So... on the last day of July, Mason returned from he and John's Excellent Adventure. They visited Edinburgh, London, Geneva, Bern, a village in the Swiss Alps (where he and John were chased by rogue cows), Lille and Paris in France. Mason continued on alone to Stutgart, Vienna, Slovakia, Prague and Budapest. He stayed with friends along the way who generously took good care of he and John. It was an amazing trip!
They toured castles and the Highlands in Scotland, saw The Police in Hyde Park, London and took The Chunnel from London to Paris. On their way to Geneva from London, he had his wallet with passport, credit cards and several hundred dollars in cash stolen on the Eurostar (he thinks by employees of the rail line). He called me in the middle of the night completely distraught and frankly, I thought from the sound of his voice that John had been killed!! :( But this challenge brought him growth and some sweet experiences as well. A generous Brit heard Mason's distress in the train station and gave him $100 (American) and then left before Mason could even thank him. (Bless you, whoever you are!) Mason successfully gave a whole police report in French all on his own and finished his trip to Geneva with only a small slip of paper from the French authorities as ID. Once in Geneva, the Friedli Family took him under their wing and helped him get to the Embassy in Bern to get a new passport. The family was extremely generous with Mason and insisted on helping him with some money. I can't believe it still, but I am so grateful.
They toured castles and the Highlands in Scotland, saw The Police in Hyde Park, London and took The Chunnel from London to Paris. On their way to Geneva from London, he had his wallet with passport, credit cards and several hundred dollars in cash stolen on the Eurostar (he thinks by employees of the rail line). He called me in the middle of the night completely distraught and frankly, I thought from the sound of his voice that John had been killed!! :( But this challenge brought him growth and some sweet experiences as well. A generous Brit heard Mason's distress in the train station and gave him $100 (American) and then left before Mason could even thank him. (Bless you, whoever you are!) Mason successfully gave a whole police report in French all on his own and finished his trip to Geneva with only a small slip of paper from the French authorities as ID. Once in Geneva, the Friedli Family took him under their wing and helped him get to the Embassy in Bern to get a new passport. The family was extremely generous with Mason and insisted on helping him with some money. I can't believe it still, but I am so grateful.
Bastille weekend in Paris and then it was time for John to head home and Mason to continue on his own. Through Germany and Austria and on to Slovakia where he stayed with Julia Malinovska and her family who generously hosted him for a couple weeks. While he was there he visited Prague and Budapest. He loved the friends he made there and plans to go back! On his way back to London to catch his flight home, he stopped off at the home of my exchange student from high school in 1984-5. Beatrice and her family warmly welcomed him in Stuttgart and they had a great visit! I was so thrilled when Mason returned! It was good to have him home again!
A good friend recently said that the effect the trip had on him was easy to see. He seems more confident and adult... ready to take on the world.... I suppose that he already has! There are countless things one can learn from a trip like that, but what I hope Mason will learn for himself is that he has been generously blessed and has potential far beyond his own ability to conceive and that righteous choices are the only way to fulfill that potential. I pray he will know how much his family and his Father in Heaven love him and desire only the best for him. I am so blessed to be his mother... I hope he knows what an important role he plays in our family!
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