Off to the City of Lights!

Why is it that the evening before a big travel day, I just can not sleep? Perhaps it is just the excitement of it all. It occurred to me that it might be a good idea to check into this blog, the one I use only for student trips, and see if good old Blogspot had changed things around for me. Yes indeed, they have. It might take me a bit to remember how to change my introductory statement to reflect FRANCE.

Yes, Paris...our destination for the year! I left the raindrops on for visual effect, since it is actually raining in Paris. Rain yes, but it is not as cold as it is in Florida at the moment!

This year we will continue to focus on journaling and photography, but our real interest and points of discussion will be on " World View."  World view...everyone has one. You do, whether you recognize it or not. Your world view directs every decision that you make. As Christians, we always strive to be like Christ, to make decisions like He would, to go through out days as He would. Sometimes we make it for a bit, sometimes, not so much. The walk is what is important and that we strive to be LIKE Him.  Our walk is WHO we are, essentially.   This is not true just of Christians, however. Something drives everyone to make certain decisions, follow certain paths, and certainly not all of them are bad.

The big question we should be asking ourselves though, goes something like this..."where is this path you follow actually taking you?"    In the upcoming days, we will be talking about the paths we choose, and the paths of those who walked before us.  We are excited to have a visit to Rouen, where Joan of Arc fought so valiantly for the Faith..and where she was martyred for it.

We will also visit the Beaches at Normandy. I get chills even as I write, just thinking of the bravery of that generation, who are mostly in their 90s now. What remarkable men and women who really stepped up to the plate when the world was at its darkest.  My dad was one of those guys. I bet you know someone who is 80-90 years old and could tell you some stories. You have to really dig though because those heroes of our lifetime don't brag on themselves. They saw a need and they stepped in to help. Yes, I can hardly wait to be there. I will brave the cold and the rain to pay my respects to those who fought for our very freedoms.  And this generation? I am interested to see the impact it will make in their lives.

Hopefully you will follow us this week on our adventure in France. I'll share a bit of history, I know there will be humor, and hopefully you'll be inspired as you travel with us from the warmth of your sofa and warm fireplace!

We thank the teachers, staff, and Administration at that amazing school called "The Master's Academy"....for the prayers and support they provide. This old gal is proud to have had a part in it's beginnings and is prouder still to see TMA young people grow into mighty men and women who love the Lord and serve Him throughout their days. Now, THAT'S life worth living!

Early morning ticketing is calling...it's time to hit the hay!
As I put my head on my pillow, I will remember all the goodness of the Lord and all of the ways He blesses me. I will also reflect on His Supreme sacrifice...He did it for me. And for you too!
Bonsoir!

Home Again!

Ah yes, it is morning, the amazing Florida sunshine is warming me as I sit at the breakfast table, and all is well with the world. Loving to wear coats has a different meaning when it is required of you, and not merely a fashion statement! Interestingly, I have not heard USA political news for over a week. It was actually a nice break to be in the political darkness, but know that God is still in control and handling all of the craziness!

But- we are all home, after long flights and long layovers, and parents were clearly excited that everyone returned in good shape! My plan to get off the plane FIRST proved to be a great decision! This year's parent group did a GREAT job welcoming the kids home. It turns out that the kids were so sweet to stay seated and let everyone else on the plane leave, since others had connecting flights, etc to catch. Nice too, that they had the space to themselves when they finally saw their parents! (It also let me get them 'checked out' to parents before the chaos of hugs and kisses began!)

Trip Review ~ Because you want to know...
Oh, this was a great one! This was the largest student group that we have taken overseas, but they worked together nicely and the trip seemed to be a positive experience for everyone.

I especially enjoyed that we were able to have a group meeting each night so that we could review the day, get excited about the upcoming activities for the next day, and have some inspiration for our lives. Well, I hope it was inspirational!
Having space for group gatherings is always a challenge in the small B & B hotels where we stay, but the owners were especially amazing this year and helped us out a lot.

Hopefully the messages that the students got were closely related to the lives they live. I hope that they were challenged to think about their convictions and inspired to have a vision in their lives that was larger than themselves. I hope they come to see themselves as a part of the big picture, but not the big picture. I hope that they determined to spend a lifetime becoming travelers and not merely tourists.

Traveling and learning about cultures other than your own really opens your eyes and helps you to understand that all people do not think just like you do. It helps to bring greater understanding, and it really makes the world a much smaller place.

One thing that I did miss on this journey was having the ability to blog. Never in my wildest imagination would I have guessed that wi-fi would have been so scarce, with such weak connections. Germany is one of the innovative technology centers of the world, for goodness sakes! But, in Germany, they value relationships and don't really stay as tied to their techie devices 24/7 like we do. They don't text at the dinner table, or when they are spending time with others. It taught me a lot and I want to remember it!
(However, I did learn to check for wi-fi signs just like I check for exit signs!....and I am guilty of trying to run faster than the kids to get the signal) I think Daniel, our Tour Guide, must have thought we were crazy!

The kids always seemed to have connections, and I am not sure how they did it, but I hope they gained a little insight into controlling these techie addictions we all have.


If you have been following this blog, stay tuned a little longer. As I review the student photos, I will post some great ones and include some stories to go along with them.

This week's challenge for me, is to think about our next adventure. God is still refining and making clearer where our destination should be, but He never leads us astray! I know that there was a clear and distinct reason that He directed us to Germany this year.  I might review our final devotion in a separate blog, but the short version showed us that 'in the present'...I saw Him working, though I am not sure of the direction or outcome in the lives of the students. It is only when present becomes past, that I will understand. And I hope I have the great joy of keeping in touch with these remarkable young people, so that I can also enjoy what God is doing in their lives and in their futures.

Talk about a blessing!

Heidelberg Arrival

We are finally in Heidelberg and it is hard to believe that this trip is coming to an end!
Equally hard to believe is that we are in such technologically advanced places as Germany, Austria and Switzerland and have experienced such random and insufficient wi-fi access.

But we are here for the moment and have some service. It was funny to try to keep the password secret from the kids, then they found it posted on the wall, only to have to give up phones so I can get a post out. Hilarious!

Parents are likely to be excited by now. We will meet at the Orlando airport on Wednesday night...you know the drill....sign em out!

Hopefully this post will also show some photos of our last few days. They have been amazing, including the sledding down Mt. Pilatus in Switzerland.
I know you all will want to hear lots of stories, especially since few of mine have posted, but these kiddos will be tired, tired, tired by the time they reach home. Get a story or two out of them, send them to bed, let them sleep late and keep them talking the next day. Their first task will be to get over the jet lag!

Students should meet us at 1 pm on Friday...in the cafeteria....with camera/camera card, flash drive, CD...etc. They will know what they need! A nice luncheon is being prepared for us and others and we will have a wonderful sharing time to conclude this trip. Journals are due on Tuesday morning...

Now for some photos!

 This is the beautiful Weiskirche where we spent our Sunday Morning. The church is a beautiful building in the middle of an open field, out in the country.

There were no photos allowed in the Salt Mines, but a special someone was pretty handy with his phone! This is what we looked like on the tram that took us down into the mine!
Hi Ho! It's off to work we go!

I am having trouble uploading more photos, so for now, I will leave you with part of tonight's devotion.....thinking about life.....find a vision that is larger than yourself. I can hardly wait to post photos of Mt. Pilatus. On a clear day....wow....talk about seeing something larger than yourself! Even in the snow, being little on that huge mountain....what a way to be close to God!

Blessings...
Now I shall return phones and wifi to the kiddos....hopefully they will text home!

Jam Packed Tour

Those readers who know me, absolutely know that I love to include text, humor, and thoughtful insights regarding our travels. This trip is turning out to be a little different. I am wondering if I was looking at a 24 hour clock/day instead of a 12 hour day when I scheduled up the activities. It is either that, or we have the most energetic tour guide in the world.

I will include some photos from days past. Sleep seems to be calling me, so count yourself blessed, if you don't like all the commentary!

Clearly we already left the Orlando airport, had a layover in Atlanta and flew all night to Frankfurt.  Early morning and a chill in the air woke up us right away!

I knew it was going to be a fun group when they started out with a game....this one was one foot tram balance, or something to that effect

I wish I could crop and zoom in on these things! This is the financial district in Frankfurt. They have a bull and bear just like we do on Wall Street.

The little arrow does not seem to mean rotate tonight! Just turn your ipad (or neck) to the side. Oh the things we have in the USA that they don't have in Europe. The rotate tool would be one.   This is a little house in Rothenburg. 

Always on the look out for local artwork! This is woodburned onto scrap lumber and painted. Recognize the castle? 

We use a European touring bus for getting from destination to destination.

We learned the difference between a Fortress, a Castle and a Palace. Guess which one this is? It is in Nurenburg. Daniel, our tour guide is a delight. I have a better picture also and will dedicate a single post just for him!

Group shot in OldTown Frankfurt. 

Albrecht Durer was born and created artwork in Nurenburg....so I could not pass up the opportunity to show of his rabbit!

That rotate tool would be nice! We keep finding mouse doors for Olivia.  She gets so excited when she finds a door to fit her!

Do you recognize this symbol? It is the Euro sign...like our dollar sign. Franfurt is the center of banking for the European Union and in the background is the European Central Bank....it is the big one!

Had I known that the rotate tool would not be happening, I would have shot everything vertical! This is not any old building, it is the BMW tower in Munich!  We could not make it to the far away Mercedes plant, so BMW was a near second.  We enjoyed seeing the newest cars. Some of these kids will now need jobs.

Oh happy day! The snow started falling while we were at breakfast. At least some of it stuck to their clothing, though it did not stick to the ground for long. This tells you it was right about 32 degrees this morning!

These photos do not even begin to show what we have accomplished in the last few days but they are a start. Students have been reminded to let parents know that they are fine.  Of course, 'fine' is relative when you are a bit homesick, or find that sausage does not settle too well when you do major push ups and crunches for dessert, or you need to save up to pay the postage on your ipad that will meet us in Heidelburg, or you thought that skipping dinner might be a good idea until your blood sugar dropped by morning.....but all in all, these are simple things, recoverable things, life skills that need to be experienced.   So far everyone has been a remarkable traveler, listened to direction, learned to deal in European currency, visited the old, and enjoyed the new of Germany, and been rewarded with freedom they did not expect. That reward, of course, was earned. 

I believe their journaling will show mature thinking and some keen insight into what they are experiencing.  As we discussed tonight....traveling changes you. It challenges you to not just accept at face value what you have been told, but to go out and see for yourself. We have found that the German perspective on many things is not the same as our perspective, and that sometimes our perspective is skewed.  We have seen a number of churches and been saddened that they are not filled with believers who worship joyfully. We also found that most Germans are happy people, and have made it a point to learn from many parts of their painful past...to be determined not to let the bad things of history repeat themselves. Wow...what a lesson...what an observation! 

Today we also visited to Dachau, but again, that deserves a post unto itself.  It is one of those things that I can't really express in a blog, and the kids can not really express in a journal. It is something that hit at the very heart of us and we are still sorting things out. It was a heavy part of the trip, but may well turn out to be one of the most meaningful. I will share more later.

Meanwhile...keep us in your prayers. We travel to Austria tomorrow. We can't get to the Eagle's Nest due to the climate and steep, narrow, road, but we have alternatives planned! We will visit the salt mines....which means that we will go....underground!  

Blessings to each of you as you go about your days and many thanks to the parents and grandparents who made this trip possible for some very special young people.

Gute Nacht!

Posting from Starbucks

Well well....by all things that could be read, it appeared that I found a blogger app and posted some photos and commentary at Starbucks.  At the moment, that appears not to be true. In order to avoid a duplicate post, I will just stop now and start something new. Perhaps some readers got the Starbucks post???  It was very techy.

Really? High Tech in Germany?

High Tech Germany has not been so high tech for us these past few days. Here and there I have been able to pick up email from parents and friends, but have not been able to get many messages out. I also have not been able to blog....oh my goodness, how in the world did we ever survive without immediate internet technology?

I recall our first trip to London when we were snowed in and dependent upon a land line. We are so much more tech savvy now, but some of these little towns in Germany....not so much.   Even so, the trade off is fine, and none of us would trade the experience of getting to know the 'real' Germany only for keeping our selves 'connected.'

But...I bet I know some parents who are getting a little antsy...and hopefully not anxious!   After a really really long day of adventures, I am finally sitting down....ahh, that feels good! Of course, I also hope that I don't ramble as I try to avoid drifting off for some much needed slumber.

For tonight, we are going to call this the check in. Let me assure you all that the students are fine. This group is working together wonderfully and have been great passengers and students of the world. The airline flight attendants much enjoyed them. Jacob was able to see the sleeping bunks as we landed and we even learned a bit about Germany from one of the ladies who flew out of Atlanta, but lived in Tampa.

Everything went smoothly in the Frankfurt airport...what a beautiful place....and we met Daniel our EF tour guide. He is young, personable, very German, and is no problem at all to understand, even with his wonderful German accent. I can already tell that he is a wealth of knowledge. He has worked for EF Tours for 8 tour seasons and handled many kinds of groups. After a bit, he told us that the first tour of each year can tend to be a tough crowd, but that we were the best 'first tour' that he had ever experienced!

We left the airport and headed toward Rothenburg, but not until we had seen a good bit of Frankfurt. We did a really nice bit of walking....a good things since we did not collectively sleep too well on the plane and were significantly tired. Bear with me on photos, and I will try to post some tomorrow. We took a group shot in front of the European Central Bank, which you should recognize by it's huge 'Euro" sculpture.

We strolled by the river and walked through the neighborhoods. It was a lovely morning. We lunched and then hopped aboard our coach to get to Rothenburg. And yes, even though Daniel was telling us stories, we all fell asleep...it was cat-nap time.   We awoke to an overcast sky and stopped at the old city wall of Rothenburg. I will tell more with the photos, but the kids had a great time shooting photos in this quaint little town that was only lightly bombed during the war!

After our stroll, we listened and watched the Glockenspheil chime. Daniel told us some great historical stories and then we loaded up for Munich....what a day's work! (We shopped just a little and got back to the warm bus!)

We stayed in a quaint little bed and breakfast hotel and had dinner just down the street.  Then off to bed...and so many were begging to skip dinner and go right to sleep. Well done, young people! (Only none of them are firefighter material just yet....I am so glad that I can do 24/7 every now and again!)

This morning we headed to Munich...or rather Munchen.
Lost report: one ipad. Now being shipped to Heidelberg. Whew, good recovery.
No students lost, none ill.

We stopped in Nurenburg along the way. This had not been on my agenda but Daniel was born here and wanted to show us his home town. What a great way to spend our free time!  His parents stopped in to see us as well and they are delightful! What a good son they have!   So we got a great tour of the castle, of the town center, and stories of Daniel's childhood and youth '

Most of us had lunch in a wonderful lunch hall....Bratvurstmarkt or something like that. They served brats..and not much more....but oh wow!  It was a family style restaurant, so they filled in the tables ...until they were full. Several in the group had a meal with the locals at their table and one group was even treated to lunch by an American living in Germany for many years. Evidently it was nice for him to talk to people from back home and he bought their lunches!

And back to the bus to meet our 3 pm tour guide in Munich. Perhaps this is where we dozed as well....oh, being a traveler is not easy....when you engage in the culture and meet people, the richness of the experience takes a lot out of you!

Monica was our cityguide in Munich and she too was a wealth of knowledge. It was interesting to hear the German perspective on things like the atomic bomb and war. We look forward to more discussions. This is a great learning experience....the hearing of various perspectives helps us to grow.

My head is swimming with all that I would love to write and share, but there are still days for that.  I should have internet for the next few days and I will post again.
Until then...know that your students are safe and in good hands. Pray for us as we go to Dachau tomorrow as it will be an emotional experience. I can't be sure that I am even prepared for it. We will also spend some time visiting more churches, climb a church tower in order to view the city. I think there is some shopping scattered in as well.

I shall rest now so that I can be prepared to greet these wonderful young people bright and early in the morning!  Unless they did not have an internet connection, they should have texted you by now!

If technology works in my favor, I will post some photos tomorrow.

Auf vitersein....

My Bags Are Packed ~ I'm Ready to Go

Friday, January 4, 2013

My Bags Are Packed ~ I'm Ready to Go

That little song keeps running through my head and with only a few days until departure on our next adventure, yes indeed, my bags are just about packed!

Mr. Weatherman (well, the weather app) says that the weather in Germany is going to be NICE! 30-40 degrees nice, but we were expecting 20 degrees of brrr!  They project snow in Switzerland (fancy that!) so our Florida Seabirds will enjoy being snowbirds for a bit!

(This photo is our departure location)

(But this photos shows why I am packing....wrong season, but same view!)

It has been exciting to pray for the 26 young people who are also packing their bags. I know some of them, and finally recognize others when I see them, but the process of praying for them makes me feel that maybe I know them a little more than I probably do. But then, God has a way of revealing things about the inner you, things that don't always show on the outside. My prayer for each student is that this little journey, or adventure, will open up the world for them a bit more...and help to define the direction they choose and the choices they make in the future.

Our tour guide sounds delightful and we will learn a lot from him as well. Hopefully we will all be great travelers and not just American tourists out to see the sites. All cultures have something wonderful to offer the world, and each other, so we will search for the best in them, and leave the best of us.

If you have not 'subscribed' yet...be sure to do so and stay tuned in for the updates about our travels to Germany and Switzerland for J-Term (January Term) 2013!
And be sure to pray that we stay well rested, healthy, and show others the love of Christ in us!

Now...to finish that packing!