It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Today was SO cool. Quite literally. We had lectures in the morning and stuff and then we had lunch. AND THEN... a few of us were just hanging out in the PC room when all of a sudden, Heidi walks in and says, "It's snowing!" So we all get up and go outside to see it. Out of nowhere, it just started snowing. And I'm not talking about little flecks of snow. These snow flakes were MASSIVE. It was neat. Then, since today is Thursday, we had intramurals, so we played soccer in the snow. Very very slippery, it was. I didn't play very well because of that reason and I was mad at myself for that later. After soccer I worked out in the weight room. My abs KILL. And I was late for dinner, but no one noticed, which was good.

I really don't have a lot to say today, but I was excited that it started to snow and I wanted to share that joy with you guys. Even though they said it will go away and get warmer again. Apparently, that's typical in Sweden. Weird.

peace, love, and bipolar weather.

kay league race rick hardy

I see London...

Yep, that's right. In exactly one week's time, I will be on my way to London, England with Colleen and Christy. I have ALWAYS wanted to go to England, and now I finally get the chance. Cool beans. Originally, we were going to go to Ireland with four other people, but it didn't end up working out. I'm just glad I get to travel Europe!

We planned our sojourn yesterday in an hour and a half, and got everything paid for. We are hitchhiking into Vetlanda, taking a train from Vetlanda to Gothenburg City, flying into London, and staying there until Sunday morning. Then we will fly back to Gothenburg City, take a train into Vetlanda, then hitchhike back to the school. I'm sooooo excited. I will be sure to take lots of pictures and post them on my Facebook.

Speaking of pictures, if you want to, you can go here and see tons of pictures from random happenings at school. One of the staff is a great photographer and posts his pictures on that site. There are also a few students who takes lots of pictures for the website. So, check it out!

Please please please send me mail! I miss you all so much.

Kaeli Riccardi

Fackelbärarna

Brunnsvägen 31

S-570 15 Holsbybrunn

Sweden

peace, love, and London Calling.

kay league race

Slacking off

I haven't journaled in about two-ish weeks. That's why no posts have been happening on my part. Sorry about that. I still haven't journaled, but I figured I'd at least tell you what I've been up to lately.

Soccer has been going good. My team pretty much pwns. Yes, we pwn. It sucks being the only girl on the team and having to play the whole game, but it's good exercise. All the guys are really encouraging. In fact, last week the ball was passed to me and it was just me, one person on defense, and the goal keep. I ran as fast as I could with the ball, shot, and it would've gone in if Manuel wasn't so good. But I didn't hear an "Ughhhhh!" from my team. It was more of a "Nice try, Kaeli!" On the topic of exercise, I've started to work out a bit, so by the time I get home, you better watch out. I'll be ripped and I'll finally be able to beat Pops in arm wrestling. (Ok, not ripped, but at least toned.)

God is really teaching me to trust Him. I have the biggest trust issues, but He's making it so that I have to rely on Him with every little thing in my life. I am such an independent person and I always want to take things into my own hands and deal with it in my own power, but I can't do that. I need to just hand it over, but that is SO HARD. Cory actually called me out on that when I spoke with him last night. It was kind of a swift kick in the pants, but I'm grateful for it because I really needed it. I just need to put that into action now.

So there hasn't really been a whole lot of communication in my room since I've gotten here. We all get along, it's just that my two roommates are pretty shy until you get them talking, and I didn't do that. Normally, I'm one to get anyone talking, but for whatever reason, I sort of thought they wanted to be "left alone." Well, on Thursday night, (I can't remember who, but someone) asked a really thought-provoking question, and I answered it the best way I could. Then I had deep questions I asked and we all talked about them. It was actually really neat. So we decided to make it a thing on Thursdays - Though-Provoking Thursday. We will save up any questions we might want to discuss for Thursday nights before we go to bed. As it turns out, Maddie had been praying for more communication in our room. There you have it.

I started another theme for a day of the week. It's called Sweatpants Monday. Mondays are already pretty bad because it's the first day after the weekend, so I came up with the idea (since we are allowed to wear sweatpants to class) to wear sweatpants all day on Monday. Today is the first Sweatpants Monday, and more than have of my classmates are wearing sweatpants. Awesome!

Cory's birthday was on the 23rd so I called him to wish him a happy birthday, and I mailed him a package. I'd say what is in it, but he reads this thing sometimes and I don't want to give it away before he gets it.

I've made two really good friends since I've been here - Rebekah and Colleen. They are so much fun. I really want to kidnap them and bring them home with me to Florida so you all can meet them. Bekah cuts hair (she finished beauty school before she came here). I wanted to get my hair cut, so she thought of something fun to do to my hair. She actually had a dream as to how she was going to cut it. It's the same length that it was on one side, and on the other side, it's slightly shorter. It's an asymmetrical hair cut. I like it. There's a picture of it on my Facebook under Swedish Shenanigans. Check it out.

So that's really all I can think of when it comes to what has been happening.

peace, love and sweatpants.

k-dogg

Deep Sea Thinking

What we did in class last night was really interesting. Jesse told us to get out a sheet of paper, and we obliged. Then he said to take a few minutes and write down five reason why we believe in the Bible.

...

Wow. That was hard to pinpoint. Yes, there are the obvious reasons like, prophesies have come true, it gives truth to all aspects of life, outside manuscripts and eyewitnesses that prove it. But why else we believe in the Bible?

So I just want you to marinate on that for a bit. Chew on it, digest it. Why do you believe in the Bible?

24

10:47pm

Worship last night was really good. I fely like God was laying some things on my heart that had to do with the hurt that I've experienced in my life with my dad (sorry for all the prepositional phrases in one sentence). I went over to Coral's afterward and did the typical emotional girl thing - cry. I explained to her what was going on and she basically helped talk me through my trust issues and other problems. I don't usually hold grudges (mainly because I'm so forgetful) but we came tot he conclusion that I was holding a major grudge against my dad and I need to let it go. Then it will make it easier to trust and call God my Father, but it will definitely take time. It's a process.

Chris (the son of the founder of Torchbearers) is our guest speaker this week. Because of his hand motions for everything he says, I can't look at him when he talks because I get so distracted. I have noticed that he tends to ramble and that makes it hard to pay attention. BUT he did say that he didn't mind if we took a five minnute nap during his class, as long as we didn't snore. And he was being dead serious. I took a ten minute nap today.

Other than lectures, I have just had two meetings to go to today - our group project meeting, and the SLC meeting. I didn't really do a lot besides that.

I wrote Cory a letter today and I plan on mailing it soon, I just have to find out where to buy envelopes. Also, I need to go buy some Swedish chocolate so I can send it to the Gawlowicz Gang. I got to talk to my sister today and that was good. I can't believe that she is already four months pregnant. It's crazy! Her and Josh's birthdays are tomorrow. I'll have to remember to call them.

peace, love, and still falling asleep in class.

kaeli

Days 19-23

Yeah, I know. I skipped a few.

2:37pm

I haven't journaled in a few days, and I feel bad about that because (1) the whole point of me journaling is so I can look back at my time here in Sweden to remember where I was and see where I am and (2) because my friends and family want to know what I've been up to (at least, I hope so. I'm not really sure who reads this thing).

On Wednesday night, we had a time of worship at around 9:15pm. The other praise team led it and it was awesome - it was just straight up acoustic everything, and very soulful. I don't even know if that's a word, but it was that amazing. I can't describe it any other way than that.

On Friday, I worked with Kristin again, but this time we had to clean the chapel (including the Bik). It was a long process, but we got the job done. It was also Coral's birthday, so after lunch, a few of us girls took her into town for some Fika. It was a lot of fun and we had a great time. Bekah is obsessed with Spiderman and as we were walking through a store, I spotted a Spiderman beanie and bought it for her.

Other than that, I was just having a really weird day - I can't really put words to it. I told Coral later that night and somehow, she completely understood and said whenever that happens to her, Matt (her husband), prays over her and she's better. She prayed over me and this Funk that was following me around all day started to lift.

I was challenged that day by one of my friends here to a game of Battleship. Well, I'm basically a pro at that game because last Christmas when I played my family, I was undefeated. So I accepted the dare. I won the first game and got a little cocky. Well, the next three games, I got owned in the face. Then I had to open my stupid mouth and say whoever wins this next game buys the other person Jolla Jolla (I think that's how it's spelled) pizza. Let's just say I don't want to talk about pizza for a while. I'm pretty competitive, so that did not sit well with me that night. I had a very angry dream and I think I punched myself in the face at some point while I was sleeping. I woke up with a bruise under my right eye.

Yesterday was pretty uneventful, except that I went to watch Trevor and Nate's basketball game with a bunch of people. They got spanked. Oh, and Jesse taught me how to change my guitar strings.

peace, love, and what feels like a new guitar.

kaeli

Day Eighteen

10:39pm

Today I had a MUCH better day, thanks to encouraging friends, and the like. Class today was interesting. Jesse's dad spoke again, but this time on personality stuff, or something like that. The four groups were Analytical, Amiable, Expressive, and Driver. He told us to go to the corner in the room of the one in which we thought we belonged to. I had aspects of all of them, so I just sort of wandered to each one. There's this test that you can take on his computer to find out which one you are, and it turns out I'm an Expressive, but almost on the Amiable side. Neat, I guess.

Today was also my last day doing pots and pans after lunch. That's exciting. My new duty is to clean the hall in the chapel right after breakfast, but it's tiny so it's not so bad.

After dinner, Christy, Colleen, and I were invited to go to Brad and Cece's for some Fika. It was amazing! We had pancakes (similar to crepes) with ice cream and chocolate syrup and strawberries. Mmm... delicious. Then we all just say in their living room and talked. They have a seven week old daughter named Kayley. How cool is that?

peace, love, and knowing one other person with my name.

kaeli