TGIF!

Happy Friday! This week was fun because I received two packages. Sadly, the camera cord is for the television, so I still cannot upload photos. However, my dormmates are going on a class trip to Italy for one week, and Christian said that I could borrow his laptop, which has a place for my camera card. So I should be able to post photos to facebook sometime next week. The other day, I went with my friends to buy matching shirts for their trip. We were standing outside our dorm, waiting for everyone to meet so we could leave. All of a sudden, the boys start laughing and shouting orders to one another, and I realized they had discovered a bit of mischief. Our friend, Jens, was sleeping in the dorm, so the guys decided to turn his car completely sideways in its parking space! Suzanne, Verena, and I watched, laughing hysterically as the guys huddled around the small automobile, picking it up and sliding it until it was facing the car next to it. We took pictures, and the guys stood by, proud as peacocks of their accomplishment. It was pretty funny, and I like the fact that they are so playful. I am looking forward to the weekend. Tonight, I am going home with my coworker, Sonja. We will have dinner with our coworker, Thomas, and his wife and then spend the night. I might go to Thomas's house on Saturday too. My boss bought me a TV and DVD player for my room, and Jens let me borrow a pile of DVDs, so I will not be bored while everyone is gone! Other than that, things are pretty slow around here. I got pretty homesick last week, made worse by the fact that my dad had knee replacement surgery and was not doing very well. He is better now though, which is good. So my dormmate, Matthias, felt badly for me when he found out I was sad, and he invited me to spend Saturday in his hometown. We drove about thirty minutes to Oberhausen, famous for the largest mall in Europe. Honestly, it was not that big, comparable to the Mall of Georgia but not as nice. I met his friend, Britta, who speaks fluent English and wants to be an English teacher. She has spent time in the states, so we had great conversation. Matthias is a bit socially awkward if you will, but I am thankful that he was kind enough to invite me to see where and how he lives. Christian has been really busy with his school work. Everyone has to complete a final project, and since Christian is a procrastinator, he has been frantically trying to finish in time while also keeping up with other work and presentations. But I have been excited about progress in my relationships with my coworkers. I had been sad last week, wondering if they wanted to get to know me outside of work, that being difficult since they do not live here. I had walked through Straelen last weekend, wanting to shop but wishing I had a good girl friend with whom I could do so. Well on Tuesday, God blessed my heart. Sonja invited me to her house this weekend, and Nadine invited me to stay with her and go shopping! And I have noticed that we are talking, laughing, and joking more often. Once again, God's timing is perfect, knowing exactly what I need and when I need it. He is so good! I love you and miss you. Grace and Peace... :)