Hi friends! Today, as the thermometer is expected to approach a staggering 40 degrees Celsius, I'm drawn back to these pictures of the beautiful flowers surrounding Das Kanada Haus. Even though the blooms are well past their prime by now, I'm glad I got to capture them at the peak of perfection.
To be fair, the flower beds looked even better at one point. One of my projects a couple weeks ago was to weed the gardens around the front of the house and rake out the leaves that had been piling up over the last few months. The colours of the flowers showed up even more brightly against the soil, and the white stones highlighting the walkways really made the scenery pop.
The first time I was in Germany, I got the autumn perspective on the Staatsbad Kurpark. Now it's incredible to see the area in all its summer glory! Below are images of Das Kursaalgebäude (a majestic concert hall and event centre), the main Bayerisches Staatsbad Allee, and an incredible walking trail and tunnel formed entirely by carefully-pruned trees (the perfect selfie spot!).
Now I don't want you to get the idea that I haven't been working hard! :D We have been hosting several diverse groups for retreats over the last few weeks, including women's groups, the leadership team from Studenten für Christus Deutschland ("Students for Christ - Germany"), and families seeking a getaway with Christian emphasis. We also welcomed Rev. Dr. Chris Padiath - lead pastor of Waterloo Pentecostal Church (Waterloo, ON) - who traveled with Markus throughout Europe to network with regional pastors.
Aside from clean rooms and delicious food, we pride ourselves on having some lovely dining and meeting spaces here at DKH. It's been so much fun to play with different table designs, ranging from traditional red-and-white Canadiana to elegant floral afternoon coffee and cake setups. And yes, the pancakes and Canadian-style maple syrup are a huge hit!
On one of our days off Liz and I decided to bus into the neighbouring city of Bad Kissingen to visit the KissSalis Therme. This is a massive salt water pool and spa complex located about half an hour from Bad Brückenau. (Stock pictures below)
At the moment the German transportation authorities are offering a 9 Euro bus and train ticket for the entire month - yes, 9 Euros to go anywhere in the country via the regional transport system! That's why it was a little bewildering when I saw a minibus pull up at our stop. I mean, we were one of the very first stops on the route, and already the vehicle was starting to look a bit crowded. By the time we got out of our town and started for Bad Kissingen, I was more than thankful that Liz and I had places to sit! The aisle was PACKED with riders who were desperately clambering for any grab bars or chair backs that they could find as the bus wound around tight switchback curves, before ending up in a full-on stall... TWICE! Ironically, a large and mostly empty bus drove us back home that evening. But hey, it was totally worth it!
It's hard to believe that my time in Germany is quickly coming to an end. I've gone from noting the weeks to counting the days until my plane flies out of Frankfurt. Part of me is looking forward to seeing family and friends back in Canada, but overall I am going to miss this beautiful country and its equally beautiful people. Not only has the dawning of summer brought transformative effects upon the landscape, but I have also been changed. When you wade into a new and foreign culture and can no longer rely on a common language to unite you with others, your concept of what constitutes a relationship begins to shift. When you walk into a church service where the Gospel is being proclaimed and you sense the power and presence of God (even if you can't understand everything that's being said), it becomes so obvious that our Lord is not bound by our limits of communication. He has the ability to speak directly to our hearts, making true and lasting change happen.
Yours in the Great Commission,
Emily