May 16th, 2016

Hubby started a new work schedule. His days are a bit longer now. He leaves the house around 5:45am to catch the  train downtown then the bus into work. He returns home around 5:15pm. Thankfully, he is a morning person! What makes this new schedule worthwhile is how it affords him every other Friday off. We just experienced his first three day weekend and LOVED it!

Friday was like a mental health day for both of us. In the morning, Hubby took a run after he dropped E off at school. When he got back, I left for a bike ride. It was my first time on my bike since we moved to Germany. There is a wonderful network of trails that connect the villages around here. I rode from our village, past a nearby retirement community, alongside lakes and farm land and through the woods.

 

 

Others were out on the trails enjoying the crisp, beautiful morning. Their presence gave me comfort. Though I’m somewhat adventurous, I was also raised by two New Yorkers so caution is in my blood. The rolling hills got my heart pumping without completely exhausting me. The scenery inspired and wooed me to keep going…just a little bit further. Thankfully, the trails are marked with signs painted on posts and trees that helped me keep my bearings when I would take a new turn. My bike is not fancy, I got it during my college days, but it does the trick to take me out on the back roads where I connect with nature and the God who created it all. I’m a tree-hugging, country girl at heart. I’m so grateful to have such beauty around us!

 

When I got back to the house, Herr Schmidt (the gentleman who was our original landlord) was visiting. Hubby was helping him create an advertisement online for his rental house. It was fun to use our creativity and computer knowledge to lend him a hand. As he was leaving, he mentioned meeting up at our favorite coffee shop in the village sometime soon. We are definitely up for that!

In the afternoon, S and I took Hubby to his chiropractic appointment downtown. He has been seeing a German chiropractor for a few weeks now after continuing to struggle with hip pain and loss of motion. Herr Schmidt is a physical therapist and spoke highly of this chiropractor. He also recommended another PT that could help strengthen the muscles around the hip and round out the therapy Hubby is currently receiving. We are really hoping to find some good options that would enable my Love to keep doing the things he enjoys. Thankfully, he has experienced some relief of pain and renewed range of motion after a couple of laser therapy sessions.

We made it back to our village to pick up E when he got dropped off in the afternoon. He was sooooo excited to see his Daddy waiting for him at the bus stop! What a treat to ride to school with him in the morning AND to see him again in the afternoon. =)

A couple of hours later, we mustered our courage and sense of adventure again, piled into the car and went in search of our village soccer club for the boys. I had seen a poster in a window last week advertising a team for E’s age group. We used Google Translate to figure out the details. After a little research online, we found another possible team for S. We’ve been talking about checking out the German Soccer club for awhile now. I’m glad we finally did!

The boys were hesitant at first, understandably. However, the head coach was incredibly kind and invited both of them out on the field to join in a practice. He spoke both German and English fluently which was incredibly helpful. When I asked him where I could purchase soccer shoes for the boys, he brought out a couple of bags full of shoes and told us to try to find some that fit. He explained how parents give him shoes when their children outgrow them after a season. We found two pairs of shoes that fit each of our boys plus shin guards! The boys had a blast playing for an hour. When they came off the field, they told us we needed to be back next Friday for the next practice. Yay!

While we were talking and watching the boys, a woman approached us and commented that she heard us speaking English. Turns out she and her husband are also English speakers, parents to three boys (ages 7, almost 5 and 2) AND live in our village! They moved here last summer and have been on the look out for community. She said its been lonely for them. Desiring community, feelings of loneliness, village life…it was so easy to connect and use these topics as spring boards for conversation. We chatted the rest of the practice and introduced our boys to each other afterwards. We are excited and hopeful to get to know this family better with time.

What a day! So many blessings came out of it. I think these shoes will serve as a visual reminder to me of the goodness we experienced on Hubby’s first Friday off. We were refreshed in every way…mind, body and soul! Yay!

 

 

 

 

 

May 15th, 2016

If you walk around our village long enough, you will begin to notice an inscription written in chalk on, above or beside some of the door frames. It is this: 20*C+M+B+16. Some of you may already be familiar with it. I wasn’t. I have seen it several times now and finally took a picture of it the other evening when I was out for a stroll.

I asked my friend, Amy, if she knew what it was. She told me it had something to do with giving a donation. My curiosity peaked last night, motivating me to do a little research. There were several sites that gave explanations. Here is a bit of what I pieced together…

The numbers are for the current year (2016). The C, M, B are the initials of the traditional names of the Wise Men (Magi), Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar who came to visit Jesus, Mary and Joseph in their home. The letters can also stand for the latin words, “Christus Mansionem Benedicat” meaning “May Christ bless this home.” The “+” sign represents the cross.

A Christian Tradition, called the Epiphany, celebrates the visit of the three Wise Men on January 6th. As a part of the celebration, a priest or the father of the family chalks this inscription above a door as a blessing over the house and an invitation for Jesus to be a daily guest and participant in all that occurs inside the home. I like this. 

Another source I read gave a variation of the celebration where German children go house to house gathering donations for charities dressed as the three kings. They sing songs, recite messages of Christmas and write the inscription on or around the door. We were still living in our apartment this year during the Epiphany which may explain why we didn’t get to participate. I would love for the boys to see this.

I’m hoping we get a visit from the three wise men in 2017. If not, we may have our own family celebration and chalking of our door as a reminder of the Guest we desire to live amongst. Daryl Moresco, from the order of the Carmelites, writes, “With time the chalk will fade. As it does we let the meaning of the symbols written sink into the depths of our heart and be manifest in our words and actions the Latin words, Christus mansionem benedictat, ‘May Christ bless the house.'” 

Blessings on your home~

 

May 9th, 2016

It looks like God took a yellow highlighter to many of the farm fields in our area right now. What was green a few weeks ago has bloomed with yellow canola flowers. I didn’t even know what canola looked like until now. Its quite beautiful!

 

Our family took a walk alongside the fields on Saturday afternoon. Hubby and I oohed and aahed as we walked by. What a sight! We walked into one field by the tractor lines and got covered by yellow pollen. It was like being in a golden sea. I LOVE the color yellow…you can’t help but smile (and sneeze a bit) when you see this much of it. =)

 

Whenever I hear of canola oil now, I will remember these beautiful fields and the wonderful walk we enjoyed that one Spring day our first May in Germany.

 

 

May 8th, 2016…Happy Mother’s Day!

Its Sunday evening and the house is quiet. After getting the boys ready for bed…PJ’s, teeth brushing, reading, singing, praying and goodnight kisses…I left them to hear their next chapter of the Hardy Boys. Hubby started reading them the series about a month ago and they REALLY like it! They are currently in Book Three.

My heart is full from the wonderful day we spent together as a family. Hubby served me in countless ways. We went to church this morning, a place we now look forward to going to each week. We left encouraged, challenged and more connected. Our pastor asked all the kids to pass out flowers to the women in the church. I appreciated that he didn’t just single out the mothers but acknowledged all the women. Because of my own personal journey to motherhood, its good to remember how so many women “mother” even if they don’t have children.

We spent the afternoon at the Dino Park. The weather was AMAZING and the atmosphere was perfect. The park was full of families enjoying each other, the sunshine and the beauty of our surroundings. Our friend, Liz, joined us with her daughter. Several hours slipped by while we chatted, ate, laid on blankets in the grass and watched the kids play in the stream. I’m so grateful that our boys enjoy the outdoors!

 

 

 

Here’s a picture of our friends. They arrived in Germany a couple of days before we did. I’m grateful for the opportunity to get to know them and share this cultural experience together.

The Dino Park has quickly become one of our FAVORITE places! I think we have already paid off our Season Pass with the amount of visits we have made thus far. Last weekend, the park hosted a Medieval Festival. We took the boys and easily spent a couple of hours walking around, playing, eating, watching a show and enjoying being outside.

 

 

SPRING is HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We enjoyed a WEEK full of sunshine, blue skies, warmer temperatures and flowers in bloom…with only one rainy day tossed in for good measure! S and I took a wonderful walk one day admiring all the different signs of Spring. Yippee!!!

 

On Tuesday, I dropped S off at Hubby’s work for a father/son lunch date so I could join E for a mother/son lunch date at his school. I sat with him and his classmates and got bombarded by questions ranging from “Why does E like pickles so much?” to “Why do you have grey hair?” (Because I’m a parent!) Afterwards, I joined the kids for recess and played a massive game of Hide-and-Go-Seek Tag. I may have some grey hair but I can still play a fantastic game of tag. Ha! SUPER FUN!

E marched in his school’s Storybook Character Parade on Thursday for National Book Week. He wore his astronaut costume (that still fits after two years!) since HE had just read to ME a book about astronauts walking on the moon. We are so proud of the growth he has made the past few months in his reading skills!

 

His fun teacher dressed up as Fancy Nancy. Love her!

 

Though the weather was BEAUTIFUL this week, we ended up spending a couple of days inside while lil S fought off a virus of some sort. It seemed to start off as allergies, but then a fever came. After two rough nights, fever, lack of appetite, lethargy, some vomiting and tummy pain, I called the doctor’s office and described his symptoms. They advised me to go to the ER (our first visit thus far). We were all concerned because his stomach pain was mimicking aspects of appendicitis. Ugh…

The ER doctor thought he heard some rattling in his lungs which led to a chest x-ray, an abdominal ultra sound and a six hour ER visit. I was so grateful when he started perking up in the hospital. THANKFULLY, his tests came back clear, the diagnosis was a virus, and we were sent home with a prescription of ibuprofen to alternate with the Tylenol he had been taking.

He went from this…

to balancing the empty, barf bag on his head…a definite sign that things were looking up! He still has a lingering cough but is VASTLY improved and back to his fun, sweet and spirited self!

Wether we were inside or out, we ALL managed to relish the warmth of the sun’s rays…even our crazy cat, Adi!

Happy Spring from Germany!

~Tschüss!

 

 

 

 

 

 

May 1st, 2016…Happy May Day!

Often, we find ourselves looking at the weather report and sighing when we see rain forecasted several days in a row. STILL??!!! As I write this, its raining! When we got home from Italy, it rained again. We were still on our Tuscany high so it didn’t effect us as much. However, the weather has truly been one of the biggest adjustments for us in this move. I saw a doctor a few weeks ago to update a prescription. She asked me if I take vitamin D. I asked her if she thought I should. Her response was, “You live in Germany.” Okey-Dokey then..enough said. According to the doctor, its almost guaranteed that everyone here is deficient in vitamin D after months of grey skies.

Thankfully, the past couple of weeks, we have seen the sun a bit more. Signs of Spring continue to give us hope of warmer days ahead. These teasers are good for our souls! Last week, S and I went for a walk with our friends. I LOVE seeing the trees in bloom! The blue of the sky makes the colors even more vivid. Its also been nice to have a couple of days where two or three layers of clothing suffice for comfort and warmth!

 

The farm fields around our village are a radiant yellow right now. I have seasonal allergies and all of these new blooms would probably have me sneezing profusely. However, the rain is helping to keep the pollen levels down. A plus for our damp days!

 

After we returned home from Italy, Hubby spent a week off-site for his job. When we saw a sunny day on the forecast, I packed up food and S and I met him for a picnic during his lunch break. The air had a bit of a chill so we sat at a picnic table in the sun to feel the warmth. It was a fun treat!

This past week, we awoke to frosty mornings, snow and rain. The sun managed to peak out here and there and we continued to get out to enjoy it.

On Friday evening, the weather was nice enough to use our fire pit for the first time to roast marshmallows. The boys were soooo excited! Our wood was wet (go figure) so we ended up smoking out the neighborhood a bit. The boys offered s’more treats to a neighbor who was outside…a peace-offering.

 

 

Even Adi came out and joined us in her little kitty tent. After standing in the street one day, oblivious to the crazy drivers who speed through our village, I am more vigilant with her…much to her chagrin.

 

We couldn’t find graham crackers so we substituted these German crackers instead. They were yummy! We would recommend them. =)

This upcoming week shows sunny or partly sunny days SIX DAYS IN A ROW!!!! We may need to break out the sunscreen! On second thought, I think I’ll start off with pulling out our sun hats first. We need to get our Vitamin D levels back up!

 

 

April 30th, 2016

Our time in Tuscany inspired us to add beauty to our home. We flew home on a Friday. The next day, we went shopping for plants (both artificial and real), pots, dirt and picture frames. We immediately got to work. The following week, S and I went to a home improvement store and purchased even more plants and pots!

Inside, I framed and hung a couple of pieces of art we picked up on our travels thus far. One was a watercolor painting from Paris and another was a creative print of the Piazza dell’ Anfiteatro Romano, where we stayed in Lucca. In both cases, I met the artists which made the purchases more meaningful.

 

They are in our kitchen where we see them daily…reminders of sweet times.

We loved seeing all the potted plants around doors, window sills and balconies in Italy. The rustic beauty was enchanting! In a small effort to imitate what we saw, we made arrangements around the outside of our home. We rummaged through our shed and yard and found an old barrel, a door frame, pots, wood, rocks, sticks, a little lantern and cement blocks to work with. If you came over, here’s a glimpse of what you would see…

 

 

Already, we are enjoying the facelift all the plants have given to our home. Our landlords came over last weekend and immediately complimented us on the entry area. It was fun to show them we value this home of theirs and ours. We still have a few more ideas but are waiting for the weather to warm up a bit before we implement them.  One of our next projects should be a rain collection system being that we are in the land of plentiful rainfall! Hopefully, this summer, draping vines and a plethora of colors will create a beautiful sanctuary to invite others to enjoy as well. Please know that includes you too!

 

 

 

 

April 23rd, 2016

On our last full day in Italy, we ventured out of Lucca to travel to the town of Collodi. One of the books I had checked out from the library, Italy with Kids, recommended a day trip to this birthplace of Pinocchio. A charming park dedicated to the precocious, boy puppet was opened there in 1956. I had showed pictures of the place to the boys before we left Germany. Thankfully, it served as a great motivator to get out of our apartment once again and go exploring.

We navigated the maze of streets in Lucca on our way to the train station. I enjoyed taking in the sites of ordinary life as we walked by. A woman made a cup out of her hand for her dog to drink some water from the fountain. A restaurant put out flowers to entice the senses in more ways than one. People walked down the street, holding hands as they talked. These little things remind me of how much people share in common, regardless of culture and location.

 

We bought roundtrip tickets at the train station for the town of Pescia, about a twenty-minute train ride from Lucca. To pass the time, we ate lunch at a little Italian restaurant nearby. When we ordered, we told our server about catching a train. He understood as we scarfed our meal down when it finally came; taking some of our calzone in a bag before running to catch our train. We made it and praised the boys for running alongside us to make it possible!

On the train, Hubby read the Pinocchio book lil S had received from Grammy Julie for his birthday. It was a great way to set the stage for the Pinocchio Park. Our stop came up faster than we expected. Thanks to hubby’s good listening ears, we got off the train just in time! We took a taxi up the winding hillside to the picturesque town of Collodi. The rural Tuscan countryside is inhabited by farmers, artisans and merchants and may have been the inspiration for Carlo Lorenzini’s story, The Adventures of Pinocchio. Lorenzini lived in Collodi as a child. He later took the pen name Carlo Collodi.

When we arrived in the early afternoon, we walked right up to the ticket window and through the gates of Pinocchio Park. I was enchanted with the scenery. The park does a wonderful job integrating nature and art, including sculptures from famous Italian artists.

 

 

 

The weather was amazing! We warmed up as we moved through more than forty different areas that followed the story of Pinocchio’s adventures. Here are some of our favorites:

The Big Chessboard!

The Shimmy and Venetian Roundabouts…amusement park rides

The Puppet Theatre…the show was in Italian and though we could barely understand what was going on, the boys still laughed out loud!

Monstro, the large whale who swallowed Geppeto…it spouted water from it’s HUGE head. It was prohibited to sit on his massive tongue but we still enjoyed climbing around his teeth.

 

The Massive Labyrinth…it took a bit for us to figure out how to get out! We discovered Turbo’s grandfather (reference from an earlier post) on one of the outside walls. The boys were sad to leave him there but, without a passport, it was best for him to not leave Italy!

A  

 

The Pirate Ship…a ropes course for kids five and older. I think the instructor was shocked when our youngest shouted out, “I’m FIVE!!!!!” He was SO excited! Though I held my breath at times as I watched them do the course, I loved seeing their confidence and determination grow. They both did it three times. They would have spent the rest of the day there if we had let them.

 

 

The Pinocchio Park truly spurs on a child’s imagination in a beautiful, artistic and natural setting. Well done. Three Cheers to Collodi!

When we got back to Lucca, we all wanted to ride the walls one more time…so we did!

 

 

We finished off our day with a scoop of gelato! Yum!!

Tuscany was all that I dreamed of and so much more. I was sad to leave. Our short week gave us a wonderful taste of this lovely landscape; a rich flavor that continues to linger…like the gelato! Its not just a place, its a mind-set that inspires one to cultivate beauty and live well. What a gift it was to experience it.

Arrivederci!

(Disclaimer: Though traveling with kids is an incredibly worthwhile endeavor, we still experience many patience-trying, teeth-clenching moments. We make cultural faux pas, stick out like sore thumbs at times and are challenged to react well to meltdowns in the middle of quaint, little streets. I often forgot these tough moments as I look back and capture memories here on the blog. Believe me, they are there…I’m just not taking pictures in the midst of them. That’s a good thing because I still get excited to plan another trip!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

April 22nd, 2016…Happy Birthday to our Moms!

Our lovely apartment in Lucca faced the Piazza dell’ Anfiteatro Romano where the ancient Roman amphitheater once stood. Since it was the off-season, the rates were surprisingly reasonable for the amount of space and location. We had our own private bathroom (not always included) and kitchen. We would highly recommend it. It was wonderful to wake up here and start a new day!

 

 

On Wednesday, we decided to explore Lucca. After eating breakfast in our apartment, we headed out on foot to find a bicycle rental shop. Marco, the owner of the B&B our apartment was connected to, recommended a specific bike shop with smaller bikes for our boys. On our way, we stopped at the church of San Frediano to look inside.

 

One of the wonderful features of Lucca is it’s ramparts. Built in the 16th and 17th centuries, they enclose the charming fortress town. On top of the stone walls is a two and half mile park called The Passeggiata delle Mura. The park is made up of a wide path enjoyed by cyclists, walkers, joggers, and skaters. Lawns, playgrounds and gardens are also scattered about. Its bellissimo! After reading about this in our guide books, it was at the top of our list of things to experience with the boys. It turned out to be a highlight of our trip for all of us!

  

 

Though the path is wide with borders of grass and trees, there are no fences or guardrails. A good detail to know on the front end and include in the safety talk, especially with two excited boys. Needless to say, we kept a watchful eye for the edge. I may have still ended up with a new grey hair or two!

 

 

After completing a loop, we rented a bicycle cart where Mom and Dad peddled and the boys got to enjoy the ride. It seemed like a good idea on the front end but we quickly realized that the bikes were less work. When we finished our second loop, our legs were EXHAUSTED and our tummies were rumbling!

We walked down the Via del Fosso, a street divided down the middle by an open waterway. The boys were starting to unravel from hunger but we managed to distract them by throwing flowers into the canal to follow. Thankfully, we found a little café for lunch and one of the many fountains in Lucca where you can fill up your water bottle.

 

Our next adventure was climbing up the Torre Guinigi (because we forgot for a moment the workout our legs had on the bicycles). We spotted the tower from a distance. Its easy to distinguish due to a grove of ilex trees that have gown on the top. Its one of the city’s most curious sights. The view from the top is magnificent!

 

In this next picture, E is pointing to the Piazza dell’ Anfiteatro Romano, the oval shape out in the distance, where our apartment is.

 

 

When we got to the bottom, a school group was buying their tickets to make the climb up. We were so glad to be exiting the building! After relaxing a bit in our apartment, we walked out to the Piazza for dinner followed by some gelato…because when you are in Italy, gelato is a must!

 

As the sun made it’s slow descent, the boys played in the Piazza San Michele chasing pigeons and each other. How they still had energy was beyond us!

 

Ciao!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

April 21st, 2016

For as long as I can remember, I have desired to go to Tuscany. When Hubby and I first got married, I dreamed of celebrating our 10th Anniversary in Italy. I imagined myself wearing a sundress and riding a bike with a basket attached to the front. As our 10th Anniversary approached, our oldest was just shy of nine months and I knew that Tuscany would need to wait. I watched one of my favorite movies, Under the Tuscan Sun, and continued to dream. Over the years, the desire to go to Tuscany never left me.

Back in February, I started researching a discount airline for E’s Spring Break and found incredibly cheap tickets to Pisa, Italy. Shortly after, I checked out a few travel books on Italy from the library. As I was reading through one of them, I realized Pisa is actually in TUSCANY!!!! I couldn’t believe it! I worked on putting together a rough itinerary as I learned more about Pisa and the surrounding areas. We vacillated on taking the train to Florence but eventually decided against it for this trip. Instead, we chose to see the major sites of Pisa and spend a few days in Lucca with a day trip to the Pinocchio Park in Collodi.

On Monday, April 11th, we took a late flight down to Pisa (thus the discount tickets). Italy is on the same time zone we are and our flight was about an hour and a half long.The boys had more energy than either of their parents when we made it to our hotel. We eventually settled in our beds and fell asleep sometime around midnight.

After breakfast on Tuesday morning, we stored our luggage at our hotel and headed out on foot to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Piazza dei Miracoli (Square of miracles). We took a thirty minute walk through some lovely streets, seeing a couple of sites along the way. Suddenly, we came around a corner and THERE IT WAS…the famous, Leaning Tower. However, from the direction we first approached from, it didn’t appear to be leaning too much.

 

 

 

Once we walked around to the the front, the tilt became more apparent! The construction of the Torre, started in 1174. It was built to be the bell tower of the adjacent Duomo (Cathedral of Pisa). Due to shifting soil that destabilized the tower’s foundation, it begun to lean by the time its builders got to the third story in 1178. We did not pay to walk up the tower because children under eight are not permitted. We’ll save that for another visit some day!

Instead, we toured the Baptistery and the Duomo which also lean but not as significantly as the Torre. The Baptistery is the largest one in Italy. We took the stairs up to the top level and enjoyed the view.

 

 

The Baptistery is known for its AMAZING Acoustics. I read in a guide book to ask a guard to sing when you go. When I inquired about this, I was told there would be a demonstration shortly. We took a tour of the Cathedral and then returned in time to hear this…

Just outside the grounds of the Piazza dei Miracoli, we found a wonderful food stand. We got our food to go and enjoyed a picnic lunch on the grass, near the Baptistery. The boys entertained themselves chasing pigeons while we sat back and enjoyed the views.

 

 

Before leaving the grounds, we flexed our muscles and did what we could to help in the preservation of one of Italy’s most famous landmarks. We tried a couple of different angles and trust me, we weren’t the only ones. (Cue the music… “Lean on me when you’re not strong and I’ll be your friend, I’ll help you carry on…“)

 

 

 

We caught a bus back, grabbed our bags from our hotel and walked to the train station. We bought tickets to Lucca, boarded our train and settled in long enough for lil S to catch a nap in his Daddy’s arms. He was refreshed and ready to go again when we arrived.

Lucca is considered a “gem” and we certainly found this to be true! It is surrounded by a 16th-Century, stone wall with gates that serve as ports of entry. We entered through St. Peter’s Gate, one of the more elaborate ones, and proceeded to walk through the maze of streets to the lovely apartment hubby found us in the Piazza dell’ Anfiteatro.

 

 

 

We ate pizza for dinner and enjoyed our first taste of gelato for dessert. Gelato is Italian ice cream. A small amount carries the riches of flavors. I could write an ode to this delicious creation. Its truly a party for your taste buds!

Since our apartment came with a small kitchen, I asked our waitress for directions to a market. I got the first few turns correct before leading us in the wrong direction. We wondered down quaint, narrow streets for awhile. Just when we were ready to call it a night, I looked down and saw this sign. I couldn’t believe it! THANK YOU Jesus! We picked up a few items for breakfast and headed back.

 

Before I closed the shades to our room, I took in the view out the window. Our first day in Italy and already, my heart was full. Bellissimo!

 

 

 

April 19th, 2016

A couple of Sundays ago, I saw an image in a home video that has replayed itself in my mind many times since. Even now, I can still clearly remember it. A little boy, a couple of years younger than our lil S, was wearing an orange life vest. He was laying against his mom. She was also wearing an orange vest. Her arms were firmly grasped around him. They were laying low in a small boat crammed together with others. Ocean waves were all around them.

We were in a German church, listening to a man share his story as we watched his video clips. He was explaining the images we saw on a large screen at the front of the sanctuary. The room was full of people whose ages spanned the decades; their nationalities representing several countries. Our church had joined this congregation for a worship service and a meal cooked for 150 people. It was quite the experience.

The service started with our worship team leading the singing in English. The songs were projected on the wall with the German translation below. Then, the German pastor gave the sermon. Thankfully, our pastor translated for us through the ear pieces we shared. We listened to the story of Mary and Joseph fleeing with the baby Jesus to Egypt. They left in time to escape the massacre of all male children two years old and under ordered by King Herod. Jesus’ parents fled the violence in their home country to seek refuge in another. The pastor pointed out that they were refugees. This was a new thought for me. I’ve read the Bible from cover to cover but have never reflected on this time period in the life of Mary, Joseph and Jesus.

After the sermon and a time of prayer, the man was invited to the front. He too was a refugee. The woman and the boy with the orange life vest? Refugees. They had escaped together, in a boat, with other family members. The man talked of the significance of the songs we sang. One of the songs was Oceans (Where Feet May Fail). He shared how the words of this song connected to his story.  Here are the lyrics…

You call me out upon the waters
The great unknown where feet may fail
And there I find You in the mystery
In oceans deep
My faith will stand

And I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise
My soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine

Your grace abounds in deepest waters
Your sovereign hand
Will be my guide
Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me
You’ve never failed and You won’t start now

So I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise
My soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine

Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Savior

Oh, Jesus, you’re my God!

I will call upon Your name
Keep my eyes above the waves
My soul will rest in Your embrace
I am Yours and You are mine

As I listened and took in the images, I was reminded of our shared humanity.

Lord, have mercy on them…have mercy on us.