There was a non-binding referendum on Sunday whether Berlin’s Tempelhof Airport should be closed and the area (prime real estate) used for other purposes. Tempelhof was the stage of the famous Berlin Airlift in the late 1940’s, when the Soviet Union tried to starve out West Berlin by closing the crossing points and the U.S. and other western allies supplied the city’s inhabitants with food and material by air.

The Berliners called the Airlift planes “Raisin Bombers”.

The referendum was won by those wanting to keep the airport, but not enough people participated to change things, so it will probably close in the next 2 or 3 years. The passing of an era. Check out the story on the BBC website

I’ll get to the pun in just a moment (someone noted it is the cheapest form of humor; a few of you may be groaning already…)

We flew to the U.S. on Friday (arriving in the evening). Our flight took us through London’s Heathrow airport… the world’s busiest. Just a word of warning to those who may be thinking of traveling through there in the near future: transfering flights IS as bad as the news reports have pictured it. The HUGE “elephant in the living room” is the new international terminal. It is remote from the original four. As we trundled along in the transfer bus I joked to Ann (somewhere after about half an hour): “Terminal 4 [where we needed to go] is located out near Aberystwyth [on the Atlantic coast of Wales].” But all went well since we had 3 hours to change planes and now we’re back in the States.

We’re here for two main reasons: to prepare for Charissa’s wedding and get our house in Idaho ready to sell. (We took out an extra mortgage on it to help with Haus Nazareth and wisdom dictates that we clear this to be free of the debt as we make the final transfer to Berlin.) I know… it’s not the best time to be selling a home in the U.S., so we’d appreciate your prayers.

Since we have an appointment soon, I’d better tell you the pun before I forget it. I barely restrained myself from titling the last entry “Brethren and Cistern”. Please forgive me… one way or the other.

Clark

This morning the workers uncovered a huge hole in the back garden area.

It is a cistern to catch rain water that apparently was built about 100 years ago.

No one had a clue that it was there.
The iron cover on the top of it was probably
covered up in the late 1940’s or early 50’s.

The workers are continuing to break it open.

It’s a lot bigger than you’d think!

Now the job is to fill it in.

Warmly, Clark and Ann (with the rest of the spectators from the upstairs windows)

PS: No treasure has been found, but there are reports that one of the workmen sighted the “goblin” from The Princess and the Goblin (George MacDonald)

I noticed this statue in a group at the marketplace fountain by the “Alexanderplatz” yesterday on our way home after church and thought you might enjoy it!

The Bratwurst Bockwurst Seller

On Sunday we attended the church we’ve been going to since we arrived in Berlin, the “Berlin Project”.

I wanted to tell you a bit about this church, since the story is an encouraging example of what God is doing in this city.

About 3 years ago, two young seminary grads, Christian and Constantine, began meeting with young professionals and students in the city and exploring beginning a church oriented to reaching the “unchurched” (there are plenty of them in Berlin, with church attendance at about 1.5-2%!). We met with them back then and were excited to sense God’s leading in their dream.

Today, about 150-200 folk, mostly students and young professionals, meet every Sunday for services in one of the famous old theaters near the city center, “Kino Babylon” on the Rosa Luxemburg Platz.

Ann, Sandy and Chris (who’s visiting from the States) in front of “Kino Babylon”

We love the way these friends are reaching out with a real sensitivity to the needs and questions of those who are just beginning to take a more or less serious look at the message and person of Jesus. Please pray for the “church in Babylon”!!