Ikke flere institutter på Kilchzimmer - No more institutes at Kilchzimmer

Idag blev det endeligt officielt: Der skal ikke være flere instituter på Kilchzimmer. Men før du får kaffen galt i halsen, så lad mig forklare. Vores kursus har på engelsk heddet Leadership Training Institute i mange år, men efter mange lange diskussioner er vi blevet enige om at ændre navnet til Children's Ministry Leadership Course (CMLC). Dette træder i kraft fra Januar 2009. Så altså: Kurserne fortsætter bare med nyt navn.

Today it became official: No more Institutes at Kilchzimmer!! But before you get a stroke - let me explain: For some years we have been unhappy with our name "Leadership Training Insitute" and finally we have found consensus for a new name. So from January 2009 our name will be "Children's Ministry Leadership Course" or CMLC. So don't worry - the courses will still go on - it was just my colleague Gary who dared me to write this title on my blog.

Oscar uddeling - Oscar Awards

I fredags havde vi festmiddag for vores kære kursister, som drager hjemad om en uge. Tænk, om bare en uge er det endnu engang blevet tid til at uddele diplomer for et veloverstået kursus. Men i fredags var det tid til at uddele nogle lidt mere uformelle diplomer. Kursisterne havde arrangeret en Oscar-uddeling og her på det første billede er det min store ære at give schweizerne en Oscar for den bedste nationale aften og på det næste billede giver jeg Fiona en Oscar for den, der har fået lært mest tysk på disse tre måneder.

Ja, det har været et godt hold kursister. De har virkelig udviklet gode venskaber og haft en fantastisk åndens enhed på trods af store forskelle. Jeg kan kun beklage, at jeg de første måneder ikke havde så meget overskud til at hænge ud med dem pga. min operation, men jeg forsøger ihærdigt at indhente det forsømte nu :-).

This Friday we had our banquet in honour of the students who will leave in a week. Wow, in a week I will be standing there handing out diplomas for the course. But this Friday the students had arranged for some more informal diplomas to be handed out – an Oscar Awarding. Here at the first picture I am awarding the Swiss for the best National Evening. On the second picture I am awarding Fiona for being the one to learn most German in the past three months.

Yes, it has really been a wonderful group of students. They seem to have developed nice friendships and they have really had a wonderful unity despite being from very different backgrounds. I can only pity that I was too exhausted the first couple of months after my operation to really get to know them. But I am trying to compensate now the best I can and hang out in our Fellowship Room almost every night to catch up on my loss :-).

Studier - Studies

Så er det blevet tid til at forberede mig på mit næste kursus på bibelskolen i Stuttgart. Midt i januar sætter jeg mig nemlig to uger på skolebænken, og der er 700 sider, fire evangelier og et læsereferat, der skal være styr på inden da. Pyha...

Time to prepare for the next course I am attending at the Bible school in Stuttgart, Germany. A few weeks into January I am back to school for a two weeks course and I have 700 pages, four Gospels and a reading journal to make before then...

Mit yndlingsfoto 2008 - My favourite 2008 picture

OK, jeg ved godt, at dette billede er totalt dårlig kvalitet, men alligevel er det mit yndlingsbillede for 2008 og selv om der endnu er ca. 8 % af året tilbage, så tror jeg altså ikke, at der kommer et billede, der slår dette for mig.

Billedet er nemlig taget, da jeg i tusmørke forleden var ude på min første løbetur i 8 måneder. Og jeg har SAVNET mine løbeture og min trampolin, mens jeg har ventet på lægens tilladelse til igen at dyrke mere motion.

Så da jeg endelig kunne spænde løbeskoene på fødderne igen, gik jeg helt i selvsving. Der blev hujet og jublet på den løbetur som aldrig før, og jeg har nærmest været i ekstase lige siden. Behøver jeg sige, at jeg endelig forstod fordelen ved ensomheden i Jura-bjergene: Der var ingen, der kunne høre mine glædesudbrud.

Idag har jeg været ude at løbe igen, selvom vejret var dårligt, men jeg tror, at når man har været hæmmet så længe, så værdsætter man virkelig at kunne gøre, hvad man vil.

OK, I know that this picture is in a totally bad quality but it is still my 2008 favourite picture. And even if there is still about 8% of the year back I doubt that any picture this year will mean more to me after this.

The picture is taken in twilight during my very first run in eight months. And I have MISSED my runs and my trampoline while waiting for the doctor to give me green light again in regards to exercise.

So when I finally was allowed to put on those running shoes again I went crazy. While running I was screaming and cheering like never before in my life. And I finally understood the benefit of the solitute of the Jura mountains: Nobody was there to witness my lack of self control...

Today I was out running again even if the weather was misbehaving. But I guess that after being restrained for so long I really appreciate the ability to move as I like again.

Jul - Christmas

Så er julen over os. Her med kalenderlys (købt i Danmark i januar...) et lille englekor samlet gennem flere generationer af min familie og mit vindue med udsigt over sne, sne og atter sne.

Christmas is upon us and I have decorated with a special kind of Christmas candle that are very common in Denmark. You have the numbers 1 through 24 on the candle and every day of December you burn one number until Christmas eve (24th). Beside the candle is a little choir of angels which has been collected throughout generations in my family. The second picture is the view from my window on one of these winther days.

Rigtig levende børn -Real living children

Her i weekenden skulle vores engelsktalende kursister ud og afprøve noget af alt det, der har lært de sidste måneder. Jeg tog med den ene gruppe til Basel, hvor de havde børnemøder både lørdag og søndag. Det er vildt svært bare at sidde og se på, når man har lyst til at medvirke af hele hjertet :-)

Kursisterne havde virkelig brugt meget energi på at forberede sig, og børnene var meget glade for dem, så alt i alt en succesfuld weekend. Lørdag aften tog vi til Basel for at suge lidt af julestemningen til os.

Da vi skulle hjem et par timer senere, brød min GPS sammen midt i den schweiziske ødemark... Hvad gør en klog? Vi sendte en bøn op til Vorherre og på en eller anden måde lykkedes det os ved fælles indsats at finde hjem igen.

This weekend it was time for our English speaking students to try out some of what they have learned the last two months. I went with one of the groups to Basel, where they had children meetings both Saturday and Sunday. It is a bit hard to sit back and observe when you want to teach with all your heart :-)

The students had really spend a lot of energy on thorough preparations and the children really appreciated them a lot so all in all it was a very succesfull weekend.

Saturday night we finished the day by a trip to downtown Basel to enjoy the Christmas atmosphere.

But actually that was not the end of the evening... When we were on our way home my GPS broke down in the middle of the Swiss Wilderness. What to do? Well, we prayed and somehow by joined effort we found our way home.

Thanksgiving

Og så er det blevet tid til at fejre Thanksgiving igen. Jeg har jo en del amerikanske kolleger, så det betyder det helt store gilde i dag.

Nu kunne det jo være oplagt at lægge en liste her på sin blog med alt det, man er taknemmelig over, men problemet for sådan en kynisk dansker som mig er, at det måske godt kan blive en smule sukkersødt og at jeg desuden ikke ved, hvordan man får violinmusik til at spille, mens mine læsere læser sådan en blogpost.

Misforstå mig nu ikke – der er masser af ting, som jeg er vildt taknemmelig for, men i stedet for at levere den oplagte version til jer, vil jeg i stedet give jer min knapt så officielle liste (som nu altså er blevet officiel).

Jeg er taknemmelig over at Word har dansk stavekontrol. Det er da helt forfærdeligt som min stavning er gået fløjten efter min udvandring til Schweiz.

Jeg er taknemmelig over at mit pandehår endelig er vokset ud efter jeg lod en lokal frisør klippe det i september. Har lovet mig selv kun at lade frisører i Basel og København klippe det fremover. Jeg bad om en studsning – ikke halvfemserhår.

Jeg er taknemmelig over IKEAs kødboller, som kan fås i store fryseposer.

Jeg er taknemmelig over, at jeg har set min snefrygt i øjnene og nu suser ned og op ad bjerget i min lille bil.

Jeg er taknemmelig over at jeg har fundet de mest lækre økologiske chokoladecookies med meget få kalorier.

Jeg er taknemmelig over et kæmpeknus jeg fik af Lisa fra min nye børneklub, da jeg havde fulgt hende hjem fra klub i tirsdags. Udover knus fik jeg også en invitation til både kaffedrikkeri og aftensmad, som jeg pænt afslog, da jeg ikke var sikker på, at hendes mor var lige så begejstret for idéen som Lisa.

It’s that time of the year again. Thanksgiving is upon us and since I have several American colleagues we always celebrate the day together here at Kilchzimmer.

I guess it would be obvious to post a list here with all the things that I am thankful for but I am a cynical Dane who finds those kind of public displays of feelings a bit too cheasy so instead I will give you my not so obvious and to this day unpublished list of things I am thankful for.

Don’t get me wrong – I am really grateful for a lot of things – I just have not found the way to play softly violin music on the blog while my readers read this blogpost so instead I give you:

I am so thankful that Microsoft Word has a Danish spelling check – my writing has become horrifying since I left Denmark!

I am so thankful that my fringe finally has grown back to normal after I asked a local hairdresser to trim it in September. I have promised myself that from now on I will only let hairdressers in Basel or Copenhagen cut my hair. I asked for a trim – not a haircut from the nineties!

I am so thankful for IKEA’s meatballs which can be bought in big bags here.

I am so thankful that I have faced my fear of snow and am now driving down and up our mountain in my little car.

I am so thankful that I have found the most delicious organic low fat chocolate cookies.

I am so thankful for the big hug I got from Lisa after bringing her home from Good News Club on Tuesday. I also got an invite for coffee and supper which I declined since I was not so sure what her mum felt about that idea.

Dukker - Puppets

Så blev det tid til at undervise endnu en gruppe kursister om, hvordan de kan bruge dukker i deres undervisning. Åh, hvor jeg dog elsker dukker.

Måske kan nogle af dem endda bruge deres nyerhvervede viden om få dage, hvor de skal ud og undervise rigtig levende børn! Min kollega har fået støvet forskellige engelsktalende børnegrupper op i nærheden, så det betyder, at kursisterne fra torsdag deles i tre hold. Et hold tager til en thanksgiving-weekend med en gruppe amerikanske militær-familier, en anden gruppe skal holde børnemøder på en engelsktalende skole og en tredie gruppe tager med mig til Basel, hvor vi også skal holde nogle børnemøder i løbet af weekenden i samarbejde med en international kirke. Det bliver sjovt.

Once again it was time to teach the students about puppets in ministry. I just love puppets!

Maybe they can even use their newly gained knowledge in a few days when they go out to have a practical time with real living children. My colleague Martha has found some English speaking groups of children and this means that the students now are divided in three groups: One group will teach at a thanksgiving retreat for American military families, another group will teach at an English speaking school and the third group will go with me to Basel this weekend for some children meetings in connection with an international church. It's gonna be FUN.

Schweizeraften - Swiss night

Lørdag aften havde vi schweizer-aften. Jeg deltog dog kun i den første del med oste-fondue og alpehorn. Jeg nød virkelig at hygge med nogle af kursisterne omkring den dejlige mad.

Men hvorfor ikke deltage i resten?? Lad mig forklare:

Vi har med jævne mellemrum disse aftener, hvor forskellige nationaliteter skal fortælle os om deres land. Egentlig vil jeg gerne lære mere om alle verdens lande, men problemet er, at man bliver tvangsindlagt til et utal af selskabslege og dem nærer jeg en sund modvilje mod. For mig er det en form for mental tortur forklædt som underholdning kun toppet af lovsange fra 90'erne. Så jeg takker ja til den dejlige mad og fortrækker derefter til mine egne gemakker. Man må jo gøre hvad man kan for at bevare en sund mentalhygiejne.

Saturday night we had Swiss night. I took part in the first half with chess fondue and alp horn music. I really enjoyed spending some time with the students.

But why not participate in the rest of the fun?? Well, let me explain:

When we have students we also have these frequent fun nights where different nationalities share about their country. While I really like to learn more about the countries of the world I really don't want to be part of all the games that we always have to play. I have had my share since I joined CEF and I carry an aversion against such activities. Playing parlour games is for me a bit like mental torture and can only be surpassed by worship songs from the nineties.

So I appreciate the food and then quickly hide in my living room far away from the festivities. One has to do whatever necessary to keep sane.

I fuld sving - Into the swing of things again

Det var fantastisk at være tilbage bag katederet i sidste uge. Det blev en meget intens uge men det var skønt. Og vores kursister er bare så dygtige og engagerede, så det gør det jo ekstra nemt at undervise.

En af kursisterne fortalte, hvor glad hun har været for at tage første halvdel af kurset (6 uger). "Det her med at lære børnene om Gud er jo det vigtigste, man kan gøre her i verden!", var hendes kommentar.
Om det er det vigtigste eller ej er nok op til den enkelte at afgøre, men vi kan da ihvertfald sætte det på en top ti liste :-)

It was wonderful to be behind the pulpit again last week teaching. It was a very intense week but a wonderful one. And the students are so excellent and committed which makes it extra easy to teach.

One of the students told me how happy she has been about this first half of the course (6 weeks). "This is actually the most important thing you can do in this world - to teach the children about God!", she said.
Whether it is the most important thing or not, I'll leave up to each individual to decide, but I am sure we can find a space for it on our top ten list :-)

Disse små ting - These small things

Det forbløffer mig ofte hvor meget Gud holder øje med de små detaljer. Jeg har ham mistænkt for virkelig at være ret så fokuseret på detaljen. Her er et lille eksempel fra i går:

I Danmark løber den store Børnemedarbejderkonference af stablen i denne weekend og EB er naturligvis med i stor stil. Men i går aftes kunne de pludselig ikke få musen til at virke på deres bærbare computer, og så kom Hanna i tanke om, at jeg engang havde fortalt hende, hvordan man fikser det problem. Det er nemlig sket en del gange for mig også (og vi har samme computer). Så Hanna sendte mig en SMS, og her kommer så det sjove: For det første, så er det rigtig lang tid siden, at jeg har haft det problem, så jeg havde helt glemt, hvordan man løser det. Men så lige her forleden, så skete det minsandten igen, så jeg var nødt til at prøve mig frem, indtil jeg fandt ud af at fikse det, så jeg var virkelig klar til at hjælpe med dette. For det andet, så checker jeg ikke min danske mobiltelefon særlig tit, og den ligger bare forladt og ensom i mit soveværelse, men lige da Hanna sendte SMS’en stod jeg udenfor mit soveværelse, og det var på et tidspunkt, hvor jeg normalt sidder på mit kontor. Det betød, at jeg med det samme checkede beskeden og kunne hjælpe dem. Så selv om jeg ikke kunne deltage i konferencen som planlagt pga min nylige operation, så kunne jeg allivel løse bare et lille problem for dem.

Jeg ved, at dette virkelig hører til i småtingsafdelingen og man kunne tilskrive tilfældighedernes spil sådanne episoder. Men disse ting sker virkelig ofte for mig, så jeg har valgt bare at give Gud æren for dem og fortsætte med at forbløffes over hans evne til at få selv de små ting til at virke sammen til bedste for alle (Romerbrevet 8:28).

It never ceases to amaze me how God is into small details. He really cares about them. It really like that about him. Just a small example from yesterday…

The CEF team in Denmark is off to a big conference for children’s workers this weekend. However, suddenly the mouse on their laptop stopped working while running the PowerPoint program. Hanna recalled that I had once told her what to do on such an occasion because it had happened several times for me so she sent me a text message. And here comes the funny thing: First of all it is a long time since this happened to me so I had forgot what how to solve it but just the other day it happened again and I had to find the solution again. Secondly, we have really bad reception for our cell phones here on the mountain, so my cell phone is always lying in my bedroom and I rarely check if I got a message. But right at the moment when the message came I was standing outside my bedroom at a time of the day where I am normally at work so I heard it and could help them straight away. So even if I had to cancel coming to the conference and teach due to my recent operation, I could still pay a small part :-)

I know it is just a small thing, and you might say that these things are coincidental. However, these coincidences really happen a lot to me so I have chosen to just praise God for them and continue to be amazed of how he makes everything fit so well together (Romans 8:28).

Forbedring - Improvement

Jeg har nu været i Schweiz i 13 måneder, og langsomt kan jeg mærke, at det mærkelige liv her på bjerget ikke er så skræmmende mere. Tag bare denne uges 40 cm sne. Sidste år, da sneen kom, ringede jeg hjem til min far og græd af hele mit hjerte. I år nøjes jeg med bare at være irriteret. Det er da en forbedring, der vil noget! Hvem ved, måske ender jeg med at kunne lide sne??

Now I have been in Switzerland for 13 months and slowly I am adjusting to it all and the strange life we sometimes live here on the mountain is not so frightening anymore. Let me share an example from this week where we got 40 cm of snow. Last year when that happened I called my dad and cried from the bottom of my heart. Now this year, I have settled with just being annoyed about it. Isn't that just an awesome improvement!! Who knows, maybe I'll end up liking snow?

Fantastisk Fødselsdag - Best Birthday

Sikke en uge! Det var min første uge tilbage på fuld tid, og det var hårdt!!

Men ugen var også fyldt med masser af dejlige oplevelser. Men den allerbedste oplevelse var nu, at jeg begyndte i en lokal børneklub – og så endda på min fødselsdag! Trudy, som er den lokale EB-medarbejder, forklarede mig, at hun ville byde mig velkommen i starten af børneklubben. ”Og så går det jo løs, ved du nok”, sagde hun. ”Hvad mener du med det?”, spurgte jeg. ”Jo, så snart, de hører, at du hedder Dorthe, så får du jo et ”kælenavn” – Torte (kage)”. Nå ja, men det må jeg jo så leve med, tænkte jeg. Heldigvis gik det ikke så galt (endnu??)…

Børnene var i det hele taget meget imødekommende. I slutningen af mødet blev jeg og børnene smidt ud i bryggerset, da de andre ledere skulle forberede en overraskelse (fødselsdagskage). Og så blev jeg ellers overdænget med spørgsmål fra højre og venstre på schweizertysk, som jeg efter bedste evne forsøgte at besvare, og det var faktisk en rigtig god måde at komme lidt ind på livet af børnene. (Hvis det da ikke var børnene, der kom ind på livet af mig?). Jo, børneklubben i Hölstein var den perfekte fødselsdagsgave, og jeg glæder mig allerede til næste tirsdag.

What a week! It was my first week back on full time and that took all my strength. But the week was also filled with lots of nice events.

The nicest event was that I joined a local Good News Club on my birthday. Trudy – the local CEF worker, explained to me that she was going to introduce me, “and then it will all happen”, she said. “What will happen?,” I asked. “When they hear that your name is Dorthe they will immediately give you a nickname: Torte (Pie)!” Well, I’ll have to live with that, my thought was, but fortunately the nickname did not come into the mind of the children (yet??) The children really welcomed me with open arms.

In the end of the meeting both the children and I was told to go into the entrance room while the other leaders prepared a surprise (a birthday cake). And out there alone with the children, questions hit me from all directions in Swiss German. I tried to answer them the best I could and it was really a good bonding time. Yes, the GNC in Hölstein was the perfect birthday gift and I am already looking forward to next Tuesday.

Langs vejen gennem de sidste to måneder - On the road during the last two months

Nogle gange befinder man sig langt hjemmefra i ukendte omgivelser. Det tager noget tid, at indstille sig på, at nu er man her.

Sometimes you find yourself far from home and in unknown territory. It takes time to get accustomed to where you are.

Og så, når man endelig har fundet sig til rette og tror, at man skal til at suse derudad, bliver man pludselig nødt til at sætte farten ned.

When you finally begin to settle in and think that now it’s time to get going, you are suddenly forced to slow down.

Jeg havde jo længe ventet, at jeg måske lige skulle have et lille kirurgisk indgreb, der kunne klares over få dage, men som beskrevet i sidste nyhedsbrev, meldte der sig pludselig et uventet stop-signal. Jeg skulle igennem en større operation og måtte lave alle efterårets planer om. Der var kort tid til at indstille sig på det, men jeg oplevede virkelig, at Gud gav mig fred i det hele. Det var også utrolig dejligt at modtage mange opmuntrende e-mails og breve hjemmefra i den periode.

I had known for a long time that it would be necessary to undergo a small operation, with a few days off work, but as you read in my last news letter, an unexpected STOP sign appeared. The operation proved to be more serious than expected and all of my plans for the autumn had to be changed. There wasn’t much time to get used to the idea, but I really experienced the peace of God throughout. It was also so good getting many encouraging emails and letters during this time.

Operationen gik godt, men mens jeg lå og vågnede op, tog kursen alligevel en lidt anden drejning, end jeg havde forestillet mig. Lægen kom forbi og sagde, at han frygtede, at jeg måske havde kræft og derfor havde taget en masse prøver, som nu skulle testes. Hvor var jeg dog glad for, at min far var taget til Schweiz og kunne være sammen med mig de næste dage, hvor jeg både skulle komme mig ovenpå en operation og ligge i uvisheden og vente.

The operation went well, but as I lay recovering from the anaesthetic, the way took an unexpected turn. My doctor told me of his fears of possible cancer and that he had taken biopsies which now had to be tested. How grateful I was that my father had come to Switzerland and was with me in the following days, where I both had to recover from the operation and to struggle with the waiting and uncertainty as to the outcome of the tests.

Nogle gange føltes det, som om den ene sten efter den anden væltede ned over mig, og mange tanker gik tilbage til min mors sygdom og død for 11 år siden. Men samtidig oplevede jeg igen og igen at ligge trygt i min himmelske fars hånd.

Sometimes it felt as if one boulder after another crashed down over me as my thoughts constantly returned to my mother’s illness and death 11 years ago. At the same time, I experienced again and again the feeling of being held securely in my heavenly Father’s hand.

Heldigvis fik jeg endelig svar om, at alt var i orden. Sikke en lettelse!! Det tager faktisk noget tid at fatte og forstå dybden af sådan en dejlig besked.

Finally word came that all the tests were fine. What a relief!! It takes time to grasp and understand the full meaning of such a fantastic answer.

Og så var det bare at tage den med ro og lade kroppen genopbygge sig selv. Det har ikke altid været lige nemt – især ikke at ligge i et fremmed land og ingenting rigtig at kunne, men samtidig har Gud virkelig brugt tiden til noget godt. Man kan måske ligefrem sige, at mens kroppen blev genopbygget, var troen også under ombygning – eller opbygning, så den kunne styrkes og måske endda forbedres lidt. Samtidig var det nu også fantastisk at få breve, mails og pakker fra Danmark. Jeg fik vist nærmest 15 forskellige dameblade i de uger, og ingen af dem var ens! Faaantastisk!

Now it was time to simply take it easy and allow my body to recuperate and heal itself. That hasn’t been so easy – especially lying here in a foreign country, unable to do anything. But God has really used this time for something good. You might even say that while my body was being built up again so was my faith – being both strengthened and improved. At the same time, it was wonderful getting letters, mail and packages from Denmark and abroad. I think I got about 15 women’s magazines in those weeks, not one of which was the same! Fantaaaastic!

Nu har jeg været til det sidste check-up hos lægen og alt er i orden, så det er helt vildt dejligt. Selv om jeg endnu ikke er oppe på fulde omdrejninger endnu, kan jeg begynde at gasse lidt op og glæde mig til december, hvor jeg igen må løbe, hoppe og forhåbentlig også har fået lidt flere kræfter.

Tusind tak for al jeres støtte og opbakning. Den er altid vildt vigtig men de sidste måneder har den været om muligt endnu mere uvurderlig! Jeg sætter utrolig stor pris på jer alle!

I’ve just been to my final check up with the doctor and everything is fine, so that is completely brilliant. Even though I’m not up to full speed yet, I can begin to put my foot on the gas pedal again. I can’t wait until December, when I’m finally allowed to run and jump again and hopefully also have renewed energy levels.

Thank you so much for all your support which has always been important for me, but which, in these last months, has been invaluable. Your interest and support means so much to me!

Tiden læger alle sår - Time heals all wounds

Ja, jeg beklager frygteligt, at jeg har været sådan en dårlig blogger her på det sidste, men efter jeg kom tilbage fra DK, har jeg måttet bruge så meget energi på at nå alt det, jeg skulle nå. Jeg har arbejdet halv tid hver dag og måttet forsøge at samle en masse løse ender. Derudover har der været lægebesøg, tid til at slappe af, og så motion. Stille og roligt skal kroppen i form igen, så jeg får udforsket mit nabolag med alle de gåture.

I torsdags var jeg til slut-kontrol hos lægen og alt ser fint og godt ud, så nu er det tilbage på fuld tid fra på mandag. Dog må jeg nok tage nogle små pauser i ny og næ og lægge mig lidt. Men mon ikke det hele kommer til at hænge sammen alligevel?

Yeah, I am really sorry that I have been such a bad blogger lately but after returning from Denmark I was just trying to make ends meet and getting everything done that needed my attention: Work issues, relaxing, doctor's visits and exercise. I try to build up my body again after the operation so I really get to know my neighbourhood from all the walking.

This Thursday I went for the final check up at the doctor and everything looks fine so now it is back on full time work from Monday - or almost full time because I probably still need to rest a bit from time to time.

Danmark - Denmark

Ja, altså, efter at have ligget syg et par uger i Schweiz, blev jeg bekymret for en endu værre tilstand end min post-operation-tilstand nemlig en tilstand af seriøs kedsomhed! Heldigvis fik min fantastiske veninde Anna mig overbevist om at skynde mig til Danmark og det gjorde jeg så . Selvfølgelig kunne jeg ikke suse omkring, som jeg plejer, når jeg er i DK, mæn altså hvor var det dejligt at

Blive budt velkommen med flag af det meste af min familie og især af Jonatan

Spise dansk smørrebrød og en træstamme med Kathrine og fejre det lille liv, der gror på bedste vis i hende

Stirre ud over havet og få en lille sludder med Gud Almægtig.

Og hygge og hænge med alle jer andre, jeg fik mulighed for at slappe af sammen med.

Yeah, after some weeks of recovery in Switzerland I was starting to worry for a much worse condition than my post operation condition - more precisely the condition of severe boredom! So my good friend Anna convinced me of the neccesity of going to Denmark! And so I did for 10 days! Off course I could not cruise around as much as I normally do when I am in DK but it was awesome to

Be welcomed with flags by most of my family end especially Jonatan (First picture)

Eating my favourite Danish food with Kathrine (Second picture)

Staring at the sea and having a little chat with God the Almighty (Third picture)

And just hanging and relaxing with all the rest of you people who came around to see me.

Ar - Scars

Jeg har spekuleret lidt over ar i den senere tid. Folk har altid en masse spændende historier, når man spørger dem, hvordan de fik deres ar.

Lige nu er mit ar efter operationen ved at hele. Når jeg kigger på det, tænker jeg med taknemmelighed på min kirurg. Da han så det gamle ar fra min operation for to år siden, så blev han vred på den tidligere kirurg. Det var nu heller ikke for kønt. Så under denne operation bestemte han sig for at skære det af og lave et nyt. Og her gik jeg rundt og troede, at ar er noget man har for livstid! Da jeg kun var delvist bedøvet under operationen, kunne jeg mærke, at han tog sig MEGET god tid til at sy mig sammen. Men historien slutter ikke der, for denne travle karrieremand har også taget sig tid til at ordinere mig et specielt dyrt plaster til tre måneder for at mit ar skal blive pænt som muligt (plasteret bliver betalt af min forsikring!). Og næste gang, jeg skal til check-up, vil han give mig en speciel creme, som plastikkirurger bruger for at få det optimalt pæne ar. Jeg tror, at han går mere op i mit ar, end jeg gør. Jeg tror, at jeg ender med at få et smukt ar. På en måde er jeg ligefrem stolt af det ar. Det fortæller en historie. En historie om Guds trofasthed, om den styrke man kan finde i ham og sammen med sine nærmeste til at gennemgå svære ting.

Mit ar får mig til at tænke på ar, der ikke er fysiske. Vi anklager tit Gud, når der sker noget dårligt i vores liv og spørger: ”Hvorfor, hvorfor?” Man får sjældent får et svar på det spørgsmål, og derfor spørger jeg i stedet ”Hvordan, hvordan… kommer jeg igennem dette?” For Gud har en plan. Han er også trist over, at livet efterlader os med sår, men han ønsker at de skal hele så smukt som muligt. Han vil gerne hjælpe os med det, men vi må følge hans råd. Han er den store kirurg. Og selv hvis et ar ikke er blevet så pænt, fordi det ikke har fået optimale vilkår, så kan han stadig rette op på det. Han kan gøre det smukt! Et grimt ar behøver ikke være et grimt ar for livstid! Der kan rettes op på det, hvis vi tør at lægge os i den store kirurgs hænder. Et ar kan komme til at vidne om Guds trofasthed og om den styrke, han kan give os til at gennemgå svære ting.

I have pondered a bit about scars lately. People always seem to have interesting stories, when you ask them how they got their scars.

At the moment my wound after the operation is healing and is becoming a scar. When I look at it, I think of my surgeon with thankfulness. When he saw my old scar from a previous operation, he got angry with my previous surgeon. I don’t blame him - it was not that pretty. So during this operation, he decided to cut it off and make a new one. And here I always thought a scar was a scar for life! During the operation I was only under partly anaesthetic so I could sense that he took a LOT of time to sew me together. But the story doesn’t end there because this successful surgeon has also taken the time and effort to ordinate a special expensive bandage for me for three months (paid by my insurance!). And at the next check-up he will give me a special lotion that is used by plastic surgeons to make sure that the scar becomes as pretty as possible. He almost cares more about my scar than I do and I think I will end up with a pretty scar. In one way I am even proud of this scar. It tells a story. A story of God’s faithfulness and the strength we can find in him and with our friends and families when we have to go through difficult stuff.

My scar also makes me think about scars that are not physical. We often accuse God when bad things happen and we ask him, “Why, why???” It is my experience that we don’t get the answer to that question very often. So instead I ask, “How, how… can I get through this?” Because God has a plan. He is oh so sad when life leaves us with ugly wounds, and he wants them to heal as beautiful as possible. He wants to help us with that process but we need to follow his advice. He is the big surgeon. And even if a scar does not heal so well, because it did not get a good treatment for one reason or the other, he can still fix it. He can make it beautiful. An ugly scar does not need to be ugly forever. It can be redone if we dare to go under surgery again. A scar can be a testimony of God’s faithfulness and the strength he gives us.

Farvel og goddag - Goodbye and hello

Tirsdag morgen siger vi farvel til Birgit fra Danmark, som har hjulpet i seks uger her i køkkenet. Det har været dejligt med dansk selskab – og med frikadeller og leverpostej. Vi har haft mange hyggestunder sammen, tak for det, Birgit!!!

Vi har ofte brug for frivillig hjælp i kortere eller længere tid i køkken, hus og have, så skulle du have lyst til et gratis ophold i Schweiz, så kontakt mig gerne. Næste gang, der er brug for hjælp er i januar og februar, hvor vi holder forskellige kurser for at videreuddanne vores medarbejdere.

Men samtidig med at sige farvel til Birgit, har det også været tid til at sige goddag til 34 nye kursister, som skal være her de næste tre måneder. De kommer fra 14 forskellige lande og allerede nu ser det ud til, at de kommer til at råhygge sig med hinanden (når de altså ikke har travlt med at studere…)

(En lille afskedsfest for Birgit med en del af mine kolleger

- A little farewell party for Birgit with a good part of my colleagues)

Og så endnu en hyggefarvelaften med dem, Birgit har arbejdet mest sammen med. Ligner de ikke en gruppe 16-årige tøser??

And then another little farewellgettogether for those Birgit has worked the most with. Do they not look like a group of 16 years old girls??)

(Velkomstgudstjeneste for de nye elever. Her introduceres nogle af dem.

- Opening service for the new students. Here some of them are being introduced.)

Tuesdag morning it is time to say goodbye to Birgit who has been here as a volunteer for six weeks in the kitchen. It has been wonderful with some Danish company and with Danish meatballs and liverpâte. We have had many nice times together, so thank you very much, Birgit.

We often need volunteers for shorter or longer period of time in our kitchen, house or garden so should you feel the urge to a free stay in Switzerland, you are always welcome to contact me. Next time we need help is in January and February where we have some courses to further the training of some of our existing workers.

But as well as saying goodbye to Birgit, it has also been time to say hello to a whole new group of students. 34 students from 14 countries arrived this weekend. Already now they seem to be a really cheerful group with a good working attitude. So I think they will have a wonderful time here and I look forward to getting to know them.

Afslutning - Graduation

I fredags afsluttede vi vores sommerkursus med uddeling af diplomer. Jeg stavrede ned til spisning, gik så tilbage til vores lejlighed og slappede af, og kom senere tilbage til festen for at uddele selveste diplomerne (et af privilegierne ved at være leder).

På lørdag kommer næste hold, som skal være her i tre måneder. Vi får 32 kursister ser det ud til, så lige nu har alle (undtagen mig, der stadig er sygemeldt) travlt med at kopiere, gøre rent, lave lister m.m.m.

Last Friday we ended our summer Institute with a Graduation dinner and handing out of diplomas. I came down for the dinner, then went back to our apartment to rest, then back later to hand out the diplomas (one of the priviledges of being in charge of the Education Department).

This Saturday a new Institute begins. It lasts three months. We will have 32 students so right now everyone (except me who are still recovering after the operation) are busy copying, cleaning, planning, making lists etc. etc. etc.

Langenbrucks lykkeligste pige - The luckiest girl in Langenbruck

Så er jeg vel hjemme efter operationen, som gik godt. Det har selvfølgelig været en hård omgang; men alt taget i betragtning kan jeg kun prise Gud for forløbet.

Et ”lille” drama måtte jeg dog også lægge krop og tanker til: Under operationen fandt kirurgen noget, som ikke så godt ud og skulle undersøges nærmere. Der blev taget mange prøver, og så var det bare at vente og vente og vente. Og bede og bede og bede. Og tænke og tænke og tænke. Du kan måske fornemme min proces, hvis du læser digtet i sidste blogpost. I går kom svaret så, at jeg ikke har kræft. Det var virkelig en lettelse. Tak Gud.

Midt i det hele har det været fantastisk at føle sig elsket og husket. Jeg fik masser af besøg og masser af kort, SMS’er, et par pakker osv.
Nu ligger der så yderligere 3-5 ugers rekreation. Hvem ved – måske en af dem bliver i Danmark? Men har du en bøn til overs, må du gerne bede for min allergi. Den er gået lidt amok og det er ikke så fedt at nyse med et langt, dybt sår.

Now I am home again after the operation which went well. It has off course been a tough week but all in all I can really praise God for it all.

A “small” drama got in included in the process too: During the operation the surgeon found some suspicious stuff that needed to be tested. He decided to test a bunch of things inside me (don’t know how to write this in English, sorry). And then all there was to do was waiting and waiting and waiting. And praying and praying and praying. And thinking and thinking and thinking. If you read the poem in my previous blogpost you might sense some of my feelings.
Yesterday the test results came back and I don’t have cancer. What a relief! Thank you, God!

In the midst of it all it has been fantastic to feel loved and remembered. I got many visits and lots of cards, messages, books, a few parcels etc.

Ahead of me is 3-5 weeks of recovery. I am considering spending one of them in Denmark. But if you have a spare prayer, please pray for my allergy which is a bit out of control and it hurts a lot in my wound to sneeze.

Ventetid - Waiting

Lysene i Basel tændes ét for ét
Byens larm stiger langsomt
En fugl begynder en stille sang
Det er ved at være morgen i Basel

Luften er frisk og kold
Det gamle træ foran mit vindue
har fået flere gyldne blade i nattens løb
Det er ved at være efterår i Basel

Og hvad med mig?
Jeg ligger i den hvide seng
Og ved ikke, om det er morgen eller efterår

Så jeg vil synge min stille sang
Mens jeg tæller mine gyldne blade

15.09.2008

The lights in Basel are switched on one by one.
The noice of the city is slowly raising
A bird begins a quiet song
It is almost morning in Basel

The air is brisk and cold
The old oak in front of my window
Has gotten many more golden leaves since yesterday
Is is almost autumn in Basel

And what about me?
I am lying in the white bed
Without knowing if it is morning or autumn

So I sing my quiet song
While I count my golden leaves

Taknemmelig - Thankful

En mærkelig følelse har sneget sig ind over mig: Taknemmelighed. Jeg føler mig taknemmelig over, at jeg kan blive opereret. Igår havde jeg mange smerter, og så slog det mig for alvor, hvor heldig jeg er, at om blot 11 dage, så er årsagen til smerterne væk. Havde jeg levet for 100 år siden, så kunne man nok ikke gøre noget.
Og så føler jeg mig taknemmelig for, at jeg har fået sådan en dygtig kirurg. Han er bare så opmuntrende og har så meget psykologisk indsigt. Han ved lige, hvad han skal sige på det ethvert tidspunkt. Det er en noget anden oplevelse, end den jeg havde i Danmark for to år siden, hvor kirugen næsten satte en ære i at skræmme mig fra vid og sans.
Derudover føler jeg mig taknemmelig over, at efter at der har været en del bøvl med min forsikring, fordi jeg er så ny i Schweiz, så var der ansat på mit hopital, som spurgte, om hun skulle forsøge at ordne det hele for mig. Det havde bare været alt for overvældende for mig at klare selv på tysk.
Sidst men ikke mindst føler jeg mig overvældet over at jeg kender så mange mennesker, som sender mig opmuntrende emails.
Der er meget at være taknemmelig over.

A strange feeling has filled me... Thankfulness. I am so thankful that I can actually get an operation. Yesterday I had so much pain and it is so good to know that in 11 days the source of the pain will be gone. Had I lived maybe only 100 years ago that would probably not had been an option.
And then I feel extremely thankful for my surgeon. He is really good and he has a lot of psycological insights and knows exactly what to say in any situation. It is a completely different experience than my operation two years ago where I was terrified beyond reason.
I am also so thankful for the fact that realising that I have problems with my insurance because I am so new in Switzerland that some person at my hopital asked if I wanted her to take over and do her bst to solve it. What a wonderful person! It would have been way too overwhelming for me to have to do this myself in German!
And last but not least I am happy to know so many wonderful persons that has send me tons of encouraging emails.
There is a lot to be thankful about.

Operation

Som nogle af jer ved, så har jeg en cyste, som jeg har været i medicinsk behandling for. Desværre hjælper det ikke, så nu skal den væk.
Derfor har jeg lige i dag fået at vide, at jeg skal opereres fredag 12/9 - altså om to uger. På grund af min tidligere operation for to år siden, så kan den kun fjernes ved en lidt større operation. Og når man så er i gang, så vil man så også fjerne nogle nye muskelfibromer, som jeg også har fået (magen til det, jeg fik fjernet for to år siden dog meget mindre).

Det hele er lidt overvældende, da jeg troede, at jeg kunne nøjes med et lille indgreb men nu istedet skal have en rigtig operation, 5 dage på hospitalet og 4-6 ugers orlov efterfølgende. Også tanken om at skulle være langt væk "hjemmefra" er lidt skræmmende, men jeg har nu fred i, at det skal være her i Schweiz.

I må meget gerne bede for:
At alt må gå godt med operation og bagefter
At det ikke bliver nødvendigt at fjerne min højre æggestok
At jeg må have råd til operationen (noget betales af forsikringen, andet af patienten)

As some of you know I have a cyst on my ovary that the doctor has tried to treat with medicine but it has not worked so now I need an operation in two weeks time (Friday 12th of September).
Normally this would be a small surgery but because of a previous operation I had two years ago the doctor needs to do a much bigger surgery. And since he has also discovered some fibromas (I think that’s the English name) he will also try to remove them to prevent another operation soon. The fibromas are normally harmless – it is what I had removed two years ago too.

It is all a bit overwhelming since I thought I only needed a small surgery but now it’s a big thing including five days in hospital and six weeks off from work afterwards. Also the thought of being far away from my home country and family and old friends seems a bit overwhelming. However I have peace about having the operation here.

So to sum up – I would really appreciate prayers for:
The operation and the recovery
That the surgeon does not need to remove my right ovary
That I can afford the part of the cost that is not covered by the insurance

Sommer - Summer

Sommerferie oh sommerferie

Telttur med kirken i Norge
Varme sommerdage med masser af badeture
God tid, god lovsang og godt fællesskab

Tilbage i Danmark
Regn, regn og atter regn
Hygge med veninder, venner, familie og andre væsener
Familieweekend med bål, badeture, god mad og masser af hygge

(Bålhygge med familien - Bonfire with the family)

I Tivoli med Miriam, Marcus, Hanna og Far - In Tivoli (amusement park) with Miriam, Marcus, Hanna and Dad)

(Farmand er stadig verdens stærkeste! Han kunne stadig slå så hårdt at klokken ringede. - Dad is still the strongest man in the world - he punched so hard the bell was ringing.)

Og så selvfølgelig Jonatan – feriens højdepunkt

Storken kom pludselig meget uventet og meget hurtigt forbi med en lille dreng til min søster og svoger, Jette og Filip.
Ham har vi ventet på længe. Og han er simpelthen en vidunderdreng!
Hele familien elsker ham rigtig meget

Summer holiday, oh summer holiday

Camping in Norway with my church
Warm summer days with lots of swimming in the sea
Lots of time, good worship and good fellowship

Back in Denmark
Rainy, rainy days
Cosy times with friends, family and other creatures
A family weekend with bonefire, nice food and lots of good fellowship

And then there is Jonatan – the highlight of the holiday
The stork very suddenly decided to bring a little baby boy to my sister and brother in law, Jette & Filip
We have been waiting for him for a long long time and he is a wonder boy
We all love him very much

Undervisning - Teaching

De sidste uger har været travel. Der er blevet undervist på fuld tryk! Og så har jeg haft besøg af Claske – en tidligere kursist, som har hjulpet mig i to uger med at undervise, rette lektier og evaluere kursisternes praktiske prøver. Hvilken velsignelse!
Det er en utrolig dejlig gruppe kursister, vi har. De har masser af erfaring i at arbejde med børn og har masser af gode idéer. Det er (næsten) helt sørgeligt at tage på ferie og være væk fra dem i tre uger.

The last weeks have been busy. There has been lots of teaching going on. And then I have had a wonderful visit from Claske – a former student. She came to help me teach, correct homework and evaluate practicals. What a blessing!
The students this summer are really wonderful. They have lots of experience in children’s work and are full of good ideas. It is (almost;-) ) too sad to leave them and go on holiday later today for three weeks.

Ledermareridts - Education nightmares

Jeg husker stadig den sommer, hvor jeg lige var blevet færdiguddannet som lærer. Hen over sommeren havde jeg nemlig flere skolelærer-mareridt. Jeg drømte, at jeg havde fået et job, men første dag på jobbet gik alting galt og jeg endte i besynderligere situationer.

Nu, hvor jeg har overtaget lederposten her med ansvar for vores europæiske uddannelsesafdeling, så gentager oplevelsen sig. Jeg har de mest besynderlige mareridt, hvor jeg står i totalt mærkelige situationer som leder og skal finde en tjuhej hurtig løsning.
Så selvom jeg egentlig har det godt, så påvirker mit nye ansvar mig åbenbart mere end som så. Det gode er, at jeg altid vågner op og opdager, at det var bare en drøm...

I still remember the summer when I had finished teacher’s college and were ready to find a job and start teaching. That summer I had teacher nighmares where I dreamt it was the first day at work and everything went wrong and I ended up in strange situations.

Now when I have recently taken over the responsibility for our Western European Education Department the same thing is happening all over: I have these totally crazy nightmares where strange things happen and I have to find a quick solution,

So even if everything is going fine, this whole new situation is apparently affecting me more than I think. The good thing is I always wake up and realize that it was just a dream…

Sommerundervisning - Teaching

For to uger siden startede vores sommerkursus for børnemedarbejdere, og det er nogle dejlige kursister.
I denne uge og næste underviser jeg om hvordan man holder børneklub og om forskellige undervisningsmetoder. I år er jeg så heldig, at en tidligere kursist, Claske, er på besøg og kan hjælpe mig. Dejligt!
På billedet ser I lidt sjov og ballade vi havde, da vi startede med at undervise igår.

Two weeks ago our Leadership Training Institute began and we are really enjoying the students!
This week and next I am teaching about how to run a Good News Club and about different teaching methods. This summer I am so fortunate that a former student, Claske, is visiting and helping me. Wonderful!
On the picture you see a little bit of fun we had yesterday as we began the teaching.

Engle eller irere? Angels or just Irish?

(To irske engle - Two Irish angels)

Havde lidt ondt af mig selv i formiddags…
Jeg har tålmodigt i månedsvis ventet på at kunne leje et ekstra værelse i vores lille lejlighed, som før er blevet brugt til at huse diverse gæster her på Kilchzimmer. Og endelig lykkedes det fra første juli, så jeg nu har to værelser. Så i torsdag var det bare af sted til IKEA for at købe seng, kommode m.m. Og så sidder jeg her lørdag formiddag og kan ikke få samlet tingene. Øv. Mandag ville vores sommer-altmuligmand sikkert have tid, men mandag virkede som meget langt ude i en fjern fremtid. Tænkte på mine brødre og min far og dagdrømte om, hvor hurtigt de ville kunne samle tingene. Meennn de er jo altså 1500 kilometre væk. Har også fået mig en ”adopteret storebror” her i Schweiz - min kollega Sarahs mand, Andy, men han var sikkert også langt væk.

Så i mit hjertes nød gjorde jeg, hvad min mor lærte mig fra jeg var helt lille: Give selv den mindste bekymring over til Gud: ”Kære Gud, kunne du sende nogen, der kunne samle mine møbler i dag?” Satte mig ud i solen for at spise frokost, og kort efter kommer en irsk gæst forbi, som er på ferie her i en uges tid. ”Hvordan går det med dine IKEA møbler? Har du fået dem samlet? Skal mig og Stephen komme forbi efter frokost og samle dem?”
Og der sad jeg så i chok. Hvordan viste han overhovedet, at jeg havde været i IKEA?

Vi tilbragte en hyggelig eftermiddag med at få samlet møblerne, og resten af dagen gik jeg og flyttede ting over i mit nye soveværelse og måtte gang på gang tænke over, at Gud hører selv det mindste suk. Utroligt, at han, som har styr på alle stjernernes baner også har tid til at tage sig af min lille lørdagsbekymring.

Tak Gud fordi du sendte to "engle" på min vej i dag.

(Et lille kig ind på mit nye soveværelse - A little peep at my new bedroom)

This morning I felt a bit sorry for myself…
I have patiently waited for months to begin renting another room in our apartment that has previously been used for guests of Kilchzimmer. And finally I was able to take it over first of July so that I now have two rooms. Off to IKEA I went on Thursday to buy a bed, a chest of drawers and other stuff. And then I am sitting here Saturday morning and can’t get the things assembled. Monday our volunteer maintenance guy would probably have time but at that point Monday seemed far out in a distant future. Started longing for my brothers and my dad. Was daydreaming about how fast they could assemble these things and felt a bit lonely and far away from them. Here in Switzerland I have an “adopted” brother – my colleagues Sarah’s husband, Andy – but he was probably also far away.

So from the distress of my heart I did what my mum taught me from a very young age: To bring even the smallest and silliest requests to God: “Dear God, could you please send someone today, who could assemble my furniture?”
I went out to eat my lunch in the sun and soon after a visiting guest sat down beside me and said, “So how is all your IKEA furniture coming along? Do you need help assembling them? Stephen and I could come by after lunch and help you.” I was in chock. How did he even know I had been to IKEA?

We spend some nice hours that afternoon getting the furniture assembled, and the rest of the day I spend organising everything in my new bedroom, and again and again I just had to marvel at the fact that God who is soo big and knows even the course of all the stars also has time to look after my silly Saturday requests.

Thank you God for sending two "angels" on my way today!

Kysset af en ko - Kissed by a cow

Her på billedet ser I en meget glad version af mig. MED MIN NYE BIL!!!!! Det er simpelthen en kæmpe frihed for mig endelig at have min egen bil. De sidste måneder har det været så kompliceret ikke at have bil, men nu ligger alt det i fortiden!!! En kollegas mand har hjulpet mig med at finde et godt køb, så nu har jeg en lille fornuftig bil, der kører godt og sikkert i sne.

Og så hører der endda en lille historie med til bilen: Mens den stod pænt og stille hos bilforhandleren og ventede på at blive opdaget af mig, kom en ko forbi. Koen havde været hjemme for at blive malket og var nu på vej tilbage til marken for at græsse (nogle gang kan man altså blive i tvivl om Schweiz er et uland eller et højindustrielt samfund, men det er en helt anden historie.) Hvor om alting er, så endte koen med at blive tiltrukket af min bil, og dens horn efterlod en ridse i min forskærm. Dette resulterede i en rabat på bilen, fordi min kollegas mand vidste, hvordan det kunne repareres.

Jeg har allerede været på et "længere" ture. Skønt! Jeg har fundet et friluftsbad med bjergvand, som jeg tror, at jeg bliver en flittig gæst hos denne sommer. Det er nemt at køre dertil – hvis man altså har en bil!!!

On the top picture you see a very happy version of me. WITH MY NEW CAR. It is such an extreme sence of freedom for me to have a car. The last half year without a car has been so complicated but now that is all in the past. The husband of one of my colleagues has helped me to find a good car that drives fine in the snow. And there is even a little story to my car:

While it was waiting patiently at the car dealer to be discovered by me, a cow came by. The cow had been home for milking and was now on it's way back to the field. (Some places in Switzerland seem very far away from Zürich; Basel or high tecnology). To cut a long story short, the cow took a special liking in my car and it's horn scratched the front of my car. This resulted in a discount because my colleagues' husband knew how to fix it.

So now I am enjoying my car BIG time! I have already been on a few longer trips. I have also found a nice big pool with mountain water that I think I will visit regularly this summer. It is easy to get there - if you have a car!!!!!

The Gilmore Girls girls

Ja, hygge skal man jo. Og den sidste måneds tid har Kirstinas og mine hyggeaftener udviklet sig, så nu er min stue simpelthen fyldt, når vi sætter os til rette og ser Gilmore Girls. Vi har stadig 3½ årgang tilbage, så mon det ender med, at vi må tage vores konferencesal i brug?

You gotta have a goooood time! And during the last month, Kristina's and my movienights has kind of developed so now my room is full of girls in all ages when it is time to watch another episode of the Gilmore Girls. And we still have 3½ seasons left so I wonder when we will need our conference room instead of my room?

23 - 17 - 12 - 5

Så er vores tremåneders sommerskole for børnemedarbejdere skudt igang. Vi har 23 elever fra 17 forskellige nationer. De medbringer i alt 12 børn. Og kommer fra 5 kontinenter. Herligt! De virker til at være en rigtig dejlig gruppe mennesker, og jeg glæder mig til at lære dem at kende og til at undervise dem. Børnene virker også rigtig søde. Der er rigtig mange drenge, og i mine øjne ser det ud som om, de løber konstant. Frem og tilbage, på løbehjul, ind i laden og rundt omkring på grunden. Tænk, hvis man selv havde sådan en energi! Wow.

Vi mangler i øvrigt en babysitter, så kender du en, der kender en, der kunne tænke sig at være et par uger eller måneder i Schweiz med kost, logi (og evt. lommepenge) hen over sommeren, så sig endelig til.

Finally our Summer Institute for children workers has begun. We have 23 students from 17 different nations. They bring with them the total of 12 children. And they come from 5 different continents. Wonderful! They seem to be a really nice group of people and I am looking forward to getting to know them and to teach them. The children also seem very nice. There is a good bunch of boys and to me it seems like they run constantly - back and forward, on their microscooters, into the barn and around the property. Wow - if only I had that kind of energy!

By the way - we are still in need of one more child minder for these children so if you know someone who knows someone who would love a few weeks or months in Switzerland over the summer with room, board (and maybe even pocket money) then please contact me.

Fodboldfeber - Football fever

I dag tog jeg en tur til Basel (min yndlingsby) for at hygge mig. Hvad jeg ikke havde forudset var de tusindvis af hollandske fodboldfans, som også var i byen for at feste før aftenens EM-semifinale. Alt var orange! De hyggede sig virkelig, og der var en fantastisk stemning i byen (og en frygtelig stank). Men det var lidt svært at komme frem.

Da jeg skulle hjem, havde en folkefest udviklet sig midt i bycentrum, og jeg gik derfor hen til et par schweizere for at spørge om en omvej til stationen. Sådan forløb samtalen:
D: Undskyld, men kan De fortælle mig, hvordan jeg kommer til stationen?
S: Ja, De tager bare sporvognen herfra om lidt.
D: Tror De, at sporvognen kan komme igennem dette mylder?
S: Der står I køreplanen, at sporvognen kommer, så det skal den jo gøre. (Typisk schweizer-tillid)
D: Tror De virkelig, at det er muligt?
S: Næ, egentlig ikke, følg efter os! (Atypisk schweizer-opførsel)

Og så gik vi gennem folkefesten og hyggede os med at kigge på alle de totalt gakkede mennesker med kreative kostymer.
Det var ret smittende, og jeg har derfor totalt overdraget min opbakning til det hollandske team (eftersom Sverige og Schweiz nu er ude af turneringen).

Today I went on a little trip to Basel (my favourite town) to have a cosy day. What I hadn’t anticipated was the thousands of Dutch football fans who also had made it to Basel before tonight’s Eurocup game. Everything was orange! There was a fantastic atmosphere in town (and a horrible smell) but it was a bit hard to come from one place to another.

When I decided to return, a big party had developed in the town centre and I approached a Swiss couple to ask if they knew an alternative route to the station. This is how our conversation went:
D: Sorry, could you tell me how to get to the station, please?
S: Yes, just take the tram that will arrive here in a few minutes.
D: Do you think the tram will be able to get past this gathering?
S: The timetable says that the tram will arrive here in a few minutes, so that is a given fact? (Typical Swiss trust)
D: Really?
S: You are right, let’s walk together! (Not so typical Swiss behaviour)

So we went through the big party gathering and we had a blast looking at all the crazy people in great costumes. The atmosphere was totally contagious so I am officially smitten and have transferred my football support to the Dutch team.

Overholtzer

For over 70 år siden blev Evangelisk Børnemission stiftet af J. Irvin Overholtzer. Hans familie stammede fra Schweiz, og for nylig var jeg på en hyggelig lille miniferie hos min kollega Sarah og hendes mand, Andy. Sarah kørte mig ud til den lillebitte landsby, hvor Overholtzers familie stammer fra og viste mig det ældgamle familiehus. Der var ikke meget at se, udover huset, men den omkringliggende natur var fabelagtig.

More than 70 years ago Child Evangelism Fellowship was founded by J. Irvin Overholtzer. His familiy originated from Switzerland and recently I went on a short holiday to visit a colleague Sarah and her husband Andy. Sarah drove me out to the tiny little village where the Overholtzer family came from (and some still live in today). I saw the originally family house. There wasn’t much to else to see, but it was worth it anyhow.

Kruset – The mug

I dag var en sørgelig dag. Det var dagen, hvor vi for alvor skulle sige farvel til Paul og Audrey, som har ledt Undervisningsafdelingen i15 år og nu flytter tilbage til Spanien, hvor de har været missionærer siden deres ungdom. Jeg kommer virkelig til at savne deres venskab og gode råd! Heldigvis kommer de tilbage i ny og næ for at undervise.

Det sidste halve år har Audrey igen og igen hintet, at den eneste afskedsgave, hun ønskede var et krus, som hun brugte hver dag i kaffepausen. Den har nemlig i følge Audrey flere uforlignelige kvaliteter hvoraf den hvide inderside er den mest fremtrædende. Så Sam og jeg dukkede op til deres sidste morgenmad her i Schweiz med koppen og et par farvelknus. Snøft!

Today was a rather sad day. It was the day when we had to say the final goodbye to Paul and Audrey who have been leading the Education Department for 15 years but now are moving back to Spain, where they have been missionaries since their youth. I am really going to miss their friendship and good council. Fortunately they will return from time to time to teach.

The last half year or so Audrey has been hinting that the only farewell gift she wanted was the mug she always chose to drink from at our coffee breaks. According to Audrey it has several invaluable qualities of which the most important is the white glazing on the inside. So Sam and I showed up at their last breakfast with the mug and a few hugs. (Sniff!)