A kind of MAJOR change in plans...

Okay, so I have left a lot of information out lately because things here have been positively.... chaotic? Not sure if that is the right word. Okay so I think a major thing that set off my homesickness, besides the whole living on my own and having a job in a foreign country thing, was the fact that last Friday I received my packet from Freiburg for my studies there and it essentially wasn't what I thought. At some point the semester dates had changed and I would have been here till late August, a bit problematic considering UVA would have already resumed Fall classes. On top of that, I lost my housing and was responsible for renting an apartment in the city. A bit tricky for someone who only needs one for 3 months and has no furniture.

So I panicked.

But through the amazing patience of my parents and help from UVA I am now enrolled in an entirely different University. Crazy, huh? Imagine trying to do that with limited internet access. April 1st I will begin at Friedrich-Schiller Universitaet in Jena. This process has been overwhelming and tiring, but it almost seems to be finished. I had three applications to fill out in about two days and have been working nine hours days in the kitchen. It is actually amazing to see the Lord's hand in it all as well. As soon as I wrote my last blog post about being determined to rejoice I received the news that I had been accepted at Jena despite the deadline already having passed. After researching the University it truly seems like a great  place. There are many more support networks for International students and I am super excited to go. It also frees up about half of my summer now (I look to head back early July) so I can come home and take either a summer class or perhaps volunteer at Ligonier Camp and see people I love and miss a little bit sooner.

A lot still needs to be done and settled so please continue to pray for me. I have learned so incredibly much already (and not just about German culture and the language) but about myself. I am starting to wonder how much I truly trust the Lord to provide or in myself and my own personal ability to get the work done. If you own a copy of "My Utmost for His Highest" read the last week or so. Everything has been super convicting. This new opportunity for me to study in Jena is nothing but a gift and how smoothly it has gone must be from the Lord.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths" (Proverbs 3:5,6).