Spring Is Here!

Spring is definitely here in Chemnitz! We have really been enjoying the sun and beautiful weather. I especially love this time of year because of the blooming trees and flowers. It is so amazing here in Germany.

Around Easter time it is a big holiday time in Germany. Karfreitag/Good Friday is a national holiday and no one has to work or go to school. We were able to relax and enjoy the day.

We started out Friday by going to Jacqueline's house. I have been reading in English with her for almost a year now. She and her husband invited Clint and I over for breakfast. We had a really good time eating all the wonderful food and talking with them. After breakfast Jacqueline and I read in the Let's Start Talking Luke book.

Later in the day we went on a walk with the Sullivans and enjoyed coffee time together. The picture is the Sullivans in front of a beautiful blooming tree right next to their house. Even Snickers was smiling! :)

On Sunday we were invited over to the Sullivan's for lunch and it was nice to share a meal on a holiday with our coworkers. We always enjoy the time we have with them. After a short nap (it's a must on Sundays, right?) we met with the Sullivans again along with Stefan and Martin, a friend who came to visit us. We went on a walk (which is a Sunday afternoon tradition with the Sullivans) and had coffee. (Do you see a trend here?) After coffee we headed over to Jacqueline's house again. She and her husband had invited us over for dinner. We made Russian food with them and their friends and played games as well. We had a lot of fun and got a lot of German practice. :)

Ostermontag/Literally translated- Easter Monday is also a national holiday so once again we had a nice relaxing day. We went to work out at the gym with Stefan in the morning and then we went to Stefan's house for lunch. In the evening we grilled with the Sullivans and Cantrells for the first time of the season! It was so yummy, but the weather was actually chilly that day, maybe a little too chilly for grilling outside. But, it tasted good and we had a good time!

So that was our Easter weekend! I hope you all had a great time as well!

Birthdays, Engagements and Baptisms, Oh My!

The past couple of weeks have been busy but wonderful! A lot of great things have happened and I would like to share them with you all.

First of all our friend Janine turned 20! We went to her house for coffee, cake and dinner. We had a great time with her. It always amazes me the time that goes by so quickly. Right now Janine is finishing up school and will be taking her final exams soon. She wants to study at the University in Leipzig and I'm finding it hard to grasp that she will not always be in Chemnitz! I will miss her so much! Happy Belated Birthday Janine!

Then we had a visit from our friend Lydia and her boyfriend Brandon. It was the first time we met Brandon and we had a great time getting to know him. Although it was too short, it was great getting to see her again. Just a few days after they came to Chemnitz, Brandon proposed and they are now engaged! Congratulations Lydia and Brandon! We wish you God's blessings for your life together!

Then last Thursday our friend Stefan was baptized into Christ! He and Clint have been studying together for awhile, but he has been friends with and studied with several people from church for a long time and we are all so thrilled that he has made this decision to become a Christian! Welcome to God's family, Stefan!

Switzerland Trip

In March Clint and I were able to go to Switzerland with Larry and Pam. We were there for a little over a week. We left after church on Sunday and drove all the way there.

The first part of the week was a seminar up in a little village called Eriz in the Swiss Alps. It was so beautiful up there. The seminar was led by a man named Evertt W. Huffard from the Harding University Graduate School of Religion. He spoke about leadership and it was a lot of information in just a few days, but it was a lot of good information. We talked about leadership in the church and what we can do to be good leaders.

At the end of the week we went to Lucerne where Larry was asked to speak at a gospel meeting. We were able to stay with a family there that works with the church and we had a great time getting to know Mathias and his family.

The meetings were in the evening so we were able to go out during the day and see a little bit of the city and do some shopping. Thankfully the weather was really beautiful and sunny that week.

On Monday we left Lucerne on our way back to Chemnitz and we made a stop in Basel where Pam and Larry lived for 2 years the first time they came to Europe about 20 years ago. They reminisced as they showed us around the city for a short time. It seems like a really nice city and hopefully we can spend some more time there at some point.

The first picture is Clint and I enjoying a walk in the mountains in Eriz. The second picture is all of us on a walk. The third picture is us enjoying a snack before bed at Mathias' house. The fourth picture is a famous bridge in Lucerne. The last picture is the City Hall building in Basel.