A late Happy Independence day to all you American friends and folks! Turns out we also celebrated here in Austria on the 4th of July. We didn't have fireworks or hot dogs and hamburgers, instead we experienced something equally epic and beautiful. Our household was invited to the annual Unterkogelberg Straßenfest! Basically it is a massive block party for those who live on and around this particular street. All the basic elements of an unforgettable shindig were undeniably accounted for. Let's go though the checklist, shall we?
1. Good Food. The picture above does not do this meal proper justice. Everything was outstanding! The meat was prepared in a manner that is special to this area. It is marinated in a broth like sauce for several days and then put into a special cooking box with a lid. A wood burning fire is then started on this lid and the meat, broth, and some cabbage is slowly cooked for six hours. Some kind ladies from the neighborhood also brought handmade knödel, which are irresistible dumplings. Homemade desserts of all kinds were also available for those with extra stomach space (I always reserve a corner of mine for the sweet stuff). I baked some all American chocolate chip oatmeal cookies which seemed to be well received.
2. Good Music. There was a stereo going full blast with a groovy eclectic mix of just about everything. Including some good dancing songs.
3. (Most important of all) Great Company. All I can say is that our neighbors are hands down the best. It was a total blessing to meet and interact with so many new and friendly faces. I was blown away by their willingness to not only accept us but to truly love us and offer help in every part of our lives. We would be chatting with a group and we would mention we hadn't seen all the sites of Schwertberg yet and immediately more than one person was ready with an offer of a guided highlights tour. Or we'd express our interest in teaching English and lo and behold someone would have a connection they are going to explore for us. Truly I see God's sweet hand in all of this, it's unbelievable.
Last week I also rediscovered how fun it is to sing! When Micah and Melia lived in Mauthausen, Melia started a gospel choir. After they moved to Salzburg it continued on and is quite popular. I was talking with a friend here and she casually suggested I should join the choir. Suddenly the idea really struck me and I knew it was something I would like to pursue. I went to my first practice and it was pretty much magical. In high school I had participated in musical productions and an ensemble group but I think I'd forgotten the beauty and fun of singing together with other people. Afterwards there was food and socializing which was also spectacular. I was invited to attend a gospel choir summit in October where various choirs in this region will meet to workshop and perform together. It feels so good to be getting rooted into the community here. A huge benefit of being away from the large tourist city of Salzburg is that my German is already improving. Not as many people speak English in this area so my options are German or nothing, which is wonderful! It is so helpful to be forced to learn :). Overall our transition to the country has been swell. We are looking forward to the many adventures to come!
prayer requests:
1. That we can continue to get our house set up (this process seems like it takes an eternity to fully complete).
2. That we can continue to get plugged into other community activities in our area.
Love you all!!
-Rach
1. Good Food. The picture above does not do this meal proper justice. Everything was outstanding! The meat was prepared in a manner that is special to this area. It is marinated in a broth like sauce for several days and then put into a special cooking box with a lid. A wood burning fire is then started on this lid and the meat, broth, and some cabbage is slowly cooked for six hours. Some kind ladies from the neighborhood also brought handmade knödel, which are irresistible dumplings. Homemade desserts of all kinds were also available for those with extra stomach space (I always reserve a corner of mine for the sweet stuff). I baked some all American chocolate chip oatmeal cookies which seemed to be well received.
2. Good Music. There was a stereo going full blast with a groovy eclectic mix of just about everything. Including some good dancing songs.
3. (Most important of all) Great Company. All I can say is that our neighbors are hands down the best. It was a total blessing to meet and interact with so many new and friendly faces. I was blown away by their willingness to not only accept us but to truly love us and offer help in every part of our lives. We would be chatting with a group and we would mention we hadn't seen all the sites of Schwertberg yet and immediately more than one person was ready with an offer of a guided highlights tour. Or we'd express our interest in teaching English and lo and behold someone would have a connection they are going to explore for us. Truly I see God's sweet hand in all of this, it's unbelievable.
Last week I also rediscovered how fun it is to sing! When Micah and Melia lived in Mauthausen, Melia started a gospel choir. After they moved to Salzburg it continued on and is quite popular. I was talking with a friend here and she casually suggested I should join the choir. Suddenly the idea really struck me and I knew it was something I would like to pursue. I went to my first practice and it was pretty much magical. In high school I had participated in musical productions and an ensemble group but I think I'd forgotten the beauty and fun of singing together with other people. Afterwards there was food and socializing which was also spectacular. I was invited to attend a gospel choir summit in October where various choirs in this region will meet to workshop and perform together. It feels so good to be getting rooted into the community here. A huge benefit of being away from the large tourist city of Salzburg is that my German is already improving. Not as many people speak English in this area so my options are German or nothing, which is wonderful! It is so helpful to be forced to learn :). Overall our transition to the country has been swell. We are looking forward to the many adventures to come!
prayer requests:
1. That we can continue to get our house set up (this process seems like it takes an eternity to fully complete).
2. That we can continue to get plugged into other community activities in our area.
Love you all!!
-Rach