Vienna,
6.-11.9.1994
Dear
This peace
of paper you are holding in your hand right now is the first of
my newsletters "News from Vienna". It's the solution
I was looking for for the question how to write plenty of letters
with so few time. So I'll do what many people are already doing.
Actually, I don't think it will take less time to write these
newsletters but more people will know what's going on and will
hear more often from me. I'll try to write these newsletters monthly.
First I write the German version, then the extended version for
Christians (with prayer requests) and then the English version
(I hardly know any English speaking Non-Christians). The German
News are already on their way.
The problem
with the first exemplar is that not everybody knows as much than
the other. If something is not clear, just ask me. I also want
to apologize in advance for all the faults concerning the language.
English still isn't my mother language.
What happened
during the summer?
I spent the
first week of July at Schloß Mittersill (Salzburg/Austria)
with about 50 other students, mainly of the Austrian CU. Andrew
Page was the speaker and the theme was "My power is made
perfect in weakness." (2.Cor 12:9). It was a great week where
God was at work in many of us, including me. The Lord touched
my heart in a special way and by His grace gave me compassion
for this world like Jesus must have had it. I will never forget
these special moments. This week was one of the two highlights
of this summer. On the left you see our Bible study-group.
Immediately
after this week I went to the evangelistic sports camp of the
CU in Millstatt (Carinthia/Austria) that changed my life so radically
a year ago so that I might live now (it's the place where I converted
the 15th of July 1993). There were about 70 students and many
of them didn't know the Lord Jesus yet but at the end of the week
all of them had at least a positive attitude towards Christians
and some were truly interested. Pray that the Lord will continue
to work in their hearts.
After the
second week I returned to Vienna, being rather tired but I didn't
have the time to go to sleep. It was time for the IFES-summer
team in Vienna. We were about twelve people from England, Scotland,
Hungary, Germany, France and Austria. We already started at 8:45
a.m. and closed our coffee-bar at about 22 p.m., having hardly
any freetime in between. But it was a good time. We did a survey
in Vienna about what people think of God and religions and had
really good conversations. The evenings in the coffee-bar were
quite nice although there weren't too many people.
After these
two weeks I had some days rest to recover from sleeping so little
before flying to London and then going to Bournemouth for the
next summer-team. On the 6th of August was Chris' and Carol's
wedding in Poole which is next to Bournemouth and so I had the
great joy to be with them on that special day. It was a wonderful
day and I was very glad to be able to be there.
In Bournemouth
we were 16 people in the team, from England, Hungary, Japan, France,
Colette from Paris and me, and four leaders. We invited the international
students to our coffee-bar in the evening where they could practice
their English while drinking a "good cup of English tea".
We had several
special events e.g. two films ("The Mission", "Jesus"),
an international evening, we learnt about different teas, two
sports afternoons, on the weekends once "cream tea",
a coach tour to a small village followed by a barbecue in the
New Forest and the last Sunday we had a special service for international
students in an Anglican church followed by lunch in an English
home.
These two
weeks were absolutely great!!! It was amazing to see God at work
and not only in the people we met but also in our lives. I'm so
grateful for everything he taught me during that time and I thank
Him for having met Nathan and Stephen and all the helpful conversations
I had with them. It was really a special time in Bournemouth.
On the right
you see some of our team-members.
After two
and a half weeks I left Bournemouth saying good-bye to everything
with a heavy heart and went to London, where I stayed two days.
I was very glad to stay with Patrick and Carol who had just come
back from their honeymoon. I used this time to visit three more
Bible Colleges near London (after "Moorlands" near Bournemouth).
I went to the London Bible College (already knowing in advance
that I won't go there what has been confirmed), Redcliff and the
All Nations Christian College (you see on the left). It seems
that I'll go to All Nations after my studies in about four years
time! (PATIENCE!!!)
After London
I went to Paris by coach and ferry where I stayed another two
days. I visited some friends and places to refresh my souvenirs.
I was especially glad to see Owen and Catherine Chadwick and their
newborn child Remy again who had left Paris at the beginning of
December.
So I returned
the 27th reluctantly to Vienna to go immediately from the airport
to Heinzi's 50th birthday party (my mother's partner). The time
in England was so precious and instructive for me. My heart stayed
in England when I returned and I wished I would already have finished
my studies!
Now I have
to tell you about something unbelievable: When I arrived in Vienna
one of the pockets of my bag was damaged and some of my things
lying around it. At home I realized that my films weren't there
any more. At first I was terribly sad thinking of all the great
souvenirs banned on those photos and lost. I couldn't accept it
and thought, why did I put the films in this pocket! (90 photos)
Then I remembered that I have everything in Jesus
and I wondered about the importance these films had for me. So
I let them go, I could live without those photos! Later my brother
told me to ring at the airport to ask if they had found the films
but I didn't believe that especially because I had discovered
another hole in that pocket, big enough to let my films pass.
in spite of that I rang and.... they had found all three films!
I immediately went to the airport to get them and meanwhile I
have all the wonderful photos from Bournemouth. This event tells
me once again how important it is to give everything
to Jesus and not to hold back anything. His blessings
will follow!
It's now two
weeks ago that I returned to Vienna. Some of you know that I'm
desperately looking for a flat of my own. Before coming to England
a friend offered me to live with her and I wanted to accept. When
I came back she already had somebody. Today I visited her and
I was really sad to see how wonderful it would have been to live
there but I know that God has something better for me in any way.
It's very hard to live at home and I hope to find a flat for October.
I hardly have any time and silence for myself or any private life
and sometimes it's still difficult with my mother's partner. I
realized before that I nearly die spiritually when I'm living
at home but praise God that is not like that at the moment. I
can't worship God like I'd like to but it could be worse. Please
pray that I'll soon find a flat! These days the new IFES-team
members arrived in Vienna and there is one girl who hasn't got
a place to live yet. I hope that we'll share a flat.
Another problem
is the situation with my exams. I immediately started studying
for the first of my two exams when i came back because I wanted
to take the oral test yesterday. While studying I have been trying
daily to reach the professor but I failed. Apparently he isn't
in Vienna at the moment. I wanted to have the second exam at the
end of September. The problem is that I have to pass those exams
or I'll lose the support from the government, my social assurance,
the free ticket for the public transport, etc.. if I still don't
reach the professor until Tuesday I'll have to start studying
for the second exam which is even more difficult than the first.
In September
I'm working at a post office in Vienna. Now I'm glad that i couldn't
work during the day but only in the evening. So I can study during
the day and I work from 6.30 pm to 11 pm. I'm sorting letters
that are going to other countries.
Since my conversion
I'm trying to get in contact with my father (my parents are divorced.)
I even tried several times to phone him. This year - like every
two years - he should have risen the amount I get from him but
like always he didn't do it voluntarily. Meanwhile I'm too old
that the government would go to the court for me so that I would
have to do that myself. On one hand I would really need that money
but on the other hand I don't want to take proceedings against
my own father. So I renounce that money (60 per month) and continue
trying to get in contact with him (although I don't know any more
what to do).
Another difficult
situation I'm facing is that I have to go to court on the 6th
of December. Two friends and I wanted to make a holiday in Turkey
two years ago. One of them changed their mind and I couldn't find
somebody else to fly with us. So when we didn't pay the deposit
I thought that it would be cancelled. Two days before we should
fly the travel agency phoned to tell us that the tickets would
be there. We had never paid anything or received a letter that
we should pay. Because of my age (two weeks before my 19. birthday)
they first dropped their claim for 70% of the whole amount, that's
1500 pounds. But later they claimed that money again till we had
the hearing at the court last June. I proposed them to pay 350
pounds (through prayer I was sure that God wanted me to do that)
and in a miraculous way they finally accepted that amount. We
made a conditional settlement that means the travel agency had
the possibility to withdraw during the following three weeks.
It was really amazing how God carried me through this hearing.
he gave me such a peace that my mother asked me how I could be
so calm.
Unfortunately
it's not over yet. The travel agency withdrew at the end. First
I asked myself how that could happen but meanwhile I'm sure that
God has something in mind. The awkward thing is that my mother
wants to state (what my lawyer suggested her to do) that she was
against this journey or that she didn't know about it. I have
already told her that I would say the truth what could be embarrassing
if she said something else. That's another reason for my mother
to consider me crazy: Preferring saying the truth and paying 1500
pounds to lying and paying nothing.
All that doesn't
mean that I would lose saying the truth. Besides this time also
my friends will have to give evidence at the court. They are not
directly concerned because it was me who signed the contract.
The trial
will be on the 6th of December 1994.
Summary
of prayer requests:
- the flat
for my own
- the two
exams
- my father
- the trial
and the meetings with my lawyer before
Now you know
a little bit what's going on in Vienna. I hope to hear from you
soon!
The Lord,
our God and Saviour, bless you and keep you in his abundant love
and grace!
All the best,
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