Vienna

This weekend I spent two days in the lovely city of Vienna. I didn't go as a tourist, oh no, I did that 5 years ago. I went to see some very special friends I hadn't seen in years, the Hoefflers!!! You see, the summer before my senior year of high school I went on a missions trip to Vienna. I worked with Stefan and Judit and Open Air Campaigners, a group that does street evangelism. We were there for two weeks before going on to France, but I remember the trip a great deal as a very important time in my life, my first trip to Europe (which grew to be very contagious), and the time I knew God was calling me to missions. I thought about going back right after high school and working for OAC, but decided to go to college instead. So much has happened in five years, and I had the opportunity to share with them the struggles and the blessings, to meet their two kids (they were only engaged to be married 5 years ago), and see Stefan and his team doing street evangelism, which is still his ministry today. So much has changed, and so much remains the same.
Life thought #5,253: The days are long, but the years are short.
There is already tentative plans to return in December to see a Viennese Christmas market, a supposedly beautiful and romantic event.