Töpferfest!

Recently, our town held a Töpferfest. “Töpfer” means “pottery” and our town sponsored a weekend for all the local potters as well as those from all over the region (a total of 42 potters) to come and sell their wares. We weren’t sure what to expect, but we were thrilled to discover all kinds of unique creations and designs, from small candleholders and salt and pepper shakers to life-size reptiles to large water fountains and fire pits!

We purchased a couple gifts, but for ourselves, we bought a unique vase for flowers. It’s a simply designed flat piece with holes that you place on top of a matching bowl filled with water. Then you can stick individual stems of flowers and greenery into the holes rather randomly. We think the complete look is really pretty!

A-hiking we will go!

Check out the sign at left... Ok. So many older German men generally do look like this guy when they are out hiking. You'll see men carrying walking sticks and sometimes even wearing those jaunty hats, but we have yet to see any German women hiking in this lady's little get-up! And we think her hair is particularly nifty! :)

Jesus Wins!

On our way to German language class each day, we pass an intersection a few blocks from our school. Someone defaced an electrical box next to the four-way stoplight with two words: Jesus wins. When we first saw it, we were amazed to see such a proclamation, particularly in the midst of all the other unpleasant and/or hopeless graffiti messages and ads one is invariably bombarded with in European cities.

Jesus wins. Not "Jesus WILL win," but "Jesus wins." He has won, and He is winning now and in the future. His plans will succeed, period. He is our past, present, and future hope. He wins in Europe and around the world. And we're in Europe believing it to be true, despite what we see around us. We are thankful for this visual reminder. Hallelujah! Jesus wins!!