One More Week at L'Abri

Hello!
Well we have one more week here at L'Abri in Switzerland. Last week, we got back into our studies after a great week in sunny hot Spain. It snowed here the other day and then quickly melted away. We got a lot of reading done this week. Craig reading about postmodernism, the environment, the Puritans, Genesis, and other books. He's been very diligent! I read a bit on St. Athanasius and St Basil, each being from the 4th century. I had an interest in reading some more of the what the early church fathers closer to the time of Christ were writing about and the issues they were facing as Christianity was growing and spreading. Its good to read books that are written nowadays, but also helpful to read from those who led the church in earlier times.
Last night Craig went to an ice hockey game up at a village up the mountain and he was very excited cause he got the puck at the end of the game!
We have one more week at L'Abri and then on Friday morning we leave for Germany where we will be staying at several different hostels in 4 different cities including Austria. We won't have much internet access out there but we'll try to find an internet cafe if there is one around. The Germany trip will be about 2 weeks.
We really miss home and are really looking forward to being back in Canada with family and friends but also look forward to the last 4 weeks here in Europe.
Talk to you soon! We really love you all so much!

Sunny Days in the Alps!

For the week off here at L'Abri, we all have to leave L'Abri. So our Canadians have decided to go to Spain. We found some cheap airplane tickets and will be staying in Malaga where my friends from Scotland just moved to. So it will be fun to go there for a week and relax on the beaches. We'll be gone probably for a week and a bit and leaving on Thursday to go to Madrid. We'll spend the night in the airport to save money. We're looking forward to our time off.

The weather is pretty warm outside here in the mountains which is surprising. It feels like spring/summer in the alpes. Craig and I were on work crew today so we went down the side of the mountain to hack away at a humongous bush filled with thornbushes and stuff. The bush attacked Craig but he survived and is doing well! I walked a wheelburrow down the mountain... like straight down, it was crazy!

Some people are learning salsa dancing tonight at one of the chalets but I really gotta finish this one book I'm reading called "Chameleon or Tribe" by Richard Keyes. It's great.

Miss you all!
Jen (and Craig)

Cooking With Jen (not Rachel Ray)

Hey! Okay, I really did it this time! I BAKED BREAD after like 3 years of not baking bread and hey... I got my groove back! You shoulda tasted it... it was crazy good and not one piece left. It may seem like I'm bragging about my amazing bread but it is well-deserved. You see, the dilemma was that I wasn't sure it would turn out... we didn't measure the yeast right and then it didn't rise after like an hour. So everyone including myself was doubtful about this bread but I kept saying "I hope it will work... I hope!" And I just kept taking care of this little lump of dough and kept having faith... BIG FAITH... then I put it in the oven... still hoping along with everyone else (they had already pulled out bread from the freezer!). The smell of something good started wafting through the hallways down to the lounge and into the dining room... I kept checking on my little lump of dough and POOF! It baked and turned out WONDERFUL! We were excited and not one bit of the 3 loaves was left over. What a way to start a day!
*** Remember... have faith in the little lumps of dough! ***

Love Jen.

Yo Yo... happy V Day!

Happy V Day!!! Mmmmm.... chocolate! Swiss chocolate!!! Lindt chocolate is really cheap here in Switzerland and mm mmm good. We are doing great! Yesterday I made banana-spice cookies for the group. There are about 35 students here and workers. Today Craig and I did housekeeping duties in the Bellevue Chalet where we live in. All the work here is really easy so we just get things done and then usually they let us leave work early and go study or read. I journaled some excellent recipes the other day. We had a great conversation about prayer and missions on Monday at one of the formal lunches. Also another great formal lunch was when Craig brought up the subject of "art in the church". Everyone really seemed to get into that discussion. We have 4 formal lunches a week where we can address any question... even a question on whether man actually went to the moon!
I've started a new book "The Case for Christ" by Lee Strobel. Also continuing to read my devotional book I picked up at Taize by Brother Roger.
I had tutorial today (each week, we meet for an hour and talk about anything we want to) and I wasn't really sure what to talk about today so I brought up the topic of the "christian music industry" as there is a lot of cynicism amongst almost everyone here about this industry (for good reason). It was a great conversation and quite beneficial.

Another cool thing... she was Rebecca St James' tutor when Rebecca was here at L'Abri a couple years ago! So cool! Anyways, I know that Lisa Hiebert will like that tidbit of info! :)

Cheers and blessings! :)