Exciting Excursions and Encouraging Experiences in Eastern Europe

As promised, another update! We're going to try and cram in a lot of information, which means a lot of pictures. After Switzerland, we traveled over to Munich. Since we extended our stay in Gimmelwald we ended up with only one night in Munich, and it was raining on us the entire time. So unfortunately we weren’t able to get a good taste of Germany (besides a couple of pretzels…which were delicious).  From Munich we ventured over to Hallstatt, Austria. Hallstatt is a little village that you have to get to via ferry. The ferry ride provided a great view of Hallstatt and mountains in the background.

Our first glimpse at Hallstatt

Beautiful town

Coming into the harbor

The valley behind our bed and breakfast

Haus Lidy, the bed and breakfast we stayed at

Quaint houses with a lot of beautiful flowers

Great looking place to stay, right? However scenic it may have been, our stay here was one of our lower points on the trip. We stayed at a bed and breakfast, and I don’t really know what else to say other than it was just a strange experience. It wasn’t like something weird happened, we just never really felt comfortable while we were there. The owner, an older woman, spoke next-to-no English and didn’t really try to communicate with us on what to expect for our stay. So it left us to pretty much stay in our room for our entire stay, as it rained on us the whole time.  Mix in the fact that we were coming right off of the high point of our trip (Switzerland) and we were ready to leave Hallstatt. 

Next, we moved across Austria to Vienna. We had got in contact with another missionary couple while we stayed at the Hinton’s. Nate and Bethany Johnson have been in Vienna for less than a year, so like the Hinton’s, they are getting settled into the foreign mission field as well. They were such a huge blessing to us for our three day stay! They had such a lovely apartment and made us feel right at home. They made sure we got a good taste of Austria by making us delicious food and mapping out a good site-seeing course for the two of us. The Johnson’s did a great job at brightening up our Austrian experience. For more information on the work they’re doing, check out their blog, http://nandbjohnson.blogspot.gr/  

This is Schönbrunn Palace, a former imperial summer residence in Vienna. It was spectacular!

The grounds and fountain behind Schönbrunn

Trying some classic apfelstrudel

On the hill behind Schönbrunn

This is St. Stephen's cathedral. It was an impressive site right out of the metro

More of St. Stephen's

The Rathaus, or city hall

Unfortunately, we didn't get any pictures of or with the Johnsons, but this was Milka, the dog they were babysitting

 As I type this out I realize I need to go off on a tangent, so just bear with me – How good is God? Here we are worn out and downtrodden and God gives us a place to stay. And not just any place to stay, but a great place with fellow believers, who didn’t even know we existed a week and a half before they opened up their home to two strangers. And the week that we stayed with the Johnson’s was their week off of rigorous language school. It would have been so easy for them to politely decline our request, but they showed us true selflessness. I can’t say enough good things about this great couple, and I can’t thank them enough for showing us just how good God truly is.

After leaving the Johnson’s we decided to take a jam-packed travel day to explore more of Eastern Europe. We took a train over to Bratislava, Slovakia and explored the town for a few hours. Since we were basically only staying long enough to walk around the city, we decided to save a few euros and carry our backpacks with us instead of putting them in lockers at the train station. Hmm, not sure we were thinking very clearly on that one. When you only have a small day-pack with you, sure go ahead and take it to hike for a few hours. But when you’re packed down like this:

Doesn't he look happy? I had the blessing of only having to carry my own backpack...what a good husband

 Maybe you should re-think your options. We successfully made ourselves twice as tired and sore after hiking three hours and climbing up to a castle on the edge of the city. However sore and tired we may have been, Bratislava was still a really nice place to see. We found that we were able to see everything there that we really cared to see with those few hours that we were there. Once we were done, we got on a train to Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic. Prague wasn’t originally in our plans, but we’re glad we added it. I think this was when the wears and tears of travel first hit us. We still saw all of the tourist locations that we wanted to see, but we had a harder time actually getting around in the morning to go and see them. Tiredness or not, Prague was such a great city, with history everywhere and a culture all its own.

Lots of interesting buildings in Bratislava

An old church where they used to do coronation

On top of the spire is a golden replica of the coronation crown

A government building...that's all we knew about it.

Bratislava Castle

View of the river from the castle

This is a museum in Prague. It's at the head of Wenceslas Square, and it was one of the first buildings we saw in Prague

A church in Prague

On a bridge over the Vltava River. The Prague Castle is up on a hill in the background

So many swans!

Naturally, Dani wanted to touch them...no such luck.

Since Czech uses a different currency and we were only there for two days, we didn't exchange any. But the coffee machine in our hostel only took Czech coins and Tyler wanted coffee, so...we went fountain diving. Someone's wish isn't going to come true!

After Prague, we had another long travel day to get to Croatia. We stayed at a hostel in Croatia’s capital, Zagreb, for two nights. Croatia was a stop that we were really excited about. The main reason for that was Plitvice Lakes National Park. This place was absolutely spectacular! Dani has wanted to see it for a long time, ever since she happened to see a picture of it online back in high school. It did not disappoint. It just never ended! Crystal clear, teal-blue water, pools and waterfalls everywhere. Like so:

First glimpse!

The "trails" through the park consisted of a lot of rickety boardwalks actually across the pools. It was really cool.

Our last look at the park from above before we caught a bus back to Zagreb

From Croatia, we had an eight hour train excursion to take us to Italy. Our route went through the beautiful landscape of Slovenia, so it made the long travel day well worth it. Here are some pictures from the train:

Ain't she a cutie?

I’ll leave you there for now and tell you all about our Italian experience hopefully soon. Thanks for reading and thanks for keeping up with our trip. Please keep the thoughts and prayers coming our way. Love you guys!

Do You Wanna See the Clown?!

Alright, it looks like the Jackson traveling team has went to the bullpen for this next blog post, as the seasoned vet (Dani) takes a break to grab some sleep. It looks like you, kind readers, are stuck with me for the next few updates. Hope you enjoy.

First things first: we feel really bad about how long it’s been since we’ve posted a new blog, but traveling has worn us out quite a bit. True rest has been nearly impossible to find as we are moving to a new location every few days, which entails finding a new place to sleep for the next few nights, figuring out how to navigate the transportation systems in a new city, and then scoping out what we actually want to do when we reach our destination. Then repeat all of those steps again in another couple of days. Truthfully, I would be lost without Dani. She is much more organized than I am (go figure) and is amazing at staying on top of everything we need to do. She’s a true blessing!

Despite our lack of rest, this trip is still ringing true to the moniker, “Trip of a Lifetime”. The things we’ve been able to see and do have been truly amazing, most of which I never dreamed I would have the opportunity of experiencing. However, the highlight of the trip has surprised the two of us as we reflect upon everything we’ve done thus far. It took place in Switzerland, high in the Alps. Many of you might be thinking, “Of course, living in the Alps has to be incredible!” Don’t get me wrong, it was truly majestic to wake up in the morning, grab a cup of coffee, and just gaze out at the snowcapped landscape that surrounded you. However, it was the people that we met along the way that truly made this an amazing experience.  

First off, we flew into Zurich, Switzerland rather late. Being the frugal minded individuals that we are, we decided to sleep in the airport that night instead of finding a hostel for just a few hours of sleep. As we got situated for the night I was having a hard time falling asleep. Maybe the concrete floor I was laying on had something to do with it, but I think God knew that I had a restless mind at the moment. I was missing friends and family more than I realized. More than just being face to face with them, I was missing encouragement and fellowship in my spiritual walk. As I was laying there figuring all of this out at midnight, somebody comes up to me and starts to talk to me. He introduced himself as Rich. I was hesitant to take part in a conversation with someone who introduced themselves at midnight in a foreign country’s airport, but I’m glad I did. After talking for a little while, we found out that we had each started to take part in a conversation with a fellow Christian. Rich was heading home to New Jersey from Egypt, where he was helping plant Bible schools in the country. He was ecstatic to hear of our plans to go to India. We talked with each other for hours, sharing scriptures and sharing testimonies of how we got to our respective mission field. God couldn’t have sent me a more encouraging answer to prayer and need than the time I was able to spend with Rich. 

After that night, we headed out to our hostel in Gimmelwald up in the Alps. We made so many friends here, that we decided to extend our stay another night to spend more time with them.  We met a family from California, the Milnik’s, who were absolutely great. Ralph and Ginny were on a family vacation with three of their kids. Jenna and Kristal were our age, and Nathan was a few years older than us. They were fellow Christians, and we started talking about our upcoming trip to India and just talked with them for hours after that. We fit in so well with this family, playing cards, quoting movies, and laughing until our stomachs hurt! 

*Side note: I should explain the title of this blogpost (and no, I wasn't referring to myself). While we were playing Hearts, the Milnik's had a saying they liked to use during the game. "Do you wanna see the clown?" referred to the queen of spades. As the game wore on, the phrase got used more often and more intensely so that even Dani and I took part in shouting it out at random times.

We also met three girls from Alaska, Jenny, Jackie, and Sarah. Dani bonded with them immediately and they became fast friends. By the end of our stay it was as if they had all known each other forever. Another friend was Warrick, the adventure-loving geologist, from New Zealand (the only Kiwi we’ve met so far on this trip!). He was absolutely hilarious, and just had an outstanding attitude while we got to know him. He was traveling across Europe and into Russia, so it was great to hear about the places he had been. Then there was Milo, from the U.K. We became really close to Milo as we were able to combine our resources and make a meal for the three of us one of the first nights we were there. He had been living and working at the hostel for about a month, so he knew the lay of the land better than most. The hikes that we went on were all suggested by him, so we had him to thank for the outstanding scenery we were able to see. He was an avid climber who had pretty much explored everything around the area in his stay in Gimmelwald.  To top it off, after our stay in Switzerland, we were able to share the six hour trip to Munich with another couple we met at the hostel, A.J. and Juliana from Canada.  

From Dani going around the table: Ginny, Kristal, Sarah, Jenny, (you can't see Jackie), Milo, Warrick, Jenna, Nathan, then me

Milo, Warrick, and Jenna. And Sarah's face.

We finally found Ralph to take another group picture

The results were not so pretty. I just love that Ralph thought it was a normal picture. And I promise Dani is not that fat.

Dani with Jackie (left), Sarah, and Jenny

Nathan wanted to make sure we got a picture of him taking a picture

I couldn't blog about Switzerland without adding a few more pictures of our surroundings

It was incredibly clear the morning we left. It seemed an appropriate send-off for our amazing time there.

 

We were so blessed and encouraged by all of the people we were able to meet and get to know in such a short amount of time. It really felt like we were one big family by the end of our stay; a truly priceless feeling that I wouldn’t trade for any of the other things I’ve been able to see or do on this trip.  God reminded me during this time that no matter what I’m doing in life, the people I share it with are always going to be more important. It made me even more thankful for the friends and the family I have who have helped me with so much throughout the years, who are reading these blog posts and are in constant prayer for us while we travel. It’s also made me more thankful for Dani, to realize just how much better this trip has been just for the sake of being able to share it with her. 

We’ll get to the next blog sooner rather than later as we go over our first taste of Eastern Europe! Prayers for energy would be greatly appreciated as we finish up our backpacking journey. Thanks for reading. We love you guys!

A Swiss Cheese Lesson

Switzerland has to be one of the most beautiful places on Earth. I actually think I was accidentally born and raised in Missouri when it should have been high in the Alps among the wildflowers, goats, snow-covered peaks, rocky streams, and countless waterfalls. There’s something so quaint, so peaceful about the villages dotted throughout the Lauterbrunnen valley and along the grassy mountainsides that makes you feel right at home and never want to leave. Not to mention the stunning views, charming people, and superb hiking offered at every turn. Go ahead, feast your eyes.

Glorious.

A few from our hostel

The Mountain Hostel in Gimmelwald!

The upper end of a valley we hiked to one day

A rough panorama I tried to accomplish via a random program I found on the internet...this was that same valley

Something else the Swiss Alps offered me on this particular trip was a humbling lesson in my brokenness and God’s holiness. You see, on our second full day in Gimmelwald, Tyler and I opted for a long hike. Although we like to be outdoors and enjoy hiking, we’re not the most experienced when it comes to climbing actual mountains, so this was going to be pretty strenuous for us. Let me also mention that, due to all the walking we’ve been doing with not enough support in my shoes, I’m pretty confident I have a stress fracture. Oh, and half an hour into this hike, I stepped in a small hole and turned my ankle. So at this point, I’ve got a lot going for me. But we were in the Alps! I wanted to hike! I wanted to make the most of this! Four ibuprofen later and we were pushing through. 

Now, I’m a perfectionist. Which is ok, in some aspects, because it means things usually get done right the first time. But it also means I easily get caught up on little flaws and failures in everything I do. Like taking forever to climb a mountain. During our hike, I must have apologized to Tyler 58 times (at least) for going so slow or needing a rest or who knows what else. Even though he was never frustrated, annoyed, or angry with my slow progress and he recognized the hindrance that was causing it, I still felt horrible for slowing us down and let it eat away at my self-confidence until I was no longer enjoying being in the freakin’ Alps with my husband. He kept telling me to stop apologizing, and I would say something like, “I know, I know, but I still feel bad.” We eventually came to a fork in the trail with signs pointing towards different end destinations and time estimates for how much longer it would take to get there. We’d been hiking for about two hours at a steady uphill climb, and the sign told us we were only halfway there! I was so discouraged, so tired, and my foot was hurting so bad that I was ready to turn back. At this point, Tyler decided we needed a “come to Jesus meeting,” so he sat me down and we talked through some things and prayed and cried (well, I cried…Tyler just held my hand), and we decided to keep persevering. We still had a ways to go, but we could finally see the top and at least had something to keep us going. I cannot begin to tell you how incredible it felt to reach the top, to have nowhere but down to go, to take in the view, and celebrate my personal victory. Here are a few pictures of that hike:

A view of the valley on our way up

The mountains on the other side of the summit

A view coming down from our hike

At the top!

The shark's fin just beyond the plateau we climbed to

A view of the Lauterbrunnen Valley from the top

See that teeny tiny red circle way up there? That's where we hiked to. And the building in this picture is where we started.

If I think about my relationship with the Lord like climbing this mountain, I am able to draw some pretty mind-blowing parallels (at least for me—I definitely had a few aha! moments on this hike). In my daily walk, I recognize my imperfections. I even understand that my sinful nature is the unchangeable root of those imperfections. And yet, I still feel the need to make up for them somehow and win back God’s favor. I get bogged down in the daily “climb,” can’t see the top, feel sorry for myself because I can’t do it on my own, feel guilty because I am a sinner and therefore incapable of saving myself, and want to quit. And that’s the stupidest thing ever. Because I know I’m not supposed to be able to do it on my own, and when my actions and emotions show that I am trying to earn God’s love (i.e. saving myself), I am completely depreciating and disregarding Jesus’ work on the cross. Like somehow, he died for everyone except me, so I have to work extra hard to make up for my sins. On the hike up, Tyler led me. He kept encouraging me, pushing me, and asking me to stop apologizing because he was just enjoying being with me. This is where I began to draw the parallels: I saw my bum foot representing my sinful nature, the thing that is naturally hindering me from permanent intimacy with God; I saw the mountain as the life of faith, a tough climb but worth it at the end; I saw Tyler as God gently encouraging me, leading me, only asking for my best and never expecting perfection, and just enjoying our walk together (*side note: I do not worship Tyler, nor does he come before the Lord in my life. It was just a metaphor, so no, Mom, we don’t need to have a talk J); and then there’s me, struggling to keep up, wanting to enjoy it, but becoming discouraged by the fact that I’m not perfect at it and therefore must do something to make up for it. What a lesson! What a hike! 

You see, God is not unlike Swiss cheese: He is holy. And I am not unlike Swiss cheese either: I am riddled with holes, broken and empty (work with me on this…I know it’s cheesy—haha!). If I can’t learn to let go of chasing the dream of perfection, to simply lean on Christ and let Him fill up my holes, then I cheapen grace; I devalue my need for it by instead trying to earn it, which of course is never possible, and thus ensues a long downward spiral from which there is no escape except through Jesus. It’s a lesson that I’ve always struggled with, and it’s one that, unfortunately, God has had to teach me a few different times, so this glorious and humbling hike was probably not the end-all-be-all—I’m sure accepting grace will continue to be a struggle for me. But I know He will never give up on me, never stop loving me, never stop encouraging me up that mountain, and never cease pouring out His undeserved grace.

I hope you guys can really feel grace today. I hope you know how much God loves you, and know that it doesn't at all depend on anything you do. I'll try to post again in the next day or two with more on our time in Switzerland.

The Rain in Spain Falls Mainly on the Plain

It actually didn't rain while we were there, it just seemed like a fitting title. Barcelona is a very interesting city. Parts of it are very dirty, smelly, run-down, and crowded, and then other parts are unique, beautiful, and worth exploring. Unfortunately, after our time in Paris, we just simply didn't have the energy to do much while we were there. We arrived at our first hostel (I say first hostel because we actually stayed two different places on the two nights we were there) around 10 PM only to be greeted by a boar. Seriously, a wild boar and its babies. Not a pleasant site. We were reassured by someone who worked there that it was safe, but it was still slightly unsettling. 

The next morning we headed into the city to do a little site-seeing. Near our hostel was the Montjuic Castle, which was quite a climb from the bottom of the hill. We walked around up there for a while, but I think we had just hit a wall; not a lot of energy, our hostel wasn’t close to much else, and we were in a…err, less nice part of town. One redeeming quality of Barcelona was that everything was cheap. Cheap food, cheap transportation, cheap wine. So we got dinner at the grocery store (pizza, wine, and gelato for under 10 euro), took it back to the hostel, and watched a movie. And it was wonderful. The following day we had a flight leaving for Zurich in the evening, so we walked around the city to see a little more of Barcelona and also La Sagrada Familia, a church famous for its unique architecture by Gaudi. Here are a few pictures:

Montjuic Castle

The gardens in front of Montjuic Castle

More of the castle

A watch tower

Looking down on the coast from the hilltop

Our delicious and cheap dinner!

A random church in downtown Barcelona

Inside of said random church

La Sagrada Familia

Pretty interesting architecture

We are learning. We’re learning how to travel, how to decide when we need rest and when we think we can keep pushing, and how to approach a new city. We’re learning to be flexible, to try and not regret anything, and to make the most of every situation. Which can be tough, and we haven’t always handled it the best. For instance, we wished we would have skipped Barcelona entirely to spend more time with the Hintons in Paris, but we had to get to Barcelona eventually since we’d already booked a flight from there to Zurich. We’ve had other moments where we wished we would’ve done something differently, but you just have to accept that hindsight is 20/20, and there’s nothing you can do to change what you’ve already done. It can be incredibly easy to let that get you down, to be discouraged and dwell on what could’ve been, especially on a trip where you wonder if you’ll ever come back to some of these places. But because you wonder if you’ll ever come back, you have to learn to focus on the positives and make the most of the choices you’ve made, because you will enjoy yourself more, and positivity can truly make or break an experience.

Switzerland is next! Be on the lookout for another update. Love you all!