Swiss L'abri Teachings:

1. Chocolate indulgence is not limited to womens monthly aversion to low iron. In fact, it can be used on any and everything, including but not limited to: bread, ice cream, cereal, oatmeal, sandwiches, wine, tea, coffee, and fingers.

2. Questions are NOT a matter of spiritual immaturity.

3. Daily showers are over-rated, unnecessary, and an immature waste of money.

4. Americans are ignorantly arrogant (see blog later for more details).

5. It is NOT ok to lie to people of other ethnicities. Specifically, it is NOT ok to tell a German that you are a professional ping pong player in America and then continue to repeat the lie until their departure. Doing so may cause excessive email and facebook invites from people of German descent asking for autographs. This is not a good idea, and is usually frowned upon.

6. Stereotypes usually aren't true, unless it involves good looking Englishmen.

7. Hitchhiking can be awkward and expensive if you don't realize that the car is an odd shaped cab/taxi.

8. You will still get carded for alcohol if you go into a pub laughing obnoxiously, even though the drinking age is about 14.

9. Running up a hill does not necessarily mean that you will ever run down it...unless you simply turn around.

10. Never cut onions right before a prayer meeting.

Moody Mondays...

Let me just explain my situation. It's almost too beautiful. This morning I woke up, opened my curtains to look out on the most beautiful scene even William Eggleston could not rightly capture. I fell in love this morning. I thought it was near impossible, but a man named Matterhorn wooed my young heart in a matter of a sunrise. Breakfast was full of tea, homemade bread, and young minds. Honestly though, I think I can say this...I'm going to say it...I like my collection of teas better than this swiss crap...I said it. The chocolate here though...it's so good I want to curse it. Make sense? Have you ever loved something so much you wanted to wrestle it? (This is for sure not a valid excuse of physical abusers or attackers.) But you know, have you ever loved something so much you just want to curse it, use passionate vernacular as it is, perhaps, the only way to convey the beauty and glory of something. Anyways, that's beside the point. Just know...it was beautiful this morning...and the chocolate is passionately remarkable.

Mondays. The whole community of L'abri gathers around to pray together. It was beautiful. There was a girl there, name unidentified. To hear her pray in her primary language, German, and to listen to the tears that flowed was an experience of vulnerability no Websters dictionary could ever encompass. (She can speak English, but her main language is German.) South Koreans, Germans, New Zealanders, English, Hollanders, Jamaicans, and Americans gathered together to do something that can be so difficult for the confused wanderer. It was a beautiful representation of something that exceeds simple Western culture Christianity.

I imagined this place for years, and such is it's beauty, perhaps far more. Combine culture, art, music, outdoors, literature, and spiritual seeking--you have Swiss L'abri. The people here are difficult to distinguish by certain traits or thoughts. Imagine a place of combined cultures coming together in the pursuit of something, of a desire pertaining to the character of God. The desire is to know God. And, although he is mysterious and beyond all thought or knowledge, that doesn't stagnate seeking, nor should it necessitate a surrender of search. If I were to continue ignoring, or closing my eyes, to that which he has revealed, I would be a fool to glory. It's not about making God who you want Him to be. I'm learning that that is my valued pride. Sometimes it can be so difficult for me to accept God as He reveals Himself because I would rather form an image of my own mold. How painful and how disdainful to have a God as limited as me!

The people here want something, and they are willing to forgo the pleasures of business, of workplace, and of certain freedoms, to seek after such. I do not mean to judge those who are not here, diswarranting their pursuit amidst their distinguished scene. Both are valuable. Both are, or can be purposeful. And both have the potential of being abused. However, I am simply addressing the uniqueness of the people I am surrounded by. They are all so different, but among the group is a bond of choice that goes undismissed. Meaning-the community of this place is so valuable because it is a place that most have chosen to come to, have sacrificed to be here(whether of finances, of relationships back home, or of, simply, time), and all are interested in similar things--to an extent. It's a certain crowd that this place draws, which builds close relationships quickly, easily, and, perhaps, permanently.

Also, serving is not an option. The community thrives because you work together, you eat together, you discuss together, and you, sometimes, study together. Serving is part of L'abri. It's not a part of an awards program. You won't receive an "I am third." or some kind of recognition for "helping out." Those things, being service, are part of the program. At least once a day you are expected to volunteer to do dishes. Half of the day you spend working, involving either cleaning, gardening, baking, or organizing. The other half of the day is, of course, study.

I will get to what I am studying soon, as well as some discourse on things of swiss perception.

How do cows sleep, or even venture to fall asleep with cowbells?!?!

I'm naively bothered by this trait of Switzerland society. I mean, let's get PETA on out here and identify this utter(no pun intended) abuse. How would you feel if you had some kind of chinese torture like constraint to your sleep? It's like everytime you get those hazy eyes of pre-R.E.M. and fix to relocate, you're immediately awoken by a nonsensical bell preventing even the beginning of such. How daringly mischevious these abusive farmers are! They use them to "identify their cows" and "keep track of them in the fields." Yeah, I'm sure. Right before you killed the derned thing. These poor cows vegitate on the incredible grass of Switzerland. It's probably confusing to them--like "Oh, I must be so spoiled. This grass is so pure and beautifully clean." Yeah right, cow. They just want to keep you awake to kill you slowly. They get so spoiled by pure destination that it's like, they aren't going to put up some kind of fight. Almost, they feel indebted to their owner. Like "Yeah, I won't sleep. He gives me such good grass." "Yes, I'll wear this bell for you so you can keep track of me. Wow, you must really love me owner." B.S. he loves you. He just wants your meat to sell to some expenive, organic grocery store back in the states that will budget the price on increasing exponential amounts depending on the rate of swiss stock. Little do these cows know that their death is NOT some mysterious breakdown. The cow bells prevent sleep, and then, BAM, in a matter of weeks...or even days for the weaker ones...they are "somehow dead."

Hark! You are a cow! You are more than a beast of the field! You are more than my valued burger! Free yourself you cow! Free yourself from the manipulative belly of man! Free yourself! Shake off the reigns of the free market! Shake off your reign of bell slavery! Shake it cow! Shake it! And wander the fields of the hillside freely!

But no. There the cow stands, grazing lowly the hillside of the Alps. I went for a run yesterday with my new friend Bethany, along the swiss greens and grass superior, and I almost fell in cow dung. I looked up at a cow mooing and bell-ing right in front of me and though, "Kill the darned animal!" But then I saw his meager bell, and looked off to the gorging face of a dawned sun over the Alps glaring in front of me. I realized my selfishness and though, "LET THE POOR GUY LIVE." My heart broke for the poor guy.

I plan on reporting to PETA when I return.