[Editor: From 2018 to 2020, ex-Trinity Laban trumpeter Sarah Owens studied abroad at the Royal Academy of Music, Aarhus (RAMA), in Denmark, blogging for the Music Network every couple of months. Here are some edited highlights.]
August 2018
A new country, new language, new home, new course and new friends. It’s all very new and different. But what’s the one thing that always stays the same? God. He is my rock and my refuge and it’s in him that I can trust - always.
October 2018
What a whirlwind start to life abroad! I can’t quite believe two months have passed since arriving and I stand in awe at all the prayers God has answered and the gradual revelation of which directions He wants me to go. He is the source of my joy and it’s in Him that I can find contentment, all the while being used as part of His great plan for salvation. I'm seeing more and more of this broken yet beautiful world that is still full of people who need to know more about the relationship they are so desperately lacking.
December 2018
Since our first meeting in September, the 'RAMA Jesus lovers', as I jovially called us, have been meeting almost weekly to pray for the academy. Sometimes just two of us, but most recently we were five. Although we are dispersed us in our various networks and specific study lines, God has brought us together and we’re able to share our journeys with each other and… we have a friend who has recently become a Christian!
In November I was grateful to spend a lovely weekend with other students at my church – an experience I cherished through meeting new friends, praising God together and learning and loving the church’s doctrines which overall has made me feel so settled there. We also have a fortnightly international small group where I’m able to pray with and for others in a 'hyggelig' (cosy) Danish home. We also had a 24/7 prayer week, through which I saw God soften hearts around me so that we could have conversations about Jesus, which can often be difficult (particularly with trumpet players, in my experience).
April 2019
Often, living in Denmark doesn’t feel like really living abroad because of the amazing ability almost everyone has to speak English. Although I really do value this, I also feel that while living in another culture it’s important to do your best to integrate and experience some of the way the people around you live. I’ve really enjoyed learning and practising Danish over the last few months, particularly since moving house to live beneath a Danish family. You have to be proactive to learn it, but for me it also highlights the significance of God’s being - as He is bigger than any earthly barriers, be it age, culture or linguistics - and how unity in Christ is so special.
June 2019
It’s been challenging to see what aspects of Christianity are prioritised in another culture – what do we focus on and why? How much are we imposing our own views and standards on what we read in the Bible? I’m not going to attempt to explain where I’ve got to so far, but it’s been highlighted to me the importance of critical analysis. Perhaps you’ll consider giving these topics an outing in conversations, particularly with people from various backgrounds – if you’re living in a large city, it certainly won’t be difficult to find someone from another country (and I’m sure they would appreciate your friendliness, especially if they’re new in town) – be inquisitive and allow your assumptions to be questioned!
October 2019
[From editor: see this article for the entirety of Sarah's brilliant blog post from October 2019 on how you can best welcome, befriend, and serve international students.]
December 2019
I’ve been here for well over one year now, so I’m starting to experience things a second time round. Seasons changing, Christmas lights going up, the church and academic calendars rolling over again, and it seems to be with a slightly different lens. I’m no longer a newbie in town, and have started to fit in with some of the Danish habits and traditions (ever heard of hygge?) I find it amazing how we can adapt to new circumstances, many of these things even subconsciously, but there’s still an element of alienation present, as I’ll never truly be a Dane.
I was helping prepare food at the church party last weekend. So many people were involved in working together to create a really special atmosphere... just being part of this huge gathering of people with a common purpose gave me a real sense of belonging that I haven’t felt anywhere else. I’m so grateful for the blessing that ÅVM church is in my life, the physical light they bring and the spiritual reminder of The Light who is the reason I have faith. I’ve struggled with feeling distant, less encouraged and lacking belonging (both as a foreigner and as a Christian) recently, so this was a real boost. In addition, it’s been a real blessing to meet up and pray with some of the Christians at Academy again, and although it isn’t regularly more than two of us, meeting regardless can provide gentle reminders of the work God has done and is doing in our lives.
April 2020
It started with the discouragement of hugs and handshakes in early March, which caused much confusion for many Danes - how on earth is someone supposed to greet another without these things? (Physical contact is a much larger part of Danish culture than us Brits are generally comfortable with!)
800 cases had developed in Denmark when the WHO announced a worldwide pandemic, after which the Danish government immediately held a press conference and put the country into lockdown for two weeks, and only a few days later, the borders closed. Musicians collected their instruments as soon as possible from the academy, all concerts were cancelled and so began life at home.
Personally, I’ve actually quite enjoyed it. I’m grateful for the opportunity to spend time with my flatmate, doing different activities together such as puzzles, walking, baking, practising Danish, and the time to rest more than usual is welcome. However there are many in Aarhus who live alone, or whose friends and cohabitants went home to spend lockdown with their families. Some of those left are international students who can’t even travel home now if they wanted to, so it’s more important than ever before to reach out and stay in touch with those people.
Like many others, my church has taken to live-streamed services. I’m so grateful for this and it is a good way to keep us together as a church body at this time, yet I can’t help but miss the fellowship and encouragement of meeting other Christians every week.
Unfortunately too, the KFS (the Danish CU movement) mission week had to be cancelled since all the students would be at home and the university closed. We’re gutted about this of course, but the weekly KFS meetings are now publicly live-streamed podcasts and we still meet to pray a few together or online in larger groups, seeking for God to show us how we can serve and reach out to others with the gospel.
September 2020
Moving to Denmark to study 2 years ago felt like I was following God’s guidance to pursue my desire to travel and develop my gift of trumpet playing. Now it seems like the Lord is continuing to open up opportunities here, with good connections and foundations to build upon. With a place on the soloists programme at the Royal Academy of Music, Aarhus, I’m now effectively a freelancer with student status, preparing for a solo concert every 6 months and auditions when they arise. I’ve recently taken on the role of international networker at my church, where our growing international community was one of the most encouraging things I became involved in when I moved to Aarhus. I hope to be able to welcome people to our church and the city so that they feel loved and seen in a foreign land.
I remember a few years ago sitting in a tent at Word Alive listening a talk on the Music Network track. The speaker listed some possible ways that God might use us as musicians to bring other people to Him, one of which went something like 'maybe you audition and get a job in an orchestra in some unknown town in Slovakia, where there aren’t many Christians and God just needs you there to be a light in that workplace.' I haven’t quite ended up in an unknown town in Slovakia, but that encouragement was the nudge I needed to start this journey, and it keeps my mind open to new options whenever I come to a crossroad. I can see myself as someone God might choose to use in that scenario.
A heartfelt thank you for journeying with me in this season, and for all your prayers along the way. The Lord has truly been faithful.
