Dear Readers,
Continuing from my last post...
A group of 6 of us left our classmates in Heidelberg and left for Frankfurt on October 15. We toured Frankfurt, which is known for being a business city, and had the most fun haggling at their famous Saturday market. Later that night we took a bus to the airport and spent the night there since we had to be there at 4 am anyway. On Sunday we flew into Rome just in time to drop off our luggage at our hostel and attend a mass at St. Peter's at the Vatican. It was quite an experience as we sat outside the church and watched the service from the jumbo screens outside, since the place was packed. We even had the privilege of receiving an address from the Pope who came out of his window and spoke to the crowd outside. He spoke in English as well as in about 6 other languages. We then left the Vatican and worked our way through several of the sites in Rome's old city and saw sites such as the Pantheon and the Piazza Navona. We finished our first night there with some Italian pizza which was pretty good. The next day we continued our fast-paced tour by heading back to the Vatican to tour the Vatican museums and the Sistine Chapel, a great site I wish we had more time for. We then continued on to visit a few more plazas, churches, and gelato stops before ending our tour at the Via Sacra leading up to Constantine's Arch and the climax, the Roman Colosseum; the unanimous favorite site of us all and a quite magnificent piece of architecture. Given its legacy, it was quite a great experience to see it in person. That night we went out and celebrated our last night in Rome by eating out at a pasta place recommended to us by one of the locals. We all ordered different things and tried one an other's; I started with a potato based pasta with a meat sauce, but got to try spaghetti with clams, and really thick pasta I forgot the name of that had olive oil and a mix of spices. The next day we packed up and left for our flight to Volos, Greece. We arrived and rushed to figure out our itinerary since we could not understand the transportation beforehand. We stayed one night in Volos, and then took the next day to get to Athens (except one guy who was determined to get to Thermopylae and see where the 300 Spartans fought) as we were unsure of how the strikes would affect transportation. We were able to get through Athens and we spent the next two days (Oct. 19 and 20) in Corinth where we toured and saw some of the sites Paul visited as well as relaxing for the first time on our trip. My favorite food in Greece was definitely the gyros, of which I had 5. Our group as a whole consumed 29 gyros. On Friday we headed to the coast of Athens and stayed at a hostel where we left our stuff to tour Athens. The sites were absolutely astounding with the Parthenon and the Aereopagus, and we even had a lamb dinner just outside the Parthenon. It was a little bit of bummer to see Athens during its protest as garbage had not been collected for many days and the city was still going through quite a bit of turmoil. It was still quite a wonderful experience and opportunity. We then took the next day to hang out at the beach and grab a few things at the grocery store before heading to the airport where we spent the night because we had another early flight. It was quite a shocker to fly into Munich and head into 25 degree weather after being in Athens with 75 degree weather at the beach.
We have spent the last week studying the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the Confessing Church, which has been a real eye opener as I haven't yet really taken a class on Christian Ethics. It can be really challenging material, especially his Cost of Discipleship, but it has been very enjoyable as I learn to understand the true Christian life and develop my theology. God has really been at work over here in teaching me more about Himself. If you would pray that I would be open to God's teaching as it can be tough at times, I would greatly appreciate it. As well as those things I have mentioned previously: a focus on Christ, discipline to keep from being lazy, and a genuine love for others.Thank you again for all those who are reading and praying, I see its power each and every day.
This weekend (Oct. 29-31) I will be in Berlin staying with a friend from high school (Felix Kubler for those of you who know him).
The semester is flying
Thanks again,
Hayden
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Monday, October 24, 2011
Entry 12 - 10/24/11
Dear Readers,
I am sorry for not posting the last two weeks, but we just got back in Regensburg and I can now write on a reliable connection and not just from my Kindle. Since we so much has happened since I last wrote, I am going break it up into two sections: The Germany Reformation Tour and Travel Week to Rome/Greece. I will begin with the former in this post and discuss the latter in another post.
The Germany Reformation Tour
We began our academic travel week on October 8 by driving to Dresden, and spending Saturday and Sunday there. In Dresden we toured art museums with art from famous artists such as Rembrandt and porcelain pieces that the area is known for. It was also our visit stay in Northern Germany where Lutheranism is more common and practiced than the Catholicism of the south. We were even able to see a concert and attend a church service in the famous Frauenkirche.
On Monday we went to Berlin and did a whirlwind tour of the city. We went through the massive history museum first before going to the Brandenburg gate and the holocaust memorial. Though we weren't there long, I was impressed by the massive city and hope to go back one day to see more of it.
On Tuesday and Wednesday we spent the nights in Wittenburg after stopping at the monastery in Erfurt. The youth hostel we stayed at was touching the church where Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses (supposedly). It was amazing to be able to walk through the town where Martin Luther lived while studying about him.
On Thursday we stayed in Eisenach and toured Wartburg castle where Luther hid after the Diet of Worms, and toured the Bach museum at the home where Bach lived. It was interesting to see how much Bach's work was influenced by Luther. I also ate, in my opinion, the best bratwurst I have ever had.
Friday was another quick day as we toured the Gutenberg museum in Mainz before heading to Heidlburg where we finished the class with our final.
The week was certainly fast and exciting with so many stops even though it was a class. I don't know that this will ever seem like school since it has just been to fun to be school. I have learned so much in the last two weeks with this class that I am still digesting it all as we head into the next class. I know it's cliche to say that "time flies when your having fun," but it has been all to true.
Please pray that I will not get lazy during this semester. I can already feel myself wanting to relax more and more.
I also promise to update my blog more often.
God has blessed me so much here and thanks again for all your prayers
Hayden
I am sorry for not posting the last two weeks, but we just got back in Regensburg and I can now write on a reliable connection and not just from my Kindle. Since we so much has happened since I last wrote, I am going break it up into two sections: The Germany Reformation Tour and Travel Week to Rome/Greece. I will begin with the former in this post and discuss the latter in another post.
The Germany Reformation Tour
We began our academic travel week on October 8 by driving to Dresden, and spending Saturday and Sunday there. In Dresden we toured art museums with art from famous artists such as Rembrandt and porcelain pieces that the area is known for. It was also our visit stay in Northern Germany where Lutheranism is more common and practiced than the Catholicism of the south. We were even able to see a concert and attend a church service in the famous Frauenkirche.
On Monday we went to Berlin and did a whirlwind tour of the city. We went through the massive history museum first before going to the Brandenburg gate and the holocaust memorial. Though we weren't there long, I was impressed by the massive city and hope to go back one day to see more of it.
On Tuesday and Wednesday we spent the nights in Wittenburg after stopping at the monastery in Erfurt. The youth hostel we stayed at was touching the church where Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses (supposedly). It was amazing to be able to walk through the town where Martin Luther lived while studying about him.
On Thursday we stayed in Eisenach and toured Wartburg castle where Luther hid after the Diet of Worms, and toured the Bach museum at the home where Bach lived. It was interesting to see how much Bach's work was influenced by Luther. I also ate, in my opinion, the best bratwurst I have ever had.
Friday was another quick day as we toured the Gutenberg museum in Mainz before heading to Heidlburg where we finished the class with our final.
The week was certainly fast and exciting with so many stops even though it was a class. I don't know that this will ever seem like school since it has just been to fun to be school. I have learned so much in the last two weeks with this class that I am still digesting it all as we head into the next class. I know it's cliche to say that "time flies when your having fun," but it has been all to true.
Please pray that I will not get lazy during this semester. I can already feel myself wanting to relax more and more.
I also promise to update my blog more often.
God has blessed me so much here and thanks again for all your prayers
Hayden
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Entry 11 - 10/11/11
Dear Readers,
Once again, we have been back on the road and I have only now gotten on to the internet. Sometimes it’s nice to not have to check Facebook or email (hopefully I’m not missing anything important). Right now we are at youth hostel in Wittenberg, and I can’t help but be amazed that I am sleeping less than a hundred yards from the door that Luther nailed his 95 theses to (our hostel actually touches the church). On Friday we finished up our last classes and began packing before heading out Saturday morning. On Saturday we toured an awesome Library on our way to Dresden. I have misplaced the name of the Library, but its home to thousands of several century old books and is decorated with several art pieces and wooden life size sculptures. We then spent the rest of Saturday and Sunday in Dresden touring the city and a few museums. The most impressive (to me) aspect of Dresden is its Frauenkirche, or Lutheran Church. We were even fortunate enough to attend a concert at the church, which was unreal. On Monday we did a rush tour of Berlin and went through the history museum, saw the Brandenburg Gate, the Holocaust memorial, among other famous sites which we only stopped at briefly (we even had time to see the MJ hotel where he famously dangled the baby). Last night we spent in Wittenburg and today we are back in class before we go out and tour the city. I woke up this morning and realized that we are already half way through the semester. Time has flown, but it has been an awesome experience. Please pray for me as I continue through the semester, to not let tiredness and travel have me become grumpy. Sometimes it’s easy to get grumpy when you’re with the same people all day every day. Everyone here has been awesome, but a combination of long class times combined with lots of moving from hotel to hotel can cause us to become a little edgy. Please pray that I can be more and more selfless and encourage others (haven’t been doing a great job). Thank you so much for those of you who have been reading and or praying. If you have any specific questions or want to know more please feel free to email me at uberbizy@gmail.com. I would love to hear from you.
God bless,
Hayden
Friday, October 7, 2011
Entry 10 - 10/7/11
Dear Readers,
Today will be our last day in Regensburg until we get back from our second travel week on October 23rd. The past week has been an great opportunity to rest up and prepare for the next two weeks. Though we have been doing a lot of reading, especially on the early reformers such as Luther, Zwingli, and Calvin, we haven't had to do a whole lot of running around town or travel. Many of us have enjoyed going into town to read and get some coffee or gelato as well as get to know our professor who is the chair of Theology at Colorado Christian University (he was also an Olympic/Professional volleyball player in the mid to late 90's). His class has been an awesome opportunity for us to not only learn Reformation Theology, but to have class debates over the major issues during the Reformation (i.e. The Eucharist, Infant Baptistm, etc.) Personally, this has been a growing experience as I have learned so much about modern Christian heritage and have had to evaluate some of my own beliefs and come to understand why I believe what I believe. This next week we will continue learning about the Reformation as we tour around Germany to various important sites such as Wittenburg, Erfurt, Eisenach, Berlin, and Heidlberg (and maybe a few others). Then a group of six of us will be leaving for our travel week from Heidlberg. We will spend the second week in Rome (3days) Greece (5days) touring on our own. Pray for us as we continue in our class that our learning would not just stay in the classroom, but also affect how we live outside of it. I continue to be amazed at all the opportunities God has provided for me here in Europe. I feel spoiled. Thanks for your continuing prayer.
From the upstairs classroom,
Hayden
Today will be our last day in Regensburg until we get back from our second travel week on October 23rd. The past week has been an great opportunity to rest up and prepare for the next two weeks. Though we have been doing a lot of reading, especially on the early reformers such as Luther, Zwingli, and Calvin, we haven't had to do a whole lot of running around town or travel. Many of us have enjoyed going into town to read and get some coffee or gelato as well as get to know our professor who is the chair of Theology at Colorado Christian University (he was also an Olympic/Professional volleyball player in the mid to late 90's). His class has been an awesome opportunity for us to not only learn Reformation Theology, but to have class debates over the major issues during the Reformation (i.e. The Eucharist, Infant Baptistm, etc.) Personally, this has been a growing experience as I have learned so much about modern Christian heritage and have had to evaluate some of my own beliefs and come to understand why I believe what I believe. This next week we will continue learning about the Reformation as we tour around Germany to various important sites such as Wittenburg, Erfurt, Eisenach, Berlin, and Heidlberg (and maybe a few others). Then a group of six of us will be leaving for our travel week from Heidlberg. We will spend the second week in Rome (3days) Greece (5days) touring on our own. Pray for us as we continue in our class that our learning would not just stay in the classroom, but also affect how we live outside of it. I continue to be amazed at all the opportunities God has provided for me here in Europe. I feel spoiled. Thanks for your continuing prayer.
From the upstairs classroom,
Hayden
Monday, October 3, 2011
Entry 9 - 10/3/11
I realize it has been a while since my last update, but here it is nonetheless. This past week has been one of the wildest weeks I have ever been a part of. Two other guys and I started our week (Friday the 23) driving a rental car 6 hours from Regensburg to Epernay, France, where we decided to sleep at a truck stop to save a little money. Then on Saturday we stopped near Chateau-Thierry to see the Belleau Wood memorial and the Chateau-Thierry memorial from WW1. With the help of one of the tourist agent, we were able to book a hotel in Chelles, France, right outside of Paris, so that we could go in and out of the city at an affordable rate. Then it got a little crazy; we decided to see all of Paris in a day (Sunday). We somehow saw and went in the Arc D'Triomph, The Eiffel Tower, The Louvre, The Notre Dame, Three Basilicas I forgot the names of, the modern art museum, Nicolas Flamel's house, and a bunch of the city. We went from 6 AM until 9PM...totally worth it. The next morning (Monday) we visited the vast Palace of Versailles and walked through the immense gardens, before making our way our toward the coast. That afternoon we arrived at Mont St. Michel, which was probably one of two favorite places on the trip. The fortress city in the water was just so cool to go through and we were even trapped on it when the tide came in (just for a few minutes). On Tuesday, we toured the Normandy beaches of Omaha and Utah and were completely blown away by the memorials at each. These were my other favorite visits. While on the coast we did a combination of camping and sleeping in the car. However, we ended the day with a little fun, running through some of the remaining bunkers and on the beaches before making some headway toward Belgium. On Wednesday we rested up at a McDonalds with some Wi-Fi to do a little homework before picking up our fourth member of the team in Charleroi, Belgium. That evening we went into Brussels and did a quick tour before sampling tons of chocolate and eating a luxurious Belgian waffle. We then raced to Amsterdam that night and got there around midnight and the city was just as lively as Brussels when we left it. Definitely a little sketchy in some parts, but the place had amazing canals, everybody rode a bike (I mean everybody), and I was able to get a delicious smoked herring and see a windmill. We spent the night in the car along one of the canals and woke up just in time to tour the city before heading for Cologne. On Thursday, our time in Cologne was very short, but we saw the great Cathedral, which was our aim. We then camped near Luxembourg that evening. The next morning (Friday) we had a relaxed time walking through the old city section of Luxembourg, which is a very impressive, beautiful, and clean city. Later that day, we went out toward Remich, a premier vineyard/wine area of Luxembourg and toured around and took pictures. That evening we made our way toward Strasbourg. On Saturday, we took our time walking around Strasbourg and doing some homework in preparation for the next school week. We got a nice campsite that night (a.k.a we paid for this one) to take showers before heading back. On Sunday, before heading back toward Regensburg, we made one of our most fun stops at Rothenberg, a medieval walled city with awesome shops and buildings throughout. I believe I can account for us all when I say we are glad to be back. Not to take anything away from the trip, but we are all flat out exhausted. God was definitely with us throughout our trip. Many times we were helped out by awesome people along the way, and were provided for throughout in ways we didn't even see at the time. Pray for us as we are now back and into the flow of things that we would not lose sight of what's important.
God Bless,
Hayden
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