Tag Archives: Friends

to the Caucuses – Day #10 & 11? – The Heat is On

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Had a short (1 hour or so) delay to our flight leaving Central Asia, & arrived in the HEAT (35C/95F) of the Caucuses around 10:30 p.m. Turns out we had a few fellow DLT attendees on the plane with us, & we navigated the belly of the airport relatively unscathed. The cleanliness of the bathrooms really was impressive – they even smelled good. Cleared customs without an issues & gathered our luggages from the crawling carousel. Thank you Jesus.

Met our host for the next few days in the waiting area just outside of baggage claim & began the sometimes awkward (for me at least) process of meeting new people… a daunting task for me on a good day at home; especially challenging given the combo of everyone’s tiredness, late night, language challenges/barriers, & newness. We got sorted into a collection of Ubers & began the circuitous 30 minute journey to our hotel, weaving in & out of stop & go traffic, navigating the labyrinth of streets & combo of downtown neighborhoods & McCarran like streets. And then we arrived at our hotel. Kind of.

I’ve gotta say – getting dropped off in an alley, albeit with a sign for the hotel announcing its presence, was more than a little daunting. Hotel sign is there – where’s the hotel? Pulled our suitcases deeper into the alley, which, to be fair, had a bend at the end, so it wasn’t like we were in an alley with no exit… just no visible exit. Dark. Foreboding. Unfamiliar. We got about 10 yards into the alley & saw a collection of big city, almost Chicago-style restaurants inhabiting the ground floors of the myriad buildings crowded in around us, topped with what seemed to be a tetris collection of flats, apartments, & unknowns.

Right then, a car we hadn’t seen because of the darkness & probably our tiredness backed out of an alcove in the alley. It stopped & the driver rolled down the window & said, “You are looking for ….” & named the hotel. We said “Yes” & he pointed around the corner, smiled & headed out. We made our way in that direction & yes, indeed, there was our hotel, a 1920’s themed hotel built out into a 6 story old(?) new building. Seamlessly checked in & made our way to our top-floor room… to discover the temp in our room was 92. Ahhh. Quickly found the thermostat & worked out how to crank that A/C DOWN to 20C/68F. (BTW – that was Wednesday night; right now it is 7:30 a.m. Friday & it STILL hasn’t gotten below 22C/71F). But 71 > 92, at least when it comes to the temperature of one’s hotel room.

The room is about 1/3 the size of our room at the Be Fine, but it is still workable although without adequate dressers & with 1/2 the room taking on the low, sloping slant of the roof…  once we got our bags mostly stowed & our clothes put where they needed to be for the next few days, it was time for bed. Mostly. Too hot to sleep still I loaded up our VPN  & we watched part of a Hallmark show, a pleasant reminder of home.

Good sleep, slow morning, & breakfast in the hotel dining room. Typical setup of a boutique hotel breakfast area, but with local cuisine & breakfast items… & of course, cocoa puffs. Before this trip I hadn’t eaten them in at least 5 years. I ate two bowls. Went back to the room & crashed for another hour or so, then puttered around until lunchtime connections with our other DLT friends in the dining room. Got to meet a few new friends from nearby countries; I’m thankful that everyone speaks at least a tiny bit of English.

Our longtime friend from Germany, Ewald, is here. He’s on the board of directors of the Eurasian Bible College & has been ministering in the region for > 2 decades. He is a steadying force of a man, stable, encouraging, & grandfatherly (he has appeared that way since i met him back in the early 2000’s… even though he’s a little younger than me.) There have been logistical challenges & spiritual attacks/circumstances that will (probably) keep a couple handfuls of people who were signed up for the DLT from coming. There were about 25-30 people registered & we had about 15 who made it to the first session last night. Not 100% sure, but I think this might be the total number. We’re meeting in the hotel’s conference room, a small, odd-shaped room with few amenities or technology, but plenty of places to sit & comfy/cozy layout that facilitates squeezing into chairs around the tables & having easy conversations.

What precious people. Our hearts are moved & we feel connected to them as well…

Van Gogh in the live

Even though it was hot, we decided to brave the night with Ewald, our friend from last year, A, & a young 30 something couple who actually live in the city we were just in in Central Asia. We both connected with them & spent the next couple of hours walking the often cobblestoned streets of this ancient city & neighborhood looking at the things, taking the sights, sounds, & smells. Barkers stood outside their restaurants, hawking their food choices; humanity pressed up & down the street with people of every age & demographic packed into crowded spaces.

The group decided on gelato & we found an out  of the way shop with great A/C. Sat & talked for about 30 minutes, then made our way back to our hotel.

PRAYER REQUEST – I felt a twinge of pain in the bottom of my left foot about 1 inch below the joint on the 4th toe (you know, the little piggy who “had none.”) Not quite the ball of my foot. It hurts. Suddenly painful to walk or touch, bottom or top of the foot. I didn’t actually DO anything that seemed to cause it. I was walking on the uneven cobblestones, & then I noticed the pain.

As I type this in the morning on Friday, it hasn’t gotten worse… its just not any better. No swelling to speak of – its weird.

And we press on.

Breakfast in an hour or so, then 10-1 p.m. & 3-6 p.m. are our DLT sessions today, talking Family, Marriage, Husbands/Wives. We will see how it goes.

Central Asia – Day #5 – The Top of the World

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It’s been hot… really hot & today was the most hot. Our hosts wanted to take us out of the city into the nearby mountains to get away for a chunk of the day – both to cool down & also to visit one of this region’s (& all of Central Asia’s) most beautiful areas.

We drove for about 45 minutes out of the city of almost 4 million people, gradually climbing towards the ever present, towering peaks surrounding the valley (Think of it as driving to Tahoe’s West Shore & the Squaw Valley/Palisades resort, or the Heavenly Valley area. This reminded me a LOT of that, esp. because of the gondola ride we ended up taking to the top of the majestic mountains)

Its not like we ever actually got OUT of the city… like most bigger cities, it just keeps going & going, but it did change & as we climbed, it got cooler – think 100 down to 85. We arrived at the base of the Shymbulak Mountain Resort & navigated our way towards the gondolas that promised to take us to the top of the 10 to 11,000 ft mountains. Y&G insisted we go earlier rather than later in the day, both to beat the heat & also the crowds; we experienced little to no people issues or wait times, unlike the Disneyland in summer type lines that were evident when we came down the mountain just a few hours later.

The 4 of us traveled together in the gondola through 3 different stations – total trip UP the mountain took about 45 minutes; we loved the 360 degree views of the surrounding valley & mountain range, although more than once I was wishing for a bigger window to be able to get some of the cool(er) air in.

We spent about 90 minutes at the top top, looking at the glacial remnants evident, the mountain passes leading to the different ‘stans’ & the people from every tribe, tongue & nation, all there to soak in the beauty, enjoy the touristy attractions (hanggliding, food & drink, yurts, & even a collection of BnB’s. It was about 70 up there, which informs you a bit more about the heat of the city. Y told us there is a mountain in the range that is rumored to be > 21,000 feet tall.

Y recommended we take the ski chair-lift style way down the hill – so theBean & I got to experience the slow descent in our very first (& most likely last) time ever being on a chair-lift. My skier of a Bean must have referenced this “first time” 20x throughout the travels down, & we took the time to snap pictures, send Marco Polo videos to loved ones, & generally laugh our way down the hill. Good times.

Had a late lunch at a little piece of Paradise (the name of the restaurant.) We shared a small pepperoni style pizza & a couple of short-ribs, then stopped at a mom n pop store for waters & Coke Zero before making our way to home base. We all took a nap – I slept for at least 3 1/2 hours & have several, very vague memories of theBean coming in to check on me; I eventually woke with a start to her sitting on her bed (we’re in 2 twins in our guest room) looking intently at me. The weight of her gaze & the power of her presence must have woken me :)

By this time it was almost 8 p.m.(!) & I was still full from lunch, so I snacked on some cool watermelon from the the fertile south region of the country, & reviewed my notes for the speech I’m giving today at church. At home we’re in Ecclesiastes so I modified a couple of messages I’ve recently done & put something together from Ecclesiastes 5:18-6:9.  Church starts around 2 & will go to 4:30-5 p.m. Then it’s packing & prep time, complete with a visit to a proper grocery store for any supplies we might need as we head in the morning to the outskirts of the city & the same “Be Fine” Hotel we stayed at with our full team of pastors last year.

Tomorrow starts the CA version of the DLT, & it will go until Wednesday afternoon, at which time we’ll say goodbye to Y&G & fly to the Caucuses for round 2.

It was a great day. Thank you in advance for your prayers & encouragements.

Central Asia – Caucuses – Days #3-5 –

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The 10 (Istanbul) & now 12 (CA) hour time difference, coupled with travel shock & not enough sleep make me doubt how many days we’ve been at this… I’m at the spot where fingers are starting to help with counting the days etc, so maybe later I’ll give it another shot. Bottom line: we’re doing well; mostly rested & settled firmly in Central Asia (CA) , staying for the next 3 days with our new friends, Y & G.

We loved our time in Istanbul, & spent the evening soaking up the ambiance, resting in our hotel, & dotting i’s/crossing t’s to depart for the next leg of the trip. After a quick taxi ride, our we headed to the airport 3 hours early, just in case there were snafus. There weren’t any, but its good to be prepared.

The flight from Istanbul to CA left at 12:45 a.m., which meant navigating the airport, late-night. It’s my 2nd experience & my 2nd country having a crack-of-doom departure time, & both experiences have been Vegas-casino like. Super-bright lights, packed terminals, & all the activity & bustle you would associate with the casino night life of city that never sleeps, minus the slots & games. Of course its a peak travel time for a big chunk of the world… its just not a peak travel time experience that I am used to.  Yet.

Seamless travels & a mostly quick 5 hour trip landed us a few minutes before 8 a.m. We navigated customs & baggage over the course of about 90 minutes, & made our way out to meet our host, Y, a local Foursquare pastor & overseer that we met during last year’s trip. Y is a planter of churches, the coordinator of an inter-denominational fellowship of Christian churches throughout the country (& several of the surrounding countries as well.)

Arrived at Y’s home & was met by his wife, G, & a killer breakfast spread. The majority of what we ate came from their garden (fruits & vegetables), their neighbors (farm-fresh eggs), & a collection of dried peaches, raisins, & nuts from nearby countries. CA is super inter-connected.

No sleep the night before + a full belly = waves of overwhelming drowsiness. We excused ourselves to our room & crashed HARD for about 6 hours (!) Woke up discombobulated, but got to reconnect, albeit briefly, our dear friend Al – before he headed to the airport. We’ll see him next Wednesday when we go to the Caucuses.

The power went out around 2 p.m. (a not-usual happening in this next of the woods) so Y&G took us to a local place for dinner for laghman & shashlik. So good – & our conversations & laughter over the food was precious, esp. as we navigate the language barrier using hand gestures, best guesses & translation apps, etc.

Got back to the house to find that the power was back on (!) & there was great rejoicing. Sat around the table for a bit with good chocolate (from Sweden) & hot tea. Planned & plotted the Saturday activity – with the heat (approaching 100F) we are headed to the mountains to take a tram ride up a 10,000 footer to enjoy the views, see the sites, & hang out together.

Also, confirmed that I will be teaching at the afternoon Sunday service (if you’re up at 2 a.m. Sunday, pray for me) & I think I’ll be doing something from Ecclesiastes 5:18-6:9… a spin-off from our current “Meaning of Life” Ecclesiastes series at Hillside. We’ll be heading to the “Be Fine Hostel” on the outskirts of the city sometime Monday morning, & diving into the 1st DLT.

Thank you for your prayers & thank you for your encouragements. We are thankful & daily reminded of the relationships, care, covering, protection, & blessings God HAS & IS providing for us through this process. It’s a joy & an adventure.

Central Asia – Caucuses – Days #1 & #2 – Travel & Istanbul.

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Reno – Seattle – Istanbul.

The first leg of our travels has gone (relatively) smoothly… we left Reno Tuesday afternoon & navigated the SeaTac airport to first find our International terminal (never flown Intl out of Seattle) & then shared a burger at one of the few food places available until our flight was called & we mentally prepared for the 12 hour flight in front of us.

Good news from the start – there was an empty seat in-between theBean & I, although because of where our row was located, we had the rigid metal dividers between us instead of the usual “lift-up” arms, thereby relegating us to the actual territory of our seats. No matter – it was a blessing & a joy to be able to let-down & occupy the extra space. I was able to catch a couple hours of sleep spaced out in 30-45 minute chunks throughout the ‘night’, & the 12 hour flight eventually came to an end as we slowly descended into a city & place that I’ve only read about in history books & seen in movies, & that I never thought I’d actually BE in.

Istanbul is massive – 15 million residents. Architecture that spans every known kingdom & nation that occupied it in its long & storied history (Byzantium or Byzantion to Constantinople to Istanbul). Big pockets of modernity. The whole gamut of people groups, nations, tribes, & tongues. East meets West, literally.

Our bags came – booyah! Navigated the largest baggage carousel system I’ve ever seen in person out to the place where we could order our ride. The research I did last week on transit in Istanbul came in handy as we found our way to the appropriate space to order up a ride-share using a version of Turkish-style Uber. Our driver arrived in about 5 minutes & we were off.

The driver had 4(!) phones mounted on his dash – one for this app, three for him to alternatively talk, text, & browse IG. True story. He weaved expertly through the chaos of rush-hour Istanbul traffic for about 45 minutes until we arrived at our hotel unscathed, no thanks to the tour bus driver that came an inch from clipping the motorcycle driver in front of us as bus driver guy obliviously swerved into our lane, cutting us off, earning him an earful, complete with hand gestures & expressions of extreme disgust from a collection of drivers.

After getting checked in & showered & cleaned up from a long travel day, we walked to a small cafe across the street for a lateish (for us) dinner. Beef sausage & cheese omelettes on an open air patio (it’s hot!) Surrounded by the sights, sounds of traffic & conversation, & smells (big city & cigarettes everywhere) – its a beautiful place. We made our way back to the hotel to wind down with a Hallmark show (thank you VPN.)

Slept most of the night, with a couple hours of wakefulness in the middle of the night. We both went back to sleep around 4:30 & didn’t wake up til 9:20 or so, in time to make it to their (massive) dining room for the complementary breakfast. Eggs, omelette stations, breakfast foods, yogurts, real fruits (best watermelon & plum ever) a collection of coffee & tea stations, & people. From everywhere. Every tribe, tongue, & nation. In a room of approx. 200 people, I clocked 1(!) other American couple. I proudly wore my Pete’s Meat BBQ shirt to breakfast, thankful that it had a cow on it instead of a pig… because pigs are frowned upon in this part of the world.

After breakfast, we went back to our room & read, slept a bit more, & now we’re planning on some foot-travels to a local store to pick up some necessities we didn’t bring with us. The plan is to head back to the airport tonight around 9 pm our time, as our flight heads out at 12:45 a.m. landing in our destination city 8 a.m. ish Friday 7/25.

Thank you for your prayers – we aim to stay in touch using the blog etc. as much as we are able. Looking forward to connecting with our (old & new) friends in Central Asia; we’ve got a few days in the city, staying with a local pastor, until we head out Monday, 7/28 for the 1st Discipleship/Leadership Training (DLT) conference.

CA: Days #16 & #17

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Thursday we did end up on a rooftop overlooking the vines of a local (& BIG) German winery called Alde Gott. Had a local spätburgunder (dry pinot noir) & a bacon/onion/cheese flammkuchen & enjoyed the view & the people watching. We did get to sit under a rather large umbrella,  (stretched across 4 or so tables), but I would have been perfectly fine one floor down in the tasting room with actual a/c & (just about) the same views we enjoyed from the roof. (Point of order: the roof views were far superior to the next-floor-down views, but the draw of the a/c made it all-the-more attractive to me. But not to anyone else who decided to go to Alde Gott that day… esp. the one I am married to.)

Eventually made our way back to Julia’s flat for a chill evening & a Hallmark movie (in Englisch!) that had received 4.8 out of 10 stars. It earned every single bit of it & was actually really funny & enjoyable to watch with the girls.

Friday was a day to hang out with Julia & her sister, Linda, & her husband, Heiko. Heiko is a leader in the Arche church led by Roland & attended by all Julia’s family, & helps oversee the Royal Rangers program that is really popular all over Eurasia (& beyond.) He’s like the ultimate boy scout & youth pastor & survivalist & great cook & so many other things all rolled into one. He recently joined a local association (Man Group)  that is connected to a local vineyard that has the distinction of being (one of) the most steeply graded vineyard in all of Europe. With typical American hyperbole I claimed it as THE most steeply graded vineyard in Europe, but with also typical German precision, I was voted down based upon the fact that we couldn’t know for 100% surety that it truly was THE most steeply graded vineyard in Europe.

Based upon Heiko’s access through his Man Group (he’s the youngest member – 38 years old; there are guys still active in the group in their mid-90s, which after accessing ONE OF the most steeply graded vineyards in all of Europe & hearing that these nonagenarians not only ACCESS the property, they help MAINTAIN it & actually cut the grass on the hillsides), we entered through a gate & began our hike.

When I say “hike” I mean “part-hike, part-climb, part-trek, part-hanging from security cables so you don’t fall off the side of the hill & tumble to your death on the rocks 50 feet below” kind of thing. He & Linda did bring Joah, their 6 year old, but he is evidently part mountain goat & weighs about 50 pounds & does more before 9 a.m. than most people do all day & his dad is the Head Royal Ranger, so he’s probably been training & stuff…

it was daunting. Fun. Exhilarating. Stretching. Beautiful. Scratchy (the brambles from the blackberry bushes snagged us a few times. Oh, & we ate blackberries til we didn’t want no more blackberries at all.)  The best part? When we (finally) made it to the top of the hill (about 500 meters/1600 feet or so climbed, NBD) we discovered the Man Group maintains a spartan little shack with table & some solar power. Heiko & Linda pulled out a German picnic: baguettes, salami & meats & cheeses; some hummus w/garlic & tomato that tasted like pizza sauce, a red-wine made from the actual vineyard we were sitting it (Engelberg – Angel Rock is what Heiko translated it as) & enjoyed the view & the respite. Took lots of pictures, but mostly just sat & conversed, laughed, & enjoyed the presence (& GIFT) of friends who were sharing their precious selves & lives with us.)

Eventually we navigated back down the mountain (different way – still rocky & steep but no safety wires required) & made it to where our cars were parked. The whole thing took about 3 hours & now, evidently, it was time to head to the place for dinner, so we dragged our sweaty & tired carcasses to the car & drove the 5 minutes to their house.

Klaus & Pia, Julia’s parents, joined us for dinner on the open-air terrace, which was a Raclette -party (click the link to make it easier on me). Kinda like a fondue-party feel, but with everyone having personal sized buffet to choose from, heat up on the flat-top in the middle, & then smother with cheese. We ate to our hearts content… lots of laughter, good talks, & never-ending entertainment with Joah. He has batteries that never run out.

It was 10:30 pm by the time we were done & Julia is usually in bed by 9:30 every day… so we scrambled to the car & drove to her house before she completely turned into a pumpkin. Showered when we got home (so good to get the stink & sweat off me) & then  TheBean & I sat up & hung out in our room for a bit… enjoying each other’s company & conversation.

We’ve got a rest day Saturday (plus doing a little wash & packing up,) then we are headed out to Frankfurt late Sunday. Really thankful for a great trip & visit here, wishing we could fit Julia in a suitcase or ship her back with us.

CA: Day #4

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Saturday began w/oatmeal & copious amounts of raisins washed down w/a couple cups of black coffee. Our team gathered in the lobby for our morning briefing & shuffled to the 3 vans that would be our transportation for the day.

Today involved tours of 3 of the homes the local host church owns/sponsors for people in various states of life repair, housed according to need (women & kids; guys in rehab; ladies in rehab; special needs; elder care.) The first home was women w/their children, all leaving behind abusive situations with the idea of creating a Jesus-centered community to help them get on a good life track, build life skills, & gather themselves together to somehow learn to dream again. We heard several testimonies of God’s goodness to the ladies & got to celebrate with (& grieve with) them in the middle of the (often) extreme makeover happening on the fly in real-time. Our team split into 2 & spent an hour or so praying for each of the individual house members (& their kids) & then gradually made our way out of the refuge to the vans & the long, hot drive through big-city traffic to the next home about an hour away.

When I say long, hot, drive, I mean exactly that. Today was a long, hot, drive. Sweat. Traffic noises. Herky-jerky movements of the vans racing through stop-&-go traffic, weaving in & out of side-streets, alleys, & racing through roundabouts. Sometimes the vans had a little a/c, but mostly it was 4-35: roll down the 4 windows & go 35… or 5, hoping & praying there would be a cross-breeze. It sounds terrible, but it really was just a minor & uncomfortable everyday inconvenience as we made our way through a normal day for our hosts in the hot August summer. 1st world problems.

Second home was our lunch stop. We all sat under a shaded awning at a picnic table in the back yard amidst hip-high weeds & a (safe & secured) dog the size of the Beast of “The Sandlot” fame. The people tasked with lunch grabbed us a collection of deconstructed beef & lamb kabob w/o the skewers & with the veggies (onions & peppers) on the side. There were also bbq lamb chops (so tasty) & plenty of greens for anyone who wanted them. We got to hear one of the local ministry overseers tell the story of the home & how it came to be a part of their network of refuge. Lots of stories, testimonies, & incredible progressions of “I’ve got an idea” to “We need a miracle” to “God has provided & answered.” Truly heart warming & faith building.

Third home was a guys rehab home – 3+ stories tall. We gathered in their open living room, listening awkwardly at times, as we heard stories of redemption & restoration in the face of loss, brokenness, & isolation. Some of the men had been in the home for years & were now functioning as leaders; 1 young man was on his first day, clinging with desperation to the idea of hope; a Living Hope that could possibly offer a different life, one with a future. You could tell that it danced before his eyes, seemingly out of reach, but possibly, just maybe, it could happen. Sobriety. Healing. New ways of living. People. Community. Friends & family. Jesus. Hope?

This pilgrimage took about 5 hot, sticky, sweat-soaked hours; we left the last home & headed back to our hotel to quickly grab supplies & Bibles (no time for a change) & headed to the Saturday service at the church, one attended mostly by the residents of the houses of refuge, though they are open to anyone. (NOTE: there are about 4 public at the church services/week. Maybe more. Some in the local language, some in another.)

Hillsiders would be at home in this – great worship, time for teaching, & opportunities for prayer. Our team spent the last 45 minutes or so of the allotted service time praying for people who wanted to experience a God-breakthrough in their lives; we prayed for stuff like restoration of broken relationships (spouse/kids); for a new way of living w/o needing to be hyper-controlling; to freedom from addiction.

But the thing we prayed for the most often was forgiveness of self. For relief from shame, condemnation, worthlessness & the life. People are people & we have an enemy who specializes in launching onslaught after onslaught of accusations of the wrongs we’ve done, mixing in his lies about our inability to EVER be free of an identity tied to those wrongs, as well as the crushing shame that puts us into a deep, dark hole of a prison from which there is no natural escape.

But there is Jesus. It was beautiful to see the beginning streaks of freedom & hope & life & NO CONDEMNATION take hold of several peoples’ hearts & minds & countenance.

Dinner was on our own; evidently, there is a version of McDonald’s around the corner. Kinda hi-brow & full of people. Once we figured out ordering in the local language, it didn’t take long to get our food, which for this hungry guy, was really good. (Was it good because I was so hungry & tired or was it good because it was a little familiar, or was it truly good because in CA the McD is good? I may never know.)

It’s now Sunday a.m. & I couldn’t sleep, so I’m writing & watching the SFGiants get rolled by the Reds. We head to church around 9 (3 hours or so) & will be taking all of our stuff & checking out of the hotel to start the day of church services (3 of them) to be followed by a trek to our next hotel where we’ll be through the end of this week for our retreat with the pastors & leaders coming from all over CA.

Thank you for praying for us – for endurance each day. For good interactions with the rest of the team (think tired, hot, hangry, & we need Jesus to give grace & to keep choosing to live in it.) Looking forward to an evening (just 12-14 hours away) of rest & recuperation for a bit until things begin in earnest sometime Monday evening.

Deutschland 2023 – Day #17 – Home

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Woke up at the crack of doom to put the final touches on our bags & gather & place all our belongings in the appropriate suitcase. Took our bags downstairs & across the courtyard (sorry for the noise. It’s hard to be quiet when you’re rolling a suitcase across cobblestones) & parked them inside the entryway of Alex & Linda’s building. Linda was ready for us with plenty of coffee & snacks to take with.

You know those last few moments you have with dear (& faraway) friends, those moments before the Uber arrives? Those are precious & those are hard. Together we rehearsed our thankfulness for the time together we had; for the great talks; for the food adventures; for the time shared. Too soon we had to navigate downstairs, grab our bags & then make our way to the sidewalk in front of #13, hoping that the Uber I’d scheduled (& had confirmed the night before) would come on time. Evidently there were threats of major snafus on the roads today as the Deutsche Bahn/transit system went on strike this morning. Woohoo.

Fortunately, our driver was just a minute over his scheduled time, &, after hugs & a tearful goodbye (yes, me) we piled into the back of the car & prepared for the loooong day of travels. Berlin’s new airport isn’t huge, but it is big. Even more fun is trying to figure out WHERE you’re supposed to drop off your luggage, because the system used in most other parts of the world isn’t organized even remotely close to what we know at home. I remembered seeing some numbers when I checked in the night before, & sure enough, those corresponded to the place we were to drop off our checked luggage. BTW – I happened upon a German couple saying their passionate goodbyes outside the entrance to security/what we’d call TSA. It stood out to me because I don’t think I’ve seen a make out session like that one since… maybe ever. The dude (he was staying behind, she was leaving) was left a disheveled mess, in need of a hairbrush & a towel. 2 points for Germany.

With that first exchange in the books, theBean & I made our way towards the gate for the flight that would take us to Munich, where we’d catch a flight to San Francisco, where we’d catch a flight home. Wandered the terminal looking at the snack options & finally decided to go with a version of a salami & cheese on brown bread. When it came time for us to board, we lined up with our carryon & backpacks, only to discover that the Lufthansa lady at the gate had decided we weren’t making it by her with our backpack… that we’d have to check it all the way through. Normally this wouldn’t be an issue, but the justice part of me was more than a little frustrated by being singled out (Merica!) amongst a virtual plethora of other passengers’ bags bigger & more numerous than our own Lil Samsonite. There was no stopping her, so, we scrambled to put as much of the ‘stuff’ we’d packed in there into my backpack, & sent the bag on its way.

The flight to Munich was uneventful, though I was more than a bit concerned that our international flight to SF had started boarding 10 minutes before we landed in Munich. These concerns were compounded when we discovered our gate was an estimated (thank you AI estimating tool used in the German airports) 20 minutes walk away. To further complicate the issue, I needed to find a WC before we did any fast moving.

We speed walked/jogged through the crowds, & slowly made our way toward the gate. Airline officials lined the spacious hallways, asking questions, then funneling us toward the appropriate lines leading to our eventual gate entrance. Caught our breath & headed down the tunnel toward the plane… where we stood for another 10 minutes waiting to board. Elation.

We made it – shortly we’d be on a plane headed to the US… but alas, our bags did not. At the switchover/customs check in in SF, we discovered that our bags hadn’t made the super-quick connection to Munich. After checking in with our carrier & reporting the issue, we were left with the understanding that NO, the bags didn’t make this trip, but YES, they knew where they were & had a decent guess when they’d show up. First world problems. Sigh.

By this time (14 hours into our day) I was feeling bleary, made worse by the fact that I didn’t sleep on the flight over. TheBean did, so she was in a little better shape, but still… Time passed slowly as we waited for the invite to board the last leg to Reno, but it did eventually pass. After landing at home, we met with the carrier again in the Reno-Tahoe Airport to officially file a missing bags report, & were assured they’d be delivered sometime the next day.

Our Gracer & the girls (Jane Alish & EloWEEZ) picked us up & transported us home. What a joy to hold family after a few weeks – the girls seem to have grown at LEAST 4 inches & 40 pounds apiece (I exaggerate, but you get it.) They came inside & Jane ran around Poppy’s house for a bit as EloWEEZ got herself together in preparation for her final 10 minute trip home. So good.

Home. No place like it.

The aftermath – the next day, 2 of the 3 bags showed up at our front door. The only missing bag? TheBean’s main suitcase. I talked to customer service again & it turns out her bag had always wanted to go to Anchorage, Alaska, so it would, hopefully, come the next day (Saturday) after a late fall excursion to the biggest state in all the land. It did arrive Saturday.

Takeaways:

  • There is nothing like being physically present, in the room, with friends. I’m thankful for technologies that allow regular & close communications, but it isn’t close to the same.
  • One thing we heard in every place we went (Frankfurt, Achern/Ottersweier, Oberwesel, Bielefeld, & Berlin) was “Thank you for your encouragement!” I believe it is a superpower given to us to be able to share, authentically & regularly, with the people we interact with. This tangible thankfulness that emerges in the aftermath of a person who’s been encouraged by another, SEEN by another, has given me a new appreciation of Barnabas, the OG “Son of Encouragement.” Makes me want to grow in this area & be more intentional with encouraging others.
  • The enemy of our souls, the devil, seems to hammer humanity equally, with a barrage of negative thoughts & perspectives about ourselves, how God (& others see us) & to rub in our face our unworthiness, insecurities, inadequacies, & real/perceived failures. THAT is why encouragement, friendship, & real fellowship are so vital for us inside/outside the Church. Doing that, being that, sharing that… helps combat those destructive, hyper-critical voices.
  • I love to partner in life, love, & work/play with theBean. I KNEW this already, but man, nothing like a 17 day voyage to the other side of the world to remind me of the Good Thing God gave to me almost 35 (!) years ago.
  • We’re looking forward to future trips to Germany (& beyond), but for now, we’ll be enjoying home, family, familiar food, friends, & our very own bed.

Thank you all for your prayers, your support, & your ENCOURAGEMENT to us. It helped sustain us in perfect health & good spirits, with everything we could ever need or ask for. You are loved & appreciated.

Be an encourager today.

Deutschland 2023 – Days #15 & 16 “Fun with Alex & Linda, which mostly involved trying out new restaurants & street food… “

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Day 15 – the afternoon & evening

We met Alex & Linda in the courtyard of the building where our flats are located, & made our way through the maze to one of the adjoining streets to meet our Uber. They typically employ 1 of 4 modes of transportation: walking, riding a bike, hiring an Uber/taxia, or (rarely) taking the public transportation system (combo of buses/S & U-bahn trains.) The driver dropped us off & it was just a short walk to Parma Pizza. To say it was a hole in the wall makes it seem bigger than it was… there were 3 or 4 tables crammed into 2 rooms, & the ‘kitchen’ was literally 2 steps from our table. Alex stepped into the kitchen twice & was reprimanded each time for violating the ‘chef’s’ space, but it’s not like he could access his seat without stepping into the kitchen. Inside of the rooms looked like a half-finished construction site where the workers had gone home for the weekend, leaving a bunch of stuff half-done, with tools & supplies strewn around the room. There were two guys in the kitchen area; one, the owner/chef, the other, a guy who kept sampling the box of wine on the edge of the super tiny refrigerator. He reminded me of someone who was probably a buddy of the owner who comes to hang out at his buddy’s place in the hopes he’ll be able to sponge some free food & drink if he hangs out long enough. The chef guy looked as though he was an Italian photographer just returned from a taxing & oh-so-draining photoshoot somewhere & by the way he acted, it sure didn’t seem like he was happy to have customers. I dubbed him “Artist Guy” & the other guy was “the Leech.” 

He finally got around to bringing us our menus & made a big show about the artistry of his pizzas… he took the time to explain several of the pizza options to us, in German & English, even though we already knew what we wanted to order. Once we ordered, he engaged in conversation with the Leech for about 15 minutes, seemingly forgetting we were there. Eventually our drink orders came, with our bottled water & the finest boxed red wine the kitchen had to offer placed hurriedly on the table so Artist guy could get back to his conversation.

He remembered we were there to EAT, so he frantically began to assemble the ingredients for the pizzas we’d ordered on his prep counter & then painstakingly made the pizzas, popping them 1 by 1 into the pizza oven on the far side of the kitchen. Good thing they only had to bake for about 90 seconds. Artist guy deposited the pizzas in front of us & stepped back into the kitchen. 

About this time, a younger guy arrived, complete with a dark mullet of curls on his head (theBean said they were the size of the classic pink 1 1/2″ sponge hair roller that hadn’t been brushed out after removing the curlers); he spoke only broken English & his native Italian, & he seemed to be there to do all the jobs Artist guy didn’t want to do.

Pizza was ok – I got a Salamewurst & Tomato & Mozzarella & theBean had a ham pizza (ham put on after the pizza cooked, much to her chagrin & displeasure.) We ate our fill & laughed a lot around the tiny table in the bizarre pizza place/construction zone while the Leech drank more wine & the Mullet guy went through the motions of cleaning & puttering around looking for something. 

We had a blast… time with Alex & Linda is always the BEST time. Good conversations on a variety of topics: Jesus, church life, health, exercise, conspiracy theories, Joe Rogan, specialty meal replacement shakes, work (Alex works in a start-up that does high end health supplements & Linda is a supervisor in the educational system, focusing much of her life on helping foreigners & others trying to make the best of school in Germany.)

Alex had us rolling with his active & quick sense of humor & Linda’s joy & love of life are evident in every conversation we had with her. Truly dear & much loved friends. 

After our meal, since it wasn’t raining (YES) we decided to stretch our legs & walk home through the dark back streets of Berlin’s Kreuzberg & Neukölln neighborhoods; it only took about 30 minutes & it was really refreshing, esp. considering how much we had sat around with little activity the first week of our trip. Went up to their flat for more talks & a late night glass of wine… eventually made our way across the courtyard to our flat & were in our room a minute later. It was a good day.

DAY 16 – Templehof, Street Food, & Crazy Kim’s

Woke up late & headed to the Cafe Bread for coffee & a breakfast pastry… guy from yesterday wasn’t working (bummer) & but the new girl hooked us up & quickly as we settled into our spot to read, enjoy our coffee & people watch. Alex worked until 1 p.m. & Linda until 5, so theBean & I went for a walk through the neighborhood & picked up some supplies from the local grocery store. When Alex called us, we met him outside at an Uber & made our way downtown for some “on the go” site-seeing & a quick stop for a ‘snack’ at Goldie’s Smashburger &.I’ve had smashburgers in the US & they were ok… nothing compared to a good 3×3 animal style, protein style, w/extra grilled onions & cheese, no tomato, no spread, ketchup & mustard please @ In-N-Out burger, but ok.  

This was > ok. This was incredible. Keep in mind, we stopped here for a snack… & also because we hadn’t had a burger our whole time in Germany. So of course, we ended up getting doubles, which were the size of my two fists together. We came at the perfect time, so no line. By the time we were done eating, the line had wandered down the block. We crushed our burgers (so good) & took turns sampling the fries until we couldn’t eat any more. This was, by far, the food highlight of our trip. 

After eating waaaay too much for a snack, we wanted to do some walking, so we made our way through the streets til we finally got to the old Templehof Airport (check out the link for Templehof above), the site of the Berlin airdrops that saved Berlin in 1948 & 1949 (go USA). This massive former airport is now a recreation area, where miles of former taxi & runways have been turned into places for exercise, (bikes, roller blades, scooters, & foot power), with large grassy areas here & there for picnics, kid-friendly recreation, & a couple designated dog parks. Very cool, & lots of places to stop & read about the history of the place. Spent about 90 minutes walking & ended up on the far side of the airport, where we (thank the Lord) found bathrooms that were open & available for usage, without any fee. (NOTE: most of the time to use a toilet in a store/restaurant in Germany/Europe, it will cost you at least 1 Euro. Put that on your list of Even More Things to be thankful for at home.) 

Caught an Uber home, with just enough time to rest, change clothes, & meet Linda to catch another Uber to our dinner place, Crazy Kim’s Korean. We got seated by Kim herself at a table in the entry way, & placed our orders. This restaurant was one they hadn’t been to before, but our coming to visit gave them an opportunity. Food was decent & there were 15 appetizer bites brought to our table (no choice in the matter) & it was fun to try different things. For our main dishes, I got bulgogi & theBean got Korean short-ribs.

But the highlight of the night, for me, was the 2 women who came in shortly after us. One of them HAD to be the owner’s daughter & the other seemed to be a beloved best friend, because Kim doted on the super fancy & chic ladies, dressed in what were probably pretty fashionable (definition: super weird clothes that real people don’t wear) all the while snapping photos of themselves, each other, & the little pocket sized dog the daughter brought in in her purse. If you’ve ever seen wanna-be IG ‘influencers’ in action, you have an idea of our entertainment for the duration of dinner. They helped themselves to all sorts of things behind the bar, often leaving their table to walk around the building, often retreating into the “private” & “Staff only”, only to emerge later & hit the bar again. So. Funny.

Finished dinner & made our way to our Uber outside. The drive home only took 5 minutes, so we had to be close, but it was raining & we’d already walked about 8 miles earlier in the day. As it was our last night, we made our way up to Alex & Linda’s flat again, & sat around their table trying to pack as many conversations as possible into the time we had left. So precious. 

We sadly made our way back to our flat to sleep the short night’s sleep that comes before the departure flight home. We’d made plans to come to their flat in the morning for a cup of coffee & hugs goodbye, so we knew we’d get to see them at least one more time before we left. 

Slept well, with dreams of home in our minds.

Deutschland 2023 – Day 1

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We flew out of San Francisco around 2:30 pm on Tuesday, which I think was yesterday, but after an 11 hour, overnight flight, where I may have gotten 3 1/2 hours of sleep. Very fortunate that theBean & I had an empty seat between us (thank you Jesus for the unforeseen blessing) so we could stretch out a bit. Spent the last couple hours of the flight watching The Office (including THIS gem), & mentally preparing for the sometimes grueling first day in country, where we do our best to stay awake & push through the urges to sleep/lay down/succumb to travel shock.

Passport control was a breeze, though very slow. One of the American guys in front of us (worked for the US State Dept. He even had the backpack for it,) was incredulous at “the poor customer service” of the German passport control officers. Dude. Time to chill. You aint in Kansas any more.

Bags arrived safely (thank you again Jesus) & wee went outside & caught a taxi to the home of our friends, Eddy & Laura Dück. After a quick trip, we settled into the room we’re staying in tonight (thank you Taylor – Eddy & Laura’s oldest son – for giving up your room for the night.) Then it was time for coffee & talks with Eddy. Loved getting to catch up on the last few years of happenings & to hear what God has been & is currently doing in & through the Dück family. Eddy had to dive into some work, so theBean & I took turns showering & getting freshened up & getting ready to re-meet the Dück kids (Taylor, Ellott, Max, & Kira) when they get home from school. That’s where we are right now.

I just wanted to let you know we made it – we’re doing well – we’re loving the talks & fun we’re having so far as the late teen age kids arrive home, one by one, from their school. Tomorrow we’ll hang out here in Frankfurt until about 3 pm, at which point we’ll head to the train station & make our way to our dear Julia in Achern (southwest corner of Germany, near the French border.)

Thank you for praying – will be in touch.

Louie & Joni

Stuff #4 – “Feed the hungry bird…”

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Rolling on in the series, “STUFF I’VE PICKED UP ALONG THE WAY.”  This one also came from Ron Pinkston, by way of a few dozen conversations with people on the topic of “making disciples of Christ.”

STUFF #4 – When it comes to making disciples, influencing others towards good, encouraging people: FEED THE HUNGRY BIRD.

When I started volunteering with Jr & Sr High students, I knew that one of my responsibilities was to make disciples (aka ‘fully devoted followers of Christ.’) However, I didn’t have any idea just HOW I was supposed to do that. So, pre-the Google machine’s invention, I asked around. Called friends (on a touch tone land-line phone, even,) for recommendations. Some suggested a curriculum, studied in a classroom type setting, for a set number of weeks; others offered up a ‘y’all come’ approach, where any & everyone who showed up to class &/or youth group would be discipled (though I wasn’t exactly sure how that was supposed to happen. Still.)

I fumbled & stumbled through it, feeling overwhelmed, ill-equipped, & frustrated. Felt like I was failing at what I was trying to do. And then…

“If you want to make disciples & don’t know where to start, just FEED THE HUNGRY BIRD. Look for the student that wants to learn, wants to grow, & wants to spend time doing it. And then spend time with them.”

Don’t exactly remember the context for when/where I heard this saying, but I know when I did, a light bulb went on in my head. I could do that! And so I decided to experiment: one night at youth group, I told the handful of students, “Anyone who wants to grow in their relationship with Jesus & hang out with me before school, & drink coffee/eat a muffin at the City Cafe bakery, we’re meeting on Tuesdays @ 6 a.m. I’ll get you a ride to school as well.”

The next Tuesday, I showed up at the City Cafe as the doors were opening to the public… it was me & a few morning stragglers grabbing their coffee & a quick bite on their way to work. No one was sitting in the Cafe, so I got my cup (free refills For The Win #FTW) & parked at a table in the middle aisle of the restaurant. (It was a converted, barely remodeled Swensen’s Ice-Cream parlor. If you’ve been in one, you get the picture.) I was alone.

Every time one of the doors opened, I’d peek around to see if any brave souls were joining me in at the Crack O’Doom. For coffee & Jesus. For the longest time, (at least 10 minutes,) no students came… just early risers on their way to work. And then…

I’d heard the door, but had gotten tired of turning around to the disappointment of Yet Another not-student walking in the door. I focused on drinking my bottomless cup of joe, nibbling on a cobblestone muffin, & reading my Psalms.

Next thing I knew, I sensed someone’s presence nearby. It was Vic, a 7th grader from our youth group, standing there looking as awkward as I felt, & but as welcome as any Christmas morning I’d ever experienced. Somebody came! And now what to do.

Vic figured out the transactional part of the morning (coffee & a muffin for here in the cool green basket,) & came over & sat across from me. Drinking his coffee, slowly. Taking large bites of his muffin.

What to do next? He was here now, invited to come “grow in his relationship with Jesus.”

So we talked. Laughed. I listened to him, & prayed that I’d have something to say. His questions didn’t start on Jesus, the Bible or other spiritual topics, but somehow, they seemed to end up there.

Before I knew it, an hour had passed & it was time to take him to school – when I dropped him off, I can remember him saying, “So, we gonna do this again next week?”

I hadn’t thought of next week. But I said, “Yes. Of course. Same time, same place.” And he got a big smile on his face & said something like, “Cool. it was fun.” And he bailed.

Over that school year (& for the next several years that I lived in Carson City,) Tuesdays at the City Cafe became a ‘thing,’ at one point taking over most of the tables & booths in the restaurant. All Jr & Sr High students. All ordering coffee. All eating a muffin. All talking at their tables with friends, Youth sponsors (people there to help me with supervision & discipleship) & having a blast.

Being discipled. Encouraged towards Jesus. It was beautiful, & is still one of my favorite memories from my time in Carson.

Over the years, FEED THE HUNGRY BIRD came to mean – share time, space, & experiences with the people who WANT to gather, WANT to hang out, WANT to learn. Though it could sound trite, it really was true: the Holy Spirit set the agenda for what got addressed, & we never really needed a curriculum as He & life’s circumstances & challenges provided more materials than I could ever have wanted to have.

There’s no substitute for time together. For good conversation. For making time to listen. For saying, “I don’t know,” when you don’t know, & for heading to prayer for answers, comfort, & encouragement in those times.

It gives me great joy to know that many, many of those students are still walking with Jesus, now with spouses & their own kids (& some even have grandkids) more than 30 years later.

And it all started with Vic, the brave soul who took me up on my invite to grow in his relationship with Jesus. Over coffee. With a muffin. Before Jr High.