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News from the Meyers and Anglican Bridge 2018
We appreciated very much the Summer Mission at Knuellcamp English Camp, Church and Mission Tour. The early team arrived July 12, final team left August 7th.
Anglican Bridge is the 2018 merger of the previous Knuellcamp / English camp and Atlantic Bridge, a Dutch youth missions organization where international youth from America, Netherlands, Belgium, Hungary, and Germany came together for a week of fun, games, and fellowship. This year there were 20 students ranging from 14 – 23 plus 5 older Team leaders.
We had a great set of leaders directing activities and supervising camp shenanigans! We have visions of having 100 students next year!! The camp was run with daily Morning Prayer, small group devotionals, games, campfire fellowship, free time, planned group walks for enjoying the beautiful hills and forests in the surrounding countryside, and teaching sessions on the mission of St. Boniface.
The Crew from the US
Deacon Mark Woolsey from a RE Church in Texas taught the main sessions, Ian Cowen from Texas and Christine Look from Germany represented the Atlantic Bridge group while Christin Staemmler from Germany and Sarah Benner from Maryland represented the RE English camp. We worked together to blend these two styles of running a camp. After this week, the group split into separate teams to do sightseeing and missions work in Berlin, Dresden, Hungary and the Czech Republic. It was a great time and we look forward to next year! Consider sending youth from your church to participate!!
Sports
Since 4 teams were created for the small group meetings, these groups were used to play one another in volleyball and soccer, better known as football/Fußball here! Several times pick-up games of soccer were formed with such strong competition that the players were willing to forgo homemade ice cream in order to finish the game. We enjoyed teaching the European kids how to play softball and watching them show off their amazing talents in European football.
Teaching
Deacon Woolsey shared tons of fascinating historical information about St. Boniface. He lived from 675-754. Boniface is known as the missionary to the Germans. Born in England as Wynfrith, he was raised in a monastery. Eventually he was made a bishop in Germany. Boniface didn’t quite follow the pope’s cautious evangelism techniques, instead in Fritzlar, he chopped down the tree that the pagans considered sacred to their God and utilized it to build the first church there. When nothing terrible happened, many of these folks turned their lives over to the Lord. Boniface returned to reach out to the people of Friesland, where he was attacked and brutally murdered while baptizing new converts. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Boniface
In the Dark!
For a few hours during the cool evenings, Anglican Bridge Camp gathered around a campfire to regroup after the day’s activities. We had snacks and drinks, sang songs or chatted with our new friends. A few of us were brave enough to share how they have either come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior or how they have grown in their relationship with God. Although it wasn’t completely dark until quite late, the stars could be enjoyed in their splendor either at the campfire or from the viewing tower a short walk away.
Tasty Tidbits and Chow Time
Grace Meyer, our thoughtful hostess, provided American style snacks for night time activities like Cool Aid and popcorn or chips during the movies. Surprisingly, the Germans prefer sweet popcorn and paprika chips! Meals included US style sloppy joes, grilled cheese and tomato soup, waffles, cinnamon rolls, pasta and meatballs, and even steak on the grill. The kids found out that Germans eat a LOT of rolls, very yummy and fresh from the bakery! Breakfast included cheese and salami to go with the rolls as well as yogurt for the cereal. We tried Döner (yum) and the best Bratwurst! Only one crazy prank – Mrs. Benner ended up using the salt shaker which had the lid unscrewed! But she got the prankster back when he had to eat a bite of the SALTY mashed potatoes!!
We found that the water isn’t free or from the tap. When you ask for water it comes with carbonation or you have to ask for `stilles Wasser´.
Talent Night
The culminating and craziest activity was the talent show put on by several team members Sunday night. Wesley, Trevor and Jacob played piano pieces, Jacob played the American National Anthem on Bishop Meyer’s trumpet, Andrew, Emma and Claudia joined Sarah and Christin to act out `The Top 7 Ways to Evangelize´ (really, how NOT to), Deacon Woolsey lost, just barely, to Dennis during their Dad joke contest, Ian gave a sword fighting demo as 4 students: Noah, Dietrich, Christine, and Ethan tried to attack him with a sword, Caleb and Sarah put on the famous Who’s On First comedy routine, and best of all the grown ups acted out their version of the most important events from the life of St. Boniface, played by Dennis Ritchie,
– some of us were pagans trying to stop him, some came to trust the Lord when Boniface cut down their sacred tree (we actually used a chainsaw and cut one down!!) Follow the historical record, the pagans, played by Sarah, Christin and Ian, killed Boniface while he was baptizing new converts.
Field Trips
- City of Fritzlar to see a cathedral and shopping in the marketplace,
- Spring fed swimming pool for some freezing fun and a hot climb up to castle ruins,
- Hike through the woods to a foot bath of icy water,
- Night walks to stargaze at the local tower on the top of the hill,
- Mission work to Berlin started with a Reformation sightseeing tour in Eisenach to see Wartburg Castle where Martin Luther was hidden and spent his time translating the Bible into German. He even designed a new letter, W, and standardized high German.
- Then we headed to the concentration camp – Buchenwald. A serious reminder of how far man’s depravity can take him and how we need to remember our past and not repeat it.
- We ended the day arriving in Wittenberg to stay in a youth hostel. Supper was at the local delicious German restaurant on the market square.
- We spent a day seeing the churches in Wittenberg where Martin Luther hung the 95 theses and where he preached. We visited Luther’s home and Cranach’s printing shop.
- Notably, we learned that behind this great man was his most capable wife, (picture Kathy Luther).
The team painted
- the playground at Knuellcamp,
the Coffee-house “The Connection” rooms that house Christ Church, Berlin. We also spent one of the hottest days of the trip assisting Rev. David Ayers to move his entire household with two truckloads to a new apartment, 4 stories down – later 3 stories up.
- Sights we enjoyed in Berlin include the San Souci palace in Potsdam, a windmill, https://www.potsdam-tourism.com/detail/id/10215/theme/a-z.html,
- a boat ride on the Spree River,
- Partici-pating in Evensong at Berliner Dom,
- the Ka De We – a huge and fancy mall in downtown Berlin,
- Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial church and the new very modern church beside it, rides on the buses and trains, swimming in the lake and playing around with a few refugee kids from Syria, and a local flea market.
The entire team was hosted for a grill night by the Hilliger family. We had a fantastic trip exploring new places and meeting up with a new culture!
Serving the Church abroad while building the Church in Germany. Your servants Bp. Gerhard & Grace
Schlagwörter: Anglican Bridge
Anglikanische Kirche i. D. 