October 11th: Students Departure

TCM Haus Edelweiss Tony Twist Apartment

This was the final day for the students and they had final exams, presentations and reports due in the morning.  It seemed like they all did very well and are all excited about what they have learned and their time here at Haus Edelweiss, but ready to go home and see their families.  I know I am ready as well and excited to be heading home soon also.  It has been a long few weeks but some of the most rewarding weeks I have had in a long time and have enjoyed every moment of the work, fellowship with the students, staff and other volunteers and the special outings that we were able to go on.  Today was mostly spent cleaning up and wrapping things up with the students and preparing for the final clean tomorrow.  It was such a blessing working with our group and the group leader Kevin who is such a Godly man and have learned so much from him.  I really enjoyed everyone else in the group even though sometimes it was frustrating but it really helped me to just stop and listen and talk to God giving that up to him.  Everyone here is seeking God out with all their heart and love the stories of people driving by and just stopping to admire this place.  God does bless people and his commission with the perfect tools to fulfill that including places like Haus Edelweiss and Tauernhof.  I am so encouraged by the students and getting to meet some of them more and hear their stories.  God is doing some great work in these countries and the students are going to be such great lights in some of these dark places in the World.  When we think of Europe we tend to think of places like Germany, France, England mostly the big tourist areas but Eastern Europe gets forgotten and there are places where persecution still exists and some extremely poor living conditions but God still exists in these places and the people who come to Haus Edelweiss prove that and continue to make a difference in this world and fulfill his Great Commission.  After dinner we had a short time of prayer, worship and some story telling.  One of the professors said that the part that was the most powerful was when everyone started singing on Sunday worship in that first song with all the different languages and I would have to agree.   That is something that will stick with me for a very long time and just proves the depth of God’s love and his workings across the World.  It is going to be hard to leave this place and go home but I know that this is only just the beginning of some great things to come and Haus Edelweiss is truly a little piece of Heaven.

“The Lord is my Shepard; I shall not want.  He makes me lie down in green pastures.  He leads me beside still waters.  He restores my soul.  He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” - Psalm 23:1-3