So the journey has begun…The Will Family was there to greet us when we arrived. Oliver Will was our exchange student son for a year from August 2005 to July 2006. He is now 28 years old, working as a consultant for a large international company in finance. These kids grow up!
Together with Oliver were his parents Claus-Peter and Eva and his younger sister Maike. We had met Maike a few years ago as she was also an exchange student in Ohio a couple years after Oliver. She came to spend Easter with us that year. She now works in human resources for a company in Frankfurt.
Claus-Peter and Eva work for the family business – agricultural supplies and equipment. This has evolved over the years to be less of a focus on farm machinery and more landscape and design work, due to the change in the community from farming to more residential needs. The family loaded us in to their van and we headed north from Hamburg to their home in Dannewerk. The town’s name is roughly translated as Danish Work or work of the Danes.
The town used to be the border between Denmark and Germany. A wall that is over 700 years old is still visible. Denmark’s border is about 20 miles north of town today. Dannewerk is in the state of Schleswig Holstein. Our drive was slow as we found ourselves traveling with many Germans heading north on holiday to Denmark. We stopped at a bakery to pick up cakes and bread.
After arriving at the home of the Wills, we got settled in, had lunch and made our way to the city of Schleswig just 5 minutes away. We went to the Dome Kirche – a beautiful church with incredible wood carvings above the altar. The dome church is the place the bishop of the area serves. This is the home church of Bishop Ulrich, who was in Ohio last month to visit our synod. We will meet up with him later in our journey.
We then walked through the town. A very traditional old fishing village with lovely homes and gardens. We walked along the harbor and through the streets. After walking through the town in the rain, we stopped at a local café for a warm drink. Claus-Peter suggested I try the local German Coffee favorite with Rum called Pharisaeer Kaffee.
Legend has it that it was invented for the christening of a baby girl, Johanna Theodora Katharina, on Nordstrand Island on February 29, 1872. Pastor Gustav Beyer was very strict and always berating his flock for their godless drinking. In order to avoid his wrath, the congregation served a drink made with rum and coffee. The whipped cream on top kept the rum aroma from wafting through the air and upsetting the pastor, who received plain coffee with whipped cream.
However, at some point, the good man got a whiff of what was going on behind his back and cried out, “Ihr Pharisäer!” or “You Pharisees!” referring to the sect that heckled Jesus in the Temple.
What delicious and warm drink it was. We went back home for dinner and a good night of sleep. We are blessed to have a place to come and feel welcomed by such a lovely family. We feel right at home.
More to come soon.
Peace,
Charlie