Herbst

I have to apologize when I look at the date of the last blog. I realize that it has been a couple of weeks since we've written. Alot has been happening and going on - for one the seasons have changed. Herbst is here and the leaves are raining to the ground. Red, orange, yellow, purple and brown...it has been a lot of fun to watch.

We have recently been able to spend a lot of fun days outside with Jonas and Jana (nephew and niece). Dagmar, Christoph's sister, has had to start back to work after her 2 and a half years of maternity leave, and this gives Onkie and Tante an opportunity to play and pass the days! Fortunately enough, the weather has been really nice so that are able to spend time outside, feeding the swans, playing in the park, running around trying to get all of the energy out of the kids (more like taking the energy out of us!)

Christoph's rehab has been going really well. He is actually trying to start working again this weekend. We will see how that goes.

We are still meeting with the local church family in Ried, Christ Aktiv . Which is a little bit different from what we are used to, but they have a big heart for God and the Gospel. We really enjoy meeting with them on Sunday's and Tuesdays - to be encouraged and to be an encouragement to them. Just be in prayer for the fellowship. A recent struggle has been for the children in the church. In our Bible circle, a couple has a daughter that is in the First class. All of the schools here are opporated under the Roman Catholic church, and the children are required to have one hour of Religion everyday. The other children asked the teacher why she and another child did not participate in the religious activities. The teacher responded that these children believe in a different God, and if they have questions to ask them. A little girl turned around in her seat and asked what she believed and she told her to just keep painting. So the parents took her out of the class so that she wouldn't be exposed to the first communion and other rituals and traditions in catholisism, they are struggling with making the right decisions. But the little girl who is 6 feels bad for the response that she gave. Such a huge struggle for a 6 year old to carry.

Herbst (Fall) is all around. In the crisp (freezing) mornings, or the fog that hangs around until lunch, or the million pheasants and other wild animals that all over the freshly plowed fields and roads. We have already carved a pumpkin and made butternutt squash cream soup. The days are already much shorter, it feels as though now we are just awaiting the first snow, even though we know that that is still (hopefully) a few weeks away.