Friends
"You will never be completely at home again because part of your heart will always be elsewhere. That is the price you pay for the richness of loving and knowing people in more than one place."
Just a preface: I've been suffering from a migraine since Sunday, and I don't have much mental capacity for anything, even chatting with friends. My mom suggested that I do something short but authentic because you all will appreciate that. So here we go.
This week I've been thinking a lot about friends. When I was chatting with the Spiritual Life Director last week, one thing she had mentioned about the student leader team is friendship. Europeans are slow to let others in, perhaps because of their World War II days when privacy was necessary for their own safety. But when they let me in, friendship means a lot. The true friends I make here will likely be friends for life--one reason why I'm thrilled to be investing with the other girls on the team. Friendship is a commitment that's not easy to forfeit.
With that being said, I think the Spiritual Life team has been a wise move, as I'm already seeing the fruits only a week later. We had a retreat last Saturday afternoon during which we planned events for the semester and simply got to fellowship and get to know each other. Really good for my heart. And my tummy.
I participated in the most difficult icebreaker yet: you have 30 seconds to talk about yourself. My topics of choice? The oddities. Here are some things you never knew about Emma.
At the retreat, we were assigned prayer partners with whom we are supposed to meet regularly. They change each month. I was paired with this amazing girl named Dasha. She's a second year psychology major aspiring to be a doctor. There are no core science classes here at LCC, so she's studying biology and chemistry on her own! And for her senior thesis, she wants to implement a brain training program for children with ADHD. She's starting now. I am impressed by her drive and her compassion.
Both times when we met to pray, we spent a good bit of time just chatting and getting to know each other's heart. She definitely has a heart for service and I love chatting with her. Oh, and we live on the same floor! So we frequently interact in the kitchen as well. We have so much in common that we never lack a conversation topic. I look forward to seeing how this relationship develops!
And the rest of the girls on the team. I'll pass them and we all greet each other. If there's more time, we'll pause and chat. Unfortunately, there's one tiny problem stemming from me being an American. "How are you?" Too often we use this as a greeting. As I'm walking around Messiah, I'll pass people who say this to me and by the time I can respond, they're ten feet behind me. I've always disliked that. So when people ask me how I am, I tell them like it is. If I'm having a bad day, you'll know.
Unfortunately, Europeans are well aware of this American tendency and therefore reply with short responses, thinking that's what I want. But it's not. I crave deep relationships, where I know I can trust others and pour out my heart. I try to reveal this in my reciprocal response, but it'll take time for people to know that I will listen for 30 minutes if I have to.
Speaking of listening for 30 minutes, I had the privilege of enjoying a coffee (more like tea) date with another study abroad this afternoon. We are completing February Fasting together, so we spent some time getting to know each other. It was wonderful for my soul to dig deep with someone else my age. I look forward to more times like this throughout the semester. As study abroads, we really are a close-knit family. I love being able to share in the challenges and joys of these four months!
I had another late-night coffee/paper writing date this week with the other girl completing the Abnormal Psychology independent study. We're growing quite close through that experience. Plus her name is also Emma. Plus she goes to college in PA so I'll likely see her after this semester.
And one last girl. She is crazy sassy, but I love it! She is tied with my old youth pastor's wife/mentor as the second best provider of hugs I've met, topped only by the jolly worship leader at my home church. She is super encouraging and up for anything. Even if I drag her out in the cold. She's teaching me how to cartwheel (finally) this semester! I love our weekly dinner dates.
So these are my friends thus far. It's hard to get to know everyone because I am much more of a one-on-one girl. But the few people I am beginning to invest in are absolutely incredible. And I get to enjoy deep conversations with a few others every once in while. But if I wrote about them all, you'd be reading for days.
So enjoy the weekend!
~Emma
Just a preface: I've been suffering from a migraine since Sunday, and I don't have much mental capacity for anything, even chatting with friends. My mom suggested that I do something short but authentic because you all will appreciate that. So here we go.
This week I've been thinking a lot about friends. When I was chatting with the Spiritual Life Director last week, one thing she had mentioned about the student leader team is friendship. Europeans are slow to let others in, perhaps because of their World War II days when privacy was necessary for their own safety. But when they let me in, friendship means a lot. The true friends I make here will likely be friends for life--one reason why I'm thrilled to be investing with the other girls on the team. Friendship is a commitment that's not easy to forfeit.
With that being said, I think the Spiritual Life team has been a wise move, as I'm already seeing the fruits only a week later. We had a retreat last Saturday afternoon during which we planned events for the semester and simply got to fellowship and get to know each other. Really good for my heart. And my tummy.
I participated in the most difficult icebreaker yet: you have 30 seconds to talk about yourself. My topics of choice? The oddities. Here are some things you never knew about Emma.
- I have a spot that when poked, I spontaneously collapse and lose all sensation for about a second and occasionally emit a scream. My girls at camp discovered this and it became their favorite source of entertainment.
- I grew corn in my dorm room during Plant Form & Function and named it Henri and Enrique. I also grew chrysanthemums and give them British names (Elizabeth, Abigail, Victoria, and Emma) because they're mums!
- I used to be able to solve a Rubik's cube in under a minute. Now it's more like 2-3.
At the retreat, we were assigned prayer partners with whom we are supposed to meet regularly. They change each month. I was paired with this amazing girl named Dasha. She's a second year psychology major aspiring to be a doctor. There are no core science classes here at LCC, so she's studying biology and chemistry on her own! And for her senior thesis, she wants to implement a brain training program for children with ADHD. She's starting now. I am impressed by her drive and her compassion.
Both times when we met to pray, we spent a good bit of time just chatting and getting to know each other's heart. She definitely has a heart for service and I love chatting with her. Oh, and we live on the same floor! So we frequently interact in the kitchen as well. We have so much in common that we never lack a conversation topic. I look forward to seeing how this relationship develops!
And the rest of the girls on the team. I'll pass them and we all greet each other. If there's more time, we'll pause and chat. Unfortunately, there's one tiny problem stemming from me being an American. "How are you?" Too often we use this as a greeting. As I'm walking around Messiah, I'll pass people who say this to me and by the time I can respond, they're ten feet behind me. I've always disliked that. So when people ask me how I am, I tell them like it is. If I'm having a bad day, you'll know.
Unfortunately, Europeans are well aware of this American tendency and therefore reply with short responses, thinking that's what I want. But it's not. I crave deep relationships, where I know I can trust others and pour out my heart. I try to reveal this in my reciprocal response, but it'll take time for people to know that I will listen for 30 minutes if I have to.
Speaking of listening for 30 minutes, I had the privilege of enjoying a coffee (more like tea) date with another study abroad this afternoon. We are completing February Fasting together, so we spent some time getting to know each other. It was wonderful for my soul to dig deep with someone else my age. I look forward to more times like this throughout the semester. As study abroads, we really are a close-knit family. I love being able to share in the challenges and joys of these four months!
I had another late-night coffee/paper writing date this week with the other girl completing the Abnormal Psychology independent study. We're growing quite close through that experience. Plus her name is also Emma. Plus she goes to college in PA so I'll likely see her after this semester.
And one last girl. She is crazy sassy, but I love it! She is tied with my old youth pastor's wife/mentor as the second best provider of hugs I've met, topped only by the jolly worship leader at my home church. She is super encouraging and up for anything. Even if I drag her out in the cold. She's teaching me how to cartwheel (finally) this semester! I love our weekly dinner dates.
So these are my friends thus far. It's hard to get to know everyone because I am much more of a one-on-one girl. But the few people I am beginning to invest in are absolutely incredible. And I get to enjoy deep conversations with a few others every once in while. But if I wrote about them all, you'd be reading for days.
So enjoy the weekend!
~Emma
