The weekend

Ok, I tried loading more pictures but it failed both times, so this will have to do for now. I'm hoping that I will be sent some pictures of last night, when a group of us went to a friends' house and he cooked chinese food for us. It was delicious and a good and fun time.

I'm also hoping that Mengni will be able to send me some pictures of the hike that we went on. Well, sort of a hike sort of a walk, it wasn't very long but it was up a mountainish thing called the Ölberg. It was nice to get out and move around and the view at the top was refreshing and beautiful.

I'm sitting right now out on the patio. It's getting a little cold, but it's much more pleasant out here.

Tomorrow I'm planning to take the train down to Freudenstadt to visit the cousins. Felicitas said that I might be able to go to Tübingen and Freiburg from there...

Anyway, On Saturday I rode to Linz to stay with a family from church. They invited me to come over and spend the night on this pentacost weekend. So I rode my bike along the Rhein and had a beautiful ride. It took me about an hour and a half...

Along the way.....this here is the bridge that the Allies crossed over at the end of World War II. It was the only bridge to survive the war to the end, but it collapsed afterwards from so much bombing and damage that had been done during the war.

I didn't know it but riding on this side of the Rhein meant also driving through some little villages. The trail wasn't exactly along the Rhein the whole time, but it was good anyways.

Here is the Bahnhof in Linz. I waited here for the twins to come and get me. That's the Rhein just donw the way and over the street. So cool and very beautiful at this time of year. After they picked me up we walked a little through Linz. It has one of the smalles streets that I've ever seen. (I hear that the streets in France can also be really narrow...). We got some ice cream and bread rolls and hiked up a 20% grade to get to their house. Wow.

This is where I spent the night. Their house is on this hill (it was very steep!) and the veiw is spectacular. After I got there we had some pizza--with corn on the top, don't forget the corn. Most of the pizza that I've had in Germany has corn on top. And then we had Strawberry cake--which means a sort of spungy base (circular) and then strawberries on time held together with red gelatin-ish stuff.

Then I went with the twins to this Island on the Rhein, where we sat around with friends from their school. It was nice and relaxing. My legs are like 3 shades darker than they were a week and a half ago. My chaco tan is on it's way.

Other note: I really like Tetley Tee. German earl gray doesn't really hit the spot like good old British-ish tea.

This is the Poppelsdorfer Schloss. Schloss means palace. No prince lives here anymore, and unforunately I haven't informed myself as to it's history, but it's probably interesting. I met with an American friend today, Margaret (who, by the way is cool) to transfer some of my music onto my stick because my CD/DVD drive is busted, and we walked into the city center and ate an ice cream together. It was very pleasant.

I also bought more Keith Green music and put it on my ipod (I'm still really thankful for the ipod!) and I've been very encouraged by it. Especially the song: Unless the Lord Builds the House. Great.

I was sad to miss both my dad's birthday and mother's day last weekend, and I'm very sad about missing the Family Reunion (capitilized because it is a proper noun--yes it is that important), but I have the comfort of knowing that God has me in Germany, and knowing that where God has me is always the best. So, I'm trying to live each day doing what the Lord has me to do.

"When we walk with the Lord in the light of His word, what a glory He sheds on our way. When we do His good will, He abides with us still and with all those who trust and obey.

Trust and obey, for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey."

That song reminds me of my mother. Which reminds me: I am very grateful that mom and dad sung lots of hymns and songs with us. Thanks mom and dad. These hymns are often a comfort to me and come to mind (God brings them to my mind).