Each day is busy with reading textbooks or traveling on an academic tour or simply being tourists. Even Sundays have had a scaled down busyness. We've visited three churches in the three weeks we've been here, two of them ancient and in German, still conducting services as they did when the churches were built. The antiquity of the churches and the services are fascinating and the architecture is beautiful. But when one cannot understand the message, when the service is mostly ritualistic, and when a university professor speaks for the bulk of the time about donating to a local children's fund there is something missing.
Tonight we at last had our own worship session. Only half of our group is here right now so we were small, but one has an exceptional voice and another plays the guitar. A German woman and her daughter came as well. We played UNO with the little girl after we were done singing. Apparently, she threw a snowball at one of our professor yesterday morning and launched us all into an acquaintanceship. She's five and likes horses and playing outside in the snow and so I thought of Emma.
One of the hardest parts about being in a foreign country, for me, is putting relationships on hold that were just beginning to develop. I finally found a church and began to get involved in it when God brought me to this remarkable experience in Germany. One of the most exciting things about returning to Salem is knowing that I know where I will be worshiping every Sunday and I know that I will be able to understand the language. I'm excited to return to work with the kids again. When school starts, I'm excited to go to college group (the highlight of my week). I'm excited to see what God has in the future. I am anticipating while I am enjoying this new experience.
So, if anyone from church and/or college group is reading this I miss you all and I can't wait to see you again!