Elevator Speech (Germany in 2 Minutes)

If I had to sum up this Germany trip in 2 minutes, it would go a little something like this.

Imagine you have to spend six weeks in a foreign country where almost everything is in a language you can only slightly comprehend. Imagine you live in a hostel with thirty people for those six weeks, and still have to get along great after all that time. Imagine you’re in class for four hours a day and then head back for three hours of homework each night. Imagine 95-degree days with no air-conditioning in sight. Imagine being stuck in an elevator 20 stories up with 6 other guys on one of those same 95-degree days, and imagine the mirror in the elevator steaming up from all the heat in that tiny box.

Now imagine that this experience was one of the best you’ve ever had.

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Reflections on Cologne

A few weeks ago, we had the opportunity to travel to Cologne and worship in the cathedral there. This was certainly one of the more interesting worship services I have ever been to, partly because of the spectacular setting, partly because of a language that is still foreign, and partly because of the crowd lined up to enter the church after the service is over. I can honestly say I have never seen people waiting to enter a sanctuary for reasons other than to worship!

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Reflections on Sachsenhausen

Some things are impossible to comprehend. School can be challenging but understandable, religious theories can be mysterious but ultimately fulfilling, but yet there some things I simply cannot fully process. This past weekend’s trip to Sachsenhausen, the former headquarters of the SS as well as a functional concentration camp, was one of these things. Continue reading “Reflections on Sachsenhausen”

First Thoughts

I heard about the Calvin Summer Program in Germany quite literally the first full day I was on campus. During orientation, I sat down with Professor Nielsen to go over my tentative schedule for the next 2 to 3 years. As my eyes began to ever-so-slightly glaze over, for orientation is a long day and this appointment was later in the afternoon, Professor Nielsen made an offhand comment that made me pay very close attention again.  Continue reading “First Thoughts”