2007...

The last news you must have gotten from me was probably when I had gone to Brazil for a week in December 2006 to be there for the christmas celebration with the street kids and in order to deliver some clothes and money donations personally. At that time I already knew that I was not going to go back to the project in São Paulo and in this same week I also had a job interview in Rio de Janeiro.

My plan was to get a job and a work visa, and then only work half time on the long run, so I would be able to get involved in a project in the remaining time. In March 2007 I got accepted for the job and we started to sort out all the paper work. In September I was supposed to start my new job. Just a few weeks prior to that though, it turned out that there was a "little" catch in work contract and I was not willing to compromise about honesty. So in the end I called it off again.

I was very disappointed and really didn't know what to do next now. I just didn't want to give up. On the other hand I was wondering wether the herniated disc and certain obstacles were supposed to show me that I was maybe on the wrong track?? Or at a wrong time???

But let me also tell you about the many positive highlights in 2007, such as the release of the CD that my sisters and I had been working on since January. Or the fact that end of last summer I was finally able to get out of physiotherapy and my back was not painful anymore. And I had been provided with a job throughout that whole year!

In spite of the fact that I WAS disappointed in God sometimes, I am also incredibly grateful for his provision and also for my friends Denise & Sämi, who I have lived with since February!

...the breakthrough

Well, so in November I visited my sister Natalie in Sydney, Australia. She is a student of the Hillsong Leadership College. It was an awesome time for me. I went to class with her almost every day, listened to excellent teachings, had many uplifting conversations with great people I had met, a lot of food for thought, inspirational church services - it was amazing.

On my flight home I had a lot of time to digest all these impressions and to think about my life. I was watching a movie, and all of a sudden, because of one line somebody said, all the things that people had said to me previously began to make more sense. And there it came: a major breakthrough... ;)

It dawned on me how limited my small world was and how my dreams had no longer been just dreams, but a mindset completely carved in stone about how my life was supposed to happen, about when and how, down to a million details. No room for surprises from God's end. And that is the worst thing that could have happened to me! I had been trying to figure out wether a herniated disc, the job that didn't work out and other obstacles were supposed to stop me from going down the wrong path or at a wrong moment in time. And I had been striving ever so much to put my plans into practise.

It was such a release for me to come to this insight!! I was finally able to let go of everything, lay all concerns of my life down like an empty book with white pages and say: I am so looking forward to see what God has in charge for me next. And above all: I'm actually open for it! I will let life surprise me, knowing with my heart (not only with my head) that it can only go beyond my wildest dreams:

"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him" (Bible, 1 Cor. 2:9) And another good one: "When you realise that the horse you're riding is actually dead, then get off the horse!" Sounds quite funny, is very simple and TRUE :)

For me this is a great start into 2008! I will be staying in Zurich for right now and walk through the doors that are opening for me just now. More chapters to follow...

"Trésore" or the Lehmann Sisters

We had started recording in January of 2007, just before Natalie was leaving for Australia. In Fall Lehmann Sister’s CD "Trésore" was finally released. A fine collection of old spiritual songs such as „When peace like a river“, “I surrender all”, „Fairest Lord Jesus“ and „The old rugged cross“. Apart from a duet in French sung by our parents, all songs are in German. Simplicity, spirituality, 4 female vocals, grand piano and sometimes hammond and a violin. For pictures, all song titles in German and sound samples you can visit http://www.lehmannschwestern.blogspot.com/.

The CD is available for 28 CHF or 17 EUR without shipment, please contact me for details!

Kids Reach

In Spring 2007 I have started to work at Kids Reach, a meeting place for kids on Saturdays in a district where mostly foreign families live. Kids Reach is a part of the charitable foundation ACTS . We will visit each family once a week. What I do actually is giving math lessons (don't laugh anyone now!) for 3 kids from a kurdish family which I LOVE! Sometimes I join in on Saturdays for special events. The other day we visited a Pizza delivery and each kid was able to make his/her own pizza and take it home. It was heaps of fun and yummy! In December we had a christmas dinner for all kids with the families and the small room the dinner was in nearly burst because of the great attendance. Our team was amazing, they put togehter a delicous buffet with an incredible variety of foods (including kosher :)) and desserts. There was a Christmas present for every kid as well. I am very much looking forward to having many more fun moments with our awesome team serving our foreign fellow citizens and their kids!!

Bye bye, Denise, Sämi & Linda!

I have been living in 2 trailers by the river with Denise, Sämi and little Linda since February. What an awesome time!! Now my 3 friends (family actually...) are moving to their new little house outside of Zurich and I will be looking for a new place to live...