really saying we can't do it (and so forth) meaning we don't believe in the power of Christ. This new take on prayer has been very encouraging for me this week and has made my experience in the mountains even somewhat enjoyable. ;) j/k this week has been amazing... even with Patty on my back, I have been able to make some really neat friends and have seen the sound of music live and in person. I am not complaining and look forward to all that this week has in store.
I am a little nervous because each day another student from our group is chosen to be LOD, Leader of the Day, and is completely responsible for the group (compass, map, breaks, wake up call etc.) and my day is coming all too soon! eek! But we all get along really well, so when I lead us 30 minutes out of the way up hill they shouldn't get too mad. ;) Let's hope not! Then again it's not just me, it would be we who did it! haha. That's my excuse.
Thank you for all of your prayers and email updates.... it's so good to hear from home.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Friday, July 17, 2009
I smell like a man.
My latest e-mail update describing this weeks happenings:
My dearest ones back home,
I wish I could start my email off with a greeting in German, but the last time I took a shot at that I said good naked! So I think I may practice a lil bit more. :) Forgive me if my "y's" look like z's because this keyboard is all turned around.
Well I just got back yesterday from my first "multi day trek" and it was incredible. First we were told Monday morning to pack our bags as we had been instucted with NO deo (meaning no deoderent) and 2 shirts etc... basically the bare minimum and we were dropped off at a location with enough food for 3 lunches and were given a location to make our way to. At the end of Monday after hours of intense back packing we made it to the top of an alp where we found a hut, which is actually more like a lodge. The hut owner provided us with a delicious and hot dinner and we had an amazing lecture from this weeks speaker Steve who is a staff member at the torch bearer school in Germany. That night the boys had one room and the girls had another that basically was one long mattress and we each had our own pillow and blanket but we were all lined up sleeping next to each other. I didn#t sleep too well because there were a LOT of cows around with their bells jingling from around their necks.
The next morning we were all praying we wouldn#t have to backpack again but we actually ended up rockclimbing and I am not sure how to say it in English but we used lobster claws to make our way around these steel ropes that were drilled into the limestone walls.... hard to explain but it was GREAT climbing and a lot of fun. That night we had two more lectures and another hot meal.
Wednesday we woke up and had to pack (lil sidenote, each day our alarm clock is a different staff member, so we never really know what time we go to sleep or wake up... it's totally out of our hands and on this trek we were forbidden to take any toiletries other than our toothbrush and paste and couldn't have a watch, this actuially makes for a really neat experience but is very hard to get used to at first) our bags for another day of backpacking... we hiked until lunch and all stopped at the base of a cross on top of an alp before comtinuing for several more hours and were told to ration our water very carefully. We then met up with some staff members from Taurenhof in this random cow field where they brought us water and informed us we were to go caving and would sleep in a cave that night! So we unpacked our bags and packed a jump suit, helmet and gloves. You have to keep in mind, we haven't showered since Sunday or Monday, we are sweaty, dirty and tired and all smell awful (well at least I imagined, I think my olfactory nerve kluncked out after too much BO) Then, right as we are to continue some massive rain clouds with thunder and lightning moved in. Heli (pronounced Haley) this amazing Austrian superman (seriously) told us he hates lightning the most in the mountains and that we all needed to cover our packs with our rainproof covers and put on our rainproof gear and sit tight next to our bags and not to run around because it could cause friction and get us zapped. So we all sat tight and before you knew it HUGE rain drops came pouring down, followed by pea sized rain, followed by marble sized rain... IT HURT! then it completely stopped raining and random golf ball sized hail started dropping... one here, one there for a good minute. Thank the Lord no one got hit and all of us were laughing pretty hard because it was such a bizarre experience.
After the weird storm passed, about 20 miniutes later, we continued on an uphill climb for about another hour. then we were told to go one last time because it's not possible to go in the cave, so we would have to hold it overnight. then we climbed across a glacier to the opening of the cave... it was FREEZING! I was dripping sweat when we got to the cave, which didn't help. So girls went to one side of the boulder and boys the other and we all changed our clothes to long underwear, gloves, shirts, and basically any layerable clothes we had went on our body underneath the jumpsuit... this was rather hilarious to witness as there was not really enough room for all of us to stand, let alone change clothes and getting into an dout of our backpacks. Then we had to construct new bags because our backpacks wouldn't fit inside with us. So after about an hour of preparing we journeyed 300 meters into the mountainside and 100 meters down. It was insane. And our advice from the Austrian before going... "you will come into many different types of rooms, don't think, just be creative." not even lying. So throughout our journey we would say "don#t think about it!! Just get creative!" There was one point where there was a 2 foot wide opening by about a foot and a half tall and 6 foot long where we had to lay on our stamaches and snake our way through dragging our plastic bags behind. Other parts we had to cross bridges made from ladders suspended from climbing ropes. Basically picture the goonies and the cave in that and that's kind of what is was like. :)
Once we got to our little ledge area where we slept, Heli had us all turn out our lights and I experienced complete darkness for the first time. Ya know, you can't even see the end of your nose in a cave. Nothing. there was nothing. He made a comparison to the Bible and how Christ is the light of the world and to finish the 10 minutes of darkness we all sang amazing grace together. It was an unforgettable experience, probably a favorite from the trip.
We then made our hot cocoa and soup before making camp for the night. Take my word on this one, sleeping in a cave is not very fun. Especially when its 30 degrees and you smell like a man and have to go to the bathroom. But hey, I can now say I slept in a cave. We found out the next morning that most locals don't even know about this cave and that they think it is 90 kilometers long and are still trying to forge their way through the mountain. Thursday we backpacked all day long and arrived home to shower (hallelujah!) and consumed some amazing spaghetti!
Today we were all desperately hoping we wouldn't have to stick our sore feet into our hiking boots again and were pleasantly surprised to learn that my group go to go canyoning. This was another very fun day filled with jumping from 25 foot waterfalls and hiking down a river (well swimming and hiking in the river) in a canyon. Something I had never experienced before. It was a very fun day as well, but I am so tired and am hoping for a day off tomorrow, but I am trying not to get my heart set on it. :)
Weird to think I am in the alps and mom and dad are on their way to their latest campaign in Ecuador. PLease say a prayer for them as they are taking the gospel to the people living on the Amazon river.
Well, that is the latest from my travels. Please let me know how you are doing as well and thank you to those of you who have!! keep 'em coming! :) I love you and miss you all, oh and someone asked... I am in the Dachstein mountain range in Austria if you would like to google and look at pictures and maybe visulize some of our activities.
Love to you all
My dearest ones back home,
I wish I could start my email off with a greeting in German, but the last time I took a shot at that I said good naked! So I think I may practice a lil bit more. :) Forgive me if my "y's" look like z's because this keyboard is all turned around.
Well I just got back yesterday from my first "multi day trek" and it was incredible. First we were told Monday morning to pack our bags as we had been instucted with NO deo (meaning no deoderent) and 2 shirts etc... basically the bare minimum and we were dropped off at a location with enough food for 3 lunches and were given a location to make our way to. At the end of Monday after hours of intense back packing we made it to the top of an alp where we found a hut, which is actually more like a lodge. The hut owner provided us with a delicious and hot dinner and we had an amazing lecture from this weeks speaker Steve who is a staff member at the torch bearer school in Germany. That night the boys had one room and the girls had another that basically was one long mattress and we each had our own pillow and blanket but we were all lined up sleeping next to each other. I didn#t sleep too well because there were a LOT of cows around with their bells jingling from around their necks.
The next morning we were all praying we wouldn#t have to backpack again but we actually ended up rockclimbing and I am not sure how to say it in English but we used lobster claws to make our way around these steel ropes that were drilled into the limestone walls.... hard to explain but it was GREAT climbing and a lot of fun. That night we had two more lectures and another hot meal.
Wednesday we woke up and had to pack (lil sidenote, each day our alarm clock is a different staff member, so we never really know what time we go to sleep or wake up... it's totally out of our hands and on this trek we were forbidden to take any toiletries other than our toothbrush and paste and couldn't have a watch, this actuially makes for a really neat experience but is very hard to get used to at first) our bags for another day of backpacking... we hiked until lunch and all stopped at the base of a cross on top of an alp before comtinuing for several more hours and were told to ration our water very carefully. We then met up with some staff members from Taurenhof in this random cow field where they brought us water and informed us we were to go caving and would sleep in a cave that night! So we unpacked our bags and packed a jump suit, helmet and gloves. You have to keep in mind, we haven't showered since Sunday or Monday, we are sweaty, dirty and tired and all smell awful (well at least I imagined, I think my olfactory nerve kluncked out after too much BO) Then, right as we are to continue some massive rain clouds with thunder and lightning moved in. Heli (pronounced Haley) this amazing Austrian superman (seriously) told us he hates lightning the most in the mountains and that we all needed to cover our packs with our rainproof covers and put on our rainproof gear and sit tight next to our bags and not to run around because it could cause friction and get us zapped. So we all sat tight and before you knew it HUGE rain drops came pouring down, followed by pea sized rain, followed by marble sized rain... IT HURT! then it completely stopped raining and random golf ball sized hail started dropping... one here, one there for a good minute. Thank the Lord no one got hit and all of us were laughing pretty hard because it was such a bizarre experience.
After the weird storm passed, about 20 miniutes later, we continued on an uphill climb for about another hour. then we were told to go one last time because it's not possible to go in the cave, so we would have to hold it overnight. then we climbed across a glacier to the opening of the cave... it was FREEZING! I was dripping sweat when we got to the cave, which didn't help. So girls went to one side of the boulder and boys the other and we all changed our clothes to long underwear, gloves, shirts, and basically any layerable clothes we had went on our body underneath the jumpsuit... this was rather hilarious to witness as there was not really enough room for all of us to stand, let alone change clothes and getting into an dout of our backpacks. Then we had to construct new bags because our backpacks wouldn't fit inside with us. So after about an hour of preparing we journeyed 300 meters into the mountainside and 100 meters down. It was insane. And our advice from the Austrian before going... "you will come into many different types of rooms, don't think, just be creative." not even lying. So throughout our journey we would say "don#t think about it!! Just get creative!" There was one point where there was a 2 foot wide opening by about a foot and a half tall and 6 foot long where we had to lay on our stamaches and snake our way through dragging our plastic bags behind. Other parts we had to cross bridges made from ladders suspended from climbing ropes. Basically picture the goonies and the cave in that and that's kind of what is was like. :)
Once we got to our little ledge area where we slept, Heli had us all turn out our lights and I experienced complete darkness for the first time. Ya know, you can't even see the end of your nose in a cave. Nothing. there was nothing. He made a comparison to the Bible and how Christ is the light of the world and to finish the 10 minutes of darkness we all sang amazing grace together. It was an unforgettable experience, probably a favorite from the trip.
We then made our hot cocoa and soup before making camp for the night. Take my word on this one, sleeping in a cave is not very fun. Especially when its 30 degrees and you smell like a man and have to go to the bathroom. But hey, I can now say I slept in a cave. We found out the next morning that most locals don't even know about this cave and that they think it is 90 kilometers long and are still trying to forge their way through the mountain. Thursday we backpacked all day long and arrived home to shower (hallelujah!) and consumed some amazing spaghetti!
Today we were all desperately hoping we wouldn't have to stick our sore feet into our hiking boots again and were pleasantly surprised to learn that my group go to go canyoning. This was another very fun day filled with jumping from 25 foot waterfalls and hiking down a river (well swimming and hiking in the river) in a canyon. Something I had never experienced before. It was a very fun day as well, but I am so tired and am hoping for a day off tomorrow, but I am trying not to get my heart set on it. :)
Weird to think I am in the alps and mom and dad are on their way to their latest campaign in Ecuador. PLease say a prayer for them as they are taking the gospel to the people living on the Amazon river.
Well, that is the latest from my travels. Please let me know how you are doing as well and thank you to those of you who have!! keep 'em coming! :) I love you and miss you all, oh and someone asked... I am in the Dachstein mountain range in Austria if you would like to google and look at pictures and maybe visulize some of our activities.
Love to you all
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Trekking Austria
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!!! :) I am celebrating your birthday by going out for some ice cream in honor of you!
Today was amazing. It was our first day off since coming here and we got a group together to play ultimate frisbee and hung out around campus playing card games watching the rain. It has been SUPER rainy here... and we jumped in the frigid river, it reminded me of Yosemite and brought a little piece of home here.
Last night we were woken up around midnight to yelling in the dorms alerting us that we were supposed to go to the bistro. After we all met in the bistro we were told we couldn't talk until the next morning after breakfast and that we were to go and get our rope, hiking boots and flashlights and meet in the lecture hall. After hearing about the history of Austria during the 1600's and how people used to have to smuggle Bibles we were told to get into our groups, tie ourselves to each other and go for a night hike. We hiked for about 2 hours and got back to Taurenhof at 3AM and had to sleep outside in our tents. It was crazy! But lots of fun...
Yesterday, the instructors here wanted us all to experience the various types of terrain that we will be backpacking on, so we packed lunches and took a bus up to the base of the Dachstein mountain range. We then ventured off in the rain straight up a mountain until we were at the base of where you would have to rockclimb with a rock field below. We were then instructed to run down the rock field to the bottom of the mountain (at this I was thinking "we did all of that hiking just to run down!?!?) But it was a very fun experience, one hard to explain, but I will post pics. What made it even more fun is that we were in the clouds so you couldn't see the bottom. Then we climbed back up the mountain to a glacier and learned what to do if you slip and fall down a glacier and how to walk on a glacier and we finished up the day by learning how to use our hikingboots to climb granite. It was a really fun day... i am exhausted and sore, but so fun. I will try to post more pics and think I am leaving for my first multi day trek in the next couple days so I will post when I can... Hope all is well at home!!! Love.
Thursday, July 09, 2009
Fun at Taurenhof!
I have been in Austria for 5 days now and it already seems like so much has happened. Ashley and I found our way safe and sound to Schladming, where I will be for the next 5ish weeks. During our first day here we were divided into 4 groups of 9-10 people. My group is the fluffy felz, which means the fluffy rock which was decided upon by all of our members during our first hiking expedition. Don't ask. There are 5 girls, Hanna from Germany, Rebekka from Germany, Danielle from Santa Barbara, CA, Charla from Canada and me along with 5 boys, Dave from Toronto, Canada, Mike from Virginia, our fearless leader Rod from Canada, Philip from Germany and Tony from Wisconsin. It makes for a very unique and FUN time. We all get along really well.
Today all of the different groups were sent to various treks within 30 minutes of the school to complete various trail upkeeping duties for the local community as an outreach. My group took a bus 30 minutes up an alp to the base of a beautiful mountain that we climber for an hour and a half before splitting into 3 smaller groups that were divided among the trail to complete various tasks. I raked rocks. :) Then we made our way to the alpine "hut" (which was truly much more like a lodge, I had been picturing like a one room hut with a fire and animals inside like Ethiopia) were the owner of the lodge gave us soup as thanks for helping him keep up the trail. Then we made our way back down the mountain.
Yesterday we received training on how to use a compass and map before we were given maps with a victim labeled on it and a hospital location marked. We then had until 5pm to go into the mountains as teams to quickly rescue our victim without our team leader. Turns out Rod, our team leader, was "shot by a Costa Rican out for vengence" and we had to carry him to safety. It was later discovered that he weighs 200 lbs and is 6 foot 2 inches. So, we used his mat for sleeping and all of our ropes that we have to construct a spine board. :)
All of that to say... it is GORGEOUS here and I can't wait to see what the next 5 weeks have in store for us. Each week we memorize 3 Bible verses, have devotions and a nightly meeting. But the best part is that we have NO idea what we are going to do each day. We just wake up and show up for breakfast at 8 and receive an announcement about the next place we have to be and so on and so forth. So each day is like a new adventure. I could be leaving tomorrow morning for a 5 day trek and I have no idea! The whole not knowing component definitely adds a lot of fun to the environment overall, and I think it's healthy for a change. I have most definitely already been challenged physically and spiritually as well, so it has been a really neat experience so far! Thanks for all of your thoughts, encouragements and prayers!! Love to you all!
Sunday, July 05, 2009
Vienna!
Ashley and I arrived safe and sound to Vienna, Austria last night around 7pm (11 AM west coast time) and made it to our hostel and out to the city streets by 9. It was nice to drop our packs off in lockers and enjoy the cool night air after the long journey.
I sat next to two of the coolest people on my flight from LA to London. Ron, a professor from Chapman University (hi Ron!) and Nathan, a student from CalPoly SLO on his way to study Spanish in Spain. Our row hit it off as soon as we got into our little seats and I enjoyed getting to know both of them throughout the flight. Ron is actually going to London to work with his graphic design students on a project for the 2010 Olympics! All that to say it made for a fun flight. :)
The hostel in Vienna is really nice. Much nicer than I pictured and I would recommend a Wombat hostel based off of my experience in this one. Ashley and I shared a room with a very sweet girl from Germany on her way to study in Switzerland.
Now we are on our way out the door to catch our train to Schladming for school! :) Hope you all had a wonderful 4rth of July!!
I sat next to two of the coolest people on my flight from LA to London. Ron, a professor from Chapman University (hi Ron!) and Nathan, a student from CalPoly SLO on his way to study Spanish in Spain. Our row hit it off as soon as we got into our little seats and I enjoyed getting to know both of them throughout the flight. Ron is actually going to London to work with his graphic design students on a project for the 2010 Olympics! All that to say it made for a fun flight. :)
The hostel in Vienna is really nice. Much nicer than I pictured and I would recommend a Wombat hostel based off of my experience in this one. Ashley and I shared a room with a very sweet girl from Germany on her way to study in Switzerland.
Now we are on our way out the door to catch our train to Schladming for school! :) Hope you all had a wonderful 4rth of July!!
Friday, July 03, 2009
Another Perspective
Just a lil heads up my good friend and partner and crime will be blogging away as we embark on our adventure... check out our trip through her perspective by visiting:
ashleylaurenlevine.blogspot.com
Cheers!
Can it be July 3??
I can't believe this day has finally arrived!!! It is 2:36 AM and I am still packing and preparing to go, but that's pretty normal for me. :) I have decided to stay up through the night to enjoy my final hours in the states and get as organized and prepared as possible. For those of you who may need a 'lil clarification I will break down the next 5 months of my life....
July 3 - August 8 Taurenhof Bible School.
Here's a little blurb about the course and our studies...
UPWARD BOUND is designed to facilitate the deepening of faith in and commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ, and to promote the development of the Christian as a whole person: spiritually, mentally, and physically. This unique and intensive course also aims to increase Biblical knowledge and application, promote Biblical values, develop leadership potential, a sense of personal responsibility, and self-confidence, and encourage cooperative teamwork and appreciation for others.
To this end UPWARD BOUND consists of teaching on subjects including Prayer, Ecclesiastes, The Armour of God, Leadership and various topics. These studies are integrated with a demanding program using the mountain and wilderness environment as a classroom providing both inherent and controlled challenges. Included in the course are lectures, seminars, backpacking, map and compass skills, hiking skills, camping, climbing, rappelling, caving, canyoning, rafting, river crossings, initiatives, solo, assignments and opportunities for further application and interaction in devotions, services, and regular practical work and household duties. Participants will be divided into smaller groups of six to nine persons for various purposes such as small group problem solving tasks, leadership training, debriefing, and fellowship.
Time for personal reflection, relaxation, and recreation both individually and as a group is also vital. Besides planned activities and social events, the alpine environment of mountains, lakes, and waterfalls offers great recreation opportunities such as sightseeing, hiking, and running. Tauernhof has outdoor volleyball and a climbing wall. Within walking distance there is also a gym, outdoor basketball court and soccer fields, as well as an indoor- outdoor swimming pool, tennis courts, squash courts, and fitness center (these all charge fees). Other recreation possibilities include mountain biking and horseback riding.
Tauernhof in Schladming is the base location for UPWARD BOUND. Because of our smaller size (capacity of 40 participants) Tauernhof enjoys a warm and personal atmosphere, in a close community made up of participants from various countries and cultures. The accommodations are dormitory style, with rooms being shared by about six roommates. Much of the time is also spent away from Tauernhof as we move out into the fabulous mountain environment on several multi-day tours. Besides camping, sometimes we will also stay in alpine lodges.
For anyone interested in sending letters or packages during my stay in Austria (July 5 - August 8) here is some vital information:
For students from overseas:
If your families and friends intend to send you a package during your stay in Europe, they should know and take into consideration the following:
Please make sure that the value of the package is not higher than 50 USDollars, as the receiver will need to pay for import tax (customs) otherwise. The custom law has become very strict these past years, and we had many students in the past that got packages from home and because the value was above 50 Dollars, they needed to pay customs on top of it... Even if the content of the package were personal belongings (such as cameras, clothes, sports equipment, etc). This can become very costly for the students here. Also, it is forbidden to send medicine from overseas to Europe (even vitamines have caused problems in the past!).
In other words: Care packages from home should be kept small and the value of it should be less than 50 USDollars.
COMMUNICATION INFORMATION
Mailing address:
Tauernhof
Coburgstrasse 50
A-8970 Schladming
Austria
PrAyEr ReQuEsT --> For safety as we are scaling the alps. For lifelong relationships to be formed and unity among the students at the school.
August 8 - 18 --> Traveling Switzerland & France
PrAyEr ReQuEsT -->Please pray for safe travel for Ashley and I. Also, pray that we would be refreshed and ready to serve apart from each other for 3 months.
August 18 - November 13 --> Mercy Ships, Benin
During this time I will be on Mercy Ships serving as a hospitality hostess. My job description is as follows:
*Clean and prepare crew and guest cabins
*Welcome new crew & assist with embarkations
*Bake (my personal favorite :)
*Set up function on board for as few as 3 and up to 150 people
*Serve customs and immigration officials upon arrival in port
*Assist activities dept with functions when necessary
*Bless the crew when time and opportunity arises
*Will be required to work after hours when scheduled on the “duty roster”
*Perform all duties as assigned by the Head Hostess
Mailing information for my time on the ship (August 18 - November 13)... no pressure, but I am pretty sure receiving anything while on the ship would be amazing. ;)
Mail: Mail: Letters, packages, etc will be forwarded regularly to the ship. Please advise your family and friends that it could take several weeks for mail to reach you in West Africa. If you are sent packages (or anything over 1 ounce), you will be charged $5.60/ pound ($0.35 per ounce or 28.4g). US and UK stamps are available on board and crew returning home to these countries are often asked to carry mail back with them to be posted.
To receive personal mail, have your letters mailed to the International, Holland or UK office.
Please also note: due to hazardous material regulations we cannot mail or ship the following items: fingernail polish, polish remover, hair color and perfumes so crew should plan to bring a sufficient supply with them.
Katie Eisemann
Mercy Ships
M/V Africa Mercy – Hospitality
PO Box 2020, Lindale, TX, 75771-2020, USA
1-954-538-4258
PrAyEr ReQuEsT --> For relationships to be formed among the crew members and for the hearts of the people to be turned to the Lord.
I am so excited to take this position and meet so many people and serve Benin together. :)
November 13 - 20 --> e3 Partners, Ethiopia
Teki, Ashley and I will finally be reunited!!!! :) This trip is taking place in a NEW location for e3. We will be distributing wheelchairs, eyeglasses and sharing the gospel with anyone who will listen.
PrAyEr ReQuEsT --> Please pray for open hearts and boldness to share the gospel in this unreached part of the country.
July 3 - August 8 Taurenhof Bible School.
Here's a little blurb about the course and our studies...
UPWARD BOUND is designed to facilitate the deepening of faith in and commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ, and to promote the development of the Christian as a whole person: spiritually, mentally, and physically. This unique and intensive course also aims to increase Biblical knowledge and application, promote Biblical values, develop leadership potential, a sense of personal responsibility, and self-confidence, and encourage cooperative teamwork and appreciation for others.
To this end UPWARD BOUND consists of teaching on subjects including Prayer, Ecclesiastes, The Armour of God, Leadership and various topics. These studies are integrated with a demanding program using the mountain and wilderness environment as a classroom providing both inherent and controlled challenges. Included in the course are lectures, seminars, backpacking, map and compass skills, hiking skills, camping, climbing, rappelling, caving, canyoning, rafting, river crossings, initiatives, solo, assignments and opportunities for further application and interaction in devotions, services, and regular practical work and household duties. Participants will be divided into smaller groups of six to nine persons for various purposes such as small group problem solving tasks, leadership training, debriefing, and fellowship.
Time for personal reflection, relaxation, and recreation both individually and as a group is also vital. Besides planned activities and social events, the alpine environment of mountains, lakes, and waterfalls offers great recreation opportunities such as sightseeing, hiking, and running. Tauernhof has outdoor volleyball and a climbing wall. Within walking distance there is also a gym, outdoor basketball court and soccer fields, as well as an indoor- outdoor swimming pool, tennis courts, squash courts, and fitness center (these all charge fees). Other recreation possibilities include mountain biking and horseback riding.
Tauernhof in Schladming is the base location for UPWARD BOUND. Because of our smaller size (capacity of 40 participants) Tauernhof enjoys a warm and personal atmosphere, in a close community made up of participants from various countries and cultures. The accommodations are dormitory style, with rooms being shared by about six roommates. Much of the time is also spent away from Tauernhof as we move out into the fabulous mountain environment on several multi-day tours. Besides camping, sometimes we will also stay in alpine lodges.
For anyone interested in sending letters or packages during my stay in Austria (July 5 - August 8) here is some vital information:
For students from overseas:
If your families and friends intend to send you a package during your stay in Europe, they should know and take into consideration the following:
Please make sure that the value of the package is not higher than 50 USDollars, as the receiver will need to pay for import tax (customs) otherwise. The custom law has become very strict these past years, and we had many students in the past that got packages from home and because the value was above 50 Dollars, they needed to pay customs on top of it... Even if the content of the package were personal belongings (such as cameras, clothes, sports equipment, etc). This can become very costly for the students here. Also, it is forbidden to send medicine from overseas to Europe (even vitamines have caused problems in the past!).
In other words: Care packages from home should be kept small and the value of it should be less than 50 USDollars.
COMMUNICATION INFORMATION
Mailing address:
Tauernhof
Coburgstrasse 50
A-8970 Schladming
Austria
PrAyEr ReQuEsT --> For safety as we are scaling the alps. For lifelong relationships to be formed and unity among the students at the school.
August 8 - 18 --> Traveling Switzerland & France
PrAyEr ReQuEsT -->Please pray for safe travel for Ashley and I. Also, pray that we would be refreshed and ready to serve apart from each other for 3 months.
August 18 - November 13 --> Mercy Ships, Benin
During this time I will be on Mercy Ships serving as a hospitality hostess. My job description is as follows:
*Clean and prepare crew and guest cabins
*Welcome new crew & assist with embarkations
*Bake (my personal favorite :)
*Set up function on board for as few as 3 and up to 150 people
*Serve customs and immigration officials upon arrival in port
*Assist activities dept with functions when necessary
*Bless the crew when time and opportunity arises
*Will be required to work after hours when scheduled on the “duty roster”
*Perform all duties as assigned by the Head Hostess
Mailing information for my time on the ship (August 18 - November 13)... no pressure, but I am pretty sure receiving anything while on the ship would be amazing. ;)
Mail: Mail: Letters, packages, etc will be forwarded regularly to the ship. Please advise your family and friends that it could take several weeks for mail to reach you in West Africa. If you are sent packages (or anything over 1 ounce), you will be charged $5.60/ pound ($0.35 per ounce or 28.4g). US and UK stamps are available on board and crew returning home to these countries are often asked to carry mail back with them to be posted.
To receive personal mail, have your letters mailed to the International, Holland or UK office.
Please also note: due to hazardous material regulations we cannot mail or ship the following items: fingernail polish, polish remover, hair color and perfumes so crew should plan to bring a sufficient supply with them.
Katie Eisemann
Mercy Ships
M/V Africa Mercy – Hospitality
PO Box 2020, Lindale, TX, 75771-2020, USA
1-954-538-4258
PrAyEr ReQuEsT --> For relationships to be formed among the crew members and for the hearts of the people to be turned to the Lord.
I am so excited to take this position and meet so many people and serve Benin together. :)
November 13 - 20 --> e3 Partners, Ethiopia
Teki, Ashley and I will finally be reunited!!!! :) This trip is taking place in a NEW location for e3. We will be distributing wheelchairs, eyeglasses and sharing the gospel with anyone who will listen.
PrAyEr ReQuEsT --> Please pray for open hearts and boldness to share the gospel in this unreached part of the country.
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