The summer of 2016 was brutal, with everyone suffering through the scorching heat. Since our house didn’t have air conditioning, we decided to combine a family vacation with my business trip to Germany. We figured it would be better to spend the money we’d have spent on an air conditioner on a family trip instead. We arrived safely in Frankfurt, Germany, and visited the home of a deacon family we had shared our faith life with at San Jose Onnuri Church. We also met up with the brothers who had taught our kids piano and drums back in San Jose, enjoying a wonderful time together. Germany’s weather was pleasantly cool during the day and slightly chilly in the evenings, a stark contrast to the sweltering heat of Korea, where temperatures regularly exceeded 30°C even at night. Additionally, we were fortunate enough to get a car upgrade from the rental company, giving us the honor of driving a Mercedes.

On the first day, jet lag set in, and by late afternoon everyone was feeling groggy, so we only visited Goethe Square and retired early. The next day we visited Heidelberg. We went inside the Church of the Holy Spirit, took commemorative photos with the monkey statue on the Karl Theodor Bridge, and climbed up to Heidelberg Castle to enjoy the magnificent scenery where mountains and rivers harmoniously blend. The overall atmosphere in Germany struck me as well-organized everywhere we went, with nature preserved for future generations. On the Autobahn, even while driving at incredible speeds, everyone maintained order, allowing me to sense a mature civic consciousness enjoying freedom.

On Sunday morning, we attended worship at Hanmaum Church, the largest Korean church in Frankfurt, and then traveled to Cologne. An amusing incident occurred during the trip: my wife had forgotten the clothes she bought at a local shopping mall back at the hotel. I drove about 100 kilometers early in the morning to retrieve them. Since I drove at 200 km/h on the Autobahn, I was able to make the round trip quickly. At the Osman 30th-floor restaurant, where the conference VIP dinner was held, overlooking Cologne Cathedral, I gave thanks to God for bringing me back to this place I had visited four years prior.