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