Andrew and I are sitting on our couch with several fans blowing and all the windows thrown open. Summer is finally back. We had such a warm, dry spring that it felt like summer as early as March this year. Around mid-June, spring returned and stayed with us up until about a week ago. Throughout July and August I sometimes had to wear a jacket to work, and even used a space heater by my desk to ward off the damp chill!
This week it has finally gotten warm enough to sweat a little at my desk on the second floor of the Eurasia Region Communication Center, and I switched out the heater for the fan.
While this may sound like I am complaining, compared to the temperatures ravaging our friends and family back home in the States, we feel grateful we have been spared that kind of weather. People don't use air conditioning here, and often will take a dip in the Rhine as the way to cool off. If we had experienced 100+ degrees without air conditioning, well, we might have just moved our apartment into the river.
The campus has been very quiet since the students left after graduation. We weren't sure what to expect with everyone gone, but we've managed to stay really busy. The work never seems to abate with Engagemagazine.com. I am pleased to welcome a new coworker who is assisting me from her office at the Global Ministry Center in Kansas City, Liz Hollenberg. It's already made such a difference to have her help and ideas and perspective a few hours each week. Liz served in the Asia Pacific Region Communication Center in years past, so brings all that she learned and experienced there to Engage. We work together by phone, instant message and e-mail.
From July through the end of September, we've also benefited from having a Northwest Nazarene University grad, Joelle, here volunteering as a writer for the Eurasia Region. She originally came to take a class at EuNC, and afterward very generously offered to give us six travel days on her Eurail Pass if we would like to send her to any locations to report on what God is doing. I sent out a flurry of e-mails to various leaders, asking if they would like to have a reporter come to them. We received three responses, and so we sent Joelle off to Frankfurt, Antwerp and Haarlem (Netherlands) on a whirlwind tour to interview people, experience ministry and come back to write about it. She'll be heading back to a new job in the States on August 30. I can tell God has great things in store for her.
Another volunteer for the Eurasia Communications team office is set to arrive from the East Coast in mid-September. Laine will give 6 months to communications as a video production guru. Laine is a good friend of my cousin, and I'm super excited to have her join our team for a little while and tell stories through audio-visual media.
Joelle has been a good hiking buddy, and Laine says she's up for climbing some Alps when she gets here, too. So I'm happy that I'm actually getting into the mountains this year.
I'm really grateful to report that in general I've been feeling much better with my health since the spring time. I'm still not sure what all those bouts of sickness were about last year and early this year, but it seems (hopefully) to have passed. Again, I am so thankful to everyone who has supported me in prayer for recovery. I really believe those prayers were effective. I have definitely learned to appreciate my health more, and to enjoy being healthy by getting out and enjoying all the awesome natural beauty where we live.
When we're not working, we enjoy meals with friends, read, take walks through the fields and forests, drop by Schaffhausen for a scoop of ice cream, watch movies at home, and go on the occasional day-trip. Now that it's warm enough, I'm trying to get out for a hike on any weekend with good weather. I know summer will pass rapidly and soon it'll be too cold and wet on the peaks for safe hiking.
Andrew is continuing work developing a history class for EuNC's distance learning centers, which begin classes in the next few days. He is also studying for the GRE, in preparation for sending out applications to PhD programs in a few months. And next Thursday, our church's free English classes to the community resume; I'll be teaching regularly this fall. I am excited for that to get started again!
So, we're as busy as ever and enjoying to the fullest this opportunity to serve the church here in German/Switzerland. :-)
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Friday, July 29, 2011
Answers to prayers for Gabi
We received fantastic news about Gabi this week. This is the email I received from a woman who knows the family:
"There is good news from Gabi. I have talked to her mother-in-law this morning. She is awake now and it seems there is no brain damage. She can talk, sometimes she has blackouts but they are growing less. It was much worse in the beginning. She cannot get up yet but her back is not hurt and she is having physiotherapy.
"She is learning to eat again after nearly seven weeks in coma.
"In August she will be moved to a rehab center. Her family hopes that she can go to (the center in the next village)."
Thank you to everyone who has joined us in prayer. I plan to drop off more cake and a note letting the family know that many of you have interceded for Gabi this summer and are sharing in their relief at this news.
Please do continue to pray that she doesn't have any setbacks, that her recovery is complete and rapid.
"There is good news from Gabi. I have talked to her mother-in-law this morning. She is awake now and it seems there is no brain damage. She can talk, sometimes she has blackouts but they are growing less. It was much worse in the beginning. She cannot get up yet but her back is not hurt and she is having physiotherapy.
"She is learning to eat again after nearly seven weeks in coma.
"In August she will be moved to a rehab center. Her family hopes that she can go to (the center in the next village)."
Thank you to everyone who has joined us in prayer. I plan to drop off more cake and a note letting the family know that many of you have interceded for Gabi this summer and are sharing in their relief at this news.
Please do continue to pray that she doesn't have any setbacks, that her recovery is complete and rapid.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Dinner in German
I (Gina) was surprised and happy when last week I received an e-mail from Cornelia, a woman in the English classes, inviting me to dinner with her family this coming week. It looks like the date's set for this Thursday.
During that last class before the summer break, I had asked her if we could exchange addresses and maybe meet this summer.
Shortly after that, Andrew and I were swept up in pre-graduation, graduation and post-graduation busyness, then Andrew and I took a week vacation. So I didn't have time to follow-up with her.
I'm excited that she initiated the contact. It seems like people around here can be rather private, even though they're curious and interested in newcomers. I try not to be too pushy in getting to know people.
While I'm excited about this opportunity to visit with a new friend in her home, I'm also nervous. Cornelia's still working on her English, and while she's good, her exposure to English is still pretty limited. And my German is even more limited. I'm nervous about being able to communicate and keep up my end of the conversation for a whole evening. This week I'm going to review my lesson materials from our German class in January and February and hope a lot of it will come rushing back. Maybe between her English and my German, we can meet somewhere in the middle and have a great time, getting to know each other better.
Pray for me!! :-)
During that last class before the summer break, I had asked her if we could exchange addresses and maybe meet this summer.
Shortly after that, Andrew and I were swept up in pre-graduation, graduation and post-graduation busyness, then Andrew and I took a week vacation. So I didn't have time to follow-up with her.
I'm excited that she initiated the contact. It seems like people around here can be rather private, even though they're curious and interested in newcomers. I try not to be too pushy in getting to know people.
While I'm excited about this opportunity to visit with a new friend in her home, I'm also nervous. Cornelia's still working on her English, and while she's good, her exposure to English is still pretty limited. And my German is even more limited. I'm nervous about being able to communicate and keep up my end of the conversation for a whole evening. This week I'm going to review my lesson materials from our German class in January and February and hope a lot of it will come rushing back. Maybe between her English and my German, we can meet somewhere in the middle and have a great time, getting to know each other better.
Pray for me!! :-)
Good news on Gabi
For those of you who have been following our reports on Gabi, a woman I met through the church's English classes for the community, I finally have some good news.
At the beginning of the summer, Gabi was working on the roof of a building on her farm when the tiles broke and she fell a great height. She suffered broken bones throughout her whole body and a head injury. It was very serious, and so the doctors at the hospital put her into an induced coma while they surgically repaired all the bone breaks. A few weeks ago they thought she was ready to be awakened, but as they brought her out of the coma, the pressure in her brain rapidly increased and so they stopped.
This past week, they tried again, and fortunately everything was OK. She was able to open her eyes and respond to commands. They will now continue to assess the head injury. The family is hoping that she did not suffer any permanent brain damage, since she is responsive and does not seem to have any paralysis.
Thank you to everyone who has been praying with us for Gabi and her family. Please continue to cover her in prayer.
It has been a difficult summer for the family, running their farm without Gabi. But many people in this village have been pitching in, helping to milk cows or do other work as needed. The pastor of the local Protestant church has also visited and prayed with the family. Jacob, a former Nazarene missionary who worked for a while at EuNC, has spent time with the family and they invited him to visit Gabi and pray over her at the hospital. So there has been a lot of support to the family during this very stressful and frightening time. It's been a blessing to see not only the Nazarene family, but the Body of Christ here in Busingen do what it does best -- be the hands of feet of Jesus and walk through a time of suffering with someone.
Please continue to pray for Gabi's full recovery and for the sustaining comfort and peace for the whole family while they wait for her to come home.
At the beginning of the summer, Gabi was working on the roof of a building on her farm when the tiles broke and she fell a great height. She suffered broken bones throughout her whole body and a head injury. It was very serious, and so the doctors at the hospital put her into an induced coma while they surgically repaired all the bone breaks. A few weeks ago they thought she was ready to be awakened, but as they brought her out of the coma, the pressure in her brain rapidly increased and so they stopped.
This past week, they tried again, and fortunately everything was OK. She was able to open her eyes and respond to commands. They will now continue to assess the head injury. The family is hoping that she did not suffer any permanent brain damage, since she is responsive and does not seem to have any paralysis.
Thank you to everyone who has been praying with us for Gabi and her family. Please continue to cover her in prayer.
It has been a difficult summer for the family, running their farm without Gabi. But many people in this village have been pitching in, helping to milk cows or do other work as needed. The pastor of the local Protestant church has also visited and prayed with the family. Jacob, a former Nazarene missionary who worked for a while at EuNC, has spent time with the family and they invited him to visit Gabi and pray over her at the hospital. So there has been a lot of support to the family during this very stressful and frightening time. It's been a blessing to see not only the Nazarene family, but the Body of Christ here in Busingen do what it does best -- be the hands of feet of Jesus and walk through a time of suffering with someone.
Please continue to pray for Gabi's full recovery and for the sustaining comfort and peace for the whole family while they wait for her to come home.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Exchange rates
One of the things that makes it difficult for American missionaries and volunteer missionaries who work in Europe is the changing value of the dollar. Namely, its decline.
When we first arrived in Europe in January 2010, the value of the euro was falling against the dollar. For us, that was a good thing. It meant that after four or five months, we had gained euro 10 to 15 cents for every dollar we spent. Our money was going farther than it did at the beginning.
That didn't last long. By the beginning of this year the dollar had fallen painfully, not only against the euro but against the Swiss franc. Because we live on the border of Germany and Switzerland, we operate in both currencies.
A year ago, $1 gave you 0.79 euros, while the dollar and Swiss franc were close to one for one.
Today, the exchange rate is like this:
$1 will give you just 0.69 euros.
$1 will give you just 0.83 Swiss franc.
Think of it in terms of purchasing power:
A plate of food at a restaurant in Switzerland is already 22 Swiss francs to begin with. So that meal would cost you $26 in dollars. As you can guess, we rarely eat out in Switzerland, except for the odd sandwich or McDonald's value menu junior burger.
Germany is a little better because their prices are much lower to begin with. Let's say an average plate of food at a restaurant in our part of Germany is 7.20 euros. That costs $10.30. For us, eating out, then, is a special treat, but it's possible.
The exchange rate is more painful the higher your purchase.
For instance, a trip to the nearest discount grocery store (it's called Aldi, which has some stores in the United States, as well) runs the two of us a minimum of about 50 euros for a week's worth of food. But in U.S. dollars (which is what our funding originates in) that jumps up to $71.
The exchange rate is hurting a lot of churches and missionaries in Europe. Some raised a certain amount of support based on an older exchange rate and have found their funds dwindle with the value of the dollar. The choices are to raise more, cut living expenses even further or go home early. We are grateful that we have been able to adjust.
Pray for the many religious workers and denominations in Europe whose support may come, at least in part, from generous people in the United States. Ask God to provide for all the needs in His way and perfect timing.
When we first arrived in Europe in January 2010, the value of the euro was falling against the dollar. For us, that was a good thing. It meant that after four or five months, we had gained euro 10 to 15 cents for every dollar we spent. Our money was going farther than it did at the beginning.
That didn't last long. By the beginning of this year the dollar had fallen painfully, not only against the euro but against the Swiss franc. Because we live on the border of Germany and Switzerland, we operate in both currencies.
A year ago, $1 gave you 0.79 euros, while the dollar and Swiss franc were close to one for one.
Today, the exchange rate is like this:
$1 will give you just 0.69 euros.
$1 will give you just 0.83 Swiss franc.
Think of it in terms of purchasing power:
A plate of food at a restaurant in Switzerland is already 22 Swiss francs to begin with. So that meal would cost you $26 in dollars. As you can guess, we rarely eat out in Switzerland, except for the odd sandwich or McDonald's value menu junior burger.
Germany is a little better because their prices are much lower to begin with. Let's say an average plate of food at a restaurant in our part of Germany is 7.20 euros. That costs $10.30. For us, eating out, then, is a special treat, but it's possible.
The exchange rate is more painful the higher your purchase.
For instance, a trip to the nearest discount grocery store (it's called Aldi, which has some stores in the United States, as well) runs the two of us a minimum of about 50 euros for a week's worth of food. But in U.S. dollars (which is what our funding originates in) that jumps up to $71.
The exchange rate is hurting a lot of churches and missionaries in Europe. Some raised a certain amount of support based on an older exchange rate and have found their funds dwindle with the value of the dollar. The choices are to raise more, cut living expenses even further or go home early. We are grateful that we have been able to adjust.
Pray for the many religious workers and denominations in Europe whose support may come, at least in part, from generous people in the United States. Ask God to provide for all the needs in His way and perfect timing.
Friday, July 1, 2011
Projects
- We are working on a "Best of Engage" book that I am editing, using some of our best stories of the past couple of years. It's relatively easy -- just sorting through the website and picking out dramatic narrative pieces that represent each of our six world regions. The idea came from our editor in Africa, Amy Crofford. That will be due in less than two weeks.
- I am making more work for myself by deciding to gather and format additional information pages for the regional website. I was inspired by some pages that were very informative and interesting on a couple of the other region websites. I'll spend the summer gleaning information about our church in different countries from several research books, and formatting it for the web.
- I sought the help of two professors of journalism to develop an intro to journalism course for training Nazarene writers in the world regions. We have a lot of people close to the action in countries around the world who can and do write up amazing stories for publication. We can offer them some training in improved news gathering, interviewing, research and writing that will help them develop even more compelling narratives and news stories. My hope is to have the course ready to go in late fall or, at the latest, January.
- I am continuing to work with writers on a 9-month article series to launch at the end of summer on the foundational principles of missions in our church, as well as how we apply those practically in a postmodern and 21st century context. I am looking forward to seeing that take a very real shape.
So, I'm keeping quite busy. :-)
Keep up with all the news: www.eurasiaregion.org/index.php/news and www.engagemagazine.com.
Monday, June 27, 2011
The End of the Beginning
Shortly after we arrived 18 months ago, I not only settled into my job responsibilities in the library and teaching but also began developing relationships with the campus students. This wasn't an official responsibility, it just happened. As these relationships were gradually built, I was hoping there might be 2-3 I could focus on as a mentor. However, I was not expecting tight friendships nor could I have imagined that I would gain so many whom I view as younger brothers and sisters - as family.
The past week brought a strange, but very good mixture of sadness and joy as they all left the campus for the last time. Unlike previous years, this was no "See you in the fall!" kind of temporary departure. It will certainly be strange when September arrives, and the campus is no longer filled with the sounds of students moving into the dorms. At the same time, I am very proud of how they have developed and all they've accomplished. I am incredibly excited to find out what the immediate and more distant future will bring into each of their lives.
Here are a few highlights from Graduation Weekend 2011:
The next six months remain somewhat unclear. I took a long walk on Sunday afternoon to clear my head, and try figuring out what new ministry I can be involved in while we are still here now that the students are gone. On the one hand, we are still here and there is work to be done. On the other hand, our own time will soon come to move on to wherever God leads us next. So, I am keeping myself available to EuNC while simultaneously preparing for the future. I confess I was expecting a little "handwriting on the wall" on Sunday during my walk as I prayed concerning the future. I'm probably not the only one around here who has been doing that. I got no answer: just a firm awareness that entered my mind like a cool breeze, assuring me that God had everything under control and that my only job was to be open, available, and ready.
This transition has affected every single person on this campus in some way, and we could all use your continued prayers. Pray for safe travels for each student, faculty member and staff-person departing the campus. Some have gone, some will leave this week, and others in the next few months. Pray for the few left behind. Pray that EuNC leadership will receive a clear vision for the future, that they will enjoy a time of restoration after the burden they've carried this past year. Pray for clarity in God's leading for each person, and for peace in their hearts even when there is little understanding.
Gina and I have both posted some pictures from Graduation Week 2011 on our Facebook profiles. Go to http://www.facebook.com, search separately for us under our full names, and "friend" us in order to be able to see the photos.
I would like to close by sharing my brief reflection which will be added to the "memory book" I mentioned earlier:
The past week brought a strange, but very good mixture of sadness and joy as they all left the campus for the last time. Unlike previous years, this was no "See you in the fall!" kind of temporary departure. It will certainly be strange when September arrives, and the campus is no longer filled with the sounds of students moving into the dorms. At the same time, I am very proud of how they have developed and all they've accomplished. I am incredibly excited to find out what the immediate and more distant future will bring into each of their lives.
Here are a few highlights from Graduation Weekend 2011:
- Johanna Radzizewski, Wolfgang Kohler, Cezarina Cufaj, and Rebekkah Regehr not only completed their B.A. degrees but also graduated with honors! Johanna graduated summa cum laude and provided heartfelt reflection on her development and education at EuNC during her commencement address.
- EuNC rector Klaus Arnold closed the ceremony and the residential program in Busingen with a single word, "Amen!" He reminded us that "Amen" does not mean "I am now done praying," but is rather an emphatic "Yes! So be it!" In the context of graduation and the campus closure, "Amen!" not only means completion, but a "Yes" to where God will lead from here. EuNC's graduating students have completed the beginning of their education, and are moving into new phases of God's work in and through their lives. EuNC has completed its first 45 years as a campus-based educational institution, and is in a position to embrace new ways of training Nazarene ministers for a global church. For both campus and students, one phase is completed and another is taking shape.
- A stone marker, a "cairn," was erected on the campus lawn near EuNC's Welcome Center. A special ceremony was held in which we were reminded of when people of faith in the Scriptures built stone monuments to mark the presence and work of God in their lives in a particular place and time. Countless men and women, young and old from many countries, have contributed to the EuNC campus over the last 45 years. Those of us who participated in this final year of the residential program - students, faculty, and staff - each laid a stone on our own monument (with the help of Uwe and Stephan Burmeister) to represent God's work in and through EuNC from 1966 to 2011. We also contributed a brief paragraph each to describe the blessing that this unique campus community has represented, and these will be collected and published in a book so that - no matter what form EuNC takes in the future - everyone who is part of EuNC will be inspired to continue and develop the kind of community experience we have enjoyed here at the campus.
The next six months remain somewhat unclear. I took a long walk on Sunday afternoon to clear my head, and try figuring out what new ministry I can be involved in while we are still here now that the students are gone. On the one hand, we are still here and there is work to be done. On the other hand, our own time will soon come to move on to wherever God leads us next. So, I am keeping myself available to EuNC while simultaneously preparing for the future. I confess I was expecting a little "handwriting on the wall" on Sunday during my walk as I prayed concerning the future. I'm probably not the only one around here who has been doing that. I got no answer: just a firm awareness that entered my mind like a cool breeze, assuring me that God had everything under control and that my only job was to be open, available, and ready.
This transition has affected every single person on this campus in some way, and we could all use your continued prayers. Pray for safe travels for each student, faculty member and staff-person departing the campus. Some have gone, some will leave this week, and others in the next few months. Pray for the few left behind. Pray that EuNC leadership will receive a clear vision for the future, that they will enjoy a time of restoration after the burden they've carried this past year. Pray for clarity in God's leading for each person, and for peace in their hearts even when there is little understanding.
Gina and I have both posted some pictures from Graduation Week 2011 on our Facebook profiles. Go to http://www.facebook.com, search separately for us under our full names, and "friend" us in order to be able to see the photos.
I would like to close by sharing my brief reflection which will be added to the "memory book" I mentioned earlier:
How difficult it is to summarize a year-and-a-half as part of the EuNC
campus community. Still, it is not impossible. In fact, I can boil it
down to two words: opportunity and gratitude. I have enjoyed many
opportunities I could never have experienced at home. I have learned
so much each and every day as I have embraced many challenging
opportunities, and this has served to teach me, transform my life, and
bring my calling into sharper focus. I came to EuNC intending only to
serve one-year and return home. I was not expecting my time here to
become so fundamental a part of my life, nor for the campus community
to find such a deep place in my heart. I am grateful for Klaus and
Antonie taking a chance on an unknown, inexperienced seminary graduate
and giving me so many opportunities to serve their students and become
part of their lives. I am grateful for the students - you will never
know how much I love all of you - who have been patient with me, who
have taught me how to laugh at myself, and whose questions have
challenged and re-shaped my own thinking as I have offered support,
encouragement, and advice. I am grateful, finally, to EuNC's staff:
without your tireless efforts, none of the rest of us in the campus
community could do what we do. Thank you for all your service in
feeding us, keeping the coffee flowing, keeping the campus property
maintained, the accounts balanced, and for all you do that is unseen.
I will never be the same because of this campus community, and cannot
now imagine it ever being otherwise.
campus community. Still, it is not impossible. In fact, I can boil it
down to two words: opportunity and gratitude. I have enjoyed many
opportunities I could never have experienced at home. I have learned
so much each and every day as I have embraced many challenging
opportunities, and this has served to teach me, transform my life, and
bring my calling into sharper focus. I came to EuNC intending only to
serve one-year and return home. I was not expecting my time here to
become so fundamental a part of my life, nor for the campus community
to find such a deep place in my heart. I am grateful for Klaus and
Antonie taking a chance on an unknown, inexperienced seminary graduate
and giving me so many opportunities to serve their students and become
part of their lives. I am grateful for the students - you will never
know how much I love all of you - who have been patient with me, who
have taught me how to laugh at myself, and whose questions have
challenged and re-shaped my own thinking as I have offered support,
encouragement, and advice. I am grateful, finally, to EuNC's staff:
without your tireless efforts, none of the rest of us in the campus
community could do what we do. Thank you for all your service in
feeding us, keeping the coffee flowing, keeping the campus property
maintained, the accounts balanced, and for all you do that is unseen.
I will never be the same because of this campus community, and cannot
now imagine it ever being otherwise.
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