We wanted you to know.......

that if you would wish to view one of our photographs in our blog a little better, you can place your mouse on the picture of your choice than double click on it. It should enlarge the picture for you to view it better.

"Say Cheese"!

"Say Cheese"

Since we have arrived in Neuchatel this past January to attend French language studies, we have had a fellow student that was kind enough to share with us a part of the Switzerland culture ~ cheese!

As you can see from the photographs we had a variety of cheeses to try! Each one was more delicious then the next and what's even better than eating cheese....you would have to enjoy it with warm delicious bread. My favorite is the little round cheese in these pictures. When you cut through it, the center had thin layer of a variety of herbs.

I was reading recently that the average Swiss goes through almost 20 kilograms (that's 44 lbs) of cheese in a year. The favorite cheeses here are Mozzarella, Gruyere and Raclette. When we go each week to the grocery store is takes some time to look at the large varieties of cheeses to choose from. One type of cheese we had a difficulty finding here was chedder. However, we asked a fellow student that has been living in Switzerland for 3 years now and she was able to give us the name we should look for and what the packaging looks like.....success at last, we did find some!

Praise the name of the LORD

Psalm 113: 2 - 3

Let the name of the LORD be praised, both now and forevermore. From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the LORD is to be praise.

Saturday ~ is market day!

Saturday ~ at the market!

In the center of the city of Neuchatel each Saturday you can go to the market. You can purchase (almost) everything from soup to nuts! Fresh fruits and veggies...maybe you would like to buy some spices? It is very common as well to see restuarants with out side dining areas all around the city (the first picture above). I have been surprised to see that even in the coldest winter months people are enjoying their meals or having a coffee together outside.

Get the marshmallows ready!

Get the marshmallows ready!

This little wood burner serves as extra added heat source to our apartment. About once or twice a week we will make a fire in it just to sit in front of to enjoy! However, this is in addition to our main heat source which is in floor radiant heat. That's been nice for keeping our toes toasty!

~ Opportunities ~

~ Prayer for the Day ~

Loving God, make me more and more aware of daily opportunities to encourage others. Open my eyes and my heart to the lives of family, friends and strangers whom I can encourage this day.

Written by: Victor M. Parachin

This is our daily prayer that the Lord makes us aware of an opportunitity to share the love of Christ, to be an encouragment to others, to help when someone is in need. God is answering this prayer, through a student in our class, through a new friend (in Switzerland) who is struggling through a difficult time right now. Trace also had the opportunity to help our landlord put in wood flooring in the basement of his home. We would ask you to please continue to pray for us, especially concerning the one student in our class and for the new friend we mentioned.

The picture above is from the very first week-end we arrived in Switzerland. We had the opportunity to hike with some people from the church in a near by area. We hiked and we hiked and we hiked!! When we reached the top of the hike it was well worth the view, a beautiful clear view of the mountain range of The Alps.