This work of Warhorn has been put to the side the past couple months while Mary Lee and I have done something never possible before. Many pastors I know have had sabbaticals, but we haven’t had that privilege. Until now…
Bonn: Stephen and Konsti’s wedding
After resigning our call to Trinity Reformed Church the end of June, Mary Lee and I spent the next two months getting ready to leave Bloomington. First, we attended a wedding in Bonn, Germany, then vacationed in Italy, Switzerland, Spain, France, Crete, and back again to Germany.
Sestri Levante
Sestri Levante
Italy was friendly, feminine and masculine, very hot, cultured, beautiful, and pagan. Switzerland was less friendly, less feminine, less hot, less cultured, beautiful, and more pagan. Spain was friendly, feminine and masculine, not so very hot, most proud of its modern culture, beautiful, and pagan. France was friendly (shocked I was), feminine and less masculine, less hot, more cultured, beautiful, and pagan. Crete was very friendly, feminine and very masculine, extremely windy, less cultured, beyond beautiful, and less pagan. Since we’re now in Germany and some of our best friends are German, for fear of offending in any particular, we’ll not comment on Germany.
Pantheon, Rome
Colosseum, Rome
St. Peter’s; Vatican City
Most of these two months, our life consisted of drinking culture from fire hydrants. The list was Bonn, Milan, Bologna, Sestri Levante, Cinque Terre, Lenno (Lake Como), Milan (again), Genoa, Rome, Vatican City, Florence, Tuscany, Bologna (again), Venice, Tirano, Flims, Barcelona, Girona, Paris, Plakia (Crete), Mainz (Chagall’s windows in St. Stephan), Worms, Speyer, Strasbourg, Colmar (Isenheim Altarpiece), and Riquewihr (medievalism, Alsace food and wine).
Florence
Florence
Florence
Florence
We (Mary Lee and I) write this to thank our dear brothers and sisters of Trinity Reformed Church for being patient and loving us with tenderness all these years, and helping us take this trip upon our resignation of the call to serve them. Along with former friends and members, they gave us money as a goodbye gift that helped us pay for the travel and accommodations, as well as purchasing a day on a chartered sailboat we shared with Ben and Michal Crum (our son-in-law and daughter) and their children, which was delightful.
Basilica di San Petronio; Bologna
Basilica di San Petronio; Bologna
Archiginnasio Palace (built to house University of Bologna)
Uh… Ummm…
Some might wonder what we did with all our vacations those years we were serving Trinity, and the answer is work. Other than the yearly family reunions, when we were away, we were writing. Nonstop. Years ago, the session of Trinity told me they expected a book a year, and although I didn’t quite make that number, it was close and that was my (and our) vacations.
Now, as of a couple days ago, we are settled in here in Bad Honnef, slightly south of Bonn and a few kilometers north of Juergen and Ilsa Von Hagen. Soon I will start my work teaching at Bibelseminar Bonn, helping men to prepare for pastoral ministry. Please pray for us.
Bernina Express; Switzerland
Bernina Express; Switzerland
Cathedral of Barcelona; Barcelona
Barcelona
Girona
Paris
Paris
Versailles; Paris
We do; Paris
One final thing.
Plakias; Crete
Plakias; Crete
We love and miss Trinity Reformed Church and its shepherds and flock. Would you please join us in praying for them as they start a new school year and a new time of life?
Sheep in a Landscape by Charles-Emile Jacque; Musee d’Orsay, Paris
So there are some pics to help you share our vacation, vicariously. We hope you won’t envy us, but rather wait until you’re 68 years old and see what God has in store for you.
With love,
Tim and Mary Lee
