I'm here...but why?

By Kyle Small -
I made it safely to Germany. The flight went well - I slept for four hours, and the food was good enough. However, when I arrived at the University, I realized something - two months alone is going to be much longer than 2 months with people I know and love. It is lonely here, and though I am picking up the language, I have yett to meet many people to talk with. Also, how fun is it to talk about traveling and the weather in short, twisted sentences.

Last night was an exciting event around here. The passive Germans of Bremen came out of the woodwork with painted faces, German flads as kilts, horns and other noise makers. In the town square over 8000 people gathered to watch the game on the big screen. OUr group of students watched the game at Paddy#s pub near the HAuptbonhauf (Bus station). It was a great game, but you could feel the air leave Germany when the Italians scored the first goal in OT. It is a sad (mÜde) day in Germany. Overall, BRemen is a very nice town, and the people are kind.

for those reading: If you are bored and need something to do, please pray for me. I am feeling quite homesick and lonely. This is a new feeling for me, and I pray that it will subside soon. Also, I have yet to overcome jetlag, so I am planning on taking a nap this afternoon.

BTW, I am having laptop troubles, so pictures will come as soon as I get the problems resolved.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Returning to the Mitten - Small Family Update

By -
Image
Running - What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger? I went for a run on Thursday morning at the end of April. I was in West Michigan for a consulting project and enjoying a later start to the day. I left my in-laws house to run a route I enjoyed many years ago. Lindsay's uncle has a home on my West Michigan running route, and I decided to stop to say hello while running. I simply wanted to offer a hug and enjoy some connection. It was a delightful pitstop. I said, "I miss you." He said, "I miss you, too. Come home." His demeanor was energizing and directness a bit unraveling. His words fell distinctly on my ears. I continued running and his words wouldn’t leave me. I kept running and wondering if/how I should tell Lindsay about the encounter. Siri called Lindsay while I continued running. I wasn't going too fast (I couldn't if I tried according to my son). I asked Lindsay, "What if I said when we leave for Bethany we will not be returning to South ...
Read more

Moving, Healing, and Times of Transition

By -
Image
               We have a spreadsheet for this season. The final column is for the dog. When I first made the spreadsheet, she wasn’t included. Then the plans were made to pack, travel, and move. Everything made sense until we asked about the dog’s whereabouts. I admit it is nice for the confusion to be about a dog. It’s been a  dogged  two years, yet our family is intact; our home is selling; the children are registered for schools; I get to keep my job; and Lindsay has an incredible opportunity on the horizon. But the real news is some we have been waiting for since February. Madeline had her MRI and CAT scan early in the morning last Thursday. A few hours later the results were available in MyChart. Lindsay called to read it to me. She hadn’t yet read it herself, so we were bracing to hear the words for the first time together. I was so anxious and even as positive words laced the opening lines, I was waiting for the “but.” The re...
Read more

It's been a year(s) - Living The Good News between Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday

By -
Image
January 5, 2021, was the first day of a very long road. To be honest, it is the most memorable day of a road that began several months before as we left the familiarity of Holland, Michigan, and moved to South Carolina.   Madeline received her first of three brain surgeries at Greenville’s children’s hospital on that day. What was a relatively minor brain surgery (if there is ever anything minor related to the brain), turned into a nine day stay with a feeding tube, and a young girl was now worse off than when she first arrived. The pain of the first surgery turned into a second a few months later. The second was better than the first, but headaches, stomach aches, and intense pain clouded any signs of success.    One year ago, today (February 13, 2023), Madeline entered the incredible children’s hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah. We walked the unfamiliar territory of the new hospital in a new city with fear and trepidation. The neurosurgeon is one of the best in the world...
Read more