Today was great! Took a day trip to Siena, saw some beautiful sights! Lots to tell, but as I've said before, no words or pictures scan describe the cathedrals, towers, and winding streets... loving Tuscany!
We got back into Florence late in the afternoon, so Matt and I, accompanied by Adam, Rudy, and Alex, headed to the train station to check the train schedule for tomorrow. We got some souvenirs, some food, and then headed back to the hostel to get ready to head out in the morning.
Ended up that most of us were back up on the rooftop, it was a fantastic night! We sat around and talked, shared memories, told jokes, and listened to Travis tell a fantastic story! It was a great time, we're going to miss each other! Lots of great memories have been made these past few weeks, we've all gotten really close... It's going to be sad tomorrow when Matt and I depart from everyone, but it'll be exciting at the same time!
In any case, we say farewell to the group in the morning as we head to Pisa and Lucca for the day... Wishing them all safe travels on Tuesday and Wednesday!
Blessings,
John
Monday, May 31, 2010
Sunday, May 30, 2010
A late night in Florence, Italy
Well, it seems as if I've reached the point in my journey where the internet becomes much less accessible than it has been while with the Choir... and I also have to pay for it :) So I apologize for the lack of updates the past few days, but I'm sure you all understand that blogging isn't necessarily my top priority while backpacking through Europe :)
Wow, a lot has happened since Wengen! On thursday we headed to Langnau, where we performed at the oldest continuous mennonite church in the world! We were very well received as they have hosted Hesston Choirs many times in the past. Once again I ate way too much food and then we performed what would be our final concert as a group, and for the sophomores, our final concert as Hesston students... It was mixed emotions, very sad, yet at the same time, I'm ready for the next stage in life, a new adventure... We'll see what the future holds before I get too caught up in the past..
Thursday night was also my last home stay as a Hesston student... and it was great! Rudy and I stayed out in the Swiss countryside on an old farmstead atop a hill, it was beautiful! Our hosts, Christof and Lydie, had each spent time in North America through MCC's work exchange program (our equivalent is InterMeno), so we had lots to talk about! Then we got up early to take a tour of the farm and see the small operation they had, direct delivery to the cheese factory!
Then we headed off to Italy! Milan was our first stop, with not a whole lot going on the first night, but Saturday morning we loaded the bus and then took a walking tour of the city, the biggest highlight for me being the Duomo, or Cathedral, which was constructed over a period of more than 500 years, beginning in the 15th Century... it was magnificent!
Later saturday evening we headed out to Florence, in the Tuscan region! The drive was beautiful, entering into the rolling hills, glad no one's showing signs of motion sickness! :) That night, after some free time, we saw the opera La Bohem (Rent is based off of this work) at an Anglican Church... it was a very intimate setting, but their voices were beautiful!
Wow, I guess that was just last night... anyhow, we got up this morning at a pretty leisurely pace, it was nice for a change! We saw Michelangelo's David, the Duomo here in Florence, and the Santa Croce church, the final resting place of persons such as Leonardo DaVinci, Dante Alegrehtti, Machiavelli, Marconi, and even Galileo Galilee! Another fantastic day trip... We then had a lot of free time, some of which was spent browsing the vendors (the endless amount of vendors!), and then many of us headed back to the Hostel, stopping for Gelatto of course...
Back at the Hostel before dinner some took naps, others played cards, caught up on journaling, swam, or played pool... it was relaxing after a day in the sun! After dinner, we all somehow found our way up to the rooftop of the Hostel (Disclaimer: there's a rooftop cafe, we weren't breaking any rules, this time haha)... after taking a bunch of funny pictures, somehow we started to sing a few songs, and then it turned into us performing for ourselves the music we have prepared and performed over the past 8 weeks... it was sung with the most emotion and was probably the most moving time of singing we have shared thus far... These are the memories we will keep forever... singing for ourselves at twilight, at what seemed like the top of Italy... it was beautiful...
Well, the other day Matt and I bought our train tickets... mine was a 4 country 10 day travel pass... and it just hit me, WOW, I STILL HAVE A MONTH LEFT AND I WILL BE IN SIX COUNTRIES COUNTING MY TIME IN INDIA!!! It's just weird... but the flipside for matt and I is that the day is nearing where we have to say goodbye to our friends. We've really had a fantastic time together... there have been no fights, no real drama, and we're all getting along and bonding together! I think that everyone would say the same, it has been a fantastic group to be with.
But in any case... it's past 2:30am here, and I've got a full day tomorrow, so I'd best join my roomates in getting some sleep!
Blessings,
John
Wow, a lot has happened since Wengen! On thursday we headed to Langnau, where we performed at the oldest continuous mennonite church in the world! We were very well received as they have hosted Hesston Choirs many times in the past. Once again I ate way too much food and then we performed what would be our final concert as a group, and for the sophomores, our final concert as Hesston students... It was mixed emotions, very sad, yet at the same time, I'm ready for the next stage in life, a new adventure... We'll see what the future holds before I get too caught up in the past..
Thursday night was also my last home stay as a Hesston student... and it was great! Rudy and I stayed out in the Swiss countryside on an old farmstead atop a hill, it was beautiful! Our hosts, Christof and Lydie, had each spent time in North America through MCC's work exchange program (our equivalent is InterMeno), so we had lots to talk about! Then we got up early to take a tour of the farm and see the small operation they had, direct delivery to the cheese factory!
Then we headed off to Italy! Milan was our first stop, with not a whole lot going on the first night, but Saturday morning we loaded the bus and then took a walking tour of the city, the biggest highlight for me being the Duomo, or Cathedral, which was constructed over a period of more than 500 years, beginning in the 15th Century... it was magnificent!
Later saturday evening we headed out to Florence, in the Tuscan region! The drive was beautiful, entering into the rolling hills, glad no one's showing signs of motion sickness! :) That night, after some free time, we saw the opera La Bohem (Rent is based off of this work) at an Anglican Church... it was a very intimate setting, but their voices were beautiful!
Wow, I guess that was just last night... anyhow, we got up this morning at a pretty leisurely pace, it was nice for a change! We saw Michelangelo's David, the Duomo here in Florence, and the Santa Croce church, the final resting place of persons such as Leonardo DaVinci, Dante Alegrehtti, Machiavelli, Marconi, and even Galileo Galilee! Another fantastic day trip... We then had a lot of free time, some of which was spent browsing the vendors (the endless amount of vendors!), and then many of us headed back to the Hostel, stopping for Gelatto of course...
Back at the Hostel before dinner some took naps, others played cards, caught up on journaling, swam, or played pool... it was relaxing after a day in the sun! After dinner, we all somehow found our way up to the rooftop of the Hostel (Disclaimer: there's a rooftop cafe, we weren't breaking any rules, this time haha)... after taking a bunch of funny pictures, somehow we started to sing a few songs, and then it turned into us performing for ourselves the music we have prepared and performed over the past 8 weeks... it was sung with the most emotion and was probably the most moving time of singing we have shared thus far... These are the memories we will keep forever... singing for ourselves at twilight, at what seemed like the top of Italy... it was beautiful...
Well, the other day Matt and I bought our train tickets... mine was a 4 country 10 day travel pass... and it just hit me, WOW, I STILL HAVE A MONTH LEFT AND I WILL BE IN SIX COUNTRIES COUNTING MY TIME IN INDIA!!! It's just weird... but the flipside for matt and I is that the day is nearing where we have to say goodbye to our friends. We've really had a fantastic time together... there have been no fights, no real drama, and we're all getting along and bonding together! I think that everyone would say the same, it has been a fantastic group to be with.
But in any case... it's past 2:30am here, and I've got a full day tomorrow, so I'd best join my roomates in getting some sleep!
Blessings,
John
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
A quick post from Wengen!!!
Well, internet ain't cheap here in the Alps, so unfortunately this will have to be short, but I'll try to squeeze in the details!
Monday's time in Zurich was very meaningful on so many levels... visiting the Anabaptist history sites such as the site of Felix Manz's drowning, the well near the believed location of the first baptisms by George Blourach (sp), Conrad Grehbil, and Felix Manz, and even the monument to Ulrich Zwingli, who's strong message of the Word inspired the three Anabaptist leaders to move forward.
Following our time in Zurich (also including time at the Grossmunster, another highlight of mine!), we checked into our hotel to take a quick break, and then went out into the country to visit an old Anabaptist secret worship space. We hiked up a bit back into the hills and found the cave tucked in behind a waterfall... here we all joined in a communion service led by Ken, including song and prayer... it was the most moving experience on tour for me yet, and I think the same for many others as well... Wish I had time to say more, but it was a very spiritual day for me.
Then Tuesday morning we departed for the Alps! Our bus took us as far as Interlochen, and then we caught a cog train up the mountain to the town of Wengen, it is beautiful! Some took off right away on long hikes, while most of us chilled around town and the hotel for the afternoon... But after dinner, Matt, Anna, and I went out for a sunset hike, it was beautiful!
Today was pretty chill too... same kind of moazying morning, and then a big group of us went to the spot the three of us went last night and ate lunch... Then a smaller group went further up after that, it was around a 2 and a half hour hike, beautiful! I can't begin to explain how beautiful it was... But anyways...
Tomorrow we head out around noon, and then in the evening we've got our last concert! This will be my last concert as a Hesston Student... starting to hit me, we'll see how everyone holds up :) But then we're off to Italy and before we know it, Matt and I will be on our own!
Sorry again for the short update, doesn't really do the past few days justice... but feel free to email me with any questions!
Blessings,
John
Monday's time in Zurich was very meaningful on so many levels... visiting the Anabaptist history sites such as the site of Felix Manz's drowning, the well near the believed location of the first baptisms by George Blourach (sp), Conrad Grehbil, and Felix Manz, and even the monument to Ulrich Zwingli, who's strong message of the Word inspired the three Anabaptist leaders to move forward.
Following our time in Zurich (also including time at the Grossmunster, another highlight of mine!), we checked into our hotel to take a quick break, and then went out into the country to visit an old Anabaptist secret worship space. We hiked up a bit back into the hills and found the cave tucked in behind a waterfall... here we all joined in a communion service led by Ken, including song and prayer... it was the most moving experience on tour for me yet, and I think the same for many others as well... Wish I had time to say more, but it was a very spiritual day for me.
Then Tuesday morning we departed for the Alps! Our bus took us as far as Interlochen, and then we caught a cog train up the mountain to the town of Wengen, it is beautiful! Some took off right away on long hikes, while most of us chilled around town and the hotel for the afternoon... But after dinner, Matt, Anna, and I went out for a sunset hike, it was beautiful!
Today was pretty chill too... same kind of moazying morning, and then a big group of us went to the spot the three of us went last night and ate lunch... Then a smaller group went further up after that, it was around a 2 and a half hour hike, beautiful! I can't begin to explain how beautiful it was... But anyways...
Tomorrow we head out around noon, and then in the evening we've got our last concert! This will be my last concert as a Hesston Student... starting to hit me, we'll see how everyone holds up :) But then we're off to Italy and before we know it, Matt and I will be on our own!
Sorry again for the short update, doesn't really do the past few days justice... but feel free to email me with any questions!
Blessings,
John
Sunday, May 23, 2010
From the beautiful Moron, Switzerland
This morning was beautiful! But I knew that I didn't want to have to say goodbye again... but more of the sappy stuff later...
We actually got to sleep in a little while, as our 9:30 meeting time was much later than usual, pretty nice for a change! The morning's service was wonderful! Everything was translated for us, which was nice, and we sung a few songs in German too! During the beginning of the service, Matt spoke a bit on what it means to be a Christian in America, and talked about how really being a Christian is something bigger than geographical location... He and I had been discussing this earlier on the bus... about how Peter's experience with Cornelius in Acts 10 and Galations 3:28 have really begun to take a new meaning... but yeah, more of that later...
Anyways, following the service there was a meal for all of us, which was good to share with one another! More fantastic fellowship with persons from other cultures... I thought especially on pentecost it was special to work with the language barrier... but maybe that's just the PK in me... ;)
After lunch, we had to say our goodbyes, not only to our wonderful hosts in Ettenheim, but to our friends from Espelkamp, Tabea, Tabea, Leo, and Tobias, who drove all the way down to see us again! I will miss everyone in Ettenheim and hope to return again someday! But it was even harder to say goodbye to our "groupies" for a second time... Many lasting friendships have been built in Germany...
Then it was a 2 and a half, turned into 3, turned into 4 hour bus ride to Moron, Switzerland... :) Between the border crossing and a little bit of bus trouble (fixed!), it took a little longer than normal... But the scenery was beautiful! I can't wait to go to Wengen on Tuesday!!!
We arrived in Moron, a regular stop for the European Chorale, around 5 and after a short rehersal were served a fabulous meal (of which I ate way to much of course...) consisting of salad, rice, a sweet curry (mom, gotta get the recipe), and then strawberries, rhubarb, and creme puffs for dessert! The concert was packed! Over 250 people had to have been there in the sanctuary, which was crazy because there weren't near that many houses around! It was once again very well recieved... so much in fact that we recieved not one, but two calls for an encore! Then it was once again off to host families for the night...
Matt and I (go figure, I guess they weren't thinking clearly when they made that pairing haha) are staying with Pierre Burkholder and his family... It has been a great night! This is a French speaking household as Pierre met his wife in Hati while on MCC, their two children were also born there. We shared some fabulous cheese that is so good it has to be scraped a certain way to fully enjoy it... I cannot remember the french name, but the translation is quite literally, "head of the monk," and to quote matt, "It melted in my mouth."
But now it's time for bed... but I guess a few reflections before hand:
Like I said, in my devotions I have been thinking a lot lately about how relationships across cultures, borders, and boundries are not only good, but necessary for worldwide community... I used to think that simply making connections and trying to understand was enough, but I've learned that it is much more than this... Don't worry, there's no sermon coming, but I would encourage you to take a look at Acts 10 and Galations 3:28... What does it mean for you? Matt challenged the congregation this morning that there was no German or American, Choir Member or Audience, Host or Guest... Where are the boundaries? As I look around, I'm saddened to see how easily they are recognizeable... Keep making those relationships that cross boundries, for the stronger our ties are, the weaker the things that seperate us... That's the real message of Pentecost I think...
Anyways, food for thought... maybe too much like a sermon, I blame dad... or thank him :)
Blessings,
John
(Oh, and since Matt is making fun of the content of my posts, I have a special addition: May 23rd, my beard and chest hair are still far superior to Matt's weak sauce attempt at manhood... :P )
We actually got to sleep in a little while, as our 9:30 meeting time was much later than usual, pretty nice for a change! The morning's service was wonderful! Everything was translated for us, which was nice, and we sung a few songs in German too! During the beginning of the service, Matt spoke a bit on what it means to be a Christian in America, and talked about how really being a Christian is something bigger than geographical location... He and I had been discussing this earlier on the bus... about how Peter's experience with Cornelius in Acts 10 and Galations 3:28 have really begun to take a new meaning... but yeah, more of that later...
Anyways, following the service there was a meal for all of us, which was good to share with one another! More fantastic fellowship with persons from other cultures... I thought especially on pentecost it was special to work with the language barrier... but maybe that's just the PK in me... ;)
After lunch, we had to say our goodbyes, not only to our wonderful hosts in Ettenheim, but to our friends from Espelkamp, Tabea, Tabea, Leo, and Tobias, who drove all the way down to see us again! I will miss everyone in Ettenheim and hope to return again someday! But it was even harder to say goodbye to our "groupies" for a second time... Many lasting friendships have been built in Germany...
Then it was a 2 and a half, turned into 3, turned into 4 hour bus ride to Moron, Switzerland... :) Between the border crossing and a little bit of bus trouble (fixed!), it took a little longer than normal... But the scenery was beautiful! I can't wait to go to Wengen on Tuesday!!!
We arrived in Moron, a regular stop for the European Chorale, around 5 and after a short rehersal were served a fabulous meal (of which I ate way to much of course...) consisting of salad, rice, a sweet curry (mom, gotta get the recipe), and then strawberries, rhubarb, and creme puffs for dessert! The concert was packed! Over 250 people had to have been there in the sanctuary, which was crazy because there weren't near that many houses around! It was once again very well recieved... so much in fact that we recieved not one, but two calls for an encore! Then it was once again off to host families for the night...
Matt and I (go figure, I guess they weren't thinking clearly when they made that pairing haha) are staying with Pierre Burkholder and his family... It has been a great night! This is a French speaking household as Pierre met his wife in Hati while on MCC, their two children were also born there. We shared some fabulous cheese that is so good it has to be scraped a certain way to fully enjoy it... I cannot remember the french name, but the translation is quite literally, "head of the monk," and to quote matt, "It melted in my mouth."
But now it's time for bed... but I guess a few reflections before hand:
Like I said, in my devotions I have been thinking a lot lately about how relationships across cultures, borders, and boundries are not only good, but necessary for worldwide community... I used to think that simply making connections and trying to understand was enough, but I've learned that it is much more than this... Don't worry, there's no sermon coming, but I would encourage you to take a look at Acts 10 and Galations 3:28... What does it mean for you? Matt challenged the congregation this morning that there was no German or American, Choir Member or Audience, Host or Guest... Where are the boundaries? As I look around, I'm saddened to see how easily they are recognizeable... Keep making those relationships that cross boundries, for the stronger our ties are, the weaker the things that seperate us... That's the real message of Pentecost I think...
Anyways, food for thought... maybe too much like a sermon, I blame dad... or thank him :)
Blessings,
John
(Oh, and since Matt is making fun of the content of my posts, I have a special addition: May 23rd, my beard and chest hair are still far superior to Matt's weak sauce attempt at manhood... :P )
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Last night in Ettenheim...
Woke up this morning to sunshine!!! It was a beautiful day, such a relief from the past few weeks! It was calm, clear, and sunny... haven't had that combination since I moved to Kansas!!! :P
We had a great suprise this morning! Our friends from Espelkamp had driven all the way down yesterday to suprise us! They walked into the sanctuary and we all greeted one another again, thought we'd never see them! They once again spent the day with us, and then attended our concert, their 3rd! They've joined our friends from Haarlem as die hard fans! We love the support!
Anyways, today we spent time in Strasbourg, visiting the cathedral, watching the famous astronomical clock turn at noon, visited the shops, and took a boat ride on the canal designed by Pilgram Marpeck... it was a great day! (to sum it all up pretty short... it's also been a long day...)
Then, after the boat ride, we headed back to Ettenheim for a meal and our final concert in Germany... the concert went well! The space was packed full, even a news reporter :), and the audeince was very appreciative.
But like I said... it's been a long day, and the sun helped to drain us of energy... We are singing in the church service again in the morning, and then heading to Switzerland for our final two concerts! So it's off to bed for me.
Keep the choir in your prayers... some members have begun to feel the strain of tour extra hard and are becomming a bit sick; but we're still doing alright!
Blessings and goodnight from
We had a great suprise this morning! Our friends from Espelkamp had driven all the way down yesterday to suprise us! They walked into the sanctuary and we all greeted one another again, thought we'd never see them! They once again spent the day with us, and then attended our concert, their 3rd! They've joined our friends from Haarlem as die hard fans! We love the support!
Anyways, today we spent time in Strasbourg, visiting the cathedral, watching the famous astronomical clock turn at noon, visited the shops, and took a boat ride on the canal designed by Pilgram Marpeck... it was a great day! (to sum it all up pretty short... it's also been a long day...)
Then, after the boat ride, we headed back to Ettenheim for a meal and our final concert in Germany... the concert went well! The space was packed full, even a news reporter :), and the audeince was very appreciative.
But like I said... it's been a long day, and the sun helped to drain us of energy... We are singing in the church service again in the morning, and then heading to Switzerland for our final two concerts! So it's off to bed for me.
Keep the choir in your prayers... some members have begun to feel the strain of tour extra hard and are becomming a bit sick; but we're still doing alright!
Blessings and goodnight from
Friday, May 21, 2010
From Ettenheim, Germany
Tonight I'm staying in paradise... but I'll talk about the day first :)
This morning we woke up at the hotel for a great breakfast and then loaded up the bus for Bingen, where we were planning on catching a boat to cruize the Rhine River... The drive was beautiful! We arrived in Bingen about 10 min late for the boat we had planned on, but no worries! Another was only a half an hour behind...
Today was beautiful! We sat out on the open deck of the boat for most of the trip, took in the beautiful hills, vinyards, towns, and castles along the way... I cannot describe how beautiful it was! (Again, sorry about the pictures, I'll make them available as soon as I can!) About an hour and a half into our 2 and a half hour tour, a few of us went into the cabin for a bit of lunch and cards (of course Matt and I won the Euchre game!)... I had spargal soup! Spargal is white asparigus (sp), and the season here is regulated by the government! It is wonderful if you ever get the chance to try some!
In any case, once the tour ended, we had some time to roam a few shops in the town along the shore while we waited for Rene to come with the bus, a beautiful little place on the river! The drive out was even more beautiful than the drive in! Tight winding roads, beautiful hills, trees, fields, vinyards! It was amazing... Melina says it reminds her of some parts of Pennsylvania, but better :). In any case, we then had a 3 hour drive, which took longer due to traffic jams along the way, but we got to Ettenheim around 5:30 and met our hosts, who are actually from the Baptist church in town...
I'm staying with Rainer and Ilse, they live out in a village outside of town, it is beautiful here! We had a barbeque for dinner, then talked for awhile before Ilse called her sister (next door) and Kayci and Rachael joined Clayton and I for a walk up to the highest point in the village... a hill covered in private vinyards with a lookout on the top... it was amazing! We watched the sun set over the Rhine River Valley, and then enjoyed the long walk back by the light of the moon, it was a perfect night!
Now it's time for bed though... getting to the church early in the morning so we can spend the day in Strasburg. It's looking to be a fun day!
Thanks again for the prayers, we're having a blast! Couldn't have asked for a better way to relax after a couple long days of travel!
Blessings,
John
This morning we woke up at the hotel for a great breakfast and then loaded up the bus for Bingen, where we were planning on catching a boat to cruize the Rhine River... The drive was beautiful! We arrived in Bingen about 10 min late for the boat we had planned on, but no worries! Another was only a half an hour behind...
Today was beautiful! We sat out on the open deck of the boat for most of the trip, took in the beautiful hills, vinyards, towns, and castles along the way... I cannot describe how beautiful it was! (Again, sorry about the pictures, I'll make them available as soon as I can!) About an hour and a half into our 2 and a half hour tour, a few of us went into the cabin for a bit of lunch and cards (of course Matt and I won the Euchre game!)... I had spargal soup! Spargal is white asparigus (sp), and the season here is regulated by the government! It is wonderful if you ever get the chance to try some!
In any case, once the tour ended, we had some time to roam a few shops in the town along the shore while we waited for Rene to come with the bus, a beautiful little place on the river! The drive out was even more beautiful than the drive in! Tight winding roads, beautiful hills, trees, fields, vinyards! It was amazing... Melina says it reminds her of some parts of Pennsylvania, but better :). In any case, we then had a 3 hour drive, which took longer due to traffic jams along the way, but we got to Ettenheim around 5:30 and met our hosts, who are actually from the Baptist church in town...
I'm staying with Rainer and Ilse, they live out in a village outside of town, it is beautiful here! We had a barbeque for dinner, then talked for awhile before Ilse called her sister (next door) and Kayci and Rachael joined Clayton and I for a walk up to the highest point in the village... a hill covered in private vinyards with a lookout on the top... it was amazing! We watched the sun set over the Rhine River Valley, and then enjoyed the long walk back by the light of the moon, it was a perfect night!
Now it's time for bed though... getting to the church early in the morning so we can spend the day in Strasburg. It's looking to be a fun day!
Thanks again for the prayers, we're having a blast! Couldn't have asked for a better way to relax after a couple long days of travel!
Blessings,
John
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Etap in Mainz
This morning we all rolled out of bed just in time for our 5 hour bus ride to Mainz, Germany, where we first stopped so Bradley could pick up a rental car and then on to our Etap Hotel in the business district of town... We then hurried on to the church in Ingelheim, a beautiful castle church built into the city wall, first commissioned and funded by Charlemange in 775.
As our very talented bus driver Rene piloted us through the tight winding city streets, we came upon the beautiful church, but we couldn't drive up to it! It ended up that Hans Jurgen, the bus driver for the tours in the 80s and 90s, led us around the back side where there was a larger parking space at the top of a hill... Not only was the old city architecture beautiful, but we were surrounded by the rolling hills and fertile lands of the Rhine River valley... it was gorgeous even in the rainy weather!
We had pulled in around 5, a little later than planned, but without panic because the concert was scheduled for 8... but we found that in order to better accommodate our drive back to Mains after the concert, the church had publicized a 7pm concert, so we put it into overdrive :). After getting our stuff into the church and s short rehearsal, we broke for supper at around 6, and then had to meet in a back room, changed, by 6:40... so there was a little hustle involved haha
The space was beautiful to sing in though, and probably the oldest church I'll ever sing in... the space we sang in was finished in the 14th century (but the guys changed in a 12th century baptism room... kinda cool). We sang to a very small audience, under 50, but very receptive and appreciative! Many said that they were sad more people from the community didn't come out to hear us. For the intermission, Ken performed an organ piece, an arrangement of 606 by Hans, who composed it in a bus on a tour outside of Vienna in 1990, it was great that he got to play it for Hans in Hans' church where he is the choirmaster. A great concert!
After a tour of the grounds and information on the inside of the building, it was back in the bus for our 20 min. drive back to the Hotel... we're all settled into our rooms now and hetting ready for bed!
Tomorrow is the Rhine River Cruise! Pray for good weather, it's been pretty crappy for the past few days so hopefully it clears up!
Thanks for the thoughts and prayers, we're still having fun despite the weather! (and still getting along fairly well too! haha)
Goodnight!
John
As our very talented bus driver Rene piloted us through the tight winding city streets, we came upon the beautiful church, but we couldn't drive up to it! It ended up that Hans Jurgen, the bus driver for the tours in the 80s and 90s, led us around the back side where there was a larger parking space at the top of a hill... Not only was the old city architecture beautiful, but we were surrounded by the rolling hills and fertile lands of the Rhine River valley... it was gorgeous even in the rainy weather!
We had pulled in around 5, a little later than planned, but without panic because the concert was scheduled for 8... but we found that in order to better accommodate our drive back to Mains after the concert, the church had publicized a 7pm concert, so we put it into overdrive :). After getting our stuff into the church and s short rehearsal, we broke for supper at around 6, and then had to meet in a back room, changed, by 6:40... so there was a little hustle involved haha
The space was beautiful to sing in though, and probably the oldest church I'll ever sing in... the space we sang in was finished in the 14th century (but the guys changed in a 12th century baptism room... kinda cool). We sang to a very small audience, under 50, but very receptive and appreciative! Many said that they were sad more people from the community didn't come out to hear us. For the intermission, Ken performed an organ piece, an arrangement of 606 by Hans, who composed it in a bus on a tour outside of Vienna in 1990, it was great that he got to play it for Hans in Hans' church where he is the choirmaster. A great concert!
After a tour of the grounds and information on the inside of the building, it was back in the bus for our 20 min. drive back to the Hotel... we're all settled into our rooms now and hetting ready for bed!
Tomorrow is the Rhine River Cruise! Pray for good weather, it's been pretty crappy for the past few days so hopefully it clears up!
Thanks for the thoughts and prayers, we're still having fun despite the weather! (and still getting along fairly well too! haha)
Goodnight!
John
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Another late night in Leipzig...
This morning we all woke up to a dreary day... it was raining, then misting, and then back and forth all day long... no fun at all, kinda set a dark mood over the whole thing... But in any case, the tour of the city was still on! So with Ken as our guide we headed out to see a couple of churches and museums... a packed day!
our first destination was the St. Nicholas Church, one of two primary places that Bach was employed to compose music for... we also learned that it was one of the primary locations of social change during the peaceful revolution that brought about the fall of Eastern Germany... They really put Micah 4 into practice, a good example for us... We got to sing here as well as in the St. Thomas Church, it was amazing! Other events of the day included the Bach Museum, the Museum of the New Leipzig School (contemporary art, very good), and dinner together as a group at the traditional Saxon restaurant we went to last night, another good meal!
Sorry this got short and choppy... a little less than what I would like to give you all, but I'm tired, heck, everyone's tired, and it's been a long, rainy day...
Tomorrow morning we hit the road for a little over 5 hours, heading south to the Rhine Valley for a concert in the evening... a long day, hopefully we'll feel rested for the big night! The Concert is in a castle church, great acoustics, but not affiliated with the mennonite church at all... don't really know what to expect for an audience really... but it should be fun! A hotel tomorrow night, and then to host homes for another two nights!
Hopefully the weather gets better for us the rest of the trip... I'm done with cold and dreary... Keep us in your prayers! Sorry again for bein pretty short, but I'm sure you'll understand...
Off to bed! Hope everything's going well state-side!
Blessings,
John
our first destination was the St. Nicholas Church, one of two primary places that Bach was employed to compose music for... we also learned that it was one of the primary locations of social change during the peaceful revolution that brought about the fall of Eastern Germany... They really put Micah 4 into practice, a good example for us... We got to sing here as well as in the St. Thomas Church, it was amazing! Other events of the day included the Bach Museum, the Museum of the New Leipzig School (contemporary art, very good), and dinner together as a group at the traditional Saxon restaurant we went to last night, another good meal!
Sorry this got short and choppy... a little less than what I would like to give you all, but I'm tired, heck, everyone's tired, and it's been a long, rainy day...
Tomorrow morning we hit the road for a little over 5 hours, heading south to the Rhine Valley for a concert in the evening... a long day, hopefully we'll feel rested for the big night! The Concert is in a castle church, great acoustics, but not affiliated with the mennonite church at all... don't really know what to expect for an audience really... but it should be fun! A hotel tomorrow night, and then to host homes for another two nights!
Hopefully the weather gets better for us the rest of the trip... I'm done with cold and dreary... Keep us in your prayers! Sorry again for bein pretty short, but I'm sure you'll understand...
Off to bed! Hope everything's going well state-side!
Blessings,
John
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Quick Post From Leipzig...
Good evening!
It's gettin kinda late here, so I'll keep it short, but I do get to sleep in a little bit in the morning!
Monday was a lot of fun, we did some sightseeing that ended up being mostly driving around and shopping in the rain, but it was fun! We had some members of the Espelkamp Mennonite youth group join us, Tabea, Tabea, Tobias, and Leo, it was a lot of fun! The concert was once again well recieved, so impressed by the audiences here... it was a smaller church, but we ate outside on the deck and it was beautiful! Thanks to all who helped!
This morning was another one of those bittersweet goodbyes... I was talking with a few friends, and it's hard, because we're all so much looking forward to the rest of the trip, but at the same time, we keep meeting new friends and don't feel like we've spent as much time with them as we'd like to before leaving again... So I said goodbye to the Enns family, Henry & Lisa, and their sons Christopher, Mike, and John. Had a great time with them too! We shared lots of stories and talked late into the night, seems to be a reoccurance with me... :) I am continiously impressed with the overwhelming hospitality and graciousness of our hosts and audiences here in Europe, and the Enns family was no exception...
So after leaving the church, we made our way to the Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp, a 2 hr drive from Espelkamp. Most spent this time catching up on journaling or sleeping, but some were just enjoying the beautiful German countryside... and I have to say, the Canola fields are beautiful!!! I was of the journaling crew, but as we got closer to our destination, I kept getting caught up in what was ahead of us, and what it was going to mean... I began to feel a little bit of apprehension, and when bradley gave the wake-up call to nappers at 15 km away, my mind was racing...
Upon arrival at the camp, we were pretty much turned loose by Ken and Bardley to roam about the memorial museum and grounds at our own leisure, meeting back in the bus by 12:30... while I wish we had more time, I was very glad for the time to go through alone... The museum was very moving, a little much at some points with the graphic pictures, but the stories were amazing... I also learned much more that the history books tend to leave out, the brutality, the prisoners of war, and so much more... I didn't know what to think a lot of the time, and I think now that that was ok, it was a mixture of disbelief, anger, and helplessness... I had taken my camera in, wearing it around my neck, but not once in the hour and a half could I bring myself to take off the lens cap, it seemed as if nothing could capture the emotions that I felt, it was strange... but a very moving experience, and I was very appreciative of the assignment Bradley and Ken had for us to do back in the bus.
The first hour and a half of the 3 hour bus ride to Leipzig was deemed as quiet time by our fearless leaders, another thing to be thankful for, because it gave me time to process my experiences, go over the questions, and journal about the morning's visit... then I also had to think, this beautiful countryside that I am driving through, this was the site of war... so many places we'll visit have felt first hand the tragedy of war twice within the last century... here in Leipzig for instance, rebuilding is still happening... speaking of our journey, we also passed the old checkpoint between east and west germany, no man's land... another chilling reminder of the recent history. I also realized that my dad and grandparents were on this same tour here, and would've had to go through this checkpoint... hmm...
Anyways, we arrived at our Hostel to find that our reservations weren't there! after a little bit of problem solving, we got a little less desireable room situation, but it all worked out fine... we got a short orientation tour of the city from Ken, and then were off to dinner and an evening on our own! A group of us ate traditional Saxon food at a famous resturant that I can't seem to remember it's name... just know that it ended in Keller, and it's famous for being mentioned in literature... anyways, it was amazing!
The rest of the evening consisted of window shopping, actual shopping (how do you correctly notate the difference here???), getting train info for after tour, and ice cream! Then it was back to the Hostel for the evening where we journaled and hung out, mostly playing cards and contacting friends back home...
Well, it's off to bed! A sightseeing day in Leipzig lays ahead of me! Hope this post finds you all well...
Blessings,
John
It's gettin kinda late here, so I'll keep it short, but I do get to sleep in a little bit in the morning!
Monday was a lot of fun, we did some sightseeing that ended up being mostly driving around and shopping in the rain, but it was fun! We had some members of the Espelkamp Mennonite youth group join us, Tabea, Tabea, Tobias, and Leo, it was a lot of fun! The concert was once again well recieved, so impressed by the audiences here... it was a smaller church, but we ate outside on the deck and it was beautiful! Thanks to all who helped!
This morning was another one of those bittersweet goodbyes... I was talking with a few friends, and it's hard, because we're all so much looking forward to the rest of the trip, but at the same time, we keep meeting new friends and don't feel like we've spent as much time with them as we'd like to before leaving again... So I said goodbye to the Enns family, Henry & Lisa, and their sons Christopher, Mike, and John. Had a great time with them too! We shared lots of stories and talked late into the night, seems to be a reoccurance with me... :) I am continiously impressed with the overwhelming hospitality and graciousness of our hosts and audiences here in Europe, and the Enns family was no exception...
So after leaving the church, we made our way to the Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp, a 2 hr drive from Espelkamp. Most spent this time catching up on journaling or sleeping, but some were just enjoying the beautiful German countryside... and I have to say, the Canola fields are beautiful!!! I was of the journaling crew, but as we got closer to our destination, I kept getting caught up in what was ahead of us, and what it was going to mean... I began to feel a little bit of apprehension, and when bradley gave the wake-up call to nappers at 15 km away, my mind was racing...
Upon arrival at the camp, we were pretty much turned loose by Ken and Bardley to roam about the memorial museum and grounds at our own leisure, meeting back in the bus by 12:30... while I wish we had more time, I was very glad for the time to go through alone... The museum was very moving, a little much at some points with the graphic pictures, but the stories were amazing... I also learned much more that the history books tend to leave out, the brutality, the prisoners of war, and so much more... I didn't know what to think a lot of the time, and I think now that that was ok, it was a mixture of disbelief, anger, and helplessness... I had taken my camera in, wearing it around my neck, but not once in the hour and a half could I bring myself to take off the lens cap, it seemed as if nothing could capture the emotions that I felt, it was strange... but a very moving experience, and I was very appreciative of the assignment Bradley and Ken had for us to do back in the bus.
The first hour and a half of the 3 hour bus ride to Leipzig was deemed as quiet time by our fearless leaders, another thing to be thankful for, because it gave me time to process my experiences, go over the questions, and journal about the morning's visit... then I also had to think, this beautiful countryside that I am driving through, this was the site of war... so many places we'll visit have felt first hand the tragedy of war twice within the last century... here in Leipzig for instance, rebuilding is still happening... speaking of our journey, we also passed the old checkpoint between east and west germany, no man's land... another chilling reminder of the recent history. I also realized that my dad and grandparents were on this same tour here, and would've had to go through this checkpoint... hmm...
Anyways, we arrived at our Hostel to find that our reservations weren't there! after a little bit of problem solving, we got a little less desireable room situation, but it all worked out fine... we got a short orientation tour of the city from Ken, and then were off to dinner and an evening on our own! A group of us ate traditional Saxon food at a famous resturant that I can't seem to remember it's name... just know that it ended in Keller, and it's famous for being mentioned in literature... anyways, it was amazing!
The rest of the evening consisted of window shopping, actual shopping (how do you correctly notate the difference here???), getting train info for after tour, and ice cream! Then it was back to the Hostel for the evening where we journaled and hung out, mostly playing cards and contacting friends back home...
Well, it's off to bed! A sightseeing day in Leipzig lays ahead of me! Hope this post finds you all well...
Blessings,
John
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Greetings from Germany!!!
Well, first of all, excuse any grammatical errors or blatent shortcuts because the layout of this keyboard is seriously hurting my typing accuracy and speed... it'll probably be shorter too, mostly due to frustration haha
As we departed Joure this morning following the morning's worship service (where we sang a few pieces towards the end, including Loch Lomond by request of the congregation... probably the first it has ever been used in worship!!! they said it gave them the "chickenskin," which we got a kick out of too... now that I think about it, goosebumps is pretty funny too... haha) we were all in agreement that we were very pleasantly suprised and encouraged by the dutch hospitality, and it will be missed!!! Many fond memories made there, and it seems like we've been gone a lot longer than last Tuesday!!!
The concert tonight in Espelkampf was again very well recieved, and an audience of over 200! Our biggest so far, we've usually been bringing in numbers closer to 75 or so, it was great! Evening with the hosts tonight, staying in the suburbs, a completely different environment from Holland, but it's nice... Having great conversation, I think Chad and I may have the only family where all speak fluent english... and they have 3 boys! and, interestingly enough, they're Canadian! thought that was kind of funny :)
Off for sightseeing tomorrow morning early, and it's about time for yours truly to get some sleep, a change from the last few nights... I'll keep making an effort to stay updated! I just posted pictures on my nikon website, not very many because I haven't even looked at them all! But enough to begin to give you a little idea of who, what, and where! the link is below, hope it works to see them! (And I've just realized that my grad photos are still on this card!)
I guess adam was finally able to get the group's blog started, but feel free to keep following along here! He has to wait until he gets it back from the different members of the group before he can post anything, so this will probably be more current.
Thank you for the thougts and prayers! Hope all is well with you, feel free to comment, or get in touch with me via email. Until next time!
Blessings,
John
Oh, and just figured out that I'll have to do photos another way... I'll keep you posted, sorry!!! Probably have something tomorrow....
As we departed Joure this morning following the morning's worship service (where we sang a few pieces towards the end, including Loch Lomond by request of the congregation... probably the first it has ever been used in worship!!! they said it gave them the "chickenskin," which we got a kick out of too... now that I think about it, goosebumps is pretty funny too... haha) we were all in agreement that we were very pleasantly suprised and encouraged by the dutch hospitality, and it will be missed!!! Many fond memories made there, and it seems like we've been gone a lot longer than last Tuesday!!!
The concert tonight in Espelkampf was again very well recieved, and an audience of over 200! Our biggest so far, we've usually been bringing in numbers closer to 75 or so, it was great! Evening with the hosts tonight, staying in the suburbs, a completely different environment from Holland, but it's nice... Having great conversation, I think Chad and I may have the only family where all speak fluent english... and they have 3 boys! and, interestingly enough, they're Canadian! thought that was kind of funny :)
Off for sightseeing tomorrow morning early, and it's about time for yours truly to get some sleep, a change from the last few nights... I'll keep making an effort to stay updated! I just posted pictures on my nikon website, not very many because I haven't even looked at them all! But enough to begin to give you a little idea of who, what, and where! the link is below, hope it works to see them! (And I've just realized that my grad photos are still on this card!)
I guess adam was finally able to get the group's blog started, but feel free to keep following along here! He has to wait until he gets it back from the different members of the group before he can post anything, so this will probably be more current.
Thank you for the thougts and prayers! Hope all is well with you, feel free to comment, or get in touch with me via email. Until next time!
Blessings,
John
Oh, and just figured out that I'll have to do photos another way... I'll keep you posted, sorry!!! Probably have something tomorrow....
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Another fun night in Holland!!!
Our concert last night here in Joure was once again very well recieved, so much fun singing for such appreciative audiences!!! Two European concerts and both have ended with encore pieces!!!
A lot of people came over to our host's home after the concert for tea, coffee, treats (including vla, pronounced fla, stroupwaffles, salami, and cheese!!!), and fun conversation! Having lots of fun meeting and talking with so many different people! Conversation went late and then some of us guys stayed up late and hung out more with our host brothers, great times!
Woke up on my own pretty early this morning, well, 7:30am is pretty early considering I went to bed at 4 haha, to a quiet house... it was good to have time to myself for devotions and to catch up on my journaling.
I had a few thoughts during my devotions... as we were visiting some significant Menno Simons sites yesterday, like we will visit many significant Annabaptist history sites this tour, Bradley mentioned that it was sort of a faith pilgrimmage for us, getting to know some of the roots of our faith. I was thinking that for me, it is going to be not only the places of historical significance, but also the people I'm meeting along the journey that will make these next few weeks a great pilgrimmage, one that builds my faith and spiritual foundations...
Anyways, maybe deeper thoughts than any of you care to read about :) but I guess it's just as easy for you to close the window! haha, take care
blessings,
John
A lot of people came over to our host's home after the concert for tea, coffee, treats (including vla, pronounced fla, stroupwaffles, salami, and cheese!!!), and fun conversation! Having lots of fun meeting and talking with so many different people! Conversation went late and then some of us guys stayed up late and hung out more with our host brothers, great times!
Woke up on my own pretty early this morning, well, 7:30am is pretty early considering I went to bed at 4 haha, to a quiet house... it was good to have time to myself for devotions and to catch up on my journaling.
I had a few thoughts during my devotions... as we were visiting some significant Menno Simons sites yesterday, like we will visit many significant Annabaptist history sites this tour, Bradley mentioned that it was sort of a faith pilgrimmage for us, getting to know some of the roots of our faith. I was thinking that for me, it is going to be not only the places of historical significance, but also the people I'm meeting along the journey that will make these next few weeks a great pilgrimmage, one that builds my faith and spiritual foundations...
Anyways, maybe deeper thoughts than any of you care to read about :) but I guess it's just as easy for you to close the window! haha, take care
blessings,
John
Friday, May 14, 2010
A quick post from Friesland...
Arrived in Friesland this afternoon, thought Jon would appreciate this :)
Thought I would give a quick update! We are eating soon and then have a concert in the evening back at the church... having lots of fun! A beautiful drive this morning and afternoon, visited some Mennonite historical sites including the hometown of Menno Simons, and the church where he was a priest before joining the reform movement. A good experinece!
Last night's lack of sleep caught up with me this afternoon... had to take a nap in the bus and it still took a bit of a walk before I was alert again for warm-ups :) But that's the youth in me right?
Well, off to dinner and then a concert! Will hopefully post some pictures tonight or tomorrow...
Blessings,
John
(Oh, and I am realizing that I am beginning to talk and type as if I am always talking to people for whom English is a second, third, or fourth language... so my apologies for possibly sounding like an idiot myself at times, I sure feel like it! haha)
Thought I would give a quick update! We are eating soon and then have a concert in the evening back at the church... having lots of fun! A beautiful drive this morning and afternoon, visited some Mennonite historical sites including the hometown of Menno Simons, and the church where he was a priest before joining the reform movement. A good experinece!
Last night's lack of sleep caught up with me this afternoon... had to take a nap in the bus and it still took a bit of a walk before I was alert again for warm-ups :) But that's the youth in me right?
Well, off to dinner and then a concert! Will hopefully post some pictures tonight or tomorrow...
Blessings,
John
(Oh, and I am realizing that I am beginning to talk and type as if I am always talking to people for whom English is a second, third, or fourth language... so my apologies for possibly sounding like an idiot myself at times, I sure feel like it! haha)
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Last Day in Haarlem...
Well, first of all, it's late, so this will be short :)
Have had an amazing time in Haarlem! When I have time later I will add photos to this post, but it's off to bed soon for me!
This morning we went to a museum in Amsterdam, and then hung out downtown where Matt and I bought some bread and cheese for lunch in true frugle mennonite fashion! :) Then we made out way back to the churh in Haarlem for a rehearsal before our afternoon concert, it was very well recieved! We got a standing ovation and sang 606 with some members of the congregation for an unexpected encore performance, what a fun time!
Then we all went to the beach for a picnic and time to relax, but it was cold! Some people played soccer, others played in the water, dumb if you ask me, and others took pictures!
After that, some of us hung out together to celebrate our last night in Haarlem with some of the younger persons from the church, Klaas, Anna-Marian, and Michel... Then Rudy and I walked back to our host parents around 11pm, at which point we had more conversation, including pictures and story-telling! Rudy went to bed about 45 min ago, and here I am, typing away after talking late into the night with Rob about life and theology, there are very few topics we haven't covered yet! :)
Have had a fantastic experience in Haarlem, maybe I will make it back in my time after India! Hope all is well in the States!
Blessings,
John
Have had an amazing time in Haarlem! When I have time later I will add photos to this post, but it's off to bed soon for me!
This morning we went to a museum in Amsterdam, and then hung out downtown where Matt and I bought some bread and cheese for lunch in true frugle mennonite fashion! :) Then we made out way back to the churh in Haarlem for a rehearsal before our afternoon concert, it was very well recieved! We got a standing ovation and sang 606 with some members of the congregation for an unexpected encore performance, what a fun time!
Then we all went to the beach for a picnic and time to relax, but it was cold! Some people played soccer, others played in the water, dumb if you ask me, and others took pictures!
After that, some of us hung out together to celebrate our last night in Haarlem with some of the younger persons from the church, Klaas, Anna-Marian, and Michel... Then Rudy and I walked back to our host parents around 11pm, at which point we had more conversation, including pictures and story-telling! Rudy went to bed about 45 min ago, and here I am, typing away after talking late into the night with Rob about life and theology, there are very few topics we haven't covered yet! :)
Have had a fantastic experience in Haarlem, maybe I will make it back in my time after India! Hope all is well in the States!
Blessings,
John
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Arrival in Holland!
After a fun adventure in Chicago and a close call in the O'hare airport with Melina and Kayci, we just made it to our flight and were on our way... While I was seated in the very back of the plane, unlike the rest the group, (not to mention the other passengers) I had the luxury of an isle seat with no one on my left side either! It turned out to be a fairly comfortable flight, landing in Amsterdam a little behind schedule at 9:30 this morning...
Right away we went to the Anne Frank house and museum, a very eye-opening experience, to think that 8 people were in hiding there for 23 months is mind boggling, and most definitely humbling. After a quick bite to eat (I chose a small sandwich shop, yum!!!) we were back on the bus and headed to an outdoor museum. This museum had exhibits on wooden shoe making, pottery, jewelery, and the highlight for most of us, CHEESE!!! It was wonderful! With samples and all!!! It was all I could do to not buy a wheel, but tryin to get into conservation of money mode :) Speaking of which... I never called my debit card company to alert them of my travels... maybe I should get on that...
After our time at the museum, it was time to go to the churh in Haarlem and meet up with our hosts, Rudy and I were placed together for the next two nights with the most charming, hospitable couple, they're wonderful! The language has been a bit of a barrier, but between Rob's (our host) broken English and Rudy's knowledge of German, similar to Dutch, we're geting along just fine! Had some great conversation and time to enjoy music together before dinner, and then DINNER!!! It was fantastic! Four courses, all of them homemade and delicious, or "lecker" as we were taught to say... After stuffing ourselves, I plopped down on the ouch for a bit to watch some football (soccer for us Americans) while Rudy caught up with facebook... Now he's in bed and I'm up typing!!!
It's been a long and eventful day, have had a lot of fun already and it's only day 1!! Looking forward to some more sightseeing tomorrow and then our first concert in the afternoon! It will be sad to leave Rob and Maria Friday morning, but hopefully we will keep in touch!
Let me know what all you'd like to hear about my time here, should be able to post again tomorrow night as well... But it's off to bed for me! Been up for who knows how long, no real sleep on the plane this time, hopefully that doesn't stay true for the rest of my time over here :)
Blessings,
John
Right away we went to the Anne Frank house and museum, a very eye-opening experience, to think that 8 people were in hiding there for 23 months is mind boggling, and most definitely humbling. After a quick bite to eat (I chose a small sandwich shop, yum!!!) we were back on the bus and headed to an outdoor museum. This museum had exhibits on wooden shoe making, pottery, jewelery, and the highlight for most of us, CHEESE!!! It was wonderful! With samples and all!!! It was all I could do to not buy a wheel, but tryin to get into conservation of money mode :) Speaking of which... I never called my debit card company to alert them of my travels... maybe I should get on that...
After our time at the museum, it was time to go to the churh in Haarlem and meet up with our hosts, Rudy and I were placed together for the next two nights with the most charming, hospitable couple, they're wonderful! The language has been a bit of a barrier, but between Rob's (our host) broken English and Rudy's knowledge of German, similar to Dutch, we're geting along just fine! Had some great conversation and time to enjoy music together before dinner, and then DINNER!!! It was fantastic! Four courses, all of them homemade and delicious, or "lecker" as we were taught to say... After stuffing ourselves, I plopped down on the ouch for a bit to watch some football (soccer for us Americans) while Rudy caught up with facebook... Now he's in bed and I'm up typing!!!
It's been a long and eventful day, have had a lot of fun already and it's only day 1!! Looking forward to some more sightseeing tomorrow and then our first concert in the afternoon! It will be sad to leave Rob and Maria Friday morning, but hopefully we will keep in touch!
Let me know what all you'd like to hear about my time here, should be able to post again tomorrow night as well... But it's off to bed for me! Been up for who knows how long, no real sleep on the plane this time, hopefully that doesn't stay true for the rest of my time over here :)
Blessings,
John
Monday, May 10, 2010
The first leg...
Well, this isn't a very exciting trip I can assure you of that... Driving from Hesston to Goshen has been pretty uneventful, aside from the horrendous amount of construction on I-80 and depressing weather the entire way... but that's Indiana for you right?
So I write this from the car, inside Indiana state lines, heading to Grandma and Grandpa's for the night and then off to Chicago later in the morning! Hasn't quite hit me yet that I'm leaving tomorrow evening for Europe, don't know why, but I'm sure it'll hit me soon enough! :)
I'll try to keep this updated as best I can, not sure how much I'll have access to the internet, but would love to hear from you!
Would appreciate your prayers as I travel over the next 7-8 weeks, and for the group as well as we all meet in Chicago tomorrow (minus my partner in crime, Matt, who thinks he can fly out of Detroit...) and travel together for the next 3 and a half weeks.
Blessings,
John
So I write this from the car, inside Indiana state lines, heading to Grandma and Grandpa's for the night and then off to Chicago later in the morning! Hasn't quite hit me yet that I'm leaving tomorrow evening for Europe, don't know why, but I'm sure it'll hit me soon enough! :)
I'll try to keep this updated as best I can, not sure how much I'll have access to the internet, but would love to hear from you!
Would appreciate your prayers as I travel over the next 7-8 weeks, and for the group as well as we all meet in Chicago tomorrow (minus my partner in crime, Matt, who thinks he can fly out of Detroit...) and travel together for the next 3 and a half weeks.
Blessings,
John
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