I guess some of you who read my blog can't read my mind also. No worries...neither can my husband when I need him to. Thanks to Jen who clued me in on the fact that I am sharing ALL these cool places I have been but NOT WHY I am here in Europe! Seriously...thanks, Jen!
This will be a little out of order, but you are all smart enough to put it at the beginning.
Back in August 2010 when I started school I told my friend that I want to do my dissertation on the family. I want to study how to strengthen the family, etc. Since I can no longer be a stay at home mom I really have a burning desire to help families. She offered a name of a former professor of hers at the Univ of Utah that had developed a Strengthening Families Program. Upon further investigation - a google search - I found it was pretty cool. I email Karol Kumpfer and right away she emailed me back saying this would be a great dissertation project (did the Lord just drop something big in my lap AGAIN?) and that she would love to meet me the next time I am in Utah. Wow! That doesn't happen everyday!
I just happened to be in Utah the beginning of November and went to meet with her. I was still in my first semester back to school but over being shell shocked at least. She is a very busy woman but gave me an hour of her time. I mentioned wanting to be certified as a group leader for the Strengthening Families Program (SFP) and just learn as much as I can. Throughout the ENTIRE meeting with her I felt the Spirit (plus excitement). She invited me to come to Vienna to do a Study Abroad where that class would be offered. I really felt good about it....but didn't know how Scott would react OR how I would pay for it.
I called Scott on my way home and he had JUST been praying to support me more....so he said "Go For It!" I couldn't believe that!
Then that very next week I get back to school and they offer me an Assistantship that will pay for it all! Of course, it didn't pay for it ALL seeing as we had to LIVE on that money too. Too bad I couldn't find some grant somewhere. Oh well...it is worth it.
Now, being here....so far the classes are great. We have only had 2 since Monday was orientation and Wednesday we got to go to the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime. Amazingly, a lot of the WORLD is big on improving families. The SFP is in something like 20 countries, or maybe more. It is a 7 or 14 week program where families learn better communication and all sorts of things. At this point I cannot say since I have only had 1 real class in it. I aim to find out ALL I can while here. After all, this is what my entire education will culminate with in the end!
So....I left a couple days early for this Study Abroad venture. Now I am in Vienna and classes are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. I am taking Positive Psychology & Resiliency and Family Strengthening. They are both very interesting classes....so far. I found out also, that I don't have to complete EVERYTHING while here...I have til Aug 7 to finish the papers, etc. I'd like to finish here since when I go home I have A LOT of OTHER things to occupy my time....but....we'll see.
This past weekend most of the group went to Prague. Since I have already been there I opted to save money and stay here. I have seen some neat things. They get home tonight. We all, or at least most of us, will head to Budapest this weekend. We have a hotel with a spa to learn some techniques for stress relief. We'll see how that goes. The pics of the hotel on the internet are pretty cool. It is a hotel on the island in the Danube River!
Ok...so that is what I am doing. I will stay a couple extra days to see things and make it home on July 2!
This morning I watched Esther slice her own bagel. To us in America that is no big deal...we just get a sharp knife and cut away. Here they all have individual slicers. It is a machine much like you would see at a bakery, or maybe like the one that they slice meat with at the deli. Most of their bread isn't pre-sliced (although you can buy AMERICAN sandwich bread at the store already sliced) so they all have this slicer machine.
I mentioned to her that if she came to America she wouldn't be too impressed because we don't have such cool things. Her response, "But in America you have COOL TV shows!"
I had to laugh....what a great thing to be known for world wide! hahahha
Actually, I have found a lot of people here who have mastered, or at least greatly improved, their English by watching TV in America!
I don't think my German will improve that much while here. But I will find all the other cool things to see and do!
No comments:
Post a Comment