Today, as revelers from all over the world crowd "the Wiesn" for Oktoberfest, Germans in Munich and throughout the country head to the polls to elect a new Bundestag. ... As newcomers in Germany, we're trying to listen and learn. Flashy and sometimes hilarious political signs line the roads and people are talking politics a lot more than usual.

Our second Christmas here in Germany has been a chance for us to put into practice some of the fun and meaningful Bavarian and German traditions we've observed. Here are the ones we've enjoyed most.

While Americans start gearing up for Christmas the day after Thanksgiving (or long before), in Germany the focus tends to be on the season of Advent (Adventszeit)....

Castles, forests, folktales, and food–the longer we're here, the more Nathan and I are falling in love with our new home. Here are some of the unique and beautiful things we're learning about Bavaria (the southeastern most state of Germany).

When I woke up yesterday morning and saw the news, my heart sank. Over the last week, the people of Bavaria in Germany have experienced three incidents of tragic violence. Each of these is of the sort that makes people want to push a “terrorism” panic button. How should I as a Christian respond to this violence and to the fear it generates? Here are some meditations on Jesus' response to violence.

Culture Shock is a funny thing, I’m learning. It sneaks up on you when you aren’t expecting it. You’re heading out the door to quick grab some groceries. The back of your neck starts getting tense and you can feel stress spreading across your shoulders. You stretch your neck to loosen it up, then keep walking . . .

Many Germans take a true lunch break. Not the American-style, “Grab a bite and keep working,” or “Let’s have a business meeting with food,” but one whole hour with truly no work. Most days I eat lunch with a group of colleagues at the main cafeteria of the university, whose 50,000 students don’t show up every day for lunch all at the same time (fortunately).  So here’s the first installment of “Things I Learn at Lunchtime.”

When I arrived at college I had major “potential friend” shock. After growing up in a small rural town I was now surround by hundreds of potential new friends. My shyness immediately kicked into high gear! How was I going to get to know people? However, I was determined to try to overcome my lack of confidence. So with lots of prayer (asking God for help) I jumped in with both feet! Some days were successful and I managed to ask good get-to-know-you questions and have genuine conversations. Other days were epic fails. (Like at orientation when I asked a Resident Director if he was one of the Freshman. Oops!) My ability to laugh off my faux pas seemed to grow daily! As cliché as it sounds, I definitely saw that the saying, “You have to be a friend before you get friends” really was true. . .

It's Christmas time in the city ...

An unusual kind of springtime is here. During the last week of November, every city square, triangle, or circle (everything labeled "platz" in German) started budding with wood sheds. Come the first of Advent, the awnings opened, and they burst into the myriad of colors called a "Weinachtsmarkt," or "Christmas Market." Tendrils of white lights extend down many streets and wrap themselves around light posts and shop windows. The sidewalks are buzzing not just with shoppers, but with clusters of friends crowded around steaming "Glühwein" or mulled wine stalls. It's a beautiful place to be this time of year, so we wanted to share a few photos to help you experience it with us.

I met M. in the central train station of a mid-size German town not far from Frankfurt. Even though I knew he was as eager to see me as I was him, the look in his eyes was tired and fearful. It wasn't a temporary anxiety or a general paranoia; it struck me as the sort of fear that had eroded its way onto his 23-year-old face over the course of weeks or months. For him, the train station had been a 40-minute walk from the refugee camp. After a week in the town, this was his first time to make it to the city center. Nor had he taken the bus, even once. “When we ask people for directions,” he said at one point, “they sometimes say, ‘Oh, it’s a really long walk.’ ‘How long?’ we ask. ‘About 5 kilometers,’ they say. After all the walking we’ve done, 5 km is not a problem!”