Berlin, Germany

6/30

After figuring out the Berlin U and S Bohn transportation system last night, we enjoyed strolling some shops.  The highlight was finding a little hole in the wall Mexican Food joint!! That's right, we got Saturday night Mexican and although it wasn't the same as Tex Mex, the cook was from El Paso and we got some familiar spice :). This was just enough to hold me over to home.  We will venture out today and try some German wurst.

We just ate breakfast at a little cafe by our hostel and are ready for a day in Berlin. We are going to take a 3.5 hr walking tour to see some history of the Berlin Wall, the museum of Murdered Jews and much more that I'm sure will be moving and very educational.  We then read that every Sunday there is karaoke in Mauer park during the flea market, I can't wait to see what this is about. 

Ps: Happy Sunday! I'm so excited that next week we will be back at The Village worshipping with community!

Back after a fun, but packed and chilly day in Berlin.  Our walking tour was great as we were both so fascinated by the history in Berlin.  We saw the memorial for the murdered jews which was moving and large.  The graves of course have no names on them and are all at different levels scattered on a concrete ground.  The different levels represented the burying of multiple bodies on top of each other.  It was heavy, but yet moving at the same time.  This was a very dark part of history and hard to grasp the wickedness of the government and Hitler.  In fact, we even stood above the ground where Hitler and his mistress committed suicide and there was no sign of the bunker underneath as the city did not want any sort of memorial built in his honor.  There is no sugar coating his wicked mind and I'm glad he is not a historical celebrity here.

Perhaps what was most interesting for Tom and I was the history of The Berlin Wall.  Can you imagine a large city like Berlin being divided two ways East and West.  One night after thousands had crossed the border, a barbed wire fence was put up and those separated from their families that day did not see them for 28 years until the wall gate was opened and the wall torn down.  28 years is longer than I've been living!  This is only a small part of the story, but it shocked us.  The story was neat in that the wall came down as the people started to rebel, but ultimately by an accident speech made by a communist who was late for a meeting.  He was given only the minutes of the missed meeting before attending a press conference.  After hours of winded speech about government, he was asked about East Berlin, and when strolling through the minutes, mistakenly told the whole crowd that the wall was being taken down.  This is what did it.  (Short and Condensed, but much more than I ever knew!).

Next, Tom and I found Maurer Park which was both a love and hate relationship.  We loved the fact that thousands of younger people gathered at the flea market and cheered on awful karaoke singers pulled from the crowd.  It was neat to see the people cheering on all types.  It was also hard because this is obviously a lost city where people were depressed and trying so hard to be noticed.  Being immersed in this place made me so thankful for home and more thankful for serving a perfect leader who knows what true hope and joy is.  I pray for missions and outreaching of not only this city, but many that are searching for Truth.

For dinner, we had Mexican again.  We could not get enough last night!  Don't worry Tom had wurst for lunch, I had some crazy food as well and we tried the German drinks, but Mexican is where the heart was.  I will say, I am a complete "Nanner" I spend the day bundled in jackets, when it was about 52 degrees.  I saw girls in flip flops, but I could not get warm.  Europe is neat, but give me the Texas heat!  I'm so looking forward to taking my husband and my experiences home in a few short days.  One more day of history in Berlin tomorrow and then off to see the beautiful fjords in Bergen, Norway.