[www.cjd-ilmenau.de...] -- Jo-Ann and Joe started the round of service visits with David in Ilmenau. Ilmenau has a population about the the same size as Goshen and a university that was founded in 1894. (Though with 6,200 students enrolled in various engineering fields, Ilmenau and Goshen are not identical twins.) David works at the CJD or Christliches Jugenddorf (Christian Youth Village) situated near the university campus. For over 3 decades, CJD has provided residential and vocational training facilities in Ilmenau. Their focus is particularly on young people who have experienced difficulty entering working life. They currently offer training in glass-blowing, cooking, woodworking, welding, and several other fields.

David lives in one of CJD’s two residential buildings—both interior and exterior still typical of the pre-1989 designs of East Germany. This week the building was bit noisier than usual, filled as it was with a lively crowd of young math campers. David has been helping as needed with diverse tasks, including landscape work, translating the Hausordnung (house rules) and webpages into English, and tending Bratwurst at the occasional Grillparty. Next week he will begin some interior repainting.

David’s supervisor, Herr E., joined David in showing us around four main buildings at CJD and an introductory tour of Ilmenau. Herr E. then hijacked all of us for an extended driving tour of the Thuringian Forest under whose ridges Ilmenau is nestled. Among other places, we stopped at Oberhof’s ski jumps and nearby winter sports training facilities. We also visited the Schneekopf,. At 978 meters just 5 meters shy of being Thuringia’s highest peak—though its observation tower elevated us to 1000 meters.

A visit to David’s favorite peak, the Kickelhahn that stands above Ilmenau will have to await another day.