Picking up my Story

Since the next two years were rather pivotal in my life, living and working in a foreign country, I will stay in this chapter a little longer. Maybe I'll even do two chapters!
Really, how two chapters could encompass all of what I learned and experienced is ridiculous, but I will try to "remember" as it comes back to me.
After studying at the University of Munich that summer session I started helping out in the new church. We did not have a building yet, so we met in homes and enjoyed real fellowship. I loved the Sunday morning "Gottesdienst" (service to God) where we moved comfortable furniture to the sides of the room and set up folding chairs in rows to accommodate the worshipers. I would play flute sometimes, sing, play whatever keyboard available, and generally helped with the music. Some of those German praise songs were so special! Of course I recognized Luther's old hymns. I still enjoy singing "Ein Feste Burg" (A Mighty Fortress) auf Deutsch. We had communion often, and it was especially sweet. The couples and their children made a close group, enjoying each others' company every time we met.
Frequently we ate meals together and I was introduced to some wonderful German cuisine. I thought the German cold salads were unusual and tasty! I was introduced to a refreshing drink called "Spezi" which was cola and orange (Fanta) mixed.
This drink brings me to the memory of the fencing club I joined with our pastor. At the U of MN I took Foil Fencing as a gym class. I loved it! When I got to Germany I found that our pastor was also a fencer, and Ingolstadt had a Fencing Club. We joined, and met some really interesting people. Our leader was an Olympic fencer who had defected from Russia. I learned much more about fencing, but mostly we just had fun. After a long work-out we'd go to the German gast-haus and I would get Spezi. What fun times we had. Yuri, the Russian, became good friends with our pastor.
Being a "missionary" involves lots of fellowship. Much of our "work" was sitting around and having deep conversations over coffee or whatever else there was good to eat. I had to be careful or I'd be 200 pounds before long! I loved to run on an old Roman Road that ran just north of our village. (Our apartment was located in a village outside of Ingolstadt-proper)  This road was just as it had been 2,000 years ago, and I enjoyed the views and the terrain whenever I could fit a work-out in. I never saw other people jogging, but we lived in a small village, and word traveled fast. Every one knew we were "wilde fremde menschen" from America! *wild strange people*
Having deep spiritual conversations with just about anyone was what I loved doing most!
This was a time to work on my German skills too. I prepared to help with the children's program most Sundays. Often I just enjoyed the service. There was always a lot to do. Weekends were busy.
With closeness we find that people are faulty. Certainly there were problems common to all mankind within our little group. Because we were so small it seemed we could deal with people's issues more easily, but there was fall-out and pain. Some things went from bad to worse. Spiritual attacks? Of course. Normal human sin issues? Naturally. It was a time of trial and reward.
We found a building to set our church in. It was several hundred years old, and located right inside the city walls. I loved helping paint and fix it up for our church. Recently I looked up the church in Ingolstadt, and it has a lovely new structure outside the city. I don't know when that occurred, but it is nice to see that church still thriving!
During that year I got to study a seminary course at the German seminary at Ewersbach. It was a week-long special course just before Christmas and Lynn and I both got to attend. We stayed with a woman who had breast cancer, and she was a lovely and willing hostess. Her condition worsened not long after we left her, and she died. I was glad to have known her briefly. She was serene in her illness.
My first Christmas in Germany is wrapped up in memories of our time at Ewersbach. The "tute" full of delicious chocolates and the sweet smelling fruits. The nuts, the decorations, the Christmas trees (with REAL candles) everywhere. German Christmas is simply wonderful. The snow falling in the Christmas markets in each town and village. The smells!
Our mission owned a lovely retreat house in Austria, and our team met there each holiday season for a time of fellowship and business. We took the train from Munich to Reute in Tirol that Christmas time. Is the snow always picture perfect in Tirol? That Christmas of 1986 was Post-card picture perfect. The snow lay on the rooftops of the chalets and the Alps in feet-thick layers of perfect white. Everything was frosted with this perfect "fondant" and the icicles and flakes on top glittered in the moon or sunlight. The sky was always a deep blue contrast to the glowing landscape. I enjoyed the scene from the little train, chugging through this paradise of a time warp. It appeared just like I had seen on calendar photos (the kind you pay $$$ for!) This kind of beauty is rare.
I was able to ski one day while there, on a pair of free skis I'd picked up on the "free junk" day held every year in German towns. It was fun to take the cable car up to the tops of the Alps and ski with the lovely view of the valley stretched out before you.
I have  funny incident to tell about the "free junk" day (Spar-muhl).
I found three "mattresses" to use when my guests came to visit. They were in really good shape and I was excited to find something I really needed.
At Bible study the next day I announced to the group that I had found "3 Matrosen letzten Abend mit dem zu schlafen." Silence. I thought I had said--I found three mattresses last night to sleep on.  I'd actually said "I found three SAILORS to sleep with last night"   No wonder I was met with horrific expressions! Mattrattsen was what I SHOULD have said!  Not Matrosen! We all had a good laugh. My friends were gracious and forgiving! I always remembered the word for sailors!
As part of my training I spent one month in Nuremburg, with a German Gemeinde-Helferin at the church there. This was an immersion experience for me, and though somewhat difficult, very memorable. It was fun to meet people in a more established Evangelical fellowship than ours. I liked the city, and its impressive walls.
Often in Ingolstadt we were accused of being a cult. Of course to some of these Germans anything that wasn't Catholic (or Lutheran) was a cult. We were in the heart of Bavaria, and Catholicism was the predominant faith. Lutherans were more common in northern Germany.
Despite that difficulty, we had amazing growth and wonderful interest in our new church. It really did grow fast. Soon the core fellowship of believers were scouting for a German pastor. Our job was coming to an end. For certain, mine was. I was headed to a new and exciting opportunity. I was slated to move to Wiesbaden and join the team of workers coming to Germany to work with the "Guest Workers."