Gymnastics: Spring Edition

Emma's first season of gymnastics ended with the academic school year. It was a wonderful experience as she faithfully worked out 4-6 hours per week showing much dedication and initiative even outside of class. Her coach compliments her quick learning ability and commends her work ethic. We are thankful for this opportunity allowed for her to grow, gain confidence, make new friends and enjoy something that she loves so much! We are so proud of her and her efforts especially on top of a heavy school load.

CSEN Regional Competition

Emma competed in her second and final competition of the year in April. It was extra special for Nano to be able to see her perform live and we treasure her presence at a significant event. Most every big life moment and special event has to be shared via phone, Skype, photos, videos and through this blog for family living far away. So in those rare times we get to celebrate and share an experience together it means the world to us and them!

Watching her performance on Nano's iPad

Emma's goal is always to just have fun and she indeed fulfilled that goal.

The end of the year Fenix Nova Gym recital was held on June 8. The theme for the evening was "Alice in Wonderland" and each of the four coaches had their students coordinate group dances, followed by individual floor routines and trampoline exhibition. It was a fun, light hearted evening that all the girls thoroughly enjoyed. Okay, well Emma did NOT enjoy the black lipstick they had to wear!

The music was reminiscent of a clock

Emma is the one doing the split leap

We look forward to how she will continue to improve and progress in the sport. We are not sure what gym she will attend next year as her friends are moving on to other gyms in the area. She might return as we really appreciate coach Lara's laid back attitude that fosters enjoyment of the sport rather than an intense pressure placed on the athletes performance that is often seen with other coaches. Regardless we want to encourage this passion of Emma's and provide her the opportunity to continue to grow.

Wittenberg

Our week in Berlin for the annual leader's meeting was topped off by a day trip to Wittenberg. I figured this trip warranted its own post. We took an hour long train ride to the birth place of the Protestant Reformation and home of Martin Luther. It was in Wittenberg where Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the church doors on October 31, 1517.

Another bucket list visit in the books for Jonathan.

The quaint little town is gearing up to celebrate the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation in October. However, a steady stream of visitors over the course of 2017 is already in progress and thankfully not everything was under renovation.

Town well with original and still working oak pipe system

We began our visit with a 2-hour guided tour of the city before being left to explore on our own. It was a very relaxing day visiting museums without having anyone ask for food or drink or complain about being tired or bored. Don't get me wrong, I love my kiddos and I love traveling with them for sure, but it was definitely a visit in which we were allowed to linger and soak in the experience without distraction.

Philip Melanchthon's House
Luther's close friend and fellow theologian, who contributed enormously to Lutheran doctrine and the Reformation.

Melanchthon's living and study room 

His bed where he died

Wittenberg University

Attached to the Melanchthon house. The University was established in 1502 by the elector Frederick the Wise. Luther and Melanchthon both taught here.

Entrance to the University

Town Church (Stadtkirche)
Where Luther preached and was married.

Inside Town Church

Pulpit from where he preached

Altar piece painting by famous painter, Lucas Cranach, also an elder of the church

Market Square

Statue of Luther in Market Square

Castle Church
The actual church where Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the church doors. Today it definitely has the ode to Luther memorial feel to it. It is also the burial place of Luther, Melanchthon and others.

Church tower 

Church Entrance

The original wood doors have now been replaced with bronze doors engraved with the 95 Theses.

Cedarville University Alumni
Go Jackets!

Inside Castle Church

Martin Luther's Grave

 Martin Luther and wife, Katharina von Bora's Home

Although little of the former monastery and home to the Luther family is left in its original state, it is now a fantastic museum that is well worth the visit.

Chest used to collect money for indulgences

Luther's pulpit used for preaching

Luther's library of first editions and other fascinating works

"In this tower the Holy Spirit revealed Scripture to me." Martin Luther, 1532
(Sealed stairwell that went to the tower)

Luther's last robe

The 95 Theses

Original living area where evening conversations were held with family and friends. Luther's students took notes and later published these conversations called "Table Talk".

If this table could talk...

Original furnishings and decor

We just couldn't resist this photo op

Thanks for bearing with me on these delayed posts. Stay tuned for more Reformation noteworthy sights as we take advantage of living in Europe and celebrating the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation.

A Trip to Germany

Original inner wall section of the Berlin Wall

We are in our 16^th year of marriage and our recent trip to Germany was the FIRST time since our honeymoon (!) in which we have spent more than two nights away on our own. I know that sounds totally pathetic, but our reality is that we have always lived far away from our families so whenever we received vacation time even prior to moving overseas it was always spent visiting family. Then came children one right after the other, moving overseas, and consequently in our situation, zero babysitters.

Therefore, you can imagine how amazing it was for Jonathan and I to travel to Germany on our own for 6 days in April! Granted it was work related. “Whatever, but still!” as Emma would say.

I am so thankful that I was able to attend this particular Leader’s Meeting because it was combined with 3 different regions, not just Western Europe. I think there were around 45 people in attendance. What a wonderful opportunity to see familiar faces from across the regions, make new friends and broaden our perspective of what God is doing around the globe. There were a decent number of wives in attendance so that was great too. The trip was especially meaningful because we had to cancel our participation in the regional conference held in November due to Jonathan’s poor health, where we would have seen a lot of these people. It was a timely encouragement for us to get away together after a particularly strenuous year.

We departed Monday and arrived mid-day in Berlin. We had the rest of the day to explore the city on our own before things officially kicked off Tuesday morning. Unfortunately, it was Easter Monday and most everything was closed. Be that as it may we made the most of it as we weathered rain, wind, sun and snow. Our colleague, Brad, joined us for a self-guided tour of the city before we got back to the hotel to crash.

Top: Berlin Wall border house. Radio Tower. Stakes showing where the Wall once stood.
Middle: Love me a Mini Coop. Inner wall remnant. Starbucks, a daily visit for us.
Bottom: View from East side of wall. Memorial. Inner wall.

Original section of the Berlin Wall

Brandenburg Gate

Reichstag

Memorial the murdered Jews of Europe, located on the former location of the Berlin Wall, where "the death strip" once divided the city.

The memorial expands over 4.7 acres

A few hundred yards away from the memorial is the former chancellery building of Adolf Hitler, where his bunker lies beneath a parking lot.

 Potsdamer Platz is the old heart of Berlin serving as a junction between the old city centre in East Berlin and what was formally the new West Berlin.

 In Berlin there is a living memory aspect of remembrance to the victims of the Holocaust. These Stolpersteine (tripping stones) are plaques on street pavements, usually outside the house's main entrance, commemorating deported Jewish residents. 

We had three days of meetings and one final day of sightseeing in Wittenberg before returning on Saturday.  Dr. Wittmer, the keynote speaker that was brought in from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary, did an excellent job teaching on The Reformation and Martin Luther. The sessions were fantastic, challenging and especially helpful (for me) prior to visiting Wittenberg. Jonathan is already very well versed in his church history and the theology of Martin Luther. It took a steady hand on his leg to keep him from jumping up with comments during the sessions. :) Of course there were administrative and other leadership sessions along with country updates throughout the week. The days were long and not necessarily restful, but certainly refreshing. Jonathan was beyond thrilled to have me with him and for once at these annual meetings. Who wants to come babysit for me next year? ;)

Date night wanderings

Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church. Damaged in WWII and left unrestored to stands as a reminder of the destruction of war.

Just on the other side of the Kaiser Wilhelm Church is the location and memorial to the victims killed in the terrorist attack at the Christmas street fair in 2016.