Switzerland

I arrived to Basel with a warm greeting from my host Kevin (a missionary through GEM). We explored the small city, drank a coffee, and ate a kebab next to the lake. His flat is actually in Lorrach Germany, a 30 minute train ride, which was where we made dinner and talked all about traveling and mission work. The next day, we walked to the Dreilandereck, the border of France, Germany, and Switzerland. Afterwards, we took a blablacar to Lucerne. We walked through the famous Chapel bridge, saw old castle walls, gawked at the incredible mountain-view, saw the lion statue, and continued convo next to the Lake. I took a blablacar back to Basel and a train to Lorrach. 

Saturday, we took a train to Zurich. Zurich has the most expensive street in Europe, called Bahnhofstrasse, where I almost bought a 56,000 euro watch… We enjoyed the walking tour, which brought us through historic protestant parts, landmarks, and views of the city. I was amazed to see hundreds of people swimming down the Limmat River with little yellow tubes. Kevin and I took a train to northern Zurich to have dinner with some of his friends. We had such a fun night talking about travel and sharing a drink. The next day we went to a church service in Zurich and we ate lunch with the pastor and his wife. After a little rest, we did some street evangelism using Operation Camera Gospel (ask someone if they want a picture together and then lead conversation to Christ) and sharing our testimony. I had such a refreshing time in Switzerland. Kevin inspired me to get caught up on blog posts and to start vlogging… Next stop, Italy!

Duration

4 days

Accommodation

Missionary’s home (2 nights), Kevin’s friends home (1 night)

Favorite Food

A beautifully packed lunch eaten by the lake and mountains

Favorite Site

Lake Lucerne

Cool Person I Met

Jacob. Jacob is a German, living in Zurich, working in a flight company, and pursuing entrepreneurial ventures. I enjoyed convo with him and his wife over a German dinner. We talked about business, culture, and travel. Jacob and his wife took a world trip after marriage for four weeks after marriage. I was so happy to hear they had this time together and I can’t wait to enjoy that travel with Devon.

Highlight

Using blablacar to and from Lucerne and enjoying the walk around the city

Big Takeaway

I learned that most missionaries are required or highly encouraged to spend their first 1-2 years assimilating themselves to the new culture through learning the language, history, and local customs. This front-loaded consecration should set the missionary up for a long-term commitment of service. Short term missions have its benefits and drawbacks. Transitioning is always a struggle and if local leaders haven’t been built up, the church tends to experience some difficulties.

Ministry work has so much to do with relationships and building proper relationships takes time! In general, cultures like the French and Germans are more private people making it harder to establish trust. I heard one story of a German colleague finally let their Christian friend into her house after 8 years of friendship. The Christian friend had been praying for this person many years and actively sought opportunities to minister Christ. Missionaries, especially ones with a foreign culture, need to consistently reach out to people through sharing meals, participating in activities, and sharing Biblical truths.

I’m not ready to commit long term to any geography or vocation. I still feel willing to go anywhere in the world with my wife, whether that’s to stay in Florida or to live in India. I’m fresh out of college, marrying my sweetheart, and am working on the early stage of a startup. My life is a bit volatile right now. I completely agree with the effectiveness of settling down in one location to learn the culture but can’t bring myself to it. The Lord will bring me through a new season of life where I am looking for a place to settle and invest into. For now, I feel a bit nomadic! My burden is to move around a lot to learn before it’s time to focus on stability, having kids, and ministering Christ consistently in a particular region.

Your Turn

What are your thoughts on short-term missions? Benefits and drawbacks?

How would you compare building relationships in Europe vs. America?