Tomoko Concert

O Maria

Unter deinen Schutz und Schirm fliehen wir, o heilige Gottesgebärerin. Verschmähe nicht unser Gebet in unsern Nöten, sondern erlöse uns jederzeit von allen Gefahren, o du glorreiche und gebenedeite Jungfrau. Unsere Frau, unsere Mittlerin, unsere Fürsprecherin. Versöhne uns mit deinem Sohne, empfiehl uns deinem Sohne, stelle uns vor deinem Sohne. Amen. translation: Under thy protection we seek refuge,  Holy Mother of God;  despise not our petitions in our needs,  but from all dangers  deliver us always,  Virgin Glorious and Blessed.   Our Lady, our mediator,  our intercessor.  Reconcile us to your Son,  Commend us to your Son,  Present us before your Son.  Amen.

I pass by him, and her, almost everyday

I haven't met him yet, but I hope one day I have the chance. 

Turkey Day in Gaming, take two.

Every month we try to take a "Desert Day"--a day for prayer, silence, fasting, and simply spending time being with God, recuperating, meditating and letting the experiences and lessons and growth of the past month ruminate. 

Well, in November I asked permission to spend my "Desert Day" in Gaming, for Thanksgiving (the second time in my life actually!) - so there was definitely no fasting, or silence, but a lot of time to enjoy the peace of this mountain town, the joy of spending Thanksgiving with Americans while still being in Austria (including one of my dearest friends-B. Guess), hiking, praying (an English mass, finally), eating (even though I've never liked Thanksgiving dinner), and simply letting my heart be at ease, truly rest in the company of dearly loved friends, and taking time to stop and be so thankful for all that I have lived in the past year, for all that is to come, and for all that I could enjoy in that weekend!

Special thanks to the Kalpakgian family!!! and Tony for the hike! and B. Guess for just being you! 

can't believe I got to study and live here...how blessed I was to live that experience during University! 

one of my favorites. I think we spent about 10 hours talking during the two days we were together--I've never had a better "Desert" day/weekend. 

I walked into Brittany's room, saw her bookshelf (plato, aristotle, asci, more aristotle, etc.) and immediately wanted to take her place. Im such a geek--seeing ancient greek literature makes me want to go back to school. 

Brittany's two dear roommates! I've never laughed so hard at a Thanksgiving dinner! 

Day after Thanksgiving hike with Tony (a friend of mine from college who is currently working for the Austria Program as the men's residence director). He was wonderful enough to offer to take me hiking up Book Mountain (a mountain in town which has a book at the top in which you write your name once you have climbed the mountain) because I never got to do it the semester I studied there. 

Waiting for Tony I spotted some killer spider webs captured by the beautiful crystals of the first frost! 

Walking through the Gaming cemetery in order to get to the base of the mountain

this is about as far as I got before I realized I forgot my inhaler (what a wussy thing to say) because I was practically collapsing due to lack of breath. It was really pathetic and I was so embarrassed, but Tony was awesome and said it was no big deal--so we hiked only a third of the way up the mountain to an awesome overlook of the town. One day I will climb you Book Mountain, when I don't forget my inhaler :) 

how amazing is this!! spikes of frost lining each branch...

I only edited the contrast on this photo. it was naturally, unbelievably gorgeous! 

this little town will always be a little home to me! 

Frost

Winter arrived at the beginning of November

 

On my way to visit my <Austrian Mama> Agnes, I was stunned by the beauty of the first frost. 

Like strings of pearls decking the last hints of green. Breathtaking.

my favorite. 

Agnes' street! (thats a BMX bike park on the right that one of her neighbors owns)

thankful.

for seeing and hearing from a ton of my beautiful, huge family today 

for getting to be in Gaming, Austria at the Franciscan Campus for rest days and to celebrate Thanksgiving

for time in prayer to be still, reflect, and be thankful

for the English mass and for beautiful music

for reuniting with a dear friend of mine from college who is studying currently in Gaming--and for the hours of conversations we've had today, for the gift of our friendship, the peace I find in her presence, the aid she gives me in re-finding my passion for my mission in Vienna 

for the Kalpakagian family for having me to Gaming and being so loving and welcoming as if they were my own family

for beauty, for cold weather, for Tony and him taking me to go hiking tomorrow

for everything I've learned in the past year, every challenge, every friendship, every miracle, chance meeting, and gift, every hardship, struggle, temptation, and weakness, every new insight, every discovery, every realization

for all of you, your love, prayers, and support

for God, His Will, Strength, Light and Love

for this, my life, today, and what is to come

well helllooo there, schatzi

What did it take:

a phone call to the Consolate with St. Regine in October 2010

and then a couple more phone calls,

several papers from New York, one from Indiana, a couple from Wisconsin, one from France--all translated both into English and German in sunny California--and then notarized in blizzardy Manitowish Waters, 

a trip to Chicago, a couple hours of waiting, a talk with the Consolate,

a lump of cash,

another visit to the Consolate and the O.K. to go,

3 months in Vienna, sudden news, quick decisions, the unknown, prayers, questions, disappointment, miracles, friendships, blessed connections the the Austrian government,

a flight, a month, another two visits to the consulate, the generosity of my cousin and her roommates, the support of both long-term and new sponsors, the love of my family and friends, the supporting and cradling arms of my aunt, the advice from my aunt, brother, and parents, more prayer,

an emergency visa, a couple emails with the Consul, an 8 hour drive to and from Milwaukee, a package from the Wisconsin and Indiana State Departments, some more lovely translations from sunny California, the help of the office staff in the Ritz, the unfailing love of my parents,

a flight, an experience in New York and the Heart's Home life in Brooklyn, a search for answers, the fruitfulness of prayer, the love of the Heart's Home Family,

one more transatlantic flight,

two visits to the MA-35,

a couple more papers, and Monika's signature at the notary,

more money of course,

another visit to MA-35,

telephone calls, silent waiting,

more prayers, facing once again the unknown, 

daily mass, adoration, rosaries, flying novenas and myriad other prayers,

patience, beyond my normal capacity,

two visits to the magistrat, a telephone call, tears, more hope, 

and one last visit this morning (Nov. 21, 2011) , another handful of money, and a sigh of relief

take a look at that beauty.

i think its a rule of the universe that you cannot like your passport/photo ID picture. its just always awful and not flattering :) 

oh and if you'll notice the date. 

im good till NEXT NOVEMBER 10th, 2012!!!

In the end, how generous are those Viennese! 

Now I just have a lot of thinking and praying to do--how long am I supposed to stay here? 

some new things

1. I need your prayers!!! Tomorrow morning I have a telephone meeting with the Magistrat (Stadt Wien) about my Visa. Hopefully they will be able to tell me whether or not they will be giving me a residence permit (only a y.e.a.r. later) or not. Its all in God's hands and I completely trust him, please just pray that God's will be done and I am able to surrender to it and live it with joy and peace whatever the outcome may be. Otherwise....the countdown continues...12 more days of being legal. 

2. New sponsor letter posted!! (finally right). Well in the process of writing this one, I also have wrote a second one. I am just waiting for a couple more pieces to fill in at the end of November and then I will be getting another one out in record time! 

3. This really struck me: 

Nothing can fill the gap when we are away from those we love, and it would be wrong to try to find anything. We must simply hold out and win through. That sounds very hard at first, but at the same time it is a great consolation, since leaving the gap unfilled preserves the bonds between us. It is nonsense to say that God fills the gap; God does not fill it, but keeps it empty so that our communion with another may be kept alive, even at the cost of pain.

~Dietrich Bonhoeffer, *Letters and Papers from Prison*