Griaß Euch!

Griaß di' alle!

The second week of my school semester here in Austria is officially underway, and it's looking good!
I guess I've been here long enough now that I should be getting a feel for what the semester is going to look like, but it is very different at this particular university than any other here or in Canada. At this school, the course schedule changes every single week. For example, I have had a class called "Self Development" this past week on Thursday and Friday, from 9:00-4:00, and I had it again on Monday and today (Tuesday), and now I am done for the whole semester with this one course! In a similar pattern, I will work through the 11 courses that I am taking here at MCI (Management Centre Innsbruck). Through out the semester my courses will also include:

- Working with Groups
- Conversational German
- The Significance of Social Work according to Victor Frankl
- English (...yeah... I know.)
- Working with People with HIV/AIDS
- Mediation (in German! Makes up for the English course I'm taking)
- Social Perspective Strategies
- Intercultural Communication
- Vienna During the 1900's (which includes a trip to Vienna!)

I am really excited that I have the opportunity to be studying Social Work here! I am not yet in the Social Work program at TRU, but I am able to study the subject here, which gives me a head start and is also a good 'test' before I actually enter the program at home. As well, I am learning a lot about culture differences and different world views! I have a neat opportunity as well with my classmates who are mostly Austrian. I am being taught completely in English with my Austrian classmates, who are required by MCI to do one 'international semester' being taught in English. So I have jumped into the middle of a program with Austrian students who have been together for 2 years already! So we learn in English, but speak German to each other. It's great practice for me!
Which brings me to talk about the two other places where I get to practice my german. ÖSM and church.
ÖSM (the Österreiches Studenten Mission- Austrian Students Mission) is a group that gathers on Monday nights to meet as Christian students from Innsbruck and come together to encourage, pray, sing and hang out together. I went for the 2nd time already, and I am starting to solidify some friendships. There are mostly Austrian students here. So... lots of german practice!
As well for practicing my German, the church that I am attending does their services in German (of course, but they do have English translation, which I choose not to take).
But honestly, though these are two great places to develop my language skills, I believe that God has given them to me as a place of comfort and growing. God is working in this city, and you can see it by how many Christians are gathering, whether it's families at church or young people coming together and leading themselves. In a country that is officially Catholic (and has been for centuries) breaking out of tradition is hard. I have met several people who have a strong faith, coming from a Catholic background, but I have also met many who either rebuke the church or just go along with it because it's 'easy, 'accesible' and 'normal'. So to break out of the mold and proclaim yourself as a Protestant is very uncommon here. Where in Canada it is the faith the many see as 'normal' here one has to stand up for their faith, when it's often looked down on. So many of the people that I have met at church and ÖSM are such an inspiration to me and I admire how real their faith is to them.
I am so thankful that God has provided me with friends have the same belief as me, and through that encourage me in my own walk with Jesus.

Thank you for all your prayers everyone and to all those are sending me emails and keeping in contact with me. I always love hearing from home!
Christi

P.S.
Time for pictures!

                                                                 My city,  Innsbruck!

                                           

                                               This is where I went hiking on Saturday...

                            ... And these are the mountains how I woke up to them this morning!