MOSAIC BASEL - LOERRACH

Fantastic! We begin meeting with our team and interested friends this Sunday afternoon to talk about beginning an English speaking Church in Loerrach, Germany. The Church will be established as a community of people who

live by faith
are known by love
and are a voice of hope

A place where people are welcome at any stage of their spiritual journey.

A place where Christians can feel relaxed bringing their friends to be introduced to Jesus.

What an exciting journey we are on. Watch this space.........

Our special friends

Here are our lovely friends Wirt & Linda. They have been here in Germany for 4 years and are from Texas, US. I find it hard to get my mind around the fact that we've come halfway around the world and met this beautiful couple. They love us, encourage us, pray with us, laugh with us and support us in every way. We had dinner with them on Tuesday night and had a round table (rectangular table actually, but it doesn't sound the same) discussion with them about the beginnings of 'Mosaic' and our ministry together in the future. We always thank God for the beautiful friends he has given us here in Germany.  

SUNDAY 27 AUGUST

Up early (5.30am) to take Irene and George to Mulhouse, France (3 trains)!! Didn't get back to Schopfheim until 12.20pm and went into the Village to buy lunch (Sport's Festival on for fundraising).

Needless to say slept for a few hours in the afternoon. We had decided to attend the Anglican Church service in Basel at 18:00. When we got off the train in Basel we met German friends from the German Church we attend. They said they were attending a Vineyard Church service at 17:30pm so we decided to go with them. (As you can imagine, rather different from the service we were going to attend). Great music, we think a good sermon (all in German) with lots of young people.

We never know where we are going to end up!!

Contemplating

I'd like to say this was a restful day! The photo was taken in New York. I wonder what's going through my mind. Can't even remember Roger taking the photo. Thought you'd like to see what I look like. Definitely not wearing summer clothes today! Brrrrr!! 

A Day with my Beloved Sister Irene

Last Friday, Irene and I were able to spend the day together. Roger and George took off to Basel and did some sightseeing around there.

So.... as we are Chinese Checkers EXPERTS, we had a few games.... so much fun! Then we caught the train 3 stops to Zell and had a delightful lunch, firstly in a Restaurant Garden but then moved inside as machinery started up on the dot of 14:00!!

I also wanted to buy a hat for the winter. I don't think hats suit me, unlike daughter Jocelyn who looks FABULOUS in every style of hat. Zell has a lovely little hat shop and the older lady was so very helpful, even though she couldn't speak a word of English and my German is still far from good! It didn't stop her from talking, which was lovely. I ended up buying the first hat I tried on - to go with my new coat I bought in Toronto. Now, I am going to look like a winter fashion statement! Just need the gloves and I'll be set.

UPS AND DOWNS

Well Irene and George have left us and it is very quiet in our little home in Schopfheim. It is cloudy, raining and a little depressing, but I'll get over it. That's the small problem when family come to visit - I LOVE IT! Now I wonder what they're doing as they explore Paris in the next few days AND go to Moulin Rouge. Ah, adventures indeed. Just hope they get the train system right. Irene has decided she doesn't like the trains. Next time I'll just have to travel with them and be their 'porter'!!

W O R K I N G

Thought I'd better put you all straight. We have been working (looks like we just have fun doesn't it?) We have been continuing to meet new people and have contact with our Mosaic team here in Loerrach. Roger has now finished our next newsletter which should go out next week. We have been sending emails and getting organized for our Church plant which should take place soon. We hope to meet with the FeG team in the near future. Derek Webster and family have been on holidays in the US and I think they get back next week. Derek keeps us on our toes and encourages us in every way. An awesome guy, an awesome family and we thank our Heavenly Father for them and their care of us.

Oh, and I'm always writing letters! Just can't keep up with this really. But I love doing it. Also we are trying to listen to our German tapes, but don't always have the discipline to do this!

Irene and George arrive in Schopfheim

TODAY'S THE DAY. Irene and George get here at long last. Irene rang yesterday and they are having an absolute ball. It is a little bit of a shame they don't share our passion for train travel. Maybe they have too much gear. They had to buy new suitcases last Sunday as the wheels fell off theirs! Anyway, Roger and I are very excited and can't wait for their arrival. We thought we might get ourselves to Mulhouse in France just to surprise them. That's where they have to change trains to come to Basel. Roger will make some enquiries at the Bahnhof today and will see how much it costs.

Roger is at the Optometrist's getting new reading glasses. He lost his in LA in May and was hoping they would be posted back, but they haven't arrived and he is lost without them.

Absolutely glorious day today in Schopfheim but it is promising to be wet tomorrow. I got up this morning and went for a short walk and it has set me up for a great day.

Day out in Basel

Last Friday was a great day for us. We met our friend Sue from New Zealand at the Swiss/French border and she took us shopping in Saint Louis. Sue lives very close to the border and usually does her shopping in France. It was a beautiful day with the sun shining brilliantly. We were very aware of "whatever we bought we had to carry home"!! Then we went to Sue's place for lunch and a lovely long chat.

We caught the 2.50pm train home to Schopfheim, put away the shopping, changed and then did a quick turn around back on the train into Basel. We were having dinner with our friends Bernhard and Lorraine and then hitting the streets of Basel for the annual Jazz Festival.

What a night! So many people, so many bands. AND ALL FREE. A real treat. We just soaked up the atmosphere. A highlight for all of us was a choir in a Church that sang for around 1 hour. We were all hooked! Shame Rog and I had to catch the train at 11.55pm as the entertainment continued until 1am.

Hummmm!!! No guessing how we felt on Saturday.

I love Sunday's

We are taken to Church each Sunday by our friends Erik, Johanna and little 3yr old Juro. They live very near us here in Schopfheim and we value their friendship and care of us. We go to the German FeG in Loerrach which is a large free evangelical Church. Around 300 people attend regularly (not including children) and we have lively worship with great singing and good leadership from the elders each week. The youth pastor spoke yesterday as the series on "The Lord's prayer" continues. David is a great guy and we respect him very much. We are able to listen to the service in English via headset translation. We always enjoy getting to know new people and talking to our English and German friends after Church.

The Vosteen family (friends from America now living in Germany) then took us to watch field hockey in the afternoon. Some people dressed up in weird costumes for the occasion. It was lots of fun, and again a good opportunity to meet new people. I was even able to play cards with Vaden (12) and Stryker-Ann (10).

I love Sunday's.

My Birthday

Seem your special day only comes once a year, and mine was spent travelling on a plane - AND, I have to say it was only 18 hours long (!!) I thought I was entitled to post some lovely pictures of the flowers my gorgeous children sent me and the beautiful cards I received - and am still receiving. Then our lovely friends Wirt and Linda took us out to the Argentine Steak House in Loerrach for Dinner.



















Yes, I am talking with my hands. That is why Roger took the photo!! Not a complimentary photo of me or Wirt!!  

Bus ride - Buffalo to New York City

After our lovely visit to Niagara Falls we caught the bus to NYC. It was one of the most traumatic bus rides we have ever had. After nearly 5 hours with this bus driver we got off the bus and stayed overnight in a place called Scranton. We wanted to arrive in NYC alive and honestly felt we wouldn't if we continued with the driver we had. Roger took the photo below to show the sort of thing he was doing as he drove a bus full of people. Paperwork, mobile phone, eating, drinking, writing. Oh my goodness, just writing about it sends shivers down my spine!

 

Niagara Falls

Thanks to Jennifer (on the right) we were able to go to Niagara Falls on Sunday 6 August. Both Jennifer and Mary (pictured with Roger) were in the class of '71 at Christian Academy in Japan.

Normally it would take 1.5 hrs to drive to Niagara from Toronto. It took us 4 hours because of the traffic (it was a long weekend).

We enjoyed chatting on the way, so it wasn't so bad, and of course it was worth it when we got there.























We went on a tour 'behind the falls' so were decked out in these state of the art, designer yellow raincoats!! Don't we look smashing?
Mary and Jennifer were going to keep them as a souvenir, but I think they eventually ditched that idea.

Go girls, we love you heaps. What a great afternoon, evening we spent together.

Treasured memories that will forever be with us.

Roger's 35th School Reunion held in Toronto

Here we all are, the 30 who attended the reunion. This was taken after a delicious buffet breakfast at the Sheraton, that's why we all look so happy (plus our waiter Peter had some antics up his sleeve - he did have about 12 camera's to work with!!).

Our hosts for the weekend were David and Lona, who live in Toronto. Friday night we met for Dinner at their place. Saturday was spent sightseeing or just enjoying the pool and chatting together. Saturday night we went to a Japanese Restaurant for a yummy banquet.

Sunday we met together for breakfast and after photos we sat around in a circle and a few people shared. A very special time indeed and thoroughly enjoyed by everyone. Next reunion will be held in New York City in 2011!!  

We have our Visa's

You will all be pleased to know we now have our German visa until the end of July 2007. We were able to go to the visa office on Friday morning in Loerrach and get it pasted into our passports. Most impressive. Thank you to everyone who has been praying for us (and for patience) during this time of waiting. We are very happy to be connected with the German Church we have been attending, and we look forward to getting to know the Pastor and Elders a little more. They are wonderful people and we are sure there is much we will learn from them.

We're safely home

With all that's going on at the moment, I thought I'd better let our precious family and friends know we are safely home in Schopfheim. We've had the most amazing week away and I look forward to telling you all about it as soon as we recover from jetlag! Not a very nice way to spend my Birthday! Plus I only get 18 hours instead of 24!! Work that one out!  

Travelling to Toronto

Currently Roger and I are on a round-the-world air ticket. Part of this ticket is to go to Toronto so that Roger can join in the celebrations of the 35th Reunion of his Class of '71 from Christian Academy in Japan. We leave very early tomorrow morning and return here to Germany on 10 August.

We are both very excited about this trip and the opportunity to meet with people Roger hasn't seen for a very long time (1966). Our friends Ruth and Paul and Shari will be there and we can't wait to see them again. We're going to have the best time.

So here we are today, packing, washing, cleaning and I was able to catch up with my lovely friend Sabine for lunch. What a treat that was. She took me to the Hotel Adler in Schopfheim for the most delicious lunch.

Can I say it again? I am totally blessed.

It has been a joy to speak to our gorgeous family in Melbourne as well. They're all doing well and we miss them very much. We are sending up constant prayers for our beautiful daughter in law Amy at the moment as she rests this week to help her back to heal. We love her dearly and wish we could be there to help at this time.