Awaken 2011

Between Christmas and New Years, Dec. 27-30, Great Commission Europe staged the bi-annual Awaken Conference in Pescara, Italy. Over 100 people came together from six European countries. The theme was Knowing God's Will for Your Life and Pastor John Goering was one of the four main speakers. Eight RBers attended the event and were blessed by the content and the fellowship. It is such a blessing for Lucy and I to meet with missionaries who have been in the field for many years and share the benefits of their experiences. We hear many stories of God's faithfulness.

It didn't hurt either that the weather was warmer here than in Berlin and we actually saw some sunshine, which we don't see much of in Berlin. The hotel was right on the Adriatic Sea, very beautiful.

Irish Dancing in Berlin

One of the RBers, Anja, who comes from the Ukraine, is part of an Irish dance group. Lucy was able to attend one of the performances and loved it. Berlin is such an international city. Lucy invited Karin who is the mother of Alex (one of our Rock Berliner's).

Christmas Eve 2011

On Christmas Eve, we invited some of the RBers that could not celebrate with family. It is a blessing how God unites us as family when we give ourselves to Him. It was wonderful evening. Everyone received some small gifts as tokens of love and friendship.

We had one child there, Jonathan, and he opened a few Christmas presents (that we all played with:)

Christmas 2011

Our home group, the English Conversation Group, had a Christmas dinner at our place on the 23rd of Dec. Half of the group was traveling to visit family. It was a special time of remembering how the Lord has blessed us, how wonderful our Savior is, and how much the world needs Jesus. Besides us, Celine (in the center), Nenad (front right), and John-Paul, Maria and Elijah, attended this special gathering.

2011 Rock Berlin Retreat

Over the first weekend in November, we had our annual Rock Berlin retreat. The campgrounds were about an hour outside of the city center and has a beautiful lake next to the property.

Pastor Mark Darling, from the Minneapolis Rock, attended and shared the teaching sessions with Pastor John.

About eighteen adults and six children attended and had a great time meeting with each other and with God in this beautiful place.

The theme was the disciplines of the Christian walk, in particular, Prayer. We listened to teachings, talked about it, and practiced it. The retreat was a time of blessing for all.

More of Hamburg

Hamburg is a major German city. It has a huge harbor which sees much traffic. There was an island where developers located a large theater, which was showing Lion King while we were there (we did not attend).

Much of Hamburg was demolished during WWII. We visited a church that was almost completely destroyed. Underground is a museum with pictures from the destruction during WWII.

Hamburg is a beautiful city with many new buildings and parks. Even though I was gone for about fifty-six years, there was a sense of coming home. It was a relaxing and energizing trip.

Visiting Dieter's Birthplace

We finally, after four years, visited the city of Hamburg where I was born and lived the first four years of my life. I still have cousins living in Hamburg and one of them, Ralf, along with his friend, gave us a short tour. We are standing in front of the home where my family had lived. It looks much nicer now.

We also visited the cemetary where my grandmother, Frieda, is buried.

Protest in Berlin

In September there was a peaceful demonstration that passed by our apartment. The marchers were protesting for social reform - more jobs and government support.

This is not a sight we often see. Every spring Germany celebrates May Day - a day to celebrate the worker. There are normally marches and demonstrations on that day.

Starting School in Berlin

Here is a picture of Joshua, son of Pastor John and Stephi. Joshua started school this past fall. He did not attend kindergarten (childrengarden), but was able to start first grade. The schools have a celebration to welcome the students starting school. The parents make or buy the big cones and fill them with sweets and gifts. Lucy and I were honored to be invited by Joshua to observe this celebration, along with his family. The teachers and older students staged a great program to welcome the first graders. It was a wonderful introduction to school.