Monday, December 08, 2008

Vienna


I have had a great time, the Austrian guys at the congress have been so friendly and helpful we are now finished so I have the hardship of hanging around in Vienna for the rest of the day before my flight out in the morning.

I had a little look round yesterday and got lost! Which was kind of worrying I was meant to meeting some guys at a certain point but when I got there they couldn't be found. I got a little stressed but I'm a big boy so managed to sort it out.At one point I wandered up a little slope to a gallery but I was confronted by security as it was the back entrance to a place were they are hosting a Van Gogh exhibition. They looked and acted a little up tight, I smiled a lot and quickly dodged of on my search for the other guys.

I found them at the Heldenplatz where Hitler had been welcomed by the Austrian people on March 15th 1938 after the anexxation, I stood under the balcony where Hitler had stood and tried to picture it all. This was very hard to do as really Vienna is just like any other modern European city, full of history and hope for the future, and the history seems along way off. Although it is probably simmering under the surface. The guys from the conference where praying in the Heldenplatz, it was so good to see young Austrians praying in this place.

In the morning at the conference there was a Jewish guy speaking about his escape from the Nazi's during the holocaust, it was deeply moving. He said he didn't believe in God the Nazis had chased that belief out of him.

I have found it an interesting and complex place with a history that could be considered dark and people who I consider happy. Just thoughts, just wondering, I guess I am lucky, to hear these things and see these sights.

Anyway I miss my wife so I am off to buy her some underwear...........

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

hey brian!! ;)
did you already got your wifes underwaer? ;)
your homily (hope that's the right word for it) was so good, really
i already told you yesterday but you were great!!! really great...
i'm so thankful that god sent you to austria :)
and the shoe-activity of today was so funny ...it smelled "good" ;)
i hope you can really come to our church some day.
wish you all the best and god bless you :) Madeleine

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Anonymous said...

Brian, your investment at the apc has been such a tremendous blessing! The feedback is overwhelming and the young people are so encouraged to "breathe in and breathe out". You have really made the conference someting very special - a new chapter in our apc-history! Trust you've had a good trip home and enjoy the warm weather in Ibizia (sniff). I hope you will come again! Thanks and lots of blessings, Gerhard