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Ignite International is thrilled to have taken the women’s volleyball team from Indiana Wesleyan University to Berlin,Germany. Home to a plethora of historical events, our team was challenged in a number of unique ways. First, there is no place in Berlin that one can escape the reality of history as it relates to the Nazi regime, Hitler's reign of terror, the Jewish Holocaust, and the cruelty of the Gestapo, followed by the equally inhumane oppression of the Soviet power and the infamous Wall that separated East and West. Parts of the Wall still stand, and a tower overlooking a sealed off portion of the "Dead Zone" give a clear visual of what life was like on their side of the world during the Cold War Era
A visit to Sachsenhausen, one of the main concentration camps brought to life the horror of the Holocaust and the insane massacre of 6 million Jews. More than 50,000 people lost their lives in this particular camp including both Jews and POW's captured by the Russians who overtook the camp and turned it into one of their slave labor/torture camps following the war. It was deeply compelling to stand at the place where morning and evening roll call was taken daily, to see the semicircular track where shoes were "tested" (by prisoners running sometimes for hours on end just to see how long it would take to wear out the soles), to stand within 20 feet of the incinerators used to cremate bodies that had been poisoned in the gas chambers, and to walk through the small, hot quarters that housed hundreds of innocents, captured and condemned solely because of their race or religion.
Our team enjoyed a bike tour of the city and saw so many of the sites we've read about or heard on the news, especially for those who would be of the Cold War generation. It was a proud moment to stand at Checkpoint Charlie and see the positive influence of our homeland in the fight for freedom against the powerful former Soviet military. It was eerily intense standing on the plot of ground that was once home to the Gestapo headquarters and looking at the new "display" being prepared to open at the museum that now sits on this property, displays that are set up along an underground corridor divided into small, individual rooms that were used for interrogation and torture. It was somewhat of a relief to stand before the sign designating a plot of ground as Hitler's Bunker (his hideout, dwelling and place of suicide) and to see that for a life committed to destruction, there is no honor, there is no memorial.....just a sign indicating it had been there. And it was ironic that across the street is the masterfully designed memorial built to honor the Jews whose lives had been lost at his hand.
Experiencing each of these sites allowed our team to connect to the history of Berlin, and thereby to have deepened within each of us a compassionate love for the people who call her home. Because we took time to visit these locations, although some were deeply moving and some difficult, our team followed in their outreach activities with a genuine care for the people to whom we had gone. It can truly be said that Ignite International and our team from Indiana Wesleyan University Volleyball love Berlin and embrace her people.
Ignite is grateful to have partnered with some of the ongoing ministry efforts of European Initiative. Unlike here in the USA where most have at least some form of "religious" foundation, the vast majority of Berliners have either significantly individualized opinions of the "higher power" or no belief in God whatsoever. The opportunity to partner with EI in some of their ongoing ministry outreach challenged our Ignite volleyball team to step outside of its comfort zone and to find ways to quickly build rapport in order to share effectively. Our team did outreaches at Alexanderplatz, Volkspark and Herkesher Market, among others. One night, we also went to the location where the Goths hang out once each week and engaged in many conversations for the purpose of sharing the love of the Living God.
While the previous venues were out of the comfort zone for most of our teammates, the team was totally in their element to reach out to the people of Berlin and surrounding towns through the platform of volleyball. Our team spent two evenings on the Beach Mitte sand courts at Nordbahnhof. A great number of beach volleyball athletes joined our team and free competition and friendship. At the end of both evenings, IWU Head Coach Candace Moats shared with them our purpose in coming and introduced them to the God that loves them. The athletes and coaches exchanged many email addresses, as well as facebook information, and will look forward to keeping in touch to water the seeds that have been planted. In the last three nights of the trip, the team also competed with four indoor club teams, ranging from the first to fourth leagues in the German system. Again, at each of the games, the message was shared, friendships were formed and once again we saw a clear visual of the power of athletics in opening the door for relationships. While on the streets reaching out to people at the parks, it was a challenge and often there was a lack of interest in listening by passersby. However, the natural platform of athletics already built that bridge and established a relationship that afforded us the open door to share to a listening audience.
For the personal reflections of Ignite International Founder, Judy Fox, please check the Berlin Blog, as well as the link provided here.