Beginnings

9-27-06
After a long flight over from the states, I made it to Switzerland and took the train from Zurich to Geneva where I was to stay with Gail and Mac Messenger (Myrna Raney’s brother and sister-in-law.) Upon my arrival in Geneva, Gail and I somehow missed each other and I ended up wandering around the train station, with what felt like 5 tons of baggage, trying to get my bearings and find a way of contacting Gail. Finally about 2.5 hrs. later I found my way to the proper bus stop and Gail was waiting for me to help with my bags. By this time I was exhausted from being up for over 24 hrs, with very brief bouts of sleep on the plane, but I knew I needed to stay up to get over the jet lag, so I had a bite to eat and Gail and I headed out to the market. It was a nice walk and I ended the evening with dinner and conversation before crashing and sleeping until 11:30 the next morning.

9-28-06 – 9-29-06
After a good nights rest, I was up and ready to see some of the sights. Gail took me around Geneva and we visited the church where Calvin preached as well as the San Pierre Cathedral and the Wall of the Reformation. We climbed about 100 steps up the tower of the Cathedral and were rewarded by a spectacular view of Geneva. We could see the entire city including the Jet d’ea for which Geneva is known. The pictures included are from that day. We stopped for panninis from a street vendor and sat on some steps by the lake and enjoyed one of the last days of nice weather before the rain set in. The evening was relaxed and Gail prepared a wonderful healthy meal as always. The next day Gail and I went for an invigorating hike in a forest near the town of Jussy and the rest of the day was spent enjoying the sunshine and relaxing.

9-30-06 – 10-1-06
This was the day I was to arrive at Bossey and after a minor miscommunication I was able to make my way to Bossey and settle into my room. The students stay in Petite Bossey which is a short walk away from the Chateau where classes, meals, and worship services are held. Arrivals were scheduled for 9/30 and 10/1 so it is just after 1 pm here and most everyone has arrived. We are slowly getting to know each other and will begin a rigorous 2 week orientation tomorrow at 8:30 am.

Tomorrow is the general overview and the following days are each themed by a different Christian tradition so that we might all have a basic understanding of those traditions not our own. This will last until October 15th and we start classes that following Monday the 16th. I am very much looking forward to what experiences I will encounter on my ecumenical journey at Bossey and my goal is to keep this blog updated so that you all will be able to walk with me on that journey.