Munich & Salzburg

We arrived in Munich on Saturday afternoon and spent the evening with pastors and members of a congregation that are developing an outreach ministry for Munich’s refugee population.  Germany took in an estimated 1.2 million refugees in 2015 alone and the numbers continue to swell.  A young couple from Syria shared their story and perspective throughout the evening.  The greatest challenge is learning to speak German, which is a prerequisite to attending school or getting a job.  The German government is providing assistance, but learning a very different language from your native tongue as an adult is difficult.   The refugee population is primarily from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Nigeria & Iran.

 The Americans agreed to try the non-alcoholic beer on tap…when in Rome.

The ministry is also seeking to raise awareness about how Christians are treated by the Muslim majority in state sponsored refugee housing.  Many Christians continue to be persecuted even after traveling so far and risking so much to start a new life in this culturally Christian nation.

We joined a tour group for a trip to the Dachau concentration camp on Sunday morning.  It was a very moving experience that encouraged deep reflection about humanity in a fallen world.  Munich was the birthplace of the Nazi Party, so there are several other monuments in town that serve as reminders of a dark past.

We spent the afternoon touring Munich and ate nachos, burgers and onion rings for dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe.  We were missing home and tried to eat all our favorites in one sitting.

We took a train to Salzburg, Austria (throw another shrimp on the bar-b!) this morning and were fortunate to stay dry while we took in the birthplace of Mozart.  The Sound of Music was also filmed here, but we didn’t have time for the full tour.  We did visit a few churches and the amazing Honensalzburg Fortress.

  
  
 Assuming we can safely fly into the winter storm at home, our journey ends tomorrow with 15 hours of travel.  See you soon!