Thinking...

For when two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." This morning I was reading Matthew, and this was one of the verses that I read. This is a very common verse that I think we all quote at somepoint in our lives. Last night the 3 of us were talking about this verse, and it was perfect that I read it this morning. While being on this trip with my friends, I have felt the presence of the Lord at every turn. He has kept us safe, but he has also revealed himself to me in ways that I don't think about while at home.
While seperated from my "normal life," I have had plenty of thinking time! This trip has given me time to reflect on different things in my life. Rebekah was talking about this with us, and she gave a good example. She said that she was laying in bed the other night, and usually she would have the TV on, facebook up, checking twitter on her phone, etc but that night she couldn't. She was on her own, with God. She was able to verablize what I had been thinking. This trip has given all of us quality time with not only each other, but with Christ.
While being surrounded by different cultures, different scenes, and beauty all around us, it gives me cause to fall on my knees in worship. Our normal life is so busy, and full of things that don't really matter. Time flies by, and it is hard to take a breath away from all of the busyness. While being here in Europe, I have had to put my faith and trust in God in many ways. I am always thankful for my friends, but this trip has led me to be thankful in a different way.
We have observed several different types of people at the places we have been at, and there is always at least one person we see that is traveling alone. Can you imagine? Backpacking through Europe by yourself? I surely cannot. I love being able to share this experience with another person. These people that travel alone often strike up converstation with random people and become friends with everyone. That is great, and I am not saying it's bad. But for me, I think it would be very shallow and very depressing. While with my friends, we have been able to discuss things that are on our hearts. We encourage each other, we hold each other accountable, and most of all we base our friendship on Christ.
While I was taking a nap, Rebekah and Martha met 3 people who were all traveling alone and had met yesterday. Rebekah and Martha said that it was fun talking to them, but for the entire hour not one word of Christ came out of the conversation. When I think about all of the conversations that the three of us have had while on this trip, I am grateful for Christian friends! Almost all of our conversations lead back to the Lord. How fortunate we are! I know that my friends will understand what I am thinking. I know that they understand that I sin, they sin, and we all sin. They get me. I cannot imagine not being with at least one person who understands me.
I am awed by the beauty of friendship that Christ has bestowed on me and my friends. I am very blessed and am thankful that He chose to give me these girls (plus many others at home)!
I know this post has been very long, and I hope that I am making some sense out of it all. To end on a good note, I wanted to share with you a few more funny stories from the trip!

In Paris, we ate crepes with nutella quite a few times. A crepe is basically a very thin pancake, and we ususally had ours filled with nutella. Nutella is best described as a "chocolate peanut butter." Well we were sitting at a crepe making place, and Rebekah comments, "He just put white Nutella on the pan." Martha then proceeds to look at her like she is crazy and say, "That is one of the dumber things that you have ever said!" It was hysterial. The man had been putting crepe batter on the pan to make a crepe! Rebekah did not understand how a crepe was made, and thought that you could have a "white nutella." Which you cannot. That girl makes me laugh!

I can't remember when this happened, but I think it was in London. We had just arrived, and we were confused on how the currency thing worked. We were at our first store, and the man gave Rebekah her total and then asked her for the money. Well Rebekah proceeds to hold her hand out (that was filled with money) and says, "Take however much you need becuase I don't know how to do this." Thankfully the person did not take not take all of her money, but took the appropriate amount. Martha and I of course freak out and yell at her for doing this. Rule No. 1 is that you do not do that!!!!

When we arrived in Interlaken, French was still filling our minds. While on the train and walking through town we would still say "Merci", "Bonjour", etc. Well Rebekah says "Por Favor! Oh I didn't even get to use that one while we were in France." We of course look at her and bust out laughing. Por Favor is Spanish!

We were talking to the lady at the hotel this morning trying to figure out a good trail that we could walk on. She shows us on a map, and tell us to stop in Neuhause which to me sounds like "My house." I thought oh wow, her parents must own a cafe over there. Thankfully I did not say this outloud becuase she was just saying the name of the town. Yes Dutch is hard to translate!

We have had a wonderful day of hiking and walking around town. Interlaken is beautiful, and we are so glad that we get to rest and relax here. We are taking a day trip up to the mountains tomorrow.