Week Monday 28 May to 03 June
When we were in Blackpool, we met up with a couple who lived in Germany and they informed us of a 24/7 prayer house in Augsburg, that was a ministry of the Catholic Church. We obtained the website of this prayer house from this couple, found its address, and paid them a visit. The name of the ministry is Gebetshaus, which is German for “Prayer House”. We were just so overwhelmed by the love of those involved, and the awesome sense of God’s presence there. This Roman Catholic Church is so supportive of the ministry that some of the young people are employed to help operate this ministry. This prayer house operates in a very similar manner to IHOP.
On our Tuesday morning, (Tuesday evening in NZ), we were stunned to find out by email that our close friend, Gary Adams, had suffered a fatal heart attack. It was somewhat sudden and unexpected. At the time we were feeling a little homesick, and it just about clinched the return home ticket. We found that it is not easy to be on the other side of the world when these sorts of things happen. Our prayers go out to Sue in particular and in some way wish we were there to help support her. We, like many, are really going to miss Gary. He was such an encouraging, supportive and loyal friend to have.
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| Mastering the artifical rapids |
A special kayaking/white water rafting facility was built in Augsburg for the Munich Olympic Games. This now is used for practice and Jutta took us there to see the artificial rapids and the kayaks practicing.
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| Try this one for size! |
The following day we went with Jutta on a 100km journey north to Dinkelsbuhl, a town which dates back to 6th Century. This town has a wall right around outside in original condition. There we saw examples of houses which had been built with straw and mud, and then coated in plaster.
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| Dinkelsbuhl |
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| One of the 16 Towers along the wall |
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| Outside the corner watchtower |
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| Outside one of the older buildings, the upper levels timber framed, mud, straw and plaster |
It was not easy saying farewell to Jutta and her family as the week closed and we headed off south. Jutta, like all the other people that we have been graced to stay with, went out of her way to make us feel welcome. She exposed us to a great variety of cultural food, including their cheeses, their breads, their sausages and their cakes! If we lived on this sort of diet, we would grow in size quite rapidly!
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| Garden Tea Party! |
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| Our farewell to Jutta |
We did note that many of the German people exercise by biking and walking, which perhaps explains why, despite the diet, we have not seen any obesity here at all.
We made our way to a small town called Hinterstein, nestled in the Bavarian Alps of Southern Germany, and also very close to the Austrian border. We had booked a chalet in the mountains for 6 days, and were awed by some of the beautiful scenery. Not only were the mountains majestic, the Bavarian houses with their steep roofs, large eaves and their balconies studded with flower boxes full of brightly coloured spring flowers helped set the scene.
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| The view from our balcony |
Around Hinterstein there are many walks, along purpose built tracks suitable for both walking and cycling. Some of these tracks follow the alpine streams.
Hinterstein is also quite central to some of the sights in Southern Germany. We took a half hour trip to Obersdorf, a skiing resort also known for its ice skating. Like Hinterstein it is in a valley surrounded by steep peaks.
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| On the way to Oberstdorf |
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| Overlooking the township of Oberstdorf |
Apart from seeing the sights, part of the purpose in spending time in the chalet was to rest up before the next intensive time, a week-long conference in Holland. Jutta had given Karen a book of Sudoku, which Rod was quick to snatch when she had her back turned!
