The beautiful Black Forest in southern Germany was the site of the Feast for 224 brethren from 14 different countries.

The services were held in the village hall, which provided a scenic view of the lake. The beautiful scenery complemented the focus on the Kingdom of God in this year's festival messages. All services were translated simultaneously into English or German as needed. United Church of God president Victor Kubik's video sermon was a special highlight this year and was well received.

The evening service that kicked off the Feast began with rousing music, beautiful flowers and glowing candles, setting the stage for a wonderful Feast. At the opening service, German brethren thanked their visitors who came from as far as Australia and the United States, allowing them to have a wonderful Feast of Tabernacles with lots of fellowship opportunities in a family atmosphere. A special treat this year was meeting with isolated brethren from Finland and Estonia who came with their pastor Johnnie Lambert and his wife Hazel.

Activities began with a Bible study for the seniors, a horse carriage ride through the sunny Black Forest for the children and their parents, and a youth activity that again challenged their go-kart driving skills.

This year's sightseeing trip took us to Hohenzollern Castle. The ancestral seat of the Hohenzollern family dynasty is situated at the periphery of the Swabian Alb. For almost a thousand years it has provided temporary housing for the Hohenzollern family. It's also an extraordinary location, which prompted Emperor William II to proclaim: "The panorama from the Hohenzollern Castle is truly worth a journey."

There was also nine-pin bowling for the seniors, volleyball, a women's breakfast, men's and women's discussions, a hymn sing-a-long and a dance evening. The youth had several interactive Bible studies to discuss how to follow in Jesus Christ's footsteps and make Him part of one's life. There were two baptism ceremonies at the end of the Feast, one member from the Munich congregation and one member from the Austrian congregation.

The farewell evening after the Eighth Day gave us the opportunity to say "Auf Wiedersehen" to each other. There were lots of handshakes and hugs as brethren departed after eight days of warm fellowship in a millennial setting.