A Joyful Day of Hiking and Blessed Fellowship

What a joyful day we celebrated on 7 September in Grünbach, as nearly 100 members and friends of our church gathered for our annual barbecue and hike at the home of Andrew Stones.

It was a day of abundant and varied blessings. Many members met at the church early in the morning to load up our private bus with tables and benches and food and drinks for the journey out to Grünbach. When we arrived, we met others who had come by car, and after enjoying a brief cup of coffee, we started out on our hike; some walked down the valley to the village of Puchberg, while others climbed up to the ridge that overlooks Schneeberg and the Austrian Alps.

After a couple of hours, we returned to Andrew's garden for a feast of salads, meats and vegetables grilled over the coals, and desserts and drinks that lasted well into the afternoon. And then as the sun began to fade, we brought the day to close, and returned to Vienna in a spirit of joy and thanksgiving.

We give thanks to all who participated in good spirit and provided such a bountiful meal. We are very appreciative to George Ackwonu and Franz Haslinger for helping to coordinate the event, set the logistics, and ensure everything ran so smoothly. And we are most grateful for Andrew, for welcoming us into his home and giving us the example of a generous host. We thank you, Andrew, for this great blessing!