Ben and Kristy Blog

More from Berlin

Before time escapes us and we have a million other things to write about, let me post more about Berlin. Really, it was a great, modern city. Unfortunately Hitler’s foolishness led to the destruction of everything that had any pre-20th century history, but nonetheless, they have rebuilt it into quite a capital. We arrived late Friday night with only enough energy to check into our 3-bed hostel room. But Saturday morning we did our typical big-city plan that we always do on the first day to a new place: ride the double-decker tourist bus as much as possible, jumping on and off to get orientated with the layout. You get a full 17-stop audio tour, and it allows you to plan out the rest of your trip.

We got off at places like Checkpoint Charlie, the Brandenburg Gate, and the multiple Christmas markets around the city. The Alexanderplatz area was our favorite, which is where the biggest market was, along with the largest Protestant Church in Germany, which is where we attended church on Sunday morning (the service was translated through headphones into English. It was so gorgeous inside!) After church, Ryan really wanted the somber experience of visiting a concentration camp, so we went to one 45 min. outside of Berlin. I’ve visited 5 other concentration camps, but it never ceases to sadden me to no end. After such a serious experience, we got our mood back by eating American burgers, milkshakes, and nachos at Hard Rock Cafe before hitting more Christmas markets.

By Sunday night we were really wiped out, and certainly had walked off all the bratwurst, crepes, and other amazing German food at the Christmas markets!

Monday morning we grabbed Dunkin Donuts and headed back to Dortmund to fly out, just making it back to Lviv in time for youth group and the first true seasonal snow fall. We realize how blessed we are to have unique experiences throughout Europe. We sometimes feel like God programmed us from birth to live here. I really can’t express the joy we feel in experiencing other cultures and people and seeing God at work across the globe. We pray that you encounter Him too, wherever you may be.