AMBEX's Spring 2013 semester is in full swing! We have 28 students from Corban University, The Master's College & Moody Bible Institute joining us this semester. It has been a full orientation week, and it's not over yet! Here's a brief summary of our activities so far:
Students arrived in Munich on Saturday, Jan. 18. Somewhat tired and jet-lagged, we met each other and hit the ground running. A walking tour of the downtown area kept students from falling asleep! Lunch at the famous Hofbrauhaus gave the students a first taste of real German/Bavarian cuisine. Then we piled into the vans and headed for Regensburg, home of the student inn where AMBEX is based. A few people trickled into town late due to long layovers or missed connections, but we all made it!
Sunday brought us to the Open Door Church, an non-denominational Protestant congregation which meets in the cine-plex here in Regensburg. Pastor Jan (John) presented a wonderful message, which was translated for us by one of the church members. The music was excellent also; they even sang some English worship songs so we could sing along! After dinner, we launched our weekly chapel meetings, led this week by Pastor Jan & his wife Friedi. It was great getting to know them by hearing their testimonies & learning about their ministry, here, in Regensburg.
Monday and Tuesday mornings were filled with German Geography, History, and Culture lectures from "Coach" Jerry Orr. In the afternoons, the AMBEX staff gave students tours of Regensburg where they explored the old town (Altstadt) and received tips and tricks on how to shop & navigate their new home successfully.
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| AMBEXers in front of Dom St. Peter, Regensburg's largest cathedral. |
On Wednesday, we traveled to Rothenburg ob der Tauber, a historic medieval city in Bavaria (the German state we live in.) Students explored the town, walked along the 1000-year old city walls, shopped at one of the many Christmas stores (which Rothenburg is known for) and experienced a delicious Bavarian meal at a rustic & quaint little restaurant. Some students chose to tour the crime and punishment museum, which contains all sorts of medieval torture devices and other artifacts of the law. This was also the students' first introduction to the very efficient German Railway system (Deutsche Bahn) & public transportation. We returned to Regensburg around 11:00pm, tired but satisfied.
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| We love the Deutsche Bahn! |
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| AMBEXers on the steps to the top of the wall in Rothenburg. |
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| We are so happy to be exploring Germany together! Rothenburg is beautiful. |
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| We finished the day with a hearty German meal, What a treat! |
European culture lectures resumed on Thursday, with part two of the Regensburg city tour and our weekly Bible study kickoff in the evening. One of our Moody students, Matt Shoot, is interning as part of his AMBEX experience. He prepared and led the study for our group. It was great to hear his insight as he guided us through the first few chapters of "Master Life", the book we are studying together this semester.
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| "Coach" Orr telling the story of St. Emmeram on the steps of his namesake church during our Regensburg city tour. |
Friday concluded the first set of European History, Culture & Geography classes. After lunch, students were free to explore the city on their own, find some local coffee shops to do homework in, nap, or just spend time with one another. Whatever they chose to do, it was some much-needed "down time" after a busy week diving into our new culture.
That's all for now; keep checking in to follow our German adventure! Please continue to lift up the AMBEX students, staff, and professors in prayer. God has some amazing things planned for this spring, and we hope you'll be a part of the journey through your prayer and support. Danke!
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