I got sick on Swiss water once....

July 13th

And so here I am, sick in my bed. Just Saturday night I told Rahel, “It’s amazing! My new immune builders are working great! My family was sick with a cold, and I didn’t get it!”. Sunday I didn’t feel quite right, and today, VERY not right. :] They told me to just stay in my room and rest, and please do not enter the kitchen for fear of infecting others. Rahel came and checked on me, and brought me orange juice and some supper. I have my own personal nurse! I feel bad to get sick so soon after arriving. They are so loving and caring, people are sending loving greetings through Rahel, and she made this lovely tray for me with a flower and everything. This is a good place to be, I really feel at home here. And everyone feels like family. You know, I got sick on Swiss water once… :]

As I write, I have the intercom/radio on, and am listening to the evening service without translation. I was quietly saying aloud the words I knew, and Helen (my roommate) started laughing at me: “Wonderful…meat….brought….truth….today….money…..18.…not….prayer….time….later…” Makes a lot of sense, doesn’t it?! :] By the way, the computer made my smilies into “J’s” last time I posted, if you wondered what that was about! :]Sometimes when I listen to German like this, I have to think of Danny Kaye doing his impersonation and I have to laugh. He really had the whole inflection thing down pat! So much of it is getting the cadence down. My Deutsch course will say I said something wrong if I cannot properly copy the singsong cadence. When I listen to a translated service, I keep a pad of paper with me and I write down words I recognize and am not quite sure what they mean. Then later I ask about them and the spelling and meaning. (I just sneezed and Helen yelled “Gesundheit!” from outside!:]) Often the guests come up to me and ask me something, and I can understand them, but am unable to answer in German and they don‘t know English. It can be so frustrating! But hopefully I will soon be fluent. :] Har. Actually last night I met a delightful couple, and she spoke with me in German, I understood and was able to answer in German short sentences. :] Carrie would have been proud.

So the computer situation so far is thus: They have ONE computer with internet in a locked office. On Sunday I had someone show me how to post again, and he even typed up a sheet of instructions so I could remember. No sooner had he left than when I tried to post, some boxes and alarms popped up, with alarmingly long German words and exclamation points. I think the computer did not support rich text format, and even when I tried to change it, it would not work! I was almost in tears as the internet went down just then, and I was signed in and could not just send ONE note! FINALLY it worked, and just so you know, I have some emails saved in drafts because I could not send it. So I am thinking of you and enjoying your notes, I just can’t write too well or often. A fault which time will cure…all too soon. Sorry if I am repeating myself, I can’t remember what I told my family on the phone and what I have written.

I found out there are a few Settlers fans here, so I am hoping one of these evenings we can play it together. They call it “Seed-lers” in German. Yesterday we played volleyball. They also kick the ball, and say it is in the official rules. Hmmm. Then we young people watched an old black and white movie in a movie room they have since I was here last. It was called “Drei Männer im Schnee”. It really was funny even though I could not understand all of it. Tabea Jegge translated as much as she could from time to time. I thought it was interesting to see how the doorknobs they have here that are so different than ours were the same way back then! I understood random words again, like “Buy“, “excuse me”, “Attention!” and such.

I am really enjoying some people here that I knew well last time, but not well enough. :] Elisabeth has been translating in the evenings, and she has such a pleasant voice. We sit and talk together when we are done, I ask her about my written words, and she asks me if she used words in a wrong way. She is such a sweetheart, she also has Lyme Disease. The sunshine has made her look so much healthier than last time, she really has a glow about her, such a lovely woman. And Emanuel Hermann is here for the summer, leaving in November for their Bible School. He was the one who drove so fast on the autobahn last year for me. He is very suave for his age, very “unto himself” and has a dry sense of humor. I get the biggest satisfaction in making him laugh, which I have succeeded with quite a bit lately. He speaks English quite well because their family were missionaries in Ethiopia for 14 years. The huge man Markus is also a hoot. He can do everything, sometimes you see him baking loaves and loaves of bread in the kitchen, and sometimes he is out hammering in the barn. He reminds me a lot of Darrell, he even has reddish hair, and likes to tease me. They are so mild in their teasing here, not at all like my American friends. :]

The Hages are gone for a week to Italy, a much needed rest for Inge, I think. She has been sooo busy keeping all the guest rooms clean. She has two practicants (that’s what they call people like me) working with her, a girl named Sarah from Germany and a boy named Oliver who is Swiss. Sarah has that characteristic European look, I would love to see what Anna would think of her. She is blond with chiseled features, and pretty tall. Oliver always is smiling just a tad and has a lot of responsibility here for a practicant. He likes to clean with Inge, and I think she is glad for his help. He does not know any English, so it is harder to get to know him. But you can still pick up on people’s personalities. Last night I had Helen doubled over because I was imitating people of the Guetli, and she insisted that before I leave they will have a night where I stand in front and impersonate everyone. I hope not! It’s so hard to do on demand!

I think later today if I am feeling well I might do a little sewing or help in the laundry. Mirjam K. said she was so happy when she heard I was coming, because she is having such a hard time finding maternity skirts. She is at that stage where you all of a sudden need them. I can hear the cowbells out of my window right now….

I woke up this morning with a German word in my head, and I had to think and think what it meant. You know what it was? A toy. Spielzeug. :] And…I lost a bunch of typing because the computer locked up. Oh well.

July 16th

I am slowly but surely getting over my cold. I have had a constant headache since Sunday, and am all congested. I just completed an hour of German. 11 new words! Now if I can remember them! Yesterday evening we had a wonderful time. They have something special one night a week for the practicants like myself, and Rahel planned an evening of biking. They loaded up a car with food to drive to where we were headed, and then off we went on our bikes for about 40 minutes - most of it uphill, I might add! At the very end I had to walk, and so Ruedi got off of his bike and walked with me. The view was incredible, we were facing west, with everything from the Lake of Zug on our left to Mettmenstetten on out right. It really was break taking, and I want to go back with my camera and take some good pictures. The mountains were a bit hazy last evening. We took a quick stop and played some games on the trail. They lined up two rows of plastic cups about 2 ½ feet apart, and we had races to see who could weave in between them the fastest. Then we did the same thing with water in a cup in our hand. Ruedi almost always won! A man with walking sticks came running past and laughed and weaved through them too. They think of such creative games here!

We biked through a small town called Rifferswil, (“Reef-ers-ville”) to a small home that belongs to the mission. Grossfati and Grossi sold it to them for a good price some years ago, and now they use it for the missionaries when they come home for furlough. It was simply charming, and in a perfect little village with amazing views. We were completely wet through with sweat by the time we arrived. (The weather is quite humid here, it’s either really cold and wet, or really warm and wet!) I guess I am out of shape when it comes to biking, not like a few years ago. :] There we set up a circle of chairs and lit the outside fireplace and had a relaxing evening together, grilling bratwurst, eating fresh veggies, and drinking what they call Syrup. Then we had testimonies, singing, laughing, and just enjoying the evening. I never realize how much I miss the “small simple” life until I leave the community for an evening.

We didn’t leave to bike home until after 10pm. It was SO absolutely fun! It was downhill for 10 minutes the whole way home. I just prayed that God would keep me safe, and off I went! They just CRUISE through these little villages in the night, with almost no light, and I tried not to think what would happen if a cat ran out. The girls somehow got way ahead again (I must have been using my brakes more) so I was with Shy Simon and Ruedi. I really like Switzerland. :]

July 17th

Yesterday was very special for me, because I got to see two friends from Ethiopia! You know, when you visit these countries, you have no idea if you will ever see the people again. And when you do, it is such a blessing. Ato Elias (who was my main friend there in Ethiopia last year) came with two other men for the missions week we are having. They show pictures and share about the work and who has come to know the Lord. It was SO nice to not have to have the earphones in because they speak English! All the other people were interpreted to. :] He will be here for a couple of weeks.

Also, there is a couple visiting here from Ireland. Everyone told me, “you must go and sit and visit with these guests!” because they have a difficult time understanding the Irish accent. :] They are just so cute, in their 80’s, and she has bright red hair and freckles. I guess they have been coming here for years, and were also involved in the mission in Sudan, he is a doctor. They will also be here for a few weeks, so I am sure you will hear of them again.

We ate outside yesterday, the weather was so nice. Guetli has a large patio with umbrellas, and in the summer they eat outside there as much as possible. I also went swimming in Mettmenstetten with Helen. You would be so jealous if you could see it. We bike for just under 10 minutes to the pool, with mountain views the whole way. The pool is huge, mostly inhabited with mothers and children, so there was almost no one in the deep side. It’s crystal clear blue and very fresh. (And yes, you can see the mountains from there.) We swam for a couple of hours and Helen bought us ice cream. I have so many neat opportunities for memories!

The Hages come home again this weekend, I have missed them! It’s so nice to have Julia to be a sister to. Rahel is also like a sister, but she treats me like a little sister, something I am not used to! :] We have a big weekend ahead, because of the missions fest. Then after one more week all the young people are leaving on their trip to Albania and Greece. As far as I know I will not be going, no one has said anything. I would love to sooo much, I keep praying about it and giving it to the Lord. It will be all my closest friends here that are going, and they are camping, hiking through the mountains, sharing in churches, taking the train to Italy, it goes on and on. :] I suppose they will need me here during that time.

The weather is bad today, with tons and tons of rain. I think tonight some of the men who worked on the road for so long and so noisily will be here for supper. :] They helped patch some holes in our cement, so as a thank you they were invited for supper. I think that may mean some dish polishing….

Well, I will see if I can send this today, I am sorry that I cannot write more often, and that these are so long. Have a wonderful day, please keep me in your prayers.