Mr. Rodgers Neighborhood (Euro Style)

Mr. Rodgers may have had a castle in his neighborhod, a trolley car, and a queen that could wake the dead, but look at what we've got! Eat your heart out, Fred!

As we continue to adapt, things that now seem "normal" I've come to realize are still "abormal" for most Americans. For example, let's take a look at the photos. From left to right we have Addison and Parker at our local Christmas Markt. There are 23 districts in Vienna, all sporting their own Markts. I found out yesterday from a hat vendor there are a total of 41 Markts in Vienna. Ours is small and quaint, displaying some local crafts and foods. This particular booth is a sweet shop. Note how dark it is ... this was taken at 4:00 in the afternoon. Yes, folks, it starts getting dark here around 3:45ish ... then by 4:00 ish it's well on it's way to darkness.

The next photo features Parker posing in front of an import/export clothing store. Middle Easterners open these shops all over the city. In certain districts, like ours, there are larger populations of Turkish, Eastern European and Middle Eastern peoples. You can find great bargins, unfortunatley, not such good quality. However, we may throw quality out the window for this shinny pair of neon blue stretch pants Parker found.

Just to prove to those who doubt the authentic cultural love of coffee in our fair city, picture four shows one local grocery store. The KAPUTT sign covers one of the coffee bean grinding machines. You can purchase ganz bohne (whole bean) coffee, pay for it, and grind it right there on the spot. The instructions are, naturally, in German so I haven't ventured my language prowese in this area ... but soon and very soon I will. I can feel it!

Finall, if local sweets and sausages from the Christmas Markt don't appeal to the taste buds, you can try another local specialty, Pferde fleisch. Just take a closer look at the third picture and you will easily be able to translate what Pferde means. Horse meat is a specialty ... and something National Velvet need stay far away from!

This Monday marks the one month sabatical I've had from school due to my anxiety. I feel tremendously blessed to have had this down time. I feel so rested, mentally and physically. I dive into school tomorrow, jumping into the B1 level class that Chris just finished. Due to budget cut-backs, Chris won't be attending full-time language school but will be doing some things at home. Our friend, Lance, suggested that the most valuable language learning takes place when you actually speak to the locals. With that in mind, he suggested Chris go to every Christmas Markt in Vienna, talking and eating his way to perfection in the German language. If he takes Lance's advice - I will protest!

Our dear friend Hans-Georg came to stay with us this past week. Hans-Georg was an exchange student at OU in Norman (Boomer, Sooner) three years ago. He lives in Graz, a city about 2 1/2 hours away from Wien. One of the greatest blessings we've had since being in Wien has been to have spiritual conversations in our living room with our dear friend. After he left our home, we found a note from him. Part of the note read: "I am sure you will experience great situations, but there will be some frustrating ones too. I came over a verse that will help you with that, John 14:27." So, we look up John 14:27 and it says "peace is what I leave with you; it is my own peace that I give you. I do not give it as the world does. Do not be worried and upset; do not be afraid." Can I just tell you what joy this brings our hearts? We've prayed for and wept over this young man, desiring most for him to know our Jesus, is being drawn to the Creator. HE is sharing God's Word with us!!!!

As I close, and as you sit at your computer, facing whatever situation you are facing, great or frustrating ... my heats cry for myself and for you is to know ... know deep in your heart peace that only Jesus can bring. Peace in the middle of holiday stress. Peace in the middle of job hassels. Peace in the middle of health crisis. Peace in the middle of disobedient children. Peace in the middle of cancer. Peace ... not as the world gives. Peace from Jesus. Peace doesn't mean the absence of all those things, but rather knowing that smack dap in the middle of them you have a peace that can't be explained. It doesn't come from you or Ophra Winfrey feel good tactis ... it's only from Jesus. You know if you have it ... you know if you don't. Don't be afraid! He is there.

Looking forward ...
Christna

Stuff we LOVE

We LOVE packages! Tuesday we started off our week with a most wonderful surprise! EBC in Altus, USA sent us not one ... not two ... but three boxes of goodies! Yes, we live in a beautiful country, but beauty can't replace BROWNIES!!! Filled with Thanksgiving goodies and American cookbooks aand brownie mixes and cornbread mixes ... can we just say ... HEAVEN!

Then, the next day ... my dear sister-in-love, KIM, had our Christmas ornaments shipped. Chris' Mom packed all our Christmas tokens of almost 18 years and they landed on my doorstep with no breaks! Included in the festive cheer was a blanket from home (snif snif) and a candle Chris remembers seeing every Christmas since he was 16 (and that's a good many years, folks). I have to be honest, I cried! It's one of the last things that we had at "home". This makes it closer to official that we are here to stay.

We LOVE pancakes. And, when the girls would see their Paps, he would make them Designer Pancakes! The one design that stands out above the rest - Mickey Mouse. So, Parker, in the absence of her Paps' Pancakes, is trying her talents in pancake design. She's doing a pretty good job! Paps, you are just gonna have to come over and give her some lessons!

We LOVE the blog. However, my family says I only put the best photos of myself on the blog. Well, of course! My Momma didn't raise no dummy! But, to prove to them I am not a photo snob, there is a photo of me, laying in bed, sick with the flu! I hope you all enjoy it!

I LOVE to write. I wanted to post a few reflections I had this morning. This was written for my dear sister who sits in a hospital room on the 11th floor of MD Anderson.

Jesus had been crucified. The disciples missed their friend. They had been fishing all night long. They were tired, exhausted ... and not just from the night of catching no fish. Good grief, they must have thought. We've lost our friend, we can't even do what our profession calls us to do, and to top it off, we're cold and hungry.

Jesus was on the shore. They didn't know.

Jesus, after the resurection, made some crash appearances before returning to Heaven. This was one of them. I can imagine the sun coming up on these tired souls. No fish. No hope. No desire to try more.

"Hey, have you caught any fish?" came the voice from the shore.

Are you kidding me, I can hear them saying. What a jerk! Doesn't he know what we've been doing all night?

"Try throwing the net on the other side of the boat." came the voice again.

That's it! This guy beter clear a path for me to get to him cause when I hit shore I'm not responsible for what I'm gonna do to him What nerve!

I'm not sure if it was out of curiosity or to patronize the wise guy on the shore, but they cast their nets on the other side of the boat. Shazamm ... they hit the mother load.

Sometime during the excitement Peter stopped. Hmmm ... this is familiar. It hit him. As he jumped into the water and made his way to shore he found his friend, waiting.

Peter found breakfast - fish cooking over a fire and fresh bread. Their friend and resurected Savior was waiting to nurish their stomachs - but more imporantly their hearts and souls.

Life is just plain hard sometimes. You are tired, and a good night sleep won't fix the cure. Sometimes you feel alone and helpless. What I sometimes need the most from the Creature of the Universe is not a miraculous sign of His power, but a gentle reminder that He is my friend on the shore waitng to feed me and love me.

As I read this from John 21 ...God reminds me of just that. Life is hard and sometimes I'm just cold and hungry. That's when he rushes in ... to find me on the shore ... with breakfast!

Eat well ... and rest well ...

African Food, Princess Birthday Parties and Volleyball

Did we have a full week,or what? Last Saturday night, we had the privilege of spending an evening with one of Addison's friends from school. She and her family are from Berkino Fausa, Africa. We ate plantains, fish, rice, and drank a ginger fruit drink. We had one of the most enjoyable nights we've had since being in Austria! Chris and the Dad had lots in common since they are both the Dad's of three daughters ... and the Mom and I had a great time of comparing notes about our Austrian grocery store adventures! We now have new friends!

Monday, Libby was invited to a Princess Birthday party. For all of you with girls, eat your hearts out! This was a REAL Princess birthday party: palace, evening gowns, Barbie cake, and did I mention it was at a PALACE! Sohnbrunn is the summer palace of the former Austrian Rulers, the Hapsburg's. So, while the little girls played dress up, they learned all about the life and times of the Hapsburg Royalty and the appropriate social graces of the day!

I must say, hands down, this might have been more fun for me than for Libby. While she was tip-toeing through the palace, I had a luxurious day, outside on the palace grounds, taking photo's! The weather was crisp and cool ... 38 ish ... and the grounds were breathtaking! Forgive the onslaught of photo's on this post, but I can't resist! They are too beautiful and too much of a testimony of God's creativeness to pass up!

My favorite part of the day was getting Marooni. Don't be alarmed - it's food. After being outside for over an hour, my toes and noes were quite chilled. This time of year, it is common place to find a Marooni stand on unsuspecting corners. Marooni's are ... roasted chestnuts! So, I buy myself these little warm nuggets from heaven, finish my walk in the park, and go retrieve Libby. The perfect ending to the perfect day!

Finally, the week ended by Addison and her Volleyball team almost winning a local tournament. Those girls can play some ball! They won their first 3 games, went into the tournament as the only team that had won all their games, lost by 2 points for first and ended up in 4th place. It was fun, exciting, nerve racking, and we kept thinking "I wish our friends Wyatt and Daniel could see this girl in action!" I have to be honest. I was thinking, " I wish Addi could play against Wyatt and Daniel because she could whip their butts!" And so you see my competitive nature coming out ... but she is that good!

So, we finish out the week waiting for Parker to return from a retreat in the mountains with some friends, Addison to get home from her volleyball sleepover and Libby running us ragged!

Life is a journey ... what a ride!

An Ode to IKEA

Well, I am crushed. I tend to be an idealist. I tend to think that commercialism doesn't plague the Christmas season. Coming to the "old world", I just knew I'd never see a hint of Christmas until the eve or two before the blessed day. I knew that little old European women would spend months crafting homemade treasures to sell in quaint shops just in the nick of time for the holiday season. I just knew that I would even forget the holiday season was upon me because of the lack of singing Santa's, gold metallic Christmas trees, and Barbie dressed as an elf Christmas wrapping paper. I was wrong and I have the photos to prove it!

I'm sure it's not IKEA's fault. I'm sure it's just the nasty corporate big wigs that are thrusting the Western commercialism of the Christmas season down their throats. Right?

Despite the Christmas decoration throw up in the front doors of IKEA, we managed to enjoy ourselves and I have the photos to prove it! Since we spent most of every waking moment upon arrival in IKEA, the girls have been suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder when thinking about going. However, we walked through their hesitations and threatened them .. I mean convinced them ... into going. I am an official member of the IKEA Family and have the card to prove it. This card entitles me to two free coffee's upon each visit plus a discounted rate on hot chocolate and cappuccino. So, at the family price of 2,20 Euro we enjoyed a warm treat on a cold day at one of my favorite places!

Please don't let my sarcasm alarm you and cause you to think I am against the Christmas holidays. Quite the contrary! For those of you who know me well, I am the ultimate sappy Christmas holiday memory maker and cry at all Hallmark commercials that play Christmas music in the background. I even like the tacky animated M and M guys that wear Santa hats - that's just the kind of jovial holiday lover I am. I am just opposed to over marketing the season as a time to shower unwanted gifts upon each other and never once bat an eye to the real meaning of the season.

This year, as I am a foreigner in a distant land, I tend to think about how Mary and Joseph must have felt, traveling all the way to Bethlehem.

Last night I had the privilege of being invited to a girls night out. There were 8 women from 8 different countries speaking 8 different mother tongues having only German in common. We went to a local restaurant, enjoyed fresh pumpkin soup and spent 4 hours together. Some drank wine, others drank the local fruit saft, and other water. Some ate soup with salad, some ate only soup, and one had pasta. We were all so different. It didn't matter if we didn't know the right words or used a different verb tense with the subject, communication was happening. As I sat there, I thought about how Christ gathered people where they were and loved them as they were. It didn't matter that we all came from distant lands, we were all united as women ... as friends. I felt truly loved by these gals. Once Europeans get to know you, there is a greeting that is used to display great affection and warmth. You can see it when they greet or leave the company of dear friends. Last night as we all parted, each woman kissed the cheeks of the other. It was their sign to me that I was a part of them. As I made my way to the UBahn, I wondered how many times strangers left the presence of Jesus, kissing his cheeks and calling him friend. He gave me that privilege last night.

Never forget that all people in all lands desire to be a part of something. If we, who know the treasure of being a part of God through His Son Jesus Christ can share bits and pieces of Him to those around us ... think how marvelous Christmas could really be!

P.S. My first week of cutting back has been a tremendous blessing! God has promised that as I pull back He will bear much fruit in my life and the life of my family. Last night was just a small glimpse of what's ahead!

What A Difference A Day Makes

As most of you know, I have had the privilege of being entrusted with anxiety. I've dealt with it for over 10 years. For some reason, hormones and this time of year seem to affect my anxiety. I was just telling Chris how grateful I was that here it is, well into the Fall, and I've not had a single bout with anxiety. Given the fact we are are still in transition and adjusting to our new home, I considered myself so fortunate. Well, this week my old friend, anxiety, came to visit.

Please don't pity me. I've come to welcome it. Paul talks about having a thorn in his side that he begged God to take away but God felt it necessary to leave with Paul. Paul saw this thorn as a tool to remind him of the greatness of God. In fact, it prompted Paul to write, "When I am weak, then He (God) is strong." I have come to view anxiety as my thorn and a reminder that I am not capable of one good thing apart from my Father. I am terribly weak, however, my Dad is so strong and can carry me when anxiety comes knocking.

Having 10 years to deal with this has shown us what I need to do when anxiety flares up. I chill, rest, give my brain permission to be inactive, spend a whole lot of time with my Father, cook less, and be still. When I look back, anxiety used to produce such fear. However, God, in His kindness has given us wisdom with medication, natural supplement, and the common sense of knowing when to pull back.

So, that's what I'm going to do. God keeps reminding me that when I let go, whatever gets accomplished is a testament to His greatness and not to Christina Elledge's accomplishments! Good lesson, I'd say!!

Enjoy the random photos! The one that means the most to me is the one of the package we received in the mail. We got this the day my anxiety flared up. God had told me that despite the way I "felt" He had a special encouragement coming my way. All day long I looked for it. When I picked up the package at the post office and opened it, it was filled with things from a good friend, Rose, that all spoke to my heart. Encouraging CD's and DVD's. One of them was a DVD of Chonda Pierce, a Christian comedian. If you've never seen her - go now and get one of her DVD's. I laughed so hard as I watched it last night I couldn't breath! And, you know what they say about laughter - it IS good medicine! So, do you see why I say don't pity me? God is big enough to take care of me ... and oh how grateful I am!!!!!

Ba, ba
Christina

P.S. ba, ba is a form of goodbye, and it's pronounced just like I wrote it. It's a bit funny when grown men say it --- we chuckle!

A Day in the Life of ...

... the Elledge Clan.

This, by far, has been one of the busiest weeks we've had since arriving. Addison's volleyball season is coming to an end. Monday she had a game in Bratislava (that's in Slovakia). Wednesday through Friday she had practice. This morning she had a game in Vienna. The opposing team was from Salzburg (home of the Von Traps - we didn't see any trace of Maria. Guess she's not into volleyball.) The Eagles won the best of 5! Addison, being a mere Freshman, is a starter on the High School varsity team. If I do say so myself, she is a great player! She has a winning serve! She must take after her Aunt Lori!!

This week we were introduced to unseasonably cold weather. We nearly froze our hinnies off! It was 4 degrees Celsius, so that makes it around 38 degrees in Fahrenheit. This makes for fun traveling since we take public transportation. We got to experience waiting in the cold, wet, dismal weather for Strassenbahns to come. One day the U-Bahn broke down on my way to language school. Instead of waiting an undetermined amount of time on the subway, I opted for walking. I walked from Stephens Platz City (where the famous Stephens Dome Cathedral resides) to our school (about 15 minutes) in snowy, windy, and cold conditions (uphill, both ways, barefoot ... sound familiar?). To treat myself to braving the Arctic elements, I popped into McDonald's for a cheap Cappuccino, only to spill half of it on my way to school.

Besides Chris being sick one day, Libby being sick one day, Parker getting new shoes, us keeping a dog for a friend, one family from our Board returning from their state side assignment, and other normal life stuff, that's our week.

Just a reminder of the spiritual climate we live in ... this week in language school I was asked what my astrological sign was. Everyone could tell me theirs. When I told them I didn't know, they told me from my birthdate what my sign was ... but when I later refered to Ester in the Bible they had no clue what I was talking about.

Pray and watch ...

PICTURES: Addison serving on Saturday's game. Parker and Libby have shrunk! Not really, this is their idea of fun family entertainment! They are hilarious!

"May I See Your Driver's License, Pleasë?"

We heard this phrase not long after arriving in Wien (by the way, that's what we who live in this fair city, rated #3 in all the world for best living conditions, call Vienna - Wien.) It's pronounced "Veen". Just thought I'd give a little language lesson for those of you who are thinking, "What's that silly girl talking about? Doesn't she know where she lives? What's the deal with the Wien? She lives in Vienna. I think living over in the foreign city and drinking all that fine coffee has messed with her brain!" Now, ask for forgiveness and let's move on!

So, as I was saying, just a few days after arriving in Wien, Chris got the privilege of hearing these words, "May I see your driver's lisence?", in German of course, because he had driven over a Strassenbahn (streetcar) track that just happened to be on an inclined embankment. This caused sparks to fly from our van and our van to teeter-totter from side to side on the embankment. Wien's finest took this opportunity to introduce themselves to Chris. After Chris convinced them he wasn't/hadn't been drinking but was merely an American who did not know what he was doing, they let us go. I guess they believed his story.

Now, after being in the country for some time, we have to take the necessary steps to be official. One of those steps is applying for an official Austrian driver's license. Two weeks ago, we got the official forms from the official government office and filled them out. We made copies of our official United States forms and took them to the official government office that handles official documents. It's all a very official procedure. We were handed an official checklist of items that were required before obtaining an Austrian licence. We got those only to find out we could not obtain one. You must have an official Austrian Visa to have an official Austrian driver's license. We don't have a Visa, however, we are applying for one. We asked the stone-faced official government clerk if she would permit us to proceed because we are applying for a Visa and had the official documentation to prove it. She said "No". So, we tucked our official tails between our legs and left the official government building with no promise of an official Austrian driver's license any time in the near future.

Now, don't fret, this is not over! Let's back up. A few weeks ago when we started this official procedure, Chris had spoken with a young man who gave him the official checklist of what was required to obtain a licence. Chris had a feeling God would use this guy to help us. When we went to the stone-faced clerk, got the big "no", Chris began sensing we were supposed to push the envelope a bit and return to speak with the young man with whom he initially spoke. With the encouragement of our team mate, Van, we did so. We began praying and asking God to give us favor with this guy simply because God had told Chris this guy would help us. Yesterday, we went to the official government office. The stone-faced clerk wasn't working and the guy Chris had met was! We walked up to the counter, showed him our official papers, told him we did not have a Visa but had the official paperwork to prove we were in the application process. He then put the official stamp of approval on the papers, cracked a few jokes, and 10 minutes later we walked out of the official government office with grins on our faces and approved official paperwork for our official Austrian driver's licenses!

It's in these times we discover God ... and ourselves. We are learning to trust God in these little official things that seem a bit overwhelming when trying to do them in another language. This week, God has taught us that He can be trusted to walk us through circumstances that seem overwhelming. Yesterday it was a driver's license, last week is was Rodney's surgery ... who knows what it will be next week. But, as Parker's memory verse this past week says ... "the grass withers and the flowers fall but the word of our God stands forever." Isaiah 40:8.

Bis nachte woche,
Christina