Helping Hands

On yesterday's walk, we tried a new path home.  Because of all the rain, everything was a bit muddy and slick.    I slipped on a downhill slope and fell to my knees.  Surprised, though my left foot bent back and I hit my knee, I did not fall forward or injure myself.  Smitty helped me up, and we moved on.

The walk and the fall embody how I feel about the first week in Germany.  Both of us have had to leave the familiar trail, even in activities that are "normal", and often we have fallen.  Every time, though, we've been helped back to our feet by someone or something, and we have kept walking.  We have not fallen headlong.

Early in the week we were helped by Mari Ellen, a new friend from BFA, to register and order our trash can at the Rathaus (sort of like city hall).  The next day we visited the local bank and started our account.  Fortunately, one clerk spoke very good English, another helping hand.

I have had a number of forays into the marketing arena, and at times I have beeb quite ignorant.  In one case I had purchased two vegetables which I should have weighed and labeled.  As I checked out, the cashier said something in German, I responded, "I don't understand." and she graciously left her post, went to the produce section and weighed them for me.  She became a helping hand for me as I maneuver the world of marketing.  Even the small farmers' market last Saturday provided opportunity to learn the method of purchasing fruits, vegetables, cheese, bread, and flowers in German culture.

Smitty has worked hard to obtain our car, the registration, and the insurance.  Each step has come with the need to ask questions and lean on the expertise of others.  He rode one of our scooters to the next town to complete some of the paperwork, and the scooter became a helping hand.  Yesterday he determined how best to transfer funds from our US bank account to our German bank account.  None of these activities are particularly difficult in the US, but here, we require a number of helping hands.

Isaac, Smitty, Carolyn, Suzanne all being silly at Starbucks, Freiburg.

Last Saturday Isaac and Suzanne, our host family from BFA, took us to Freiburg to visit the IKEA and Starbucks.  We needed linens and a few other house items and wanted Starbucks' mugs.  While not complicated, the route to Frieburg became easier by having Isaac and Suzanne guide us.  We would have been lost in Frieburg without them.  They also speak good German, a huge help with labels and communication.  We enjoyed our day with them and learned a great deal about how to get around, thankful, again, for helping hands.

Our apartment is located in the roof.
The help here is that we have the basics, without our shipment.

In my Bible I found a verse which I had labeled "Germany 2010".  God had spoken to me a year ago through this verse; He spoke to me again yesterday.  "The steps of a man are established by the LORD when he delights in His way;  though he fall, he will not be cast headlong, for the LORD upholds his hand."  I fell, but I was not cast headlong.  I'm sure God protected me.  This first week in Germany we have fallen many times, but we have not been cast headlong because God has reached out through the hands of others and upheld our hands.