GERMANY!

Greetings, Friends! First of all, let me update you on some of my life...
- I have PASSED my Doctrinal Orals (a really big, scary paper that one completes and defends in front of a panel of 2 professors that one signs up for for no credit and cannot graduate without completing...very scary...copies available upon request)
- Tomorrow is my last day at my CPE internship, Porter Adventist Hospital. I've had an incredible learning experience and have LOVED working with the other chaplains (AMAZING!!) and staff at this excellent hospital. I will genuinely miss being here.
- It now looks VERY good that I will GRADUATE next semester!!!
- I leave for Bamberg, Germany this Thursday...ok, I can't really just slide that in, can I?

So, here's the story...
About a month ago I woke from a very strange dream. I can't remember what the dream is now, but I remember having the definite impression that the Lord had told me to get my butt to Germany. When I was more conscious, I thought "Humm, wasn't that a strange dream?" and pretty much was going to let it go at that. However, the next night in one of my classes one of my classmates told a story of a young Vet he had just met that changed my mind; it seemed to me to be a sign that the Lord really had spoken. Now, I knew that there were 2 slots open for the Germany practicum for the Reserves. I also knew that there are several hundred slobbering Chaplain Candidates drooling over this assignment. But, I put in my paperwork trusting that the Lord would do what he would do. Sure enough, about two weeks later my commander called me up and told me I had been chosen for the assignment. This is, needless to say, quite an honor.

I will depart in a few days for Bamberg which is about 45 minutes north of Nuremberg in central Germany. I don't speak a lick of German, so I think this will be a really interesting time! I will be there through the holiday, returning in late January to complete my seminary education. I will be posting pictures and updates often, so do keep checking back every few days starting Monday. I plan on using Skype to be able to touch base with folks, so if you have an account, let me know! I'm mostly ready to go now, just finishing one last class Wednesday night, so I just need your prayers and support now!

Prayer Requests:
- For me to be fully open to what ever He has planned for me for this time.
- Travel mercies/ good connections
- Culture Shock!
- Divine appointments
- God's peace to be on my family as I'm overseas for the holidays - I'm not normally with my family for the holidays, but I know they worry about me when I leave the country.
- The Lord's continued favor as I learn to minister to and with the military.