The pastor was cruisin this week, so each day, I had a member of the congregation take care of my schedule. And it has been fun indeed!
I saw the brewery in which the congregation brews their special Martin Luther beer, based on the original recipe from Katherine! Then, I had a real chance to brew my own beer. I really can’t wait for the time I can taste it, it should be ready in a couple of weeks.
We kicked off Tuesday with seeing Slovak cultural garden in the University Circle. Each country takes care of the little piece of land, trying to show its culture. Then we continued with the natural museum with automobile exposition (I found a real masterpiece there – 1967 Ferrari California). I learned about history of Cleveland, saw some nice sport stuff, and almost took a ride on a carousel.
We stopped at the Lakeview cemetery, where they have a splendid chapel with stained glass walls and artwork. It even has an elevator for the catafalque, coming back from the time they used horse-pulled hersts. We also did a little shopping and had a dinner at the Flats.
On Wednesday, I saw the USS Cod submarine. It was really amazing, seeing all the stuff you see in movies in real life. We also went to the Mather, a freight ship used on the Great Lakes. There was a very nice view of the city from the deck. We wrapped up the day with Rock and Roll hall of fame, the most glorious gem of Cleveland.
On Thursday, I could catch a glimpse of Cedar Point once again, this time from the deck of the Marblehead lighthouse – the first one in the Great Lakes area. Canada is just 15 nautical miles away, but you can’t see the land unfortunately. We also visited a Confederate cemetery on the Johnson’s Island, which used to be a prison for the captured soldiers.
I visited the Holden arboretum on Friday, and had a nice walk around. After that, I finally got to cook our national dish for my first host family.
On Saturday, I went to see the Cleveland’s ZOO and the rainforest, which are considered one of the best in the country. I love animals, so I really enjoyed this day, concluded by a dinner with my second family.
Apart from our classical Sunday service, we also rehearsed for the next Sunday, as we’re going to play the songs for the service. I think it’s going to be very great!
Even though this week was more about having great time and enjoying myself, I could really get to know the people from the congregation better, share some stories, etc. Sharing God’s joy and love amongst ourselves is a great blessing.