Switzerland Retreat

Cindy and I retreated to Anzere, Switzerland this past weekend, joining eleven other missionaries from the Christian Reformed World Missions eastern Europe area. What a balm it was for our hearts, souls, minds, and bodies. Anzere is a skiing resort village, and our chalet looked out over the wide valley to snow-capped peaks in the distance. Our days consisted of devotions/small group discussions and "life stories" in the morning, sight-seeing in the afternoons, and plenty of relaxation time mixed in. Our sight-seeing excursions included a cable-car ride to the top of the ski area (and some additional hiking up there), and exploring a castle and church in Sion, dating back to the 1400's. As an additional bonus, an air show was going on at the airport in Sion, so we enjoyed the free view from the castle on the hill. The greatest reward was meeting and getting to know our eastern Europen colleagues who came in from Philippines, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Sarospatak (Hungary), and Budapest.

I flew to Geneva and back, while Cindy rode with Dick and Carolyn Otterness. They traveled through Slovenia and Italy (Venice!) on the way, and are presently coming back via Innsbruck and Graz, Austria. She expects to be back home on Wednesday. Pictures will be added later.