Marsha's Blog

 Yesterday we visited the Vatican.  I remember from 20+ years ago being impressed with the heat, the grandeur, and the reverence we felt.  This time around, we saw the same scenery from a different perspective. A few years ago, Tony did his doctoral study, which included a section on the Protestant Reformation, so we thought it would be great to take part in a “Reformation Tour” through Germany, with a follow-up visit to Rome. What a difference this time around! There had to be at least 50,000 people lined up at the entrance to the Vatican.  The pope had just that morning suggested to a live audience, that he was thinking of retiring. As a Protestant, I didn’t know popes had that option, but the public turned out in droves to hear him speak that afternoon, as we were making our way through his place that morning. Turns out, he just said he was still “thinking about it”. Anyway, we could barely see the Vatican for the people and finally had to opt for a tour. Miraculo...

 Good Morning all, As I promised last week, we're in an area of dubious internet this Sunday, so my daughter will send you this blog from Jordan from about 5 years ago. I think it's interesting because it could be last week that I wrote it.  My stomach still hurts, mainly because I can't pass up 'interesting' food.  Taxi drivers still have personalities, and God is still magnificent, doing things that surprise and delight us every day.  Please enjoy! Previously from Jordan: Some of you have been following our adventures in the Middle Eastern country of Jordan this last week.  I’ve posted more pictures than anyone wants on Facebook, so I’ll spare you more of the same this morning.  The capital city of Amman, where we’ve been for 5 days, is made up of geographical ‘zones’.  Beyond that, I have no idea where I am most of the time because it all (sorry) looks alike. As you read this, we’ll be on our way to the ancient ruins of Petra, but today our travels ...

 We'll, we've had an interesting week, as usual, but I have to start with an apology, especially before I don't have any followers. You remember last week when I mentioned that I needed to "throw off" all of these things, especially regarding the burdens of everyone else,  and just run the race? Wouldn't you know that only 2 days after I posted, Tony and I were  reading Oswald Chambers (My Utmost for His Highest) and whammy, there it was.  Not Paul, who was inspired by God, but alongside of Paul, came a little wisdom from Oswald. Here's what he says:  "October 9.  Romans 6:19. Yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness." And he goes on: "If I construct my faith on my experience, I produce the most isolated life, my own whiteness.  Beware of the piety that has no preposition in the Atonement of the Lord, It is of no use for anything but a sequestered life: it is useless to God and nuisance to man." I don't want to be ...

 This last week we've decided to take the rail passes and put ourselves on a self-guided tour of some of Paul's missionary journeys.  Looking back, I realise that, even without rail passes, tour buses and Lufthansa, Paul really got around over here. And he got around with a zeal that only a man who had been struck blind, met Jesus, had his vision restored and his life’s career track laid out before him could do.  I also realised that he took YEARS to accomplish these journeys, while Tony and I are trying to retrace his steps in just a few weeks. After "Doing" Athens”, as the Americans say, we headed south in search of ancient Corinth.  On the platform in the Athens train station, we spotted a couple.  She was wearing a prayer covering, and I had to rein myself in from approaching her with my standard line, "I went to a Mennonite High School, so therefore I must know all about you and be your friend". But I didn't have to wait long, because when we were d...

 Greetings from Greece,   Well, as of this morning, we finished about three weeks of rather cold Germany and were ready for some warmth, so we headed south. In spite of the cold and rainy weather, our German pilgrimage left us with two particular images of Jesus. Let me share them with you.  If you follow me on Facebook, you’ll know we’ve been on a ‘Martin Luther Reformation tour”.  It was great!  I think we visited every town, hamlet, church and school where he left his mark. Let me say again how much we appreciate Tony’s Bible study group that gifted him with enough to organize a tour that started in Berlin and ended up yesterday in the city of Augsburg. One of the highlights of the tour was not directly connected to Brother Martin, but was instead a demonstration of what he always advocated: a clear and concise presentation of the Gospel. The event is called “The Passion Play”, and I expect most of you have heard of it, and even some have attended it. I’ve ta...