The Initial Journey (week 1)

Well hello, family, friends, fellow fans! It is great to talk to you all and share this grand adventure I am on right now! It's been a crazy journey getting here, I didn't think I would be here. Only by God alone am I here, I wanted to travel and a Christian organization seemed like a safe way to venture out into the wonderful world, but I didn't think I would do a YWAM! I looked into this January MOTA school in Germany only after I discovered that with YWAM I couldn't just do a nice, church, travel, trip for like 2 months, I had to go for six months!
That was a shocker, when I looked into it I wasn't planning on being gone for that long... Although, these past months leading up to my trip it became more and more apparent why I should be here. In my life I feel like there is a lot of angst and built up passion, I know God wants me to use that passion, but I don't know how to yield or where to begin. So, lately before I came here it turned more into a submission and yielding to the world instead of passion for the Lord, because I don't know where to begin.
This past week has been amazing! I definitely know this is where I am supposed to be, God has already been revealing to me so much of what His plan is and is giving me such a peace, I am so overjoyed its unbearable. I have learned that I don't have to know everything, even just the first week I learned this. It's obviously a ongoing process, but because my first night here didn't go so well I learned I had to rely on God and that is the best learning experience out there.
The first night traveling here I got lost trying to find the right train, I was stuck in Dresden and had no clue how the train system worked and everyone spoke German, (hint Germany, Dresden who would have thought). I panicked and almost starting crying, but i realized that I had to pull it together. So, I attacked some poor German boy, demanding he help with printing my ticket and directing me which he did, ( I also picked the least cereal murderer looking boy)! He showed me where to take the train, and I had to wait for an hour till that happened. At this point I still didn't know if that was the right, exact direction, but  it was my last chance. I had already taken a train, and gotten off at the wrong spot, directed by the conductor, who supposedly could speak English.....He thought it would be helpful to show me directions in German, by writing it down, big help. This was my last straw the last train, and like out of heaven I heard a girl speaking English, I shouted at her if she spoke English, where she was going and if she was doing YWAM in Herrnhut, and she said yes to everything! Turned out she was one of the students in my school, Amanda! We boarded the train together, and thankfully the leaders were waiting at the Lobau(Sachs) station, because if they weren't I think I would have gotten extremely mad, after I have an anxiety attack it usually just spreads to anger. haha good times

Old abandoned warehouse, that we took sweet pics from!

Through all of this though and arriving at the base, being uncertain if I would get along with everyone here I already learned a very important lesson! After I came to my senses and realized I needed to make the best of these six months, I had misjudged everyone and God. I misjudged God and his awesome power, if He intended me to get there I would be here. I misjudged the people, because I didn't even know them, through forcing myself to just enjoy this time, I realized I was enjoying it! It is not forced now, but because I had forced myself to make the best of everything I got to know the people and realized they are some of the coolest people I have met in my life. My attitudes have definitely been lacking lately, and it took God pulling me out of my home and comforts to a strange place to show me. It would have been difficult to discern how judgmental I am and untrusting in God I am, if He hadn't taken me away from everything I know and shown me a piece of my life from a different angle. It is a hard concept to portray, but I am trying to explain to you all what I have been feeling.

Raquel and me