God of gods, Lord of kings, Revealer of mysteries

Last Saturday, Marianna and I went to Museum Island -- a part of Berlin where there are five world-renowned museums along the Spree River. After doing a little shopping at the Antique Market outside the Bode Museum, we decided to go to the Pergamon Museum. Though we will admit that museums are not really "our thing," we were in awe of what we saw there.

Antique Market

The first room you go into shows off the Pergamon Altar containing freezes of Greek gods and goddesses. It was interesting to see this special piece of art, as we are teaching Ancient Greece to our classes. There were also beautiful mosaic floor tiling and spectacular Islamic art -- prayer niches, tapestries, and ceramic pieces of beautiful colors. Amongst all these artworks that represented the worshipping of other faiths, the Lord made His awesome presence very known to me in a particular part of the museum.

When the man in my earphones told me we would be going to see some Babylonian artwork, I didn't really think much of it. But then, as I walked through the massive and exquisite Ishtar Gate and heard about its significance to King Nebuchadnezzar, I was absolutely floored. I'm pretty sure I gaped in awe for a good thirty seconds. You see, Marianna and I have been studying the book of Daniel through a Beth Moore study while we've been here. We are learning how to have integrity in this modern-day Babylon we are living in. We are learning what Daniel went through and his faithfulness to stand for God even when his life was on the line. So, standing in front of the Ishtar Gate was so incredibly surreal. With my own eyes, I was seeing the SAME EXACT structure that Daniel saw! U-N-B-E-L-I-E-V-A-B-L-E! I am convinced that choosing to go see the Pergamon Museum and deciding to go through the audio tour was not by chance...our AWESOME God orchestrated the whole thing! He continually proves Himself to be so real.

"King Nebuchadnezzar said to Daniel, 'Surely your God is the God of gods, the Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries...'"

Daniel 2:47

The Ishtar Gate

Processional Way

(These are not my pictures since you aren't allowed to take picture inside the museum. :)

Since Winter Vacation, I have been super busy with school. Every school day is jam packed with planning, teaching, and preparing. I am enjoying it though and beginning to feel a sense of purpose and reward from what I am doing.

On the weekends, Marianna and I have been relaxing and exploring Berlin. We have made it to a few good restaurants, including Henne--a really cute German pub famous for its chicken. JFK loved the establishment, so we thought it would be fitting to go check it out since our school is named for him. The menu had more choices of beer than it had food...literally, the only entree was a whole fried chicken, and they had a couple of sides and desserts on the menu. The chicken was so good and I ventured out to try the potato salad...not too bad! Marianna and I loved Henne because it made us feel like we were really in Germany!

We've also been able to shop along of the main shopping streets in Berlin --- Friedrichstrasse. You know how I love to shop. I saw a precious pink plaid Burberry dress that caught my eye in Lafayette but I don't think I could justify spending 275 euros on it. Darn.

A couple of weekends ago, Marianna and I went to walk on the frozen Schlactensee Lake--since Irmgart was strongly suggesting we go. When we got off the S-Bahn stop, we followed the crowds to the lake. It was an incredible sight! Kids were sledding, people were cross-country skiing, families were making snowmen. There was even a couple of guys selling brats and drinks from a stand right in the center of the lake. It was so awesome! (Be rest assured...it was so frozen that snow was still on top of the lake...no chance of falling through.)

One of my FAVORITE desserts I have discovered here are Amerikaners. They are German Vanilla Biscuits, and they are phenomenal. They got their name because the GIs after WWII would make them. Marianna and I love them so much, we decided to make them. I found a German recipe and translated it (hoping it was all correct). After about an hour of preparing and baking, we took out the Amerikaners from the oven and they were perfect---almost as good as the bakery's. We were so excited! Plus, they tasted great! Irmgart was really impressed with our baking skills. She kept saying how delicious they were! haha! I'll definitely be bringing home the recipe and making it for y'all sometime. You will LOVE them.

Italian Splendor

Since JFKS has a week-long winter break between first and second semester, Marianna and I were fortunate enough to go to beautiful (and much warmer and sunnier) Italy! It was a phenomenal week of sight-seeing, gelato, and shopping!

We flew to Venice on Saturday morning and took a water bus to our hotel. We arrived at our hotel around 2:00 in the afternoon, so we had almost the entire day to explore. We got settled in our room (a water-front view because of a surprise "present" from the owner of the hotel!) and headed out to see Venice! Over the course of the next few days, Marianna and I had a wonderful time seeing Venice! I think my map skills improved by 100%, as we had to figure out how to back to our hotel after roaming the narrow and winding alleyways.




My favorite place in Venice was a book store we came across while walking around the first day. The sign outside read "the most beautiful book shop in the world," so of course I had to check it out to see if this was the case. It was. The small shop was filled with books, books, and more books. Piles and stacks EVERYWHERE. There were boats filled with books and old nautical decor hanging up. When I made it back to the children's books, I was shocked to see a canal right outside the back door! It was unbelievable! I made it out of the store with a couple of children's books and a free bookmark from the shop owner who loved me and Marianna!

We had the chance to take water buses to the islands of Murano and Burano during our time in Venice. Murano is the island where the famous Murano glass is made. You can practically buy it anywhere in Italy. It was a quiet little island because it was a Sunday, but we got to go into a few stores, walk the streets, and purchase a few pieces of jewelry. My FAVORITE of the two was Burano. When I got off the water bus, I was a little skeptical--but when I turned the corner, I could hardly believe my eyes! Every home and store was painted a bright color! It was beautiful! Burano is mostly a residential island, but it is known for its lace. We saw several locals cleaning and hanging laundry. I just could not get over that people actually live there. It is like a fairy tale.

Venice was a great city! It was wonderful to not see a car for three days! What a concept! I loved all the nooks and crannies of the Venetian streets. So magical. I would definitely like to go back someday!

On Tuesday, we said arrivederci to Venice and buongiorno to Rome! I was excited to be back to Rome since our summer trip to Tuscany in 2004. It was weird not to be with Mom, but I was looking forward to seeing Sara Beth at the end of the week.

We arrived at the hotel in late afternoon, so we had some time to get unpacked and see a bit of Rome. Our first day, we were able to hit many of the major landmarks of Rome since our hotel was within walking distance of them all. We headed to the Trevi Fountain, ate some pizza from the Pizzeria Trevi (YUM!), and walked to the Coliseum where we took lots of pictures! It was a beautiful sunny day, so we took definitely took advantage of it! We saw the Pantheon and lots of the major piazzas along the way. It was a great first day in Rome--I couldn't believe all the places we had already made it to!

Of the next two days, we went inside the Coliseum, to the Museo di Roma, the Museo di Roma in Trastevere, and the Vatican City where we went into Saint Peter's Basilica and the Sistine Chapel. We also made it to the Spanish Steps on another sunny day and enjoyed people-watching and taking pictures. Just like Venice, we felt like we became really familiar with the city and how to get places (we took the metro several times). We even discovered an AWESOME gelateria with over 40 gelato flavors made right there in the back of the shop. I think everyday we were in Rome, we went there. :) My favorite flavors included: Raspberry and Cherry. Nutella and Stracciatella were definitely runners-up.

On Friday, I got to go to Ariccia and see my sister!!! It was SO wonderful getting to see her and her new "home." Although it was rainy, it was beautiful. Such a quaint and charming Italian town. The old women would wave at Sara Beth and say, "Ciao, Bella!" It was so cute! We had dinner at a local pizzeria, which was also great. We were the only ones in the restaurant at 7:00 at night but that's okay--We had great service!

Then on Saturday, Sara Beth came to Rome for the day! We met at the Spanish Steps and went shopping (of course)! It was a lot of fun to be together! What a blessing that it could work out because I was really needing my sister after a month in Europe! (I can't believe I've been here for over a month now! WOW!)

We got back to Berlin late afternoon on Sunday. We were exhausted from all our adventures but had such a fun time on our winter break! Now, it's back to school with LOTS of planning and teaching to do! Ancient Greece, Geometry, and Literature Circles--here I come!

Where Treetops Glisten and Children Listen

As I sit at my desk, snowing is falling outside my window. What a winter I am experiencing! I have never lived in so much snow! It's been a fun week and a half since my birthday. Last Thursday night, we went to the "cinema" with Irmgart to see "Did You Hear About the Morgans?" It was fun to go to a German movie theater. Luckily, the movie was in English. We had assigned seats and were sitting behind a German woman who laughed hysterically about everything. It was pretty amusing to hear her reactions! After school on Friday, we went to the Grune Woche (Green Week)--an huge international food and drink exhibition. We spent four hours going through all the different halls--from Vietnam to Switzerland and everywhere in between--and sampling food from all over the world. My favorite was the Italian bruschetta and gelato, the Swiss cheese, and the Norwegian marmalades and waffles. We bought warm waffles and a jar of the raspberry marmalade. So delicious! We were exhausted when we got home from the Grune Woche, but it was so fun to experience an event that all the locals attended.



On Saturday, the sun shined for the first time since we have been here! Marianna and I decided to set out for Mitte on our own. We made it down to Potsdamer Platz and went shopping for a little bit. Then we went to the Ritter Sport Chocolate Store that recently opened. Ritter Sport is one of the most popular chocolate brands in Germany -- it really is some of the best chocolate you'll ever have. At the store, you can select your own mix-ins for a chocolate candy bar. I had a milk chocolate bar made with Smarties (Nestle's M&M's) and yogurt flakes. It was pretty good! The store also has a cafe upstairs and a little theater and display showing the history of Ritter Sport and how they make their chocolate bars. We had a really fun time visiting this new Berlin attraction! We went to church on Sunday--it was a nice service and the people are so welcoming. Marianna and I were invited by one of the pastor's wives for dinner on Tuesday. It was very nice of her--we enjoyed an American home-cooked meal and spending time with a family. What a blessing.








This week has been busy with school. I am in the midst of lots of planning for upcoming units -- Ancient Greece, Geometry, Literature Circles, and Art! The kids are starting to acknowledge me more. :) They greet me in the morning and say good-bye to me at the end of the day. It has been fun getting to know them and my teacher. We took the kids out for sledding again yesterday. No one asked me to sled down this time--My teacher Susan said, "Congratulations, you have know crossed the line from friend to teacher!" Haha.



Tomorrow morning, Marianna and I leave for Italy! I can't wait to see Sara Beth at the end of the trip! It is going to be wonderful! Ciao!

Alles Gute Zum Geburtstag to Me!

Although it was first birthday without my twin sister, it was better than I could have expected! First of all, I woke up in Germany--which is special in and of itself! (I am trying to continually remind myself that I am in this spectacular place and not to take it for granted.) After I got ready for school, I went into the kitchen to make breakfast and my host mom Irmgart had laid out a pretty white table cloth with gifts and flowers for me! It was such a great surprise! She left me a card, hot chocolate mix, a gift wrapped in beautiful Florentine paper, German candy, and yellow tulips!



School was a normal day. I didn't tell my teacher it was my birthday--you know I don't like attention. haha. Well, during homeroom, she said, "Everyone, I have an announcement to make...it's Miss Terry's birthday!!" (Marianna had told her!) The kids all clapped and then sang "Happy Birthday" to me in English. I guess that's more fun for them than singing in German--since German is most of their first languages. They had all signed a card for me in secret, so that was another nice surprise.

After school, I opened birthday cards from my family and friends and skyped with mom, Sara Beth, and some friends. It was great to get to talk to them. I heard a knock on the door, and Marianna and I were kind of nervous to answer it... when we did, it was a little old German man with a bouquet of flowers for me! I couldn't believe it!! They were from Grace and Caroline! So sweet! The flowers are very pretty--roses, daises, and others. They make my whole room smell wonderful and are a humbling reminder of the great friends I am blessed with!



When Irmgart got home, I opened my gift from her. It was a little floral pencil box. She wants me to use it for all my teacher pens and pencils. Isn't she so thoughtful?! I will use it here and then bring it home to use in my future classroom. We then got ready for dinner. We went out to a local Italian restaurant that Irmgart recommended. (There are so many Italian restaurants in Germany, but that's just fine with me!) Irmgart and Andrea (another student teacher from the University of Kentucky) came with me and Marianna. Irmgart translated the menu for us, and we all really enjoyed our dishes.



When we got home, I got to talk to my dad, mom, Sara Beth and some friends a little more. I didn't go to sleep until 23:00! It was late for a school night, but I loved getting to talk to everyone. I had a great birthday--one I will not soon forget. Thank you to everyone who prayed for my day, sent me cards, talked with me on skype, and wrote me emails and posts. I LOVE YOU ALL!!

Snow, Sixth Graders, and Such

Wow! It has been quite a week! Where do I even begin? The rest of my first weekend included taking down Irmgart's Christmas tree and throwing it out the third story window (see video clip) and attending an international baptist church. It was a nice weekend getting acquainted with my new surroundings.



On Monday, Marianna and I hit the ground running with our first day at JFKS. I met my teacher and all my sixth grade students. I don't think the kids really knew what to think of me at first, but they are gradually warming up to me. What I was surprised about the most is that the students speak mostly in German to their peers unless they are addressing an English-speaking teacher. So, all of their group work and chatter throughout the day in entirely in German! I better get to work on my German, so I know if they are on task or not! ;) Thursday was a fun day, as my teacher and I got to take the kids out sledding in a nearby park as a reward for good behavior. I went down the hill twice--which earned me points for sure.

Marianna and I spent most of our afternoons after school exploring the area near our school. We have learned where to buy our groceries, how to get to the post office, and what times our bus comes at the different stops. It has been hard work learning the ropes of a Berliner, but I think we are doing pretty good all things considered.

This weekend we opted to stay in Berlin to do a little exploring. It's a huge city with so much to see. Friday night we did some shopping after school and then went to a local Italian restaurant. It was really cute and the chef-waiter was very nice. On Saturday, Irmgart took us around Mitte (the downtown area of Berlin). She showed us the big shopping areas for young people and pointed out where the museums where. We got to walk through the famous Brandenburg Gate and see all the embassies. It was so nice of her to take time out of her weekend to give us a tour. We enjoyed it! Marianna and I went to another international Baptist church yesterday with a teacher from our school. We also liked this church and seeing another part of town. Since we had MLK Day off today, Marianna's teacher Karla met up with us and showed us around her neighborhood. We saw a beautiful Jewish synagogue and a part of the former Berlin Wall that is still intact. Karla also took us to this cute cafe with mismatched furniture and eccentric decorations. We had cakes, tea, and coffee. She said that at night it is called the Wine Bar and patrons eat and drink as much as they like and then pay how much they think they ate/drank at the end of the evening. Interesting, huh? Marianna and I would like to go back and see what it's like.

There is a lot to see and do here in Berlin and we have barely scratched the surface!

Guten Tag, Berlin!

Well, I finally got here! After almost 20 hours of traveling, including 8 unexpected hours at the Munich airport due to the snow in Germany, I arrived at my flat. The flat is in a building called Villa Elisabeth--about 100 years old and in the town of Kleinmachnow. It is a town just outside of Berlin and was occupied by the Government Democratic Republic, meaning it was part of East Germany and closed off by the Berlin Wall! It is a cute little town--very family-oriented and quaint. Hopefully, Marianna and I will do some exploring tomorrow.

My first night here, Irmgart made noodles and meat sauce and green beans, so I enjoyed that. I got unpacked and went to sleep soon after, since I hadn't had much sleep. This morning, she made us a traditional German breakfast with different breads, marmalades, milk cream, cheese, and sliced meat. She also had hard-boiled eggs for each of us and made her own grapefruit juice. It was a very nice. She said these are our "welcome meals," as we will be making our own food from here on out. Then, we hurried to run a few errands with her since all the shops close around 2 o'clock on Saturdays. We went to pick up pictures from her Christmas holiday, got some cakes for tea time, and went to another store to get her a "stepper"--a mini stair-master type thing for Irmgart's new year's resolution. Then, she took us to see the lake she loves to visit throughout the year, especially in summer. It was frozen with snow on top of it. It was beautiful!

It has been a snowy day! All the children are pulled around on sleighs and older people use ski poles for canes, as they walk around. Since our errands this morning, we have not gone out. We had tea time this afternoon with tea (not sweet tea, I'm afraid ;) and the cakes we picked out from the bakery in the grocery store. Irmgart got the map out of the United States and had us show her where we are from. Then, we gave her the Auburn shirt we bought for her. She loved it and was very pleased with a t-shirt from an American university. She likes the colors of the shirt, she said. So, the gift was a hit! War Eagle! The rest of the night we will stay in and probably have leftovers from last night. So far, so good! I'm excited to get to know Berlin better. It seems like a really great city!

"Many, O Lord my God,
are the wonders you have done.
The things you planned for us
no one can recount to you;
were I speak and tell of them,
they would be too many to declare."
Psalm 40:5

I can vividly remember going to the Study Aboard Fair in the Haley Center in the Spring of 2008 and thinking "I would never go to a foreign country to student teach. That is just not for me." Well, here I am...less than two weeks away from embarking on a four-month adventure in Germany and Europe to student teach! Since turning in my application to the Consortium of Student Teaching (COST) program last April, my good friend Marianna (also applying to the program) and I met together and prayed that the Lord would place us in the same country. We were reminded by our advisor that the chances of this were slim, as education majors from all over the country apply for the program. Despite the discouragement, we continued to pray and trust that He would work out all things. In mid-October, Marianna and I received the AWESOME news that we would be placed in Berlin, Germany TOGETHER! Not only are we going to be in Berlin together, but we have also been placed at the same school (John F. Kennedy School) AND will live with the same host mom--a JFKS teacher named Irmgart. We could not be more thrilled! Praise the Lord for His faithfulness! We are certain that our placements are not "coincidences" but have been worked out solely by God.

On January 6th, I will be heading to Berlin, Germany to complete my four-month student teaching internship. Thanks to a great principal and host mom, I am already feeling very welcomed into their school and community. I have not received my grade placement yet but will happy with any age group that I get assigned to. As for living arrangements, Marianna and I will live with Irmgart in her flat. We will have bikes to ride to school and around town--which should be interesting! We have a few weeks of vacation and even have off for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day--so we will be doing lots of traveling! I cannot wait!