Where's Liana?

Thursday, April 23, 2009

I know I should probably rethink this whole blog thing since I don't blog as frequently as I should, but I have been a busy girl. Rather than having you look for me in a search and find book, like Where's Waldo?, I thought I would just show and tell you exactly where I've been for the past month!

Clint's parents came to visit at the end of March (yes, my last post was about then!), and we had a wonderful time showing them around Germany and France. Our most enjoyable trip was the few days we spent in Normandy, France exploring the World War II D-Day events. Two of our most memorable highlights of the tour were Omaha beach and the U.S. Cemetery, the one seen in the movie "Saving Private Ryan". The next day we went to an interesting fortress called Mount Saint Micheal (pronounced "Michelle"). This is an architectural beauty and captivating to see because it is basically an island of its own. Before they built a bridge, the only way to reach Mt. Saint Micheal was when it was low tide. Once high tide arrived there was no access to or from it!





I think that the most touching thing I learned from this trip was looking at the grave markers of those who gave their lives for my freedom. Freedom always comes at a cost, whether it it is for your country or your soul.

Six days after Clint's parents left, we headed out for our Spring Break vacation. Of course, it was at the beach! We went to Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, which was WONDERFUL!! We had a great time snorkeling, swimming, lounging, quad-riding in the desert and exploring the Sinai peninsula. Below are pictures of our family during a break from the bike rides, in which we drank Bedouin tea and posed for photos; and me, after trekking through the night by camel to reach the top of Mt. Sinai by sunrise...





It was truly an amazing adventure, walking the same paths that the Israelites may have walked after they crossed the Red Sea and journeying to the top of the mountain to seek God, just as Moses did so long ago. I never cease to be humbled and amazed at the opportunities God provides me, especially ones where I get to see the Bible come alive!

After we arrived back to Germany, and WARM weather, it was study time for me! I had one week to "cram" for my written driving exam. By the grace of God, I passed! Now it's off to driving practice again...if only I looked like I did the first time I had driving practice!

It has been an exhilarating few weeks, filled with joy, awe, and fatigue. After I recuperated from it all, God decided to run me through the grinding mill spiritually. It hasn't been a fun few days, but God is doing a work in me that I know I need. I hope to share some of that with you when the time is right.

For now, I am committed to being better with my blog and my posting. My goal is to reach 100 posts in the next few weeks before leaving back to the States for summer holiday. I really want to achieve this goal and hope you'll help keep me accountable. Thanks for sticking with me, even during my long absences. I love sharing with you and can't wait until we meet again on my next post! Until then, be blessed.

1 People had something to say:

Susie said...

Great seeing the pictures! I know you shared the experiences in words, but seeing it is BEAUTIFUL! Can't wait to hear what God is teaching you right now.

I am so excited about you coming to Corpus this summer. Save a day or night for me! We will treat you all with some of Skip's cooking or some good ole' Corpus Mexican food. Love you! Are you going to She Speaks for sure? I told my friend Julie Gillies that you might be there, so you have to hook up with her and say hi!