Bible Seminar

The past two weeks have been amazing. Practically the whole church has been at the summer Bible Seminar. We all traveled by train to Strobl which is a small town between Bad Ischl and Salzburg. I say that simple because I like saying Bad Ischl. It is fun to pronounce and I recommend you trying it. Well can I say traveling by train may be the funnest way to get somewhere. Not only do you get to see the scenery but you don't have to drive. You also meet new people and can spread out instead of having four people in a car you can have four people in a train on different levels and still have room to spare. That was my tangent on trains, now on to the seminar.

The first day I got there God and the women (a small number of them) tested my faith. We climbed to the top of a mountain and though I have never been scared of heights climbing a ladder attached to the side of a cliff with little room for error definitely tested that fear. The four hour hike also tested my endurance but we all made it and can I say the view was amazing. I am sure that mountain was meant to be climbed when God created it or he would not have made the view so grand.

During the week we had four teachings by the pastor and his wife.  During the days we ate a lot and played soccer. Actually, the men played soccer, I simply tried not to get in the way. On each Friday the whole group climbed up 200 stairs and got to take in the beauty of a lake right in the middle of a mountain. Not only was I able to dip my feet into the famous St. Wolfgang lake but I was able to sit on the shore of a little hidden treasure.

View from the Top

Now you may think that is a small amount of information for two weeks. Well I spent my nights with four lady's who made me laugh as they sang to oldies, a roommate I shall never forget, a slight flood in the flat by a suspicious washer, as well as a reference to Sigmund Freud I think was considered a complement. My attempt to be out doorses was walking an hour on the side of a freeway, unsure of how to get to the meeting place I had only visited once before. Though that walk only lasted 45 minutes then I climbed down an embankment and took a side street I was most delighted to find. I attempted to ride a bike which did not turn out so good. I enjoyed a late night bon fire lakeside with the youth.  Sausage was cooked using sticks. My host mother's birthday was spent on a five hour train ride. Then, who can forget a new form of bowling that I had never seen which was quite entertaining. Lastly, but certainly not least, my first movie watched completely in German with my own personal translator. Interwoven between all of this was of course a lot of laughter.