I like to stay positive

Before anything else, here are pictures I promised a time or two ago of Debbie and I in the wheelhouse of the most awesome train ride ever:





I never realized how positive I can be until it was pointed out to me by Ruth, a German committee member. On the way home from the committee meeting in Krefeld, they were asking me how things were settling down in Switzerland with the new family. I mentioned how everything was great except for one tiny thing. I get called Jeff a lot. Jeff was the trainee here a year ago, before our group began. Apparently the family really adored him and I can see why. At the end of his time, he decided to stay since he didn't know what he was going to do when he got back to Canada. He stayed until October when he left to go build villages in Africa or something.

Ruth asked how that made me feel when I get called Jeff. I said that it makes me want to work hard so that they call the next male trainee Jon, whatever his name is. It can be frustrating though. Today, Tim called me Jeff about 6 times. If that's the worst thing that I'm dealing with at the moment, I think it's going pretty good.

It keeps snowing. This morning I walked out of the cow stall and there were little ice pellets coming down and it changed to snow through the morning. Over lunch there was sun and then the clouds came back and dumped heavy snow in late afternoon. It was so thick that I couldn't see out my window to the power line tower down the hill.

My mom is in Germany right now visiting Tim, Heidi, and Gustav. We helped her find cheap airfare over her spring break so she's making use of that. She actually came over with two fairly empty suitcases (except for random North American baking supplies) so Tim and Heidi can send some things back with her. For those of you who don't know, their visas have been rejected and they may be forced to go home before their term is up in July. Mom will be coming down my way on Friday where she'll stay until Tuesday, when her flight out of Zurich leaves. I still have a little bit of planning to do, but I think we're going to have fun.

The next weekend (20th), I'm meeting Bethel friends in Basel. Blaire, who is studying in Barcelona, and Meredith, who also found cheap Spring Break tickets, are flying in on Friday the 20th. Fellow trainee Charles will be arriving that afternoon and we're all staying at Debbie's house. It should be a fun weekend of story-telling and sightseeing with good friends.

Until next time,
Jon