2024

This year the days often started the same way: taking Lily to Kita (kindergarten). While she spent her mornings there, I taught English, worked on a new skill, and Indra got a much-needed break. Unfortunately, Kita closures were frequent, and Lily often couldn’t go due to infections she caught there. 

Lily's recovery journey has continued, though, with physiotherapy helping her strengthen neglected muscles. She hadn’t learned to crawl and was already trying to walk, but one arm had started to atrophy from using the other to scoot around. 

Switching to a specialized burn center also made a huge difference. They offered better fittings for her compression clothing and taught us new techniques for her care. While transferring there during the skin transplant process would have been a nightmare, the difference in expertise is undeniable.

Lily gets regular updates to her compression clothing, valued at over 1,000 euros per outfit. Because of the cost and the strain on our insurance provider, which is burdened by its primarily elderly clientele, authorization delays have meant her outfits almost don't fit anymore by the time we get them. It's a frustrating downside to a healthcare system that otherwise provides so much, like Pflegegeld (care money), a monthly sum we could have applied for from the start—if anyone had told us we were eligible!

Through it all, Lily’s grandpa Frank has been our rock. He makes long trips to watch her, giving us much-needed breaks. On his birthday, he didn’t hesitate to take her back to Bochum for a weekend—a trip he seemed as excited about as she was!

These breaks also gave Indra and me the chance to carve out time for each other. One of the most relaxing days was when Lily was at Kita, and we went to the sauna and had a fantastic lunch at an unexpectedly great restaurant in Edeka. Another favorite was hiking in Grafenberger Wald. We’ve done it before, but it’s probably the best outdoor spot in Düsseldorf, complete with a wild animal park that’s free to visit.

Family time is always special, and we make the most of it. Our Ruhrtop card, a 50-euro discount pass that pays for itself in just a few activities, got us free entry to places like the Dortmunder Zoo.

A week in the Netherlands brought some much-needed rest and fun: swimming, biking, and playing games like Saboteur. We also indulged in a giant fish-and-chips meal at a café, enjoyed time at the park with Lily, and went on bike rides through the peaceful countryside.

Other highlights included a balloon museum trip with Indra’s parents and some friends, and upgrading our car to a Renault Grand Scenic. The hatchback wasn’t cutting it anymore, so we found one for 16k at a dealership—only to discover and purchase the same car for 11k at another dealership the next day. It even had better mileage!

This year brought personal milestones, too. Gardening on our balcony took off, with dwarf tomato plants and raspberries thriving in their small space. Next year, I plan to grow more berries and spread out the strawberry plants.

The big hobby this year, though, was programming—with Indra as my digital artist! After many failed attempts to learn coding, AI tools finally helped me break through. Of course, I still had to solve countless challenges, like figuring out why canvases glitch, learning demanding animation techniques, and setting up in-game stores for real-world currency. Programming health bars and using cameras sometimes took days of trial and error. I also learned the value of backup projects—after one update broke everything, transferring files to a fresh project was my only solution. As for the massive time requirements, I was pleased to learn that my daughter can play on her own!

After finishing my first game, Idle Magic Defense (see my completed apps here) a half a year after starting, I jumped into my second project, Life Abroad. Only a couple months later, I had gained production access for Life Abroad, a much faster process compared to my first game. Later in December, I began work on my new game, Fernweh.

Attending Gamescom in Cologne, the biggest gaming convention in the world, was another major highlight. Networking and promoting my work there left me inspired for what’s next.

There was also plenty of adventure. A bike ride with the Kalaidians gave us a chance to enjoy the outdoors, and a Kräutertour (wild plant tour) with Indra’s parents—despite us battling colds—was a great way to relax with family and learn something new. At the Kölner Zoo, we spent a meaningful day with other parents of severely burned children, sharing experiences while the kids enjoyed the animals.

The year’s end felt extra special, from a Thanksgiving dinner with a couple friends who are getting married, to a meaningful gathering with a student and his son - an opportunity we were glad to have after years of teaching them English.

This year also brought some big moments. Applying for German citizenship felt like an important step in building our future here. And then there was our trip to the USA, a highlight of the year.

We reconnected with family and old friends, paddled to a beaver dam, and even had a wild day of road rage and tubing. My dad stood up to a road-raging lunatic who later called the cops on us, but the matter was resolved before we enjoyed an afternoon on the lake—until the tube ripped during one of my dad’s signature maneuvers!

There were quieter moments, too, like meals at our favorite restaurants and catching up with old friends over hikes. We even managed a few practical stops, like getting Lily’s social security number and clarifying tax details with the IRS—proving that I am me and now live in Germany.

Looking back, it’s been a full year with plenty of family, friendship, and finding joy in the small things. 

2023

This year was no walk in the park. In fact, some parts were outright nightmarish. Our daughter, Lily, had a couple fevers and infections that got pretty dangerous. And she gave us a real scare with an accident that left her lying in the hospital for a whole month - the recovery is ongoing but at least she's healthy! Anyway, you've gotta take the good with the bad. It was also a year full of great experiences. We spent a lot of time with friends and family, got a KiTa (kindergarten) spot for Lily, and went on trips to Norway, Holland and, of course, the USA.

If you're lucky enough to get one, a KiTa spot is supported by the city. To be fair, not every city in Germany offers this support but, considering that people in Switzerland pay thousands a month for basic childcare, the situation here is extremely advantageous regardless of your city. This is one of many things that makes raising a family in Germany so great. Right from the beginning we were also getting regular visits from a Hebamme (midwife), who advised us on pretty much everything that you can imagine, and even a representative from the city came to make sure we had all the information we needed on relevant services. Then, of course, there's the help we've gotten from friends and family. Almost all of Lily's clothing came from friends. And in times when we've needed it, many have also cooked and babysitted for us.

It seems that every year we spend more and more time with friends and family. This year we went to lots of family events, including a big Familientreff (family reunion) near Dortmund. Even some relatives from the US were supposed to be there but, unfortunately, something came up. Maybe we'll see them at the next one in 2025, though. 

During the holidays we spent a lot of time eating cake and Raclette. Thankfully this year Lily didn't have a heart attack when the fireworks started going off and even slept through it. Last year we were with friends and didn't realize how scary it is for babies... it certainly didn't help that someone threw a firework directly at us! Unfortunately, this was not an isolated incident. For the last couple years now, a big problem here has been people throwing fireworks at the emergency services. So, I guess we shouldn't be surprised that they're also targeting babies. Annnd that's why fireworks are slowly being banned here.

We've also been getting a bit closer with our neighbors. A couple of neighbors come over regularly for Spieleabend (game night) after Lily goes to sleep, and with others we've started working together on gardening projects. As they have a yard, and I grow lots of stuff, we've really been able to help each other out. Anything that doesn't fit on my balcony, goes directly into their garden. I then theoretically have access to the harvest. Although, they get a lot less light, so this may not necessarily work out. Still fun, though!

Finally, we still really enjoy travel as well - I even published the first part of my series this year! This time we did have to figure it out with a baby, though. Turns out it's doable! First we had to get her a German and a US passport as she has both nationalities. One is needed in order to enter the US and the other to return to Germany. Crazy, huh?

We cut it pretty close having bought the tickets before even applying for the passports, but it worked out pretty well. In April we flew to the US without too much difficulty. This was largely thanks to the fact that we requested a bassinet in advance - basically a bed on the wall so that you don't have to hold your baby the whole time. At six months, she was already reaching the size limit, though. So, next year we'll probably have to hold her on our laps.

We had a pretty relaxed visit to the US. Lily went swimming for the first time at my mom's, we walked around in the Theler wetlands and paddled around on the lake at my dad's, and visited some friends. 

A couple months later we took another flight - this time to Oslo, Norway! We got a great deal on an AirBnB just out of town (had to book a few months in advance) and used two all-inclusive tickets for public transportation for the week using the "Ruter" app. The first few days were pretty simple - we went for a walk around a nice lake in Sognsvann, had brown-cheese waffles at a flea market, visited the Royal Palace and ate in town using the Toogoodtogo app. This was actually essential as the prices in Norway are several times that of Germany... even a regular hamburger was over 20 bucks! But the app, which we also use quite a bit at home, gets you food from places that would otherwise have to throw it away. Still good, as the name suggests, just too much for them to sell. 

Around halfway through our trip, we visited the Folkemuseum (The Norwegian Museum of Cultural History). This is probably the coolest museum I've ever been to. I mean, I was a bit skeptical at first as it was just basically rooms full of nice wooden chests (a major item in the traditional Norwegian home), but soon we were outside looking at different structures imported from regions all over Norway! Seriously, just look at the pictures (at the end of the post).

After seeing a couple dozen variations over the course of about an hour or so walking around the expansive grounds of the museum, we finally arrived at a "town" with traditional residences and businesses that were presumably also imported from actual sites. And, just like in the previous areas, they also had period-appropriate actors that even sold goods in old-timey shops. A real living museum.

On another day we went to Hovedøya Island where we saw the monastery and went swimming... at the wrong beach. It turned out there was a much more appropriate swimming spot down the way, but then again our spot was more private.

Our last stops during our visit to Oslo were the opera house and Drøbak. As you can see, the Oslo Opera House can be climbed for a really cool view over the bay. It's also just around the corner from the port where the boats for island hopping dock, so it was a good add-on. 

Drøbak, on the other hand, is a day trip in itself. The bus also leaves from the port area but takes about an hour each way. Drøbak is a cool little town with a nice spot for jumping into the Fjord and a beautiful coastal walk. 

The last couple weeks of September, we took our final trip of the year to Holland. Indra's parents found a nice family resort in a town called America. There we rode bikes to Venray and other local towns, used our private infrared sauna, and played around in the little water park they had there in the resort. All in all, a really great way to spend time with family!

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2021

2021 was an intense year full of stressful, exciting, and sad experiences. I started a German Ausbildung (apprenticeship), we a had a death in the family, Indra also found more work teaching German and doing painting workshops, we tried to buy a house at an auction but ended up getting a new apartment instead, we went on several family trips, and we made new friends.

The Ausbildung was indeed stressful... working, studying, and teaching all at the same time. Just studying in German is a challenge, but this was a nursing program - lots of medical language. I had many things to adjust to: up at 430am (sometimes after working till 9pm the night before), bad smells, washing and generally dealing with strange patients, and things like skin problems from sweating in gloves - didn't think I would make it to the end just because of that alone. And then there's the tests, regulations and Bürokratie, visa problems and Anerkennung (recognition of educational background). Thankfully, I didn't even need to get my degree recognized, just my high school transcripts... but even this was unbelievably overcomplicated. It should have taken just two months in Düsseldorf, but after six months they rejected my application due to a lack of English language courses. Yes, you read that right - they require that a native speaker take classes to learn their own language. So, I then had to reapply in another city for recognition based on lesser criteria (Germany has three high school systems based on academic ability) in order to get proof that I graduated from high school. Oh, and the fact that I graduated from college doesn't help because, even though it normally would, they require that the transcripts say that I attended one school for four years. I transferred credits from one college to another, so my transcripts only show three years at the school named on my degree.

And my visa? Well, I'm married to a German, so that would have been rather simple had they not constantly changed their minds about the requirements. My first visa interview was nice and early, but the representative decided that technically my wife should be present. I was then given a new appointment for eight months later - several months after the prospective begin of my Ausbildung. Over the next couple months, I managed to get the appointment moved up... at which point they decided that, because of COVID restrictions (now over a year since it started), my wife shouldn't come. And that was just the beginning. A year later I would have to renew this very same visa with even more absurd requirements, such as the completion of an integration course (I'm married to a German, speak fluent German and work in a profession that is essential to the future of German society...) and a language certificate proving that I can speak basic German. That such things, and the associated costs, are at this point completely unnecessary can be underlined further by the fact that, at my following visa appointment, they didn't even want to see these things!

Oh well, a couple months later I was finally in my nursing program taking vitals, measuring urine and washing, feeding and repositioning my patients for minimum wages. Although, on this point I'm actually not complaining - in America we would have to pay for the privilege of learning such things. But, then again, I don't know if the pressure would be quite the same. Here you have to get through the year (CNA) or, three years (RN), without interruption... or start over. One colleague of mine was actually almost finished with her third year when she got pregnant and had to leave with nothing. This is naturally the reason why she then found herself in my program years later as she realized that anything can happen with the result of three years of hard work being completely flushed down the drain!

On the upside, a German Ausbildung is classified as a normal job. This means that by German law we are entitled to 5-6 weeks of holiday per year. That's a lot of family trips! In February we rode around Unterbacher See ("lake" in English). In March we visited friends in Bielefeld where we were just a short walk from a really cool castle. In April we rode bikes to Zons - a beautiful Dorf or "village" that I'd been meaning to visit for years. In May we hiked part of the Neandertal for the second time. In July we did a big bike trip along the Sauerland Radring and got interviewed by a team of German youtubers excited to meet an American on their "international" bicycle route. 

In September we to the Heideblüte or "moor flowers" for a walk on our way to Dülmen in Münsterland. There we spent a whole week riding bikes, sitting in the sauna, and eating cake at cafes and restaurants. We even made a new friend, Rohrbert (a play on words combining the German word "Rohr", which means pipe, with the name "Robert"). He's the mascot of the waterworks. 

But, as I mentioned, 2021 was a stressful year and a sad one as well. On June 23, my stepmother, Judy, passed away. We were able to book a trip to the US a couple months later to go comfort my dad and attend the funeral. While the experience was difficult, it was nice to see family and friends. 

We spent the first week with dad and traveled down to Oregon for the funeral. We then went to see my brother's new place in Yakima before heading to Puyallup to visit mom. After a few days of painting and visiting with old friends, we caught a plane to London. There we met up with my friend Steve for lunch in Chinatown and then flew back to Düsseldorf.

2021 was also a year of house hunting. Competition has gotten so fierce, though. We even tried handing out fliers to see if we might be able to get someone to make a deal with us. Our original target was Bad Wildungen, a "Kurort" or basically a town known as a healthy getaway. Even the auctions or "Zwangsversteigerungen" here were way out of our price range. So, we continued looking further out until, a few months later, we found something affordable. 

We drove out to a countryside courthouse and were the only ones there... at first. Then some random people showed up and started a bidding war with us. We gave up pretty quick as the house was actually not worth much and the other people had no idea because they hadn't gone to see it or even had a proper read through the item description! After that experience, we kind of gave up and, instead, started looking at new apartments. 

Only a couple months later, after a few "Besichtigungen" (apartment showings), we found our dream apartment.

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USA Family

One really sad thing about the pandemic for us personally was that my family didn't get to come to our wedding. We just weren't prepared to put that aspect of our lives on hold as many have done. Love is, afterall, the main idea. So, as soon as the opportunity presented itself, we took a trip to the US so that my wife could meet the family.

On Sunday, the 15th of December, my dad picked us up in Seattle and took us over to his neck of the woods. There we went for a walk and then promptly passed out from the jetlag.

Over the next few days, we visited our investment properties, played games, cooked, and went out on the water. Even though Indra got to drive the big boat, I think she more enjoyed going out on the paddle boat and exploring the back areas of the end of the lake. Although, she also really liked sitting in the rowboat while I did all the work!

Now, despite Corona, or perhaps rather out of spite for the rules, we spent a lot of time with a lot of people. For us coming out of Europe, particularly Germany, this was a bit of a change of pace. But that's America! Everyone just does what they want. So, after going to a family Christmas party in my dad's area, we made our way over to Eastern Washington for a Christmas party at my brothers... where just about all of us got Corona. A friend of my sister-in-law wasn't feeling well, but came anyway - there were some feelings about that later on!

Our next stop was "hotel mama" - Indra's new favorite holiday resort! After a short stop to show Indra the farm where I grew up, we went to Puyallup for a few days of painting, riding motorcycles, sitting in the hot tub, and visiting with old friends.

And finally, on the way back to my dad's, we stopped by at my sister's for a visit and a massive, very yummy roast!

Back at my dad's it was our last evening in the states, so we went for a walk in Belfair State Park at what turned out to be the most beautiful time of day to do so!

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A Nasty Surprise

My latest visit back to the States was somewhat bittersweet. It was lucky that I even could go back considering that COVID-19 was already bringing the world to a screeching halt. Still, it wasn't long after I got back that I discovered a very unpleasant situation - my renter had destroyed my property.



On the 7th of February, I arrived in Seattle. The jet lag hadn't quite hit, so I visited all my work friends back at Pierce College and tested my motorcycle, which actually ran much better than when I had last visited. Over the next couple days I also got in a hockey game with my old buddies Josh and Mike, visited the neighbors and then went to see my dad... which is when we saw the destruction.



We went to visit my property where it turns out my renter had not only abandoned my property, but had left it in a state of absolute chaos. He had packed garbage into every corner of the place... over a couple of years! Actually, he had gotten garbage service but only used it for a couple of months. After that he proceeded to fill up my shed with garbage and, when that was full, started stacking it behind. Then, after he managed to scam a neighbor out of a new trailer, he filled his old one with garbage.



We were going to need some heavy equipment. Fortunately, as always, my dad knew a guy. In exchange for helping him out with a nighmare situation of his own (a cement pour on a collapsing hillside under a public road...), we would then be able to borrow his truck, dump trailer and backhoe. We worked hard for a few days before finally getting the tools we needed in order to get back to work on my situation. We also had a bit of roofing to do on my other property.



Over the next few days we dumped 4.3 TONS of garbage at a cost of about $350 or so. We also burned loads of old rotten furniture, scrubbed off two years of neglect in the bathroom, ripped apart the old trailer, and sanitized everything by spraying it down with vinegar. It was stinky, backbreaking work (I actually hurt my back lifting and twisting...) but, in the end, it would pay off. The new renter wants to buy the place eventually and has made some great improvements already. So, that, along with a couple other nights visiting friends as well as my sister and nephews, resulted in the "nasty surprise" being thankfully a little less devastating.

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Unterwegs

November brought me back into travel mode. Not only did I get back to the States for the first time since my return to Europe, but I also finished the year quite strong in general. Though, if you ask my family, they might suggest that my visit was a bit... off. Seems the idea of working while on holiday doesn't sit well with a lot of volks.

Anyway, the first day of the month I crammed a bunch of stuff into my giant rolling duffel that I got at Aldi for 10 euros, and walked over to the airport to catch my flight to Seattle. The next morning we went for pancakes and I ran some errands. I stopped by Walmart and updated my glasses for $60 then went to the Department of Licensing to renew my license; the German government had insisted on taking my other one when they gave me my German one... kind of defeats any purpose they might have when one can just get a new license issued for 15 bucks back home!

That evening I caught up with the local church and, the next day, my brother over in Ellensburg. After getting back, I made my controversial move of signing paperwork so that I could pick up some hours at the college during my visit - starting that night. It's worth noting though that I basically only worked nights, so I was always available during the day to spend time with family... a win-win in my book.

Over the following weeks I visited my friends the Stampers down the street, voted for some local stuff, as you do, cleaned out some of my stuff in the attic, and got my motorbike up and running again. I still borrowed one of my mom's bikes when we went on rides, but it's nice to know that my cheapo machine still runs!

Near the end of my visit, I worked all night before spending Thanksgiving at my dad's, and then working that night as well... it was rough, but worth it! I got double time for three shifts because of the holiday. What's great is I basically managed to nullify the costs of traveling and missing a month of work.

On my last evening, I finally managed to meet up with my friend Josh who, having bought a VR headset years before, was excited when I suggested getting an Oculus Rift on a Black Friday deal. I had already gotten a really good deal on a gaming laptop, so it seemed like a good idea. Unfortunately, the laptop, which was supposedly "Oculus ready", didn't work with the headset. I guess it just wasn't meant to be. So, after spending an hour with the tech people at Bestbuy trying to get it to work, we returned both the laptop and the headset (~$900) and I picked up the Oculus Go instead ($180). This turned out to be an excellent decision as, not only did I save tons of cash that I probably would have regretted spending after the fact, but the portability of the Go made it possible to submerse myself in virtual reality during my flight back to Europe! A bit weird, sure, but totally worth any looks from other passengers that I wouldn't be aware of anyway. Also notable is the fact that the Go actually has better video quality than the more-expensive Rift.

Anyway, I arrived back in Düsseldorf a couple days later where I found myself waking up at around 430 in the morning for the first few days. I was pretty pleased to be back in my own place and, more or, yeah, less, on my normal schedule. Most of all, I was happy to be free from the wild beasts that my mom calls pets... particularly the big one that has no concept of personal space!



There wasn't one day that I didn't come back to a ear-shattering, peace-obliterating chorus of howling dogs. Back in Germany, I enjoyed visiting the Weihnachtsmarkt (Christmas market) again, eating out with colleagues, and spending time with the local church.

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Auf Wiedersehen

The last month before my big move to Europe was pretty nice. I spent a lot of time with friends and family, beefed up my bank account a bit more, and caught the eclipse. I actually made quite a bit of money helping my friend Jason sell eclipse glasses - the ones that make eclipse viewing safe. I then wore one pair and put another on my camera so I could get some footage... this didn't really work very well though. Still, the shadows on the streets looked pretty interesting, so I took some photos of that.



Another fun experience was going to Northwest Trek with my mom for some zip-lining. We had been talking about it for probably over a year so it was about time. My friends Austen and LeAnn got us a discount because they worked there. It was still like $30 each for probably 30 minutes once you're actually allowed up on the course, but I'd say it's worth it to do it at least once. It was also just a good excuse to go on a nice motorcycle ride - yes, my mom also rides.

In the last couple weeks we went out to eat a couple times and even made it over to the Puyallup fair. I spilled the jam from my elephant ear all over my legs but, otherwise, it was a fun day.

That's pretty much it! I spent probably a whole day digitizing a documents, as I often do before a big trip, because I hate traveling with paper stuff - I actually don't like having paper anything if I can help it. On Tuesday, September 19th, I did my final big packing ceremony. Then, the next day, I boarded my eight-hour direct flight to London that I had found a few months prior for only $200. The next journey, a year in the making, had finally begun.

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Emigration Training

As I mentioned in my San Diego post, my trip to California was mainly for the purpose of preparing for my future in Germany. The emigration trainings, like this one which followed the Semiannual Summer Training, are not common. In fact, the last one was all the way back in 2008. Nevertheless, these emigration trainings, as with regular trainings, serve both practical and spiritual purposes. You learn about the culture of the target land as well as some relevant spiritual principles which provide guidance for day-to-day living. For example, we should avoid causing problems in society, as well as within the church, by being conscious of how we affect those around us both socially and spiritually. On the other hand, we shouldn't become introspective, as that also has negative side effects with regard to both our outward behavior and inward growth.

During the training we actually learned a lot regarding this matter of being balanced, or "sifted", by outward and inward factors. This is also really practical when you consider that German culture is so unexpectedly different from North American culture. Adapting to this change requires that you be open to, for example, seeing the flaws in your own culture or, at least, the benefits of another. German history plays a considerable role in the current culture. Before Germany became "Germany" it was a divided land of so-called "Dutchies". These different groups fought quite a bit right up till the Prussian invasion, which resulted in the implementation of ordnung or "order" as Germany officially became a unified country in 1871. Naturally, they now hold very strongly to the principles of law and order - more so than perhaps we are used to in North America. This strict adherence to the status quo can be seen in many aspects of German culture. From the way they plan their futures (and they do love to have a plan!) to the way they behave at a crosswalk. If there's a red man, or "Ampelmännchen", and someone crosses anyway, one should be prepared for some highly judgmental stares as well as possible legal ramifications.




This matter of adapting to the German way was touched many times during the training. After all, even reasonable opinions are still just opinions. It's important that we don't embrace our peculiarities, especially at the expense of our assimilation into the local society. And, while there is always a need for boldness in this kind of move (Matt 28), it was explained that we shouldn't be afraid to "underfunction". For example, one should say "we struggled with this also" as opposed to "we do things differently where I'm from."

Of course, it almost goes without saying that we should avoid imposing our own culture on another. Nevertheless, this has been a problem all throughout human history. Even when we have good intentions, we often find that our zeal/excitement causes us to overstep our bounds and cause problems. On the other hand, overthinking can lead to "analysis paralysis". So, again, we see that "sifting" effect coming into play as we learn to respond appropriately to our circumstances and, more importantly, allow ourselves to be lead by the Spirit.

This is obviously another aspect of emigration that the training focused on. We can imitate holiness and be a problem all the same, but life is something that grows, adapts to, and overcomes all situations - good or bad. In fact, our natural capacity in our mind is a huge liability. We can be really gifted even in so many ways, and yet have no ability to love. I really appreciated this statement that "the one accord is the master key to every blessing in new testament". If we have life then we have love and, if we have love, then we will be merciful with others and righteous with ourselves. This is one way in which the Spirit leads us in our day-to-day life - we stop trying to "improve" other people. That's not to say that we should be quiet, as that would just lead back to the imitation of holiness but, rather, we should be listening, and waiting for the leading in our spirit which empowers us to do all things (Phil 4:13). The biggest question in this whole training, which has everything to do with this "leading", is "can I enjoy and express the Lord when I get there."

This question really touches on our purpose of being in Germany in the first place - to be a testimony for God. Not that we go there in a movement (I also teach English overseas, so I'd be there anyway), but not that we go there just for ourselves either. One of the best things about working overseas for me has always been that it helps to keep me from becoming complacent. When we put ourselves in a new environment, it stimulates us and causes us to grow. This scenario may seem like it just benefits the individual but, as a result of this daily renewing experience, we're able to share more of our enjoyment with others. It's actually this flowing out that allows us to receive even more (Eph 3:2).

Overall, the training was not easy. Interestingly, it wasn't even the discipline that made it so difficult. In fact, the main challenge in the emigration training, for me at least, was the self examination. It's really hard not to be introspective about our motives, concepts, etc. when the truth is often so contradictory to our nature, i.e., we don't always see things the way they really are. One problem, for example, is the feeling to argue with authority - I hate being told what to do. I think we all do to some extent. Thankfully, overcoming this tendency doesn't require that we "do" anything but, rather, that we just be open. Though we may fail the examination after 3.5 years of training (as was basically the case with the apostles in the book of Acts), we are assured that all things will work together for good if we love God and are called according to His purpose (Rom 8:28-29). This is the meaning of consecration, and it doesn't actually have anything to do with what we are able to do. We shouldn't even be too worried about making mistakes (Phil 4:6) because, believe it or not, even our mistakes can lead to good if we are those who care for God's purpose.

Overall, the training wasn't so hard outwardly - though I'm told it was actually more strict than the long-term training. It started on Wednesday, July 12th and lasted for just three and a half weeks. Hospitality was provided along with a buffet three times a day, so we wanted for nothing. I'm really glad I went - I think the Lord really blessed our time there. I was also able to get back just in time to catch my dad's birthday.

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LA Reunion

Another benefit of being in California is that a lot of my family lives there. In fact, it was pretty much just my parents who decided to join the flood of Californians moving up to Washington - a lot of the others stayed put. On my dad's side, a lot of my family comes from the Huntington Beach area. And, as it just so happens, Anaheim, the location of the training I went down for, is just next door to Huntington Beach. So, I took a couple days during the first weekend for a little family reunion.

On Monday, the 3rd of July, I met up with my friend Chas and another trainee, Steve, for our drive up to Anaheim. It was there that we joined the Semiannual Summer Training, which preceded the emigration training for Germany that I mentioned in my last post about San Diego. This one-week training is done twice a year in order to encourage, enlighten and build us up together while providing us with the latest words of the ministry. Many other trainings and conferences are also held for this purpose, but these two are quite large as believers come together from all over the world in order to be trained both practically and spiritually. Needless to say, the world is full of darkness - it doesn't take a spiritual giant to see that! So, these trainings are provided as a way to shed a little light on how one can see, express and cooperate with God's plan. This plan is honestly not at all complicated in itself but, like many universal truths that encompass our existence, it's hard to accept, apply and trust in it without the proper context and experience. Hence, the training.

On Sunday, after the church meeting, I met with some of the Spanish speaking ones for lunch before heading over to Huntington Beach to visit some family. I took the opportunity to share with them a bit of what I had enjoyed during the training. Also, that evening, my uncle Mike cooked up a really nice meal - he's got a few skills in the kitchen this guy! The next day we worked together on the pool deck (see the first photo up top), had some grilled veggies and bratwursts, and went to Disneyland.

One of the rides, the original Pirates of the Caribbean, was really interesting because you could see where the movies got a lot of their inspiration. We also waited in line for the Indiana Jones ride or, as my uncle calls it, Indiana Jones and the Broken Down Ride... This, unfortunately, proved to be quite the prediction as, after we waited in line for probably half an hour, the ride actually broke down. Of course, I think the best ride was Stars Wars - must have been, seeing as the line was probably over an hour long! This was actually, according to my uncle, not such long wait for this ride when you consider its popularity. He would know too because he and my aunt go there all the time. Not only do they live around the corner, but they have discounted season passes thanks to my cousin Ryan, their son, who works there. He's also the reason why we were all able to get in for free during my visit.

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