I know what it is. It is a good idea that just may help you make it in a new country where you lack language and skills. It is innovation that helps us survive changing times. I saw the sign from a bus or train today and may not try it but applaud the effort. Interesting day. I learned something else about how to serve in Berlin. There was a lot of history before my visit in 1978 and since. I decided to explore on a day when the library is closed. I have done several of these tours because I’m visual and want to see the lay of the land. I went around the city twice on a hop-on, hop-off bus. I hopped off once for lunch but circled the city looking for where I stayed 46 years ago. I was not expecting the house but the area. The first circle I just watched and prayed for people. I prayed to know what I was supposed to do. I did engage people which can be a no-no. The first was a lady at the bus stop with beautiful hair. So I said – “You have beautiful hair”. We proceeded to talk about the wind and hats. She smiled and we both went on our ways. On the bus the gypsy musicians approached again. It makes me uncomfortable. When three 20-something middle eastern men sat with me in a four-seat section I smiled and got one smile back. They were not serenading me or asking for money. You may be rolling your eyes by now but what keeps me going on these journeys is that God sees people when we don’t. I can’t keep my eyes on the ground. I won’t but I will be careful, try to be sensitive, and bathed in prayer. Returning on the train, an oriental lady with her daughter boarded and would have to be split. The girl was hesitant to sit between two strangers (grown men – can’t blame her) so I gave up my seat. Not hard and no reaction but I saw them. Now you have probably done 10x the kindnesses already in your day but this place is trickier than I remember. So back to the tour. On the second pass I used the headset to listen to the meaning and history behind the 17 tour stops. Several leaped out to me as places that need prayer covering so I will return end of the week, and every week, to these places that broke so many people and linger as spiritual strongholds. Jesus prayed and told us how to pray so prayer walking is real. God can do things that He wants to do. I plan to show up first at the Holocaust Museum. The Soviet War Memorial is about war and Putin is still fighting with the world. The Berlin Wall Museum and Checkpoint Charlie are other places of loss and what is Topography of Terror? I’ll be here a few more weeks before returning for more time at the library in Prague so I am getting a sense of coming full circle. I have more to do here, more healing for me, and prayer covering for others. You see, I still worry that I have been a disappointment to God. I had an opportunity to be brave in Berlin in 1978 and I said no. I wasn’t sure that I still carry that until today. The library here is a well-oiled machine and I haven’t been sure that I can do enough good. Now I know. I also remembered today that the summer of 1978 was particularly rainy. So rainy that a wine bottled that year was probably full of soggy grapes so don’t buy it. We slept in tents. 1978 was a college trip for five weeks on a budget and it was so wet that the sleeping bag mats were always wet. It was a race to dig through and get the drier mats. (We did sleep in the basement of a missions pastor here and a few other destinations.) I would not participate in the mat competition. I took what was last because I thought it was right. I come from humble people and that’s what we did – until I woke up one night floating (yes I said floating) in the girls tent. The tent roof had caved in from a downpour and it was a scramble to see who could get a place in a van. I did not scramble and I recall there were two stubborn people left floating in Tent Lake. I was so miserable that it changed me. I started caring about getting a dry mat. I don’t like being cold and wet and still don’t. I reasoned that no one was looking out for me and it was every man/woman for his/her self. Even one of my new camping buddies urged me on to take care of me. So here I am, so many years later, so many arguments won, so many fights settled, so many so manies. I think Jesus was humbled becoming a man. He then ended it by dying for all. I can give up a seat and a sleep. I’m preaching to myself.
