Sunday Funday

Since we went to Amsterdam last weekend, this was my first real weekend in Enschede. It was full and busy! We had a fun, full day on Saturday with our little outing (see post on Rutbeek Outing). Then, on Sunday morning I had the privilege of going to the ITC International Christian Fellowship church service. Oh my. It was amazing.

As I have mentioned before Jay is going to school with students from ALL over the world. The service 100 percent reflected that! I am still processing it all: the music, the outfits different individuals wore (their Sunday best), the warmth, the snacks. It was all very open, welcoming, and just how I imagine a place of worship should be. One of the interesting aspects of their service is at the end. They do announcements and then ask if there is anyone visiting them for the first time. They tell the person not to be shy, they want you to know they are sooooo glad you're here. Of course, Jay had prepared me for this, so I raised my hand. I went to the front of the church with everyone applauding. Then, after I introduced myself, where I was from, and what brought me to worship with them, the choir started singing a welcome song.THEN, every single person in the congregation came and greeted me. Handshakes, hugs, kisses, and, "You are welcome." You know, you might think it would make you feel uncomfortable to be put on the spot like that, but it didn't at all. It made me feel very, well, welcome. I am excited to get to know them better and worship with them each weekend.

That evening our friend Sami invited us to dinner. Sami is from Saudi Arabia (he gave me the gift I dropped in front of EVERYBODY back in March) and wanted to get us away from campus. Sami rents a car every weekend! Being the true Americans that we are, we were so excited not to be riding public transportation. Pathetic, I know! It just felt right to be in a car...haha. He took us to eat at a wonderful restaurant and then, since we were only a couple kilometers from the German border, we drove across it.

Thanks, Sami for a great dinner and a fun Sunday drive!

The borders are open throughout most of Europe, so this was the only "notice" that you were leaving Holland and entering Germany...a sign saying the border was 150 meters ahead. The sun was so bright, but we were so excited to be out and about! We are also very excited to meet Sami's family who are arriving Tuesday to spend summer vacation with him.

Tot ziens!