News at 11

Mood: frustrated
Stage notes: waiting at the train station

After all of my trouble getting to and from the States, you might think that we were due for some better luck. You would be wrong. My Mother and Aunt were delayed 1 1/2 days in Chicago. Because they were not sure how to ask for compensation, they may end up paying for the hotel and taxi there as well as missing a couple of days of their vacation here. I hope that the rest of their experience is a bit less stressful for them.

On a more positive note, I was able to hang out with Noel and Steve (as well as the guys here) for the last couple of days. Some of the highlights included dinner at Früh, a night of darts and conversation at the Shamrock, and shoe shopping in Neumarkt (I think that I may have been the only one who did not get shoes). The last few weeks have been a bit rough on me, and it was good to have some familiar faces around. I'm afraid that I was not the best company, but they were great about it and I really appreciated the opportunity to talk things through with them and get some time to pray with others in English. It was also helpful in giving me ideas on how to make things go as smoothly as possible here.

Also, it looks like a group from Riverview will be coming at the beginning of May. Although that's pretty far out on the calendar, I am already looking forward to the time.

Prayer requests:
-a good week as my Mother and Aunt visit Germany
-that Jonathan Bonnet would feel better
-that I will be able to find avenues to help build a sense of team unity and identity here in Köln
-that we will gain co-laborers here and that we can form healthy partnerships with other church groups in the area
-that financial and visa issues related to staying in Germany will be resolved
-that I will be able to better define my priorities and role in the church as I continue to work here