More exchange week fun

Beck's special strawberry shortcake recipe...

Connexxion continued the 2 weeks, with 2 exchange groups of USA university students overlapping (from Tennessee & Oklahoma) ...with fun and games (literally) and lots of laughs and events... here goes for the next round... (all of this a bit late-- sorry!).

Ben admiring the photographic art in the lobby of the Hochschule fuer Bildende Kunste (College of Fine Arts & Media). Where we (here pictured are Anissa & Laurie) also handed out cookies and invitations for the week (at 3 colleges in all!).

And a table with Rob and John at the Institute for Applied Sciences (social work area).

Our group hung out quite often at Eusebia, a friendly cafe just behind the campus.... now we have a weekly Bible discussion group meeting there, too.
Jon, Heather and I actually got this wonderful ice cream in Wolfenbüttel that afternoon... but the pictures I will add in here. It tastes good when you have hot days with no A/C... and even on cooler days w/ 60 -something degree temps (we've had a lot of those this summer!).

Pasta Parties

We had 3 pasta parties in different locations the main week of our exchange... a big thanks to all our great hosts, as well as to those who helped them out in the kitchen, too!

One met outdoors behind a dorm where Ruben lives.

Wolfenbüttel

This amazing array of "fachwerk" (half- timbered) houses is completely in tact, in a town called Wolfenbüttel just about 25 minutes from Braunschweig. WOW! What a great place to hang out and relax with the teams...

Beck's "name sake" beer is brewed in Bremen, about 1 and 1/2 hours from here. And what German city tour would be complete without a visit to a castle or palace!? This one did not disappoint... complete with impressive gate, and scary weaponry, which they let us TRY OUT!!

exchange week....

Here are some more photos of our June exchange with the Tennesse and Oklahoma students -- from Monday and Tuesday... the group above is at the main Mensa (cafeteria). At 2 locations each day on campus we handed out cookies & invitations to the week's events.

We've had quite the full calendar the last few weeks! This coffee shop is an amazing BLESSED addition to our city, which I haven't tried out yet (believe it or not!) -- put in the new Castle (Schloss) which is a mall with plenty of clothing, music and knick-knack stores... as well as a grocery store.

Cultural Exchange in full swing

Thankfully, generous volunteers from my church, such as Steffen on the left pictured with Rob from Tennessee, helped to bake cookies to greet students from our Info. Tables. I brought chocolate chips and the recipe to the church ahead of time.

We met new students on Monday through Wednesday at our Info/contact tables in 4 locations: 2 main cafeterias of the Technical University, the art/design school, & the University of Applied Sciences.

That Monday was my birthday and we threw a beach party in my apartment.

The Amis Arrive...

If you compare the above photo to the one in the "blog" below this, you can see how the group kept growing-- first Oklahoma arrived and then 10 from Tennessee!

In Germany a term for Americans is "Amis" (it can be used derogatorily, but is also just a shorter way to say it!). In the last 2 weeks we had 15 "new friends" from the States arrive for a German- American cultural exchange (including for a few of them, a true summer internship). It's been super busy & intensive, but very blessed and fun! Here are a few photos of the beginning of our time... including getting to know the city.

Eating in the Mensa (university cafeteria) w/ Tina (front left) who helped a ton with the groups! ... doing a "city rally" (scavenger hunt) to find the "Old Scales & Weights building" alongside a cool man- made stream ...

Finding a bathroom in the city center (you put in coins and then open the door).
Where to find good ice cream... :-) Yummy!

... where to meet interesting people -- such as the lady who is having a bachelorette party, and the wedding couple here doing a puzzle in front of the Rathaus "city hall".

Summer Friends

Whew! It's been a "wild and crazy ride" the last few weeks ... now I'm finally finding some time to share photos from June! Here is the Oklahoma University student group which has come to support our Connexxion group for the summer and do a cultural exchange! They're in front of the Rizzi house in town. On the far left is Anja, my good friend who's doing a "practicum" (internship) with us this summer.

In front of the old Rathaus (city hall) the group had to find someone in the square and ask them for advice about where to eat! (I'm in pink on the right, and Ulrike, a student who helped design this scavenger hunt, is 2nd from the left).

No worries in Potsdam

The SMD Group in Potsdam (German term for the campus ministry "Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship") invited me to speak for them last week. I was very honored to be invited to 2 SMD groups (one at home, too) in the same week!

Sebastian is one of 2 leaders of the group, having transferred his studies to Potsdam last year. He gave me a whirlwind tour of the city & a famous palace grounds in 2 hours! Bastie is a special friend, and just had an anniversary this Monday-- he received Christ as his Savior 3 years ago, sitting in my living room in Jena with Alrik, another good buddy, and me. I can tell you this quite openly, because Sebastian reminds me of this anniversary with bubbling joy, each year!

Potsdam is close to Berlin, and has its very OWN Brandenburger Gate /Tor (see top photo; smaller than the one in Berlin).

Isn't this splendorious!?! The palace is called "Sans Souci" meaning in French, "no worries." The terraces you see seemed to have either grape vines or small fig trees growing inside little alcoves, each with 2 glass doors to cover them (they were open). I'm guessing, in case of birds?

Some college students were protesting in the pedestrian zone, because in most states, if you study longer than the "given" number of semesters for your degree program, then you pay 500 Euro for university (it used to be NO cost!).

I was amazed that the SMD Group has their own room, in the basement of a dorm, where they can have their meetings and decorate as they will. They were a very friendly bunch & we discussed why Christians are "dependent" (v.s. independent) upon God & fellowship with others.