The Journey

Me with my "mentor" Peggy in a little town called Staufen!
(photo credit to Michele Phoenix)

This blog has nothing to do with the photo, but I thought it was a good view of me relaxing over Easter break. The thing I wanted to share with you was about how I spent my afternoon yesterday.

The English speaking church I attend here in Kandern is sponsoring a "contemplative exhibit" for the Easter season called, "The Journey."

"The Journey is an interactive prayer experience based on a feature in European medieval cathedrals. The Journey was introduced in Europe and brought to America by Campus Crusade for Christ staff. The basic premise is that you are on a pilgrimage with God to the center of a labyrinth and back out again. At each station, you encounter God concerning a different aspect of your life." (www.globalprayermovement.org) The stations are named things like "burdens, mosaic of life, washing, obstacles, pearls." It's very tactile and lets you do things like water color painting, forming things with claydough, washing your hands (symbollically), etc. Very neat.

Anyhow, this experience was a real blessing to me (both going through it and helping monitor it). I volunteered to "man the booth" for 2 hours yesterday (I had taking time to walk through it myself on Good Friday). There were 2 kids who kept roller blading by and being very loud (even opening the front door and hollering "Hallo"). Finally one opened the door and said, "What is this?" (in German). I went outside (since there were people praying inside) and explained in my best German for kids that this was a place of prayer. Were they interested? I asked? Yes, the said. (wow). I told them they'd have to take off their blades. So they promptly went home, changed shoes and came back. (amazing). They went through the exhibit respectfully and quietly. My heart nearly burst with joy. God has given me such a love for kids (including Germans!). I'll probably never know what that encounter was all about, but it made my day!!