Fresh-Brewed

"WOW" Week & Union exchange group

2012-01-24T17:57:00.002-05:00

The week started with a "bang" so to speak as the exchange group from Union Univ. decorated my apartment in real red, white and blue along with dozens of flags and such-- here is the winning team for the "States Quiz" (Ben, one of the hosts; Mike, a new student from Minnesota we just met; David, engineering students, & Kris, far right, on our staff, who really does have a lot of trivia knowledge!

vision for the next generation

2012-01-11T14:36:00.003-05:00

Some of you were praying for our "vision trip" last week to Colorado Springs! And a few of you (so far) have given funds to make it possible. THANKS so much! It was literally mind- blowing and revolutionary to be at the Life Impact conference, and walk around with some really godly people!4 of our staff from Germany and Spain flew over for various lengths of trips, to visit churches and share the

stranger

2012-01-11T09:51:00.004-05:00

I have a new theme word in my life. It's "home." It came to me during an intense and revealing conversation I had over Christmas break (for those of you wondering, I still talk like a college student, with stuff like Christmas "break," because I work with university students!)...This song about feeling like you're a "Stranger" by Mandi Mapes has such a great folksy, "unplugged" sound to it, and I

2011-12-26T20:50:00.003-05:00

You can tell... I'm catching up on my blogging, friends, from the Fall time. Thanks for checking back in! :-) It was a costume party for well over 40 students, in Kris and Sörens apartment, so look and see how creative my friends are...Anja...Lars, Kris (as Waldo), and Ollie...me (Shaun the sheep!), a friend of Jacky, Jacky, and Alejandro

Our wonderful staff- team

2011-12-26T20:25:00.004-05:00

Well, it looks like lots of workshops...brainstorming, prayer and sessions...and it IS! But we're still sort of silly... about the light stuff....We're the European Connexxion staff- team! (shown at our September "summer" training retreat). THANKS for your prayers and support, especially at this holiday time!

Dad in Germany

2011-12-26T15:48:00.002-05:00

This was our Connexxion winter retreat in November -- the largest attendance ever with almost 50 in attendance! Dad spoke on the "The Power of One" about committing to Christ as Lord and mentoring others to follow Him.We were invited to a great breakfast with Anja G. (leads Connexxion in Braunschweig) and Lydia R. (getting her doctorate in nutritional sciences) in their 6th floor or so apartment!

the power of one

2011-11-25T04:11:00.002-05:00

This is the fun logo for our Connexxion Winter Retreat... THIS weekend in Germany! My dad Waylon B. Moore is the main speaker- it's been great having him here... He spoke last night to a group of 14 students & staff in Braunschweig from the book of Acts.

sites of new semester

2011-11-25T03:47:00.002-05:00

I wanted to share a few recent views of life here... but I have been borrowing Anja's camera so haven't quite got the knack of things with the photo downloading, etc. Above is Anja and Inma, my good friend from Sevilla. She is doing an exchange semester in London & we got to visit her for a fun weekend!This is how full the main campus building in Braunschweig got with all these freshmen in their

"Stell dir vor..."

2011-10-22T18:41:00.004-04:00

Our newest look & year's theme for Connexxion Braunschweig came from a German song that touched Birthe's heart, called "Stell dir vor" ("just imagine..."). Thus, the bright stripes of ideas streaming into the little cloud of imagination & thought. On the back is a bit more detailed information about our campus group. (if you give to missions with our organization, a giant THANK YOU for budget

Welcome Packets!

2011-10-22T18:25:00.005-04:00

Our fall semester begins next week & it's official-- in Braunschweig at the TU there will be 33% more incoming freshmen college students this year. That means a total of 3,000 freshmen. Why? Because of 2 factors: 1) Germany's obligatory military service for young men (or civil service, for conscientious objectors) is being done away with; & 2) in states where there used to be 13 grades for high

It's all gonna work out

2011-10-10T18:08:00.003-04:00

Don't you hate it when people give an easy answer to your big-time heartaches or difficult questions? I saw this T-shirt in a shop a couple of weeks ago. There's a German saying that means, in essence: "all will be good.""Alles wird gut!" = Everything will turn out ok. While this could be just one of those trite expressions, in real life, this "goodness" actually can take place because we know

Moin, moin

2011-10-01T15:57:00.004-04:00

This past week we had our annual summer (staff) retreat. This time it was in a village on the North Sea, about 4 hours from where I live ... with 11 of us living & worshipping in a 3 apartments together (sigh- we were missing 3 staffers this time).Anja gives me SOOO Much support and wise counsel. And is a great friend. When we were all exhausted from the meetings, and had waved good-bye to the

gwendolyn takes the cake!

2011-10-01T15:43:00.003-04:00

Here are a few shots of the summer related to my precious niece, Gwendolyn! Her birthday was spent at Disneyworld nearby.Bruce's birthday treat was a family time & lobster dinner, a la Maine-style (but in Tampa)!with her little princess wand which I got her in Sevilla!reading a Bible story book to her- in SPANISH! "The Bible in Pictures for Little Eyes" was a favorite of my mom's which she read

baptisms in 3 countries!

2011-07-18T15:35:00.005-04:00

What a fun, memorable day at the beach! Here is my friend Beth & darling niece Gwendolyn!Here's my dad, ham-ing it up, in a pavilion at Ft. Desoto Park where my family's church, Christ Fellowship, had a beach baptism yesterday! My 3rd outdoor baptism of the summer- super exciting, I can tell you!Here I am with Heather, my sister in love, and Gwendolyn, my niece.Melissa got baptised; I'm so proud

Braunschweig outdoor baptism

2011-07-18T15:26:00.004-04:00

My good buddy Jake came for one Sunday the end of June, to visit me in Braunschweig (here we are outside a hospital). He is doing a study abroad this summer (we'd originally met in Sevilla, when he studied there 1 year). Well, God worked in some amazing ways thru hardships. He got very sick, suddenly, with some sort of virus, & couldn't keep anything down that day. This was especially bad because

just add water...?

2011-07-18T02:47:00.000-04:00

Two weeks ago was a really GRAND day, in Spain! My super good friend, Abraham, got baptised at the beach near Matalascanas. He was baptised by a mutual friend, Jake (normally does not have a beard), who was a key student in our group from 2009-2010 while studying abroad. He attends Moody Bible College.Anja G. from Germany was with me to celebrate this event... and we got to share some seminar

extravagant

2011-06-17T17:14:00.006-04:00

Today I was pondering the idea of "extravagance" ... showing people you care, even in small ways, can truly make a difference. We usually don't have enough hours in a day to do things up BIG. I'm not saying I'm good at going beyond my "duty" or the smaller things that people should expect, to really FULLY and GRACIOUSLY show love .... but I applaud and notice it when someone does acts of

being team

2011-06-17T16:54:00.005-04:00

Do Anja and Vera look like they're UP to something? They are--UP-- like dozens of meters up in a small cable car!Ahhhh.... this was over the city of Thale, in the Harz Mountains...I think Kris was excited and Birthe was trying not to rock the cable car! In addition to the crazy times of fun-- it is truly a privilege, in every sense of the word, to serve on a TEAM with great leaders and special

Retreat, Freizeit, Retiro...

2011-06-17T16:30:00.005-04:00

We had a marvelous 3-language Connexxion retreat last weekend in the Harz Mountains with over 40 attending ...Here are our 2 main speakers, Mike Story and Thomas Koch, our team leader in Jena! My best buddy Abraham Rios came from Sevilla, who is doing a practicum with Connexxion and was able to represent our group there and share his story. That was a bit of a challenge for me (but a good one),

tables & learning

2011-06-03T18:04:00.013-04:00

I get the chance some weeks to do a fair amount of teaching about God, & also blending that, I hope, with a fairly heavy dose of learning & soaking up ideas from others! (Caro & Birthe clowning around!)Often it happens close to a TABLE ... Here are some shots of this week...I was privileged to lead an extensive Bible study time this week with students from our 2 discipleship groups, on the topic

fins, surfing & barry

2011-05-30T17:19:00.006-04:00

In 2008 and 2009 our Connexxion group had the privilege of a few surfing lessons in Huntington Beach, from a Pro, Barry Marmion on the left.Do you see that giant candelabra? The white tablecloth & view of the city? These were the "best seats in the house" overlooking the city of Braunschweig yesterday at Tiziano's! The occasion? Our "surf instructor" and friend, Barry, was visiting from

sabine at lunch

2011-05-24T09:18:00.003-04:00

Heute war ein schönes erlebnis, mit sabine zu essen in ihrem Haus... Gott hat mich gesegnet mit coolen Freunden! And now she has her very own blog, too!

House Warming

2011-05-21T09:45:00.006-04:00

Last night I went to a lively home/apartment warming party & barbecue for 2 friends, one of whom is working now with Connexxion, Kris. A mega- barbecue... everyone pitching in & bringing bratwursts... connecting friends... (above are friends Oli, Stan, Jacky, Inga & Peter!)Above... an after shot... Now-- the BEFORE shot of the living room! I and our Connexxion team were part of the "story"

More Views of Hamburg

2011-05-13T20:47:00.005-04:00

We had a mini- exchange trip to Hamburg this month, where we encouraged the newest member of the Connexxion "Family"-- a new student group in a suburb called Harburg, at the Technical University (TU - click here for a virtual tour in English) . Above are Anja G. & Vera W. presenting a report on our weekend at Vera's church, which is also where we did some of our volunteer work & stayed in their

weekend exchange in hamburg

2011-05-09T19:05:00.004-04:00

Twelve of us had the privilege of being with our special friend & Connexxion staff-er, Vera, in a suburb of Hamburg last weekend. I love it that you can pop into a city and students are so open-- we got to meet Rene on campus (by me), & he invited 2 friends, Silvan & Thomas, to our barbecue in the park that day.Here are some of us ready to go do surveys and pass on flyers to advertise our

What's your major?

2011-04-26T15:34:00.006-04:00

So do we look like your typical English teacher? (Yes, we are or are studying it! - Jacky, Dodo, me, and Miriam)One of the favorite things students like to ask each other is: "What do you study? What's your major?" Sometimes a typical nerdy engineering student might have a couple of pens in his shirt pocket, as a clue.Well, you didn't have to search too far for the answer at our recent semester

Sunny days around Easter

2011-04-26T15:19:00.004-04:00

It was great seeing old friends last week, Alrik and Antje, who visited from Weimar and used to be active in our Jena Connexxion group! And I got to (finally) meet their sweet baby boy! We enjoyed sharing updates on our lives & it was especially interesting to hear about their work world --of product & graphic design with an amazing company, Pappenfuss.It seems like spring has finally sprung...

gettin' on the same page

2011-04-16T09:16:00.007-04:00

How do you bring various people together, so that we work as ONE? As a team, much like a rowing crew with arms and legs strained, striving toward the finish line as smoothly as possible on that river. I have a TON to learn about this. And those close to me could write a book about the times I fail weekly. But this aspect in ministry and life is one that I do value highly. Team. One element is

Birthe's Home

2011-04-15T20:51:00.005-04:00

Recently I visited Birthe's (far right) home town about an hour from here.We attended the church which had an influence on her coming to faith, & she shared a bit about her work on staff with Connexxion. Afterwards we took a stroll in the city, with 2 friends!There were some quaint "half- timbered" houses (called "fachwerk) as pictured above.This church worship room below looks fairly good-sized

Willkommen, Kris!

2011-04-07T18:40:00.002-04:00

Last week we welcomed Kris H. to our Connexxion Team (see far right). He will be working with university students in our city for the next 2 or so years. He is from Texas so the greeting was accompanied by some delicious (and hard to find here) Dr. Pepper! Ollie (left) has been helping him search for a stove & other needed items. Marc (in red, also an engineering student) is his new roommate.

doors

2011-03-31T17:33:00.004-04:00

The Scriptures speak to ideas about doors. For instance, in Deuteronomy 11:18 ff - "Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your

Back to the roots

2011-03-18T18:22:00.004-04:00

Enjoying coffee time with Anja's lovely parents, Renate and Klaus, who are so hospitable & tell such entertaining stories!Walking the cafe street which I frequented with joy while living in Jena... & where the wonderful Davis family used to live!Gunter and Anja praying a blessing over Stefan & Antje-- great friends & full of faith. They are also full of adventure-- they're now working with

praying for japan

2011-03-17T20:44:00.011-04:00

Tonight we had a very sweet time together as a Connexxion group in my apartment. We're still in the middle of our semester break (in the USA you'd say: "spring break"). But ours is about 6 weeks-- filled with exams, finishing up papers, and doing internships-- but NOT having classes. We took time to cook pasta together... and then prayed for various needs in Japan.Later some of us baked cookies -

Vienna at a glance

2011-03-14T17:03:00.005-04:00

Vienna is a classy city. The Hofburg Palace is right on this main Ring Boulevard that runs for 4 kilometers.The sign above was on a church door and says: "Confession & speaking out." It is for those wanting to talk or confess to the priest.This winter I got a free trip to visit some friends in Vienna & get some ideas for Connexxion. There I briefly (in 1 afternoon) checked out some of the

Connexxion board meeting in Jena

2011-03-14T16:25:00.005-04:00

We had a great time together this weekend in Jena, with our Connexxion staff along with our non-profit organization's board members & their spouses. Here is a photo with lots of smiles, after a longer afternoon together. First, we had an informational meeting in the church, inviting lots of friends, where we shared stories from 2010 from all 4 cities where we have groups. Then we enjoyed a VISION

What 7 months without a microwave instilled in me

2011-03-14T13:06:00.008-04:00

Yes, that's right. Since August I've lived without a microwave. That is, until last week (read more below). Through this simple experience, God has instilled some valuable principles in me. The following questions might accompany an exercise in living with a contented heart, as we consciously or unconsciously trust God for our "stuff."How many creative ways can I save money, in order to invest in

Sevilla has a special color (pt. 2)

2011-03-04T16:53:00.003-05:00

Our excursion day on Saturday at the beach was a blessing-- here i am with Maggie (she and her husband Hendrik serve on staff with Connexxion, too and lead the Sevilla group), and my friend Inma!Fran (Francisco) was one of my first friends in Spain-- what a great guy! This was his birthday!Lauren and I had coffee in the center with a special friend Annie, whom I have also gotten to visit in her

chinese new year

2011-03-03T16:22:00.003-05:00

Recently I was privileged to be invited to celebrate Chinese New Year with a student friend, Thanh. It was put on by the Vietnamese Buddhist society in a nearby city, where they also have a temple. It was fascinating to see how people worship, light incense and put fruit in front of the various statues.Downstairs we just gave Thanh some euros and said, "Buy what you think tastes good and is

obscurity (pt. 2)

2011-03-02T14:19:00.003-05:00

Today I read another verse that reminded me of what I'd written before regarding obscurity... I was generally feeling that obscurity is a BLESSING from God - that if they can't find me on the planet (ha!), it's good. But maybe that is not always true. ??Check this out!"Do you see a man skillful in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men."- Proverbs 22:29 (ESV)

Sevilla has a special color

2011-03-01T15:27:00.004-05:00

I just spent a glorious week in Sevilla, my old "home", where I was privileged to see friends and visit the Connexxion group. The title of this entry is a line in a song... Here is the Giralda tower of the Cathedral (it used to be a mosque centuries ago). I stayed just 5 minutes from this spot.My hosts, Paloma, her son Paco and daughter Inma (my good friend), along with her boyfriend Johnny and

Pasta & pub

2011-03-01T15:09:00.004-05:00

We had fun at our end of the semester party-- well, done a bit differently than our usual "motto" parties.We started in 2 locations, a type of frat house called ABC House, and also in a large dormitory kitchen. Everyone brought pasta and sauce and we cooked together.Later we all ended up at a large pub in the city center.... (below are Ollie, Elli, Caro & Thanh)and hung out & played "Kicker" (the

My brain in 3... uh, 4 nations

2011-02-28T09:55:00.002-05:00

Just got back from a trip to Sevilla. What a privilegio, to have the posibilidad in more than one country gelebt zu haben! Perhaps it kommt with the terrority, having lived in 4 nacionen, mi mente está sometimes totalmente confused mit Sprachen and finding the apropos word. Ich start to say a palabra, and se me ocurre the word in uno de my other languages. (at the right is

obscurity

2011-02-17T19:35:00.006-05:00

I'll never forget a quote from a wise pastor, Bob Brandon, in Ft. Worth, Texas. He once told me: "Enjoy your obscurity." It was while I was probably bemoaning the fact that I was living in Vancouver, BC (which, by the way, I loved!!---). But I was feeling "out of the loop," isolated from other campus ministries with a similar DNA. And friends. Plus didn't know what conferences were going on. What

WOW Week 2011, part 2

2011-02-17T19:10:00.006-05:00

It was great to hang out again with Christoph, whom I'd known when i first moved to Braunschweig. Here are more shots of our super fun & full WOW week in January, with the exchange campus group from Union University!At bowling night, on Friday-- it looks smokey because they had "disco bowling" effects with a lasar show.a baking afternoon with chocolate chip cookes, in Rita & Anna's place -- with

slowing down, saying 'no', & other out -of-reach items˜

2011-02-05T13:08:00.009-05:00

You know how you probably do have more flour or plastic zip-lock bags or whatever in your kitchen, but it's on a higher shelf that is out of easy reach? You're going to have to get a chair or step- stool ("hocker" = German word) to check it out. Sometimes I feel like slowing down is like that. It's there-- it's available-- this "thing" of learning to "walk" at a do-able pace, enjoying life more,

WOW Week, 2011... first fotos

2011-02-03T18:27:00.005-05:00

It all started with a dream called "WOW" -- "week of welcome"! (Aaron, on the right, was a Connexxion intern for 1 month with us & did a great job!)(Birthe on the left is on our staff & Karen works at Union U.)The dream: to make new friends on campus, network with students, share the German culture with students from Union University, and live out our faith in Christ! Our guests lived in student

Should I wear finger nail polish?

2011-02-03T17:50:00.006-05:00

"Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ."These words from Paul (Galatians 1:10) are a great reminder to me of living for my Audience of One! Some of us may feel somewhat independent, as if we don't need others to like us. I remember that while in college I would

christmas stress simplifier

2010-12-18T23:32:00.005-05:00

We have a tradition-- sometime around the Christmas Season we soak up the atmosphere at the Wilderness Lodge at Disney. Sometimes it's warm enough that Northerners are outside swimming in the pool/ lagoon.My niece now has a german teddy bear!Heather & Bruce discovered a special bakery on the Food Channel -- Babycakes! Its showcase store is in NYC, but they also have a kiosk in Orlando at the

life with attitude

2010-12-18T16:04:00.003-05:00

The 7 heart attitudes are a fabulous "base," the bottom line of how I try to live out life, & in ministry. I refer to them all the time and 3 churches that I've been involved in use them. What an amazing help they are in relationships, (especially if we both have agreed on them!). I learned them first through Hope Church & Harold Bullock in Texas. He has a new book outlining these attitudes,

Christmas Party

2010-12-16T01:33:00.002-05:00

Playing a kids' game, where you have to wear a winter scarf, gloves and knit cap-- while others roll the die-- and try to break into a bar of chocolate and then eat a bite, one at a time, until the next person has a turn...with Dodo, and Jacky- Dodo (her nickname) had made special Cookie Monster muffins!the kitchen is the best place to hang out at a party... Anja is the Christmas "hostess with

Feuerzangenbowle

2010-12-16T01:11:00.004-05:00

The universities of Germany are known for showing an old movie every Christmas, to sold-out audiences of students. This was my first year to go, invited by our friend Christian, who graciously wanted to be sure that I learn more of German culture (I told him upon re-entering Germany, that there were many things I'd like to grow in knowledge of about this culture and the language).The movie is

Thanksgiving Dinner (a week later...)

2010-12-09T18:38:00.003-05:00

A week after Thanksgiving, we celebrated!! Yes, the real last Thursday in November was a day before our big retreat weekend, so we postponed a good thing... and it was YUMMY! This was how my balcony looked that day (guess where I put the steaming pot of cooked cranberries-- so they could cool?!)My new friend Nikola brought two friends, Henning and Thorsten! I like meeting new people!What really

More Fall Weekend...

2010-12-09T18:26:00.004-05:00

It was the coolest thing-- right after the Fall Connexxion weekend, Anja presented me with a hand-made Advents' Calendar she had worked on -- little envelopes on a string--inside is a verse for each day & a packet of tea! (cozy!... and meaningful! Danke, Anja!)Winter wonderland...Does this look cold? Snowy?...Enchanting? It was all of the above... here are amazing friends & Connexxion staffers

Snowy Fall Weekend

2010-12-09T18:15:00.005-05:00

We had 30 attend our Fall Retreat weekend with Connexxion-- this time from 3 cities!! (Hamburg being our newest Connexxion start!)Our guest speaker was a well-known pastor & author, Klaus Schoenberg.It was a blessed time to explore the topic of "spirituality" and see how God can meet us in fresh ways. Here are some of our Braunschweig students... (Christiane, Lydia, Steffi, Nikola & Elli; the

Last year's advent thoughts

2010-11-10T09:37:00.004-05:00

Last year, 2009, I was asked to write something about "HOPE" for an Advent Calendar that special friends at North Run Church in Virginia were publishing ... since I am writing a small devotional for this year's addition, I re- read what I'd written last year... My. How life evolves and changes and disappoints and challenges us by the tough stuff. It was my absolute nightmare, worst Christmas

When it rains, it pours

2010-11-07T17:22:00.005-05:00

When you think that the load of life or stress or schedule -- or whatever-- is about ALL you can take-- it rains!! Literally. Like, in your apartment! First -- above is a party photo from Friday, with Vincent (who served on the Connexxion staff for 1 year plus), along with new friends Vincent (in cap), Constantin, Alex, and Dominique, a neighbor.It was Saturday night (well, Sunday morning, about

ZOOM!

2010-11-02T19:14:00.007-04:00

Our 2nd Connexxion Conference (& the 1st one on this "scale") was called ZOOM!It was a hit, if I do say so myself. So thankful for the many, many volunteers (we've gotta count them huh?) who worked behind the scenes (and on "stage" too!) to make this event truly memorable and, God willing- eternal! Below are special friends from Jena: Melanie, Stefanie, Lydia (now in Braunschweig, since 2007),

Happenin' Hamburg

2010-10-13T10:13:00.005-04:00

Anja and I had a fun visit in Hamburg recently, to see old friends and meet up with Vera, on staff with Connexxion. What a modern -looking campus!We went out one night with friends who used to live & study in Jena or Braunschweig... and have moved to Hamburg for jobs after graduation.Does this photo below look like a campus to you --or a park? wow!! It's the TU Harburg (Technical University, in a

more fun sevilla moments

2010-10-13T08:08:00.004-04:00

More scenes from a great 12 days in Sevilla... helping with a big WOW Week ("week of welcoming") to start off the new semester!hanging out for coffee, ice cream and a bit of shopping with Leti (short for Leticia; do you like my new Palestine scarf?)Saturday lunch with Abraham, his friend Narjis, and his mom Angelica....she cooked two very typical spanish fish dishes including sardines with

sevilla-- a world away

2010-10-12T19:30:00.005-04:00

Unforgettable-- a whirlwind trip of 12 days in beautiful "chula" Sevilla! It almost seemed like I was back after the summer break-- but alas, just for a visit... great to catch up with friends...Elena and I walking to her suburb of Triana, across the Triana bridge... she has been super helpful getting us a classroom for English Club!Pedro and Alex having a good discussion at our "Back to School"

Team Hike

2010-09-25T15:25:00.003-04:00

Anja, Birthe and I went on an away trip, just 1 hour south to the Harz Mountains...where we relaxed in nature, hiked, had time to reflect, and planned for the coming semester...

A "magical" birthday

2010-09-25T15:01:00.004-04:00

Ever wanna be king for a day? Proving that you can try are Friddi, Caroline, Oliver... and Rapunzel (aka Birthe!). Two super special friends, Anja and Miriam, have the same birthday on September 24th-- so they made it easy on us and had their b-day party together!Here I am as a Good Fairy, helping Cinderella turn into a princess for the big Ball.You guessed it-- the motto was "fairy tales and

First Days in Germany (again...)

2010-08-31T13:52:00.007-04:00

Random highlights of some of my first days in Germany (again), which have been full of work, some fun, too, and moving in. Above are some of the Connexxion group at a good-bye party for Marc (front, rt., in his new university T-shirt) ...a night riding bikes around town, with Inga, Anja, Sabrina & Stefi-- enjoying an public exhibition of art in the form of "light", on various ponds and the River

Inma in Germany

2010-08-31T13:07:00.005-04:00

Inma was just with me for 10 days... here we are in Jena, to celebrate Vera W. and her having served with Connexxion on staff for 2 years there! She moves to Hamburg tomorrow, to start a new group. (in foto- Vera, Anja G., Christiane, Inma and me)We got to hang out with my special friend Miriam, who helped in the first beginning days of Connexxion in Braunschweig and is now teaching. From the

ZOOM: Connexxion Konferenz

2010-08-19T09:14:00.007-04:00

It won't be that long... We are having our BIG Connexxion conference this October 28th- to 30th, in Braunschweig, Germany! It's called ZOOM!All the infos. you can find HERE on our official website, in English and Deutsch. It will be similar to 2 conferences that we have hosted before... full of workshops, practical training, plus teaching from those on the "cutting edge" of campus ministry in 2

Team Retreat in Spain

2010-08-18T06:42:00.006-04:00

Thomas and Anja are all smiles... why? Well, this August we had a most refreshing team retreat week on the coast of Spain, full of planning, workshops led by each other, vision-sharing, and Bible study. We also prayed over Vera, who will be moving to Hamburg this September in north Germany, to start a new Connexxion ministry.The sense of community was a blessing-- cooking meals together, sharing

2010-07-31T10:20:00.002-04:00

Here you go!! More scenes of our summer days, farewells, and fun city hang-out times... above was a park afternoon...Jake & Abraham, at the bus station to see Jake off before he flew to Wyoming ...... with friends celebrating yet another big win for Spain, in a small plaza (square)Lea's (from Germany) good-bye party at her church... seen here with Inma... last night out to dance salsa, for

Summer days & farewells...

2010-07-31T09:39:00.004-04:00

This summer is one of changes and saying farewells... and of course, the semester had to wind down... so I thought I'd include a few 'shots' of these special encounters-- above is when a group of us went to see the play "Carmen" in the luxurious building where the story of this woman who rolled cigars actually originated-- the "Rectorado" (where we have our English Club)-- which used to be a

Vive Ahora.... ad

2010-07-24T12:40:00.013-04:00

The overall ad campaign with the red heart is called: "Vive Ahora" or "Live now" (Ron Barceló is the name of the rum; more info. in Spanish here). Last November the company went to the city of Madrid, with a VW bus, and gathered up 200 college students to give them 1 night in a dance club on the island of Ibiza... They weren't allowed to bring anything

Less Suitcase...ad campaign

2010-07-24T11:27:00.007-04:00

A well-known rum producer has a great ad campaign going presently that caught my eye... The poster reads, "Less suitcase and more backpack." Doesn't that remind you of something? Jesus said to his followers, whom we sent out in pairs, on a mission: "He told them, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out

learning to cook spanish

2010-07-23T10:33:00.004-04:00

For my birthday, Inma and her family gave me a special "dish"that has a handle on the other side, to flip a "tortilla de patatas"-- a very typical Spanish quiche type dish. If you click the link under "tortilla," you'll get step by step instructions with photos!Part of the gift was an incredible invitation to learn how to make it, with her mom! It was a slooowwwwww process.In the meantime, I

Visitors & Summer Fun

2010-07-23T09:48:00.004-04:00

We've had groups of visitors from the USA, for 3 weeks in June, arriving in "teams" to help La Comunidad Aljarafe with various exchange events and projects. One group from Gainesville, Florida met with about 7 computer science professors to learn about their research project to help handicapped persons having low mobility be able to communicate better and carry out their commands through a "smart

Happy Father's Day!

2010-06-20T09:09:00.006-04:00

This is Father's Day in the US, and I wanna wish my wonderful Dad, and my marvelous brother Bruce a VERY Blessed Day! Bruce is one of my heroes... how he makes time with men to mentor them early in the morning before they head out to work; teaches in his small group; balances a busy church life as one of the key pastors with great NEW ideas... and carves out special, fun moments with his

Visit to Extremadura

2010-06-15T18:13:00.003-04:00

Dusty, dry-- the name of the state north of us is called "Extremadura," meaning extremely hard. I was able to be on that university campus in May. Here is Arnulfo, who I was able to team up with to do surveys on campus.Last month i had the privilege of being with a group of 7 young adults in Caceres, who are reaching out to students in various ways, using sport, English & their lifestyle. We had

Beach Party

2010-06-13T20:13:00.002-04:00

We had a blast this weekend with a beach party theme in my apartment... even though students are beginning final exams, it seemed a great chance to "catch" a few before they really get tied up in exams, or some head out for the summer months... some of the guys here had a "Kodak moment" under the beach umbrella! Maggie and others did a great job decorating...above are Boomer (intern in Bormujos

special day in Bormujos

2010-05-29T18:53:00.004-04:00

We recently had our 2nd baptism for La Comunidad Aljar., our newer church start in Bormujos, outside the city in a suburb. We meet in a rented former cafe. Downstairs is the hall where we have worship. 'It was the 2nd baptism for our group, but a 1st for this location that we're renting. Two of my super good university friends also shared stories of what God has done/ is doing in their lives--

Weekend in Portugal

2010-05-29T14:26:00.004-04:00

Here i am in the Algarve section of south Portugal, with Maggie, Hendrik and Daniel.We had a marvelous weekend in Portugal, about 2 weeks ago...Thankfully the meal table fit us all!Maggie and Hendrik have been serving with La Comunidad Aljarafe and my friend David in Bormujos the past weeks, and will be helping to lead the Connexxion group in Sevilla starting this fall.There was a retreat center

Feria de Abril - April Fair!

2010-05-29T13:35:00.010-04:00

Here is my friend Christy (far rt.) with 3 interns & some teachers from a local high school where they help with English classes -- they were kind enough to invite us to their tent/ caseta.Inma is showing us how to use castanets-- I was pretty hopeless on my first try!The entrance gate has a different symbol each year & is celebrated with a grand lighting at midnight when the fair opens.My friend

Semana Santa experiences

2010-04-10T17:36:00.006-04:00

If you want to see a plethora of gold, "images" (as it's called in Spanish), parades, dedicated people, some party-ers, and streets crowded day and night with thousands upon thousands...Holy Week in Sevilla is the place. Easter is not really a big deal here, but the emphasis seems to beon the crucified, suffering Christ...and on the "Virgin" (what they call Mary usually).Imagine walking in a

Vision Trip to Jena aka "Connexxion Headquarters"

2010-04-08T06:34:00.002-04:00

In February we enjoyed SO Much having our very 1st "Vision Trip" with students from Braunschweig, Germany & Sevilla, Spain heading to the FIRST ever Connexxion group-- in Jena, Germany! Here is Inga, a former intern with Connexxion, re-united with Abraham and Jose Maria.We had sessions for Bible study, meeting in the Baptist church... and also workshops and small group times, and special

Hanging out with students

2010-04-08T06:10:00.003-04:00

Hanging out, dinner, on a Friday night, in my apartment...In the city on Friday, after "Charlemos"... (Jake is wearing a cowboy hat because he, Carolina and Sierra had been with Inma's Mom's school earlier in the afternoon demonstrating country swing dance!)Dad on the campus lawn, with the "Cambio" Bible study group, made up mostly of American exchange students.Dad spoke on mentoring to over 20

Travels with Dad- Portugal & Ronda

2010-04-08T05:07:00.005-04:00

Two great "captains" -- Dad and David!Our team of Sevilla friends went to nearby Portugal for a planning retreat during the Semana Santa (holy week before Easter) ... It was a bit too cold for swimming... but here is Dad enjoying a game of UNO with the kids & interns. Dad also led us in 2 Bible studies.It has been good to get to travel with Dad some the last 2 weeks that he's been with me,

Ko Ni Chi Wa (HELLO!)

2010-03-13T08:11:00.009-05:00

Our last party was such fun (until 4 a.m.!!) last weekend, when we transformed the apt. into an activity center for Japan... here I am in the kitchen with Carolina, who grew up a big part of her life in Argentina (and has a darling accent)!We decorated (using very little money) Japanese -- Liz & Abraham made cool calligraphy, characters and put them on the walls. I bought an umbrella at a Chinese

games night

2010-02-07T19:55:00.006-05:00

I learned this new game called Tantrix from my friend Silvia... she is an architecture major, & it has to do with finding how each octagon can fit with others using the same colors & lines/ curves that match-- so I guess it's no wonder that she WON!Daniel is from Peru and we met through English Club. Sergio is from the Canary Islands, and he has gotten the chance to teach substituting for a prof,

Kick Off Sunday

2010-02-07T19:25:00.015-05:00

Take an empty former bar/ cafe building... fill it with love, paint and chairs-- and....This was part of our final "work crew" on Saturday to clean the new cafe, and get it ready for a kick-off Sunday (no- not the Super Bowl kick off, but something much more important!). The kick off of a worship center in the town of Bormujos (and much more, to be used for classes & workshops, & small groups &

Another "HOME"

2010-02-02T07:40:00.009-05:00

See the right side of this building, with the green front on it? Sierra, Jake and I went to help paint a new "home" for a church this Saturday! My Sevilla colleagues are pastoring and starting a new church in the suburbs, across the river in a town/ bedroom community called Bormujos.We have just rented a former pub and are turning it into a casual cafe/ sitting area for meetings & youth/ children

A fun welcome HOME

2010-02-02T07:32:00.003-05:00

Home can be different things to different people-- but returning to Sevilla after a stressful time (5 weeks) related to my mom's passing... was, well, really coming HOME! And some very special friends helped me feel right AT home. First I was picked up by a dear colleague family of 6, plus 2 new interns with our organization, who had just flown in 2 hours before me! Also, I got a fun surprise in

Views of Sevilla

2010-01-16T23:41:00.012-05:00

One of the largest cathedrals in all Europe -- whose tower is the Giralda, once a minaret of a mosque. The cathedral is 320 ft. in height, and no building in the city may be higher. You can see it from way across the river by the pueblos in Aljarafe.Tile is in abundance in Spain-- beautiful!Gates at the museum of archeology, at the Park Maria Luisa.The Church of the Salvador (Savior), 2nd largest

Puttering around in Portugal

2010-01-16T23:10:00.006-05:00

We had a fantastic girls' weekend in Portugal this December, 2 hours from home. Our excuse, surprising Darby for a post- birthday bash excursion. Enjoy the photos of this gorgeous Algarve region. I also got to speak once last year in this region, at a precious international church, filled with British citizens.

a smattering of fall fun

2010-01-13T22:30:00.012-05:00

We were invited to participate in an international "Global Village" in October -- so I gathered all the American souvenir type stuff I could from my friends...My colleague David was kind enough to come & greet students as well, to advertise for a student organization, AIESEC, outside the law school.One evening we had a brownie -baking lesson in my kitchen. I love to use American baking mix for

a meaningful mass

2010-01-13T21:36:00.006-05:00

This painting is of Christ's baptism. What an amazing experience I had in a village near me, before Christmas, with my friend Raquel. She invited me to mass -- a very special one. She's part of a Catholic movement called Neocathecumenal Way, which sounds to me to have very similar viewpoints about Jesus to my own understanding of the Bible.Of course, what does one do after mass? Go for tapas (

Christmas, a different kind

2010-01-13T20:56:00.010-05:00

Dad is suited up to sit with Mom - we were asked to guard us and her from infections.I had the joy of going to 2 Christmas Eve services ... this one was at Lifepoint Church where my parents attend and my brother is a pastor.Each big holiday our family spends time with friends at a development center, and we bring food. At Christmas Dad always prays before the meal.At church, a family photo-- (

fiesta de navidad

2009-12-13T16:20:00.008-05:00

Our Christmas party was fabulous & a mixture of... super fun people, such as Fatima & Sierra (exchange students from Oregon) & Inma (from Sevilla). As well as Annie (above) from our English Club. And these amazing men, Fran, Jose Maria, Carlos M., Carlos H., Isaac, Jake and Abraham.We had great food! (people kept saying that). Jose and Andrea had about 3 tries at spelling "Christmas"! (but great

Decorating & celebrating

2009-12-12T18:37:00.007-05:00

Normally Germans take off their shoes at the door (at least students) but Spaniards do not-- but my friends did me a favor last week. We had a marvelous time at "Charlemos" (translation = "Let's chat!" -- our student Bible discussion group) last week. Abraham, Fran and Carlos are posing near my little 4 Euro tree, that 2 guys gave me last Christmas!Each week we have a "creative part" before we

The catalysts, the risk- takers

2009-12-07T13:45:00.005-05:00

When you move to a new place, you're never sure who will believe you, frankly. And believe IN you. And in the fresh concept that you're hoping students will be a part of: Connexxion. So here they are: 4 of the very instrumental, life-shaper students (there WERE more of you-- i haven't forgotten)... who dedicated LOTS of time, brainstorming, leadership, & sweat (YES, sweat--riding their bikes in

Weekend with Connexxion, Germany

2009-12-07T13:25:00.004-05:00

Our fall Connexxion retreat in Germany was super! About 30 of us soaked up the love through fellowship, free times, and challenging messages.We had an awesome speaker Gunter Kiene, who served for more than 30 years on the staff of Torchbearers, which has several Bible schools around the world (german: Fachelträger). He talked about the importance and how-to's of discipleship (following Jesus

Thankful

2009-12-07T12:35:00.005-05:00

Thanksgiving (on the United States calendar) was celebrated early here in Sevilla as I joined my cooking with that of my American friends (about 20 adults plus kids) for a most special time of feasting, fun and sharing a worship service together! Below are Andrea, Francesca, Darby and Megan (Andrea & Megan are doing a 3-month internship in Sevilla area).Celeste gave us certain assignments so

Keeping connected ...

2009-11-24T09:16:00.009-05:00

Above are pictures from a big party we had as part of a cultural exchange week. It was October when the Braunschweig Connexxion group came -- how fun to have friends visit me in my "other home"! Including Inga, who was my roommate & an intern with us here last year.We packed in really full days!I thought you'd enjoy seeing some of the fun things we did (they don't correspond to the descriptions--

Weekend in the Sierra Mountains

2009-11-24T08:53:00.009-05:00

Our Connexxion group organized a weekend in the Sierras, which is a low mountain area about 1 hour from Seville.It was fun having extra friends with us, too, to lead 2 talks from the Bible. Sylvia is a professional singer/ composer, who teaches "sevillanas" traditional dance & also works with Intervarsity Christian Fellowship (the Spain equivalent). Ruben is a social worker administrator for a

A Night in Morocco

2009-11-12T10:23:00.014-05:00

Who doesn't love a theme party? Especially with fun college friends in Sevilla, like Javi at the top, studying education, with Andrea, who's doing an internship here.We're so close to North Africa; the cultures, languages, and architecture have overlapped here a great deal over the centuries. Just watch Carlos, beating out the djembe drum!Any room can be transformed into an arab tea house with