{Childhood Dreams Face Reality }

My childhood dreams differed from the normal American child. Partly because I grew up as a missionary kid on the foreign mission field and partly because I found everything else predictable. Most of my friends used to dream that they would one day, grow up, graduate high school, go to some prestigious university, and do something incredible with their lives, like becoming a doctor. Some dreamed of becoming a big named movie star and they would prance their way into fame and fortune.I on the other hand did not have such notions. From a very young age, I knew that I would grow up, graduate high school, and go to bible college, and my M199 would to work in the coffee shop. That was my ultimate goal. Honestly, that is all I really wanted to do.

Well, here I am , 19 years old and I am working in the Cappuccino Bar. I make lattes,white coffees,dirty chai. I serve cheese cake,warm up brownies, and according to our AVFL group, I make the best sundaes.

This may sound very glamorous and fun to you, but let me tell you. It is not all that it seems. Allow me to explain, you begin your shift with a clean SOS polo, a neatly pleated skirt, a dark and perfect apron. But you make one coffee, and some of the steamed milk splashes on your apron. Then you run over to the ice cream to make a sundae, and somehow some of the chocolate syrup drips all over your fingers. So you must wipe it all off on your apron. You make a frappuccino,and you spill the leftovers all over the counter and your apron. Needless to say, you are covered in coffee,syrup and whipped cream.

I am not complaining, I love the Capp Bar. I love the feeling you get after you serve someone their morning latte, or when you give someone a warmed brownie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream with a squirt of whipped cream and a drizzle of caramel.

Yes, yes... it's the good life.

-Autumn

"For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves."

Luke 22:27

{The Journey of my TOMS}

This journey begins at Victoria Gardens in late January of this year. It was a pleasant California evening, just at dusk. I slipped off my black flats and put on the new,tight,navy blue classics. They fit my feet perfectly, the wrap styled shoes condensed my feet into utter cuteness. My feet felt the comfortable insoles and security of the new shoes. I felt confidant,secure and ready to travel the world. It was from that moment that I knew that my toms would take me far into the depths of the world ( well, Europe).

A week or so later, I left the mountains and traveled to the big,dirty city of LA and almost begrudgingly stepped on to a plane that would take me to the land that was to be my new home. I had too comfortable with the American lifestyle, I fell into things that I had promised myself years earlier that I would never fall into. But I traveled out of that stage and moved on into the new chapter of my life.

I arrived in the little village of Vajta in dead of night, it was cold outside. But my trusty Toms kept my feet warm as I stepped out of the van and into the cold outside, and up the steps of the Castle. There were new faces around me, faces of potential friends. After unpacking my belongings I had discovered that I had forgotten my flip flops in the midst of the crazy packing spree. So, it was decided that I was going to be wearing my toms and on occasion, my black flats. But what are flat soled black flats to the wonderful comfort of TOMS?

During the five months I have been here, my Toms have traveled to the small bakery down the road, to the city of Budapest, the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland, to my childhood country, Romania and then right back to Vajta.

Now, during these travels my poor shoes have acquired several enormous holes.But only on my right foot, I could stick my big toe and my pinkie toe out and wave at people. People told me I looked like an orphan child,or they would just pity me and my lack of decent shoes. But just recently, my friend Travis, who is an excellent tailor and designer patched them for me. And now, I no longer look like a poor,deprived missionary kid, but a responsible,individual who wears decent shoes.

There are many verses in the bible that have to do with feet and shoes. But my favorite is the one from Deuteronomy. God did not let the clothes or the shoes of the Isrealites wear out, and they were wandering for 40 years...obviously, a little different than 4 months.

We shall see where they shall continue to take me.

-Autie


"And I have led you forty years in the wilderness. Your clothes have not worn out on you, and your sandals have not worn out on your feet"
- Deuteronomy 29:5
Before



After

{Housesitting Happenings}

This week has been a slightly awkward week, for more reasons than just one. To begin with, the AVFLers as wells as all of the interns and my friend that I co-dorm steward with are gone in Slovenia camping and in Vienna,Austria for an outreach. Which adds up to thirty people that have left the castle, which makes this place rather desolate. There was no conference this week which means awkward amounts of work and random jobs for everyone. And because there were no conferences, several of the families left for the week, which takes away from the normal population. All of this to say, it has been a quiet week which basically means a starvation diet for my extroverted needs. But I have been house sitting for the Fosters and their lab, Lola has been my most devoted companion. My first night here, she snuggled with me on the couch and I do enjoy seeing her sweet dog smile when I get home from a long day of laundry,housekeeping and coffee shop training. Now that I have honestly stated the positive of dog sitting Lola, I am compelled to share with you a little "run-in" she and I had yesterday evening.

So, I have been making pasta like crazy this whole week, and yesterday I made some extra for my friend, Abbe, who was coming over later in the evening.So I placed the three helpings of pasta in a plastic container and ( disclaimer) because I am not used to having a dog around, I left it out and forget to put it away before I left for Koinania. Now, when I arrived home to serve my guest, I couldn't find the container anywhere! Until, I found it completely empty, and licked cleaned. I knew that I couldn't be mad at the dog, because it was in fact, partly my fault.But I knew that I was the boss, I decided that some sort of punishment was expected. So proceeded to show the quality canine the empty plastic case... and then... she peed all over of the floor. I couldn't help but laugh, so shooed the dog into a small,closed room and cleaned up the pee.

There you have it folks... the tale of my house sitting adventure.

Until next time!

-Autie

{Forgiven and Loved}

My whole life I have been taught about God's grace and the importance of accepting it. But there is something about when you realize that you will never,ever be able to let something go until you have fully accepted God's grace for you life. There are easy things we can ask God for forgiveness, but there are the hard things that we are so ashamed of, and feel bad evening considering asking for the grace that His blood offers. But God wants to set us free, He wants to take the chains away, and He wants us to bask in the beauty of this grace.

Christ is the perfect lover, He is constantly pursuing me and wants me to enjoy the gifts He so freely offers. Once I have accepted His grace, I can fully enjoy the goodness He has in store for my life.

" In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His Grace -Ephesians 1:7