THIS BLOG IS ENDING...ANOTHER IS BEGINNING...

Well, after 3 years this blog has finally come to an end. I'm home from Germany and have begun a new adventure here in suburbia with new thoughts and themes. Therefore I've begun a new blog called WHAT BOX? (The address is deannadavis.blogspot.com ) The flavor will be a little different than this one, but since the author is the same I suspect you'll see some similarities. My goal with the new blog will be a bit more reflective, thought-provoking and whatever else I want to do with it. Please check it out and feel free to recommend it to a friend if you enjoy it. Thanks for joining me in what was 3 tremendous years of seeing God work in me, around me and through me. This blog isn't going anywhere. I'll leave it up indefinitely for those who might want to peruse back entries or copy some of the pictures. Just know however, that the story is continuing in a different place.

I can't end this blog though without reflecting back to why I began blogging in the first place. There were two reasons: first, it was recommended to me that it was a good idea to get a hobby before moving overseas. That goal was accomplished in spades. I've loved writing and recording what all God has done in my life and I can honestly say, blogging was never a chore. It was always, and still is, a joy. The second reason was to keep my mother updated on what all we were doing while God had us living so far apart. Since she's gone now...well, it only seems appropriate to end here and begin anew somewhere else. So come on over and read what happens next. I'm sure whatever it is, it'll be out of the box.

Airport

Our last day in Germany meant a trip to the airport with some of our dearest friends. I actually found it to be a beautiful picture...Jeff and I were in a big transition time in our lives, not just moving countries but leaving our home for the last three years. We have been changed in big, deep and very spiritual ways we haven't even begun to get our heads around yet. And our friends were there to walk with us through it all. Right up to the gate, as far as friends can go with you.
We had to stop along the way to meet up with a few friends who were coming along for the ride.
Conny and Severina waiting for the men to load our mountains of luggage on the cart and get it all inside.
Here is some of said mountain.
Ok, one of my greatest stresses at the airport involves tagging all the bags so they don't get lost. The girls were more than up to the challenge of writing our address on little tags a bunch of times.
Jeff and Thomas.
Me and the girls. I loved that we got to the airport early so we had a good piece of time to visit and say goodbye well.
And of course, saying goodbye involved a group photo.
And as we were walking to the gate I looked back one last time. There were the Haugviks and Kochs waiting for the elevator.
You know, we've been home around 3 weeks now and looking at these photos again is stirring some strange emotions in me. The months before we left were quite stressful with work, moving, friends, etc. Then after arriving here we've been getting our house ready, re-connecting with friends, the sheer physicality of moving and my mother dying. I remember thinking about a week before leaving Germany that I couldn't wait to get home and get some rest. It's been anything but restful. I don't think I can describe what it's all felt like. Overwhelming is the word I think I'm looking for. Yet, deep down in my soul it all still feels ok. It feels like He's still in control and we are still loved by Him and where we are supposed to be. It's weird how my outside can be swirling around, chaotic and painful, and my inside be quiet. In pain, but quiet. I guess that's part of what having Christ live on my inside is all about. Anyway, these pictures, especially the last one, makes me smile with more than just my mouth. My heart is smiling too, looking at what great friends and what great memories God blessed us with during our time in Germany.

It's Ok To Go

Just before we left Anja G returned to Germany after completing her seminary work in Texas. Her presence gave me such peace that it was ok for us to go...that it was time...that all the students we loved were in very good hands. Anja's an excellent student minister with a passionate heart for German students...and I hear she's getting pretty good in German these days too.

Last Evening

Our last night in Jena we had a few close friends come over and spend some time with us. All the packing was done. All the cleaning was done. All the paperwork, logistics and planning were done. The only things left were the hardest goodbyes. So we sat around, ate all the food we had left and talked and laughed. I miss these folks.

Last Party

The Monday before we left Germany we had a semester end party, which is traditional. We also got to make it sort of a goodbye party for us and it was awesome!Here's most of the group.
My former language tutor Kathrin and friend Nadin, neither of whom I'd seen in a while, even came. Fortunately, Kathrin wasn't too disappointed by the state of my German abilities.
And of course, the men were in charge of the grill.
Sven, Jan and Jeff - his married-guy buds.
And here are two of married-girl buds, Severina and Lydia.
And here is one of my favorite photos from all my time in Germany. These girls and I spent the last few months of my time in Germany studying what the Bible has to say about marriage and being a godly wife, mother and woman. It was one of the most amazing Bible studies I've ever been a part of - and these girls are so special to my heart. This was our last time all together and I'm so glad we got a picture of the moment.
And last but not least, we played a game - an exit exam if you will. They quizzed us on facts and factoids about Germany. So this was the evening the goodbyes started, but it was a fun and memorable night.

Since we are still moving and unpacking my computer with all my photos isn't ready to use yet, otherwise I'd post a photo of my mother. The memorial service went very well. Jeff did a great job as the officiating minister and only got choked up once. A little more background...my mom was diagnosed with cancer almost 2 years ago and had been undergoing chemo since that time. It wasn't supposed to be terminal, as far as I know. Early Saturday morning she collapsed and never recovered. We think it was a heart attack, as she had been very weakened from the treatments, but we'll never know for sure. According to her wishes she was cremated and the service was small and simple. I had even been with her most of Friday, taking her to the doctors office, where they gave her a relatively clean bill of health. I'm so grateful I made it home from Germany in time. I'm so grateful our last words to each other were "I love you." It's only now hitting me that I'll never talk to her again.

My mother died yesterday morning. We'll have a small family memorial service today. How do you write about something like this? I loved her. She, more than anyone else in the world helped shape me into the person I am today. The older I get the more I find myself saying things I heard her say. As today goes on I'm getting more and more emotional at the prospect of saying goodbye. And it's hard to grieve properly when there are three kids who still need their mother. I'll update more after today and as I figure out what just happened to me and my family and what it all means.

Last Extra Cross

So Jeff and I got to speak at the last Extra Cross of the semester, which was an honor. Jeff told a story about how the silver miners in Saxony drilled slowly but surely through sheer rock for hundreds of years, laying the financial groundwork that not only built a kingdom, but even funded the very university in Jena. He compared it to how he saw our work in Jena for the last few years. Slow and sure, building upon the previous work of others, and being built upon by those coming after us. He did a great job! That's Sven translating for him. (If you want the full story of why Jeff chose to speak about mining, be sure to check out the blog on Jeff's most special day.)Then I spoke about Passing The Test - that there's actually a final exam when we get to heaven, and there are only two questions on it. The first thing Jesus will ask is, "Did you know me?" and the second is "What did you do with what I gave you?" (Matt. 25)I focused on the second question and challenged the students to really think about what they were spending their life's resources on. How great would it be if this generation of university students committed to being wise stewards of all God has given them - their time, energy, money, educations, talents, abilities, personalities, etc and to spend those things in a way that allowed God to multiply their efforts? I spent a lot of time and prayer thinking about what would be my last words to the big group. Conny did a great job translating for me.
Then the group graciously prayed over us. It's hard for me to say how it went since I wasn't in the crowd listening to it, but it seems that it was a very good night.

Last Sunday At Church

Our last Sunday at church was also very special. One last photo of me and Lydia holding our children - unfortunately our culture doesn't do arranged marriages, or we could've made a great deal for Abby.
The day was also special in that there was a baby dedication for Thomas and Anja's little guy Immanuel. Here's Thomas and his dad.
And perhaps the most special thing about the day was that Anja G. unexpectedly showed up. She was on staff with Connexxion when we arrived, then left after a semester to go to seminary in Texas. She's now back in Germany and heading up the ministry in Braunschweig. I got very emotional seeing her, first, because I've genuinely missed her. But second, as soon as I saw her, God spoke to me and said, "It's ok to go now." He reassured me that the students in Germany were in good hands and that Jeff and I were officially released from our time in Jena. That by itself was a precious moment I would't replace with anything.
Then we got to speak to the church and say our goodbyes.
And Jan, Lydia's husband prayed for us as we were leaving.
All in all, it was one of those things...it was time to go so the goodbyes, although sad, felt natural too. It was so poignant that the Kochs, who will head up Connexxion in Jena, were dedicating Immanuel that day and that Anja, who will head up Connexxion in B-town was there. The student ministry had shifted to the next stage of leadership and we weren't in the loop anymore. We even left halfway through the second service, during a worship time that was led by our students. And it fit. We had finished God's assignment for us in Jena and it was time for us to go. The people who were still there were more than capable of carrying on the work without us. And that is exactly how we wanted to leave.

Last Things

Our last week in Jena was filled with last things. We were keenly aware that many of the special things about living where we did were about to come to an end, so I tried to capture some of those moments.We had a last chance to grill brats with our hands, just like real Thuringers. Best brats in the world, by the way.
Last sunrise off the balcony. I loved our view.
Last day of school for Jeffrey.
Last staff meeting.
Last breakfast with Conny on the balcony.
Last J-gruppe.
Last meeting with Vera. I think I also ate my last spaghetti eis this day. Sniff, sniff...
The last picture of Jeff and I at the university.

Martha

One of the really great things that happens when one lives overseas is how family gets redefined. For instance, Martha is more than just a co-worker. She's more than a dear friend. To our kids, she's Tante Martha (aunt Martha). We like calling her that too. So we had a special morning to say goodbye to a woman we can honestly say changed all of our lives. It's almost too much to describe what Martha means to us. She's taught us so much, given so sacrificially to us and loved us just like family.She's the reason we came to Jena and the primary reason we had such an amazing experience. Some people are just annointed. Ok, I'm tearing up now... This was a tough goodbye. But we are quite sure it wasn't a true "goodbye", just a"see you later".

Putzentag

I can define true friendship in a very practical way. It's people who are willing to help you clean your house before you move. Before we left our apartment it had to be spit spot...by German standards no less. So some of the girls came over to help. Maria and Christiane started with the windows. And may I say, I've never seen such clean windows as I've seen here in Germany! Truly, Germans take cleanliness to new heights. They even wore house shoes so as not to re-dirty the floor.
Steffi doing her thing in our office.
Severina and Lydia in the kids' room. Funny thing - they came and asked for a hammer, fingernail polish remover and a scraper before they were through. Makes me wonder just what my kids did in that room before moving out...
And here is the whole gang in a very clean, very empty apartment at the end of a fun morning. Big tasks are always easier when you can share the load. This was also a little of an emotional morning as it was the last time I was in our home. So many memories, so many great stories and a whole lot of love. It was nice to share the last few hours with the girls in our home doing a very girly thing together. If you were there, thanks so much!!!

Last Date

One of our favorite going away gifts was a date! And not just any date...a date to a fancy restaurant at the top of the Jena tower. Thomas and Anja came over and watched the kids while Jeff and I got to act like real adults and eat a nice meal, slowly, over great conversation, all with an amazing view of the city we've come to love. It was a "wow" evening for us! For my Jena readers, scroll down and enjoy the evening view of Jena with us.

Coming Up

Many of you have asked what I'll be doing with this blog in the future now that we are home. Well, here are the plans... I'm going to begin a blog blizzard in the coming days of what our last few weeks in Germany looked like along with some summary thoughts describing what I saw, learned and experienced. I want to do this so that if I decide to make a book of the blog, I will have finished it properly. Then I'll close this blog - it won't be deleted, but I won't be actively posting new stuff on it. At that time I'll begin a new blog. I'm excited about it too! I'll be writing about where faith and scripture meets life, which I guess is technically what I've been writing about for the last 3 years. I'll just be doing it from suburban Atlanta. It'll look and sound different - less update-ish (for my German readers, that is not a real word:) and more ...oh I don't know...more personal, more Biblical, more of my deeper thoughts, etc. (And of course some great photos!) So please stay tuned...good things are happening with Familie Davis and I can't wait to share them with you!

So, What Were You Doing This Day One Year Ago?

Let's see, what was I doing on this day exactly one year ago? ... I woke up excited about the new Harry Potter book coming out. I went shopping with the family. And then I went into labor in the Wal-Mart parking deck. (How's that for being American?)
I walked to the hospital, had 9 hours of labor, enjoyed trying out some new German vocabulary with the nurses and midwives and then laid eyes on my beautiful Abigail Hannah at 6:48 in the evening.
My first words to Jeffrey were, "Oh my! Oh my! Oh my!" since I was otherwise quite speechless at his arrival.
My first words to Georgia were, "Look, she's grape flavored!" since she was born very purple in color.
And my first words to Abby were, "Wilkommen in Deutschland!" for obvious reasons.
So today we celebrate the arrival of our favorite souvenir from our time in Germany.
Happy Birthday Pudding (my pet name for Abby:), we're so glad God chose you to join our family! You've been a delight from the moment you were born. I pray that you have a life filled with joy, purpose, adventure, true and deep friendships, intimacy with your Creator, and tons and tons of fun all the days of your life. You can fly baby, you can fly!

Not Exactly Sure What I'm Trying To Say...

I have now been back in America for about 50 hours and I'm not exactly sure how I feel about that. Everything here is so familiar and yet...so different. I'm surrounded by people I've known and loved for years. And yet I'm lonely. I'm busy doing things to restart our lives here. And yet I'm restless. I am completely fluent in the language and culture. And yet I don't fit. I'm happy to be here. And yet I get tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat at unexpected times. My soul feels like it's swirling and spiraling, like mid-cycle on the washing machine but I couldn't tell you what exactly is rolling around in there. It's a complicated mixture of emotion about the past and uncertainty about the future. There's plenty of joy and excitement, but it's clouded by...I'm not sure what. So I'm in the middle of one of those big transition times, going from what God had for me, to what He has for me. In the meantime, I'm enjoying ice in my drinks, no stairs to my front door and all the hummus I can eat. I am missing nutella, ice cream places on every corner and the cooler weather. Not to mention the people with whom I used to enjoy all those things.

Zuhause!!! Home!!!

So, we made it home to Atlanta! We are very tired but grateful to be here. Stay tuned to the blog because I'll be posting a few entries about our last days and goodbyes in Germany as soon as my computer gets unpacked - and they are wonderful, wonderful stories! But here's the quick update...
Friends came to the airport and walked the final part with us, just like they've walked with us through our entire time in Germany. It was a good goodbye.
Us on our way to the plane to Paris.
And as we were on our way home, our friends were in the parking lot on their way home. This was the last I saw of them.
And this is a big wave for all our friends in Jena, who I already miss very much. But it wasn't a "goodbye"...just a "see you later".

Fun Kid Photos

We are in the process of moving and my time is very limited, so this is just a blog of fun photos of the kids. MMMMmmmmm, bacon. Now we know she is a Davis.
Abby and Robert. The general consensus is that he's a hunk.
She's getting so big!
I had to get the camera out quick to catch this shot, cause it didn't last long.
Abby and her buddy Hannas.
Jeffrey and his buddy Firhas.
Abby was just checking what was going on down the hall.
Not sure what was going on here as Jeff took the photo, but it made me smile nonetheless.

A Cool Sign

This sign says, "We like to live in Jena because it's cool here." Amen to that.

Connexxion Lab

Recently we hosted a conference about both Connexxion and student ministry here in Europe. It was a great time of sharing ideas, teaching, fellowship and vision casting about what God could do through us and with the very influential students that are just waiting on campuses across the continent. Jeff got to teach some - and I think he's talking about having a monkey on your back. What is that? Some people love to get you to do their work for them, especially in a ministry context (since we are supposed to serve, right). They put a monkey on your back. I think Jeff's main point was, don't let them.
I also got to teach in our home about doing ministry with a family. It's a crazy topic...because I think you have to be crazy to do it. I mean that in a positive way, since it's been one of the greatest experiences of our lives. Hope I got that point across.
Here's our family in the middle of the conference.
Jeff and Thomas on our balcony during coffee and cake time.
This was another great example of what it's actually like to do student ministry with a family. There are times when your family boundaries blur and people who aren't blood related actually join your family. Thus, Tante Martha is loving on the littlest Davis during a teaching time.
There was a lot of testosterone out on the balcony that day.
Of course we did small group time with prayer.

This was the last large group we had come over to our house before we move. It was a great time, but also a little sad.
Oh...am I ever going to miss this balcony!!!
A highlight of the conference was that some of the students got to teach certain principles and concepts from the Bible or ministry. Here's Sven teaching, and other students taking notes.
And here's Conny teaching the train - and doing a great job!
And here's Vera, giving the extended dance remix version of her testimony, of how she not only came to Christ but now is on staff as an intern with Connexxion and looking at a possible life in student ministry. And isn't that what it's all about?

So, Deanna, What Have You Learned?

Moving stinks.

Looking Forward To America

Ok, so looking over my last few entries I realized they sounded a little depressing. So here's my happy blog where I list some of the lighter things I'm looking forward to once I get back to the U S of A.

1. Introducing Abby to her new cousin Zoe, who has joined the family since we've been gone. They are only 4 months apart and get to be life long buddies!

2. Mexican food!!! Chick Fila!!! Buffalo wings!!!

3. An ice and water dispenser in the door of the refrigerator!

4. Walking with the kids to our town common area and letting them play in the fountain till they are exhausted.

5. A fenced in back yard where the kids can play all day long, without walking down 5 flights of stairs and 15 minutes to the park.

6. Being able to shop at midnight or 6 am if I want. (Not that I could imagine wanting to, but just that I COULD!)

7. Asking someone, 'Do you know what I mean?' and knowing that they really do.

8. Actually understanding all of a sermon, all of a conversation, everything on the radio, all the signs around me and all the background noise I've been ignoring for the last 3 years. And along with that, people thinking I'm intelligent again, because I can carry on a basic conversation reasonably well.

9. A chance to catch up on Lost and Netflixing a bunch of movies that we've missed.

10. Shopping in a bookstore.

11. And seeing which of my German friends will get to come visit, and let me return some of the wonderful hospitality they've shown to me over the years.

Making A DVD

Our organization is making a dvd about the spiritual landscape of Europe and the came to Jena to talk with some of our students. It was a pretty cool experience to watch them at work, see what they thought was important and to listen to what the students had to say. Lukas did his interview in the courtyard of the Catholic church across the street from our apartment.
And so did Maria.
Here's Thomas talking about why student ministry is so important.
Here's Vera.
A motto of sorts in Jena is "I see something you don't see." It fits the town since modern optics were invented here. It also fits in a spiritual sense as we are working towards building something in people's lives that most people can't see yet. "Yet" being the operative word.
Did you know Karl Marx got his PhD at our university? If you ever wondered about the importance of student ministry, or the potential influence that can be leveraged with society's future leaders, this plaque should get you thinking.
And this is just personal. One of the women who came is a great friend of mine. Here we are, enjoying the view from the Landgrafen.

My Most Special Day

Jeff had a most special day earlier this month when he went to a silver mine with some guys and did manly stuff. I also had a most special day but we were a bit more civilized. We went to a friend's house and talked about God, how much He means to us and how we can tell others about Him. I could go on and describe things in more detail, but frankly, you had to be there. These are the girls I've spent more time with over the last 3 years than anyone else. We've had deeper and richer conversations and literally shared life together. I wanted just one more time, with all of them in the room, to have a chance to tell them how much I love them. And I can't write anymore without crying.

So, Deanna, What Have You Learned?

I said in an earlier post that I wouldn't be packing my greatest treasures in my suitcase, but that I'd be carrying them in my heart. Well, here they are.

So, Deanna, What Have You Learned? - part 3

God's first language isn't English.