home.

I sit at the window of my room, looking out over a once daily and familiar view. The red warning lights of a tower crane glimmer in the late night sky above me, the beginning of a construction project next door reminds me that not all is the same. But much has not changed, and the déjà vu feeling has made its presence known multiple times since I’ve arrived.

I’m in Giebelstadt, a small village in the German province of Bavaria – a place I called home a little more than 2 years ago now. The Pabsts are a wonderful family. I did not realize how dear they were to me. Of all the things I had planned here in Europe, coming to Giebelstadt was what I most looked forward to. There has been this impatience in my heart since I’ve arrived in Europe, as if this visiting was a frivolous hindrance to the real work that lies ahead in Africa – but I am looking forward to these next four days. Leaving will be difficult.

Coming back to a place you’ve called home brings back a flood of emotions - I remember returning here for a few days after traveling around Europe for six weeks (at the end of my time here those 2 years ago), and being moved almost to tears by the immense feeling of gratefulness and sadness as I biked through the wheat fields to my last evening with the bible study group I was attending. Two years of life have since dimmed the raw emotions felt then, but the feeling of being unbelievably blessed still remains. It is incredibly humbling (and a little confounding) when God chooses to orchestra things in your favor time and time again. There were a bunch of things that came together two years ago that made my time here pretty incredible (ask me about it sometime). And this year God has been at work again - I just don’t know what it’s going to look like yet.

Much has happened since I last blogged. Two years ago I probably would have hammered out a mini-book to capture all that happened. This time I will spare you (and more importantly, at 1 AM, myself) the time. Many photos have yet to be perused and edited. A few shots will have to suffice.

Last Saturday I went to the Montreux jazz festival, the biggest of it’s kind in Europe. Really cool. In the afternoon I went to some Brazilian jazz/folk/world concert in the park. There were a lot of Brazilians attending, and they were all dancing. It rocked.




This dude was leading a drum band. It rocked as well.


Yeah, that Brazilian is playing world music with an accordian. It rocked too.


Later in the evening I went by the booth where the Lausanne YWAM were doing outreach work and got to meet all of Lindsey’s colleagues that she is doing her DTS with. A good bunch of people. Pretty excited to see what they’ll do in the coming months.

Kids dance to the music of the YWAM band:


Limbo. Classic.



The beginning of this week I went hiking for two days with my Aunt and Uncle. We stayed in this 130-year old hotel at 2300 m (7500 ft), and then went on from there. On our first day we hiked up to Le Touno, a 3000er in the area. It is difficult to capture the incredible stillness and desolation with a mere picture.


Only if you looked closely would you find some incredibly beautiful wildflowers, hugging the thin soil that offer little grip and precious few nutrients.



The church bell just chimed. three high rings. forty five after the hour. Time for bed.