-Jim Elliot
"You're going to find a boy there in Germany and you're going to fall in love and not want to return," my parents said frequently before I left. Often my response to them was, "I'm not going to fall in love with a boy. I'm going to fall in love with the country and not return." At that point in time, I had no idea just how right I was. Indeed, I had fallen head over the heels for the country - the historic cities with beautiful cobblestone streets and centuries old architecture, the food that was so different in all the right ways, and the melodic language I got to listen to (and attempt to speak). But the hardest part about having to leave was not the sights the country had to offer, but rather, the people.
After a groggy 8.5 hour flight, our team had a few days for some preparation before actually starting the English camp. We met the people we would be working with and spent some time getting to know them, did some training, and became acquainted with the city of Leipzig, where the local church was. Enchantment was swift. I marveled constantly at the gorgeous buildings, especially the churches; the street musicians, where there was such a great variety of music that you could never get bored; and the market, where vendors sold a variety of meat, cheese, fruit, and flowers.
Standing in front of the market vendors in Leipzig.
On Saturday the 15th, the team loaded up and headed for the small village of Pockau, Germany, for the camp. We settled in and prepared the building for the campers, then greeted them the next day. I was nervous and unsure of how God would use me in the role that I had, and how to talk and relate to the campers. After all, I love people, but I wouldn't say I'm very good at talking or keeping a conversation going. That is certainly the gift of some of my teammates, but it isn't mine.
Sure enough, though, the things I petitioned to God for came true. Even in small ways, He was able to use me as a vessel for Him and I grew in ways I didn't anticipate. I was able to watch other people change as well, which filled me with a joy that nothing else on Earth can match. Camp wasn't perfect, of course - as goes with anything else in the world that matters, there were mistakes, and at times there was discouragement as well.
One of the activities we did during sports time.
Sure enough, Saturday the 22nd sprang out of nowhere, and we found ourselves all riding a train back to Leipzig together. I could hardly believe how quickly the week had gone by, and that already I had to say goodbye to the beautiful people I had met. Even though I knew I would be seeing many of them at the church service the next day, I hugged them tightly, knowing that I wouldn't get much opportunity to see all of them later.
The final week in Germany was a complete whirlwind of events. It was kicked off on Sunday, when we attended the local church in Leipzig, the Ring Cafe. After the service, we had a potluck where we ate and spent some of our last moments with most of the campers together. One of the highlights was meeting the father of two of the campers, who patiently spoke to me in German. Often, if they are able, people in Germany will speak English when they hear you speak (I don't know if my accent or my mistakes tipped those people off that I'm American), so for someone to speak German with me was a delight.
The next couple of days provided me with some of my favorite memories I have of Germany. Saturday evening we spent time with two of the campers and their friends, who gave us a tour of Leipzig and hung out with us for several hours. We grabbed dinner and ate in a park, visited a river, watched the sunset from the tallest building in the city, and made a mad dash in the rain to a grocery store before it closed to get Fritz Kola, which tastes like Coke but is somehow far superior.
On Monday we were joined again by some campers as we journeyed to the town of Wittenberg, where Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the Church. This was truly a treat, not only because we had the chance to go for the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, but also because we were able to spend more time with some of the people we had met. That evening, two of the campers invited us over to their house, where their family served us dinner, and we closed the evening by singing together.
One of my favorite photos from the trip. Gazing at Leipzig from up above as a thunderstorm rolled through in the distance.
On Tuesday my teammates Rebecca and Daniel flew back home to the U.S., Hannah and her dad Craig left to drive around more of Europe, and the rest of us had a free day in Leipzig. I spent a good portion of my day alone, praying and thinking as I wandered around downtown. I was grateful for the time to process what had happened, and though I wasn't too eager to return to the U.S., I was able to think about what was going to happen when I would return. Eventually, I met some of the other Americans for dinner, where I had schnitzel, perhaps one of the best things I have ever shoved into my mouth (one of the campers mentioned that it's one of his favorite foods, and only then was I able to see why), and spent my final night in Leipzig.
Leaving the next day was hard for those of us who remained. We all loved the city, and we knew that driving away put more of a distance between us and our new German friends. For me personally, even though Leipzig was totally different from my hometown of Loveland, it almost felt like another home.
Wednesday through Friday was marked by sightseeing and driving through Saxony. Most of it was fun - we toured castles and a monastery, stayed at a bed and breakfast, and took a tour of Berlin. Perhaps the one part that wasn't enjoyable was, for obvious reasons, the tour through Buchenwald; however, it was quite a necessary trip, and one I would make again (or perhaps in the future I would visit a different camp). This leg of the journey felt a bit odd with just the seven of us there, missing four of our teammates and being unaccompanied by any campers, but we enjoyed ourselves nonetheless.
Entering the Kriebstein Castle. Beyond this was a small vineyard, and lush green trees and a calm river below.
There wasn't much time to feel sad about our departure on Saturday, because we had to leave the apartment where we were staying at the unholy hour of 4:30 A.M. to get to the airport. Later, though, I sat in disbelief as I mulled over the fact that we were leaving. How could the trip have gone by so quickly? The realization that I was going to be an ocean apart from the friends and land I had come to love so dearly hit me hard. I thought about it constantly in my addlepated, restless state. Initially I was going to keep it bottled up and not say anything, knowing fully well that some of my friends were going through much worse than I, and not wanting to place another burden on their shoulders. However, something in that mindset changed - perhaps it was the realization that my teammates would pray for me because they care for me - and I asked them to pray. Sunday afternoon, I met with three of them for lunch, and we were able to catch up and talk about what we were feeling.
Since then, I have slowly been adjusting to life back home. Of course, I was really excited to see my dad and brother again (at the time of writing, the rest of my family is on vacation). In addition, I was excited to start on the work I have here in Colorado. After having a long conversation with a member of our staff the final night of camp, I was sent home with several things to do to prepare myself for the future. My new checklist is actually the most intense I've ever had, and will take me years to complete, so these past few days I've taken baby steps to get me closer to achieving the goals I have, that I may be better suited for service for God and the people around me. My time in Germany was not only a time for me to be used as a vessel for God, but changed me to better prepare for this time preparing! I learned more about finding joy through service, became more confident, learned more about having hope, and I trusted God more as I literally begged Him for the desires of my heart. I have no idea what happens next now. I know not whether I will stay or leave for another place, or how long I will do either. Of the few things I do know, one of them is this: "Befiehl dem Herrn dein Tun an, so werden deine Pläne gelingen" (Sprüche/Proverbs 16:3).
Group picture at the end of our pirate-themed night.
