Archive for category: Berlin Fall 2022

Christmastime is here in Berlin, meaning it’s almost time for me to depart the beautiful city of Berlin. It has been a semester full of adventures, travels, and of course, blogs. So for my final blog, it is only fitting to wrap up with an overview of my semester, including thoughts and takeaways to apply in the future. My ambitions were, well, ambitious for my semester here if I remember correctly, and I find it a little dispiriting looking back on what I have yet to accomplish. However, there are many things I can be proud of and many for which I can be thankful. 

My German has improved immensely throughout the course of this semester. From my vocabulary vastly consisting of theological terms and the occasional “Bitte” or “Danke” to now being able to have a full-fledged (mostly one-sided) conversation with my host family every night, I’d say there have been major improvements. This may be thanks partly to my 3 hr German course Mon-Thur, but also because I was living in a German-speaking state. I do wish, however, that I had supplementary materials that I consulted to fine-tune my German-speaking skills. Most of my extracurricular experience with German was watching the latest series or movie on German Netflix or struggling through another episode of a fast-speaking German podcast. Both of these activities flexed my German listening and comprehension skills and, coupled with my daily chats with Fe and Rudi, polished my understanding of German to a smooth B3 or C1 Level. This is something I hope to maintain upon my return to America. Bilingualism is definitely a goal, but for now, comprehension and understanding of the German language are something I’ll cherish. 

Cherishing the German language was not an unexpected feeling; however, what was unexpected was the friendships I forged along the way. I was aware of almost every one of them, now friends, then acquaintances, before coming to Germany, but with the experiences we shared, I am truly confident in calling them, friends. The first friends David and I met along the way were Logan and Louisa Pankow, and their hospitality carried us through the scary first weekend in a foreign country. To avoid repeating myself and for the sake of the length of this blog entry, I will spare the wild details of the stressful first weekend if I have not already blogged about them. Nevertheless, Logan and Louisa provided a great foundation to build the rest of the semester. We had known Logan from our first year at MLC together; likewise, we knew Phil Balge from our time at MLC and Prep. Phil, working as an au pair (or rather “bro pair”) in Bad Kreuznach, was able to link up with us on several occasions consisting of a trip to Hamburg, the WELS Heidelberg Retreat, a weekend in Dresden, and a weekend in Berlin with another yet to come this weekend. If you had told me that almost half of my weekends in Europe would be spent with Phil Balge, I probably would not have believed you. But the many memories made on those weekends will not soon be forgotten, mostly because they were memorable, but also because we took many pictures along the way. This is a habit I hope to maintain upon my return to America because, as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. 

And I couldn’t write a thousand words about our friend Paul Hübener, the one person David and I had no previous contact with before coming to Germany. He is also a true German and, of course, a true friend who was David and I’s lifesaver in the tricky waters of what is an ELFK service. Privileged to attend the Paul Gerhardt Gemeinde in Berlin many times throughout the semester. Our first experience was a little confusing, from the commute to the service. Still, Paul was there to guide us through page by page, literally. He noticed our confusion and would show us the correct page number to be on or phrase to sing, sometimes resulting in several hymnal exchanges. Thankful and grateful to Paul for that, but also for the many times we meet after that, from the Jugendtreffen to organizing our weekend in Dresden. Paul allowed me to practice my German and indulged in my pride in the rudimentary little German phrases I tried to use every so often. Although Paul is a very good friend, I may not have the opportunity to see him shortly like my friend, Ella Brandt.

Ella came to Germany for a gap year to explore the culture, which David and I were vaguely aware of at the beginning of the semester. But we were reminded when we saw her in Dresden with the Drechsler family and thought, “wait, what?” After that initial and slight shock, we were able to meet up for the Heidelberg WELS retreat, a day trip in Berlin, and the now of legendary status, a weekend in Dresden. Throughout these weekends, we were able to joke about our incompetency in German, muse over the many differences between America and Germany, and bond over the independence we’ve gained throughout this semester. This independence was learned independence through booking travel, to managing time (and money) in a foreign country and environment. Despite the many pitfalls along the way, it is something I’ve grown accustomed to and want to utilize for years to come. 

Having improved on German, gained certain independence, and maintained healthy relationships throughout my semester, I think my previously dispirited attitude toward my goals can be changed to one of satisfaction. Although there is certainly more I want to see, experience, and travel to, I know that this is only the beginning of my cultural and traveling adventures. However, I was never too far from my many relationships, the most important one being with God. 

Living in a foreign land, which is one of the most atheist countries in the world, my initial outlook on maintaining a strong faith life looked grim. But with this semester coming to a close, I can confidently say this was not the case. Through fellowship at the ELFK churches in Berlin, Hartenstein, and Dresden, and the familiarity of the WELS Heidelberg, I was well-supported in my faith, and every one of the friends previously mentioned came from a strong Christian background. Regardless of whether I had these strong Christian friends, however, the connection to his Word was the most important lifeline throughout this semester. And this would be the most important suggestion for anyone wanting to study abroad in the future. Stay fast to the Word.

Apart from that most important suggestion, I would also allow you time to explore the culture and people of the city you’re in, which I regrettably did not do as much as I had hoped. These past few weekends have provided an opportunity to explore Berlin a little more, but many weekends were dedicated to inter-country travel. Another suggestion is to be open about new experiences, which might already describe you if you are studying abroad, and to take advantage of new experiences, especially if they are out of your comfort zone. This broadens your perspective and gives a holistic view of life, which I have found true in my experience. The friends I made along the way, my experiences, and the joy of learning I have found are all evidence of God’s hand throughout this semester and always. Tschüss, and see you in America soon!

This past weekend I had the privilege of taking part in a famed European WELS retreat in the city of Heidelberg which is where, as many of my faithful readers probably already know, Luther had the even more famed disputation. Regardless of how many disputations were held in Heidelberg, the WELS retreat was an undisputed success. A conglomeration of believers from across Germany and beyond joined together for a weekend of fellowship and worship. With representation from both the WELS and ELFK (Evangelisch-Lutherische Freikirche) the small Jugendherberge in which we stayed was full of familiar faces. The Balge siblings, Phil and Martha, were able to attend and provided some much-needed familiarity in this long stretch of being away from not only America but MLC. Included in those familiar faces was LPS Grad, Ella Brandt, and Logan and Louisa Pankow, who have become good friends in this short time in Germany. Among these familiar faces, however, were strewn several WELS connections. The WELS connections were soon forgotten, however, as we were all able to connect over the weekend through a series of icebreakers the first evening which had a strange amount of references to a “certain college in smalltown Minnesota which shall not be named”. Fellowship like this is something that was something I had never thought would be missed so dearly after an extended period of time in a foreign country. I learned many things over the weekend, but first and foremost I learned that fellowship is a necessary nourishment for the Christian. The opportunity to exchange stories and forge new memories with a uniquely familiar group of people in an unfamiliar place is something I know that I will cherish for a long time.

However, it was not only Christian fellowship that bonded all of us together. The sect of younger folk who attended the conference was able to spend the day together in Heidelberg, which provided the unique opportunity to exchange our struggles, triumphs, and experiences in a country that was relatively new to all of us (except for Louisa ;). Despite each of our unique situations, we all had similar experiences. Each of us had a different story to tell, but a similar outlook on our time here. Phil, au pairing for the year/Martha, attending University in Mainz/ Ella, taking the year off/ and Logan and Louisa, attending the Seminary in Leipzig and going to nursing school, respectively, each had different experiences and yet similar conclusions as David and I. It is crazy that all of us were products of Lutheran High Schools and somehow found our way to Germany through different avenues. If you had told me a year ago, that I would be at a café in Heidelberg lauding over the German public transportation system as compared to other European countries with that particular group of people, I would not have believed you. Studying abroad has offered so much more than I had expected it to. My expectations consisted of European travel and German language learning, but now I know there is so much more to studying abroad than that. Connecting with people so accurately in a foreign country has been a major surprise for me in my journeys.

Not only in Heidelberg has the connecting been surprising. While discussing over the dinner table at my host family, with members at the ELFK church in Berlin, or even with other students in the program, there is a sense of comradery. There certainly is a great support system here in Germany through the connections that I have been blessed to make. Friendships and memories have been forged, especially with regard to the conference in Heidelberg, and that is undisputed.

I can’t believe that my experience in Berlin is already halfway through! Today, during dinner, Fe, one of my hosts, commented “Wie Zeit rennt!” (“How time flies!”) and I couldn’t agree more. My weeks in Berlin have fructified so many benefits, and in this week’s edition, I will perspicaciously look back on my time to catalog my progress in my goals, expectations, and even insights. I feel satisfied with my experience so far this semester, and with everything that has come from it, whether it be improved German-speaking skills or a wider scope of cultural experiences. I believe that the goal in which I’ve made the most progress is my German-speaking skills which is evident in my classes and my daily discussion with my host family. I remember barely following the conversations with my host family during the first couple of weeks here, but now I’ve been able to track the majority of the conversation and even respond appropriately. In addition to the practical and grammatical skills that I’m gaining in the classroom, Fe has been teaching me more idiomatic German through everyday speaking. I have an ongoing list compiled, and it’s only a matter of time before I add them to an Anki Deck (@deandanell). My efforts outside the classroom have been lacking, however, which is something I hope to change upon my return from Midterm break. With so much to visit and experience in not only Berlin but also throughout Europe, I find it hard to make time for additional efforts for German learning. Regardless, I feel a major improvement in that aspect of life in Berlin.

Speaking of improvements, I could definitely improve on my drive to step outside my comfort zone. I have spent a lot of time with MLC grads (@ Phil Balge and Logan Pankow), which I love, but creating individual experiences in a foreign setting is beneficial. This past weekend David, Phil, Logan, and I had the opportunity to visit Hamburg and enjoy the sights of a traditional harbor city. However, the entire time we stuck together in the city. This may be something that I can improve on in the second half of my time in Europe. With my German-speaking skills and branching out, I also want to improve my confidence in the country itself. I feel a need to confidently go about my time in Europe without worrying about whether I’m making the most of my time or not. This seems to be an issue for the first semester. I’ve caught myself worrying about the nitty-gritty details of life in Europe a couple of times. Those are the major three areas that I would like to see improvement in this semester.

Improvements are all well and good, but there have been several surprises that I’ve experienced while in Germany. The focus on environmental issues especially with waste is in sharp contrast with the American system. There is more than just your basic trash and recycling bin, and it has been something to adjust to quite regularly. There also seems to be a gap in fashion trends between America and Europe. I’ve noticed many trends that would not necessarily be prevalent in the United States. My conception of basic European has definitely evolved over the course of this semester and I hope to develop a more mature view of other cultures. Other than that, I guess have not much more to add as I prep for my Midterm Break. Until next time! Tschüss!

Germany is super different from what I’m used to. First of all, the other German students dress a little more formally. I could count on one hand the number of students I’ve seen with athletic shorts. For someone with no fashion sense, it’s tough to be denied your go-to outfit. For another thing, it feels like you have to pay for everything. Free bathrooms and water fountains are a scarcity, so you really have to plan out the little things about your day. Berlin is also a lot more diverse than I thought. There are so many different cultures here, with communities such as Turkish, Vietnamese, or Middle Eastern. It’s weird to hear so many people speaking German, especially when your mind thinks of English as the classic language. 

As a whole, however, I love being here. There have been setbacks, like figuring out transportation, money, and getting hit by a car (with minimal injury, by what I can only imagine is the grace of God). My host family is nice, and we’ve been speaking German most of the time. For more complex conversations, like about politics or current events, we’ll use English. The experience of living in a large city is a new one to me, and it’s great to have so much to do within about an hour of me. We’ve already been to the Berlin Wall Memorial, the Berlin Zoo, and a Fußball match (as they call it) in the Olympic stadium, to name a few. Public transportation allows us to get to pretty much anywhere in the city, and while it may take longer than driving, it’s very easy to use and navigate. 

Classes are a bit different than what I’m used to. For one, going to school in a secular atmosphere is a lot different than what I’ve been doing for the last six years, so it’s a lot to get used to. It’s very interesting to see what an education in this atmosphere is like. Josiah and I are taking a German class, an Art and Dictatorship class, and a Pop Culture class. Each class heavily involves German culture and has field trips every couple of weeks, something that MLC does not have, but really should (@prezgurgel).

Otherwise, things are going well. Josiah and I have been exploring Germany, and have been working on some future trips that we’re excited about. The highlight of the past weekend was our trip to Wittenberg, the birthplace of the Reformation. We put the day to the fullest use we could. We managed to visit the Lutherhaus, Melanchthon’s house, the Castle Church, the Stadt Church, and the Assisi Panorama, and topped it off with a short organ concert. As a whole, the history of everything we see is just staggering. Everything seems to have a rich past that is just waiting to be discovered. 

That’s all for now. Attached are a couple pictures of my time. These are just a few first impressions of the city, and I’m sure these will change a lot more in the coming days. Bis später!