Quick reflection

---

As our trip to Berlin draws to a close, I look back and am thankful for all of the wonderful sights we got to see and all of the history that we learned through visiting.

Among our shared highlights:

Tuesday-Driving through sleet, hail, rain, lightning and thunder helped us to recount Luther's vow to become a monk. Standing in the same room that he translated the Bible illegally, helped me to meditate on what his priorities were. His life wasn't a priority, it was the Word of God.

Wednesday-Being in the town where Luther faithfully proclaimed God's Word, and where he boldly nailed the 95 Theses on the door of the SchloBkirche, left me in deep ponderings of his life. His life, now, more than ever, has truly moved me. It's so funny what a difference it makes for me to learn by sight, and be able to see history. It seems more real that way, for some reason. Going through the Lutherhaus (2 hours without realizing how much time had passed us, mind you!), was a very moving experience for my soul. I learned and read about how Luther stood for truth, and how that love for God's grace and desire for His truth through the Word to be proclaimed was his life. Every picture and portrait painted of him were all with him either holding the Bible, or him with his index finger pointing to the Bible. His life was God's Word. He was willing to be excommunicated, even die, by not bowing to the authorities and going against his conscience. I have been moved and forever changed by this man's life, and affect he has had on my life, that I can enjoy a life lived by FAITH ALONE, without my imperfect works. Thank the Lord for his life.

Wednesday eve-Walking into the Berliner Dom, was the most breathtaking experience, and left me dumbfounded at how much work had been put into such a beautiful church. Not only did we enjoy the rustic outside, embellished with beautiful bronze casts of Luther at Worms, but walking inside was literally breathtaking. My jaw was wide open when I walked in, and the organ music that we got to enjoy just set the ambience of the church. I have to just sit down in a pew when I enter such grandeur, because my little eyes and my little brain can only compute so much and I need time to take it all in. Chet and I both whole-heartedly agreed that this was by far, our favorite church so far. There were beautiful, larger than life-size marble statues of Luther, and Melanchton, and Calvin, and about 5 other church fathers. There were paintings of saints, and marble carvings of Bible stories on the wall, and the dome all led to one central painting at the top of the Dom, it was a dove. What a marvelous grouping of art, and how exquisite each type of art was in its own realm.

Thursday-Was a wonderfully rich day of history from World War II. Some of the sights left Cheston and I completely speechless. Seeing all the Eastern Berlin sights in the same day was exhausting, but leaves you never the same. Hearing about the suffering and the lives that people had to live in those days, left me so thankful and grateful for the blessings that God has given us. All my life, I have wanted to see Checkpoint Charlie and all the places my parents told me of, and it was surreal for me to actually be there and be able to see where all this took place. By far, this has been one of the highlights for me to learn not only of parts of my heritage, but of others' lives lived during this difficult and excruciatingly painful time. It leaves us humbled.

Friday-We were able to go to visit the Pergamum Museum, where we saw much Hellenistic history, but the highlight yet again, for both of us, was being able to see the facade of Nebuchadnezzar's palace in Babylon. Once again, pictures will have to illustrate.

Thanks for listening to my less than eloquent musings.

K

---

Comments

[Dianne]

Hi kids
Thanks for writing and sending pictures. We love your travel sites, comments, pics. Have a wonderful time. We miss you in our class but know you are having a once in a lifetime experience. Love Dianne, Gloria, Elsy