A special occasion makes it possible for the two members living farthest north and south in the German-language region to have dinner together.

In a part of the world where travel can be expensive – gasoline sells for about $6.00 a gallon – members from opposite ends of the region normally see each other only once a year, at the Feast of Tabernacles. So the special combined service on January 28, 2006 that brought 75 people from Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland to Dormagen (located between Cologne and Düsseldorf) was a special treat. Among those present were Rose Marie Lörtscher (on the left in the picture) and Mali Allaoua. Rose Marie lives near Biel, Switzerland and is currently the southern-most member in the German-language region. Mali (on the right in the picture) is her counterpart to the north. She lives in Elmshorn, about 20 miles northwest of Hamburg, Germany. Both traveled by train to the special service in Dormagen, and their trip time was about the same. Rose Marie traveled a bit farther, though, but had the advantage of the high-speed ICE3 train for part of her trip. Rose Marie and Mali enjoyed dinner together after services.