On Wednesday, May 20th, we had a seminar on alternative energy sources and sustainable city planning. We met our guide in a classroom under a solar tower in the city of Freiburg. We began with a powerpoint that had many facts about energy usage in Germany as well as the rest of the world. We saw, as we expected, that America was using far more energy per person than the rest of the world. We then spoke about transportation in Germany versus America. Our guide stated that in Freiburg almost a quarter of the people ride a bike while even more use public transportation. This cuts down on energy costs, pollution and the depletion of natural resources.

After the powerpoint presentation, we went on a tour of two special communities in Freiburg. Each of these communities was unique in that the people opt to live in smaller apartments without their own yard or garden. Many also forgo a parking space as they don’t have a car. Instead, there are many public areas such as playgrounds, parks and public indoor living rooms where people can gather to spend time together. There was also a market in each community which had venders selling local goods. Each community has schools for the children, stores for most things you would need as well as access to public transportation. They all work together to cut down on energy expenditure and are cooperating to further a more sustainable city. I found these ideas intriguing and challenging.

Although many of these ideas would be difficult to begin implementing in America, I believe we should work to incorporate these more conservative and Earth-aware lifestyles and mind frames into our day. One example of a way we could cut down on pollution is the idea of carpooling. Another idea would be to encourage the use of separating waste into plastic, glass, paper, aluminum and biodegradable items. This way we could recycle more things and cut down on the amount of useful things we dispose of. America could also work harder to make better use of the space that we have. We could build our towns and cities in a more earth-friendly way by incorporating solar energy and less paved and cemented areas. This is important to us as Christians, as it is being a good steward of what we have been given. Overall, we as Americans have much to learn from the rest of the world on what things in life are truly necessary and what luxuries we should spare.

-Julie Davis

Our second week in Nigeria started with a tour of Vom Hospital and a relaxing swim at HBC resort.  We’re beginning to submerge ourselves deeper within the culture as we learned about the conflicts within Nigeria and the peace building efforts of Gopar Tapkida.  We also volunteered the morning at Faith Alive Clinic where nursing and accounting students stayed within the hospital to work while others went to the village school that Faith Alive started.  We have also been creating relationships and connections with the students at UniJos and learning about ministries such as Ayuba’s wheelchair shop for those with polio.  We are now relaxing for the weekend in Miango, catching up on sleep and getting a taste of American food before beginning our last week here with trips to Otukpo, more interaction with UniJos and saying our goodbyes before heading back to the states!  We are continuing to learn so much and can’t wait to share all of our lessons and stories once we get home.

 -Becca Snyder and Ashleigh Tolliver

On Sunday, May 10 we went to Basel, Switzerland. After walking along the Rhine River we went to church at the Mitenand Fellowship. They were very welcoming and excited to have us there. The service was unique from many other services I’ve been to. They included many languages besides German and English. Also, they put together a drama of the scripture they performed during the service. Following the service, we were invited to join then for dinner. Much of the food was new and different to us, but we were thankful for their generosity.

 We were invited back the following weekend for their Friday night meeting. A few of us decided to go. We met in a house the fellowship owns. The group was made up of all ages and many different backgrounds. We
joined in their singing and bible study. Many of their songs were familiar tunes and we would sing four verses, each one in a different language. We read the scripture passage in both Spanish and German, but people contributed to the discussion afterwards in their own language.

It was an awesome experience to be with this group of people from all different backgrounds who did not let their language get in the way. Many of us on the trip are struggling with the language and feel lost not being
able to communicate with our host families. It was great being able to worship the same God each using our own language.

Gott ist gut, die ganze Zeit.
Die ganze Ziet, Gott ist gut.

God is good, all the time.
All the time, God is good

-Maria Zehr

Greetings from Nigeria!
From the moment we arrived in Abuja, Nigeria we have been flooded with the kindness of Nigerians.  Our safety is a high importance to the city of Jos and we all are feeling incredibly safe and protected.  Everyone is having great, eye-opening experiences with our host families and are treated as if we are permanent members.

Here in Jos, we have visited the chaos of the market, with many vendors, colors, animals, fabrics, and goods.  We have also been given tours of MCC Nigeria and Vom Christian Hospital as well as experiencing a Nigerian church service where we were asked to perform our musical talents.

This coming week, we are planning on spending our time at Faith Alive Clinic and relaxing this weekend at Miango Retreat Center.  As we are forming new relationships with our host families and fellow group members, we ask for your prayers for our continued health and safety.

-Ashleigh Tolliver and Becca Snyder

The past few days have been very interesting. On Friday, I ventured away from home with 16 other EMU students, Moira, and our helper Salomé to discover the people, cultures, challenges, language, and great aspects of Germany. The plane ride was great relaxation and gave us some preparation time for our adventure ahead. We then arrived at 7am on Saturday in Frankfurt, Germany, and hopped on a train ride to Freiburg which was a lot of fun. The most nerve wrecking part happened when we arrived at the train station in Freiburg and our host families were waiting for us. We then parted and went to our new, beautiful homes. Some of us, for the rest of the day, either went shopping in the big city or went to sleep exhausted from our long journey.

Meeting my family was very interesting. The son came and picked us up from the station and then when we got to our home, we met our mother, Gabriele, and the Japanese exchange student. The next morning the first challenge arose- I set my alarm wrong so we were late for breakfast and most often, Germans are never late for anything! Our host mom was not happy at all and then pulled out the “rule book” and began explaining every house rule. The most exciting part of the first day or so was being able to explore the city. There were so many beautiful sights to see and little shops to venture into.

On Monday we started school. Class is 3.5 hours, which is very long, but the teacher is fun and does a fantastic job at teaching us the important things needed to know about Germany and the important vocabulary needed to communicate.

Team building, Freiburg history tour, and reflection on the mountain are a few of the many activities we have done as a group. This allowed us to learn many things about this amazing city and gave us a view from the sky lift we took to the top of the mountain. That was breath-taking.

Communicating with Germans and learning their customs have been the biggest challenges but get better by the day. All of these experiences have allowed us to grow as individuals, a group, and as more diverse people. I am so grateful to be a part of this group and couldn’t imagine being anywhere else. This cross-cultural has been, is, and will be a life-changing experience for me and hopefully for everyone else.

- Jackie Collins