Where we’re staying in Switzerland

Our church family knows that through a generous grant from the Lilly Foundation, I have the opportunity for a sabbatical this summer.  For for the first five weeks of our sabbatical, we will be headquartered at this chalet in the Lauterbrunnen Valley in Switzerland (D.V.) – – Our Swiss home thanks to the Lilly foundation. . . keep in mind we were only able to do this because of the grant.

The Lauterbrunnen Valley is considered one of the most beautiful places in Europe – – indeed, in all the world.  Wikipedia:

Lauterbrunnen lies at the bottom of a hanging or U-shaped valley that extends south and then south-westwards from the village to meet the 8 kilometers (5 mi) Lauterbrunnen Wall. The valley of Lauterbrunnen (Lauterbrunnental) is one of the deepest in the Alpine chain when compared with the height of the mountains that rise directly on either side. It is a true cleft, rarely more than one kilometre in width, between limestones precipices, sometimes quite perpendicular, everywhere of extreme steepness. It is to this form of the valley that it owes the numerous waterfalls from which it derives its name. The streams descending from the adjoining mountains, on reaching the verge of the rocky walls of the valley, form cascades so high that they are almost lost in spray before they reach the level of the valley. The most famous of these are the Staubbach Falls within less than one kilometres of the village of Lauterbrunnen. The height of the cascade is between 800 and 900 feet (240 and 270 m), one of the highest in Europe formed of a single unbroken fall.

The rest here.

Our prayer is that God will use this pause in pattern and place to allow me to be renewed for pastoral ministry so that I can continue to preach the Word and shepherd the flock.