Salzburg Fun!

Hello everyone!!

How are you all?? I hope still as good as ever!! I am doing super also!

Today was absolutely great!! This past week there was a sign in our college talking about a student welcome service at a local church that has English services. So, I planned to go. This morning Esther and I and Becca and Kristi headed over there. The German service was taking an extra long time, so we just sat outside by the river. A lady then came over and asked us if we were her students!! We introduced ourselves and then the paster came over and we were again introduced. Turns out, him and his wife are from Wisconsin and they both went to Madison. He was saying how the Badgers got a bad hit yesterday from Penn State (totally stinks!). I think he also said he did pastor work in Muscatine, IA.

Finally, around 11:30, half hour late, we were able to start our service. The chuch is called the Salzburg International Christian Church and it is a Lutheran service. The service was so nice and comfortable as there was a native speaker and it was just like a service we would have at home. Included was hymns in English and the Lord's Prayer with Forever and ever, Amen. Not just forever!! I noticed that right away! It made me smile. Also, we got to have those cool little white circle things for communion-I have always wanted to have them!!

After the service, the paster, Michael Spangler, had all the new students stand up and introduce ourselves. There were others from the States, but also some from Africa, Czech Republic, Finnland, and England. It was really amazing to me to see a lot of older people too. I don't really realize that their are people living here in Austria that have a native language not of German. There were families from Finland and others from Scotland.

We were also invited to a gift as we walked out the church and were welcomed to coffee hour. Our gifts were bags filled with fruit, chocolate, and popcorn. It was so nice!! Becca and Kristi and the others who came from Salzburg College left, but Esther and I stayed for the coffee hour. We were able to have goodies and coffee or tea. Esther and I met a girl from Hong Kong and another who is half English and half Finnish. We talked with them for about 2 hours!! We also met another girl from Maryland who is working on her Master's in German here and two girls form the Czech who are here for dance. Also, the guy who leads bible studies intruduced himself, and Esther and I are really looking forward to getting together with everyone again this weekend hopefully before we leave for our 2 week break.

We chatted for a while and then headed home. It was just so super to meet people outside of the Salzburg College circle. I am really looking forward to hanging out with them more and maybe meeting more people through them!!

Besides our church excitement, not much else is new. We were able to go horseback riding last weekend, that was exciting. We were out on a trail cantering, and all of a sudden, Esther's horse threw up his back legs and she flew over his head. She fell down hard and had to go to the hospital. She her face pretty hard. She is doing great though now and things will heal by themselves in the upcoming weeks. She is one tough cookie as some would say!!

Above are some pictures from the day we went riding. The little tractor I thought looked really cute and interesting. Also, the zuchini made me think of our big ones that we don't realize they are in the garden until they get to big!! The family with the horses had a lot of beautiful flowers too!! And the last photo is of my little host brother and sister playing in the hay...just like kids in the States!!

We have mid-terms this week and I have to start doing some more reading for most of my classes. I realy should be studying now! After all the tests are done though, Esther and I will be off to Paris, GieSen, Germany, Copenhagen, and I will head to the Netherlands while she goes to Italy. We are so excited for the break. It should be a lot of fun!

Well, I hope everyone is good and everyone should send me a message or email!! I love hearing from anyone!!

Hope all are good!!

Later,

Dana