someone needs to start Connexxion here

 Our local Braunschweig staff had the joy of doing a little "scout trip" to Leipzig in September, and ending the day with a fabulous concert by Coldplay. It was a very generous gift given to me by 2 of the staff for my birthday. This is a campus cafeteria.

 This, too, is part of the university, restored from a former church.

 Another church, the Nikolai Kirche, is famous for being the location where the Monday quiet protests were held, which were part of what God used to "tear down the Wall" in 1989.

 We viewed a museum showing how the Stasi police were watching everyone. This is an outfit worn by the Young Pioneers.

 My newer friends Marta and Martin-- musicians and creative teachers, who love Jesus! I got to stay in their apartment.

so classy...

This city is just over an hour from Jena... so people working in this city could also have good fellowship with our other Connexxion groups-- I would love for God to send us workers here!

classy city & world- changing heroes

As Connexxion staff we had our annual staff retreat in Vienna this year, which gave us the chance also to meet up with some of our IMB colleagues and hear them teach from the Word. Here we are at the YMCA building we used over 2 days.

 Kris, Stefan and Thomas... eating Käsekrainer, which is like a sausage (bratwurst) with cheese inside, wrapped inside a bun ...and full of fat! (yuk!)

 A free afternoon -- Kris, Stefan and Hendrik in front of the Schönbrunn Castle (Schloss)

 This made me get an idea for our upcoming Heart Beat Conference in Berlin... it reads: "Folge Deinem Herzen - Follow your heart" -- which you know could get you into lots of trouble... but I loved the idea that this Cola had an extra slogan on it, for a cause. I'd like to change it to: Follow HIS heart! We're emphasizing the "7 heart attitudes" at our conference this November.

 Stefan interpreting (and doing a splendid job!) for Neil.

 On the back side of our retreat, we attended a Greenhouse Conference with speaker Neil Cole from Long Beach, California. We took home lots of ideas which we now incorporating and sifting through--about organic church, discipleship, & small groups that multiply faster.

 Kris H., Abraham R., me, Hendrik & Maggie von N., Anja & Thomas K., Anja G., Birthe M.

 I'm with a very cool family, Mike and Carrie, who have been able to connect with a group of college students in Vienna. He was kind enough to do a lot of our legwork and local organization before we arrived!

a look inside the cathedral

a new church plant

How fun it was to catch up with friends this summer... & at the same time be in Jena, my former city, for an inaugural worship service of a new church start! Here are Lukas and Maria with their baby girl at a grill party.

 Birthe is enjoying some of the pride of the state to Thuringia, their bratwursts! Yummy!

 Welcome to the World, precious Johanna Joy-- Anja can be proud!

 ... and so can her husband, Thomas-- hard at work as the Grillmeister!

 First worship-- in rooms above the Deutsche Bank building

 Guess what we're doing? Anja and Maria and I helping with the kids' program. This time there were just 3 of them, and 3 of us... but we had fun.

 Hanging out afterwards...

Here is Vera, from Hamburg; Birthe from Braunschweig, and Abraham, our staff in Sevilla who'd just arrived for a month in Germany.

Dad in Europe... and well, um... Asia, too!

 It was great having my dad here this summer for a week in between trips, after he spoke in India. Here we are with Kris and Abraham, who came from Spain for a month's R&R.

 Two very elegant, refined men!

 Dad enjoys art and we puttered around some museums locally....

 He also loves every chance he can get to train and challenge young men... here with Henning, Kris and Lars. (I helped make breakfast and then "got out of the way" so the men could have their time together!)

 Stefan Beyer, church planter and former student & staffer with Connexxion, is a good friend of Dad's and came up from Jena for an overnight visit.

We worked in a quick day- trip to Hamburg, to see some friends...

 Then it was off to Turkey-- meeting up with Bruce. We visited the ancient city of Ephesus... you can see that they did have pipes for heating and water...

 After going to Greece for the first time this summer, it was amazing to also get to see another ancient culture that I'd only read about before, and once again walk in the footsteps of the Apostle Paul.

 Dad and Bruce's shoes firmly planted on a path that actually dates to the time of the early church.

 statue of Nike

 crowded ancient street... and note the umbrellas to protect from the heat and sun....

 in front of the ancient library of Ephesus with the 2 great men in my life, Dad and Bruce

 he spoke later to a society of Americans living abroad

 then back to Istanbul for a quick overnight. Sadly, i did not get to see much of this world- class city, because we were at a hotel in another location for that conference... but it may call me back one day for another visit!

 fascinating see of people, cultures, language and dress...

 tiny passages for shopping...

and yummy foods....

Walking the ancient paths of Greece

 God allowed me the privilege of walking down some ancient paths this summer... Here I am in Corinth, right after a company conference in Greece.

 Athens was outstanding... i could roam around here for weeks, and pick up REAL Greek (I studied 2 years of koine Greek to read the New Testament, in my Masters)... if the sun and heat were not so unbearable...

 Back to Corinth... yes i took this photo! it looks like a postcard, huh?

 creativity in useful objects -- a rain spout

 wall murals... less expensive apparently than a mosaic

 This "draw bridge" is ... well, NOT one... instead, it lets the boat pass by lowering the bridge versus raising it!

 Athens... an urban sprawl... white- cream colored buildlings... people experiencing life on their terraces...  traffic... exciting.

 Mars Hill... Paul the Apostle's famous encounter with philosophers Athens' city- shapers... love that speech!

 very special friends, Steven and Susan, also on the tour-- they welcomed me to their hearts and city, my first year in Germany... teaching me culture & setting up my apartment and language school!

replica of the Parthenon's east pediment found in the new Acropolis Museum