Our group, minus one who will arrive Saturday, arrived safely in Frankfurt, Germany almost an hour ahead of schedule this morning, excited but tired. Midway through the 4-hour bus trip from the airport to Jena, most had drifted off for a brief nap. A second wind came when we arrived and unloaded our luggage at the Christliches Gymnasium, the private school where our language instruction will take place.

After a brief blessing and a short orientation with Jo-Ann, we started to learn our way around Jena's public transport system. The reward was getting to the center of Jena where students, leaders, and jenakolleg friends enjoyed a first German meal at the venerable Zur Noll restaurant. Kerstin P. from jenakolleg took us on a short orientation tour. We then returned to the school, where our host families came to claim us. This evening we are beginning to learn to know the families who are welcoming us into their homes for the next six weeks.

Tomorrow, May 1, is a holiday here, but we'll get together briefly in the morning to share first impressions with each other and begin to think more about the weeks ahead.