Almost The End

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:38-9 (ESV)

I'm sitting in a bagel shop with one of my teammates. We occasionally look at each other and say, "June 8th." Neither of us can believe it. Neither can the other two on this team. We have a week, and Lord willing, we will be home. We have less than a week in Dresden. It's surreal, and I am a little overwhelmed at all we still have left to do.

Day, Jessica, and I spent this previous week in Bavaria and Austria. It was amazing to see God's handiwork in a new way. Human minds and hands can certainly create some beautiful works, but nothing compares to the majesty of the imagination of our God. Castles, churches, and cities millennia old pale in comparison to the grace of Swan Lake or the mighty peaks of the Alps or the swiftness of the Danube.

Bavaria is amazing. We visited Dachau Concentration Camp. That was an experience I will never forget. Knowing that I was walking on the ground where people's lives were treated as if they were nothing more than, well, nothing was sickening and sobering. The beauty of the day seemed a perfect contrast to the death camp memorial. Ugh. Wow.

That same day, we had the chance to visit Regensburg. That's where my mom was born! She was born in an Army hospital. The town is so beautiful, and I really want to go back so I can properly explore it.

The next day, we went to the small towns of Füssen and Schwangau to visit the castles of Mad King Ludwig. Neuschwanstein (the castle the Disney castle is modeled after) is SO beautiful. The three of us hiked up to see it, and then we hiked up some more to see it from a different angle. Then, we hiked up some MORE to see it from yet a different angle. We then hiked all the way back down going a different route. It was so beautiful. Knowing that I was there, and I saw the Swan Lake is, just, WOW. We also got to see the less ostentatious but no less beautiful Hohenschwangau Castle. The mad king didn't even live in the Disney-inspired castle. He was just crazy and wanted a toy, I guess. All in all, it was a beautiful and exhausting day. Now, I can say that I hiked up the Alps. :-) The following day, we traipsed into Salzburg, Austria. This is city is breathtaking. I want to go back there to explore some more.

We stayed in a hostel in Munich (which we also explored when we could), and I am not likely to repeat that experience. Munich was a cool city. We saw the Olympic Park, BMW world, and the coolest Rathaus (city hall) ever! We had some very interesting experiences with, uh, the locals. Let's say that Germans, too much beer, and lederhosen make for unpleasant experiences. It would make you think twice about lowering the drinking age in America.

Those are some of the adventures I've had this past week. Here's a link for pictures (you can also see the slide show in the post from yesterday). I am slowly working on labels for the pics.

Bavaria and Austria

Thank you for everything you do! I can't wait to see everyone at home!! Please pray for us as all of us all over Western Europe make our ways to Paris on June 12th. Some will be leaving for home on June 15th, and others will be heading back to the field until late July or August.

Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Selah
Psalm 62:8