Dave’s Blog

I took the slow train to Koln (Cologne) so I would have one hour to find the gate where Jula and Hanna Mae would meet me to continue on the smaller train. My train was 50 minutes late so I only had a short time to find them, but I did. We took that train to a stop where we walked for a while to get to the Koln Methodist church.

The Wesley Scouts were meeting there. They are a branch of the Boy Scouts in Germany run by the Methodist Church. There were about 6 leaders there setting things up for the meeting. I was to present for one hour of their 3 hour meeting. They also have songs, games, a craft and usually cook a meal. The meal might be outside or in the kitchen. This time a mother fixed the meal since they didn´t think they would have time to cook this day.

There were about 10 scouts there. They do a lot with knot tying so making unknots was different for them. They had a good time. We ate lasagna for the meal. Van Jollie, the pastor of the church came to pick up his two daughters Jula and Hanna Mae and myself and drove us to one of the members of the church were I was to stay for the night.

The Weber family have a very nice home in the suberbs between Koln and Dusseldorf. Margrit and Georg and I visited until the boys Max and Florian came home from playing with friends. Then we visited more and did strings. They were blown away by them. All four of them were very interested in learning everything that I would teach. Georg ended up taking a lot of pictures.

We had a nice meal of Curry turkey and rice with a couple of salads. Margrit is a great cook. We visited more and I showed some of my family pictures and then more strings. It was a fun and for me relaxing evening. The boys went to bed and we visited more. Georg travels a lot internationally and we talked of similarities we have seen.

The next morning they drove us into Koln to the chruch where I gave the children´s moment…actually about 5 minutes. Some of the congreagation told Van later that he should have had me for the whole service. People don´t know until they see the string ministry what it is all about.

After coffee I went with 6 youth which included Max and Florian Weber and Hanna Mae Jollie to their ´confirmation´class which meets every month for 2 years. We did strings, of course and then took a break for a spagetti dinner that Margarit had fixed for the kids. Back upstairs for more string. At two thirty we broke up and Van drove us to his home.

He lives out of town about 30 minutes. His home is near the creek where they found the first Neandrethal bones in Europe. There is a museum which is closed on Mondays when I would have time to see it. He has a home with a fireplace so we sat in front of the fire with a nice pot of herbal tea. I relaxed and Van and I visited. He is from the US and is living full time in Germany. He is part of the German Methodist Conference.

He fixed a meal of bread, cheeses, cold meats, jellies and three kinds of mustard. Carrots and orange pieces also filled out the meal. We waited for Gunter and his family to come. They were coming to pick me up and take me to their home for the next two nights. I met Gunter last zear…and also Van.