Guten Morgen, Kinder!

Guten Morgen!

I’m writing this on the bus on the way to Saltzburg, the city of the dear von Trappe family! I spent four days between our little home and the attached restaurant, sitting doing homework, having Vespers, watching Tron, playing the piano and guitar (made my week!! Kaly, I played blackbird and thought of you!) AHHH we just saw a herd of yaks! With baby yaks! Ahhh! So yes, being cooped up gets to you, even when you’re cooped up in a castle, so now we have a free day in Saltzburg and people are going crazy on the bus with enthusiasm for everything:

Nif, on the bus mic: Guten Morgen everyone

GUTEN MORGEN!! YEAHHHH!

Nif: This is our busdriver, Alex

ALEX!!! YEAH ALEX!!!!

Nif: And you need to wear your seatbelts in Austria.

…………………….. aw. (clicking noises)

MOUNTAINS!!!

YAKS!!!!

CLOUDS!!!!

It’s time we got out. At the top of the pass there are huge mountians scraping the sky all around us, their rocky tops swept with snow, their huge, spreading feet blanketed with grass. Clouds hang in the valley below us and as we drive on the highway we drive over grassy ski runs. How. Cool. Is. THAT.

Yesterday was my breaking point, I lost my camera the first night in the castle, and since I haven’t left I know it’s here somewhere, but I can’t find it ANYWHERE and it’s been worrying me and then we have so much work to do:

History Paper

Technology Paper

Art Paper

Art Presentation

Poetry assignments

Cabaret presentation

Israel maps….israel’s coming up sooner than I would like…

I know that this is pretty standard for a semester’s work, but when your traveling and only have 5 days to get it done… I freaked out. While I was looking for my camera I ran into Alex in the dining room having hot chocolate and she asked me how I was doing and I totally broke down (again). I chose a hard topic for my history paper so I couldn’t get it written down, which put off all this other work that I had to do plus I can’t find my camera, which just weighs me down and there was no way I would be able to go and see the town because I had so much to do! Alex listened and then took me through a little side door, up a steep little staircase to a secret lookout point in the castle where you can see the whole valley! We ran into Joanna, prayed, and then (I was still totally stressed, and you know me, crying J ) she sat up and said, “Guys, let’s go to Mittersill. Let’s go and get hot chocolate!” So we did, forgetting our homework, forgetting the camera, we (literally) hiked down the hill to the town and got hot chocolate in a tavern and it was delicious, exactly what we needed. It was so refreshing to get away, to stretch our legs and have time just to talk and have fun.

So now I’m about to start on my history essay again, and tonight I’ll try to start on some art. ßThere, that’s my poetry! And I don’t know about the camera. I read the “do not worry” part of Luke, I thought it was kind of appropriate, and it says that God knows what we need and he provides for us when we “seek his kingdom”. He knows that a camera is a traveller’s must-have, but maybe I’m supposed to be learning that it’s not? I don’t know. I’ll keep you updated.

I wrote this, and now I am so, SO happy to say that I FOUND MY CAMERA. In a pocket of my backpack I hadn’t checked before. It would be stupid but its not because I found it!! AND I finished my World War II paper, which I wasn't sure would get done.

Tonight we have cabaret which will be fun but we’re all very overwhelmed with homework, still. Tonight’s our last night in our dear castle!

I love you!