Steppingstone Journey

Monday, June 24, 2013

Trying to Figure Things Out!

Living in another country is amusing and time-consuming.  Everything requires more of our time. For example, we huddle close to foreign words on the washing machine and dryer to try to figure out which setting to select for our clothes and how much detergent to measure out.  We are so close to the words, we think they will speak to us in English or they will magically be translated into English or some suffix or prefix will give us a clue.
 Moving ahead, we pour in liquid soap and watch as a solid wall of white bubbles form against the front-load window.  We can select a cold, warm or boiling-water wash.  If we punch in the wrong setting, our clothes could wash for up to two hours!  Never in our two lives combined during this present time on earth, have we been that dirty! 

Depending upon the wash cycle selected, our clothes will end their experience at a blurring 1400 RPM spin speed, an accelerated velocity the likes of which we have neither seen nor heard!  Our clothes are literally a blur on the other side of the little glass door. If you have ever flown, the embarking rotational speed actually sounds like the moment of take off when loud jets roar passengers into space.  At first, we expected the washer door to fly off or sparks to fly or our clothes to be threadless.   But the internal suspension and shock system of the Miele machine keeps the machine balanced and grounded.  When the door pops open, the laundry is as dry as wet can miraculously be!  

On to the dryer. The Meile dryer holds laundry hostage for up to two hours. They tumble and tumble, and then stop.  Reverse. Tumble and tumble and then stop.  The machine determines when your clothes are dry and don't even think about trying to layer on another cycle.  They are dry.  The machine said so.  Take them out, thank you!



Who smokes anyway?  But if you do here, the cigarette of your choice is only a short stretch over your head of cabbage lying on the conveyor belt.  4.05 Euros is equal to $5.31 cents.


Thank goodness for artwork!  On each package of fresh meat is the picture of what we are buying.  We haven't seen a picture of a mule or horse yet!


We actually have a dishwasher in our apartment!  Due to the heavy amount of calcium in the water here, before each wash, we have to sprinkle salt pellets into this round cavity. We add one detergent pellet and our dishes sparkle one hour later.  The dishwasher is a Juno and is better than mine in Arizona!



Driving to the Zurich airport
Several times a week, we drive 45 minutes from where we live to the Zurich airport to either deliver or pick up missionaries or Regional staff.  First time out, alone, we just prayed that we would find our way.  We did!  Now, we like it when we are asked to make this run.  Conversation to or from the airport is always about what is going on with the church international.  This is our reward.

These are just a few of the things that we have to figure out here.  But, what nice challenges to have. The laundry room is located below us.  The supermarket is only a 5K away, the dishwasher offers us more time in the evenings, and the airport never changes its location.  And, we live in a small community where everyone helps the newcomers. With these assignments come the challenges, but God provides the people with the answers!

Keep Looking Up!
J:m and L:nda

Friday, June 21, 2013

Wait for Still Waters

"...He leadeth me beside still waters..."

 "He leadeth me beside still waters..."  Our assignment this year has delivered us to a very tiny village that sits along a narrow, meandering road that runs parallel to the Rhein River, the longest river in Europe. It originates in the Swiss Alps, is 766 miles long and wanders through Liechtenstein, Austria, Germany, France, and the Netherlands before exiting into the North Sea.
Early in the morning, we cross the meandering road and walk along the Rhein. It is still and reflects an embankment of trees or small mountains beyond it.  There is not a ripple or swirl or a current in it. And birds serenade it.
Then, mid-morning the strong currents begin to wake up the lazy river, and it becomes more active, transporting pleasure crafts and sightseeing boats and ducks and swans downstream.



However,  
Just a few miles further downstream, the personality of the river changes: its currents are furious and powerful, strong enough to drown the fittest swimmer.  This river personifies opposing characteristics: calm, quiet, passive or  passionate, busy, and aggressive.
In a peculiar kind of way, we like the lessons that the personalities of this river bring to our mind.  When it demonstrates the latter attributes, it is very productive in that it creates a time-tested necessity:
powerful electricity!
The former attributes offer a tranquil invitation, "Walk with me a little further."

All of us stroll beside a river like this - of busyness and craziness then tranquility and laziness.   When we encounter turbulence, look for power, electricity, and opportunities.  The tumblings of life always pass, and they always leave a spiritual truth for us to dig out and live out.
In the same way, still waters, too, come our way.  Wait for still waters; they will come. This is when God invites us to "...walk with me a little further."  This becomes our down-time, the processing time needed during recovery.

We love the Rhein River (second only to the Mighty Mississippi).  There is so much life in it and on it. It both energizes and soothes.  It mesmerizes and makes us want to stay longer. This week, we have walked beside still waters.

These two blog writers pray that you have walked beside still waters this week and that you know where to find the One who is able to always "...lead beside still waters..." (Psalm 23)  If you have a friend who is 'looking for still waters,' please share this blog. 

Keep looking up!
J:m and L:nda

























Thursday, June 13, 2013

Returns on Investments

We actually live in Germany (Busingen). But, we stay confused. Busingen is a village that sits on a piece of land about 3 miles square and is surrounded by Switzerland.  When we leave campus in our little borrowed Ford, we take our GPS, our passports, and a rabbit's foot (just kidding!). Leaving for us means we are headed out for a Saturday day trip or for our once-a-week grocery shopping excursion, which is rather time-consuming because we don't speak or read much German and often are unsure of what we are buying. Depending upon our intended destination, we often weave back and forth through Germany and Switzerland as the highway leads. All roads through villages allow for 50Km.  Go over that and we will sorely regret it!  But on the open road, we can drive 80-100Km depending upon the country.  Exceed that and we will more than sorely regret it.  Since the borders frequently coalesce, border signs are oftentimes not posted.  Indeed, to avoid a very stiff fine, which may have to be paid on site, Jim drives only 80Km on the open road all the time to the dismay of the seasoned driver behind us who knows which country he is in.  So, weave across borders with us and let's go to the supermarket.

Once we arrive at our market, which we know is in Germany because we have memorized the way and the speed limits, the cultural education continues.  Upon our first visit, we notice the absence of abandoned grocery carts in the parking lot. This is because all supermarkets here use the "Aldi grocery-cart system," put a coin in when taking a cart and retrieve the coin when returning the cart. Return on investment! At first, we had great difficulty determining which coin since we mix our Euros and Franc coins (but not anymore!). When shopping is completed, we are given a VAT Tax Return form (Ausfuhrschein) to fill out (see above photo).  We are in Germany, remember, but we have to weave borders to get back home. Careful attention is advised here.  Between the supermarket and home, there is a German Zoll (customs) booth.  We can, of our own accord, stop, show our supermarket receipt and passport, and get our VAT paper stamped.  The next time we return to that supermarket, we get the tax (above, it's 3,06 Euros) deducted from our grocery bill. Return on investment!  On down the road, however, we might have weaved back into Switzerland at which point we can be stopped by the Swiss police who may inquire of our outing and ask for our passports. They can also ask to see our supermarket receipt.  Since the German Euro buys more than the Swiss Franc, many Swiss citizens buy food in Germany and bring it home to Switzerland, and the border guards are particularly alert to any kind of hoarding or large quantity food purchases.  There are restrictions upon the amount of food that can be brought from Germany into Switzerland per person in the car per day. And, there is a food list, including milk products, vegetables, oil, juices and even horse and mule meat!  If violated, both fines and taxes are enough to make shoppers cry.  Switzerland doesn't mind where you shop, but their laws secure their economy.

Germany is serious about recycling and to make it alluring to its citizens, this symbol of an arrow encircling a person and a container is printed on the side of plastic bottles and/or containers.  We are totally on board with this!
At the entrance to supermarkets, customers form long lines to drop their plastic items into a machine that tallies up about 25cents per item.



The machine spits out a receipt that the customer can either receive as a refund in cash or apply to his purchase. Return on investment! This symbol is for German plastics.  Switzerland has its own symbols and German machines refuse Swiss plastic! 

Every Sunday after our International church meets, we all go into the fellowship area where coffee, tea, juices and sweet biscuits are served.  No one is in a hurry to leave.  They linger with their coffee and tea, absorbed in the activities and news of each other and of the past week.  Initially, this fellowship time seemed long - you know, Americans - get their early and leave early. But, we have begun to relax and enjoy this fellowship time.  We meet people from all over the world and hear about what brought them to this church. We share how the church has changed our lives.  We are discovering connections and interests that we would have otherwise missed.  We are extending these new friendships outside the church now. 
Return on investment! 



(The best return on this list today.)


Returns on investments surround us, but what do we
invest in that will last?


Thank you for following us on our blog!  We feel it when you do!
Keep looking up!
J:m and L:nda

Thursday, June 6, 2013

Four Invitations



 INVITATION 1

This little church on the left...oh,if it could talk! Its foundation and outer walls were built in 1088. The timeline posted outside the entrance dates all the additions throughout the years. Its grounds include a beautifully landscaped cemetery.   Every Sunday evening, the church hosts musical events for the community.  It's always crowded.  The concert last Sunday included a Russian bariton singer, accompanied by two instruments: an accordion and a balalaika, an instrument with a similar sound of a mandolin. "Lara's Theme" from Dr. Zhivago was the highlight for us. These concert experiences help familiarize us with the German culture and their preferences.

                                                                                                           INVITATION 2
Several weeks ago, we were invited to a raclette dinner.  We filled the little black tray with a variety of chopped vegetables and topped that with raclette cheese, a mild cow's milk cheese that melts scrumptiously into the vegetables.  Slide all of that over small, hot-boiled potatoes
for an unusually tasty meal. This meal has atmosphere; it is slow and invites conversation. We heard the story of one who had been born in Siberia because her parents had been sent there by Stalin because they were Christians. Now, she is serving the Lord and so is all of her family.  We heard the story of how one grew up in Communist Albania and was fed the lies of socialism, which was her religion.  Today, she is a born-again Christian fully serving and leading in the church. God has a way of finding us even when we are not looking for Him.   Everyone has a story.

INVITATION 3  Getting to know people:  Linda was invited to a MOPS (Moms of PreSchoolers), which meets once a month at the Nazarene International church.  Six American women participated.  It was a fascinating morning as several of these women had German or Swiss husbands and had lived here for years.  Some of them were here with international USA companies.  This is where I found out where the farmer's markets are, why it's important to keep Euros and Francs separated, when the supermarkets and banks are open for business, how to say "please" and "thank you" (and more) in German, and what are the electrical standards.  An informational 3 hours of learning more about the culture and hearing about journeys of faith.


INVITATION 4
The German pastor of our Nazarene International church is married to an Italian.  This Saturday, she will lead the Women's Ministry with a cooking class:  making authentic Italian lasagne. This is one invitation that Jim hopes I will accept...and I will!   There will be women from many countries who will attend this, and I am looking forward to crowding around the stainless steel prep island with them to learn about THE herb that is going to make THE difference.  Please note that at the bottom of the invitation, I am asked to bring a friend.  We wish you could be a part of not just Invitation 4, but a part of all the invitations we have experienced so far.  We are amazed at how God provides fellowship and networking for His children.

God puts the right rock at our feet just when He is ready for the next step.

In our travels, we have been impressed that we in America have so much more to give and share.
Inviting folks into our lives for coffee and bread and cheese costs us so little...only a small investment of sharing that changes both those who invite and those who accept.

Keep looking up!   Invite!
   J:m and L:nda

Sunday, June 2, 2013

Two weeks in Switzerland: Video

We've never seen anything like this: snails, snails, and more snails.On our weeding and raking days, we encounter snails of all sizes.  They seem to have a friendly characteristic, not pulling themselves into their shells, but extending their bodies from their homes to greet us, almost as if they were looking for someone to find them, someone to fellowship with them, someone to pick them up. They can not pick themselves up: only someone above them can offer a redemptive lift.  We all meet people with these snail-like characteristics - they are looking for someone to find them.  They are within a community that is unable to lift each other up.  None of them can lift the others. Only someone from above them can lift them.
For us in the community of Believers, we have experienced a lift, a Redemptive Lift. Our guilt removed, our sins forgiven, our souls saved by grace, and our prayers heard. We see clearly that Jesus, the One who picked us up, has a plan and purpose for our lives, and we begin to live in that way.
We are praying that we will not miss those with snail-like characteristics.  We should be able to identify them because we had those characteristics - they mirror our old selves.
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"
  (2 Corinthians 5:17)


  We hope you enjoy our video that highlights our past "Two Weeks in Switzerland."

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   Keep looking up, and keep looking around for those who can't lift themselves up.

              J:m and L:nda