Ice and Snow

Dear friends,

the headings have been a bit boring lately...ice...snow...cold weather. As if that is all the news from us. Pretty much! It is a crazy winter over here, I can tell you. They say it hasn't been that severe since 1978 and there is still more to come. Maybe it is the start of a new ice age? How did they even survive the ice ages? We are totally under-equipped I have noticed, our skin must lack about 5 layers because we are used to warmer temperatures. Thanks be to God, German houses all have very thick walls, double glaced windows and central heating. I can sit here in a T-Shirt while the new Ice Age is starting up outside.

Here is a little update on the winter situation here: The Baltic Sea has 30cm of ice on it and some of the islands out in the sea are cut off from the rest of Germany. Not even the ice breakers can get through to them anymore and the government is supplying them with groceries and other important services through helicopters. There has been so much snow that on some days the trains can't get through and the planes can't take off so a lot of flights have been cancelled going out and coming into Germany. People are stuck at railway stations and airports and on the roads. There is now a 3cm thick layer of ice on all the footpaths and some of the roads outside and it is impossible to walk on it. Most people just have to get somewhere, though, so we've got a record in broken bones in the hospitals and they had to convert their corridors into hospital rooms because there are too many patients! Why is there so much ice? Because Germany has long run out of salt, sand and stones to put on the ice to make it less slippery. Other countries have stopped supplying Germany because they are running low, too.
And it is still snowing and -5 degrees outside!

I have decided to hibernate till Spring. No point going outside anymore. I tried two days ago and what happened? Fresh snow covered the ice right in front of the door so I didn't see it. Next thing I saw it up close because my feet gave way. I have two very bruised knees now. Hibernation time.

It's been a weeks since our return from Switzerland and we have had such a wonderful time there. My favourite city was Luzern. Beautiful old buildings, a gorgeous lake surrounded by high mountains covered in lots of icing sugar...eehh...snow. One day we took a cable car up to the top of the highest one, 2100m. The view was spectacular and so was the cold up there. -20 degrees!!! Another day we took a ship across the lake and back which took 5 hours. The cradle of Switzerland is there, a small meadow where some brave people swore each other solidarity. Switzerland's national fable hero, Wilhelm Tell, was among them. Do you know the famous story where the cruel Austrian Duke makes him shoot an apple off the head of his own son with his arrow? He succeeds and in turn kills the duke.
Zurich was wonderful, too, and Michael especially delighted in the huge Art Museum and its modern art collection.

The day after our return to Leipzig, we had the pleasure of seeing 'The Magic Flute' opera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Ever since that day we've been inside most days except for church on Sunday. Our congregation meets in the hall now because the church building is much bigger and very expensive to heat in winter.

Photos will follow soon...we have been a bit slow I know.

AND NOW, last but not least, the most exciting news of the week: MICHAEL HAS BEEN GRANTED HIS VISA AND WORK PERMIT FOR GERMANY!!! We are very glad all the visa hassle is over.

Lots of love from the Rudolphs!