Frankfurt.

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to visit Frankfurt with my "grand, grand" cousin Philipp. I awoke and took the train from Eichen to Frankfurt, only praying that I would get off at the CORRECT Frankfurt station (there are several). Well, I made it, and Philipp was on the platform waiting. We went to the top of the "Main Tower" where one can look out over all of Frankfurt. It was lovely. Frankfurt is the only city in Germany with a "skyline" of sky-scrapers. We saw the Alte Opre or "Old Opera House." We went shopping for a bit in the new Galaria, complete with a modern-tuby-cieling-thing and bar inside. There is an H&M literally on every corner of Frankfurt. One of the coolest things we saw was the GoetheHaus. This is the house Johann Wolfgang Goethe grew up in. They have restored the rooms with original furniture and have made it into a museum. Goethe is one of the most famous German authors. He wrote "Faust" as well as "der Erlkönig" and other important literary things :). We also saw Paul's Church, the City Hall, and The Dome. The Dome is a beautiful medieval cathedral with vaulted cielings, stained glass windows, epic paintings and statues...etc. I would recommend this beautiful and interesting city to anyone.
I will try to post a few pictures eventually, but the internet is very slow.
I saw a few more quaint "castle-towns" today...some with the medieval city walls STILL standing! It rained this afternoon for the first time in a while. Apparently, this part of Germany had been in a drought, so rain is a great thing. I fly to Prague tomorrow morning in order to begin training for my internship with JosiahVenture!

Schokolade, Kaffee, und Marburg,

Coffee helps jet lag, and so does water. You are supposed to treat it like a hangover, I guess :). After arriving in Frankfurt early this morning, I had the opportunity to visit a small village called Marburg. Marburg is an old town surrounded by a newer town, overlooked by a medieval castle or "schloss."

Reiner and I enjoyed lunch and coffee in Marburg and, of course, freshly baked goods and chocolate truffles to follow. I am incredibly thankful for my family here. They have treated me like royalty since my arrival. Marburg, as well as Eichen, is everything you would expect of a German town - cobble stone streets, small cottages with flower boxes, and gardens everywhere. Small shops and bakeries are ever present as well. The atmosphere is very pleasant and quiet out on the countryside. I am staying in a lovely little room at Uli's house (a distant cousin of mine). These few days in Eichen are going to be very valuable to me, and I am so thankful for the relationships that I have already established here on my first day.

Many of the villages around Frankfurt look similar. They remind me of the Beauty and the Beast town at the beginning of the movie. Quaint. Enjoying life is important, and I think the Germans know how to do this. I have seen several castles during my short stay, and a bikeride through the countryside is in store for me tomorrow. I have never seen so many old people biking. This is quite a novelty...maybe I will be like them one day.

A Headdress Instead of Ashes

"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to BRING good news to the poor,
he has sent me to BIND UP the brokenhearted,
to PROCLAIM liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison to those
who are bound.
to PROCLAIM the year of the Lord's favor,
and the day of vengeance of our God;
to COMFORT all who mourn;
to GRANT to those who mourn in Zion -
to GIVE them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified."

(Isaiah 61:1-3)

Almost Time.

May 26th is approaching quickly, and the fact that I am leaving the country soon is actually beginning to sink in.

I will be spending almost my entire summer in Europe from May 26th until August 5th. First, I will fly into Frankfurt, Germany and spend a few days with some relatives and then venture on to Prague where my intern training will take place. After training, I will be spending the rest of the summer in Celje, Slovenia, living with a missionary family (Johnny and Brooke Stevens). Once in Slovenia, I will be helping plan and put on English camps for high school students in the area. We will practice English with them and build relationships with the students in order to tell them about Christ.

Hopefully this intership will give me a chance to get a glipse of what it's like to live overseas. I don't know if God has called me to this lifestyle in the future, but I am certainly open to the idea. Also, as a future English teacher, this experience really is priceless. I'm looking forward to what God is going to teach me while I'm away. Places change people. This place has already changed me, and future change is very likely. In some instances, I desperately need a fresh outlook on life and Christian spirituality. I think this internship will broaden those parts of my thinking that are too narrow. I guess we will find out what happens :).

You can keep up with my experiences overseas via this blog. That's why I made it. Thanks for caring! And there will be
much more to come.