Summertime and the living is easy...

What do you get when you combine a cute baby, some tofu hot dogs and the illusive Hamburg sun? A mighty-fine weekend, that's what! Last weekend was our Annual Choir BBQ in Stuvenborn, a quaint small country-town north of Hamburg.






We all gathered and spent some quality time in the sunshine. In Hamburg, the sun rarely makes an appearance and so on the rare occasions it does, it's nice to share it with friends. Of course, there was some making-fun of the vegetarian pastor and her tofu dogs. I couldn't even convince one person to try them. And they were actually pretty good. :) I did teach my British, South African, Singaporian and German choir colleagues how to make and eat S'mores - that traditional American BBQ staple.




The next day we had a blessing for one of the many babies in our congregation. Baby Frederic was a great sport, even though he wasn't feeling well. He smiled and cooed during the blessing and let all his unofficial Aunties and Uncles hold and fawn over him.




It was a super weekend with good friends, warmth and sunshine and the welcome of a new child of God! What a gift!

HIUMC English Tea Fundraiser!

This past Saturday our little church in Hamburg hosted a British Tea to raise money for the Hillcrest AIDS Centre in South Africa. Hillcrest is a hospice care facility for people with HIV and AIDS, but so much more: the facility offers HIV education, counseling services to patients and their families, home-based and respite care, a feeding program, and horticulture and hand-craft programs that help people earn an income to support themselves and their families.Thankfully, it was a beautiful day in Hamburg. A bit overcast but after a week of serious rain, the small bits of sunshine were warmly welcomed! We all dressed to the nines, adorned with hats, men in blazers and women in their finery. Flowers bloomed in the garden and as we sat and mingled with our tea cups in hand, we enjoyed the company and the connection with our brothers and sisters in South Africa.

There was on outpouring of generosity: an abundance of freshly-baked cakes and scones and biscuits, donations for second-hand books, and a collection of over 700 Euros for the Hillcrest AIDS Centre!


It was a truly amazing gathering! For more information about the Hillcrest AIDS Centre, click here

Getting Ready for Tea!

This Saturday, our church is hosting an English Tea Fundraiser. Dressed in fancy garb, we will gather to raise money for Hillcrest AIDS Center in South Africa, a Methodist-run hospice and care center for victims of AIDS and their families. Today I went hat shopping and settled on a black, medium brim, squarish top straw hat. I love hats and am glad to have a reason to wear one.

projects

I love to have a project. a non-church, non-work project to occupy my mind and keep my hands and my creativity busy. For the past month, since Easter, I have been painting my apartment. This may sound like treachery, or busy-work, or mindless drudgery, but to me... it is heaven.



I love to get lost in a project in which the results are immediate and gratifying. Quickly after beginning, holes in walls vanish; scuff-marks from years past are covered; dingy white paint makes way for bright colors, subdued sandy shades and vibrant hues of blue.



I have been surprised at some of the comments I received after posting pictures online and talking about my projects. It seems not everyone likes to paint as much as I do. And many people have asked, "You did it all by yourself?" This weekend I painted the hallway and the coat closet. (Which sounds like an easy job, but the 7 doorways in the area....crazy.) And after such a great weekend of painting, I'm a bit tired.

Signs of Growth

Spring has come to Hamburg and with them signs of growth all over. The weather is certainly better for this California-girl (with only splashes of cloudiness and rain and a bit more sun than usual) and I finally get to wear my sandals! There are beautiful blossoming trees and birds singing outside my windows.

As a church, we are growing too. Two weeks ago, we accepted nine new people into our church family... not including their many children! We have grown from an average of 20 people in worship to an average of 37 each week! God is working in the world, and in our little piece of the world in particular, God's blessings are over-flowing.

making it mine

After the busy time of Easter, and the draining experience of Annual Conference, I thought I would lay down on the couch and veg out for days.. watch some movies, take copious naps... instead I decided to repaint my living room. FYI I love a project - especially projects that are not work-related. I have great memories of painting my bathrooms in the small apartment I had in Hawaii, painting my offices (home and church) in LA and now I have begun my painting work in Hamburg.

The first task was to get supplies: 2 10 liter tubs of paint and supplies (brushes, rollers, etc..) because the cellar only had a few brushes and some drop cloths. Thankfully there was a nice girl at the Bauhaus (Germany's Home Depot) who spoke English and helped me a lot. The girl at the paint counter also spoke English and helped mix my paint. Then I took a taxi home with all my stuff.... much easier than expected.

I then got to work on Monday afternoon and did the trim and painted the white trim. Interesting note: they still use oil-based paint for the trim here in Germany. I told the girl I wanted semi-gloss... which she didn't understand, so I said a little glossy...) and she gave me semi-gloss oil... which worked okay, but is not my preferred paint.

So I worked all day on Tuesday and finished at about 4:00pm. It is a little more "teal" than "slate", but it turned out great.

easter fun at hiumc

At HIUMC, many in our congregation travel during the holidays, so our “big” Sundays tend to be the Sundays before the actual holiday. So Palm/Passion is a big celebration with the kids leading the Palm parade, music by the children and the choir and a dramatic reading of the story of the Passion.Good Friday
Marion and I joined the Hamburg Kreuzweg: a walk through Hamburg to highlight the plight of refugees in Germany. We began at the Katerinkirche in downtown Hamburg and walked to seven stations, each commemorating the walk of Jesus as he carried the cross to his death. We have been experiencing some extraordinarily warm and sunny weather lately and on Good Friday it was a beautiful day in Hamburg. So we walked, about 80 of us, along the river into the “bad” part of town, praying and singing. We encountered the people of the city, whose reactions varied from amusement to anger as we disrupted their afternoon sunbathing.

We had a wonderful Family service on Easter morning with stories and music and lots of children (toddlers galore!) and a special celebration of the resurrection.