a fairytale wedding

Whoops, didn’t take any pictures again. That’s ok though, I’ll just try to explain vividly enough so that you can picture the scene in your own imagination. When I left off I had just reported on a retreat that I went on in Reimlingen. The next week went about the same as usual. It’s getting cold here and I’m starting to miss the treadmill in the comfort of my own basement. One morning after a seven mile run I felt like I was getting a sore throat. I took double vitamins and it cleared up, but I need to be more careful about running in shorts and a t-shirt in this weather. Gotsta get me some sweatpants or something.

On Wednesday night I went bowling at the community’s parish hall. They’ve got a lane in the basement and it was a good time. I know what you’re thinking… “They gave you more champagne, didn’t they?” I must admit, you’re starting to catch on. Everything is a party here. They find all imaginable reasons to celebrate. Its terrific. Bowling here is a little different. They only have nine pins and they’re set up differently in the lane. The ball is much smaller and lighter and the object of the game is not necessarily to hit all of the pins down, but rather to knock down a specific number, depending on the game. Forget what I said, I do have some pictures.

Thursday night was kostenlos auftanken again. Good times, good people, good food. It was great. We had fun prayer/worship time.

Friday afternoon I went shopping for a wool overcoat, so that I don’t look like I just came from the ski hill when I go to church and all of these fancy events. People really just don’t wear what I would consider a winter coat, unless they’re playing in the snow. Then I went to my unofficial class at the technical university.

On Friday night was the community meeting at the church. The topic of stuff that night sort of spontaneously turned into vocations and it hit a lot of people right between the eyes. I don’t know the community as a group very well yet, but it seems to me like its going through a maturation phase. It’s a beautiful thing to see it in the act of developing as a part of the body of Christ. Afterwards Klemens took Marc and me on a ride in a $200,000 seven series. [Manly grunt] 500 hp, 12 cylinder, 6 liter, over five meters long. What struck me most was the niceness of the massaging seats. Warm fuzzies!!!!

Then Marc and I went to Klemens’ house and chilled with his daughters, who are very good hostesses, and with Berni and Resa Fissel. Lots of fun but I was tired and ready to go on my 1.5 hour ride home after a while.

Saturday was the wedding. It was gorgeous. The bride was surprisingly beautiful. It was very much like the 50^th anniversary celebration that I went to before, and was in a similar church. Wonderful weather too. I helped haul equipment and playing with microphones and helped with the bridal procession. Afterwards, Marc drove Paul Jordan and me to the reception in a brewery, but first we stopped off in Olching so Paul could change into his kilt. Yep.

The reception immediately followed the wedding. No down time. There was, you guessed it, champagne upon entry. Then cake. Oh my goodness, the cake! There were like 30 of them, and not just white or chocolate. These were the kind you would buy at zingerman’s or amer’s. Fantastic cakes. Then a fun program of music and sketches and honoring the couple. 3 hours later, after everyone was sufficiently tipsy with cheap wine, we had dinner. Absifrickenmazing. I don’t believe dinner. There’s no way it could have been as good as I remember it. I must have been dreaming. Then the music started. I’m sorry to say I didn’t enjoy the music. Germans. They’re kookie. And their wedding singers are the cheesiest thing you’ve ever heard. The bride and groom didn’t disappear as they might have in the states. They stayed for the whole thing. I admire their endurance, but I don’t understand why they wouldn’t want to, well, you know, be “dancing” someplace else. Daniel drove me home. I know you at home don’t have any idea how far feldafing is from maisach, but take it from me, Daniel is very kind.

Everyone has been kind here. I know this probably doesn’t seem possible to you from just reading my blog about a month of my life here, but in some ways I feel like I have a closer circle of friends here than I ever did during college. Granted, my best are friends at home, but everyone was always busy with getting their own lives on track. Here I’ve gotten to know people who really depend on and care for each other. Its terrific and I hope that I can take some of this home with me. In any case, I feel like a part of the community, a part of the family. I already have friends that I will probably keep in contact with for the rest of my life. Its that good. I had no idea it was possible.

Then today was the German national day of mourning. It’s a day when they remember the fallen soldiers and victims of WWI &WWII. After Mass dozens of men in military uniforms or lederhosen paraded to the town’s memorial for a prayer service. I was really moved. There was a salute with probably ten extremely loud muskets. Somber horn music. I saw German women, older than my grandparents, weeping. Oh the things they’ve seen. What was I to think, standing as a lone American in their midst? I have to say, I got a lump in my throat thinking about the guilt and the sense of tragic national identity that this people has. For a long time now I’ve had little sense of humor for Americans referring to the whole German people as Nazi. From today on, not only do I not find it funny, but it has become downright offensive.

Later Wolfgang, Christoph’s brother, came over. He had a bite to eat with us and drank a bit of tea. He seems much more princely than Christoph. You can just tell. The way he looks, talks… everything. He’s got a website about the royal family, http://www.bayern-prinz.com/ . It makes me respect Christoph more to see how humble he is about his position of nobility. From my first impressions, it seems to me that Wolfgang makes Christoph seem like Mr. Rogers when in fact he’s every bit a prince. The only thing I remember about the conversation is that Wolfgang is arranging a private audience and Mass with the Pope for the Bavarian family sometime in the spring. If that works out I’m definitely going to be weaseling my way into being schlepped along.

I can see the mountains burning down and sinking into the lake every morning as I walk to the train station.