Living Abroad in Another Language

Open to new possibilities Sara ’19 spent her entire junior year living abroad in Tübingen, Germany. There, she experienced a profound growth in her faith within a new church community. Being abroad opened her mind to new possibilities and a new understanding of not only her faith, but also of her future vocation as it relates to service. Listen to Sara’s story. Transcript

Going abroad to Germany opened my heart to a bunch of different possibilities, specifically at the very beginning of my experience in Germany where I didn’t know anyone. I only knew one girl, a previous Valpo student, but I also knew I wanted to grow in my faith. So, I decided to go to her church when she invited me (an Evangelical church, in comparison to my Lutheran upbringing) and I stayed there the whole year. I think because of all the little things that were happening: that I didn’t know anyone, I wanted my spiritual life to change, and I was beginning a brand-new experience in Germany…I think that is what opened me up to the new religious experience that I likely wouldn’t have been open to in the United States.