Austrian Journal (In Germany)

In Germany,

After Christian picked us up and quick deliberation, we headed to a concentration camp called Dachau. It was one of the oldest camps and the only one to exist for the entire 12 yrs of camps existing. It was like reliving the Rwandan genocide memorial all over again. It didn't seem to be that bad until we came to the crematory buildings and the museum. The incinerators were particularly striking and simply left you shaking your head. It was freezing cold and it kind of helped to understand the harsh environment that the prisoners lived in.

The trip to Innsbruck was......well cold!
The heater was not working and we ended up w/ Jake and Christian sporting a blanket in the front seat. Christian would periodically scrape the inside of the windshield to remove the ice.

A few hrs later we arrived in Innsbruck & went directly to Christian's church. Jake and I were tired but we managed through it. Actually, I felt a little refreshed. We worshiped in both English & German. The guest speaker also delivered his message in English, but had a translator.

After the service, Jake and I spent time conversing w/ various folks such as Robert, a visitor from Uganda. The people were quite friendly and I sensed the same spirit of community and welcoming that I experience at Rez (my church). It was a solid time.

We took a quick old town tour on the way back and I was cold, but enjoyed the quick tour. Charming comes to mind when describing the narrow brick cobblestone streets as well as pubs and clothing shops lining them.

The day ended w/ a great dinner prepared by Greta (Christian's mother) and a serious discussion between Jake and Christian. It's occurring while I write. I'll try to Join