Of course, there are some sacrifices that needed to be made. The one most significant here is the restrictions on media for missionaries. 2 hours a week for e-mailing was all I could expect to have on a computer. Fortunately, I decided to use that time to write to family, friends, and everyone else (to you! ...if you're interested) in my weekly e-mails, which built a separate blog that now has a greater history than this one here. Heilige Erlebnisse (Sacred Experiences):
If you want an idea of just what those two years were like, that's the place.
You may have noticed that the last thing I posted here was my 'Best of 2012' collection, which I had to finish up two months before the year had ended. Now I know I'm a lot further from the ideal deadline on this one, but I have to pay respects to 2013 by doing the same. This one's different, of course, because I wasn't able to experience most of these picks until two months ago. What should have been a comfortable year with lots of breathing space and time to ponder became a compact two month-period a full year later.
Still, I couldn't leave 2013 out, not when it's my 5th year of 'Best Of's.
Still, I couldn't leave 2013 out, not when it's my 5th year of 'Best Of's.
First, a quick overview of my 2013:
January: When the clock struck 2013, I was at the Missionary Training Center trying and failing to get to sleep before an early flight. Starting at about 8:00 in the morning, I was in the air with Germany as my destination. I began in a marvelous western city called Braunschweig (Brunswick in English), where I learned the basics of living in a foreign country and practiced conversing in German.
February: Celebrated my 20th birthday with many good wishes from those at home and some of the Germans I came to love. I was also able to see the place where my grandma grew up in neighboring Hannover. Feeling surprisingly comfortable under somewhat difficult circumstances, I gained more and more excitement for what was to come.
March: In what was a big surprise, I left Braunschweig much sooner than anticipated and hoped. I went to Bautzen, deep in the German East. I wasn't thrilled about the turn of events at first, but a commitment to the challenge and a willingness to make it a good thing changed everything. One of my best friends from those two years started here.
April: German Easter, a two-day event, was memorable, partially because the second of those days doubled as April Fools' Day.
May: Here, I got my start as a non-profit street musician, advertising our missionary efforts with some viola playing in the busier parts of Bautzen, Goerlitz, and Cottbus. Visited Saxon Switzerland, one of the coolest places I've ever seen.
June: Friendships grew stronger and stronger, as did the sunlight. In what was possibly the hottest summer I've experienced, I staggered in the heat of each day.
July: Struggles turned to successes. I saw a baptism in Bautzen and overcame powerful frustrations.
August: The days became much less eventful, sad to say. I grew tired, ready for change.
September: I moved to Kassel, which was to become my favorite of my home cities in Germany with one of my favorite groups of people.
October: Much of the month was centered on my one-year mark as I reflected on the year behind and wondered at the year to come.
November: Thanksgiving in a country that doesn't have Thanksgiving. At this point, I became a leader in the mission and found the new responsibility both internally empowering and incredibly stressful.
December: The best Christmas I have ever had, filled with happy miracles and minor heartache.
And now for the usual lists, misplaced on my personal timeline, but part of this excellent year all the same. We'll take a look at winners from the past 4 years as we go along. I hope you enjoy
Best of 2013
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