Sonntag, 29. April 2012
Today my journey with Dr. Kleinhans safely brought us from
Cedar Rapids, to Detroit, to Amsterdam, then finally – Nürnberg! Alyssa and Dan
greeted us at the airport Sunday morning, which was a great start to my first
time in a foreign country. We spent the rest of the day venturing around
Nürnberg, walking and sightseeing. We went to the Documentation Museum, which included a self-guided tour to
learn about the history of Nürnberg and the National Socialist party. We then went on to walk around the area
to see the various sites we learned about at the museum. We also explored in
the Altstadt of Nürnberg, which included visiting the St. Sebald Church.
Nürnberger sausages for dinner.
Outside the museum, remains of former Nazi Party Rally Grounds, Nürnberg.
In the St. Sebald church, Nürnberg.
It has been awhile since I last took a German course—two
years—so I am hoping to continue practicing. I am sure the next three and a
half weeks will allow me to do so! It is always nice when people let us use our
German, instead of automatically switching to English when they realize we are
American.
I look forward to upcoming adventures. Eisenach is near!
Note: Not our car. But it's orange, and eco-friendly!
Montag, 30. April 2012
What a wonderful experience to learn more about the history
of Wartburg College! Today we had the opportunity to meet with two insightful
and caring people, Dr. Becker and Sister Ruth, who taught us about Wilhelm
Löhe. Dr. Becker has an honorary degree from Wartburg College, and Ruth is a
deaconess of the Diokonie Neuendettelsau.
In the morning we had a nice time with Dr. Becker, chatting
with him at his home. He spoke a bit about what he has done, as well as German
history. We learned about the history of the church in Germany, and the impact
of immigration to America. He then took us to the Löhe-Zeit museum, where we
saw artifacts displaying what it was like while Wilhelm Löhe lived. Löhe was a
pastor committed to serving the greater community, and he was very much
involved with missionary work. He established programs, such as a school for
girls, that focused on bringing people out of poverty. During the early 1800s,
the people of Neuendettelsau were very poor, and Löhe saw this as an
opportunity for service.
Löhe-Zeit-Museum, Neuendettelsau.
After stopping for Döners for lunch, we went over to meet
with Ruth. She showed us many interesting things, including where they make communion
bread. We even got to sample some (not yet consecrated) wafers. It was great to
talk with her and learn more about how the Diokonie serves the community. God
has called them to service, and they work with all kinds of different people.
She also shared more information about Löhe, who established the Diakonie.
How the deaconesses create communion bread, Neuendettelsau.
The best part of this day was grasping a greater
understanding of the connection Neuendettelsau has with Wartburg College. It
makes me wonder if Löhe ever would have imagined that the spirit of service
still lives on, when he sent Georg Grossman to America to found Wartburg 160
years ago. It also makes me proud to be part of a community that is committed
to service and mission. Löhe might not have always followed the rules of the
land, but he surely knew what he was doing, and he understood the importance of
service.