names and faces.

 

I slept on an actual mattress last month (even if it was on the floor), I had a refrigerator, a hot shower and if I twisted into just the right position I could even get online from my bed.  Physically it was by far the most comfortable place I’ve been on the Race!

 

 

 The cozy little town of Blankenheim, Germany was my home for the month of June and to say we loved it would not do it justice.  From the cobblestone streets to the smallest house (not sure as compared to what, but it was small), from the castle to the lake, we loved everything about it. 

 

But if we loved the place, I’m not sure there’s a strong enough word to describe how we felt about the people.

 

Quite simply, we fell in love. 

 

We fell in love with Tanja and Wowa and their three kids, Devid, Elias and Tim-Moses.

 

We fell in love with Paul and Betti, with Tim and Tito, with Diana, Angelica, Jenny, Jana, Madlin, Jeanetta, Victor (all of them), Tabea, Josefine, Natalia, Irina, Jo, Esther, Daniella, Rema, Sherrin, Stefan, Andreas, Katy, Lukas, Ben, Helen…the list could go on and on.  And you probably just skimmed over most of those names because they don’t really mean anything to you.

 

But we got to know these people in the church.  We got to know them at summer camp in Belgium.  During late night McDonald’s runs and nights at the lake.  Somehow they became our family in one short month.

 

 

Paul is a seriously anointed 18 year old who is leading his generation right in his hometown.

 

 

 

Tabea is a beautifully gifted actress (among other things.)

 

 

 

Tim is a dreamer who wants to follow the Lord around the world.  (And apprently he’s Waldo also.)