Mid-Month Meandering

3 posts in one day - WHAT is this world coming to?

Paige - asking why I was taking her picture
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I decided I should do an update on my trip to Germany. I have had some difficulty downloading the pictures - thus the delay in posting about it. I have been home for a week and the kids are finally adjusting to mommy being back in the house.

Jessica and I had a great time in Germany - it took an extra day to get there as our flight was canceled the first time due to mechanical issues, but I am thankful the airline took the precaution to cancel it considering all the recent crashes. Over the course of our 13 days in country, we were able to sort 4 different rooms worth of stuff at the Hospitality House in Kaiserslautern, weed out some toys at the Hospitality House in Baumholder and give some organizing ideas to the youth leaders with Malachi in Baumholder. The Kaiserslautern House is the oldest Cadence Hospitality House in Europe and has been run for 37 years under several different missionary teams. With an overabundance of "donations" and insufficient order, there were definitely areas of the house desperate for an extra hand in organization.


















We also got to do some sight-seeing. Fred & Diane took us {along with 3 military personnel/families} three hours south to France - to see the Cathedral in Strasbourg and then on to a castle in Colmar. This was so much fun. Last summer I got to see a lot of castles throughout Germany and it was so fun to get to see one in France, with snow still on the ground - quite the contrast.














We were able to visit Jessica's aunt and cousins near Cologne - we did a quick tour of Cologne - despite the pouring rain.

Goodies

I like to leave a little something for the kids when I go places - so this time I made these cute little notebooks for each of them. On the cover I used each letter of their names to create a word that describes their personality or a character trait I admire in them. Inside is a pack of stickers and pages of personalized notes for them - one for each day I'll be gone in Germany.

Graeme reads quite well, so I wrote a note for him on each day. Blaire's are a bit simpler since her reading skills aren't as advanced and Paige's are mostly little drawings - hearts, flowers, etc.

I wanted to do a simple note for Duncan for each day as well, but decided to kick it up a notch and put labels on 12 cans of Diet Coke. (This is his favorite soda and is a special treat as we are limiting his intake of caffeinated beverages.) Each note says the date and something special for him. On the front of the box I put a sign that says ONE A DAY WHILE SUZI'S AWAY

Above & Beyond

The Mission Council at church interviewed me about my upcoming trip and decided to give me a $600 grant towards it. This will pay for my ticket as well as help with expenses while I'm there. I am honored that they are in such support of this trip!

Leaving on a jet plane....

Many of you know that I have my own business as a Personal Organizer. A Well Ordered Life has given me the opportunity to use my gift for organization to benefit others. Many have been gracious enough to hire me to work for them and I have been blessed in the process. It has allowed me to grow in my skills & confidence and given me the opportunity to get connected with more people.

Those that know me well know that I am a bit of a social net-worker. I am on Facebook and get teased about my frequent updates and online time. I often get asked questions about where to find things or who would be able to help them in their particular situation. I am frequently given business cards to pass out as I have been given the reputation of having information. I am honored when people asked me for information and I try to give the most accurate possible. I have also been told by people that I "get things done". I try to take this as a compliment and use my gifting with grace, not overstepping boundaries unless appropriate. (I'm sure I'll get lots of comments on that statement!)

We met Fred & Diane Stock on our first Sunday candidating at NKBC - in February 2005. They left for Germany soon after that, so we didn't have much time to interact. We took the opportunity to visit them while we were in Germany helping Brad & Debbie Ellgen last June. This was a great chance to get to know them better and to see what their ministry looks like.

June 2008 - Hohenecken Castle

In the midst of some of my social net-working, I began chatting with Diane and found out that they are desiring some help to sort/clean/purge before a move this summer. To quote Brad Ellgen: "Our mission needs this help so badly to help transition the outgoing and incoming missionary. I was just at a summit in Denver about missionary care and we NEED to do this!"

This seemed like the perfect opportunity to use my skills and so, with Duncan's unfailing support, I began checking flight prices. Having been impressed with Lufthansa last year, I had no qualms about flying with them again. I was a bit discouraged to see the prices for this summer ($1500 per ticket), but was blown away by some deals available in March ($550). After kicking it around some (all within a 48 hour period!) Duncan and I decided that I would do my best to make this 12 day trip work. I plan to purchase my ticket this coming Monday and I am hoping the prices stay the same.

One of my friends, a college student at our church, will be going with me. She has expressed a desire to look into full-time ministry and this is a great opportunity for her to get involved in a ministry with the military. She is currently a student @ Ecola and is on spring break during the time frame of our trip.

I won't have many expenses while I'm there - making this trip very affordable. We are blessed by the church family @ NKBC, but it is an expensive area that we live in and so we keep our finances very trim to fit within our income. I have filled out a 'short term mission' application with the Mission Council @ our church for some assistance, but wouldn't say no if anyone else wanted to help with this trip.

How you can help:

• Monetarily - I am looking into tax-deductible options through our church
• Prayer - That I would support Fred & Diane in a practical way
• Practical - Duncan will be taking care of the kids while still working

Visiting another Hospitality House in Germany

We took 4 soldiers, our Cadence Intern and a gal with her 2 kids to go visit Fred & Diane Stocks in Kaiserslautern, Germany where they are directors of a Hospitality House. We toured around their local castle ruins and had a great time just hanging out. It's extra fun because Fred & Diane are actually from our home church in Poulsbo.

The girls are attached to Mac - they seem to think the sun rises & sets with him! He has promised to visit us when we get back to WA and he gets out of the Army - should be sometime this fall - so, we'll see if they still remember him by then!

Marksburg Castle

Thanks to it's formidable defenses, medieval invaders decided to give Marksburg a miss. Marksburg Castle is the only hill castle on the Rhine that has never been destroyed. It has been lived in for over 700 years and thus represents an ever changing and developing building complex that has been growing into it's present shape over the centuries. It's littered with bits of it's medieval past, like the big stone ball that was swung on a rope to be used as a battering ram.The Central Keep is situated in one of the smallest courtyards in Germany. Of ancient but unknown age, it towers about 120 feet over it's base. It's present shape is 14th century, but certain parts belong to the oldest elements of the castle. The keep was the defenders' last refuge during a siege. Its only entrance was 30 feet above the ground, inaccessible with a ladder. The lower section contains the dungeon, measuring only 7ftx7ft.

Romanesque Palace - Such a beautiful building! The white outline indicates where the original window was - it was made smaller to be easier to defend.

These are from the noble families who have owned the castle since 1283.

Barefoot Park

During the last few years, some dozen barefoot parks have been founded in Germany and Austria. They are open to the public and offer the opportunity to walk some distance (up to three miles) on natural ground and to feel a variety of materials with the bare soles.

Moreover, visitors can enjoy balancing or climbing exercises and walk through rivers. Some barefoot parks include playground sections designed for barefoot use. This healthy combination of barefoot hiking and playing has become a real touristic attraction.

We had a great opportunity to spend time with friends at our local Barefoot Park - a very German idea. We got to experience all sorts of textures as we walked around the 1.5 mile course. There were some weirded out expressions as we entered a mud-path and had to walk in ooey-gooey mud ... not my favorite part. The kids had a blast and the weather was fabulous. 3 families joined us and everyone had fun chatting and encouraging each other to press on when tired or hesitant to try a new texture.

GPS - aka Jane

We have had the use of a GPS system while here in Germany. We call her Jane. She is quite helpful for our many trips with the soldiers, even if she is very forceful with her directions "In 200 meters, turn left...." "TURN LEFT NOW!"

Today we embarked on our trip to see the Burg Eltz Castle - an amazing castle that is still lived in and owned by the Eltz family - going back 33 generations. It is still furnished as it was 500 years ago - and the 45 minute tour goes through 2 parts of the castle. The family lives in a 3rd section and maintain control of the property.

We had checked the directions online before heading out and it said it was about 1.5 hours. We loaded up the car, set up "Jane" and stopped at a gas station to get fuel. The gas station was not on Jane's preferred route, so she kept "Recalculating" our course. In retrospect, I believe she is set up for the straightest route - speed of travel taking no place in her calculations.

We took off from getting fuel and proceeded through every little town and development you can imagine, religiously following Jane's directions because we hadn't printed any other course. After a very sensory-filled 2-hour trip (cow fields, bumpy roads, etc) we arrived in Berg Eltz - with Graeme and Laura complaining of car-sickness due to the twisty, curvy roads.
We picnicked near the parking area and hiked into the castle entrance. We had a great time touring the castle and had fun checking out all the surrounding country-side as we prepared to head back home. We headed in the direction of the nearest main road - causing Jane to "Recalculate" over and over again. We made it home in 2 hours, with many detours due to road construction. Thankfully no car-sickness on the way home.

10th Anniversary

Can you imagine having this view above your house?
It is astonishing in it's beauty.

One of the most enjoyable things in our marriage is that it is based on friendship and we love to hang out with each other. Just tootling around town or chatting is so much fun because we have built a life together based on our common interests and passions.

It's not every year that you get to be in a foreign country for your anniversary - and have a babysitter on hand! We got to have dinner in a castle restaurant and spend a quiet evening walking around Burg Lichtenberg - taking in the views and enjoying each other's company.

Lego Therapy

One of the benefits of having kids around is that adults feel more free to play with toys - and discussion seems to come naturally when they feel comfortable. Mac has been staying with us while convalescing from surgery and this has become a regular activity. Graeme is thrilled to have people play Lego's with him and the guys are having fun being creative.

Walking & Talking

One thing we love about the German culture is all the walking. The weather has been beautiful and we have been enjoying getting out in it - taking walks with the soldiers and talking along the way. The kids think it's great to have extra hands to hold, shoulders to sit on and backs to ride.

Yesterday we took one soldier and walked to a local park. We had a great time exploring and seeing what our neighborhood has to offer. The kids got a kick out of the teeter-totter.
Today we did a couple of tours in Idar-Oberstein - the nearest town to us. We had a beautiful climb up to the Church in the Rocks and ate lunch at an outdoor restaurant and then drove to and toured the local Gemstone Mine. We took our intern (Laura) and a soldier that is staying with us this week. The kids were thrilled to have extra people to hang all over and they enjoyed trying to capture their attention.
Inside the church

Getting ready to go into the mine. Paige did NOT want to wear her helmet, and our tour guide was very nice about it.

Castle Hike

To celebrate Duncan's birthday today, we hiked to the local castle. Frauenberg Castle is about an hour hike from the Festaburg and is very amazing. It was built in the 1300's and has a very dark circular stairwell up 3 flights and then a steep ladder to the very top. We packed a picnic lunch and ate at the top of the tower - thankfully the weather cooperated despite the threat of rain. We took 5 soldiers with us and the kids had a great time befriending all these new people in their lives. They took turns getting piggy-back and shoulder rides when they were tired from walking.


When we got back home, most everyone crashed on the couches and snoozed till dinner where we had one of Duncan's favorites (sweet & sour meatballs, mashed potatoes & corn, with cheese cake to top it all off) and played games till late in the evening.

Walking Tour

First thing this morning, Duncan spent a few hours helping Brad by mowing and cutting back some over-sized trees. Then after lunch we took a stroll to check out the neighborhood. It was a great time to see the neighboring houses and get familiar with the roads - and the kids had a blast burning off some energy. We also got to meet a turtle named Greta - the kids had fun watching her get around in her yard.




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This area has some very steep hills and the Festaburg is built on the edge of a ravine. Cadence actually contracted with the owner of the property to have it built in the late '70s. It was built to be a hospitality house and has enough room to hold a lot of people - with multiple bunk rooms and 5 bathrooms spread throughout the 3 stories of the house. It has been rented by Cadence for the past 30 years and has had quite the ministry in that time. From the street it appears to be a rather normal sized house, but from the terraced back yard you can see the full 4000 square feet of it.









The weather is pretty mild - it has been in the upper 60's-low 70's for the past couple of days. We've had showers off and on, but nothing substantial.

We Made It!

We arrived in Frankfurt, Germany @ 9:30 am on Wednesday with only 2 hours of sleep for the kids and less than that for us adults. Brad & Debbie picked us up and we headed off to get our base passes and decided to take the kids directly to the Festaburg so they could get a nap and try to keep Graeme's motion sickness at bay. We got our passes and took a quick tour of the base, then headed home. We had a busy afternoon of getting familiar with the house and getting ready for a Dinner & Discussion event with some soldiers. They arrived at 6:30 and stayed till 9:30 when Brad brought them back to the base.

We then spent an eventful night of trying to keep the kids in bed and asleep as their internal clocks were throwing them off. They were all up from midnight-4 - which meant we all slept in quite a bit once we got back to sleep, but we're getting on schedule - slowly but surely.

Today; Debbie, Laura & I went to the grocery store to help me get acclimated with it's location and get familiar with all the odds and ends associated with it. Laura is interning with Cadence and will be here in Germany for two months - she is a real asset to us because she is already familiar with the house patterns and is almost fluent in German. *BONUS* She also loves kids!

Duncan is getting a crash course in house-related issues and is planning to lead the study on Friday night. He will then take Brad & Debbie to the train station on Saturday morning and we'll be running the ministry till July 1st. It has been so much fun being here so far - and the kids are getting comfortable with the routines and house.

Blaire Rose & Debbie Ellgen - celebrating Debbie's birthday, Princess Style

Final Preparations

As we gear up for our international flight on Tuesday, June 3rd, we are making some final preparations. The bags are out and getting loaded, the final house-sitting arrangements are being made and the kids are getting excited as we talk about the airplane ride. We are so blessed to be able to do this trip. We have been blown away by everyones generosity and support of us pursuing this act of service for Brad & Debbie Ellgen.

Praises:

• Final funds have come in to cover the food and gas budget at the Festaburg
  
• No layovers on our trip
• House and lawn are being taken care of while we're gone
• Opportunity to stop and visit Duncan's family in R.I. on our way home
  

Prayer needs:

• Duncan's leg to heal (see below)
• Travel mercies as we have a 10-hour flight
  
• Sanity as we parent our children during all these changes
  

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Last week Duncan scheduled a doctor appointment to do a check up and after making the appointment, he went to youth group and afterward came home saying that he had pulled a muscle in his leg while running around with the teens. We put some heat on it and he rested it as much as he could before spending 2 days walking around at our church rummage sale Friday & Saturday. On Saturday afternoon one of the teens asked me if I'd noticed the bruise on Duncan's leg - I went to check it out and was shocked at the enormity of it. Considering Duncan already had an appointment for this week, we didn't rush in to have it checked out (he still had good blood flow, etc). Turns out that he tore his hamstring and it is going to take a while to heal. Which means no more running around with the teens. Thankfully he can walk on it - despite the tenderness of it.

Breaking and Entering

One of the great stories in the Bible about community involves a paralyzed man and the friends who brought him to Jesus (Mark 2:1-8).

Imagine what life was like for a paralytic in the ancient world. This man's whole life is lived on a mat three-feet wide and six-feet long. Someone has to feed him, carry him, clothe him, move him to keep him from being covered with bedsores, clean him when he soils himself. He will never know the sense of independence we prize so fiercely.

Nothing can be done medically—no surgeries, no rehab programs, no treatment centers. Anyone in this man's condition has to go through life as a beggar—be laid by the side of the road, be dependent on people dropping coins beside him to live another day. He has no money, no job, no influence, no family, and seemingly not much of a future.

What's he got going for him? He has friends. He has amazing friends.

He is in one of the killer small groups of all time.

In one sense, this whole story takes place because of his friends. Without his friends he never makes it to Jesus, never gets healed, never gets forgiven." (By John Ortberg)

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Without our friends and supporters, we would not be able to pursue our trip to Germany. We have been blessed and blown away by all the prayer and financial support that has been pouring in. It is so amazing to see how God is working in your lives to reach out to the soldiers and their families in Baumholder, Germany by supporting us so we can go over there.

We are coming down to the wire - with only 4 weeks left until our departure. We are securing leaders to cover for Duncan while we're gone and getting our house ready to be taken care of by other people. We have raised enough support to cover our tickets and passports - now any extra money can go to the ministry at the Festaburg - and to providing care for the families there. With gas at $9/gallon, we are sure it will cost more than we planned, but we are trusting that God will provide the rest of what is needed.

Ticket to the future

So, we stepped out in faith and purchased our tickets for Germany despite the fact that we are $1200 shy of the full amount. Lufthansa had a great deal on airfare and we felt it prudent to snatch up our 5 tickets as they seem to be going quickly.

We are quite excited that they now offer a non-stop flight from Seattle to Frankfurt, meaning only 10 hours in the air instead of the average 15 that you end up with when you have a layover. We leave June 3rd and arrive back in the USA on July 1st. We are flying back into NY so we can spend a week visiting family on the East Coast, then we'll head home sometime the following week.

Pray with us as we are trusting God to bring in the rest of the support needed.

We need a minimum of $2500 more to (a) pay off the tickets and (b) provide food/events/support for the ministry of Hospitality House while were are in Germany.

Pray with us for our Germany trip...

We are coming face-to-face with needing to make a decision on ticket purchases. We are 1/2 way there - we have already raised a bit over $3500 towards our trip, but need $6500-$7000 just for our tickets, not to mention other travel expenses.

Pray for wisdom as to when we should purchase our tickets. The quandary: should we buy them {in faith} now and trust that the money will come in soon to pay them off or should we wait till the full amount comes in so we can pay cash; taking the chance that the price won't go up in the meantime. So much to think and pray about.

We are confident that God has led us down this path despite the fact that we don't have any extra in our budget to pay for the balance. Please pray with us that we would continue to seek God's guidance and that we would know when the right time is.

Last but not least...

Never one to be outdone and always preferring a grand entrance; Paige's passport arrived today - amidst the rain and unseasonal snow mix that is falling.

We The People

Of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessing of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America

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4 out of 5 passports arrived today - just 15 days after we submitted our application. Fingers crossed that Paige's doesn't have any holdup other than not making it in our mailbox today.