Joy, Liz, Amy, and I are happy to say that we have made it safely to Como, Italy for our Traveler's Retreat! This retreat marks the halfway point for the traveling leg of our YHM journey. A week ago, none of us thought that we would need a retreat this soon into traveling (we've only been on the road for two weeks). But having arrived here in Como on Wednesday night, we realized that all four of us were ready for a physical and emotional break.
The last email update you received was from Munich, Germany, city of beer and sausages (seriously, now). From Munich, we had a very adventurous traveling day to reach Gryon, a small town high up in the Swiss Alps. On the way to Gryon, our team got separated not one but two times as various train mistakes were made, but thankfully nobody got left behind and we all made it to Switzerland together.
Our time in Gryon was much different from the times we have spent in other cities. The hostel we stayed at in Gryon, the Chalet Martin Swiss Alps Hostel, is a small, cozy place that is home to a group of regulars who come every year or two for the summer. We stepped into Chalet Martin as a group of outsiders on the fringe of an annual reunion, and we felt that we were immediately put into a box. Many of these regulars were at the hostel when our other traveling team for this year, Bergen 2, stayed in Gryon in the month of June. So as soon as we arrived and those staying at the hostel found out we were from Wheaton, they knew we were Christian and knew why we were traveling Europe, and generally avoided any in-depth conversation. We didn't feel ostracized by any means. We just continually felt the need to break out of the box the Gryon regulars put us in.
Chalet Martin, however, was definitely not a lost cause or disappointment for us. Despite any pre-formed opinions about us, the other guests in Gryon were willing and eager to hang out with us and hike and watch movies. The Alps were absolutely beautiful, and our time there was definitely relaxing. We managed to meet almost everyone staying in the hostel, and even formed a few deeper friendships with a couple of the guests there. Liz and Amy went hiking one day with a student from Virginia, named Margaret, and got a chance to get to know her. And the four of us all got to enjoy our final night in Gryon with Garrett, a student who invited himself into our team time and proceeded to read the Bible for us, despite labeling himself as non-religious. It was wonderful.
From Gryon, we traveled here to Como, and since our arrival have been having a great time relaxing and hanging out with Sarah and Heather, our YHM leaders. The Lord has definitely been using this down time to rejuvenate our spirits and our bodies. Sarah and Heather have been full of only encouragement for our team, and the Lord is continually using their leadership to strengthen our resolve to finish this summer strong.
As we enter our last two weeks here on YHM, we would like to continue to ask for your prayers. We are so, so grateful for the Lord's faithfulness in answering our prayers in the past, and we know that He will continue to be faithful in these next days. We would like to ask for continued prayers for boldness in the Lord and an enthusiasm for the gospel. We would also like to ask for prayer concerning inner peace and hopefulness in the Lord through these last two weeks, as we are nearing the end of our time here and it is tempting to mentally 'check-out'. The Lord has so much more in store for us these next two weeks, and we would love for you to be a part of that.
Thank you so much for your support! You'll hear from us in Slovenia!
In Him,
Stephanie Thomas
Team Bergen 1
YHM 2008
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