[www.heilsarmee-chemnitz.de...] -- On Saturday, Joe & Jo-Ann headed to Chemnitz to visit Aaron & Josh at the Heilsarmee (Salvation Army). Over the years, German SSTers have had service placements at several different Heilsarmee locations in eastern Germany—all of which have proven to be interesting and challenging. In Chemnitz, Josh & Aaron are helping out with several social work programs operating out of a building that two Goshen SSTers helped fix up back in 1999. There are different programs for families, for young children, and for youth. The Heilsarmee tries to provide a welcoming and safe place for informal encounters in a neighborhood of mixed socioeconomic classes. At Chemnitz the Salvation Army works together with the Jesus Freaks congregation. Aaron & Josh reside in the same facility in which they work and together with a team of German young people who are spending a year in voluntary or alternate service. Their service supervisor, Heidi N., reports that both are pitching right in and making good contributions in the team.

The team meets at least once a week to reflect on recent encounters in the various programs and plan activities for the days ahead. Mornings for our SSTers here usually involve lots of cleaning—sweeping and washing floors, cleaning the kitchen, doing dishes, etc. Then come afternoon or evening shifts (sometimes double-shifts) in one of three main programs. Familien-Café provides a place for parents and children to drop by to talk and play. McTurtle is a time just for young children, often with singing and playing. Aaron recently guest-starred with his guitar at McTurtle--the children were delighted to have an American rock-star like him present! Josh and Aaron are most often involved with the Jugendclub Heilse (Salvation Army Youth Club). When working with Jugendclub, the guys prepare and serve snacks and drinks, as well as play board games inside or other games outside, based on what the youth who come are interested in doing. Weather forced cancellation of a recently-planned sandlot volleyball tourney, but Josh has helped increase the interest around the basketball hoop. The building where the guys live also provides venues for regular worship services, small (usually very loud) concerts, and other activities including the occasional used-clothing flea market, a small soundproof studio for bands to use to practice.

After Heidi, Aaron & Josh gave us a thorough tour of the building, the fellows folded their long legs into the tiny SST rental car and we headed over to Dresden for an afternoon of conversation and sightseeing. There, on this 4th of July, we still saw signs that had been posted to welcome President Obama the month before. Most of the buildings of Saxony’s capital were in ruins 60 years ago. Regional pride prompted elaborate reconstruction of notable palaces and public buildings, reestablishing a sense of Dresden’s cultural past. As you look at the pictures from Dresden, remember that most of the buildings in downtown Goshen have been standing longer than the current versions of the buildings in Dresden! Reconstructed arches proved to have practical as well as aesthetic value for us during a torrential afternoon downpour. Among other things, we visited part of the Saxon royal treasure collection to marvel at such wonders as 185 detailed faces carved into a single cherry pit. Life back at the Heilsarmee seems a bit more real to us than that of the Saxon dukes, and we were glad to return to Chemnitz that evening.