“I would rather walk with a friend in the dark, than alone in the light.” ― Helen Keller

I am so grateful for the friends God has given me at ICSV. I never would have met these kind, welcoming, gracious, and understanding people if God had not led me to this school.

One of the teachers I work with invited me to a girl's brunch at her apartment this weekend with about 10 other women. She and her room-mate made homemade crepes for us! Afterward, my friend, Mandy, and I took an impromptu visit to the first district (where the Habsburg palace is) for some pumpkin-spice lattes (yay Fall!). I cannot image how lonely and bored I would be without these women! It is also nice to be with people who understand the process of moving to another country and working in a new school system.

Reesa, Mandy, and I at a cafe

Mandy and I 

4 I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. 5 For in him you have been enriched in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge— 6 God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you. 7 Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. 8 He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Week 1

Reesa and I

Well, week one at the International Christian School of Vienna is over! It's crazy to think that I only have 11 weeks left! Things are still a bit unstable as we try to figure out for sure which classes I'll be teaching and who my supervisors are going to be, but I LOVE the staff here! What a difference it makes to work in this environment of Christians! We start off some of our mornings with staff devotions and worship songs. The teachers and staff are so kind and will do anything for you!

I have three different cooperating teachers at the school, and they are all amazing! My main cooperating teacher invited me to go out for dessert with her and another English teacher from the school on Friday evening, and we went to the city-center to a very fancy cafe. It was such a nice time to get to know them better and have a girls' night out!

Behind Schonbrunn Palace - the gardens and Gloriette

My health is still not at 100%. I went to a doctor twice this week, and they're not sure if I have a virus or an infection. I have been on several different medications, and am still not feeling very well. God provided a wonderful lady at the school who has been a huge blessing to me by translating and accompanying me to the doctors appointments. She has such a servant's heart. Getting to know her and hear about her experiences working at various schools, including the Black Forest Academy, has also been very interesting!

Schonbrunn from the Gloriette

On Saturday I went to the summer palace, Schonbrunn, and walked around. It is a beautiful property with lots of gardens, park walkways, a fake roman-ruin built in the 1700s, and a gloriette that was partially ruined during WW2 and is now restored.

The Gloriette today

The Gloriette after an air-raid in 1945

Autumn in Vienna

I used this Saturday to explore some more of the city. Neither cold, nor rain, nor wind stood in my way!

One of the flak towers from the U-bahn station.

First stop on "Sarah's City Tour:" The Augarten Flak Towers. Hitler had these towers built in the 1940s as anti-aircraft towers. They were built to be invulnerable and have walls that are about 9 feet thick. The towers also housed weapons and had windows to shoot from. The towers also provided a base for the Nazis' radar equipment. Flak towers from WWII are spread across Vienna, Berlin, and Hamburg. Imagine what the Viennese people felt when these looming monstrosities went up in the middle of their beautiful city. 

A closer view of a flak tower from the park.

2nd flak tower

I didn't even know that there was another flak tower in the same park until I got there and saw one built in a slightly different style just about a couple hundred feet from the round one.

Augarten Park with the 2nd flak tower in the background

 The park that these towers were built in is beautiful, and is near Augartenpalais, a building that has been around since 1600s (it was damaged during WWII, but has been restored). 

Augarten Park

2nd Stop: Belvedere Palace 

This palace was built for Prince Eugene around 1717. I think that it is my favorite building in Vie

nna so far. All of the palaces here have extensive gardens that are still in bloom.

         

Front of Belvedere Palace

Me in the rain at Belvedere.