Closing the semester

Last week here in Gaming we experienced the blessing of finishing another semester as well as the sadness which that brings.  Wonderful friends, new experiences, and countless blessings must all be continued and cherished about 4,000 miles away.  

From the administration at least, the fall group was a tremendous blessing and full of zeal for the Lord as well as plenty of fun and studious when the time came.  They will also be known for their generosity. 

 They are to be congratulated for raising the most money to date of any group for the charity named Mary's Meals.  http://www.marysmeals.org

As a group, they raised over 2,200 Euros which will feed over 300 people for an entire year.  

We wish them a Merry Christmas and we want them all to know that they will be missed.  

To alleviate the pain of their absence, the staff has taken to skiing, Christmas parties and preparing for the next group of students.

All our Love from Gaming! 

The Kartause Crew!

Romanian Mission Trip meets success

Earlier in the semester, a group of Fall 2007 Gaming students took a weekend to go to Romania and help build a school. Many student sponsored the trip through financial donations.

Student, Anna Freiling, submitted the following to be posted to the blog:

Hi everyone! We want to thank you so much for your donations toward our Romanian mission trip. You helped build a school for the gypsy children there! Right now, 10 children are enrolled in the school, and they started classes sometime in November. Your generosity has definitely made a huge impact in these children's lives, and has opened a door for them to education in
school and in their faith.

Here is a video of the first day of school:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0All1Frgv_g

Thank you all again, and may God bless you in a special way during the close of this semester!

Anna Freiling

Breakfast Night in Gaming!

Last night (Thursday) was our famous American Breakfast night served by the faculty, staff, of the Austrian Program.

The menu included over 400 sausages, 350 scrambled eggs, pounds of potatoes, and gallons of homemade waffle batter and maple syrup.

As they cooked, the faculty and staff enjoyed cherries soaked in schnapps as well as warm spiced wine.

Cooking began at 7:30 and there was already a line halfway through the Mensa by 8:45 even though serving didn't officially begin until 9:00 PM.

It is amazing how we all crave the little things which are familiar and dear to our hearts -- little things such as breakfast.

It was a great success with only a little waffle batter left over -- everything else was devoured!

We will continue the tradition of American breakfast in Austria for semesters to come!

Lessons from Austria

Yes, it is that time of the semester....to start thinking about going home.

On this morning's run, I was reflecting on lessons that Austria might have to offer Americans who travels and study abroad.

Here are a few items I came up with that might be helpful for your reflection as well:

• Order and tidiness. Austria are very orderly and their homes and houses are very tidy. They are proud of their personal and public space. They decorate their homes with flowers and shrubs. All of this produces a beauty, a dignity, and a local but healthy pride. Walking through the streets or in the local country towns and witnessing all this beauty naturally lifts the spirit, produces a joy, and a lightness of the heart.

• Conservation and recreation. It is amazing how Austrians preserve their natural beauty. They foster outdoor recreation as well. Almost all Austrians walk and get fresh air on a daily basis. Their pride for the outdoors has paid off. Many of their rivers are crystal clean, the hiking trails in great shape.

• Customs and tradition. The people still engage in the customs of the past. They have folk festivals, outdoor markets, and they wear traditional costumes and foster their local dialects. They are not disconnected from their past.

• Remembrance. Austrians remember the past. They build statues, columns, and churches to remember significant events and remember God's goodness and blessings. Even on the side of the road, they build little shrines where miracles or life saving events occurred.

• Devotion to Mary, the Mother of God. Austrians name bridges, streets, and other important buildings after Mary. Many are conscious of her important role in history and in the life of the church.

• Preservation of the hearth. Many Austrian homes are heated partially or completely by a wood stove. They gather around the warmth of the fire. They must prepare for the winter; they chop or buy wood. Someone must tend to the fire. Their is a type of implicit education to this type of living. It builds responsibility and community at the family level.