Dear Readers,
I have now been in Germany for 3 weeks and time has flown by fast. I can't believe it has been that long since I first checked into my hostel in Munich and fumbled around town trying to figure things out (my German still isn't very good, I am really thankful for universal hand signs). This semester has been so much fun so far and it still doesn't feel like I am really at school (don't know that I ever will). The past week has involved mostly finishing up papers and presentations in our Christian Worldview/Apologetics, which has been a very helpful class because of how practical it is. I have learned so much more about articulating a worldview and understanding worldviews behind other beliefs and how to interact with all sorts of religions and ideas. This might be one of the most important classes I have ever taken as it comes to better understanding how to share my faith in a way that is both loving and logical. Just the other day we were on our way back from Oktoberfest and we sat in a cabin on the train with a Chemist from Munich who was headed to Regensburg. We began a conversation with him and one of the guys in our group sustained the conversation by asking questions about life in Germany. The man was very open to sharing and we were even able to discuss a little about his view on the current state of religion. He himself claimed to be Catholic, but he also explained how most people have written off the Catholic Church because of its current state. Many of the young people don't go to church, and definitely don't talk about it. The conversation was eye opening to hear about the state of German religion and the difficulty of reaching a people who have created a dichotomy in everyday life where religion is separate from science and observable things, and they can't be brought up or compared amongst each other. We have all enjoyed Dr. Baker here teaching us, and we are sad to see him leave tomorrow. He has taught us so much. Pray that I would be bold, but kind in my travels as I encounter all sorts of people. Today we start our first independent travel week, which are basically our weeks off to travel but also to get some reading done for the next class. I'll be renting a car with two other guys and we will be doing a little tour of central Europe (Paris, Normandy, Brussels, Amsterdam, Luxembourg, and Strasbourg). We will be staying the night in each city and will be spending three nights in Paris. It will be a rather quick trip, but our goal is to see as much as we can during the week. A gas saver car and camping are making this trip possible and extremely convenient. We will be picking up another one of the guys in our group at Brussels where he will be touring around after flying. We are getting pretty excited to see all sorts of awesome places and meet interesting people. Please pray for us, that we would not get comfortable, but that we would be passionate about our faith. Pray also, for unity as it is so important for us have each others back if we are going to be true representations of the church. Thank you so much for your prayers and I hope that this blog is a blessing to you all.
From Regensburg
Hayden
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