Here I am, There I am....

Here I am, There I am....I'm simply loosing track of myself these days...which may also be reflected in this posting....

Hiking in Liechtenstein.
NOTE: the pictures within are unconnected to what I actually am writing about. Just wanted to share some good memories. 

Well, I failed to do an ending post for Geneva; I failed to do a re-entry blog for Pittsburgh; and I feel like I'm failing to be in touch with the world around me. You know that feeling of trying to slow yourself down in life, but not being able to? Well, I thought that taking fewer credits this semester would allow me a slower pace through my last semester of grad school (and possibly school forever!) It has been lovely to only technically have 4 courses, as opposed to my usual 5-7 courses. However, it has not proved an easy semester by any measurement.

A friend and I hiking Aletsch Glacier - on my Birthday!

Upon returning to Pittsburgh at the start of September, I arrived a week late for classes, with no car, no housing, (almost) no books, an unset class schedule and serious jet lag from going Geneva- CA, CA- Pittsburgh over the course of 4 days. While I knew all of that was coming well ahead of time, and did my best to avoid a lot of it (such as housing search, pre-register, book buying etc.) it somehow did not not seem to help.

Though I can list complaints, I can list endless blessings. The weeks have passed, I've gotten housing in a great location, my car driven out from CA by my awesome mom, started a new bible study last week, etc. and I'm now half way through the semester. While I could write all day about surprising things that have happened this semester, everything from my phone being stolen and getting it back, to being offered to join a training with an IO next week for a possible job, I'd rather comment on the future.

Classmates at my Birthday/ going away party in Geneva

I am constantly amazed at the different ways that the Lord leads people. Not bad, good, better, or worse, just plain different. It's a good thing He gives us all different passions and abilities, because there are a whole ton of things I can't imagine spending my life doing which others love to do and I'm thrilled to not have to do. I'm also reminded of this when time and time again people respond to things I have done or plan to do in my life with 'what a great opportunity', 'best to travel while you're young', 'good thing you are doing that now', etc. These comments continue to surprise me whenever I hear them, because they are simply incomprehensible to me.

The idea that 'traveling while I'm young' is what my life up until this point demonstrates to some people saddens me. Or their idea that the service work I have done is so surprising and is interpreted as a 'once in a life time experience' from which I'll draw fond memories for the rest of my 'normal existence'. My sadness and a bit of frustration comes from 2 sources;

A.) I wish for my life to be a reflection of Christ's leading and demonstrate themes He is developing for my life, such as serving in overseas locations and a heart to help others. (Mind you, I don't claim I'm doing this, just that these are ways in which I feel the Lord is leading.) I don't want people to see each piece of my life, but rather to see it all as evidence of Christ at work in this world.

It was an AWESOME Birthday hiking along the glacier.

B.) It also saddens me because I often get the sense from people that things that I have done are just not for them. I get the impression that they wish they 'got to do cool things' like travel, etc. My hope in this area is that others do not box themselves in. We are each capable of soo very much as the Lord leads us, and I think we often limit our view of where God can take us so we don't even start on that path. Service activities and living overseas is not possible, interesting, or desirable to everyone, but I think our amazement at how another lives his or her life should not be because we have limited ourselves to less than God intended, but rather because of His ability to empower each of us in different directions with different passions and skills.

So to those who are amazed or even jealous of something someone else has done or even their 'way of life,' I ask, 'Why not you?' Why don't you see what amazing things the Lord has laid ready and waiting for you to ask Him about?

Church friends at Birthday / going away party.

As for me...I'm amazed at accountants, electricians and people who have lived for 10+ years in the same city.

All that being said, I'm looking at 7 more weeks in my final semester to complete 2 masters capstone papers, and all my normal course work while job searching and talking 10 days out of the middle to return to Switzerland. On Friday the 1st, I'll head back to Switzerland for a week long training with an international humanitarian aid organization. I'll go through the week as a mutual check on if this is really what I want to be doing and if the organization thinks I can do it. After that, it's wherever the Lord leads, French speaking African nations are likely possibilities. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. :)

Thus, I end with the 'future' after dragging you all through some of my thoughts in the last few weeks at the reactions of people toward 'my future'. Now, being so very close to what I've envisioned doing for so long, I'm forcing myself to step back to be sure I'm not just 'doing this because it is the next thing to do. No,  I want to do the next thing because it is exactly what the Lord has prepared in advance for me to do.

Final hangout with church friends. 

My prayer is that each step and choice is lead by the Lord, that each of us do not walk down a path because it looks simple, easy, well worn, or with recognizable foliage around it. Let's choose to follow the singular way that the Lord leads us, and then when sharing with others we won't be surprised that theirs is so different or has unusual scenery when compared to our own. We will know that it is because we are walking on our path and no one else is seeing God like us, no one else is equipped to walk where you are walking, to touch the people you are touching or to reflect Christ's light, as you are doing.

As I struggle through my last semester, wanting to be in so many other places, with so many other people, doing basically anything else, I'm struck by the beauty of each day in which I consciously choose to recognize the blessings right in front of me instead of longing for the future. I'm learning and I'm growing and there are people near enough to influence for Christ. That's enough. Done.

May your days be sweet because you choose to follow Him.
Blessings,
Jessica

Amazin' views while hiking in Liechtenstein!!! 

Closing of one chapter, on to the next...

So what are you doing this summer? Come visit me in my final few weeks in Geneva.....Oh, that makes me sad to write that. It is only beginning to sink in the last 48 hours that I only have a matter of weeks left here. 

I thought I would try to do a short (for me at least) and sweet posting to give you an outline of recent weeks and then do another more full finisher before my departure. 

So, what has been happening.....

Rebecca and Jocylen, My dear
 friends supporting me at graduation.

1. I have graduated!!!! I am (almost) the owner of an International Organizations MBA ---- the only thing remaining is to complete my final 'thesis', which is a practicum paper written based on the internship I did during the year with the branch of the UN. 

2. I finished my UN internship and you can see my name on the 1st of 2 published documents from my work. Here is the link, go to the acknowledgement page and look really hard in the 3rd paragraph. I can't believe I did 9 months of work and am only in the 3rd paragraph. :) See, 4th page, 3rd paragraph: http://unctad.org/en/PublicationChapters/wir2013front_en.pdf 

Rockamador, Fantasy like. 

3. I have hit the half way point of my internship at the ILO !!! (International Labor Organization) I just finished up my 6th week and have about 7 weeks left. I have been spending most of the time on one project which is developing an open-source data base of what each government is doing to combat human trafficking and forced labor.

4. I got to travel with my parents and grand-parents in Europe. It was awesome (and not only because they blessed me by paying for my travels)

5. I got to travel with Jamie and Lexie (brother and sister n law). We did a weekend in Chamonix and then a few days in Barcelona the next weekend. 

the Organ in the church. Awesome.

Both times with family was extremely special and memorable and were highlights of my year. I enjoyed being challenged in my French with mom and grandma's eating allergies and Lexie's sick visits to the clinics! Yikes, can't mess up in these situations. Also, learned so much about my family getting to spend the time with them. Hahah, very entertaining. 

All three of us in the Sagrada Familia Church...or as I like to call it, the Sangria church

I loved the light coming in!!!

Lex and I at Gaudi's park

My first bites after about a week. 

6. I also brought some friends back with me from Barcelona....for the first time in my life I got bed bugs. Beeeeee ware!!!!

Same bites almost 2 weeks old, clearly they don't heal fast. 

7. And due to my blog being deleted before posting earlier this week, I have one new point to add. I have done a new summer hair cut this week....I was ready for it, and as funny as it sounds, I felt the Lord leading me to 'give-up' my hair (I cut 9 inches to donate to an organization which uses it to make wigs for cancer patients.)

Ok, I"m quite sure that is plenty for now. Please let me know if you will be in Europe before the end of the summer, Pittsburgh during the fall 2013, or CA around December 2013. Would love to catch up. 

May you be free to let God work in your life. 

Blessings, 

Jessica

The Little Things in Life....

Dear Friends....it has been too long....I would like to begin doing more often, shorter posts for you to enjoy. This past 5 months of silence is a bit long even for me and I"m so very eager to connect with each of you.

I've been struggling with how to do this posting as there are so many things I'd like to share with you, So here is what I have come up with; a couple of small sections below in 'bullet point form' for quick easy transfer of information. :) How does that sound? (Actually, I don't really care how it sounds, cause that is what I"m doing. So lets get started...:))

What has happened between January and May in my life? Well, let me brief you...

1. A LOT of school work and classes. Starting in mid-March we had classes almost every Saturday in addition to the classes during the week, and any week day that I was not in class I was doing my internship with UNCTAD. This means I had weeks on-end where Sunday afternoon was the only time open...to prepare for the week. Yes, I am tired.

The Screamer painting in Oslo

The 'IceBar' in Stockholm

2. Easter Break I got to go to Scandinavia!!!! [Stockholm, Oslo, Bergen, Copenhagen- for more pictures see facebook] While it was great to be traveling again and I was blessed with clear blue skies for the full 10 days, I also had my phone stolen-- literally from right under my nose. Anyone wishing to see the actual moment of theft I have a print out from the cameras of my phone being stolen. I was also able to attend an international Easter Service in Oslo = cool!

3. I FINALLY was offered the internship at the ILO (International Labour Organization) for which I have been networking since September!! This is a long story, but the short version is that I have sent LOTS of emails to LOTS of people and took every new person's card from the ILO that I met to pester them as well. I'd had even found my way into the ILO volleyball team, as well as the weekly ILO intern presentations -prior to being offered the internship. :) When I"m motivated, I can be rather intense. The Lord is working on this with me. Hehehe....;)
The position is in the Program to Combat Child Labour and I have already been told that they are about to start a program in India for which the donor has already stated that they would like to work with IJM!!!! [For those who don't make the connection, IJM is the organization that I worked with in India for a year.]

--Did I mention that this position marks the start of my PAID work doing what I want to do with my life (human rights, anti-trafficking, development work)?!!?

There's always time to have tea with friends.

4. Built my character. This is the long and the short of it. I've had some not so fun emotional times here in Geneva, but also been so very blessed by many people. As always, I could not make it through the hard times without my best friend and Savior  I don't know who or what people cling to who don't know Him. I would have been a goner (so many times) without His hands to guide me.

5. Continued to juggle local activities: volleyball, indoor soccer, Bible study, studying French, Zumba classes,  networking events, and testing the waters of a new 'hobby' which a friend recommended; the Toast-Masters club. As well as dealing with the future. I have a final semester back in Pittsburgh, so planning classes, return flights, applying for scholarships, etc. adds another layer of activities here.

So What have I really been learning here? Let me tell you......

1. I have had some amazing classes such as micro-finance, designing development projects, and social entrepreneurship. While I have not loved all courses equally, I am glad for all that I am learning and feel that I will have to review everything again over the summer to remember what I have 'learned'!

The 'Water Jet' on Lake Geneva

2. French! Yes, I am progressing. While far from capable, it is useful and I am at the point where people switch to English with me because their English is no longer better than my French. Hahah, I love competition. (Of course this is only true some of the time.)

3. Not a new lesson, but a renewed learning of how small things really do matter. A phone call from a friend, an email from my family, a note I write to a classmate, makes SUCH  a difference.

For example my 'little brother' :) recently he and Morgan (his wife) bought an RV an now they are traversing the U.S. [Sorry brother if I"m spoiling your own story time.] From where I sit [several continents and an ocean away] this came out of now where,

JOYS of the road......[and end of the blog posting]
1. My parents arrive in a week! I'm so excited to see them and travel with them. My grandparents are currently crossing the Atlantic and they will arrive in Barcelona and we will all meet up for some travel time. It comes at a break in my courses and conveniently I have been able to finish my current internship the day before they arrive and have all my assignments done for the time being. So it will truly be a break and really my 'summer'. Because after that trip I will have several more courses to complete, be starting at the ILO full time until returning to Pittsburgh missing the 1st week of classes there.

2. Jamie and Lexie (brother and sister-n-law) come at the end of June into July! Yeahhhh, and so they will be around for my 'graduation'. I'm going to at least travel with them to Barcelona a city I have tried many times to visit, but as of yet have failed. It will be amazing.

3. Though my younger brother and wife (Josh and Morgan) will not be able to visit me, they have begun their own epic adventures on the U.S. continent. A few weeks ago they bought an RV and are now traversing the country. I only found out about it as they were driving their RV back to CA from purchasing it several states away and I am a bit jealous I must say for their freedom!! :) I' hope they don't mind me sharing, but I"m so very proud of them and if you want to follow their blog is: http://sunradingamerica.blogspot.ch/

[both are far superior writers than me, so it is always an enjoyable read]

4. Lastly, as of December 2013 I will no longer be a student. I will finish my 2 masters and for better or worst take steps to enter the 'real world of work'. Of course my idea of that is still to be sent to India, or central Africa, or the Middle East, but that is of course in God's hands. :)

View over Bergen, Norway at night. 

WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM EACH OF YOU!!!!

-What are the summer plans you have?
- How is this school / work year been so far?
-What have you crossed off your bucket list this year?
-How have you grown in your character in the last months?

Love and blessings as always. Until next we chat.
Jessica

Surprise! It's a blog-post on Thanksgiving!

Sharing good times at gracious friends' flat. 

 Or, more accurately, a post about being thankful......

I don't know about you, but I have a lot of thankful friends. Many people have been doing daily postings on facebook as to what they are thankful for; and some of them are very inspirational.

I am thankful that I have found a 'Connect' group through my church, from whom I can learn a lot. The group is completely in French. Thus, it is incredibly challenging to spend 2-4hrs. with this group every Thursday night. And yet, it is, without question, my favorite part of almost every week. It is challenging in every sense of the word. Not only to get myself there on time, at 19:00hr. because they are, indeed, Swiss and start on time, but to have the mental endurance to focus on every word that is being said and practice my comprehension. It also takes incredible self-control my strong desire to hide in a corner, sit with only those I know can speak English, or not speak at all. While my attempts at communication in French are limited and child-like at best, this group is incredibly gracious and kind, I never sense hostility or frustration from them at my inability to communicate clearly. I am so thankful to be able to know such individuals, even if I miss-out on much of their personalities due to the current language barrier.

Classes...yes, what a blessing to be able to learn. Though, at times, I would prefer other blessings, I am, indeed, thankful that I can read, and type, and write, and speak. Such simple things which are true gifts to have, not rights.

Recent chocolate chip 'cookies' I
made for my 'CONNECT' group.

Food, food, so much food. While the world has twisted it into a struggle area for so many women (and men!), and I myself often find that it has become a kind of 'god', I am surely blessed to not have to worry if I will eat each day. It is only a matter of what, when, how, and how much.

Group of us went to see a local ice hockey game,
Geneva vs. Zurch. Geneva won of course.

Physical ability. While in India I tore a part of my quadricepe muscle and was confined to bed rest for a week and unable to walk properly for several weeks. While I thought that I was grateful before that event for my physical ability, I have, forever, an increased appreciation for my working legs. Every time I walk or run (too far) or my feet hurt, I think of that time when I had no choice but to lay in bed...God, thank you that I can walk, that I can run, there are so many people who cannot.

Enjoying some Indian naan with friends!

You. Thank you for reading this. It is likely, because you, at least know me and are interested to some degree, in what is happening to me here in Switzerland (or you are just board, which is fine too). Every day I am reminded of the blessing of true friends. While I LOVE traveling, meeting new people, and learning about new cultures...I am realizing, more and more, that life is all about who you share it with. It can be anyone, actually. While we are all the same on some levels, we are all, of course, very unique...and it takes time and effort to get to know people. It actually takes a lot of effort. I find that I long for those deep relationships which we all seek, but it is when I move away, and start life again in a new place, that I realize the depth and significant of the relationships that I left behind. To all those in places I have lived in the past, I am profoundly grateful for each of you. I do think (and pray over) you often and wonder how your life is going. We are each on our own journey, but God has blessed me with extraordinary travel companions at points my life. I'm privileged to have spent time with you in the past, I hope to hear more about your present, and I anticipate seeing you again, if not on this earth, than there-after. And if, perchance you are reading this and you are not sure if you will see me on this earth again, than you better email me right now so we can be sure to meet in the eternity to follow. [If that sounds creepy to you, then you better email me anyway, so I can clarify!!! Haha]

Ok, well, due my full week ahead and desire to post my 'Thanksgiving Post' in a timely fashion[i.e. before Christmas!], I will end there. I would love to hear things that you all are thankful for as well; just post below! Also, a quick note, I will be in CA for 2 weeks, over Christmas and New Years, and would be thrilled to catch up with as many of you as possible. If you will be in CA at that time, and would like to see my face, let me know! I'd love to see yours.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM GENEVA!!!

With Thanksgiving and Hugs,
Jessica

Q-Tips and Peanut Butter....

Our final IR class, held at the World Economic Forum

Peanut Butter and Q-Tips.....What? Those two things don't fit together in your mind? Well, they do for me. Both items are taken for granted when in the US, but they cannot be found any where else in the world! Yes, it is sad. I also wanted my tile to reflect the eclectic nature of this blog posting.

Hanging out in the World Economic Forum after class

So...let me start with a short update of the last few weeks. Just to give you a flavor of life, as I currently know it---which is ever changing. To start with, there is no pattern to anything, at this point. Over the course of the year I will be completing 24 modules. They are all of a different duration, with no pattern to their scheduling. For the most part, this is because the instructors are practitioners themselves of what they are teaching. This makes for awesome, applicable courses, but quick demanding workloads and eradic classes based around their work schedules. Thus far, we have completed one module, have one paper to complete a 2nd, one group project to complete a 3rd, and are in the mists of two others with a new one beginning this week. The program, as I have mentioned, is very unique and not very old. The alumni are very active and many are still working around town, coming in to give presentations, etc. and all remain enthusiastic about the program.

Yes, I am cheap enough to buy a salad in CH from McD's,
And yes they did include a  disposable dressing
bottle that I havesaved and  been reusing.  :)

Each year of the program, the class has its own dynamic. While all the groups have been relatively small, ours is particularly so. As a core cohort, we are 16 individuals, but there are a number of other individuals who are completing the program in 2 or 3 years and are a part of some of our courses. This makes for plenty of time to get to know my classmates while having a bit of spice with new additions to each class. Though by the end of 24 classes together I'm sure I will know the other 15 people pretty well! Just to give you an idea of who is in the class, there are a couple of other Americans, an Aussie, a Kiwi, a girl from China, S. Korea, Costa Rica, Greece, a Russian, and several people of mixed backgrounds, German, Lebanese, Korean, etc. It's been wonderful getting to know people and the very diverse set of backgrounds that we all have. Of the 16, there are just two who speak only one language.

Outside of class there is of course plenty going on as well. Being an international and lively city there are events, festivals, and groups to meet up with at every turn. I've fallen into a few things, but as of yet have no confirmed pattern to my days. There's volleyball, football (soccer), bible study groups, 'UN Drinks' (i.e. weekly networking), French classes, 1 on 1 French practice, etc. I"m so grateful that opportunities have been presenting themselves, and I've loved walking all around the city to do things.

Being in such a small class with such great opportunities abounding has been a bit overwhelming and a lot to take in. I'm finding that I'm re-evaluating how I interact with people and what constitutes 'an opportunity' worth pursuing. Often my conversations with people are limited in time and scope and I'm on the side of wanting something that they have to offer. It makes for potentially stress-inducing situations all the time! In light of that, it is also very exciting to have so many things laid out nicely in front of me and have the understanding that this is what the next 9 months is going to look like, so I don't have to take everything that is handed to me. With such forthcoming possibilities, I have the chance to test out different means to my end career goals. This is to say that I am able to try out different ways of building/maintaining communication with people. It is an interesting process to evaluate one's behavior and the results, and be able to adjust in such short periods of time. I'm not sure if this is making any sense to anyone......My point? I am learning a lot about myself and growing my communication skills. :)

I have spilled more things in Switzerland than the rest of my life combined!
Yogurt, trashcans, dishes, etc. 

Delicious Thai place for Friday night dinner

A final anecdote. I have been trying to build up my long-distance running ability. I've only come to appreciate the running in the last 6 months or so and thus have been trying to go running more regularly. I find it is a wonderful time to mentally rest and talk with the Lord, or have intense discussions with Him. Either way, I've always had mental blocks about how far I am able to run. Living on the lake gives me the option of running along the lake in either direction, so I've been mixin' it up and trying to run as far as I can before the lake path ends and roads hinder the path. The last few times I've gone running, I've felt that the time proved that I was running much further than my little pedometer had been telling me. For those of you who don't know, my little click on pedometer is one of my favorite travel items. When walking around a new place all day I always love to see how far I've walked, and I've never had a reason to consider it inaccurate. Well, on Friday after running for 1hr 15min my pedometer said 3.5miles. I can walk 3miles backwards  in less time, so I knew it was wrong. I decided I need to check with Google just to know the distance for sure....well, apparently when I thought I was pushing myself to run 3 miles (which is far for Jessica) I had actually been running 8.5miles!! I was/am kind of in shock. With that said (along with other stories I could tell), it has been fun to see God working in my life since I've been here. He is challenging me in the limits that I have placed on both myself and Him. What if I break out of the box? I thought I had before, but it is so exciting to see God continue to educate me on His power and might.....I anticipate more and look forward to sharing with you all too.

Some fun Swiss things I forgot....
-When paying at a cash register it is rude to hand your money to the person, you need to put it down so they can grab it.
-Public transport is so easy and clean.
-Co-ed bathrooms are no big deal
-A $20-$30 meal is cheap
-There are too many cheese and chocolate choices. RUN!

I wanted to end the blog on a sweet note: "The way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better." 
[Colossians 1:10]



Blessings, until next time. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this posting!
Jessica

Some classmates and I enjoying a Friday evening next to the Lake after class. 

 In case you are interested to see where some of my instructors work:
http://www.weforum.org/
http://www.usaid.gov/
http://www.ilo.org/global/lang--en/index.htm

Just another view of the Lake from the south side.

A wondering, but perhaps defining re-realization...

As I begin, I would ask for your grace in the reading of this posting...as I wanted to express some ever developing thoughts and observations of issues that people in general have, myself included. At each new place I live it takes time to gather an understanding of the environment and a feel for the people and 'the way things work'. This is something I love to do and feel that I have become rather apt at doing after moving countries so frequently.

I view on Sunday afternoon, with almost no people.

I've been in Geneva almost 2 weeks now and have been 'going out' quite a bit more often than is typical for me. I've had time to gather myself and get used to the city before classes begin tomorrow. My outings have been everything from sitting by the Lac du Geneve and having people randomly invite me to go salsa dancing, to going with classmates to a city group called 'UN Interns' -- which basically consists of a huge population of the 20s & 30s in the city bar hopping each Thursday night-- to testing out churches. By virtue of being in Geneva the climate is incredibly international and I have yet to meet a person who only speaks one language or is not of mixed ethnicity. The above situations and more have all been full of lively, friendly people, who on  first impression seem to have very interesting lives and are eager to connect with others.

 However, in observing people's interactions, the plethora of opportunities for individuals to engage with each other, and the flavor of the city being one of short-term internationals, I get the feeling that people are functioning on a 'quick-dip basis'. [I totally just made up that phrase.] My point, there is a major portion of the city's population that is in transit. People work, study, and play, in and around Geneva for a while and then move on. This tone, so to speak, seems to be consistent with the terms of relationships in the city as well.

People are seeking temporary satisfaction; they are seemingly on their way to something else, in their career, relationships, and life in general. People are out for the short term rather than investing in long term anything. Single guys and girls walking around the city looking for a fun night, people standing around at a 'networking event' looking to find someone who cares about what they are doing now, someone walking into a church hoping someone cares..... These scenarios are all full of people who seem to be young, full of life and ambitions, but at the same time many of them are shriveling up and dying because they have no deep roots from which to draw strength, endurance and the fuel to grow.

I'm not sure that any of this is making sense to you, but in short, the perspective of many people in Geneva is only of the 'here and now' and not of a bigger picture of personal development and investment. I recognize that this is the attitude of many people in many parts of the world, and to some degree we all act this way at different points in our lives, but due to the revolving doors of Geneva it seems to be more prevalent here. I feel like I have been swept up in it myself. Trying to do studying down by the lake turns into people watching and coffee dates with interesting strangers. In essences, going from the long term planning of good study habits to short term small talk with anyone who finds my accent interesting.

To me, seeing this attitude so pervasive is saddening. I see people who are in desperate need of something deeper and more substantial; filled with a longing to know others and be known and loved. But they are selling themselves short by just grabbing the next person who catches their eye, to stand by their side for a few hours instead of building lasting relationships and learning to care about those relationships and the people. We are settling for fake smiles and crass jokes that reek of something deeper that cannot be understood after one or two hangout sessions.

I don't mean to say that Geneva is a city void of genuine people, or that there are no stable 'normal' people around. I'm just recognizing the theme of behaviors and interactions that I"ve experience thus far. But in light of that, I don't think anyone can disagree that even the larger global culture is tending in a similar direction. We thrive on short-term and want instant gratification. We want simple options to achieve challenging ends. But that's not how it works is it....if u want a solid career you have to do the work, take the classes, invest the time in networking and building your resume, if you want the body you have to have the disciple and take the time and effort to care for yourself, if you want the relationship you have to be willing to deal with the real person and get past the protective layer on the outside.....Important and valuable things in life take time and work. I don't write this as if it is something new or that you have not heard a billion times before. I write it as an observation from my time so far in Geneva, which has not shown me that people here are in the mood for a lot of effort in connecting deeply with others. (This may seem counter-intuitive considering the work that many people do here is humanitarian work in nature.)

 As one of the girls in my program mentioned this week "everyone's so nice"....my response...."everyone's nice when you first meet them". I wasn't saying that to be pessimistic or anything, I was saying it as a note of our times and in this case, location as well.

Why am I even writing all this...? Well, as I sat in church this morning pondering my week, my thoughts went back to our biblical call to love others as ourselves. Nothing complicated right?.....What if we put in the effort to get to know others and love them as ourselves? It is a new kind of challenge in this case.

Sure, I realize that to some of my readers this all sounds so 'churchy', but get over it.....don't you want world peace too? ;) Seriously, what do you think would happen in your group of friends, ('church people' or no 'church people') if we each really began to care for those we already know and those we meet?

WOW. Like really? Ya, that is tough. That takes energy and motivation and time! What if 'going out' meant meeting up with people to share life with them and support them in their difficult times instead of  spending the evening meeting 10 new people and trying to wow them with how awesomely cool I am so that they will give me all kinds of compliments and want to be my facebook friend?! :)

In the end this is a blog post mostly for myself (not sure how that translates to caring more about others-haha), but I thought it might help motivate myself, generate some response, and give you a bit of an insight into the city of Geneva Switzerland.

Some classmates and I went to France for cheaper groceries.

My hope is to care for other's better. I want to, in spite of my surroundings, be someone who lives genuinely, and cares deeply for those I meet. I know I am not capable of doing this on my own strength, so the conclusion of all my above babbling is to simply lean closer into the arms of Jesus Christ. For those who may be confused or even grossed out by such an idea, I challenge you to step it up yourself.....start caring about and investing in other people more. I wager you will get positive responses, grow your own character, and perhaps find that you may be in need of a strength, endurance, and patience greater than your own. :) Whatever your personal perspective, I'm sure it will be worth your effort - and please do let me know your progress!

Sunday in the old/down town. A delight with the crowds. :)

Sincere greetings to you all and blessings on your week! When next we meet I will be deep into my studies!

-Jessica :)

First Day of School!

This week has been an interesting one....nothing too unexpected, but with a cloud of gloom over the city for the past 3 or 4 days, things have not seemed as lovely as they might if the sun were out. :( Oh, well, new things, new people, new places, and new lessons.
The picture above is my first time walking into my flat. It is small, or shall we say cozy, on the 5th floor, and very simple. Though, I have to say one of my favorite parts is the yellow bathroom with a red
toilet seat! :)

Here is my room and luggage....I'm pretty proud of my packing job. You will be surprised all that comes out of these two checked and two carry-on bags. For example...note this lovely small looking package that I mailed to myself....out of it comes two suites, 3 hangers, my winter coat, and my blue light! God gives us each special gifts. :)
 





I spent Saturday morning moving into my place and did a quick grocery run. As many of you know I'm sure, European groceries are NOT open all the time and surely never on Sunday! Saturday afternoon, I headed back to familiar Nyon, a 15minute train ride to catch up with friends from 3 years ago. We spent a wonderful afternoon and evening catching up and having our first fondue of the winter. I'm sure many more will follow.

The room is evolving as I get myself organized....but I there's enough space for my things and I have a wonderful window facing South, which means that any time there is sun it is shining on me. :) So I plugged my SURGE PROTECTOR, with nothing else into the outlet and it...ummm....didn't smell good. No sparks or lightning.....or power to anything else I tried to plug in to the outlet afterwards. oops. I've tried twice now and the second time screwed up the power in our whole flat. double oops. But it got fixed and now I'll use the European adapter--though less convenient for me. 

So after moving in and hanging out, it was time to start school on Monday. It was a real tough day, we went to the Uni, got ipads, and student IDs and introduced ourselves. ;) There were a grand total of 12 of us, but there are a few more coming who are doing the full time program. There are also another 2 groups of people who are doing the same program, but over the course of 2 or 3 years. We also got more details about the program. It sounds like all I had hoped for.....we tour the UN tomorrow morning and then we will be going back at some point to get our badges!!! Yes, we get IDs so we are free to go hang out at the UNITED NATIONS whenever we want, or eat in the cafeteria, etc.

They do a lot of work to keep the full-time group of students very small so that we can really engage with the people who come in. Each of the 24 'modules' is taught by  a different practitioner, so they just kinda come in as experts in their fields and work us through things. I mentioned that I was hoping to work with the International Labour Organization (ILO) and was informed that it just happens to be one of the places that actually pays their interns. Amen. I'm so there. Side note, my residence is next to the Hosteling International Hostel and I'm sooo tempted to go in and see if they need workers. I've always wanted to work in a hostel.....but think I'll wait until the semester actually starts. :) Still need to fit in French classes.  Anyway, I had to take a picture of my first day of school self, which is above. Then, walking to the intro session I saw this great car. Just somethin' fun. :)

 The last few days have been moving slowly with only minimal IOMBA activities and then gathering random items to build a life here, while getting a grip on the time change, phone usage, speaking French again, and getting to know what to expect from the program in the coming months. It's nice to have a bit of down time, but I"m so unaccustomed to having loads of time that I'm floundering with how to spend it. Anyway, tomorrow we have our UN tour and then there ain't anything until next Monday! Soooooooooooooo anyone want to chat over the next 4 days give me a heads up. Otherwise I will be partying it up as much as I can before classes REALLY start on Monday. Or maybe I'll just be hangout by Lake Geneva people watching. :) Blessings and joy to you my reader.