Favorite Traveling Memories

My favorite traveling experience was back in June, 2001 before the earth shattering tragedy on September 11, when the college ministry of the church I was attending, organized a mission trip to Warsaw, Poland. After raising enough money from donations, I was blessed with this wonderful opportunity to teach English through the Bible at an established church in downtown Warsaw.

Our flight from New York landed in Amsterdam, Holland. We took about a six hour bus tour around Amsterdam before flying on to Warsaw, Poland. We also visited the Ann Frank museum which is connected to the actual building that the Franks hid in during WWII. We got to see on display, her original, hand written diary and walked through the secret book case door and up the stairs to the room where the Franks hid.

Once we arrived in Warsaw, about 12 other college students and I, taught English using the bible and became very good friends with our students. Looking back on it I feel that I learned more about my own faith and biblical understanding. I somehow interpreted the bible differently while teaching it to strangers in a foreign country. I realized for the first time, in my 21 years of life, the truth and importance of demonstrating the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace, with fellow believers, which is part of a verse in Ephesians. This experience changed my life and challenged me to be less condemning of others who may have a different understanding and perception of the bible.

One weekend we traveled to the Auschwitz Museum in Polland and toured the Auschwitz concentration camp and the Birkenow concentration camp. It was still hard to comprehend how people could become so corrupted by evil, even though I saw the evidence of the hollocaust with my own eyes.

The last few days were left for us to use our Euro-rail passes. Three other girls and I traveled by train to Munich, Germany, and took a tour of the Nueshwinestein Castle. We then traveled by overnight train to Italy and took a bus tour of Rome and walked around Venice and Florence. Venice was the most magical, intoxicating place I have ever visited. The last day we spent in Switzerland and ate real Swiss chocolate from an authentic, small, chocolate factory.

I feel extremely blessed that I was allowed this wonderful traveling experience. It was a once in a life time opportunity but the memories will remain engraved in my mind and heart forever.