outdoors

 We get a lot of rain in northern Germany ( a LOT! ) That is why we are so excited when we get to come outdoors. Kris and my friend Warren taught us a new "sport" called Guerilla Gardening! He is from Massachusetts but is like me, calling Germany his "home."

 We had a large barbecue a few weeks ago...

 Joanna is our intern in Hamburg from California. Here she is with Kris and Stan.

 Birthe (middle) is enjoying the company of Astrid, and Carina...

 Here are Judith (who lives in the dorms where I help lead a small group), Wiebke, Thahn and Janina B....

We love meeting new people, like Saskia... beside Carina, Anja, Elli (physical therapy) and Steffi (Birthes roommate, who just finished her degree in food science).

spring retreat

 Look how cool our spring retreat was... students from several cities... here are Maria and Maria from Jena!

 We had great times of worship... seminars... and fellowship!

 It was cool to have 2 couples there... with kids... who used to be single students when we first met them with Connexxion! Here is Lydia with our staff wife, Anja (ready to have her 3rd child!)...

Yummy... bratwurst!

learning the core

 We had an amazing time with 2 staff leaders from Christian Challenge in Nebraska, Brett and Jeremy. Their combined experience was a great encouragement for our leaders and key students as we came together in May from different cities in Germany to learn the 8-hour seminar they wrote, "Immovable Core." It shares really deep theology, tracing God's hand through Genesis to Revelation!

 Then I traveled with them to Sevilla, Spain-- where they also participated in various groups of our Connexxion group there...

 It was a big challenge to get all the materials translated into German and then Spanish...

 here is our good friend Inma, translating for Jeremy!

 That Sunday was an unforgettable experience-- 2 collegiates, Sebastien and Leti, got baptised in the ocean, as part of a younger church plant. (Abraham, on our Connexxion staff, is in the middle).

It is awesome to have godly partners such as these men, who challenge us and give sacrificially of their time and finances to journey here!