Hamburg, Happy B-Day, and Remembering...

Hello All, Sorry that we haven't posted in 3 weeks - we are working on being more consistent. We had snow on New Year's and watched fireworks with folks from the church here and folks from Oslo who came in for the weekend to celebrate with all of us. Here's a pict of us ringing in the new year.
Happy Birthday to Courtney today!! Woohoo!
We just returned from a few days in Hamburg, Germany visiting our friend Krista who pastors a church in the city. I (Dan) wrote a bit on the plane last night and thought I would include that below. Yet before I do, I want to take a moment to remember an influential person in my life - Phil Berg. I met him and his family and experienced their wonderful hospitality during my time in Israel. Two years ago on the 16th, Phil died of a heart attack. His wife, Martha, and their five children still live in Israel and do amazing work with an organization called Shevet Achim (please check out their website at www.shevet.org) which works at building bridges of peace - "the holy work of mending the world."
Well, it's getting late here so I'll leave you with the journal entry from yesterday...

"... We have visited all 5 of the major churches in the city center and spent significant time in each one. Listening to the organs and gazing up at the vaulted ceilings has lifted my heart a bit. At times I felt as if the organ music itself carried me along the clouds.

We looked out the steeple of St. Peter’s viewing the entire city from 554 steps and over 350 feet above the ground floor. Yesterday (Thursday) we sat in St. Michael’s on the hill near the harbor. Beautiful, atypical lines for a cathedral, almost as if the design came from Atlantis or a royal architect of King Neptune – Fabulous. We stood in St. Nicholai’s and could not help but pray for peace in these ruins kept as a memorial for peace. The bell tower, foundation, and a few segments of wall are all that remain after the Allies’ bombing campaign in 1943 and 1944. The amputated arches and hollow windows stand in stark contrast to the new buildings around it. St. James and St. Katherine’s allowed space to pray amidst the remodeling efforts…

God refreshed us in visiting these churches, viewing art at the museum, spending time with good friends, and sitting in a warm house each morning and night..."

Good night and May God Bless You!