A celebrity is Christian- God more of this!!

read this, this is interesting- God is absulutely amazing! http://potw.news.yahoo.com/s/potw/41/converting-kirk-cameron

Changes that I need to process

This morning I found out that I will leave the States 3 weeks earlier than I had thought. Three weeks are 21 days; 21 days less with my friends and with my family here. I won't return very soon. So the deadline has come closer and tomorrow I will say; I AM LEAVING NEXT MONTH!!! My favourite word for today apart from some words that would not be so "nice" is: GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR I am processing and still trying to be good with all teh deadlines, money questions and all. I could use your prayers when you read this. My heart is very sad.

Too blessed to be stressed!!

With all that I know and have heard today, I should be stressed out. In fact I could choose to be right now. BUT instead, I choose to be blessed and not stressed! I need to finish my support letter; I need to call the South African konsulat in Germany to find out some critical things; I need to have a lot of money soon, like money for my plane tickets; I need to start the applciation process for my visa.... After meeting with my mentor, I know what my priorities are. Would you pray for me in this very "blessed" time? I need to choose the right attitude every day. Thank you!

Yes CATS rule :)

Yeah so here is my answer to you, Alexis and Travis, dear friends of mine, cats rule indeed!! Let me introduce you to CHEDDAR Rodriguez. This cat reminds me of Pouss'n'boots from Shrek :) He is totally cute but can be pretty annoying as well. The long hair does not go well with people with allergies and he really tends to love on people way too much. He licks the water from the bath tub after I take a shower, he drinks out of the toilet if I let him. he tries to drink out of the water that I have on my nightstand and he loves to eat :) That is CHEDDAR

Kerstin flies across the world

Posts from a missionary, at least that is what I will call my future posts for I will be a long term missionay flying to South Africa, being trained in the United States BUT coming from GERMANY. I was probably 10 years old on that picture and YES I sat in the cockpit of a Lufthansa Boing 747.Fun times- little did I know then what destiny and calling would await me later in life. I am in my final stages to set my budget for teh next years so I can start fundraising. There are so many questions and so many details but God is a God of order and of every detail. You guys have a great memorial day weekend!!! So long Kerstin Sunshine Berthold, Long Term Missionary in Cape Town.

So much we don't know - IRAQ

I read several articles and life reports from soldiers who were in Iraq and made it back safely. I am stunned and I do not have the words for it. I respect and honor each man and woman who goes out to war these days. I do have a different take on things being German and all. So all these years I did not want to look at it. But recently, the situation in IRAQ was brought to my attention. I do the mail here at East Hill and every day I pass by a huge frame with a lot of pictures in it...pictures of brave and couragous young mena dn women who are serving this country. yesterday I stopped and read the words underneath each picture, I looked at the picture and studied their faces. There is so much I do not know...so much we do not know about the conditions for the soldiers the marines that are in war. How hard it must be for them to survive , to numb the pain. This blog is to salute them and to pray for them: may they gain their sanity back, may they survive, may they have strength every day!

One of those days I guess

Today is a really weird day for me. I woke up tired and with a heavy heart. No spark in me and I feel weary. I look at the picture of that little rabbit and as this one just does not want to look what is going on ...just as that one....so it is with me today. I just want to close my eyes and sing lalalalalal and not look. I want to hide in the shadow of me Almighty daddy, wanna feel His wings surrounding me, hearing HIS voice telling me: It is ok, Kerstin. I am here with you. Something that has happened or is happening just saddens my heart. It is nothing big although for me it is but I know that my high's are higher than other people's highs and my lows are lower than other people's lows. I try not to sink into self pity and will go home now to rest and take care of myself. What a weird day...one of those days, I guess

What my future holds and what I am learning

Looking into great wide open ocean....this is what I was doing maybe 2 weeks ago as we were on our way to see how the Atlantic kisses the Indian Ocean. I was so amazed. What the future may hold for me? What will be in store? I feel I am on the treshold of something big and new. I know some of the things that will happen. I will work in Restoration MInistries in Cape Town, I will work in the field of my passion. The people I will be working with are handpicked as I am handpicked by our LORD. I am learning a lot these days. I am learning how to deal with my high highs and my low lows. I am learning to let Jesus keep my emotions in check. I am learning when I should not take myself too seriously and when I better listen to my thoughts of warning. I am learning balance which is a big thing for someone who is sensitive to bi-polarism. I am learning to trust my God. Things are not always what they seem to be..... I am glad I can look into my future with my God!

Inspired by a friend

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I am up way too early for a saturday to sleep in (jetlag grrrr!) -I have been missing AMERICAN IDLE for 3 weeks (dang it!!)but I know that Jordin, Melissa and Blake are still in. -I crave salad a lot -I feel blessed in so many ways -Tomorrow is mother's day and my mom is half around the world -I need to do the last load of laundry (too-grin) -I am thrilled cuz God lets me serve in my giftedness and through my struggles -I am reading TRUEFACED again -I will be taking pictures for friends soon ( I loooove taking portrait pics what a grand thing to do for me) -I am grieving what I will leave behind here in a few months which is not that easy but I want to make every minute count! -I am thankful for my parents

Wow, this is a fun way of getting out a lot of information -thanks Brave Eagle!!!! Good inspiration :)

WOW- God moves my parents!!!!

Guess what! My parents were absolutely prepared for me telling them about my move to Cape Town! Their reaction blew me away this morning. Specifically because I had a weird way of sending my email to them yesterday: I was about to create the right words and thinking thru things, when I accidently hit the SEND button instead of the SAVE button. Oh my...... I quickly finished the content of my email by sending a follow up (part 2). It was perfect and I am glad for them to know.

WOW!! Lord I am so thankful to you - I know this is your work in their hearts! I praise you for it!!! your princess K

come with me to....

So this picture is what I was looking at today in someone's office and my mind suddenly stopped: it was a different picture that I had in mind when thinking of the two disciples from Emmaus who totally did not get that it was Jesus whom they meet on the long road back to their house after finding out about Jesus' death and crucifiction. Totally intersting.....you ask: why? I tell you: Jesus and the two men are really small compared to the vast green scenery around them...beautiful trees.... I know the romantic comes out in me. Also there is a lot of debth to the picture when I look at the sky. So after looking at the picture for I while I started to lose myself in it and questions popped into my mind: What exactly were they talking about..I mean we know the general idea but I suddenly wanted to come closer and be a little mouse amongst their feet. What were the words they exchanged as they went on walking to Emmaus? What was Jesus feeling realizing that they did not recognize him...did that even matter to him? Once the drawer of questions is out, I can hear a whole lot of them and I intrigued...... I want to go into that picture..you know jsut like Marry poppins does that with Burt and the kids taht one rainy afternoon in London....

Because you loved me, JESUS

Because you loved me. For all those times you stood by me For all the truth that you made me see For all the joy you brought to my life For all the wrong that you made right For every dream you made come true For all the love I found in you I'll be forever thankful baby You're the one who held me up Never let me fall You're the one who saw me through through it all You were my strength when I was weak You were my voice when I couldn't speak You were my eyes when I couldn't see You saw the best there was in me Lifted me up when I couldn't reach You gave me faith 'coz you believed I'm everything I am Because you loved me You gave me wings and made me fly You touched my hand I could touch the sky I lost my faith, you gave it back to me You said no star was out of reach You stood by me and I stood tall I had your love I had it all I'm grateful for each day you gave me Maybe I don't know that much But I know this much is true I was blessed because I was loved by you You were my strength when I was weak You were my voice when I couldn't speak You were my eyes when I couldn't see You saw the best there was in me Lifted me up when I couldn't reach You gave me faith 'coz you believed I'm everything I am Because you loved me You were always there for me The tender wind that carried me A light in the dark shining your love into my life You've been my inspiration Through the lies you were the truth My world is a better place because of you You were my strength when I was weak You were my voice when I couldn't speak You were my eyes when I couldn't see You saw the best there was in me Lifted me up when I couldn't reach You gave me faith 'coz you believed I'm everything I am Because you loved me I'm everything I am Because you loved me I think and believe and see that this song by Celine Dion totally talks about my realtionship with Jesus. it is because of His love for ME that He died on the cross and freed me from all sin. He loved me first! Thank you my dear Lord!

FRIENDS

Friends- I just realized AGAIN how fortunate and blessed I am to have friends. On my first day back home in the States after a wonderful time at church, I spend time with 2 of my very dearest friends. It was a wonderful time of catching up, laughing and fellowshipping. When I got home I was stunned…..yes, I am blessed by my friends…often we need to go somewhere to realize what we have…can you relate? It is hard to prepare myself to leave this place in a few months. I will miss all my friends, all these wonderful relationships that God has blessed me with on this side of the globe. I’ve gone through that when I left Germany 3 years ago. Yes, we will keep contact..Godwilling…and I can say that wherever I will be in the future, the friends from Gresham, Bent, Ohio will always have a special place in my heart.

Thank you for Friends, dear Lord. Although these kinds of relationships present themselves as not being that easy for me a lot if the times…

I consider myself so blessed of having you, Alexis, Carina, Travis, Sarah, Annie, Elisabeth, Robyn, Jenni, Valerie, Katie, Caroleana. Michelle, Brian, …….. THANK YOU!

BACK in the USA

Hi, I am back.....24 hours of flight and a nasty guard and security person in minneapolis... after some sleep in my bed...well my hostfamily's bed. What is mine these days? not much but that is right and fine with me....I totally realized how I so do care less about goods and possessions. When I was in South Africa, I did not want to buy buy buy buy... o I wanted to relax and take it all in. I am processing all that has been happening in the past 2 weeks....amazing. God is good and once again i saw how little my faith is. There is a lot to blog about and I will do so in the coming days and weeks, trust me.

Thank you God for calling me to such a beautiful place! Thank you for doing that againa nd again, first you let me be born in Germany...what a beautiful country..then you call me to Oregon (wow, green and simply wonderful) and now it is Cape Town. I praise you Lord!!!!

Kerstin Sunshine aka African Queen :)

Cape Twon- funky Town

Driving on the other side is scary! oh my, when I sit int he front deat, I always think we hit a car but then I realize that we actually drive on the other (or the wrong?) side of the road here. Then I look at the moon....it is the flipside of what we see on teh northern side of the world, interesting...it is a smiling moon, not a sad moon. Relationships are forming mroe and more...I am juping in with both feet knowing I have nothing to loose. I realize teh amount of fears in me and know that God is working with me on those. I mean I managed to come to teh States and that was a huuuge leap of faith then.... I am able to do this one,... I am starting to pray for when I will tell my parents and all. I am blessed here in Cape Town and I will come back wow

God you amazing, although this is all way to quick for me...you know I do not like change, but it is YOUR timing , not mine. If it were to be mine, I would not go to Cape town for another 2 years. Thank you Jesus for giving me teh courage to face my fears and to hold on to you- help me to do more of that!!! your sunshine K.