“Pilgrim Ponderings...SOMETHING NEW IN 2010: VISITORS FROM GERMANY”
Evangelical Church of the Union (EKU) is our UCC sister denomination in Germany. Through my work at Pilgrim Pines I became acquainted with one delegation of clergy from the EKU visiting the US and we made arrangements for a youth exchange. In 1989 I took a contingent of 16 youth and 4 adults to Germany, hosted by local congregations. We met with all kinds of religious people working for peace and justice in their communities. And we gathered in Berlin for their version of General Synod – the Kirchentag – 10,000 people descending upon that city for conferences, festivals, visits to East Germany (the wall was still up) and a final worship service in a stadium where communion was served to everyone and “amens” were said with stadium-wide “waves.”
Since then several groups of adults and one group of youth have visited our Conference for both religious and sight-seeing trips. One such group (10 adults, 7 youth) will be among us April 3-7, 2010. The host pastor, Wilfried Ranft, was one of the hosts for our trip in 1989. They want to do much sight-seeing (for which they will have vans and their own agenda). But they also want to stay with families in the church, help us prepare for Easter, celebrate Easter Sunday with us – and see what we are doing in the community – perhaps visit a Habitat for Humanity site, a local food bank or other serious encounter with life.
You are being invited to host one, two, three or four members of this group in your home for 4 nights and involved them, as you wish, in your Easter activities. Much of their time will be out and about – and you would be welcome to join them there as well. I’m guessing that sleeping bags on the floor are as welcome as a real bed – so don’t be limited by a lack of guest rooms. They all speak better English than I speak German (or Spanish, for that matter) so communication will be easy. And they wish to be in contact with their hosts before they come – by email or snail-mail.
There is a sign-up sheet in Fellowship Hall with the names of the visitors, which one, two, or more wish to stay together – and a place for you to put your name. I encourage you to bring this adventure into your home and encounter the world as it arrives among us.
Here’s a draft itinerary – more information available from Anne!
EKU Draft Itinerary – April 3 – 7, 2010
ARRIVAL Saturday April 3, 2010, mid-morning.
Rent vans at the airport and come to Glendale
Meet families and have lunch together
Spend the afternoon and evening in Hollywood
Spend the night with host families - prepare for Easter celebrations the next day
Sunday April 4
Church with host families
Participate in the worship services
Participate in family celebrations at their homes in the afternoon – or plan a group
outing (Venice Beach and Santa Monica? Hike in the mountains?)
Spend the night with host families
Monday April 5
Disneyland – if family members are on vacation from school (not all will be) hosts could
join you [visit Crystal Cathedral?]
Spend the night with host families
Tuesday April 6
Visit Habitat for Humanity site, Children’s Hospital visit, other?
Possibly cook a simple German dinner for host families at the church
Spend the night with host families
DEPARTURE Wednesday, April 7, to San Francisco a.m.
Happy NEW Year!
Anne