First Five Days in Vienna

So right now we are in an internet cafe, since we don’t have email access at the church where we are staying. It is a rainy afternoon here, and we plan to find a “kaffeehaus” to hang out in after a quick run to the grocery store (I am trying to get used to going to the store every two days now, since everything must be carried home). The first few days here, we walked a lot and took in some sights to stay awake. It also helps that there is lots of awesomely strong coffe here! I’ve been learning some German with a cd-ROM program I have and also by reading signs, food labels, and occassionally picking up a word I hear in public. Matt and I have been doing some more planning and preparations for the summer college team that will be here in 2 1/2 weeks. Russ and Adam have also been a big help in that!

We had the opportunity to volunteer at the refugee ministry on Thursday. While Matt chatted in German with a young man over Connect 4, I unexpectedly got to resurrect my high school French! I talked with a man from Algeria for a long time (actually, listening a lot)about the things he had gone through on his journey through France, Italy, and finally, to Austria. We also talked about God, and about how being here in Austria feels like a ray of hope for this man. Please pray for him and that he would find his hope in God. Other than that, we are just adjusting, meeting with our team (Russ and Adam), getting used to no AC and lots of secondhand smoke again. It is an adventure, and Matt and I are so glad to be doing it together! Thank you so much for your prayers! Please keep them coming!