Narrative interview: Betty and her international family

Hey everyone! I’m back with another post from my Professional Communication course at LMU. This time the task was to conduct an interview, and since I’m on exchange, I decided to make it with a friend who had experienced living abroad too. This weekend I visited the International School of Mission in Altötting, and during one of the coffee breaks I had the chance to sit down with my friend Betty. She’s from the Czech Republic and has a really inspiring story about studying and living abroad for the first time. So I thought, why not turn our conversation into a small blog post too? Here it comes!

So, as I mentioned before, I went to Altötting this weekend, a small Bavarian town that always feels warm and peaceful to me. During one of the breaks, while we were sitting in a quiet room with some coffee, I met with my friend Betty to talk about her experience of living and studying abroad. The atmosphere was relaxed, like a normal catch-up between friends, even though I had my questions prepared. It felt natural, open, and honest: the perfect setting for a conversation about international life and personal growth.

Betty is 25 and comes from the Czech Republic. When I asked her to introduce herself, she smiled and said, “My whole name is Alžběta Maria Jaroslava Krištof Kateřina Siencká-Šplýchalová,” and then laughed, because she usually goes simply by Betty. She studied social work and law and is now a social worker, studying psychology on weekends. Two years ago, she moved to Germany to take part in Rejoice, an international program for music and mission. That is where we first met.

Rejoice is a Christian Evangelisation School where students live together for ten months. Betty explained that their group was small, only seven students from Europe, but even with a small number, the cultural mix made it international, inspiring, and sometimes challenging. Since it is a Christian school, they prayed together, received intellectual formation, played music, shared daily routines, travelled for mission tours, and slowly became family.

Before Rejoice, Betty had never lived abroad or been part of an international environment. “It was my first time moving to another country,” she told me. “I didn’t have international friends before. Everything was new.” The biggest challenge at the beginning was the language. She could understand English well, but speaking felt almost impossible. “For one month I was not able to talk. I was suffering.” But with daily practice and support from the community, she became more confident over time.

Leaving home was also emotional. Betty is very close to her family, so the first weeks were not easy. Knowing she would visit them after Christmas and Easter helped her stay positive. At the same time, living with six other students created a new sense of belonging. “Maybe it sounds strange,” she said, “but during that time, I didn’t need my biological family. I had a new family there.”

When I asked her whether Germany ever felt like home, she answered honestly: “Germany is not my home.” However, Altötting slowly became a place where I belong. After Christmas break, when she returned and opened the school gate, she suddenly felt at home. The language barrier made Germany feel distant, but the community made Altötting familiar and safe. She still visits once or twice a year, and every time she steps inside, old memories return immediately.

A year like this naturally changes a person, so I asked her what changed the most. She mentioned three things. First, the community: the strong feeling of belonging. Second, she discovered herself more deeply, by reflecting a lot about her life, friendships. Third, she grew far beyond her comfort zone. She played in the school band, acted in a theatre play, and tried things she had never imagined before. “My comfort zone is much bigger now,” she said proudly.

Her favourite memory is the Rejoice Easter concert. All students performed together, playing rock, pop, and Christian songs. Betty played piano and sang backing vocals. The hall was full, the atmosphere energetic and joyful.

Even though the year had difficult moments, Betty would do it again without hesitation. “Again and again,” she said. Her advice to her younger self would be simple: be more open, don’t be afraid, and be yourself. For her, Rejoice was the first place where she felt completely authentic.

Staying connected after the program is not always easy since everyone lives in different countries, but they keep in touch through messages, calls, and Instagram reels. Meeting in person is harder, yet they still managed to gather twice last year. “It’s normal that life goes on,” she added, “but we are still in contact.”

As we finished our coffee, I felt grateful for our conversation. Betty’s story showed me once again how powerful an international experience can be: full of challenges, growth, friendship, and moments that stay with us for a long time.

If you’ve made it this far, thanks for reading! Talking with Betty reminded me how much courage it takes to step into a new country, a new language, and a completely different community. I hope you enjoyed getting a little glimpse into her year at Rejoice. And who knows, maybe it inspires someone else to try an international adventure too. See you soon!👋