Rest and retreat.

One of the most lovely things that Christian Reformed World Missions provides as support to its staff and partners is an annual retreat.  For those of us who serve in Europe, our retreat is regional, since there is usually only one family in each country.  This means that once a year we get to gather with all the other missionaries across Europe and Eurasia (as well as a few families from North Africa) in a beautiful place to be nourished -- prayed for, taught, encouraged, and loved.

This year the retreat was in Switzerland.  It was at a Christian Bible school and conference center in a little town called Beatenberg, perched high in the mountains above Interlaken, overlooking some of the most famous mountains in the Alps.  It was gorgeous.

The view from our room... amazing.

The retreat speakers focused on intimacy with God and soul care, which was a really welcome topic, as we have sometimes struggled with knowing how to feed ourselves in a church and cultural context so different from the one we grew up in.  As always, spending time laughing and story-telling and sharing with other people serving around Europe was so incredibly rich and fun and Good.  We are really grateful!

We took 3 extra days to explore bits of the lovely country of Switzerland (who knows if we'll ever get to come back again?!)  Here are just a few highlights.

At the Reformer's Wall in Geneva... it was rainy but we were still excited to see huge statues of Calvin, Luther, and Zwingli... haha. 

A cheese factory in Emmental!  These cheeses are HUGE. 

Beautiful Bern.  Look at that water!  Apparently people go swimming in the river year-round, and I can believe it... I wanted to plunge myself in to its turquoise loveliness too! 

Bern's beautiful city center.

Views on the train ride from Bern to Interlaken... 

 Rested and happy.

We are so, so grateful.